The Gift of Thanks is the Heart of Worship

I breathe deep this morning, understanding in my heart that I was born to worship Him.  I was born to notice all the wonderful things about Him.  I was born to appreciate beauty....and He is Beauty.

And if we don't praise Him....the rocks will.  You should open your bible right now and read it.

Luke 19:37-40

Astonishing.  There------ I just need a minute to think about the overwhelming impact of all the things I've misunderstood about worship.  It begins with a seed just like everything else.  A seed of thanks, gratitude, acknowledgement...planted in the soil of faith, it takes root and grows into what?

Absolute Trust? Peace? Joy?  Can I even say it...Revival?  Does it burst into flame and ignite me...a part of the body of Christ (our church) into holy passionate worship of the Redeemer Himself?

Oh yes...all of these things.

We were at the ranch as a family.  We were part of a cross-cultural building team...building cross-cultural relationships with First Nations People while building cabins for a summer camp and ministry.
It was spring and before six am as I was walking the path to the kitchen where I was to get breakfast started for the crew.  As I came over the little hill...the sun burst forth and.....Radiance.....like I've quite never experienced before.  I could hardly take it in as I squirmed to grab my camera out of my bag!

Oh to see His beauty like that...His creation...a reflection of Himself...meant for me that morning and still not forgotten....

Praise His Holy Name in all the earth....

God Speaks, Calling

The Mighty One, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 

Psalm 50:1

Transformation Time

I am convinced that the only way to change my behavior...is to change the way I think.   The only way to change the way I think...is a constant "renewing" of my mind.   And so begins....Transformation.

Our wednesday morning Contacts group is memorizing Romans 12:1-2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

As I meditate through each phrase...I think about the words and what they mean.  I look at each sentence and I ask God to help me understand exactly what He wants me to know and how it applies to my life.  I  study the words from different angles....one word, three words, a sentence, a phrase, the paragraph, the chapter....and God reveals.

I am convinced that the best decisions I can make today concerning EVERYTHING are best made in the will of God...I mean...He says it right there....they're good, they're acceptable and they're perfect.
Who in their right mind...wouldn't want that?  And so begins....no more anxiety, worries and fears...and alot more trust which results in peace...again I say, "who in their right mind wouldn't want that?"

So, how do we change how we act and respond and live confidently in the will of God?  By not conforming to the way the world thinks and acts and by renewing our mind everyday with God's words.

Want to join us in memorizing Romans 12:1&2?
It's Transformation time.

Verses taken from the ESV words in italics are mine.

i LOVE ...

Because I love your commands more than gold, 

more than pure gold,

and because I consider all your precepts right,

I hate every wrong path.  

                                            Psalm 119:127,128 NIV

Sometimes I value other things more than what You say - what You've called me to, Jesus.

Why is that?

Is it because I don't really trust that you have my best in mind?

Is it that I don't want to wait for You to do it Your way?

Is there another reason? 

Show me areas in my life where I really am wearing this necklace close to my heart. Show me why.

Speak to me there.

Work in my heart so these verses are true in my life. 

Garbage Day!

All week long we package up the filth...the dirty, the rotten, the dead and the broken.  It sits, waiting for that glorious day when the garbage man comes in his big green truck and takes it all away never to be seen in our house again.

 Thank you Jesus that we don't have to wait once a week (or sometimes 2 if it snows) to give you all that  smells of sin or garbage in our lives.  

When we bring it to You...You take it and You get rid of it.  

David says it the best in Psalm 51:1-3

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

He speaks again in Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Thank you Jesus!

And thank you too for garbage day....it's so nice to live in a place where we have that service!

Starting Today...

It's been too long since I stretched my heart out on this page...

The Lord...stirring something in me...brings life and truth and vision to upcoming days...I anticipate...
Revival.

I wrote on the last page of a journal this morning...something so nostalgic for me in that feeling of seeing final words written there, and then the closing of the book.

  So I re-opened it and flipped through the recorded notes of my heart.  Happy to be passed some of the things I walked through on my journey but also intrigued by places that I was at, places that I want to hold on to and remember, that I don't want to forget.  Oh how the Lord meets us like no other.

So here it is...a prayer written from early summer...remembered today...re-spoken...whispered to the Lord again.

"Lord, will you continue to blow soft your Spirit on the embers of my heart, on my husband's heart, my kid's hearts...fanning a flame that hungers more and more of you...unsatisfied by the empty pleasures and temptations and illusions of happiness that this present world suggests.  No, Lord...would it be that our hunger runs raw and deep for You--a love that satisfies, a trust that defeats fear...pure and holy.  That our family...a home full of imperfect people, could love you, grow closer to you...not fazed by illusions, not distracted with mirage--but could see You and be steadfast, confident in what is sure, what is true, what is beautiful...trusting, fearless, Divine inspired, Spirit directed, Truth focused and Graced Lavished.
I want this.  I want it for my marriage.  I want it for my kids.  I want it for our family and multiplied by generations.
And fear says to me, "What pain will we have to endure to have what I want, what I ask?"
Is pain the only way?
It seems...you ask for growth and it comes only through pain...so fear talks and it seems easier and less frightening to just ask for blessings and peace.
But I want Joy too.
Joy in the present and joy in the Presence of my Beloved Saviour.  Joy in obedience.  Joy in trusting, even when I feel afraid.
I want sweetness in the moment, anticipation that when I look at you Jesus, and look into your precious eyes for the first time, that I can look at you without fear, without shame, without regret....just joy.
I want more of you Jesus.
Breathe your Spirit of Life into me today.
Can I take just one day at a time?
  It's hard to look sometimes beyond today when the fear of the unknown future in these circumstances seems to loom in darkness up ahead...but,
I think I can do just one day at a time...

Lavished in Grace
Focused on Truth
Inspired by your Heart
Directed by your Spirit
Choosing to Trust you in Confidence
Free from Fear

Starting Today.

His Name

It seems like these past few days I've been reminded over and over how powerful God's name is. Whether through songs or the theme at a prayer night or through verses... it just keeps showing up.

God's name is the most powerful thing. Ever.
He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Healer, Redeemer, Pursuer...
So many names to describe the all-powerful One who created each of us.

These two songs really spoke to me and reminded me of God's incredible name:

Your Name is a strong and mighty tower
Your Name is a shelter like no other
Your Name, let the nations sing it louder
'Cause nothing has the power to save
But Your Name

(Paul Baloche)


At Your name, the mountains shake and crumble
At Your name, the oceans roar and tumble
At Your name, angels will bow, the earth will rejoice
Your people cry out

At Your name, the morning breaks in glory
At Your name, creation sings Your story
At Your name, angels will bow, the earth will rejoice
Your people cry out

Lord of all the earth
We shout Your name, shout Your name
Filling up the skies
With endless praise, endless praise
Yahweh, Yahweh
We love to shout Your name, oh Lord

(Phil Wickham)

May you experience the power of God's name today.

A Prayer for 2012

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; 

let them ever sing for joy, 

and spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may exult in you.

For you bless the righteous, O LORD; 

you cover him with favor as with a shield. 

                                                                          Psalm 5:11-12


Full featured double rainbow in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Photo by Eric Rolph

Crying for a Christmas

These are the lives of the rearranged
Scattered souls who've been displaced
Nowhere else to turn
Like Bethlehem we have packed the place
Human need fills ever space
No room at the inn

Still God found a corner,
Made a bed down in the hay
Could he reappear, make his advent here
Will he still draw near today?

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We could all use a sign
A little glimpse of divine
For a world that still cries for Christmas

Feeding trough on a dirty floor
Unimpressive welcome for
God's Almighty Son
Are we as blind to incarnation
Daily proof of our salvation
Love's already come

We are not abandoned,
All alone in our despair
He who once came down, he can still be found
Every when and everywhere

Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now
Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now

My world is crying,
Crying for a Christmas
Some way to know for sure –
That our God is with us
We can all be the sign
That his love is alive
For a world that still cries for Christmas

(Scott Krippayne Lyrics)

"They say that Aslan is on the move"

I am embarrassed to say this. As a teacher and lover of English literature, I am embarrassed to say this. I am reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. I stayed clear away from the books as a child. Despite growing up in England, I knew very little about C.S. Lewis. Not knowing much about him, and knowing that one of the characters in the books was a witch, my innocent, yet very misinformed mind decided that I would not read them. As an adult I have stayed away from them as fantasy is not a genre that I enjoy reading.

However, my husband once had me read the section in which Aslan is killed by the witch to a Sunday School class that he taught. Since then, I've been curious.

So I have begun my journey into Narnia, and I am enthralled. Realizing that the purpose of this blog is very different than that on my class website, on which I would rant on and on about literature, I will talk only of one thing: Aslan - an allegorical representation of Christ.

There are two phrases, specifically, that have captured my attention and spoken to my heart.

The first is when Aslan is playing with Lucy and Susan after he comes back to life. Joyful at finding him once again full of life, the children run after him in a loving game of chase. In this description it reads, "and whether it was more like playing with a thunderstorm or playing with a kitten Lucy could never make up her mind" (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Chp. 15). I love this picture. It reminds me of the joyous affection that Jesus has for us, but also of the power that is within Him.

The second phrase gives me hope. It is uttered after Narnia has fallen under the influence of the witch. Aslan had seemingly vacated the land, allowing her dominion. All have suffered under her reign. Even nature bore the heavy burden of a never ending winter. But there is hope: "Aslan is on the move" (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Chp. 10). Rumours of Aslan's return are whispered throughout Narnia, and creatures and nature alike start to imagine a "thaw".

I often feel as if we are living in a time of winter; a time that is characterized more by regression than growth. But Jesus is on the move, friends. It is not a rumour and it needn't be whispered. Jesus, the thunderstorm, is moving. Winter is losing its grip on Narnia. There is a battle being waged; the outcome of which we already know. Victory, we know, belongs to Jesus.

I thank you Jesus, that you are "on the move"!

He Renews Our Strength

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

- Isaiah 40:31

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel completely worn out. Life is hectic, and I often feel like I'm racing to keep up with it. Sleep doesn't come easily, because my mind is always running through all the things I have to do the next day.

That is NOT the way God designed us to live.

He wants us to TRUST Him, and He will give us STRENGTH. Isn't that encouraging?

There's a song that I've been listening to recently, and I think it really sums up what I'm trying to say here:

In the Morning by Steve Bell

In the morning
When the dew lies on the ground
And your glory’s all around
In the morning
When the sun is on the rise
And your splendour fills the skies

I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
I look to You in the morning
To be my strength for this day
In the evening
When the day is almost done
And we watch the setting sun

In the evening
As we put our work to rest
Noting all that you have blessed
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day
I look to You in the evening
And give You thanks for this day

I've started waking up each morning with a prayer that God would give me the strength I need to do His will that day. If we TRUST Him, He will give us STRENGTH. We will NOT grow weary or faint.

Now that's a promise I'm going to hold on to.

The Blessed Future

I took this picture on the way to my Father-in-law's funeral in Alberta.

How hard it is to say goodbye to the ones we love....but how wonderful to know that this life is not the end!  I already look forward to that blessed day when I will hug my Lord for the first time...and hug my Father-in-law again.  What a re-union it will be!

Yesterday I was praying for some people in my life that I love dearly who are struggling with some uncertainty in their future...the Lord spoke these words into my heart.

You may not know what the future holds but you can be certain that God is in your future.


 I read these words in Isaiah 35:10

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

I remember these well loved words found in Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Precious one....the God of Peace...is in your future.

Give Thanks to the Lord

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever."
(1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1&29)

On this Canadian Thanksgiving, I'm thinking that there are a lot of people who feel thankful for a lot of things, but don't really know who to thank.

Today I'm thankful that I have Someone to thank. I know the God who has given life and breath and everything pertaining to life. The I AM, the Sovereign God who spoke all things into existence and holds all things in His hand is the God I know.

This all powerful and great God... is intimate with me and loves me. When I think of the dreadful power displayed in nature, and the vastness of the ocean and sky, and the grandeur of the mountains, and consider that the God who created all this is infinitely greater, and yet loves me... it's mind-boggling and only faith can see that as reality.

All the power and greatness and majesty of God is all wrapped up in love. God is love. He stoops down and makes Himself so small - all for love, to meet me.

I'm not just thankful... I'm in love.

Transforming and Listening

Last weekend I was at a youth retreat, and God spoke to me in an incredible way. It was Saturday morning, and we were told to go out somewhere in the camp for quiet time to be with Jesus. I decided to go up to the gazebo, because I love looking out at the lake and God's beautiful creation. At this point I had no idea what passage I would read or what God wanted to say to me. Once there, I found a plaque explaining who the gazebo was dedicated to. At the bottom was a passage: Romans 12: 1-3. So I decided to read it. It was exactly what I needed to hear, verse two in particular:

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." - Romans 12:2

I love the idea of being transformed from the inside out... God taking the way I think and making me see through His eyes. It was a call to be counter-cultural and completely changed. It had a huge impact. But that's not even the best part of the story...

After about 45 minutes, we came back to the main building to have worship and a session. Our youth pastor gets up front and tells us the theme for the weekend: Romans 12:2. I was shocked. I quickly pulled out my Bible and checked to make sure it was the same verse I had underlined half an hour earlier. It was. Boy, by then I was overwhelmed by God's power to get my attention. Wow, oh wow. So the whole weekend was based around the verse that I had "stumbled" upon at the gazebo. God is so incredible. He will never stop amazing me. I encourage you to check out the whole chapter of Romans 12. It has some powerful stuff in there. And never doubt that God's ability to speak to us. He always wants to tell us things, but we have to make sure we're listening.

Goodness...

I sing unto the Lord a song that my heart knows well...that He is Good!  Yes...so incredibly good.
Even now I count his blessings...I write them out...to recall on another day...the goodness of the Lord.

A favorite of mine right now from Isaiah 40:16

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.

These are the things I do
and I do not forsake them.

This is such a GOOD thing from the Lord.

 As I nod off to sleep, I repeat to myself His words and they make me smile...The Father God Himself, reveals His character, his goodness...He does not leave me to struggle through and find my own way in the dark of the unknown, the insecurities of my world....Nooooooo

He claims truth over my life and over yours...He states his promise, his very good promise, to lead, to guide, to bring light against darkness....and if that's not just "all that"...I love this part and I can almost hear him saying it in my mind..."These are the things I do...and I do not forsake them."

I love Him.

The World is Fading...

I found this amazing passage in 1 John yesterday that blew me away, so I wanted to share it with you.

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever."

- 1 John 2:15


Once I read this I realized how much I choose to love the things of this world over God. I put my focus and my passion into success, recognition, getting money and stuff, instead of having the love of the Father in my heart. And those things will not last. I've been loving temporary things that will someday fade away. Wow. What a wake up call.

Another thing I thought about is the last line. "Living forever" does not mean that we will live forever on this earth and never die, but instead, it means that we are promised eternal life with Jesus in Heaven. That's WAY better than eternal life on Earth!

So, as you go about your day today, I want you to think about the things you love. Are they the cravings of this fading world? Or are they the loves that God has put on your heart for His divine purpose? It's something to think about.

Where are you planted?

I have a beautiful friend and mentor who is 94 years old. She wrote this in a recent letter. 

"Every morning before breakfast I go out to see what new flowers have bloomed during the night. The new blooms emerge in the darkness - amazing!

So God expects us to bloom in the darkness of the world where we are planted to bring others to rejoice in the beauty of Christ seen through us."

Reflections of the Heart

"As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."
(NIV)

"As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person."
(NLT)

-Proverbs 27:19

What does your heart look like today?

Stay in the Race

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us also lay aside every weight,

and sin which clings so closely,

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking to Jesus,

the founder and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, 

and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

(who is indeed interceding for us - Rom 8:34,

with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him - 
1 Pet 3:22)

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,

so that you do not grow weary or fainthearted. 

Hebrews 12:1-3

What We Don't Understand

Just a few weeks ago I had a somewhat traumatizing experience: I failed my driver's test. Now, for some that may seem like no big deal. Everyone fails their test once, right?? Well, for me, it was a huge deal. I was devastated. I had been all ready to go get my little car, insure it, and get out on the road by myself, and now I was still stuck with my "L". I beat myself up over the dumb mistake I made that cost me the test. I cried. I felt like my life was over.

But over time, I started to realize something. And I think it can sort of be summed up by this verse I found today:

"The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?"
- Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)



Sometimes God works in ways that we don't understand. And sometimes it hurts. I realize now that God used that test to humble me... and show me that no one is perfect. My pride definitely took a beating, but in a good way. But what I like about this verse is that we don't necessarily have to understand what God's up to. Instead, we just have to trust that He knows what He's doing. Sure, I still get frustrated that I didn't pass and that I have to wait 3 months to take the test again, but I just keep reminding myself that God had a plan when He let me fail. I may not see all of it right now, but I believe He has a plan. I know He has a plan.

I also had a song that really gave me perspective during that time of disappointment:

Blessings
by Laura Story

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

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And 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
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

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

I pray that when God leads you on paths that may not make sense, you'll learn to trust His guidance no matter what, and that you'll see the blessings He brings through the tough times.