I Will Always Sing

Before I get into my reflections on my worship meditation this week, I need to share with you a wonderfully intense experience I had Thursday morning. Around 2:30 am I awoke from a dream. It was so strange. I was in heaven, or at least a heavenly place. I was surrounded by angelic type beings that had no form that I could discern. They seemed to glow, filled with light, so much so that I couldn’t see any arms, or legs or anything really. They were singing in a language that I couldn’t understand, but my soul sang with them. It was like something inside me understood what I was hearing, even though my brain didn’t get it at all. I sang with them in worship of God. And just as my brain began to understand what I was hearing, the dream began to fade and I awoke with a coughing fit (my norm). When I woke up I held my breath, trying to stop the cough, but also because I felt like if I laid there very still and concentrated I would remember the language I had heard. It was right there, on the fringes of my brain, and then it faded. My heart still longs to sing that song again and I hope that I will reenter that place in my dreams. It was wonderful! Have any of you ever had a similar experience?

This week’s worship song was Even Louder by The Church Will Sing. Let me share some of the lyrics from this awesome song:

Faithful in the sanctuary; Faithful in the storm
Worthy in the empty spaces; Worthy in my song
A thousand years of endless praise will never be enough
Through it all my heart will cling to Your unfailing love
Even if the drums stop beating
My soul will keep on singing
Even louder, even louder
Even when my eyes can’t see it
I’ll sing ’til I believe it
Even louder, even louder
I will sing Your promise in the dark of the valley
Until I see Your goodness in the land of the living

I highlight the above lyrics because they spoke so deeply to my heart. I’m not sure about you, but I have had times in my life where I haven’t felt the presence of God. I have had times where I thought that I was all alone and that God was not even remotely listening to the weeping of my soul or the beckoning of my heart. Crying in my bed, or my car, or in a corner. But God was there. And how do I know that? Because even when my eyes can’t see or feel Him, He is there. His Word gives me unimaginable hope:

• 1 John 5:14 (TPT), “Since we have this confidence, we can also have great boldness before him, for if we ask anything agreeable to his will, he will hear us.”
• Psalm 66:19 (TPT), “But praises rise to God, for he paid attention to my prayer and answered my cry to him!”
• 1 Peter 3:12 (TPT), “For the eyes of the Lord Yahweh rest upon the godly, and his heart responds to their prayers. But he turns his back on those who practice evil.”
• Hebrews 4:14-16 (TPT), “So then, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness.”

My friends, I know that life can sometimes, or even often, be overwhelming. But God is there in the midst. His loving kindness is poured over us. His mercy can overwhelm even the most daunting and discouraging circumstances. And even when we can’t see it, or feel it, we must still seek Him and worship Him! We must sing loudly to combat the voice of the enemy that tries to convince us that God is not present. And it is in these moments of desperation, when it seems as if God is not there, that our worship can transform our lives!

This next week my personal worship song is Beautiful Things by Gungor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1spkhp41ig4

Here’s my apple ITunes playlist if you’d like to download the songs! So far there are 36 songs and almost 3 hours 8 minutes worth of worship music! Some new, some old. Some well known, others not known at all. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/worshipchallenge2021/pl.u-3oa4S0X1Xl

Cleaning House

Make Room by The Church Will Sing:
And I WILL make room for you – Jesus
To do whatever you want to
Here is where I lay me down
All my burdens all my crowns. This is my surrender.
Here is where I lay junk down
All my lies and all my doubts. This is my time to change.
Shake up the ground – of ALL my ambitions
Break down the walls – of ALL my religion
Your way IS better!

Since I began my #WorshipChallenge2021 last week I’ve been singing this song every day. I have varied the lyrics to work deeper on my heart. Deeper into me and my personal walk. Let me encourage you to sing and change lyrics to speak deeper into your heart. It’s not just about the lyrics that were written, but how God is speaking to you through those lyrics.

It’s not enough to just Make Room for Jesus to come in and change you. I heard a message a long time ago that we have to be very careful clearing our minds and hearts of things that have corrupted us, and then not being intentional about filling that space up with things that will glorify God and grow us a believers. By clearing space, it can often get filled with junk that will make us even more miserable than we were to begin with.

Oh Yahweh, I have made room in my heart, mind and soul. Fill it with You. Your presence. Your love. Your life. Your desires. Your wisdom.

This is my artistic interpretation of what God is doing in my heart! Come on in Jesus – you do YOU!

James 1:5 (TPT), “And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but he will overwhelm your failures with his generous grace.”

My next worship song of meditative focus and private worship is Even Louder by The Church Will Sing (https://youtu.be/K_lmfWPV41Q)

Some of the lyrics:
Even if the drums stop beating
My soul will keep on singing
Even louder, even louder
Even when my eyes can’t see it
I’ll sing ’til I believe it
Even louder, even louder

Please consider joining me in this time! Feel free to share. You don’t have to give me credit. Let’s create a Body of Believers that are passionately and privately and corporately worshipping the Most High God!

Here’s my apple ITunes playlist if you’d like to download the songs! So far there are 34 songs and almost 3 hours worth of worship music! Some new, some old. Some well known, others not known at all. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/worshipchallenge2021/pl.u-3oa4S0X1Xl

So, what song are you mediating on? How has God spoken to you, and what have you been saying to God?

#WorshipChallenge2021

I’ve decided to do something for the rest of 2021. Every week I will have a different worship song that I am going to focus on. I am going to listen to that worship song at least once every day. At the end of the week, I plan to journal what God has revealed to me during my private worship time.

I feel like we have lost, or maybe it’s just me, connection with the Lord. Maybe it’s the isolation. Maybe it’s Covid. Maybe it’s just Satan, and that’s probably more likely than anything else, but I feel like I haven’t taken time to very deeply worship God! Am I alone in this? I don’t think so!

Today I was listening to a song that is just really been penetrating deep into my heart, and I felt God just nudging me and telling me that I needed to spend some time in private worship.

What is private worship? For me it means a time where I can just listen to music and meditate on God and the goodness of God, but most importantly listen to his voice! How often do you take timeto actually listen to God?It’s so easy to ignore the voice of God and just focus inwardly, or focus on worldly needs.

Whether or not you want to worship with the same weekly song I choose, I want to challenge you to spend 5 to 10 minutes just singing and worshipping Christ every day! Let’s do this together! Let’s worship! Let’s see what God is going to reveal. Let’s celebrate today the great revelations we can anticipate!!

Make Room – By The Church Will Sing and Elyssa Smith & Community Music

The first song I’ve chosen is Make Room (https://music.apple.com/us/album/make-room-single/1510355933) by The Church Will Sing.

Here is where I lay it down
Every burden, every crown
This is my surrender
This is my surrender
Here is where I lay it down
Every lie and every doubt
This is my surrender

And I will make room for You
To do whatever You want to
To do whatever You want to
I will make room for You
To do whatever You want to
To do whatever You want to

So, who’s in? Let me know what song you’re meditating on this week! Let’s rejoice and worship together! God is so faithful and good!

#WorshipChallenge2021

EDIT –

About that #WorshipChallenge2021 … I have gotten some wonderful feedback and people that are excited to join me on this journey of anticipation and worship. So, I decided to make a worship playlist that will eventually include all my personal worship songs for the rest of 2021. #WorshipChallenge2021

I’d also love to include yours too. What songs have been life changers for you? Songs where God has spoken directly to your soul? Songs that have changed your life? Songs that have conveyed your deep love of Jesus? I would love for us to all be able to use this playlist as a way to connect with each other but most importantly connect with God!

