You know that feeling of sweet reflection that comes when thinking of a loved one who has passed away? I've been feeling that a little bit today, but I've been feeling it with LOADS of hope sprinkled on top. The great miracle of Good Friday is that Easter Sunday follows right behind, promising new life and a second chance. It makes me so grateful "that God so loved the world...".
And although it's not very "Easter-y" of a tune, I love the theme of this and thought it is the perfect song to share.
Have you ever felt like the cards were stacked against you? That no matter what you do, the end of your current scenario "Ain't gonna be pretty"?
I'm there right now.
I'm sitting in that feeling and struggling with it.
I've been struggling with it for weeks.
The why's and what's of my situation aren't important. I think this is a feeling that everyone can relate with and that's why I've decided to come here with it.
Today was a pretty hairy day. I felt weighed down and defeated and the hubster encouraged me to get alone and take a breather. I decided to grab my iPod and relax. {I LOVE music.} Then, when this song began to play, I couldn't help but cry. The words...they speak right to me, right where I am, and encouraged me to turn my "me time" into a time of prayer.
God has never brought me TO anything He hasn't also brought me THROUGH. This is just another one of those times in my life and I will get through it.
I'm posting the song here in hopes that someone else can have their spirit lifted by it's words.
ALL I NEED IS YOU
{Kim Walker}
I Left my fear by the side of the road Hear You speak You Won't let go Fall to my knees as I lift my hands to pray
Got every reason to be here again Father's heart that draws me in And all my eyes wanna see is a glimpse of You
All I need is You All I need is You Lord Is you Lord (2x)
One more day and it's not the same Your spirit calls my heart to sing Drawn to the voice of my Saviour once again Where would my soul be without Your Son Gave His life to save the earth Rest in the thought that You're watching over me
All I need is You All I need is You Lord Is You Lord
You hold the universe You hold everyone on earth You hold the universe You hold everyone on earth
All I need is You All I need is You Lord Is You Lord
Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (NLT)
I just came across this scripture this morning and had to share it. This has been the exact prayer of my heart lately. I want to be more intentional with my time. Of course, as a stay at home mom, life can be unpredictable and my plans for the day can be quickly foiled. However, if I make the most of my time with my kiddos and the most of my time with blog work and networking, I'll be more at peace when the hubster gets home from work and I'll go to bed feeling good and accomplished. Also, making the most of my time frees up more time.
In my free time I can be touching base with friends and spending time in prayer.
I'm so thankful for this morning's reminder.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to do. :)
The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7
Goodness. If I didn't have ANYone or ANYthing to trust in, to put my hope in, I would be so defeated. I would feel hollow and without any purpose. I would turn in circles looking for the next shoulder to cry on just to watch it walk away as most people do. Cyclical searching, finding, and losing would be it for me.
Of course, I'm just speaking about myself because I know myself so well. I know how I am without faith as well as how I am with it.
I am SO grateful for the unconditional love I find in God. With Him, the cycles are unnecessary and the valleys are doable.
It's been a while since I've posted one of these, I know. It's something that I intended to keep up on with a weekly posting, but I came to realize how time consuming it actually could be. I've decided to try and be more intentional about this but I only want to share thoughts that are really meaningful to me.
Here is a scripture that has been singing in my head lately.
Pile your troubles on God's shoulders-He'll carry your load, He'll help you out. Psalm 55:22 (The Message)
I love that word, "pile". I picture myself picking up heaps of my own worries and problems and tossing them into a huge pile on God's shoulders. Boy, do I have a lot of things weighing on my mind. I have a lot of thoughts that try and take me away from where I need to be in life.
Don't we all get sidetracked by life's reality from time to time?
And do you know where else I find myself at times? I find myself knee deep in other peoples problems too. It's not enough that I take on my own worries and frustrations to solve on my own. Oh, no. I need to be there in that mess (that doesn't even belong to me) too.
*sigh*
God wants me to help others, but He never asked me to solve their problems. That's HIS job. So, instead of trying to be the one with all of the answers, I can be a part of an assembly line of sorts. When I see a need or have one of my own, I can simply "heave-ho" it up to God and let Him handle it.
Anyway, He manages things much better than I can. It's great to know I can trust Him with everything in my world.
How about you? Are you like me? Or have you found your way to the other side of this?
As a tribute to Moms everywhere, this week's House Blend is based on a passage of scripture that talks about the lady of the household. Many even refer to this passage as that of the "Proverbs Woman".
Proverbs 31:25: 25(A) Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
I try to wear the words "strength and dignity" as my daily clothing and I do so with all my heart. As a wife and a mother, these two words are absolutely key to my survival and sanity.
And as for laughing at the days to come, I read that as bubbling with joy over my future and the future of my family. I'm excited for the things that God has for each of us here in my home. I'm excited and happy. While there are most certainly going to be trying times, I know deep down that good will always triumph over evil. That truth just makes me happy and hopeful.
I pray that each of you find hope and laughter during your day as well.
And be Crucified, and in the third day rise again.
Luke 24: 6-7
I am so very grateful for Christ's sacrifice. With everything I've been through in my life, I know that I would not be where I am today. I wouldn't have my family but most importantly I would not have the joy I have in my life. That's not to say I don't still fall on hard times. It's only to say that I now have a constant support and source of unconditional love that I can turn to.
I made this video for Good Friday but never posted it. I decided to post it today. This is a pretty personal vlog but I want to be real with everyone who reads this blog. I pray you hear my heart as I share just some of my story with you. (It's kind of long. Sorry.)
This week's House Blend is from MaxLucado.com. The message is simple and powerful. Enjoy!
The Living Room: When Your Heart Needs a Father
by Max Lucado "Our Father who is in heaven …” With these words Jesus escorts us into the Great House of God. Shall we follow him? There is so much to see. Every room reveals his heart, every stop will soothe your soul. And no room is as essential as this one we enter first. Walk behind him as he leads us into God’s living room. Sit in the chair that was made for you and warm your hands by the fire which never fades. Take time to look at the framed photos and find yours. Be sure to pick up the scrapbook and find the story of your life. But please, before any of that, stand at the mantle and study the painting which hangs above it. Your Father treasures the portrait. He has hung it where all can see. Stand before it a thousand times and each gaze is as fresh as the first. Let a million look at the canvas and each one will see himself. And each will be right. Captured in the portrait is a tender scene of a father and a son. Behind them is a great house on a hill. Beneath their feet is a narrow path. Down from the house the father has run. Up the trail the son has trudged. The two have met, here, at the gate. We can’t see the face of the son; it’s buried in the chest of his father. No, we can’t see his face, but we can see his tattered robe and stringy hair. We can see the mud on the back of his legs, the filth on his shoulders and the empty purse on the ground. At one time the purse was full of money. At one time the boy was full of pride. But that was a dozen taverns ago. Now both the purse and the pride are depleted. The prodigal offers no gift or explanation. All he offers is the smell of pigs and a rehearsed apology: “Father, I have sinned against God and done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). He feels unworthy of his birthright. “Demote me. Punish me. Take my name off the mailbox and my initials off the family tree. I am willing to give up my place at your table.” The boy is content to be a hired hand. There is only one problem. Though the boy is willing to stop being a son, the father is not willing to stop being a father. Though we can’t see the boy’s face in the painting, we can’t miss the father’s. Look at the tears glistening on the leathered cheeks, the smile shining through the silver beard. One arm holds the boy up so he won’t fall, the other holds the boy close so he won’t doubt. “Hurry!” he shouts. “Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a feast and celebrate. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost but now he is found!” (Luke 15:22–24). How these words must have stunned the young man, “My son was dead …” He thought he’d lost his place in the home. After all, didn’t he abandon his father? Didn’t he waste his inheritance? The boy assumed he had forfeited his privilege to sonship. The father, however, doesn’t give up that easily. In his mind, his son is still a son. The child may have been out of the house, but he was never out of his father’s heart. He may have left the table, but he never left the family. Don’t miss the message here. You may be willing to stop being God’s child. But God is not willing to stop being your Father.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)
I love this text of scripture and at the same time, I'm challenged by it. Most people just read it as, "God has good plans for me. Great!" For me, there's more to it than just what's written.
Here's what I read when I read this scripture: "Follow me." Yes, those words boil down to just 2 simple words when I read them. Why? It's simple. God has great plans for me and my life but I have to be following His plans to see those things come to pass. That's what gives me my "hope". My hope is found in surrender.
