Let the mountains move...

You are the only one that can help me with any challenge I will ever face
The only one that loves me unconditionally
without restraint,
unrelenting,
Your love is pure.
Your righteousness is what I seek
not to have more of me,
but more of You.
I live in reliance upon You.
All that I am depends on You.
You are the Sovereign way,
Sovereign Lord.
So have this struggle, take every battle,
No challenge stands a chance against my God,
great and mighty Lord.
How I love thee.

Stay

Let me stay in Your Presence
Let me rest in this place
I just want to be
            here
                 with you.
In the
                     silence.
In the stillness
I seek Your face
I lay facedown at Your feet
Too overwhelmed to look up
I imagine you reaching out for me
My eyes shut, face pressed to the ground
I hear you whisper
Lord, this is where I want to be
           Here      with        You.
This is peace
This is where I find sanity
This is where I find release
You are what I hold on to.
I am pleading
Let me stay here with You.

Strength is Found in You

"You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek... You are my all in all"


Lord, You lift me up time and time again. Raising me above the waters and the storm, while You take the hit. I'm not strong enough to handle this on my own and I know it; that's why I need You. You are the hope piercing through this night.


"Seeking you as a precious jewel, Lord, to give up I'd be a fool... You are my all in all"


I seek after You, because You are what brings true joy. Joy everlasting... A gem that will never get dull or fade... I am still discovering new aspects to the beauty of Your mysteries. You are more than I could have ever asked for. Nothing can compare. Though I tend to think that I found You, You were there all along. Not only were You there, but You pursued me. Drawn to this irreplaceable treasure, the allure from Your still voice initiated my response. I dug through the muck of my life, til' I found You waiting there. Your beauty illuminated the dark cavern that I once was and it covered me. I clasped You, my precious jewel to my heart and vowed to never let go.


"Taking my sin, my cross, my shame, rising up again I bless Your name...You are my all in all"


This precious Lamb, deserving a crown of glory, took upon His head a crown of shame. He took all that I should have received and allowed me to have life eternal. 

"When I fall down You pick me up, when I am dry You fill my cup...You are my all in all"



And still, when I fall You are there. Though I sometimes choose other things over you and though, at times, I may ignore what You say; You are still there to pick me up. You take my hand and when I gain support, You hold me steady. You sustain me. And though I should be weak and frail, You keep me strong. You keep me pressing on.

Glorious return

Oh, how beautiful,
this array:
stars speckled across a velvet sky,
a reminder of His awesomeness.

How precious,
this miracle:
the gift of new life,
as He sends His One and Only Son.

So beautiful,
this display:
of love,
arms spread wide on the cross.

How majestic,
a life well-lived:
He breathes His last breath,
it is finished.

So wonderful,
as we await His return:
pushing forward, sharing His love;
we dream of a day with no suffering.

Glorious,
this anticipated day:
The bridegroom comes to retrieve His bride, the whole Earth rejoices;
as He calls us home.

I need not worry

I'd rather not have my heart toyed around with any longer...
I'm past that point and thought that you were, too.
I am longing for something that lasts,
something God-given and that will glorify Him.
I'm tired of thinking that I've found something special and having to find out that I was wrong.
Lord, I need you to keep me strong.
Remembering You are all that matters,
and how You told me not to worry...
It's all in Your hands.

Forever Faithful

My mom gave me a word of encouragement the other night that I thought would be helpful to others, as well. We've been going through a lot recently and she was telling me to remember Joseph (Jacob's son). She told me to think about how he must have felt sitting in that pit, knowing that God had told him things in a dream, yet not knowing how it would all come into play. Then I went back and read parts of the story. Do you realize that not only was Joseph highly favored, but that the Bible even says that the Lord was with him? It mentions it several times that God was there. Even though Joseph was wrongly accused and imprisoned, God was still there with him and He made sure that Joseph was okay. Not only that, but I think about how Joseph always gave God the glory. That is how I want to live. There was no doubt that Joseph followed God, Pharaoh knew it and every one who came in contact with Joseph knew it. The part that my mom knew I needed to hear was that, although Joseph was put in situations of despair, he held on to God's promises and knew that when God said something, He meant it. He had to know that God will never forsake his children and that though he couldn't see the end, if he put his trust in God, he would make it through.

I have a lot of things that I probably should be worrying about right now, and sometimes I fall into that trap and end up worrying about them; but I know that God has good things planned for me and that all things work out for the good of those who love Him. I know that God has promised to never leave nor forsake me. I know that He promised that we would face persecution and trials as a believer, but that I would not face them alone. I know that there is power in death and resurrection of His son and the blood shed for me. I know that He has given me strength and that I cannot attribute any of what has happened nor the fact that I am so joyful through struggles to anything but Christ. He is my strength.

To be salt and light in the world...

It saddens me sometimes how we, as Christians, act or come across to others... I say "we", myself included... As those held responsible to shine a light, the Light, we need to be aware that the world watches as we live out our days. 


“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:13-16


I am going to refrain from sharing the full story, for that is not the purpose of this post; but I will say that I hope and pray that, as believers, we will be examples for others to follow. Let us not look to anyone, but Jesus, to show us how to be that perfect example.