Put 'Em Up, Put 'Em Up

You know, the past couple of years, I've really tried to cut back on my spending on clothes.  I actually used to buy clothes all the time because I'm so into the creativity of fashion.  It's almost a hobby, I guess.  But God took me through a clothes-fast a couple of years ago, showing me how I was putting too much spending and personal emphasis on fashion.  It lasted for 6 months.  Now I try not to buy new clothes unless needed or if it's like the most ridiculous clearance you've ever seen;)  Girls love being girls, I tell ya.  I've come to see that you can still be creative and have fun with the stuff you've got.  And that money that I was spending, although it really was hardly anything, could be put to better use, like sponsoring a child in another country.  Talk about a way more fun, important, and rewarding way to spend your money.  Forizzle.

And there is this show that I love to watch... for the fashion... But I gotta tell ya.  There is so much stinkin' duh-ra-ma.  Whoas.  I really hope that your life does not have that much drama.  Sure, it's a reality show, so it's scripted to an extent... an an oxymoron...  Anyway, I know there are a lot of things that we cannot control in life.  But the situation these girls put themselves in- flaunting around.  Their boys flaunting around.  Then the dudes end up getting lookin' at other chicks, cheating on their ladies.  I mean, no wonder.  You find yourself in this other world, this world you think you want.  But there's always something that happens to upset them.  And believe me, I'm no Mrs. Perfect.  I used to put myself in these atmospheres.  Not to this extreme, but I'm sure it could've headed to that direction.

It's all about Protection.  Put your armor on.  The armor the bible speaks about, not this tough exterior, pretending you are one tough cookie, empowering yourself.  If you just change your mindset, if you just come to the place where you know that you are not in control, what a difference it makes!  Give up.  Give it all up to God.  Need to at least feel a little bit strong?  Let your tough exterior be that God has greater plans for you, greater than you could manipulate.  He is stronger than everything.  Hello.  He kinda created the world...  You might start living differently if you live by the description the Holy Armor asks of you.  No, not might.  Your life will be different.  You will start to surround yourself with a different kind of people.  You will start to surround yourself with an entirely different atmosphere.  You will become who God had intended you to be in the first place.  He doesn't want you to feel so busy that you can't think.  So cautious that you can't enjoy the moment.  So jealous that you can't enjoy your relationship.

"Be prepared.  You're up against far more than you can handle on your own.  Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet.  Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words.  Learn how to apply them.  You'll see them throughout your life.  God's Word is an indispensable weapon."  Taken from Ephesians 6, THE MESSAGE\\REMIX

Do you believe in God's Word?  Then you have to believe every word in that passage!

Strap on your armor, beautiful, strong people!

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!

Weekend Fantastico

"The Phaaaaaaaaantom of the opera is..."  Oh! Excuse me.  That was on the tele yesterday, and I can't get it out of my head.  Just came out like opera vomit.

So I hope you all had a fantastico weekend.  I hope they get better and better every week.  I hope that every single day of your life is better and better and better... everytime you wake up.  I hope that you're able to sing praises every single morning as soon as you open those eyes of yours.  I hope that you wanna shout it from the mountain tops because of how God is so good to you.

It's not always that way, I know.  Some days there are just some stuff we don't wanna deal with.  There's just some stuff we feel we can't face.  But I pray that you can siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing like I did this morning waking up... even if it's to the tune of a fun musical.

Because seriously.  Even if you can't sing opera, it's still fun.  It, then, becomes hilarious.

And if you have one, praise God for giving you a voice in the first place.

"Bless our God, O peoples.  Give Him a thunderous welcome!"

Sing it out today!

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!

Giggles and Giddies

(I went to NYC last year to visit my best girl without Justin.  This is us reunited!)

So on Valentine's weekend, I recorded some fun, sappy lovey-dovey movies, and I'm just now getting around to watching them.  One was with Michael Vartan, aka Vaughn, from Alias.  The leading lady was Natasha Henstridge from the I-can't-understand-why recently cancelled, Eli Stone.  No doubt was one of my favorite shows on television.  But it had God all in it.  No wonder it was cancelled... Anyway...

No, seriously though.  Movies like that remind you of those "first days" in your relationship with your significant other (if you've found that person).  Makes ya all giddy, doesn't it?

Try to keep that spark alive.  I know your relationship is probably stronger than ever.  And it certainly will be if you are praying and worshipping together.  But to keep that giddiness, the shivers, the giggles... You've gotta do that.  You can surprise each other with gifts and reminders of things you used to do, places you used to go.  Go there if you can.

