Psalm 100:1-5 ----

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

² Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Hey, what's shakin'? Well, I find it perfectly timed, of course, that this is the last night of the segment "30 days of Silence", as it was the opening night for "Grease!" Anyway, let's get into this silence! :)

Imagine you are in a great cathedral. Consider how incredibly beautiful it is. Massive ceilings, architecture, stained glassed windows. This is an incredible place, full of depth and mystery.

Now imagine you're still seated in the same sanctuary, this time not in the pews but in the choir loft at the very front of the church, and sitting there in the pews in front of you is God himself. In this worship service you have an audience of One! Your order of worship is Psalm 100. Pause, pray, write, reflect, and listen as you meet with God in this special place. "

¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth."

Begin with this thought today as you worship God in this "choir loft", or wherever you are right now... You are joining a chorus of brothers and sisters in Christ all over the globe! A choir of all ages and ethnic groups. A chorus including not only human voices, but all creation really. How crazy is it to think you're a part of such a vast creation chorus?

² Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Why don't you, right now, sing your favourite worship song? Write one! If you don't like singing, pray, or dance... worship. :)

Know that the LORD is God.

Take time not to meditate on one aspect of God's character you've come to appreciate over the past 30 days, or over the past year. Faithfulness? Power? Grace? Mercy? Wisdom? Worship for what you know of Him.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

We worship God because we belong to God. We are His. Ponder that for a few minutes as you consider what it means for you to be His. What does it mean for your life at home, at school, with friends, at church, on the street? What does it mean for you to be "the sheep of his pasture"?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

There was only one reason for sheep to be brought into the temple courts; to be offered as sacrifices to God. As you look out from your choir loft today and into the face of God, does it feel like He is worthy of your sacrifice? What might your sacrifice look like? Is it an attitude, a habit, a relationship, a possession? Imagine yourself stepping down from your loft and taking that offering to the feet of God.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Close your time of worship with prayer. Focus particularly on the words, "His faithfulness continues."

This may be the end of your quiet time, but it's not the end of your time with god. Watch for Him in the hours ahead. Look for Him in random moments. Search for Him in the faces you pass. Listen for Him in the sounds you hear.

There is no place you will be today, tomorrow, or forever that is not His sanctuary.

Well, these thirty days have been fun, and I cannot wait to talk to you tomorrow.

You know I love you.

-Colton

Day 29 - Enjoy the Silence

Matthew 15:22-28 -----

^21-22From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, "Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit."

²³Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, "Now she's bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She's driving us crazy."

²⁴Jesus refused, telling them, "I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel."

²⁵Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. "Master, help me."

²⁶He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs."

²⁷She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table."

²⁸Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well.

Bonjourno! So read this passage, anything stand out? Haha, how about the line, "Jesus ignored her." I read that and was like, "WHAAA? Jesus did what?" Then I thought about it, sometimes I am in situations like that. Jesus isn't being rude, i think he is teaching us through the silence.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever experienced the depth of silence? Has there ever been a time in your life where you brought something to God, in prayer, and you felt like there was no reply, there was simply nothing, just silence?

Think about such a time. As you recall it, how are you feeling? Angry? Sad? Insignificant? Forgotten? Do you feel sorry for yourself? What is your sense of God in that place of silence?

Journal.....

How does God's silence affect your prayerful requests to him? Do you just turn your back and choose not to ask again? Do you feel rejected, unheard, unwanted, unloved, betrayed? Maybe you feel like it's better to walk away from the whole thing. After all, surrender doesn't hurt as much as outright rejection. Before you answer, look at what the woman in the story did. She didn't walk away, she didn't surrender to despair and cynicism. Instead she kept crying out after Jesus and his disciples.

Go back and read verse 24. You see, Jesus did answer the woman, and His first words may have been more painful and harsh then the silence itself. He didn't heal her daughter immediately as she hoped He would. It must have felt to her as though his answer ignored her questions, not to mention the pain she felt. What I love, is that the woman was persistent... and not because of who she was, but because of who He was. She dropped to her knees, in faith, and said, "Help me!"

Then Jesus spoke again, this time, after the silence, it was with volume echoing all the way back to the sickbed of a little girl in a distant village... "²⁸Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well."

We might not always understand those times when it feels as though God is silent, but consider this possibility: In those moments when there is no word, perhaps God is reminding us that, even more than He wants to meet our needs, He wants to understand our own need to meet Him, to fall before Him, and to trust Him.

Don't hide from the silence of God. Sit with it, ponder it, challenge it, and question it. Soon enough the silence will turn into an answer. Whatever you do, don't give up and mistake the silence for lack of compassion or lack of hearing.

Journal what you're thinking.

-Colton

Day 28 - Enjoy the Silence

John 13:5-11 (The Message)

^3-6Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"

⁷Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."

⁸Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"

Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."

⁹"Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"

^10-12Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

YO YO YO! Well, my friends we are at day 28. Two days to go, so, smile, and check out the above passage for tonight. Read it slowly and thoughtfully. Jesus is washing the disciples' feet. We know that he spoke to Peter, and we know what He said. However, we don't know what or if he spoke to the other disciples.... HMM.

Imagine we're in that upper room. Jesus is coming to wash you're feet. What does he say to you? How do you respond? Can you feel his rough carpenter hands holding your feet? How do you feel about the King of Kings washing your feet? Can you feel the water on your tired dusty feet? Think about the places you've walked and what you might be carrying from your journey. The symbolism here is deep. Some people are freaked out by feet, but it's so much more then feet! It's life, a soul. Jesus was asking to wash and purify lives here. Incredible, that this King would humble self. How do you feel about that? Peter seemed to blurt out the answer, "You shall never wash my feet." What words come to your mind as you look into the face of God?

Journal your thoughts about what you think would take place.

"Prayer is the laying aside of thoughts. "

-Colton

Day 27 - Enjoy the Silence

Psalm 34:1-18 ------

¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;

his praise will always be on my lips.

² My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

³ Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints,

for those who fear him lack nothing.

¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹² Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

¹³ keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous

and his ears are attentive to their cry;

¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;

he delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Okay, this is cool.

Take a piece of paper, crumple it up, crush it, yah know what... step on it! Then look at what remains. Ever had a day, or week, or maybe even season, when that seemed to be your spirit... broken, misshapen, crushed and creased? Do you feel like that now? Who or what crushes you? Stress? Pressure, tension, change, guilt?

Look at the crushed piece of paper, and think about your own spirit. Maybe you feel frustration, disgust, sadness, rebellion, or emptiness. Whatever it is you feel, allow yourself to feel it fully. Don't hide your emotions. Be honest. Maybe you feel great today, happy! Or maybe your heart is heavy. Worse yet, maybe you've been too busy to let yourself feel anything. Or maybe, you've felt as a Christian, you don't have the right to feel certain things. But, for right now, know that in God's presence you have the freedom to feel anything, whether you feel peaceful, or crushed.

Journal, and write down, HONESTLY, EXACTLY, how you feel today.

David wrote Psalms 34 in a time of dark despair when he was facing grave danger and constant trouble. Even though David was fearful and fragile, he was able to cling to one certainty... "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted."

I know it's long, but read that verses above a few times, let verses 18 really sink in.

Find your trashed piece of paper and spread it out again. Write on it the five key words in this passage - words that offer help and encouragement to us when we are brokenhearted:

-Taste verse 8

-Fear verse 9

-Come verse 11

-Keep verse 13

-Turn verse 14

Keep the paper, let it remind you of the truth in this Psalm.

-Colton

Day 26 - Enjoy the Silence

Luke 19:1-10 -------

¹Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

⁹Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Hey you guys. What's shaking? Okay, so read this and imagine you are the guy in the tree, and you can see Jesus coming.

You wanted to see Him for a long time, but what are you feeling as He approaches? You hiding? If so, from who? And why? In what ways do you feel your life is "out on a limb"? What are some feelings that make you want to stay in that tree?

No doubt, that part of what made Zacchaeus, let's call him "Zac", reluctant to climb down were the faces of the townspeople who looked up at him. Think there is an any people who's faces keep you up in your tree? Who? WHy do they intimidate you from coming down? What thoughts, fears, etc, do you think "Zac" had to lay aside in order to have this encounter with this man named Jesus? What might those thoughts and fears be in your life?

Consider the before "Zac" who was waiting in the tree to see Jesus, and the after "Zac" who actually encountered Jesus. What difference did meeting Jesus making in Zac's life? What difference has meeting Jesus made in your life? What areas of you life are Jesus asking you to make right? How can you begin to do that?

Jot down some thoughts folks.

-Colton

Day 25 - Enjoy the Silence

Jeremiah 20:7-13 -----

⁷ O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived;

you overpowered me and prevailed.

I am ridiculed all day long;

everyone mocks me.

⁸ Whenever I speak, I cry out

proclaiming violence and destruction.

So the word of the LORD has brought me

insult and reproach all day long.

⁹ But if I say, "I will not mention him

or speak any more in his name,"

his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in;

indeed, I cannot.

¹⁰ I hear many whispering,

"Terror on every side!

Report him! Let's report him!"

All my friends

are waiting for me to slip, saying,

"Perhaps he will be deceived;

then we will prevail over him

and take our revenge on him."

¹¹ But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior;

so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;

their dishonor will never be forgotten.

¹² O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous

and probe the heart and mind,

let me see your vengeance upon them,

for to you I have committed my cause.

¹³ Sing to the LORD!

Give praise to the LORD!

He rescues the life of the needy

from the hands of the wicked.

Hey my friends.

Well, when I first read this a couple time, I really didn't have a clue what to think. I was kind of intimidated by the aggression. However, I kept reading in this book, and I am becoming more and more of a fan of these verse's every time I read.

First, read the passage three times. Then sit quietly, think about the opening line. "You deceived me, I was deceived. You overpowered me." In another version it says "You seduced me, and I was seduced." My mind was like, "WHAAAA?"

It's one of those verses you have to read a few times. After all it's not a usual thing that you hear Thou and seduced in the same sentence. However, seduced is realistically, probably what Jeremiah is feeling. It's like he is saying, "I was deceived, I was seduced. I didn't bargain for all of this when I responded to the call of God." However, the more he experienced the intensity of God's love, the more he was captivated by it.

Jeremiah is saying that the passionate love comes with a cost. Consider some of the following comments....

"I've become a laughingstock."

"Everyone mocks me."

"People think I'm some kind of weird religious freak."

People want to know, why I don't agree with sex, drugs, and alcohol."

Be honest, you aren't going to Hell for answering this, have you ever, as a Christian, felt like.. "Oh my God, what have I gotten my self into?"

STOP. Ponder that question. Allow God to meet you in the midst of your feelings, even if they are feelings of deception and betrayal. Be honest.

Imagine God holding those feelings in His hand, imagine yourself holding in your heart the intensity of his love. "Fire shut up in my bones."

Journal what you're feeling.

In spite of his frustration with God, Jeremiah writes that the lord is with him like a mighty warrior. The great news is that God is with you, in the midst of craziness. He won't take you where He won't go. You will never be alone. This isn't a God who "loves 'em and leaves 'em."

God is there with you all the time.

God is there with you.

God is there.

God is.

Think about it, "The Lord is with me like a mighty warrior."

Close your eyes.

-Colton

Day 24 - Enjoy the Silence

Psalm 40:1-17 ------

^1-3 I waited and waited and waited for God. At last he looked; finally he listened.

He lifted me out of the ditch,

pulled me from deep mud.

He stood me up on a solid rock

to make sure I wouldn't slip.