One of the first words that people relate to Valentine's Day is "love". I love love, don't you? The word, on its own, takes me back to my wedding day when the Minister read from this passage to the hubster and I.
1 Corinthians 13
Love
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
What I find most inspiring about this passage is that it points out the great importance of loving others while it defines exactly what that means. To love each other is not an easy task. Did you see what love is? It's difficult to really love sometimes. It's difficult but it really is the way we're supposed to live.
As you enjoy your Valentine's Day, try to keep those things in mind that define "love".
Today's House Blend comes to us via YouTube. There is a Christian artist, Christy Nockels, who posted a couple vlogs about her life as a mom, Christian, and vocalist. I love the little truths that she shares. She inspires me to raise the standard a little higher in my own life. I hope you'll find a little nugget of truth in there for yourself.
*Personally, I have one of the things she said written on a post-it note and stuck to my bathroom mirror. I read it every day and try to apply it to my daily life.*
Today's post comes from the website Proverbs 31 Ministries. I find that much of what is posted on this site is something I can relate to as a woman/wife/mom/friend.
The devotional I'm sharing today, though, hit me in a real way. I posted not too long ago about how I was struggling with the thought of wanting to be "better" than I am to those who are in my life. Along those lines, I've discovered that I find it way too easy to isolate myself and immerse myself in the daily grind. What happens when I do this? I lose out on opportunities to build friendships or even maintain the ones I have.
So, yes, this is something that rings very true for me right now. Maybe it will speak to you too.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness..." Romans 8:26 (NIV)
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed like such a mess you simply couldn't make sense of it? Like trying to straighten out a tangled necklace, you wonder how in heavens' name did all these knots get kinked and twisted and pulled so tight. And in the midst of trying to untangle a knot on one side you inadvertently form another on the other end.
It's frustrating when this happens with a piece of jewelry. And it's even more frustrating when it happens in relationships.
The other day I sat down to pray about a messy relationship and the knots were so consuming I couldn't even begin to make sense of it all. I didn't even know what to pray. I kept trying to think of wise words to offer up to the Lord that would surely unlock pieces and parts of this mess. But I was completely without a drop of insight. All I could see was a mess.
So, that's all I prayed, "Lord, this is a mess."
And then I just sat quietly and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
All that waiting time makes a doing girl like me feel like my nerves are going to bust out of my skin and start yanking my limbs into action. So, with all my might, I made myself sit and say nothing at all except, "Lord, this is a mess." And you know what? It was really hard to sit there with no answers. No wise words to pray. My usually very verbal self couldn't express anything but, "Lord, this is a mess."
I believe it's situations like this for which Romans 8:26-28 was written:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV).
In our weakness we can't objectively search our mind and spirit. And often in our weakness we can't untangle our knots according to God's will. We are too intertwined in emotion and assumption. That's why sometimes it's best if we just simply sit quietly and let the Spirit do some groaning, untangling and working on our behalf.
Like verse 28 says, there is good to come out of this. God is working and will work good out of this mess. Sometimes I think the only thing standing between our mess and His good work from it is our need to sit quietly. In the quiet beautiful things happen:
• We calm down. • We create some white space between our harsh reaction and the way we'd want to react if we really thought things through first. • We can ask God to intervene with real wisdom instead of our assumptions. • God can show us where we need to change. We can't control the other person and parking our efforts toward trying will exhaust us. But we can let God help us change, which will create positive progress. (For more great things that can happen in the quiet, visit Lysa's blog linked below.)
I can't help but notice that the first four letters of Messiah spell mess. We need Him. Only the Messiah can take our mess and turn it into a untangled message of hope, forgiveness, and ultimately love.
Most weeks, I like to share a devotional I've read on another website for my "House Blend" post. I think the devotionals I post have great insight into God's heart on different topics. Not to mention, they have a better way with words. ;)
Sometimes, though, a thought hits me and I just have to share it. This week is one of those weeks.
HE RESTORES MY SOUL
Psalm 23:3a "He refreshes and restores my life (my self)" (Amplified Bible)
As someone who's grown up in a Christian home, I'm very familiar with the 23rd Psalm. I've said it over and over again in children's church and even in my school. I'm sure that if you heard me recite it as a child, you would laugh at how robotic it sounded. No part of Psalm 23 meant anything to me whatsoever.
