Renaissance

Wheresoever we have spoken plainly, there we have spoken nothing, but where we have used riddles and figures, there we have hidden the truth.
~Rosarium Philosophorum 1550

The science of alchemy I like very well...not only for the profits it brings in melting metals... I like it also for the sake of the allegory and secret signification, which is exceedingly fine, touching the resurrection of the dead at the last day.
~Isaac Newton 1642-1727

This invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practise their memory... You have invented an elixir not of memory but of reminding ...the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant..."
~Socrates, Phaedrus 469 -399 BC

Shut your eyes and change to, and wake another way of seeing, which everyone has but few use.
~Plotinus, The Enneads A.D. 205-270

The desire of power in excess caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall.
~Francis Bacon 1561-1626

Season of the Witch~Cont'd~

I would just like to apoligize for the length of the quotes for this novel but it truly is worth the time to read, both the quotes and the novel. It's really only the book that can convince you to read it...but in case it's kind of hard for you to find you can skim through these quotes. They will pull you in, intrigue you and enlighten you as much as they did me.

You should be able to pick up Natasha Mostert's book in any bookstore. If you want more information please visit her website. There are games and background info on some of the historical things mentioned in the book.

I'm telling you, THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!! No lie!

Season of the Witch

The search for enlightenment is actually like an addiction: the drug that enslaves us is like the shadow itself.
~Akron, The H.R. Giger Tarot

Living well is the best revenge.
~Gabriel Blackstone (Season of the Witch; pg.83)

One's eyes is what one is, one's mouth what one becomes.
~John Galsworthy

Our brains are becoming lazy. We are losing the skill of remembrance. Our long-term memories are eroding. Instead of exercising our natural ability to remember, the way our ancestors had to do, we rely on modern technology-- the Internet, TV, photocopiers-- to prop up our ability to recollect facts and events. We are failures at remembering.
~Minnaloushe Monk (Season of the Witch; pg. 166)

Man's soul is inextricably bound to his power of recollection...
~Minnaloushe Monk (Season of the Witch; pg.116)

It changed his entire outlook on how he wanted to live his life. He realized that if you don't take risks, you will never know your limit. And if you don't know your limit, you don't know who you are as a human being. As a poet said: one should never be a butterfly collector. Rather be the butterfly itself.
~Morrighan Monk (Season of the Witch; pg. 124)

Don't you sometimes wonder how strong, how fast, how brave you are? ... Well, I suppose it's about taking yourself to a new level. And I'm not just talking about jumping off a tower. It could be a mental thing as well. Whether it's a challenge to the body or the mind, it doesn't matter. The common denominator is turning your back on safety and embracing the void.
~Morrighan Monk (Season of the Witch; pg.128)

You know what G.K. Chesterton said about angels and flying...they fly because they take themselves lightly.
~Morrighan Monk (Season of the Witch; pg.129)

It's an exercise of concentration. If I manage to keep my concentration with all those eyes on me, it strengthens my mind. Toughens the brain. To regain inner stillness when you find yourself in such a vulnerable position requires discipline, believe me.
~Minnaloushe Monk (Season of the Witch; pg. 154)

...I'm never sentimental about information. Not like Isidore who believes that information should be like oxygen. Free-- out there-- belonging to no one and everyone. Uncorrupted by issues such as profit and ownership.
~Gabriel Blackstone (Season of the Witch; pg.156-157)

What is the colour of seduction?
The easy answer is red, but that does not ring true. Red is full on. Seduction is a feather brushing against the inner thigh. Subtle. Teasing. I think the colour of seduction is cappuccino, dark coffee diluted with cream.
~The Diary of "M" (Season of the Witch; pg. 175)

Risk leaves our senses quivering. Danger is erotic. We are most aware when we find ourselves in the shadow of death.
~The Diary of "M" (Season of the Witch; pg. 176)

Love is extreme sport. It exercises the muscle of the mind with the same intensity as climbing a mountain exercises the muscle of the heart. And it's just as dangerous.
~The Diary of "M" (Season of the Witch; pg.192)

Everything that deceives can be said to enchant.
~Plato

But our multitasking ability is a facile skill, allowing us to skim the waves of chaos, not swim through them. We're all born with natural memory. But instead of strengthening that memory throughout our lives--training it the way we do our body in a gym--we allow it to become flabby.
~Adrian Stallworthy (Season of the Witch; pg.288)

