I'M STILL STANDING

Did you ever have one of these? I did and I loved it. Last night as I tried to fall asleep and replayed the events of the last few weeks in my mind, this is the picture that popped into my head. A few weeks ago as a couple of friends were praying for me I said, "I feel I keep getting the wind knocked out of me and everytime I stand up it happens again." Isn't it great to know that we are "weighted" and do not have to stay down?

One of my favorite songs a few years ago was Still Standing by Israel Houghton. Some of the lyrics are:

You gave me courage to believe that all your goodness I will see
and if it had not been for you standing on my side where would I be

Chorus: If not for your goodness if not for your grace I don't know where I
would be today if not for your kindness I never could say I'm still
standing if not for your mercy if not for your love I most likely would
have given up if not for your favor I never could say I'm still standing
but by the grace of God

To you I lift my offering and set my heart on higher things for
if it had not been for you standing on my side where would I be

In the middle of the song he gives an exhortation and this is what he says (my favorite part of the song), read it all, it is powerful:

I feel the need to explain something
This is not I’m still standing and I barely made it and I crawled into the building
Just pray for me brother and nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen kind of standing

When I was a kid I had one of those things that you could punch it and it’d go down and it would pop right back up because it was weighted on the bottom
That would preach wouldn’t it
So, this kind of still standing is
He’s hit me with his best shot
Life has poured all it could on me
And I got to bounce back in my spirit

Enjoy the song:



Psalm 27:13, 14
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD

Over the last few weeks I have had to deal with physical and emotional pain. I can tell you that I bounced back in my spirit long before my body caught up. It was exciting and challenging at the same time. My emotions and spirit were high, but my body was in pain and weak, so I had to wait on the Lord and what a blessing that was. My strength was renewed and I will soar on wings like eagles.

Joining Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

POTTER'S WHEEL - TSMSS

For Mother's Day my request was simple I wanted to attend two worship services. This song was played during the first worship service. They played a video similar to the one in this post (maybe even the same one). Isn't it amazing when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you ARE where you ARE supposed to be?

God is shaping me, molding me into who He wants me to be and although it's painful at times I am willing (sometimes kicking and screaming) to withstand the discomfort to rid myself of the things that remain that are not of Him. I want to see, I want others to see, I want Him to see His reflection.

Worship was very powerful for me that morning and the message even more so, you can listen to it here. It is listed as the Mother's Day sermon, but it was on TRUST. A couple of years ago I realized that I did not trust God and we worked through that or so I thought, now there seems to be a whole new layer to it. I haven't trusted Him in a long time, I have accused Him and I have doubted His intentions. I have no reason not to trust Him other than I attach disappointments I've experienced to Him. Disappointments with my dad, my husband, church, etc. I wrap it all up together, but it doesn't fit in a neat little package because God cannot fit in a box with humanity.

Let me just state for the record that God has NEVER let me down! He has always done exceedingly abundantly more than I could ask, think or imagine, ALWAYS! He is faithful because that is who He is, He cannot deny Himself or His Word. I on the other hand fall short. I start looking around at people, places and things for comfort and reprieve and when it doesn't come I doubt that God loves me, that He cares about me or that He will do anything about the situation. I was so convicted during worship about my attitudes towards God, it was humbling and sad at the same time.

I have let fear override my faith and get me into a dangerous place with the Lord. Sunday it was as if a light bulb went on. You always hear people talk about peeling back the layers of an onion and I was reminded of this on Sunday. This is another layer of my walk with Him, He is taking me deeper, but He must remove another layer...He must! So, I surrender and I sing:

Make me
Shape me
Into everything that You want me to be

Make me
Shape me
Into everything that You want me to be and more

So place me on the potter’s wheel
Spin me until
There’s nothing left but You in my life
Cause brokenness is what I want
So do a work Yeah in my heart
So when You look at me
You see Your reflection


Song by Daniel Bashta

Be blessed and be changed!

Joining Amy for Then Sings my Soul Saturday.

TSMSS - FIELDS OF GRACE

I have been repeatedly listening to this song. If you've ever heard this song sung in a large group of people there is always a shout out when they sing, "There's a place where religion finally dies", but this is the part that makes my heart sing lately:

I love my Father, my Father loves me
I dance for my Father, my Father sings over me

And nothing can take that away from me

There is something SO beautiful about that picture!

For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday, visit Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.

TSMSS - EVERY SEASON

I have always loved this song by Nicole Nordeman, but it takes on an even greater significance in light of my recent revelations about seasons - here, here and here. This song ministers to the deep recesses of my heart in this “season”.

Read the lyrics (below all at once or follow in the video), they are powerful!

Every evening sky, an invitation
To trace the patterned stars
And early in July, a celebration
For freedom that is ours
And I notice You
In children’s games
In those who watch them from the shade
Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder
You are summer

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn

And everything in time and under heaven
Finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation
Shivers underneath
And still I notice you
When branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter
You are winter

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season’s change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring

The Lord is so gracious to be gently leading me on this journey of discovery to expose the lies and bring me to His truth and closer to Him and His will for my life.



For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

ENCOURAGEMENT & TSMSS

Encouragement comes in all forms...this came to me in the form of music in the mail. A sweet friend from church sent me this CD in the mail and wrote "Be encouraged!" on the CD and I have been time and time again. Now I want to encourage you.







For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday visit Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

COME AND LISTEN - TSMSS

This song is so fitting for this season of my life. My husband and I have come through a storm, but we have COME THROUGH IT! Sometime next week I will begin sharing parts of our testimony, so please COME AND LISTEN to what He's done. Like the song says, "He has done for me,He has done for you,He has done for us." For those of you who have been praying, this is your victory too!

Come and listen, come to the water's edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
Come and listen, come to the water's edge all you who are thirsty, come.

Let me tell you what He has done for me.
Let me tell you what He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Come and listen,
come and listen to what He's done.
Come and listen,
come and listen to what He's done.

Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.
Praise our God for He is good.

He has done for me,
He has done for you,
He has done for us.

Come and listen,
come and listen to what He's done.
Come and listen,
come and listen to what He's done.

I like this video of the song because it is just the song, scriptures and some profound words. It talks about being silent and allowing everything else be "silenced" - I had to get to that place and come and listen only to what the Lord had to say and He spoke clearly.



For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday, visit Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY

My reminders this week are found in this song:

1. In Christ alone my Hope is found
2. I am His and He is mine
3. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
   
   

Congratulations to the other "Mari" you won my 100th post giveaway! Email me.

For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday, visit Amy at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.