I sing to joy to God my strength;
I shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Begin making music, strike the tambourine,
play the melodious hard, and lyre.
Sound the ram's horn at the New Moon,
and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast,
for the Lord has decreed that we worship Him with exuberance, delight, fascination, and honor.
This is an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
He established this as a statue for Joseph when he went out against the land of captivity.
The Lord has removed my burden from my shoulders.
He has set me hand free from hard labor.
I cried out to Him in my distress and He rescued me.
He answered me from a thundercloud.
He has tested me to see if I truly trust Him to meet all my needs.
Hear, America, the Lord is warning us,
Listen to Him!
Father, America chooses to have no foreign gods among us,
we do not bow down to alien gods.
You are our Lord and our God. There is no one but you.
You have delivered us from slavery into a land of Promise.
We open wide our mouths, and You alone fill them.
Forgive us when we have not listened to you.
Forgive us for not submitting to you.
Forgive us for following our own ways and devices.
Forgive us and do not turn us over to our own stubborness. If you do, we will die.
We choose to be your people. We choose to listen to you.
We choose to follow your ways.
Because we choose to be your people and follow your ways,
you quickly subdue our enemies
and turn your hand against our foes!
Those who hate you cringe before you,
and their punishment lasts forever.
Lord, in your great love and mercy, feed us with the finest of wheat, which is the Bread-the broken body of your Son;
satisfy us with honey from the rock, which is you Son Jesus.
Thank you, Holy and Mighty God, for all your mercies.
Amen.
--Psalm 81
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bold and Free Thursday Three
Bold and Free Thursday Three
Three Things Not Working at my House
1. A/C
2. Dryer
3. Dishwasher
Three reasons it's not so bad:
1. Today is the first day above 80 since the A/C broke on Sunday.
2. Today it's above 80 so the clothes dry on the line.
3. It's too hot in the house to cook, so we have no dishes.
Three Things Not Working at my House
1. A/C
2. Dryer
3. Dishwasher
Three reasons it's not so bad:
1. Today is the first day above 80 since the A/C broke on Sunday.
2. Today it's above 80 so the clothes dry on the line.
3. It's too hot in the house to cook, so we have no dishes.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Gold, Silver, and Eternal Treasures
In the last 24 hours I've seen quite a bit of controversy surrounding the giving of a gold medal. A gold medal. Not two, which seems appropriate for a tie in gymnastics, but one determined by objective numbers given by supposedly not so objective judges.
Thus the controversy.
The issue isn't a gold medal or a silver medal. The real issue seems to be the athlete's being from the host country and the world's suspicion of the host country in general. After all, the host country is China, and they should not be trusted.
I'll be honest. I don't know about Olympic rules. I don't know a lot about gymnasticsl, and I don't know the intricacies of how scores can or cannot be fixed. There are some things I do know, though.
I know China has approximately 1.3 billion people in it.
1 out of every 5 people in the world live in China, and in that group of 1.3 billion people there are those grieving the loss of loved ones.
There are families rejoicing in the birth of a child, and there are couples working through the pain of infertility.
There are people trying to pay their bills and provide food for their families. There are children who want to dream and aren't sure if it is reasonable or not.
There are parents hoping for more for their children than what they had.
There are folks who want to serve God with all their hearts and folks who believe He's a lie.
And of those 1.3 billion people, all of them will die and either go to Heaven or Hell, whether they be the powerful leaders or those barely scratching out an existence on this earth.
I also know the writer and readers of this post can make the difference in some of those lives through the power of prayer. We simply need to see beyond the glitz of gold and silver and see those people as the eternal treasures they are. If we can do that, we all win.
Thus the controversy.
The issue isn't a gold medal or a silver medal. The real issue seems to be the athlete's being from the host country and the world's suspicion of the host country in general. After all, the host country is China, and they should not be trusted.
I'll be honest. I don't know about Olympic rules. I don't know a lot about gymnasticsl, and I don't know the intricacies of how scores can or cannot be fixed. There are some things I do know, though.
I know China has approximately 1.3 billion people in it.
1 out of every 5 people in the world live in China, and in that group of 1.3 billion people there are those grieving the loss of loved ones.
There are families rejoicing in the birth of a child, and there are couples working through the pain of infertility.
There are people trying to pay their bills and provide food for their families. There are children who want to dream and aren't sure if it is reasonable or not.
There are parents hoping for more for their children than what they had.
There are folks who want to serve God with all their hearts and folks who believe He's a lie.
And of those 1.3 billion people, all of them will die and either go to Heaven or Hell, whether they be the powerful leaders or those barely scratching out an existence on this earth.
I also know the writer and readers of this post can make the difference in some of those lives through the power of prayer. We simply need to see beyond the glitz of gold and silver and see those people as the eternal treasures they are. If we can do that, we all win.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Technical Difficulties
Hello, dear ones!
I wanted to stop in to let you know that we are well at the Phillips' house. I apologize for the long delay in a new post. However, my computer is having some issues with being online. Right now I am on a borrowed computer. Rob thinks he has isolated the problem with my laptop, though, and will have it fixed sometime tonight, so prayerfully, tomorrow I will have a new post that will bless and encourage you.
Hope to see you all very soon!
I wanted to stop in to let you know that we are well at the Phillips' house. I apologize for the long delay in a new post. However, my computer is having some issues with being online. Right now I am on a borrowed computer. Rob thinks he has isolated the problem with my laptop, though, and will have it fixed sometime tonight, so prayerfully, tomorrow I will have a new post that will bless and encourage you.
Hope to see you all very soon!
Friday, August 1, 2008
I Need to be Letdown
I'm always reserved in writing about friends or situations where I am disappointed or let down. I get a bit nervous mentioning folks who hurt my feelings because they weren't "there for me". I find reactions fall into two main categories: those who want to commiserate about their own disappointments with friends and those who want to fix it all. Frankly, I can be either of those on any given day, and I understand both reactions.
However, once I get over my self-pity and self-righteous anger, my sense comes back to me, and I realize important people letting me down is a gift. The reality is I need friends to let me down sometimes. I need my husband to not always understand. I need to find myself in a place where "no one gets it".
Psalm 62:1-2 says,
"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock, and my salvation;
He is my fortress,
I will never be shaken."
My soul finds rest in God alone.
Now, before the thought, "Well, duh," wanders through your mind, stop and think. If my friends really were always there for me, or if my husband always understood and had the answer, or if chocolate always made me feel better, why would I go to God? If answers and feeling better was only a phone call away, what would drive me to my quiet place and keep me there waiting for the Lord's voice?
Contrary to what the enemy wants us to believe, most folks don't fail us because their hearts are bad. They fail us because God is so very good. He takes away what could easily become our idols, and He forces us to seek Him.
Sadly, instead of seeing the One who wants to meet our needs, we get fixated on who can't meet our needs. I know my friends. They would do anything in their power to help me, and therein lies the wondrous and exciting revelation of God's character. The people who love me simply cannot be my everything because God wants that job for Himself, and when I get over being disappointed in the basic character of people and get focused on the simple character of God, instead of being angry, I am overwhelmed with the passion of God's love for me.
My soul finds rest in God alone.--He sets it up so I have to look at Him because He is the only one who can meet my needs, and instead of being mad at those who cannot be Him, I rejoice in all He is and gives me.
My salvation comes from Him.--He saves me from confusion, chaotic situations, defeating emotions, lies, and anything else that could defeat me or draw my heart from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation.--He is the only one what is forever stable, where I can go and be calm knowing He can handle anything and His heart is always for my good.
He is my fortress, and I will never be shaken.--He protects my heart from all other idols my humanness wants to trust in. He keeps me to Himself and makes it so I have to turn my eyes on Him. He loves me too much to leave me to my own devices, and I can put my full trust in Him because He is fully capable to take care of my every need and protect me from anything that could take me from Him, even myself.
Yeah, the people I love let me down sometimes...and I thank God they do because they just remind me that He never does.
However, once I get over my self-pity and self-righteous anger, my sense comes back to me, and I realize important people letting me down is a gift. The reality is I need friends to let me down sometimes. I need my husband to not always understand. I need to find myself in a place where "no one gets it".
Psalm 62:1-2 says,
"My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock, and my salvation;
He is my fortress,
I will never be shaken."
My soul finds rest in God alone.
Now, before the thought, "Well, duh," wanders through your mind, stop and think. If my friends really were always there for me, or if my husband always understood and had the answer, or if chocolate always made me feel better, why would I go to God? If answers and feeling better was only a phone call away, what would drive me to my quiet place and keep me there waiting for the Lord's voice?
Contrary to what the enemy wants us to believe, most folks don't fail us because their hearts are bad. They fail us because God is so very good. He takes away what could easily become our idols, and He forces us to seek Him.
Sadly, instead of seeing the One who wants to meet our needs, we get fixated on who can't meet our needs. I know my friends. They would do anything in their power to help me, and therein lies the wondrous and exciting revelation of God's character. The people who love me simply cannot be my everything because God wants that job for Himself, and when I get over being disappointed in the basic character of people and get focused on the simple character of God, instead of being angry, I am overwhelmed with the passion of God's love for me.
