Light in this broken land.

As I texted Danny today a message of, "I think God is working in my heart, because I am sincerely beginning to enjoy United Live." Haha. Truth be known, Carla has never really been apart of the United team. In fact, many a conversations I have lent my anti-United vibe numerous times; whether asked for or not. To say that I was brainwashed is a pretty heavy term, but I definitely wasn't listening or reading the lyrics that this band was writing. In my eyes, they were overplayed; overwritten; overselling-new-CDs; etc. I grew up listening to Hillsong (good ol' Everyday, it's you I live for) Ring a bell? The infamous, "Jesus, you are my bestfriend..." the list goes on and on. This has nothing to do with this blog that I am setting out to write. I simply am in a slight state of awe. I still pay my respects to IHOP, Misty Edwards, Jason Upton, etc. In fact, most of us do without realizing it. John Mark McMillan, etc. Jesus Culture has basically taken many of their songs, and kicked them into high gear. A little bit of me gets angry when people love to sing "Where You Go, I'll Go" when Brian and Jenn Johnson were the first ones to write/sing it, etc. But! I believe Five Iron Frenzy said once, "being popular is lame... but you're the one who made them popular; all their songs are still the same." Ultimately, the underground worshippers do make that worship popular - it's bound to get out. Then again, "popular worship" is such a touchy title. What constitutes as popular when the ears that receive this worship really could care less, and I'm sure if asked, probably would rather us not title worship as 'popular' and 'unpopular.'

Anyway. A little debriefing. What has been on my heart, as of lately, is this idea of overcoming. I can't remember for the life of me where I saw this recently (it was somewhere on TV) but the commercial had some sort of line, "overcome ____ in days!" When I heard this, immediately I began to realize that humanity at large, is really just looking for ways to overcome stuff. Everything. Overcome your weight; overcome your 'winter blues,' overcome your marriage; overcome this, overcome that. When in reality, believers know this (and the opposite have yet to find out) that every single thing that we would strive to overcome, has been overcome. He overcame this all.

Victory is found in His hands. Victory is the Lord's. Often referred to as our victorious warrior - he fights for us. There are things in my life that in my own strength, are impossible to put down. Impossible. Especially when they become a thing of the will. When I try with "all my will power" to put something down, the will becomes the driving force and the thing that which I lean on. My will power can and will not save me nor my problems. But this is the trend we like to follow.

We were practicing "Overcome" in practice tonight, and just hearing the words over and over again. "Savior, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is your name - for you overcame." For you overcame. It's done. OVERCAME. past tense. If I did a greek study on where this word is used in Revelation, I'm sure it'd be sick. I'm way tired to do that now though.

I don't know. I just began to think about this a lot. We are always in a constant state of trying to overcome stuff in our lives, when it has already been overcome. I do understand that it is easier said than done, but faith is challenging. Faith can be slightly offensive. His love offends... we think we love someone, and He says, "yeah? I love them more."

Where our lives meet, it is messy and crazy, yet peaceful as a river.