Just watch...and worship. Thank you, Kari, for using the immense talent God gave you to give it back to Him.
Wish it could be easy
Why is life so messy
Why is pain a part of us
There are days I feel like
Nothing ever goes right
Sometimes it just hurts so much
But You're here
You're real
I know I can trust You
Even when it hurts
Even when it's hard
Even when it all just falls apart
I will run to You
Cause I know that You are
Lover of my soul
Healer of my scars
You steady my heart
You steady my heart
I'm not gonna worry
I know that You got me
Right inside the palm of your hand
Each and every moment
What's good and what gets broken
Happens just the way that You plan
And I will run to You
You're my refuge in Your arms
And I will sing to You
Cause of everything You are
You steady my heart
You steady my heart
Showing posts with label pen strokes in music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pen strokes in music. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Renewed Hope for a New Year
It's been a long while since I've updated, but I had a bit of a moment in the car after work today, and I wanted to share.
New Year's is my second favorite holiday - second only to Christmas. There's something magical about going into a new year - fresh starts, clean slates, big dreams, etc. I love the hopeful feeling that comes with knowing you can make of the year whatever you wish.
However, New Year's can also be a time where it's hard to see the hope. It can be a time when you're reminded that another year has passed and you're still waiting. Waiting for pain to go away, waiting for healing to come, waiting for a blessing, waiting for some guidance, or just waiting. This year I myself had one of those times, but today I was reminded in a big way that I have a hope that truly endures no matter what.
Driving home from work today, I heard Natalie Grant's "Our Hope Endures" on the radio, and it completely overwhelmed me. I'm not a crier, and there were tears. I'll let it speak for itself, but remember that you too can have a relationship with the God of the universe, and He will never ever leave you even if you have to wait out the storm. He'll always be there with you, and He has a perfect plan and perfect timing.
"Our Hope Endures"
You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here
Oh, but sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
How do we comprehend peace within pain?
Or joy at a good man's wake?
Walk a mile with the woman whose body is torn
With illness but she marches on
Oh, 'cause sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
Emmanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
We never walk alone
And this is our hope
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
New Year's is my second favorite holiday - second only to Christmas. There's something magical about going into a new year - fresh starts, clean slates, big dreams, etc. I love the hopeful feeling that comes with knowing you can make of the year whatever you wish.
However, New Year's can also be a time where it's hard to see the hope. It can be a time when you're reminded that another year has passed and you're still waiting. Waiting for pain to go away, waiting for healing to come, waiting for a blessing, waiting for some guidance, or just waiting. This year I myself had one of those times, but today I was reminded in a big way that I have a hope that truly endures no matter what.
Driving home from work today, I heard Natalie Grant's "Our Hope Endures" on the radio, and it completely overwhelmed me. I'm not a crier, and there were tears. I'll let it speak for itself, but remember that you too can have a relationship with the God of the universe, and He will never ever leave you even if you have to wait out the storm. He'll always be there with you, and He has a perfect plan and perfect timing.
"Our Hope Endures"
You would think only so much can go wrong
Calamity only strikes once
And you assume this one has suffered her share
Life will be kinder from here
Oh, but sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
How do we comprehend peace within pain?
Or joy at a good man's wake?
Walk a mile with the woman whose body is torn
With illness but she marches on
Oh, 'cause sometimes the sun stays hidden for years
Sometimes the sky rains night after night
When will it clear?
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
Emmanuel, God is with us
El Shaddai, all sufficient
We never walk alone
And this is our hope
But our Hope endures the worst of conditions
It's more than our optimism
Let the earth quake
Our Hope is unchanged
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Lifter of My Head
"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head." -Psalm 3:3
We sang a song at Lawndale this morning that reminded me of this verse, and I had forgotten how much I loved it. The image created here speaks to the tenderness of my Savior. Can't you just picture Him? He sees your head hanging low with the pain, heartaches, and weights of this world, tear-stained, puffy-eyed, and defeated, and he gently takes your chin in his hand and tilts it up so that your eyes meet as if to say, "I'm right here. I see your pain, and I can take your burden. There's no pain I can't handle...no pain that catches me off guard. I know your every day before you live it, and you are never, ever alone. I am here. Always."
Let Him be the lifter of your head today.
We sang a song at Lawndale this morning that reminded me of this verse, and I had forgotten how much I loved it. The image created here speaks to the tenderness of my Savior. Can't you just picture Him? He sees your head hanging low with the pain, heartaches, and weights of this world, tear-stained, puffy-eyed, and defeated, and he gently takes your chin in his hand and tilts it up so that your eyes meet as if to say, "I'm right here. I see your pain, and I can take your burden. There's no pain I can't handle...no pain that catches me off guard. I know your every day before you live it, and you are never, ever alone. I am here. Always."
