sunday's song: how He loves

i can't even begin to tell you the power this song has for me
perhaps because i first heard it at a point in my life when i was REALLY beginning to realize God's love
perhaps because nearly every time i hear it it's like that thought renews in my mind
perhaps because i always look around the room at others worshiping and see on their faces that they get it too

it's such a simple lyric
but what a powerful thought
do you know how much He loves you??


i love this version of the song.  particularly when kim walker (the soloist) tells everyone that you'd better just brace yourself...because it's SO true.  if you haven't encountered His love?  brace yourself.  it's coming.  :-)



much love,
(His and mine)

Sunday's Song: I love Your Presence

one of my absolute favorite worship songs

this version from bethel church in california

(a church i hope to visit one of these days...)

and the words are so simple:

in the glory of Your Presence

i find rest for my soul

in the depths of Your Love

i find peace, makes me whole

i love, i love, i love Your Presence

i love, i love, i love Your Presence

i love, i love, i love You Jesus

i love, i love, i love Your Presence

treasure

friday afternoon

i came downstairs from putting P (3 year old) down for his nap

and K (6) had a big smile on her face

and with sparkling eyes she said

"i've hidden treasures for you to find all over!

and they all have your initials on them

and you'll have to look under things

and in things

and around things

and they're all in the living room

and i'll help!"

and all over the living room

were small pieces of construction paper

that she had labored over

drawing hearts

and pictures of her and i together

and the ones that made my heart melt

that said "I♥U" and "I♥L"

and she did help--if i was near one she would say

"oh, don't forget to look in the drawer"

"there might be one on the train table"

i kind of giggled to myself

because most of her hiding places were oh-so-obvious.

and when i had found all 8 slips of paper

she said "now YOU do one for ME!"

so i obliged

happily

even though there were emails to be sent, and toys to be picked up

i wanted to return the favor

of such a loving and special game

when we were finished and a friend had come to pick her up for an afternoon of play

i continued on with my work

and then it hit me

WHAT a picture of God i received today!

because all through my life

He's hidden treasures

and i have to look under

and around

and inside

and all around my path

but He helps me find them

some of them are small, unexpected blessings

like a phone call from an out of town friend

saying she's coming through town

or seeing someone's facebook status

and it's a scripture or a song lyric that i've been meditating to

and some of them make my heart melt

like holding a newborn

or hearing "i love you"

or being so consumed in His presence

that nothing else matters

and the funny thing is

i'm pretty sure that sometimes i can hear Him say

"lora...look over here"

because the hiding places which are oh-so-obvious

i'm missing somehow

and when it's all done

(though it will never be done)

i want to return the favor

such an amazing, loving God

how can i hide little treasures for Him to find?

this life

is a treasure hunt

with amazing and divine surprises

hidden everywhere

and sometimes

it takes a child to remind us.

Page from my Journal 1 (Monday's Memory)

I'll be back soon to post pictures and tell you a bit about my Valentine's Day :)

But right now I'm going to share my Monday's Memory with you.

I've been feeling a bit...dry...in worship lately. As followers will remember, our worship minister recently left us for another position. The interim is...hard for me to say the least. It's not that we don't have amazingly talented leaders for each Sunday, and wonderful Godly people who are planning our worship times. It's just...the Randy touch. It's gone, I miss it, and I'm craving some deep, fall on my face, raise my hands in the air and DANCE kind of worship.

I get some of that downstairs with the youth group.

But I'm aching for it in other areas as well.

And so as I'm flipping through my journal tonight I came across an entry dated 10.9.06. It's a reflection from watching a friends toddler absolutely lose herself in the worship we were having at small group that evening. She was 2.5 at the time and was the picture of what worship should be--uninhabited and joyful. Here's what I wrote that night:

What a beautiful picture of what worship really is!

Twirling
Spinning
Adoring
Joy!

Thank You, Father for giving me just a glimpse of what you see when our hearts are lifted in praise to you!

Bring me back to a time when I praised You all day long.
Did I ever have such a time?
I don't remember it. Don't know if it was 'allowed'.
But YOU allow me to be a child again, so Father may I adore You, all day long as children do!

And that...is still my prayer.
Amen.

Amen

Yesterday morning I was leading worship at my church, as I do regularly on the "3rd Sunday" praise team.

It was a powerful worship, and we ended it with the song God of This City. You may know it (I'll include a youtube video and lyrics at the end of this post if you don't). It ends on a powerful crescendo of "greater things are yet to come; greater things are still to be done in this city" followed by the softer yet powerful truth of "there is no one like our God...there is no one like our God"

In an acapella setting, the voices linger and resonate throughout the sanctuary for a few moments after the last note is cut off. As we basked in that moment a small child's voice, no older than 3, echoed through the auditorium:

"Amen!"

