Worship

I saw this in Godtube and found it hits the spot.

Kudos to floodgates production for making this for all of us.

I read this question yesterday: Why does God insist on worship?

Does he really need to have a whole planet full of creatures spending

vast amounts of effort and time dreaming up ways to tell him how great HE is?

Doesn't He already know?

Worship is not about fulfilling God's unmet ego needs.

God has made us so that when we experience

something transcendentally great,

we have a need to praise it. Our experience is incomplete until we can wrap words around it.

We are to worship God, not because his ego needs it,

but because without worship,

our experience and enjoyment of God are not complete.

We worship God not so much because He needs it

but because we do.

We need to worship God.

I need to worship God because without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me and live in fear. I need to worship God because

without it I can forget his calling and begin to live in a spirit of self -preoccupation.

I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of

wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.

I need to worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.

I believe it is not an accident

that the story of Peter walking on the water ends the way it does. "When they got into the boat, the

wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God."

There is a pattern at work here that recurs

repeatedly in scripture and that needs to become a part of my life as well: God reveals himself. So we reflect on what God has done

and respond in worship. And our understanding of God grows.

We respond in worship

Responding in worship means more than just attending worship services on a regular basis. Sometimes when I think of

the "worship wars" of our day, I try to imagine similar arguments going on at the foot of Mount Sinai when the children had fled Egypt,

the waters had parted into a temporary expressway, Pharoah and his army had been drowned, the mountain was smoking and trembling

and the people were told to gather for worship.

--I don't like this worship. I liked the tambourine song that Mirriam sang after we crossed the Red Sea. How come we don't do that song anymore?

- This service is too long. 3 days is inconvenient. I'm going with the Hitites, they do 2-day theophanies.

-I like it when Aaron leads worship. How come Moses has to be the worship leader? His vetsments don't speak generation.

I suspect that when the Isrealites gathered for worship, they trembled and shook along with the mountain because they had risked

everything on this God.- left home, food and shelter. And he wanted to pass by.

I wonder occasionally if boredom in worship ( and boredom in general) is not in fact a function of song selection or

liturgical style, but rather sometimes, a function of spending too much time in the 'boat' or too much being comfortable in ones space.

When we encounter this God, the Lord over mountains and storms we tremble.

This brings us to the matter of "fearing" God. The bible says that "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom"

What does this mean to fear the Lord?

We have no need to to be afraid that God will do mean and destructive things. We do not need to be afraid that God's love is not fully

trustworthy. One of C.S.Lewis's characters expresses fear at the prospect of meeting his Christ figure, the great lion Aslan, and wonders

if he is quite safe. "Safe?" Who said anything about safe. Of course he's not safe. But he's good.

This fear involves reverence and awe, a healthy recognition of who God is. It involves a recognition of our fallenness.

But worship also reminds us that the day will come when our fallenness will be utterly healed. In that day we will fully realize

the truth of the saying "perfect love casts out fear". When we worship we look forward to the day when fear will be as defeated and destroyed

as sin, guilt and death.

Worship therefore, in reminding us of this powerful God who is for us, becomes one of the great weapons agaINST FEAR.

(Worship fundamentally is about the definition of reality)

(Thank you J. Ortberg for this wonderful words., Kudo's to Floodgates Production for this wonderful video)

to be continued - gotta do some errands be right back...will finish this

in the meantime Praise him today because HE is good! ;)

God bless from the AustinGRRL

I'm watching you ( By FloodgatesProductions)

Share to all your male family and friends out there. Happy Holidays and enjoy! ( From AustinGrrrl)

Brrrr, Cold weather temp..Coffee or Tea anyone? ;)

Cold temperatures expected until Wednesday
By Joshunda Sanders Monday, December 15, 2008, 10:03 AM
The mercury is expected to rise and fall a few times this week in advance of the official start of winter on Sunday, according to Joe Baskin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Today’s temperatures will remain in the 30s, with wind chills in the teens. Temperatures will rise a bit and linger in the 40s Tuesday, because winds will die down, Baskin said.
By Wednesday, temperatures will continue to rise, he said, and on Thursday and Friday, temperatures highs will be closer to the 60s which is considered more normal this time of year.
On Saturday night, a cold front could push temperatures back into the 40s and make Sunday feel a little more more like the official start of winter, Baskin said. The weather pattern is expected to be cool and dry throughout next week, he said.

(Excerpt from Austin Statesman)

Last week our family actually saw a thin layer of white snow in our backyard and and a spraying of white up on our roof. It was awesome ;) It made our day. Smiles were going around. God is good! This coming from a gal who got transplanted from CA. Who would never associate snow with TX - 'se-rious-ly!( think Meredith Grey ;) ), When you think of TX you don't think snow. So it was a nice surprise.

Hmm when you feel cold, I don't know about y'all but I gravitate to my coffee maker or the nearest Peets coffee shop. Wait! Stop! I'm in Texas and there is nooooooo Peets (gulp) what do I do??? Honestly I am seriously thinking of ordering my precious peets coffee beans online. Hurry there's FREE Shipping! ;)

Once you brew Peets you will never hanker for any coffee beans again well...maybe Starbucks;) ? Not!!!

Knuff said fer now,

--A

Urban Spoon (Shake up your routine!)

