Pieces of the Day

For almost a year now I haven't been able to find a certain cd of mine and I had decided I must have lent it out and have forgotten to whom. Late last night, while looking for something else all together, I found it! God has often used music to minister to me, I wish I knew how to post it here because music is powerful, but here are some of the key lyrics anyway.

"I'll go, but I cannot go alone,

cause I know I'm nothing on my own.

But the power of Christ in me makes my strong,

Cause when I'm weak You make me strong.

When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me.

Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability.

How refreshing to know You don't need me,

how amazing to find that You want me.

So I'll stand on Your truth

and I'll fight with Your strength,

until You bring the victory,

by the power of Christ in me.

To reach out with Your hands,

to learn through Your eyes,

to love with the love of a Savior,

to feel with Your heart,

and to think with Your mind..."

["In Me" by Casting Crowns]

I went to service and sang some excellent songs, here are lyrics to one:

Heal my heart and make it clean,

Open my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me.

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your Kingdoms cause

As I walk from earth into eternity...

Then guess what the sermon was on ... fear.

He asked "Why are you afraid?" , talked about the disciples being fearful in Matt.8 and the Isrealites being fearful in Exodus 14.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control."
2 Tim. 1:7 (amplified version)

Fear comes from forgetting who we are - from having the wrong vantage point of view...looking up into the dark cloud and speculating - rather then looking at it with God's perspective and seeing the white of the cloud. (Pastor Rod's illustration)

My dad often refers to a book about the Eagle Christian. One thing has always stuck with me from that book. When dark clouds start to billow on the horizon most critters go for cover; but the eagle will perch on a tall tree and watch it come. Just before it hits, he soars above the storm and looks down on it.

"What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance on You." Psalm 56:3

Exodus 14:14 says "The Lord will fight for you, and you need only to be still."

As Rodney spoke of being still, keeping our eyes on Jesus will keep us in perfect peace... my mind went to my friend who just brought up butterflies on her blog. We are to die to ourselves, and be still in the chrysalis. If we fight and try to rush the process we only hurt ourselves. We need to ABIDE in Him, trusting His perfect timing. Funny enough, on a walk the kids and I took this afternoon, the girls found a caterpillar.

Service ended with:

"...So take me as You find me, all my fears and failures,
And fill my life again.
I give my life to follow everything I believe in..."

"Seeking" God isn't hard if we just look around us ;)

Side note: For more on butterflies go to 'lettersofhope'at the bottom of the page and look up Sept.23/07 "Butterflies" and Oct.6/07 "Prisoners of hope" ;D

Side note 2: it's time for the new moon, I have thought a lot about the moon since it's last full cycle ... it reflects the light of the sun in a dark world - just as I am to reflect the light of the Son in the world.

so far TODAY:

I had a herbal cleanse tea, a glass of water and half a banana

I had salad and walnuts for lunch

REALLY wanting chocolate... finished banana from breakfast instead

went for walk with kids and dog

8pm ... I started to fight that familiar headache again today... good sign ... usually takes a few 'good' days and then it will go away ... I call it a 'carb craver' ... I know, there are good carbs that you should eat to help you lose weight, but should you eat if you aren't physically tired!?

While fixing supper I had a granola bar and some walnuts,

For supper I had a few mini chicken drumsticks and a salad

Took the kids skating (except I don't have skates)

Had a bowl of 'plain' popcorn - I put quotations around 'plain' because it was microwave popcorn, and it always tastes like SOMEthing.