Two Favorite Easter Songs

The word of the week is CROSS

: a long piece of wood with a shorter piece across it near the top that people were once fastened to and left to die on as a form of punishment

When I was a little girl, my favorite hymn was “The Old Rugged Cross.” I knew all the words to the first verse and the chorus, and I just loved how beautiful it was (and, it still is, of course). Now that I’m older, the third and fourth verses of the hymn speak to me the most. Here are the words to the hymn:

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

Written by:  George Bennard, 1913

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

In the third verse, it says, “For ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.” It was Jesus death on that cross that allowed me to be cleansed of my sins. He took the punishment that was meant for you and me.

And, then, in the last verse:  "Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share." Because of my faith in Christ, and because I am trusting Him for the forgiveness of my sins, I will someday meet Him face to face in our home in Heaven.

Listen to this version of The Old Rugged Cross sung by Dallas Holm and his wife, Linda:

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

With today being Easter (Resurrection Sunday), we focus not only on the death of Jesus, but mostly on His resurrection. I am thankful that, even though Jesus died on that old rugged cross, the great news is that He didn’t stay dead. God rolled that huge stone away from Jesus’ tomb, and brought Him back to life!

Another one of Dallas Holm’s songs that I grew up with is one of my all time favorites:

RISE AGAIN

Someday, He will be coming back again to take His people home. I am ready for that day to come. I hope you are, too. If you aren't sure if you are "ready," or you are needing more information about this, feel free to leave a comment, or send me an e-mail. My husband and I would be happy to answer your questions.

It's Spring!

The word of the week is SPRING.

: the season between winter and summer : the season when plants and trees begin to grow

Spring is here! Hooray! Every season is beautiful in it own way, but I really love Spring. Some of my favorite things about this season are:

• fresh, warm breezes
• open windows
• Spring cleaning
• new life (flowers, trees, grass, and baby animals)
• the sounds of birds and frogs
• Easter/Resurrection Sunday
• lots of pretty colors instead of dull grays and browns

What are your favorite things about Spring?

We Must Make the First Move

The word of the week is: FEAR

~anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur

I remember a time when I had this kind of fear, and I wasn't really aware of it until the actions of a friend opened my eyes... 

A revised article that was originally published in The Moody Student in 1989 

*

I boarded the train, relieved to have found a seat next to the window. I sat down, situated myself to a comfortable position, and strongly hoped no one would sit in the seat next to mine. However, as I waited for the train to depart, thoughts of recent events began to change my mind. I realized it might not be so bad to have a “neighbor” for the ride after all.

As a student at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, I was heading home for a three-day weekend. The plan was to take a cab to Union Station. But, to bring assurance to a loving and protective father, I let my dad know I would try to find a friend who could drive me there instead. A good friend of mine generously agreed to take me; and I admit I did feel more comfortable with him along. I also felt thankful. Not only was I thankful for the ride, but also for him opening my eyes to an important issue:  Christians need to make the first move when it comes to sharing God’s love with others.

On the drive to the station, all I could think about was the train ride, the upcoming weekend, and spending time with my family. My friend, however, had other things on his mind. He pointed out the people sitting and standing around and said, “This would be a great place to come and hand out witnessing tracts.” I agreed, but quickly forgot about his comment. Then, as we were waiting for my boarding time, my friend noticed a little old man in a pea green suit standing in front of us. When the man turned around, my friend greeted him and began a brief conversation. I realized what he was leading up to when he asked the man, “Have you ever thought about where you will go when you die?” I don't remember the full conversation, but I listened as my friend encouraged the man to look more into what the Bible has to say about life after death. Unknowingly, he encouraged me as well. He reminded me that there is a world full of little old men in green suits. There is a world of people who need Jesus. That is why, even in our busiest times, we need to think of others and be willing to spread at least a ray of light into their lives.

When my thoughts brought me back to the present, I found I was still waiting for the train to depart. A friendly young woman took the seat next to mine and I knew this could be a good opportunity to share the Gospel message with her, just like my friend had done with the old man. But, as the train started to move, the woman began reading her daily newspaper, and I began to read my college publication, The Moody Student. We hardly spoke. During the entire three-hour ride, we must have said a total of two sentences to each other. I left the train without even knowing her name. Why didn’t I follow my friend’s example? Why didn’t I talk to the woman? It’s not because I didn’t want to. As I thought about it more, I realized it was because of fear. I realized we not only have a world full of people who need Jesus, we also have a world full of Christians who are afraid to make the first move - and that definitely included me.

In Exodus 4:10, Moses was also apprehensive about speaking out for the Lord. He said to the Lord, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” He made excuses to keep from doing what God was asking him to do, because he felt inadequate and thought someone else could do a better job. But, the Lord did not excuse Moses for his perceived inadequacies. The Lord said in Exodus 4:12, “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Instead of agreeing with Moses' complaints, He encouraged Moses, saying He would be there to HELP him.

