THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY

The more I seek Him (especially in the hard stuff) the more I find Him. He is so FAITHFUL, He can’t not be! If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

Have you fallen in love with Jesus? If not, I invite you to listen to this song with your eyes closed and experience Him and fall in LOVE.



Kari Jobe - The More I Seek You

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

THERE'S STILL TIME...

There is still time to enter the book & tea giveaway...look to your left...see the book Gavin Goodfellow?...click on it...enter to win!

or click here

SILHOUETTE CHRISTIANITY

A silhouette, according to Wikipedia, is a view of some object or scene consisting of the outline and a featureless interior. Featureless is defined as 1) lacking distinguishing characteristics or features and 2) having no distinct or distinctive features.

In these silhouettes of my children you can see their features, but you do not know what color their eyes are, what color their hair is or even if they are well-behaved. We made these silhouettes today and it made me think of my Christianity. Am I a silhouette Christian? Do I have distinguishing characteristics and features of Christ? Or do I lack distinct or distinctive features? Do I have a featureless interior? Or is my interior more like Christ: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control?

A silhouette is a form of artwork and I am His workmanship, but I MUST go deeper and not be satisfied with just the outline. The main feature of my interior should be Christ. The world has had enough "silhouette Christianity" they want more, they want Jesus!

Directions to make the silhouettes found here.

JOY COMES IN THE MORNING

Yesterday was a hard day - a hard day, but a good one. It was good because I got to spend some quiet time with the Lord, listen to some worship music and prepare for my week. It was hard because my spirit was heavy as I laid down to sleep last night. I saw something on television yesterday that sparked a whole spiritual evaluation in my head. I saw a woman talking about being held at gunpoint and she talked about praying and crying out to God. The Lord revealed to me that I do not do that...run to Him in desperate or difficult situations...when I really need help.

Growing up I learned early on that I did not have people in my life I could rely on in times of trouble. The adults in my life let me down. I went to them for help repeatedly and repeatedly they let me down. That began a lifelong sense of self-sufficiency and self-dependence. It probably served me well many times in my life, but it no longer serves me as a daughter of the Most High God who longs to be His little girl that TRUSTS Him for everything. I want to run to Him for EVERYTHING. I am not there yet because we still have this trust issue, but now I have a great understanding of what is at the root of it.

Lately I feel so distant from Him and I know He has not gone anywhere, so what is the problem? The problem is I run when things are rough or when I am really struggling with stuff because I have to take care of it myself (or so I have trained myself). I become bogged down with trying to sort things out, find a solution and make everything better. That is not what He intended. I need to run to Him now and pour my heart out to Him and TRUST that He hears me and will help me.
All night this song played over in over in my head or in my sleep – I do not know how to describe it. When I woke up it was still playing, as if the angels themselves were singing to me. Has that ever happened to you? I love it when that happens. I feel ministered to when I wake up. So, remember “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

I had to link this video and post the lyrics, it is that AWESOME:



HOLY
Holy Holy God Almighty
Who was and is to come
God of glory You're so worthy
All the saints bow down

Holy is Your name in all the earth
Righteous are Your ways so merciful
Everything You've done is just and true
Holy Holy God are You
Holy Holy God are You

All blessing all honor belongs to You
All power all wisdom is Yours

P.S. It sounded just like this all night in my bed or in my head...!

BOOK TOUR AND GIVEAWAY

I am hosting a book tour with Candy Abbott, author of Gavin Goodfellow - The Lure of the Burnt Swamp on my other blog. There is a teaser below, but you will have to head over there to enter to win. Candy is giving away three autographed copies of her book and I am adding some Apricot tea to the prize package.

The book will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat - I couldn't put it down. It was encouraging to me spiritually as well, a great reminder of God's faithfulness to equip us for what He has called us to do.

What do twelve-year-old dyslexic Gavin Goodfellow, prophetically-inclined Uncle Warney, newly relocated mother-daughter witches from London, and a pimply-faced New Age guru have in common? Burnt Swamp-where flames from a mysterious underground fire have been smoldering for ten years. The battle is on for dominion of the swamp and possession of an ancient diary that holds clues to release or destroy the evil that dwells beneath the surface. Will Gavin respond to the Holy Spirit and embrace his God-given calling? Or will Bea Daark and her mother unleash forces that lure Gavin and the sleepy town of Ashboro deep into bondage?

Click here to read more and enter for your chance to win...

THE ENVELOPE PLEASE ...

Becoming Me, Morning by Morning and Rise Rise have awarded me with the Brilliant Web Blog Primio 2008. Thank you all! I am blessed by your thoughtfulness and encouragement.

This is a "pass it on" award, so I had to choose seven blogs to pass it to. The blogs I chose are newer blogs to me, but have recently blessed and/or encouraged me.

1. Everyday Miracles - I think my blood pressure drops every time I get to your blog - it exudes peace. To my new found friend who also sees God in everything, ie. potty training.
2. Floating in Winter Creek - Because you own a rice cooker and a nice one at that. Thank you for taking the time to answer all my crazy questions and for making me laugh.
3. Life and Love in the Rose Cottage - Thank you for not being afraid to "be real". Although we have not met in person, I trust we will soon and have tea of course. Your transparency and sharing of resources bless me tremendously.
4. Meditations and Confession of a Homemaker - Because you too see writing/blogging as an act of worship and understand being "found" by the Lover of your soul.
5. Mumblings of a Mommy "Monk" - From one "mommiemonk" to another you gave me new insight - thank you.
6. Secrets of Orual - I like you and what you write about. Oh, and you like the Thompson Twins too - extra points for that!
7. Tell Your Story Mosaic - Because you want to share publicly stories of how God saved people by His grace and were obedient to His call to do so.

The rules for this award: Put the logo on your blog. Put a link to who awarded it to you on your blog also. You need to nominate 7 other bloggers for the award and put links to them also on your blog. Finally, leave a comment for those you've nominated - so they know they've received a special award.

THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAY

Two weeks ago I was so overwhelmed with everything going on I contemplated minimizing my Christianity to a more manageable pace. Gasp!

The battle that ensued in in my Spirit was agonizing. I have experienced, so much of God in the past several years that it is almost overwhelming at times, but the valleys have been as overwhelming. With the hot summer at its peak and nothing to do with three little ones under six, running a business, planning for another homeschool year, seeking the Lord about our church home and struggling in my marriage (again) - I was just wore out. Tired, lonely, sad and a host of other emotions I just wanted to check out of this “full steam ahead for you God” thing. It did not feel right, it did not sound right and I knew it was not right, but I felt out of options.

We walked into church last Sunday to Come Thou Fount and the lines they were singing were:

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love

Is that me? Why yes it is! The next lines are what gave me hope:

Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above

So, I submitted to Him again! I had to put down my self-pity carry-on and all the other luggage I was carrying around and trust. It comes back to that again. Trust Him with it. Give it to Him, every five seconds if I have to.

The neatest thing about all this is in my bible study (Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World) this week I read (pp 102-103):

I’ve found I need solitude, a daily quiet time alone with God, if I am to have any hope of keeping my center. Left to my own devices, I am fickle and ever-changing. One day I’m hot: “O Lord, I love you! Be gloried in me.” The next day I’m lukewarm: “Sorry, God, have to run.” I have found the words of the hymnist so true:

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love

The only way I've found to fight this wandering tendency in my life is to keep my heart centered on Christ, to keep my gaze fixed on Him. But that takes time and an act of my will. I have to be willing to make room in my life if I want to experience the Better Part.

It turns out I’m not alone!

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

Enjoy David Crowder singing Come Thou Fount


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