No good title for this one.. Just ramblings. Today is already quite the interesting day. All i can say is that from this point on, i am going to educate myself on other cultures; religions; etc. Funny how in my twenty yesrs of living, i have yet to really be exposed to another culture or religion. At least on a larger scale. I just don't understand how people can not know the people they claim to be closest to. It bugs the heck out of me. How can we reach this world if we don't take the time to understand them first?

But Lord i do ask this for myself: that you would keep my thoughts and words pure.

The Utter Presence

Sometimes I think I'm bipolar. Really I'm just another human struggling through this thing called life. But oh how grateful am I that I serve in the Lord's Army.

Speaking of. I just heard about the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda; taking up innocent children and having them slaughter their own people. Though the gruesome activity has grown scarce.. My heart weeps for them. Oh Kony... if only you'd stop trying to fulfill the hole in your life with false spirits and power and surrender to the One meant to fill that hole.

The people of this world are broken. My heart goes out to the children abducted in the LRA. After such a life... I can't even try to or begin to imagine what it would be like to recover. I can't help but wonder what their initial reaction would be upon hearing about God. But that's what I love about God. He gives his people the power to look past, no matter how terrible, the things they have done and instead look to the hope that is in front of them.

What greater reward exists than seeing a face turn from hopelessness to hope? There isn't one.

Last night I found myself just crying and kissing my Bible. I have the right to freely exercise my faith.. What am going to do for those that don't? More importantly, what am I going to do to to alter facial expressions from utter lostness to healing?

Lord, here I am. Send me where you will.

I am a hazard to myself.

How can I shake these feelings of utter failure? Of inadequacy? Though I know in Him I am made adequate, still I can't seem to believe it. Love your neighbor as yourself. I love my neighbor, but do I love myself? I've come to the realization that I don't. If not that, there's something not right with me.

And this feels like a never-ending battle. Constantly I am torn apart by feelings of just not being good enough.Not being committed to God enough. Not pouring into people enough. The hardest part about it is that these spats of depression, or whatever they are, seem to happen a lot: at least in my opinion. So I tend to try (but fail to) keep my feelings hidden, because I don't want to become some needy person. I feel like I will lose those closest to me if I constantly bring these things to surface. But I'm at a loss for what to do because I really need to talk with someone about it. I have here and there.. but it seems like nothing is working.

This morning we were singing a song that said "You are my love, my life, always forever." I couldn't bring myself to sing it because it's simply not true of my life. It's always "Jesus I want more of you, but..." As if my God isn't good enough for more of me? Thus begins the cycle of feeling like a failure in Christ.

I could write forever.. but for what?

Jesus, I need you.

Blessed Beyond Reason

I'm not really sure where I want to go with this post. Mostly I just felt the need to write out how incredibly blessed I am. It's kind of beyond explanation really. The friendships in my life... man did the Lord come through. And the fellowship? Man does it feel good.

Conversations with friends about the supernatural aspects of God...
about SPIRITUAL giftings that are so often diminished to human realities....
about being baptized in the Holy Spirit.....
the unshakable power of the Lord......

I no longer want to just talk about these things... I want to experience them. Lord I believe. May you come in the way that you desire.

Life

Life.

Never really paid it much thought, as far as the act of living anyway. But what a gift. God didn't need to create me, but He did. He had so much love stored up that He just had to pour it out, all the while knowing that we would go against Him. And yet? He already had that planned out too. A plan to redeem by the blood of His son. And though I myself don't claim to fully understand how the trinity works, one thing I think I can say with certainty is that the love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have for each other is utterly perfect and beautiful and beyond comprehension. So to think of God the Father sending His own Son for me.... Makes me wonder why I'm not on my knees every single second of every day. In the words of mewithoutYou, it seems

It's all crazy,
It's all false,
It's all a dream,
It's alright....

Lord, may I live every day remembering what you did for me.

A Day in the Life

I am privileged to have the best job in the world: Being a disciple of Christ. And on top of that, I am working with the physically and mentally handicapped this summer.

What a life!

Every Wednesday we go to the movie theatre to watch a free movie. This past week there was a group of pre-schoolers there. And of course, they sat right behind us. Every five seconds (no joke) my chair was kicked. The craziest part of it all was that an adult was sitting behind me and not doing anything about the kid that kept bumping my seat.
'Be like Christ, be like Christ...'

I fought my urge to yell back by telling myself that one, it would be the wrong choice and two, maybe my outburst would only pile onto a bad day that she may have already been having.

Leave it to those with special needs to brighten up your day. The kid moved down and was behind the chair of one of our participants. After a few nudges she yells out "Hey, stop that!" They are such a joy.

I am put in my place every single day. Simplicity presents itself time and time again... and it feels GOOD. Watching Barney. Or listening to little kids songs, such as 'This Little Light of Mine,' that even adults, no; especially adults, make so complicated.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Hide it under a bushel, no! I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel, no! I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel, no! I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Don't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Lord, may I let my light shine.

Words..

I love those times when I am just so filled with the presence of the Lord that words are insufficient. Even words like beautiful, captivating, enthralling just seem to fall short when trying to describe the Father.

He speaks volumes in the silence.


Oh the feeling of basking in Him.
No words.
Just emotions.
Tears of joy.
A desperate burning in the depths of your soul.
Groans that words cannot express.
Just you and your Maker.
Laughing.
Crying.
Rebuilding.
Mending.
All without a single word spoken.

Oh that all of His people would seal their lips.
Oh that we would embrace the silence.

The stillness of the water, the crashing waves upon the shore
Still just a glimpse of the love he has in store
A spider's web, intricately designed,
A desperate desire to re-define.

Invisible winds make sway the trees, a cool refreshing breeze
Penetrates deeply my soul like the sting in a swarm of bees
As the bird flaps its wings,
My heart is longing to sing.

Clouds forming shapes, first they're here then they're there
As the sun hits, brilliant rays form seemingly through air
The perfect distance away,
At His feet do I lay.

Moon replaces Sun; stars alight the night sky with fire
A perfectly orchestrated chorus with not a hint of ire
The beauty of a galaxy,
Oh that I have sight to see.

Mmm.... Tastes Good.

A taste as sweet as honey.
A sound so magnificent resonating deep within the soul.
A sight so beautiful that a gaze too long will pierce the eyes.
A beautifully captivating fragrance penetrating deep throughout the nostrils.
A touch that heals all that press a finger to its garments.

All characteristics of Alpha and Omega, the Great Counselor, The Almighty, Yahweh, or more simply put- my God.

I find myself so absolutely overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. The guy (well, not really a guy at all) who gives off all of those senses in the most beautiful and harmonious way is the same guy who created the Heavens and earth; who is the same guy that created me.... AND THE SAME GUY THAT DESIRES A RELATIONSHIP ON A PERSONAL BASIS WITH ME.

The craziest part of it all is that the relationship is wrapped wholly and completely in love and nothing else. Not judgment, not wrath, but love. He knew we'd choose our independence... but could not bear the thought of not creating based solely on the idea that we would deliberately disobey His commands. Instead, He provided a reconciliation through the death of his Son. A love entirely for me, undeserved, yet meant to be.

"An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself so that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others," A.W. Tozer.

Amen Tozer, amen.

I love finding the Lord in all that I do.

Evening time- step outside with my guitar, look out at the landscape before me. All I can say is 'Lord, you are beautiful. Look at you, you are beautiful.'

He found me tonight. The past week I hadn't paid Him much attention. But He loves me enough to say 'No way Courtney.. I'm not letting you drift away from what brings you the most joy.' That's not to sound conceited on the Lord's part, it's the truth. He is what makes me most happy.

And so tonight was filled with finding the Lord in everything, after He sought me.

Music- aside from Jesus, it is the passion of my soul. And though there aren't any levels of worship better than the other, to sing unto Him is a burning desire within me. He has blessed me with this talent- I am His- all that I have done and ever will do belongs to Him. Here's to you Father.

As the night sky encompassed around me, and the stars they were alight, my heart sang the joy, of the beauty within my sight.

Amen.

We are saints made of plaster; our laughter is canned
We are demons that hide in the mirror
But the blood on our hands paints a picture exceedingly clear.

We are brimming with cumbersome, murderous greed
And malevolence deep and profound
We do unspeakable deeds, does our wickedness know any bounds?

Something's gone terribly wrong with everyone
All the world is mad
Darkness brings terrible things; the sun is gone-
What vanity! our sad wretched fires.

We can't medicate man to perfection again
We can't legislate peace in our hearts
We can't educate sin from our souls, it's been there from the start.

But he blind lead blind into bottomless pits
Still we smile and deny that we're cursed
But of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst.

Oh what little light we have
It only serves to show
The snares and seeds of wrath
We have already sewn on every path.

All the World is Mad- Thrice

I Can't Even Imagine....

Ok... so. This will pretty much just be me prattling on about this and that, and it may not make a whole lot of sense. Really I'm doing it because I desperately need to process my thoughts or I may just go insane. So, here goes nothin'.

I'm reading The Shack right now, and to be honest. I wish I'd gotten my hands on it sooner. But then again, I'm not so sure I would have been able handle all of the concepts that it has been throwing my way. Like, for instance, creation, aside from human beings.

"Sarayu, I know you are the Creator, but did you make the poisonous plants, the stinging nettles, and mosquitos too?"

"Mackenzie, a created being can only take what already exists and from it fashion something different."

"So, you are saying that you..."

"created everything that actually exists, including what you consider the bad stuff. But when I created it, it was only good, because that is just the way I am."

"But.. then why has so much of the 'good' gone 'bad'?"

"You humans, so little in your own eyes. You are truly blind to your own place in the creation. Having chosen the ravaged path of independence, you don't even comprehend that you are dragging the entire creation along with you."

Ok...what? I have always been interested in how creation fits into everything. And this idea rocked my world. To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've got two ideas emulating in my mind right now... This one; that because of our choice since day one in the garden to choose independence over God, emulating our own ideas and structures, we cause creation to fall with us because we inhabit the earth, or....

Natural disasters are God's way of showing us who is in charge. I mean, there was the great flood after all.

It's a crazy thing to think about.. especially because there's no way that an intangible nature that has no choice could 'sin,' right? Sin entailing natural disasters of course. So I suppose, at least based upon human understanding, the idea that our fall caused nature to fall as well doesn't really make much sense..

Unless there is something to be said about the realness of such expressions as 'the mountains cry out....,' but again, that doesn't seem to make much sense either...

And yet again, could it be because of the system we have engrossed ourselves in? I mean... we are so used to hierarchy operating system that not much else would make sense.... especially such a crazy relationship between God and man and Nature..

Anyway, to be honest, I'm not really sure where I'm going with all of this. All I know is, I desire that original relationship as it was intended to be, no matter how crazy it may look.

Peace.

Baila Baila!!!

Today was amazing.

I danced before the Lord for the first time in my life.....

It was the most freeing feeling ever.

Today at the boardwalk, aside from a few stragglers here and there, I was the only one out there. I decided to take full advantage of it. Upon ending my time of reflection and prayer, I listened to my i-pod and literally danced before God. It was the craziest thing. But I was just so overcome by His power and beauty that I simply could not contain myself. All the while I exclaimed out loud 'Let it rain,' which was a part of the song of course. But man, did I desire the rain!! :)

Lately I have been so rocked by the thought of what it must look like to fully live out in the joy of the Lord. A guy from my school comes to my mind frequently when I think about it. I don't even know his name. But every single chapel service during worship, he is constantly dancing and just kneeling before the Lord. And while most people probably think it's for show, I find myself wondering 'is this what it looks like? To be fully consecrated and completely engrossed by the divine joy of the Father?'

I have to believe that if we truly stumbled upon the joy everlasting that the Lord desires for all of us, right now, we would not be able to stop dancing. Is it any wonder, then, that the Lord tells us that few will find the way? But man, what a beautiful idea. And it IS possible. Paul, who is not superhuman but just like us, writes in Phillipians 'I consider everything loss compared with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.'

This is what I desire. To live out knowing that the Lord is all that I need. That all else is RUBBISH.

Shortly after I graduate, I plan on doing something absolutely crazy, at least in most people's eyes. I'm going to lock all of my stuff away besides a small backpack with basic survival items and travel the world. I have no idea where I'll go or where I'll end up. All that I desire to make of the trip is to make a difference for Christ. To love on people and engage in their stories. And? To experience for myself, though I already believe it, that the Lord truly is all that I need.

Kickin' it in the streets? Here I come. And even after talking with a friend and asking whether I should pack money for food, to which she responded with a yes, I realized that even taking money for food is having something. So, as insane as it may be, I'm going to trust in the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all of my strength. If I do end up taking money (and this is not to make myself sound good by any means) I will spend it providing for those that have nothing. And after all, what is the one thing that the Lord tells us to test Him on?

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this" says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it," Malachi 3:10.


AMEN!! :)

Oh blogging. Why do I do it anyway? I mean... let's be honest, who am I talking to right now? And why is that I offer advice when I have a total of 4 potential people reading my blog, maybe a few other random people, at any given time? Plus, it's been a common trend amongst friends far away... so why on earth am I following a trend? I hate trends. Though I suppose this particular trend is pretty harmless, minus the fact that it makes me like everyone else. Anyway...

I think that being a 'Christian,' and I use the term loosely, hence the quotations, can be summed up into two words: Love and witness. First and foremost, love of God, then love of others. And then living out the great commission, our call to witness; spread the Word of the Lord throughout all generations.

Why do we make it so complicated? Simplicity is where life abundant blooms.

The Deadliest Weapon

What would it look like if every single person on this earth that calls themselves a Christian truly lived out the love to which we were called? Is not this all that we ought to do?

Something I can say with certainty is that this is simply not so. While I have friends and know that there are many others out on the frontlines putting the love of God to the test, still there exists ample amounts of those who simply do not. Some may never even try.

This thought truly disgusts me. And if you think my words are harsh, why not take the Word of the LORD?

'I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were wither one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm -neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.' Revelation 3:15,16

I find it rather interesting that the Lord even goes into detail about what he means by being lukewarm. Neither hot nor cold. Why would he add that? Is it perhaps because denial of him (being cold) saddens Him, but following him in a lukewarm fashion repulses Him? Disgusts Him? Makes Him want to 'spit them out of his mouth?'

This is not meant to sound judgemental, this is simply what I see when I look at the church in Western society. Something I want to know is how the church ever got this way in the first place. It holds very little similarity with the first church other than perhaps the aspect of fellowship. One thing I do know is that the enemy is pleased with the church's structure. Ideas based on principles rather than letting the Spirit lead. Schedules. Programs. Oh and a little bit of worship and a nice uplifting message. But is that it? Is Sunday during church our God time for the week? Or maybe we take a step further and say a nice 3 minute prayer right before falling asleep driven by guilt. It's a wonder that that guilt is there in the first place. Could it be because it ought to be there, because it means that we know the LORD deserves more of our attention? Not only more, but all?

Imagine if the LORD said "Ok, you've got a ten minute time slot from 1:00-1:10 p.m. on Wednesdays. That's all the time I have for you."

Ouch. I for one would not want to hear that. In the same way, we ought to be giving the Lord ALL of our attention. Mumford and Sons put it this way:

You desired my attention but denied my affection.

Maybe if we started working on ourselves and actually accepting what the LORD has to offer us if only we seek him, the church would be awakened. His bride would come together in a mighty chorus and proclaim 'Praise be to God!' I see a church where, when a stranger enters in, they will say 'Surely the Holy Spirit is alive and moving in this place!'

How dare we look for churches that fit OUR needs? Or criticize the worship because it's just not OUR favorite? Hence, all the denominations. I wonder... what if, I know it's crazy, we stepped outside of our four walls? Our walls of comfort? Where we feel safe? Do you want safety, or do you want joy everlasting?

How about taking the love of Christ to the streets? Is not this what the church out to look like? Rooted in love instead of doctrine? Love truly is all that we need.

I am tired of church. Especially when radicals like myself are shot down because my ideas are simply too crazy. Too much for God to handle right? Well then tell me, what God is that you're serving? Because it certainly isn't the Almighty Jehovah that is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

LORD, may your bride be awakened to the great danger in dimishing your power. May you make yourself known, in this moment, to those living crippled lives full of religious practice and principles. And may you make your face to shine upon those who are being held captive by the enemy away from your power and your love that is vast beyond all measure. AMEN.

Child-like Faith

It's 2:10 in the morning, and here I sit, not really tired, but totally stoked for my 8:40 class! (she says sarcastically). Anyway... This may come across as unintelligible due to the late hour, but onward I march.

Lately, I've been extremely challenged in my faith and what it ought to look like. In talking with friends recently, I got to thinking about how so often, myself included, in the pursuit of Christ and the paradox of all that He is, often times we lose ourselves even more. I am not saying that we shouldn't engage together in conversation about the Lord and seek to understand Him more (after all, where two or more are gathered, there He is also). What I'm getting at is that maybe there are some questions that we ought waste time worrying about. Even harder still, what if there is an answer, but we've lost touch with who we are; God's children, and therefore are not accepting of the answer? I believe that more often than we realize, the answer is simply this: Because God says so.

We are children of God, and yet we are caught in this mess of theory, philosophy and thought. And in the process of trying to figure out the Almighty, our limited human understanding cripples our ability to experience Him to the fullest. Is it any wonder, then, why we are called to have the faith of a child?

A good point that a friend of mine made was bringing up the classic children's tune...

Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me....

The Bible tells me so.

That's it. The Bible tells us so. Dare we trust God enough to let that be enough? It's enough for children. And we are children of the Living God.

Thanks!

Thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts

A man, with glorious riches, selling all his possessions for the Lord.

My prayer: 'Lord, if all that I had was you, that would be enough.'

Things are always more easily said than done, this especially being one of them. We can talk a good game, but when the game begins, do we show up? Can having nothing but the joy of the Lord really sustain us; and to the fullest at that? Well, I've never had the Lord ask me to sell all of my possessions, but I've been challenged lately pertaining to that possiblity, wondering 'What if?'

What if the Lord asks me to sell my car? I NEED to get to work and to school.

My computer? I NEED to be able to keep contact with friends far away.

My clothes? I just won't even go there...

Quit my job? I NEED money.

Are you catching my drift? I need, I need, I need. But what really do we need? Would the Lord really claim that He is all that we need if it weren't true? Can we really experience joy everlasting if we have nothing?

Along with that last statement, we never have nothing. We always have something. And that something is the Spirit of the Living God that dwells within us! I don't know about you, but AMEN!!!

Recently I had $100 dollars stolen from me. Lately I find myself just thpraying for this person, whoever it might be. That the Lord would bless them. That he would reveal himself to them in a mighty way. That he would surround them in his love, as there may be something going in their life that caused them to take the money in the first place. Maybe they felt as though they had no other choice.

I am not telling this story to sound high and mighty. It is through the power of the Lord, not by anything I have done, that I am able to pray this prayer in the first place. If it were me, I'd be condemning them, saying things like 'How dare they steal from me? Lord, make your wrath to shine upon them. May they overwhelmed with guilt and shame.'

My point is this: As I was saying that prayer, I was joyful. Indescribably joyful; in praying for someone who had taken away something of mine. Joyful in knowing I have the privelage to pray blessing upon another of God's children. No way in a million years could I pray this prayer, let alone be joyful in it, if it were from me. But the Spirit of the Living God spoke through me unto the Father, and it was beautiful. $100 dollars less, and yet overflowing joy.

I'm not saying this is easy. It takes a submission to the Lord's heart for people, as well as a great deal of trust in that the Lord truly is all the we need.

Is your home really that important when thinking about the joy of the Lord?

Do you really need your car when the Lord is your direction?

All else pales in comparison to the surpassing and glorious riches of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dios te bendiga!

Courtney

Spiritual Warfare = :(

So, anyone feel like no matter what, it's inevitable that you're going to let the lies of the enemy overpower you? I suppose this happens with everyone at one point or another. I feel like I'm living out with a brand new identity, the real me, and yet? Feelings from before are still creeping in.

I can say with confidence that I've finally learned (as weird as this may sound) to be 100% myself. I'm building amazing friendships and am experiencing the joy of the Lord in fresh and beautiful ways. But I just will not let myself accept that there really might be, actually, that there are people out there that enjoy me for exactly the person that I am.

I'd grown so used to disguising myself for people that weren't accepting of the real me that they defined for me who I was. And even still I struggle to supress the feelings that had crippled the masked version of myself. Maybe it's because the complete opposite is happening in my life, and it just doesn't make sense to me.

Within the past month, in being my complete self, I've had quite a few people tell me that I'm one of the funniest people they've ever met. No doubt I think these friendships in my life are a demonstration of the Lord's heart for me. As if he's saying, through other people:

"There you are Courtney. Look at you. How beautiful you are. Welcome to the person I've created you to be."

As cheesy as that sounds, that's just how I feel. But the problem is that sometimes, though I do not want to in the least, I drown out that voice and let the lies of the enemy penetrate into my soul as I question 'How is it possible that people are so accepting of the real me?' 'Does this person really love me?'

I find myself thanking friends when they tell me I'm funny. I'd grown so accustomed to the usual 'Courtney that was stupid' that I can't help it. All this to say , as I wrestle this spiritual warfare in my life, I can no doubt feel the presence of the Lord more strongly than ever, and can feel that I have almost reached the summit.

thanks!

Grace.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did tht grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior
Has ransomed me
And like a flood
His mercy reigns
Undending love, amazing grace.

I was absolutely rocked by this song tonight. It's always been an amazing song of course. But what a beautiful expression of the grace that the Lord has for us.

Saved a wretch like me- Turned me from a sinner into a winner.

Grace that taught my heart to fear- the Lord.

Grace my fears relieved- His grace overcame my fears of failure. Fears of worthlessness. Of never being able to make a difference.

How precious did that grace appear- May I never forget the beautiful transformation of my Spirit through the grace of my Heavenly Father.

The hour I first believed- It was there from the start of my journey with Him.

GLORIA A DIOS!!!!

Thoughts

Just started reading Esther Ahn Kim's biography 'If I Perish,' and I gotta say, it's amazing. It reminds me of just how important it is to know the Scriptures. I mean, what would we do if there were no longer a Bible? It scares me to think that I would fall under the category of not knowing enough.

Joy in the mundane.. something I'm truly seeking from the Lord. I think a lot of people can fall into this category. School can be monotonous, but in the joy of the Lord, it can also be the best thing ever, knowing that it is where the Lord has you to be. It's hard to get there of course. But the grass is so much greener on the other side.

Am I making a difference? A friend of mine played a music video the other day for me and it was simply a Christian singer that pulled into a gas station and on the side of the road and just prayed that the Lord would send people her way that needed saving. I want to do that. I want to do more than just talk about God amongst my friends. I think a lot of times I get caught up in the idea that in order to do that, I need money for a missions trip or something along those lines, when really all I need are my two feet, the Holy Bible, and a submissiveness to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that He might move, only by his power, through me.

May His will be done here on this earth as it is in Heaven.

Where Do I Start?

