Worship with Abandon

Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

I used to care a lot about appearances.  I've gotten over it in the past few years.  One of the areas that I was very self conscious about was expressing myself during worship.  I grew up with the dusty old Baptist hymnal, usually mumbling along with the sound of the organ. I am thankful for Fanny Crosby and her beautiful hymns, but at the time, my worship was passionless.  In college, I was introduced to the newfangled idea of clapping to praise songs and there was a (gasp!) drum set on stage.  In my young married life, we have tasted different levels of worship in the different communities that we have been a part of.  Each church seemed a little edgier than the last when it came to the worship portion of the service.  We now go to a church that is all about worship.  It's not about the band up front, it is not even always about the music.  It is about surrendering yourself to Jesus and giving Him honor and praise with abandon in all areas of your life.  I have never felt so free, so connected to my Lord.  I now know what it means to truly worship.  I don't feel ashamed to lift up my hands in praise or desperation.  I can't help but to abandon my inhibitions when it comes to Jesus.  I clap, I dance,I cry, I  pray, I lift up my voice.   I just want to be open to my Father.  I listen more carefully when I pray, read scripture and look upon His creation.  I am more thoughtful to how I can show Jesus to those around me.  It's all worship and it's all about letting go.  I have abandoned my old thoughts of worship and I have embraced this new, authentic relationship that I have found.  I'm alive and so is He!  Praise Him!

Psalms 150 Praise the LORD! 
Praise God in his sanctuary; 
praise him in his mighty heavens! 
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; 
praise him with lute and harp! 
Praise him with tambourine and dance; 
praise him with strings and pipe! 
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…

The Green Living Bible

I quietly creep out of my room and into the living room.  The sun is streaming in and the dust particles are dancing through the beams.  My grandma is sitting in her chair, reading her Bible.  Just where I knew she would be.  Her green living Bible is in her lap and coffee is at her side.  She's been up for awhile, first making a big breakfast for my grandpa.  She was such a good example of a helpmate.  Next, she got her coffee and headed to the chair by the big picture window.  She would pray and spend time reading.  It was like this every time I visited.  I could count on it.

When my grandma died on March 17, 2005, I knew that the Bible was what I wanted to have as a memento of her.  I opened the worn, cracked cover and saw a dedication on the front.  She and my grandpa had been given this Bible as a gift on Dec. 25, 1975--the week I was born.  I felt like I was meant to have it.  This Bible has been such a blessing to me.  My grandma did not only leave a spiritual legacy to me through her actions, but through her Bible.  I love reading the notes she has written in the margins.  There are also prayer requests from when she must not have had paper to write on.  She has taped favorite devotionals from the Upper Room.  The verses that meant something to her are underlined.  It is such a gift!

She passed her Christian heritage onto me, not by lecturing, but by living. If I hadn't grown up with her as an example, I'm not sure where I would be.  I want to be just like her.  Thank you, Lord, for placing her in my life and for allowing me to still learn from her through her Bible.

Open Your Blinds!

I keep my blinds closed most of the time.  I am one of "those" people.  It drives my mom nuts when she comes to visit me. She can't stand how I live in the the dark. I am a private person and don't want anyone to "see" inside, so I keep my blinds closed.  The sad thing is that I am missing the amazing beauty on the other side of those blinds.

I also keep the blinds to my heart closed.  Little by little, I have been twisting them open and I've started to see the beauty on the other side.

I can't pinpoint exactly why I've been so closed off.  I assume it started when I was a young girl.  I had a working mom and a very busy dad.  I spent a lot of time alone and didn't have a closeness with my parents or younger brother.  I was also overweight and was bullied at school and in my neighborhood.  I changed schools several times too.  I went to three elementary schools, 2 junior highs and  3 high schools!  It was very hard for me to find a group to join and belong to.  When I went to college, I had intentions to join campus Bible studies and service organizations.  Unfortunately, I sabotaged myself and sought out relationships that kept me closed off from everyone else.  I missed out on discipleship and godly girlfriends.  That is one of my biggest regrets in life.

As a young adult in my 20s, I volunteered as a Younglife leader, but I was so afraid of opening up to those teenage girls, that I failed to mentor them. As a military spouse, I have shied away from social situations because I represent my husband and I am so scared that I'll say or do something wrong.  I have been afraid of taking leadership positions within the military spouse community. I have walked away from potential friendships, women's fellowships and ministry opportunities because I was afraid of what others would think of me.  I let the enemy tell me that my blinds needed to remain closed.  I had nothing to offer and  I was going to embarrass myself.  Satan wants me to imprison my heart so I can't be used by God.  It's his only weapon--to lie to me and make me believe that I am not worth knowing.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7


I am now 37 years old with a whole lot of life ahead of me and experience behind me.  I don't want to waste another day hiding behind the blinds, peering out the slats to see what I am missing.  I am not going to live in the dark anymore.  I have things to offer and friendships to nurture. I learned this recently when I went to a conference by myself.  Other women reached out to me and I found new friends.  I could have easily sat by myself and gone to my room to eat by myself, but I said yes and it was wonderful!  I want to be able to reach out to others like that.   I am scared, but how can I remain that way when I know God has a beautiful life for me on the other side of the blinds?  Sure, it may sometimes be cloudy or stormy, but He will protect me.  I will trust Him to lead me out of hiding.  I will be obedient and let Him use me.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.  Matthew 5:16 NASB

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12

"for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light" Ephesians 5:8

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

The view out my window--Pike's Peak

Hello Mornings Goals

This is my first Hello Mornings Challenge.  I am NOT a morning person.  Am I usually up by 6? Yes, but not  by my choice and I'm certainly not awake or in a happy mood.  I am usually up because my dog needs to go out and be fed and then Buddy usually comes shuffling in looking for breakfast.  Buddy gets 30 minutes of PBS while I try to wake up.  I usually sit in a fog with my coffee while mindlessly watching the news.

My goals for this challenge:

1.  Spend time with the Lord before anyone else gets up.
2.  Be in a joyful mood.
3.  Try to get in at least 15 minutes on the treadmill.
4.  Don't get sucked into Fox and Friends for an hour!(unless I'm on the treadmill)
5.  Make sure all schoolwork for the day is organized and ready for the kids.

Patience

When I was in college, I had a little page a day quote calendar.  One of my favorites was, "With patience and a cow, grass becomes milk."  I have struggled with being impatient.  I want things to work out NOW.  God has taught me patience through the years.  He sure knew what I needed to work on!  I have had to be patient through chronic illness, infertility, waiting for my husband during his 3 tours to Iraq, waiting for our adopted son to come home to us from Guatemala, feeling friendless, countless moves, difficult family members...the list goes on.  It is a daily struggle for me, but I feel that I've been conditioned by my life experiences to slow down and wait.  Waiting on the Lord is always the right answer.  Ask him for peace.  Know  that He will provide--In His Time.  It is a hard lesson to learn, but He is ALWAYS right and right on time.  If you call on Him, He will answer.

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 15:4-5 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus.