Settled at the Cross

I've recently been listening to a CD of the specials our church has done since the beginning of the year and one of the songs on it is Settled at the Cross which is sung by our Pastor and his daughter. Honestly, it is one of the most beautiful songs and arrangements I have ever heard. I found a similar one here. I've been going through a lot in my life recently with my new(ish) job, friend's lives, longings that I know may not be fulfilled anytime soon, just enough to make a person go crazy and feeling like there's a hole that's not being filled. There's an emptiness that I'm struggling with and I know I'm missing something somewhere, but I can't really figure out what it is right now. But this song, this song is a reminder that no matter what happens from here on out, God already proved His love to me. He loves me and wants the best for me, all I have to do is still my aching heart and listen to his direction...

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Settled at the Cross

How I love to read the Book You wrote for me

You loved the world so much You gave Your Son

Written there in crimson, You told me I'm forgiven.

It is done, it is done!

Chorus:

So if You never speak another word of blessing

And the silence leaves me with a sense of loss

I'll remember when my heart begins to question

Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross. 

I would be the first to admit I don't deserve

The kind of favor You have always shown.

But You don't have to tell me, You proved how much You love me,

And I know, I still know 

Chorus:

That if You never speak another word of blessing,

And the silence leaves me with a sense of loss,

I'll remember when my heart begins to question,

Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross.

Every word was mercy,

every breath forgave,

Every drop of blood testifies of grace.

Chorus:

So if You never speak another word of blessing,

And the silence leaves me with a sense of loss,

I'll remember when my heart begins to question,

Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross.

Any doubt that You love me was settled at the cross.

Then Sings My Soul

"How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah." ~Psalms 84:1-5

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O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Chorus

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Chorus
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I love these verses and this song. They remind me that no matter what the building, or general meeting place, looks like, the message that is brought is the most important. I've attended church services in many different locations, and each service where the truth was taught reminded me again and again that above all, God's will is where I need to be. For when we are in His will and trusting fully in Him, we have peace and can continually praise Him throughout the day. 
For the building does not make God beautiful, but God makes the building beautiful.

A Little Bout Me...

I will say this much, if I'm finally going to slow my life down a little bit and start putting small blurbs up again, this kind of a post is the way to start up...again. Life gets busy and sometimes I let different deeds fall to the wayside. I may not be as active as I once was, but maybe I'll at least begin posting something a couple times a month. Besides, there's 30-31 days in a month! I should be able to use 2 of them for better ideas. ;-)

So here goes!

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1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?

Si-pronounced Sigh. Lol, the beginning of my first middle name. :-)

2. What's a weird habit of yours?

I honestly don't know...half the stuff I do is probably considered weird...

3. Do you have any strange phobias?
Not really, I'd just rather certain things not touch me...such as spiders.

4. What's a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone?
Almost every Disney movie I know, some Piano Guys songs, and my quartets!!!

5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?
People who don't try to work a situation out and understand what the other side might be going through...I hate seeing people upset at each other. :-/

6. What's one of your nervous habits?
I clench my fist and release it a lot or just shake my hand really hard a few times. It's really hard to remember not to do it in front of people who don't know that's how I cope. Lol

7. What's a YouTuber that almost always makes you laugh?
I don't really have one to make me laugh, but funny dog videos always seem to do the trick!!

8. What was your first stuffed animal, and what was it's name?
I don't remember my first one, but my first one with a name was probably Jasmine. She is a Harley Davidson Rottweiler. :-)

9. What's the drink you always order at Starbucks?
Well, don't go to Starbucks much, but when I order coffee it's a white chocolate mocha with a shot of caramel. :-D

10. Do you have any weird body skills?
I can wiggle my ears, touch my tongue to my nose, and raise one eyebrow at a time...

11. What's your favorite comfort food that's bad but you eat it anyways?
Macaroni and cheeeeeeese!!!!!!

Plus biscuits and gravy...lol

12. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?

I believe I have 3...though I could be wrong. Lol.

"Whatever works" for situations where someone prefers to do something a different way but squires the needed result.

"Not my division" for when something isn't mine to be done in the first place.

"If they don't like it, they should do it themselves next time." For when I've finally given up trying to make people happy and decide to guess at what works. Lol

13. What did you used to wear that you would never wear now?
 Turtlenecks. I cans stand having them on my neck!!!!

14. What did you want to be when you were young?
A doctor, so I'm not too far off with being in the medical field at least!! :-D

15. How tall are you?
5'3"...and always feeling the shortness. Lol, I make my tall friends look taller. :-P

16. Fun bonus: What are 5 ways to win your heart/become a great friend?

Listen to me. 
Try to keep a conversation going. 
Have food or coffee at any gathering, lol. 
Have a relationship with God, because I've noticed those are the easiest friendships to forge that will last a lifetime. 
Be kind to others.

~Psalms 84:10-12

Reaching Out Blindly

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." ~2 Timothy 2:15


A workman that needeth not be ashamed...I may not know all the times that a workman may be ashamed, but I do know that some of them involve a lack of knowledge on the part of the workman.  Applying that to our spiritual lives, how many times does that happen in a day? A month? Or a year?  These are moments we look back upon, wishing we could go back and do it over.  Did we listen to what the Holy Spirit was trying to tell us?  Or were we trying to do it in our own strength?  Do we even have the knowledge of such things that the Holy Spirit may use them in our lives?  We are told to study, look at everything, read our Bible, listen to what God would have us to learn and understand.  Why? so that when called upon, others can look at our lives and actions and understand that there is a reasoning behind the things we do that can be explained.

Just within the past week there have been a couple people whose final rebuttal consisted of "Just Google it, you'll understand."  Unfortunately, this only weakens a person's argument and makes their point seem a bit less valid.  Do we as Christians do this to others when they have questions about what we believe and why?  Responses such as "The Pastor can answer answer your questions" as a default, are they no better than telling someone to "just Google it"?

I will be the first to admit I don't have all the answers and will always be learning, but I will also say that it is not only the Pastor's job to have answers to other's questions, but we are to tell others what we know.  We are to help others understand and point them to Christ.  It is not only the Pastor who is to sow the seed, but all those who have been saved.  Thus we are called Christians, because we are called to be Like Christ.  We are called to reach out.

How can we reach out if we do not know?  How can we know if we do not study?  How can we study if we do not put in the time?

Study to show thyself approved unto God...are we studying to check a box? Or spend time with God and grow in His knowledge?  Which is more important to us in the end?

And when I write these posts, I'm not directing them at my audience alone, but God brings these to my heart's door first. He's asking me these questions before I even begin to type them up.

What will we do with the information God has put before us today?

Double Post Tuesday!

Normally, I would not (and may not ever again) post two things in one day, but this day is different.  The other post I have been working on for a couple days, this one came with the playing of a song.  The song is Lord Stay Close to Me by Legacy Five and can be found here.  Every time I listen to this song, it's more of an actual prayer to me than just a song.  I'm a musical person so I guess that makes sense to me...

Right now, I have a friend of mine that is going through some hard times.  Throughout this time of need, I wish I could do more for them than just listen to them and pray.  Our hard times are meant to be shared, firstly with God, but also with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  They may not be able to bear our burden for us, but they can intercede on our behalf before our heavenly Father.  They can encourage us along the way and help us to remember that though we may be going though a tough time now, this is just a season in our life and we must not let it overcome us.

It all boils down to whether or not we are strengthening our relationship with God on a daily basis.  If we are, we will lean on God through our trials and be able to strengthen others on their journey when they need it.  If we are not strengthening our relationship, we will become weak and struggle through our trials without understanding and when someone else needs help, who knows if we will be available.  My friend, a relationship with God is the only way to get through this life.  There are no magic words, objects, or people who can make our lives the best it can be, there is only God.

Are you trusting in Him?  Or are you trusting in man?

Just Stop

"Be still..." ~Psalm 46:10


This may be a small section of this verse, but even just this section holds so much meaning for the busy Christian.  I've been away from this blog for a good chunk of time...longer than I had planned.  Part of it was a few house sitting jobs I had landed recently while on my search for a more permanent job involving human interactions on a regular basis.  However, the same way we can boil down our neglect in our spiritual lives to selfishness sometimes, so I must admit that I have been focusing a lot more on "me time" than has been necessary.

