Are We Happy Plastic People?

OK, so I absolutely LOVE this song by Casting Crowns. It is at the top of my favorites list, if not #1. It is so true! I see how you go to church, put on a face for the crowd, go back home and your life is not like you just pretended it to be. The other people don't know that and they don't want to either. We just go, put on an air of concern when we really only care about ourselves and what is going on in our lives. If we could all learn to break down those walls and just be open and honest, a miracle could happen in the churches of today. Without further adieu...

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails / Is there anyone that falls / Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small
'Cause when I take a look around / Everybody seems so strong / I know they'll soon discover / That I don't belong
So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay / If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too / So with a painted grin, I play the part again / So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people / Under shiny plastic steeples / With walls around our weakness / And smiles to hide our pain / But if the invitation's open / To every heart that has been broken / Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there / Are there any hands to raise / Am I the only one who's traded / In the altar for a stage
The performance is convincing / And we know every line by heart / Only when no one is watching / Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free / If I dared to let you see / The truth behind the person / That you imagine me to be
Would your arms be open / Or would you walk away / Would the love of Jesus / Be enough to make you stay


Ponder...are your arms open? The love of Jesus SHOULD BE enough to make you stay!

Faithfulness

This is something I seek, yet seem to fail at miserably. I want to be close to God, but then illness, sleep or just plain laziness gets in my way. I have every excuse in the book not to do what I ought to and nothing, absolutely nothing is a worthy reason. Of course, now I sit here blogging about it rather than actually DOING it. My eyes and brain say "but you're tired" but my heart says, "you're never too tired to make time for God."
So I guess I am going to go work on my relationship with God before I fall asleep.

Google yourself

OK, so I saw this posted on here a LONG time ago (have been away for a while). I thought I'd do it again, just for fun. Go google your name and the word needs (together), then post the first 10 results that are applicable. THIS IS FUN!!

1) Jo needs a) cheering up and b) perspective. (OK, I'll agree on that one, er, two)

2) Jo needs help with dressing and washing and still wets the bed occasionally, although she is reliable during the day. (OK, I admit it, I still wet the bed from time to time)

3) Jo. needs 2B funky (yes she does!!)

4) Jo Needs Help!!! (funny thing is, this came up TWICE the last time I did it)

5) Jo needs a break (ain't that the truth)

6) Jo needs help. (yep, must REALLY need help)

7) Jo needs a home (OK, we are looking for new places once our lease is up)

8) Jo needs a break (wow, I need lots of help AND breaks)

9) Jo needs a home (I told ya, we're looking)

10) Jo needs - your help ya huh! (wow, I am REALLY needy! 3 times, plus 2 breaks)

Don Moen - I will sing

Lord You seem so far away. A million miles or more it feels today.
And though I haven't lost my faith, I must confess right now that it's hard for me to pray.
But I don't know what to say and I don't know where to start.
But as you give the grace with all that's in my heart.

I will sing.
I will praise even in my darkest time through the sorrow and the pain.
I will sing. I will praise.
Lift my hands to honor You because Your word is true. I will sing.

Lord its hard for me to see all the thoughts and plans You have for me.
But I will put my trust in You. Lord you'll be my guide to set me free.
But I don't know what to say and I don't know where to start.
But as you give the grace with all that's in my heart.

I will sing.
I will praise even in my darkest time through the sorrow and the pain.
I will sing. I will praise.
Lift my hands to honor You because Your word is true. I will sing. (2 times)

Now, I had to have my mom send me the artist (I knew she'd know who sang it) and I finally was able to find the lyrics easily, though they weren't exactly right (I fixed them to the best of my knowledge). It is just how I feel most of the time. Well, I'm looking at the time and I still need to start something for dinner and unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher. Oh I feel like all I do is clean up around here. It's a never-ending cycle. Have a good day!

God bless, Jo

Taking a lesson from Paul and Silas

OK, I don't have my sermon notes out (they're in my bible cover in the car), but I just wanted to let you know I learned a great lesson in church this morning. Paul and Silas were thrown into JAIL and we're not talking the ones that are like hotels for criminals either. They were probably sitting on dirt (possibly mud) floors with their feet in stocks because of their witnessing for Christ, but they didn't go "woe is me." No, they began to pray and sing and praise the Lord. You know what God did, he sent and earthquake. It caused all the prisoners to be loosed from the things that bound them and just before one of the guards was going to kill himself (he'd be put to death if he let even on prisoner go on his watch), Paul said stop, we're all here. This gave him the opportunity to lead this jailor to the Lord! OK, so basically what I learned is that anything bad in life can be related to the situation Paul and Silas found themselves in. The thing is, they didn't grumble and get down, they looked to the Lord, took their place in the heavenlies (that's in Ephesians I think) and through their testimony the jailor and his family were led to Christ.
Now, to me, I have a lot of "down" days. I have been a pessimist for as long as I can remember and like I've said I am on Zoloft now for depression. So anyway, I seem to be focusing a lot on my problems and not enough on THE ANSWER. So what I'm going to do is read my bible more, pray more (which some days I don't even pray at all), and listen to and sing Christian songs and hymns. There are some really great ones out there too. There is one that is considered a praise song that just totally fits where I'm at right now. I am trying to find it right now so I can post it here. It's taking forever and I know my mom has the song from a lyrics website. Ugh, I was planning on going to bed early, but man if I couldn't find this thing. If I don't find it in a couple of minutes I'm giving up and emailing mom, then I'll post it tomorrow or something.
Oh well, for 45 minutes I've been searching and nothing. I don't know what it's called but it just speaks to me. Ok, so I've given up, now nearly an hour after I began looking and still nothing. Anyway, I'll email mom and have her send me her lyrics site so I can post them. You'll really love the song and if you listen to Christian radio at all I know you've heard it.

God bless, Jo