{Your Path | Personal}

"You are on the path of My choosing. There is no randomness about your life. As you give yourself more and more to a life of constant communion with Me, you will find that you simply have not time for worry." {Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young}

I've been learning lately that the path that the Lord is choosing for me doesn't consist of where I am, or where I am going, or where I am living, or what I am doing, or how I am serving Him. Instead, it consists of my relationship with Him. 
That's what the "path" is. Walking and talking with Jesus. Listening and obeying. Loving Him.

That's all that matters. And that's all He wants from us.

Too often I get caught up in how *I* think my path should be looking, and the majority of the time I think it involves moving and doing and going. I quickly loose sight of what it really means to walk the path of Christ.

Walking and talking with Jesus. Loving Him. That's all He wants from me. If I am pursuing that then I am on the right path. 


I'm right where I'm supposed to be. 


"What can I do for You // What can I bring to You // What kind of song would You like me to sing? // 'cause I'll dance a dance for You // pour out my love for You // What can I do for You beautiful King.

"Cause I can't thank you enough."

"And I hear You sing to me // you, don't have to do a thing // just simply be with Me and let those things go // 'cause they can wait another minute // wait, this moment is too sweet // just please stay here with Me and love on Me a little longer.

"Cause I like to be with you a little longer. I am in love with you." {A Little Longer, Jenn Johnson}

{Chasing my Soul | Personal}

"But the Jesus of prostitutes is chasing my soul // the Jesus of prostitutes is calling me home."

                                                - Hawthorne, Mat Kearney 

Because we've all sold ourselves to something {or someone} else. For too cheap. Because He thinks we're worth more than that. He thinks we are worth His life. And He's already paid the price. 

"Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us. He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight." 

{Hosea 6:1-2} 

Let Him chase you. Let Him heal you. Always remember that He paid the ultimate price.

Don't sell yourself.

______________________

P.S. The song that I linked to isn't very high quality sound, but it's the only one I could find on You tube... you should still go listen to it, or go look it up on Grooveshark.

{our secret place}

I'm in our secret place // alone in Your embrace // where all my wrongs have been erased 

You have forgiven...

All the promises and lies // All the times I've compromised // All the times You were denied 

You have forgiven...

{Forgiven, by Skillet} 

Your Love

"Your love // Your love // The only thing that matters is // Your love // Your love // is all I have to give // Your love // Is enough //  to light up the darkness // It's Your love // Your love // all I ever needed is Your love."

~ Your Love, Brandon Heath

Something about the Ocean

"Something about the ocean makes me rise up and praise // something about the heavens makes me stand in awe again // something about the sunrise reminds me of Your faithfulness // something about the ocean and I'm lost in love again." 

~ Ocean, Ten Shekel Shirt 

I wanna see Miracles

"I want to see miracles //see the world change //

Wrestle the angel // for more than a name"

"For more than a feeling // For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You."

"Twenty four voices // With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies // In twenty four parts.
  and I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out."

~Twenty-four, Switchfoot

This For Those Who Wait

"The pressures make us stronger // The struggle makes us hunger // the hard lessons make a difference // The pressures make us stronger // The struggle makes us hunger // the hard lessons make a difference// and the difference.. makes it worth it." 

~This is For Those Who Wait, Fireflight

This song has really spoke to me about waiting. And how really waiting is an active action... I'm actually doing something, even when it doesn't always feel like I am. I think sometimes that's when you learn the most, patience, endurance, dealing with your emotions, mental struggles. The struggle makes us hunger; the more that we are challenged, the more we fight, the more we struggle the more we will hunger after God. The more we will realize how much we actually *need* Him. But the hard lessons make all the difference, and the difference is what makes it worth it.

Pouring Rain

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound // Amazing love, now pouring down // From hands and feet that were nailed to the tree // His grace flows down and covers me. "

~Grace Flows Down 

Grace = unmerited divine assistance

We fall. We mess up. We make mistakes.

But even though we do, His grace pours over us. Over it all. And not only does it pour on us, it covers us. 

Completely.

It's like a flood, like a downpour, like a cozy blanket, all unmerited, undeserved. But yet He still pours it out. It's one of the most amazing things I've experienced in my walk with God, His unconditional grace. It's almost beyond my understanding, it's more something I just have to accept. 

So I stand under the downpour, let the water run over my tears, curling up in the blanket, because His grace covers me. 

It covers my shame. It  covers my guilt, my sin, my mistakes. It fills me up, it washes me clean, heals my wounds. The awesome grace of Jesus does this for me. 

"The people asked.... and He opened the rock and water gushed out; it ran into all the dry places." ~Psalm 105:40-41
 

Ask for His grace, let Him pour it out, let it gush into all the dry places. Let it cover you. Let it cover your shame, your guilt your sin. Let it fill you, wash you, heal you.

Let it Go

"I've been holding on so tight // Look at these knuckles they've gone white // I'm fighting for who I wanna be // Just trying to find security.//

"But You said let it go // You said let it go // You said life is waiting for the ones who lose control // You said You would be, everything I need // You said when I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul.// You said let it go."

~Let it Go, Tenth Avenue North

More Like Falling In Love

Give me rules, I will break them.

Give me lines I will cross them.

I need more than a truth to believe in.

I need a truth that lives, moves and breathes,

to sweep me off my feet....

It oughta be...

More like falling in love, than something to believe in.

More like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance.

Caught up, called out, take a look at me know,

It's like I'm falling, oh,

It's like I'm falling in love.

Give me words, I'll misuse them.

Obligations, I misplace them.

'Cause all religion made of me was just a sinner with a stone tied to his feet,

It never set me free.

It's gotta be more like,

falling in love, than something to believe in.

More like losing my heart, than giving my allegiance.

Caught up, called out, come take a look at me now...

It's like I'm falling in love.

It's like I'm falling in love, love, love.

Deeper and Deeper.

It was love that made me a believer.

In more than a name, a faith, a creed,

Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me.

~Falling In Love, by Jason Gray

"Greater love has no man than this, that He lay down His life for His friend." 

~John 15:13

For Your Nearness

"For Your nearness, Lord I hunger // For your nearness Lord I wait // Hold me ever closer, Father // such I love I can't escape.For Your nearness I am hoping // for Your nearness, Lord I long // have no need for any other, I have found where I belong // I have found where I belong."

"So draw me nearer, Lord // never let me go // closer to Your heart // draw me nearer, Lord // oh draw me nearer, Lord."

"And keep me here // keep me here // there's no where else I'd rather be."

"So draw me nearer, Lord // never let me go // closer to Your heart // draw me nearer, Lord // oh draw me nearer, Lord."

~Draw Me Nearer, Meredith Andrews

My Valentine???????

So. Who's *your* Valentine?????

Your hubby?? Your boyfriend/girlfriend??? Jesus??? =)

Ok. So how about "Crabby Grandma and her Grandbabies"? uhhhhhh.

nope. 

uh uh. not at all.

Today at church Mr. Zahm was talking about the heavy burden Paul had for the Children of the Lord, but also for the furtherance of the gospel. How Paul goes through the list of physical trials that he has endured, but then says that his burden of the gospel is even heavier. That he would give up everything for the good of the gospel.

It pretty much hit me over the head then, that that's what love means: having a heavy burden for the world, and the creation of God, that they might hear the gospel that saves; the story of Love. So much so that we cant keep it to ourselves. And it doesn't mean just for out fellow believers, or our fellow believers, or our family, or our friends.

It means Grandma and her Grandbabies. ooofta.

It means passing that love on, because it's such a burden to keep it that we can't! I've been feeling God's overwhelming love toward me, but I'm asking Him to give me an overwhelming burden that I can't keep to my self. But that kind of brings me to another point.... where love isn't a feeling but a choice. =) [later!]

"The LOVE of God // how rich and pure // how measureless and strong.// It shall forevermore endure // the saints' and angels' song."

"Could we with ink the ocean fill // and were the skies of parchment made // were every stalk on earth a quill // and every man a scribe by trade; to write the LOVE of God above // would drain the ocean dry // nor could the scroll contain the whole // though stretched from sky to sky."

~The Love of God, Fredrick M. Lehman, 1917

Walk on the Water

"So what are you waiting for // what do you have to lose // your insecurities try to alter you // You know you were made for more // so don't be afraid to move // your faith is all it takes and you can walk on the water too." ~Britt Nicole Walk on the Water

I want to walk on the water. I mean how awesome would it be to actually walk on the lake? I was thinking about this the other day, and it hit me how we can walk on water. Not in the literal sense [although I do believe that could happen!] but in other virtual sense, such as walking above the storm, walking over the problems of this life, things that drown others, that pull them down.

"Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary."

"Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.' "

And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if that is You, command me to come to You on the water.' So He said, 'Come'. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, 'Lord, save me!' And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?' And when they got into the boat the wind ceased." [Matthew 14: 22-33]

Why was Peter the only one that walked on the sea to Jesus? For one, he was an overcomer. He was already learning to walk above the things of this world, walk above the apparent storms by concentrating on the Lord. [you may want to read an earlier post about overcoming, Offensive Wrestling ] But another fact was that Peter was able to hear from, and recognize the Lord and His voice. While the others thought that Jesus was a ghost, Peter said, "Lord, if that is you......"

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks the disciples who the people say He was and then He askes,

"But what about you? Who do you say I am?" And Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." [Matthew 16:15-18]

Peter heard from the Lord. And on this rock, this man that God revealed things to, on this rock He will build His church. And the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. If we can hear from the Lord, we will begin to be able to walk on the water, and nothing will prevail against us.

I want to be "this rock" that the Lord will build His church on. I want to be the kind of person that the "gates of Hades will not prevail against." And I want to walk on the water too.......

 

I'll Still Worship

"Feels like I've been here forever // why can't You just intervene // do You see the tears keep falling // I'm fallin' apart at the seams."

"But You never said the road would be easy // but You said that You would never leave // And You never promised that this life wasn't hard // but You promised You'd take care of me."

"So I'll stop searching for the answer // I'll stop praying for an escape // but I'll trust You, God, with where I am // and believe that You will have Your way // just have Your way."

"And even if my dreams have died // and even if I don't survive // I'll still worship You with all my life // my life." ~ Have Your Way, by Britt Nicole

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEVlau4VEJk