Finding the Will of God

“I never remember, in all my Christian course, a period now (in March, 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY and PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes." GEORGE MÜLLER.

Müller, George, Answers to Prayer From George Müller's Narratives  

Shine Your Light

Shine your light and let the whole world see you're singing for the glory of the risen King/ Shine your light and let the whole world see you're singing for the glory of the risen King/ Savior, He can move the mountains/ my God is mighty to save, mighty to save/ forever author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave/ Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, mighty to save!

Over and over this song from Hillsong has played on my computer this morning. I have been thinking of my life and how I want my light and my song to be heard by the world and know that it is for the glory of a King who heals, who saves. My God has saved me from the pit of death, from the dry, barren desert places, from a broken, shattered heart. My God has turned my mourning into dancing, my tears of sadness into tears of joy, My God is mighty to save! Today my song is one of thanksgiving and awe as I look back over the months, the year and see the Glory of God in my life. And I want everyone to know the mighty power of my God, of the light in my heart. He can move mountains in your heart, He can conquer the grave of disappointed hopes and dreams, He can can create wholeness and beauty from ashes and brokenness. This is me, praising my God, my Savior, and my Healer. Let the whole world see, my God has conquered the grave, and is mighty to save. This is my song, my light.

The last month especially I have learned and seen and experienced how mighty God is, how He provides, saves, and gives strength and hope. Stories too numerous to write are in my heart of how He is there, always. His glory is shining and I can only say how good and kind and mighty He is. I simply cannot imagine what a dreary, hopeless life it must be without God. What is like to live without faith, without hope, without light? It is difficult for me to fathom. My relationship with God is so important, such a part of who I am. I want everyone to experience what it is like to sleep peacefully, to walk confidently, to know that there is light, and hope. So I shine my light and I sing and I share of the glory of God and the wonder of His love and salvation. May the whole world see it and hear it and sing it, too.

Fresh Off The Camera

Isn't this just gorgeous? I am amazed my camera could capture the moon so well.

Ahhh, Summertime!

Now doesn't this look cool and nice for a hot summer day? Mmmm....I think yes! Summer is my favorite time of year! I love the heat, the sun, the fresh vegetables, and things like this frosty goodness.

Not Faint

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint. 

I can wholeheartedly agree with this verse. Strength renewed, hope burning brightly, I am running and walking and soaring without weariness, and without growing faint or tired.

Hope burning brightly, hope in the Lord.

Body Language

The body language of Christ.

Have you ever thought of that? We talk about what Christ said, we talk about what would Jesus do, and we talk about how Christians ought to behave. But I have never thought about the body language of Christ, of how he welcomes others into His presence, and how He helps them feel His interest, His love, His delight in who they are. He looks beyond their outward appearance, whether they look beautiful, clean, groomed, with polished manners. He looks into their personality, he looks into their heart and mind, and finds the soul. The soul looks different than the body, and many times I have been surprised by that. In my travels, I have met many people who in body, look rough, dirty, and unkempt. But their soul was so beautiful, their person inside was loving, gracious, and showing many of the characteristics of Christ.

Body language is how we communicate without words. We draw near if we are interested or loving, and we step back and tighten our muscles if we do not trust. We smile and look into the eyes if we like a person, or make limited eye contact and keep our mouth tight if we do not. There are a million ways we speak with our bodies.

It is a humbling thought, when I consider my habits and ways of speaking with my body. Frequently it an unconscious extension of my ideas and feelings about the other person. But sometimes, it is intentionally used to let them see how I really think or feel about them, and it is not always in Christ-like ways.

The body of Christ, what kind of language does it communicate? Does it seem to welcome intimacy? Does it seem to draw others into a conversation? What sort of body language did Christ use for us? The body of Christ is the church, and how does my church, or my temple within the church, communicate with others? So often, as a pastor's daughter, I have witnessed and heard of body language being used not to draw others near, but to shove them aside. Their body language was not one of love or acceptance.
And at the same time, I have witnessed many of these bodies, these temples within the church draw others in beautifully gracious ways.

It's something to ponder, this idea of Christ's body language. His person, His way of living with others and inviting them into His life and presence. And it's something to ponder, how my language should reflect this, and how the body language of the church should reflect this.

May I learn the body language of Christ, and may I use it to draw others closer to Him.  

A Psalm Of Praise

Psalm 104:24-35

²⁴ O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
²⁵ Here is the sea, great and wide,
     which teems with creatures innumerable,
    living things both small and great.
²⁶ There go the ships,
    and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.^[b]

²⁷ These all look to you,
    to give them their food in due season.
²⁸ When you give it to them, they gather it up;
    when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
²⁹ When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
    when you take away their breath, they die
    and return to their dust.
³⁰ When you send forth your Spirit,^[c] they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

³¹ May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works,
³² who looks on the earth and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains and they smoke!
³³ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.
³⁵ Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
    and let the wicked be no more!
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!