So I'm sitting here, dead tired after studying eemingly all day for an accounting exam, and I've got a million and one things on my mind. I'm not even sure where to begin. I keep thinking about my future and how I can possibly do all of the things I want to. Open a bilingual, poetry club/coffee shop in Spanish and English countries. Learn as many languages as possible. Do missions work, especially in the 10-40 window. Write a book. Work with the mentally and physically handicapped. Make a CD. Work as an interpretor in hospitals in Spanish countries. Climb as many mountains as possible. Break down religiosity. Quite an extensive list. And the thing is, I can't picture myself not doing any of these things. I'm not sitting here thinking it will be impossible to accomplish all of these things, it just seems like I'll need, oh I don't know, 500 years to do it haha. Of course this brings to thought the popular verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13. So.. that being said, I'm not really sure what I'm getting at. Though I suppose the above verse sums it all up, no? Berom till Guden :) Court

Let it Rain

Ok. So, compliments of my bestie, (did I just say that?) I wanna share a part of a wicked awesome song. It's called My Soul Longs For you by Misty Edwards. Every time I hear it, I can't help but be absolutely overwhelemed by the glory and beauty of our Lord. Little disclaimer here, I realize that this entry is quite a contrast to the last, which is quite a good thing! So anyway, it say this: My soul longs for you My soul longs for you Nothing else will do Nothing else will do I believe you will come Like the rain I believe you will come Like the rain So let it rain, let it rain So let it rain, let it rain Let it rain, let it rain Let it rain, let it rain There are other part to the song, but that's the part that gets me pumped every time. Let it rain. Man! Can you say hallelujah?? God, let it rain. Oh God, LET IT RAIN!!! I don't care how cheesy I sound, THIS is what I desire. And guess what? Even more than I desire it, he desires it for me. To let it rain. He is forever pouring out (sounds like rain, no??) his Spirit unto us. I just picture God very nearly shouting 'Come to the fountain, that I might drench you in a downpour of blessing!!!' Amen. Thanks!

The Least of These

So... this post will most likely just be mini ramblings of thoughts that I have had lately. Just finished my round of interviews for being an SLA. I'll find out by the end of next week I believe. Anyway, I've had some random thoughts as far as ideas for events if I were to get the job. Perhaps 'The Triple G' meaning 'Giving Gifts to God. Thought this would be cool because it applies to everyone; and they can create a gift for God in their own creative way, whether that be writing a poem or a song or drawing, could be anything. Another idea I had was something along the lines of 'Shout it from the Rooftops.' It would basically be exactly what it sounds like. Climbing rooftops and throughout the day just proclaiming the goodness of the Lord. So often we tell God 'I wanna shout your name from the rooftops.' I say why not actually do it. Now whether or not that would be effective and how it would be effective, I don't know. Like I said, just ideas. And now to something that I have so been challenged with lately: Seeing people the way the Lord sees them. The other day I was talking with a girl and then came upstairs and had a friend say to me 'Why do you talk to her, she's weird.' I found myself truly offended by that statement, wondering how she could say that. I mean, that is God's child. We are all God's children. Sadly; however, I myself without even realizing it say the same of others. 'Yeah, she's super weird.' "Yeah, I saw him carrying around action figures and playing with them like they were his friends.' Well so what, we're all a little weird. I got to thinking what if God said 'Courtney, I can't talk to you. You're too weird for me.' If we truly desire to be like God, equally loving his people despite differences is something that we are always going to have to face. And honestly? It will always be hard. But by continually submitting this problem to the Lord, it is possible to begin to see others through his eyes. To see that no matter how different they may be, they too are a child of God, just as we are. The least of these. Now, I realize that for the most part when this verse is referenced, the general ideas that come to mind are the drug addicted,the sex offenders, the murderers, etc. But it also refers to that person that you don't see eye to eye with, or that you think is weird. What if someone thought you were weird and therefore chose not to help you in your time of need, because you didn't fit into their definition of normalcy. I mean really, what is that anyway? Social norms were set by somebody. And before that, they were set by someone else. In the end, it's just a never-ending cycle of ideals being passed down, generation to generation. How about what God says? That we are all equal? That the 'weird' kid that sits next to you in class is just as much a child as you are? We are all God's children. 'Who is he that condemns? It is God who justifies.' By condemning the least of these, we condemn God. Because whether we realize it or not, we are saying 'You're not as important as I am,' to the other person. In the words of someone I know quite well: 'We could all be a little more crazy So let's stick it to the status quo And paint a picture that forever is changing All that we have ever known We've all been given a creative mind By the mastermind behind it all So wake up, wake up to come and see And follow me on this journey... Jump into the boat and climb up the river now Come on everybody lemme hear you shout: Let's dream together, dream together. And start walkin' on our hands and writing with out feet As we start making our way down Love Street And we paint together, paint together.' Thanks!! :)

The Ultimate Sock Rocker

I think my cat was just having a nightmare. On the irrelevant scale, I'll say that's about a six. It may have been very crucial to a few of your lives to know that. All two of you that is..... buuuut anyway. Now to the socks. The Socks He Did Rock; He Rocked the Socks A short story by Courtney Ball Once upon a time there was an ultimate sock rocker. No matter where you were, he rocked socks like it was his job. Purple socks, polka dot socks, dinosaur socks, zebra socks, he rocked them all. Did he wear these crazy socks? I like to think so. Just because he could. But to 'rock socks' did not mean to 'show them off' as a display. It was to rock socks OFF. And he did just that, with such efficiency that one often questioned whether or not it was real. Nonetheless, he was the best sock rocker in town. Not only in town; however, but the world. There were none like him. And those that came after him would be no match for such infallible sock-rocking abilities. I am talking, of course, about Jesus Christ. THE END Jesus.....is.....AWESOME!!!!!! I hope he's rockin' your socks off; because he's sure rocking mine off!!! What a wonder that is too, because this is holy ground, amen?? Haha. I always love thinking about that. Holy ground. All the earth.... Lovely. Anyway, no real point to this post... I'm super tired and not wearing any socks and got to thinking about how much the Lord rocks, and rocks my socks, and vuah la, (how do you spell that?) we've got a short story! So here's to our Lord, the ultimate sock rocker! Amen! Here's to kickin it Jesus style, Court

Irony is a Funny Thing....

