For those coming across this blog, I have now created a new blog! Check it out!! :
http://rbanek.blogspot.ca/
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
{ a little inspiration }
just a little late night inspiration thanks to my trusty friend, Pinterest :)
with love,
rachel <3
with love,
rachel <3
Sunday, April 22, 2012
{ He is Risen }
This past weekend was Easter. I had forgotten how much I love this time of year. Easter is a beautiful reminder of the life I have in Christ. I have been reminded of the immense sacrifice that was paid upon that cross. There are too many times I forget about the King of Kings who took on the sins of the world. Who was beaten, flogged and hung on that wooden cross. left to die. Left to be mocked.
I can't imagine what it was like on that Saturday following Good Friday. Loneliness. Despair. Shame. Jesus was gone, no one understood that He would rise the next morning to bring life to the world. Three days after Jesus was crucified, HE ROSE. Those two words give me goosebumps and I can't help but smile. The law was no more. He has risen. He is our living hope. He is ALIVE. He is as alive today, as he was on that very day he rose. I can't help but be overcome with His presence at this time of year. I have new life in Christ. Only an unimaginably AMAZING God would send His one and only son to bring us new life. I feel so renewed!
After church on sunday, we went to the 'prayer house'. An old, gorgeous house that is deticated to prayer. Youth can go anytime to pray, reflect on God and write their prayers and thoughts on the walls. It was unbelievable - it was so comforting to sit in that house and reflect on God. I felt awakened, and couldn't get the verse Ephesians 5:14 out of my head. “..This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ “ I was filled and renewed. I felt alive - filled with the indescribable joy of the Lord.
Happy Easter, He is RISEN.
Love, Rachel
I can't imagine what it was like on that Saturday following Good Friday. Loneliness. Despair. Shame. Jesus was gone, no one understood that He would rise the next morning to bring life to the world. Three days after Jesus was crucified, HE ROSE. Those two words give me goosebumps and I can't help but smile. The law was no more. He has risen. He is our living hope. He is ALIVE. He is as alive today, as he was on that very day he rose. I can't help but be overcome with His presence at this time of year. I have new life in Christ. Only an unimaginably AMAZING God would send His one and only son to bring us new life. I feel so renewed!
After church on sunday, we went to the 'prayer house'. An old, gorgeous house that is deticated to prayer. Youth can go anytime to pray, reflect on God and write their prayers and thoughts on the walls. It was unbelievable - it was so comforting to sit in that house and reflect on God. I felt awakened, and couldn't get the verse Ephesians 5:14 out of my head. “..This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ “ I was filled and renewed. I felt alive - filled with the indescribable joy of the Lord.
Happy Easter, He is RISEN.
Love, Rachel
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
{ living to bring Him praise }
'Worship is not an event to attend and watch. It is a lifestyle to be lived.'
That quote couldn't be more true. Lately I've been thinking a lot about worship, and how different our lives would be if we lived and breathed worship. Worship is not something we do routinely before the pastor rises to preach on the pulpit - week after week, petty lip service. Doesn't our King deserve more than that? The answer is yes. He deserves every ounce of praise we have left in our bodies. We should be worshipping Him until our frail flesh is weekened to point where we have no choice but to fall to our knees. And I can guarantee we are not giving Him that. Now im not here to judge. I am guilty, on several accounts, of lip service. But see, thats just the issue- we are all guilty of it, yet it seems we are not doing anything about it. Our worship is lacking substance, lacking the Spirit.
Isaiah 6 is one of my favorite and, what I think to be, one of the most powerful chapters in all of Scripture. It is the perfect representation of what our worship should be. "And they were calling to one another:'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke." {Isaiah 6:3-4} Their worship was so intense and so REAL that the doorposts and thresholds shook. Just take a moment to picture that. Incredible, eh? I emphasize the word real because God knows your heart. He knows if you are sincere, or if you are 'worshipping' to bring glory to yourself. Often times I feel as though we praise God, saying, "Look at me, God. See how passionate my worship is? See how I am lifting my hands up to you? I'm such a great Christian!". We worship as if it is about us. Is that really what our worship has come to? OUR preferences, OUR likes, OUR praise for ourselves. THAT is not worship, that is pride. "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'" {Isaiah 6:5} Raw worship means laying down our earthly pride, letting ourselves become completely broken. Humbling our sinful bodies at the cross. Singing until the whole earth hears. Worshiping with such intensity that the doorposts and thresholds SHAKE- letting the weight of God's glory crush us in the most beautiful way. Worship needs to BE our lives, our every breathe - living to bring the King of all nations the glory He so rightly deserves.