Sometimes it's difficult for us to focus and take the time to really concentrate on what is important.  We get busy in the small things of the day to day life.  There's always food that needs to be made and eaten, clothes that need to be washed, dried and folded, and errands that need to be run, let alone if someone has a full time job as well.  If we want to, we will always find something to keep ourselves busy, and I really struggle with that.  There's always something that needs to be done and many times, I unfortunately manage my time poorly.

Whenever a Christian manages to have this problem, many times our relationship with our loving Father ends up suffering...and it's not fair.  This Almighty God who gave us the greatest gift of all, gets put on the back burner.  And He waits for us to realize that we can't do anything without Him and come back and ask for His forgiveness, help, and guidance. Our Abba Father wants the best for us, but also wants us to listen patiently.

Be still...stop...rest...listen to understand...

Be still...unmoving...noiseless...

Be still...calm...patient...

Be still, and know that I am God...

No one else can do for us what God does.  No one else can support us like God can.  No one else can love us like God does.  No one else can guide us like God can.

Be Still and Know That He is God...

Snow

This is just a poem that I wrote a while ago.  Since today has been filled with a lot of snow falling i figured it'd be fitting to fill this time with a reminder of God, even if it is a Christmas poem. :-D
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Snowdrops fall,
Slowly drifting ti the earth.
Winter is taking its cold grip,
On each and every hearth.

Pure white snow,
Innocent and clean,
Lays on the ground
With a beautiful gleam.

Christmas is coming,
The whisper flows through the land.
People are bustling,
Going where they've planned.

The snow lays dead flat,
Crushed by passing feet.
No one gives though,
Not in the hurrying street.

Broken and dirty,
The silent snow waits.
Someday more snow,
To cover the breaks.

Pure white souls,
The Lord to create.
In the beginning were,
But Satan just waits.

For our souls are too precious,
Ourselves to handle.
He knows our free will,
Can snuff out our candle.

He patiently watches,
The moment's just right.
We've taken the reins,
And Satan's move is just right.

Our soul is now battered,
And dirty with sin.
Only one person,
Can cleanse us within.

God patiently watches,
In heaven above.
For His child to come home,
So He can show His true love.

Jesus came to this Earth,
Our sin to redeem.
So He could reach down,
And fulfill His great scheme.

His message to us,
Within His word is hid.
Between two leather covers,
To open when we bid.

Only God thorugh His son,
Could forgive us our sins.
The only thing we can do,
Is ask forgiveness from Him.

My life I give back,
To His loving hands.
That one day with Him,
I might live in THAT land.

So dear friend I invite you,
This sweet Christmas season.
Come see a Saviour,
Whose life was given.

That you and I,
While in this world are placed
May praise HIS name,
To the human race.

Taking the Time

Many times, we as humans take time to do things we want to do, such as watch TV or eat a good meal.  Sometimes, we take the time for things that need to be done such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the dishes.  How many times though do we do things that need to be done because we want to do them? Believe it or not it IS possible for things like that to happen. It's a rare occasion sometimes and honestly, the joy that is found in things that need to be done sometimes is only found because of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

There are many times I've stopped in my life and wondered why I'm doing a certain task or action.  Sometimes there's a logical or emotional value placed behind it, sometimes, there's nothing at all.  These moments however, open a door of looking at myself and my relationship with God and seeing just how well I'm doing in that walk and if I'm truly redeeming my time the way God would have me to.

Recently, a friend of Mykaela's had a post that she shared and I'm going to tag it here because it was definitely a reminder for me to redeem the time that I have now because I am never truly promised tomorrow.  Please, take the time to read it because I believe that no matter where we are in our daily walks with Christ, the little reminders placed throughout this post are special and worth reading. :-)

Believe

"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ~John 3:15


John 3:16's lesser known sibling, but just as important.  It's mostly to emphasize that just as the serpent in the wilderness was lifted up and looked to for salvation from the sickness (as mentioned in verse 14), so Jesus was to be lifted up and looked to for salvation from sin.  However, the verse is repeated at the end of verse 16 as well, and when things are repeated, we know that it is important and should probably think about it more than to simply nod our head and agree with it.  (Though I will say now that we should never simply nod our head and agree with anything without first learning more of the facts.)