Being Petty is My Jam (NOT)

A few months ago spring arrived. And with that arrival came a torrent of storms and a deluge of water. So much so that our basement flooded, and we cleaned it up, and then it flooded again, and we cleaned it up, and it flooded a 3rd time and we cleaned it up. In the midst of all of this we still had to keep our lawn mowed while threading the needle between storms and the small pond that was forming in our back yard.

We mowed, and our neighbors mowed and then I started to notice something. Our neighbors seemed to be having a passive aggressive feud with the little strip of lawn that belongs to one homeowner vs. the yard that belongs to the other.

At least twice a week homeowner 2 mows their yard. They’re rather meticulous and seem to take extreme joy in maintaining their yard. Homeowner 1 rarely mows. Maybe once every other week. However, homeowner 2 refuses to mow that little strip of grass and homeowner 1 won’t do it either.

Additionally, homeowner 2 moves their bird feeder over by that little strip at least once a week to ensure that birdseed is falling in homeowner 1’s yard.  Homeowner 3 has now taken to coming over (who lives on the other side of homeowner 1) and periodically mowing that little strip of grass.

I’m not sure what made them fight like this. I’m not sure who started trying to make a “point.” But it really makes me reflect on how this STUPID argument is much like how we handle our relationships, friendships, co-workers, acquaintances and neighbors. We build up a perceived offense in our minds. We cultivate it. We water it. We tend to that offense until it becomes a mass of weeds. Then, we justify our attentiveness to this STUPID strip of grass and weeds and cease to MOW it down and address the underlying issue – our PRIDE.

When we choose not to air out our frustrations and speak honestly to the person we believe has offended us we have allowed our pride to dictate our actions. We have allowed the STUPID strip of grass and weeds to tell us who we are, who we care about, and what’s most important to us.

My neighbors are ridiculous. But honestly, so are all of us that have taken to petty arguments and points instead of pursuing healing and love and mutual respect. I for one, am going to continue mowing my neighbors little strip of grass that touches my yard because in the big scheme of life, it’s not that big of a deal. And in my personal life, I choose to just be me, love others, and not harbor resentment and pursue pettiness. How about you?

RUN – SWC #10

I don’t like to run. And when I say I don’t like to run I really mean that I despise it. It makes my knees hurt and I just don’t see the point. I’ve often questioned my friends that are runners asking them some of the following questions:

Are you running because

• There is a bear somewhere and you’re running away?
• There are zombies somewhere and the apocalypse has finally begun?
• You saw an ice cream truck and your running to get some good eats?

I mostly ask these questions because I’m sarcastic and again, I don’t understand the point of running. I’m probably the least athletic person you’ll meet. I mean I try to be athletic. I’ve played softball, but I have this habit of tripping whilst running to bases. I’ve played volleyball but I’ve served the ball into the backs of my teammates heads, that was not appreciated for some reason.

Each time I meditate on this passage I’m lead to different aspects that are beautiful. Previously I wrote a blog about the word YET that is contained here in Habakkuk 3:17-19. That’s why I find it hilarious that this is my absolutely favorite verse and here it speaks of running. When I spent time meditating I was just drawn to the word RUN. 

Habakkuk was recounting in these verses that even though ALL things may not go as he planned he would still rejoice in the Lord. He would glory in the God of his salvation. And that God would make his feet like deer’s feet so that he could RUN on the high hills.

Here is where I stopped. The terrain that surrounded Habakkuk was rough. It was not easy to traverse, and yet Habakkuk had confidence that God would make his feet surefooted so that he could run on the mountainside.

That is the God I serve. A God that sees the trouble that surrounds me, prepares me to travel the path He has designed and give me the proper sneakers and abilities to run the race He has set before me!

And so I shall run, even if there are no zombies!

Guarded – SWC #8

When I was a teenager I worried about everything. In fact, I worried so much that I would break out in hives all down my legs, on the bottoms of my feet and across the palms of my hands. It was awful and itched so badly. The ones on my feet were really bad because they not only itched but they burned too and made my feet swell which made it difficult to walk.

When these moments happened it was usually because I was bullied, or I had a test, or I felt that a friend was mad at me. I was literally a ball of anxiety. I worried about EVERY SINGLE THING! I just couldn’t take it anymore.

And then the strangest thing happened. I was in High School and I was walking under our 2nd floor walkway and a group of kids yelled at me and called me fat, ugly and another word I won’t repeat. Usually I would just continue walking and emotionally shut down, but I’d finally had enough. I turned around – walked up to the biggest jerk I could see and poked him square in the chest. I then yelled saying, “I’m not UGLY!” The guy was shocked, and then he apologized.

From that day forward I determined deep within my heart that I could not let worry consume my life. I couldn’t let the words of others define how I saw myself and instead needed to let God define me.

Phil 4:4-7 became the cornerstone of that decision! I chose every day, sometimes every minute of every day, to not concern myself with the opinions of others but to only focus on God’s opinion of me. It is in that place of total surrender that God began to heal my brokenness and restore a wholeness I never thought possible.

If you are broken today, if you are struggling with worry or anxiety, just know that Jesus Christ is there to listen to you. He asks that you TELL HIM ABOUT EVERYTHING! Ask him what you need and have full confidence that He will guard your heart and mind as you live IN Christ Jesus.

Undeserved Privilege and Hope SWC #5

Many years ago I committed this passage to memory. I was going through a very challenging time. I was struggling with deep loneliness. I was longing so much to be in a relationship. I wanted to be married and have a family. But my singledom had reached an all time depressing high, or maybe that’s a low? It could have been both!

I was 32 years old and the last time I’d dated was when I was 27. Before that, I had never really dated anyone. I felt like I was being setup to hit another dating drought (and I wasn’t wrong) and that prospect ripped at the small amounts of contentment I was grasping onto. Not only that, I was struggling with a personal sin that seemed to attack me at every turn. How on earth could I dig myself out.

The thing is, I couldn’t dig out of anything at all.  If I tried to dig out of this pit of depression the enemy just seemed to pile on more despair. It was then that I began to pour myself into God’s Word and let God’s Word pour itself into me! Romans 5:1-5 gave me a hope that I couldn’t really comprehend, and yet I held onto it fiercely. I said these verses over and over and over again until they were embedded in my heart, mind and soul! 

As I re-read these verses and journaled them for days 4 &5, I was deeply overwhelmed by the “undeserved privilege” that I’ve been granted through faith in Christ and brought to this place today where I can “confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

All aspects of God’s deep love and leading are an undeserved privilege, but one that we all are am offered on a minute by minute basis. Not only that – we can rejoice when problems (depression, sadness, health issues, or enter your own struggle here) and trials come our way. Why? Because those problems develop endurance, and endurance strengthens our character, and character gives us a confident hope in salvation. All roads lead to salvation when we set our minds on God and His purpose and plan for each of us! But that is not the end of His promise, when we reach that point of a deep hope, we can be assured that God’s Hope will not lead to disappointment. And how do we know that? Because God loved us so much that He sent us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with God’s love.

Do you feel His love? Do you know what that kind of hope feels like?

In the midst of my despair God gave me this passage. In the midst of my singleness God gave me a new perspective, that what I was going through today would mold me into exactly who He would need me to be in the future! And because of that, I found a new hope that took root deep within my soul. May you also find a new hope today and a joy that surpasses all earthly understanding!

Blessings – Sheri

Eternal SWC#3

Today is SWC #3 in our October challenge. It’s actually a continuation of the passage from day 1. When meditating on this passage I was again first drawn to what I felt was the primary message for me, that God grants joy as a direct result of His presence and the pleasure of knowing Him.

And then I saw that last word in verse 11… FOREVER.

Forever is a hard word to wrap your mind around. It means for all future time, for always, continually. The Hebrew word for forever is “olam” which means a “duration of time concealed or hidden” (Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies by William Wilson). That means that Forever can’t even be put into words because it’s limit is UNKNOWN!!!!