Memory, Minnaloushe came to believe, was what set man apart from all other living things in creation. Without memory you have no sense of self. Without memory you cannot remember the road you've traveled--can gain nothing from present life.
~Season of the Witch; pg.337

One of the crueler jokes of creation is being burdened with brains capable of conceptualizing a state of higher conciousness we have little hope of ever achieving. But we can strive, walking with hands outstretched like a blind man trying to orient himself in an alien place. And sometimes our clumsy fingers graze the mind of God.
~Gabriel Blackstone (Season of the Witch; pg.392)

If no one wanted more, evolution would stop in its tracks.
~Gabriel Balckstone (Season of the Witch; pg.393)

At the start of the book, he thinks he is cursed. But by the end he knows it was better to have seen fleetingly than not to have seen at all. It is better to go through life in pain but awake...than anesthetized and unaware.
~Gabriel Blackstone (Season of the Witch; pg.393)

Theirs had not been a great passion-- no delirium, no fevered brows-- rather a thing of quiet beauty. As the years passed he discovered that trust, gratitude, and a love more serene spin their own kind of magic. Most people feel alone, even when together. He and Frankie never did. They had known each other in full. Not a grand passion. But a love story? ... Oh yes, most certainly a love story.
~Gabriel Balckstone (Season of the Witch; pg.395)

Stealing Bradford

Didn't think there was anything to learn from teen fiction did you??? Well, I'm here to tell you there is...especially if it's a Christian one. Here are the quotes and verses I thought were important in Stealing Bradford by Melody Carlson interstingly enough they're all bible verses.

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'But I tell you: Love your enemiesand pray for those who persecute you...

~Matthew 5:43-44

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

~Matthew 7:1-2

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry...

~Ephesians 4:26

ALL BIBLE VERSES COURTESY OF BIBLE GATEWAY

A Passion Denied

Desire isn't love...
~Brady (A Passion Denied; pg.154)

I believe he cares for you, but that's not love. Real loves gives, not takes.
~Brady (A Passion Denied; pg.154)

...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

~Psalm 103:12

I've lived in this dream world of romance for so long now, that it's become my god, the craving of my soul... It made me feel good inside, warm and alive with passion...I realized...that without God in the middle, it's nothing but lust--heat that burns but doesn't keep you warm, A flash of fire that leaves you feeling empty and dirty and cold, like charred remains.

I want God to be the fire in my soul, not lust or romance. I want to live for him, not for myself or shallow dreams...Love and romance is a very good thing, but I know now that it pales in the face of love and romance with God in the center.

~Lizzie (A Passion Denied; pg.204)

Bitterness will calcify a heart faster than anytyhing

~Christa (A Passion Denied; pg.224)

...if you really love someone, then you want the best for them. And the `best` is clearly laid out in Deuteronomy 30...life and death, blessing and curse. God begs us to choose life-- his precepts-- so that he can bestow blessings on us. If you really love someone, why would you choose death-- your own lust and pleasure-- and cut off God's blessing from your relationship and the one you love?

~Faith O'Connor (A Passion Denied; pg.237-238)

Pray for fervor...Pray that God is the most important thing in your life, so much so that hurting him would hurt you. When that happens, and your choices line up with hism it profuces an amazing ripple effect of blessings--in your life, that of your family, and for the man you eventually marry.

~Faith O'Connor (A Passion Denied; pg.238)

John Brady is the most perfect and amazing man I have ever met.

They all are, darling...in the beginning. And then God uses them to make us grow...into the most «amazing» women.

~Marcy O'Connor (A Passion Denied; pg.396)

It's called humanity...and by its very nature, we are drawn close to the breast of a forgiving God.

~Father Mac (A Passion Denied; pg.431)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power

may be of God, and not of us.We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed...For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory...And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9,17,12:9

Randomness

Like I've mentioned many times before, I lost a whole bunch of my quotes. Luckily, I had them spread out between different note books. So I've recently found some more but the only problem is that I don't know where they're from. Hopefully you don't mind the anonymity . I'll try my best to fill in the holes that I remember right now but if you REALLY want to know where it comes from just let me know and I'll try my best to remember.

Just as a reminder, I don't always agree with a quote. Sometimes I find them humorous or important to how that person was feeling. It's always nice to see other perspectives.


The greatest achievement for any human being is to love God, yourself and others.

Let us therefore put away the things of darkness, and clothe ourselves in the armour of light.

Every musicians heart bears a song from the creator, and spends his life trying to supplicate it as an act of worship.
~Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis

There are things in this world that you can hold onto, important things that stay inside you and never go away. Even though the world has moved on and everything has changed forever.

Let the eternal light shine on them, Lord, with your saints in eternity because you are MERCIFUL!

Music is the breath of God and prayer is the melody that makes it sing.
~Francesca Shephard (Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis)

Sacrifice is necessary to save billions of lives.
~Patar (Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis)

Two people can't become one no matter how close they get. So it's simply impossible to make someone yours.
~Paradise Kiss by Yazawa Ai

Being truly content comes from enjoying what you have, not getting what you want.

What we call civilization is just man's way of trying to impose his values upon the natural world.

Time or pain doesn't matter when it comes to achieving what you want.

Retreat is not dishonorable. Unnecessary retreat is.

Things look bleaker when you're tired.

Nothing will happen if you don't believe in your own possibilities.

Is man defined by flesh and blood, or is he everything he has learned to be?

Fighting for peace is like shouting for silence.

Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the ability to control fear and so what you have to in spite of it.

Choosing the right answer doesn't mean you'll live happily ever after.

Trust is a two-way street.

Staying cool is a combination of faith and courage.

Battles are won in the mind long before they are won on the battlefield.
~Solomon Shephard (Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis)

It's more important to be yourself than to fit into other people's expectations of yourself.

If man made in the image of God creates a masterpiece ex exihilo, he celebrates the creation of God, the one who did the same when he fashioned the world.

Count every experience as a blessing. No matter what you're going through there's always someone who's going through worse.

It's not unmanly to cry. If we don't have strong feelings, how could we love or fight? There's nothing wrong with that. It only becomes a problem when it gets in the way of what you have to do. You can't crumble when others are counting on you.
~Solomon Shephard (Beyond the Reflection's Edge by Bryan Davis)

All Canadian all the time!!!!!!

These quotes are taken from the books of White Pine 2008. For those who don't know, it's a high school reading program. All the books read are written by Canadian authors. It's only from 2 different books but I kind of lost the other ones. :( Just so you know, there are some quotes here that I don't really agree with but I thought they gave a pretty good insight to a certain character or the general idea of the story. Some of them are humorous and some are deep but all are Canadian!

You can't really know who you are unless you understand where you come from.
~The Space Between; pg.72

You don't have to be big to have a huge impact in your world.
~The Space Between; pg.80

There are stories in our silences;
The things that don't get said
Speak louder than we ever dream they can.
They echo through the space between;
The place I long to be
And this never-ending empty where I am.
~Leah Delaney (The Space Between; pg.169)

Being sorry isn't a solution. Admitting guilt is sometimes all any of us can do.
~The Space Between; pg.222

You can't spend the rest of your life worrying about people finding you out. You need to deal with it. It's not going away.
~The Space Between; pg.224

Language should bring people closer, not build walls around us.
~The Space Between; pg.240

I want you to write something that is true, something that expresses who you really are. No holds barred. Spill it right out. Hold nothing back. Write something that comes from deep within you and expresses your inner truth. That is what language is for.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.5

Happiness lies in overcoming your enemies, in seizing their property, in savouring their agony, and in outraging their wives and daughters.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.16

If you have money, you can make things look better than they really are.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.41

To the winner go the spoils. Then or now. Pretty much the same deal. History repeats itself because human nature stays the same.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.48

Though thou shouldst be going to live three thousand years, still remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses. The longest and the shortest are thus brought to the same. For the present is the same to all.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.177

We are now responsible for our own happiness. Not the rest of the world.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.196

When were are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.202

Children who play life discern its true laws and relations more clearly than men who fail to live worthily.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.206

...there are things in this world you can hold onto, important things that stay inside you and never go away. Even though the world has moved on and everything has changed forever.
~The End of the World As We Know It; pg.221

Going back to the beginning

These are some quotes I came across while I was cleaning up my room. They are some of the first quotes that I ever wrote down. I used some of them when I first started this blog but I'm going to repeat them anyways for two reasons: 1) because I didn't use them all last time, and 2) because I've lost them once and now I know where I can find them if I lose them again.

