Showing posts with label Enter His Rest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Enter His Rest. Show all posts

Thursday, March 1, 2018

A Steady Diet

When we were staying at the home of Bethel members in Redding CA, the hosts would have beautiful worship music on their TV flooding the house.  Our room was right up front, a sunroom made into a lovely bedroom, so we could hear the music by Julie True ~ so soft and soothing. 

Worship music that soothes and relaxes.  Joel listens to  "elevator music" whenever he is in the office working.  I decided since he is much more relaxed than me, I need to take his advice and find my own ways to bring peace into my days.

I love Bethel music but a steady diet of it is not relaxing.  I love Julie True, but a steady diet of it keeps me from getting things done.  I guess it is a lot like other things in our lives.  For instance, pancakes!  I love almond flour pancakes with almond butter, fresh strawberries and blueberries and topped with coconut whipping cream.  A steady diet of it would take my apple shape to a whole new level.  I like reading and watching murder mysteries, but a steady diet of them would have me jumping at every noise I hear.

There are a few things we do need a steady diet of.......you know where I am going here. We need a steady diet of God's Word, prayer, worship, and interaction.  We need a steady diet of Papa God in our lives, nourishing us.  Yes. 

A daily diet of picking up the love story that God wrote and fills our heart.  Do you remember writing or receiving love letters to or from someone special?  They warmed our hearts and put a smile on our face.  Well, God's Word is filled with love letters to His kids.  They touch our hearts, change our lives.

A daily diet of giving our Creator thanks and praise.  Praise is a way to communicate with our Father.  It is a weapon of warfare.  It shifts the atmosphere around us and in us.

A daily diet of prayer.  Talking to our God about all our needs, desires, dreams, hopes, and listening.  Quietly listening and looking for Him to show up.  He is always communicating with us, we just need to tune in.  Ask, seek, and you will find. 



A daily diet of worship.  Lifting our voices, our hearts, our eyes to our God.  It takes the focus off our our circumstances and on to the One who Heals, Saves, Loves. 

A daily intentional stepping into a relationship with Him.  He is always with us.  He lives IN us for Heaven's sake.  Well, really for our sake.  Share with Him just like you do your spouse or loved ones.  Let Him love on you...........

This is the kind of steady diet we need to be nourished ~ body, soul and spirit. 

Monday, October 16, 2017

He's In The Waiting



Another giant surfaced and was slain for me today.  At my yearly exam last week the doctor suggested I be checked by a dermatologist for an autoimmune skin disorder.  I got in right away on a cancellation and went the next morning.  To my surprise she took two biopsies as I lay in that awkward position that only women understand.  One to see what kind of skin disorder I was dealing with and the other to see if one spot was skin cancer. The doctor's demeanor, concern and actions were hard to ignore.  The word cancer sounded so loud and ugly.

I just kept thinking, "not again....not again."  Throughout the week I made an effort to keep my eyes on Jesus, with worship songs and promises.  I listened to the recording of the prophetic words spoken to us at Bethel, over and over.  I reminded myself of God's faithfulness throughout the days.  There were moments when fear still wanted to rise up and take my breath away as it brought to mind worst case scenarios. 

So hearing from the doctor today, 4 days early,  that it was NOT cancer....that it was benign......brought both physical and emotional relief.  A giant of what if's was taken down. 

I have never doubted God's faithfulness.  I have countless memories of Him walking with me, with us through trials. We have faced plenty of giants in our 49 years together.  I just could not muster up the courage to face one more. And the waiting was so hard. 

A song from Bethel music kept coming to mind..........."He's in the waiting......He's in the waiting."



In the waiting, I gave thanks for all the good reports last week....mammogram clear, eyes good ~ pressure down lower and visual test improved.  Blood work good, melanoma check good!  Yeah, lots of doctor appointments.  In the waiting I remembered the victories in Him.  It helped keep the giant from looking so powerful.

Joyce Meyer spoke in her devotional today about how David killed the giant, Goliath.  In 1 Samuel David talked about the Lord delivering him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear.  He knew he would deliver him from the hand of Goliath too.  He looked back at the faithfulness of God and remembered. 

Max Lucado wrote about David and Goliath in his book, "Facing Your Giants".  A study we are doing for our group also is talking about David.  He so often praised God for showing up in his life.  Lucado says:  "Focus on your giants and you stumble.  Focus on God~ your giants tumble."

While I lay in that awkward position that day I was truthfully numb with fear.  Too many biopsies and too many surgeries were on my mind.  What I needed to remember was the many victories through Jesus!  And, as strange as it sounds,  it came to me during this procedure, that it was time to write the book. 

Holy had been speaking to me over the past two years to write a book.  I asked Him what I would write about and why?  Why?  God spoke clearly to me about Joshua's story of building an altar after the Jordan river stopped flowing and they were able to walk into the promised land.  The altar was to be a reminder of God's faithfulness.  Holy told me that each story I write will be part of the altar built to God's faithfulness.  A legacy for our grandchildren and great grands to come.  I still put it off............until last Tuesday night when I made the choice to walk in obedience.

We all have giants we face, whether in body, soul, or spirit.  We never face them alone, but sometimes that giant seems so big, and never so much as when we are waiting.....for a breakthrough...for a test result....for financial help.....for healing.  It is during these times that we make the effort to remember His faithfulness.  Like the song says..........we are never alone ~ He's in the waiting!

Monday, February 6, 2017

Sometimes We Need To Just Hand God Our Warrior Princess Sword

This verse is so persistent in showing up.....Saturday night I was on Facebook and it popped up again.

"The Lord will fight for you, just stay calm."
Exodus `4:14

Sunday it came into my vision in yet another image shared.
                                                                         



Where are we going with this God?  Through prayer and meditation I have come to understand that putting aside the natural/physical of this staying calm and resting business, there is much more to grasp.  Where do we fight from?  A place of fear or a place of victory?  Who fights with us?  And who fights for us?

So Sunday morning I started doing a little google research to see what others had to say about this verse. Tony Evans, pastor and evangelist, had a good article on the topic.   He talked about the story in Exodus 14 where Moses was preparing the people to cross the Red Sea.  Pharaoh and his soldiers were coming behind them and Israel looked to be cornered.  BUT GOD....... When Moses trusted God to fight their battle, the Red Sea parted.  Think about this.  It divided.   Come with me and see it......Water on either side of Israelites high above their heads.....held back by some invisible force...by GOD.  How frightened they must have been to walk into what looked like certain death.  Did they then realize how powerful their God was?!  They must have turned to Him as the earth shook, the water rose, and everything in the natural had to give way for the supernatural!  They learned quickly that no battle is too big for God.  And to watch Pharaoh's men drown in that same sea, shouts of victory must have filled the sky.  Proverbs 21:31 tells us "Victory rests with the Lord!"



I recall a true story about a man named Mike Hesch who had a huge cancerous tumor on his chest. He believed God wanted him well, and he did everything he could to make that happen.  Continual prayers, laying on of hands, scriptures read and spoken, commanding, asking, rebuking.  After years of this he was no better and the tumor was growing.  He then came to the understanding that he had done all he could and needed to just rest assured in knowing that God would take over the battle.  The price had been paid on the cross and he, Mike, needed to just trust what he knew to be true.  Sometimes we need to fight hard against hell, and others times we need to trust God to fight for us.  As he lay on his sofa resting it came to him, "What do well people do?"  He got up and went and washed the windows that day. Thus began his journey to complete healing.  Could this be a good example of Exodus 14:14?

My tendency when I receive a verse like this over and over is to lean to the idea...."what is God preparing me for now?!"  Do I need to get armor ready like Xena, warrior princess?  Not the best thinking......my excuse is all we have been through.  It kinda keeps me living on alert.  But I don't believe this is God's intention here.  Let me repeat.  This is not God's intention.



The Christian life is often presented as a battle.  It is also an inbuilt part of many of our natures.  In truth, there are plenty of battles we fight as we experience all life has to offer.....and all the enemy brings against us.  We may be battle ready like Xena as we face each day, but maybe we need to consider that one of the best ways we fight our battles is when we rest in God and trust Him to fight for us.  When we stand firm from a place of peace instead a place of fear we are making it hard for the enemy, that ol' deceiver, to make headway against us.  Trusting God gives us the peace to declare, the joy of the Lord is our strength.  Victory is the Lord's!  Sometimes we just need to hand God our sword and rest awhile.

