Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
New Look
Well, we all have my awesome sister, Charis, to thank for my beautiful new blog! For my birthday she designed my new blog background and cute headers and signature name! When I was on the phone w/ her today, having her walk me thru how to change things step by step, I was just amazed at what she can do when she sets her mind to something. She has totally learned the little intricies of blog design and seems to make it look so easy, but I'm sure she has devoted hours to research and trial and error. So this is a big SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to my beautiful sister!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Thoughts of a 41 year old
Yeah, I know, you all are surprised by the news right? Yes, I am 41, although today I kind of acted like a 13 year old I think. But God is good - so I gotta shame myself even more and write it out for the whole world to know, just so I can share how awesome He is!!!
As most of you know, God has me leading worship at our church currently - a serving area that I wanted to ignore at first, but even though it would've been easily justifed to say no to the church, I could not say no to Him, I just love Him too much. So last night at practice it was one of those where I quickly saw a pattern of how I can't hit the right notes vocally, began to screw up acoustically, and of course the enemy topped it all off with a giant "You suck as a leader!" I came home crying out, 'Lord, what can you possibly be thinking of using me here?' Somehow I had to find a way to squelch those negative thoughts, remind myself that I can only do my best and that for now He still has me in this position and reminding myself that when I am weak - He is strong.
Fast forward to church today, God is good because thoughts of Him overwhelmed the worship time for me and I felt so focused on how indescribable each moment of my journey to know Him is...So I gave Cal the go-ahead that I wanted to share a song during offering that my brother taught me and that I sing whenever I'm feeling down because the lyrics remind me that His love is what I need most of all (little irony here that you'll understand later)..... (It's called Most of All by Glenn Kaiser). As I started to play and sing, the fear and mounting whispers of 'you're gonna screw up - you know you can't hit the right notes, you know you're gonna flub up the chord walkdown' began and before I knew it I was missing chords left and right and I tried to tell the whispers to 'shut up!' (I know - harsh language in church). But progressively I saw what a wreck the song had become, like a freight train when it derails - car smashing, bracing yourself for the next car hitting, then wham again. So what does any person do in that situation? JUMP OUT OF THE WAY - so I did just that. I stopped playing midsong and said, "I'm sorry. Let's just end it here" and went to my seat with my head down. I think I even embarrassed my son, Jake, because he never looked at me for the rest of the sermon!
I sat there, in that front row, with all those people sitting behind me, imagining how foolish I looked to everyone and how they probably were fighting off not laughing outright at me! That's what the deceiver wanted me to think they were doing. My pastor was preaching out of Malachi and I automatically turned to it and tried to focus, but it was just a blur of words while the real lesson was going on in my head....and I remember crying out once again, "Lord, why am I here? What could You possibly see in me to think You can use me?" Then my eyes started reading at Malachi 1:2 "I have loved you deeply," says the Lord" and the Holy Spirit did a dance on my heart and I read and reread that verse. Immediately the accusations stop - immediately I'm lost in center of His love - immediately I'm reminded that His love is what I need most of all. Even when I fail miserably, He loves me deeply. How can that be? What can I ever do to be deserving of that? Nothing.
At the age of 41, I'm still brought to tears by the truth of His love for me...that it is wider than the east is from the west, deeper than the ocean and higher than the heavens. Just as Paul wrote in Ephesians 3, "When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give (me) mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in (my) heart as (I) trust in him. May (my) roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may (I) have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is."
Thank you Father for being patient with this 41 year old, who acts like a child. Thank you for speaking to me through Your word at exactly the time I needed to hear it - that You love me deeply, imperfectness and all. Thank you for picking me up every time I fall and wreck, kissing away my failures and making me smile! Your love is what I need most of all!
As most of you know, God has me leading worship at our church currently - a serving area that I wanted to ignore at first, but even though it would've been easily justifed to say no to the church, I could not say no to Him, I just love Him too much. So last night at practice it was one of those where I quickly saw a pattern of how I can't hit the right notes vocally, began to screw up acoustically, and of course the enemy topped it all off with a giant "You suck as a leader!" I came home crying out, 'Lord, what can you possibly be thinking of using me here?' Somehow I had to find a way to squelch those negative thoughts, remind myself that I can only do my best and that for now He still has me in this position and reminding myself that when I am weak - He is strong.
