Show me your muddy palms

Not too long ago a group of folks from church went away to Haiti to help build a medical clinic. Last week they played a slide show of pictures from that trip during that slide show the song Muddy Palms by Del Barber was playing in the background. First of all I love the song so that caught me right away, so I enjoyed the slide show. Now, this week at during the service Cody (the guy that made the slide show) told the story, of why he chose that song. in the song Muddy Palms there is a line repeated. "show me your scars, show me your muddy palms." Another part in the song says "Don't you get tired of hiding yourself?"
In his story he talked about the first morning he was there. He said he woke up early in the morning to a woman belting a song at the top of her lungs. It wasn't even the whole song, it was just the same line again and again for over an hour. He thought about if this would happen in Winnipeg. If someone was yelling the same line over and over early in the morning someone would tell that person to shut-up. However, the people in Haiti just let this woman be. He said later that night he told the guide type person about this lady. He sang the line that the lady was singing over and over. The Guide (who is also the doctor of the clinic they were helping to build) kind of gave a half laugh and said "that lady was mourning. She lost her child. That's how she mourns, she cries that song."
What does this have to do with the song Muddy Palms? This lady who was mourning was showing her scars, she was showing her muddy palms. She was not hiding any part of herself, she was showing a honesty that is hard to find these days.
Why did this story hit me so much? So many times we all (myself included) put up these walls, and we aren't fully honest with anyone, or with ourselves, or even with God. Why do we try hide ourselves from everyone and from God? God is our forgiver He is our father, why should we not be totally honest with Him? Why don't we show God our scars? Why don't we show God our muddy palms? Why do we try hide ourselves from God? We know that He sees everything and knows everything, yet we still try hide.
We went through some passages in the book of Mark, two stories really stuck out to me.
First was the passage of the rich man in Mark 10:17-23. He asks Jesus "what must I do to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replies "Do not Murder, do not commit adultery, do not give false testimony and honor your father and mother."
The rich man said "all these I have kept since I was young."
It says Jesus looked and him and loved him, and said "one thing you lack, go sell all you have and give it to the poor. You will have treasure in Heaven, then come and follow me."
The thing that stuck with me, once it was read again was "Jesus looked at him, and loved him." Jesus can see everything in us, he can see all our sins, all our imperfections and all our problems. Yet He still loves us, and that to me is a humbling thought.
The second passage is in Mark 12:41-44. The story of the widows offering. It says Jesus sat in the temple across from where people were placing their offering, many people put in large amounts of money, but then a poor widow put in two copper coins worth a fraction of a penny. It says Jesus told his Disciples that the widow, gave the more than anyone. Everyone gave out their wealth, but she gave everything she had to live on. This hit me big time. The widow gave EVERYTHING she had, so many times we all just give what we want, or what we feel like. This widow was not ashamed to show her scars, to show her muddy palms. She was hiding nothing from God, and gave Him her all.
It is my encouragement for us to all stop Hiding ourselves from God, and to be honest with Him, show Him our scars and our muddy palms. He will look on us with compassion and love.
God bless

A tough moment.

I was very recently talking to a friend and they asked a... Well, a very random question. "If you could have one more moment with anyone in the world who would it be?" This was a tough thought to choke down, after my grandma only passed away 5 months ago. It got me thinking about what it would have been like if I could have had one more moment with my grandma. How many regrets would I not have right now? In one more moment I could apologize for not seeing her enough, because of my fears. I could thank her for waiting for me all the time. I could say good bye one more time. This question made me think, even though I have so many regrets about ways I was selfish towards my grandma, she knew I loved her, and I know she loved me. I just have to use these regrets as learning experiences. That way when I'm in a similar situation, I will learn from past mistakes.
I think we all need to use our past regrets as tools to learn. As hard as it may be some times, we just need to buck-up and not let our past mistakes happen again.

God Bless.

That was Terrific!

I was talking to an old friend, they haven't gone to Springs since grade 5, and I've kept in touch with them over msn, and Facebook(the hero of the internet). Anyway, I have been once again been feeling weighted with people at school being stupid. I asked this person what they thought of drinking and being drunk. I was extremely excited and refreshed when I found out that this person thought it was stupid. It was just so terrific to hear that someone who is openly exposed to that life style in their school, could have the wisdom and conscience not to do it. Yet people who claim to be a higher example do it on a regular basis... Once again I say, Mean what you say, and if you say you love God, act like it!

I encourage everyone to accept the call to be an example to everyone.
God Bless

I know it's cliché but Praise the Lord!

I have a thing for constantly going on myspace and checking out bands songs so I can get a feel for the sound. Usually I only check out bands that I am unfamiliar with, however, recently I went on to the Almost's myspace. I really dig this band and they haven't shown any signs of a new album... Or so I thought. Well Aaron Gillespie is at it again. He has a new album on the way. Usually a song written to appeal to the secular crowd don't catch me in the way that a praise and worship song would, but one of The Almost's new songs did. This songs lyrics definitely caught me off guard. I definitely was blown away by them.


Life has given me the comfort
i need you to make me weak
i have made my work my own, I've made it my own
and I've maybe been so alone

I can't stop this praise from moving
in an awful direction, Lord
I can't stop this hands from doing
but I don't want to anymore

I've been wrong, I've been right
but tonight I just wanna be yours

I'm planning this out to be all about me
I am broken, help me

i can't stop this praise from moving
in an awful direction, Lord
I can't stop this hands from doing
but I don't want to anymore

I've been wrong, I've been right
but tonight I just wanna be yours


I've got to let go of all this
cause it's dragging me down now.

I find myself in this position so many times. I find my self crediting my talents and skills all to myself, I find myself praising myself for what I have accomplished, I find myself doing the same things I don't like doing. So many times I focus on ME, and I find myself not searching, focusing, and praising God. I think this is something everyone struggles with. We try to get praise for what we have accomplished, or for our talents, and abilities. We focus on ourselves. Instead of focusing and crediting God.
I love the line "I've got to let go of all this, 'cause it's dragging me down now." I find myself thinking this same thing so often. We all have things we need to let go of so we can just focus on God. We need to let go of our own selfish ambition for praise, and our need to be first, we all need to let go of the sins we keep committing and just allow ourselves to be used by God.
Maybe I'm totally missing the meaning of this song, I don't know for sure, these are just my reflections on this particular song.
I encourage everyone to let go of their pride and desire for praise, and just give God the glory for our talents, and abilities.

Enjoy life and take the Lord along for the ride and be blessed.