Ok so I’m switching over to tumblr to start a new blog. I’ve loved writing here on wordpress and I’m not shutting it down so if you want to see old posts you still can. You can find the new blog at leenewton.tumblr.com. So once again, thanks for reading the things that fall out of my brain, I hope they impact you in some way.
I know it’s late and I haven’t posted anything for a while but here it is, happy new year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and new year. I had the privilege of going to Passion 2011 this year and all I can say is wow. I’m not going to write a lot but I am going to say one thing, I was challenged in a huge way to carry the name of Jesus into the world. There are lots of opportunities for us to share the gospel every day and I turn down a lot of them. I’ve been challenged and it’s up to me to respond for the name of Jesus. Our God is good and He has a plan for all of us, and that plan is to share the gospel with the world no matter what the cost. Think about this and let God speak to you about what He would have you do.
I just found out about a project that’s helping people in a totally new way, and it totally fits the Christmas season. Help Portrait was started by celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart and is a way that photographers everywhere can use their skills to give back to the community and reach out to those in need. The idea is simple…
I think it’s a super creative way to share love with others this Christmas season.
“Poverty steals a lot of things, like your home and car and food, but it also steals something on the inside. Help-Portrait feeds that something on the inside.” - Annie Downs, Help-Portrait Events Coordinator
You can find out more, donate, or purchase a shirt or hoodie to support the cause here. Or you can head on over to noisetrade and download a free mp3 from some talented people in support of Help Portrait.
Sometimes we stumble or just flat out fall on our faces, and we feel like we will never get back up. We mope around and act like nothing can redeem us from the mess we’ve got ourselves into. But we need to remember that our God is greater than anything that we will ever face or do. He loves us and is waiting with open arms when we decide to get up and turn back to Him. There are 2 songs that stick out in my mind when I think about this, the first is Our God by Chris Tomlin and the other is Like Incense/Sometimes by Step by Hillsong. The lyrics in both of these songs are very powerful and are a great reminder that no matter what befalls us, our God is there for us.
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God You are higher than any other, our God is healer, awesome in power, our God. And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us, and if our God is with us, then what could stand against! – Chris Tomlin
Oh God You are my God and I will ever praise You! – Hillsong
Maybe I was writing this just for me, who knows. But hopefully this spoke to somebody.
Merry Christmas!
Like the title says… Have you got your tickets yet? Passion 2011 is coming up fast and I am super excited. If you can go and you aren’t, you should get your tickets now! You will never be the same. So come on, join thousands of other college students in lifting up the name of Jesus!
I just found a great site for setting up a portfolio, it’s called carbonmade. You can go on, set up an account and create an online portfolio for yourself, all for free! There is a paid version which comes with obvious upgrades such as more space and so on, but for free the basic version is an incredible tool for anyone. I just set mine up today, go ahead, check it out and then set up your own!
I was reading the other day and was drawn to James 1, it hit me hard but is something I definitely needed to hear. I’ve been struggling with a few things lately and it seems that I’m not drawing closer to God and to see it and realize it is not fun. I’m thankful though that I have a God that will show me when I’m doing the wrong things and lead me closer to Him.
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. // James 1:19-25
Grace is here now and forevermore. It’s constantly pouring out of the hands of our God and I am thankful for that.
I was reading Matthew 21 this morning and the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree really got me. It’s an amazing, yet simple example of the power of God. I don’t understand why He cursed the tree instead of giving it fruit but that’s not the point of the story. What gets me is that there’s no room for doubt in this story, especially for anyone that saw this happen. Think about it, Jesus’ other miracles of healing can be doubted by many. They can say “they weren’t really crippled, or blind, or deaf, or lame…” People can see it as a fraud, although we know it wasn’t because God still does these things today. The fig tree is different though. They heard Jesus speak and at that instant, they watched the tree completely wither up.
In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” // Matthew 21:18-22
This is a great reminder of God’s power and His love for us. Jesus tells us to pray for anything, and with faith we will receive it. God loves us and He loves to show us that.
I hope that you guys have a great day in the Lord.