All of the following are from various animes with the exception of 1 or 2 so PLEASE don't judge! It bothers me when people are open to things then when you tell them it's from another country, in another language or you're part of a certain religion and they put up that screen and shut down. Ignorance may be bliss but, when achieved that way, bliss is only temporary. Sooner or later you'll have to face the world around you; with the direction our world is going in, that is becoming sooner and sooner every day. You might as well open your eyes to all the differences before you are forced to and suffer a serious case of culture shock. Just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad, it's just a different perspective to look at something.

That is why I take the opportunity to explore the world around me and search out all the differences I can. For me, it's the funnest thing to do and lets me uncover some of the coolest things this world has to offer. I truly thank God for this blessing he has given to me.

Don't let pride scare away happiness.
~Nana Komatsu (Nana)

Why is it two people can be perfect for each other, yet never be together?
~Daisuke Niwa (D.N. Angel)

Who ever said love guarantees happiness?
~Dark (D.N. Angel)

I know I can't go through life expecting the world to come to me.
~Nana Komatsu (Nana)

Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.
~Alphonse Elric (Full Metal Alchemist)

If you live your life by someone else's standards, your life is no longer your own.
~Koyuki (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad)

How can you expect anyone to hear what you have to say if you can't be honest?
~Koyuki (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad)

You never know what fate has in store.
~Koyuki (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad)

Expect the unexpected.
~Kero (Cardcaptors)

Don't let your dreams outrun your common sense
~Aly

Water washes away everything.
~Mr.Ishida (Samurai's Daughter by Sujata Massey)

There are two types of people in this world: those who do as they're told and those who are true to themselves.
~Saku (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad)

People die because they no longer have the strength to stay alive. When you lose your will to survive, death is the only thing left.
~Madlax (Madlax)

There are somethings you can't find out about yourself unless you throw yourself into the flames.
~Teillagory (Le Chevalier D'Eon)

Why can't dreams and reality bring happiness to our lives?
~Nana Komatsu (Nana)

Celebrating our Countries

Happy Canada Day all you Canadians!!!!!!! I hope you enjoy(ed) all the BBQs, fireworks, parties and the like. For all those who are working during the summer, hopefully you take advantage of the day off :P

As for the Americans, I want to wish them a happy 4th of July!!! It's funny, I can't say July 4th ever again because of this holiday :P I know you guys do it up good. Enjoy the holiday, eat lots and celebrate till you're too tired to move. That's what the fireworks are for!

Goals

My goal with this blog is to provide some words of wisdom, insight, or courage to people's lives. I also want people to open their minds to the world around them. By reading any of these quotes, it might get you interested in anime, books, movies from different countries or even go as far as to help turn your heart to God.

I do not want to force anyone into anything. I'm just here to help and share. This started with a grade 10 careers project. From then on I have been recording my favorite quotes from every movie, book and TV show, anime and drama that I've read/watched.

I hope it helps you or at least brightens your day. Not only will I be posting quotes from the many books I am going to be reading this summer, but also some old ones that I've come across and ones from my agenda; who knew!?

His humble servant,
Anastasia

Nightmare's Edge

The following are quotes from the final installment in Bryan Davis' trilogy Echoes from the Edge. Hopefully they touch your heart and give you a new perspective on life, love and everything in between. I found a lot of them deal with love, sacrifice and bravery but I'm sure you will find one that pertains to your life at the moment. Bryan Davis wrote the script for Nightmare's Edge so poetically I find it hard to believe it was actually him that wrote it. Before I leave you with these quotes I want to let you know that anything that is italicized is a song (though you will probably already notice this yourself). I hope you enjoy and take the time to really try and understand the various themes of life that are displayed.

...it was passion-- pure emotion wrapped in a melody, an expression of love so untainted, as if Amber poured out her life energy, bleeding and dying for her beloved Francesca.
~Nightmare's Edge; pg.79

My love is pure, my child is wild;
It longs to dance with heaven's child.
O let the music flow within,
The song of love that purges sin.

