GOD SONG

2/15/12 Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty, Early in the morning my song shall rise to Thee…..If I were to “wager,” I’d say that hymn is the first, or at least on the first few pages, of every Methodist and Baptist hymnbook. You denominational folks, with hymnal access, will have to let me know.  It’s just stored in my mental hymnal bank---those recollections from my youth. God can certainly speak to my heart through those rich old melodies and familiar lyrics. 

So......this week, I've been using hymns to speak to God’s heart. I’m singing familiar verses and choruses to the Lord and praying the psalms, Bonhoeffer’s “prayer book of the Bible.” In a way it’s also a hymn book of the Bible……so I must be on the right track.

Holy, Holy, Holy’s lyrics have shown me the importance of executing this vocal exercise, my God Song, as morning "breaks". This week I’ve been composing my song “early”….whether it’s a praise song, a battle song or a song of comfort. Composition takes place before my feet even hit the floor!

How grateful I am, as one who can’t read music or “carry a tune,” that the Lord who hears from heaven, (Nehemiah 9:28) hears the God Song of my heart---not the pitch of my voice.

From FANTASY to REALITY

Fantasy Meets Reality

2/14/12…..or from NYTimes to Aldi. The NYTimes article (2/8) on lobster in a puff pastry momentarily had me considering that I could afford and create such a gourmet treat--- that, my friends, for me, is a delusionary state of mind.

When kids were younger, i.e. living here, Valentine’s Day “tradition” was a dinner using all the china, crystal, silver, etc. The rationale was that if they were ever invited to the White House for dinner, they wouldn’t embarrass themselves.

"New" Coconut pie recipe---created with what I had on hand.

Caleb, this is a place setting with more that one fork.

 Kids are gone from home and our newer tradition, dinner for two, is somewhat pared down. Seafood has become “bill of fare” along with fresh asparagus and whatever else is on sale though usually a “new” dessert to be served before after dinner “divinity, my fave gift from hubby. This year’s momentary deluded state of mind will hopefully include lobster, but not the NY way. Aldi’s Lobster tails, 2 for $12.99 is the reality---and even that’s a stretch because I’ve already gotten big scallops from Costco, hubby’s fave. 

V’day is right in the middle of “retreat” week for me so  I’m anxious to see where God leads me. At least the table is already set. 

The first thing He did, was to lead me from fantasy to reality. Then He allowed me to blog early so I could cut and paste this entry when the day comes---He reassured me that both He and hubby prefer my time and praise, not perfection. 

Perfection is not reality at 1152!

R & R = RETREAT

2/13/12 Reflecting and Refreshing-----that's the R & R I'm seeking this week. With the onset of funk #2 before 2012 was barely a month old, I knew a negative antidote was needed. "More of Thee, less of me." God affirmed that answer 3 times. #1 I received FOCUS newsletter from church. (p. 1) Cole's Pensées (a worthy read) included T. S. Eliot's poetic remarks in Choruses from the Rock. Although Cole didn't include, "The endless cycle of idea and action"----that was the hamster wheel I felt I was on. 

Endless invention, endless experiment, 
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness; 
 

Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
 Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word. 

Where is the Life we have lost in living? 
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? 
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

  #2 My Utmost for His Highest entry  2/9. My THOTS, Trusting Him On This Subject/Scripture, (my version of penseés, though not as erudite) were: Spiritual exhaustion comes through service, though mine are not of the "headline" variety. Exhaustion depends on where you get your supply. Go back. Recollect where the source of power is. I need to be my best for God's sheep as well as God Himself.

#3 Guest speaker, Rob Bugh, author of When the Bottom Drops Out, took me to Lamentations 3 and reminded me that if my "strength has perished" I need to examine and probe my ways (activities, maybe) and return to the Lord. (v. 40) I need to.... seek Him, wait for Him, wait silently. So on Meditation Monday, I started there.

²⁴ “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
²⁵ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that he waits silently 

To me, it all boils down to stillness. Time with the Lord. 

What will it look like this week as I "retreat"? I'm not exactly sure. But God.......will meet me where I am. I sense that less (activity) will be more. Less information, more knowledge. Knowledge of stillness and silence, not constant motion. Deeper, richer times with Him. It might include digital detoxing with e-mail and "googling" and letting go of the NY Times, USA Today and "Nightly News." I might blog or I might not. 

Pray with me that my reflection on God's hand in my life as I align my will with His will, will be a time of stillness.....in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3: 19)

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Scriptural Nudges

PRAYERS OF A 4 YEAR OLD
"Pray again, Pop-Pop. We forgot to pray for protection."

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection,

But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors. (Ecclesiastes 7:12)

NEARING HOME
 a book not just about dying but about living well as  one ages

And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to all who are to come. (Psalm 71:18)

HOPE BLOOMED!

The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I have hope in Him. (Lamentations 3:24)

DRENDA'S FLOWERS
Light on her yellow tulips, my favorite, have me remembering the Lord.

