Untitled.

I have no idea what this post is going to be about, so I decided not to title it.

Thursday was good.
At Irish dance we moved up to the Primary level (yay!), and moved at least a little bit ahead on the Candle Dance. But I also found out I have shin splints. Not fun.
Oasis was a Nooma night, basically meaning we watched a short video instead of Pastor W. talking. We had one more worship song than usual, but playing wasn't too bad, they plugged me into the system so I was a lot clearer, but it made it so I couldn't touch my volume (bad because right before then I had turned it off because it was a song I didn't know too well and needed more practice before I actually played it).
The Nooma was about kickballs. Sounds weird, I know. To sum it up, it was about how we want stuff that will just come back and hit us in the face. God knows that that will happen, and has something much better in store... maybe just right across the street.

Friday we had Church and then I came home and wrote for a while. My shin was killing me, so I iced it while I wrote, then wrapped it when we left for volleyball, which went well, I hit quite a few balls, not necessarily the best hits, but it wasn't bad. After snacks, Alicia, Hannah, Sarah, Daniel, Tom, and a bunch of others and I went outside in the back yard and played Sardines for a while before we left.

Today I went to Walk Thru The Old Testament at DECC. It was challenging, but a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. If you don't know what it is, basically you walk through the OT by learning different hand motions to remember everything. It's hard to remember everything, especially seeing as you learn it all in one day, but it was really good.

My Nanowrimo is going okay. I'm going to get to 30,000 tonight. After the first 25000, I decided I was far enough ahead just to do 2,000 a day rather than as much as I could.
Drawing is going well, I'm working on two heads right now, one is the Anakin one I've been working on since May (ouch), and the other is a newer one started Thursday of Johnny as d'Arque. So far, though, I only have his head and hair, no facial features or anything. I hope to finish it this week, it's more of a fun project than the Anakin one, which is (obviously) more long-term and harder.

And I'm finally getting around to putting my notes from our Pause conclusion up (I know, it's been a while, 'my bad...)

Pause Week Four
Text: Luke 4:1-13.

Final Questions:
Why is this relevant to me? Or, what has God been teaching me?
We all face temptation. Every moemnt of our life is a battle being fought between us and the world, God and the devil. There is only one way to overcome temptation: Jesus - the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6).
He is God, we are not God. We might think (we can be) (are) God, but we're not. Our first thought is always of ourselves. Let it be of God and of others. When God does something, it shouldn't be, "How dare He!," rather, "Your will, not ours, be done, Lord."

What does it do for us to see God the way He really is?
When we see God the way He really is, we see ourselves for who we truly are - selfish, sinful people. We are weak, small, tired... we are failures, we are wrong.
The world is home to death. Where temporary things live and where we'll always be wanting more. People who want more and more will be fearful in the end.
A world full of death is not tempting. See God as he truly is and we will see this... but also God's awesomeness. Nobody can encounter a truck and walk away unchanged. If they do, they're lying or they're crazy. How much bigger is God than a truck? We cannot see God's awesomeness and still want to be of the world.
We need a different focus.

How do we change?
God gives us truth. He shows us who He is in creation and by His word. Look at it and you go there. It's like driving a car, you look at the tree, you hit it. You look away from it, you don't hit it. What's our focus?
God takes care of our sin problem. Our sin shut a door, Christ blew it open.
God transforms us. (2 Corinthians 5:17) He gives us new hearts, so we will love what He loves and hate what He heats. Temptation then melts away and God makes us holy.
Holiness - fruit from a true child of God. What is growing from our lives? What can we do about it?

And that concludes Pause.

This week I won't be posting nearly as much, I don't know what I went through there.

'Night, y'all.
Ky

Your blood speaks a better word
Than all the empty claims I’ve heard upon this earth
Speaks righteousness for me
And stands in my defense
Jesus it’s Your blood

What can wash away our sins?
What can make us whole again?
Nothing but the blood
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can wash us pure as snow?
Welcomed as the friends of God
Nothing but Your blood
Nothing but Your blood King Jesus

Your cross testifies in grace
Tells of the Father’s heart to make a way for us
Now boldly we approach
Not by earthly confidence
It’s only Your blood

- Nothing but the Blood ~ Matt Redman