Thursday, April 29, 2010

Happy Blogiversary, Mrs. Yellow Hat!

My dear friend from college, Mrs. Yellow Hat, is celebrating her one-year blogiversary today. Please go to her fun blog and enjoy reading about her interesting life! Love you, Mrs YH! :)

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Praise

"Hallelujah! It's a good thing to sing praise to our God; praise is beautiful, praise is fitting..."
"Our Lord is great, with limiltess strength, we'll never comprehend what He knows and does..."
"Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn, play music on your instruments to God..."
"Those who fear God get God's attention; they can depend on His strength..."--excerpts from Psalm 147, The Message paraphrase

You can probably figure out by the sheer length of time between this post and the last one that things have been a bit crazy in my little part of the world, what with the extra hours of work and the filling in on oboe in the orchestra.

God has been faithful, of course, and a little over a week from now, things will begin to calm down. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is NOT an oncoming train! :)

When I'm not going through a particular Bible study, I often read through the Psalms each month. You read 5 a day corresponding to the date - so since today's the 27th, I would read 27, 57, 87, 117, and 147. Because Psalm 27 is a favorite (so I wanted to save it for last), I decided to go backwards today and start with 147...and look at all the super-duper applicable/timely verses I found! God is so good. Even when I don't have the brain power to do a complex study and I am just following a simple pattern, He provides the truths I need to hear. He's Sovereign like that!

I am very excited to share (with all 3 of you that read this!) that I will be on the same platform as one of my fave vocalists of all time - Sandi Patty! She will be at my church this Sunday for our committment Sunday...the day when we each lay our committment cards on the altar for our building campaign. Sandi is coming as a part of making the day special.

This will date me significantly, but around the time I was 11 or 12, I got a "boom box" for my birthday. My very first cassette tape was one of Sandi Patty's. (she was spelling it "Patti" then, as a piece of trivia...)

Anyhoo, I think I got or at least listened to most all of her albums since then and have read her 2 books, Broken on the Back Row and Life in the Blender. I obviously don't condone some of the choices she made that put into motion her divorce as well as the disintegration of another marriage. I do know, though, that I am in no place to judge her. Just because my sin is not as visible and may not affect as many people (and no doubt will never make the news) - my sin is just as grave as hers. Yes, as a Christian artist she did have higher standards placed on her. But after reading of her repentence and what the Lord taught her out of all those painful years, I can honestly say I respect her and am thrilled to be able to see her (perhaps even meet her!) this Sunday. She remains an amazing vocalist and seems (from what I've read online and in her books) to be very down to earth and sincere in her faith and trust in the Lord she sings to and about.

How thankful I am for the privilege of praising the same God as she does. Yes, I will likely not be a household name ever, nor will I be a recording artist or have one fraction of the talent and beauty she does...but that doesn't matter to our God. He desires praise from each and every one of us...no matter how insignificant or undesirable we may feel. He longs to hear from us.

That amazes me. I hope I never lose the wonder of God's grace in my life...and may I never cease to praise Him!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My Life is in Your Hands

"You don't have to worry
And don't you be afraid
Joy comes in the morning
Troubles they won't last always

For there's a friend named Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken
Just lift your hands and say:

Oh, I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in Your hands.

With Jesus I can take it
With Him I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in Your hands."

So when your tests and trials
They seem to get you down
And all your friends and loved ones
Are no where to be found

Remember there's a friend named Jesus
Who will wipe your tears away
And if your heart is broken,
just lift your hands and say:

Oh, I know that I can make it
I know that I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in Your hands.

With Jesus I can take it
With Him, I know I can stand
No matter what may come my way
My life is in Your hands."

Lyrics by Kirk Franklin


I was feeling very tired and overwhelmed tonight (even before I lost half this post and had to start over!) and the Lord brought these lyrics to mind. This is a song that He has used often to encourage me. Years ago, when I was in the choir at church, we sang this from time to time and even recorded it once on a live praise & worship album.

This is the season at The Company where I am working too many hours for my body. I am working at the expense of my health so that I can meet a fairly ridiculous deadline...a due date that determines my success of meeting performance goals...which, in turn, determines what may or may not be in my pay check at the end of the year (if you catch my drift).

