Lyrical Friday - Beautiful Ending

Happy Friday!

Today's Lyrical post is by Barlow Girl. I don't know how I haven't posted one of their songs. Beautiful Ending is today's song. These lyrics cause me to search my own heart. I hope to hear the Lord say to me, at the end of my life, "You were a Lily among thorns." That would be my beautiful ending.

You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:3

Beautiful Ending, Barlow Girl

Oh, tragedy

Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
Oh, my selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of Hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?

Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms

So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
'Cause Your love is beautiful
So beautiful

rich fulfillment

You have brought us out to rich fulfillment.

Psalm 66:12

Today was... rich!

Happy Birthday Josie. I praise God for my friend Josie. You all should have one of her. I highly recommend it. Just ask God for one, you'll know you have a Josie when you are blessed by someone's presence. That is a Josie, lol :)

I started my day off by speaking to the middle and high school students at the school my sister teaches at. It was awesome to share with them where God saved me from and the work that He has done in me, and continues to do. It amazes me that God would even dare to use me as a mouth piece for His Gospel. Truly a work of the Holy Spirit: Zechariah 4:6 not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord!

Later, last minute cancellations had me sitting at table with one of my good friends sitting across from me. Definitely, a God moment. We are normally super busy and find it hard to just hang out. Needless to say, it was a sweet "getaway" from life. It was a delightful gift from Jesus to spend time with her.

Soon after my sister called me to have coffee with her. She shared with me how the morning chapel service ministered to the kids. Praise be to God. He used a stubborn mule like me to reach His children... call me Baleem's donkey! High five to Jesus for the seeds planted. Oh, she treated me to coffee, a pleasent surprise.

To top it ( I love that God spoils me, hehe ), the midweek service at church was just what the doctor prescribed. God loves me so much. It was beautiful. God saw the need of my heart and met me there. And as if that wasn't enough, he sent me a tangiable gift through the most unexpected person. It sure felt like an unforseen kiss from Heaven.

This entire day can be summerized in two verses:

the one above: rich fulfillment, life abundant

and

two: Delight yourself in the Lord and He will grant you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Lyrical Friday - Beautiful Things

Amigos, it's Friday!!!

This is the day that the Lord has made, for you, for me- let us rejoice and be glad in it! Psalm 118:24 I love that we are reminded to rejoice and be glad, regardless of our current circmstance we can rejoice and be glad because of the greatness and power of God's love for us.

I was working on my HEAL Journey homework and preparing for tomorrow's small group. I stopped to pray, "Lord help me to see myself through your eyes..." As I whispered these words Michael Gungor's song Beautiful Things began to play from my phone. Oh Jesus! Thank you for your faithfulness. I want to share this song with you. May you be reminded today that Jesus doesn't go fishing for clean fish, he casts out his net and then cleans his fish. He can do beautiful and mighty things through your life, even if all you have to offer is a broken life.

God bless you beloved of the Lord!

Beautiful Things, Gungor


All this pain
I wonder if I’ll even find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

Flames from James

Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!

My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?

James 2:10-12

Hello + Goodbye

Hi.
I am very grateful for the blog world. I have come across bloggers who exude the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. One of these lovely bloggers is Aurora from Put on Love, Aurora. Below is a post from her blog that I absolutely love. Enjoy!

Hello a.k.a. God wink: Gods "coincidences".
Goodbye a.k.a God slap: God telling you to S.T.O.P.


Goodbye insecurities.
Hello inner beauty.
ie: While getting a pedicure, the color I wanted happened to be called "True Beauty", as I turned the bottle over, the nail polish was entitled: "Aurora". God wink.


Goodbye doing nothing.
Hello being faithful.
ie: I've always wanted to work with special needs students. "Coincidentally" enough my room mates mother is the secretary at a school in my area, I got the job. God wink.


Goodbye dependency on a man.
Hello trust in God.
ie: I ended things with my then-boyfriend-almost-fiance-we-were-going-different-directions man. A few weeks later, my father got diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. I was able to spend time with my dad throughout his ENTIRE journey of terminal illness (chemo, doctors visits, etc). I was S-I-N-G-L-E for the first time in cough, 6 years, cough. God wink.


Goodbye no community.
Hello church family.
ie: After my dad passed; members, goers, employees, servants and friends assisted PLANNED my fathers entire memorial service. Food was provided, a Pastor was present, a video was made, flyers were typed, ushers came forward, mattresses were borrowed, and unconditional LOVE was given. God wink.


Goodbye loneliness.
Hello true friendships.
ie: 2 months before my father passed away, my sister and I moved into a new house with 2 of our closest friends. As if our names being Aurora, Nora, Marissa and Alyssa wasn't "coincidental" enough, Marissa's father had past away a few months prior from cancer, was on hospice and her father passed away the same way mine did. She understood, she helped, she brought supplies, beds, etc. She made the entire process less lonely. God wink.


Goodbye mixed up priorities.
Hello time with Jesus.
ie: After work one day, I went to do my routine Facebook-Twitter-3 email accounts (why do I even have that many)-Photography-Depressing NY Times social media check. My internet happened to be "down" and when it did come back on Facebook wouldn't "work" (I later found out the server was down). I spent 2 hours face down, reading, learning and diving into God's word. God wink.


Goodbye feminism.
Hello feminity.
ie: One of my best friends Kati Smith was part of the planning committee for womens retreat this year, and reluctantly, I went. The speaker Bianca Juarez distinctly defined the difference between the two. My mom, 2 sisters and I all "happened' to be attending that weekend. (All part of the former F.A.) (Feminists anonymous.) God wink.


Goodbye perfection.
Hello humility.
ie: I had been yearning to be more transparent, open and raw about my life, feelings, etc. The lovely Hillary posted a blog about saying goodbye and to stop holding onto our past. She inspired me to write ALL of this. God wink.

*If you want to read more from Aurora click HERE.

I am helped

Hi Friends. I really didn't know what to post today. Seeking God's Word I was reminded of what I read this morning in Psalm 28. Verses 6-9 encouraged me and filled me with joy. May you be blessed by the hope found in His Word. May this be a word for you as well.

Blessed be the LORD,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.
The LORD is their strength,
And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.
Save Your people,
And bless Your inheritance;
Shepherd them also,
And bear them up forever.

Lyrical Friday - Rend

So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm. Joel 2:13

Happy Friday!
Today's song is Rend by Jimmy Needham. I just love how wise and true his lyrics are. I pray that you may only be moved closer to His presence. God bless You and may the joy of the Lord be of great comfort to you.

the Rock that is higher than us

Hi Friends.
Fall is here and with it a time of reflection. This year thus far has been, to say the least, overwhelming. God, however, has demonstrated unconditional commitment to me. He has displayed such devotion through His Word, His people, and countless God moments.

Yesterday I found myself a bit overwhelmed with life, failures and fears. During this time God revealed to me an area of my life that He was not pleased with and desiring to make whole. It was a sweet time of restoration as the Lord picked me up and led me in the way of everlasting. Even today He continued to speak life, hope and future to me through the prayer of a faithful friend.

After this time of reflection I "happened" upon a verse. I have been meditating, considering and mulling over these words. My prayer is that you too may be comforted by this verse and increadible chapter: When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. -Psalm 62:2. What great comfort, to know that Jesus is higher than me. In my crying out, I am being ushered to the One that can and will always workout ALL things for my good. He is commited to me.

Be encouraged today, with this truth: when we call out to the Lord for help, we will be lead to the rock that is higher than us, to Jesus our great Leader. And in Him we find a safe refuge, hope, forgiveness, mercy and grace that abounds. Lead us Lord, into your presence. And thank you for being a rock, our fortress and firm foundation. Be this and more to my readers.