My soul finds rest in God alone.--He sets it up so I have to look at Him because He is the only one who can meet my needs, and instead of being mad at those who cannot be Him, I rejoice in all He is and gives me.
My salvation comes from Him.--He saves me from confusion, chaotic situations, defeating emotions, lies, and anything else that could defeat me or draw my heart from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation.--He is the only one what is forever stable, where I can go and be calm knowing He can handle anything and His heart is always for my good.
He is my fortress, and I will never be shaken.--He protects my heart from all other idols my humanness wants to trust in. He keeps me to Himself and makes it so I have to turn my eyes on Him. He loves me too much to leave me to my own devices, and I can put my full trust in Him because He is fully capable to take care of my every need and protect me from anything that could take me from Him, even myself.
Yeah, the people I love let me down sometimes...and I thank God they do because they just remind me that He never does.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Post Perfectly from God
My focus lately with my posts is the power of the Word of God. It can calm any sea, open any sea for that matter, create a universe, tear down kingdoms and prisons, and bring freedom and peace.
Shonda emailed me privately and left a comment about the power of the Word in her life. I suggested she write something up and let me post it (all credit going to her, or course). She then wrote a wonderful article on her blog about being set free from perfectionism through the Word.
I am slow in getting the link here, but if you have ANY prison or shackle that you are wanting freedom from, you need to read this. The verses may be different, but the principle is the same. Even if there is nothing you are struggling with right now, you need to read this. It is that good, and it is good reference for others you know who might be struggling.
Oh, and while you are at Shonda's, you'll also want to read "Rose Colored Glasses" and "From Wild to Privileged"...and lots of other stuff for that matter.
So visit Shonda. Get blessed. Listen to God. Get free.
Shonda emailed me privately and left a comment about the power of the Word in her life. I suggested she write something up and let me post it (all credit going to her, or course). She then wrote a wonderful article on her blog about being set free from perfectionism through the Word.
I am slow in getting the link here, but if you have ANY prison or shackle that you are wanting freedom from, you need to read this. The verses may be different, but the principle is the same. Even if there is nothing you are struggling with right now, you need to read this. It is that good, and it is good reference for others you know who might be struggling.
Oh, and while you are at Shonda's, you'll also want to read "Rose Colored Glasses" and "From Wild to Privileged"...and lots of other stuff for that matter.
So visit Shonda. Get blessed. Listen to God. Get free.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Do You Know?
The last few days have been war here at the homestead. There have been four or five sizable assaults. While I'm annoyed, I'm not terribly surprised. Rob is in California this week. He thought the earthquake was cool. I'm not finding the shaking here as enjoyable.
Yesterday while the blasts exploded around us, I called my usual support group. Frankly, that only made things worse. Instead of rallying and praying, I heard, "Oh, that reminds me of my..." Friend, child, husband, family, church...fill in the blank with as many as you want because every time I tried to share my heart, it reminded folks of someone else, and they just had to talk about it. In the end, I got tired of hearing how much less important my heart and concerns were than everyone else and quit talking. I just listened silently. What was the point in talking? They obviously weren't listening anyway.
The friends I had turned to for help and aid in the midst of an assault became arsenal in the hands of the enemy.
And it hurt.
Last night I tried to pray through my anger, hurt, and anxiety, but instead, I just kept running into a wall. I tried to just let it go. God, however, wouldn't.
I cannot tell you how many times I woke up in the night with God goading me about my misery and my heart. Each time I answered Him with an angry response, and when He finally got all the anger peeled away, He asked the simplest question, "Don't you think I care about what is important to you?"
I wished I could say I did, but really, that is what all the pain was about. It was the pain of not feeling important, of not feeling like my heart was valuable, of not feeling like my concerns registered on anyone else's worthwhile meter.
I found myself praying something like this, "God, I want to believe you care, but it's hard when others--"
"So I'm now on their level?" He replied
Uh. Oh.
"It's just that in the past there have been things like this that I really wanted, and you didn't bring them to pass."
"Did you really expect them, or did you curse them with your words? I don't care much for the word 'if". Do you believe I will or not? Maybe the issue was more with your belief than my willingness." He responded.
Okay, I can do something with that. I like that, actually. That means I can actively affect things, not manipulate, but free up blessings that the Father wants to give.
"It's just that in the big scheme of things, these things don't seem that big."
"Not big? They are keeping you awake at night and making you grumpy, and they made you cry. Do you care when your children cry? Do you care when they are so bothered that they can't sleep? Are you really trying to tell me you care more about your children than I do mine?"
Yeah, I can see where my suggesting that is just flat rude.
"So, obviously, I'm missing your heart. Can you remind me again?"
