So I have not had the chance to blog in a while, but I just had to tonight! I just got home from a Living Free Bible Study that I am in on Thursday nights and I am honestly just overwhelmed with how incredible and amazing God is!
In the study tonight we were discussing satisfaction and that we can only find satisfaction in God. Through the course of this conversation we got on the topic of how incredibly BIG our God is. One of the points that was brought up was that when situations that arise in our lives appear to be overwhelmingly big, we need to remind ourselves that God is bigger!
I thought about that through the whole study tonight and then on the way home the song "O For a Thousand Tongues To Sing" (David Crowder Version) came on the radio. I have to take a minute right here and say this is one of those songs that rings through my mind for days after I hear it! I love it! It is absolutely amazing! So as I am pulling into the apartment complex it is still on and I am thinking to myself :I have to blog about this song! If for no other reason than to simply share the lyrics with family and friends!" SO I knew I would have to look up the lyrics when I got inside.
So I finally got to a point where I could sit at the computer and look up the lyrics. And once I looked up the lyrics, I wanted to know the history of the song. So I looked that up to! :) And the story just blessed me! Charles Wesley wrote this hymn/poem one year after coming to know Christ. He and his brother were sick and a group of Christians began to care for them. Charles began to read the Bible and God began revealing Himself to Charles. This is when he says he came to know Christ. God began to heal his body and his brother also and the two were so grateful for the healing that they wrote a hymn. Then one year after this event they wrote the song "O, For a Thousand Tongues To Sing," (not its original name) to celebrate their healing and life-change! The song that we know now is only a portion of the original poem. Here it is:
O, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of His grace
My gracious Master and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name
So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love Jesus
Jesus, the name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears
‘Tis life and health and peace
He breaks the power of cancelled sin
He sets the prisoners free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me
He speaks and listening to His voice
New life the dead receive
The mournful broken hearts rejoice
The humble poor believe
Glory to God and praise and love
Be ever, ever giv’n
By saints below and saints above
The church in earth and Heav’n
There are so few words
That never grow old
There are so few words
That never grow old
Jesus
The italicized portions are add-ins done by David Crowder.
This song is incredible! I love the words! It is such a reminder of how BIG and GREAT God is in our lives each day! I especially love the chorus added in at the end of the song. How true that there are so few words that we never tire of using! So many words come in and out with fads, but Jesus is not one of those words! The sound of His name never gets old!
I hope this encourages those who read to remember how BIG our God is! No matter what the situation we face, He is bigger!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Extreme Make Over Home Edition
I absolutely love this show! And I absolutely love the family on the show this week!
This family has adopted children from China. Older children with special needs that would not be adopted in many other situations. When Ty asked the mother about why they chose to adopt, she simply said "They needed a place to live." So matter-of-factly! So amazing! Not over complicated, just the simple truth. They needed a place to live, and we have a place.
As they went through the house, Ty noticed a bowl of rice grains sitting on the table. The lady explained to him that in Chinese culture, a full rice bowl is a sign of having all you need, not being in want.
We are only 20 mins in to the show! If you missed this episode you should watch it online! :)
This family has adopted children from China. Older children with special needs that would not be adopted in many other situations. When Ty asked the mother about why they chose to adopt, she simply said "They needed a place to live." So matter-of-factly! So amazing! Not over complicated, just the simple truth. They needed a place to live, and we have a place.
As they went through the house, Ty noticed a bowl of rice grains sitting on the table. The lady explained to him that in Chinese culture, a full rice bowl is a sign of having all you need, not being in want.
We are only 20 mins in to the show! If you missed this episode you should watch it online! :)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Some Verses to Think On!
"You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine."
Psalm 4:7
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord will keep me safe."
Psalm 4:8
"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
A good friend shared these verses with me the other night! I am so glad she did! She shared them because they are verses that God has been using to encourage her and set her focus on him during a time of uncertainty for her and her family. I think that these verses are encouraging no matter what our situation!
I have to go a little more in depth on that last verse! How many times to we pray for God to help or provide for us in certain situations and then leave that time of prayer thinking of all the ways we can make things work and take care of that need in our lives! In this verse David says that he waits expectantly for God to deal with the requests he lays out each morning!
As I read that verse, knowing that tomorrow is Easter, this thought comes to mind:
If David, on the opposite side of the resurrection, waited expectantly for God to handle the issues of his life, how much more should we wait expectantly as we lay our lives before Christ each day?
