The Value of a View

I don't have a beach front or riverfront house.

But that doesn't keep my from really enjoying being in my craft room, with all it's totally wonky windows, and enjoying the view I do have.

 I think there is a lot to be said on meditating on good things.

The bible says in Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 

I think we find ourselves meditating on a lot of junk sometimes.

These things can be anger towards others, books, music, gossip, etc.

Life isn't always peachy, that's for sure.  But, if you find yourself feeling really down, recall what you are meditating on.

I find it so easy to focus on all the bad and then wonder why I feel so crappy inside (sound familiar).

Decide to meditate on the lovely (even if it's your own backyard).


Have a wonderful day :)

Devotional - Yet Will I Sing

So I do realize that it has been over a week since my last post.  We had my family in town all last week so I took a hiatus from blogging.  We had a really wonderful time.  So since the Lord has really been working some stuff in me, I thought I would share a bit.

Personally, we are in a challenging time.  I think it is the first time that we have ever been truly uncertain of the future or God's plan and the first time that I have had to REALLY trust the Lord. 

It's absolutely a make it or break it situation. Either God is really going to move, or it's gonna be BAD. I have never really been in that situation and my first inclination was to let the troubles completely engulf me.  I couldn't hear the Lord, I was mean to my kids and husband, just overall not pleasant. I quickly recognized that this was NOT the correct response and began asking the Lord what I should do. Do I need to get a job? What are the answers? The only answer I did get was "Come closer, spend time with me." This answer is not the one you want to hear.  It doesn't feel like you are "doing" anything to help the problem.

I grabbed a book I have mentioned here before "Deep Unto Deep" by Dana Candler because it was the only book on my shelf dedicated solely to intimacy with the Lord. I spent a whole week of afternoons with my kids playing in the kiddie pool in our backyard reading this book (again). Feeling a little renewed and hopeful I felt the Lord telling me to start spending some time at Ihop Jax, our local House of Prayer. 

After several weeks of spending a few hours on Friday nights there, I am slowly but surely feeling His grace in this wilderness time. I am not fully understanding what is happening and I have no better answers other than that He IS faithful to finish what He started and He is not going to leave me hanging out to dry. There is almost an anticipation of what He is going to do.

I feel like during this time He is increasing my capacity for Him, that He is drawing me closer to His heart and is peeling away the unnecessary things that hinder love.  The Bible says that "the Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously."(James 4:5) The Lord is actually jealous for our attention, He wants the WHOLE, not just the bits and pieces we offer on Sundays. I am far from perfection and boy do I mess up, but it's the realization of how precious He finds our willingness to be open before Him that pierces His heart.

Candler says "our agreement with His love while we are yet maturing is the great climax of our salvation journey". That is so awesome to me. Really meditate on what in means to "agree with His love". It will kind of blow you away.

So I don't have all my problems all figured out, but I am FINALLY learning (very slowly) to really trust in the Lord, that He has it all worked out, He knows the plan, and He will reveal it in His perfect timing. If this was to just teach me to trust Him, I'm cool with that. I am beginning to TRULY believe that His provision and plan is so much better than anything I could muster up in my own strength. 


II Samuel 22:31 says "As for my God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him."


You have to admit, you would much rather be behind His shield than out on your own doing it in your own abilities running around like a chicken with your head cut off. So while the waiting and stillness is frustrating at times, it is also a time to learn to rest in the storm (which I REALLY have a hard time doing).


So of course as I was leaving my Sunday night bible study a perfect song for what I have been feeling came on and of COURSE I cannot find a Youtube video for it, but here are the lyrics.

Audra Lynn

"Yet Will I Sing"

Album - "Fading"

Let this be the only love song I write
May You be the only Love in my life
I asked You to draw me, I said I would run
So though I walk through the valley, yet will I trust
I asked You to call me, I said I would come
So though I go up the mountain, yet will I run

Chorus:
Though my song be taken from me
Yet will I sing; yet will I praise You
Though the joy be taken from me
Yet will I laugh; yet will I shout unto You
Though the light be hidden from me
Yet will I walk; yet will I run after You
Though my heart be slain within me
Yet will I trust; yet will I follow You

Bridge:
‘Cause I know whatever You do, You do through the eyes of mercy
And nothing can be added to it, nothing can be taken away
There is a time for every purpose under the heavens
So though my weeping may last for the night
Oh how Your joy, it comes with the light

So while life is really tough right now, I am actually hopeful that God is totally going to take care of us and He is a good God, like for real :) I hope my ramblings have encouraged you to run after Him despite the circumstances, there are incredible treasures for those who wait upon Him :) 

Devotional - I am His

It is Easter Sunday as I write and I figured that I haven't done a devotional blog post since I got my computer back, so it was a good time to write one.

We were talking today in Sunday School about words that describe us and one word to describe the Lord (thanks Fritz and Vicki!  You guys helped inspire a whole blog post!).  Of course I couldn't come up with one, so I basically said He was ALL things.  He is the ultimate paradox, he is the Judge, the Lover, the Bridegroom, He is Jealous for us.  On and on you can describe the nature of God. 

So our discussion class it got me thinking about our identity.  Because as followers of Christ, we are no longer our own, we are His.  It also got me thinking about how much we don't walk in our identity in Christ, I know I don't all the time.

So of course I thought of a song and has been on my heart a lot lately.  God speaks to me through music a lot.  As a former dancer, I communicated through music and music makes us so open and vulnerable (which can be good or bad).  Anyways, it was a very old Misty Edwards song, taken mostly from Isaiah 43.

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by you name; You are Mine.

When you pass through the waters, i will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. - Isaiah 43:1-3

You have to continue reading because it's awesome.  Anyways, our discussion in class made me think of how much we live in our "old" identity.  The one that says we aren't good enough, the one that says we are unlovable, is that what the Lord has said about us?  No, we are HIS and He delights in us.  Because we have said, "I will give my life to seek you, I will give you my weak adoration and love and all of me." He truly delights in us!

Life has thrown so many challenging things at me and my family lately.  It is so easy to get so caught up in those problems and forget that we are His and he will not let any harm come to us, so long as he stay in the palm of His hand.  How many times do we try to jump out and do it our own way?  I do so many times.  Do we forget that it is my weakness for His strength?  That He is made awesome in my stumblings and weakness?  It was so perfectly crafted this way why God so that we could not boast in our own abilities and that the glory would be ALL HIS.

I love the part in this song where it declares, "though I walk through the valley, it's only a shadow, it's only a shadow.  Though my body may perish, it's only a shadow, it's only a shadow!"  I love to shout that in my car to whatever is keeping me down, because it is all but a vapor compared to eternity with Him.

We hear it all the time, but there is truly nothing that can separate us from the love of God, except our own unwillingness to ACCEPT the love of God.  He is chasing after us, He is the one who is jealous for our love.  We are the whole reason He died a terrible death on the cross.  He died for the JOY set before Him.  The wedding day!  He is just ravished by our seemingly weak and pitiful love!  He is longing to set us apart and prepare us to be His Bride!

So please listen and enjoy this long and let the words (which are straight from the Word of God) soak into your spirit and remind you of the truth of your identity in Him. Oh and you have to listen to the very end so you can shout too!