I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,
Thy head upon My breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream.
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's Light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of Life I'll walk
'Til pilgrim days are done.
["I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say", Lutheran Hymnal #277; Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889]
*Indelible Grace did a beautiful, soothing version of this in 1998 [music by Kevin Twit], and it is this arrangement that caught my ear tonight as I drove home through light rain and a reflective mood. 'Til pilgrim days are done...maranatha, come Lord Jesus.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
It Wouldn't Be a Christian Goodbye Without Michael W. Smith
My heart is aching over all the goodbyes we've said recently, with more still to go. Last Thursday we enjoyed our last evening with John, Christine, and Brody boy, and tonight we said goodbye to Jess, Natali, and baby Eve. We're mindful as we spend time with other friends that our opportunities for fellowship with them are numbered. It's like watching significant chunks of our life just fade to black, piece by piece...soon we will be on our own in a truck headed for PA. We're eager to see what the Lord has in store for us there, but it is so difficult to leave this chapter of our lives behind. More difficult than I expected.
It's like I have a fever. And the only prescription is Michael W. Smith.
Because Friends Are Friends Forever, when the Lord's the Lord of them. Come on, it just wouldn't be a Christian farewell without Smitty on the soundtrack. Feast your eyes and ears, and may your heart be comforted as we're all packing up the dreams God planted, in the fertile soil of you...
The tears are flowing (along with the early 90's cheese), just like church camp...in all seriousness, this is a painful season for the Va Beach Pearces. We're so grateful for the time God has given us here with our friends and church family, and are thankful that Smitty's words are true - we never really say goodbye when we're united in Christ. A lifetime's not too long to live as friends.
It's like I have a fever. And the only prescription is Michael W. Smith.
Because Friends Are Friends Forever, when the Lord's the Lord of them. Come on, it just wouldn't be a Christian farewell without Smitty on the soundtrack. Feast your eyes and ears, and may your heart be comforted as we're all packing up the dreams God planted, in the fertile soil of you...
The tears are flowing (along with the early 90's cheese), just like church camp...in all seriousness, this is a painful season for the Va Beach Pearces. We're so grateful for the time God has given us here with our friends and church family, and are thankful that Smitty's words are true - we never really say goodbye when we're united in Christ. A lifetime's not too long to live as friends.
Meine Ohrwurm
"Earworm" is the English translation of the German "ohrwurm", a term used to describe the phenomenon of having a song stuck in your head. "Meine Ohrwurm", then, is "My Earworm". Perhaps not the most appealing of monikers, but descriptive nonetheless.
Why the linguistics primer?
I've had a song stuck in my head for the past, oh, 72 hours (at least) and, in addition to wanting to share the lyrics with you, I thought I'd let you know that yes, there is a word for that.
The song? It's an oldie but goodie from the late 1700's, redone by Indelible Grace in 2001. The words, well, speak for themselves. Read through them a couple of times and see if you don't find yourself utterly smitten by the awesome height, depth, and breadth of God's great mercy upon His chosen ones. The verse in italics is the one that pierces my heart each and every time I've listened to it (so, approximately 128 times in the past few days).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thy Mercy, My God
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair!
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart!
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I've found!
Great Father of mercy, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine!
["Thy Mercy, My God"; Words: John Stocker ca. 1776]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever felt so deeply convicted of your sin, and yet so completely unable to flee from its grasp? Have you ever prayed for the Lord to pull you from the mud and mire, and to set your feet upon a firm place? Have you ever experienced the wonder of feeling your heart soften toward the Lord, when without His presence you know you would have remained hard and defiant?
I am the chief of sinners, and my strong will has been broken so many times by His gentle breath upon me. Only the Holy Spirit could change my heart, so deeply depraved is it, and determined to rebel.
My friends, I pray this for you: That your heart would wonder to feel its hardness depart, that you would dissolve before God's great goodness and weep in sweet praise of His mercy!
Hallelujah, and amen.
Why the linguistics primer?
I've had a song stuck in my head for the past, oh, 72 hours (at least) and, in addition to wanting to share the lyrics with you, I thought I'd let you know that yes, there is a word for that.
The song? It's an oldie but goodie from the late 1700's, redone by Indelible Grace in 2001. The words, well, speak for themselves. Read through them a couple of times and see if you don't find yourself utterly smitten by the awesome height, depth, and breadth of God's great mercy upon His chosen ones. The verse in italics is the one that pierces my heart each and every time I've listened to it (so, approximately 128 times in the past few days).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thy Mercy, My God
Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.
Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair!
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.
Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart!
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I've found!
Great Father of mercy, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine!
["Thy Mercy, My God"; Words: John Stocker ca. 1776]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you ever felt so deeply convicted of your sin, and yet so completely unable to flee from its grasp? Have you ever prayed for the Lord to pull you from the mud and mire, and to set your feet upon a firm place? Have you ever experienced the wonder of feeling your heart soften toward the Lord, when without His presence you know you would have remained hard and defiant?
I am the chief of sinners, and my strong will has been broken so many times by His gentle breath upon me. Only the Holy Spirit could change my heart, so deeply depraved is it, and determined to rebel.
My friends, I pray this for you: That your heart would wonder to feel its hardness depart, that you would dissolve before God's great goodness and weep in sweet praise of His mercy!
Hallelujah, and amen.
It's the Magnificent Multi-Phasic Take-Your-Time Machine!
That's right, folks, we're going back in time today - two decades back, to that glorious era when Psalty the Singing Songbook catapulted Christian music from its "corny beginnings" to a "whole new level of sophistication"!
Did you grow up singing along with Psalty, feeling sorry for poor Risky Rat, and wishing you could try Charity Churchmouse's Cherry Chive Chocolate Cheese Chutney?
Well kids, get on board the gospel train!
Psalty: Behind the Music
[created by Saddleback, featuring Rick Warren who claims that Psalty taught him the five purposes of life; the "corny" music lady is Psalty's wife, who later played Charity Churchmouse!]
Bonus: Purchase your favorite Psalty gear, DVDs, and CDs (and old cassette tapes, if you still own a device that can play them) at Psalty.com! You can even email Psalty!
Does this make anyone else as completely and utterly happy as it makes me? Despite the inevitable blank stares and barely-suppressed snickers when I mention Psalty to my Christian friends (a grown man dressed as a singing what?), he was not a figment of my imagination! There are others who lived the dream - and indeed, are carrying the torch in a blindingly kaleidoscopic way over at the Psalty Store.
We will be providing our children with all the Psalty material they can cognitively and emotionally digest. Perhaps I should place my order now - you know, just in case. Not at all because I miss singing along to the Salvation Celebration.
Side note: does anyone know what makes the breakout game particularly "Psalty's"? Are we escaping the walls of sin and death? At least the Word Find includes Psalty Vocab like "Psaltina" and "blooper".
[ht: http://stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com, where Psalty himself left an "epistle-length" comment in response to the original post about him. The comment is a copy and paste from Psalty's blog!]
Please let me know if the video takes too long to load. I can link to it externally instead of having it embedded here.
Did you grow up singing along with Psalty, feeling sorry for poor Risky Rat, and wishing you could try Charity Churchmouse's Cherry Chive Chocolate Cheese Chutney?
Well kids, get on board the gospel train!
Psalty: Behind the Music
[created by Saddleback, featuring Rick Warren who claims that Psalty taught him the five purposes of life; the "corny" music lady is Psalty's wife, who later played Charity Churchmouse!]
Bonus: Purchase your favorite Psalty gear, DVDs, and CDs (and old cassette tapes, if you still own a device that can play them) at Psalty.com! You can even email Psalty!
Does this make anyone else as completely and utterly happy as it makes me? Despite the inevitable blank stares and barely-suppressed snickers when I mention Psalty to my Christian friends (a grown man dressed as a singing what?), he was not a figment of my imagination! There are others who lived the dream - and indeed, are carrying the torch in a blindingly kaleidoscopic way over at the Psalty Store.
We will be providing our children with all the Psalty material they can cognitively and emotionally digest. Perhaps I should place my order now - you know, just in case. Not at all because I miss singing along to the Salvation Celebration.
Side note: does anyone know what makes the breakout game particularly "Psalty's"? Are we escaping the walls of sin and death? At least the Word Find includes Psalty Vocab like "Psaltina" and "blooper".
[ht: http://stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com, where Psalty himself left an "epistle-length" comment in response to the original post about him. The comment is a copy and paste from Psalty's blog!]
Please let me know if the video takes too long to load. I can link to it externally instead of having it embedded here.
