Kindness Extended

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. 

Always

I always love this song.

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.

Feel the Night

This song is exquisite.

Love

The theme lately seems to be love.
What is it? What does it look like? What does one expect?


What am i learning? Well, I am not ready to share all that here right now.
But i have been thinking. a lot.

There was an excellent sermon Sunday about 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

It was so good.
Then, we attended our Sunday School class, which is on marriage. The sermon was a perfect pairing with the session we watched in Paul Tripp's What Did You Expect video series.

All that has led to a lot of introspection. A lot of kneeling at the cross. A lot of processing in the best way.

And today i thought of this song...

Make it Right

There are some days that I lose sight.
okay,
There are more days than not that i forget
That God's timing and plan
is very different than mine.

I forget that
here
in this fallen, broken world
things will not make sense.
things will hurt.
a lot.
and sometimes the pain
doesn't stop.
maybe,
just maybe,
it gets worse.

And so i cling to Christ
and He holds me fast.
He keeps me.
even when my grip
slips.


This song reminded me, once again, that in God's time, He will "take all that is wrong and make it right." It may not be until i reach heaven, but He WILL make all that is wrong right.
ALL of it.

A Song and a Prayer

This song by Fernando Ortega has long been a favorite of mine. I first heard it back in the mid-90's and remember being struck by the simple beauty of it. It quickly became the cry of my heart.

1 Peter 1:13-16 says:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 

This song is a prayer to be more like Jesus, to be more holy. By His grace, He will do that work in our hearts and lives by the power of His Spirit. What a beautiful song to sing and offer as a prayer to our Great Savior and our Glorious God. May we ever be growing more and more like our beautiful Jesus. May He grow more precious to us day by day.

Trusting in Jesus

One night i had been reflecting on The End, what it means to stand before Holy God... on and on. I think you get it. I can get a bit unnerved at times when thinking about it.

The next morning after my alarm went off, this song came on that had encouraged me so many other times before. How sweet and tender of my heavenly Father to orchestrate it to play that morning. I was, once again, put at complete peace, being able to completely trust in Jesus when that Day comes.

White Christmas

This song has been one of my favorite Christmas songs for as long as i can remember :)  This version is great! I usually listen to the one from his albums, or i hear it when i watch White Christmas.



 

"I Need You!"

There are times when a song moves beyond the realm of "that's a great tune" into the realm of being the very fiber of your being. I am amazed at how, at the right time, one can rediscover a song that is exactly what you need, right now.

There are many difficult things we pass through as we traverse this sod. Things happen and bring back echoes of past pain. Then those echoes become shouts in your head. It is at this point that all the heart can cry is, "Oh, I need YOU! God I need You now!"

One may cry out for God to take away whatever is causing the ache, the pain, the suffering. God, in His great wisdom, goodness, and love sometimes just gives you the strength to keep breathing. This is the rub. This is where one must learn to lean in to His sovereignty. THAT is hard. Trusting in His goodness in the midst of deep, aching pain. Yet, it is the place one must go in the midst of the ache, 

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ~Hebrews 13:5

Cry out to Him in your need. He is faithful. Always.

Christmas Promise

My girls are singing this song EVERYWHERE we go right now. I am assuming they are singing it in a little Christmas play that they are in... It was the first time I had heard it.

it is beautiful.

i love the simplicity of this video and recording.

Is God Nice?

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

Need This

Some Days

There are some days when you have to sing this song to yourself often.

Miracle

This is a favorite of ours. It is so beautiful to hear this simple version.

Miracle by Sara Groves

Lay down your arms, give up the fight
Quiet our hearts for a little while
Things have been spoken shouldn't be said
Rattles around in our hearts and our heads

Let's feel what we cannot feel
Know what we cannot know
Let's heal where we couldn't heal
Oh, it's a miracle, it's a miracle

Things have been spoken, shouldn't be said
Rattles around in our hearts and our heads

Let's feel what we cannot feel
Know what we cannot know
Let's heal where we couldn't heal
Oh, it's a miracle, love is a miracle

Let's feel what we cannot feel
Know what we cannot know
Let's heal where we couldn't heal
Oh, it's a miracle

Let's say what we cannot say
Let's see what we cannot not see
Let's hear what we could not hear
Oh, it's a mystery, love is a mystery
Oh, it's a miracle, it's a miracle, let's be a miracle

Our Good Shepherd

We sang out the truths of this song today. It was hard to sing one part, because it is where i am, yet He is ever more beautiful as He lifts my head and leads me through the difficult times.

What a wonderful, glorious, loving Shepherd we serve.

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.