Worship or Romance?

I was reading an article today, finding something interesting to end my boredom. An interesting point caught my attention and got me to thinking. The article was titled "Undivided Worship" by Susie Shellenberger. It was talking about our worship, and how even the most moving songs, we think, are really questionable on who they are focused on.

Read the lyrics to this song:

"I want to know You; I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.I want to touch You;
I want to see Your face, I want to know You more."

Now does that seem a bit weird? If not read it again. It seems as if we are romanticizing God. Instead of truly worshiping him with all our hearts, we seem as if we could be singing to some boyfriend of ours. Which questions what our minds are really focused on. It doesn't mean they are wrong, it just seems a bit under-classifying God. It is like we are putting him on the same level as a friend in our 1st period class, when he is our maker, our savior. The one who created us all!

But take a look at these lyrics:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

There is no question what so ever who we are singing to. All the focus is on the greatness of God, his power, his mighty Grace!

This is just something to think about. I just really thought it was interesting, that we could actually Romanticize God, and not even realize it. I hadn't ever really thought about this before, but it is certainly true. God wants our all when we worship. I truly believe that when you worship, you have to give your all, 100%, no holding back what-so-ever, to feel the spirit of God upon you. If he is urging you to close your eyes and become closer to him, then you need to do just that. If he urges you to lift you hands, or clap, then don't hold back! Give him all you've got, and don't be afraid of what others are thinking, because they don't have your life in their hands. I really believe that he sees that, and he fills you with his spirit when you give you all, 100%. And it is so beautiful!

God Bless,

Kayleigh

Driving!

So today I went driving with my pepaw. It was actually not so bad. In fact I love it! I have been putting off the idea of getting out and learning how to drive for awhile now, so much that my family has started to think that I am scared to drive. They have this strange idea I have some phobia of driving which isn't so. So we went out on Redman Road, and he let me drive. I thought I was going to practice in a parking lot or something but no, I was on a actual road...cringe. It freaked me out at first but It was so fun, I actually got up to 40 miles an hour. I know that isn't fast, but for me who has never driven a car in my life, it is. I am very proud of myself...now I just have to study that retched test. sigh....

:)

~Kayleigh

Thoughts from a song

"In the quite, in the stillness I know that you are God...I am restored by your presence." "There is no one else for me, none but Jesus. Crucified to set me free, now I live to bring him praise."

-Hillsong United

What a wonderful message. It is so comforting to know that Jesus loves us so much. How he died for you and me, and everyone on the face of this Earth whether they accept it or not. He is here with us holding out his loving arms whispering to us, we are his! It is such a beautiful message. All of our life is in him, all of our hope, all of our strength! There is no one else for us, none but Jesus. He is always there. Wow, it is unfathomable.

I just got the urge to share this, while I was listening to Hillsong United, they are so wonderful and inspirational.

Have a wonderful blessed day!

<3 Kayleigh

Art and other pictures

These are pictures of art, and other things I am proud of. I hope you enjoy them!

This is a kind of bad picture, but oh well. On the left is the head BMW guy(executive maybe, I don't know what to call him) and the other one is my art teacher, Coach Lindley.
This is at the BMW contest, as I'm accepting my check from the head guy(far right in the suit) and that is my wonderful art teacher in the blue next to me. My picture is on the screen behind, but they cropped and I don't know why.

OK, this picture of me is bad but the drawing is really what counts. This is my famous "Lady in Blue" that won 2ND in state and BMW. I love it, there is nothing else to it. My pepaw thinks it's strange though, maybe it is, but I won me 250 dollars so I'm not complaining, and besides aren't artists supposed to be a bit strange? :)

This one is also a favorite. It was actually a minor, meaning it was the warm-up drawing before the major of this media. It actually has an interesting story behind it. Our assignment was to find a piece of architecture, a building of some kind that had character. So me and my memaw went to Little Rock, so I could photograph some of the houses in the historic district, seeing as most of those houses are absolutely beautiful! Well I was taking a picture of this(not this one I drew) house, and this teenage boy comes out and asks me why I'm taking a picture of his house, so I'm kinda scared, like what do I say? So I told him it was an art assignment, and he just kinda looked at me like he had no idea what the word "art" meant. And for the record it wasn't like I was on their property, I was on the street a ways away taking a simple shot. Well we drove away, and that is when I found this wonderful house and I believe it worked quite well. It is matted also, it just doesn't show it. This one hasn't competed.