……the LORD, 
Who gives the sun for light by day.......(Jeremiah 31:35)

PHOTO WORKSHOP ASSIGNMENT: SHADOWS

Keep me as the apple of the eye;

Hide me in the shadow of Your wings. (Psalm 17:8)

 

Playing with Light

2/10/12 Assignment #4 for Good Golly Mamarazzi photo workshop was "playing with light." Post workshop's assignment were offered by the teacher to keep us using the camera techniques we had learned during class. Following the description for this "in the dark" activity was a message from said instructor. "I want you to relax with this assignment.....Play with the light... see what you can create. Just have fun."

I obviously didn't have this technique "down pat" because I felt on the verge of a nervous break-down, metaphorically, at least.

To play with the light, one has to find the light. If and when the light is found, then the camera lens has to focus on the light. 

That old Hank Williams song began playing in my mind. (All about songs this week, aren't I?)

I saw the light, I saw the light

No more darkness no more light.

(____________don't know this line) 

Praise the Lord, I saw the Light.

  I couldn't see the light ----darkness surrounded me.....It wasn't incorrect aperture, or shutter speed. (those words still confuse me) I know, because teacher/daughter had set those for me.

Hubby came to the rescue. He found the light and followed my directions to "play with the light" while I stayed with the camera.

Praise the Lord---the camera "caught" the light.

Song of Deliverance

2/8/12 

Soothing sounds of “You Deliver Me” were being sung by Selah. They’re also the vocal group that sing, “You are My Hiding Place."

You are my hiding place

You always fill my heart

With songs of deliverance

Whenever I am afraid

I will trust in You          (http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/selah)

How interesting that this Dove Award winning trio is uniquely named with the exclamation that ends the Psalm verse from which " You Are My Hiding Place" was written. If there’s a story there, I don’t know it. I just know that today that song of deliverance spoke to my heart.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah (Psalm 32:7)

Thank you Lord for delivering me from my self.

"Sing, Sing a Song"

2/7/12 

"Sing

Sing a song

Sing out loud Sing out strong

Sing of good things, not bad 

(Something ??) happy, not sad."

Scene: Mid-70s, our big ($212 a mo.) MSU faculty rental home at 3958 Central. Son, Buddy, in front of our console TV singing along, loud and strong (especially loud) with Bob as he sang to the Muppets on Sesame Street. After all these years, I still remember the words, at least some of them. I wonder if Buddy does.

Those words whirring in my head brought me up out of my sad song revery. Though not a hymn or a scripture, the lyrics seemed to provide deliverance from my song of complaint and frustration. I needed to change my thinking and my singing. Singing of good things, not bad, led to thinking of more things that were "good, honest just, pure, lovely." Thinking changed thus singing changed. Eventually my heart began to change "back" closer to where it needed to be. A grateful heart is reflected in songs of praise and joy, not sad songs. 

Soon I hope to be singing out those songs loud and strong.

New Song Needed

2/6/12 "Same old song." I need new lyrics for the same old song that I've been singing these last few days. Try as I might, I couldn't find a song of complaint, song of frustration or song of overwhelming anxiety in my Strong's Concordance. But.....I've certainly been singing them lately. I found songs of lament, songs of deliverance and lots of songs of praise. I know my songs haven't been songs of praise. When one's posture has her shoulders up around her ears, it's doubtful she's singing praises to the Lord.

Complaint. Despair. Frustration. Much like the "noise of thy song" (Tyre) which the Lord caused to cease (Ezekiel 26:13) I imagine my song grates on Him as well. A song of self. That music stinks.

My focus needs to look upward and not inward. Psalm 98 is a good place to start on this Meditation Monday---the sub-title naming it,  "A Call to Praise the Lord for His Righteousness."

I need a new song----a song of praise to my Lord.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A Super week

My "first" daffodil---with hope of more to come!
"Consider the flowers of the field....Matthew 6:28, Arabic ver.)

Scripture nudge--For with Thee is the fountain of life....(Psalm 36:9a) 

Scripture nudge --"living water...a wellspring of water  of eternal life."
(John 4:11, 14) 

Good Golly Mamarazzi photography workshop class
http://goodgollyphotography.blogspot.com/

A SUPER bowl spread!

Super Bowl XLVI

2/5/12 

AFFIRMATION

2/2/12 Some days one's psyche could use a little encouraging or affirmation. I have recently had such a day----similar to Alexander's, "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." But a blast of guilt and shame came instead of affirmation. I sank right into self-pity.....and I know where that originates. Self-pity comes straight from the pit.
Affirming others is a biblical art---in Paul's letter to Philemon he commends him for affirming others in the faith.

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,.....For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. (vs. 4-7)

I know that my focus needs to be on affirming others. Refreshing others.....and not worrying about being refreshed myself! Easier to type than to do. In fact, I like Alexander, considered going to Australia. (To visit Sarah Young) But, like the wisdom of Alexander's mother, I know that some days are like that..... even in Australia.

Some days I could do with remembering that I need to please God, not man. (Galatians 1:10) My affirmation should come from Him. The only place I saw it that day was from my toothbrush. Maybe that was a "God wink"---His creative affirmation. At least I smiled.