Thoughts on a Psalm and Birthday and COH Briefing

Psalm 19 has been one of my favorite Psalms for the last few months. There are Psalms for so many different occasions - ones for when you are sad, happy, under attack, and all Psalms are praises and prayers to God. This Psalm is not really an occasion Psalm, but a praise to God and and then at the end asking God to help us live each day right. I love nature and often feel my closest time with God have been when I am experiencing his creation whether this be a run on West Cliff drive, a sunny day drive up the 101, or snowboarding in the mountains (as my brief time as a blogger you have probably heard this already). I love the language of the Psalm and how creation is God's. The other reason I love this Psalm is because it is so God focused. Even when the Psalm turns to asking God to help us live right it is focused on HIM and needing HIS help and making sure we remember it is HIS work. I have typed the Psalm below for your own reading pleasure =).

Psalm 19 - The Message Translation

"God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night Lectures every evening.

Their words aren't heard, their voices aren't recorded, but their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is everywhere.

God makes a huge dome for the sun - a superdome! The morning sun's a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, the daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.

That's how God's word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.

The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signpost of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes, God's reputation is twenty-four carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down the the nth degree.

God's word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You'll like it better than strawberries in the spring, better than red ripe strawberries.

There's more: God's word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar."

On an a different note - I turned 23 this week. My dad was out in Colorado to help wrap up the end of the project I have been working on, so he decided to take me to Aspen on my birthday. We started the day at Snowmass and ended it at Aspen. It ended up being a great day. I got to snowboard all day, most of my friends and family remembered to call me, and I got steak for dinner. I even remembered to take some pictures, which I have included at the bottom of the page.

Lastly, I would like to be at Convoy of Hope by May. I write this fully knowing God works in his own timing which may or may not be ours, but this doesn't mean I (and you) can't pray that I will be their sooner rather than later!!! If you could continue to pray that I will be able to raise my funds (even in the midst of this countries financial uncertainty) and pray that they will be raised before the end of May I would appreciate it!

Be Blessed!

A Few Updates and some Blogging on a Couple of Sermons

I will take care of business first -

Support Updates

The monthly commitments were stagnant this month. =( Meaning I am still $1303.00 short, but the good news is that with Gods help $825 has been raised in monthly support thus far and it is all still there =)

The other good news is that the amount in my cash budget has seen growth. =) I am currently at $1295.5 which is an $800.5o increase from last month. This means I am at the 38.65 percent mark and have 61.35 percent or $2,056.5 left to raise.

To everyone who has supported me with Prayer and to everyone who has supported me Financially thus far I want to Thank You!!!

Also my Prayer/Support Cards have been printed up - I am sending them out with all Thanks Yous, New Letters and Follow Up Letters - If you don't fall under this list and would like one send me an email at balchclaire@yahoo.com and I would be happy to send you one via the US postal service =).

Not Business Anymore - Time for Blogging

I was running on the treadmill at the gym yesterday and instead of listening to music on my ipod I decided to listen to a sermon from Rock Harbor. My main thinking was that maybe that it would make running in one place for 30 minutes a little more entertaining. I love running, but on a treadmill, in a gym, for more than 20 minutes I start to go slightly crazy. It was on Ephesians: Becoming Who We Are: A Work of Art. It is always a good reminder to hear a sermon on grace and on how God takes as we are - but then also the second half how once God has filled us with love and grace letting God's love and grace mold us into the best Christ followers we can be.

The scriptures being studied were Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." The sermon went on to discuss how these works do not have to be extravagant, huge great works, but can be found in the mundane. Trying to live out God's grace and love in your/my life by your/my actions.

I thought this tied into a sermon I heard a few weeks ago at Aurora First Assembly in CO. The one I said I would eventually blog about because I thought it was relevant. This sermon focused on Esther and being part of God's Royal Priesthood. Esther's story is about "such a time as this". We are in places at certain times in our lives - in these places and times how are we listening and being obedient to God? How are we being a light in the places we are in? Esther was there to save the Jews from a genocide of sorts. Not every time we are in a place or time are we going to be doing anything so amazing as that (most us never will), but in our day to day work places, day to day grocery and errand shopping how are we living out our "such a time as this". The sermon I listened to today encourages us to embrace grace and to embrace God and to let him make the change in us - then this change allows us to be a positive influence and light for God.

The second part of this sermon was that we have been hand picked by God - we are on his team. As part of his team we are able to be active participants. None of us have to be on the bench unless we choose to. Why would we ever choose to be on the bench? Unfortunately I think that many of us often do choose to sit out. Some of us choose to sit out for a lifetime - others of us it is just for an inning, period or half (depending on the sport of your choice). Luckily God is into training and is willing to work with us!! Which all goes back to Ephesians 2:8-10 and how we are God's workmanship and that grace is a gift and then God prepares us for good works and representing him in our "such a time as this".

-PS: Someday I will Post Some More Pictures of Colorado - but the only pictures I have now are of Day Tanks, Pipes and Conduits...I think only my Dad might be interested in seeing these...=)