Cliff Notes

My church had a retreat this past weekend titled "Beyond the Basics of Spiritual Maturity." There was a large amount of information passed around. I jotted down a few thoughts that stood out to me more than others. Some of them are things that others said, and some were thoughts that I took away from the weekend. They are not in any logical order. I just wrote them down as they came to me.

--It's not the external quiet we need to find-it's the internal.

--Everything we see in others, negative and positive, is what we see in ourselves.

--If you feel agitated, it is yourself that upsets you.

--We need to have quiet within in order to find God.

--God gave each of us a different way to Him.

--You have to have something to bounce off of; we need each other.

--We have to have someone further along than we are in our spiritual journey to lead us.

--Your spiritual father represents God.

--Do not make an important decision for 3 days. Pray about it and let your heart be calm.

--Converts just look like adult Orthodox. We are actually just babies, learning every day.

--Everything is individual; we are not cookie cutter copies of each other.

--We have to be open in order to receive any messages from God.

--Are we so busy with the rules we do not learn love?

--We all have one passion that we will struggle with to the end of our life. The reward is in getting back into the fight.

--We should give up everything to God--the good to become stronger, the bad to remove from our lives.

--When you think you are the furthest from God, that is when he is standing right beside you waiting on YOU to wake up and see the truth.

--Take care of your neighbor nearby before you attempt to save the world.

--Find peace inside yourself and others will be saved because of it, not because of anything you actually do.

--If you stay in the light of God for too long, you will be burned up.

--There is NOTHING you cannot lay down before God.

--What is important in your life??

--I verbally vomit everything in the hopes that someone will help me when God is the one that I should be turning to for help.

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"Blessed" - Brett Dennen

I welcome the sun,
the clouds and rain,
the wind that sweeps the sky clean
and lets the sun shine again.
this is the most magnificent life has ever been.
here is heaven and earth
and the brilliant sky in between.

blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive.
blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

I dwell in the darkness
I live in the light
I sleep in the afternoon
and become the noise in the night.

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"Morning Comes" - Delta Rae

Oh, oh. I found a good woman, I found a job that pays.
The tide comes in, I watch it all wash away.
But I'm keeping it steady, that's just how I was raised
Head held up, walking tall into each broken wave

And this heart grows tired
I found a good woman
I found a job that pays
The tide comes in, I watch it all wash away
But I’m keeping it steady, that’s just how I was raised
Head held up walking tall into each breaking wave

’Cause the devil’s in the details and he’s taking his toll
Sending good men down the foot trails of some lost lonely souls

And I say oh, oh
Rain don’t change the sun
Jealous is the night when the morning comes
But it always comes

So I’m working the graveyard, I don’t sleep till it’s light
Ain’t calling in favors, I can’t swallow my pride
And the bank’s on a mission, they want to read me my rights
But they ever show up around here, they’re going to be in for a fight

’Cause the devil’s in my hometown and I ain’t telling him no
’Cause it’s my family, it’s my love now, that I’m scared to let go

And I say oh, oh
Rain don’t change the sun
Jealous is the night when the morning comes
But it always comes

Followed the track of my needle
Tried to be good to my people
So why’s there no peace?
No break no relief

Can I be blamed if I’m angry?
Can I be saved if I’m barely clinging to hope?
I’m clinging to hope

When I say oh, oh
Rain don’t change the sun
Jealous is the night when the morning comes
But it always comes

It always rains down on us
And like an old dog lying by a new gravestone
It’s still our home
It’s still our home

So if you ever feel like you are alone
After the night
The morning comes