Are You Thirsty?

Ok, so I know I have been a COMPLETE slacker and haven't been blogging much... sorry. Anyway, I just wanted to let ya'll know that this is my FAVORITE song right now. It is absolutely amazing, and I feel like it's Jesus himself singing it to me every time I listen to it.

Bring You Back

Paul Alan

"Are you thirsty, standing in the rain?
Not sure where you are or how you lost your way
Are you drowning
Some bar outside of town?
Searching for something given not found
A crowd of people totally alone
At the front door
Worlds away from home
And light up the night's last regret
Burn your only safety net
Step to the edge it's such a long way down

And I left the ninety-nine to find the one
and you're the one
I walked a thousand miles in this desert sun
Only to bring you back

Are you tired of chasing the wind
Under water, do you aspire to breathe again?
Are you dying?
Is that the best that you can do?
Cause you can't find your place in a world that wasn't meant for you.

I left the ninety-nine to find the one
And you're the one
I walked a thousand miles in this desert sun
Only to bring you back

Hello, it's me i couldn't sleep I was just counting sheep.
I'm missing you.
Hello, it's me i couldn't sleep I was just counting sheep.

I left the ninety-nine to find the one
And you're the one
I walked a thousand miles in this desert sun
Only to bring you back.

I left the ninety-nine to find the one
And you're the one
I walked a thousand miles in this desert sun
Only to bring you back

Only to bring you back"

TURN...

I was in worship at church on Sunday night, and the Lord gave me a vision and a word. I feel like it is something that is a very timely word for some people out there, so I just wanted to write it out and share it with you all.. I hope it can speak to your heart. =)

--I saw a person and they were standing inside this light, which consumed them from the inside and the outside. They lived in this light. But, slowly they TURNed and it was almost as if it were slow motion, they were moving and walking away from this light. The light became less and less, and then they were in the darkness. After some time of looking at their immediate surroundings, and ultimately being distracted, they suddenly realized that where the light used to be, it was replaced with a painful burning. They realized that this pain was not what they wanted and they began groping in the darkness for a way out.. but they could not find one.  

The Lord says, "The reason why you cannot see a way out is because you have only been looking in front of you, you've been searching around in the darkness for a way out, but the only way out is not where you are. You have placed Me behind you, in your past, there for all that is required of you is to TURN again. TURN around and place me in your future."  

"Have I not told you already? I hold the keys to death and to the grave!* I paid a high price for this key! If you are looking for a way to escape this death, a way out of this deep grave.. I've got your key!! All that is required of you is to TURN. I love you so much, I care about your soul.. If I did not, I would not be speaking this urgent word to you."  

"Place me in your future again, TURN and run, RUN after me with all your heart, never looking back." Says the Lord.--

*Scripture Reference: Revelation 1:18

Hello Adult World.

So. I bought that new Crest pro-health mouthwash the other day, and it is amazing... I hate the mouthwash that burns the mess out of your mouth, so obviously I look for the kind that doesn't engulf your mouth in flames. A couple months ago I bought this gargantuous bottle of Listerine because on the front it said "Less Intense!!! Equally Effective!!!", so I thought to myself "Hey, I would like that..." 

So I got home, and to quench my curiosity I went and tried out this "Less Intense" minty mouthwash... and to my alarming surprise, my mouth was once again engulfed in all sorts of burning-ness. Uh HELLO?! Less intense than what?! Being mauled by a bear??? It's definitely "Equally Effective". Sheesh. So yeah, my new mouthwash is great. And less intense.. much less..

So anyway, now that you're filled in on my mouthwash drama... My birthday was yesterday. That's right, I'm officially 22, the big double-deuce. Hooray. You may have noticed the absence of an exclamation mark. Birthdays seem to lose their excitement as you get older. It just seems like any other day... I did however, take some time to thank God for my life and everything I have, and I began to realize that I AM getting older. It's a fact. It's like I'm standing on a moving walkway and as I look behind me, those teenage years are getting smaller and smaller, and my adult years are finally here. Hooray. Again. I guess it just made me realize that life really is short, and I don't have much time here. It's so funny how when we're younger we can't wait to be 16, then 18, then 21... and then once that happens, it's like (in a really girlish voice) "oh I wish I was still 16". 

I can really relate with David in the book of Psalms when he says "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and it's place remembers it no more..." I guess it just made me think of how much importance each day holds. I look at Jesus and stand in amazement at how much he accomplished in just 3 years. Scholars say that Jesus was 30 when He first began His ministry, and He died on the cross at 33 years old. Still, the end of the book of John says, "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." What a statement. In only 3 years? Wow...

I guess I am realizing that I'm not a kid anymore (even though I still act like one sometimes), and I have ALOT of purpose and destiny waiting to be unleashed inside of me. This year, I'm going to see what purpose each day holds, and grab it by the tail. I'm not called to just get married, have a 9-5 job, have kids, raise kids, get old, and die. No, God has much greater things in store for me... I just have to get up and pursue them. 

And I'm going to do so without burning my mouth!

