God loves all our praises!

Good Morning Friends!  Wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!!  I Keep thinking about a special little Christmas blessing….. music….Christmas carols in the stores, on the phone, the car radio, but my most favorite is singing Christmas carols in church.  I love to sing and Christmas carols are just so singable….makes it easy….”to make music to Him…”  Psalm 33:2.  We are told in God’s word so many times to “make music to HIM”  so the joy of singing Christmas carols just fills my heart with HIS love…the trouble is, just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get them all in…So, I like to do my part….Sunday was our children’s program at church and a perfect opportunity for me to include lots of Christmas songs in the program….I was so excited to know that we would sing one after another….and of course I wanted everyone else to be just as excited as me to sing.  The kids….well, I am always on them to sing more, open their mouths and let out those praises….the kids…..they think I am nuts….well Sunday night, as usual, the kids just weren’t singing like I thought they should….but as we were singing the refrain to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,”  I looked over thinking, “well surely they are singing the refrain”  what I saw…Well, one young teen boy was….no, not singing, rather he was tapping his fingers on his pant leg….in perfect rhythm to the song…His lips were closed, but his heart was singing….."making music to the Lord.”  Oh, I thought, Kathie, Kathie….your ways are not the only ways….This child…a teenager at that….taught me a much needed lesson.  God hears the praise of our hearts….oh yes, if you like to sing, sing…..if your blessed to play an instrument, play…..if you can tap a perfect beat on your leg….God hears, God loves….all our praises.  Joy to the world…..our Savior is born….let earth receive their KING and make music.  Father, thank you for the gift of YOUR Son, our SAVIOR, fill our hearts and lips with praise.  And Father, thank you for the special blessings we receive from children.  LET EVERY HEART PREPARE ROOM!

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed  lyre.  Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy (or tap).  Psalm 33:1-3.  Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  Psalm 95:2.  My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.  Awake, harp and lyre!  I will awaken the dawn.  I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.  For great is your love, higher than the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.  Psalm108:1-4. 

Silent Night Holy Night…..no crib for a bed…..the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay….HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING…GLORY TO OUR NEWBORN KING….Go Tell it on the mountain….JESUS CHRIST IS BORN!  Love you all.

Is Your Worship Off Track?

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!  Our church organist was out of town yesterday, so in her absence, Pastor ( he’s quite a good organist as well) recorded the whole service, liturgy and hymns on our awesome organ.  I don’t understand it all, but he records everything in order and then someone (Deb you’re the best) pushes the buttons at just the right time and we have our music!  It had been awhile since we had been without our awesome organist, so we were a bit rusty at the routine.  We are so programed by our organist to have just the right music at just the right time…so we go through the service virtually thought free….Yesterday, however things were not quite so on track…..during the liturgy we would all be doing as usual…singing with no thought when all of a sudden there would be no music….I have never heard so many deep breaths getting ready to belt out the words….big breath and nothing….the organ had not caught up with us…time and time again we would flub up….just not thinking….so used to things just going as they are supposed to.  At one point I looked up at Deb at the organ and we had to smile that “oops” smile at each other.  At that point I thought….my gosh, think Kathie…..you are in church, your worship should not be routine….use the pauses to reflect on God’s love, to thank Him for the blessings of the day, for the joy of being in His house, for His grace and forgiveness.  Use the pauses to bless Him….I enjoyed the rest of the service so much, looking forward for a chance to pause, to rest in His love and say, Thank you Father…..As I left church I asked our Father to help me to consciously pause throughout my days….to take a break, find rest and peace in Him, to thank and praise Him every chance I get!  Father, help us to never take You and the blessings you provide for us for granted….Thank you for the rest you provide when we come to You.  All glory and honor to You!

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1.  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him.  Psalm 62:5.  The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14.  Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  Psalm 116:7.  Taste (pause) and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.  Ecclesiastes 3:13.  Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7.

Love you all!

June 6, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  My commute to work this morning was a little easier than the last couple of days, just a light sprinkle compared to the heavy rain the past couple of days….Thank  you Father.  As I got close to town a song popped into my head…..just out of the blue….an old one….I don’t remember all of it, but the main line is, “Getting to know you….getting to know all about you…..”  Remember it?  I have no clue why it came to me, but it has a cheery tune so I started humming it, thinking about the words….”getting to know you.”  My thoughts turned to a conversation I had with one of my granddaughters not long ago.  They had recently moved next-door to a family they had considered friends for a long time….they were excited about the move, just imagining how great it would be to be right next door to them….Well laid plans, right!?  Let’s just say that things have not been exactly as they expected….She was telling me about something that had happened one day and it was really quite crazy….and I said to her, “We never really know someone until we live with them.”  She said, “Well that’s the truth, Nana…that’s for sure!”  Thinking about her disappointment while humming “Getting to know you,”  led me to another thought….well actually…..I felt the tap.  “Good morning Father, like this song do you?”  “Yes, my child, there is a very good message in that song for you.

