Why Do I Worship?

"Without worship, we go about miserable." A. W. Tozer

As this week progressed I found myself burdened, heavy-hearted, depressed and was just downright miserable! In the past few days I've prayed and worshiped, and others have lifted me up in their prayers.

A.W. Tozer's statement above is true... through prayer and worship the burdens, heavy-heartedness and depression have simply been washed away. The things that have troubled me are still present, but they no longer rule over me. I will survive this test because I know that our God will see me through all my darkest days!

My friends, may the Lord bless all of you today and always!

/ W E A R  L O V E /

 

"regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." Colossians 3:14 (MSG)
 
Each and every day, we all wake up with a choice. Each and every day, we are all faced with the same decision. What am I going to put on? What am I going to choose to wear? What kind of attitude do I want to put on display for all the world to see? If we don't start with the basics, it really doesn't matter what we put on.

Elie Wiesel once said, "But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town too, is large. I had best start with my street. No: my home. No: my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself!"

Each of us must choose, each and every day.

Today, I choose to WEAR LOVE.

Tomorrow, I choose to WEAR LOVE.

The next day, the next week, the next month, and until the end of time, I choose to WEAR LOVE.
I think Jesus said it best when He said: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” (MSG)

I know it isn't always easy to do. There are times when I struggle. But, in the struggle, that's the most important time that I must make the right choice.

WEAR LOVE!

God Blesses Us In All Things

"God gives, God takes. God’s name be ever blessed." Job 1:21 (MSG)

My trials don't even begin to compare to Job's, but I totally understand and embrace his declaration here! Especially as I look back on the past couple of years. God has truly given me many great things that I am very grateful for, and I bless and praise His name for all these things each and every day!

He's also taken a few things away from me. Some things... such as burdens, chains, hurts, sorrows, pains, and grief. Things that I have gladly let of, and haven't missed being weighed down with. I didn't even struggle or put up a fight when God released me of these things. One day I just looked and they were gone. There were some things that God said, it's time to let go of these things too, and I struggled, but in the end I knew He was right, and it was the right time - by letting go I found FREEDOM!

Finally, there have been other things... things that are very precious to me, and I wasn't so willing to let go, and I found myself battling God, night and day to hold on to, I fought long and hard to hold onto these things because primarily out of my love for Him and my love for others. God said, "If you love me let go of these things, and I will bless you with immeasurably more."

So, with God's assurance I have let go of those precious things most dear to me, and I constantly sing these words from the Hillsong United song, Oceans (Where Feet May Fail):

"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 Savior"

I know in my heart that God has bigger plans for me than I could ever imagine... I don't know yet, what they are, but I am totally committed to following His lead - wherever He may call me, and that by doing so my faith will be made stronger!

And every day, whether He gives or takes away, I will always BLESS HIS NAME!

You Carried Me

Over the past few months God has been urging me to write again. I've been making up excuses as to why I shouldn't, but earlier this year I promised that I would be obedient to God's calling for my life... that I would do the things that I felt He was leading me to do, so here I am, tepidly forging through the great unknown, trusting God's calling.

I thought I would start with something that I wrote a few years ago. A blog post that was inspired by the song You Carried Me, by Building 429.

Anyway, I ran across this picture while I was listening to that song one day, and out of that song and this picture came these words:

What do I see when I look at this picture?

I see the beauty, majesty, and power of the waterfall... the ragged rocks below, the turbulence that the water creates as it hits the bottom... and I see the boat, and all the people onboard. Then I could see myself on that boat and I wasn't afraid. The boat is safe, the boat is steady as it maneuvers through the waters.

 

You know, as we go through life we're often mesmerized by the beauty that's before us... so mesmerized that we often forget about the possible dangers that are right in front of our faces, and sometimes when we realize what's happening its to late, and we get caught up in the turbulent waters and have a hard time recovering from the mess that we created for ourselves.

The good news is, we have a Protector, a Guide, a Savior who is constantly by our side, watching over us. He stands ready to carry us through anything and everything we are faced with. God carries me though my walk every day, without Him I know I wouldn't be able to make it.

If you're facing difficult times in your walk I urge you to turn to Him... turn to Jesus... He's at the front of the boat and will calm any and all storms that you're going through ~ allow Him to Carry You just as He has Carried Me through it all.