Think about a joy that will never ever end. Think about a God that will show us the way of life, granting us the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with Him FOREVER! I can’t even wrap my mind around that kind of promise.

In this world we will be disappointed by belongings, weather, sickness, family, friends and strangers. But, our God will never disappoint us. He promises to never leave our soul among the dead, and for me that means that God will never leave me to flounder! He is my constant and the only One I can eternally count on!

Today’s promise – my God’s love is ETERNAL! It will not waiver, even though I may fail Him, He will NEVER turn from loving me!

Hang In There

I’ve begun my scripture writing challenge for September. I found one on Pinterest by swtblessings.com. It was actually for July 2017, I just thought this is what I wanted to read and meditate on this month. Yesterday and today were found in Psalm 37:5-11.

I have a tendency to read a passage, walk away, and then ponder it for a bit. I don’t always immediately doodle in my bible because I like to take the time to think about what God wants me to learn.

“Commit EVERYTHING you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and WAIT PATIENTLY for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. Soon the wicked will disappear. Though you look for them, they will be gone. The lowly will possess the land and will live in peace and prosperity.” (Emphasis mine)

Today I was meditating on this passage as I was driving when I discovered a spider wandering across the hood of my car. I happened to notice it while stopped at a light. When the light turned green I accelerated and expected to see the spider fly off my car but it hunkered down and hung on for dear life. My speed varied from 5 to 60 mph and that spider never flew off my car. I reached my destination and that insect went about its merry way, having safely clung to my car. It may have been a hard won battle, but the spider was victorious.

Then I thought, oh my goodness, it’s like that passage in Psalms. Commit all I do to God, then hang in there waiting patiently for God to act. His timing is perfect. He knows what I need. He knows when I need it. God fights my battles and he will provide the necessary means to hold on and wait for him to act.

Holding on and waiting for God may not always look pretty, and I may struggle, but ultimately when I wait patiently for God I will then be blessed with an amazing resolution. I will be victorious. So I’m not going to concern myself with the schemes of others, gossip, or malicious intent. I’m not going to spend any of my days being angry and filled with rage, for that does not profit the kingdom of God nor does it benefit my well being and health. I am going to commit all that I am and all that I have to God and let him direct my footsteps. And while I wait, I’ll just hang in there.

My Life on a String

Isaiah 46:3-4, “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (NLT)

As I sat writing out this passage in my journal I was struck with an image of Pinocchio and Geppetto. You see, I like to draw in my bible, it helps me process the passages better. And sometimes my mind just goes off on a tangent that seems completely unrelated to the passage I am reading. But stick with me for a minute, I promise it will make sense.

Geppetto created Pinocchio. He was a marionette, meaning he had strings attached to him so that Geppetto could move him around and control his body. Pinocchio wanted to be a real boy. He didn’t want strings. He didn’t want to be controlled. He wanted to be his own person. But then he got caught up in the wrong crowd, telling lies and trying desperately to fit in, all because he wanted to be like everyone else.

Geppetto became heartbroken, watching this little boy he had created disappear. And yet, when Pinocchio humbled himself and came back, Geppetto welcomed him with open arms because he LOVED his creation.

Today I was struck with how much this story mirrors my own journey with God. I have so often wanted to cut the strings that tied me to God. I wanted to be my own person, devoid of biblical or spiritual guidance. I wanted to ignore who had created me. I have lied, been deceitful, angry, and had the wrong friends. And yet, my God continually welcomes be back because he is MY GOD throughout my lifetime. He WILL carry me, if I allow him.

So, I’ve decided to edit Pinocchio’s song just a bit:

I’ve got some strings
to hold me tight
so I can win, and see the light.
I walked away
thought I was free
But I’m better with strings on me!

Hi-ho the me-ri-o
That’s the only way to be.
I want the world to know
That God has always got strings on me!