Amen indeed. There is NO ONE like our God! If the smallest of children can feel that so powerfully in her soul...who am I to question?

And yet sometimes I do.

Help me to be like a child on her Father's knee...
to grasp the most awesome and complex of truths
in the simplest of ways.

AMEN




(lyrics are included on the video--and it is the original version from Ireland so they are slightly different, so it's definitely worth a listen)

*God of This City was written by a worship band from Ireland (possibly why it's so close to my heart!) on a missions trip to Thailand. They set up the band in a brothel and sang worship songs right in the heart of the sex trade district...and this song came to them than night as they witnessed the brokenness that surrounded them--that the God they were worshiping was STILL the 'God of these people' and the 'Lord of this nation'
Makes it all the more powerful to know the story...*

If all goes well...

My friend Sam (more about him and his wife) gets to go home tomorrow!

His counts are going up, and although he will continue to be closely monitored, his immune system has developed enough to return to his own home!

Praises...

You know, all day long I've wanted to post a blog and couldn't figure out *what* to write about. I guess I was just waiting for the good news!

Here's a song he posted on his blog the other day. Perhaps you've heard it before; I grew up singing it in church as did he:

Whatever It Takes

There’s a voice calling me, from an old rugged tree
And it whispers draw closer to me
Leave this world far behind,
There are new heights to climb
And a new place in Me you will find

For whatever it takes, to draw closer to You Lord
That’s what I’d be wiling to do
And whatever it takes, to be more like you
That’s what I’d be willing to do

Take my houses and lands,
Change my dreams and my plans.
For I’m placing my whole life in Your hands.
And if you call me someday,
To a land far away,
Lord, I’ll go and Your will obey.

For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord,
That’s what I’ll be willing to do.
And whatever it takes for my will to break,
That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

Take the dearest things to me, if that’s how it must be
To draw me closer to Thee
Let the disappointments come, lonely days without the sun
If through sorrow more like You I’ll become.

For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord,
That’s what I’ll be willing to do.
And whatever it takes for my will to break,
That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

I’ll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain, that’s what I’d be willing to do.
For whatever it takes to be more like you, That’s what I’d be willing to do.

Um, so if you want to hear a rough version of it, turn off the music player and click the video. It's me, rough chords because I don't have sheet music and had to play it by ear, a couple of big boo-boos, and distracting moving as I sing (can you promise not to WATCH the video and just listen? lol) and I can't promise that at 12:30 am I was completely "on" for the whole song. But, it's there. Gentle, dear readers :0) (there are more of you now than the last time I posted myself singing!)

Anyway, I'm so grateful for this miracle. No, his journey with cancer isn't over...not even close...but this chapter is coming to a close.

Why am I Still Surprised?

I am constantly surprised. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I am.

I mean, I'm the one continually telling people
how faithful God is
how real His mercies are
and how I've been so trusting of Him over these last few months.

And then out of the blue He astonishes me with His provision.

I got off the phone around 2 pm today, sad.
I had just been told by a family that had mentioned the possibility of me becoming their nanny that they had decided to keep their 2 year old boy and newborn baby girl in school fulltime.
And while the conversation was good, and I fully support their decision, I was sad.
And worried.
And immediately on the phone and email channels trying to figure out what's next. Because even though nannying wasn't my first choice...
it was nice to have that offer "in my back pocket" in case a teaching position didn't work out.
I was beginning to be resigned to the life of a nanny.
I had begun to stop contacting the schools.
And this just set all that in motion once again.

However, Anne, as we ended our conversation asked me if I would mind being their "on call" person between now and when her parents arrive on the 4th. "Just in case" her water broke or she went into labor in the middle of the night. Just long enough for her husband's parents to drive up from Atlanta to take care of Mr Man (their 2 year old).
I said absolutely.

Not 4 hours later my phone rang.
It was Anne.
Not in labor, but in the hospital because of a car accident. Everything looks fine for her and baby girl, but since she's 2 weeks out from her due date they're monitoring her for 24 hours before allowing her to leave.
Could I stay overnight with Mr. Man so that her husband could stay with her? Of course, they'll pay me my normal rate for this time...

I hung up the phone, and after a prayer offered up for her and Baby Girl, and thanksgiving for their safety, I began to giggle.

Because as I'm worried about how the bills are going to be paid, I get an overnight babysitting job.

My God is a God who provides.

Isn't it funny...how when we least expect it...

I realize that it's not an all-powerful, moving mountains kind of story.
No oceans roaring.
No howling winds, no mighty thunderstorms.

But Elijah heard that still small voice
And today...I think I did too.

"I AM a God Who provides"

And suddenly...though I still wonder what's next...I'm not worried anymore.

My GOD is a GOD who Provides!

(a new Hillsong release that speaks to this better than my words can)

Desert Song

Verse 1:
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow