Lyrical Friday - Holy Spirit

Happy Friday!
So excited to be sharing with you a song that has overtaken my Thursday nights. The girl youth leaders and I have been doing a bible study on the Holy Spirit by Pastor Jim Cymbala. (I highly recommend it, get it HERE). On our first day meeting together one of the leaders asked if we had heard Holy Spirit by Jesus Culture. Only she had known of it, and with that we were each encouraged to listen to it. Every Thursday since, these lyrics have been sung and prayed out. We are crying out for the Holy Spirit. May you long for the Spirit of God and seek Him! God bless you.

I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:25-26

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

Holy Spirit, Jesus Culture


There’s nothing worth more,
That will ever come close 
Nothing can compare, 
You’re our living hope
Your Presence Lord

I’ve tasted and seen, 
Of the sweetest of Loves
Where my heart becomes free, 
And my shame is undone
In Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your Glory God is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware of Your Presence
Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness

example and praise

I spent some time in Psalm 71 this morning. Verse seven caught my attention above all others:

"My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection."

It caused me to measure up my life. Am I a representation of this verse to the world? Can others claim me as an example because God has been my strength and protection? It's an even bolder statement to claim for oneself. I think of the many times that lack of faith has not carried me through a trial but paralyzed me. Or when worry got the best of me, as in a rocking chair swaying back and forth but going nowhere. I am shamed by the thoughts of, "what if..." when I clearly knew what to say or what to do but did not do.

Oh wretched woman that I am.

I love the following verse:
"That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long."

I know the real me, the one that worries, the one whose faith wavers and even lacks it at times. I know me, the one who stares at the promises of God and dares to pray, "Lord will you really protect me?" Because I know me so well, that is why I can never stop praising Him. Praise, despite me, declares God's glorious strength and protection in my life. Praise reminds me that He is who He says He is. Praise speaks His promises and quiets my fears. Praise can, and praise will, mold me to be an example. So praise on dear friend and you too can be an example to many!

[photo credit]

Lyrical Friday - Murdered Son

Happy Friday! In our fast paced society, simlpicity is a lost art. Today's post is simple truth and simple worship. God bless YOU!
Murdered Son, John Mark Mcmillan

Listen while you read!
You set us up above all the stars
You set us on a high place by where You are
While we were dead You made us Your friends

And scattered our debt upon the wind
Glory to one, God's murdered son
Who paid for my resurrection

Once from the dust, once from the grave
Daughters and sons, from the ashes You've raised
And hidden our faults even from Your own face
And scattered our debt upon the waves

Glory to the one who, who overcame in death
Glory to the one who paid for my offenses
Glory to the one

Once from the dust, once from the grave
Daughters and sons, from the ashes You've raised
And hidden our faults even from Your own face
And scattered our debt upon the waves
And scattered our debt upon the waves

Lyrical Friday - Overcome

Happy Friday to You! 

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome. the world. John 16:31-33

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This portion of scripture has been one of great comfort in my life, many times. It is often quoted to those who are in the midst of tribulation and sort of blurted out without giving much thought to it. These words, spoken by Jesus, are so heavy in worth. Jesus has overcome this world: tribulation, hunger, thirst, sleep deprivation, loneliness, poverty, humiliation, betrayal, slander, demonic manifestations, temptation, and the greatest of these, sin and death. Do you hear the treasures of this verse being rattled? All that we are going through, and all that we have yet to walk in to, Christ has overcome. And because He has overcome we can take refuge in His comfort, delight in His hope, glory in His praises and rest in His promises. 

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I pray that you may be anchored in this truth today, tomorrow and forever. You are in Christ, a new creation, you no longer have to fear as the world does, but you can be of good cheer in the midst of tribulation. Because Christ was not alone when he walked this earth as a man, neither are you. The Father is with you. He loves you and He cares for you. What matters to you, matters to God; no matter how big or however small the matter may be. He is for you, not against you. Trust Him with your life and as you do, you too will overcome this world. 

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Overcome, Jeremy Camp 

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Seated above, enthroned in the Father's loveDestined to die, poured out for all mankindGod's only son perfect and spotless oneHe never sinned, but suffered as if He did2All authority, every victory is YoursAll authority, every victory is Yours2CHORUS:Savior, worthy of honor and glory,Worthy of all our praise, You overcameJesus, awesome in power forever,Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame2Power in hand speaking the Father's planYou're sending us out, light in this broken land2We will overcome by the blood of the Lamband the word of our testimony, everyone overcome

Lyrical Friday - Skeleton Bones

{photo credit}

Happy Friday! 

