I need my faithful blog peeps to say a prayer for me tonight please!
I will be leading worship for the CRI (crisis response international) team
that is helping out in Washington, IL.
Pray that God will be glorified and that people will be encouraged and strengthened
by the Lord's presence.
And pray that the Lord will heal my sore throat and scratchy voice. :)
Thanks!!!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
"O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together." Psalm 34:3
Sunday was a heartbreaking day for all of us. Lots of prayers went up to the Father on behalf of the tornado victims in the Kellenberger house. We continue to pray that there will be a Spiritual rebuilding as well as physical. That this tragedy will turn hearts to Jesus- the true Healer and Restorer.
There has been some good discussions in our home about how we shouldn't put our trust or joy in our things. They can be taken away from us in an instant.
And about how God is still good even though bad things happen. Oh how good He is.
His goodness has been so apparent to Dave and I over these last few months. We cannot stop praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness.
We tuck our kids in bed and sit down together on our couch and just recount all the ways He has been good to us. We thank Him, we worship Him together, and even this in itself is another reason to thank Him. He changes hearts. He transforms lives.
I sit on my chair right next to the torn up carpeting by the aisle in church and I see His goodness.
I see it in the single mother a few rows back who just gave her life to Him and is soaking Him in as fast as she can. She listened to me speak on Wednesday night on being a servant at home, and this is all new to her. She wants to meet with me and hear more. He is good.
I see it in the woman who was a crack addict and a prostitute. She gets overwhelmed. She has so much to learn and she falls back sometimes but now she knows there is more for her. There are days all she can do is kneel in front of the alter and know that He is meeting her where she is and that He has never stopped loving her. I love to watch her worship her Savior. Sometimes she joins the kids and will hold Tekoa's hand and they dance together. 2 beloved daughters of the King dancing before Him....He is good.
I see it in our good friends whose children tell their teachers that "Miss Michelle" is their best friend :)
The couple who was living together, raising 2 children, and expecting 2 more when they heard the gospel message in its fullness. They were weeping for days under the heavy conviction of the Holy Spirit. They instantly stopped sleeping together and planned a wedding. Living with 4 kids on one fast food income, but in the joy of the One who has saved them. Husband is training now to be a pastor. He is good.
It's in the couple who has been wounded so deeply by adultery in their marriage. The wife through the power of the Holy Spirit who was able to calmly and peacefully call the "other woman" and extend forgiveness. And then tell her that the power to do this comes only from the Lord. What a testimony to both women. He is good.
It's in the prominent couple in the church who is not too proud to tell us that their marriage is struggling and they need prayers and counsel. It's in the way the Holy Spirit leads us to share some of our past pain that we never thought we would ever share, and then the way we watch Him use that pain to minister to them...He is good.
It's in the man whose mother killed his father and yet the Lord has been a Father to him and has lifted him from the chains of abuse, drug use, and sex outside of marriage. He is now a powerful proclaimer of the Word. God is so good!
I see it in the man who was a former introvert passive Christian and he now makes his way around the church boldly praying for his fellow believers. He has seen the Lord administer healing while he prays. He has recently seen for himself the freedom that Jesus offers through the power of His name. He has seen the Lord bust through lifelong strongholds. What a God!!
And I see it in the girl who has led worship most of her life and is learning for the first time what it truly means to be a worship leader. This is the same girl who used to think she was better because of what side of town she lived in. She thought that her life had more value because of the family she was born into. She had a self righteous, selfish heart and still does, but now she is allowing the Lord to break off chains and strongholds and empty her of herself even though it is a painful process that not many of her friends understand. She is seeing the ugliness of her sinful heart and how it is just as ugly if not more ugly than the hearts of the prostitutes, adulterers, drug users.....
It's easier to hide the sins of haughtiness, pride, idolatry, gossip, envy, fear and laziness. You can hide a critical, judgemental heart if you never voice the criticism and judgement. But the sin is still there. In all it's ugliness.
But through the goodness of her God she is seeing for the first time how deeply and intimately He loves her and it is changing her. What an amazing Savior!!!
And I see it in the 2 children that have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and now are desiring to be baptized. He is so good.
Psalm 103
Sunday was a heartbreaking day for all of us. Lots of prayers went up to the Father on behalf of the tornado victims in the Kellenberger house. We continue to pray that there will be a Spiritual rebuilding as well as physical. That this tragedy will turn hearts to Jesus- the true Healer and Restorer.
There has been some good discussions in our home about how we shouldn't put our trust or joy in our things. They can be taken away from us in an instant.
And about how God is still good even though bad things happen. Oh how good He is.
His goodness has been so apparent to Dave and I over these last few months. We cannot stop praising Him and thanking Him for His goodness.
We tuck our kids in bed and sit down together on our couch and just recount all the ways He has been good to us. We thank Him, we worship Him together, and even this in itself is another reason to thank Him. He changes hearts. He transforms lives.
I sit on my chair right next to the torn up carpeting by the aisle in church and I see His goodness.
I see it in the single mother a few rows back who just gave her life to Him and is soaking Him in as fast as she can. She listened to me speak on Wednesday night on being a servant at home, and this is all new to her. She wants to meet with me and hear more. He is good.
I see it in the woman who was a crack addict and a prostitute. She gets overwhelmed. She has so much to learn and she falls back sometimes but now she knows there is more for her. There are days all she can do is kneel in front of the alter and know that He is meeting her where she is and that He has never stopped loving her. I love to watch her worship her Savior. Sometimes she joins the kids and will hold Tekoa's hand and they dance together. 2 beloved daughters of the King dancing before Him....He is good.
I see it in our good friends whose children tell their teachers that "Miss Michelle" is their best friend :)
The couple who was living together, raising 2 children, and expecting 2 more when they heard the gospel message in its fullness. They were weeping for days under the heavy conviction of the Holy Spirit. They instantly stopped sleeping together and planned a wedding. Living with 4 kids on one fast food income, but in the joy of the One who has saved them. Husband is training now to be a pastor. He is good.
It's in the couple who has been wounded so deeply by adultery in their marriage. The wife through the power of the Holy Spirit who was able to calmly and peacefully call the "other woman" and extend forgiveness. And then tell her that the power to do this comes only from the Lord. What a testimony to both women. He is good.
It's in the prominent couple in the church who is not too proud to tell us that their marriage is struggling and they need prayers and counsel. It's in the way the Holy Spirit leads us to share some of our past pain that we never thought we would ever share, and then the way we watch Him use that pain to minister to them...He is good.
It's in the man whose mother killed his father and yet the Lord has been a Father to him and has lifted him from the chains of abuse, drug use, and sex outside of marriage. He is now a powerful proclaimer of the Word. God is so good!
I see it in the man who was a former introvert passive Christian and he now makes his way around the church boldly praying for his fellow believers. He has seen the Lord administer healing while he prays. He has recently seen for himself the freedom that Jesus offers through the power of His name. He has seen the Lord bust through lifelong strongholds. What a God!!
And I see it in the girl who has led worship most of her life and is learning for the first time what it truly means to be a worship leader. This is the same girl who used to think she was better because of what side of town she lived in. She thought that her life had more value because of the family she was born into. She had a self righteous, selfish heart and still does, but now she is allowing the Lord to break off chains and strongholds and empty her of herself even though it is a painful process that not many of her friends understand. She is seeing the ugliness of her sinful heart and how it is just as ugly if not more ugly than the hearts of the prostitutes, adulterers, drug users.....
It's easier to hide the sins of haughtiness, pride, idolatry, gossip, envy, fear and laziness. You can hide a critical, judgemental heart if you never voice the criticism and judgement. But the sin is still there. In all it's ugliness.
But through the goodness of her God she is seeing for the first time how deeply and intimately He loves her and it is changing her. What an amazing Savior!!!
And I see it in the 2 children that have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and now are desiring to be baptized. He is so good.
Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
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