Check out this preemie's crib

All my nerdy NICU friends have been sending this video around... I'm a little behind the times. I don't know who recorded it, but it's pretty funny!

FYI: PDA means "patent ductus arteriosus" and it means that a fetal heart structure remained open after delivery instead of closing. It's pretty common among preemies and causes a heart murmur which, at times, can be turbulent enough to sound like a washing machine when you listen with a stethoscope... hence the joke.

He is Risen, Alleluia!

Here is Love

Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heav'n's eternal days

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast a gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heav'n's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

No love is higher, no love is wider
No love is deeper, no love is truer
No love is higher, no love is wider
No love is like Your love, Oh Lord

Amazing Love

I'm so behind the times. I finally saw the movie The Passion of the Christ and it's been out for 5+ years. I've wanted to watch it, but I knew it couldn't just be a movie on in the background. I would have to give it my undivided attention for 2 1/2 hours. When we got home from Easter Vigil Saturday night, my mom and I sat down to watch.

I never imagined this movie being so gruesome! But at the same time, it makes the truth much more real and easier for our feeble minds to grasp. More real than stations of the cross and the nice wood carvings and stained glass widows in church ever depicted. The only thing I could think was, what an AMAZING LOVE! Jesus didn't just die for us. HE SUFFERED AND DIED. Each one of my sins was a thorn in his head, a lash of the whip. This is how much our sins hurt him. But then not only does he demonstrate his strength to endure physical pain, he endures out ridicule, our ignorance, our disobedience today. How can we know what he suffered for us and still hurt him further? And HOW can he still love us when we don't appreciate what he did for us?! The punishment he took so we wouldn't have to?

"Amazing Love" is one of my favorite contemporary worship songs and I think this video depicts it perfectly. Click on the 4 arrows at the bottom of the video for a full-screen view.

**Warning: this video contains some graphic images from the movie The Passion of the Christ**

Amazing Love

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken
I'm accepted, you were condemned
I'm alive and well
Your spirit is within me
Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be?
That you, my king would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
Amazing love how can it be?
That my king would die for me
Amazing love I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
In all I do
I honor you

You are my king
You are my king
Jesus, You are my king
Jesus, You are my king

Amazing love, how can it be?
That you, my king, would die for me
Amazing love, I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
Amazing love, how can it be
That you, my king would die for me
Amazing love I know it's true
It's my joy to honor you
In all I do I honor you
In all I do honor you

Joyride

First off, let me say that I never watch late-night television and I am by no means endorsing any sort of Letterman-esque scandal. However, I happened to catch this on TV the other night in Amarillo and I thought it was pretty darn funny!

This toy cupcake was priced at $25,000 in this winter's Niemann Marcus catalogue-- more than 5x what my Honda is worth! Ahh, 24 volts of electric cupcake goodness. Powered with clean, green energy nonetheless. Man, did I make an uninformed Christmas gift list this year!

(Disclaimer: I'm actually very excited about the books I have on my Christmas list and the awesome gifts I've already received from Ross' sister and parents, but if I had a spare $25,000...)