Shout to the Lord

Its become pretty standard for us to have the radio on 24 hours a day at our home tuned in to the local Christian radio station. This morning as I was drinking my coffee and playing Frontierville (ha ha) an old favorite came on and I found myself sitting in my car at one of my old jobs having lunch on my lunch break. This same song was playing. I was so caught up in the goodness of the Lord that day as I belted out that song with hands raised in my little car in the middle of the parking lot. I didn't care who happened to notice the "crazy" girl in the car. I was in awe of the Lord and His goodness, mercy and power. My God could do ANYTHING.

As I sat here listening to that song and reliving that moment from almost 10 years ago, I admit, I was wondering why it wasn't like that anymore? Had I forgotten just how powerful God was? What was it that stopped me from being so caught up in all that He is that the cares of this world just disappear?

...the cares of this world...

I had forgotten how big God is. I had forgotten that He holds all of me in His hands. He is in control, not me...and not the cares of this world. I had let my situations and circumstances, no matter how petty or overwhelming they might be, dictate how big God is instead of letting how big God is dictate how small my situations and circumstances were.

As I'm wrapping up this note, another song comes on the radio and its so fitting. "Show Me Your Glory" by Third Day. And that is my prayer. "Show me Your glory...I wanna see Your face," then I can once again be in awe of You and all that You are, and when I get back to "my life" I won't settle for ordinary things.



These are the lyrics to "Shout to the Lord" and "Show Me Your Glory". If you've never heard them, you should look them up. They are great songs.



Shout to the Lord



My Jesus, my Saviour

Lord there is none like You

All of my days I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love
My comfort, my shelter

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord

All the Earth, let us sing

Power and majesty

Praise to the King

Mountains bow down

And the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name
I sing for joy at the works

Of Your hands

Forever I'll love You

Forever I'll stand

Nothing compares

To the promise I have

In You





Show Me Your Glory


I caught a glimpse of your splendor

In the corner of my eye

The most beautiful thing I've ever seen

It was like a flash of lightning

Reflected off the sky

And I know, I'll never be the same


Show me Your Glory.

Send down Your presence

I wanna see Your face.

Show me Your glory.

Majesty shines about You,

I can't go on without You Lord.



When I climb down the mountain,

and get back to my life,

I won't settle for ordinary things.

I'm gonna follow You forever

For all of my days

I won't rest 'till I see You again

2010 is ending...

...and I was wondering why it is we celebrate the New Year anyway. As I sit here listening to the countless cracking and popping of fireworks in the neighborhood and hear of parties that are going to last well past midnight, I can't help but wonder why New Year's Eve is such a celebration? What is so special about the END of the year and the beginning of a new one?

We are having a quiet New Year's Eve this year. I've done the fireworks and parties and had the cabbage and black-eyed peas the next day. This year I am even attempting to make my own black-eyed peas and cabbage (not for superstitious reasons). But this year, I've gotten to thinking that maybe New Year's Eve should be more about reflection than celebration. Sure, there's the New Year's resolutions...resolving to make better decisions, save more money, lose weight or try to be a better person. But what about REMEMBERING all that God has done? It's nothing new and certainly not something set apart only for the end of the year.

When <span class=" fbUnderline">I</span> look back on 2010 and all of the blessings God has given, I hang my head in shame for all that I've forgotten to acknowledge or have overlooked because of my own self-centeredness.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9

I see this new year as new territory. Kind of like the Israelites who were about to cross into the new land that God had provided for them. (Maybe lots of people have seen it that way, some who are older or wiser, and its just now dawning on me. Or maybe its just my way weird way of thinking.)

Moses gave the Israelites a command before they went into their new territory.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Stress them...talk about them...remind yourself about them... REMEMBER...REMEMBER...REMEMBER...

I want to end this year remembering all that God has done for me. Not just the stuff from this past year, but from the very beginning.

But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are. Deuteronomy 4:20

“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Acts 13:38

God brought the Israelites out of their captivity and years later sent His Son to bring me out of captivity and everyone else who would believe in Him and acknowledge their need for Him. Since then my eyes have seen His hand upon my life and other's lives and my heart has known Him to be real and true. I don't want to forget those things. I don't want this year to be full of "resolutions" that only involve me trying to "better" myself. I want to end this year and begin a new one remembering ALL that God has done for me, asking Him to continue to deal with and work in me so that this year I can be transformed by His Spirit. I want to impress God's goodness and faithfulness on my children's hearts. I want to think and talk about it when I wake up, go about my day and lie down to sleep. I want God's word to be in my heart and in my home.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Happy New Year everyone. I pray it is a blessed one and you remember all that God has done for you.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. Deuteronomy 4:39-40