He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,

a praise-song to our God.

More and more people are seeing this:

they enter the mystery,

abandoning themselves to God.

^4-5 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God,

turn your backs on the world's "sure thing,"

ignore what the world worships;

The world's a huge stockpile

of God-wonders and God-thoughts.

Nothing and no one

comes close to you!

I start talking about you, telling what I know,

and quickly run out of words.

Neither numbers nor words

account for you.

⁶ Doing something for you, bringing something to you—

that's not what you're after.

Being religious, acting pious—

that's not what you're asking for.

You've opened my ears

so I can listen.

^7-8 So I answered, "I'm coming.

I read in your letter what you wrote about me,

And I'm coming to the party

you're throwing for me."

That's when God's Word entered my life,

became part of my very being.

^9-10 I've preached you to the whole congregation,

I've kept back nothing, God—you know that.

I didn't keep the news of your ways

a secret, didn't keep it to myself.

I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.

I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth

For myself alone. I told it all,

let the congregation know the whole story.

^11-12 Now God, don't hold out on me,

don't hold back your passion.

Your love and truth

are all that keeps me together.

When troubles ganged up on me,

a mob of sins past counting,

I was so swamped by guilt

I couldn't see my way clear.

More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,

so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

^13-15 Soften up, God, and intervene;

hurry and get me some help,

So those who are trying to kidnap my soul

will be embarrassed and lose face,

So anyone who gets a kick out of making me miserable

will be heckled and disgraced,

So those who pray for my ruin

will be booed and jeered without mercy.

^16-17 But all who are hunting for you—

oh, let them sing and be happy.

Let those who know what you're all about

tell the world you're great and not quitting.

And me? I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing:

make something of me.

You can do it; you've got what it takes—

but God, don't put it off.

Hey Readers! Well I know that is a lot of verses, but check it out, there is a lot of wealth in there.

So, let's meditate on this massive piece of word. First, think of five words or phrases that would describe your life. Journal them. Now, are there any words or phrases from this Psalm that you can use to describe your life? Jot them down.

In this particular Psalm the most vivid image that David uses to describe his life is a deep dark empty place, with no easy way out. Ever feel like that, like you're trapped in a big dark place? What is it in your life that makes it feel so terrible? A particular event? A relationship? A habit? Picture the pit that you might be in, in your mind... the depth, how much effort it takes to get out, etc. Now put Jesus into the picture. Picture him with arms wide open. Not outside the pit calling you to Him, but right in there with you. He is willing to go to the darkest places to save you.

Can you hear Him say, "And surely I am with you always, even to the end of age."? Can you hear Him tell you that He wants to lift you out of the pit? Think about that, He's not commanding you to get out of there on your own, He's asking you to let Him lift you out!

Pray over these questions, and as you do, try to write out your own Psalm. Don't worry about making it sound like the ones in the bible. Make it sound like you. From you to God. A prayer.

Picture a very dark depth, made ten thousand times brighter by the light of life.

-Colton.

Prom Night - After

Hi Folks!

Well I am glad to report that I had a wonderful time last night.

I was right in my blog, and it felt good. I felt relief all night.

Before prom we took pictures, among pictures, and smiled lots, then we walked in, which felt like the red carpet!

Then we ate lots and lots, which felt good, and I drove a crowd to after prom, where I proceeded not to drink, which also felt as good as consuming the food! :)

Through out the night so many people came to ask if I was drinking, I don't know.. I hope somehow it made someone think something, or something registered in their head.

Anyway, tomorrow we will start up with Day 24 of our enjoying the silence. It's exciting we are almost finished, I feel like I haven't talked with you guys about my life in a while. In six days the show Grease is opening, I'm playing Danny Zuko, and I am pumped! If you live here, come see it. I also have a dance show Friday, so I am busy, but never the less, enjoying every minute of it!

