Overwhelm me LORD

Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,
    the Lord tested Joseph’s character.  Psalm 105:19 NLT

You overwhelm me with your faithfulness.
You overwhelm me with your love.
You overwhelm me with your blessings
that flows from Heaven above.

You surround me with your presence.
You consume me with your fire.
You, my Lord are
my heart’s only desire.

Your holiness compels me.
Your faithfulness endures.
Your grace restores me,
to the place I knew before

Your mercies renew me.
Your joy gives me strength.
Your peace consoles me.
It is you that I adore.

 I will not fall in the face of this storm.
I will stand tall knowing that my roots are firm.
I’m grounded in your promises.
You are my refuge and my strength;
and through it all, I will stand tall.

The winds howl.
The storm rages.
Doubts fill my head.
But I know that with you on my side,
I have nothing to dread. 

 

I rest assured.
Knowing, I’m grounded in your word.
You are my refuge.
My place of power
in this midnight hour.

I see the streaks of your Glory.
A new day is dawning.
I lift my hands in praise; knowing
that I will stand tall.
I will never fall;
because I‘m grounded in the promises
of your Amazing Word.

Talk is cheap...DO!

We have all heard the saying, “Talk is Cheap!”  Truer words have never been spoken.  All we have to do is turn on the TV, our computers or smartphones and we can see evidence of people saying one thing and doing another.

Even the Word discourages us that we shouldn’t merely offer words; but back them with our actions:

Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions. Then we will know for sure, by our actions, that we are on God’s side, and our consciences will be clear, even when we stand before the Lord. 1 John 3:18-19 TLB

Yet, how many of us have been guilty of this very thing?  On any given day, we hear people share a need with us and we’ll say, “I’ll pray for you.”  When more often than not, in this age of excess we have the very thing that they need, but we don’t want to part with it because of a ‘what-if-I-need-it-someday?’ mentality.

Have we ever considered that the reason we are hearing about the need, is so that God can work through us to meet the need?
We are the hands and feet of the Body of Christ.  I have walked on this Earth for decades and I have yet to see money falling down from Heaven.  The only time I have found in the Word that God rained down from Heaven something that would meet His people’s needs was when manna rained down to  feed Israel in the wilderness.  Not to say that God wouldn’t do it again if He had to, but since we as Believers are on this Earth, the LORD shouldn’t have to, He should be able to work through us.  I have personally been on the receiving end when someone was faithful and obedient and met a need that I had and it overwhelmed me and blessed me in ways I could not find words to describe.  Most importantly, it reminded me that God saw and heard my cry and came to my rescue.
I encourage you the next time you encounter a moment when a need is presented, search your heart and ask yourself the question, ‘do I have what this person needs?’  If the answer is YES, then be quick to obey and GIVE IT, trusting that when you have a need for it, Our Daddy God will be faithful to provide it.
James 2:14-18 TLB also encourages in like manner with these words:

Dear brothers, what’s the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren’t proving it by helping others? Will that kind of faith save anyone? If you have a friend who is in need of food and clothing, and you say to him, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat hearty,” and then don’t give him clothes or food, what good does that do?  So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless.  But someone may well argue, “You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can’t prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act.”

Wow, that last line really leaps out at you; we show that we have faith in God by acting.  When we are quick to obey and meet someone else’s need, we are essentially saying to Our Daddy God that, ‘I trust that when the time comes, you will provide for me as well.’  Relying on a full pantry, closet, garage, etc is not living by faith; it is trusting in what you have stored up. The Word is also has something to say about storing things up in Luke 12:22-33 NLT:

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. ³¹ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Now, I am not saying it is wrong to have things; we just have to check our heart and make sure our things don’t have US!  The surest way to check that is to ask ourselves the question, ‘am I willing to sow this into someone else’s’ life if the opportunity presents itself?’  If the answer isn’t YES, then my friend, your things have your heart and the only thing or should I say person that should have your heart is the one who created you and died for you.  That’s right; He did not withhold even His own life from us.  He gave it willingly because we had a need.

Grilled cabbage....who knew?!!!

