Learning to live for HIS glory

There's this song I've been playing and singing a lot lately with a line in it that I absolutely love... "Our praises, filling up the spaces, In between our frailty, and everything You are"                  ~Audrey Assad, " Restless " I know it sounds cliche...but I really do have so much to be grateful for, so much to praise God about.  My life is so frail, and He is so BIG, so strong.  Yet in the midst of my frailty, as I live a life of praise, I can know His all-consuming, empowering presence in my day-to-day.  This time of year it's easy to remember...but I know I need this always.  For as I name the graces He's poured out on me, I'm drawn ever closer to the Lover of my soul.  Thankfulness encourages love. Today, I am thankful.  I praise Your name, Jesus for things like these: Smiles. Snow. Words. Family.  Life. Love. Music. Pianos...especially in tune. Sunshine. Rainbows. Cove...

Sleep evades. LOVE which doth not sleep, Is beating in this heart of mine. Not I, But Christ lives in me. The life I live, I no longer live in the flesh. Spirit of the Living God, I know You are alive tonight. As sleep evades, I think of those others who may not be sleeping, Cannot be sleeping. I pray for rest. I beg for mercy. But more than that, I cry out for GLORY. Your name's fame, Jesus. All equal At the foot of the cross. Level ground. No sinner and saint, Just us, needing Jesus, Because we've all got bloodstained hands, Now He's got bloodstained hands. He's taken it. "It is finished." Is it? Yes. Stop striving. And so I leave the burdens here, In the hands of mercy. I take those hands, Learn to dance. Learn to pray. Learn to love. Bloodstained hands of mercy, Staining my hands white as snow.

Oh Jesus, my Joy-Giver, In the middle of ugly and useless, Remind of beauty and blessing. In the middle of heartache and hopeless, Remind of mending and mercy. In the middle of bleakness and burdens, Remind of rest and rejoicing. You are the Giver of good gifts, The Giver of Life. Desperately we need You. Amen.

Wait, When did those eyes staring back at me change? When did the girl become a woman? There's a story behind her eyes. Was it when she realized love hurts... But is still SO worth it? When the world became a little more black than white? Was it when life became a series of routine days? When joy became a choice? Or, I know, When the perfect walls came crashing down? Actually, no, I don't know. When does the face of a girl change? Behind the story in her eyes, I still see joy. Still see the girl inside. She's just . . . aware. Aware that joy is a choice, Love is a choice. Hard choices, Worthy choices. Her smile comes from the inside. Beauty shines as she chooses each day: Christ rules this life. May His glory shine.

It's a perfect night for dreaming, Ooh, oh, And I'm dreaming of you. As the sun kisses the autumn leaves, Colors clouds with a rose hue. It's a perfect night for dreaming, Ooh, oh, And I'm dreaming of you. As the sun kisses the autumn leaves, Colors clouds with a rose hue. Ooh, Oooh, oh, oOh, Ooh, oh, oOoh,  Ooh, Oooh, oh oOh, Ooh, Oohoh Oh Come soon,  Oh, come soon, Come soon, Oh come soon. It's a perfect night for dreaming, Come soon, Come soon. As the sun sets 'or the horizon, I'm wondering when, When will I see your face, Know Your smile and embrace Ooh Oooh, oh, oOh,  Ooh, oh, oOoh, Ooh, Oooh, oh oOh, Ooh, Oohoh Oh It's a perfect night for dreaming, Ooh Oh, Come soon. P.S. This post now has a song recording to go with it... :)   Dreaming

Yesterday in church, we watched and listened as one of Keystone's family members shared his story of once being a violent drug dealer, and how the Lord has worked in changing his life.  It was a hard but beautiful story to hear.  Afterwards, Pastor Keith was sharing about how God often uses stories like that in powerful ways because people think that if God can save someone like that, if He can love someone like that, then He can love and save them too.  As I sat there and listened to all this, I was once again amazed at the power of my God to take lives and turn them around, but I was wrestling with this question: "Lord, why me?"   See...I don't have a crazy story.  I grew up in a "Christian" home.  I first asked Jesus to save me at the age of three!  I can't point to my life before and after becoming a Christ-follower and say, "See the difference?!"  This is not by any means to say that I am not a sinner who needs the Righteous One'...

As the little one cries himself to sleep . . . I'll sit here and pray. Pray for these moments, That he'll know he's loved; Know Love. Pray for the future, For Life. And as I pray, I'm reminded of the others. Little ones near and far With pieces of my heart. Some, like A. Not so little anymore. 18? Lord, protect him from the gangs, The drug dealers. Continue to place in his life way-signs pointing to Jesus. F, her life has changed, Haiti's no longer home. Bless that family, Use their love. Then there's D, & B, S, P . . . & a handful of A's & H's. In all of these young hearts, Jesus, Stir a love for You, A yearning for Your kingdom come. Draw whole families to You, Use their lives. Amen. " 'Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the marr...