MyTube
You may have read my recent post on "Painting Pictures of Egypt", a song by Sara Groves. This is a song that has resonated with me since I first heard it. When I struggle with returning to an old sin or with impatience for God's blessings, this song helps me to see my discontent for what it is. It's ok to be honest with God about our feelings and our struggles, and to question His purposes, when the result is us turning back to the truth of His sovereignty.
Anyway, the reason I bring it up again is to say that Laurie and I recently sang this song in church. This was a huge deal for me because I am a chronic microphone phobic. This was the first time I ever sang a solo/duet where people could really hear me singing all by myself. Scary!
Laurie's hubby, Josh, recorded the song like any proud father would, and the result is that I can embed it here for your viewing (and listening) pleasure (or at least for your viewing and listening, even if it isn't pleasurable). It's like my own private YouTube - I call it MyTube.
Too bad you can't see my face at all. Wish I'd known!
Hopefully the video doesn't take up too much bandwidth. Let me know if it takes, like, an hour to load, ok?
Anyway, the reason I bring it up again is to say that Laurie and I recently sang this song in church. This was a huge deal for me because I am a chronic microphone phobic. This was the first time I ever sang a solo/duet where people could really hear me singing all by myself. Scary!
Laurie's hubby, Josh, recorded the song like any proud father would, and the result is that I can embed it here for your viewing (and listening) pleasure (or at least for your viewing and listening, even if it isn't pleasurable). It's like my own private YouTube - I call it MyTube.
Too bad you can't see my face at all. Wish I'd known!
Hopefully the video doesn't take up too much bandwidth. Let me know if it takes, like, an hour to load, ok?
Pictures of Egypt
When the Israelites were led out of Egypt, they spent 40 long years in the wilderness, following the Lord around and around in circles, waiting to enter the Promised Land. Their time in the desert was characterized more often than not by discontent, grumbling, looking back on their time of slavery in Egypt with longing. "At least when we were slaves," they would say, "we had plenty of food to eat! If only we had died in Egypt!" Had they already forgotten the terrible bondage they had been in, the cruelty of the slavedrivers, the sting of their whips?
But don't we do the same thing? In the words of one Sara Groves, don't we often "paint pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacks," fooling ourselves into believing that we long to be back in our sin, rather than waiting in (seeming) limbo for the Lord's promises? We don't always feel like we are in the promised land of great blessing, and it is so easy to look back over our shoulders and see only what we want to see in the past. We forget that, in our sin, we are broken, captive, headed straight for death and destruction.
But sin tastes sweet if you haven't tasted the Lord. Kind of like how frozen dinners taste pretty good until you've had a real, charbroiled, flame-kissed sirloin steak.
I seem to appreciate food analogies, don't I?
So if you were promised a steak, but had to wait a long time for it, and just trust the word of the chef that it was coming...would your stomach start to rumble and maybe your mouth would water for some chicken nuggets?
Read on for the words to a powerful song, which is an honest reflection on our tendency to look back toward the sin that was so full of death, and long for it with too short a memory for its destructive power. Maybe we do have a few miles of wilderness yet ahead, but we can trust and wait for the Lord, knowing that He is with us, and that where He is, there is yet sweetness and life. Thank God for His gracious provision, that He holds us securely in His hand and promises to guide us safely across the wilderness of this world.
What is your Egypt? What does your wilderness look like? Can you see what the Lord has for you in the place of waiting and wandering, or are you too busy longing for what you left behind? We often look ahead to the land of milk and honey and forget that God is with us now, in the in-between. The Lord dwelt among the Israelites; He gave them His tabernacle and promised to travel with them and guide them. The promise holds for us today: He has poured out His Holy Spirit on His church and dwells in us, empowering us for this life. Trust in Him, wait for what He has in store, and enjoy the richness of His presence even now as we travel down this long, winding road.
But don't we do the same thing? In the words of one Sara Groves, don't we often "paint pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacks," fooling ourselves into believing that we long to be back in our sin, rather than waiting in (seeming) limbo for the Lord's promises? We don't always feel like we are in the promised land of great blessing, and it is so easy to look back over our shoulders and see only what we want to see in the past. We forget that, in our sin, we are broken, captive, headed straight for death and destruction.
But sin tastes sweet if you haven't tasted the Lord. Kind of like how frozen dinners taste pretty good until you've had a real, charbroiled, flame-kissed sirloin steak.
I seem to appreciate food analogies, don't I?
So if you were promised a steak, but had to wait a long time for it, and just trust the word of the chef that it was coming...would your stomach start to rumble and maybe your mouth would water for some chicken nuggets?
Read on for the words to a powerful song, which is an honest reflection on our tendency to look back toward the sin that was so full of death, and long for it with too short a memory for its destructive power. Maybe we do have a few miles of wilderness yet ahead, but we can trust and wait for the Lord, knowing that He is with us, and that where He is, there is yet sweetness and life. Thank God for His gracious provision, that He holds us securely in His hand and promises to guide us safely across the wilderness of this world.
Painting Pictures of Egypt, by Sara Groves
"I don't want to leave here, I don't want to stay;
It feels like pinching to me either way.
But the places I long for the most are the places where I've been,
And it's calling out to me like a long lost friend.
It's not about losing faith, and it's not about trust;
It's all about comfortable, when you move so much.
And the place I was, wasn't perfect, but I had found a way to live,
And it wasn't milk or honey, but then...neither is this.
I am painting pictures of Egypt, and leaving out what it lacks.
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back.
But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned,
And those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned.
The past is so tangible, I know it by heart,
And familiar things are never easy to discard.
And I was dying for some freedom, but now I hesitate to go,
I am caught between the promise and the things I know.
I am painting pictures of Egypt, and leaving out what it lacks.
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back.
But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned,
And those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned.
If it comes too quick, I may not recognize it...
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it...
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?"
"I don't want to leave here, I don't want to stay;
It feels like pinching to me either way.
But the places I long for the most are the places where I've been,
And it's calling out to me like a long lost friend.
It's not about losing faith, and it's not about trust;
It's all about comfortable, when you move so much.
And the place I was, wasn't perfect, but I had found a way to live,
And it wasn't milk or honey, but then...neither is this.
I am painting pictures of Egypt, and leaving out what it lacks.
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back.
But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned,
And those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned.
The past is so tangible, I know it by heart,
And familiar things are never easy to discard.
And I was dying for some freedom, but now I hesitate to go,
I am caught between the promise and the things I know.
I am painting pictures of Egypt, and leaving out what it lacks.
The future feels so hard, and I want to go back.
But the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I've learned,
And those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned.
If it comes too quick, I may not recognize it...
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it...
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?"
What is your Egypt? What does your wilderness look like? Can you see what the Lord has for you in the place of waiting and wandering, or are you too busy longing for what you left behind? We often look ahead to the land of milk and honey and forget that God is with us now, in the in-between. The Lord dwelt among the Israelites; He gave them His tabernacle and promised to travel with them and guide them. The promise holds for us today: He has poured out His Holy Spirit on His church and dwells in us, empowering us for this life. Trust in Him, wait for what He has in store, and enjoy the richness of His presence even now as we travel down this long, winding road.
And That's What It's All About
I was driving home from Covenant today, just listening to the radio, when I heard a song that made me stop and think.
Strange, I know.
My radio has been broken for like a year.
I was driving Joel's car, if you must know. I'm spoiled today because I am driving a bunch of friends up to Charlottesville tonight for the VPA conference. But I digress.
Oh wait, you thought it was strange that I heard thought-provoking music. You'll be even more surprised to learn that it was on K-LOVE, of all stations. That's right, a radio presence whose entire marketing strategy currently revolves around the fact that its goal is to make you "feel good". Light And Fluffy should be their slogan. I suppose Positive And Encouraging isn't far off, though.
On a side note, their "feel good" advertising bothers me. Christianity isn't about feeling good. It's not really about feeling at all, although positive feelings may be a bonus. Christianity is about being saved from the wrath of God by the grace and mercy of God, as justice was served once and for all in Christ. It's a fact thing, not a feeling thing. Why do we insist on marketing Christianity in a neat little package that promises sunshine and roses, health and wealth, if you just accept Jesus into your heart? Sure, I'll take that Jesus!
But I'd much prefer a Jesus who strengthens me for the difficult realities of this fallen world. To draw from a Natalie Grant Song ("Held"), our salvation isn't about removing obstacles and hurdles from our lives. It's about being (not just feeling) empowered to overcome them not somehow, but triumphantly! It's about being sustained in spite of the obstacles and hurdles, held far above them in a place where a deeper joy trumps sorrow and loss. Far be it from me to pretend that sin is magically eradicated from my life when I enter a relationship with Christ. How I wish this were the case! Rather, my Father comes alongside me and lovingly says, "We'll work on that sin...but in the meantime, I no longer hold it against you." The end result is not a lack of sin (it wouldn't be eliminated from the world, even if it were somehow gone from my own heart), but instead a lack of the penalty for sin, and a new perspective on pain and suffering.
