For The Honor.

I love times in the presence of God, no matter where one is at, when your heart just feels like exploding. Complete gratitude, complete awe and wonder, reverence, fear, love...these times leave me weary. But if weariness can be a good thing, than it's that kind of weary! 

I want to share this lyric video with you of this song...for the honor by elevation worship. I first heard this song at a conference OTW was apart of at another local church a few months ago, and the first time I heard it, I cried through the whole song. And that same thing followed the other few times of hearing it too. 

  There are some songs that just resonate with out hearts in an almost indescribable way, and this song is by far in the top 2 for me. Every word in this song, my heart just wants to cry with it and proclaim. I believe every word, and the beauty of God in this song is just overwhelming to me...hence one reason for the tears.

I hope this song resonates with your heart too.

And I sure do hope that someday God will inspire me to write such beautiful lyrics and music that will resonate with the hearts of His people as this song has for me.

http://youtu.be/EBuMMrFghVc

I took a walk

Walking is extremely good for you.

  I find that whenever I am taking the time to take walks (outside), I am much more inspired, if feel better physically and emotionally, I am more joyful, I am praying more....

A few years ago in the summertime Walking everyday had become a habit. I would up to 8 miles some days. This summer, not so much, due to a hurt foot. But even after a time of healing for my foot, I still did to get myself back in the habit. So last night, after the Family Christmas festivities, I had the urge to go for a walk, in the cold. So I had my new fleece leggings, a fleece, and my wind-proof jacket and a headband and off I went, and I kept asking myself..."why have I not kept this up?"

    I know that walking for me, keeps me healthier in all areas of my life and I thoroughly enjoy it because it's incredible time with my Savior.

At the start of our Off The Wall year this fall, we had a retreat. And at that retreat the main theme was "are you with us?!" The word WITH is an extremely powerful word. I am more WITH God, when I am physically walking with Him. I am more aware of Him when I am physically walking With Him. I am more WITH Him when I am walking WITH Him!

So i encourage you today, that whatever it is that makes you more WITH God, however simple or however unique, take the time to do it. Even if it's just for 10 minutes a day. Because your Savior is Jealous for you and wants time WITH you. And time spent with Him, should be part of our acceptable worship to Him, for all He has done for us and in us and through us!

"The LORD bless you and keep you; 

the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 

the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

"Good morning starshine, the earth says hello!"

I used to strongly dislike mornings. 

Now, the mornings where I am up the earliest, are the ones that get me excited for my day. There's more Jesus in my day on those mornings.

Like this morning for instance....I woke up at 5:30am quite groggy...and just wanted to go back to bed. But I needed to drive my Amish girls, so I put on my sweats  and a big sweatshirt and put my hood up and snow boots on and off I went. I have about a half hour in between some of the girls, so I usually use that time to read the Word, but this morning, I was so tired all I wanted to do was nap, so I tried, and there was worship music on and I just couldn't help myself, so I just had some incredible worship time. And then when I was driving, the sunrise this morning was absolutely a stunner! And I once again, couldn't help but worship. And then my last girl, gave me a little donut (which of course I have already eaten) and an adorable handmade card and some hot chocolate! How could I not be grateful and smile and once again, worship my Awesome God?

My day, is already made. An it's only 8:30am! My day has been full of joy and worship to my Creator, and it's only 8:30am. Back in the day, I would still be a grump at this hour or asleep. But the older I am getting, I am realizing there are more important things to life than lots of sleep and being in grumpy moods.

So, I exhort you today, to worship in th big and the small. To fall in love. To see the beauty of God. To walk with Him, in grace and joy! And even if all your body wants to do is go back to bed....live for Jesus, not your body. That's what I'm going to try to do! 

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8

Friendships

Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with gratefulness.

When I take time to see how incredibly blessed I am, that's when it hits me. 

I love friendships. 

I love my friends.

Now a days, I think we throw that word around and call even acquaitenances friends, and depending how you make friends, it may very well be true, but for me, friendships take a while. I can be your friend, way before you will be my friend.