“Really?”  “Think about what you said to your granddaughter…..”  Wow…..How can we really get to know our Heavenly Father if we don’t “live” with HIM?  Start each day with HIM…..prayer and meditation….we have to get into HIS word to “know all about Him”  His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path….He is our strength when we encounter, “snakes,” He rejoices in our victories and cries in our defeats……He blesses us with family and friends and everything we “need” for our daily lives…..Because He loves us…..not because of anything we did…in His mercy He gave us His only Son….forgiveness.  Yep, start the day with HIM, keep Him with you all day long (trust me He won’t get bored) and let Him lull you into peaceful sleep…..Get to know Him…..because…..”To know, know, know HIM is to Love, Love, Love HIM”  and loving Him is the most important thing we can ever do!  Thank you Father for the music of Your LOVE….Help us to really get to know You and LIVE for and WITH You every day!

 

The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all true; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  James 3:17.  If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (To know Him is to love Him….Getting to know Him).  For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.  Proverbs 2:1-6.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.  To Him belongs eternal praise.  Psalm 111:10.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12.  Getting to  know HIM……to LOVE HIM….

May 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  Yesterday I asked my sweet young co-worker to come cover phones so I could get a cup of coffee.  I opened  a drawer to get out a sweetener and there was a crumpled up Kleenex….”Oh my gosh, I wondered what had happened to this, for heaven’s sake!” As I closed the drawer my sweet, young friend said, sternly, “Slow down, Kathie, you need to slow down.”  I had to agree with her…no getting around it….I need to slow down, inside and out.  For the rest of the day I worked hard on my “slow down” skills.  This morning as I sat in my chair for my morning time with our Heavenly Father, my mind was filled with Des’ words, “slow down.”  Father I said, slow me down as I read Your word this morning….help me get it.  My time in God’s word led me to Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  The verse was underlined, so I know I had read it before, but something about the words hit me…..I read it again….slower…..”The Lord your God is with you”…..with me….little old, crazy me….”He is mighty to save….”  Oh my, do I ever need saving!  And how in the world could He ever want to “delight in me.”  The mere thought made me smile….Aha!  Key word….”quiet”  He will quiet me…..kind of like….slow me down…….gosh, what a magnificent, comforting verse…But it was the last line that really hit me as I read it, slowly, again and yet again…..”He (now we are referring to our Heavenly Father here),  “He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Had to chuckle to myself as I tried to imagine Him….in all of His Holy Magnificence….singing over me!!!!!  For just one minute I had to wonder where Zephaniah was coming from…..But just for a minute…because suddenly my mind was filled with song….Cooper belting out “Jesus Loves Me” with a smile so big, had to be our Heavenly Father singing through Him…..the sun just beginning to peek through the clouds has the birds singing in perfect harmony…..last night, as soon as Kim got in, I stopped all chores and went in and sat down with him….sat still for a long time as we chatted non-stop about our days, the kids, grandkids….didn’t even have the TV on.  Before I knew it, it was 7:30 and I hadn’t started dinner….what the heck…threw in a frozen pizza, dined in our recliners and didn’t even use a plate. He will quiet” me….Do I hear singing?....a friend brings me veggies from her garden….fresh coffee delivered to my desk by another friend…..Hmmm….The sounds of music?  Sighing, my thoughts turn to yet another friend and the situation she told me about yesterday.  She has been really stressed, worried about her dad and test results.  She and her sister had gone to a nearby town to buy groceries, both of them consumed with thoughts of their dad; as they were loading their cars an older gentleman that worked at the store approached her.  He apologized for not being there to help them and then asked if she was Christian to which she replied yes!  He then said, “I have a treat for you!’  Immediately he broke into song, strong and clear he sang an old hymn, every word loud and clear…..I had goose bumps as I listened to her...at that moment she knew….the Lord was with her…..delighting in her as His child, quieting her with His love….singing to her.  Father slow us down so that we never ever miss hearing….feeling You singing for us through each and every blessing that comes our way….Help us to see the blessing even in the things we do not understand.

 

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!  Psalm 32:11.  Le all who take refuge in You be glad; Let them ever sing for joy.  Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.  Psalm 5:11.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in Song.  Psalm 28:7.

God Bless America, our troops past, present, and future.

Love you all!

 

April 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  Today is a Cooper day;  he arrived bright-eyed and bushy-tailed a little after 6:30!  Papa and Cooper immediately began discussing their “wok” day and I returned to the bathroom to finish getting ready for work.  A couple of minutes later, Cooper came in the bathroom, so excited he could hardly contain himself!  “Cooper” I asked  “whatch doin?”  He stammered a little, wiggling back and forth, big, cheesy-grin on his face and said, “I gonna sing a song for you Nana.”  I expressed my delight and away he went…..singing like a precious angel…Jesus Loves Me!  He was so excited, hands on his hips, but he couldn’t keep still, couldn’t contain himself as he sang every word of Jesus Loves Me!!!  His faced shined with God’s love….he glowed from the inside out as he sang.  He was so excited that his little feet were dancing as he stood in front of me….singing…..Jesus Loves Me….from beginning to end!  Smiling and dancing with delight because of Jesus’ love….and sharing that love, proudly, confidently, joyfully…from the inside out!!!!  Oh my sweet Cooper, now I know why Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell  you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17.  Cooper’s childlike love…faith….his sheer delight….jubilance….eyes focused on me never wavering this way or that…Oh Father, thank you for Cooper’s example of how to love you……to shine for you.  Fill us with childlike faith so that we too share Your love with others jubilantly! 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “Let God be exalted!”  Psalm 70:4.  Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.  Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again:  Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4.

Love you all!