..choosing joy in the brokenness...

Solo, Duet and Trio Show  "The Night of the Stars" last night..
rejoicing that my youngest is still part of this.. this time last year a mass had been found in her kidney and I remember wondering what the future would hold for her..
God was merciful and the CT scan came back clear 2 weeks later..
thankful last night that God in His mercy had spared my oldest from getting hurt by a shooter in the Mall the night before, I was finding myself sitting right next to my Ex-husband and his wife...
dealing with this my soul just chose to praise God.. prayers forming in my mind, not because I wanted to but because my Spirit has learned to praise Him and thank Him at all times and especially when my heart feels vulnerable, assaulted by the brokenness of this world..
this is what is TRUE for all who love the Lord:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

     my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

    beholding your power and glory.

 Because your steadfast love is better than life,

    my lips will praise you.

 So I will bless you as long as I live;

    in your name I will lift up my hands.

 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

 when I remember you upon my bed,

    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

 for you have been my help,

    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

 My soul clings to you;

    your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 63:1-8

( thanks to Pete Wilson @Cross Point Church, Nashville,TN for tweeting a verse from this Psalm this morning )

praising Him and thanking Him and telling Him how much I love Him focuses my heart and mind and soul on what is important.. His steadfast love is better than life... He satisfies my soul.. He keeps me safe in the shadow of His wings and His right hand upholds me no matter what!

#SoliDeoGloria

..this is how love wins... The Story

"The Story"... I had heard about this great endeavour on "the" Cruise" almost 2 years ago... a musical in a way... His Story.. a powerful recounting of His Plan, from the Beginning to the End..

somehow I missed it coming out September 2011..

thankfully my sweet big sister Leslie, who I visited the last few days had the CD in her car... so I downloaded it from iTunes as soon as I had a chance... and my heart is gripped in the awe of how much He loves us.. again....

2 songs have made it onto my fav list already..

there is Abraham...

I see a star; You see the Milky Way

I see one man counting sand

but you see generations

who, but You, would ever choose

to dream Your dream in me?

tell me who, but You, would dare me to

believe what I can’t see

who, but You?

then there is the thief... hanging on the cross next to Jesus...

this is how Love wins, every single time

climbing high upon a tree where someone else should die

this is how Love heals, the deepest part of you

letting Himself bleed into the middle of your wounds

this is what Love says, standing at the door

you don’t have to be who you’ve been before

silenced by His voice, death can’t speak again

this is how Love wins

most of the time the people around me, those that care about me, misunderstand my tears... tears of deepest gratitude and love... it happens when I get a glimpse of who He is... music does that for me.. touching my soul through the tune and the words.. so skillfully put together.. inspired by the One who  the  the song is all about... what He has done for me.. for us.. getting a glimpse of His love, so immense that the only reaction is tears of joy and thankfulness...

my life has been enriched.. once again... I know which songs will be on repeat on my iTunes from now on...

.... clinging to the truth... rather than a HUGE LIE...

life... not always easy...  hasn't been, since Adam and Eve... actually a lot easier today than even a hundred years ago... our sense of entitlement... our idea we have a "right" to happiness / an easy life... more of an invention of our times... ridiculous really....
people dying of hunger... every second, people killed in wars, always, children abused, abducted, sold, mistreated... always... people dying of diseases, horrible living conditions.. always...
two things are happening that make us think this life is so bad... and how could a loving God allow this..
one, today, with our wealth and all the technology and media, we know about everything that goes on in the world at all times... never before would we have known about it... we also have been sensitized ( which is a good thing)... living in the after glow of a society that was committed to Christ and implemented many of His principles in this world, caring for the needy, the sick and mistreated, implementing a system of law enforcement...
and.. secondly... many of us have no idea about history... do you know how people lived let's say 300 years ago? do you have any idea about the heartache... how hard life really was?
talking with my daughter today about cancer and how we think this is so rampant today? the truth is, "old age" cancer has probably always been around... old people died... no one knew why... it was accepted... even young people died.. life expectancy was not as high as it is today... mother's died in childbirth, infant mortality was horrifyingly high... but, people accepted it, accepted that life was hard...
so, today, instead of being thankful for all the changes for the better that God has allowed and brought about... we grumble about how hard life is..
so we get sick? we have to deal with relationship problems? well, welcome to the real world... not the world of romance novels and movies... the real world...
for sure this generation is facing issues and heartache that are new to this world... the negative side of the innovations and progress... the loss of what was a godly society at one point in time.. morals declining and environmental health risks... all this is true...
have often thought about the trouble in my life as what is driving me to Him... ever thought about that's why it is here? the "thorn" in our thighs... showing us that we need God.. need Him every second of every day of our lives... with Him, difficulties can be overcome.. peace can be found... and dying... it becomes the passing on from this world into the next... traveling from a place that is not our home, to the place where our citizenship is.. in Heaven...
life... a gift.. every breath.. a gift... every moment of happiness and joy, an undeserved gift, from the Father to us... entitlement? A huge lie.... meant to destroy joy and thankfulness..
focusing on the blessings...  like a smile, a beautiful day, even sorrows shared.. knowing Him more each day... living for His glory... # SoliDeoGloria