Be Still & Know His Crazy Love

 Waking up today, I was reminded that today is the day we remember the greatest gift of love that has ever been given -

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

 This is something that many of us have heard and have been taught our entire lives and we know full well what this truly means...how much God loves us...that He gave His one and only Son to die so that we could spend eternity with Him...that Christ loves us so much that He willingly and quietly laid down His life for us...

In Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love, he says - 

"Have you ever wondered if we're missing it?  It's crazy, if you think about it.  The God of the universe - the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor - loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love.  And what is our typical response?  We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss."

These are things we definitely know...BUT...do you really get it-is it at the core of who you are?   Because I think that if we truly get this in our heart of hearts, there is no way we can continue with our lives the way we tend to live; caught up in our schedules, jobs, church, our things, etc.   If we really & truly get this, it has to humble us to a point that we can barely speak; it has to overwhelm us with love & gratitude in such a way that it will be obvious to those around us that we are different.  Not because of who we are or what a great person we are, but that we are so loved and overwhelmed by the Almighty Creator that we just are different.

Of course, we are still human and will still make mistakes, but if true understanding of this is who we are to the core, don't you think it would show to those around us?   Don't you think it would mean we would all be spending time in His Word, trying to understand even more of who He is and how He works in us and around us?  Don't you think our choices & actions would be different throughout the day if this was who we are at the core?

As I'm writing this, I'm reminded again of the depth of His love for me - love that I deserve to have no part of....and yet He still chooses to love me.   Today my act of worship is to share that love with everyone I can - to be sure they know how much He loves them (starting with reminding my family).

Luke 23:44-46 says -  It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,  for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Live today knowing to your core how much your Creator loves you & let those around you see His love in you.   Take a few minutes today and tomorrow to read the story of His crucifixion, watch the Passion...do something that reminds you of the extent of His love...then get lost in His love - just a few minutes to remember something so overwhelming.  As Francis Chan says "...when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything."

A Life of Peace??

Very simply put, my act of worship today has been to not worry.   I am a worrier by nature; I like things to be planned out - I like to know what to expect next, to be sure my bases are covered; I don't like being unsure, unaware or caught off guard.

There are a lot of things going on in our family right now- decisions that need to be made, projects that have word to be done, but are also waiting on others.   I am most definitely a planner with my lists and spreadsheets that make me feel comfortable and I don't like depending on others to decide what happens next (okay, so maybe I'm a bit of a control freak)...  ;)   Because of that, I think God knows that sometimes He needs to put me in a spot where I am forced to wait on Him and depend on Him - just to remind me which one of us is sovereign.

In the midst of everything, I am reminded by Psalm 139 that God created me and knew every day of my life before I ever drew a breath; therefore, despite my uncertainty, He does know what tomorrow brings, what decisions I will end up making (right or wrong), and how He will use those decisions to bring Him glory.   Another one of my favorite passages says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.    James 1:2-6

Romans 12:1-2 tells us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy & pleasing to God - that this is our act of spiritual worship.   So...today...I choose to live in His grace & His peace - to not worry about any of the decisions I have to make, but to know that He already knows what is coming and what needs to happen.   Instead of worrying and trying to figure out what I'm "supposed to do", I choose to "let His mighty Spirit fall on me" - to get lost in His amazing, awesomeness/ His sovereignty and to ask Him to reveal decisions to me in His time.

What decisions are you wrestling with today?   Instead of wrestling with yourself, take a few minutes to be in awe of our Creator, listen to "Spirit Fall" by Chris Tomlin or "Waiting Here for You" by Christy Nockels (both are Passion) and get lost in His presence for 7 minutes...then go live today in peace - as your act of worship - knowing that your Lord & Savior knows what tomorrow brings.   Then walk away "singing alleluia" knowing that the one who controls the wind and the waves is in control of your life.

Happy birthday!!!

