The Falling Rain

The song i am about to share is just raw. It is raw and beautiful, open and honest. I wonder how long he sat in silence before the Lord, crying out for the rain to stop, before he finally put the pen to paper? I wonder if the rain is still falling. This song has left me in tears every time i have heard it. I pray that this song will minister to you, as you and i travel this hard road home to heaven.

Peace. Be Still. 

If You Want Me To

There are times for me when a song is just so much better than all the words I could put here. This is one of those times.
But this song...
Just listen.
and pray.
and walk, one step at a time.

These Are Written So You May Believe

{UPDATE: thanks to a friend, i realized that the video somehow was deleted as i was inserting the lyrics! Now the video is there :) }

This song caught my attention one morning on the radio. I looked them up and saw this beautiful animation to go with their song. The group is a husband/wife duo called The Lockwood's.

Here is what they say about this song on their site: In April 2013, we had the privilege of sharing our music with Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. We wanted to gift them with a song written especially for them, and so we trusted God for the inspiration that was needed. God ended up giving us “These are Written” after many hours of pressing in to not only the gospel accounts of what Jesus has done, but also pressing into how those stories help us understand what He is doing in our lives in this present moment. We want this song to be a great comfort especially to believers who are suffering, and we know that as they behold this Jesus who suffered and died willingly in their place, they will indeed be comforted.

“These are Written” by Patrick and Molly Lockwood

Lyrics:

Jesus calmed the waters on the Sea of Galilee

And today He spoke peace to the fears in me

Jesus turned water at a wedding into wine

Just today He turned my worry into peace of mind

Jesus broke bread with the whores and thieves

He bent down to wash His friend Peter’s feet

When I felt so dirty, so beyond love’s reach

He called out to say that He was not ashamed of me

These are written so may believe

And that by believing you may have life in His name

Jesus healed a man who spent his whole life lame

Well He cleansed my past; I’ve got a brand new name

He told a woman at a well all she’d ever done

Yea He knows me better than anyone

Where guilt ran deep, where shame flowed wide

Jesus opened all the parts of me I tried to hide

He gave me water to drink that won’t run dry

He died my death and gave me life

These are written so you may believe

And that by believing you may have life in His name

Jesus, Immanuel, Savior, Messiah, Son of man, Son of God, Holy and Anointed One, Good Shepherd, Great High Priest, Servant King, Prince of Peace, Bread of Life, Living Water, He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, Light of the World, Beginning and the End, Lily of the Valley, My Truest Friend, Mighty Lion, Humble Lamb, Risen Lord, The Great “I AM”

These are written so you may believe

And that by believing you may have life in His name

Morning may bring a brand new pain

With suffering I’m afraid to face

Confronted by things I cannot change

I’ll remember how Jesus calmed the crashing waves!

I’ll remember how Jesus healed a woman who had bled twelve years

He showed mercy to the thief who confessed through tears

He blessed the widow at the temple for the penny she gave

Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave!

And He suffered and died on a Roman tree

But He laid His life down willingly

In three days He rose as He had said

And now in Christ, death is dead

These are written so you may believe

Counting it ALL Joy

James 1:2-4 (NASB) states this:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

I have been working on memorizing this, and practicing it. Author and speaker Elizabeth George wrote a book titled Finding God's Path Through Your Trials. In the first number of chapters, she goes through the verses in James bit by bit. It has been very challenging to read. For instance, when she was simply talking about how we are to count it all joy (deliberate, act of the will, NOT based on feelings of the moment) when we encounter trials, i wanted to throw the book across the room! I thought, "Has this woman ever known trouble, trial, pain?" To my embarrassment, that was my thought. I know that she has endured heartache, trial, trouble and pain. That is why she can write the book! She has lived it, and has learned to be a woman of God with staying power in the midst of challenging circumstances.


Over the past year and a half i have had my fair share of trials. My Dad passed away in January of 2013. Family relationships changed dramatically after that, bringing much heartache. Weekly, i have fairly intense trials to deal with. One person even asked me, "When is it going to stop? Do you even see an end to it all?" I choose to not discuss my circumstances much anymore, unless things grow more intense and i need help. God has shown Himself faithful in every trial, every pain, every time i feel alone.

Enter James 1:2-4.