To dance with me is life from death;
To dance with me is reborn breath;
To join our hands, to join as one,
Reflects our merging with the Son.

To supplicate is but a sign,
A portrait of your saviour's mind.
His love for you, his gift to share,
Compassion bleeds in souls stripped bare.

Forgiveness flows in hearts of praise,
In eyes that choose the forward gaze.
Let partners lose what love has burned,
For love sets fire to pages turned.

So dance with me, forget the past,
Re-pour the mold, the die is cast;
The music burns the settled dross;
Our dance restores the deepest loss.
~Amber's Song (Nightmare's Edge; pg.79-80)

Let the pain flow. Without pain there is no passion.
~Francesca Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.102)

Only sacrifice draws a holy flow from within, and only a bleeding soul can reach down deep enough to find the blazing fire-- the God-given inferno that purges every particle of dross that spoils the master's silver.
~Francesca Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.102)

I have told you a hundred times that you have more talent than I do, yet you have not reached into your soul to grasp it. You have to roll away that stone that's keeping that talent from rising into your heart and into your hands.
~Francesca Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.102)

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, my presence my light.
~Be Thou My Vision (Nightmare's Edge; pg.103)

Amazing grace is lost for me,
A harlot soiled and stained.
A wretch I am, a wretch I'll be,
Till love unlocks my chains.

Could Nathan ever dance with one
So foul, unclean, a liar?
Will grace he plays on strings of ice
Be wrought in hands of fire?

The girl I was is crucified,
Impaled by God's dear Lamb.
Can Nathan purge the girl I was
And love the girl I am?
~Kelly's version of 'Amazing Grace' (Nightmare's Edge; pg.124-125)

Sacrifice appears as a curse to those with limited perception. To the beneficiary, it is life itself. To the provider, it is the path to enlightenment and the end of all fear, for perfect love casts out all fear.
~Cerulean (Nightmare's Edge; pg.143)

We all have to suffer the presence of death to enter the arms of our supplicant, but death is merely an odor. It comes and goes like breath in our nostrils, and after it passes by, only the fragrance of life remains.
~Felicity (Nightmare's Edge; pg.144)

Dreams often give us eloquence, Nathan, for God pours wisdom into the dreams of men.
~Francesca Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.144)

A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man always hold it back.
~Nightmare's Edge; pg.149

Do not be afraid of sudden fear or the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
~Solomon Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.149)

Sometimes it's better to face reality, even if it's frightening. I know how hard it can be, but if people would learn to overcome their fears, they would be able to move mountains.
~Solomon Red (Nightmare's Edge; pg.188)

O Father in heaven, so holy and true,
Defender of pilgrims who cry out to you.
O Jesus, my supplicant, holy and wise,
Who guides our next footstep, our hands, and our eyes.

O Spirit indwelling, my comfort, my friends,
We beg for the words that break though and transcend.
Receive out low groanings, our pleas, and our prayers.
Protect us, defend us, remove all our cares.

We hear the sad tolls of the bells in the tower
For widows, for orphans, to fear and to cower.
It rides on the wind, and it called from the sky,
"Bewail and despair, for you all will soon die."

Restrain the fowl stalkers and silence the bell,
And cast all the demons and killers to hell.
Prepare us to battle the dissonant choir
With music that heals us with water and fire.
~Scarlet (Nightmare's Edge; pg.247-248)

You are willing to change you mind...Such willingness heals many wounds. It reaches out to everyone you touch and helps them see what real love means. Love has nothing to do with emotions, but everything to do with sacrificing yourself for the sake of another.
~Scarlet (Nightmare's Edge; pg.256)

The breath of God never fails, my son. Whether by music, by love, or by resurrection from the dead, He will restore everything to its proper place.
~Francesca (Nightmare's Edge; pg.295)

For the power of heaven to pull you upward, all you have to do is surrender to its call.
~Cerulean (Nightmare's Edge; pg.316)

It is when you realize that your own strength is inadequate that real faith begins.
~Patar (Nightmare's Edge; pg.324)

The stone over your heart has rolled away. The music of you soul has been set free, flowing through your gifted hands.
~Patar (Nightmare's Edge; pg.329)

Now stand before the righteous king,
The judge of all the earth,
And hear his verdict play and sing,
Declaring blight and worth.