I'm not sure what lies behind God soaking me in this scripture, but I am embracing it.  The love that covers me every time it shows up.  The peace that comes to the surface when I declare it aloud.  The joy I feel knowing how much Papa loves me.  I receive it like a warm blanket, like a sword in my hand, like shoes of peace on my feet




Monday, January 12, 2015

"Hello, It's Me, Jesus!"

Late yesterday afternoon while walking at the mall, my cell phone rang.  It was our oldest daughter calling.  We cut our walk short and headed for a quieter place to talk...first the car and then our home.  It was delightful to visit and catch up on what is going on in their lives. When at all possible, if one of our kids calls, we put everything else to the side to visit with them.  What could be more important?!

This morning during our devotion time, I pondered how important it is to Joel and I to hear from our kids.  Emails are nice, texting is great, but when real time hugs are impossible, hearing the voices of those we love has a powerful effect on us. It nourishes our souls. 

The reflections continued as I studied God's Word.  Just like with those we love and care about, we need to take the time to connect with our Heavenly Father, Papa God.  Zephaniah tells us that our Creator, our Father, our Everything delights in us.  He rejoices over us with singing, just like we do with our own children (and grandchildren).  So when we "call" Him and He hears our voice does He smile?  When we have a conversation with Him does it fill His heart with love the way it does with us when we talk with our children?  Of course it does!  He loves us deeply.

And what about our feelings for Him?  What if we answered our phone and we heard, "Hello, it's Me, Jesus!"  God desires to have a relationship with us on an intimate level and there is no better way than through spending time with Him.  We talk.  He talks.  Yes, He does.   He may not call us on our cell phone, but God speaks to us in His Word, in our minds, in our hearts, through nature, His powerful presence manifested, and much more.  He waits to for us to come to Him, and certainly He comes to us.  Be open, be still.  Be still and know that He is God.



For the past three years most mornings I take time to sit back, close my eyes, and go into the "garden of my heart" with Jesus, Papa God, Holy Spirit, or all three!  I am a very visual person and it is such a blessing for me to have these God-guided times of imagining.  Today when I went into the Garden I sat in the grass down by a stream, and deliberately made my mind and body still as I waited for Papa God.  It is not easy for me to be silent or keep my mind in check,  as I usually have an agenda for these morning gatherings, but as I sat In the quiet I felt peace come with Jesus.  What happened next is not for me to share, but I could not help but feel how much we are loved, how much He wants to have a personal relationship with us and bless us fully in that relationship.  It is not much different than when we nourish our souls through a conversation with our children.   How blessed I am, we all are, to freely come to Him for a chat.  It nourishes our souls!

Next time your phone rings, check caller id.  You may hear, "Hello, it's Me, Jesus!"

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Looking Back: Only God!

Joel and Renee
NYC skyline

It was one year ago we packed our van with everything but the kitchen sink, and headed East for a great adventure in faithful living.  God orchestrated that two week trip from start to finish and just like when He sent the ravens ahead for Elijah, He prepared the way for us with each sunrise.  It was a trip I never thought I would make.  No one did.  Only God.

I have been going back over posts I wrote in October and November 2013 sharing how God walked with us before, during, and after this great journey took place.  Having been homebound for 10 years with very little time spent out in the world, this was beyond our imagination or hope....until Joel was healed overnight, and in response I began my journey forward from nearly 3 decades of chronic illness to wholeness and health.  Only God.

We traveled three thousand miles, stayed in hotels for 14 nights, attended a three day healing conference in CT, spent 10 hours in NYC taking the ferry, commuter train, subway, and walked over 5 miles on our marathon tour.  We also went to Niagara Falls, walked the Appalachian trail and Long Island Beach, visited with our oldest and her family at our SIL's sisters in CT, and took in the beauty of 9 states.  We connected in person with Internet friends in CT and NYC.  Only God.

At  the conference on healing we experienced the power of God's presence in amazing ways.  We felt right at home in the Lutheran-Holy Spirit moving-healing church, and we met so many others who were on the same journey as us.  Only God.

We look back on that time as anointed beyond all we could have "asked for or imagined".  It still makes us smile to reflect on each day ----what we saw, what we experienced, what we learned.  We are so very grateful.