And pray for those giggles.

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!

The Person Behind the Facade

(My husband and I went to Universal last January.  We had such a fun time!  Nothing to do with the blog today, but I thought you might want a good laugh!)

What up?  I was reading about Stephen today, but God led me into another direction, just a few verses over.  The verses are about God seeing behind appearances.  What a great thing.  What a great assurance.  When Jesus says something, I really listen.  I take it to heart.

He said

"If you're honest in small things,

you'll be honest in big things;

If you're a crook in small things,

you'll be a crook in big things.

If you're not honest in small jobs

who will put you in charge of the store?

No worker can serve two bosses:

He'll either hate the first and love the second

Or adore the first and despise the second.

You can't serve both God and the Bank."

Now this is what I find reassuring.  And convicting.

"...What society sees and calls monumental,

God sees through and calls monstrous.

God's Law and the Prophets climaxed in John;

Now it's all kingdom of God--the glad news

and compelling invitation to every man and woman. [I want to be a compelling testimony!]

The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve

before a single letter of God's Law wears out.

Using the legalities of divorce

as a cover for lust is adultery; 

Using the legalities of marriage

as a cover for lust is adultery." [I want what I do to be real, not a cover!]

Luke 16:10-18

What we do and who we really are, the person no one else but God sees, is the person that matters.  The facade we put up is only impressing those around us, and temporarily at that.  In the end, your charm?  It doesn't matter one single little bit to God.  He sees through to the quiet intentions of the heart.  If you're on fire for God like I am, run around dancing.  It's ok.  People think I'm crazy sometimes, but they won't deny that you want you some Jesus when you do!  People may even want what you have and may even act a little envious, but you wanna give 'em what you've got, don't you?  There's too much Jesus to keep all for yourself!

Act as if every single thing you do is eternal, because it is.

You can't ever take it back.

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!

Stubborn Truck Drivers

Whoa-hoe. How many of you out there enjoy driving in rainy weather? It's rough, ain't it? Now don't get me wrong, I love a good challenge, but these trucks... The ones who are supposed to stay in the right two lanes, but somehow forget... They stir up so much of the rain that it makes it near impossible to see! Can't they read the signs? They took a special driving test after all. They had to be able to read to do that, didn't they?

Fortunately the test we had to pass in order to spend eternity with God was apparently a lot easier than that. So why are all the other choices in life so tough? Why can't we just make it that simple every time?

I guess we're just stubborn truck drivers.

Keep on truckin'. Maybe that's not the best policy after all?

-Tara K

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

What It's All about

You know, I was sitting here, glancing at One Tree Hill... yes, I know.  I'm watching old episodes, so don't tell me anything!

So anyhoo, I was sitting here wondering what I was gonna chat with y'all about today, and then my little puppy came and sat beside me.  Not just beside me, but RIGHT beside me.  Really eally close to me.  You know, she spends 90% of her time looking out the window (like a little cat, might I add) barking and dog-yelling at anything that remotely looks like it's gonna come near the house.  Always protecting her mommy.  She only gets that cute, open-mouthed smile when daddy gets home.  She's only happy when we're all here- mom, dad and her.  She can't relax completely until she's in the presence of the two who love her more than anyone in the entire world.

We're kinda like that with God, aren't we?  We distract ourselves until we finally are in his presence, and then we're like... yeah.

This is

what it's all about.

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!

What's the Point?

Prayer is so important.  But a lot of people ask, "Why pray?"  What really happens?  Does it really "work," or is it really for our own benefit, just a personal psychological assurance and nothing more?

"Are you hurting?  Pray.  Do you feel great?  Sing.  Are you sick?  Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master.  Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet.  And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven-- inside and out.  Make this your common practice:  Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.  The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.  Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't-- not another drop for three and a half years.  Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did."  James 5:13-18

"...We'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word."  Acts 6:4

"The mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump.  Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."  Matthew 21:22

"The godless nations will sit up and take notice...When he attends to the prayer of the wretched.  He won't dismiss their prayer."  Psalms 102:14, 17

"That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large.  Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything.  And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking.  If you have anything against someone, forgive-- only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."  Mark 11:23-25

"My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off.  Go after them.  Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God."  James 5:19-20

-Tara K

For more on 29:11's ministry, go to 2911ThePlan.com
To listen to their music, head to iTunes.com, and search out:
29:11 The Plan!