If only for a moment I could take a look through your eyes Then, maybe then I could see what you see Do you really see me the way I feel you do Just another pawn in your twisted game of life? A piece used to replace the emptiness That inhabits your body within Better to drag another spirit into the ground Than to get rid of the beast in whom you’ve found solace. Where you lead, they follow blindly As the broken spirit sits alone in the corner Silently and ashamed she cries herself to sleep As you, the assumed victor, begin to march. Ah, but alas, take not another step For the battle is itself still raging on The spirit arises once again to a brand new day With valiant face and an abundance of grace. For you see, inside of that very spirit which you seek to destroy Is an instrument seldom recognized by the untrained eye. Love. A love forever present and ever so abounding One not of its own accord but that of a King A love binding even those with the most unyielding of hearts A Love that dances and sings with those who are simply willing to accept. Love conquers all. And so this brings to question Will you take the road less traveled? No doubt it will at first seem to you unobtainable But this love, oh this love, is insurmountable Let not the beast derail this opportunity With unveiled face, surrender. Set free the spirit of the one you have entrapped As well as the one you’ve sought to bury inside. Love conquers all. A new dawn is breaking The self you’ve always known has disappeared No longer do you mask a counterfeit façade For the spirit to which you are called, found in this love, has finally come to be Love conquers all. So. Holy crap this pertains to my life right now more than ever. The craziest part of it all is that when I wrote it, I was picturing myself as the spirit being tormented, not the tormentor. No doubt I have been a tormented spirit. But there are things that I have in common with the tormentor. Now, I don't think (at least I hope not) that I have been dragging other people into the ground. What I am talking about is the fact that I myself have been masking all my life a counterfeit facade, without even realizing it. This, my friends, is truly one of the most painful realizations I have come to, but at the same time, the most necessary. I've burie things of my past so deep inside of me that I didn't even know they were a problem anymore. So I always wondered why I'd get in the moods that I would when, as far as I could see, everything was going fine. That's the problem really, fine. That's not a feeling, AT ALL. And that lack of feeling, I'm realizing, is that most dangerous thing of all. Since I generally try to leave advice rather than just talk about mt life, I would simply say this: Allow yourself, through the work of the Holy Spirit and friends dear to you, to become naked. That sounds weird but that is very literally what has to happen in order for the transformation to be complete. Take off the mask and face the ugly, that you might very literally become a new creation. This is one of the most crucial points I think I will ever make.

You Gobble Like a Turkey but Your Meat's So Dry

So... about the title. Just gonna go ahead and be honest, I just thought it would attract attention! It's something my friend said, and no, there is no relevance behind it whatsoever. Actually... Whoa. That's legit.... What if... It's a metaphor for Christians that speak the Word of God and shout praises to Him and yet on the inside they are nothing more than dried up meat? All talk, no action. Or all talk, no application. Wow, legit, I literally had no intentions of actually using that saying for a word; let alone an applicable one. But what the heck let's run with it. And see if it can actually work. The Lord does have quite a sense of humor after all! (Like, for instance, why turkeys gobble? Was God just up there making silly noises? I like to think he was, and that makes me happy :D) So... turkey's gobble, that's what they do. That's how they communicate. And how do we communicate? Through words. At least I hope so, I have yet to meet a human that gobbles.... Anywho, how do we communicate with God? Through prayer, obviously. Now, the problem here is that the turkey would not be able to help if it's meat were dry or not. It has no control over how good a cook the person is that's cooking him up. Haha poor turkey..... Ok. So, anyway... Back to us. We CAN control whether or not our meat is dry. Is this reminding you of anyone in the Bible??? The P-Dizzles and the S-Sizzles? Or in other words, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Well I don't know about ya'll, but I would not want people to think I was a P-Dizzle or an S-Sizzle. (Is that bad? It sounds like I'm making them sound cool when in reality, they were dried up turkeys!) And this is a problem I have with so many churches today: It's become all about ritualistic practices and not about relationship. So many are lost in this; and it breaks my heart. I imagine people such as this hating their lives if I had to be honest. I mean, it would appear to me a monotonous routine, that takes place day after day after day after day. Of course there are many that very literally believe in what they are doing; and that their performances are pleasing unto God. And those people truly are some of the most pitied among men. I'm not saying that we shouldn't follow in the commands of the Lord. But when that becomes what it's all about, and we forget about the relationship that we are called to have with our Lord, that is when Satan truly has the power. It is churches and organizations such as the kind I listed above where the enemy thrives. And I believe that the church, the bride of Christ as a whole, not only needs to spread the word of Christ as we are called to do, but also seek to destroy religiosity. That may sound crazy to you. After all, Christianity is a religion. But it goes back to the fact that it is not about the religious practices, but about our relationship with the Lord. And don't get the wrong idea here. When I say we ought to destroy religiosity, I am not saying that we should just march right in and shout like crazy people and start flailing things about like jabbering bafoons; rather we need to approach it in a peaceful; non-judgemental way. And just think how many more people, if brought out of their bondage to decaying religious practices and into the glorious freedom of the sons of God (:D), would be preaching the good news about the chance for a RELATIONSHIP with Christ?? I hope this is making sense! I've gotta get to class, probably a good thing thing because I could write on this all day!! Remember, it's all about RELATIONSHIP. Thanks!! :D

Praise to God; Alaba a Dios; Elogio ao Deus; Berom till Guden...

Yo tengo un amigo que me ama mas de puedo explicar Yo tengo un Padre que me muestra justicia como nunca antes Es un Señor omnipotente y con èl puedo tener vida eterna No puedo darle suficiente gracias, porque tocò mis pecados en la cruz Y por eso, quiero darle todo mi ser Y por eso, siempre cantarè Y por eso, nunca dejarè de proclamar Que maravilloso es mi Dios Tu has prometido todo bien a los niños tuyos Tu quisieras nada mas que darnos regalos que nunca cesan de venir Pero primero tenemos de abrir nuestros corazones para ver tus bendiciònes Solamente luego, poderàmos ver la verdad an que trabajas todo para bien For those of you that don't speak Spanish: I have a friend that loves me more than I can explain I have a Father that shows me justice like never before He is omnipotent, and with him I can have eternal life I'm unable to give him sufficient thanks, because he took my sins on the cross. That's why, I want to give him all that I am That's why, I will always sing That's why, I will never stop proclaiming How marvelous is my God. You have promised everything good to your children You would like nothing more than to give us gifts that never stop coming But first we have to open our hearts to see your blessings Only then will we be able to see the truth in that you work everything for good. The other two languages in the title are Portuguese and Swedish. I totally wish that I could bust out a song in both of those languages too; however, it's just not in the cards; (unless the Lord randomly decided that I'm going to wake up one day and be fluent in both of them! Haha). Which, mind you, is not impossible. Anyway... back to the point. I wrote this song first in Spanish and then English. You would think it was the other way around. Anyway.. that's irrelevent. I wrote them to provide the slightest of pictures that are a part of the big picture; the one I will now elaborate on :) Vision. I have always struggled with this. I mean, what does vision even mean really? I always imagined that when all of those people that are super in touch with the Lord that talk about their vision actually literally, out of nowhere, are hit with a dream; a vivid dream, and so it is. The Lord gave them a picture. And that's why I've always struggled. Because I've never just been hit with a 'dream' from God. I've never closed my eyes and then boom, there's a picture of a nation in turmoil, or a vivid place. But, as far as I have come to understand, that's not really what it's all about. No doubt that definitely does happen. But I've realized that it's about finding what you're passionate about, and then picturing what it is that you would like to see done for the Lord. Hence, the title of this post. My vision is simply this: To see every single person on this earth crying 'Praise Be to God,' in every language that exists. And I struggled with this as well, because I would say 'Lord, that's not really a very vivid, descriptive dream, is it?' Of course I imagine I may have upset God quite a bit by saying that. My struggle was that I didn't really think it was personal, but instead something that all Christians should want.' But the Lord more or less spoke this into me: 'While that's true Courtney, you actually believe it can happen.' And how true is that, I really do see a world, the entire world, here, now, shouting praises to the one true God. So many say 'It can't be done.' But as I've touched on before, we serve a God of the impossible! And the love of God works for everyone. If it didn't, the whole thing would be destroyed; as the whole message of Christ is centered around that fact that He takes EVERYONE, just as they are, and wants to drench them in his love. And so I got to thinking, is it any wonder why the Lord has revealed a message unto me that would seek to awaken his bride to the vast, immeasurable love that he has for us? I wondered at first why the Lord would have me to speak to those who already call themselves follwers of Christ, as it is indeed ironic because I have a heart for the 10-40 window; the most unreached places on earth. But that's where it starts isn't is? That's where my vision starts: Awakening his people to His love, that they might step into their full inheritance and go! Just as the Lord calls us to! AMEN!!!! My point is this: Don't diminish your vision. If you are passionate about it, if it something that is pleasing to the Lord that would seek to further his kingdom, GO FOR IT!! Praise be to God; Alaba a Dios, Elogio ao Deus; Beron till Guden....!!!! God Bless :)

You Are A Fool; You Are an Heir

I would just like to say starting out that this may seem a little weird at first and quite frankly it will sound evil (no pun intended haha) but I think it will be very easy to see the contrast once you are finished reading. Also, sorry if it's long! Who am I talking to anyway.... Haha. Anyway.. here goes. Foolish child, I love to make you wander about Feeling as though you've got nowhere to rest. I love watching the desperation in your eyes as you yearn for something more; And I love knowing that I am keeping you from it. Foolish child, you have somewhere to go but I will do my best to keep that from your knowledge; Don't you know how much I loathe you? You're trash, you will never be worthy of anything, you sinner; I love seeing you take solace, without even knowing, in my lies. Foolish child; look at you just running Throughout this world in which I wander to and fro. Run to me and I'll promise you all of your desires; all the while knowing they will not complete you; For the deepest desire of mine is to destroy your life. Foolish child I find true joy in hearing that you are done; With each tear of yours that falls I laugh hysterically. Your hurt is to me the sweetest of symphonies; And I am here so that hurt forever will prolong. Foolish child, if only you knew that the bondage that you find yourself encompassed in I am proudly proclaiming is from me; But this truth I will indeed keep hidden You, foolish children, truly are the most hideous of creations; You are more worthless than dirt on the ground. I can only hope that you never awaken your hearts; and forever lie drowning in my vat of lies. Dearest child, why do you wander so? Come to the fount and rest. That I might drench you in a downpour of blessing That forever soaks and dwells within you. Dearest child, where is it that you go? Don't you know how much I love you? You are my heir; my most beautiful work Find solace in me that I might reveal this love to you. Dearest child, why is it that you run? As far as the east is from the west, there I am also. Instead run to me; that I might give you life abundant For this is the deepest desire of my heart. Dearest child, have I heard you say you're done? As soon as that first tears finds its was down your cheek, I weep continually. Your hurt is to me the deepest of sorrows; I have come so that suffering no longer marches victorious but hangs its head. In my name, dearest child, you are liberated from the bondage that has encomapassed you; I'm begging you; grab ahold of my garments that this may be so. You, my children, truly are the most beautiful of creations; You are more precious than gold that perishes even though refined by fire. Please, oh please, bride of mine, awaken your hearts; That I might lavish upon you all that is intended. I wrote the two different 'letters,' if you will, above, to provide a contrast between the enemy and God. The devil really does want to keep us in bondage; but the Lord says in me, you are free. And he truly does want to lavish upon us ceaseless blessings; especially when we find ourselves at the end of our rope. He says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28- School lately has been very demanding, and in the last couple of days I have felt completely drained. But I was reminded of that verse and although it's hard; I am doing my best to cling to Him and find rest. The enemy no doubt is in heavy pursuit of us; especially when we are at our breaking point. But in this hope we can REST: the Lord, who loves us so much more than we will we ever be able to comprehend, is eagerly waiting for us to come to him, those of us who are weary and burdened, that he may give us rest. "For creation was subjected to frustration; not by it's own choice but by the will of the one who subjected it; in hope that the creation itself would be liberated from it's bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."Romans 8:20,21 Thanks :)