So, where are we today one year later?  Joel is still completely healthy, working part time, biking, and more.  He lives this verse in Nehemiah 8:10  "The joy of the Lord is your (my) strength."  He is always surprised that he is 68 years old, and declares he is getting younger every year!  Retirement is not on his radar.....yet.
My journey has been more of a process.  Healing from Lyme and co-infections came immediately, other health issues have been crockpot style.  I am still healing and expecting "more".  Starting last January around the second anniversary of Joel's overnight healing, I began to experience the presence of God in ways that are still hard to describe.  Looking back on those 4 months of a heavy blanket of Holy Spirit "hugs", I realized that a great deal of inner healing took place.  Physical strength has also continued to increase, and so has my ability to be active in and out of the house.  MCS is a thing of the past.  We have traveled several times for weddings, vacations, and family visits.  With all honesty I share that some things have not yet moved forward with my health.  My  eyes grew worse, requiring laser surgery. A second eye drop I took for just 2 weeks, has affected my heart for now.  The eye migraine I experienced recently was no fun.  BUT as we look back on where I was and where I am, we rejoice.  Only God.

 Our great adventure last October was so delightful, it still makes us smile and laugh right out loud.  Looking back on last year's steps of faith are fueling my beliefs today as I keep my focus on Jesus and my faith in what I cannot yet see.   For myself AND for others!  God is amazing.  He is, as my friend Linny says, a mountain- moving, awe-inspiring, miracle-making GOD!  Our adventure last year says it all.  Only God.  Only God!

"My child, pay attention to what I say
listen carefully to my words
don't lose sight of them..
let them penetrate deep into your heart
For they bring life to those who find them
and healing to their whole body. 
Guard your heart above all else
for it determines the course of your life"
Proverbs 4: 20-23

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Don't Give Up!

In the past two weeks much has been happening to take our eyes off of the One who gives us life.  In our corner of the world,  the larger community, the country, and oh so much across the oceans.  We seem to be burdened with a season of winter, .of confusion and struggle...a season of hatred and violence...of suffering and grief....a season of sickness and pain....of broken relationships.   We may not be seeing the victory yet, but God says, "Just stay calm....I will fight for you."  We may not be feeling the warmth of the Light, but the Word of God says, "You are my Light and my salvation, so why should I be afraid?" We may not understand or get answers to our why questions, but we stand firm...."It is for freedom that Christ set us free, so I will stand firm then......"  Stand firm in THE Truth, and as I did with friends last week, ask others to hold up your arms like Hur and Aaron did for Moses when necessary.  Another blogger friend Sharon shared her own story HERE about the same need.  We hold up the arms of those we love and care about, our community, our country, our world ---through prayer!

Observing the seasons of struggle in others and within, I asked Holy Spirit yesterday to speak to me through the most recent teaching presented by Havilah Cunnington at Bethel Church.  He did not disappoint. 

As Havilah spoke, one word erupted like lava into the atmosphere.  Persevere.   P.e.r.s.e.v.e.r.e.  Don't givc up.  I heard these words nearly a year ago from evangelist Michael Koulianos as he relayed to me words of knowledge from God.  I read it today in Joel Osteen's daily devotional and I share it with you who need to hear it today or will need it tomorrow. Persevere.  Don't give up. Be steady.  Be consistent, not ruled by emotions or what goes on around you.    It  is part of your God given DNA to persevere, even when it is hard, or everything seems to be in chaos around us.

Hebrews 10:23 speaks to this message. 

"Let us hold tightly without wavering
 to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted
to keep His promises."

And there it lies, the reason we persevere.......God can be trusted.  He will keep His promises.  God sees everything and He is faithful!  He is our Protector, our Provider, our Healer, our Peace.  Keep your eyes on Jesus. This is where our strength comes from to persevere and proclaim Christ!   Don't give up!

"I will be in perfect peace
when my mind is focused on you,
because I trust in you."
Isaiah 26:3

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Be Present


"The soul of every family is nurtured
by presence and connection,
not by operational effectiveness."
 
Bonnie Gray

This quote by Bonnie resonated with me today.  It went along with a sermon I heard by Kris Vallotton at Bethel Church in CA.  He told us about a time not too long ago when on his way to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he heard from God just two words.  "Be present".  He was half asleep so he tried to ignore what he knew to be God's voice, crawling back into bed and covering his head with a blanket.  But he heard it again from somewhere beneath the covers....."Be present".  His 3am wake up call required that he and God have a little talk.  Later on he remembered what his grown kids said to him not long before ~~ "You were never home, dad."  Kris argued against that statement reminding them they ate meals together, he not only attended their games but coached some of their teams, and he never traveled like he does now.  But he knew in his heart that the truth was, even though he was home he was not always present.  It seems that God was now calling him to a new way of living. 