To dust and ash we all must turn,
The final dance of life.
For this I live, for this I yearn,
To be my saviour's wife.

To waltz with hm, to sway and spin,
To dance upon the stars;
I leave behind this world of sin
And kiss away my scars.
~Amber (Nightmare's Edge; pg.331)

Whenever someone dances with another, he is saying that he agrees with every aspect of his partner's purpose-- the partner's belief and the principles by which he or she lives. If the music is greater that of both partners, each one gives up his own path to follow the music's universal call.
~Amber (Nightmare's Edge; pg.333)

Pieces of You

There's a crazy talented writer the goes by name of Tablo. He's Korean, lived in B.C., Canada for a while when he was younger and graduated from Stanford University when with a Bachelor's and Master's in English Literature and Creative Writing. This 229 page book is filled with short stories he wrote as an undergrad there. Now he lives in Korea and is part of a band called Epik High where he helps write their lyrics. If you're interested in writing, and awesome writing you can check out some of the links below.

If you're interested in his book "Pieces of You" you can find it at the link below. It's off an Asia based website but don't worry, it's trusted by EVERYONE! I've even used it and it's a very good website. All the prices are worked out in US DOLLARS so if you come from any other country you can change your preference at the bottom of the page. This only tells you the conversion rate so you can figure out the actual price yourself but the price will still show up in US dollars.

~Epik High MySpace
~Epik High Homepage
~Buy Pieces of You

Cyndere's Midnight

Ever since I've lost my jump drive back in December, I've gotten really discouraged to keep finding quotes in my books again. I've decided to start back up again starting with the last book I finished: Cyndere's Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet. There were 3 that really stuck with me. Like I mentioned in my blog Midnight Reviews, they are my "And do the lion fell in the with the lamb...". BTW: If you are a Twilight fan, I just found this cool site called Twilight Quotes where you can search quotes from book and character. EVERYTHING is there, even if you wouldn't consider it important. I though it was pretty cool. Even if you aren't a Twilight fan, it's always good for inspiration. I've read all the book and that is one thing they're good for. Stephanie Meyer is an incredibly gifted author. So...without further ado...

"Distance is an illusion."
~Cyndere (pg.342)

"...I have two hands. I can take hold of this with my left hand. With my right hand, I can hold this. But my heart -- I have one heart. Your heart can only hold one thing...Your heart has one hand."
~Cyndere (pg. 169-170)

"Such distractions helped him endure the lsating ache of his thirst for Essence. And he was certain that the ache was slackening, that its grip on him was falling."
~Jordam (pg. 362)

The Secret of Agendas

School agendas are AMAZING for inspiration from all your favorite stars, celebrities and historical figures. I have soooo many quotes and tips from it that I will be posting as soon as I get a minute. They cover sooooo many different themes it's crazy! So look forward to it!

I also found a good gift idea. Last Saturday was my friend's birthday party and my friend gave her a box filled with small folded pieces of paper. Each of these papers had quotes and nice things written on them; there must have been about a hundred papers in that box. It would be kind of nice to pull out a piece of inspiration every morning wouldn't it???

One Touch

So I hope you're comfy cause this is going to be a long series of notes. I think how I'm going to do them is, for each message I'll make a different post, starting with the last one so that you can read them in order.
Our speaker this year was the new senior pastor at Kingsview Community Church, Pastor Jeff Johnston. He's an extremely blessed man and has helped do so much in so many lives this year at Freestyle '09 (our youth retreat). I would like to thank him for his stories, illustrations and messages over this weekend. He really spoke into my life.
What happened at our retreat, I don't know if it's the way you do yours, but we had 2 services each day except on Friday, we had only one. So that means I've got 5 messages to share with you (plus one more) and hopefully my notes will illustrate what Pastor Jeff wanted to get across. As for the bible verses he used, I won't be typing them out. I'll just say where it's from and you can go and look it up later. If that's not how you roll then you can have your bible with you or open another window and go to Bible Gateway where you can find the verses in pretty much every version of the bible there is.

