Complacency.

I was reading in my Bible; reading in First Chronicles,
but since it was so late, and all those "this man had this son, and they lived for this long, and then his grandchildren were him and him and him . . .", so I sort of was paging through the Bible.
(i know, I shouldn't really do that.)
 And I saw this:

"And it shall pass at that time that I will search

                                Jerusalem with lamps,
              And punish the men who are settled in complacency, 
                               Who say in their hearts,  
         
                'The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.' "


                               - Zephaniah 1:12

Complacency: 1: Self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by actual dangers or deficiencies.
That's me.
I am the one 'settled in complacency', saying exactly that.

I can talk big and act big, but am I really on Fire for my Savior?
do I really Try to honor Him, in All that I do? in All that I say? in All that I think?
do I truly Trust Him? with All that I am, have, and enjoy?

(and no, I do not normally read in Zephaniah. I barely knew it was a book in the Bible.)

- C.Celise.B.

Feeling the Love.

I'm feeling quite loved, with all these birthday gifts and letters and notes and songs.

A day filled with shopping and laughing and singing and . . .

all sorts of happy things.

After turning 16, 

I am a new person.

that was a joke.

16 is . . .

weird. 

and exciting.

and scary.

Here is my theme song for my Sixteenth year,

I hope You See Jesus / / by Bebo Norman.

(bebo norman. it looks cooler without uppercase letters.)

(yes, i did sing this at my bat mitzvah.)

Lyrics: Instead of fear, instead of blinded eyes Instead of shame, instead of all my lies Instead of an orphan without a name I hope you see Jesus Instead of anger, instead of unbelief Instead of weakness in the heart of me Instead of a wounded soul that sometimes loses faith I hope you see Jesus Instead of voices in a faceless crowd Instead of prophets crying out from behind a shroud Instead of fingers pointing out the blame I hope you see Jesus Oh my God, when you look on us A broken people who have turned from love Instead of the words we throw and the wars we wage I hope you forgive us I hope you see Jesus I hope you see Jesus I hope you see Jesus Standing in our place Bearing all our shame I hope you see Jesus

     I hope you see Love.
   
    (pray for me?)

      - Me.