"That whosoever believeth in him" means that anyone can believe.  You, me, the neighbor down the street.  Anyone in the entire world can be believe, but we have to believe it all.  The Bible says "in Him" talking about Jesus.  It's not just enough to believe in him at face value, but we have to believe everything. We can't just pick the parts we like about Him, because the parts we may be uncomfortable with, like the reminder that we are sinners are just as important and a part of our Saviour.  We want all the things that make us feel like we're special, but set aside the fact that we are humans and should technically be sentenced to an eternity of eternal burning.  We are nothing, and Christ is everything.  He is love and justice, and we are sinners bound for a place filled with nothing but malice and pain.

"Should not perish, but have everlasting life" shows us that there is a way to have an eternity filled with Life.  Jesus is our Saviour, the one who is there reaching out towards us with nail scarred hands, wanting to lift us out of our lives of sin.  He is the one who is beside us every step of the way, waiting to help us in our hour of need and listening to every sorrow and prayer we have.  He is our friend that sticks closer than a brother. Even when we forget and falter, He is there, waiting and watching.

God doesn't want us to be separated from Him; he doesn't want us to have a life full of troubles without hope.  He sent His Son so that we may live fully with Him and for Him.

Do you believe?

Saturday Songs

Oops...well, this week has obviously been busy.  I didn't really realize I had gone a week without saying one thing!!!  Though I did get the...privilege (the mache was the best part to be honest...) of making a pinata for the kids at church to break up after our Adults "Valentine's" Banquet at church.  It was definitely a time filled with friends, fun, and good food, which I believe are some of the most important blessings in my life because of Christ.  Honestly, if I didn't have a relationship with God, I wouldn't have any of the people I call friends in my life today.  I would be on a path that didn't really lead anywhere exciting.  I'm so blessed to have a relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I could sing from the rooftops what God has given me in my life.

Well, once again I'm doing a song that a friend of mine mentioned in one of his messages at a ministry outreach.  It's a song with a beautiful reminder and exaltation to the world about how wonderful our God is with a story behind it that makes me wonder if I'm living my life to the best of my abilities.  Here is a short and interesting summerization.  Without further ado...
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What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By Joseph Scriven

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.
4. Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
   Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
   May we ever, Lord, be bringing
   All to Thee in earnest prayer.
   Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
   There will be no need for prayer—
   Rapture, praise, and endless worship
   Will be our sweet portion there.

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I pray this song brightens your day as much as it does mine.  :-)  Happy Saturday!!!

Saturday Songs

The first song of February, and it's a beautiful one of trust and strength.  The story behind it is heartbreaking, but just as the song He Keeps Me Singing seen a few weeks ago, the man who wrote this one turned to God in a hard time and relied on Him alone.  A dear friend of mine told the story during one of his messages at a nursing home we go to, and it really is a beautiful story.  If you get the chance to read it, I'll leave a link here.
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It is Well With My Soul
By Horatio Spafford

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

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Oh Yes He Cares

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,and that are in the earth,visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him." ~Colossians 1:16


We were created for God.  Plain and simple.  No need to complicate anything.  Our purpose in life is for God and to follow in the way which He leads.  Easy right?  He knows what is best for us, so why do we stray in our own ways?

There can be many reasons for our wanderings, but sometimes the only answer in because our will is different than His. Unfortunately, when we go our own way, we open ourselves up for the Devil's attacks and are soon dragged under by the weight of this world.  Satan does not want us to find our way back either.  A book that I always find interesting is The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis.  While it may not be true, it really makes the reader think about what is going on in their life.

What struggles are we facing in life?  Are those around us filled with contention and strife which is rubbing off on us?  Are there events happening that aren't typical and causing the soul to strain and our faith to waiver?