Take this verse, for instance:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28).
Does it say that God will pamper us with chocolate and candles and soft music all the days of our lives?
No. (Although I'd be perfectly fine with my husband deciding to do this.)
I'd say it implies that whatever happens (in some things? no - in all things!), God will somehow orchestrate all for our ultimate good.
Which returns me to the original topic of my post (finally!).
The song I heard goes something like this: "He makes all things good, He makes all things good. There is a time to live and a time to die, a time for wonder and to wonder why, cause there is a reason. There is a reason." ~Caedmon's Call, "There is a Reason"
And I got to thinking: He does make all things good. That's Who He is. He is good. In His infinite, gracious love, God takes all of our sinful and foolish screw-ups and transforms them to our good for His glory.
Did you catch that last part? For His glory. That's really what it's all about (sorry, Hokey Pokey!). Even our salvation is about His glory. Of course God is love, and He accepts us as we are and forgives us and welcomes us to Himself. But why? So that we can bring Him the glory! We rejoice in our salvation for His sake. When I got that one, it was like a huge light bulb went on in my head. Why would He save me? Because He desires me to love Him as much as He loves me, and He desires my worship, my praise, my adoration. He is not willing that I should be separated from Him. He has chosen me to help fill His throne room with eternal song! This is love, that He laid down His life for us. But God does nothing apart from His own ultimate glory.
Which is where our ultimate good comes in.
Which God is more glorious, the one Who erases sin and causes all life to be without pain or difficulty, or the one Who is able to allow sin and pain for a time and cause them to somehow be transformed into good and glory? The second God is far more amazing, far more glorious! What a demonstration of His power that He can take MY life, MY struggles, MY silly humanity and make something good and beautiful and purposeful of them!
So that's what it's all about. We're people: by definition we are sinful, fallen, broken. We'll go on screwing up until the end of time. It's who we are.
But God is God: by definition He is love, He is power, He is glory, and He is good. He'll go on picking up our pieces and weaving them together in ways far more beautiful and glorious than we could ever see from here. I liken it to being stuck behind a tapestry: we see the knots and random strings going all over the place, but turned over, we suddenly see the great artistry of the Weaver. He takes my frayed, ugly little thread and weaves it through a few other frayed, ugly little threads and suddenly a gorgeous blend of fabric takes on color and beauty. He makes all things good. He'll go on making things good until the end of time. It's Who He is.
Strange, I know.
My radio has been broken for like a year.
I was driving Joel's car, if you must know. I'm spoiled today because I am driving a bunch of friends up to Charlottesville tonight for the VPA conference. But I digress.
Oh wait, you thought it was strange that I heard thought-provoking music. You'll be even more surprised to learn that it was on K-LOVE, of all stations. That's right, a radio presence whose entire marketing strategy currently revolves around the fact that its goal is to make you "feel good". Light And Fluffy should be their slogan. I suppose Positive And Encouraging isn't far off, though.
On a side note, their "feel good" advertising bothers me. Christianity isn't about feeling good. It's not really about feeling at all, although positive feelings may be a bonus. Christianity is about being saved from the wrath of God by the grace and mercy of God, as justice was served once and for all in Christ. It's a fact thing, not a feeling thing. Why do we insist on marketing Christianity in a neat little package that promises sunshine and roses, health and wealth, if you just accept Jesus into your heart? Sure, I'll take that Jesus!
But I'd much prefer a Jesus who strengthens me for the difficult realities of this fallen world. To draw from a Natalie Grant Song ("Held"), our salvation isn't about removing obstacles and hurdles from our lives. It's about being (not just feeling) empowered to overcome them not somehow, but triumphantly! It's about being sustained in spite of the obstacles and hurdles, held far above them in a place where a deeper joy trumps sorrow and loss. Far be it from me to pretend that sin is magically eradicated from my life when I enter a relationship with Christ. How I wish this were the case! Rather, my Father comes alongside me and lovingly says, "We'll work on that sin...but in the meantime, I no longer hold it against you." The end result is not a lack of sin (it wouldn't be eliminated from the world, even if it were somehow gone from my own heart), but instead a lack of the penalty for sin, and a new perspective on pain and suffering.
Take this verse, for instance:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28).
Does it say that God will pamper us with chocolate and candles and soft music all the days of our lives?