Be present.  Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  

Kris also shared about the time he met a mentor of his in the world of ministry.  He was in complete awe of meeting his hero.  He went on to say that what he noticed about this man was that he made him feel like he was the only person in the room and what he was saying had this man's complete attention.  He was present in the moment. 

Bonnie's prompt today was to share about the quiet spaces we find.  I could not help but reflect on Kris's words from his children and his Creator.  And as I read Bonnie's quote, I pondered my own journey to a place of rest and soul nourishment.

One of my favorite quiet spaces is my morning walk with Joel.  We often hold hands, talking as we amble or powerwalk.  I love that time with my cowboy preacher.  It is healing for my soul, being present in that moment.

I wonder how often God has spoken "be present" into my distracted ears.....but I was too busy to hear.  He beckons us to quiet spiritual whitespaces with Him.  With those we love.  With ourselves.  With the now.

Be present He whispers.  It is nourishment for the soul.

I am linking up with Bonnie over at Faith Barista for Spiritual Whitespace Thursday.

.  Faith Barista

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Come To Me You Weary One

Sitting in her worn recliner with it's weakened frame, she found herself identifying.  Aging, broken, weakened and in need of repair just like the chair.  Her broken body, broken spirit, and broken thoughts burdened her with a sense of heaviness.  Weary.  She felt weary.  A cloud began to descend, making her movements slow and difficult.

He then began to whisper to her, the one that comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Words of discouragement, words releasing fear, words and more words.  In a vulnerable state she took them in and sadly began to do his job for him, absorbing his whisperings as truth and speaking them as declaration.

His words now her words spread poison quickly, easily. Bringing others under the cloud.  Her words so powerful once with joy now a magnet of negativity releasing grief and anger in someone she loves.  Not only herself.

Accomplishing his goal, the enemy smiles and moves on, leaving behind division from flesh.  From sin manifest in words spreading pain and discouragement and unbelief.

SomeONE waits quietly.  The ONE, the I AM waits to hear from her.  Waits to hear words of repentance, and words of hope.  Waits patiently for belief and trust to return and the cloud to lift.  He knows healing is here. 

The ONE who heals, forgives, saves, redeems.  He gently holds the wounded and weary and from His Word, His words are sent to heal.......

"Come to Me,  all who are weary
and I will give you rest......"
Matthew 11:28
 
 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Finding Rest For Our Souls

"Remembering what God has done"
Joshua 4

This week I have spent a great deal of time attempting to stay calm as I traveled through doctor appointments, medical tests, an appointment with the eye specialist.  Two days of waiting for results had me tossed about like a boat without an anchor at times.  I kept thinking about the words of a favorite song..........."In the glory of your presence I find rest for my soul."  I wanted that peaceful rest that comes with trusting God no matter what we are experiencing.

It may seem odd to some of you readers that I become fearful when going to the doctor, but my medical history reads like a bad TV drama.  Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Erhlichia, Cancer, CFS, MCS, cataracts, glaucoma, Hashimoto's thyroid disease, PTS, arthritis, and the damage done by Lyme to organs and tissues  puts me in a category of, "Wow, it is amazing that you are still here and kicking?!"  Years of going to the doctor and getting bad news makes it hard for me to look forward to any visits to those who wear white coats.

This year I have seen too many of those white coats and the people who wear them.  I also had my annual physical Monday and it was a roller coaster ride of pokes, probes, good news, bad news, good news.  I was given the "you are at high risk of getting breast cancer" talk and a "hmmmmmm. there seems to be an extra beat here".  This came only a few weeks after hearing I have only 10% of my nerve fibers left and will lose my vision if those go.  I wanted to focus on the bad news and yet run from it.

The thing is, there was plenty of good news, outweighing and overriding the bad!  My mind still wanted to linger on the bad news.....the what ifs.   My reactions were over the top.  I know. 

Joel and I discussed it this morning.  My history haunts me.  My childhood history and my medical history.  It is the major difference between Joel and myself.  He remembers the good, my mind is drawn to the bad and then I worry about it.  Maybe it is a way of thinking I having some sort of control......the PTS way of keeping yourself on alert for what is coming.  The little girl who thinks she is on her own and focuses on the storm or perceived storm to try to control it instead of focusing on the One who calms the storm.  As a young child I did not believe He was there with me.  But I am no longer a child.

