"...you may cut off my branches..."

Youth group was really great for me tonight. Especially the worship and the testimony.

Typically when we do worship, there's all these couches spread out in front of the stage and we just...sing, and it's always really cool and I really get into it. But tonight was just...AWESOM. All the couches were scooched up so they were really close to the stage and it was like really personal. I dunno if that makes sense or if you had to be there...I dunno. And there were couches on the stage too, and that's where Matt and Doug sat and played, so it was just kinda...chill. But you couldn't even see them playing because the entire room was dark except for one candle up front, which stood for Jesus' light. It was a REALLY cool experience. It took me back to campfire times...a whole bunch of people just singing their heart out for God with only a guitar and a fire as their backup. Amazing.

After worship a woman got up and gave her testimony. I always love listening to those...I dunno why, I just...I love hearing about the ways that God has worked in other people's lives. And I love hearing that I'm not the only one who's gone through tough times, other people have been there too, and God has led them out of it, just like He'll lead me out of situations in my future. I just really enjoy that sort of thing. The woman tonight was VERY good. She had three paintings that kinda showed stages of her life, and they were kinda sad and scary but awesome at the same time.

Then she read a book to us...first off, I just gotta say that I love it when people read to me. It's juts one of those things. Like I love foot rubs, and I love having books read to me, especially children's books. So I was very happy. :D

Anyway, she read us a book called "The Giving Tree" and told us before she read it that God had spoken to her with this book. And so she starts reading and of course automatically you're trying to figure out how it connects, and it is REALLY cool. Here's the link, I suggest you read it:

http://www.atel.org.uk/the_giving_tree.htm

God's the tree...and we're the little boy. I think it's SO cool...like I love finding ordinary things/examples in life that help me understand God more. Like...when the tree is always so happy to see the little boy again...that's God. God is always ECSTATIC to see me, to hear me talk to him. The creator of the universe shakes with joy when I pray...how COOL is that??? Wow...

The part where she read the line "The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy" hit me SO HARD. I think I actually gasped or something...I dunno. It's just like that moment where you realize the tree loves the little boy so much that she'll give him whatever she can to make him happy, she'll sacrifice herself for him, she'll go through pain just so he can have a chance at life...God sacrificed for us. For ME. For YOU. OMWord it makes me so happy I don't even know how to explain it...just...WOW.

So that was my night...pretty good. And I got to hear all about Cadets, which I loved. ;D