Fast forward to church today, God is good because thoughts of Him overwhelmed the worship time for me and I felt so focused on how indescribable each moment of my journey to know Him is...So I gave Cal the go-ahead that I wanted to share a song during offering that my brother taught me and that I sing whenever I'm feeling down because the lyrics remind me that His love is what I need most of all (little irony here that you'll understand later)..... (It's called Most of All by Glenn Kaiser). As I started to play and sing, the fear and mounting whispers of 'you're gonna screw up - you know you can't hit the right notes, you know you're gonna flub up the chord walkdown' began and before I knew it I was missing chords left and right and I tried to tell the whispers to 'shut up!' (I know - harsh language in church). But progressively I saw what a wreck the song had become, like a freight train when it derails - car smashing, bracing yourself for the next car hitting, then wham again. So what does any person do in that situation? JUMP OUT OF THE WAY - so I did just that. I stopped playing midsong and said, "I'm sorry. Let's just end it here" and went to my seat with my head down. I think I even embarrassed my son, Jake, because he never looked at me for the rest of the sermon!
I sat there, in that front row, with all those people sitting behind me, imagining how foolish I looked to everyone and how they probably were fighting off not laughing outright at me! That's what the deceiver wanted me to think they were doing. My pastor was preaching out of Malachi and I automatically turned to it and tried to focus, but it was just a blur of words while the real lesson was going on in my head....and I remember crying out once again, "Lord, why am I here? What could You possibly see in me to think You can use me?" Then my eyes started reading at Malachi 1:2 "I have loved you deeply," says the Lord" and the Holy Spirit did a dance on my heart and I read and reread that verse. Immediately the accusations stop - immediately I'm lost in center of His love - immediately I'm reminded that His love is what I need most of all. Even when I fail miserably, He loves me deeply. How can that be? What can I ever do to be deserving of that? Nothing.
At the age of 41, I'm still brought to tears by the truth of His love for me...that it is wider than the east is from the west, deeper than the ocean and higher than the heavens. Just as Paul wrote in Ephesians 3, "When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give (me) mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in (my) heart as (I) trust in him. May (my) roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may (I) have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is."
Thank you Father for being patient with this 41 year old, who acts like a child. Thank you for speaking to me through Your word at exactly the time I needed to hear it - that You love me deeply, imperfectness and all. Thank you for picking me up every time I fall and wreck, kissing away my failures and making me smile! Your love is what I need most of all!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Blessings of BSF
Last night was our last BSF class for this year and I don't think it hit me until we were answering the last question in our discussion groups. Then I felt an ache in my chest and such a knot in my throat because I have grown to love the ladies in my discussion group and have looked forward to each week of gathering together and the expectation that God would show up in our midst.
I look back on this whole year, from the beginning when God was prompting me to evaluate what we chose to involve our kids in and fill our evenings with, I felt such conviction that I wanted to commit us to something as a family, but also to something that would grow us together in our walks w/ Him. Even with that conviction though, I still struggled with doubts of whether I was making the right decision as a parent for my children, or was I depriving them of "fun"/"normal" activities like Girl Scouts or soccer. The pressure to conform to this world is so strong. But God's blessing was on us from the beginning. After the first night, the kids enjoyed themselves so much, I couldn't help but whisper a prayer of thanks to God for encouraging me. We all looked forward to class and I don't think there was one week that anyone said, "Do we have to go to BSF?" My favorite time was on our car rides home and we would talk about what struck us that night or what we learned. It was another example of how God was at work because I had the chance to hear how God was touching my children's hearts and they heard how He was touching mine.
The passion of studying God's word and seeking Him would spill over into our daily lives as well. I would be aching to share the insights God revealed thru class to anyone who would listen and it became a habit that the day after BSF, my dear friend, Denise, would email and ask, "What'cha learn last night?" I'm constantly reminded of how God knit's and weaves our lives together, that God is creating a beautiful tapestry of my life - but what is more beautiful is that it is not just the story of my life, but the combined tapestry of all those in my life. God was at work in Denise's heart and we were all so excited when she made the decision to come to BSF w/ her kids as well! Jam 6 kids and 2 adults in a van and you can only imagine the fun to and from BSF! I believe in God's perfect timing and I look back over this past year and see God's provision to me, to my children, to Denise & her husband, and to her children through the teaching of BSF. Not only was God fueling the increased hunger in my heart, but I was a witness to how He was fueling and feeding the hunger in our close friends.
