Praising Under Pressure

As many of you know, our family spent most of  2010 caring for my mom who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. After nine months of chemotherapy, hospital visits and hospice care, mom passed away on July 10, 2010.  Recently I heard Priscilla Shirer teach and she had this definition of the abundant life:

“The abundant life is when,
in the midst of your impossible situation,
you say, ‘Now is the time!’”

She also defined a doxology as “an outpouring of praise, worship and honor to God" and reminded us that God is able to do more than we can ask or think (Eph. 3).  She called Ephesians chapter 3 “Paul’s doxology of Praise” and encouraged us to offer up praise in the midst of difficult times.  Following her prompting, I began offering up my own doxology of praise.  After making my list of God’s attributes I picked up my journal and went to work penning a new doxology.

This habit of doxology writing began several years ago when I started journaling through the Psalms.  When I journal, I usually read a Psalm and then rewrite it in my own words.  As I put my praise on paper I focus on what the Psalm tells me about God.  Psalm 145 is one of my favorites.  In this chapter of Scripture the author, David, declares that God is:

Great
Worthy of Praise
Unsearchable
Mighty
Glorious
Majestic
Gracious
Merciful
Full of Lovingkindness

Although I know now is the time to mourn the loss of my mom, I also know that now is the time for worship. On the day after my mom passed away, I was so overwhelmed by God’s grace that a doxology spilled out onto my journal.  Here’s an excerpt:

“You alone are God.  You alone are the Holy One.  You alone are my King.  I worship You.  I rejoice in Your goodness.  I proclaim Your mercies.  I exalt You as God and King – may you reign in my heart forever.”

By God’s grace I am living the abundant life and I am so thankful that Jesus came to give us life and to give it abundantly (John 10:10). I am praying for you this week and it is my prayer that in the midst of the impossible a doxology of praise will spill out.

Time Flies

I can’t believe it, but my oldest daughter, Ashley, just entered her freshman year of college.

As I was going through a box over the summer I ran across this article I wrote following Ashley’s first day of kindergarten. It reminded me of how short our time with our children really is. In Psalm 90:12 Moses says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

After recently taking our daughter to college and helping her get settled into her dorm, I feel the need to apply this verse to my life with renewed intensity. Even though she is 400 miles away, there are so many things I want to share with her. In order to share these thoughts, I know I am going to have to be intentional. I am praying that God will help me to number my days so that together Ashley and I can present to Him a heart of wisdom.

Here’s the article I found in the box in my garage. I hope it encourages you to cherish the time with your kids and grandkids. They really do grow up that fast.

“Kindergarten”

As she posed in an almost military stance, I snapped a roll of “first day of school” pictures. Adorned in a pristine red, white and blue plaid uniform jumper and a perfectly combed pigtail, our ride to school began. Although I knew approximately 2,339 such days would follow, I also knew few would compare with today.

Armed with a carefully selected Little Mermaid lunchbox and spotless, new keds, my daughter boldly entered Mrs. Neufeld’s kindergarten class. After a brief scan of the room, she approached her desk for inspection. Lifting the lid of her pencil box, she gazed upon an unblemished pink pearl eraser, a newly sharpened pencil and rows and rows of perfectly pointed crayons.

As I turned to leave, a glance over my shoulder revealed the fact that a tear had begun to form – not in her eye, but in my own. Throughout the day, I thought of her often. Each time I did, I found myself offering up a quick prayer for her and a rather lengthy one for myself.

The ride home found her delirious with excitement. She instantaneously detailed stories of a noise lunchroom, new found friends and a classroom turtle named Timmy. Spaghetti and meatballs were followed closely by a warm bath, her favorite book and bedside prayers with her daddy. As I tucked her in she seemed dismayed to discover that her first day of school had come to an end.

“It went by so fast,” she said.

“Oh really,” I responded. “I thought it would never end.”

Revive Me O Lord!

I don't know about you, but sometimes life can get a little crazy! Between family, work, ministry, kids activities, and trips to the grocery store, I can sometimes find myself running on empty. Just recently I recognized the fact that my spiritual tank was running a little dry and God brought Psalm 119 to mind. Throughout this Psalm David describes his emptiness with phrases like:

• my soul cleaves to the dust (v. 25)
• my soul weeps (v. 28)
• my soul is crushed with longing (v. 20)
• my soul languishes (v. 81)

Do you ever find your soul in similar circumstances? David knew the cure for spiritual fatigue and emptiness was spending time with God in His Word. In fact, in verse 49, David says God's Word actually revives him.

If you find yourself feeling empty and in need of revival, set aside a little time to fill your tank. Reading through the Psalms is a great way to refocus your heart and mind on eternal things. Below I've included a list of some of my favorite psalms. Even if it's just 5 minutes, sitting and soaking in God's Word is a great way to fill up your spiritual tank.

That's one of the reasons we encourage you to participate in one of our Bible Studies at ABC - to draw you to God's Word so He can use it to refresh and revive you. It's amazing what God can do when we spend a little time sitting quietly at His feet soaking in His Word. I pray God fills you up today with encouragement from His Word!

"Consider how I love Your precepts, revive me,

O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness."

Psalm 119:159

Praise & Worship Psalms

8

19

31

62

71

93

103

111

118

136

145

149

Spring Cleaning for the Soul

I didn’t really get out of my sweat pants yesterday. Sweats are my favorite housecleaning attire so I stayed in them all day and did some “spring cleaning.” Yes . . . I know it’s the second week of October. Either I am an extremely put together woman who does her spring cleaning six months early. Or, I’m a desperate woman vowing not to shower until some long overdue cleaning takes place.

Not only did I dust the blinds and ceiling fans, but I also scrubbed the floors and vacuumed under the cushions on the couch. (I thought we had a rule about not eating in the living room . . . apparently it’s not so much a rule as a loosely worded suggestion.)

Although my belated spring cleaning took all day, I felt really good when it was done. There was something comforting in the fact that I could look around my home and see corners with no cobwebs and windows with no streaks. It’s the closest I’ve felt to warm and fuzzy in a long time.

The bad thing about deep cleaning though is the fact that no one else really notices when it’s done. They only tend to notice when it’s not done. No one else was aware that the dust bunnies under my sofa had been evicted or that the science experiment growing in the fridge had found a new home in the can at the curb.

As I spent all day deep cleaning my home I began to feel the need to do the same thing spiritually. Like my spring cleaning, I was long overdue in the clear out the trash department in my soul. So, as my hands went to work scrubbing and dusting, my mind went to work as well. I was reminded of David’s words in Psalm 139 where David made the following request of God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

As I invited God to search my heart, I felt the cleansing begin. Together we scrubbed at some sin . . . we wiped out some worry and, perhaps most importantly, we went deep into some spaces that we hadn’t visited in a while. Although the spring cleaning of my soul was hard work, I felt good at the end of the day. Sin had been evicted and things growing in dark places had been kicked to the curb.

In 1 John 1:9 God promises that when we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Going to bed with a clean conscience was a great feeling . . . kinda like clean sheet night . . . only better. I wish every night were clean sheet night – both in my home and in my heart.