Tag: praise

praise and worship to change the atmosphere

Karla Lees

Praise and worship arrest the atmosphere that is constantly whispering fear, failure and regret.  Lisa Bevere

These past few weeks, God has been whispering to me to listen before I speak, even more He ever has before.

When I get that email which causes my anxiety level to soar in an instant.

When I remember something I had forgotten to do, and am unsure how to handle my disappointment with myself.

When I knew I blew it, and the enemy blows a sense of heightened fear onto the reality that I failed.

Maybe you too can relate.

Instead of immediately reacting, I have been stepping into a new way to handle these kind of situations, which inevitably happen to all of us at one time or another. (Even more if you live, work or hang out with people on a daily basis. Which is most of us!)

I put on my praise and worship pants.

I step into the wonder and awe of my More than Enough, and leave the atmosphere of failure and not enough in my rearview mirror:

  • I proclaim God for who He is.
  • I keep my eyes fixed on His ways.
  • I set my heart to seek His heart for me, His heart for those I interact with or encounter.
  • I choose to focus on what I do know instead of the what ifs and all the other questions which tend to pop into our mind in stressful situations.
  • I sing, write, draw, sit in quiet as I feel lead, and listen for His direction and prompts.

But first and foremost, i remind myself who is with me.

Who lives within me and walks with me.

And as His temple, I don’t want to willingly partner with anything that will make me less of a host to the Holy Ghost.

So I proclaim I am His, and I am refusing to allow anything that does not come through His hands into my temple.

And I send it back to where it has come from.

As I do, He shifts the atmosphere to that of His Kingdom.

And fear, worry, anxiety, lies, failure and regret ebb away in the light He brings with His presence into the immediate situation where He has been invited.

I pray if you too need to shift the atmosphere about you, that you will clearly hear His voice guiding you as you invite Him to move on your behalf in the moment.

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lasting hope

Karla Lees

I am hardwired to be optimistic.

It takes a lot to get me down… usually a combination of illness/injury, eating poorly & not sleeping enough.

But like you, every day something tries to undermine my hope:

I am married to a wonderful man, who tends to be more of an Eeyore in nature, mostly due to his having seen so much in his nursing career over the last two decades.

I have had random twitches joint pain which has still not been diagnosed, leaving me exhausted some nights, and make it hard to fall asleep on others.

I too have had unexpected expenses pop up.

The loss of a loved one.

The dishwasher conking out when it was full.

My order not show up.

Not enough work.

Too much work.

Our complaint lists can keep going and going like the Energizer bunny, if we keep feeding them.

I choose to feed my hope.

Not on fluffy catchy feel better quotes.

Not on physical food or drink.

With the hope that lasts…

God given hope which rests on Him as its sole source.

In a world seeking bargains and making our lives as ease filled as possible, it dumbfounds me to see people spend millions on make it all better in 10 day programs.

If it didn’t take 10 days to get there, it isn’t going to take 10 days to get back out….just saying.

Since my life has had a lot of knocks, whacks and pitfalls, I need a source of Hope that can take all the concerns and worries I have, and then some, for days to come, for the rest of my life.

God is my choice.

He even paid the cost, fellow bargain hunters, so we can come to Him without barrier.

He even invites us to come and find rest in the shelter He has to offer:

He himself is our peace (Eph 2:14)

Come to me,all who are weary and heavy laden (burdened) and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

“Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.
He will call on Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
 and show him my salvation.”
(Psalm 91:14-16).

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!”
(Jeremiah 31:3a)

This is just a glimpse of the treasured promises from God for you.

He knows you.

Despite anything you may have done or will ever do, He loves you dearly.

He made a way for you to come home and be with Him, your heavenly Father.

Jesus calls you sibling, friend, chosen, apple of His eye.

Holy Spirit is within you to guide you, help you in any way you need Him to.

God with us.

That is where I place my hope.
Not on shifting trends, things that pass away and don’t last.
On the foundation of Hope my God has laid down for me.