But there are also different levels of friendships. And I'm not blogging to go into all those details.

I'm blogging, to say that I am thankful for the friendships in my life. Especially the ones, that have been a journey full of pot holes and wrong directions....because those are my strongest.

I'm thankful for the friends who know how you think and work, the ones who speak truth to you even when you don't want to hear it. The ones where you just laugh and laugh and laugh. The ones where you can not see or talk to that person for months and then whenever you do see or talk to each other, it's like you were never apart. The friends who will just pray for and with you. The friends who randomly send you encouraging text messages or emails. The friends who get excited with and for you. The friends who know your fears and weaknesses and still love you. The friends who are faithful and loyal no matter how ugly you may be at times. The friends who keep you focused and can bring a light in the dark. The friends who just with their presence can bring peace and joy. The friends who will do anything for you. 

Friendships are beautiful. Old and new. I enjoy them greatly. 

Don't take them for granted.

Don't be afraid of them. 

Embrace them. 

✌️

Welcome to springtime

It clearly is winter outside (being December)....but inside of my heart and soul, it is Springtime. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing and there is a sweet smell in the air.

For the past 2 years I've been between winter/fall spiritually. It was like this huge weight that never left and my vision was clouded. And now all of a sudden, since about 3-4 weeks ago...that weight and cloud has been lifted. It's really difficult for me to explain what exactly is going on and what I'm feeling, but know that it is freeing and exciting. 

It's like I had forgotten what my relationship(intimacy) with God was like for the past 2 years and now all of sudden, things are back to how I know them to be. 

  The intimacy and presence of God that has always been so strong in my life, is here. My eyes see the complete love that The Lord is always lavishing upon me, I see once again how He is working out every little detail of my life and things around me. I am constantly being blown away and awed each day by my Sovereign Creator. The joy of The Lord truly is my strength.....and so much more...like I said, it's hard for me to explain and put into words for you. 

The best way to put it, I feel free. No more weights, no more clouds, just the relationship I have with Jesus is redeemed, back to where I know it to be and even stronger and better! 

  And all I can say, is Praise The Lord. bless His Holy name! 

  

Presence of The Lord

I've always assumed a happy feeling and happy emotions with the presence of God. Until just the other day, when I felt a way that was in all honesty, dreadful. But as I was journaling and processing, I began to wonder why the presence of God should feel happy....His presence is an incredible gift. And when He is mightily moving and the enemy is trying to stop what He is doing, of course that presence is not going to feel happy. It's going to feel heavy, scary, and frankly quite dreadful...

      My point....the presence of God is some light happy thing....it is a gift, that is real, and scary because God is so unbelievably Holy, that to be in the presence of Him, is a big weight at times. A weight that may not always feel the greatest, but one that I never want to take for granted; that the God of Creation, would come and live inside of me and live among a sinful people, and greater still, live inside of me.

"And an angel of The Lord appeared to them, and the glory of The Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear." Luke 2:9

"But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." Isaiah 8:13

"Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!" Psalm 33:8

"For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods." Psalm 96:4

Falling in Love....

This is going to be short and really simple...

Falling in love with Jesus is one of my most favorite things to do in this world. And it's one thing that will last all of eternity. Yet I sometimes forget that I am being wooed by this amazing, Holy Creator, so I forget that I am falling in love with Him because I am overwhelmed by the weight of the world and the attacks of the enemy and my own sin.

UNTIL.....

I spend time with Jesus. I give Him my attention. I sit with Him. I worship Him. I walk with Him. I pray for others.....and the list could go on.

I forget, until I do the things that cause me to love Him more. Things that get my attention off of me, and onto what He is doing and who He is.

So I entreat you, brothers and sisters, figure out what causes you to fall more in love with Jesus Christ, and DO those things. Protect those times. Those gifts. Those relationships. Whatever it is.

Loving Jesus, and being loved by Jesus is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive. 

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and send His son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19