Again, I am very sorry for the odd shape of this one, my camera couldn't capture the whole thing. This one is titled "Joy". It is of one of my dear friends, and expresses so much Joy ,so I felt the name fit well. This one is also much larger in person, approximately 18x16 I believe, I'm not sure exactly. It won honorable mention in the Emotionalism category at state.

This is a picture of my "Pointe of Grace". I did a bit of research for this name, I found that the tip of the toe on a ballerina is called a "pointe". So that is where the name originates from. This one I did last year, I am very proud of it. At first I didn't like it, and my Art Teacher, Coach Lindley, had to almost Twist my arm to finish it...but I am very grateful because it is one of my favorites. It is about 18x24, larger with the full matte. It won 1st in the ASU Beebe contest, and has yet to compete in State, but it will this year. (sorry for the odd shape of the matte, it is normal in real life I promise. :)

This is a picture of Kayla Oudthone and I at the BMW overall competition. This is her piece, that won overall in state and BMW. It is completely beautiful, and flawless. She won 1st I believe, and then overall, and I won 2ND, and honorable mention for the overall competition. Fun times!

Beautiful world

There are so many beautiful, wonderful things in this world that we overlook far too often. Too many times we focus on the negative when we fall, when we feel alone. If we could see the beauty and joy around us, it could all be well again. I hope for both myself and others, that we get to experience this beauty firsthand. To be able to dive head first in the radiant wonders of this world. To see the glory in the towering mountains, the grace in each and every flower, the brilliance in the showering rain. I feel so light and wonderful when I think of the things God has put on this Earth just for the soul purpose of letting us experience his beauty. We could be so worry free, so happy and free if we could see the majesty in his works, every single day. I vow to myself, that at least before I die, I will go in all the world, to capture his beauty, and let it amaze me firsthand. I want to see the beautiful fall leaves on the trees, towering over a country road. I wish to stand, feeling like a mere ant, in front of a towering snow peaked mountain. I wish to fly across the beautiful ocean, plant myself on the edge of the sea and paint my heart out. To lie under the stars, feeling wrapped in a blanket of light. I want to run in a field of flowers, falling amidst their graceful blooms.

His majesty is engulfing us everyday, if only we could feel wrapped in it, as we are. Such beautiful things lie on this Earth, and I want to witness everyone of them.

Check out this video, it is so beautiful it could almost make you cry.

http://mayyoubeblessedmovie.com/

Have a wonderful Blessed Day!

<3 Kayleigh

Family History

Isn't it just strange thinking about the genealogy of our families, and the thousands of ancestors we have never heard of? If you really give it much thought, we all could be related, since everything started with Adam and Eve. It is as if we are one huge family, all of us, our genes have just been mixed together too many times to count, making it seem as if there is no possible connection.

I made a strange, and a bit frightening discovery today. Me and my memaw were looking at the genealogy records on the Internet, racking our brains trying to think of the names of my great- great-great grandmother and father. I learned my great great grandmother's maiden name was actually "Moore". The surprised me because I have a good friend by the name of "Moore". So I was talking about it, and it just so happens that all of her sisters, that held the name"Moore" also, had red hair. Well my "friend" has red hair. This could be a huge coincidence, but it is a bit frightening to think that me and him could be distant-distant-distant cousins by some odd chance. I just had to write about this because it freaked me out way too much to pass it by.

Like I said, this may be a huge coincidence, but it is all so fascinating to think about.

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My Photography

He is Amazing

God is truly amazing. It is just so amazing the way he works, in people , in situations, in every way possible. God can take the most unlikely place and time and turn it into a memorable experience, he can pour down his spirit on you in the depth of your despair and automatically you are lifted, high, where the enemy could never reach you.

What an amazing God we have, he is always there. Never in all my life has he left me. There have been times where I have hated him from the depths of my soul, wanting nothing to do with him, but he was there. I didn't see it then, and I couldn't understand it. He was there sheltering me and watching, waiting until that night when I'd had enough, and just cried out to Jesus, cried out to him. He was there. Gosh he was there and I could feel his spirit. It is so beautiful, the love he offers us, and holds for us. It never goes away!

Tonight, a friend showed me some things. He showed me that God is truly amazing, that he can do anything. Whether it be healing someone, touching someone who could never be reached by ordinary means, or just sheltering us under his wing.

There is nothing more beautiful and wonderful than the spirit of God being poured down on you. The feeling is like no other, to know that God is in that place, his spirit is all around you and he is there listening to you worship, hearing your thoughts, whispering the things he wants you to hear. Wow, nothing in this world could be more lovely than that. It is unfathomable.

May God Bless you in the coming days, and may you truly see him. May he show you his love and grace, and pour down his spirit and his love on you.

<3 Kayleigh