Living Above the Sun Ministries

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him." -Psalm 40 I started writing songs and music when I was 14. I believe it is a gift. I started out writing goofy songs, then God moved my heart and I began to write music for Him and the things I had experienced in life. Writing music has been a theraputic thing for me in understanding heart ache. I'm glad God inspires it because other words without Him in my music it would be whiney and depressing...like a country song. Jesus is everything in my music he gives it all to me. I'm very thankful for this gift. Many of you have probably wanted to write a song but were not sure where to begin, or what song structure looks like. Recently, in my communicati

In my one of my favorite theatre productions, "My Fair Lady," Eliza Doolittle is trying to learn how to be a proper lady. Her teacher, Henry Higgins, is teaching her how to speak like a lady, dress like a lady, carry herself, and dress like a lady. The speaking part is a little tricky...."the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain" is what Eliza has to learn to say properly. Many times Eliza felt like giving up, she didn't see the potential in herself that Professor Higgins saw; because the eminent linguistics professor, treated her like a lady, she began living up to his expectations. I have come to realize that sometimes my managers at work are hard on me sometimes because I make excuses for why I may slack off and not live up the the fullest potential they see in me. We don't realize our own potential that's why others have to bring it out of us. We all need potential and word's of life spoken into our lives. I was telling someone earlier t

I think Oedipus has become a favorite of mine. I call him, "Oh-Edipus," but really the O is silent. Haha, one of the funny things about being homeschooled through high school was when I came across words I didn't know how to pronounce I just sounded them out and did the best I could. It's kinda pitiful...I guess that's why I've loved college so much, I have a teacher in the room. I first learned of Oedipus and watched the play in my Theatre Appreciation class last semester. I loved that class, and my professor...awesomeness. Anyway, I'm sure you're tired of me talking about Theatre Appreciation class all the time, it was very life changing for me and in the way I percived life, which for me is HUGE! Some of the themes in Oedipus are, the limits of free will, and willingness to ignore the truth. Oedipus is considered to be a tragedy play. Typically the protagonist of a tragedy commits some terrible crime without realizing how foolish and arrogan

One of things that we notice most about Jesus' ministry here on Earth is that He met people where they were. He did not expect people to come to Him for help, they didn't know they needed Him. Jesus came to their level and met them in where they were. This morning, I trained for my new Volunteer job at Elevation as a Greeter. In the time's I have visited Elevation, the whole experience has been incredible from the parking lot to the service. One of the things they tell us is you are preaching a sermon in the parking lot, people start to form their opinions from the moment they pull in the parking lot. It has meant so much in the times that people have come to greet me where I was and say it's so good to see you today, I'm glad you came to church! We as greeters are encouraged to speak words of blessing over people. We all need words of life spoken over us, our weeks are filled with enough people putting us down and slandering us. The last place people need

Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters a poem by Portia Nelson, published in her book There's a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery Chapter I I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk I fall in. I am lost ... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter II I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in the same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter III I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in ... it's a habit ... but, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter IV I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter V I walk down another street. The guest pastor at my church, Elevation, used this poem as a sermon illustration.

"If grace is an ocean we're all sinking" The story is found in John 4, the story of the woman at the well. There are many things we can learn from this story, and many different perspectives can be seen. However, there is one central and key lesson, and that is Jesus is our living water. We are all that woman at the well because we are all in need of grace, love, and forgiveness, and that is exactly what the living water represents. Jesus crossed all barriers to get to this woman, and that is what He does with you and I. This woman was a Samaritan! Jews did not talk to Samaritans...but Jesus did. At the same time we have to realize that in order to receive that living water our sins have to be exposed. Later on in the chapter, Jesus calls her out on what she had done. He didn't condemn her, but He said I know all these things about you but drink of me and my living water and you'll never thirst again! The story is told of a boy who grew up in an impoveris