Days of Elijah

This is dedicated to (Theodore) Elijah, my new baby nephew, and his parents.



(Double-click play button to start)


Here he is at 4 days old. Isn't he so sweet?
Elijah: "Jehovah is God"

Casting Crowns Concert

I went to the Casting Crowns concert in Boise tonight with my daughter, Rebecca. Oh.My.Goodness. I don't know if I'll ever be able to put into words how great it was. All I can say right now is we serve a big, big God and I am so blessed to be called His child. I've never been to a concert where the seven members of the group sit at the front of the stage and spend 20 minutes taking turns praying for the audience. Each member focused on a particular thing. I can't remember all seven but one prayed for young men and the decisions that they are making that will affect who they become and the kind of fathers and leaders they will become. One prayed for encouragement for those in ministry. One prayed for marriages and for wives to learn what it means to really submit to their husbands and that husbands would just love their wives the way Christ loves the church. One prayed for the members of the audience who don't yet have a relationship with Jesus. One prayed for the fatherless, and one prayed for mothers, for mothers in the trenches of raising childen, for the heartache of losing a child, and for the ones desiring to become mothers. It was a good thing we got napkins at the concession stand earlier because I was a teary mess. The mention of the heartache of losing a child especially touched me because I'm very much aware of the fact that my former due date was two weeks from yesterday. (It's strange to think that I'd be delivering a baby very soon if I hadn't miscarried. It's been so many months ago now it seems crazy to think that I was supposed to be having a baby this month. Perhaps that's a different post.... back to the concert.)

Ack. I feel like I have Niagra Falls trying to fit through a 1" pipe! Apparently I can say more than I first intimated! :-) There's so much to talk about.

Rebecca liked the opening group, Leeland, better than Casting Crowns but she did like CC. She commented that the main singer looked like he was too young to be touring the United States. (When Leeland began playing/singing I thought "Oh my goodness. I'm old. What have I done and why am I here?" I'm too old for this. I enjoyed CC much better and Leeland really was okay. Their music is a bit wild but carried a good message nonetheless.) She didn't like the video plugs for WorldVision. Seeing the plight of children in third-world countries is really upsetting to her and causes her several sleepless nights. (I didn't realize we would be seeing that. I still would have taken her had I known.) When CC sang their last song and the lights were extinguished and we were standing and applauding, I leaned over to Rebecca and said, "They are clapping to bring them out again. They will come out and sing one more song." "How, do YOU know?" she asked. I said, "This isn't my first concert!" It was funny! I got to go to a concert again for the first time. She thought it was just silly and they should have stayed out there and sung the song without leaving first. At one point they let the drummer rip. Rebecca liked it but thought it dragged on too long. Really, it was impressive. He was quite skilled and in a strange way it was neat to see/hear. I reminded her of how she feels when she gets to run, really fast. Run as hard as she possibly can without having to stop until she wants to. It's a good feeling to do someting you love and that you are good at and to do it to the utmost. I said I think it feels like that to him. She nodded. She understood that feeling. The really cool thing was he did that and he gave it to to Lord. I saw that happen. It was beautiful... and it was really, really loud drums. Go figure.

Are you still reading all of this? Sorry that I'm so chatty... it was a great mountain-top experience and I want to remember what I'm thinking and feeling right now.

The thing I loved most was the meatiness of the lyrics. Casting Crowns doesn't spend much time on feel-good songs. Here are some examples of ones that particularly challenged me:

And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth - Voice of Truth
*****

Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves her and stay by her side
Love her like Jesus
Love her like Jesus - Love Them Like Jesus
*****

Jesus, I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me - The Altar and the Door
*****

It's all because of Jesus I'm alive
It's all because the blood of Jesus Christ
That covers me and raised this dead man's life
It's all because of Jesus I'm alive - All Because of Jesus
*****

What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let Satan have one more

What if the church for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took and stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates

What if His people prayed
And those who bare His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own way... What If His People Prayed

Want a taste of our evening? The following videos will do that for you.

The Altar and The Door Tour Preview (2 1/2 minutes)


The Altar and the Door Sneak Preview - with Mark Hall (almost 6 minutes but SOOO good! If you only watch one of these videos, watch this one.)


I'll stop now. It's 2 am. I think I'm finally winding down... Typing sure is getting difficult. :-) Tickets to this concert were a great gift from my husband. I am blessed, I am encouraged, I am challenged, I am convicted, I am refreshed, I am humbled, I am grateful.

I am tired. G'night.

Praise You In This Storm

In light of yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech, I think it's a good time to point out the new music video that I have posted on my left sidebar. I've been noticing several great songs lately by Casting Crowns. Here's the one that God has placed in my path in the last week or so:

Praise You In This Storm
-from the album Lifesong

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

Chorus:
I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am (emphasis mine)
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of Heaven and Earth

Chorus

Remember to listen to the song. It's on the left sidebar.

Glimpsing eternity on the way to the store

On the way to the store today I heard a couple of songs back to back on the radio. They are both great songs and really ministered to me today. The first one was In Christ Alone by Michael English. I think he wrote it as well. I found it on YouTube today sung by someone else, Brian Littrell. It sounds pretty good so I'm including it in this post.

The second song was You Raise Me Up by Selah. Music written by Rolf Løvland, lyrics by Brendan Graham. This is SUCH a beautiful song and I've been enjoying ever since it hit the Christian radio station. I found a YouTube video with Selah singing it so I'm including it too.

Click on the triangle in the bottom left corner of the video screen to play. Don't click on the triangle in the center, it will take you right to YouTube.

IN CHRIST ALONE

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes
Like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal
To the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My source of strength, my source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone will I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
Only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my need
Now I seek no greater honor
Than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
To the glory of the Lord

YOU RAISE ME UP
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Be blessed.

In my heart I find a need

My Savior, My God

The lyrics of this song are so powerful to me. I've heard this song for quite a while now on the radio and at church but my heart never really took in the words until just a couple of weeks ago. When I started researching this song in order to write about it I was surprised to discover that it is a 134-year-old hymn written by Dorothy Greenwell! What a testament to the longevity of a well-written song with powerful words.

I was going to emphasize certain lines that were especially meaningful to me but as a professor in Bible college told us, "You can't highlight everything in the book/Bible/whatever because that would be like highlighting nothing." So I guess I'll have to pick what impacted me the most. It would have to be the very first sentence.

It's such a freeing thing to realize in my heart that I truly do not have to understand what God has planned. It's enough to know that Jesus is my Savior and that He is working tirelessly for my well-being. How can I not trust that kind of overpowering love? Why would I worry about temporal details in the light of such sacrifice and sovereignty? This song is such a great reminder of God's ultimate control and how I can rest in that. I need lots of reminding!

You can see this song performed by Aaron Shust by clicking on the video in my left sidebar.

Aaron Shust's version:

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at his word and deed
Christ died to save me this I read
And in my heart I find a need
For Him to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying; let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, My God He is
My God is always gonna be

Let My Lifesong Sing

I was thinking of changing the name of my blog. I thought about it for a long time and finally decided that it would be rather like renaming one of my children for no particular reason. I've settled for just making over the look of my blog (maybe, probably...eventually, sigh!) and NOT changing the name. I had even written a post about the new name of my blog. I'm going to publish the post anyway because it still is about things that are on my heart even though I chose not to change my blog name.

********************

The (would-be) name of my blog (Let My Lifesong Sing) comes from a song written by Mark Hall of Casting Crowns. This song continues to my heart and conveys something that I strive for, living a life of worship. I need to keep on understanding that everything I do is an offering to the Lord and I want my offerings to be the best I can offer. I am to be a living sacrifice. My actions need to reflect that.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (NASB)

Here are the lyrics of his song:

LIFESONG
Empty hands held high
Such small sacrifice
If not joined with my life
I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You
Let my lifesong sing to You
I want to sign Your name to the end of this day
Knowing that my heart was true
Let my lifesong sing to You

Lord, I give my life
A living sacrifice
To reach a world in need
To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say
And the things I do
Make my lifesong sing
Bring a smile to You

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You

Here's an excerpt from an interview with Mark Hall:

Can you explain what you mean by the title track off “Lifesong.”

All the songs you ever hear from us are songs that we’re talking about in our church, things that we’re talking about and dealing with in people’s lives and as a group. We started talking about worship and about the fact that to think that we can live our lives however we want to all day long and then wander into a church at night and read a bunch of words off a screen--to think that’s worship is a misunderstanding of what worship is. (emphasis mine)

Colossians 3 says that “Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all for the glory of the Lord.” So everything I do is to bring a smile to his face.

The song started when you woke up this morning. Today is your song. Everything that you’re doing. I remember at a prayer time one night, saying out loud, “God, let my lifesong sing to you” and I knew when I said it that it was something that we would hear again. This has kind of turned into a theme for us.


Here is a link to the whole interview.

Another quote from Mark Hall:

“This is your life song. This is your act of worship: what you do with the life you’ve been given. A life of worship says ‘God, I’m waking up today. I’m going to do a lot of things, I’m going to go a lot of places, I’m going to talk to a lot of people, but my goal is to point others to You and to make You smile today.’ The more we live like that, the more we become like him, and the closer we get to His heart, the more we see that His heart is for people. So then you start seeing people that are hurting. And ministry becomes the overflow of a life poured out at Jesus’ feet.”

This is my prayer.