Wonderful, Merciful Savior

For the past week I have had a song running through my head, and have been singing it over and over again. "Wonderful Merciful Savior." I thought I would look up the history of the song to see what spark of  inspiration was behind it (which I do quite often with music). Well, it was written in 1989 by Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse, and to my surprise, there was no dramatic story behind it. The writer just heard a melody in her head and the song with lyrics came to be within the following week. It just fell into place, starting with this melody that came out of nowhere. That is awesome. I love it.

I posted this picture depicting the account of Jesus forgiving the woman caught in adultery in the book of John 8:1-11. To me this is such an awesome example of what a wonderful, merciful, Savior is capable of doing. How many times have we done something and wanted to be forgiven? How many times have we not forgiven others? How many time will Jesus forgive? Seven times seventy times infinity I say. I remember when I first came to know the Lord...I needed to know I could start over again-that I could be forgiven. That is what this picture reminds me about- the days when I first came to know Jesus. This song causes me to pause and reflect on the goodness of my Lord and Savior. He is the one that offered me hope when I hopelessly lost the way- He gave the healing and grace my heart always hungered for. The same hope is the hope He gives today. It's timeless, limitless and abounding with grace.

Faith Like A Child

"Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day."

 Psalm 25:4-5

How many times have I sat and thought,"Why didn't I just try " or "Should I have pushed just a little harder?" I have had many of those moments. It's not that I feel I failed at anything I have put my hands to- it's just that I know when I could have been more persevering in what the Lord was asking of me. I needed more faith. I need to completely trust one hundred percent that the Lord is speaking and leading. I know He is- it's just I want to completely embrace it.

 I believe I am walking into that now and it's a very secure place to be. I feel the most secure when I choose to trust God in whatever predicament I come across. The situation could be tiny or of the utmost significance. I sometimes can't even wrap my head around it-  I just choose to believe and walk it out. I hope to say it's like having childlike faith. Children are amazing. They see the world through a different set of eyes and are very trusting. That's where I want to be. I want to believe and trust God on a more deeper level and get a touch from Him.

So this is my prayer- "Oh Lord, help me trust You and believe You for the impossible and the possible in my life. Lord help me see from Your perspective- always... lead me in the way to go and I will follow."

All My Days

Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Matt. 9:37,38

So it's fall again. Although the season is quite beautiful, I have in the past, seemed to dread the arrival of it. To me it was a reminder that everything green is gonna die and soon the long months of cold weather will be upon us.

This time I see it differently.

I am looking forward to this season with expectation and awe. It has been some time since I have posted a blog and I felt it was time that I take it up again. Life is beautiful. I want to live every day like it's my last. So grateful to the Lord for so many things... I have a wonderful husband, We have our health, we have a roof over our heads...But the greatest thing ever is knowing that even in the hard times we are content, clinging on to the the truth which Jesus has provided for us. Our prayer is that He would continue to use us for His work and share the love of Christ to those who need a touch from Him.

Today we hear it from all directions- nothing but bad news all the time, on the news, inflation...the world seems to be in complete chaos. Questions like-"who's gonna fix it and when" are flying back and forth like nobody's business. Yet in the midst of it all we hear a quiet voice that says "be still." Be still and know that God has it all under control. And He sure does!

Anyhow, glad to be back on here to share my thoughts and other happenings in our life. Gracious Vine Music (the worship band I am a member of) will be playing at Kings Corner this Friday night- Open Mic Night. I soo enjoy using the gifts that He has given me to worship anytime- anyplace. I'm sure it will be a great night. Other artists will be sharing also so it's gonna be really cool!

The Frangipani is one beautiful flower..

My sister in law sent a pic of a flower that grew outside her apartment door in Australia. I thought it was the most beautiful thing. Considering it was winter here and summer down under, I was filled with the instant desire to be taken away to a warm place where the flowers were in bloom and their fragrance filled the air. Well, I couldn't do that so I had to just settle with the thought. In December, she had returned from her year long stay in Aussie Land, and I thought it would be nice to draw some frangipani’s (photo below) for her so she could be reminded of all that the Lord did while she was at Hillsong College.
In all its fragrant beauty, even the days of this flower are numbered. The beauty withers and dries up, no longer does its sweet scent fill the air. Sometimes we can relate to this in our lives, not about passing on but about seasons we enter in and out of. I have found myself at a time in my walk with Christ where it was so filled with wonderful color and oh so much fragrance... it is still somewhat the same, but not as it was then. It was for a season. What do we know about seasons? Well, they are cyclical, that means they come around full circle, again and again..
This is nice if your season was enjoyable. What if it was not so great? What does this mean? I have to go through that again? Possibly, maybe, perhaps...but one thing is for sure- When the Lord is with you, you CAN stand! The breath of the Lord blows on our lives carrying us and guiding us in the direction that is good. We can be assured that even though the times pass and we enter into different "seasons" that the word of the Lord STANDS FOREVER. Grass withers and the flowers fade....Press into the Lord today and hold your head up, knowing He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?”
“ All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40: 6-8.

"Let Not Your Hands be Weak"

Zephaniah 3-16,17
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

" The Lord, your God- in your midst"...Wow. This is always made so visual to me when I picture the Tabernacle of Moses. This statement alone should blow any believer away. I know it does this for me. Last month I attended Joanna Fruhauf's study on the Tabernacle of Moses. Instantly I was taken back as if I was getting a bird's eye view of the the whole layout. I couldn't help thinking, "Wow, the presence of God was in their midst!" His presence was with the children of Israel! He must have really loved them! He did and He still has that same love even for us. This stuck with me as I had gone to bed that night into the morning. I was reminded of the scripture in Zephaniah 3: 16,17. At that moment, I recollected a sketch in a journal that I had done a few years ago of a harp..and on that page I had written this very scripture! The Lord our God is in our midst and He will rejoice over us with gladness, He quiets us with his love, He will rejoice over us with singing! He does all this and more! To think that He has the same love, and the desire for us to be in His presence as He did so many years ago. I am privileged to know such a Lord. How awesome to know that the Tabernacle of Moses was a foreshadowing of the coming Christ! I am so humbled that such an awesome, mighty God would have such deep concern, adoration and love for us!

Yes and one more thing- Don't let your hands be weak! HE IS WITH YOU!! No matter what you may be experiencing in this moment, know that you are not doing it alone- The Lord, your God is in your midst! He is no respector of persons- remember the Isrealites also struggled in obeying God. We all fall short, but He gives us the strength to overcome the greatest obstacles we face if we would cry and call out unto Him.

Looking for a Way. psalm 119:9-12.

9.How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10. With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11. Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12. Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.

There's not many that have it all down. I certainly don't don't. Each of us has a way that works for us. I would say, "Hey, pick up the bible and read and understand it. Don't go by what you've heard other people say, don't go by what media says, just read it for what it is and hear what it is telling you- literally." That sounds like a good answer. Hmmm...

What am I saying? We all make mistakes and fall off track at least once or twice...maybe even more times in our life. How can this cycle come to and end or to a close ?

Listen closely to what the words in the scriptures are saying.

9.How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word. Psalm 119:9

What does His word's speak to you?