David had experienced God's victory in battles and knew that God could be trusted. We too have experienced God's faithfulness! We know how He has been faithful in our lives, we see His faithfulness throughout scripture, and we see His faithful work in the lives of other believers around us! Lord help us to always remember that you are the One who created our lives, and because of that You alone know best how to handle each situation that arises in our lives!
"I found Him faithful yesterday.
We know this to be true from our own experiences in our relationship with God! Look toward Easter remembering that God who was faithful then, has not changed in any way! He is as faithful today as He was 2,000 years ago!
Happy Easter!
Psalm 4:7
"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord will keep me safe."
Psalm 4:8
"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to You and wait expectantly."
Psalm 5:3
Psalm 5:3
A good friend shared these verses with me the other night! I am so glad she did! She shared them because they are verses that God has been using to encourage her and set her focus on him during a time of uncertainty for her and her family. I think that these verses are encouraging no matter what our situation!
I have to go a little more in depth on that last verse! How many times to we pray for God to help or provide for us in certain situations and then leave that time of prayer thinking of all the ways we can make things work and take care of that need in our lives! In this verse David says that he waits expectantly for God to deal with the requests he lays out each morning!
As I read that verse, knowing that tomorrow is Easter, this thought comes to mind:
If David, on the opposite side of the resurrection, waited expectantly for God to handle the issues of his life, how much more should we wait expectantly as we lay our lives before Christ each day?
David had experienced God's victory in battles and knew that God could be trusted. We too have experienced God's faithfulness! We know how He has been faithful in our lives, we see His faithfulness throughout scripture, and we see His faithful work in the lives of other believers around us! Lord help us to always remember that you are the One who created our lives, and because of that You alone know best how to handle each situation that arises in our lives!
"I found Him faithful yesterday.
He will not be unfaithful today!"
Living Free by Beth Moore
We know this to be true from our own experiences in our relationship with God! Look toward Easter remembering that God who was faithful then, has not changed in any way! He is as faithful today as He was 2,000 years ago!
Happy Easter!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Graffiti Clean-up
So yesterday I was able to go with the Student Ministry @ Hope to do graffiti clean-up. The students had already done some graffiti clean-up in the area the previous day and the goal was to go back and get the rest done.
As we were painting, I kept thinking about the whole situation and how great an analogy could be drawn to our lives as Christians and graffiti clean-up. So here goes...
When we first come to Christ confessing that our way is wrong and that His way is the only way and we trust Him as our Savior He forgives us and chooses to remember our sin no more! The picture in my mind now is the wall that we painted ( I wish I had pictures to show you - didn't have my camera). Before it was covered in graffiti, for this analogy - sin, but then after we painted it it was clean you could not even see the old graffiti underneath. Now please understand this is not a perfect analogy. God has the power to completely get rid of our sin. It is GONE, unlike the graffiti, which is still there just covered by a layer of paint. However, the picture is the same. The wall is clean of imperfections.
As we were painting the point was brought up that this would probably have graffiti on it again within a short amount of time. This is true, and this also parallels our lives so perfectly! After we become a Christian, there will still be times, many times that we mess up and sin. That is just like us painting graffiti all over a wall that God has cleaned for us.
Our God is patient and loving and just and if we confess the sin in our life to Him, He will clean the graffiti off again. In NO WAY does this give us the right to simply do whatever we want because we have this promise of forgiveness! For the believer, this is never the desire! The desire is to become more and more like Christ.
"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace...But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them so not belong to him at all.)" Romans 8:6, 9
As we were painting, I kept thinking about the whole situation and how great an analogy could be drawn to our lives as Christians and graffiti clean-up. So here goes...
When we first come to Christ confessing that our way is wrong and that His way is the only way and we trust Him as our Savior He forgives us and chooses to remember our sin no more! The picture in my mind now is the wall that we painted ( I wish I had pictures to show you - didn't have my camera). Before it was covered in graffiti, for this analogy - sin, but then after we painted it it was clean you could not even see the old graffiti underneath. Now please understand this is not a perfect analogy. God has the power to completely get rid of our sin. It is GONE, unlike the graffiti, which is still there just covered by a layer of paint. However, the picture is the same. The wall is clean of imperfections.
As we were painting the point was brought up that this would probably have graffiti on it again within a short amount of time. This is true, and this also parallels our lives so perfectly! After we become a Christian, there will still be times, many times that we mess up and sin. That is just like us painting graffiti all over a wall that God has cleaned for us.
