in everything.

i've never before been given, by the Lord, the words & melodies to a song so quickly or so easily, but two nights ago the Lord blessed me with this piece of music & it completely pumped me up & rocked my world. i've never been one to share what i write - or, rather, what He writes through me - but this time i feel led to. the words are precious to my heart...i do see the Lord in the small things - in everything...and that's what this song is all about. i hope it's as much a blessing to someone else as it has been to me. use it. share it. most of all - i pray that you worship.



In Everything - romans 11:36
december 23, 2008

Capo 5 (Piano in key of D...i think)
Vs. 1
G D
I see You in the morning sky
Em D C
And I see You in the night
G D
I hear You in the voice of babes
Em D C
And in the widow’s cry

Chorus
G D
Hosanna You’re always there
Em D C
Hallelujah to my King
G D
Sweet Yahweh You’re my one true love
Em D C
I see You in everything
Em D C
I see You in everything

Vs. 2
G D
I feel You in the melodies
Em D C
And I know You’re oh so near
G D
I feel You smiling down on me
Em D C
And Your face I see so clear (repeat line)

Chorus (X2)

Bridge
C
As I stand on Your shore
D
And gaze into Your waves
G
Feel Your sands underneath
C
I’m swept up in Your grace
Em D
I get a glimpse into heaven
C D
As You whisper my name
C D
At the water I meet You
C D
I call out and say

Chorus (X2)

**Oh, & Merry Christmas...remember why we celebrate!

so quickly Stale...

[warning: this is yet another post stemming from an everyday moment that i took a spiritual lesson from...]

last night i finally started the ever-dreaded Christmas shopping. yes, i'm well aware that Christmas is in 4 days, but refer to my last post and you will gain a glimpse into why i've waited so long to start shopping. anyway, while i was on the run frantically trying to make it from store to store before they closed i grabbed yet another quick, fast-food dinner - which i've grown to hate...no, absolutely loathe! if you know anything about me, you know my love for green beans. let's just say my taste buds are experiencing an extreme case of G.B.D. (green bean deprivation). on with the story...so i scarfed down half my "meal" and headed in a store...the food was too hot to eat anyway. forty minutes or so later when i returned to the car, i was ready to finish eating and when i took my first bite i was absolutely disgusted. it was cold, hard, and tasteless. i found myself thinking - i didn't know it was possible for something once so good to turn SO bad SO quickly!! and then it hit me that the Lord probably thinks that about my walk with Him...and thinks it often.

my walk with the Lord tends to teeter between ON FIRE one moment and ABSOLUTELY DRY & THIRSTY the next. it takes only a day or two of my neglecting time with the Lord before i realize i've so quickly grown stale...again. consistency is hard, but necessary. i cannot do it alone. it is only by His grace & mercy that my relationship with Him exists and continual growth is possible.

Lord, pour your favor out on me and quench the thirst in my soul that only you can satisfy. forgive me for neglecting You time and time again. bring me to my knees in humility everyday and once i'm facedown on the floor, be the strength i need to lift my head & lock eyes with only You. renew a desire within me for time with You when the flame You've ignited flickers because of my selfishness. fuel the fire that burns within me and draw others to the flames.

i have issues with holidaymas.

i've debated for over a week about whether or not to post what's been on my mind, but i really feel led to. i pray that it doesn't offend anyone but that it speaks to your hearts & makes you take a step back from the holiday chaos and really consider what it is you're doing all this for.

i've always said i have issues with Christmas, but really - i don't have issues with Christmas...i have issues with what Christmas has turned into: holidaymas. or rather, holiday-MESS. it's not about Christ. christians got all upset last year when the cashiers at wal-mart started saying "happy holidays" rather than merry Christmas but we're not showing them that december 25th should be about Christ anyway so what should we expect. stop getting mad at others for taking Christ out of Christmas - they learned it from you. they learned it from us.

i've never understood Christmas presents. don't get me wrong, i LOVE santa & all the memories i have growing up of 4am Christmas mornings. Christmas eve rolled around and my sister always built me a tent to sleep in. i'd wake up 2 hours later and RUN to my sisters' room & jump on one of their beds...always the oldest one's...she was more of a morning person. they'd tell me to go back to sleep. it happened about 4 times before i eventually made progress. rather than telling me to go back to sleep the response then turned into "go wake up mom & dad and then we'll get up." so i'd RUN to mom & dad's room and tell them (of course) that christie & sandie were up and wanted me to come get them up. they'd tell me to go back to sleep. again, i'd repeat that process about 3 more times until more progress was made. eventually someone got up. then we had to wait on sandie to brush her teeth and dad to grab the camera...and mom would strategically place us in the right position so dad could take the perfect picture when we finally saw what santa surprised us with. good times.

like i said, i love santa. i love those memories. but i think somewhere between 16 & 22 the Lord stirred something within me that won't go away. my family started a tradition many years ago of not giving gifts. we take a trip...usually skiing. we just spend time together. make memories...don't waste money on useless things.

i was talking with a friend the other day. Christmas is so messed up. we spend all this time & effort making lists of things we want and giving them to people so they can buy them and then we are supposed to act surprised. starting on thanksgiving day people go CRAZY shopping. we spend HUNDREDS of dollars (if not MUCH MORE) on STUFF. why??

we give one another gifts one day a year all because Jesus died on a cross & rose from the dead? something is seriously messed up.

Christmas trees should remind us of the wood the Lord was nailed to...
Christmas trees should remind us of the wood His blood poured out onto...
Christmas trees should remind us of new life & growth that comes only through His death & resurrection...
Christmas trees should remind us that when He is a part of our lives, when we invite Him into our hearts - our homes - His fragrance overtakes & overwhelms us (just like the smell of a freshly cut tree fills our home for a time)...
Christmas trees should NOT remind us of the presents undernearth.

sometimes i think the Lord's heart breaks more on Christmas day than any other day of the year.

i feel like i need a disclaimer here...i write out of a broken heart, but i write knowing that i'm just as much at fault for this as anyone else. this year our family is doing the gift thing. while i'm not really happy about it, i asked for things i shouldn't have. things that cost my family something. things that require sacrifice in order for me to have. shame on us. shame on me.

i didn't even have to ask Him for His sacrifice - a sacrifice that cost Him his life. & the one day set aside to remember that sacrifice...we ask for more.

just something to chew on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU