Feel the Night

This song is exquisite.

Yes

Just, yes, is all i can say to this song.

This Good Day

Today, I got in the van to go to the library with the kids, and turned on the disc that was in. It was Fernando Ortega (a favorite around here). I went to his song "This Good Day" and it was just perfect. Rain clouds come. Cold winds blow. But i know Who is in charge of it all... my heavenly Father.

okay... here is a cool side note: This video here is from his dvd "Live in St. Paul". Guess who is in the audience? Yep... Brian and I :). We own the dvd, and have spotted ourselves in it. I was about a week out from my due date with our 3rd child at the concert! 

Fernando Ortega - This Good Day Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Morning sun, morning glories
Pouring down the hill
Through my window
I can feel the ocean breeze

Noisy sparrows fill the oak trees
Swallows can't stay still
And in the glad commotion
Lord, You speak to me

If rain clouds come
Or the cold winds blow
You're the one who goes before me
And in my heart I know

That this good day, it is a gift from You
The world is turning in its place
Because You made it to
I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
On this good day

I will walk to woodman's cove
The fishing boats are leaving
Seagulls follow just above the water

I will wait until the sunset
Brings them home again
Rigging lines and anchors in the harbor

If rain clouds come
Or the cold winds blow
You're the one who goes before me
And in my heart I know

This good day, it is a gift from You
The world is turning in its place
Because You made it to
I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
On this good day

If rain clouds come
Or the cold winds blow
You're the one who goes before me
And in my heart I know

This good day, it is a gift from You
The world is turning in its place
Because You made it to
This good day, it is a gift from You
The world is turning in its place
Because You made it to
I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
On this good day

Songwriters
ORTEGA, JUAN F./SCHREINER, JOHN ANDREW

Happy Consequences -or- A Disposition of Gratitude

Gratitude: The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Disposition: A person's inherent qualities of mind and character. (thanks, google, for simple definitions.)

I am generally a grateful person. At times, i fail, as we all do. I grumble and complain that i don't have this and that. I look at what others have that i don't, and get grumpy. I can pout. i know, shocking! ;)

I notice that i can get less and less thankful for what i DO have, and more and more hungry for the things this world tells me i need. When that starts to happen, i also lose sight of the "good" in my life, as i am so focused on the negatives. I begin to major on the minors, if you know what i mean. Suddenly, the faucet in my bathroom looks ugly, because....didn't you see that really cool one in the magazine? Suddenly my closet seems to have nothing in it (when in all actuality, my closet is bursting with clothes), because....didn't you see all those really nice, new clothes at the store (and i ain't talkin' 'bout the thrift store).
NOTE: I am a very thrifty shopper and do enjoy thrift stores!! Sometimes though...

Do you see what happens so quickly? We get our eyes off of Christ, and onto the things of this world, and we get hooked. We get ensnared. We can grow a love in our hearts for this world that surpasses our love of Christ, which is idolatry by the way.

How do we combat this?

The most important way is by renewing our minds in the Word of God. We are to fix our eyes on Christ, and one great way of doing that is starting the day with a time of Scripture reading.  I have been camped out in the Epistles lately. Man! That will give you some serious perspective!
Philippians 4:11-13 says,

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Another way is to study in Scripture what we are to "put off" and "put on". We are to put off discontentment and covetousness, and put on contentment.  We are to put off enviousness and put on the quality of rejoicing with others.

I saw this card with a friend, and purchased it. it says
Happy Birthday on top. This card captures how i
want to live my life: FREE and full of joy in
Christ, with hands opened and eyes to Him.

A great way to develop contentedness and gratefulness is with a list. This past weekend, i had one of many great conversations with a dear friend. I had asked her what all the journals were that she kept (there were four of them!). One caught my attention: it was a journal for her to list the good things in her life, and the things she was grateful for. I was honest enough to say that i just hadn't done that since it seemed to be so "trendy" for a while. Yet, when she was sharing her heart behind why she does it, something clicked. I realized that there are so many good things in my life, and that writing them down would help me to remember. To remember God's goodness, provision, blessing, help, and strength. To see just how many good things there are on any given day. I have begun my own little book, and i am calling it: Good Things -or- A Disposition of Gratitude: A Journal. It has been a most excellent exercise. Today was my 2nd day writing in it, and it was already a beautiful thing to look back over yesterday's entries.
Here are just a few things in it:

• a walk in the crisp Autumn air as the world wakes up.
• friends around our table for food and fellowship.
• our space heater!
• flowers (roses, gaillardia, tall asters, daisies, ring flowers) in the house from my garden in mid-October.
• lego creations from scratch.
• music! music! music! 
• salvation.
• my Bible
• the book of Proverbs
• a long conversation and prayer with a child: difficult and beautiful at the same time.
• walks with my husband.
• laughter. 
• sunshine and a friend.
• a new kitchen timer.

Today, i took my kids to the Dollar Tree and had them each pick out a little notebook. I bought new pens. We took them home and then i explained what they were for. I had them each start their own Good Things, or gratefulness journal. One of my kids called theirs "Good Things or Happy Consequences". We keep them in a little basket in the living room so that they don't get lost, and so they can fill them in any time they want. They keep their new pens with the journals. I think it will be a treasure to them in months to come, as they remember all the "little" things, and the not-so-little things. 

Happy Consequences. Just makes my heart smile.

Providential Hope

I heard this song this morning after my alarm went off.
absolutely Providential.
There is so much beauty in the midst of the pain...beauty in His drawing so near and in His faithfulness to carry us through.
Hope.
There is hope.




You Are Faithful ~ Raymond Gregory
When my heart is troubled
And I can hardly breathe 
I will rest on Your promises 
You won't abandon me
In the valley of the shadow of death
If I'm with You I will not be afraid 

You are hope for the hurting heart
You are rest to the weary soul
When I am broken, You are not shaken
Through trial, pain, and fears
You keep count of all my tears
When I am broken, You are not shaken
Lord You are faithful, God You are faithful

On the path of abundance 
I look back and I see
When the road was rough, I stumbled hard,
I was beaten down
It was then that you carried me

Through tragedy, In prosperity
You are faithful, You are faithful
In every season Lord, You are with me
You are faithful God

Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord You are Faithful

Song of Encouragement

Love this song by Sara Groves!
I am so thankful for the community of Believers that have encouraged me during a very difficult year.

Still My Soul

This song was sung a week ago at church. I was out of the room when it was sung by our Pastor's wife and his sister. I looked it up yesterday, and was encouraged greatly.

I pray it is an encouragement to you as well (: