Hello again! Choosing to be faithful...
Hello! : D
So lately I haven't been blogging because I've been like, well probably no one reads this so who cares and I don't have time, etc. But I need to do this for my own sake and because it is pleasing to the Lord too. I have to be willing to be faithful even if I will never see the fruit of it, like when you give your money away somewhere that doesn't serve you but you know it does good things. It's hard to give, be obedient and have faith.
Why is it so hard to have faith? I have to realize that my life does matter even if I feel like I'm not saving the world or anything. I never was or will be, that's God's job. I just hope I will find a place to be incorporated into telling and spreading the great message of His salvation! I'm realizing though that it has to start with the small acts of obedience every day before I'll ever be able to do anything really "great". For example, if I want to be able to play guitar, I'm going to actually have to practice regularly. I so often think, "Oh, I have to practice those dumb little songs in the book, that's so pointless." I have to stop looking at the little picture, but see that it's a step towards greater things. I now put a Bible verse in my guitar book that says, "He has committed us to the message of reconciliation. --2 Corinthians 5:19" This verse reminds me of our duty to bring others to Christ, and one powerful way we can do this is to bring others into the presence of God through worship. Even if it's just a small group of people and a guitar, it can be powerful. I have to remember that I am called to this and choose to be faithful.
I'm reminded now of a shirt that I have from an Acquire the Fire youth conference which says,
"My Voice Will Rise Above the Noise!"
That is how it has to be! I have to let God's voice rise above the "noise" and busyness of my life and then let my voice be heard above the noise in other's lives. I do have something to say and one of the things I hate most is when I feel like I don't matter and people won't listen to me. It's honestly depressing when you try to share your heart and people want to point out the flaws in what you say. So often I say things that have a deeper point than the story I'm really telling and then people will point out something they think is wrong from the story. Don't miss the deeper point! There is so much more if. we. would. just. stop. and. listen.
I could go on and on. and on. and on. and on. You get the point. It's good to vent and feel like you are heard. I know God listens. It's also good for me to read over my old blogs and learn from how I was doing before. I have to be willing to edify myself for my own sake and not worry about the time, money, etc.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough troubles of its own." --Matthew 6:34
“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Proverbs 21:21 NIV
Yeah, so all this to say I was just going to post a poem, but then I got to blogging. Lol I like to blog. That sounds so cliche like, "I like to go jogging, draw flowers, and blog." Ha ha.
Acquire The Fire's Normal's Not Enough tour this year is awesome! You must go see it!
At ATF it was so good to go and see my friends that I went to the Honor Academy with last year, and the worship was so refreshing, the teaching is sound, and it is so good to worship with thousands of other people! I will never forget it. The Lord works miracles and He is not far away, but we must seek Him!
I'm currently reading and going to Bible study for the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It is really good. Yeah, life is short and you only live once. It's hard to realize this until you go to enough funerals and realize, Oh, I really will die someday. Then, you must apply it to your life! Ah yes, yes, yes that is what we must do.
Well, God bless you all! Know that you are loved far more than you know! Remember to take breaks and seek His love. It is the only way to be whole.
Thank you Father for all you are doing in our lives. Thank you that although you are so awesomely amazing, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, all the planets and galaxies down to the tiniest details of butterflies and romance, thank you that through it all you are good and you love us. You are faithful to the end, even when we are faithless. I love you so much Father, and I desire to worship you. Teach me to be faithful and wholehearted. I love and praise you God, the One who uplifts and saves, Amen!
Poem (from right now):
Let your presence rain on us.
Make me whole.
I'm longing to know
all that I can be.
I want to be a part of Your divine family.
Teach me to walk in faith.
I have a broken and contrite heart,
but I so often walk away in the craziness of the world.
I have a heart and I want to show it.
Let me not give up.
Never, never, never give up!
My voice will rise above the noise!
When I feel like I'm drowning in an open see,
I call out to you.
You pick me up and
set me free!
Let your love wash over me!
I want to let go and be unafraid.
I'm unashamed of your presence!
Let me be loved and dance in your love!
You'll come like the rain!
The Holy Father of love is waiting for us!
Let me be cleansed by Your Holy fire,
this is my pure desire!
Wash over me, come make me clean!
I want to be loved by You!
You sing over me,
let me not run away.
In Your arms I am safe,
you won't let me fall into the open seas
of fear, doubt, and self-hatred
if I will only hang onto you!
My Father in heaven will see me through!
Maker of all things, you see my ways,
you know my heart and every time I stray.
Draw me back to you.
Fix my broken heart!
I'm crying out for a new start!
I'm tired of my selfishness
and trying to be in control.
Take it all Father! I give you my life!
Only You can make beautiful music
come from this heart full of sin.
But you give me Christ's righteousness
and transform me from within!
Oh how sweet it is to be loved by You!
I am loved by the Father!
Sing it out! Pour it out!
Only by One so great
can such goodness and kindness come!
We who deserved to die,
were died for, ransomed, paid for by blood!
I don't just give mental assent that
Christ died for me.
I don't only sing songs on Sundays
and go to church.
I let the Gospel of Truth change me
from within in!
The message of His love inspires me
to give up my selfish life and follow Him!
His love changes me.
Thank you so much for your goodness Father, let us with unclean lips be cleansed. For we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory God. Let us walk in the light of your presence God. We love and praise you Father! Amen.
Our God is a God who saves!