Today is my birthday and I have to say that today I feel blessed beyond anything I could imagine!   I was actually up and driving home at midnight this morning when my birthday started; I was praying (good alone time) and it was like I heard God say "Happy birthday! Today is the day you celebrate the day I gave you life!"  Then I rec'd my first "Happy Birthday" on facebook.   It reminded me that He celebrates our lives more than we do - that He so carefully crafted each and every one of us, watched us as we took our first breath, and loves us beyond anything we can imagine.   At the same time, He also knew every mistake we would make, every time we would fail Him, every time we would turn our backs on Him, and every time we would come running back to Him grateful for His love.   He knew all of that as our parents were meeting us for the first time and experiencing just a fraction of the love He feels for us.

What an amazing God we serve!   Over this last year, I have fallen more in love with my Savior than I have ever been; I have been overwhelmed by His grace, His faithfulness, His love, His mercy, and just how incredibly amazing He is.   I have watched him strengthen my marriage, draw our family in tighter to Him and continue growing our relationships with our girls.   I am reminded on this day that "I am celebrated" that I deserve none of this - the only reason I am to be celebrated is because I am His creation.  Anything I do that is of any worth is only because of Him and I am so blessed that He has allowed me to be in ministry - that He allows me be drawn into His presence in worship - and that He has surrounded me with an amazing family, incredible friends, and a worship team that I can't imagine life without.

This next year is His - wholly & completely - & I can't wait to see what He chooses to do and just pray that I am prepared for what He calls me to be a part of...  :)

Psalm 139 - in celebration of my birthday!

 ¹ You have searched me, LORD, 

and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise; 

you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 

you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 

you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.

That's not my responsibility...is it?

Every Sunday morning, many Christians get up, eat breakfast, get their families ready and head off to church for a worship service.  In that time of gathering, they plan to worship together, pray together, hear from God's Word, bring their gifts, and maybe hear a testimony or participate in an ordinance.   An entire church staff focuses on planning and preparing for this service, trying to make sure that they think of every transition, every minute of the service, praying over it...hoping that it will be something God can use to touch and challenge His people.

In a conversation this morning with a friend, an interesting question was posed that I felt was worth taking some time to think and talk through...

"...in what way does a worship leader need to lead in the various ways his people worship?  Is it his/her responsibility to do that - or is it the people's responsibility to follow the leader in whatever way he/she goes?"

 As I've pondered this question, I've come to the conclusion that I believe it is both...

When I am leading worship, I have to anticipate that there are people there to worship with us who either don't know Christ, are new in their relationship with Christ, or who may have fallen away; these people are the people that I should be striving to reach more than anything when putting a service together.   Of course, as a worship leader, we are always praying that God will use us to move in the hearts of anyone and everyone that He wants to touch; but in planning, I believe that the style, environment, etc. has to be planned for those who need help learning how to draw close to the feet of God in worship.

As a growing follower of Christ, I know that when I walk into a worship service, it is MY responsibility to prepare myself for a time of worship with the body of Christ.  If I take time to prepare myself for this time, it won't matter what songs are sung and what style they are; worship is an act of giving - it is me bringing all that I am and pouring my love and adoration out to my Creator.   If I am giving, then I am setting my own personal wants aside and I am able to worship to old time hymns, liturgy, Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Leeland Band....whatever...I should simply prepare myself and trust that God has prepared the leader and been a part of the service planning.

Also - as someone who is passionately pursuing our Lord & Savior, I am worshipping throughout the week on my own and I know what things bring me to that worshipful mindset more easily than others.  For me, music is by far the easiest way for me to get lost in the greatness of God; I think second is watching my husband and girls after I have spent time praying for them and being able to see God in them; another way is when I read testimonies of how other people are pursuing Him...that always makes my heart burst with love & adoration for Him.  Those are some of my most basic ways to worship.

As a worship leader, I like to use scripture within the service & I remember when a church member emailed me once to thank me for doing so because they do not worship as easily by music, but really worship by getting lost in the Word of God.   That was a real "Aha!" moment for me in realizing how I could help people within my church find that place of worship easier.   As church members, maybe we need to be sure we do communicate with our leaders more when there is something that really helps us - I think that can be another responsibility we can pick up as members to help the staff in planning a service.

Conclusion - if you're taking the time to read this, you're probably someone who does passionately pursue God, so once again my challenge to you is to look and ask yourself if you prepare you for corporate worship on Sunday.   If enough of us take the time to do so, it will begin to change the atmosphere on Sundays...you will begin to see an overall change in the participation (more hands raised, more excitement, more kneeling at the altar), hear more singing, and I believe that will eventually bring a change to our churches in seeing our families live life together, go deeper in study, serving together, etc.  

It all starts in the heart and it takes time to prepare ourselves to go before a holy Lord.   I mean...think about it...we are bringing ourselves before the Creator of the universe of an unknown number of galaxies; and despite how amazingly grand He is, He still cares enough about you & me to know how many hairs are on our heads, to know when we wake up and when we sleep, and to know our inmost thoughts.  I think we must ask ourselves, "have I taken the He deserves to prepare to be in His presence?"

Funny how life changes...

I have to admit I have really been struggling lately.   I've been allowing things in life to overwhelm me and have let my disciplines slip.   It's funny how much that can change things in daily life; funny how much your perspective changes when your focus shifts.

My view of God hasn't changed and my love for Him hasn't changed.   I could still go to church on Sunday and worship Him; however, it is different.   Because I have allowed my disciplines to slip and haven't been setting aside every day to adore Him and worship Him; I haven't set aside time to allow Him to pour Himself into me...something would be missing if I didn't set it right.  

John 4:23-24 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”  In order to truly worship Him in spirit and truth, we must be sure we truly understand truth and claim in.  In John 15, Christ says "Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.  As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

In order to truly worship Him in spirit and in truth, I must be abiding in Him...allowing Him to overwhelm me daily in such a way that it is obvious to those around me.   Crazy how easily the things of this world get a foothold in us...it doesn't take much in our humanity to get lost in daily schedules, athletic rehearsals, cleaning, budgets, jobs, school work...yet we were created to know our Creator.  We were created to abide with Him...why does that so easily become the last thing on our list - the thing we don't have time for?  How can we honestly call ourselves followers of Christ when we follow other things all week long?

Praise God that salvation is a gift & doesn't require our faithfulness; but sanctification is a process that requires us to constantly remind ourselves of this amazing gift from our Creator and His forgiveness every time we fall off the path and lose our perspective.

Take a few minutes today to thank Him for His grace and His process of sanctification.   Look around today in this beautiful weather and take a few minutes to be in awe of our Creator and this incredibly gorgeous world He has given us...then set your perspective straight and be sure the rest of your day shows your awe and adoration of Him.

Are you wading or diving in?

In a discussion today, someone challenged a group of us and asked why we want "all of this media" in a worship service and said we shouldn't need it.   I'll leave that discussion for another day, but I have to admit it got me thinking about worship at church and how it affects our daily worship as individual followers of Christ.  Of course, as a worship leader, the goal is always to enter corporate worship and openly lay myself at the feet of Christ, inviting & encouraging others to join me.   The hope in this is 2 fold; 1) that other followers of Christ will have the same opportunity to pour themselves out before God & be lost in the presence of the all consuming Sovereign Lord; and 2) that those who don't know Him or walk closely with Him will see the pure love & adoration pouring out and get a glimpse of the Great I Am.

So...here's the question...do we become dependent on these things (i.e. lighting, music, media) to enhance our worship to the point that we have handicapped ourselves and others and made it more difficult to worship as individuals in a daily lifestyle where these "enhancements" are not surrounding us and we have to put forth the effort to pursue Him on our own?  In doing so, what are we missing out on?

A friend of mine posted this on her facebook wall this week:  

"If what He shows me today gets anymore beautiful I will fall on my face and cry like a baby. Until now I have only experienced God knee deep. I just fell in head first and am drowning in his love and grace."   

What a beautiful expression of who God is..when I read this, it truly made me stop and think...even though I am pursuing Him, I still get caught up in stuff and forget the pure beauty of who He is.  When we choose to live "drowning in His love and grace", worship is a natural part of our lives...but it does take time and discipline to live this way - it takes a life of pursuit.

I'm sure you've already figured out that I like challenges - challenges make us reach higher and grow.  James 1:2-4 tells us that, " when you meet trials produces steadfastness. Count it all joy, my brothers, of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faithAnd let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

So, my challenge for this week is to find a way to worship your Lord & Savior this week that does not include music, church, or media; but find a way that will be a result of be lost in who He is and all that He is.  Go a little deeper this week...just enough to get that glimpse that does make you want to fall on your face & cry in utter and complete awe.   If you do, I bet you find yourself worshipping Him by simply loving someone in your life who may be difficult to love, or treating your spouse differently simply because God commands you to do so, or giving to someone in need because you are filled with a compassion from above - remember that these can all be acts of worship...the quote from my friend is one of the best examples of worship I have ever seen...that's what it's all about.

Will you do something about it this week?   Will you go deeper or stay in the water at your ankles?

Silent Thunder

In the quiet of my still house this morning, I pulled out my book to review and prepare for our home group tonight.  As I re-read the chapter on prayer, one phrase really stuck out to me today: "We begin praying for others by first quieting our fleshly activity and listening to the silent thunder of the Lord of hosts."  I love that description - "listening to the silent thunder"...that is what makes us come undone...the realization of who He really is...shouldn't this change how we pray?

Here's a question for you...how much of your praying is talking and how much is listening?  If we are to truly pray the will of God, shouldn't we listen first to know what it is before we can verbally pray it?  John 15:7 says "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."  Maybe if we get the "abiding" right, we'll see more responses to our prayer requests (because they will line up with His will).  My favorite description for what it means to abide in Him comes from one of my favorite books (I became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt), describes abiding this way:

To abide means to live within. Jesus says He wants me to live inside of Him and that He will live inside of me.  That doesn't sound like a relationship to me.

What if you could somehow interview a baby inside his mother's womb?  And let's say you asked the baby, "Do you have a relationship with your mother?"

I think the baby would give you a really weird look...and answer, "That's what I thought you said, but I can't believe you would ask that.  How do I answer?  I mean yes, we do have a relationship, but c'mon it's way beyond that.  I mean, I live inside of her.  I can't live without her.  I am totally dependent on her for everything that keeps me alive.  I can't do anything without her.  So yes, I guess we have a relationship, but that's a colossal understatement."

I think that in order to live this way - by truly abiding in Him - it takes setting aside the necessary time to hear the "silent thunder" and to be in such awe of Him that we are undone.  So many times we have good intentions and then get busy and just don't take the time we should for our Creator.  Did you take the time to read Psalm 139 or did you intend to and then time just got away from you?

In my first post, I shared Psalm 19:1-4 - "the heavens declare the glory of the Lord...".   A friend was over last night and was showing me some recordings from NASA of the planets and the sounds they emit.  WOW!  Did you know that the heavens truly "declare" the glory of God?  They actually make sound?   How creative is our God?   And...as my friend pointed out...their sound matches their appearance!  (If you want to hear, go to You Tube and just search for planet sounds, NASA)NASA Voyager Recording of the sounds of Neptune

Silent thunder...if we will just be quiet and still and know He is God and listen to the silent thunder of the Lord of hosts, how much will that change us?  How much will that change the way we pray?   How much will it change the way we live?

I truly believe this is what it means to live a life of worship...it may or may not involve singing worship songs, but it is living in awe of the Great I AM and pursuing Him.  I challenge you to join me this week and increase the time you spend in His presence...listening...see what He will reveal to you in the quiet...listen for the silent thunder...allow yourself to become undone...then see what changes.  Don't let your busyness get in the way of abiding...our busyness is just temporary and will not fill any voids - it will not bring peace or joy; it simply gets in the way of those things that God wants to give us.  Start small - just take 5 - 10 minutes/day; my goal is to increase my time each day this week.

I would love to hear how God moves in you this week...hold me accountable...ask me if I'm spending time listening...share what He's telling you...let's journey together.