New to the Austin Area?

Local to the Area but would like to try something new?

Check out Urban Spoon - as the website monicker sez "Shake up your routine!" :)

TxTag anyone?

You just relocated and now that you have settled in...you will need a couple of stuff to get your life smoother, simpler and get you around faster. 

Why get a TxTag? Simple ===> You do not need to stop at toll booths, because the fees are automatically deducted from a prepaid account. TxTag users also have the added benefit of paying discounted toll rates.

Especially for those who use the toll roads on a regular basis. 

Basically the TxTag sticker is attached to the vehicle's front windshield and allows your toll to be collected electronically

Just like you keep gas in your tank, you'll need to keep money in your TxTag account to pay for your tolls. A TxTag account works like a prepaid phone card - you'll need to add funds to your account to keep it active and avoid receiving toll violations and fines.

When you open a TxTag account, you will receive an Account Management Card. The number on your Account Management Card lets you easily manage your account. With the Account Management Card number, you are able to check your account balance and make payments by accessing your account online or by calling the TxTag Customer service Center.

If your TxTag is lost or stolen, please notify the TxTag Customer Service Center immediately. Until you notify us, you are liable for any tolls, fees and charges on your account. Please note that there may be a charge to replace lost or stolen tags. If your TxTag Account Management Card is lost or stolen, you may request a replacement card at no additional cost by contacting the Customer Service Center.

If you don't have a TxTag account yet, you just need to sign up and get a sticker for your car window. Starter kits begin at $20, and you'll save about 25 percent off the toll rates charged to pay-by-mail users.

Below are some details to point you where to get 'em.
TxTag
1-888-468-9824
http://www.txtag.org/

Craving for Seafood in Texas??!! Here ya go..

Got Seafood cravings? Why not try Joe's Crab Shack

(Broiled, grilled, or blackened seafood platters; cold shrimp by the bucket; and lots of giggling birthday parties is what you'll find here on most nights.) Meat lover? No problem -  Matthew Dunn, Joe's Crab Shack Executive Chef and Director of Culinary, mixes in some "turf" with the addition of a 12 oz.Ribeye and keeps the "surf" with the Seafood Fun-do, a Joe's Crab Shack take on fondue.

Here's another pix for mussel lovers out there: Enjoy! 

Urban Green-ism - Austin's 2nd Downtown

Wanna know where I like to hang out once in awhile? Check this place out - 

The Domain -obviously I like going to the Apple store. Who doesn't? ;) If you are in the area, check the place out. With some good jazz music playing faintly in the background, strolling down the street, you just want to get a cup of coffee or tea whichever 'poison' you are into and just chill. I know, I do ;) 

(AustinGrrrl checkin things out)

Austin's second downtown. That’s what many are calling The Domain and its 304-acre, thoughtfully planned community that’s setting new standards in urban development. Located in the heart of Austin’s northwest corridor, near the historic IBM campus, the concept of living and working at The Domain will be enlivened by a progressive mix of lifestyle venues in an eco-friendly, open-air center with commuter rail connections to downtown and communities to the north. Enjoy The Domain’s ten acres of parks, jogging trails, and a shopping, dining and entertainment district spiced with the flavors of Austin and points beyond. 

While Central Texas has seen an unprecedented rise in growth, cities like Austin are leading the way in green building initiatives—ensuring areas are revitalized in an environmentally conscience way.

To further Austin’s role as a leader, The Domain was planned with the principles of Green Urbanism in mind. It’s a place where people can walk instead of drive, live in energy-efficient homes, and enjoy being part of an environmentally sound community. Endeavor’s plans for The Domain are rooted in Green Urbanism—such as using recycled building materials, preserving trees, and achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification

(Excerpt from The Domainaustin.com)

Vintage Villa - Romantic Getaway in Austin TX

Located on a bluff overlooking a large sailing basin of Lake Travis, Vintage Villas spacious guest rooms and event facilities are designed to capture the remarkable Central Texas sunsets reflecting from the lake. 

Locally owned and managed with experienced professionals, Vintage Villas creates a charming culture to complement the Hill Country setting. Described as the most beautiful place in Texas, Vintage Villas secluded location and unique Villas offers a feeling of privacy and exclusivity just 30 minutes from downtown Austin. (Excerpt from Vintagevillas.com)

Check this awesome romantic getaway Vintage Villa

The last time I heard, if you sign in on this form - you could get $100 off your 1st night. You won't regret this wonderful place. Try a weekend!

--(Austin Grrrl checkin out fer now)

Next Generation of Karaoke mics - Interesting gadgets - Wireless? Geez - Yeah!

• I got me a next generation of karaoke mic. I don't need any additional gizmos, gadgets etc..
• Throw away machines, DVD's, CDG's etc.
• All you need is this microphone set!
• Thousand of songs built in.
• You only have to plug this into your TV (RCA cable) and you are ready to sing your heart out.
• There's also room to expand! You'll be able to update your karaoke library with additional song chips.
• To top it all off, this all-in-one karaoke system is compact, light, and versatile.
• Cool add on's to your media set.

Got Karaoke? If interested email me at austingrrrl@gmail.com or call me @ 510.676.9433.

I can ship anywhere.