So lately I haven't been blogging because I've been like, well probably no one reads this so who cares and I don't have time, etc. But I need to do this for my own sake and because it is pleasing to the Lord too. I have to be willing to be faithful even if I will never see the fruit of it, like when you give your money away somewhere that doesn't serve you but you know it does good things. It's hard to give, be obedient and have faith.
Why is it so hard to have faith? I have to realize that my life does matter even if I feel like I'm not saving the world or anything. I never was or will be, that's God's job. I just hope I will find a place to be incorporated into telling and spreading the great message of His salvation! I'm realizing though that it has to start with the small acts of obedience every day before I'll ever be able to do anything really "great". For example, if I want to be able to play guitar, I'm going to actually have to practice regularly. I so often think, "Oh, I have to practice those dumb little songs in the book, that's so pointless." I have to stop looking at the little picture, but see that it's a step towards greater things. I now put a Bible verse in my guitar book that says, "He has committed us to the message of reconciliation. --2 Corinthians 5:19" This verse reminds me of our duty to bring others to Christ, and one powerful way we can do this is to bring others into the presence of God through worship. Even if it's just a small group of people and a guitar, it can be powerful. I have to remember that I am called to this and choose to be faithful.
I'm reminded now of a shirt that I have from an Acquire the Fire youth conference which says,
"My Voice Will Rise Above the Noise!"
That is how it has to be! I have to let God's voice rise above the "noise" and busyness of my life and then let my voice be heard above the noise in other's lives. I do have something to say and one of the things I hate most is when I feel like I don't matter and people won't listen to me. It's honestly depressing when you try to share your heart and people want to point out the flaws in what you say. So often I say things that have a deeper point than the story I'm really telling and then people will point out something they think is wrong from the story. Don't miss the deeper point! There is so much more if. we. would. just. stop. and. listen.
I could go on and on. and on. and on. and on. You get the point. It's good to vent and feel like you are heard. I know God listens. It's also good for me to read over my old blogs and learn from how I was doing before. I have to be willing to edify myself for my own sake and not worry about the time, money, etc.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough troubles of its own." --Matthew 6:34
“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Proverbs 21:21 NIV
Yeah, so all this to say I was just going to post a poem, but then I got to blogging. Lol I like to blog. That sounds so cliche like, "I like to go jogging, draw flowers, and blog." Ha ha.
Acquire The Fire's Normal's Not Enough tour this year is awesome! You must go see it!
At ATF it was so good to go and see my friends that I went to the Honor Academy with last year, and the worship was so refreshing, the teaching is sound, and it is so good to worship with thousands of other people! I will never forget it. The Lord works miracles and He is not far away, but we must seek Him!
I'm currently reading and going to Bible study for the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It is really good. Yeah, life is short and you only live once. It's hard to realize this until you go to enough funerals and realize, Oh, I really will die someday. Then, you must apply it to your life! Ah yes, yes, yes that is what we must do.
Well, God bless you all! Know that you are loved far more than you know! Remember to take breaks and seek His love. It is the only way to be whole.
Thank you Father for all you are doing in our lives. Thank you that although you are so awesomely amazing, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, all the planets and galaxies down to the tiniest details of butterflies and romance, thank you that through it all you are good and you love us. You are faithful to the end, even when we are faithless. I love you so much Father, and I desire to worship you. Teach me to be faithful and wholehearted. I love and praise you God, the One who uplifts and saves, Amen!
Poem (from right now):
Let your presence rain on us.
Make me whole.
I'm longing to know
all that I can be.
I want to be a part of Your divine family.
Teach me to walk in faith.
I have a broken and contrite heart,
but I so often walk away in the craziness of the world.
I have a heart and I want to show it.
Let me not give up.
Never, never, never give up!
My voice will rise above the noise!
When I feel like I'm drowning in an open see,
I call out to you.
You pick me up and
set me free!
Let your love wash over me!
I want to let go and be unafraid.
I'm unashamed of your presence!
Let me be loved and dance in your love!
You'll come like the rain!
The Holy Father of love is waiting for us!
Let me be cleansed by Your Holy fire,
this is my pure desire!
Wash over me, come make me clean!
I want to be loved by You!
You sing over me,
let me not run away.
In Your arms I am safe,
you won't let me fall into the open seas
of fear, doubt, and self-hatred
if I will only hang onto you!
My Father in heaven will see me through!
Maker of all things, you see my ways,
you know my heart and every time I stray.
Draw me back to you.
Fix my broken heart!
I'm crying out for a new start!
I'm tired of my selfishness
and trying to be in control.
Take it all Father! I give you my life!
Only You can make beautiful music
come from this heart full of sin.
But you give me Christ's righteousness
and transform me from within!
Oh how sweet it is to be loved by You!
I am loved by the Father!
Sing it out! Pour it out!
Only by One so great
can such goodness and kindness come!
We who deserved to die,
were died for, ransomed, paid for by blood!
I don't just give mental assent that
Christ died for me.
I don't only sing songs on Sundays
and go to church.
I let the Gospel of Truth change me
from within in!
The message of His love inspires me
to give up my selfish life and follow Him!
His love changes me.
Thank you so much for your goodness Father, let us with unclean lips be cleansed. For we have all sinned and fallen short of your glory God. Let us walk in the light of your presence God. We love and praise you Father! Amen.
Our God is a God who saves!
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Amy