Power in Worship!

Psalm 100:2 Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His presence with singing!

When was the last time you worshipped in song?  When was the last time you poured out your heart, soul, and mind to our Lord with all of your being?

I was blessed this past weekend to go to a woman’s retreat with a bunch of amazing ladies.  Since a retreat for us usually comes around only once a year we made sure we got our fix of whatever it was our hearts were longing for; the beach, sleeping in, exercising, quiet time, etc.  However, the one thing we were all consistent about doing together was the worship.  

Now this wasn’t just singing at church kind of worship (or maybe it was for some of you), this was hands lifted, eyes watering, sisters hugging, hearts melting, bonds breaking, prayers lifted, hurts healing, Spirit moving kind of worship.  It was incredible!

So my friends, I have to ask, when was the last time you worshipped our King like that?  If you have never done this or haven’t in awhile I would encourage you to try it.  You can do this alone or with a spouse or with your kids.  Turn on some worship songs and let go.  There is power in worship.  

My Lord God Almighty I thank you for all the ladies reading this blog and for their little ones.  I pray you give each of us a desire to worship You alone Lord.  May we set some time apart and let everything else go and worship You.  

Psalm 146:1-2 Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

http://youtu.be/aEhSk7bfbK8

http://youtu.be/dtj-G1gKnD8

http://youtu.be/FBJJJkiRukY

http://youtu.be/EtyVdC7E6Wo

New Year...New ME!

Tonight, on Apple TV, I watched as Anthony Evans lead worship live. Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale counted down with him leading into the New Year. I was refreshed singing familiar worship songs, but his message resonated most with my heart. 

In between sets, he gave his testimony -sharing how he, being the son of well-known pastor - Tony Evans, would condemn himself and be gilt ridden over the sins he struggled with. His dad's congregation put pressures on him which lead him to write an awesome song about his freedom in Christ. Where there is no condemnation.

The song was beautiful. It was refreshing. It was holy. It is my anthem I plan to download and play loudly. Those times when satan wants to make me feel worthless for a foolish decision I have made. Or for those many "Mommy Moments" I wish I could erase. For freedom from those habits I haven't kicked and need release from.

Tonight I am reminded of Truth. That my Heavenly Father doesn't condemn me but loves me unconditionally through the ugly I am struggling with. Through whatever you have struggled with in 2013. It's a NEW YEAR! Full of HOPE! Repent and start over! His mercies are new. Let your burden of last year be lifted! Let Go!

Be reminded that HE has thrown your sin far into the depths of the ocean & thinks of them no more.

It's a NEW YEAR! HE has compassion, runs toward me, and celebrates as I repent and start anew!

 Luke 15:18-24 
  ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Pray that HE would reveal truth in your life today & throughout 2014 too!

It's a new year. Ask for forgiveness and let go of the past. Run into His arms with excitement as it's a new year & a new you!  

Follow Me

"Follow Me." Jesus spoke these words as he stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called the brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew to be his disciples (Mark 1:17). He spoke them to Matthew, sitting at the his tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). Our Lord repeated his invitation often, changing the lives of many forever (Matthew 8:22; Luke 18:22).

“Follow Me.” Jesus speaks those same words to all his disciples still today, including each of us. We all lead busy lives, lives filled with family responsibilities, career obligations, and the tasks the come with being good friends, neighbors, and citizens. We also volunteer—often a lot—at church. In it all, Jesus’ words change our lives.

“Follow me,” Jesus says to us. We need to hear his invitation when our to-do list is a mile long and it seems nothing is getting accomplished. We need to hear that invitation when we experience anxiety at home, uncertainty at work, or conflict at church. We need to remember it when there are interruptions without end and when we feel all alone. We need to hear it especially when we’re bone tired and ready to give up, give out, give in.

Follow also means to imitate. Jesus carved out time for prayer (Luke 6:12) and rest (Mark 6:31). We should we note our own needs for these same things.

Challenge: Worship the Lord and rest in Him today. Even if it's just 5 minutes. A worship song and  a prayer. 

Daddy’s Little Princess

The other day, I asked my husband Ryan to bring Jordan in for dinner and he took this picture.  Jordan is our 18 month-old daughter who is truly “Daddy’s little princess.”  When Ryan took this picture of her, it was more than just Ryan’s little princess holding her purse in one hand and the Bible in the other, to me it was about Whose princess she really is.  Jordan is God’s little princess.  She loves to say, “Hallelujah” and raise her hand (praising God).  It’s precious!!  

So moms, keep singing and praising the Lord in front of your kids. They ARE watching and listening and they are made in the image of God too who need to hear the good news of the gospel and need to see it practiced in everyday life.

¹⁸ “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ¹⁹ You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ²⁰ And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, ²¹ that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. “  Deuteronomy 11:18-21  (for some reason, God wanted part of this Scripture to be black instead of my blue...)

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Lord, in these days where we rush from thing to thing doing this and that, may we be the generation to teach this new generation about who You are and how they can practically worship You, seek and find You in their everyday.   Hallelujah!  Amen.

“Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Home Base

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2

This past week at church as we were going through the book of Joshua, the pastor emphasized that in a time of transition (or at any time) we all need a home base in order to experience spiritual victory in the midst of hardship. He shared that his home-base was the church because it was a support network for him, and he is continuously blessed by both the staff and members of the church.

As my husband and I reflected on this portion of the sermon, we agreed that each person needs a church where they are connected to a fellowship of believers. However, more than that we concluded that our ultimate home-base is our quiet time with the Lord, and then after that our home should be a home-base for us and our children.

As we reflected on that principle, we decided to have a family worship time last night. We broke out the computer and found two of our favorite contemporary Christian songs on youtube.com and then we worshipped the Lord as a family. After that we prayed, read a devotional from Mikey’s devotional book, sang another song, and prayed again. I want to establish our home as a place where our kids feel safe, where they can feel connected to the Lord, where they can experience fellowship, and learn about and worship our heavenly Father in complete security.

We realize that security for our kids must come from an understanding of who God is and who they are in Him. This notion of security came up because just a couple of days ago when someone broke into our SUV and stole my wallet, purse, and camcorder. Worse than that, they tried to get in our front door as well—all while we were sleeping! The crazy thing is that I thought I heard something, so I had walked around the house to check all the doors and windows. When I went to back to bed, again I thought I heard something so I prayed, “Dear God, you are our greatest security. You are our best line of defense. If someone tries to get into our house, may you stop them in their tracks as they encounter ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies and that He is watching over us.” The next morning, we all woke up safely…but our front door was completely unlocked. The burglar had managed to work the lock with some type of sharp device, but he did not open the door. Our conclusion: the Lord of Heaven’s Armies showed up.

So, as we worshipped as a family we thanked God that our security is in Him alone. Even though we are now taking several extra precautions to protect ourselves and our home, may we always remember that our security is in Him alone and that He alone is worthy of our absolute worship. He is home-base!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for watching over us at all times. Thank you for being our home-base, our protector, our Savior. May we worship you individually and as a family. May we delight in your goodness and stay connected to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Challenge: How can you better create a home-base for you and your family? What time during the week can you carve out for a family worship time?