Well, I just got back from another amazing week counseling at Sr. High camp, which I hope to tell you about in my next post. In the meantime, here is a song I have really fell in love with. In this case, I actually like the cover better than the original, I think. :) Enjoy!
7.31.2011
7.22.2011
Photo Friday
7.17.2011
Calmer of the Storm
When everything is wrong
The day has passed and nothing's done
And the whole world seems against me
When I'm rolling in my bed
There's a storm in my head
I'm afraid of sinking in despair
Teach me, Lord, to have faith
In what You're bringing me will
Change my life and bring you glory
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank You, Lord, You are the Calmer of the storm
You rebuke the wind and the waves
Once again, I find I'm amazed
By the power of Your will
'Cause I'm a child of little faith
I feel the wind and forget Your grace
And You say, "Peace, be still."
Teach me, Lord, to have faith
In what You're bringing me will
Change my life and bring you glory
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in Your arms eternally
I thank You, Lord, You are the Calmer of the storm
Oh, when the torment blows
The middle of the sea
May I never trust, never trust in me
'Cause there in Your arms I find
No tragedy
There on the storm I am learning to let go
The white wave's high, it's crashing o'er the deck
And I don't know where to go
Where are You, Lord, this ship is going down?
The mast is gone, so throw the anchor
Should I jump and try to swim to land?
There on the storm teach me God to understand
Of Your will that I just cannot control
There may I see all Your love protecting me
7.12.2011
For The Good
Today, I had a conversation with a man who came into my workplace. I learned that his sister passed away recently in a kayaking accident. Her husband and adult son were with her and unable to save her. My heart hurts for these men in her life that wanted to protect her and care for her but could not; yet, it was so encouraging to hear him talk about her funeral. He said, "I looked up at the cross above her casket, and I knew that if Jesus could endure death on a cross for me--for all of us--then, what is this light and momentary suffering compared to what He suffered and the eternal joy she will have in heaven?"
Wow.
We were talking about how truly awesome it is to have a God that has experienced suffering and brokenheartedness (you will find this throughout the entire Old Testament book of Hosea). And how our sorrow--while we may have days or weeks that seem to overcome us--will never truly destroy us because we have a firm foundation and a hope (or confident expectation) of God's goodness.
How often I long for still and calm waters when I have a Savior who can rebuke the wind and the waves! One who immediately reaches out His hand when I cry out to him as I feel the waters overtake me.
The song I inserted at the beginning of this post is one I have really been meditating on as of late. I could just give you a link to the lyrics, but they are so amazing, you are just going to have to forgive me for my obnoxiousness as I quote them here:
While we were talking for a short time, something came to mind that I have been thinking about the last few days. It's something I said at the beginning of all of this:
I had told God that I would be content in whatever circumstances we were in, and He was helping me be true to that. I liked our life.
I think this is somewhat true. I was praying that God would help me to be content that we hadn't moved on to houses or having children like many of our friends had--and He was definitely answering my prayer. But I have come to realize that perhaps I was also content just to have a "peaceful" life. Not much in the way of change. "Lord, please don't bring any ripples into my life...well, maybe just enough to make life interesting, but nothing too serious." I was trusting in a false peace; I was trusting in my circumstances to give me peace.
Another of the names of God, Jehovah-Shalom, means "The Lord is Peace" or "The Lord our Peace". "Shalom is a derivative of shâlêm (which means 'be complete' or 'sound'). Shalom is translated as 'peace' or 'absence from strife.'" The only place this is found in the Bible is in Judges 6. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon--the least of his father's house in the weakest clan in Manasseh--and tells him that he, a "mighty man of valor" will save Israel from its oppressors. In the midst of this message, Gideon asks some pretty telling questions: "Please, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us...?" Why are bad things happening to your people? Why have you abandoned us? Why me? Why now?
The angel declares to Gideon, "But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man." Gideon, who cannot seem to wrap his head around all of this, asks if the angel will show him a sign that this message is really from God. He presents an offering to the angel of the Lord, who touches the offering with his staff. The offering is consumed by fire, and the angel of the Lord disappears. This, Gideon believes.
Gideon cries out, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." The very God of the universe replies to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die." Gideon was afraid that he, the least of men, would die for coming face to face with an angel of God. He encountered perfection and saw all of his imperfections. I wonder if he wasn't also afraid that God was asking too much of him. Or blinded by the enormity of his task. This mirrors Peter's reaction to Jesus in Matthew 14. Shortly before dawn, Jesus came to the disciples, walking on water while they and their ship were beaten by waves.
But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And Peter answered Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
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How often I long for still and calm waters when I have a Savior who can rebuke the wind and the waves! One who immediately reaches out His hand when I cry out to him as I feel the waters overtake me.
The song I inserted at the beginning of this post is one I have really been meditating on as of late. I could just give you a link to the lyrics, but they are so amazing, you are just going to have to forgive me for my obnoxiousness as I quote them here:
7.08.2011
The Nothing Box
One of our friends showed us this video last year, and we refer to it quite often in our house. If you want to understand why men (and women) think the way they do, you should probably watch this--don't worry, you won't have to take any notes. It's not that complicated. ;)
7.05.2011
Dear Angel
Dear Angel, today would mark your twelfth week growing inside your mommy. This weekend, we would have told grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles about you—they would have been so excited to hear of your coming!
This weekend, we had pictures taken with Daddy’s family. I felt like someone was missing…and that someone was you. When you were still with me, I had this wonderful idea of how we would tell the family that you were coming. I wanted to make a sign for Daddy and I to hold that would say, “Love never fails…”, and on the other side, we would write “We’re expecting! 1.17.12”. We were so excited!
When I made our sign, I was so sad that I couldn’t write what I really wanted to write on it. That’s when I realized that what I wanted was to talk to you. I wanted to tell you how very, very much Daddy and I love you. I wanted to tell you about my dreams about kissing your little fingers and toes, counting them again and again in their perfection. I wanted to tell you how much I think about you—how I envy you sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Dear Angel, can I tell you how you’ve changed my life? You have taught me so much about love. You have helped me to see how wonderfully loving your Daddy is—he is going to be the best dad someday. I have learned how to be loved. In my pride, it’s so easy to say that I can do everything on my own. As so many of our friends have poured compassion into our lives, I have seen how a heart can be full of hurt and full of love at the same time.
You have led me into the depths of my Father’s unfailing love. Through your little life, He has shown me how He longs for me to seek after Him as a child—to reach out for Him when my vision is clouded by sin or grief. To be able to say, like Asaph in Psalm 73:
Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand. …Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire You more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever. ...But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.
You have opened my eyes to a greater awareness of the hurting of others. How often have I had my mind set only on myself and completely missed the sorrow of my neighbor? How often have I thought I wouldn’t have the right words to say because I’m too afraid of the awkwardness of their pain? You have given me the courage to reach out and be there for others like so many have been for me. And faith to recognize how God can work in their lives when I ask Him to.
Dear Angel, it has been almost a month since we lost you. We will never forget you! Your brothers and sisters will hear all about you. We will be better parents to them because of you. You have taught us to not take life for granted. And that time spent together is time well spent. You have brought so much joy into our lives by bringing us closer to each other and closer to the One you have always belonged to. Know that I long to see you, but I know that I will see you—and for you, it will seem like the blink of an eye.
Loving you always,
Mommy
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