I've been thinking about this song a lot recently. I have several friends who are going through some pretty crazy stuff right now. But, that has served to remind me that God's grace is sufficient to cover it all. No matter how far away from Him we may feel, His grace is always there for us - giving us the strength to stand in the midst of the most trying circumstances.
If you've never heard Keith Green's music and his story, you should do a quick google or You Tube search. His life was cut tragically short, but during his years hear on earth he wrote some tremendous music. This song is one of my favorites. Enjoy!
Grace By Which I Stand
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Love and Forgiveness
Forgiveness. What does it really mean? I think it’s something that we’ve all struggled with at some point. I did some searching and found lots of different definitions, but this one really hit home for me:
Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt you, for hurting me.
That definition really speaks to the struggle that goes on inside your head and your heart when someone wrongs you and you need to forgive them. It also highlights the fact that forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. Forgiving doesn’t mean that you no longer feel the hurt. It means that you’ve decided not to dish it out in return. Maybe that’s what makes forgiveness so powerful.
Ultimately, forgiveness is birthed out of love – agape love. Wikipedia says that agape love is divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love. It also describes “agape” as “an intentional response to promote well-being when responding to that which has generated ill-being.” Agape love is a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. It’s the kind of love that we experience when we receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father.
Forgiveness can be a scary thing. But, that perfect love – that agape love – can remove fear. 1 John 4: 17-18 (The Message) says, “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day – our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life... is one not yet fully formed in love.”
There’s no question about it – Forgiveness is hard. In fact, it’s almost impossible without God’s love at work in your life. But, when true forgiveness is offered and received, it’s a powerful thing. More on that next time…
Forgiveness is giving up my right to hurt you, for hurting me.
That definition really speaks to the struggle that goes on inside your head and your heart when someone wrongs you and you need to forgive them. It also highlights the fact that forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. Forgiving doesn’t mean that you no longer feel the hurt. It means that you’ve decided not to dish it out in return. Maybe that’s what makes forgiveness so powerful.
Ultimately, forgiveness is birthed out of love – agape love. Wikipedia says that agape love is divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love. It also describes “agape” as “an intentional response to promote well-being when responding to that which has generated ill-being.” Agape love is a 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love. It’s the kind of love that we experience when we receive forgiveness from our heavenly Father.
Forgiveness can be a scary thing. But, that perfect love – that agape love – can remove fear. 1 John 4: 17-18 (The Message) says, “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day – our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life... is one not yet fully formed in love.”
There’s no question about it – Forgiveness is hard. In fact, it’s almost impossible without God’s love at work in your life. But, when true forgiveness is offered and received, it’s a powerful thing. More on that next time…
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Worship Wednesday (a little early!)
Repentance – Forgiveness – Restoration.
I’ve been thinking a lot about those 3 words recently. Stuff keeps happening, and those words just keep coming up. I’ve seen some folks do some things that just made me go “What in the world were you thinking?!?!?” And then just as quickly, the thought has come – “They need forgiveness.” I’ve seen some things that made me go “What a mess!” And then the thought comes – “There needs to be restoration.”
As much as I hate to admit it, I can be pretty quick to judge. But, lately, I’ve been confronted with the fact that people don’t need my judgment. They need love. They need mercy. They need a second chance. So, I’m digging in a little deeper to try to understand the role that repentance, forgiveness, and restoration should play in my life and in my relationships with other people.
I watched the movie Invictus last week, and it was a really powerful illustration of what can happen when people choose to forgive. In the movie, Nelson Mandela said “Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” Wow! There’s a lot of truth in those words, and Mandela’s willingness to walk them out brought about restoration where most people thought it could never happen.
So, in keeping with that theme, here is a "Worship Wednesday" song called “Forgiven” by Sanctus Real. Take some time to really listen to the lyrics – There’s a great message here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVjKrmvYYQ
I’ve been thinking a lot about those 3 words recently. Stuff keeps happening, and those words just keep coming up. I’ve seen some folks do some things that just made me go “What in the world were you thinking?!?!?” And then just as quickly, the thought has come – “They need forgiveness.” I’ve seen some things that made me go “What a mess!” And then the thought comes – “There needs to be restoration.”
As much as I hate to admit it, I can be pretty quick to judge. But, lately, I’ve been confronted with the fact that people don’t need my judgment. They need love. They need mercy. They need a second chance. So, I’m digging in a little deeper to try to understand the role that repentance, forgiveness, and restoration should play in my life and in my relationships with other people.
I watched the movie Invictus last week, and it was a really powerful illustration of what can happen when people choose to forgive. In the movie, Nelson Mandela said “Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” Wow! There’s a lot of truth in those words, and Mandela’s willingness to walk them out brought about restoration where most people thought it could never happen.
So, in keeping with that theme, here is a "Worship Wednesday" song called “Forgiven” by Sanctus Real. Take some time to really listen to the lyrics – There’s a great message here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVjKrmvYYQ
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Battle in My Mind
Yesterday started out to be a really crappy day… (Am I allowed to say that on here??) Before I even left the house, I read a scathing e-mail from someone at work. And, in my opinion, it was completely unjustified. I started feeling sorry for myself, and I even shed a couple of tears. But, once I got that out of my system, I pretty quickly realized that I had a choice to make. I could give in to all of those self-deprecating thoughts, or I could focus on the truth.
The truth reminds me that I know WHO I am and WHOSE I am. I’m the child of a King who loved me enough to sacrifice His own Son for me. That’s pretty awesome! The truth tells me that even though I work at one of the best companies in NC, my job is not my source. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). And, He has promised to supply all of my needs (Phil 4:19). And, the truth tells me that while other folks’ opinions of me are interesting, they are, in fact, irrelevant. There’s only one opinion that counts.
When I was a child and I would start to pout, my dad used to mockingly say to me “Nobody loves me – Everybody hates me – I’m going to eat some worms.” His point being that it’s pretty useless to sit around and mope. It’s not really going to do any good or make you feel any better.
There is often a battle going on in my mind between what I know is true and those crazy-making thoughts that try to drag me down. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we should take our thoughts captive and bring them into obedience to Christ. That’s easier said than done, but reminding yourself of the truth found in His word sure helps.
And, guess what? In spite of getting off to a rough start, yesterday turned out to be a great day!
The truth reminds me that I know WHO I am and WHOSE I am. I’m the child of a King who loved me enough to sacrifice His own Son for me. That’s pretty awesome! The truth tells me that even though I work at one of the best companies in NC, my job is not my source. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). And, He has promised to supply all of my needs (Phil 4:19). And, the truth tells me that while other folks’ opinions of me are interesting, they are, in fact, irrelevant. There’s only one opinion that counts.
When I was a child and I would start to pout, my dad used to mockingly say to me “Nobody loves me – Everybody hates me – I’m going to eat some worms.” His point being that it’s pretty useless to sit around and mope. It’s not really going to do any good or make you feel any better.
There is often a battle going on in my mind between what I know is true and those crazy-making thoughts that try to drag me down. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says that we should take our thoughts captive and bring them into obedience to Christ. That’s easier said than done, but reminding yourself of the truth found in His word sure helps.
And, guess what? In spite of getting off to a rough start, yesterday turned out to be a great day!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What I learned from a thunderstorm...
I’ve lived in NC all of my life, and one thing I know for sure is that summertime means heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. Personally, I enjoy curling up with a good book and listening to the storm from the comfort of my cozy couch. However, my kids have a different opinion – especially when the storm strikes in the middle of the night.
Last week, we had a particularly wicked storm that started around 2:30am. I think the cry of “Moooommmmmyyyyyy!!!” woke me up before the thunder did! And, with that, my little one crawled into the bed with us to wait out the storm (which lasted until 4:30am!). The amazing thing to me is that this little child, who was SO scared just minutes before, curled up between her mommy and daddy and immediately went right back to sleep while the thunder raged and the lightning flashed. She felt safe and protected in the shelter of her parents love. She knew that we wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She put her trust in us and rested in the knowledge that everything would be ok as long as we were there.
And, I wondered… Is this what it means to have “faith like a child?” Is this how our Heavenly Father wants us to respond to Him? When I’m afraid or have a problem that I can’t solve, do I draw close to my Father and simply rest in Him? Many times I don’t. Instead, I draw close to Him, tell Him all about my problem, and then take it with me and try to solve it myself – instead of trusting Him to handle it. Wouldn’t it be better to rest in Him? Wouldn’t there be less stress and more joy in my life if I would just trust that my Father has things under control – even when life is raging around me?
Psalm 91 says that “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge… You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day… If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
So, thunderstorms remind me of this verse. As my children take refuge in the arms of their parents, I’m reminded that I can take refuge in the arms of my Heavenly Father. And, only there can I find the peace that I need to weather the storms that life throws at me.
Last week, we had a particularly wicked storm that started around 2:30am. I think the cry of “Moooommmmmyyyyyy!!!” woke me up before the thunder did! And, with that, my little one crawled into the bed with us to wait out the storm (which lasted until 4:30am!). The amazing thing to me is that this little child, who was SO scared just minutes before, curled up between her mommy and daddy and immediately went right back to sleep while the thunder raged and the lightning flashed. She felt safe and protected in the shelter of her parents love. She knew that we wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She put her trust in us and rested in the knowledge that everything would be ok as long as we were there.
And, I wondered… Is this what it means to have “faith like a child?” Is this how our Heavenly Father wants us to respond to Him? When I’m afraid or have a problem that I can’t solve, do I draw close to my Father and simply rest in Him? Many times I don’t. Instead, I draw close to Him, tell Him all about my problem, and then take it with me and try to solve it myself – instead of trusting Him to handle it. Wouldn’t it be better to rest in Him? Wouldn’t there be less stress and more joy in my life if I would just trust that my Father has things under control – even when life is raging around me?
Psalm 91 says that “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge… You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day… If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”
So, thunderstorms remind me of this verse. As my children take refuge in the arms of their parents, I’m reminded that I can take refuge in the arms of my Heavenly Father. And, only there can I find the peace that I need to weather the storms that life throws at me.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Worship Wednesday
I've been playing piano / keyboard since I was little girl, so music has always been a big part of my life. And, worship music is my favorite! I love to sing praises to my heavenly Father - It's good for the soul! So, now that I've started this blog, I decided to use "Worship Wednesday" to share songs that have had an impact on my life.
Today's song - "Get Up" by TobyMac - is better than a shot of caffeine for getting me going in the morning. We always crank up the radio when it comes on! If you need a little encouragement today, this song's for you... Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX5OqyBYKh4
Today's song - "Get Up" by TobyMac - is better than a shot of caffeine for getting me going in the morning. We always crank up the radio when it comes on! If you need a little encouragement today, this song's for you... Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX5OqyBYKh4
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Why blogging - why now?
There are lots of metaphors for life, but one of my favorites is "life is a journey." I like this analogy because a journey is not just about getting from point A to point B, but it's also about what you do along the way.
I dedicated my life to Jesus at an early age, so a big part of my journey involves trying to walk out my faith. Sometimes I fail miserably, but every now and then I get it right. And, through it all, I'm always learning - always growing - always finding some nugget of truth that can help me along the way.
Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but lately, I've been feeling the need to dig into those nuggets a little deeper to see what else I might be able to learn and to discover more fully how I might be able to apply that wisdom to my life or use it to encourage others. I've tried journaling as a way to do that, but the busy-ness of life often gets in the way and the journal ends up lying neglected on my nightstand.
That's where this blog comes in. Blogging those thoughts and ideas is a lot like journaling, but it gives me a bit more accountability since it's open for others to see and read.
So, as I share some of the things that I'm learning on my journey, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Let me know where I'm off base or where you can add even more insight.
And, let me know if these thoughts have somehow helped you in your journey... Because we're all on this journey together, so come on along and enjoy the ride!
I dedicated my life to Jesus at an early age, so a big part of my journey involves trying to walk out my faith. Sometimes I fail miserably, but every now and then I get it right. And, through it all, I'm always learning - always growing - always finding some nugget of truth that can help me along the way.
Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but lately, I've been feeling the need to dig into those nuggets a little deeper to see what else I might be able to learn and to discover more fully how I might be able to apply that wisdom to my life or use it to encourage others. I've tried journaling as a way to do that, but the busy-ness of life often gets in the way and the journal ends up lying neglected on my nightstand.
That's where this blog comes in. Blogging those thoughts and ideas is a lot like journaling, but it gives me a bit more accountability since it's open for others to see and read.
So, as I share some of the things that I'm learning on my journey, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Let me know where I'm off base or where you can add even more insight.
And, let me know if these thoughts have somehow helped you in your journey... Because we're all on this journey together, so come on along and enjoy the ride!
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