A Little Country, A Little Rock and Roll

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll when it comes to the music that touches my heart.  Of course, number one for me is worship and praise music.  So when I can combine worship and praise with country or rock and roll, I am all in.

Lately I have been more than a little challenged by fear as I manage the strange moving strobe lights that appear in my vision when I am in any kind of bright light.   So, when in need of shifting my focus I put worship music on our Bose speaker (from the kids).

This song has been at the top of my list.  I can't seem to hear enough of it.  I told Joel I was   wondering how I could incorporate this song into my funeral when the times comes.  It is for freedom that Christ set us free!

Anyone else feel in need of a good reminder of God's faithfulness?  A reminder of the freedom we have in Jesus Christ, a reminder that victory is already ours.  Eternal life is ours as Christians. 

Each of us have our own kind of worship music that lifts our spirits and touches our souls.  It may be a hymn, a praise song from the 70's or a worship song from today's vast choice of Christian songs.  It all works.  Even when it is a little bit country or a little bit rock and roll.  T!he message is the same.  Jesus is with us, He is faithful, He died for us, He set us free!   Hallelujah !!

Squirrels, Snakes, And The Thief

When Joel and I were first married he took me squirrel hunting.  Joel grew up with a gun in his hand, and hunting was a major part of his and his family's life (until he joined the military).  I had already experienced deer and duck hunting with him, but squirrels?  One fall day we went to the woods behind his Aunt and Uncle's farm, looking for squirrels.  We came to an area where the sun was shining brightly, and as we walked through, it was like the whole meadow was moving.  It was filled with garter snakes sunning themselves.  When we moved through the grass, they moved, When we stopped they would stop moving and lift their heads.  Joel had never seen anything like it before and I, well I was terrified!  It was the creepiest thing ever.  Ugh.  We did go home with squirrel and skinned and cooked it.  It tasted like skinny dry chicken.  It was my first and our last experience in squirrel hunting.  We never hunted, cooked, or ate squirrel again.  Seriously, a good decision on our part!

Today I was thinking about that warm fall day so many years ago and all those snakes.  They were pretty invisible until they raised their heads.  Of course it shifted my mind right to the big ol' snake that is so sneaky and slimy in our lives.  Satan.  He is invisible to the naked eye, but when he raises his head?  Yeah.....he lets us know he is there.  He is really relentless in pursuing God's children and in conquering the earth.

The thing is, he has already lost the war against God and His children.  We already have the victory.
The thief and his buddies work hard to "kill, steal, and destroy" but even in death the victory is ours in Christ Jesus!

I have learned that when the enemy comes against us, it is a good thing to take a position of standing firm.  "I see you (Satan) and I refuse to partner with you.  I send you to the foot of the cross in Jesus name".  He comes against us in sickness, disease, our thoughts, our feelings, and more.  Keeping our focus on Jesus and His goodness and putting on that full armor of God the Ephesians talks about helps us remember the battles are already over.  And we win!

I love looking back and seeing how God works all things out for good in our lives.  If I had been able to look ahead those first months of marriage and see all that would occur in the 50 years ahead I probably would have said, "Jesus take me Home now!".  Yet God has walked through it all with us.  And that ol' snake may look scary at times, but we are empowered by Holy Spirit to walk in victory.

He Is Risen!

Yesterday was Good Friday.  A day set aside to remember the suffering and death of Jesus.  A time when Christians gather together for quiet reflection.  Jesus died for you, for me. We worshiped with friends last night, as we gathered to step into the experience that encompasses the grief and suffering that took place at Golgotha.  Remembering that by His stripes were were saved and healed.

Recently I was watching a morning TV show and it was mentioned that Good Friday is the most important day of the Christian faith.  Whoa......for me that made little sense.  For me Easter is the most important day for Christians.  Three words says it all.  He.  Is.  Risen.  He is risen!

Tomorrow Christians gather across the globe to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Lent began on Valentine's Day and Easter is on April Fool's Day.  I like the idea that when Jesus died Satan thought he had defeated the Son of God.........but Jesus rose again!  Surprise!  It was like an "April Fool's" on Satan!  Jesus had the last word, the victory is His!  And ours.

We have loved ones who are walking through their own Valley of the shadow......Words of death have been spoken.  Another is struggling with the side effects of chemo as it kills cancer cells while causing havoc in the body.   I, myself, am awaiting healing, being challenged by a serious eye problem that is not yet responding to medication.  A sweet friend struggles with fatigue and heart palpitations that are relentless.  I am sure you could think of others, or add your own name to those who are walking through the Valley of the Shadow.  The opportune word here is that we walk thrugh it.  We also know that some day Golgotha will come to each of us, but it is not the end.

Jesus rose again, and because He rose again we, too, have victory! We, too, will walk through the valley into eternal life with our King Jesus!  HE.  IS.  RISEN!!  Tomorrow as we celebrate the Resurrection let us remember Victory is ours!  He is risen!