Tonight has been a night of discussion, I've talked to a few people tonight about love, joy, family, peace, future plans, etc. And to be honest, my fingers hurt from typing. God, thank you for computers.... and fingers! The typing was worth it... through out all the talks I realized a lot, and I think I forgot how much I loved learning from talking about things.

God, give me more and more knowledge, and opportunities to help people, to let people know that they are loved like crazy, and that nothing is too difficult to get through, that life is to be enjoyed, and you have it all taken care of.

I love you, you know that.

-Colton

Prom Night

Hey Guys and Gals!

Well, yesterday I said I wouldn't blog today, but I can't help myself. I'll blog early.

I just had a really good... "moment."

I was kind of getting ready for prom tonight, and I was just thinking about after prom, and what is going to happen and how am I going to handle things, etc.

Then the song 'I Exalt Thee' started playing, by Jesus Culture. All of a sudden I felt at such peace it was insane! I started journaling, and writing down lyrics, and I hadn't done that in a while, and I finally felt relaxed about it all.

I wrote in my journal, "God thank you! I've made up my mind, I am in control of my life, and I am taking everything for you God." I will never stop singing your praises. As I was writing I felt relief. I guess God wasn't going to let me feel relief until I made up in my mind what was going to happen.

OH man.... Have you ever been in one of those moods where you can't describe how you feel? Yah, I apologize for that, I hope you can kind of see what I'm trying to say.

At first I was a little worried about going to after prom, I mean it's all alcohol, all drunk, etc. I've never really seen anything good come from that. Yet, I figured, couldn't I do more by going there and setting an example then not going at all, copping out on it? However, the argument was raised, why would you put yourself in that position of temptation. The thing is, I just KNOW that I am not going to give in. I am not going to. Straight up. God is holding onto my hand, and there isn't a chance I am letting go. Maybe this is stupid, maybe I should just sit home alone, but the thing is.. I just hate the way that looks. Colton the Christian boy can't go out because he isn't allowed to, because he is Christian. I want it to be like, Colton, the Christian guy, is coming out to hang with the people He cares about, but isn't drinking because He has values. Surprisingly enough, people respect that second scenario a whole lot more... Hmmm.. It's like being an ambassador for Christ. That's what I am. God guides me, and protects me, and I can absolutely guarantee I will have a cool story for you tomorrow night!

God, I want to praise you in everything I do, everywhere I go. I won't stop singing. We exalt Thee. Ahhh.

We shall talk tomorrow.

-Colton

Day 23 - Enjoy the Silence

Hi my friends.

Well, I am going to be honest and say that these thirty days seem to be super long! But hey, only seven to go! Tomorrow night I won't get to blog, but you better bet that I'll be here writing as soon as I get chance after that.

So, here we go. Day 23! :)

John 20:11-18 ---

¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." ¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

¹⁷Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Okay, this threw me off, what Jesus says back to Mary. Take a minute to put yourself in her position. Standing face to face with God on Easter, and then he says something like "Don't cling to me, I've not returned to the father yet." How do you feel? I'm almost embarrassed. Haha

Maybe Jesus was saying to Mary, "There is more to this story that you don't know. By clinging to what you know, you may miss out on what you have to discover. So, Mary knew Jesus as a teacher. What do you know Jesus as? Friend, co-pilot, Dad, Mr. Rogers? But... what if your desire to cling to what you know about jesus is exactly what stands in the way of your getting to know Him better? What if God wants to introduce us to a completely new dimension of who He is? What if He wants to be more for us then we now know Him to be? Following? Haha

Why are we so comfortable to cling to safe, comfortable notions of Jesus?

Okay, picture yourself looking into the face of Jesus. Don't rush this. What do you see, what do you hear? God is saying "There is so much more to know, so much more to see - don't cling."

Okay, as you journal... do you think that Jesus might want to open to you a story bigger than the one you've known, a picture bigger than the one you've seen - a Jesus deeper and more awesome than you know Him to be?

This silence made a lot of sense to me. :)

-Colton