When we are saved, we are not promised lives of ease, but lives of continued strength from God.  He created us and promised to always be there for us.  He walked with Adam and Eve.  He talked to Enoch and loved him so much that Enoch was translated and did not die.  He protected Noah and his family from the flood.  He was with Joseph when Potiphar's wife lied about him.  He was with Moses leading the people out of Egypt and Joshua leading the people into the Promised Land.  I could go on and on about the many times God has proved time and again that He is there for His children if we will only turn to Him.

Many times in my life I have seen the blessed evidence of His work in my life.  Moments where only HE could have made something happen the way it did.  It's amazing what we see when we start looking at the little things God does for us, like letting us wake up in the morning and keeping a roof over our head.  He is truly and Awesome God.

Will you turn to God dear friend and give Him what is troubling you?

The Lord's Supper

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:" ~1 Corinthians 11:23


So, the other day I was tasked with making the unleavened bread for partaking in the Lord's Supper.  As I was prepping the area I'd be working in, I began to think of the process that the scribes went through when they were preparing to write the name of God onto a manuscript.  Whenever they came to God's name in their copying down of the scriptures they had, they would completely cleanse themselves and change clothes so they would be as pure as possible.  The name of God, even written, to them was so holy and precious that they dared not defile it in any way.

The name of our precious Father, however, is not reverenced quite as much today unfortunately.  His name is used in vain and sometimes we, as Christians, don't even flinch anymore because we have become so accustomed to its abuse.  Are we become so callous that it doesn't matter to us?  Do we use His name, maybe not abusively, but flippantly nonetheless?

As I stood there before the ingredients to go into the bread which was to represent Christ's body that night to others, I asked myself why I was doing this?  Was I doing it simply because it needed to be done?  Was I going to do my best?  This is a solemn observance that I will be a part of, is my heart really in the right place?  Though the real importance is what the finished product would represent that night,  each ingredient that went into the bread was important, just as each of God's children is important.

What we say and do matters.  Our attitude behind actions, the thought patterns behind motivations.  God needs to, and wants to be part of, each and every movement throughout our lives.  Will we include Him in our lives?  Is each step dictated to follow His will, or ours?

With everything we have been given, both material and spiritual, are we living our life for God?  Am I living for God?

How about you friend?  Where is your walk taking you?

Saturday Songs

This next song is usually a favorite for Altar Calls/Invitations or whatever your church may call them.  Honestly though?  I have always viewed this as a reminder of what my prayers should be.  Everyday I should be giving my all to God.  Paul tells us at one point that he dies daily, yet he lives through Christ's blood.  When I was visiting my friend this last time, we sang a song similar to this, same tune, different lyrics, but still as stunning as this one.  I believe this song is a good reminder to us of what our lives should entail, not just on the day that we accept Christ as our Saviour, but every day after that.  So without further ado...
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I Surrender All
By Judson W. Van DeVenter

1. All to Jesus I surrender,
   All to Him I freely give;
   I will ever love and trust Him,
   In His presence daily live.
   • Refrain:
     I surrender all,
     I surrender all;
     All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
     I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Humbly at His feet I bow;
   Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
   Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
   Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
   Truly know that Thou art mine.
4. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Lord, I give myself to Thee;
   Fill me with Thy love and power,
   Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5. All to Jesus I surrender,
   Now I feel the sacred flame;
   Oh, the joy of full salvation!
   Glory, glory, to His Name!
6. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So where do you stand today dear friend?  Are you giving God everything and walking with Him?  Or are you keeping things to yourself because you think you can do better.

My God is Strong

"I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness."
~Psalms 145:5-7


God is so good.  I sit here tonight...while technically being this morning...as two of my friend's babies sleep away in the NICU. So many thoughts to run through a person's mind, but the biggest one is God is in control.  He knew these events would happen and helped these strong ladies grow in Him so that they would be prepared for whatever happens in their lives. Granted, while one friend may not be as close a friend as some, the other is the friend I had just visited a couple weeks ago.  Both had their babies a couple months earlier than their due dates, and both are so full of joy that their little ones are still growing and are a part of this world now.

