CatHouse Chat

For your Fourth of July meditaion, the National Hymn "God of Our Fathers"

"God of Our Fathers" was written by Daniel C. Roberts in 1876 (one would assume for our Centennial) and set to music already composed by George William Warren. The CompleteLee Blog has a little Bible study, and goes a little deeper into the history of the song. More information can be found here, here and here.

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand,
Lead forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor thro' the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

And how ungrateful we have become, to turn away from the One True God who brought this country into being. How sad that the songs lifted up in faith and praise to Divine Providence have faded into a background murmur! How foolish we have become, to deny His presence and power, which are proclaimed throughout Creation!

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

Father, we have turned astray from the faith and love that built this nation under Your guidance. We reject Your good law and immerse ourselves in sin and unrighteousness, we kill our own children for convenience's sake and praise vain and selfish people rather than simple, honest and good citizens. Father, lay Your hand upon this nation once again to turn us back to You in faith, trust and obedience!

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever strong defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Only God can bring peace, and where the Spirit of God is, there is true liberty. It is the freedom to act with dignity and self-control, simply and humbly living for others according to God's will. It is the peace which passes all understanding, with which we can face the greatest bounty and the sorrows of war with hope and confidence, keeping our eye on the God who holds all history in His hand.

Refresh thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Return, O Lord! Return to us and turn our hearts to You! Renew within us a right spirit, renew our minds with the washing of Your grace and Your word! Take away our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh that love Your commands and long to obey them! Make us into a people of praise, living Your precepts, worshiping You in spirit and in truth. Let Your work in this nation and in our hearts and lives be proclaimed to the glory of Your name throughout the world!

And though I despise the heresy of their church, you can't deny the beauty of the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

Good morning! Time to worship...

With "Revelation Song."

Phillips, Craig & Dean have a version of this song that is beautifully done, and I love waking up to it!

Worthy is the
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
[Repeat 2x]

(Chorus)
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!
Yeah!

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,
Yeah

(Chorus)

Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery
Yeah...

(Chorus)
(Chorus) (Repeat at a cappella)

Come up lift up His Name
To the King of Kings…
We will adore YOU Lord…
King of heaven and earth
King Jesus, King Jesus
Aleluya, aleluya, aleluya!
Majesty, awestruck Honor
And Power and Strength and Dominion
To You Lord,
To the King, to King
To the King of Glory

01 - Revelation Song

Songs from the iPod: "In Christ Alone"

I was just listening to the Newsboys singing "In Christ Alone," from their Adoration album, and it's incredibly uplifting! I had searched it out this morning, because I quoted it in yesterday's Gospel post.

Here are the full lyrics:

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Waking up to songs from KLOVE

You paint the night
You count the stars and call them by name
The skies proclaim
God You reign
Your glory shines
You teach the sun when to bring a new day
Creation sings
God You reign

God You reign
God You reign
Forever and ever
God You reign

You part the seas
You move the mountains with the words that You say
My song remains
God You reign
You hold my life
You know my heart and You call me by name
I live to say God You reign

Hallelujah, hallelu

God You reign
God You reign
Forever and ever
God You reign!

-- Lincoln Brewster

God reigns over the nations;
   God sits on his holy throne. (Psalm 47:8)

The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
   He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! (Psalm 99:1)

The LORD will reign forever,
   your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the LORD! (Psalm 146:10)

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

   "Hallelujah!For the Lord our God
   the Almighty reigns. (Revelation 19:6)

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

... by Stuart Townend, is a "modern" hymn which well deserves a place in the canon of true anthems of the Church. I label it "modern" only because Mr. Townend is alive and has penned it within the past 50 (actually, I think it's less than 5 years old...) years. It is a sad thing that the present day Church, at least in America, appears to have turned to "praise choruses," and set aside the classic hymns which are so rich in good theology and true adoration of our glorious God and Savior.

Mr. Townend tells a little bit of the story behind the hymn:

I'd been meditating on the cross, and in particular what it cost the Father to give up his beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross. And what was my part in it? Not only was it my sin that put him there, but if I'd lived at that time, it would probably have been me in that crowd, shouting with everyone else 'crucify him'. It just makes his sacrifice all the more personal, all the more amazing, and all the more humbling.

Amen!

At any rate, on Good Friday, my iPod gave me Fernando Ortega's recording of this song, and it brought me to my knees in repentance and gratitude for all that my Savior has done for me. As the quote from John Newton (who penned "Amazing Grace," one of the great anthems of Christianity) says, "... I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior."

And I, too, am a great sinner. It is only by the grace of God Most High that I am able to make any small gesture of faith and love to His glory. I thank Him and praise Him for the mercy and kindness He has poured into my life, because I know I do not deserve them!

So, in hopes that the lyrics will encourage and edify you as well, here they are:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Indeed and AMEN! Thank You, Jesus, my beloved Savior. Thank You for choosing the Cross, and thank You for claiming me!

When someone asks you what kind of music you like...

... do you start listing groups whose songs you enjoy, or do you start listing genres of music?

I was just watching an episode of Bones ("The Headless Witch in the Woods"), where the "what music do you like" question came up. The characters immediately talked about particular groups, which startled me because I start with genres and then list groups as examples...

So, I'm just wondering.

Aw, he found my tiara!

Oh, I'd forgotten this video!

An oldie (in 'net age, anyway) but a REAL goodie!

The Mom Song:

Songs from the radio, redux

... Gee, I wonder how many of my posts have that title... LOL!

Anyway, in the past couple of weeks, I've heard two songs that pair up beautifully. The first is Chris Rice's "Clumsy," off of Deep Enough to Dream :

You think I’d have it down by now
Been practicin’ for thirty [well, 45 in my case - ed.] years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin’ here
Reachin’ out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what’s a boy [girl, here, LOL] supposed to do?

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

I’m gonna get it right this time
I’ll be strong and I’ll make You proud
I’ve prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down (again)
Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You’re not gonna let that come between us

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You’re sayin’ You love me
And You’re still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You’re makin’ me holy
You’re still makin’ me holy, yeah

And the second is by Josh Wilson, "Savior, Please," found on Trying To Fit The Ocean In A Cup:

Savior, please take my hand
I work so hard, I live so fast
This life begins, and then it ends
And I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last

I try to be so tough
But I'm just not strong enough
I can't do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I'm nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

Savior, please help me stand
I fall so hard, I fade so fast
Will You begin right where I end
And be the God of all I am because You're all I have

Hallelujah
Everything You are to me
Is everything I'll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don't have to prove a thing
'Cause You're the one who's saving me

I am so glad that He keeps coming after me! I am so glad that He picks me up every time I fall, and that He loves me in spite of all my failings...

Songs from the radio

Coming home from class tonight, this beautiful song by Shaun Groves, "Welcome Home," came on -

Take me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Chorus:
Come inside this heart of mine
It's not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Every closet's filled with clutter
Messes yet to be discovered
I'm overwhelmed, I understand
I can't make this place all that You can

repeat chorus

I took the space that You placed in me
Redecorated in shades of greed
And I made sure every door stayed locked
Every window blocked, and still You knocked

repeat chorus

Take me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

You can hear a clip from this song, recorded on his Invitation to Eavesdrop album, here.

Oh, how descriptive of our hearts and souls! How we resist and fight the Hand of God when He calls us! How foolish we are to go our own way and redecorate in greed and selfishness, when God wants to adorn us with His grace, love, kindness, joy, and peace.

Thank You, Father, for pursuing and chasing after us. You are indeed the Hound of Heaven, and without Your love that hunts us down and captures us in Your tender grasp, we would be eternally lost. Thank You for holding us fast in Your hand; thank You for promising that no one cane take us out of Your holy grasp!

