Lyrical Friday - Wonderful

sunrise worship with friends / South Beach, Florida

oh happy day!
Yesterday I cried. Out of frustration, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of failure. In that vulnerable hour I had to make a phone call that devastated me. A good friend answered the phone and at the end of our conversation she prayed for me. Its crazy how immediately after sorrow was removed, and replaced with peace and laughter. That's when I burst out singing, " Creator... Sustainer... Abba... our Father.." but I couldn't think of the words in between.

We live in the time of the googles, and I found the song. Sure in enough, its a song I have played on shuffle many times from my phone. Brenton Brown is a present day Psalmist with a great ability to mix words and music to the tune of our hearts. The lyrics of Wonderful lifted my spirit and connected with the prayer I had just received. God had seen the need of my heart and faithfully met me there. He is Wonderful!

My prayer for you is that your strength would be renewed through the Psalm that inspired the lyrics, and the lyrics itself. May you long for the Lord and His courts, His presence, and His voice. With loving-kindness the Lord is drawing you to Him, respond with shouts of praise.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, 
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.  As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring; 

The rain also covers it with pools. 

They go from strength to strength; 

Each one appears before God in Zion.  

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed. 

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. 

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 

Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; 

The Lord will give grace and glory; 

No good thing will He withhold 

From those who walk uprightly.  

O Lord of hosts, 

Blessed is the man who trusts in You! 

Psalm 84:5-12

Wonderful, Brenton Brown


Creator, sustainer
Our hearts were made for You
Our Abba, our Father
The home we're running to 

Drawn by Your kindness
Held by Your grace
Your generous mercy inspires songs of praise

Wonderful, wonderful
You're the one thing that we need
How we long for Your house
For the healing that it brings

Protector, provider
The God who calls us friend
Our shepherd, our shelter
We turn to You again

Drawn by Your kindness
Held by Your grace
Your generous mercy inspires songs of praise

Wonderful, wonderful
You're the one thing that we need
How we long for Your house
For the healing that it brings

Beautiful, beautiful
More than any other thing 
We were born for Your courts
For the presence of the king

You're all we need Lord
Jesus, our hearts were made for You
You're all we need Lord
Jesus, no other God will do
You're all we need Lord
Jesus, our hearts were made for You
You're all we need Lord
Jesus, Jesus

Birthday Surprise. It's Nicole. part 2

Welcome back to Nicki's hope story.
Part 1 (click here) was a great read, yet I tell, part 2 will be even better! May the Lord speak mightily to you!
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[photo credit]

Here is a piece of God's hope story: 

She is eight years old. Her brown face contains a smile that can brighten the darkest of moments. Her big black eyes have potential to catch anyone’s attention, and keep it. She is timid at first glance but once she feels comfortable you have nothing more than a young girl full of joy and laughter and smiles dancing around your waist and holding onto your hand for dear life. She is smart, she is kind, and she is beautiful in every way. She has gone through much more difficult struggles in her short eight years than I have in my twenty-two. She is a daughter of the King. She does not know her earthly father, but she is learning to trust in her heavenly one. Her name is Alijati, she is from Kamonkoli, Uganda, and I am her sponsor.

The Lord has used this precious child to teach me lessons I never knew I needed to learn. Lessons on love that go beyond barriers that we put up around ourselves. Lessons on patience and trusting in our God in Heaven that promises to be our strength, our guide, and our help in times of trouble and need. But most importantly, a lesson on how important it is to be obedient to what the Lord is asking of you, in order to not miss out on the will He has for your life.

God had purposed for me and Jati to connect with each other, and because of this and the desire He placed in me to want to do something bigger than myself, her need and my ability intersected. I am able to provide food and education to a worthy child who would have not fully known these things otherwise. And it goes beyond that. In providing for her and being there for her, I am able to give her the opportunity to know Jesus and experience His love and hope in a tangible way; a way that she has never known because of the struggles she's dealt with.

I have my own dreams that start with love and the desire to glorify God, and end with wanting some precious brown faces in Uganda to know about their Father in Heaven who loves them and is intimately acquainted with them. Maybe your hope story isn't a needy child that you can provide for from across the world. Maybe it’s a stranger across the city or a sibling in the next room. My prayer is that our mighty God would strengthen and equip you to do what you may not even know He’s called you to do yet. Allow your ability and the need He places before you to intersect, so that He may be glorified. Open your eyes, open your heart, allow His love to flow through you and watch your hope story, which is really His, unfold right before you.

"We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our hope and our shield. 

In Him our hearts rejoice as we trust in His Holy name." Psalm 33:4 

photo of Nicki and Alijati, Uganda 2012

photo of Nicki and Alijati, Uganda 2012

Alijati is the beautiful girl wearing the white top. 

Birthday Surprise. It's Denise!

Hello there. Today's guest blogger is none other than my cousin Denise. She's no stranger to the Birthday Surprise tradition, and you can read her post "Trials and Adoration" here. Denise is one of the few people that I can trust and say is a woman of her word. May her story inspire and encourage you to choose contentment over bitterness.
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[photo credit]

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Bitterness and Contentment

It was 3:30 am again. I had to be up for work in a couple of hours and my head was throbbing, I was wide awake and I was losing all hope of falling asleep again. Laying there, staring into the darkness of my bedroom, thoughts began to swim through my head, and then, the tears came, burning my tired eyes. This was starting to become a daily thing. I couldn't stand it anymore. My life had been turned upside down and it felt like it had all happened overnight. Was this really happening? Was I still dreaming? Please God, let me fall back to sleep so I can wake up and this nightmare can be over.

Except it wasn't a nightmare, it was very real. I had lost my mother, and my father was marrying a much younger woman, even younger than I. Too many things were happening around me that I could not control. And every time I thought one trial had finished, another one immediately took its place. Everything was spinning out of control and I couldn't make it stop. The truth was, I couldn't stop it, not any of it. This was my new life and I was going to have to live with it, or stay miserable, stressed out, broken and wounded. The good news is that there was a way out and I knew it. I realized that the one who saved me, the one who had been there for me through everything, was still there. My God, who loved me dearly, was waiting with His arms wide open. He would be my comfort, my strength, my sanity.

Everything happened so fast, I should have been grieving but instead I was dealing with things beyond my control. There were times when my emotions took hold of me and I could barely breathe. I realized that if I let my emotions continue to control me, I wouldn't be able to breathe again.

More than any other emotions, what took over me the most was bitterness and anger. I think what shocked me was how quickly it all had happened. I didn't understand why or how it was happening, I just wanted someone to make it stop. However, deep down, I knew that all of this would be used for God’s glory. 

I felt like I couldn't trust anyone else on this earth. My real father was my God. He loved me more than anything. Isaiah 43:1-4, became my passage during this time.

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” ~Isaiah 43:1-4

I have a God who loves me and I couldn’t be more content in that thought. He loves me dearly. He can get me through anything. He was more real to me than He ever had been. He did not want me to be bitter and resentful. By holding onto my emotions and feeling bitter towards those around me, I was only hurting myself. No one else was losing sleep over this except me. But most of all it was hurting my testimony. How could I show the love of Christ and be an example to others if all they saw in me was sadness and anger. This is not the way God wants me to feel. It wasn’t easy but by staying in the word of God and keeping an open relationship with Him, everything became better. He spoke to me and comforted me tremendously. I was His daughter, His princess.  I was able to sleep at night and my bitterness slowly melted away. I was able to face things I never thought I would be able to face before and I was able to come home at night and actually enjoy being there. My situation did not change but my attitude toward it did.

We need to be content in all our circumstances. They are there to mold us and make us stronger. I heard a pastor use this analogy this week, he mentioned that when he was a child, his mother would bake and she would have all the ingredients laid out on the counter. He proceeded to try each one, the sugar, the oil, the flour, etc. He said he remembers trying each ingredient one by one. Individually, they tasted horrible, they were not appetizing at all. But when his mother put the ingredients together and baked them, they were delicious. When we look at each of our circumstances individually, they seem horrible, they are not good, but when you look at your life as a whole, these are the things that have made you who you are today, they have made something good.

In the end, I learned that I need to praise God no matter what, whether I am up or down. He loves me and knows what is best for me, even if I don’t understand it. He suffered for me, more than anything I will ever go through on this earth. If there is a situation that you are in that you feel you can’t control, surrender it to God, let Him handle it. If there is a person that you need to forgive, pray for them. You will be surprised at how much your attitude and heart changes toward a person when you are asking for God to work in them. Most of all, never stop worshiping Jesus. He loves you.

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” ~ Colossians 3:12-15

Lyrical Friday - This Is Our God

Happy Friday to You! 

This is our God by Chris Tomlin is one of those songs... You know what I mean, you hear the first few lines and your heart is overcome with a million emotions. I remember the first time I heard these lyrics, it was as if a vicious wave had picked me right off my feet and tossed me around. It became an anthem of all God had done in my life yet at the same time it hung as a banner for all that He has promised to complete. More than a song, it was a prayer for those who have yet to know the depths of His power and love. By the time the worship band had finished, I was found on the "shore line" almost breathless at the wonders of my God. It is my prayer, as it was that very night, that you would know the depths of His power and love. This is our God.

{photo credit}

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This is Our God, Chris Tomlin 


The refuge for the poor
A shelter from the storm
This is our God

He will wipe away your tears 
And return your wasted years
This is our God

So call upon His Name
He is mighty to save
This is our God

A father to the orphan 
A healer to the broken
This is our God

And He brings peace to our madness 
And comfort in our sadness
This is our God
This is our God

So call upon His name
He is mighty to save
This Is Our God

This is/You are the one we have waited for
This is/You are the one we have waited for
This is/You are the one we have waited for
Jesus, Lord and Savior
This is our God

A fountain for the thirsty
A lover for the lonely
This is our God

He brings glory to the humble 
And crowns for the faithful
This is our God

morning bliss

Hi Friends.
This morning I woke up rather early to drive my cousin to school. After dropping her off, I drove to a near by Starbucks with my Bible and Elisabeth Elliot... OK, she wasn't in the car with me but two of her books were.

As I read through my daily reading, I happened upon Isaiah 66:13: "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you..." We have the God of all comforts on our side. The Lord, God Almighty, will comfort you. I pray that you may find hope, peace and comfort in this wonderful verse.

Something about me that you need to know: I love people watching, it's not as bad as stalking- I watch, I don't follow, lol. Just a few feet away from me sat a father and daughter. They were lovely. They talked, laughed and even sat in silence. You didn't have to be Captain Obvious to notice that they both enjoyed each others presence. As they talked, they never took their eyes off each other. It was beautiful.

I was reminded that our Father God enjoys conversation with me... and it's not a one way, it's a two way.
God enjoys listening to me. God enjoys listening to you!
God enjoys speaking to me. God enjoys speaking to you!
God enjoys fellowship with me. God enjoys fellowship with you!


The creepy-peeping-tomasa in me couldn't hold back and I took a picture of them:

I tried real hard to catch them laughing. Oh well...