While we still would have preferred that they had been full term babies, God has been so good and is watching over these two families.  I am so blessed to be able to watch them and pray for them as each faces different trials throughout this new experience.  And my best friend, well she has proven to be stronger than some who are close to her expected.

The world may expect us to crumble and fail beneath the weight of adversity that is thrown at us, but is we are truly reliant upon God and His word, there is nothing that can stop us.  My God is so great and powerful that my friend was beginning to prepare for her little one's arrival while I was down there.  She didn't need to, but there was a desire instilled in her for some reason, and now there is that much less that she needs to think about.  God has given her and her husband such strength that I thank Him everyday that I get to be a participant in their life.

I love them, and I love My God, the one who died for me.  He not only watches over them, but He watches over me, even though I am far from worthy of His love and grace.  I can never cease to praise His name and I never want to.  He has done so much for me and led me to so many great people that I would have NEVER met otherwise.  He is so great and powerful above all things.

Will you tell others about what He has done in your life?

Fun Times Continued

So, now that I have my charger back and a bit more time to spare, I shall finish the task I set about last night...well, kinda this morning...

I honestly can't believe it, but I forgot my main Go-To song!!!  This one is actually a pretty special song to me as it is a friend's favorite and it's actually pretty straightforward in the child-like simplicity of it all.  Lord I Need You is one of the most beautiful songs I know...and it's a plea that I remember when times are hard, and when times are good.

Also, I figure I'll leave some questions for those who want to answer them, even if it's just to think about the questions and write them down for yourself. :-)

1)  Who is your favorite Bible Character?

2)  Hoodies or Jackets?

3)  If you could go anywhere free of charge for a month, where would it be?

4)  What would the "perfect day" consist of?

5)  Of all the people you've ever met, is there one person you miss the most?

6)  Would you rather eat pancakes everyday for breakfast, or waffles?

7)  Do you have a favorite Bible verse or chapter?  If so, which one?

8)  What is your favorite movie?

9)  What is one thing (moment, mammal, object) that has affected your life the most?

10)  If you could have any vehicle, what would it be?

Anywho, just random thoughts that actually took a bit longer than I would have liked to come up with.  However, the questions are down and thoughts are to be had.  :-)  Happy Monday!!!

Fun Times

WOW!  I can't believe it's already over half way through January...where has time gone?  Just last week I was in Palmer spoiling my niece and best friend (hence the lack of posts ;-).  This month is just getting busier, specially with new prospects on the horizon for me as I begin on the journey towards actually getting a job.

However, as I was getting ready to get back on the ball of posting something, I decided to check my dear friend Mykaela's blog. Obviously with focusing on my friend and niece, I had fallen behind, and missed a vital post!  I have been tagged in a questionnaire of sorts.  Unfortunately, the only blogger I know personally is the person who tagged me!  Nobody said I couldn't just answer the questions placed to me though. :-)

This first little bit is about the reasoning behind this type of questioning.

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"Liebster. 

No, it's not English. 

'Lieb' means 'Love' in German. The suffix '-ster' is very similar to an English superlative. 'Liebster', then, means something along the lines of 'Beloved', or 'Most Loved'. 

As far as I can tell, the Liebster Tag (previously, "Liebster Award") began as a way to recognize and promote your favorite and/or new bloggers."

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So without further ado, Mykaela's questions and my answers to them. :-)

1. What are some of your favorite Christian artists or groups?

I love quartets!!!  So Greater Vision and Legacy Five are some of the top.  I also love a lot of Ron Hamilton music.  I'm kind of a basic gal with simple pleasures.

2. What genre do you enjoy reading most?

Ummmm, other than the Bible and things associated with it, I have a few "Young Adult" series that I like such as The Ranger's Apprentice and The Inheritance Series.

3. What person has been the biggest influence or made the biggest impact on your life?

Other than God?  I would have to say my Dad.  Honestly, a lot of who I am today is because I've always looked up to him.  He's hard working and likes to hunt. ;-)

4. What is your most important goal in life right now?

Well, waking up on the right side of the dirt is always a top priority.  Right now I think remembering to spend time with God like I do my other friends is definitely an important goal for me.   Sometimes I forget that He's not just someone I associate, but He's my friend and Abba Father...I need to spend time with Him as such.

