The ones God gives you to love may not be your birth family, but when God knits your heart together, you become family. So blessed in sisters, near & far. I always wanted a sister, but never figured I would end up with them by the dozen! ♥️🤗 #familymatters
I’ve been hanging about in a few of my favorite Psalms for the past two weeks. Psalm 46 is one of my all time favorites to turn to when I am having an off day, or find myself over my head in a hard situation, especially the first 7 verses. And I know I am not alone in this as two of my fave all time worship songs echo part of this Psalm (There is a River – Michael English, & A Mighty Fortress – Christy Nockels).
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
(Psalm 46:1-7 NIV)
Thank You God for always being with me, and a safe place for me to run to when I need cover, and rest. You reassure me I will not fall for You are my very strength within, and are ready to fight for me at day break! Help me to run to You first, my Refuge. (Add your prayer here ☺️) In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen.
#sharingHope
#hopefortheharddays
If you are anything like me, you too dislike #uncertainty. How it likes to keep us off kilter and often distracted. Grumpy, moody and/or prickly often follow to round out this unbalanced fellowship in my life.
But none of those are actually the purpose of uncertainty, as I have been learning lately.
“Uncertainty chases us out into the open where God’s always waiting for us.” – Bob Goff
As I was preparing for my week, Romans 5 came to mind. Verses 1-2 in particular captured my heart as God began to unfold them to me.
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.”
Romans 5:1-2 MSG
In a nutshell? My faith in Him allows me to enter into His Presence to find He has ALWAYS been waiting there for me!
No matter what is going on and how impatient I become in those moments of uncertainty, He is the One in whom I can be certain, for He is constant and never changing.
“I love connecting patience and faith because when we put them together we will be able to persist in confident expectation.” – Graham Cooke
This is what you can usually find me doing on a Sunday morning. Worshiping with my church family, and pressing in to His Presence. Is it a sacrifice to get up early each Sunday? Honestly, yes. Some mornings it would be so much better for my body to sleep in, but for my whole person wellness? Doing what I love most brings joy to my heart, peace to my mind and purpose to my soul. And when those three align up within me, I find that my body aches ebb off in their intensity, and I experience overall rest.
Do more of what sets your soul on fire, friend. We only have one life to live, so I have decided to leave the past behind and press on into the now and purposes He has for me today.
Ready to burn, Lord light the 🔥 in me.
#Sonday #worshipHymn #singanewpsalm
🎶Come and be, wash over me. Open my heart to You alone. When I am weak, You meet my need, finish the work You started here.🎵⠀
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God, You invite me to come and be in Your Presence. Would You shine brighter, speaker louder and show Yourself stronger as I come to You today?⠀⠀
🎶I lift my life to You now, I’ll raise my voice to sing Your praise. I will follow Your commands.🎵
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God, as You meet me here I give you all of me once again in this praise offering, as I choose to go where You are leading me. Whether that is a physical location, a required shift of my character within or working on a relationship.⠀
🎶Find me here, calm my fear, strengthening hope inside my heart. Teach me Lord, to know Your Word – let it be alive in me, alive in me!🎵
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As I come to You, God, I bring my fear and weakness. Crowd out my fear with Your love, as You reassure my heart that You are with me, for me and empowering me. May I never forget that You are the living Word, alive in me, and that time spent with You is my source of strength.
“Come back to Me! By returning and resting in Me you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will be made strong.”
(Isaiah 30:15 TPT)
Song lyrics “COME AND BE” by Matt Brouwer⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#sharingHope
When echoes of my past swirl about me, or exhaustion sets in, and there are days when I scramble to put into words how I am feeling?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🎶”Here at Your feet, I lay my past down, my wanderings, all my mistakes down and I am free. Here at Your feet, I lay this day down. Not in my strength, but in Yours I’ve found all I need, You’re all I need.
Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet – oh, to dwell and never leave. Jesus, Jesus, at Your feet – there is nowhere else for me.”🎵⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When anxiety about what might be ahead rises up within me, or my hope starts to fade as I continue to wait?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🎵“Here at Your feet, I lay my future down. All of my dreams, I give to You now and I find peace, I find peace. Here at Your feet, I lay my life down for You my King, You’re all I want now, and my soul sings!⠀⠀⠀
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‘Cause I am free (here at Your feet) All I need (is at Your feet) I find peace at Your feet…”🎶⠀⠀
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Sitting at Your feet makes all the difference, and for that truth, I am daily grateful, God!⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.” (Luke 10:42 TPT)
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Song lyrics from HERE AT YOUR FEET by Casting Crowns.⠀⠀⠀
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#sharingHope
“🎶Over all the noise let me hear Your voice. Come and silence every lie inside my head. Would You fill the void with the loudest joy until the sound of heaven echoes in my chest?”🎵
It has been a whirlwind of ups & downs for me over the past several days. I have been actively tuning in to His voice and following His prompting. I have had easy victories and hard fought battle moments, while simultaneously feeling physically exhausted yet inwardly at rest.
