Ashley Nicole

reverse kingdom

2008-05-14T19:27:00.009-04:00

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter
thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,
Thy life in my death,
that every good work or thought found in me
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley.

valley of vision

bucky

2007-02-24T23:52:00.000-05:00

the many angles of amanda.

level

2007-02-11T23:35:00.000-05:00

You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.

Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground
and casts it down to the dust.

Feet trample it down—
the feet of the oppressed,
the footsteps of the poor.

The path of the righteous is level;
O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts.

My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.

isaiah 26:3-9

prayer of repentance

2007-02-09T00:14:00.000-05:00

chucks while peter and katie eat breakfast.
today is day two of point of no return. psalm 51 day.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--
These, O God, You will not despise. (verse 17).

point of no return

2007-02-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

psalm 51:8,10-12

fragrance

2007-02-01T18:56:00.000-05:00

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:2-4

ever faithful, ever sure

2007-01-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

Beloved, we assert that CHRIST IS "A FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER." In order to prove this from facts, we appeal to such of you as have had him for a friend. Will you not, each of you, at once give your verdict, that this is neither more nor less than an unexaggerated truth? He loved you before all worlds; long ere the day star flung his ray across the darkness, before the wing of angel had flapped the unnavigated ether, before aught of creation had struggled from the womb of nothingness, God, even our God, had set his heart upon all his children. Since that time, has he once swerved, has he once turned aside, once changed? No; ye who have tasted of his love and know his grace, will bear me witness, that he has been a certain friend in uncertain circumstances.

"He, near your side hath always stood.
His loving-kindness. O! how good."

You fell in Adam; did he cease to love you? No; he became the second Adam to redeem you. You sinned in practice, and brought upon your head the condemnation of God; you deserved his wrath and his utter anger; did he then forsake you? No!

"He saw you ruined in the fall,
Yet loved you notwithstanding all."

He sent his minister after you; you despised him; he preached the gospel in your ears; you laughed at him; you broke God's Sabbath, you despised his Word. Did he then forsake you? No!

"Determined to save, he watched o'er your path,
Whilst, Satan's blind slave, you sported with death."

And at last he arrested you by his grace, he humbled you, he made you penitent, he brought you to his feet, and he forgave you all your sins. Since then, has he left you? You have often left him; has he ever left you? You have had many trials and troubles; has he ever deserted you? Has he ever turned away his heart, and shut up his bowels of compassion? No, children of God, it is your solemn duty to say "No," and bear witness to his faithfulness.

"For his mercy shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure."

charles spurgeon, 1857: sermon 120 "a faithful friend"

saving the spot

2007-01-26T16:07:00.000-05:00

kansas city, december 2006
custis is a mustis.

living flame

2007-01-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

O living flame of love,
that wounds my soul so tenderly
in its deepest center;
Since by your grace
I can endure your touch,
perfect your work in me
according to your will.
John of the Cross, 1542-1591

by what name?

2007-01-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

O transcendent, almighty God,
What words can sing your praises?
No tongue can describe you.
No mind can probe your mystery.
Yet all speech comes from you,
And all throught stems from you.
All creation proclaims you,
All creatures revere you.
Every gust of wind breathes a prayer to you,
Every rustling tree sings a hymn to you.
All things are upheld by you.
And they move according to your harmonious design.
The whole world longs for you,
And all people desire you.
Yet you have set yourself apart,
You are far beyond our grasp.
You are the purpose of all that exists,
But you do not let us understand you,
Lord I want to speak to you.
By what name shall I call you?
Gregory of Nazianzus, 325-389

christmas eve sky 2006

the King's glory

2007-01-17T20:27:00.000-05:00

I want to stand before the King
Join in the song that heaven sings
I want to hold the hand that holds the world

I want to know the mystery
Reach out and touch the majesty
I want to hold the hand tht holds the world

No greater love
Could be bestowed
That You would name us as your own

Your daughters sing
Your sons rejoice
They gather here before Your throne

You are, You are
The author of creation
We are, the chrildren of your heart

You are, You are,
The light of all the heaven
We rise, to worship all You are
-Starfield, "The Hand That Holds the World"
Drive to Chicago, December 26, 2006

blind orthodoxy

2007-01-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

"We need a baptism of clear seeing. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist-- Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy."
A.W. Tozer

graffiti worship

2007-01-14T15:46:00.000-05:00

Passion 07
Atlanta, Georgia

glass prayers

2007-01-14T00:14:00.000-05:00

The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but those of the pure are pleasing to him.
The LORD is far from the wicked
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15:26, 29

i want milk

2006-12-24T12:38:00.000-05:00

weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
psalm 30:5

john

2006-12-23T00:46:00.000-05:00

you can take away his body,
but you cannot take away his heart.
it will play anyway.

place of its setting

2006-10-08T20:53:00.000-04:00

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Isaiah 45:5-6

The Virgin Daiquiri

2006-04-28T23:17:00.000-04:00

A toes-t to simplicity.

Riviera Maya, Mexico

February 2006

His fingers

2006-02-28T07:16:00.000-05:00

And someplace,
in the sun rays,
His voice will come
And someplace
In the later days
His voice will be heard

tuning in

2006-02-06T19:27:00.000-05:00

"Worship is not about what I get, it's not about me or a "feel good" experience. Worship is all about God. It requires that I die to self and tune out the things of the world in order to sense God's presence. I believe that the reason many do not experience true worship is because they haven't learned to tune out everything and tune into the only thing that matters."

Stephen M. Newman

Pastor of Worship and Arts

Shaeffer

2006-02-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

Released from the pain and into the hope.