At the Name of Jesus
Last night I was volunteering at a drop in centre that I attend weekly. I usually go and sing and play with guitar with a couple other ladies who have beautiful voices and hearts.
Joy!
I woke up on November 30 feeling really unmotivated and grumpy. It was a real struggle to fight my bad attitude, and I was tempted to just feel sorry for myself. It can be pretty discouraging sometimes to see the “old man” – that is, the sinful flesh – pop up again and rear his ugly head.
A Little Goldfinch
I was sitting at my piano attempting to focus my heart and just worship Jesus, when I was interrupted by a goldfinch flying into my window. This has been happening a lot the past few days. On Sunday, a goldfinch flew into our kitchen window, and I ran outside to see if it was okay…I picked it up off the deck, and a few seconds later it died in my hands. Pretty sad.
What does it mean to be a child of God?
Why are so many Christians living stifled, sad, defeated lives? Aren’t we supposed to be living in joy and victory? To be honest, I often struggle with feelings of defeat and sadness. But I know God has so much more for me! He has so much more for us! It makes me angry at Satan’s cruel deceptions.
There is a deep-rooted lie that prevents Christians from living victorious, joyful, effective lives. This is the insecurity in their positions as true children of God. If a person isn’t quite sure if they’re saved, they are going to live in constant fear.
Worship Begins with Desperation
Dear friends,
I’ve been on an exciting journey the past few months. It’s a journey into the depths and heights of the God of Universe…that infinite cavern filled with light so bright, so pure, so holy. I must make the decision every day, every hour, every moment to pursue the depths of the knowledge of my Saviour Jesus Christ. I’ll admit it’s not always easy, and often – annoyingly often – I have to stir up my heart to remember my first love, and to warm up to this beautiful pursuit. But let me back up…
Still Remain
No matter how many new songs I’ve written in the past couple of years, I always come back to this one I wrote on December 25, 2009. Not because it’s musically amazing or anything special, but because it serves as a great reminder to me every time I sing it, that when all else fades away, God will still remain.
Before I go ahead and share the lyrics, I want to tell you a bit about the story behind writing this song.
It was Christmastime and I was 25 years old. I was feeling lonely, confused, and disappointed in a relationship that I did not understand. One night before bed,
I cried out to God. I remember feeling so overwhelmed with unfulfilled dreams and disappointment and I cried into my pillow. And then God showed me something really cool. Read More
Finding Treasure
Finding Treasure
Posted on May 25, 2010
I woke up this morning with a prayer on my lips: “Lord, reveal yourself to me.”
I spent most of yesterday evening praying, singing songs of worship, and searching for God’s presence. Right before bed, I prayed that I would not lose that sense of purpose in seeking Him. It just seems too easy to forget the good things of yesterday when you wake up to a new day. So, when I woke up this morning, I really felt I needed a strong sense of his presence, otherwise my day would just be wasted.
Immediately after I prayed this prayer, an image popped into my head. It was from a parable that Jesus told long ago about the man who finds buried treasure in a field and sells all he has to go purchase that field and have the treasure. Read More
Even When I was His Enemy
Even when I was His enemy
Posted on May 11, 2010
I’m writing a new song based on Romans 5:6-8.
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This passage is so deep and rich. It’s one of those passages that I keep having to return to again and again. It seems I’m constantly struggling with striving. I keep trying to live a perfect life, and just can’t do it. I never seem to realize until much later that every single time I take my eyes of the Cross, my eyes are on me and my own efforts in earning God’s approval and love.
But that’s the whole point of Christianity…that I couldn’t do it on my own! None of us can! It’s really truly all about what Jesus has done for us…how Jesus (perfect, sinless, pure) died for us (imperfect, sinful, filthy), so that we could be clean and righteous, and have a real, living relationship with God our Father.
So my song is a reminder to me, that even while I was God’s enemy, even while I was a filthy sinner…Christ still loved me enough to die for me.
Now that’s a love worth singing about!
L
In tough situations, God is working on you
Posted on March 11, 2010
Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
-Psalm 27:14
Sometimes life can just seem overwhelming. You wonder where God is and what He’s doing…if anything! He seems so distant, so uninvolved sometimes. If you’re like me, you might blame yourself for whatever is going wrong. You think that you must have some secret sin that has made God so mad that He’s remaining silent. For a moment you forget His incredible grace…you forget the cross…
And then…
Suddenly, He touches your heart. He reminds you that He’s in control, that His love is unfailing and His faithfulness is unending. For a solitary moment, you get a glimpse of the bigger picture.
God has allowed these things in your life for your benefit. He’s making you the person you were meant to be…holiness is his goal. He knows exactly what you are able to handle.
In every tough situation, He is the Rock and Fortress, your Shepherd, who will never leave you to face things alone. As you and I keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we will be able to not only endure these hard times, but we will be able to truly develop thankful hearts in the middle of even the most intense heartache.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
-Psalm 32:7