Unto You I Write

"How great you are, O Lord my God Your abounding beauty resonates throughout all of creation Darkness trembles in your holy presence The whole earth is filled with your glory Together all of creation joins in a mighty chorus The leaves dance; the birds sing; your bride proclaims Praise be to God. Maker of the heavens and earth. O Gracious Father, reveal your desires unto me That I might bring the kingdom of heaven to this earth Break down the walls of solitude For your kingdom leaves no room for such as these Your love stretches from the east to the west There is no place void of your love In you, O Lord my Keeper, I seek refuge No other fortress will satisfy me Restore my soul, that I might be reconciled unto you; Who sculpted and molded me in your very image Let not my heart become ostentacious May I forever endure in this fortitude Awaken my very being, O Lord my God To see all of that which is pleasing to you Instill in me a passion that screams the greatest remedy of all Blood shed from a savior; the one who paid it all." This is something that I wrote to God. I recently finsihed Floyd McClung's 'Livin' on the Devil's Doorstep,' and at one point it talks about Christmas time, and how they are actaully giving gifts unto God. After all, it is his birthday. That simple fact stirred inside of me quite a bit... Because nowadays, we instead buy gifts for each other. Anyway, the point of this is not to talk about that true meaning of Christmas haha. That would be silly, considering it's February :) But here's what I'm thinking: Floyd and his crew had the right idea. It's Jesus' birthday, so shouldn't we give unto Him? But how do we justify stopping there? Giving God a gift one day out of 365? The guy who's up there 24/7, non-stop on the job working to give us the best life possible?? To drown us in his blessings? I encourage whoever it is that might find this quick word today to just take 5-10 minutes and just give unto God. It can be anything. He is forever interceding for us, so let's express how much we appreciate it!! Thanks everyone!!

"Because I Said So"

Mom: "Go clean your room." Child: "Why?" Mom: "Because I said so." Nowadays, this is not something that you wanna hear. Because usually, it pertains to something similar to the above text. It is a command, and not a fun one. But try this on for size: Person 1: "How is it possible that I deserve such a love?" Person 2: "Because I said so." Person 1: "How is it that 'I am'?" Person 2: "Because I said so." Person 1: "How can we possibly have overcome this world?" Person 2: "Because I said so." Are you getting the picture? It's not hard to guess who persons one and two are. We, followers of Christ, are person one. And of course, God himself is person two. I have to believe that it breaks God's heart when we ask thse questions time and time again. He's up there saying 'Don't they realize how precious they are, more precious than gold?? Think about that. More precious than gold?? I don't know about you, but Amen. We are, because He says so. We have overcome, because He says so. We deserve Him, because He says so. This is no longer a command, but the deepest expression of love from a Father that loves his children. Thanks ya'll!!!

Worry Schmurry

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own." Matthew 6:34 Pretty straight-forward, no? Ok, very straight-forward. To put it even more simply, just don't worry. About anything. Well, I don't know about you, but when I read that, at least until recently, I'd say 'that's all fine and dandy Jesus, but is that really possible?' (Brief side thought): We serve a God of the impossible, amen?? That really doesn't pertain much to what I want to give a quick word about, but nonetheless, it's something to think about!! :) Anyway... I was reminded of that verse recently from a friend. It's such a good one! (If you wanna check out more about what Jesu Cristo says about worry, check out the end of Matthew 6). Another verse that I really love says this: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27. I have been reminded recently of the importance of not worrying about anything. Jesus is pretty intelligible if I do say so myself! Worrying is just wasted time. Especially because of this simple fact: God has us. What a beautiful thought! The reason we don't have to worry about anything is because he that lives inside of us has already overcome the things of this world! We just have to cling to Him and trust that he has us. hence the title of this particular post: Worry schmurry! :) Thanks for checkin' in! God Bless!

LOVE

Wow... where do I even begin? This seems like the thing to do... So again, even though I hate following trends, this seems harmless enough! :) So, here I am, in good ol' Ohio. Of course it's nothing special... but wait. I'm gonna go ahead and stop right there. That's kind of the idea behind this blog; the point if you will. And the point is simply this: God moves no matter where you are. For the longest time, I struggled with this thought. It's not that I didn't believe that the Lord used people where they were, but I would always say something like 'Well, it's nothing like if I were in China and doing the the work of the Lord there.' But I got to thinking (or maybe the Lord got me thinking?) that when God hears us say this, it breaks his heart. For quite some time, I had been praying that the Lord would reveal to me a possible DTS where I could go and be actively engaged in Him there. No doubt, the Lord did this for me, but then He said that one simple word that is even worse than yes or no: Wait. 'Are you willing to wait on me Courtney?' 'Do you trust me?' And so the free-fall began. With every move that I made, every step that I took, I did my best to rely on the strength and power of the Lord. Since then, the Lord has been speaking into me the most beautiful things; and one in particular that has changed my life. It's the simplest of things, and yet aren't the simple things the hardest to accept? And it's SIMPLY this: God loves me. God loves his people. And you may be sitting there saying 'Well, duh Courtney. Of course he loves us.'But no... He LOVES us. And yes, I would love to elaborate :) The main verses (although there are many, many others) behind this revelation is 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: BE RECONCILED TO GOD. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Read that a few more times. I imagine most of you have heard this verse many times. Here's what I want to touch on, and I say that because that really is all we can do when we are talking about the love of Christ. We are a new creation when we commit our lives to Christ. What does this mean exactly? Jesus had all authority in heaven and on earth. After his death and resurrection, were we were given the Holy Spirit; the very Spirit of Christ. What does that mean? BE RECONCILED TO GOD. An absolutely sock-rocking statement in Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis says this: 'When God looks at us, he sees himself.' In Romans 8 it says that 'if we are children; then we are heirs: heirs with God and CO-HEIRS with Christ. Co-heirs with Christ?! You mean God sees ME as he sees his son; the Son of Man?! Realizing who you are in Christ is absolutely crucial in the furthering of His kingdom. If we do not realize it, we will never be able to step in the full inheritance of God. But not only do we need to realize it, we need to accept it. It is something that we will never understand; it is simply a divine gift from a Father who loves his children. Not just loves. LOVES. Phillipians 3:16 'Let us live up to what we have already attained.' Thanks for tuning in!! Courtney