At the same time, I am filling in as a sub in the orchestra at church while the regular oboist recovers from surgery. I'm happy to do it and enjoy it immensely, but the mid-week rehearsals and playing 3 times on Sunday are a lot - in addition to the extra hours of work. It's too much from a physical/energy standpoint with the FMS. But the Lord has faithfully gotten me through many a season like this, and I know He'll be faithful again.

I'm so thankful I'm in His Hands!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tids 'n tads, part 1

Sometimes You are as close as breathing
When I speak in faith, simply believing
You are near.

Other times I just can't feel you near me
Yet you have promised You're always here
You are near.

No matter what my feelings are
Whether it seems You're close or far
You are ever near, You are here.
--------------------------------------
"'You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart'".--Jeremiah 29:13, NASB

"'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'"--Hebrews 13:5b, NASB

"'Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age'".--Matthew 28:20b, NASB

"As for me, I shall call upon God, and the Lord will save me."--Psalm 55:16, NASB
------------------------------------

This doesn't happen as often as it used to, but occasionally the Lord will bring a verse or two to mind and I will scribble it down on a scrap of paper. Later, I will revisit, pursue & expand it until I feel the "poem yearning to be a song" is complete.

Sometimes, though, that slip of paper might get lost/buried under a pile of stuff and forgotten about for weeks, months or years! Such is the case with several snippets I've found recently.

I've been reading these repeatedly, and try as I might, I'm not coming up with anything that I feel completes them, so I'm sharing them "a la carte" if you will. Along with the partial poem will come my thoughts and some relevant Scriptures.

These verses about God's nearness are precious promises to me. My feelings are very fickle and often aren't true. As I read once, faith is not a feeling. I must go back to what I know to be true, and that's what the Lord says in His Word. He promises me He is always with me, and hears me when I call.

So whether I'm feeling super-spiritual because I had a great time of fellowship with Him in His Word or intense moments in prayer OR whether I feel far away from His heart, due to my own sin or failure to trust Him or spend time with Him...the truth of the matter is that He's always near.

Actually, He's nearer than near. He's here.

I'm so glad for that!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

Lyrics by Charles Wesley; Music by Lyra Davidica

Christ the Lord is Ris'n today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing ye heav'ns and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fough the fight, the battle's won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again, our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, oh death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once, He all doth save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, oh grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has lead, Alleluia!
Foll'wing our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet, trimphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
=======================================


As I've pondered my Savior's amazing sacrifice for me especially in these past few days, memories of these great old hymns came flooding back. These are songs of my childhood, and they put in words my praise far better than I ever could.

May you and yours have a wonderful time celebrating our Risen Lord! To Him be the glory!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Christ Arose

Words & Music by Robert Lowry

Lo, in the grave He lay
Jesus, my Savior
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus, my Lord.

Up from the grave, He arose
With a mighty power o'er His foes
He arose the Victor of the dark domain
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign!
He arose, He arose, Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Vainly, they watch His bed
Jesus, my Savior
Vainly they seal the dead
Jesus, my Lord.

Up from the gave, He arose
With a mighty power o'er His foes
He arose the Victor of the dark domain
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign!
He arose, He arose, Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Death cannot keep its pray,
Jesus, my Savior
He tore the bars away
Jesus, my Lord.

Up from the grave, He arose
With a mighty power o'er His foes
He arose the Victor of the dark domain
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign!
He arose, He arose, Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Friday, April 2, 2010

He Lives!

Words & Music by Alfred H. Ackley


I serve a Risen Savior, He's in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

He Lives, He Lives, Christ Jesus lives today;

He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way!

He Lives, He Lives, salvation to impart,

You ask me how I know He Lives?

He lives within my heart!

Rejoice, rejoice, oh Christian!
Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ your King
The hope of all who seek Him
The help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind.


He Lives, He Lives, Christ Jesus lives today;

He walks with me and talks with me, along life's narrow way!

He Lives, He Lives, salvation to impart,

You ask me how I know He Lives?

He lives within my heart!