After the rain comes a rainbow

The Kentucky Derby. Wow. Why? Plus one giant Ewwww. These are the three words that can best sum up what my friend Maria and I, who are possibly suffering from a mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder, witnessed today in the Derby infield. We saw things that we had never seen before and things that we never, ever want to see again.

The Wow list includes the following phenomena:

• The countless Kentucky natives, voluntarily covered in mud from head to toe, who felt the need to engage in mud wrestling for hours on end for no apparent reason.
• The lone porta potti that we stood by for over two hours and the innumerable, visibly traumatized victims who emerged from its chambers. Wow. What had occurred in there? We were too afraid to find out. We held it.
• The yellow shower curtains, otherwise known as "ponchos," we were forced to wear as a result of the hideous and unforgiving rain. We reached a new fashion low today.

Making the Why list...

• The man in the flowered Mumu.
• The man sporting a Kermit the Frog head. His friend sporting a pig nose. And the mud covered chicken man.
• Why do you stand in the betting line for 20 minutes and not realize you are in a betting line at the Derby. And even if you realize what this line is, after waiting 20 minutes in the line, why do you have no idea what bet you will place when it's your turn and hold up the line for a good 15 minutes trying to make a decision?
• A seersucker suit + flip flops. Why?
• The shirtless man wearing buttless jeans.

And the giant Ewwww:

• Quite possibly the most disturbing image of all, which has unquestionably been burned into our memories for all of eternity, was the giant 2-pound, half-raw turkey leg that was continuously hoisted up into the air by an exceptionally exuberant young man waiting in line to use the infamous porta potti. How many people took a bite out of this turkey leg? We lost count.

The crowning moment of the day occurred just minutes before the actual running of the race when the rich and powerful people came out of their tower to observe the infield festivities and throw beers and cigars down to the "peasants."

I don't think any words can really properly convey the infinite atrocities we were witness to today. But, as we drove away from it all, we came upon the most beautiful rainbow either one of us had ever seen. It spread all the way across the sky, kind of like the St. Louis Arch. That was a nice ending to an, um, interesting day.

He's not only a God of second chances...He's a God of a million chances!

Today, I am most thankful for the gift of God's forgiveness. To me, it is the most beautiful and fundamental truth in the entire Bible. It is why Jesus went to the cross. And it is why we are all here today. It is hard to even comprehend the type of love God has for us, that He would send His beloved and only Son to the Earth to die in our place for our sins so that we never have to be separated from God in this life or on the other side. Thank you for Your indescribable faithfulness, mercy, grace and love God! No matter how many times I get it wrong and fail You, You have always been there, right beside me, to pick me up again.

I am also thankful for the many talented Christian artists who are able to convey the amazing promises of God through their music. The worship, ministry and comfort provided by their words is truly a blessing.

Love this song!

"Forgiven" by Sanctus Real
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVjKrmvYYQ

Well the past is playing with my head
And failure knocks me down again
I’m reminded of the wrong
That I have said and done
And that devil just wont let me forget

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in Your arms
I know what I am

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

My mistakes are running through my mind
And I relive my days, in the middle of the night
And I struggle with my pain, and wrestle with my pride
Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

In this life
I know what I’ve been
But here in Your arms
I know what I am

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

When I don't fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere
When I don’t measure up to much in this life
Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ ‘cause

I’m forgiven
I’m forgiven
And I don’t have to carry
The weight of who I’ve been
Cause I’m forgiven

The Hills! The City! Tonight, people!

I know, I know. I may be judged harshly by some for my impending excitement over the season premieres of these ridiculous shows. But I don't really care. I try my best to evade reality at all costs, and ironically, that is easily accomplished by watching these two "reality" shows. Ha.

The Hills (Season 5) Trailer: "The journey's coming to an end, but the drama's not over yet! The final season of 'The Hills' premieres Tuesday, April 27 at 10/9c."

God is faithful 24/7...and it is great to be reminded!

David Wilkerson Today

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010

THE WAY UP

I have known of great Christians who have experienced a trial so dark and deep that life itself seemed almost not worth living. In his very darkest hour, Jeremiah discovered a glorious truth that brought new hope and assurance to his mind. It was something he already knew about God, but it didn't touch his soul until he came to the end of himself. He discovered that at the very bottom, God was there! The farther down he went, the more God was to be discovered. God was not to be discovered up there in some blissful soaring into untroubled skies, but in the shadows of grief and despair. When Jeremiah hit bottom, he bumped into God! He fell hard against the faithfulness of a compassionate God. Listen to his discovery:

"God is a God of compassion...his compassions for me cannot fail.... They are new every morning...great is his faithfulness..." (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Little by little, Jeremiah came to realize great truths that can only be discovered by those who are down.

1. When I am at the very lowest point; when troubles flow over my heart like water, and I say, "I am cut off," God draws near and whispers, "Do not fear!" (Lamentations 3:54-57).

2. When God seems to have "covered himself with a cloud, so that my prayers could not pass through," he will still see my oppression and will “judge my case” (Lamentations 3:44, 59).

3. If the Lord allows grief and sorrow, he will at the same time uphold me with abundant compassion and love (Lamentations 3:32).

4. God is not against me, trying to crush me under his foot when I'm down like a prisoner in trouble (Lamentations 3:34).

5. God is not trying to sabotage any of my plans; he is not causing my confusion; he is not working against me (Lamentations 3:35-36).

6. Even in my despair and bitterness, when I hated to face a new day, his compassion failed not. His mercies were waiting for me, new each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

7. Because God is always faithful, he will not cast me off. He will do right by me and save me (Lamentations 3:25-26).

8. When I am at my lowest, I have nowhere to turn but to God, so I will lift up my heart and my hands, and thank him for his faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:40-41).

9. Being down has spent my strength and hope. I am left empty and humbled, so now I depend totally on his mercies! (Lamentations 3:18, 20-22).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/8230

Mr. Softee Goes to China!

It was only a matter of time before the awesomeness of my beloved conehead would burst out the seams of NYC and go on a mission trip to a foreign land to serve people in desperate need of quality ice cream. Mr. Softee is so benevolent like that. Gotta give the shout out to Mrs. Kelly Gorra for passing along the best and most heartwarming news I've heard in a while!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/nyregion/15softee.html?pagewanted=1&ref=nyregion&src=me

OPI Meets Dell!

Fact #1: I really really really like nail polish. I like to think about it. I like to look at it. I like to buy it. And I like to get my nails painted as often as possible.

Fact #2: I need a new laptop like yesterday.

How are these two facts related, you might ask. Well I will tell you now. I am beyond ecstatic that Dell is currently offering a super special line of laptops in 26 fabulous shades of OPI nail polish. The introduction of this line could not have come at a better time! And for those of you not harboring a psychotic obsession with nail polish and who feel you are not benefiting one bit from this post, I want to add that Dell has many color and design options available to suit your own particular fancy, including many MLB logo options, pretty polka dots, sassy stripes, preppy plaids and a lotta other funky, fun and psychedelic choices. My only gripe: where's the argyle??? Oh, well. I really can't complain. Never imagined I'd have one of my favorite nail polish colors covering my laptop.

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/shared/design_studio/en/us/design_studio?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&dgc=IR&cid=46701&lid=1248146

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated "God with us."
Matthew 1:23

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11