until only love remains

for the first time in a long time, i've had a song that seemed to scream out the desires of my heart. if you don't connect to music the way that i do, you probably have no idea what i'm talking about. i'll try to describe it for you, though i don't know if you'll get it...
it's a strong sense of connection with the words in the song... like you feel exactly what is being sung. you feel the strings of your heart being pulled, drawing you closer and closer to the artist's words. it kind of makes you want to cry. you can't help but belt out the words, because you feel it deep in your soul.
this song for me right now is "only love remains" by jj heller

scenes of you come rushing through, you are breaking me down
so break me into pieces that will grow in the ground
i know that i deserve to die for the murder in my heart
so be gentle with me, Jesus, as you tear me apart

please, kill the liar, kill the thief in me
you know that i am tired of their cruelty
breathe into my spirit, breathe into my veins
until only love remains

you burn away the ropes that bind and hold me to the earth
the fire only leaves behind whatever is of worth
i begin to see reality for the first time in my life
i know that i'm a shadow but i'm dancing in your light

teach me to be humble, call me from the grave
show me how to walk with you upon the waves
and breathe into my spirit, breathe into my veins
until only love remains

teach me to be humble, call me from the grave
show me how to walk with you upon the waves
and breathe into my spirit, breathe into my veins
until only love remains...

if you haven't heard the song before, you should check it out.

mosaic

1. ...LEONARDO'S SMILING ROSE TO MONA LISA..., 2. Sushi, 3. frog invasion, 4. Cookie splash! v6, 5. "Walking on the ocean" Los Roques Venezuela National Park Los Roques Los Roques archipelago Venezuela Snorkeling Scuba Diving Travel/ Reisen/Voyager/Viaggiare/Viajar South America America del Sur Atoll Aquatic Caribbean Sea, 6. Cd Art (700+ faves) :-), 7. Feed the hungry, 8. good friday, 9. Sassy

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search (http://www.flickr.com/)
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s Mosaic Maker (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php)
d. Save the image and post it on a note!

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What is your favorite color?
4. Favorite drink?
5. Dream vacation?
6. Favorite Hobby?
7. What you want to be/do when you grow up?
8. What do you love most in life?
9. One word to describe you?

i stole this from jbrtva :)

to feel alive

Why is it that living in a foreign country, working hard, spending time with orphans, sweating, with no internet and wearing nothing more than t-shirts and shorts is more appealing than the comforts of middle-class suburban living?

Is it that I'm jaded by an overload of wealth that most of the world doesn't get to experience?

Or is it that I've been numbed for so long that the rawness of that type of environment is like a slap in the face?

Or maybe I've been so numbed by comfort that once I'm finally removed from it, I can feel alive?

Or maybe my heart was just made differently?
Maybe my heart was made to break for things that most people try to not think about?
Maybe I was made with a boldness to put myself out there and that is willing to let myself be affected by injustice?
Maybe I've been touched by LOVE in a way that only makes me want to reach out and pour out more than I ever thought possible?
Maybe that's why being there makes me feel alive...

and we need people who feel alive. People who are caught up in the latest trends and lost in the flow of busy everyday life don't change the world.
Sure, showing love to one orphan doesn't change the world... but it can change theirs. Their life being changed causes them to want to change the lives of others and the snowball effect happens. So many other lives are changed because of the one. THAT changes the world.

Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

Give me your eyes so I can see...

This is the view of the mountains from the Back2Back campus we stayed at in Monterrey. There's an equally beautiful set of them behind where I was standing as well. After a week of hard work and playing with kids, I am feeling exhausted and hungering for more. I felt more purpose in my life that week than I have in a long time. I'm still processing through a lot of things, and I am no where close to knowing what this experience means for me, but I know for sure that I will never be the same.

Jamas seré igual.