All my hope is in Him.

The path of hope is waiting for you as well.

Its a journey unlike no other, but with Him leading you, you will always have reason to be thankful, give praise and hope.

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(Repost from Sept 17, 2014 as I am out & about getting ready to celebrate one of my babies’ birthday today, and this is one of my fave posts!)

Sunday Psalm: in the depths

Karla Lees

In the depths
where we hide our hearts
the deep cries are made

In the heights
of Heaven
Your tears at our plight
were great

For You so loved us all
You decided to send
part of Yourself
to meet our need
with the gift of Your son
merged with our DNA

Such depth to Your love

That very same babe
free to be a Rabbi of renown
who spread Your Words of love
as He walked through our towns
speaking peace to our hearts
and life into our hidden places

No matter to You
was too large or too small
You touched each of us
with the greatest Love of all

Such depth to Your Love

Never ending
Your love will go on and on
Forever
Your heart will beat for me
Drawing me out
from where I’ve hidden away
into Your embrace
which restores each day

Such depth to Your Love!

#SundayPsalm

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While Shepherds Watched…

Karla Lees

While shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
And glory shone around

God decided to let the lowly know before the mighty that Good News was just around the corner in the Christmas story.

Notice the angel didn’t show up again in the Holy of Holies as He did with Zechariah, father of John, but the King of Kings was announced to a humble group of shepherds with all the fanfare of celebration you would come to expect from a statesman with might and power!
“

Fear not,” he said,
For mighty dread
Had seized their troubled minds
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind,
To you and all mankind.”

And like most of us, when we see something of beauteous wonder, we tremble with fear.

Those shepherds were no different than us in their immediate reaction, but the carol reminds us to focus on the message, so we don’t miss the Good News!

“To you in David’s
Town this day
Is born of David’s line
The Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign
And this shall be the sign.”

“The heavenly Babe
You there shall find
To human view displayed
And meanly wrapped
In swathing bands
And in a manger laid
And in a manger laid.”

Here is the best part of this carol in my opinion….

The shepherds were not only told the prophecy of Messiah was coming true, but where to find Him!

And He was in their midst, within arms reach! 

Thus spake the seraph,
And forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song
Addressed their joyful song

“All glory be to
God on high
And to the earth be peace;
Goodwill henceforth
From heaven to men
Begin and never cease
Begin and never cease!”

Not only have these shepherds just heard the Good News live from an angel, with directions of how to meet their Messiah, they are then treated to a wonder no one else recorded in the Word has ever enjoyed – a heavenly chorus of angels singing Gloria!

For not even the angels can keep from offering God His due for the arrival of Jesus. Emmanuel, God with us. The Messiah promised through the ages, present with His people.

May we too continue to proclaim the Good News this Christmas to a world full of people who need to see the Light in all His wonder!

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Historical Background:

This carol was written in 1703 by Nahum Tate (poet in residence to Queen Anne) and Nicholas Brady. This was one of the first paraphrased pieces from Scripture outside of the psalms to be sung in the Church of England.

O Holy Night

Karla Lees

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

The thrill of Hope is sweeping through my weariness this morning.

The words to this, one of my all time favorite Christmas carols, revives my spirit in this weather which is usually sparkling white, but is dull and dreary,

The Divine of heaven touched the drudgery of humanity that Holy night, for that moment became Holy when Holiness emerged from Mary’s womb.

When we experience the divine in all situations, when we need Him most, those too become holy moments.

God used that great wondrous Holy Night to clearly show us He would always reach down to His people.

Nothing would hinder His drawing near.

God enfleshed.

God with us.

Emmanuel.

The reason for the season.

Christ came for the masses, for everyone!

What a divine, Holy Night indeed!

In case you too need an audible reminder of the wonder of that Holy Night, Point of Grace has a wonderful version of these divine stirring words which you can watch & listen to here.

May He rekindle your desire to worship Him this Christmas, as we seek Him afresh each day, in each holy moment.