It's sad, but that's the truth. I think it may be common with memorization. Unless you make it mean something to you, it will end up being a long group of words said in the same sequence each time.
Well, after many years, I've finally found meaning in at least a part of this popular Psalm.
I recently reconnected with someone who I haven't spoken to in about 14 years. That's a long time, right?
After talking with him for about 15 minutes, he said "You have not changed a bit in 14 years." I quickly responded, "Many things are the same, but many things are different." Of course, there had been "change" in the 14 years between conversations. What he didn't know, though, was how much change had taken place.
In the 14-some years that went by, I changed from "Christian high school student" to the girl who was raped, the girl who was in an abusive relationship, the girl who attempted suicide, the girl who had no hope and found no love, the girl who loved to get drunk and high, the girl who met someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the girl who cared for her fiance' as he fought cancer, the girl who was married, the girl who went back to church, and finally, the girl who became a mom of 2 beautiful children. My friend had missed a lot of what I went through.
Can you imagine how all of those events would change who I am? For a while there, my personality was a pure facade and I had no idea of who I was.
What's wonderful is that God knew me as "me" the whole time. What's amazing is that He brought me through the dark things and somehow put the pieces together to make me into the mom and wife I am. What's astounding is that someone who missed all of the "dirt" would say that I have not changed in 14 years.
The miracle is in God's grace. "He refreshes and restores my life (my self)". He made me new but He put me back on track to where I am the person I'm supposed to be. He "refreshed the page", put on his "throwback jersey", and polished off the grime. He restored me and someone who had no idea of what I had been through confirmed that for me.
Yes, I've changed in the 14 years between conversations. What hasn't changed is how God sees me. To Him, I was never "the girl who..."; I was and always will be His.
I can't NOT talk about the devastation that has come to the Haitians. It's heart-breaking for sure. With each new photo that is taken and each news broadcast shared, I can barely hold back the tears. And while I refuse to believe that God caused the earthquake as an act of punishment, I do believe that God is grieving right along with those who are grieving. Let's keep them in prayer - even after the media loses its enthusiasm.
There is a great need of our help in Haiti right now. I want to share with you an organization that has been in Haiti for quite some time and is doing its best to help those who need it. CrossWorld has been working with churches in Haiti for 60 years. You can click here to read about what they do and click here to find out how to send money to help them there.
Finally, I want to share with you a song that was sung in church this morning after our pastor challenged us to be generous and give to the Haitian people. Its lyrics took on a whole new meaning after thinking of Haiti and viewing photos of the people there.
At the beginning of a new year, some people are inspired to do. I know I'm always seeking for that thing that I'm supposed to be doing or that person that I'm supposed to be.
Make no mistake, I'm not "lost" in who I am. I simply want to align my will with God's. I want to do the things that I was made to do. I want to meet the people I was made to befriend and be a tender light to.
Anyway, I find it's easy to complicate things as an adult. There's a pile of "what if" question and another stack of excuses (or justifications if that's how you word it) that keep me from being that complete person God made me to be.
Max Lucado offers some insight on his view of this situation according to what the Bible says. I'm going to have to read this a few more times before it all sinks in. I hope it inspires you as well.
by Max Lucado God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NCV
What God said about Jeremiah, he said about you: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jer. 1:5 NCV).
Set apart for a special work.
God shaped you according to yours. How else can you explain yourself? Your ability to diagnose an engine problem by the noise it makes, to bake a cake without a recipe. You knew the Civil War better than your American history teacher. You know the name of every child in the orphanage. How do you explain such quirks of skill?
God. He knew young Israel would need a code, so he gave Moses a love for the law. He knew the doctrine of grace would need a fiery advocate, so he set Paul ablaze. And in your case, he knew what your generation would need and gave it. He designed you. And his design defines your destiny. Remember Peter’s admonition? “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies” (1 Pet. 4:11).
I encountered walking proof of this truth on a trip to Central America. Dave, a fellow American, was celebrating his sixty-first birthday with friends at the language school where my daughter was studying Spanish. My question—“What brings you here?”—opened a biographical floodgate. Drugs, sex, divorce, jail—Dave’s first four decades read like a gangster’s diary. But then God called him. Just as God called Moses, Paul, and millions, God called Dave.
