The Next Chapter - July 14, 2012

The Next Chapter


And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Philippians 1:6 NLT


Two steps forward, Three steps back.  When I am surrounded by my church and supports I am strong, when I am not I am weak.  I had a very busy work week, 5 and 1/2 days to late in the night work, work, work.  I get around non Christians and I do non Christian things.  I forgo his thought process and rely on my own mind.  As you have seen in the past, this is trouble.  With a capital T.   So now I sit here with my BFF and get filled with his spirit once again.  I realize I need a daily dose of my pitchers to fill me.  I need to draw on his word, and my understanding of knowing the plans he has for me.  I need to stop letting Satan tell me otherwise, and convincing me I got this by myself.  I need to rise above my understanding and continue to lean on him, and who he provides to help me.  Every thing happens for a reason, and a purpose to raise my understanding of he who is in me.  




"Rise" - Shawn McDonald

[Chorus]
Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise

Sometimes my heart is on the ground
And hope is nowhere to be found
Love is a figment I once knew
And yet I hold on to what I know is true

[Chorus]
Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise

Well I keep on coming to this place
That I don't know quite how to face
So I lay down my life in hopes to die
That somehow I might rise

[Chorus]
Yes I will rise
Out of these ashes rise
From this trouble I have found
And this rubble on the ground
I will rise
Cause He Who is in me
Is greater than I will ever be
And I will rise

The Next Chapter - July 12, 2012

The Next Chapter


I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. ~Psalm 120:1 NLT

How many times? Everytime! All the time!  Always!  Whenever I am troubled I lift up my concerns.  Just recently I had a decision on my heart, and I realized when I prayed out loud the answer was already there. I am troubled thinking about a friend facing difficult decisions, and how to choose the correct path.  I wish it was easy to see, with a large sign for directions.  But it is not.  I can only turn to my bible and hunt for his words of wisdom.  And my my sometimes I have heard his words in my head, only to push them to the background and continue with my will not his.  Remember to seek him, and knowing I will find him.  ......



"Hallelujah" - so many have covered this song, I love Kate Voegele's version.


I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who has seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well, really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The Next Chapter - July 11, 2012

The Next Chapter



Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your hearts desires. ~ Psalm 37:4 NLT

I love this verse, I think about what it really means..... Your hearts desires.  I believe in the plans he has for me, and patience is necessary to get there.  I also know he will provide me a partner to walk this path with.  I know he has shown me others that are part of my process, but yet to show me his chosen one.  I will continue to pray for strength in the wait.  The more I wait, the more I know I am not ready for a full time relationship.....And while a full time relationship would be great and fun, I do not really know how or why I want to add that pressure to my life.   I was up to 1:30 am last night catching up on homework, my life has been so busy, that sometimes I forget to breathe.  Thank goodness that is not something I have to remember to do.  I want to set the world on fire, but I have to wait until I am ready, and continue to be open for changes in my path.  He will take my dreams and give them wings, and give me all my heart desires.(Dorothy said it best "if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!")

All in good time.....all in good time



"Set The World On Fire"  - Britt Nicole

I wanna set the world on fire
Until it's burning bright for You
It's everything that I desire
Can I be the one You use?

I, I am small but
You, You are big enough
I, I am weak but
You, You are strong enough to
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I can not do
Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father's hands

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Nothing I cannot do

My hands my feet
My everything
My life, my love
Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire
I wanna set the world on fire, yeah

Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
Nothing I cannot do
Take my dreams
Come and give them wings
Lord with You
There's nothing I can't do
Nothing I can't do

I'm gonna set the world on fire
Set the world on fire

The Next Chapter - July 9, 2012

The Next Chapter

"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you." Psalm 143:8 (NLT)

Easier said than done, especially when you are the go to person at your job.
I am the liaison between project managers and customer service and sometimes I wonder if anyone listens, or is everyone just hearing what they want to hear as they formulate their own response?
I must continue to slow down and listen for his guidance..... Even when I want to jump!

Unfailing Love- Chris Tomlin

You have my heart
And I am Yours forever
You are my strength
God of grace and power

And everything You hold in Your hand
Still You make time for me
I can't understand
Praise You God of Earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love

And You never change God You remain
The Holy One
My unfailing love
Unfailing love

You are my rock
The one I hold on to
You are my song
And I sing for You

And everything You hold in Your hand
Still You make time for me
I can't understand
Praise You God of Earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love

And You never change God You remain
The Holy One
My Unfailing love
Unfailing love

And everything You hold in Your hand
Still you make time for me
I can't understand
Praise You God of Earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love

And You never change God You remain
The Holy One
My Unfailing love
Unfailing love

I will praise You
Praise you God of earth and sky
How beautiful is your unfailing love
Unfailing love

And You never change God You remain
The Holy One
My Unfailing love

Unfailing love
Unfailing love
Unfailing love
Unfailing love
Unfailing love

The Next Chapter - July 5, 2012

The Next Chapter

A bit of a vacation from the blog.  Not intentionally.  I got wrapped up in 4th of July celebrations, and homework on the 3rd. 

Today my message is freedom.  After celebrating our countries independence, I was thinking about God giving us free will, to love him with all our hearts.

"Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own."  John 7:17

"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  John 8:32

Some struggle with judgement, sin, and forgiveness.  I too have my moments.  I see this a choice to follow the father rather than rely on my own judgement in a situation.  For I know the plans I have for you...............  I will wait for you, and allow you to guide me, I will chose free will

(as part of a semester project I have to step out of my comfort zone each week and write about it. This week, I am not listening to my usual Christian music, so my song today is from Rush)

"Freewill" - Rush

There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance

A planet of play things
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
'The stars aren't aligned
Or the gods are malign...'
Blame is better to give than receive

[Chorus:]
You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that's clear
I will choose freewill
There are those who think
That they were dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren't born in Lotusland

All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can't pray for a place
In heaven's unearthly estate

[Chorus]

Each of us
A cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet

[Chorus]

Each one of us has a path that is clear, we all gather our strength from somewhere, my help comes from the Lord.

The Next Chapter - July 2, 2012

The Next Chapter

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned ..."John 3:17-18b

Believes in him.  I have seen the power of prayer.  Yesterday I visited a young lady in the hospital, she was injured seriously 4 weeks ago.  She spent 2 weeks in a coma.  I pray for her everytime she comes to my mind.  I share my prayers with her mother, who has sat a vigil by her side. Yesterday when I visited her, she grabbed my hand, and sat up for a hug.  I almost cried.  I told her I will continue to pray and she will be strong and continue to get better. Today she was supposed to move to a rehab hospital......  A miracle she is alive, a miracle she is improving daily.  Prayer.
When I don't know what to do, or what to say, I pray.  I believe in him, and I know it is through him I will be saved.


"East To West" - Casting Crowns
(this was the first Christian song that really hit home for me)

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

Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come 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
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, turned my darkness into light
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

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don't have to see the man I've been come 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
One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other

The Next Chapter - July 1, 2012

The Next Chapter

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called ; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.~Ephesians 4:2-6

Called.... Ever felt called.. Yesterday I felt called and I reached out to a friend when God put her name on my heart, today I felt called as I witnessed a young lady surrounded by family struggling to recover from a head trauma... I feel convicted to finished my degree and continue on a path into ministry..... Crazy huh? For I know the plans I have for you..... I will follow your lead Lord be patient with me and never let me go

You Are My All In All - Nicole Nordman

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
I'm seeking You like a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

Taking my cross my sin my shame
Raising again I praise Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I run dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I run dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name, lets go
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name