The song of the day: "By Your Side," by Tenth Avenue North

Not from the iPod or KLOVE this time, but rather from Sirius XM's The Message (channel 32). Tenth Avenue North, and "By Your Side"

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run?

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

God's hands are outstretched still, always ready to catch you up and hold you to Himself. And whosoever is held in God's hands can never be taken out of them.

Thanks, guys... I needed to hear this song today!

Just a reminder - the Agnus Dei

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Hallelujah
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
Holy, holy! You are holy
Worthy is the Lamb
Hallelujah
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Amen

Busy, busy week so far!

On Monday, the Beloved Husband and I accompanied the Darling Munchkin to the very nice, awesome, and excellent school we hope she'll be admitted to for her high school years. I had very high expectations of this school going in to the orientation - and they blew them all to smithereens! If our Munchkin is accepted there, she will get a stellar education, and will be perfectly well prepared fr college.

Of course, the price tag is a shocker (what a surprise!), so it will take a lot of prayer and hard work - but the Beloved and I know it will be worth it.

Then that evening, I went to my tax prep class, since I'd missed my normal morning session. It was a very good thing I did, because I got some excellent gouge (that's mil-speak for "good information") about the mid-term exam on Wednesday.

Tuesday, I studied, and then went to the after-school robotics workshop and "enjoyed" the enthusiasm of the kids (IOW, they have the attention span of gnats [sorry to insult gnats], and drove me nuts). Regional competition is barely a month away, and they've got to pull things together!!!

Wednesday, I aced my mid-term!!! One Hundred Percent Correct!!! I knew I'd pass, but I really wanted to get everything correct. It was a good thing (well, for me, anyway) the other two students weren't there, because I muttered and reasoned and commented my way through the whole exam; for some reason, talking through the problems aloud tends to help me concentrate and double check my work.

And then, that afternoon, I had an excellent ride on my dear buddy Jimmy, who is a wonderful Saddlebred gelding. He generally doesn't care to take the left lead when cantering (he'd rather try to rack, which is rather an odd feel if you're expecting the three-beat pace of a canter), but Wednesday, he picked it up right away. Apparently, I was also looking good, because the stable owner (a wonderful lady; I love her to bits) advised that I really ought to just buy Jimmy - and was only half joking! LOL Nooooooo, cant buy a horse when we have tuition for the Excellent School coming up in a few years! (Darn... 'Cause Jim-Jimmy-Jimmers is a great horse, and I adore him).

Yesterday... What did I do yesterday?! Oh, yeah, I went with a friend to WalMart, where we purchased a lot of supplies for the three Robotics teams. Her husband came along, too, and we all had lunch together... And then talked politics on the way back home (arg - not fun!).

The main thing we spoke of was the whole "Joe the Plumber" issue. My friend's husband claimed that "Joe" was mistaken, and that his taxes would not be affected - and missed the entire point of Obama's socialistic/communistic response:

This is a more complete video than the one I saw originally (which I prefer: I like things as much in context as possible), but at around the 1:20 and 3:00 minute marks, Sen. Obama talks about "spreading the wealth around," which is socialistic and communistic. That is government forcing people to give up an excessive amount of their hard-earned money, and penalizing them for their work and effort.

Now, I understand that taxes are a necessary evil - to some extent. The Federal government has to maintain the military to defend us, interstates need to be kept up, and so on - but our tax code has become so large and unwieldy that even the IRS can't keep up with it all! Joe bought up a flat tax, and Obama's response, though it sounds good and thoughtful, is merely an avoidance of a serious problem. Frankly, our tax code needs to be scrapped in its entirety and replaced (*wince* Ow - that hurt just typing it!) with something that gets out of the way of productivity, entrepreneurship, investing and saving; is simple, clear and easy to understand; and which is locked in so that lobbyists and special interest groups cannot screw around with it.

Yes, even if I get a job in tax preparation, I would love for that job to become obsolete because something like the FairTax was passed and adopted. Until then, I will do my best to serve my clients by making sure that the government doesn't get one red cent that my client doesn't owe them!

*sigh*

So, at the moment, I've got a stew bubbling away in the crock pot, I've completed my homework for my tax class, and I'm going through the news... And I'm feeling a little troubled and worried, because I cannot see anything good coming, no matter who gets elected in November! So, I need to remember Jesus' words to His disciples:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Thank You, Lord, for Your watchcare over Your children. You know our fears, our worries and our troubles, You know our frailties and failures. Please let us turn to You when we are burdened with the cares of the world; remind us that You are still in control, You are still sovereign, and there is nothing that comes to pass that You have not foreseen and permitted and brought to pass. You alone are God, and Your mighty hand works to order history according to Your good and perfect will.

In Your Providence, nations rise and fall, rulers reign and die, and countries wax and wane in influence. You alone are God, You alone are ruler over all the universe, and You alone will receive the glory at the end of the age. All knees will bow before you, and every tongue will confess that You reign in righteousness. Your judgment is just and holy and true, and You will mold all things for Your glory and for the good of Your children.

Thank You, Father, for Your mercy and grace, for Your patient lovingkindness, and for the abundant blessings You shower upon us. I pray that Your love and forbearance will do their work and turn all our hearts to You in repentance and willing obedience to Your will. I pray that You will receive glory from a nation that returns to her Eternal Father, and again lifts up the name of Christ Jesus in honor, thanksgiving and praise for all He has done. In His blessed and exalted name, amen.

Even in the little things that never seem to big to me
In the things I thought didn’t matter much at all
As simple as my daily bread
To the strength I need to get out of bed
When I fly or when I am about to fall
Oh it's you in me that I fail to see

Make me aware, make me see
That everything I am is not all about me
So Take my world and turn it around
So that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware, make me aware

When my life is hanging from a thread
And I think about the things you said
that in this moment seem so far away
Help me see the guarantees
That first brought me to believe
So I can make through another day
Oh it's you in me that helps me breathe

Make me aware, make me see
That everything I am is not all about me
So Take my world and turn it around
So that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware

I have been missing so much
Not recognizing your touch
Or Acknowledging that you’re the reason
I'm even here
I have been missing so much not recognizing your touch

Make me aware, make me aware
Help me see that everything I am is not all about me
Take my world turn it around so that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware, make me aware

                                                     Salvador, "Aware," from their album Aware (2008)

Before the "New Hallelujah," we must be "Sweetly Broken"

The past couple of weeks, God's been really urging me to get back with Him on a regular basis and clean up a few things in my life. I've been prodded by the Spirit for quite a while, but somehow He's finally gotten me to a place where I can bow my head and say, "Not my will, Father, but Thine."

Trust me, it's not an easy journey. For me, it hasn't been fraught with major angst and turmoil in my outer life, but my spirit has been very restless, and that annoying little gerbil in my brain just wouldn't stop spinning in its wheel! That's not a good thing, you know; it's very tiring. It's also very handy for tying yourself in knots with guilt and indecision. How often will I need to go through this sort of thing until I finally, REALLY learn that it's always best to let God have His way in me?

One of the things I decided to do was to follow along in Kay Arthur's current Precepts for Life study in the book of Isaiah. I'm a bit behind (today was day 14, and I've only gotten through day 4), but that's OK; I can catch up, and am going to squeeze in two lessons a day until I do. Anyway, today and yesterday I was reading and studying Isaiah, chapter 1, where the prophet records God's charge against Israel and the consequences of sin and rebellion.

I AM FREE!

Heard on KLOVE this morning: the Newsboys "I Am Free" -

I am free to run,
I am free to dance,
I am free to live for You,
I am free!

"For whom the Son sets free is free indeed!" (John 8:36)

(UPDATED with links and proper quotes, since I can't do that from my cell phone... Yet. LOL)

Rich Mullins: Eleven years later

(Yeah, another "as heard on KLOVE" post...)

This morning I was listening to John and Sherry of KLOVE, and John said that today is the 11th year since Rich Mullins was killed in a car accident.

It made me stop and think, because 12 years ago, when God called me back to Him, one of the songs He used was Rich Mullins' "Sometimes by Step," which is a beautiful, simple song of faith and joy and discipleship. I remember listening to it all those many years ago, and this one verse caught my attention:

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

This is a reference to Genesis 15, verses 1-6:

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”

But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”

And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

One of those stars that Abraham gazed upon was lit for ME!

"But wait, Kat," you say, "you're not Jewish!"

No, genetically and culturally, I'm not Jewish - but I have been grafted in to God's family. Because God has blessed me with a saving faith in His Son, I am now a member of His covenant family. Look here, at Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 4:

Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.[...]

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. [emphasis mine]

Look also in Paul's letter to the Galatians:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [emph. mine again]

Because I have Abraham's faith, God regards me as Abraham's spiritual descendant - and thus, I am one of the stars Abraham saw on that bright, clear night and a child of that great promise God made to Abraham.

Because God has chosen me, because He - for some unfathomable reason - has set His love upon me, He now holds me in the palm of His hand. I am never beyond His reach of grace and mercy, and He lives within me, walks beside me, and leads me through each moment of every day of my life.

I may falter, I may stumble, I may stray - but the hand of my Father is always upon me, guiding me back to Him.

My grateful response can only be to quote another passage from Romans:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

      “For who has known the mind of the LORD?
      Or who has become His counselor?”
      “Or who has first given to Him
      And it shall be repaid to him?”

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Lose My Soul - TobyMac and Kirk Franklin

This song has been playing on KLOVE a bit, and it always seems to come on just when I'm chewing a few things over in my mind... Here's a sample of the lyrics:

I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
Don't wanna walk away,
Don't wanna walk away

How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity.

(Lord what we gon' do,
We're relying on you,
all eyes are on you Lord,
all eyes are on you, all eyes are on you Jesus.)

I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Don't let me lose my soul, my soul.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(This is my honesty, Father, won't you cover me.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose my soul.)

Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.

(Hallelujah, Don't wanna lose our soul,
No, Don't wanna lose my soul.)

Indeed, Lord. Forgive us - forgive ME - our trespasses and sins.  Do not take Your Spirit from us, keep drawing us to You in love and repentance.

Kay Arthur recently reminded Christians that we need to get serious - especially here in America. We have fallen so far, and are in grave danger of being vomited out like the church at Laodecia. We need to return to our First Love, the One who embodies Love and Truth, who gave Himself for us. We must stop reflecting the culture, and truly begin to reflect our Lord and Savior.

Jesus Himself gave a very serious warning to His disciples in Luke 13, verses 1-5:

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

In the letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us that

As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
“Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

There is no one righteous in God's eyes on this whole earth. No one can come to Him and demand an audience before Him based on their "goodness." We are all sinners, and worthy of eternal punishment. None of us can earn Heaven.

But God, in His grace, has offered a way - ONE way - to come before Him and be received by Him, and that is through the Blood of His Son.

So unless we repent, unless we come to Him in the way He commands, we will all likewise perish.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

I don't want to gain the whole world - and lose my soul.

What about you?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

But - fair warning! - it's not politically correct, and the language isn't pristine... But this is hilarious! (Thanks to my friend, Tony, who e-mailed the link to me)

Thanks to XM Pops channel -

I was listening to Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov this morning (also Debussy, Verdi, Bach, Ravel... Mmmmm!), and went to Wikipedia to research some of their works and their biographies. On Rimsky-Korsakov's page, there was a music file of "Flight of the Bumblebee," a short piece of about one minute which takes incredible talent and dexterity to perform.

Check out the search results from YouTube! This one in particular was unique and extremely well-done:

Pretty awesome, don't you think?

Also, take a look at this one; I'd seen it sometime last year, I think. It's a little more traditional... Well, at least it's played on piano!

One word, people:

WOW!!!!!!

Talent truly on loan from God

I understand this video was taken pretty recently, from what I see on the YouTube page:

Beautiful, inspiring... STUNNING!

I pray this young lady goes far, and I pray that she keeps her sweet and lovely attitude, as well...

Kittipurrs to one of my Cotillion sisters, and to Julie, who posted it at Degrees of Madness.

A song that's been on my mind...

Jimmy Wayne, "I Love You This Much"...

Great song for my day!

Just heard this on one of my local Christian stations, and it just fits this day so well. It's by 33 Miles, and it's called (d'uh!) "Thank You"...

What if in morning when I wake up
Even before I fill my coffee cup
I said thank You
Thank You

What if I look at the day and the hours ahead
And before I move forward I bowed my head
And said thank You
Oh I said thank You

What if I looked at my life in a different way
Took a little more time to stop and pray
I know it would change all the moments in between
So here I go

Thank You for everything
Thank You for loving me
It don't even matter what tomorrow brings
Well I will sing my

Thank You for sun and rain
For what You give and take away
For all Your goodness I will always say
Thank You

Oh I'll say thank You
What if I lost everything that I had
I could smile and somehow still be glad
And say thank You
Thank you

Cause life is joy, life is pain
But the prayer on my heart will never change
I say thank You
Oh I'll say thank You

Thank You, Father, for all You have done! Thank You for all You will do. Thank You for Your kindness, Your love, Your mercy. Thank You, Jesus, for Your life, and thank You for loving me. I don't know why You do, but I am thankful!

This... is just SO wrong...!

... I don't know that I'll ever be able to listen to Deep Purple again...

(**hiss**MEOW!**spit, spit** to K-man, who I will never forgive! LOL)

This Sunday's hymn...

More and more, I am loving the church I've been attending recently. It's small, but warm and welcoming - and we sing out of the hymnal! It's been so long since I've been in a church that uses and appreciates its hymnal. So, I'm learning new hymns and really enjoying the God-focus in them. Yes, my voice may waver off tune, but the music and the meaning help me lift my eyes to God in praise and true worship.

Each week, one hymn seems to leap out and grab me, so I'm going to try and post it so my readers can enjoy it, too. Thanks to a query by my friend David of Third World County, I've found a wonderful site called Timeless Truths, an online library which has a whole HOST of old hymns as well as mp3-type files so you can hear the melodies - and often sung by real people! Love it, love it, love it....

So this week's hymn is "Higher Ground," written by Johnson Oatman in 1898, and set to some music written by Charles Gabriel in 1892. Make sure you click to listen at the site!

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

UPDATE: Wow, I didn't realize, but Charles Gabriel also wrote the music for "His Eye is on the Sparrow," which is another hymn I love, and Johnson Oatman wrote the lyrics to "Count Your Blessings," which I mentioned the other day and which is another favorite hymn! There are so many fantastic old hymns, it's a shame they appear to be fading away...  And however much I love contemporary Christian music, there are very few people out there who really write good music that is doctrinally sound and God-centered...

How far, Lord?

Casting Crowns, one of my favorite Christian bands, has always been wonderfully biblical in their lyrics, and their new album, the Altar and the Door, continues this tradition.

How far does God remove our sin from us when we place our trust and faith in Him? Casting Crowns song, "East to West," uses Psalm 103 to answer that question.

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
         Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
         Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
         Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
         So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
         So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
         So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
         He remembers that we are dust.

 

Here I am Lord and I’m drowning, in Your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me, I yearn for peace and rest
I don’t want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight
I know you’ve cast my sin as far as the East is from the West
And I stand before You now as though I’ve never sinned
But today I feel like I’m just one mistake away
From You leaving me this way

Chorus:
Jesus can you show me just how far the east is from the west
‘Cause I can’t bare to see the man I’ve been
Rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
‘Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
And time and time again
Your truth is drowned out by the storm I’m in
Today I feel like I’m just one mistake away
from You leaving me this way

I know You’ve washed me white
Turn my darkness into life
I need Your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can’t live by what I feel
But by the truth Your Word reveals
I’m not holding on to You
But You’re holding on to me
You’re holding on to me

Songs from the iPod, part... Oh, I forget what part...

Yup, listening to the ol' iPod while I was driving around today (lots of errands; got a lot done - life is good! LOL). I'd decided to listen to Casting Crowns, one of my favorite Christian bands - but one I also rarely get to listen to... So, out and about on the town presented a lovely opportunity!

And, what comes on but "Somewhere in the Middle" from their newest album, The Altar and the Door (GORGEOUS album, by the way, both musically and lyrically - you ought to get it!).

It's interesting. The New Year, which so often is a time of new beginnings and resolutions, frequently leaves me very unsettled. Should I make resolutions? I never seem to follow all the way through, so why should I? But everyone needs goals, because if you aim at nothing, you will certainly hit your target!

So, when this song came on, it just really grabbed my attention and did a good job of describing my life at the moment!

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

(Oh, and isn't THAT so true! How much I'd love to just let go and cast myself fully on the infinite grace of God... And yet, I'm always wanting to keep my puny illusion of control...)

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

*Sigh*

So, how many of you feel "caught in the middle" too?

"Bethlehem Dawn"

Todd Agnew has a Christmas album, Do You See What I See?, which is full of beautiful songs. This morning the iPod served up "Bethlehem Dawn" -- which got me to thinking...

What did the shepherds think of all this? There they were, out in the dark fields watching over their sheep, and then suddenly!, a burst of heavenly radiance knocked them off their feet... Angels appeared, a mighty chorus, shining with glory, triumphantly announcing the Advent of the King:

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

In a manger?! What?

Can you imagine what the shepherds thought? They had this glorious announcement of the birth of the King, shouted from the heavens by the Heavenly Host... and then, they went to the stable.

They went to a little stable which did not have the radiance of heaven infusing it, but which did have a tired young girl, exhausted and sweaty after delivering her first child. The stable had a father, worn out after anxiously helping his wife deliver a child who ought to have been born when they were at home, surrounded by family and older women who knew what to do! The stable had animals quietly sleeping, or curiously looking over at all the fuss in confusion and bemusement while they munched on some hay.

The stable had a little child, wrapped up tightly in swaddling cloths, fragile as all newborns are... The King of Kings, God Himself, in this tiny, frail, human body!

How confused the shepherds must have been with this very contrary set of events! The glory of Heaven pointing to the rude humility of the stable - what would you have thought?

The sunrise was beautiful this morning, but somehow it seemed that everything was darker then the sky we had seen just a few hours ago, as the angels sang a song of joy.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

The cry of a baby shatters the silence,
Can you believe that same voice makes my heart beat?
And the tears in his eyes, and in his mother’s and father’s, are tears for all mankind.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

This little baby is crying my tears for me,
This little baby is bathing in my shame,
This little baby is giving up his glory to take my place, to light the way.

Not even the Bethlehem dawn could compare to the light it revealed,
Not even the Bethlehem sun that unveiled the son of God sleeping in a cattle stall, the almighty God humbled to save us all,
Can you believe what he sacrificed for me?

Not even the Bethlehem dawn.

The Child born two thousand years ago grew up and obeyed His Father perfectly all His life. And then, at the appointed time, He took our punishment, He suffered our death - and gave Himself for us. God Incarnate gave the first, and best, Christmas gift - and then gave the ultimate Gift of Sacrifice and Forgiveness.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men!"

Will you take His offer?

We have nothing of worth to give Him, yet He asks us to give it. What does He ask of us? He wants us - our hearts, our minds, our pride, our pain, our sin, our failures... All of our being.

And in return, He gives yet more: His Spirit, His forgiveness, His blessings, His Home... His love.

I pray that the Babe of Bethlehem will be born anew in the hearts and souls of many this Christmas... Perhaps your heart is empty and longing for the Child; if so, let Him come in.

Let Christmas be proclaimed in your heart today!

Don't forget that the Carnival of Christmas' deadline is this Sunday, so get your posts ready, and submit them here. Also, go on by the Christmas Alliance home page and contribute your entries!

Wonderful One

This should almost be a "Thoughts from the iPod" post, but I'm going to make it a Christmas theme.

I was listening to Newsong's beautiful tune, "Wonderful One," and it made me think of how wonderful God really is:

some say you're a lunatic, some
say you're not the one
can't help but disagree with it,
i believe you're god's own son
i'm sure as a man can be, knowing
all you've saved me from
i know first hand the miracles
that you've done inside my heart
i'll gladly stand and testify just who you are 

chorus:
(you're the wonderful one)
every breath i take i want my
life to bring you praise
(you're the wonderful one)
i am so amazed by your never-ending grace
(you're the wonderful one)
and nothing in this world could
separate me from your love
(you're the wonderful one) 

well i've seen all the evidence,
nothing else i need to know
i'm convinced that a world like this
needs to know that there is hope 

i know first hand the miracles that
you've done inside my heart
i'll gladly stand and testify just who you are 

chorus 

bridge:
you help me in my helplessness,
you heal me in my brokenness
tell me how could i forget
the wonders of your love 

chorus

Liar, lunatic, or Lord - the classic choice described by C.S. Lewis.

But only the true and living God, only the God who loves us and created us, only the holy and righteous God, only the merciful and gracious God, would ever think to humble Himself and come live among us. Only this God would sacrifice Himself for us, ransoming us from the grip of sin. Only this God would raise Himself from the dead to prove who He is and that His promises are sure.

Only Jesus.

Born in a rude stable two thousand years ago, and still willing to be born into our sad and sinful hearts today - will this be the year that your heart becomes His throne?

Remember, the Carnival of Christmas deadline is less than two weeks away - so get those submissions in! As always, swing by the Random Yak's Christmas Alliance webpage for loads of Christmas cheer.

The River has come...

The River of Life, the Source of all existence, has come into this world...

The words of this bluegrass Gospel song are simple:

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way

O sinners, let's go down
Let's go down, come on down
O sinners, let's go down
Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the robe and crown?
Good Lord show me the way

The River has come to us, born as a Baby in a stable with only His parents and the animals to witness how softly, how quietly, this Gift was given...

Will you not come down to Him? Will you not humble yourself and cast yourself on His kind mercy and powerful salvation?

Will you send in an entry to the Carnival of Christmas? Entry guidelines and updates/news are here... Make sure you also stop by the Christmas Alliance webpage, too! If you put up posts about Christmas, make sure you link and trackback so that others monitoring the Alliance can enjoy your contributions!

Rich Mullins: Ten years gone

I remember that Rich Mullins was one of the first Christian musicians I discovered when God called me back to get serious with Him. Rich's lyrics and simple, pure music appealed to me, and the thoughts and issues he sang about resonated deeply in my soul.

And now it's been ten years since that car accident in Illinois. It's been ten years since God called him Home. It's been ten years of missing his earnest and honest pursuit of his Lord and Savior and the way he shared that with us.

I am very much looking forward to meeting him in heaven one day, to say thank you for helping me love my God and Savior a little better.

"Sometimes By Step" is one of my favorites:

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You'd already done

CHORUS:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

CHORUS

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days

We still miss you, Rich. See you on the other side of Glory!

Technorati Tags: Rich Mullins, christian music, Sometimes by Step, memorial

"Would You love me more? Would You love me less?"

How often I go back and forth between these questions! The Christian walk - mine, at least - is so often full of bumps and bobbles, twists and turns, soaring heights and dismal depths, that I occasionally don't know if I'm coming or going.

So, of course, we come to another "car meditation." Why is it that God so often visits me and speaks to me while I'm listening to KLOVE or WRVL in my car? This morning KLOVE played "What If?" a song by Jadon Lavik:

What if I climbed that mountain,
What if I swam to that shore,
What if every battle was victorious,
Then would You love me more?
Would You love me more?
What if I were everyone's first choice, what if I went farther than before,
What if I stood high above the rest,
Then would You love me more?
Would You love me more?

You say I belong to You apart from the things I do
You say I belong to You I'm in awe of why You do
Why you do, why You do, I'm in awe of You, ooh

What if I ignored the hand that fed me,
What if I forgot to confess,
What if I stumbled down that mountain,
Then would You love me less?
Lord, would You love me less?
What if I were everyone's last choice, what if I mixed in with the rest,
What if I failed what I passed before,
Then would You love me less?
Lord would You would You love me less?

You say I belong to You apart from the things I do
You say I belong to You I'm in awe of why You do
You do You do You do
What have I done to deserve Your Son sent to die for me?
What can I give? I want to live, give me eyes to see
In a world that keeps changing, there's one thing that I know is true:
Your love is staying; there's nothing else I'll hold on to

You say I belong to You apart from the things I do
You say I belong to You I'm in awe of why You do
Why You do
You say I belong to You apart from the things I do
You say I belong to You I'm in awe of why You do
I'm in awe of You I'm in awe of You
The way You love me, the way You do

I think all Christians want to go out and BE something for God - to DO something to earn His approval. I doubt there's a single true Christian out there who wouldn't jump happily at the chance to hit the "Press for instant Sanctification" button!

We love our Lord and all that He has done for us so much that we're like puppies: all bumbling and clumsy in our eagerness to please. Yet, like puppies, we have a very short attention span and are easily distracted. We take our eyes off of Jesus, and fall into sinful behavior. We realize our guilt and then hide in the corner, not wanting to confess and disappoint our beloved Master.

But I think that what we forget is that God knows all our faults already! We won't be confessing anything that will surprise Him. After all, God is omniscient - He knows the end from the beginning, and He knows His children from before they were even born. When Christ hung on the Cross, all of OUR sins were still future. Yet God still placed them upon His Son and Jesus bore the full brunt of God's wrath for those sins. The debt I owe has been paid - it has been paid for 2,000 years!

When God called me to Him, to come to Him for His forgiveness and grace, all the eternal punishment for my sins had been paid for. Not only that, but God then placed all the righteousness of the life Jesus lived upon me. I - and all believers - are clothed with Christ's perfection, and may stand upright before the holy God. This presents an odd and uncomfortable dichotomy: although we have been declared righteous, and although we have received the righteousness of Christ credited to our account, we still sin and stumble and forget and stray.

I think that's where this song comes from. I think that's where our feelings of uncertainty come from. Our head, our new spirit, KNOWS our position before God - but our bodies and hearts are still living here on earth. We want so much to obey and to live lives which glorify God, and yet we constantly fail. And so we get caught up in "proving" our faith and love to a God who already knows our heart! Knowing us so well, God has made provision already for our failures: payment for our sin and complete restoration to His family.

So, God can't love me less when I sin and fail: He already proved His infinite love for me when His Son loved me so much that He died for my sins. And how could God love me more, when, as I said, His Son sacrificed Himself on my behalf, even knowing all my sins?

God has proven His love to be perfect, and the vacillations of my feelings are of no account. When I feel like I'm failing God and He loves me less, I need to turn to Him in confession and trust, for His love will never leave me nor forsake me. When I get into super-Christian mode and try to earn my way into His favor, again, I must come before Him in confession and faith, knowing that it is not by my righteousness but that of my Savior that I have been granted access to Heaven.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9, bold emph. mine)

It is God who has done this wonderful work and given me the freedom to live and worship Him in my imperfections. Any work that God does is perfect and complete - and so I know that I can

[be] confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in [me] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ

Every time I stumble, therefore, every time I fail, I need to come back to His Word and remind myself of His objective truth. I am what He says I am - and He says that I am HIS. I am His servant and His child. He knew me before I was formed in the womb, and He chose me from eternity past. It is by His perfect and holy will that He called me, and not because of anything I had done or earned. For some reason known only to Him, He chose me in my unworthiness, and I will forever be grateful!

As I have said before, it is a tightrope at times, but I know the hands of God are holding and guiding me, and I know He will work out His will for my life. But since I am still this side of Glory, I am still walking by faith, and not by sight. And that's OK, because "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."

Technorati Tags: faith, Christian walk, Bible

Last.fm has hooked me...

I really like the way it will see what I already have on my iTunes and add it to my preferences (saves a lot of work!). I've been a wee bit confused with "scrobbling" and playlists, but I did figure them out once I applied my brain to it (gee, surprise!).

I'm not usually one for "social networking" sites - facebook and del.icio.us (or however it's punctuated) are baffling to me - but this one just might work for me! There are also widgets I can use here on CatHouse Chat - or there will once Last.fm gets enough info to generate lists and recommendations.

So go check out Last.fm and see if you can join the musical parade! If you'd like to friend me there, I'm using my romeokat -at- gmail -dot- com e-mail addy, or you can go to my user page.

Technorati Tags: Last.fm, social networking, music, online music

Sad that it's Monday? Here's something fun...

I went over to Neatorama because of a link from the Evangelical Outpost's weekly 33 Things list, and the post for this little video was just begging me to click on it!

Technorati Tags: Neatorama, mean kitty song

Are you AWAKE yet?!

No? Well, grab your coffee and then click this video. You'll be rockin' in NO time!

Thanks, Wild Thing!

Technorati Tags: tanks, explosives, pump it up

Music for a Saturday morning

The other day, I was listening to Radio CIA, and was re-introduced to a wonderful country/bluegrass/gospel artist, Ricky Skaggs. This morning while I was searching on Google for some video of Ricky, I came across a duet he did with one of my FAVORITE Christian artists, Carman (no, that's not a typo).

Ladies and gentlemen, "Step of Faith:"

I have three, maybe four, VHS tapes of Carman's videos that I need to transfer to my computer (now that the Beloved Husband has set the equipment up and I know how to use it). It will be wonderful to enjoy his wonderful music wherever I have my laptop!

Technorati Tags: Carman, Ricky Skaggs

Watch this group!

Just heard on Radio CIA (... You're not listening?! Why not?!!!) Whiskey Falls' song, "Last Train Running:"

At the end of my life when I take that journey all alone
And I’m on my own and there’s no one there to save me
Oh when I look back at all the things that I’ve done wrong
You know I wasn’t always strong lord will you take me

Cause I been down as far as a man can go
I wanna be ready when I hear that whistle blow

CHORUS:
And I’m on the last train running and the devil’s coming
Hoping that my good outweighs the bad
And I’m heading for the station the final destination
Praying for the lord to take my hand
And I’m on the last train running

When I close my eyes and I’m holding on to my last breath
I don’t want my regrets to coming back to haunt me
When it’s far too late to ask forgiveness for my sins
I hope my enemies and friends can both forgive me

Will there be tears for me when I go
Or will I be just another name carved in a stone

CHORUS:
When I’m on the last train running and the devil’s coming
Doing all he can to take my soul
And I’m heading for the station the final destination
Praying for the lord to take me home
And I’m on the last train running
I’m on the last train running

You only get one shot
One chance against the clock and
You only get one life
One chance to make it right

When I’m on the last train running and the devil’s coming
Doing all he can to take my soul or lord won’t you come and take me home
On the last train running
When I’m on the last
On the last train
When I’m on the last train running

Now THAT'S Country Gospel!

Oh, it's been a while!

I just "stumbled" across VH-1 Classics while looking for something on TV, and they're playing Rod Stewart's "Infatuation"!

I loved that video!

Dang, and just yesterday I heard T'Pau's "Heart and Soul" on XMRadio... I think I might need to immerse myself in the 80's again !

Thankful

 How thankful are we, really? I admit that, although I try to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude," all too often I fail. I'll grumble or whine, moan and complain rather than remembering all the multitudes of blessings that surround me.

And so, I thought it would be good to post the lyrics for "Thankful" by Caedmon's Call:

You know I ran across an old box of letters
While I was bagging up some clothes for Goodwill
But you Know I had to laugh at the same old struggles
That plagued me then are plaguing me still

Oh, and aren't they just?! When will I learn the moral fortitude, the strength of integrity, to just walk away from areas I know are triggers for me?

I know the road is long from the ground to glory
But a boy can hope he's getting some place
But you see, I'm running from the very clothes I'm wearing
And dressed like this I'm fit for the chase

'Cause no, there is none righteous
Not one who understands
There is none who seek God
No not one, I said no not one

"No one. Not ONE." None who seeks after God. All our mouths are like open graves, and the poison of asps is in them.

So I am thankful that I'm incapable
Of doing any good on my own

'Cause we're all stillborn and dead in our transgressions
We're shackled up to the sin we hold so dear
So what part can I play in the work of redemption
I can't refuse, I cannot add a thing

And yet, there is One who does good, One who took all my sin and paid the price. And you know what He did then? He turned around and gave me all His perfection! All the infinite merit of His perfect and holy life, He gave to me! Just as He offered His redemption and His righteousness to me, so He offers it to all who will take Him at His Word.

'Cause I am just like Lazarus and I can hear your voice
I stand and rub my eyes and walk to You
Because I have no choice

I was dead in my sin. I was a rotten corpse, and could do nothing to save myself - nothing to move towards God. Even if I had been able to do something, I would not have wanted to: my sinful nature wanted to avoid and deny God at all costs.

But by God's sovereign grace, by His mercy and by His own plan, He reached down and called me out of the grave. Therefore I can sing and praise Him with this chorus:

I am thankful that I'm incapable
Of doing any good on my own
I'm so thankful that I'm incapable
Of doing any good on my own

'Cause by grace I have been saved
Through faith that's not my own
It is a gift of God and not by works
Lest anyone should boast

It is His power that works in me. It is His love and kindness that allow this powerless and unworthy sinner to proclaim the mighty predominance of the Living God.

Thus says the LORD:
      “ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
      Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
      Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
      That he understands and knows Me,
      That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
      For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

Technorati Tags: redemption, grace, salvation, Caedmons Call, Bible, gratitude

Parents... They're watching you!

This morning as I was driving from the hotel to the Naval Academy (yeah, yeah, I'll post pictures - let me get this done, first. Oh, and last night's dinner and the pics of Annapolis, and... I'll get to it, OK??!) I was listening to this Rodney Atkins song, "Watching You."

Beautiful, just perfect - and oh, so true!

So, Dads and Moms, listen up and ask yourself what they're seeing, all right?

Drivin’ through town just my boy and me
With a “Happy Meal” in his booster seat
Knowin’ that he couldn’t have the toy ‘til his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flyin’, and his orange drink covered his lap
Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word
It started with “S” and I was concerned
So I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turnin’ on my son’s Scooby-doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talkin’ to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixin’ things and holding moma’s hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you.

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug.
Said, “My little bear is growin’ up.”
And he said, “But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do.”

Chorus:
‘cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that kool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do.
‘cause I’ve been watchin’ you.
hey yeah
uh huh

They're watching us.

Each and every day, our children are watching us. What are we teaching them? Do we show love or hate? Hope or despair? Courtesy or arrogance? Integrity or dishonesty? Courage or cowardice?

I would like to live an example of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Then, when my Darling Munchkin is exhorted

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

perhaps she'll think of me...

Technorati Tags: Rodney Atkins, country music, parenting, example, songs

Sunday kind of country...

This morning, I woke up early and turned on CMT for some background noise while I caffienated my brain into life. Three songs made me smile and I thought I'd share them with you...

First up was Rodney Atkins' song, "These Are My People," from his album, If You're Going Through Hell. It's a little slice of life, and it celebrates the wonderful joy to be found in just being normal people in America...

These are my people
This is where I come from
Were givin' this life everything we got and then some
It ain't always pretty
But its real
It's the way we were made
Wouldn't have it any other way
These are my people

Well We take it all week on the chin with a grin
'til we make it to a Friday night
And it's church league softball
holler about a bad call
preacher breaking up the fight

Then later on at the Green Light Tavern
Well everybody is gathered as friends
And the beers a pourin'
'til Monday mornin'
and we start it all over again

Then Bucky Covington's sang "A Different World," from his self titled album. I hadn't realized - since I never watch it - that he was an American Idol finalist!

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint
No child proof lids no seat belts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are, still here we are
We got daddy’s belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside, playin’ outside

Chorus
It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

School always started the same every day
The pledge of allegiance then someone would pray
Not every kid made the team when they tried
We got disappointed and that was all right, we turned out all right

Finally, Brooks & Dunn's video for "My Heart is Lost to You" from Steers and Stripes. You can go watch the video here (*I* didn't know Brooks & Dunn had their own YouTube channel!) Look at that beautiful sensuality the dancers display!

As I watched the dancers twist and slide around each other, twin comets caught up in each others' wake, it made me think of how sex might have been if Adam and Eve hadn't sinned against God.

In the perfect world which would have followed, I believe that the delight and joy which each husband and wife would have had in each other would have been evident. A mated pair would have danced together like this, and onlookers would have delighted in their love without any trace of lust or covetousness or jealousy. The couple would have eyes only for each other, absolutely confident in the love and fidelity or their partner, rejoicing in the gift God had given them.

How far we have fallen, and how terribly scarred by sin we have become! Yet, when God finally brings history to a close and takes us in to Eternity, the perfection He intended will be restored... and I can hardly wait!

Technorati Tags: Rodney Atkins, Bucky Covington, Brooks & Dunn

Manolo and the Bumblebees

Ah, the Manolo! I have great fondness for the blog of the superfantastic Manolo, and today he brings several of the YouTube gems to his ShoeBlog...

I adore the "Flight of the Bumblebee", and the Manolo serves up SIX versions!

This one is my favorite:

I mean, really - a Goth (or is it "punk"?) classical pianist? How wonderfully bizarre is that?!

The wonders of ‘net searches

I was just running through my Sitemeter hits, and saw that one visitor had found me via this search (for this post). But one of the other results was from February at BlackFive, which had this video posted:

Oh, yeah. Yes, indeed. Thank you so much, Subsunk - I needed that...! You made a perfect video to go with Trace Adkins' lyrics...

A forgotten gem...

I recently lost my iPod. Now, this isn't the terrible tragedy some might think: it must've been about 5 years old (second generation), and was definitely showing its age. It only had a 20GB capacity - which is more than plenty! - and it could get quite snicky sometimes. However, it did have the virtue of having my only copies of hundreds of songs! (It would have been even more, but about half of what I had had, died with our old server about 4 years ago *sob*) I had tried everything to figure out a way to back them up, but it never worked.

Nevertheless, the Beloved Husband spoils me terribly, and gave the go-ahead for me to purchase a refurbished 80GB 5th generation iPod. I was going to be virtuous and get the 30GB, but he said that we'd most likely want that storage eventually, so.... (Do you see one of the reasons why I adore him so much?)

Anyway, in preparation for the arrival and synchronization of the new iPod (Tuesday! ... I think....), I've been digging out all my old CDs and copying them onto my laptop's hard drive. I found an old Michel Sardou Best Of..., which had "Les yeux d'un animal" among other songs (actually, it's from this album, which I got for "Si l'on revient moins riches" -relax, guys - it's the only fwench album I like); I found that I still had the Royal Guardsmen CD, which has the "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" trilogy; and a whole bunch of Yes albums - but I think I need to re-purchase Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon... *sigh*

BUT! The gem I'm talking about is a group called Acapella, and a song from their album Beyond a Doubt, called "God Inhabits Our Praise." (UPDATE: Here's a snippet - I hope! I'm testing a new program...)

God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praisechuck swindoll

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
Each note that we sing, all things that we bring
Make our building of praise for our Lord

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
We invite him inside, ask his love to abide
In our building of praise to the Lord

God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praise

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
When we give him heart, he will never depart
From our building of praise to our Lord

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
When we lift up his name, His love will remain
From our building of praise to our Lord

God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praise

Bridge:
My God, inhabit our praise
Lord, live in heartfelt word
In this haven of peace, let our anxious thoughts cease
In our building of praise to the Lord

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
Each note that we sing, all things that we bring
Make our building of praise for our Lord

God inhabits our praise
He lives in each heartfelt word
We invite him inside, ask his love to abide
In our building of praise to the Lord

God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praise
God inhabits our praise!

 

Let the redeemed of the Lord... SAY SO!

Well, it's almost 3 a.m., I have no idea why I'm awake, and so I thought I'd post this and then try to get back to sleep...

Yesterday morning, after I'd dropped the Munchkin off at school, I was heading off to run errands. This song came up on KLOVE, and moved me to tears. I love this song - it's upbeat and bouncy, and very joyful. Normally I just bellow along at the top of my lungs, but yesterday... I think I got smacked in the face with a sense of how wonderful God has been to me!

God's grace and strength have been very present in my life the past couple of weeks. I'd been struggling with a persistent sin, making myself pretty miserable because I knew that I was spitting in God's face and was being very rebellious. Finally I got sick, so sick, of trying to argue with God - not a good idea, folks, trust me! - that I just caved to His kind and gentle remonstrations.

I've still got a ways to go on this, and I'll never ever be able to let down my guard, but God has been there with me the past two weeks and blessed me by taking away a large part of my longing for this sin. I don't know if this easing is only for a season, or if God will test me later and permit me to prove (to myself, really - He knows already) my faith and love for Him.

And so, when Nicole C. Mullen's voice came from the radio yesterday, all I could do was cry in thankfulness to the Lord God Almighty. Who am I, that all His tender power, grace and love are poured out upon me?

Thank You, Father! And yes, I will "Talk About It (Say So)":

Tell rich and poor in slavery
The King has ordered a decree:
"Ransom all captivity,
Ring the bells of liberty!"
He sacrificed His everything
To buy us new identities
So every knee could bow
And every tongue confess
That Jesus our Lord is marvellous!

So let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it
Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it

Bangladesh to Bangor Maine
If you're talkin' about His name
Give him glory unashamed
(His love is so excitin')
Say it loud or quietly
Nod your head or disagree
But every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
That Jesus our Lord is marvellous

So let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it
Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it

If you're not ashamed
If you're not ashamed
If you're not ashamed
Lemme hear you say
I am not ashamed! (I am not ashamed)
I am not ashamed! (I am not ashamed)
I am not ashamed! (I am not ashamed)
I am not ashamed! (let's go)
I am not ashamed

Every knee shall bow
And every tongue confess
That Jesus our Lord is marvellous!

So let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it
Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so
Talk about it, (say so), talk talk about it

Let the redeemed of the Lord... SAY SO!

CMT Music Awards - “Anyway”

From what I understand, Jeff Foxworthy, the MC, delivered a wonderful speech, just before Martina McBride sang "Anyway." It's a beautiful song, and Jeff's speech, rather than focusing on comedy, was heartfelt and moving. You can see the videos at each link, but CMT has made a baffling decision to support viewing only in *spit* IE *spit* (fair warning, LOL)

Here are the glorious lyrics to "Anyway:"

You can spend your whole life building
Something from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might never come your way
Dream it anyway

CHORUS
God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

This world's gone crazy
It's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
In a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway

God is great
But sometimes life ain't good
And when I pray
It doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway

You can pour your soul out singing
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yea - sing it anyway

I sing
I dream
I love
Anyway

LOVED these videos!

I love my iPod - I always find stuff I'd forgotten about (hey, 20 gigs can hold a lot of songs!), and when I can find the music video on YouTube, it's wonderful...

You know I’m not a big fan of NPR...

... but when I was returning from the quilt show the other week, I happened (during some channel surfing) to stumble upon their program, The Thistle and Shamrock, hosted by Fiona Ritchie.

Now, y'all may not know, but my family is descended from Scots immigrants, and I love my Scottish heritage - I even adore bagpipes! So, when I heard Fiona's Scots accent (mmmm!), I paid attention. I'm very glad I did, because I've been introduced to some lovely music richly infused with Celtic influences (and, gee, didn't it take me a while to phrase that!).

I strongly urge you to go on over and subscribe to the podcast, or peruse the playlist. I'm sure you'll find something you'll enjoy... And perhaps you'll send me something which will help me figure out how to pronounce all those Scots words?

(UPDATE) Oh, and in case you're interested: 1) the podcasts are not the same as the broadcasts [pout], and 2) the show which caught my interest was a repeat of show #1238, which featured Karine Polwart when she was here for the "Scotland at the Smithsonian" event at the National Mall in 2003.

Glorious God, Sovereign King, Loving Father

I first heard this beautiful song, "Our Great God," on the City on a Hill album Sing Alleluia. It is a rhythmic, driving, and dramatic duet between Mac Powell of Third Day, and Fernando Ortega. I believe Mr. Ortega actually wrote it, as it also appears as a solo on his album Storm.

Because of my odd ear (the first version of a song that I hear and like is always and ever, to me, the "original"), I prefer the duet. However, I highly recommend Mr. Ortega's albums, because they are superb! His voice, the simplicity of his recordings, and the purity of the lyrics - he loves to record old hymns - are simply out of this world, and excellent to listen to and meditate upon.

Of course, when I want to worship from my gut, Third Day cannot be beat. They have a southern-rock style which grabs you, shakes you up, and gets you dancing before the Lord before you know what you're doing! Mac Powell also has a wonderful duet with Randy Travis, "Love Lifted Me," on Randy's Worship and Faith CD. Mac's powerful, growly voice compliments Ortega's light, classical tenor as well as Randy's country bass, and you should go and listen to the samples on all the linked albums - I think you'll find a lot to enjoy.

But the words of this song never fail to make me lift my eyes to Heaven in praise and gratitude to the Living God, who reached down and rescued me from Satan's clutches. I now serve, however imperfectly, the One True God and live in His kingdom of light and love and righteousness.

Eternal God, unchanging,
Mysterious and unknown -

Father, You are so big! You are infinite, and we will never know You entirely. But You have given us Your Word, and so we know that You are holy and just, merciful and loving, righteous and powerful. We know that You created the world and all that is in it, and we know that You have created each and every one of us in Your image.

Your boundless love, unfailing,
In grace and mercy shown.

You shower Your love upon us each and every day: You offer Your salvation with a patient, consistent hand; You send the rain and guide the Sun; You hold the Universe together by the power of Your Word. You sustain our lives and each breath that we take, and You provide us all that we need. We know of Your great love by Your Word and the awesome sacrifice You made for our salvation on the Cross. The bounty of Your goodness and grace pours over us in an everlasting display of Your loving-kindness!

Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight
Around Your glorious throne,
They raise their voices day and night
In praise to You alone.

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory!" Thus sing the the seraphim endlessly, giving due honor and praise to their Creator. The Lord is high and lifted up, He is exalted above all the Universe, for it is His Word that brought everything into existence, and there is nothing made that He has not made. Father, help us to live in praise to You and follow the example of the seraphim; let us always keep Your perfect holiness in our minds, and live openly and humbly before You.

Lord, we are weak and frail,
Helpless in the storm.

Father, without You, we are lost and dead in our sin. We deserve judgment and Hell, yet You have reached down to us and provided Your salvation. You in Your mercy and grace have given us what we cannot earn and do not deserve: Heaven and eternal life. Father, remind us that in our weakness we may rest in You and Your power. Help us remember and trust that You are our mighty fortress, our strong tower of refuge. You hold us in Your hand, and nothing can wrest us from Your embrace.

Surround us with Your angels,
Hold us in Your arms.

Your love is displayed daily in Your protection and provision. Your holy angels watch over us at Your order, and while we are thankful, we still know that it is You and You alone who truly protects us. You will never leave us nor forsake us, and You will never desert us to our foes. We can do all things in the power of Your strength. You and You alone are worthy of our praise and worship. You and You alone deserve all honor and glory!

Our cold and ruthless enemy,
His pleasure is our harm!
Rise up, o Lord, and he will flee
Before our Sovereign God!

Satan is a defeated foe. He is but a creature, and will one day be undone with a simple word from Your mouth. True, he is powerful - but greater is Your Spirit who dwells in us. You have promised that if we resist the devil he will flee, but we can only do that in Your power and strength.

Let every creature in the sea,
And every flying bird;
Let every mountain, every field,
And valley of the Earth;
Let all the moons and all the stars
In all the Universe

Let all of creation acknowledge its Creator. Let all creation bow down before its Lord!

Sing praises to the Living God
Who rules them by His Word!

Our God - the Living God - is Sovereign and in control. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and there is no place we can hide from Him. He sustains the Universe by His power alone, and He does not sleep or grow weary. Our King is on His throne, guiding and protecting, providing and calling, judging and forgiving. His will is unstoppable, and there is none who can resist it. He is perfect in holiness and glory, and there is nothing which can compare with Him!

Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

Amen!

“All replete with very me”

My last post garnered some wonderful comments, and they reminded me of the beloved author of one of my favorite books: Madeleine L'Engle and A Ring of Endless Light. The main character in the book is a girl named Vicky Austin, and she writes poetry. Now, of course, poetry can be pure drivel, especially when written by the young (and yes, I penned more than my fair share of absolutely atrocious poems when I was young...), but Vicky has the advantage of being a character written by Ms L'Engle.

One of the poems Vicky writes and reads to her dying grandfather has the phrase "all replete with very me" which I -obviously - remember to this day. At this time, I can't find her actual poem, but my search led me to two poems by real people who provided inspiration for this book.

First is the inspiration for the title of the book - a poem by Henry Vaughn:

I saw Eternity the other night
Like a great Ring of pure and endless light,
All calm, as it was bright,
And round beneath it,
Time is hours, days, years
Driven by the spheres
Like a vast shadow mov'd, in which the world
And all her train were hurl'd;

A ring of endless light - eternity. How beautiful an image! A simmering, peaceful luminosity stretching out forever and ever. What a glorious future we could have in our eternal home, if we would only turn to our Father and accept His grace and love.

But we are often too focused on temporal things of lesser value, which leads to the second poem by Sir Thomas Browne which is the inspiration for the phrase "all replete with very me" -

If thou could'st empty all thyself of self,
Like to a shell dishabited,
Then might He find thee on the ocean shelf,
And say, "This is not dead,"
And fill thee with Himself instead.

But thou are all replete with very thou
And hast such shrewd activity,
That when He comes He says, "This is enow
Unto itself - 'twere better let it be,
It is so small and full, there is no room for Me."

We are so often replete with ourselves. We are self-focused, self-involved, self-satisfied, self-absorbed. We fill our lives with people imortant to us, issues important to us, activities important to us... We forget that we ourselves are not eternal, we are here today and gone tomorrow -

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind

I would much prefer that God finds me "disinhabited," so that He can fill me with Himself. But, I am still so filled to bursting with "very me" that I wonder if there is even a tiny niche open and available for Him!

And yet, God is still there. Even when we are so full of ourselves that there seems to be no room for Him, the Hound of Heaven comes in to our lives and offers His grace and mercy and purpose - and love! Like a gentle mist falling on a parched land, He rains on us until we slowly - oh, so slowly! - begin to open and grow. Slowly, we begin to have an inkling of an idea that, if we move aside, He will flood us with Himself. His Spirit will come to live in us to seal us unto eternity and to give us His power and His assurance

Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

So slowly our doors creak open, the windows of our souls are cracked ajar, and we creep out of the dark poverty of our selfishness. We tentatively take hold of His offered hand... And God catches us and comes in in a torrant of love..

I am confounded when people, confronted with this infinite love, who reject the mercy and grace that are offered so freely and so generously. The pain and sacrifice endured by Jesus wasn't something He had to do - it was something He wanted to do! Our Savior

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus looked ahead to the JOY of His children being with Him for eternity. He looked ahead to the JOY of our voices raised in praise and thanksgiving for the incredible gift He won for us. He looked ahead to the JOY of the final triumph of good over evil, and the eternity of righteousness and beauty without sin.

How can we not desire to empty ourselves of US, and let Him come in and fill us with His love?! The glorious, eternal, and joyful love of God. THAT kind of love:

Happiness in view
Please let it be true
How I've waited in line
Longing for a love
To come hold this heart of mine

Promises unkept
Boundaries overstepped
Left alone with the hurt
Feeling like my life
Couldn't feel much worse

CHORUS
Then I saw the way You saw Me
As my heart let You come in
And I know I felt You hold me
When You told me I could live
Safe in Your arms
That's what I want
That kind of love

Love that will not leave
Use me or deceive
One I know I can trust
Love that will not bring me down
And always builds me up

Love that knows my soul
Shows me where to go
When all I see is a cloud
How could this exist as I stood there
In my doubt

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE
You opened my soul
With what I'd never known
At a time when I was so so alone

REPEAT CHORUS

I am so tired of being all "replete with very me." I want that kind of love. Don't you?

So let's empty ourselves of ourselves and invite the Lord of Life, the Lord of Light, into our souls. Let Him fill us up with His love and His power and His joy. Let us drink from the Fountain of Living Water, and shower the blessings of His salvation on a weary, discouraged, and dying world.

The Father's Song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all

The Father's song
The Father's love
You've sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

CHORUS:
Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song
Heaven's perfect mystery
The King of love has sent for me
And now You're singing over me
The Father's song

I have heard so many songs
Listened to a thousand tongues
But there is one
That sounds above them all
[Thank You, Lord]

The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart

CHORUS

[Let us sing Your song over us tonight, O God
The song of Your grace, the song of Your love
Yes, Your song brings me joy]

Heaven's perfect melody
The Creator's symphony
You are singing over me
The Father's song

The Father's song
The Father's love
You sung it over me and for eternity
It's written on my heart
[You've written it in love
You've written it in grace
Into the depths of our hearts
Father, thank You!]      (by Matt Redman, from his album Blessed Be Your Name)

Indeed, Father - thank You!

The LORD your God in your midst,   
      The Mighty One, will save; 
      He will rejoice over you with gladness, 
      He will quiet you with His love, 
      He will rejoice over you with singing.”   (Zephaniah 3:17, NKJV)