At youth the day before we left to go to Bancroft (location of retreat), our youth pastor gave kind of an into message to the weekend. I'm going to post this here then start the individual posts.And just a little note on my note-taking style, I write sentences in point form so this won't be big paragraphs in case you're wondering.

One Touch
2 Samuel 22:32-46
1 Chronicles 16:21-23

~Sometimes we take credit for God's work.
-It wasn't us, it was God
~NEVER put your fingerprint on God's touch
~One touch from God makes a world of difference to all of us
~God's waiting to touch and mold us
~The fire bells in our sanctuary looks so out of place. They're red and everything else is bland compared to it. It looks like they shouldn't be there, like they don't matter. But, one fire breaks out and it instantly becomes the most important thing in the building; it could save everyone and everything.
-The devil tries to convince us that the fire alarm (us) isn't important and that we should conform to what's around us, we shouldn't stick out.
~We should brag about how much God loves us, not how much we love Him
-People (non-believers) will be able to relate much more easily to that than us living in God's presence
~There's no height or low to reach the limit of His love. You can only walk through it
~As human beings, we need to touch, be touched, and feel love
~Everyone can receive something from God if we want it, all we need is desire

Uncensored

***To get that One Touch from God you have to live a life uncensored in Him. That is what the next 4 messages will be about.***

Uncensored
Proverbs 24:16 1 Corinthians 4:20

:. Uncensored means no limits
:. We live in a society that is image driven and so much of it is based on words
:. It's time that God's people live an uncensored life in God, not a life of words
:. A lot of Christians live a censored life in God
ex. Adam and Eve covered up because they didn't want others to see the reality they live in
:. Don't cover up, take the uncensored road through life
:. Admit to your faults and problems

High Places
2 Kings 23

~They're an altar of worship to false Gods
:. Jaraboam built high places and lead Israel away form God
:. There are Jaraboams in our lives that try to teat down God in our lives, that try to convince us to go against the word of God, telling us that He won't get mad
:. High places aren't necessarily sins or our fault ex. anorexia, cutting, surgery
~They're the result of the sinning of others. The result of them hurting us
:. You read of people who have good intentions but it's time for us to go beyond that realm
:. It's time to teat those high places DOWN
~We've lived with it long enough
:. For most of us, there's this vice, this cycle of sin
~We fall into loneliness, compromise, hatred, brokenness, insecurity etc. These are our high places
:.God hasn't called you to fail and is offended by that high places in your life
:. He wants to partner with you to tear is down for good
:. To get right and serious with God, you need to get your high place out of the way
:. We feel we can't face and conquer our high places because we feel we don't have the authority or strength
:. We need to break out of the mind-set of being bossed around all the time and realize that because we have God in out life He gives us that authority and that strength to tear it down
:.He chose to be our eternal lamb so we didn't have to kill another animal or shed anymore blood for our sins

Living an Uncensored Love

Living an Uncensored Love
John 5

* Life is full of shameful, humiliating moments that attack your self confidence
ex. Lady singing National Anthem
* Once it happens a lot, the devil uses it as a foothold
* You need an uncensored love. It's unconditional and doesn't rely on appearances or actions or material items
* Moments of shame are horrible because we feel disgrace and it minimizes your sense of security; we feel exposed
* People wear the shame that's put on them from the phrase "shame on you"
~they wear it like a shirt
* The shame on you can come from different aspects
~social status, financial situation etc.
* That's how the devil gets you where he wants you
* John 5 = invalid not invalid (sickly person)
* With one touch, God can take away your shame and make you valid
* To live under shame is to be unworthy, to be worthy of guilt
* Shame can come into your life from violation, by you or someone else
* "My sin is ever before me"
-King David
* 70% of people in mental hospitals could be released if they just found a way to walk in forgiveness
* Zechariah 3
* Satin is the accuser of God's people
* God, Jesus Christ, is our defense attorney, our advocate
* It doesn't mean that what we did was right but he's always willing to give us another chance
* He gives you new garments that represent a new mindset and takes the shame and violation away
*Ephesians 3:17-18
*When you're rooted and established in a love based on someone else's love, eventually you'll be disappointed
*You have to be rooted and established in His love first because His love is unconditional and uncensored. He will never let you down
* It NEVER goes away
*Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God