He spoke lovingly.
If something concerns you, tell me. I care about everything that affects you (1 Peter 5:7).
Tell me everything that is bothering you, and I will show you the solutions and how to deal with it. If it isn't for you to deal with, I'll give you grace and peace to get through, but there is nothing you have to deal with on your own (Psalm 55:22).
I know what I have planned for you. I've already been thinking about it. I've considered all the factors, and I have the perfect plan for you, and everything I have in store for you is good. My heart is not to harm you but to do good things for you and to give you hope and faith in who I am, my character, and my heart toward you. I want you to know I love you with a perfect love, and all those plans are because I have a destiny for you. All I do is to enable you to fulfill your destiny (Jeremiah 29:11).
I have not left you, and I won't. I don't care if you are sad or angry or doubting. I'm with you. I've committed to the long haul, and I don't go back on my word. I'm with you, and I'm staying here, so just hold onto me, and I'll get you through this (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And I don't care what the circumstances are, and I don't want you to either. There is no circumstance, no power, no plan, no person who will succeed against me. I am above all of those things, and they cannot stop me. Do not let them stop you from believing in me or being all I have declared you (Psalm 128:2).
Trust me. My heart is for you, and I care about everything you do because I love you.
--------
And in case you are wondering, He loves you the same way.
Yesterday while the blasts exploded around us, I called my usual support group. Frankly, that only made things worse. Instead of rallying and praying, I heard, "Oh, that reminds me of my..." Friend, child, husband, family, church...fill in the blank with as many as you want because every time I tried to share my heart, it reminded folks of someone else, and they just had to talk about it. In the end, I got tired of hearing how much less important my heart and concerns were than everyone else and quit talking. I just listened silently. What was the point in talking? They obviously weren't listening anyway.
The friends I had turned to for help and aid in the midst of an assault became arsenal in the hands of the enemy.
And it hurt.
Last night I tried to pray through my anger, hurt, and anxiety, but instead, I just kept running into a wall. I tried to just let it go. God, however, wouldn't.
I cannot tell you how many times I woke up in the night with God goading me about my misery and my heart. Each time I answered Him with an angry response, and when He finally got all the anger peeled away, He asked the simplest question, "Don't you think I care about what is important to you?"
I wished I could say I did, but really, that is what all the pain was about. It was the pain of not feeling important, of not feeling like my heart was valuable, of not feeling like my concerns registered on anyone else's worthwhile meter.
I found myself praying something like this, "God, I want to believe you care, but it's hard when others--"
"So I'm now on their level?" He replied
Uh. Oh.
"It's just that in the past there have been things like this that I really wanted, and you didn't bring them to pass."
"Did you really expect them, or did you curse them with your words? I don't care much for the word 'if". Do you believe I will or not? Maybe the issue was more with your belief than my willingness." He responded.
Okay, I can do something with that. I like that, actually. That means I can actively affect things, not manipulate, but free up blessings that the Father wants to give.
"It's just that in the big scheme of things, these things don't seem that big."
"Not big? They are keeping you awake at night and making you grumpy, and they made you cry. Do you care when your children cry? Do you care when they are so bothered that they can't sleep? Are you really trying to tell me you care more about your children than I do mine?"
Yeah, I can see where my suggesting that is just flat rude.
"So, obviously, I'm missing your heart. Can you remind me again?"
He spoke lovingly.
If something concerns you, tell me. I care about everything that affects you (1 Peter 5:7).
Tell me everything that is bothering you, and I will show you the solutions and how to deal with it. If it isn't for you to deal with, I'll give you grace and peace to get through, but there is nothing you have to deal with on your own (Psalm 55:22).
I know what I have planned for you. I've already been thinking about it. I've considered all the factors, and I have the perfect plan for you, and everything I have in store for you is good. My heart is not to harm you but to do good things for you and to give you hope and faith in who I am, my character, and my heart toward you. I want you to know I love you with a perfect love, and all those plans are because I have a destiny for you. All I do is to enable you to fulfill your destiny (Jeremiah 29:11).
I have not left you, and I won't. I don't care if you are sad or angry or doubting. I'm with you. I've committed to the long haul, and I don't go back on my word. I'm with you, and I'm staying here, so just hold onto me, and I'll get you through this (Deuteronomy 31:6).
And I don't care what the circumstances are, and I don't want you to either. There is no circumstance, no power, no plan, no person who will succeed against me. I am above all of those things, and they cannot stop me. Do not let them stop you from believing in me or being all I have declared you (Psalm 128:2).
Trust me. My heart is for you, and I care about everything you do because I love you.
--------
And in case you are wondering, He loves you the same way.
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