One More Time

Alright, alright, I know i've posted a lot about Mosaic but I just have one more thing to share. I went on their website tonight to see if they have live streaming because they are having kind of a special service tomorrow and I found out they have all the messages posted on iTunes. I went on the page to check it out, and ended up watching the message from last week. It was from a different service than I went to because there were some different things, but it was just as good the second time around. I know everyone is busy and especially around the holidays....and who wants to spend the little free time they have watching a message from a church service, haha....but, if you do feel so inclined or you miss a church service of your own, I would encourage you to check out what is going on at Mosaic. I'll include the link which then redirects you to iTunes and you can download their podcasts for free...I even added it to my iPhone so if you don't have time now to watch it, it can be there for another time. Anyway, didn't want to make another huge update, but thought I would just share my new discovery if anyone might be interested. Hope anyone that reads this enjoying the season and has a great Christmas. ...and if not, then I believe the service 2 weeks ago had the 'no more gloom!' theme if you would want to check that out as well, haha ;) Thanks for putting up with me.

Here is the link to the podcast:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mosaic-video-podcast/id142417894

"The only way to relate to me is in coolness, and you don't have that"

So I have been meaning to write this post for some time now, just have either been too busy or too lazy. In all honesty, I am finally writing it right now because I know if I don't do it know, who knows when I will, because I could probably handle going to sleep right now....it is, after all, already 12:15 at night after a long but oh so fun day, but anyway, I digress, none of this has to do with anything! (ADD) So, Mosaic.

Mosaic is the name of the Church I have been going to whenever I can since i've moved to LA and was recommended to check it out. I could talk about my first couple experiences and blah blah blah, but it just boils down to, I love it. I find myself looking forward to going on Sunday mornings and never leaving without a feeling of contentment and joy. This holiday season Hank (one of the pastors whom I have come to really enjoy) has been preaching a series entitled Home for Christmas. A couple weeks ago he talked about building our house. Having us tell the people we sit around the name of our house...so for example I was Amy, house of Ergle. We live our lives making a name for ourselves and we sometimes forget that the choices we make show who we are and effect the household and family we are in or are trying to make (make good choices!). Last week Hank talked about finding peace, using Christ as a steady center and cornerstone to bring us peace. The theme for last week was 'no more gloom'. He made us repeat that aloud a few times and then spread that energy to anyone we encountered. There was to be "no more gloom!" because this was going to be the best christmas ever. The 'best Christmas ever' theme has kind of been carried along the whole time, including today. We went through and talked about all of the names Jesus was described as when He was first mentioned back in Isaiah...9 to be exact. The first word to ever describe Jesus was wonderful. He is wonderful. A counselor (our strategist), mighty God (worrier God, not a force that can knock him over), everlasting Father (protecting us and giving us everlasting souls and life), Prince of peace (brings peace inside of us, inside our soul), and He is not going anywhere. He also mentioned the zeal that He has for us...maybe even greater than love, a kind of passion that is unstoppable, a thing that when decided upon will get accomplished. Hearing all of these things today only solidifies the love He has for us and the trust I can completely put in Him. Hearing not only these little lessons but about how Christmas actually started and how the attitudes and actions of Christians really effect the view from the rest of the country's and world's point of view. I will stop myself before I go onto a tangent, but even as I wrote my last blog update about music (at mosaic), I have also come to look forward to the message just as much. ....although since I brought it up, Mosaic sure does know how to do Christmas music! I've never actually really loved the whole come to the service during Christmas time and sing nothing but Silent Night, etc. but by golly Mosaic has done it. I don't know if it is just this point in my life where I am finally appreciating some of these songs more by paying a little more attention, but I am getting into these Christmas songs! And last week the closing song was little drummer boy. They had a guy up on the stage drumming away on a drum, like from a drum line, and then all of the sudden the doors swing wide open behind me and a dang drum line comes marching in all drumming away! It was awesome. And the week before where they had this awesome string section set up on stage that played a BEAUTIFUL instrumental piece. Which brings me to today when I walked in and saw a choir in the choir robes on the side of the stage....lead by....who only, (hopefully not to sound offensive here) a black guy and girl. And it. was. awesome. After a couple songs Hank came up to let the choir and the lead singers know they were bringing the heat, but us as the congregation....not so much. He then went on to say that sometimes you can go to church...and then you can go to CHURCH (you know what i'm talking about) He encouraged us all to sway, even dance, if you will (...but only within the walls of our church, because we were, after all, white folk) So he made the 2 main singers lead us in a sway as we got back to bringin the house dzown. I could go on and on about the little things like that that happen every sunday that just bring a smile to my face. The way we all, as a congregation chant "No more gloom!" or tell the people next to us it is going to be the 'best christmas ever!' or I 'represent the house of Ergle'. The title of this post is an actual quote from Hank, which he thought as his 17 year old self in relation to his parents' He keeps the conversation honest and real....and funny. He makes us, as a group of believes, realize we need to be accountable for the view the rest of the world see's of us. And not that we are here to BE God or judge or use Him as the pedestal piece of an argument or political party, but to be the little piece of relief someone might need in their day, a group that has accepted the peace and love of God and is sharing it with the rest of the world. I know this has been long and there I things I could have left out but there has been even more that I already have, and I wanted to share this beautiful place with you all...if only just a little bit of the things that I have learned and observed from the little while I have been attending. I feel if more churches and people were like mosaic, we might have a better wrap as Christians, I don't know. But I do know that place is filled with love and joy and compassion and gratitude and I can't get enough.

Late Night Ramblings

Well, enough time has passed yet again to make another update….also, I have been without cable and the internet the past 2 days at the house and as it turns out, my computer is pretty useless to me without the internet so, figured I could give it a little love by at least typing up some sort of update. I really have no idea what to say given the fact that anyone that is going to read this already knows what I have been up to since the last update. (filming Daniel, going to Thailand and going home for Thanksgiving, all very fun and great experiences) I could go on about what I’ll be doing the rest of the year and/or looking back on the awesome second half of this year but, I already do that too much. I thought maybe tonight I could share with you something I read tonight. It is from the Jesus Calling devotional, which starts out: 

“I LOVE YOU with an everlasting Love, which flows out from the depths of eternity. Before you were born, I knew you. Ponder the awesome mystery of a Love that encompasses you from before birth to beyond the grave.”  

I love that. So often I go through living my life, not really thinking about God yet all the while still knowing and appreciating what he does for me. I know different people have different times and do different things that make them feel closest to God, but when I read and hear stuff like that, those are some of the times I feel closest to Him. I know I should spend time with him everyday, do I? No. I know I should read my bible everyday (or even often) do I? No. I know I should pray more than I do and be more charitable. And does knowing that I am failing in all of these areas make me feel bad? Well, yea. But that just blows my mind even more when I read things like that excerpt above. We (I) don’t do what we(I) are supposed to. We(I) are idiots. We (I) let God down. But in spite of all of that. In spite of our sin, in spite of us not talking to him, in spite of not pursuing a deeper relationship with Him, he still loves us with an everlasting love. A love that no matter what we do, He is always there for us. I wouldn’t say I’ve had a terrible life at all, but I have had a few bumps in the road and in those times, no matter how distant I thought I might have made myself from God, I could always feel him right there with me. No matter how lonely I got, there was always one consistent being with me the whole time shouting I LOVE YOU. There is nothing in the world more comforting to me than feeling those words. Yea, people can throw those 3 words around, and I have heard it said to me and questioned what exactly that meant. But when I sing it. When I read it. It takes over my being and gives me the contentness (not a word, but it is now) that can not be matched in this world. I know I could do my part more, and what I’m just about to say is partially up to me, but I really hope everyone in the world can get that chance, that feeling. The feeling of knowing how much they are loved, and no matter what ANYONE else says and no matter what they do or if they even believe it or not, that love will never go away. I’m sure I know it is a selfish thing of me crave, but I enjoy those moments during the Sunday morning worship service the most. When I can hear songs of His love and proclaim right back at him that He will always be the one I will run to, and despite my actions, the one I love.