Our God is patient and loving and just and if we confess the sin in our life to Him, He will clean the graffiti off again. In NO WAY does this give us the right to simply do whatever we want because we have this promise of forgiveness! For the believer, this is never the desire! The desire is to become more and more like Christ.
"So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace...But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them so not belong to him at all.)" Romans 8:6, 9
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Psalm 105:19
So the other night I was at the House of Blues - because you all know that I frequent the House of Blues @ Mandalay Bay, especially @ 10pm! Anyway, I was there to watch MP&Co. play (their second time playing there and they did an amazing job!) It was one of those times when I really wasn't sure if I should go because it was so late at night and I had to get up early for school the next morning, so I knew I needed to go but was not looking forward to being up late and getting up early.
So I ended up going, of course, and ate dinner there with some friends because I had been to Bible Study right before and had not eaten dinner yet. So we get our food eat and get the bill and we are absolutely floored by the price! For 5 meals out bill was $111.00! INSANE!! So as we are sitting and trying to figure out all of the craziness with our bill, a friend of mine came over to day hi! It was Brea Gotthardt. She had come this time because Paul, her husband, had come to hear the guys the last time they were at House of Blues and told her that she had to come this time. And she was so excited! We were talking and I began sharing with her about all that God was doing in mine and Zeke's life with our big move coming up and then all that God was doing in my family because of my dad's diagnoses of cancer. She stood there and listened to my story and then she said that she was so excited for Zeke and I and all that God was doing and going to do in our lives. She shared with me that she thought it was so great because there will be others watching me and my family as we handle each and every part of this situation that God has blessed us with. And who knows who will grow closer to God or come to know God through watching us handle this situation. She then proceeded to give me homework! :) She wrote down Psalm 105 on a napkin (that by the way totally had someone's gum in it!) and told me to read through this chapter and that I was looking for a verse that told about the life of Joseph. So I took the napkin and put it in my purse (after I tore off the part with the gum in it!) and when I got home I pulled it out and read through Psalm 105. As I read through, the chapter I came to verse 19, and it says "Until the time came to fulfill Joseph's dream, the Lord tested his character." God spoke so clearly to me through that verse and the conversation with Brea that first of all God has brought this into the life of my family. He knows exactly what is going on and it never surprised Him in the least! And secondly that God has a purpose for this situation. There is something that He desires to accomplish in me and/or through me by using this. I remember talking about trials in our James Bible Study this past Fall and one of the things that was brought up was that it is much easier to handle trials that come into our lives when we realize that there is a purpose for them! I guess that is where I am right now! I realize that there is a reason for all of this and I just need to keep seeking after God with all my heart. When we seek Him, He will most certainly be found! :)
So I ended up going, of course, and ate dinner there with some friends because I had been to Bible Study right before and had not eaten dinner yet. So we get our food eat and get the bill and we are absolutely floored by the price! For 5 meals out bill was $111.00! INSANE!! So as we are sitting and trying to figure out all of the craziness with our bill, a friend of mine came over to day hi! It was Brea Gotthardt. She had come this time because Paul, her husband, had come to hear the guys the last time they were at House of Blues and told her that she had to come this time. And she was so excited! We were talking and I began sharing with her about all that God was doing in mine and Zeke's life with our big move coming up and then all that God was doing in my family because of my dad's diagnoses of cancer. She stood there and listened to my story and then she said that she was so excited for Zeke and I and all that God was doing and going to do in our lives. She shared with me that she thought it was so great because there will be others watching me and my family as we handle each and every part of this situation that God has blessed us with. And who knows who will grow closer to God or come to know God through watching us handle this situation. She then proceeded to give me homework! :) She wrote down Psalm 105 on a napkin (that by the way totally had someone's gum in it!) and told me to read through this chapter and that I was looking for a verse that told about the life of Joseph. So I took the napkin and put it in my purse (after I tore off the part with the gum in it!) and when I got home I pulled it out and read through Psalm 105. As I read through, the chapter I came to verse 19, and it says "Until the time came to fulfill Joseph's dream, the Lord tested his character." God spoke so clearly to me through that verse and the conversation with Brea that first of all God has brought this into the life of my family. He knows exactly what is going on and it never surprised Him in the least! And secondly that God has a purpose for this situation. There is something that He desires to accomplish in me and/or through me by using this. I remember talking about trials in our James Bible Study this past Fall and one of the things that was brought up was that it is much easier to handle trials that come into our lives when we realize that there is a purpose for them! I guess that is where I am right now! I realize that there is a reason for all of this and I just need to keep seeking after God with all my heart. When we seek Him, He will most certainly be found! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