I believe part of the blessing that BSF has been to me this year, is due to the awesome discussion leader I had. Her love for the Lord was infectious and her humilty set the stage for our group to be at ease with one another and open. But it was when she would call me and ask about my life and then pray for me that I felt the most grateful. People often say (myself as well), "I'll be praying for you," but it is totally different to have someone actually do it with you. After the times she would pray for me on the phone, I'd feel such a peace and love that could only have been God's spirit working through her.
Last night, the image of 120 year old Moses climbing Mt. Nebo, God showing him the whole land that He was giving the Israelite nation, all the thoughts I imagine that must've been swirling through his mind - how God had saved him as a child, how He had been at work in Moses' living with the Pharoah's family, how He had been with him when he was confused about how he was to help the Israelites but had to flee from Egypt, all the years he lived as a simple shepherd with nothing grander to do than care for the animals, and then the rest of his life where a great God walked with him, led him, and became his friend as he was allowed to be a part of an unforgettable story. I imagine tears of thankfulness, a knot in his throat, and a weight in his chest - much like I felt last night. And in some ways, much like I did last night, I imagine Moses was replaying and overwhelmed with thankfulness for all that God had shown him and maybe a little sad that it was over.
But I think the Holy Spirit laid something on my heart last night that I did not catch as I did my assignment during the week. The words Moses used just before he died to praise the God of the Israelites in Deut. 33. He used words like "He dawned" "He shone" "He comes from 10,0000 holy ones (angels) with flaming fire in His right hand." "He loves" "He cares for them". And I realized that Moses had a more beautiful vision or journey ahead of him - he was ending a chapter of his life, but beginning another where he would be face to face with God - whose visible presence is beyond our comprehension. So he may have felt that knot, that weight, but then I believe he was filled with anticipation and joy at what was to come. And the Holy Spirit was telling me, "Charli - this time in BSF is done, but look ahead - knowing that the God who dawns and shines like light, is surrounded by 10,000 holy ones with flaming fire in His right hand, who loves and cares for you is not done with you yet. Look ahead with joyful anticipation of what He has yet to do in you and with you."
I look back on this whole year, from the beginning when God was prompting me to evaluate what we chose to involve our kids in and fill our evenings with, I felt such conviction that I wanted to commit us to something as a family, but also to something that would grow us together in our walks w/ Him. Even with that conviction though, I still struggled with doubts of whether I was making the right decision as a parent for my children, or was I depriving them of "fun"/"normal" activities like Girl Scouts or soccer. The pressure to conform to this world is so strong. But God's blessing was on us from the beginning. After the first night, the kids enjoyed themselves so much, I couldn't help but whisper a prayer of thanks to God for encouraging me. We all looked forward to class and I don't think there was one week that anyone said, "Do we have to go to BSF?" My favorite time was on our car rides home and we would talk about what struck us that night or what we learned. It was another example of how God was at work because I had the chance to hear how God was touching my children's hearts and they heard how He was touching mine.
The passion of studying God's word and seeking Him would spill over into our daily lives as well. I would be aching to share the insights God revealed thru class to anyone who would listen and it became a habit that the day after BSF, my dear friend, Denise, would email and ask, "What'cha learn last night?" I'm constantly reminded of how God knit's and weaves our lives together, that God is creating a beautiful tapestry of my life - but what is more beautiful is that it is not just the story of my life, but the combined tapestry of all those in my life. God was at work in Denise's heart and we were all so excited when she made the decision to come to BSF w/ her kids as well! Jam 6 kids and 2 adults in a van and you can only imagine the fun to and from BSF! I believe in God's perfect timing and I look back over this past year and see God's provision to me, to my children, to Denise & her husband, and to her children through the teaching of BSF. Not only was God fueling the increased hunger in my heart, but I was a witness to how He was fueling and feeding the hunger in our close friends.
I believe part of the blessing that BSF has been to me this year, is due to the awesome discussion leader I had. Her love for the Lord was infectious and her humilty set the stage for our group to be at ease with one another and open. But it was when she would call me and ask about my life and then pray for me that I felt the most grateful. People often say (myself as well), "I'll be praying for you," but it is totally different to have someone actually do it with you. After the times she would pray for me on the phone, I'd feel such a peace and love that could only have been God's spirit working through her.Last night, the image of 120 year old Moses climbing Mt. Nebo, God showing him the whole land that He was giving the Israelite nation, all the thoughts I imagine that must've been swirling through his mind - how God had saved him as a child, how He had been at work in Moses' living with the Pharoah's family, how He had been with him when he was confused about how he was to help the Israelites but had to flee from Egypt, all the years he lived as a simple shepherd with nothing grander to do than care for the animals, and then the rest of his life where a great God walked with him, led him, and became his friend as he was allowed to be a part of an unforgettable story. I imagine tears of thankfulness, a knot in his throat, and a weight in his chest - much like I felt last night. And in some ways, much like I did last night, I imagine Moses was replaying and overwhelmed with thankfulness for all that God had shown him and maybe a little sad that it was over.
But I think the Holy Spirit laid something on my heart last night that I did not catch as I did my assignment during the week. The words Moses used just before he died to praise the God of the Israelites in Deut. 33. He used words like "He dawned" "He shone" "He comes from 10,0000 holy ones (angels) with flaming fire in His right hand." "He loves" "He cares for them". And I realized that Moses had a more beautiful vision or journey ahead of him - he was ending a chapter of his life, but beginning another where he would be face to face with God - whose visible presence is beyond our comprehension. So he may have felt that knot, that weight, but then I believe he was filled with anticipation and joy at what was to come. And the Holy Spirit was telling me, "Charli - this time in BSF is done, but look ahead - knowing that the God who dawns and shines like light, is surrounded by 10,000 holy ones with flaming fire in His right hand, who loves and cares for you is not done with you yet. Look ahead with joyful anticipation of what He has yet to do in you and with you."
Thursday, May 7, 2009
No Other by Glenn Kaiser
What an awesome song! It reminds me of all I've been learning in BSF this year! Definately one I want to sing for worship at church! Hard to believe that this is the same man who rocked out in Resurrection Band when I was a teenager! Thank you Carl for passing this along to me!
You are God there is no other
You are God there is none like You
You make known
the end from the beginning
before the beginning
there was You
and Your purposes shall stand
You shall do all that You please
from ancient times 'til now
You've stood by Your decrees
to pour out Your love
Your mercy and Your peace
so i will sing praise to You, Lord
so i will sing praise to You, Lord
for You are awesome in Your power
You are gracious in Your deeds
You are loving in the kindness
that You've poured out on me
You are God there is no other
You are God there is none like You
You make known
the end from the beginning
before the beginning
there was You
and Your purposes shall stand
You shall do all that You please
from ancient times 'til now
You've stood by Your decrees
to pour out Your love
Your mercy and Your peace
so i will sing praise to You, Lord
so i will sing praise to You, Lord
for You are awesome in Your power
You are gracious in Your deeds
You are loving in the kindness
that You've poured out on me
Satisfy by Tenth Avenue North
Thank you Lord for encouragement from Your Word and from Godly artists who write lyrics that stir my heart, causing me to long for the same thing! Satisfy me this day Lord! Help me to see that what the enemy tells me I need (perfect weight, approval from man, the need to be important to others, being "happy") are not and never will be satisfying! I love the bolded lyrics!
Before the sun has touched the sky
Colors bursting from Your eyes
Before the flood of the morning light
Before the earth has felt Your heat
Before I stand up to my feet
Before I begin to feel this weak
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord
When the day is closing in
Like the stars in the night I am falling
Into the pull of the earth and it's affection
In me, oh lord, can you create
A pure heart cuz I'm afraid
That I just might run back to the things I hate
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Yeah, I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're love is all I need to live
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, more beautiful
You're love is all I need to live
Before the sun has touched the sky
Colors bursting from Your eyes
Before the flood of the morning light
Before the earth has felt Your heat
Before I stand up to my feet
Before I begin to feel this weak
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord
When the day is closing in
Like the stars in the night I am falling
Into the pull of the earth and it's affection
In me, oh lord, can you create
A pure heart cuz I'm afraid
That I just might run back to the things I hate
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Satisfy me Lord, oh oh
Yeah, I'm begging You, to help me see
You're all I want, You're all I need
Oh, satisfy me Lord
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're love is all I need to live
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful, more beautiful
You're love is all I need to live
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tim Hawkins Concert
Last Saturday, Madeline, Nate, myself, my brother, and the Weldon family went to go see Tim Hawkins in concert! He was great! He started off by coming out with a surgical mask over his face, and proceeded to tell us in a garbled language that he doesn't want to catch the Swine Flu. He had us cracking up and I would be so occupied with laughing that I'd forget to take pictures! 