As an adult with faith in a loving God, this way of thinking does not align with God's Word.

In my attempt to rescue this post from being "all about me" I ask you readers who struggle with fear...........how do you focus on God and not the problem?

In Old Testament times we read that God often had people build stone memorials to remember God's faithfulness to His people, to remember what He has done for His children. This is what Linny bases her Memorial Box Monday stories on over at  A Place Called Simplicity.  Ann Voskamp shares in her book, "One Thousand Gifts"  that when she took on  the challenge to write 1,000 things she was grateful for, she discovered that writing down every tiny gift from God each day began to strengthen her trust in Him.   Giving thanks and praise also takes the air out of fear's suffocating fog over our lives.  Andrew Wommack strongly urges people to stand on God's promises.  Go to the Word, trust it, stand on it.  God never lies to us.  He cannot and will not go back on His promises.

Being grateful.  Giving thinks.

Remembering.

Standing.

Retraining our minds to focus on all the blessings and good news while turning over the bad news to our loving Papa God.   Remembering what he has done for us in the past.  Opening God's Word and standing on His promises.  Being grateful for each sunrise and the small and large gifts He brings into our lives.  Giving thanks and glory to our God.  He is a loving God.  He is faithful. Yes!! 

We live in a broken world.  We all have things in our lives that have the potential to break us.  We also serve a risen Lord.  We serve a God that heals.  We serve a God whose promises are yes and amen.  This is where we turn when we are challenged by history or life.  Being grateful.  Giving thanks.  Standing.  Remembering. 

Here is where we find rest for our souls.



Sunday, April 28, 2013

Oh Worship The King

 I have been meditating and studying the many ways we enter into God's rest and this morning as I listened to worship music before Francis Chan spoke at Saddleback Church, I realized that the past two weeks of heavy emotional turmoil were fed by the choices I made in response to the diagnosis from the eye specialist.  Not only was I grieving what was and feeling fearful of what could come, but I began to struggle with my beliefs about healing..  I had many choices in how to respond to the report I was given.....unfortunately for several days...........I retreated to my old ways............

I responded like a powerless victim instead of a power-filled victor.  Fear became my constant companion and I stuffed myself with food for comfort (even on a paleo diet you can overeat), while weeping for hours and then off and on as time passed.  I watched depressing and heavy TV shows and lots of news coverage on the Boston bombings. 

I fed my flesh instead of my soul, and depression set in.

It took me awhile to let go of my desire to focus on the problem and not on my God.  In many ways I was reacting to the doctor's words from another place deep inside.  From soul wounds and from a spiritual foundation I had built that seemed to be crumbling before my eyes...(no pun intended, but not a bad one at that).  The situation was not my choice....my response was.

God began to speak to me about the old ways of coping and He started to shift my thinking back to Him where it belonged.  He also spoke to me about being thankful............rejoicing............and worshiping. I really did not feel like rejoicing, but I began to listen to His call.

Oh worship the King!

I am still unable to head to church Sunday mornings like I did for most of my life.  So I worship from home tuning into to live services on the iPad and/or watching preachers on morning TV.  This morning as I opened our front door I looked around the neighborhood and saw people mowing their lawns, raking their grass, walking the nearby path, kids playing outside on the grass.  I felt sad for them and for me. We were missing out on something wonderful.  Worship! Of course we can worship in many different places, but there is something special about worshipping as a body of believers.

Worship is actually a gift from God, one of many He has provided for us because He loves us.  What I realized today is that worship is also a way of entering into God's rest.  We enter into His presence when we worship.  Remember the song I mentioned before?  In the glory of your presence I find rest for my soul.

Oh worship the King!

When life deals a blow, when fear raises its ugly head, or discouragement settles in, worship!  Worship the King!  Certainly I am not advocating denial here.  We grieve, but we grieve with hope.  We have fears, but we respond to them with faith.  We get discouraged, but we don't build a home there..........we worship and rejoice with thanksgiving just as God's Word tells us.  In this place we enter into His rest.  We find rest for our souls.


Giving Thanks today and linking up to A Holy Experience with Ann Voskamp.

Thank you God:
For the gift of worship
For music that shifts the atmosphere
For songs that bring us into His presence
For being able to sing a new song
For rest for our souls