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Skeleton Bones by John Mark McMillan has stirred within me a greater joy for the then and there of eternity. The day when the sound of the lips of the found speak at once, praise together in worship and adoration of the Son of glory. I recently experienced worshiping with 4500+ people, I can't even begin to imagine the wondrous scene that Heaven will be. Till then, may these bones of ours love the Lord with all our might.
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And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say,
“Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” Psalm 35:9-10
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For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Ephesians 5:30 
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Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples. Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Psalm 96:1-9 
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Skeleton Bones, John Mark McMillan

Peel back our ribs again
and stand inside of our chest.
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you

Peel back the veil of time
And let us see You with our naked eyes
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you

Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity
On the lips of the found
And gravestones roll
To the rhythm of the sound of you
Skeleton bones stand at the sound of eternity
On the lips of the found
So separate those doors
And let the son of resurrection in.

Oh let us adore the
Son of Glory drenched in love
Open up your gates before him
Crown Him, stand Him up

We want your blood to flow inside our body
We want your wind inside our lungs
We just wanna' love you
We just wanna' love you

birthday surprise! It's Josie

Happy Wednesday! 

Today we approach our final birthday surprise with one of the most special women I know and am blessed to call my friend. One of my earliest memories of our friendship was her impeccable taste in clothes and my acknowledging it. Though she continues dressing lovely, it is her passionate love for Jesus and His joy alive in her that attracts people to her. She radiates His glory everywhere she goes, making Josie one of the most beautiful women I know. May you be blessed by her post today! 

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The Great Restorer

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I’m excited to be writing this and a bit nervous. You see, writing takes me out of my comfort zone and into an area where I am stretched and have to completely depend on God. I’ve prayed about what I would write about. I originally had my heart set on worship, as the Lord had placed in my heart, but then it took a turn last night.

My husband loves to watch the History Channel, among other channels that I would rather not watch (Discovery, National Geographic, etc) … boring! Anyway, these channels are not my first choice. I would rather watch HGTV, but at times I have learned to enjoy those shows with him and have learned a few things along the way. We were watching a show called ‘American Restoration’. This show consist of people bring old items (dirty items that were not being used and couldn’t work any longer) to a man, an expert, that could restore them to their original beauty. As I was watching this I was thinking, “Why would anybody keep that, its old and ugly and so worn out. What’s the use?” The Lord in that moment said to my heart, “That’s what I do.”

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He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

This verse is true in my own life and in yours. God is the only One who can turn around a life that seems to be in the worst of situations; a life so run down by problems, unmet expectations, mistakes, and failures. Anyone looking at such a life might ask, “What’s the use of it?” But God is the Great Restorer; He can give you a crown of beauty for ashes. God can make something out of nothing. He can and He does provide in ways that only He is capable of. He can give you an abundant life. He does the impossible. He is your Creator.

The end results in the show is great, to see this expert turn something so dreadful into something so beautiful, it made everyone smile including myself. This “thing” could be used again for its original purpose and with loveliness.

You and I are precious in the eyes of Jesus, who paid it all for you and I ‐for love. He loves you and me so much that He will do what only He is best at and is able to do: turn our circumstance around, cleanse our heart from the guilt of the past, and start fresh. That is with one condition, that we submit our lives to Him, the “expert restorer”. Those things that were brought into the shop for restoration didn’t tell the expert what to do, that would have been laughable. So it is silly to tell God how He needs to change our lives. We are the ones making it worse. Each item brought into the shop required its own work. At times it took the renovator a little longer to restore one thing more than another. So it is with us. The “restoration” work of our lives is a personal one. Each of us is a unique, one of a kind, masterpiece that requires a specific chisel, drill, nail, buffer, cut, furnace, time, paint and gloss to be restored to our original God-given purpose. The end result will be a beautiful and glorious thing to see, and everyone will know that the Great Restorer has done a marvelous work in our life. It will bring a smile to those around us and most importantly to Jesus.

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If you feel like there is no hope or beauty in your life, I encourage you to come to Jesus. He is the only One who can restore your life to beauty and purpose that if told you, you would not believe it. He already knows the work He can do in you and through you.

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Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us...  Ephesians 3:20

Submission to God begins by trusting that God can do the impossible in our lives. Trust Him for He loves you and is waiting for you to allow His hands to restore you. I can say this confidently because He has turned my ashes into beauty. All the glory goes to Him my Lord and King!

PS: I guess it’s still about worship.

We worship God because He is worthy to praised.

When you feel down and out, worship, worship, and worship! Thank God and sing to Him and you will have a beauty that is to be reckoned with :)