Let Him be the lifter of your head today.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Laura Story - "Blessings"
We've recently been studying this idea of crying out to God in our Life Journey Group at Lawndale, and I came across this song on the radio today that blessed my heart and pretty much sums up what we've been discussing. I hope it touches you today too. :)
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Love's Like a Hurricane; I Am a Tree
I admit I've been a slacker blogger lately, and I promise I will get back to the finding God in Harry Potter series (eventually), but I'd like to share with you about the incredible meeting God and I had this weekend at the retreat at Caswell Beach.
If I'm perfectly honest with you, God and I have not been on the best of terms lately. It's not like we've been at odds or anything, but for the past few months or so, I've been dragged down by this awful apathy about my walk with Him. I've still been going through the motions, but my passion was zilch. I was stuck in a rut and couldn't get out. I went into this weekend praying basically two things: 1. Lord, please meet me here this weekend so I may refocus and fall in love with You all over again and 2. Lord, please don't let me be distracted by all the cute Christian guys (Did I mention it was a singles' retreat?) (I told you I was being perfectly honest!) ;) Wow, did God ever answer those prayers. I won't go into detail about that second request except to say that He was the focus of my weekend and I met some amazing brothers (and sisters) in Christ this weekend.
As for the first request, God knew this weekend that I needed to get back to the basics of our relationship, and by that I basically mean that He reminded me that The Gospel can pretty much be summed up in one word: love. As in...He loves me. A lot. And He wants me to share that love with as much passion as a parent who can't stop talking about how much they love their kid or a lover who can't stop talking about how much they love their beloved. He is my one true love, and He always will be no matter who else may come along. And He is jealous for me. Wrap your head around that statement from the David Crowder song for a second. The God who created the universe is jealous for your love. He wants you to give Him your whole heart and being. He is jealous when you put anything above Him because He can love you more than anything else could possible dream to.
God really used David Crowder's "How He Loves" while He was working in my heart this weekend. I couldn't get it out of my head all weekend, and I'm a firm believer that He puts particular praise songs in your head like that for a reason. (Random fact: the technical term for this is "earworm." Ew.) I keep singing that song over and over in my mind..."(His) love's like a hurricane...I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy." Such powerful words. I've been through a few hurricanes in my time in Louisiana, so images of raging wind that will not cease and forever change the landscape around it come to mind. Then on Sunday, we drove back by some trees I'd seen all weekend, and all of this finally clicked for me (This is not the actual tree...this is one from some random person's Flickr account, but you get the drift)...
These funny-looking trees definitely stand out from the landscape. They don't stand up tall like normal trees because they have been physically altered by their prolonged exposure to high, hurricane-force winds coming in from the ocean. Even when these strong winds are not present, you can still see their permanent effects on the trees. There is clear evidence of change...of something out of the ordinary. Do you see where I'm going with this? The hurricane force of God's love for us is permanently changing when you accept it. It bends you and molds you in ways that make you holy and set apart and make people who look at you say, "There is something different about this person. Something must have made them that way." We are ordinary people who God uses in extraordinary ways for the furthering of His kingdom.
So here's my prayer in light of all that's been stirring in my heart this weekend. Lord, may our lives reflect your amazing love. Let your love be clearly evident in our lives so that others may come to know You through the testimony of our changed lives. You say in your word that people will know we are Yours by our love. Let that love flow freely out of an overflow of our hearts. Let us serve you and love others out of passion not out of duty. I don't want to go through the motions, Lord. I want others to see Your love in me and want it for themselves. Help me not fall victim to apathy again. "Show me how to love like You have loved me" and "break my heart for what breaks yours." Give me compassion with action, and thank you, thank you, thank you for your jealous love for me. Forgive me for the times I give you reasons to be jealous by putting other things before you. Help me live a life on mission wherever I am. I am Yours. Forever. Amen.
If I'm perfectly honest with you, God and I have not been on the best of terms lately. It's not like we've been at odds or anything, but for the past few months or so, I've been dragged down by this awful apathy about my walk with Him. I've still been going through the motions, but my passion was zilch. I was stuck in a rut and couldn't get out. I went into this weekend praying basically two things: 1. Lord, please meet me here this weekend so I may refocus and fall in love with You all over again and 2. Lord, please don't let me be distracted by all the cute Christian guys (Did I mention it was a singles' retreat?) (I told you I was being perfectly honest!) ;) Wow, did God ever answer those prayers. I won't go into detail about that second request except to say that He was the focus of my weekend and I met some amazing brothers (and sisters) in Christ this weekend.