🎵“The moment that You speak, the moment that You breathe? It changes everything. At Your whisper my freedom in the sound. My heart will know the power of mountains moved in me at Your whisper, at Your whisper.”🎶⠀
The sound of Your voice displaces lies with Truth as You release heaven within, reigniting hope despite my weariness. You don’t need to yell, for the mere sound of Your whisper can usher in stars, release the rain, calm the storms, bring new life, set captives free and speak love!
🎶“To the growing fear, to the deepest doubt – oh, there’s a Promise loud enough to drown them out, yes! Like a melody, every note is peace and I’m lost inside the beauty of the sound!”🎵
Your Words are true, and as such, are filled with Promise and power. Fear cannot stay when it encounters Your love, and doubts ebb away as You speak Peace to us!
🎵“Cause if You say it, I’ll believe it, long before I ever see it. If You say it, I’ll believe that it is true. I’ll believe You, God.”🎶
God, give us the kind of faith that can take You at Your Word, and believe You, long before we see it!!
“At Your Whisper” by Meredith Andrews & The Belonging Co
This season of change has revealed more than ever that we can be certain of two things. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. Uncertainty. That things will continue to ebb and flow in this life.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. God’s sovereignty. There is only One who can speak peace to us within the storm, and will guide us safely through. He is the only certainty and security we can hold on to when the waves rise, the winds howl and the storm swirls in all its frenzy.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So Jesus? Would You calm the storm raging in me right now, as well as the enemy doing his best to discourage and pester me in this season? If You call me, like Peter, to step into the water, help me to keep my gaze fixed upon Yours and hear Your voice alone, my guiding compass, directing me safely to shore. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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“You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail. And there I find You in the mystery. In oceans deep my faith will stand.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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And I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise. My soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide. Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me, You’ve never failed and You won’t start now. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So I will call upon Your name and keep my eyes above the waves when oceans rise. My soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine….⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me.Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Lyrics from OCEANS (WHERE FEET MAY FAIL) @hillsongunited⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#sharingHope
Every so often, a song is released which echoes the way I feel and the words I would choose to express myself. This one hit me so powerfully, I haven’t stopped singing it for 48 hours. Two of my favorite artists perfectly paired together, which makes this song all the more special to me. But its words, and its music? Sparked a fresh hope within me again. May it do the same for you, friend, as you face your hard days and battles.
This is dedicated to the broken, the hurt and lonely and forgotten ones This goes out to the weary, let’s keep dancing while the day is young
This right here is for the sleepless, trying to make it in the fire ones This is for the abandoned, let’s keep dancing while the day is young
Chorus: ‘Cause it’ll be alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright. It’s gonna be alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright. This won’t last forever. Baby, it’s gonna get better. It’ll be alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
I’m singing out to the hidden waiting for the fruit that their hands have sown Did you know there’s a promise you’ll get more than what you bargained for?This is for the lonely, the ones that loved and the ones that lost I know your heart may be hurting, let’s keep dancing till the day is done
There’s a new, new day. There’s a new, new day comin’. There’s a new, new day. Just keep dancin’.
If you’re standing on the edge or if you’re home alone with a loaded gun There’s strength at your lowest. Life’s worth living, you have just begun.
#sharingHope #hopefortheharddays
Years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was given a few Steve Green scripture memory tapes by a mentor, and encouraged to put my ability to naturally memorize songs to good use – learning Bible verses.
One of the verses which comes to mind even now after 25 years is Philippians 4:6-7. But why we should memorize verses at all and store them in our hearts & minds is found in the very next verse.
So I bought this @ellyandgrace t-shirt to remind myself visually, and am putting this one into my memory bank.
(And Steve Green’s version of this verse in song is too precious to me not to share as well. https://youtu.be/Gj4a5p-YhaA )
Keeping our minds fixed on what is good for us helps us to catch thoughts that are unhealthy. Knowing verses by heart helps us to battle back with the truth when a negative thought comes our way. What goes in does come out, so let’s make our choices His kind of thoughts, and reap the blessings from our wholesome thoughts.
WORD:
Finally, brothers & sisters,
✔️whatever is true ✔️whatever is noble ✔️whatever is right ✔️whatever is pure ✔️whatever is lovely ✔️whatever is admirable
✔️—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—
🎯think about such things.
(Philippians 4:8 NIV)
WORSHIP:
“Whatever is True” by Brian Doerksen
https://youtu.be/uQzuwCn9Nmk
#sharingHope