Little did i know just how much i would need the sound teaching of those verses! The past week brought about a very difficult trial and testing. When it was over, i was able to ask God to help me see how to count it joy. I needed His help to do it, because i just couldn't see it. Then i remembered that He is teaching me. He is training me. He is producing perseverance and endurance in me, so that the next time a trial comes my way, i can stand stronger in Him.  I need staying power. I need His Spirit to continue to show me how to please Him in how i handle the trials that come my way.

One thing i think we get hung up on is the word "joy". It doesn't mean that we are laughing or pretending to be happy when our hearts are breaking. There is pain in joy. There is pain in hope. Yet, we hope. Yet, we have joy... joy that is a deep peace and delight in knowing that God is working ALL things for the good of those who love Him:

Romans 8:28-30: And we know that [a]God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom Heforeknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

And if the end result, if the reason that i am tested, is simply to bring Him glory, okay. If the end result is that i am more conformed to the image of Christ, okay. He IS worthy of all the praise and all the glory, no matter what the situation is.

The other morning i woke up and this song came on... timing? PERFECT! Nothing is wasted in the hands of our loving Redeemer!

May you be blessed by our great God as you press on in the face of various trials, counting it all joy, and remembering that NOTHING is wasted.

"The Trial of Your Faith"

This is from Charles Spurgeon's classic devotional called Morning and Evening. On a particularly difficult day, my husband chose this for our family worship time at night. All I could do was quietly let the tears run down my cheeks as his gentle voice read. Then, i leaned into the hard truths that are written here.

Whatever difficulty you find yourself in the midst of, may these words encourage and strengthen your heart. There is a purpose in what you are passing through. 

Morning

"The trial of your faith."

1 Peter 1:7

Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith, and it is likely to remain dwarfish so long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: tempests are her trainers, and lightnings are her illuminators. When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds rush howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven. No flowers wear so lovely a blue as those which grow at the foot of the frozen glacier; no stars gleam so brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky; no water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand; and no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.

Let not this, however, discourage those who are young in faith. You will have trials enough without seeking them: the full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.

(emphasis is mine) 

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

Worn

I love this song.
This is the cry of my heart after this past week. That there is beauty after the ashes.

Welcome Cross

A friend sent this hymn to me. How beautiful it's message.  It is written by Cowper and Newton, as a part of The Olney Hymns.

35. Welcome Cross

'Tis my happiness below

Not to live without the cross,

But the Saviour's power to know,

Sanctifying every loss;

Trials must and will befall;

But with humble faith to see

Love inscribed upon them all,

This is happiness to me.

God in Israel sows the seeds

Of affliction, pain, and toil;

These spring up and choke the weeds

Which would else o'erspread the soil:

Trials make the promise sweet,

Trials give new life to prayer;

Trials bring me to His feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.

Did I meet no trials here,

No chastisement by the way,

Might I not with reason fear

I should prove a castaway?

Bastards may escape the rod,

Sunk in earthly vain delight;

But the true-born child of God

Must not -- would not, if he might.

There WILL be a day....

This was so encouraging today :) Lifting my eyes to the One who heals and holds.

Realness

Realness.

Something i crave. 

REAL people. REAL lives. REAL mess. REAL joy. REAL hope. REAL faith. 

Realness.

You know it when you see it. 

Someone who isn't afraid to be real with their life.

Or maybe they are terrified but choose to be real anyway.

I am finding the more real i get, the more afraid i become. 

Afraid of what? 

rejection.

abandonment.

being judged.

what others think. 

what others are saying about me.

the mess.

afraid that people get tired of those who are in the midst of a trial.

My realness is pretty messy right now. 

The Word of God is my only hope. It is TRUTH.

i am clinging to it with desperation.

gasping for breath, i reach for the Bible, hoping to find life-giving words. 

and i always do. 

The other night i read Romans 8 and found such comfort, though in many ways i grapple with the words printed on the page. 

i think: 

could it really be true? 

Does God love me that much?

Nothing can separate me from His love... NOTHING??? not even my messiness? 

Is all of this really working for my good? 

This is being real. being willing to ask the questions. To work through it. to NOT hide from it. To share it with you. 

My head can give a hearty assent to all those questions, but my heart wrestles. in the midst of pain and sorrow, it wrestles with what i see versus what i can't see... 

 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Realness. working out Romans 8. it's messy. but it's a good messy.

Are you tired too?

To say stuff has been going on in my life the past number of months would be an understatement. The good news? God is changing me. not my circumstances, necessarily... but me. I am forever grateful for the fire that refines.

a dear friend heard this song on the radio, and sent it to me. i found the story behind the song after i listened, and just wept. This was quite some time ago. I finally feel i can share it here.

