Soothing the soul....

WOW! It's so true the saying I've heard for years that music soothes the savage beast! It amazes me how God works through music, things I always find soothing to the soul. Yesterday at church I was privy to be able to sing on the praise team, which is something I haven't done since changing churches, which was totally a thing not by choice, but something maybe I'll be able to talk about later. In any case, the praise team song last night was "I exalt thee", the words are so simple and they roll off the tounge so smooth, "I exalt thee, I exalt thee, I exalt thee, oh Lord!" the songs that had been sang prior to the praise team coming to sing had all been about having a thankful heart, and how heaven is so close, and as we began to sing I exalt thee, the first part of the verse says for thou oh Lord art high above the earth, I began to think about this and a beautiful time of worship which was already going on in our service seemed to become charged even more with just simple words, exaltation to the Lord, our Reedemer. A song that in these days when so many have a "troubled soul" it becomes like a soothing ointment on a wound, when physically you can't see the pain that a person is in - the words to a song or the words of a friend can be so soothing and do more healing in a moment than one will ever know. I exalt thee oh Lord - your high above the Heavens, you are our Reedemer, you rule and you reign, and though our trials may be great here on this earth, they are nothing compared to what you endured on the cross to take away our sins! So simply today, I hope you will join me, and just Exalt Him! He is worthy of all exaltation!


Trish

Special Guest Post --- Fire of God

We often hear today a phrase in church, it goes like this: we are praying for the fire of God or we want the fire of God in our churches.

When a fire starts it burns all that can be burnt unless put out, as we look what happens when a fire occurs change happens. It takes what was and reduces it down and even changes the appearance of it. Fire is also used for cleansing out or cleaning for new growth.

So there is this word that is within me, that goes as follows. When we are on fire from God we will be reduced down from out own will to his. There will be a cleansing that may hurt our flesh for awhile but it will be for new growth. New growth is what we want in our individual lives to bring glory and honor to God. So let the fire of God burn.

Submitted by: Rev Charles DeBord

(Very proud to say this special guest post was written by one of my uncles Rev Charles DeBord. Thanks so much for you insight Charles!)

Somebody Like Me....

In this crazy, mixed up world that I live in, I can't help but wonder sometimes when the drama will end. I know that God has everything in complete control and I trust Him beyond measure! With that being said I was sitting at a family members house this week and thinking about all the things that I have been going through lately and decided - pitty party - table for me - I was feeling really sorry for numero uno!! Is it not amazing how we as human beings think that the world strickly revolves around us and that even though we care about others - our problems just seem way more than theirs. Ever had one of those times? Who hasn't right?

Well in my pitty party moment at the family members house, I started to look around me and I saw somethings that touched my heart! I saw a couple family members who stepped up and took care of things - just to help the other one out -- I mean that's what families do -- well at least my family, but it was in this and then coming to another family members house and hearing a song that somethings just clicked in this hard headed round thing attached to my shoulders!

I was listening to the song by Jason Crabb called "Somebody Like Me" and the words seemed to just jump out at me that day. It made me sit and think, when are we as Christians going to quit with the pitty parties and the looking out for numero uno and when are we going to become the Church that Christ taught us in His word to be. The song paints a picture for me - a ole drunk comes to church - fully knowing that's where he needs to be - but the self righteousness of the congregation gets in the way and he realizes they don't want him there so he gets up and leaves and no one stops him. Can you imagine what might have happened at that church - if somebody would have gotten up and came and sat down beside that man and welcomed him to that church or when he felt uncomfortable would have met him at the door and asked him not to leave and sat back down with him. I pray God give us the boldness to be a somebody who will take a stand - to go against the grain - be a difference maker -- I think I'm going to have to use this song as my new daily thought -- somebody like me -- Lord let this somebody like me - reflect you - let this somebody like me do your will -- not mine -- take the me out and let this somebody be your reflection and your hands extended. True to the words of that song if we would be the somebody like me - that ole drunk would have probably stayed in that service and became a beautiful new creature - just an ole sinner saved by grace!

Let's be that "somebody like me" be the somebody who reflects Christ in everything that we do!

Trish D