{rachel}
:: Favorite worship music at the moment? Bethel Music 'Loft Sessions'. This stuff is powerful! "You have won me", "Walk in the promise" and "Come to me" are some of my favorites - can't get enough!! ::
That quote couldn't be more true. Lately I've been thinking a lot about worship, and how different our lives would be if we lived and breathed worship. Worship is not something we do routinely before the pastor rises to preach on the pulpit - week after week, petty lip service. Doesn't our King deserve more than that? The answer is yes. He deserves every ounce of praise we have left in our bodies. We should be worshipping Him until our frail flesh is weekened to point where we have no choice but to fall to our knees. And I can guarantee we are not giving Him that. Now im not here to judge. I am guilty, on several accounts, of lip service. But see, thats just the issue- we are all guilty of it, yet it seems we are not doing anything about it. Our worship is lacking substance, lacking the Spirit.
Isaiah 6 is one of my favorite and, what I think to be, one of the most powerful chapters in all of Scripture. It is the perfect representation of what our worship should be. "And they were calling to one another:'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke." {Isaiah 6:3-4} Their worship was so intense and so REAL that the doorposts and thresholds shook. Just take a moment to picture that. Incredible, eh? I emphasize the word real because God knows your heart. He knows if you are sincere, or if you are 'worshipping' to bring glory to yourself. Often times I feel as though we praise God, saying, "Look at me, God. See how passionate my worship is? See how I am lifting my hands up to you? I'm such a great Christian!". We worship as if it is about us. Is that really what our worship has come to? OUR preferences, OUR likes, OUR praise for ourselves. THAT is not worship, that is pride. "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.'" {Isaiah 6:5} Raw worship means laying down our earthly pride, letting ourselves become completely broken. Humbling our sinful bodies at the cross. Singing until the whole earth hears. Worshiping with such intensity that the doorposts and thresholds SHAKE- letting the weight of God's glory crush us in the most beautiful way. Worship needs to BE our lives, our every breathe - living to bring the King of all nations the glory He so rightly deserves.
{rachel}
:: Favorite worship music at the moment? Bethel Music 'Loft Sessions'. This stuff is powerful! "You have won me", "Walk in the promise" and "Come to me" are some of my favorites - can't get enough!! ::
Monday, January 2, 2012
{ living with my head in the clouds }
Honestly, if I could drop out of high school, I would. I just hate being cooped up in a classroom knowing that I could be doing other things, more amazing things. But..that's obviously not an option. I just have to remind myself daily how blessed I am to get such a great education. However, I'm not sure I want to go to university. I only live once, and I want to live my life to the full. Enjoying each and everyday, praising God with everything I do. Some may say I'm a dreamer, but I truly just want to live life loving and enjoying what I do. It'll probably be another three or four years till my life adventure actually begins, but until then I just daydream :). So..what do I want to do? {keep in mind these are just dreams} Go to bible school for a year, or six months. Comeback and work for a year- not Mcdonalds haha. Starbucks maybe? Save all that money and go backpacking through Europe for a month or two, just taking pictures. Get immersed in the culture through my lense. Sit in quaint coffee shops, journaling. Stay in hostels, have nothing but the things on my back. Wear out my favorite pair of boots, take my time pondering art in the galleries of France for hours. Go on a missions trip to Africa or South America, wherever God leads me. All the while, capturing the culture through the lens of my camera and pleasing God. Short or long term missions? Not sure. Depends on the path God has chosen for me. It makes me happy to think about all of that :) in the meantime, I'll just keep daydreaming...
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