Know that in the midst of all the trials, that God IS working. He IS there. Cling to the precious promises in the Gospel.

Here is the story behind the song:




Here is the song (~:

Worn ~ Tenth Avenue North at KLOVE radio

here is the official video

official music video for Worn

Forsaken no more

i grew up listening to Don Francisco. Went to a concert when i was in 5th or 6th grade. His music resonates with me in a way i can't explain. He sings the Word. i heard this song today as i was playing a disc. i can't pick a song that pinpoints what things were like for me growing up better than this one, and the love and security and redemption i have in my Heavenly Father. 

this is why i cry when i hear or sing: 

• of His great love for me. 
• of how He will never leave me.
• of how He will never let me go.
• of the security i have in Him. 
• of what Christ did to redeem me.
• of how much of a Father He is. 

Truly, God will never forsake His own. He will never reject. He will never leave. Praise His glorious name!

What is the Truth?

1. I am struck by Mark 4.35-41: 

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

1.  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

2. What is the situation or the circumstance you find yourself in? What storm is filling you with anxiety, fear, or despair? When we look at this account in Scripture, we can see and almost feel the disciples fear of perishing in the storm. Where is Christ? Right there with them! What is he doing? He is sleeping! So what was the truth of their situation? THE TRUTH was asleep in the back of the boat. He was at perfect peace, knowing that they would make it, and that His Father was in control of everything. He rebuked the waves and the wind, and displayed His glory to the disciples. 

How does this apply to you and to me? Well, when we are in the midst of a trial, we can cling to the bedrock of Truth that God is in control. Christ is not up there wringing His hands, as it were. He is there. With His perfect peace. With His awesome salvation. Through all the difficulties we face, God uses them to draw us in, to form our character, to reveal His heart. He uses them to draw us more deeply into His Word. He shows us His love through the Bible and through His people. Wow. 

Thinking of the great hymn It Is Well With My Soul has helped me have more clarity in this. We are told to give thanks in EVERY circumstance, and sometimes, quite frankly, that is just too hard to do. In those moments i have called out and said "Lord God, please show me something that i can give you thanks for in the midst of this difficulty." He is faithful to bring to my remembrance the gift of salvation i have through Christ Jesus. No matter what happens around me, i know that it is well with my soul.

If you are facing a challenge that seems to be too great for you, press in to Christ. Find a way to praise Him, even in the pain... This hymn is one of many that we can sing in the midst of great trials, because, if you are in Christ, the TRUTH is that it IS well with your soul, and that is always reason to rejoice. 

1. 
   
2. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
3. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
4. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
5. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
6. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
7. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
8. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.
9. ~Horatio Spafford (STORY of this hymn here ...scroll down and the story is at the bottom )

Acceptance

As i stated earlier, i am reading Hinds' Feet once again. This book is to me what Pilgrim's Progress is to others. i LOVE Pilgrim's Progress as well, but Hinds' Feet has spoken deeply to me.

The chapter that jumped out to me this time so far is where she has to go through the Desert of Despair. It seems to contradict everything the Shepherd has told her about going to the High Places. She actually has to turn away from the High Places, where she desperately longs to go. The Shepherd lovingly goes WITH her and shows her many things in a dark pyramid. There is the threshing floor on the first floor. Then they travel up stairs to the second floor, which has a Potter at a spinning wheel. Finally they go to the third floor, where there is a fiery furnace. Rocks go in, and beautiful gems come out. Each of those had a beautiful lesson...but that is not what struck me so much.

It was what happened after.

Much-Afraid was walking around the tent area in the evening, when she happened upon a pipe that carried water. At the water-spicket, there was just a little drop coming out every so often. She looked down, and there was a single, beautiful, golden flower catching each drop. It was the only one she had seen. Much-Afraid stoops down and questions the flower, asking it's name.

It's reply?  "I am Acceptance-with-Joy."

Hmm. Okay, Lord. Be it unto me, according to Your will. May i be Your servant, Acceptance-with-Joy.

Things happen. Life is lived in this world that seems to be spiraling out of control. We are all dealt tough blows. We can Accept them with JOY, as the best means for our growth from our Loving, ALL-Sovereign God, or we can fight against them, and HIM, and walk this world tired and weary.

Behold, Your servant, Acceptance-with-Joy.