People Walking Around With Their Fingers In Their Ears...

This past week Ty and I had a very life-changing experience @ a retreat in Bradenton, FL. It wasn't your typical "church camp"... there was an awakening. A message was preached that I truly think the whole world should hear. It's talking about "dress-up christians". 

There was a story told about a boy who got on a plane and sat down next to this particular preacher, Pastor Adam and his intern... This boy was what most people would call a "gangster", he was wearing an Orlando Magic jersey... He proceeded to sit down and begin talking about how many girls he had sex with this past week and how many parties he went to and got drunk, and Pastor Adam's intern looked at him and said, "Hey man, you know what I think you need, I think you need Jesus... He's way better than all that mess you were just talking about." The boy sat straight up and said "Oh, nah man, I'm a Christian!" Pastor Adam looked at him and said "No... you're not." They went back and forth about whether this kid was a Christian or not and eventually Pastor Adam looked at him and said "Oh my gosh! I totally didn't even realize... you play for the Orlando Magic don't you?!"

The kid said, "No... I don't play for them"  

"Man quit lyin' I know you play with them, come on... tell me how much they pay you?!" 

"Dude, I'm serious, I don't play for Orlando Magic!"

"Nah, stop being all humble, seriously, what kind of car do you drive??"

"What are you talking about?! I'm trying to tell you I don't even play basketball"

"Whatever man, tell me, what are your teammates like... I mean you're kinda short, how did you even get on the team?!"

"Man I am trying to tell you!!! I DON'T PLAY FOR THE ORLANDO MAGIC, I'M NOT ON THEIR TEAM!!!!"

Pastor Adam sat back and looked at him and said, "That's right, and you're not on our team either... You're just wearing the jersey. You've been saying you're a Christian, but all you've been doing is dressing up like one."  

That kid got tears in his eyes as he realized that there was more to Christianity than just saying that you are a Christian and continuing to live in sin... He gave his heart over to God and committed to serve Him with his live and not just say he was a Christian.. 

1 John 3:7-10

7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

I know this sounds harsh... but I truly believe that the time of flip-flop, half-bred Christianity is over. Of course we still sin and are all working through things... everyone has sinned... but when we allow that sin to stay without doing anything about it, and we continue to live in sin, or like the scripture says, "to go on sinning", that's when the time comes where I believe God removes His anointing and His Spirit. The Word says God will not strive with man forever. It's incredibly sad to see people who were gifted and anointed by God for a plan and purpose in the Kingdom just to give it all up for a bowl of soup, a moment of pleasure. Yes, of course the gifts and talents stay, but the anointing and Holy Spirit does not... "for what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). So why not live in the light? Why not now? What are you waiting for?

I just posted a song on our profile by Misty Edwards called "Days of Noah" it speaks of Jesus coming back again. I would encourage everyone who calls themselves Christian to listen and think about your life. Are you being a team player? Or are you just wearing the jersey... do you live your life just as any other person who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk. Just because you're not a Muslim or a Buddhist does not mean that you are a Christian.

The rain is coming... are you ready? www.impactyouthjax.com  

All His Love, DanielleJane

*People walking around with their fingers in their ears singing 'la da da da dum', they don't wanna hear the sound, of the coming King...* - Misty Edwards

Oh How He Loves Us

AHHH! So.. we just got back from Youth Explosion with I.Y. and we had the most incredible time! It was definitely better than last year. So many lives were changed. Ah, can't exactly put it into words, but it was amazing. Anyway, I really need to go relax, I'll post some more later, but I just wanted to post the lyrics to this song we sang at camp, it talks about how much God loves us... Enjoy!

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

Pre-Chorus:
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so

Chorus 1:
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Verse 2:
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And the heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, 
When I think about, the way…

Chorus 2:
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.*

Isn't He wonderful? Go tell someone how much He loves them!

Heart-shattered.

I just read this beautiful scripture today, and I thought I would share it with you all:

"Going through the motions doesn't please God, a flawless performance is nothing to Him. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice." --Psalm 51:16 The Message

Are you living your life just going through the motions? Sometimes it's so easy to slip into "robot mode" and we forget what it's like to truly feel and love. We can become numb so easily when time after time we make commitments to God and continue to disappoint Him. So it's easier to shut down and start going through the motions than to actually face the music.

Or some of us have gotten to a place where we have grown and grown and grown so much in God that we think we have "arrived" and there is nothing left to learn... I'll admit, there was a time in my life where I clicked into "robot mode", I think we all do at one point or another. I guess when your life is so revolved around God and the Church, it can become so easy to slip out of the Spirit, and into the motions. God shook me out of it though, and I have made it a priority to keep His heartbeat parallel with mine.

All it really is is pride, just as the scripture says... "I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered." Has your pride been shattered? Think about it.

Quick Random Thought.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever been eating some Chinese food that was so incredibly delicious that you stopped and thought "This is so good... I don't even care if it's really chicken or not." 

Yeah, well, I just had that thought. This Chinese food I'm eating is so stinkin' good that if it's really cat... well darnit, I like cat. What?