Uncensored Lift

Uncensored Lift

~It's time to go to higher places in God
~God will move in you, but only if you want Him to. You have to desire it
~Speaking in tongues is just physical evidence of God's spirit in your life (don't worry, not everyone can do this)
-What's most important is that you are actually filled with His spirit and want His unconditional love
~There's an aggressive part of us that comes out when we're pushed to the edge
- God's fiery and zealous and we have that inside of us too if we just push past that aggressive nature
~In a culture of continuous high speeds, God wants to be chased and desired
~He wants us to slow down and seek Him on a regular basis and wholeheartedly
~You have to persevere and press in
-Something happens when you don't give up on Him
~The uncensored moments with God are sometimes the most special and important
~So many people lose God and His power in their lives and never try to find it again because they're so busy with other things
~This world is full of great starters but not many great finishers because they're faced with opposition
~When something goes wrong, not the way we want it to, we give up on it but we have to let God change our minds and hearts so that we may try again, have a change of heart
~To run after God, you have to disrobe yourself before Him because "looking the part" doesn't matter
ex. King David bringing back the Arc of the Covenant
-It all comes down to the presence

Living an Uncensored Legacy

Living an Uncensored Legacy
Romans 12:1

:. The true act of worship happens after you leave retreat, or church in your case
~Just offer your life to Him in your everyday lives
:. I want my life of Christianity to be about others because of God's love spilling over me
:. Touch the person beside you (AT&T commercial)
~Give God's one touch to someone else
:. Uncensored Legacy
ex. Moses and the burning bush
:. There's a lot of ways you can share (evangelize) the one touch of Jesus
:. God's continuously being censored in our everyday lives and it's up to us, His people, to talk to others about Him
:. Matthew 5:13-14 Jeremiah30:9
:. Don't be ashamed to live the uncensored legacy of God
:. We can deeply affect someone's life with that one touch
~There's something communicated through touch, it's powerful and brings people together
:. Luke 5:12
~ex. Pastor Damian and the island of Molokai
:. We have lots of lepers living around us but we choose to look the other way
~That's not the word of God, it's a kingdom of words
:. If God didn't have a plan for us, we'd be in heaven
~He's got a plan and a purpose to give that leper one touch that will change their lives and he's doing it through us

Fight For Your Family

Fight For Your Family
Nehemiah 4:14 & 20

*The devil's number 1 priority is our home
- If he gets our homes, he gets the church because the church is made up of families
*Do not be afraid, but instead, remember the Lord who is great and fight for your families
*God will fight when we choose to go to war
-Fast, pray, intercede, go to the altar
*There's a role for each family member to play. These are:

1) The Father's Fight
*Job 1:5
-Take your children to the altar
*1 Corinthians 3
-Christ, men family

2) The Mother's Fight
*2 Samuel 21
*There's something in the heart of a mother that will always be with her kids, that will never abandon them
*Even in the animal world, the mothers will fight (lioness raising a gazelle; true story, caught on film too. Let me know if you find the video or article)

3) The Children's Fight
*It's our responsibility to fight for our family
*We have a responsibility to bring peace and honour our parents
*As far as it depends in you, bring peace to your homes
*Romans 14:19

***Dads pray, mothers never give up and children are peace keepers***

The Shack

On my Midnight Reviews blog I said that I would post the quotes I found in The Shack because they were just that awesome. Well, here they are.

The Shack is a beautiful story of how God comes to find us in the midst of our sorrows, trapped by disappointments, betrayed by our own presumptions. He never leaves us where He finds us, unless we insist.
-Wes Yoder, Ambassador Speakers Bureau

I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking from the outside.
-Willie; pg.11

Nothing makes us so lonely as out secrets.
-Paul Tournier; pg.24

The soul is healed by being with children.
-Fyodor Dostoevsky; pg.33

Something in the heart of most human beings simply cannot abide pain inflicted on the innocent, especially children. Even broken men serving in the worst correctional facilities will often first take out their rage on those who have caused suffering to children. Even in such a world of relative morality, causing harm to a child is still considered absolutely wrong. Period!
-Mack; pg.59

Perhaps there is superationality: reason beyond the normal definitions of fact or data-based logic; something that only makes sense if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that's where faith fits in.
-Willie; pg.67