As for the first request, God knew this weekend that I needed to get back to the basics of our relationship, and by that I basically mean that He reminded me that The Gospel can pretty much be summed up in one word: love. As in...He loves me. A lot. And He wants me to share that love with as much passion as a parent who can't stop talking about how much they love their kid or a lover who can't stop talking about how much they love their beloved. He is my one true love, and He always will be no matter who else may come along. And He is jealous for me. Wrap your head around that statement from the David Crowder song for a second. The God who created the universe is jealous for your love. He wants you to give Him your whole heart and being. He is jealous when you put anything above Him because He can love you more than anything else could possible dream to.
God really used David Crowder's "How He Loves" while He was working in my heart this weekend. I couldn't get it out of my head all weekend, and I'm a firm believer that He puts particular praise songs in your head like that for a reason. (Random fact: the technical term for this is "earworm." Ew.) I keep singing that song over and over in my mind..."(His) love's like a hurricane...I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy." Such powerful words. I've been through a few hurricanes in my time in Louisiana, so images of raging wind that will not cease and forever change the landscape around it come to mind. Then on Sunday, we drove back by some trees I'd seen all weekend, and all of this finally clicked for me (This is not the actual tree...this is one from some random person's Flickr account, but you get the drift)...
These funny-looking trees definitely stand out from the landscape. They don't stand up tall like normal trees because they have been physically altered by their prolonged exposure to high, hurricane-force winds coming in from the ocean. Even when these strong winds are not present, you can still see their permanent effects on the trees. There is clear evidence of change...of something out of the ordinary. Do you see where I'm going with this? The hurricane force of God's love for us is permanently changing when you accept it. It bends you and molds you in ways that make you holy and set apart and make people who look at you say, "There is something different about this person. Something must have made them that way." We are ordinary people who God uses in extraordinary ways for the furthering of His kingdom.
So here's my prayer in light of all that's been stirring in my heart this weekend. Lord, may our lives reflect your amazing love. Let your love be clearly evident in our lives so that others may come to know You through the testimony of our changed lives. You say in your word that people will know we are Yours by our love. Let that love flow freely out of an overflow of our hearts. Let us serve you and love others out of passion not out of duty. I don't want to go through the motions, Lord. I want others to see Your love in me and want it for themselves. Help me not fall victim to apathy again. "Show me how to love like You have loved me" and "break my heart for what breaks yours." Give me compassion with action, and thank you, thank you, thank you for your jealous love for me. Forgive me for the times I give you reasons to be jealous by putting other things before you. Help me live a life on mission wherever I am. I am Yours. Forever. Amen.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
"You're Not Alone" by Meredith Andrews
I search for love
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone
but you found me where I was hiding
and now I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice
that called my name
saying
You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every fear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
and I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life
You cry yourself to sleep
cause the hurt is real
and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost
With heartache your closest friend
and everyone else long gone
You've had to face the music on your own
but there is a sweeter song
that calls you home
saying
You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every tear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All your life
Faithful and true... Forever
For my love will carry you....
You're not alone
for I... I am here
let me wipe away every fear... Oh yeah
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through your darkest night
Your darkest night
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life
When the night came and it closed in
I was alone
but you found me where I was hiding
and now I'll never ever be the same
It was the sweetest voice
that called my name
saying
You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every fear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest night
and I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life
You cry yourself to sleep
cause the hurt is real
and the pain cuts deep
All hope seems lost
With heartache your closest friend
and everyone else long gone
You've had to face the music on your own
but there is a sweeter song
that calls you home
saying
You're not alone
for I am here
let me wipe away your every tear
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through the darkest nights
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All your life
Faithful and true... Forever
For my love will carry you....
You're not alone
for I... I am here
let me wipe away every fear... Oh yeah
My love I've never left your side
I have seen you through your darkest night
Your darkest night
And I'm the one who's loved you all your life
All of your life
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Incredible Power That Comes with Feeling Small
This morning as I'm listening to Christmas hymns and trying to understand why the Creator of this universe I see outside my window would humble himself to be wrapped in flesh in the form of a teeny, tiny baby, it makes me feel so small but yet so significant. A love like that can't make you feel insignificant no matter how small you actually are compared to Him. A Casting Crowns song began playing in my head, and this is how it goes (oldie but goodie)...
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours.
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours.
Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind.
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours.
I am Yours.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours.
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