Let the wonder of who He is steep deep within, and cause you to fall to your knees as you #praiseHymn again!picsart_11-24-06.18.46.jpg

Historical Background:
Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, wine seller and poet, penned these lyrics in 1847. His friend Adolphe Charles Adams who had attended the Paris Conservatory of Music composed the tune.

 

 

See Amid the Winter’s Snow

Karla Lees
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this carol in the hymnal I sang it from this past Sunday night!

See amid the winter’s snow
Born for us on earth below
See the tender Lamb appears
Promised from eternal years

Hail, thou ever-blessed morn
Hail, redemption’s happy dawn
Sing through all Jerusalem
Christ is born in Bethlehem

I have two favorite ways I love to experience this carol.

The first is to sing it live. The hair raising wonder I get from the chorus stirs me each and every time I proclaim Him born.

But the second? Hearing Annie Lennox sing it in the way I only dreamed it could be sung.

A slice of heaven here on earth.

There are moments when we are struck dumb with wonder, and hearing this song on her latest Christmas album was one of them.

Because I know (last time I heard) that she is not a believer.

And she, along with many hundreds of other artists, record these carols on their Christmas albums, proclaiming the newborn King to be born.  Even though they don’t personally believe it.

Somehow, the wonder of who He is has leaked into the songs He has gifted to His people, and the world continues to proclaim Him despite not intimately knowing Him.

This only serves to reflect our humanity, doesn’t it?  How many times has someone spoken the expected response, when you know they don’t believe it for themselves?

We can be the same when it comes to our worship.

These words contain the Word Himself, and with His birth, we too are born anew, remade as His Beloved.

We are to enter the Christmas story, not as observers, but as part of the heavenly chorus proclaiming His arrival and kingship!

Today, if you hear one of the familiar carols, tune your mind to sing or hum along as your act of worship.  Savor the moment, even if you are standing in line for a gift or in the coffee shop taking a sip of sanity.

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Historical Background:
“See Amid the Winter’s Snow” was first published in England in 1871 under its alternate name “Hymn for Christmas Morn.” Words by Edward Caswell, music by Sir John Goss.

Rejoice & be merry

Karla Lees

Rejoice and be merry
in songs and in mirth!
O praise our Redeemer;
all mortals on earth!
For this is the birthday
of Jesus our King,
Who brought us salvation,
His praises we’ll sing!

With the announcement of the season of Christmas, many of us first think of all the extra tasks or jobs we have associated with what is to be one of the most joyous occasions of the year.

Instead of focusing on the wonder wrapped about the miracle Christmas is.

It took a death, then a birth to restore my vision.

My sister in law passed away suddenly at the beginning of winter a few years ago, and the weight of grief hung heavy over my heart.  I knew we were to be celebrating Jesus has come, but all I could feel was the loss.

I allowed it to overshadow the gain.

For Jesus isn’t just a gift doll we pull off of the shelf each Christmas, playing with him for a bit then putting him away with the other ornaments until the next.

He is the gift itself.

He is Present.
He is Love.
God with us, through it all.

One of my coworkers had a baby the next Christmas, and the excitement His arrival brought into my heart made me realize the miracle of God coming to us as one of us.

But the story doesn’t just stop with His birth.

It begins.

This Christmas, choose to rejoice.

Not because you have to, but because you choose to.

You may be under the weight of loss, pain, weariness.

He knows, and He came to join you right where you are at.

Not in the castle of the rich and famous, but in the humble shed of a working man, surrounded by the works of his hands.

To a woman who’s priority was serving God before all else. Her reputation, her engagement, her family ties.

To a man who although he started off shaking with doubt, came through when she needed him most.

Love was the undercurrent of the Christmas story, and the story He is continuing to write in our lives.

For the sky may be dark and the fog blocking our sight, but He is there to lovingly guide us as He Himself is our Light.

Because He never lets us go, we can rejoice.

