SUNSETS EXTRAORDINAIRE!

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me 

Let me be singing when the evening comes

May I continue to worship His holy name.

Thank you Lord for neighbors who share sunsets on our ridge in the mountains, a son who shares a sunset in Honolulu, Hawaii and our daughter who shares sunsets at a beach in Florida..

All are examples of God's amazing creation. 

Pink and orange sky sunsets in continental US & a serene sunset in Hawaii!

May we all continue to experience the awe of sunsets with praise in our hearts.

I will bless the LORD at all times:His praise will continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

*Grandson Jack alerted her, "Look Mommy the sky is turning pink & orange!"

When she got to the steps to take a pic, a youngster was standing there exclaiming, "Look what Jesus Made!" Her affirming reply, "Indeed He did!!" had the little fella smiling from ear to ear!

"Dancing thru the puddles from recent storms"

1/29/13 Hearing these lyrics recently.....

If I had no voice, If I had no tongue, I would dance for you like the rising sun. And when that day comes and I see your face. I will shout your endless glorious praise.

I searched out the entire song, "You Are". (And downloaded it from iTunes)The words seemed to speak to my heart as I continue to "work" through some "storms" right now! Let me rephrase that---as I try to dance through these storms----just trying to praise God as I dance in the residual rain and puddles of several recent storms. Once again the Lord will turn my mourning (& fear) into dancing & clothe me with gladness----I know He will. (Psalm 30:11) Click the screen and enjoy----and even dance around if you choose!

When I can’t find the words to say how much it hurts You are the healing in my heart When all that I can see are broken memories You are the light that’s in the dark Chorus: You are the song, You are the song I’m singing. You are the air, You are the air I’m breathing You are the hope, You are the hope I needed. You are And when my circumstance leaves me with empty hands. You are the provider of my needs. When all my dirtiness has left me helpless. You are the rain that washes me.

♪ ♩ ♪ So much to sing about….♪ ♩ ♪

8/20/12 “Though I can’t ♪ ♪ sing, the Lord seems to be nudging me to scriptures on singing unto Him,” is a paraphrase of Debbie Frazier’s comment yesterday morning as we sat pew-side together.

Of course, precious Julianne had just led us women in ♪ ♪ singing “10,000 Reasons” so I was already in “puddle” position. Yet, I knew what she meant. Our lives should be a ♪ ♪ song ♪ ♪ to Him---delight to His ears as we lift our voices in praise. ♪ ♩ ♪ ♪ ♩ ♪

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely. (Psalm 59:16-17)

Two verses worth singing “I will sing of Your love forever”….

…. and meditating on as well.

For we believers do have so many reasons to sing His praises….and for some it seems there is so little time.

MEDITATION: ♪♪ music to His ears ♪♪

7/16/12

PSALM 92:1-4 A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
 and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
 I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

This was the psalm Aggie "prayed all over me" while I was in Ukraine---it means more and more every time I read it. When it was read aloud in church yesterday, I got "glory bumps". 

Today as I pondered it---Chris Tomlin's "Shout to the Lord" began "playing" in my mind.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing......

Music. Praise. Meditation. More praise. It's all running together for me. It has me singing. May my "joyful noise" be music to His ears!

PIP

10/3/11 PIP is my acronym for "Put Into Practice." Usually for me that means living out a meaningful verse of Scripture. Today was a "Day of Praise" for the radio station K-Love. They asked listeners to join them in praising God for who He is & thanking Him for what He's done. Praise and thanks. That seemed like a good thing to PIP. (By the way my acronyms are in no way connected to net lingo for chatting or texting---just my way of remembering, established long before one could even text on a phone.)

Today's MM (Monday Meditation) is a glimpse as I PIP this challenge. Meditating on scripture often serves as a springboard for prayer and praise. Psalm 67 was my international praise guide. Psalm 150 was my benediction.

1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us
2that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
4Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
6The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! (ESV)

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6)

As the Puritan's "Evening Praise" states, "My cup runs over. Suffer me not to be insensible (without feeling) to these daily mercies.Thy hand bestows blessings: Thy power averts evil. I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces, the warmth of faith, the cheering presence of Thy Spirit...." (The Valley of Vision, p. 121)

Wednesday Confession Guide

3/3/10 O Lord, open my lips,That my mouth may declare Your praise.(Psalm 51:15)
As many know, Wednesdays are all about confessions for me and this one is no different---because I’m dealing with sin, I’m just not sure which one it is. Wonder what the root sin of preoccupation with self, ungrateful spirit, pride, lack of contentment or fear is? Is there one “biggie” for all of these ugly manifestations?
It’s all about lips you see. Mainly mine. Last week I saw two beautiful HHS girls driving by with their lips wrapped around a cigarette and I just wanted to scream out at them----WARNING!! Both your lungs and your lips are at risk. Your young, full, beautiful, laughing lips. Mine aren’t so beautiful----I know…. they are so much better than anyone thought they would be. I also know that I avoid mirrors lately because they remind me of how I really look. A gal who always depended on her smile to get her through life can be a little disheartened when her drooping/stroke-like lips make her want to cover up her new whoppy-jawed weird smile. Yes, I know I smile with my eyes. Yes, I know all the kind words that folks say---what else can one say without being cruel? I know all these things and yet I still struggle with----what is it I struggle with? Self-pity, pride, discontent. Sin---that’s it plain and simple---my focus has wandered again. My remedy: His Word.

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise.

(Psalm 51:7, The Message)

My prayer: May I use my lips for Your glory. “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.” (Psalm 71:23, KJV) Nothing more is needed. Lord, help me to remember that and be grateful.