Sharing God’s love with others is a task all Christians have been called to do. So, what should we do when we feel inadequate about it? We need to consider the words God spoke to Moses and realize He WILL help us as we speak out for Him. When we sense the need to share our faith, or even something as simple as an encouraging word, we should not let our fears or inadequacies deter us. Instead, we should fulfill what God is leading us to do, knowing He will be there to help us.

I thank God for people like my friend who deliberately shared his faith with a stranger. He was willing to make the first move. I hope we will all follow my friend’s example and allow God to help us as we intentionally share God’s love with others - through our words, and also through our actions.

How To Praise the Lord at ALL Times

Think about this scenario for a moment: The storms of life are raging. You are feeling hopeless. It takes effort to just keep breathing. You are depressed, discouraged, disappointed, angry, or sad. Then you read Psalm 34:1 - “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” And, you think, “Bless the Lord at ALL TIMES? Praise Him CONTINUALLY? How can I praise the Lord through this? I just don’t feel like doing any praising.”

Settle your hearts, dear friends. When you praise the Lord, it doesn’t mean you are always happy about your circumstances. It’s not about jumping up and down with joy and excitement all the time. Did you know there are many different ways we can show our praise for the Lord?

So, let's define the word of the week: PRAISE

: to say or write good things about (someone or something) : to express approval of (someone or something) : to express thanks to, or love and respect for (God)

According to Bakers Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, words that are often used as synonyms with “praise” and help point to its meaning are: bless, exalt, extol, glorify, magnify, thank, and confess. In other words, praising God is calling attention to His glory, or giving Him the honor and respect He deserves, blessing His name even during our darkest times - simply because He is WORTHY of our praise.

Here are some ways, I found, we can praise the Lord in our difficult days. (By the way, this was the 2nd attempt to write this post. A computer glitch caused me to lose the first draft and I had to start all over again. When it happened, I was not happy. I was frustrated and disappointed. But, even in my disappointment, I was still able to praise the Lord.)

WE CAN PRAISE HIM 
THROUGH OUR PRAYERS
Psalm 66:17- I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.

According to The Pulpit Commentary, this verse means:  I was so confident of being heard that a song of praise was already in my mouth, on the point of bursting forth.

When we pray, we are praising God, or calling attention to His glory (even when we don’t feel very cheerful), because we are acknowledging our need for God and showing we want Him in our lives. So, even when we aren't happy about our circumstances, we can praise God through our prayers when we:

1. Cry out to Him - “God, I need you.”
SONG: I Need You Now - by Plumb

2. Tell Him how we feel - worn, worried, tired, afraid.
SONG: Worn - by Tenth Avenue North

3. Ask Him to carry us through.
SONG: Footprints in the Sand - by Leona Lewis

WE CAN PRAISE HIM 
THROUGH OUR MUSIC
Psalm 147:7 - Sing to the LORD with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. (NIV)

Psalm 149:3 - Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.

Sometimes, we just don't have any words to say, but we can still praise Him through music. We can do this by:

1. Singing to the Lord (at least with our hearts, if not our voices).
2. Focusing on the words when we listen to our favorite Christian music, or by playing it on a musical instrument.
3. Dancing for the Lord.

SONGS:

Sing to the Lord - by Mark Schultz

Sing Hallelujah to the Lord - by the Maranatha Singers

We Will Dance For Your Glory - by Matt Redman

WE CAN PRAISE HIM 
THROUGH OUR THANKS
Psalm 100:4 - Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Even when life is hard, we can thank the Lord for being there to help us through it, we can focus on the good things in life, and we can especially focus on the fact that HE is always good.

SONG: Good Good Father - by Casting Crowns

I pray this has been an encouragement to you, and that you will remember you CAN praise the Lord at all times as you go about your week. You can praise Him through your prayers, through your music, and through your thanks. Even on your difficult days, He is always worthy of praise, because He is a good God, and our circumstances don’t change who He is.

MORE SONGS:
Praise the Lord - by The Imperials
Praise You in this Storm - by Casting Crowns
10,000 Reason (Bless the Lord) - by Matt Redman

A special thanks to my husband, David, for helping me edit this post.

Contented Living Requires Readjusted Thoughts

The word of the week is CONTENT.

pleased and satisfied : not needing more

Are you upset about your job situation? Are you unhappy about being single? Are you longing for a child? Are you disgusted about where you live? Do you desire better health?  Do you wish you had more money? These are all circumstances in our lives that bring discontent. We want a change to happen, and we want it NOW. Is it okay to desire a change? YES! Is it okay to pray for a change? YES! But, the changes won't really help anything if we haven't already learned to be content.

Philippians 4:11-13 - I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (NIV)

Have you considered that maybe God wants you to readjust your thinking and LEARN to be content before He can truly bless you with your desires?

I can think of at least 2 circumstances in my life (I know there are more, but these two stand out the most), that God gave me what I originally desired AFTER I changed my way of thinking.

Special Friends

The first was when I was in college. I was single and probably a little bit too eager about finding a husband. My desire was to become a supportive wife to a Christian man, someone with whom I could share my life and who would serve the Lord along with me. It was hard to be content to be single, even though I was only 20 years old at the time. It was during my last year at the college when I finally accepted I might never get married and told God I was okay with that and wanted to serve Him no matter what. Shortly after I readjusted my thinking, guess who I met? It was David. We quickly became special friends.

Waiting for Baby EL

The same thing sort of happened when David and I were trying to start a family. We struggled with infertility for 2 years, and I was upset about that for quite awhile. It was hard to watch other women around me getting pregnant and having babies and I wondered if it would ever happen to us. Then, one day, David and I were talking and realized we both had somehow become content to be without children if that's what God wanted for us. Over time, we had readjusted our thinking and had learned to be content in our circumstances. Shortly after that, we had a welcome surprise - our daughter, EL!

Each of these situations were learning and growing experiences for me, and I know now that God's timing was best. I have learned that God does want us to be happy, but He wants our happiness to come from fellowship with HIM - not from our circumstances.

So, now I bring the question to you:  Is there something going on in your life that you need to readjust YOUR thinking about?

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Legend of the Easter Robin [GIVEAWAY CLOSED]

When robins build a nest on the window ledge at Tressa's Grandmother’s house, Tressa is thrilled, and also concerned. What would happen to the pretty blue eggs laid by the mother robin? In The Legend of the Easter Robin, Tressa watches the robins caring for their eggs, visits with Grandma and learns how to make bird eggs to hang outside on Easter morning, learns how our Heavenly Father cares for the birds, and learns about the legend of the Easter robin (an old Pennsylvania Dutch tale about how robins developed their red breast after one bird had an encounter with Jesus). It is a sweetly illustrated book, and would be an interesting and creative Easter story to share with your child, teaching them about compassion and faith.

For your chance to win a copy of this book, please use the entry form below. Entries will be accepted until Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. CST. Must be 18 or older to enter. One entry per mailing address. 

Entry-Form

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER

FACEBOOK 

TWITTER

What Does it Mean to Wait for the Lord?

The word of the week is WAIT.

• It is a short word with a big command.
• It is one of the hardest things we have to endure, because we are impatient people.
• It is something EVERYONE (including my family) is doing right now, every day, in some way, for something. 

What exactly does it mean to wait? It means to stay where you are until it’s the right time for something to happen.

There are many verses in the Bible that talk about waiting; more specifically, waiting for the Lord:

Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (ESV)

Psalm 31:24 - Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!

Psalm 33:20 - Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 37:7 - Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 130:5 - I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

Isaiah 40:31 - but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Lamentations 3:25 - The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Micah 7:7 - But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Proverbs 20:22 - Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

What does it mean to wait for the Lord? It means to stay where you are (i.e. remain faithful) until the right time (God’s time) for something to happen.

It means to expect and hope for the best to happen; for God to intervene in your situation.

Why? Because of what it says is Isaiah 64:4 

With help from the Hebrew dictionary, I broke that verse down:

• FROM OF OLD: since the beginning of the world
• NO ONE: not one single person in the history of time
• HAS HEARD OR PERCEIVED BY THE EAR: has become aware of by listening with the ears
• NO EYE HAS SEEN: and no one has visually recognized
• A GOD BESIDES YOU: a God other than Elohim (the Creator and Ruler of the world)
• WHO ACTS: who takes action/does something (works)
• FOR THOSE WHO WAIT FOR HIM: for those of us who remain faithful as we expect and hope for God to intervene on our behalf, when the time is right.

So, when you put it all together, my own paraphrase says this:

Since the beginning of the world, not one single person in the history of time has become aware of, by listening with the ears, or visually recognizing, a God other than Elohim (the Creator and Ruler of the world) who takes action (works) for those of us who remain faithful as we expect and hope for Him to intervene on our behalf, when the time is right.

In summary, the God of Heaven and Earth, the Maker of the universe, is actively working FOR us. Why? Because He cares about us, and knows what is best for us. We can’t see the future, but He can. So, we need to trust and patiently wait for Him to work on our behalf. Sometimes, things turn out differently that what we envision, but oftentimes, they turn out even better.

Keep hoping, keep trusting, keep waiting for the Lord. It will all work out in His time.
 