Because He is always with us, we can be merry.

Because of who He is, we can always have a song to sing in praise!

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Historical Background:
This carol is also referred to as the Gallery Carol, one of the traditional pieces sung by many choirs in their church galleries before the invention of the organ, in the early 19th century. It is believed to have been written in the 18th century, and is considered to be a Dorset Carol.

Sunday Psalm: HalleYOUjah

Karla Lees

As I’m reminded of all the wonders
made by Your command,
I arise from my seat
to quickly take a stand
I close my eyes
and raise my open hands
then Your praise shot forth
as I began to understand,

It’s all about You
it always has
and it always will
be all about You
Father, Son & Spirit
we shout HalleYOUjah
for all the world
to hear the truth
It’s all about You!

When I saw the words
as Your love shone forth
when You opened my eyes,
I dropped to my knees
with a grateful heart
from the surprise
I lift my hands
asking You to shine through me
so all world can see

It’s all about You
it always has
and it always will
be all about You
Father, Son & Spirit
we shout HalleYOUjah
for all the world
to know the truth
It’s all about You!

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#singanewpsalm

The First Noel

Karla Lees

The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay:
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

One of my all time favorite carols, I just love the majesty of this chorus.

The songwriter has captured the first Christmas story in a way that future generations have been echoing each Noel since its release.

We too are meant revisit this miracle, God come to live among us, every time Christmas draws near, but also every time we open the Word.

I believe God stirs up His children to resound the truth of this season because He knows how frail we are, how our hearts leak out His love when we forget to draw close and allow Him to fill us up.

And that is why worship songs such as these are so important to the Body. Because the truth they remind us of is the truth we need to hold onto every day of our lives.

God with us.
God loves us.
The King is here!

Noel!

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Historical Background:

The First Noel is an Cornish folk song in origin, first in print in 1823.
It is one of the most unique in its melody arranging, and  is usually performed in the arrangement by composer John Stainer (1871).

Deck the Halls

Karla Lees

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 
Tis the season to be jolly, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

Don we now our gay apparel, 
Fa la la, la la la, la la la. 
Troll the ancient Yule tide carol, 
Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

This is one of my favorite traditional carols to listen to when sung acappella by a quartet…but I have never previously taken a closer look at its words.

Until now.

It really doesn’t have much to say about the reason for Christmas, apart from using the words Yule or Yuletide. The history of which refers to Winter Festival and celebrating the season.

But what do you do when there is no snow to make snowmen with, nor fancy new apparel due to a lean budget? Would this be a song we could sing when things didn’t look so good up ahead?

It struck me that the words to this song are as outdated in one sense as its language.

You can’t properly celebrate the season without celebrating the Season Giver, can’t you?

So singing songs about good cheer without the Good News become just words to choose depending on your circumstances, instead of celebration.

We are meant to celebrate and be sharing the Good News this and every Christmas.

The Good News of God with us.

Knowing God came to earth to live among us is only the first part of the Good News, and leads us to want to know why.

We are meant to celebrate and be of good cheer because God is here, always with us.

So decorate with holly, and party jolly, Molly, but don’t forget the real reason behind Christmas as you do.

The love that brought Jesus to live beside us is still here for you in the ups and downs of life.

I come from a Scandinavian background on one side, and have been curious about some of its traditions over the years.

Kris Kringle (aka what became known as Santa Claus here in North America) was a man who decided to share the birth of Christ in the form of small gifts for the neighboring children.

And look what business has done with gift giving and the season since.

May God help us to let go of what need to go, and refocus our time, energy and gaze on the reason for this season.

Jesus.

Not the glow of the lights.
Not the glimmer of gifts.
Not the chill of the snow.
Not the yummies to enjoy.
Not buying for show.
Not the bustle of on the go.

Jesus.
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Historical Background:
Deck the Halls is a Welsh carol originally meant to be sung for New Year’s Eve, dating back to the 16th century. It was originally published in English in
1862.