No. (Although I'd be perfectly fine with my husband deciding to do this.)
I'd say it implies that whatever happens (in some things? no - in all things!), God will somehow orchestrate all for our ultimate good.
Which returns me to the original topic of my post (finally!).
The song I heard goes something like this: "He makes all things good, He makes all things good. There is a time to live and a time to die, a time for wonder and to wonder why, cause there is a reason. There is a reason." ~Caedmon's Call, "There is a Reason"
And I got to thinking: He does make all things good. That's Who He is. He is good. In His infinite, gracious love, God takes all of our sinful and foolish screw-ups and transforms them to our good for His glory.
Did you catch that last part? For His glory. That's really what it's all about (sorry, Hokey Pokey!). Even our salvation is about His glory. Of course God is love, and He accepts us as we are and forgives us and welcomes us to Himself. But why? So that we can bring Him the glory! We rejoice in our salvation for His sake. When I got that one, it was like a huge light bulb went on in my head. Why would He save me? Because He desires me to love Him as much as He loves me, and He desires my worship, my praise, my adoration. He is not willing that I should be separated from Him. He has chosen me to help fill His throne room with eternal song! This is love, that He laid down His life for us. But God does nothing apart from His own ultimate glory.
Which is where our ultimate good comes in.
Which God is more glorious, the one Who erases sin and causes all life to be without pain or difficulty, or the one Who is able to allow sin and pain for a time and cause them to somehow be transformed into good and glory? The second God is far more amazing, far more glorious! What a demonstration of His power that He can take MY life, MY struggles, MY silly humanity and make something good and beautiful and purposeful of them!
So that's what it's all about. We're people: by definition we are sinful, fallen, broken. We'll go on screwing up until the end of time. It's who we are.
But God is God: by definition He is love, He is power, He is glory, and He is good. He'll go on picking up our pieces and weaving them together in ways far more beautiful and glorious than we could ever see from here. I liken it to being stuck behind a tapestry: we see the knots and random strings going all over the place, but turned over, we suddenly see the great artistry of the Weaver. He takes my frayed, ugly little thread and weaves it through a few other frayed, ugly little threads and suddenly a gorgeous blend of fabric takes on color and beauty. He makes all things good. He'll go on making things good until the end of time. It's Who He is.
Check This Out. Seriously.
You'll never guess what I just got in the mail - the Celtic Woman, A New Journey, Live at Slane Castle DVD! This concert is absolutely fabulous, even if you are not hugely into celtic music. Please come to my home and watch it (if you're my friend. Otherwise, you know, that'd be weird.).
What you will experience: Five beautiful celtic women with names like Orla
and Meav, whose voices are so pure and sweet...not to mention the lovely Mairead who dances around with her fiddle on the fast numbers. Full orchestral and choral accompaniment, along with the backdrop of the Irish Slane Castle, make for a breathtaking performance! They even sing in Celtic on some of the numbers. Amazing!
A big THANK YOU to my fabulous sister Brittany for this fabulous birthday present! I need to come up with a fabulous new adjective!
I am watching it right now, not five minutes after the big brown truck of happiness delivered it to my doorstep, and I thought it was our friend Jimmey so I was all "hey! come on in!" through the open front door from the comfort of my couch, and then he didn't answer so I ran to the door and realized it was the UPS guy...who was beating a hasty retreat away from the crazy lady in the cute blue slippers.
Yay Celtic Woman!
Also see their male counterparts, High Kings. Their "Dance at Crossroads" video is also great.
What you will experience: Five beautiful celtic women with names like Orla
and Meav, whose voices are so pure and sweet...not to mention the lovely Mairead who dances around with her fiddle on the fast numbers. Full orchestral and choral accompaniment, along with the backdrop of the Irish Slane Castle, make for a breathtaking performance! They even sing in Celtic on some of the numbers. Amazing!A big THANK YOU to my fabulous sister Brittany for this fabulous birthday present! I need to come up with a fabulous new adjective!
I am watching it right now, not five minutes after the big brown truck of happiness delivered it to my doorstep, and I thought it was our friend Jimmey so I was all "hey! come on in!" through the open front door from the comfort of my couch, and then he didn't answer so I ran to the door and realized it was the UPS guy...who was beating a hasty retreat away from the crazy lady in the cute blue slippers.
Yay Celtic Woman!
Also see their male counterparts, High Kings. Their "Dance at Crossroads" video is also great.
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