New Music Monday

I love music.  And I am loving Life Light Up, Christy Nockels

One of my early favorite's is "A Mighty Fortress," this song I put on repeat and just let it play.  The first line starts off with one of my favorite images of God,  "Our God is, a consuming fire, a burning holy flame, with glory and freedom."  

One of my favorite bible studies was Daniel, by Beth (can I just call her by her first name, after all she is one of my BFFs) Moore.  She is such a gifted teacher.  She cuts right through to the very heart for me and then takes me with her.  That's how I know we're best friends, sister's even. 

I love the visions that Daniel had and the description of God.  Chapter 7, vs 9

As I looked,

"thrones were set in place,

and the Ancient of Days took his seat.

His clothing was as white as snow;

the hair of his head was white like wool.

His throne was flaming with fire,

and its wheels were all ablaze.

A river of fire was flowing,

coming out from before him.

Thousands upon thousands attended him;

ten thousand times ten thousands stood before him.

The court was seated, 

and the books   -    were opened. 

 

Whew, can I just say whew!!!!  Praise God, thank you for Jesus.  Lord, I don't want to make light of your Majesty or your Holiness.  I can't even begin to comprehend All that You are.  I thank you Lord that You would look my way.  That the eyes of the One who is the Ancient of Days, would see me, that Your ears would hear my cries for help and that You would breathe on me and give me your Holy Spirit.  

vs 13  "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him.   His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

Chapter 10, verse 6 - what I love about ithis is the description of what He looked like. 

 vs 6. His body was like chrysolite, he face like lightning, he eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the multitude.  

In the book of Revelation chapter 1, vs. 12 - 15

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me.  And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to this feet with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword.  His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  

So, I guess what I started out to tell you was I loving the new Christy Nockels cd but what I have ended up saying, is that God is the One that I love and only because He first loved me and  only because He won't leave me where He found me and that He is faithful and true and will never leave me unfinished.  

We will keep our eyes on You

We will keep our eyes on You

So we can set our hearts on You

Lord we will set our hearts on You!

A mighty fortress is our God 

A sacred refuge is Your Name

Your Kingdom is unshakable

With You forever we will reign.

Can you imagine?  In the vision of Daniel when the courts were seated and the books were opened, and the ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, we were there.  Already we were there.  Our momma's and our daddy's, our babies, our loves; we were there with Him.  He knew us already.  

I'm speechless.

Just a Post

I was wondering around blog land, going from one to the next looking for something to inspire me.  I found it and plenty more.  

I started with Just A Girl and then . . . when I landed on Beneath My Heart everything stopped. 

It was not about something to fill my time or work to do with my hands although those two things are good things, it became about something much more grand.  

It became about the one thing that will never change.  It became about Love.  Times may change and people may think they change, but there is one thing that remains the same and that is the heart and it's need for love.  

  

It loved us first.   It has no fear.  It covers a multitude of sins.  

It brought me to redemption. It surpasses understanding. 

 It never puffs up but always builds up.  It quiets.  

It's unfailing.  It is patient.  It is kind.  It does not envy.  

It is not proud.  It is not rude, it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.  

It is the greatest.  It is what all the songs are about.  It binds us together.  

It produces "liquid prayers."  

It is the only thing that goes with us to heaven.      

I was encouraged and blessed and crying . . . and was given a jewel that will always stay in my heart.  I hope you go there and read her post for today.  I think you will be encouraged to. 

Sweetness.   

Sisters

Having a sister is the best gift in the world.  Right?  I don't have one but I do have two daughter's and I have watched them grow up.  As sisters and they are opposites and just alike, all at the same time.  One is loud; one quiet - one will tell you about it; the other will watch - take it all in.  One the instigator; one the peace maker.  I love watching them and I envy them just a little.  

I have sisters, too.  You know the ones, the sisterhood of motherhood, sisters in Christ, sisters as friends.  They add a great dimension to my life.  The creative ones inspire me, the talkative ones intrigue me, the funny ones make me laugh, the thoughtful ones may me cry and deep ones take me with them as we go deeper still.  

I have a hurt sister out there, a mad sister, an angry sister - an ex-sister.   She was once a friend but today I am feeling pain for her, like never before.  I want so desperately to reach out to her and I have wanted to all year.  I keep hoping for healing, hoping for an opening, a place to reach through the pain.  If there was one I missed it or wasn't ready myself and now I fear too much time has gone by and now I can't or won't. I feel all jumbled up  inside when it comes to her.  I hurt her.  I thought I was doing what I had to do, needed to do, to protect others, to keep others from being hurt.  But today, one year later, I'm still thinking about her, still looking back, still analyzing - wondering, did I do the right thing?

Last night I listened to a man - an ordinary man.  He is a husband, a dad, a farmer, a preacher.  You would never know by looking at his unassuming ways, his plain clothes, his stature that he has much to say, much less anything that I need to hear.  He is a kind man, you can see that you can hear it.  His tone of voice is kind, not too surgery soft, not the kind that makes me want to throw up, not condescending, the kind that make me want to . . .  well, I'll just leave that one to your imagination.  But kind, full of wisdom, says what needs to be said.  I don't know him very well, but I have been around him a little this past year - this man - unassuming, quiet, kind, is anointed to preach the Word of God.  Last night he talked about spiritual battles and that we do have an enemy that wants to destroy everything that is good, that is God, that is beautiful, and he talked about forgiveness. 

He's right, you know.  

Looking back I realized that I could have handled the situation better, I could have been bolder and told my sister, not with anger but with honesty, what the problem was, instead I tried to do it in a way that I thought was easier for me, and I lied to myself, for her.  Hoping she would understand, be okay with it.  Hoping that it would not destroy our friendship, turns out the truth was have served us both much better.  Now, in the year since, there has been a bevy of miscommunication, rumors, things taken out of context, you name it.  Just plain hurt, the accuser of the brethren has destroyed what was lovely, sweet, and beautiful and now is broken and never to be repaired.  Maybe we could talk and but after all this time how do you bring up all that stuff and work out this twisted mess?  I don't think you do.  And if someone feels that you betrayed them to the level that she feels I did to her, how do you get over something like  that, I don't think you do.  I think you move on.  I think . . .  you just move on.  Try to look honestly at yourself, forgive yourself, pray for forgiveness and blessings for her, and move on.  

I am so tired of this hurt, I'm just ready to move on . . .  or maybe go to the mountains or the beach.  

I'm having a beachy/mountain thing here this week.  I think it's because of BooMama, she's at the beach with her sisters, whether they're friend sisters or blood sisters I forgot but they're there and eating good and laughing and I want to go too.  I'm ready to get past this thing and go laugh real hard and cry while I do it.  Yea that's it, I want to laugh til I cry and then I want to sit and watch the waves hit the shore and smile at the memory of my youngest doing cart-wheels up and down the beach one year, the whole day I might add.  That was the year of the cart-wheel for her.  She cart wheeled to the car, when we got to the beach she cart wheeled out and up and down the beach all day.  I think she even cart wheeled through the outdoor shower and to the car, then slept like a baby the whole way home.  That was a good day.