5. What's one of your favorite childhood memories? 

Reading.  I have always loved reading.  I also remember playing Lord of the Rings during recess at the church academy.  That's where I get my awesome social skills from...and maybe part of the reason I don't get intimidated easily...

6. What are a couple of hobbies or talents of yours?

Well, I hold down couches pretty well, Lol.  I love to sing and cook, and sometimes sing while I'm cooking.  I recently learned I'm good at making tortillas!!!  Unfortunately, I like to eat the food I cook too.  ;-)  I can also speak whale...

7. Is there one song that you always go back to for encouragement or just because you love it? :)

Ummm, kind of difficult because there are actually three that I usually go for.  You Are My Refuge by Meghan Hamilton. Till The Storm Passes Over, which is a hymn.  You Are Loved by Josh Groban. 

8. What is a food that you really don't like?

Eggplant...only had it taste good once...barely. Lol

9. Favorite instrument? (To listen to or play)

Um, I have to say I'm quite partial to the trombone and love a good trombone piece, mostly because I play it myself.  As a stringed instrument though, Viola's are beautiful and have a marvelously rich tone to them.

10. Early bird or night owl? ;)

Well...Seems how I'm doing this at midnight my time, I'd have to say a night owl with early bird tendencies!  XD

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Well folks, my battery is dying and I want to be able to post this, so I shall save more adventures for the next post.  :-)

A Way of Speaking

"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." ~ Matthew 5:37


One of my pet peeves is when someone has a problem, but decides to beat around the bush instead of talking about it and then getting upset when the person they have a problem with doesn't fix what's wrong.  God says that our communications should be straightforward.  When we say yes, we should mean yes.  There is no beating around the bush when it comes to God.

Look at when Jesus is confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees!  He flat out calls them the hypocrites that they were.  These people would wander around, boasting of what they did outwardly while inside their hearts was sinful pride continually.  Even when we look at Romans 3:23 and verses surrounding that one.  Nothing is left for guessing when God speaks.

God doesn't mince words and try to keep people guessing. Satan, on the other hand, does.  As we saw in the post Our Defense, Satan knows the Bible and will use it against us if he can.  He'll take verses out of context and turn them around on us, kind of like the name it and claim it messages that the TV preachers are always telling us about.  Which name it and claim it only works if we are following Jesus closely and have a relationship with Him, because then we will name and claim God's will for our lives.

God has such blessing in store for us throughout our lives if we follow Him, but how can we be close to Him when we are full of sin?  Many people may not see partial truths being lies and sinning against God, but really, how is that our Yes being Yes and No being No?  Can we live for God while keeping others guessing at our communications?

I believe that God wants us to be honest always.  Now sometimes we may need to think about wording before that honesty comes out of our mouths.  Much damage can be done with this unruly tongue of ours, sometimes ESPECIALLY if it's the truth that is being spoken.  People can be built up or torn down with a single honest word.

If we follow God closely, He will guide our words as we walk along with Him.

Saturday Songs

1. My Pastor mentioned this last song in his sermon on Wednesday. The history behind it is moderately surprising, but so full of blessing once you think of the impact God had on this man's life.  I'll leave a link to the history here.  It's such a beautiful song and one that I don't mind singing over and over again.  :-)
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3. He Keeps Me Singing
4. By Luther B. Bridges
5. 
   
6. There’s within my heart a melody
   Jesus whispers sweet and low,
   Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
   In all of life’s ebb and flow.
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
     Sweetest Name I know,
     Fills my every longing,
     Keeps me singing as I go.
7. All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
   Discord filled my heart with pain,
   Jesus swept across the broken strings,
   Stirred the slumb’ring chords again.
8. Feasting on the riches of His grace,
   Resting ’neath His shelt’ring wing,
   Always looking on His smiling face,
   That is why I shout and sing.
9. Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
   Trials fall across the way,
   Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
   See His footprints all the way.
10. Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,
    Far beyond the starry sky;
    I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
    I shall reign with Him on high.

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May this song be a blessed reminder that no matter what, God is with us and always there to help us along our way.