My favorite parts of his act were when he talked of going to the eye doctor and getting the glaucoma test and the "lil' puff of air I'm going to shoot into your eye", (I wish I had gotten a picture of him rolling on the floor for that one!) talking about how violent his little boys are in comparison to his girl, 
and when he spoke of how he hates the hello time in church so he does this quick circle with his hand out and sits down! Amen brother!!! He sang many songs, including the Samson & Delilah song. 
And of course, when he was playing his guitar, my brother and I were trying to use the camera to determine what kind of guitar he had (I think we came to the conclusion that it was a Breedlove).Our evening also had a little humor of it's own before we even arrived at the concert. We stopped off at McD's to grab a bite to eat and Carl and I were sharing a little table. I noticed Carl didn't have a lid on his TALL ice tea and asked him why. He said he likes to see it and I said, "Man, what if you spill it?" Fast forward 10 minutes, just after Carl returns from getting his TALL ICE tea refilled and Maddie asks me to get her more to drink. I stand up and attempt to leave, but bump my tray - which in turn bumps Carl's tray and all of his ICE tea goes all over his lap! All he could do was gasp and look at me with incredulous eyes, while all I could do was say I was sorry and laugh. Then he uttered the famous question, "What were you doing anyway?" And I uttered a woman's famous line, "I told you to put a cap on it!"
All fun aside though, Tim said something that night that I thought was cool - he said, "We are the CHURCH - when we leave - it's not people leaving the church, but it's the CHURCH leaving a building."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Proclaim the name of the LORD
This morning a question in my BSF lesson convicted me and I just sat there and cried. It was based on scripture of Deutronomy 32:3-4 where Moses says, "For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." BSF asked what does Moses' praise of God say about the man Moses and then it asked me to tell about the different ways I've "proclaimed the name of the LORD" in the past week.
In answer to the first part of the question, I thought, "Wow. Moses KNEW God in a way I long to. He KNEW God's character even when things around him seemed confusing and discouraging - he never let those circumstances change his opinion of who God is and was. He KNEW - he BELIEVED - he TRUSTED God in everything. It was like his faith was solid - solid as a rock - a fortress, impentrible by the circumstances of this world."
Then the conviction set in.... how have I "proclaimed the name of the LORD" this week? And as I thought about this past week - all I could see and hear were all the glaring times I didn't say anything or the times I questioned and cried/whined about circumstances in my life or those I love or even when I didn't speak the questions but let them be entertained in my head and heart. My life does not look like a fortress, but of a shack littered with holes. And it feels as if my heart is breaking, and I'm sure breaking His, to know that I have not proclaimed the name of the LORD in a way that honors Him, but dishonors Him. Forgive me Father. May my life proclaim Your name from this day forward in a way that gives honor and glory, even though I know it will never give You what is truly due You because I am so inept.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD; His creation speaks to us from all around - from the rains that fall to nourish the ground and give life to the woods surrounding my house - to the sun that shines in my window this morning - the same sun that I know shines on my husband and boys as they venture in the Canadian wilderness this morning. He is the same - constant - ever present God for me and for each person He created. He IS.
He is the ROCK, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. His work in my Dad's life, as he struggles with cancer, with fear, with pride, with embarrassment and bladder issues is perfect. He is my Dad's Rock - He is doing a work in his life whether we understand it or not that has no room for questioning or doubt - because God's ways are always perfect. Lord, give my father the heart to see this.
He is the ROCK in my friends' lives who are struggling with what the future holds for them with work and in these uncertain times financially for us all. We can be assured again that His work is perfect and that He is the ROCK in our lives - there is no reason to fear or to be discouraged because we have a God who will be with us in all the battles of our lives (Deut. 31:8)
I will proclaim the name of the LORD in my own struggles with depression and darkness. He has been my ROCK - He will continue to be my ROCK. He is a God of faithfulness, even when I've been unfaithful, and He is without iniquity! That means there cannot be any sin - any wrongdoing on His part in my life - therefore I will embrace these struggles - because He wills them to be. They are not wrong - they are His perfect plan for me. I can truly cry out, "Thank you Lord - may it change me into the creation You intended me to be. I believe You will weave my struggles with darkness into my children's life to make their walks with You more beautiful, more vibrant, more real - all the opposite of what the enemy whispers it will do to them. May it soften my heart to others struggles, may it humble me and keep me dependant upon only You, may it give me strength - not human strength - but faith strength, to BELIEVE, to TRUST, to KNOW like Moses knew. "
Thank you Father for giving Moses one last thing to do before he laid down with his fathers - a job that would encourage and spur the Israelites thousands of years ago, but would continue to speak years from then to a fellow sojourner in a small town millions of miles away. I will proclaim the name of the LORD that His provision for us through the Word and the Holy Spirit is perfect. All we need to do is open it with hearts hungering for Him.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD - He deserves ALL the glory and honor my heart can give.
In answer to the first part of the question, I thought, "Wow. Moses KNEW God in a way I long to. He KNEW God's character even when things around him seemed confusing and discouraging - he never let those circumstances change his opinion of who God is and was. He KNEW - he BELIEVED - he TRUSTED God in everything. It was like his faith was solid - solid as a rock - a fortress, impentrible by the circumstances of this world."
Then the conviction set in.... how have I "proclaimed the name of the LORD" this week? And as I thought about this past week - all I could see and hear were all the glaring times I didn't say anything or the times I questioned and cried/whined about circumstances in my life or those I love or even when I didn't speak the questions but let them be entertained in my head and heart. My life does not look like a fortress, but of a shack littered with holes. And it feels as if my heart is breaking, and I'm sure breaking His, to know that I have not proclaimed the name of the LORD in a way that honors Him, but dishonors Him. Forgive me Father. May my life proclaim Your name from this day forward in a way that gives honor and glory, even though I know it will never give You what is truly due You because I am so inept.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD; His creation speaks to us from all around - from the rains that fall to nourish the ground and give life to the woods surrounding my house - to the sun that shines in my window this morning - the same sun that I know shines on my husband and boys as they venture in the Canadian wilderness this morning. He is the same - constant - ever present God for me and for each person He created. He IS.
He is the ROCK, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. His work in my Dad's life, as he struggles with cancer, with fear, with pride, with embarrassment and bladder issues is perfect. He is my Dad's Rock - He is doing a work in his life whether we understand it or not that has no room for questioning or doubt - because God's ways are always perfect. Lord, give my father the heart to see this.
He is the ROCK in my friends' lives who are struggling with what the future holds for them with work and in these uncertain times financially for us all. We can be assured again that His work is perfect and that He is the ROCK in our lives - there is no reason to fear or to be discouraged because we have a God who will be with us in all the battles of our lives (Deut. 31:8)
I will proclaim the name of the LORD in my own struggles with depression and darkness. He has been my ROCK - He will continue to be my ROCK. He is a God of faithfulness, even when I've been unfaithful, and He is without iniquity! That means there cannot be any sin - any wrongdoing on His part in my life - therefore I will embrace these struggles - because He wills them to be. They are not wrong - they are His perfect plan for me. I can truly cry out, "Thank you Lord - may it change me into the creation You intended me to be. I believe You will weave my struggles with darkness into my children's life to make their walks with You more beautiful, more vibrant, more real - all the opposite of what the enemy whispers it will do to them. May it soften my heart to others struggles, may it humble me and keep me dependant upon only You, may it give me strength - not human strength - but faith strength, to BELIEVE, to TRUST, to KNOW like Moses knew. "
Thank you Father for giving Moses one last thing to do before he laid down with his fathers - a job that would encourage and spur the Israelites thousands of years ago, but would continue to speak years from then to a fellow sojourner in a small town millions of miles away. I will proclaim the name of the LORD that His provision for us through the Word and the Holy Spirit is perfect. All we need to do is open it with hearts hungering for Him.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD - He deserves ALL the glory and honor my heart can give.
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