While down in TN, staying with our friends one of our favorite times was when our hosts would fire up the grill and we would feast on grilled meat and veggies. Mmmm, grilled veggies! Now, most of us know the old stand-byes: mushrooms, peppers, onions, zucchini, asparagus and corn.
But this time, my friend pulled out two heads of cabbage, one red and one green and I was like, "whoa, really? Cabbage on the grill?" She laughed and said, "trust me, it's AH-Mazing!" 
And it was...oh, how it was!
Grilled Cabbage:

1 small head of cabbage
1/4 c butter melted or olive oil, or both
1/2 tsp of Salt, 
1/2 tsp of Pepper, 
1/2 tsp of Garlic powder 
1/2 tsp of Onion powder
Heavy-duty Foil
Clean and core the cabbage, cut into 1/8 wedges. Place on double squares of foil, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with butter or olive oil. Fold foil over cabbage and crimp edges tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 8 servings.

Nursery Tales

I was talking to a fellow co-worker and we were talking about grilling and I told her how my hubby and I would have to wait a little while longer before we could grill again since our new place could not accommodate a grill. She asked if we grilled a lot and I casually mentioned we sure did; back BT (Before Tennessee). At that moment, I realized what a defining moment our Tennessee Sojourn was in our lives. We had chosen to get out of the boat and pursue God and His will for our life, regardless of what lie ahead.
It's taken to this point, to begin seeing ourselves on the other side. Tonight at dinner, I told my hubby that there are certain things that happened while we were down there, that I realize were still "tender to the touch." The wound had healed, the scab was gone, but every now and then, a memory would bump up against it and I would wince.
One thing we did learn through the experience was that we were NOT ALONE. Our Daddy God was there step-by-step. Jesus had taken the wheel on more than one occasion and the Holy Spirit was there too, teaching and bringing comfort. Here is one of the lessons He taught me.
Lessons from the Nursery – 9/2/12
Today after a very stressful and emotionally draining Saturday...stepping out in faith is no cake walk. I was looking forward to being in the Word the next day when I remembered "I'm supposed to work in the nursery!"
I stirred myself up, with the words "do it with a cheerful heart, as unto the Lord, regardless how you feel." I really wanted to be in the main sanctuary, because I really needed to hear a message that would encourage my heart.
There was only one baby this morning, and he was "out of sorts," before he even got to class. I saw his face crumple into tears as his daddy handed him over to me. He would look at me warily with his big blue eyes full of tears. I began rocking him. I patted his back and told him he would be okay.
However, the little one was like me; restless, anxious and unable to trust the person who was holding him. I began to sing songs over him as I tried to play with him. I tried my best to engage him with toys and funny voices. It would seem as if he would get interested then all at once, he would remember that he didn't know me. His bottom lip would quiver, and then the tears began to flow. He soon began to rub his eyes and ears. This was a clear sign that he was tired, but he didn’t want to settle into rest. He didn't want to let go.
But I persisted and continued to rock him and pat his little back as he laid his head on my shoulder. I could feel his little body shudder with the hiccup whimpers that happen after a long crying spell. Soon, the movement subsided and I could tell that he had surrendered to my ministrations and fell into a peaceful sleep, trusting finally that I would not drop him or let anything harm him.
As I rocked him, the Lord spoke to my heart, "you are like him. You are weary and fretful and you are fighting me. I told you when you began this journey that as you rely, I will supply. And I have, and I will continue to do so. I have been singing songs over you. I have sent my Spirit to encourage you with the word from your Pastor, friends and even people you don't even know. I have you and I will supply all that you need. REST in me, don't fight it. REJOICE in me and declare, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT."
Slowly, a smile crept over my face as I allowed myself to enter into the rest that only the Father can give. I had church, even though I hadn't been in the main sanctuary. God always knows what word we need to hear. He is faithful to minister to us no matter where we are. I'm always amazed when people tell me that they don't want to volunteer because they don't want to miss out on what God is doing. They don't realize that when they submit and put their hands and hearts to something and get in their place, that God will bless them right where they are.
This is only one of the stories I could share about what I learned from the trenches. But I encourage you to Get out there and serve...you will be BLESSED to be a blessing!