His explanation went something like this. “I’ve always been able to fix things. All my life when stuff broke, people called me. A friend told me about poor children in Central America, so I came up with an idea. I find homes with no fathers and no plumbing. I install sinks and toilets and love kids. That’s what I do. That’s what I was made to do.”
Sounds like Dave has found the cure for the common life. He’s living in his sweet spot. What about you? What have you always done well? And what have you always loved to do?
That last question trips up a lot of well-meaning folks. God wouldn’t let me do what I like to do—would he? According to Paul, he would. “God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him” (Phil. 2:13 NCV). Your Designer couples the “want to” with the “be able to.” Desire shares the driver’s seat with ability. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4 NIV). Your Father is too gracious to assign you to a life of misery. As Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Human life would seem to consist in that in which each man most delights, that for which he especially strives, and that which he particularly wishes to share with his friends.”
So go ahead; reflect on your life. What have you always done well and loved to do?
Some find such a question too simple. Don’t we need to measure something? Aptitude or temperament? We consult teachers and tea leaves, read manuals and horoscopes. We inventory spiritual gifts and ancestors. While some of these strategies might aid us, a simpler answer lies before us. Or, better stated, lies within us.
The oak indwells the acorn. Read your life backward and check your supplies. Rerelish your moments of success and satisfaction. For in the merger of the two, you find your uniqueness.
My favorite Christmas Song is 'O Holy Night'. This song always lifts my spirits and makes me grateful for the message of the first Christmas.
I thought it would be fun to share the song with you and also tell you the story behind the song.
Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!
The Amazing Story of 'O Holy Night'
By: Ace Collins
Declared 'unfit for church services' in France and later embraced by U.S. abolitionists, the song continues to inspire.
The strange and fascinating story of "O Holy Night" began in France, yet eventually made its way around the world. This seemingly simple song, inspired by a request from a clergyman, would not only become one of the most beloved anthems of all time, it would mark a technological revolution that would forever change the way people were introduced to music. In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was the commissionaire of wines in a small French town. Known more for his poetry than his church attendance, it probably shocked Placide when his parish priest asked the commissionaire to pen a poem for Christmas mass. Nevertheless, the poet was honored to share his talents with the church.
In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy road to France's capital city, Placide Cappeau considered the priest's request. Using the gospel of Luke as his guide, Cappeau imagined witnessing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Thoughts of being present on the blessed night inspired him. By the time he arrived in Paris, "Cantique de Noel" had been completed. Moved by his own work, Cappeau decided that his "Cantique de Noel" was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician's hand. Not musically inclined himself, the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe-Charles Adam, for help.
The son of a well-known classical musician, Adam had studied in the Paris conservatoire. His talent and fame brought requests to write works for orchestras and ballets all over the world. Yet the lyrics that his friend Cappeau gave him must have challenged the composer in a fashion unlike anything he received from London, Berlin, or St. Petersburg.
As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adam the words of "Cantique de Noel" represented a day he didn't celebrate and a man he did not view as the son of God. Nevertheless, Adam quickly went to work, attempting to marry an original score to Cappeau's beautiful words. The finished work of Adam pleased both poet and priest. The song was performed just three weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
Initially, "Cantique de Noel" was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau walked away from the church and became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adam was a Jew, the song--which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France--was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church. The heads of the French Catholic church of the time deemed "Cantique de Noel" as unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion." Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer brought it to a whole new audience halfway around the world.
Not only did this American writer--John Sullivan Dwight--feel that this wonderful Christmas song needed to be introduced to America, he saw something else in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease." The text supported Dwight's own view of slavery in the South. Published in his magazine, Dwight's English translation of "O Holy Night" quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.
Back in France, even though the song had been banned from the church for almost two decades, many commoners still sang "Cantique de Noel" at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the heavens and sang, "Minuit, Chretiens, c'est l'heure solennelle ou L'Homme Dieu descendit jusqu'a nous," the beginning of "Cantique de Noel."After completing all three verses, a German infantryman climbed out his hiding place and answered with, "Vom Himmel noch, da komm' ich her. Ich bring' euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring' ich so viel, Davon ich sing'n und sagen will," the beginning of Martin Luther's robust "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come."
The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing "Cantique de Noel" in holiday services.
In 1906, Reginald Fessenden--a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison--did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man's voice was broadcast over the airwaves: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed," he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.
Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat slack-jawed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle--hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Some might have believed they were hearing the voice of an angel.
Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn't have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played "O Holy Night," the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast--but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.
Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry's most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work--requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior--has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.
Reprinted from "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" for educational purposes only, from Zondervan.
The supreme surprise of God’s love? It has nothing to do with you. Others love you because of you, because your dimples dip when you smile or your rhetoric charms when you flirt. Some people love you because of you. Not God. He loves you because he is he. He loves you because he decides to. Self-generated, uncaused, and spontaneous, his constant–level love depends on his choice to give it. “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you” (Deut. 7:7-8 NIV).
You don’t influence God’s love. You can’t impact the treeness of a tree, the skyness of the sky, or the rockness of a rock. Nor can you affect the love of God.
Isn't that a beautiful and AMAZING truth? I can't understand how someone can love me constantly, unconditionally, and without a change in degree. That is some seriously heavy stuff right there. It's heavy because I know I'm human. I know I mess up. I know I've probably hurt Him way more than I've ever cared to recognize. How terrible and low am I? He forgives me, though. When I call on His name, He always forgives, always hopes, always believes...
Today’s “brew” comes to us from Pastor Greg Laurie. (click the banner below to see his website full of devotionals.) I love this devotional and am happy to share it with you. :) Happy Sunday!
An Expected End
Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. —Philippians 1:6
One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God spoke these words to the Jewish people during their captivity in Babylon. They were discouraged and wondering if they ever would be free to worship God as they once had. So God spoke to them, effectively saying, “I have a future for you.” That word “future” could be translated, “an expected end,” or “a ground of hope.”
Certainly we can apply this verse in principle to our own lives. God knows what we are going through right now, and He is thinking about us. Now if that verse simply said, “I know the single thought that I once had toward you,” I would be happy with that. Just knowing that the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, actually thought even for a moment about me would be enough.
But that is not what this verse says. Rather, God says, “I know the thoughts that I think. . . .” So God’s thoughts toward us are past, present, and future. How many thoughts would that be? Well, how high can you count? Psalm 40:5 says, “Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” His thoughts toward us are innumerable, and they are good.
You are a work in progress, and God is not done yet. There is going to be an outcome. There is going to be completion. And when life is a mess and you can’t sort it all out, God will pull it all together. He will work it all together for good.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zech. 4:10 NLT).
Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane.
On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded.
Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive charge. They were clean and harmless and with one exception, empty. The exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language. Translated, the note read: “This is all we can do for you now.”
A courageous assembly-line worker was disarming bombs and scribbled the note. He couldn’t end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn’t do everything, but he could do something. So he did it.
God does big things with small deeds.
Against a towering giant, a brook pebble seems futile. But God used it to topple Goliath. Compared to the tithes of the wealthy, a widow’s coins seem puny. But Jesus used them to inspire us. And in contrast with sophisticated priests and powerful Roman rulers, a cross-suspended carpenter seemed nothing but a waste of life. Few Jewish leaders mourned his death. Only a handful of friends buried his body. The people turned their attention back to the temple. Why not?
What power does a buried rabbi have? We know the answer. Mustard-seed and leaven-lump power. Power to tear away death rags and push away death rocks. Power to change history. In the hands of God, small seeds grow into sheltering trees. Tiny leaven expands into nourishing loaves.
Small deeds can change the world. Sow the mustard seed. Bury the leaven lump. Make the call. Write the check. Organize the committee.
Moses had a staff. David had a sling. Samson had a jawbone. Rahab had a string. Mary had some ointment. Aaron had a rod. Dorcas had a needle. All were used by God. What do you have?
God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed. He cures the common life by giving no common life, by offering no common gifts. Don’t discount the smallness of your deeds.
by Max Lucado
** I absolutely love the line “God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed.” It is such a beautiful truth.
The other night, my mom and I went to see a musical together. As we were approaching the theatre in a sea of people, a homeless man stood on the corner playing his trumpet. I literally had no money to give him. Instead, I gave him the dignity of looking him in the eye, smiling, and saying a prayer for him in my heart as I passed by. It’s wonderful to know that God can work through such a simple thing.
No good deed goes unnoticed and those that are done in HIS name will never go unrewarded.