Links:
BIBLE HUB - Text Analysis of Isaiah 64:4
BIBLE.ORG - Waiting on the Lord

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Created for More by Jonathan Malm [GIVEAWAY CLOSED]

Do you enjoy painting, designing, drawing, writing, preaching, dancing, acting, crafting, sewing, photography, baking, cooking, etc.? In other words, do you like to CREATE, whether it be for a hobby or for a job? If so, there is a new book, Created for More by Jonathan Malm that you might want to check out.  It is a short 30-day devotional that could be the spark you are looking for to help jump start your devotional life, as well as provide challenges for enhancing your creativity.

Malm points out that we are all uniquely made by God, and we each see things differently in this world but, sometimes, when we are expressing our creativity, we make things too complicated. He writes, "Creativity isn't some excessively complicated thing. It's simple. Just show others what you see." 

Each devotion has a Scripture reference, a short message, a prayer starter, a summary to help you change the way you think, and a challenge.  

I did not do any of the challenges listed at the end of each devotion. They just didn't excite me. I guess I was looking for more specific ways to help me be more creative in my writing; but, to me, they were too vague and just didn't provide enough motivation. However, I read through everything else in the devotions. I enjoyed them because they were different than the usual devotions I have read, and they gave an interesting perspective on how creativity reflects our creative God.

If you are interested in reading this book, I would be happy to pass my copy along. Just leave a comment below with your contact info, or send me an e-mail. I will randomly choose the winner on Saturday, February 20, 2016, at 8:00 p.m. CST. One entry per person. USA only.

NOTE: I recently joined the blog review team for Moody Publishers, and received this book free for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Unconditional Love

The word of the week is UNCONDITIONAL

not limited in any way : complete and absolute

Today is Valentine's Day. What better day than today to talk about unconditional love. 

Did you know there are promises in God's Word that tell us He does, and always will, love us unconditionally? His love is not limited in any way. It is complete and absolute. It is not based on anything we do or don't do for Him. He loves us simply because He created us and we are His people.

Romans 5:8 - But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Jeremiah 31:3 - The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. (NASB)

Titus 3:4-5 - But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  (ESV)

Isn't it wonderful to know that God loves us unconditionally? I think it is. But, now, here's some food for thought:

Do we love Him back with that same kind of unconditional love?

It is easy to love a God who favorably answers our prayers, am I right? But, what about when our prayers are not answered to our liking, or if we think He is not answering them as soon as we think He should? Do we still love Him and serve Him, JUST BECAUSE HE IS OUR CREATOR?

One of my favorite lines from the movie "Facing the Giants" is when the main character asks his wife:  "If God doesn't give you what you want, will you still love Him?"  She had no answer at that moment, because her earthly desires were overpowering her thoughts. It was hard for her to love Him unconditionally. As time went on, she did finally realize that God's plans for her life may not be what SHE had envisioned. So, she chose to love Him no matter the circumstances. 

What about you? If God doesn't give you what you want, will YOU still love Him?

Making God Your Own

The word of the week is OWN.  

belonging to oneself : used to express immediate or direct kinship (own son)

When we take ownership of something, how does it affect our relationship with it? It usually causes us to have more of a connection to it, or even an admiration for it, don't you think? If you own a pet cat, think about your cat in relation to all the other cats in the world. You might say, "That cat is nice" about any cat in the world. But, for your own cat, you would say, "This is MY cat. He is special."

Think about your car, your house, your child, your friends, and so on.You might say, "Look at all the nice cars in the lot." But, when someone asks which car is yours, you could say, "Here is MY car." The same would be true for anything else you own.

What about God? Do you feel as if God is an impersonal God who doesn't really care about you? Is He just someone who is "out there," someone who created the world but doesn't really have anything to do with you? If that is what you think, then you haven't made Him YOURS. 

Take a look at how many times King David uses the word MY in Psalm 18:1-3 when referring to the Lord, HIS God.  

Psalm 18:1-3 - “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. 

In these verses, God was a personal God to David, meaning He was working for him and helping him through life.  He wasn't just "out there" and letting David fend for himself. David understood that.

But, maybe you are asking, "How do I make God my own?" The short answer is that you make Him your own when you DRAW NEAR to Him; and, in order to draw near to Him, you must do two things:

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (ESV)

#1 - BELIEVE HE EXISTS 
Romans 1:18-20 - For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (NASB)

Since the creation of the world, God has made Himself known. You just have to open your eyes, and your hearts, to see it.

#2 - SEEK HIM
Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (NASB)

How do you seek Him?

• Most important, accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Trust Him for the forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to make things right between you and God. (Go to this page to learn more about WHY WE NEED SALVATION.)
• Get to know Him better by studying His Word (the Holy Bible). The words in the pages of the Bible are God's personal letter to you. Find out what He has to say. 
• Talk to Him as if He is in the same room as you and not just up there somewhere in the clouds. Prayer is your very own personal connection to a God who hears you and understands your needs. 

When you seek God in this manner, you WILL find Him, and you WILL be drawing near to Him. You will be making Him your own.

Draw near to Him today, and He will draw near to you.