Well the new layout is fantastic, no? Unfortunately, Windows Live Writer disagrees. I can no longer write my blog posts using the web preview feature but it's not a big deal. Although it was pretty cool seeing what it would end up like!

Anyway, I'm about to leave to church in an hour or so to start praying for our youth retreat at Dallas, Texas. One of our small group leaders came up with the idea of the prayer meetings and attendance has been growing since. It's awesome seeing youth coming under their own will to talk with God.

Thanks for your support by visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy your day!

John 7:37-38

"...'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.'"

This is part of pastor Andy Stanley's series, Belief in God.

I've posted links below to the first part (divided into two videos) of the series which I just finished watching a couple of minutes ago.

[Part 1A]

[Part 1B]

Romans 12:2

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I have a friend who designed a flyer for a small group at our church and she included the scripture of Romans 12:2 to identify the purpose of the small group: a life change through fellowship, spiritual communion, and worship.

But if we look beyond the church and more into our lives, we need to truly involve Jesus with everything we say, do, and think. Salvation cost us nothing but a life for Christ requires every limb and organ from our God-given bodies. As we walk through life, God hands us parables, crises, opportunities for intercession with the Holy Spirit, and the like. All for the renewing of our minds in order to achieve the 'impossible.'

God doesn't want us to be living as a mechanism. We have a purpose to fulfill and it's beyond our careers, daytime jobs, our money, material wealth, possessions, social stance, and it's well beyond our contempt.

God's calling us for a higher purpose and he wants us to get in check with a starting point sooner rather than later. I'm sorry if I'm sounding a bit edgy but this is another awakening for the ones who are hungry for more. In other words, God is calling for you...

"I am not a mechanism, an assembly of various sections. And it is not because the mechanism is working wrongly, that I am ill. I am ill because of wounds to the soul, to the deep emotional self and the wounds to the soul take a long, long time, only time can help and patience, and a certain difficult repentance, long, difficult repentance, realization of life's mistake, and the freeing oneself from the endless repetition of the mistake which mankind at large has chosen to sanctify."

- D.H. Lawrence