"Be Thou My Vision"

Maybe it's just the Irish roots coming out in me, but I have always loved this hymn. So it seems appropriate for me, on days when it feels like my life is changing, to be reminded of this amazing hymn and to bear it in mind constantly. I have some big decisions to make coming up for this year. I don't know what I'm doing. It's a very blind step of faith, but those are normally the most rewarding. So I will not fear. This hymn is for me, right now, at some crossroads. Maybe this hymn is for you, too. Maybe there is so much confusion right now within you that it's threatening to eat you alive. Or maybe it's fear. Hurt. Frustration. Loneliness. No matter what it is, if you desperately desire to keep God your vision, you can let it go into the hands of the One who has already planned for this occasion in your life long before you were born and, since He already had it planned, He already has the solution laid out. It's not up to you to discover the solution. It's up to you to accept it when it comes. And it will be more beautiful than you can ever imagine. When God is your vision, there's nothing else you will ever see that will compare.

"Heart of my own heart, WHATEVER BEFALLS...Still be my Vision, Oh Ruler of all."

"Happy are those who don't listen to the wicked, who don't go where sinners go, who don't do what evil people do. They love the LORD's teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night. They are strong, like a tree planted by a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don't die. Everything they do will succeed." ~Psalm 1:1-3

A Diatribe with God

Tammy: God?

God: Yes, Tammy?

Tammy: I'm sorry.

God: Sorry? For what?

Tammy: I've failed you again.

God: Oh?

Tammy: Yes. I can't help it! I try so hard to stay away from it, but it keeps pulling me back! I don't want to be pulled back in, but it won't let me go!!

God: I see.

Tammy: You've got to be so tired of me.

God: What do you mean?

Tammy: I've asked forgiveness for this so many times! You've got to be tired of me telling You I'm sorry over and over again.

God: I don't know what you're talking about.

Tammy: How can you not?! I'm tired of myself! I keep doing the same thing over and over again. I can't forget it. Every time I fail, it's like just adding one more failure in a long list of failings that is me!

God: Tammy, what does My Word say in 1 John 1:9?

Tammy: Um, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

God: That's right. Did you ask forgiveness all those other times you say you've failed?

Tammy: Yes.

God: Then what does My Word say in Isaiah 43:25?

Tammy: "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

God: Exactly.

Tammy: Exactly what?

God: I have no idea what you're talking about when you speak of your past failures.

Tammy: Oh.

God: Now, you were asking forgiveness for something?

Tammy: Yes. Please forgive me for my failure today. I am so sorry.

God: Done.

Tammy: I'm forgiven?

God: Forgiven? For what?

Tammy: (after a pause) Thank you.

*Yes, I know this may not be theologically sound, but it comforts my heart when I fail time and time again. I pray it will do so for all who read it*

Two Works In Progress

Two songs with which I'm kinda fiddling. Any thoughts?

Untitled

I had my hope, I had my dreams
But life isn't always what it seems
Sometimes I wonder what it's all about

The things I get, not always what I want
Things don't always go the way I thought
But I know there has to be a reason

Chorus
No acorn falls to the earth in vain
From it the mighty oak grows
And oh, the waters of the world are replinished
As hard the darkest storm blows
From pain comes life, a baby's first cry

-------------------------------------------------

No Better Place

Bowing low against the howling wind
The storms of life, they blow
Heavy the load I bear
No peace to be found here

Desperately I searched in vain
For a shelter from the storm
Crying to be free
That's where You found me

Chorus
No better place
There is no better place
Then in the arms of my loving Savior
All my worries, all my fears
In His presence they disppear
And from them He returns
My strength, peace, and joy
With all my days, in all my ways
Always will I say
There is no better place

The sun it slices through the clouds
The storm now a distant memory
Walking tall I move on
My burden now gone

The path ahead it beckons to my feet
To run and dance upon its turf
At the end I see You
All I know to be true

Chorus

Bridge

The storms I know they will return
Bearing upon me to weigh me down
But I know what I need
And they shall not succeed

And I call You
And I run to You
Into Your arms for I know

Chorus

With all my days, in all my ways
Always I will say
There is no better place

I've been reading through Hosea lately. I had read a few chapters, then was going to stop. But I kept reading. It's funny how Scriptures can just jump out at you sometime. This one hurt my heart.

"'Though Ephraim built many alters for sin offerings, they have become alters for sinning." Hosea 8:11 NIV

Painfully, my mind jumped from this verse to the modern day church. What started out so great, so honest, so worshipful of God, is now these buildings that we go to to make ourselves feel better, to make us feel like we're doing such a good job in the Lord just by putting a few bucks in a plate and smiling at a few people. Maybe even shaking the hand of someone new, if we really want to step out of the box a little! As our churches were, at the beginning, the modern (in relation to the Old Testament) alters for the sin offerings of confession and forgiveness, they have become a place of sinning. Maybe not blatant sin, although that certainly is present in some. No, I think the worse sin of Christianity today is complacency. Being happy with the way our lives are now and wanting nothing more to challenge our comfort! Go ahead and show me a picture of a starving child in Africa! I'll throw a dollar in the bucket for a collection for this child, but I really need the ten dollars to go to Cracker Barrel after church today, because I don't feel like cooking! Wow, look at that revival in China! I wish something like that will happen here! Oh, Lord, send us revival!! Oh, but I'm too tired to go to this ministry tonight. Maybe next time. Next time. Next time.

Next time. The axiom of a complacent church.

Oh, Lord, forgive us for the death, destruction, and ignorance in the world for the sake of our comfort!


Father, Blessed Father - Newsboys

Will You take what we have
A sacrifice unto You
Then create clean hearts
And, Lord, make our spirits new

Father, blessed Father
Lead and guide us for Your name’s sake
And keep us in the shelter of Your presence
‘Til we see Your face

Let us hear what You say
Let us know Your voice and all of Your ways
Take our hands, lead us home
To the refuge that we find in You alone

All adoration
To our Lord Redeemer
To our Shepherd
Who carries us forevermore

Breathe on me
Breathe, oh, Breath of God
(Breathe, oh, Breath of Life)
Breathe on me
‘Til my heart is new
Oh Lord, oh Lord
‘Til my heart is new