Wednesday, October 9, 2013

He put a song in my heart...

I sip my coffee.  Reflect on passages in Acts.  Birds eager to begin the day greet morning light in song.

What if we humans did this?

What if before our day even began, we sang out melodies of thanks...even if it was just thanks of the gift of a new start?

I know why I haven't.  I haven't because of thoughts that I LET myself focus too much on:

~what I have to get done~
~how much I have to get done~
~what little time I have to get it all done in~

Like clanging cymbals over a serene string quartet, the thoughts I LET overwhelm me, drowned out any song I had in my heart.  

As I am learning, moment by moment, to stop listening to the chaos loud drums called 'overwhelming thoughts,' my ear is being tuned to hear the sweet harmonies...

There IS a song in my heart and HE GAVE it to me.

He gave you a song too.  Be still and listen.  There is a beautiful and good Composer behind those runs and trills.  

The key to knowing this good Composer is being still enough, quiet enough, to hear His song played over you.  

When you hear it, sing it back to Him...because it was His to begin with.  

This is where joy rests...

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The Song of Moses:

Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak;
And let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!
 The Rock! His work is perfect,
For all His ways are just;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Righteous and upright is He...

Deuteronomy 32:1-4


Will Reagan's song:




Tuesday, October 8, 2013

...rediscovering the lost art of thanks...

I have a confession... 

I have been discontent.  Dissatisfied.  Ungrateful.  

And all of these roots have borne the fruit of anger in my life over a long period of time.  

It started about the time I stopped...

Stopped taking the time to pause and share what new treasures I had found at a thrift store.  Stopped taking the time to share funny moments like making a birthday cake with a concussion.  Stopped taking the time to be thankful for the little things.  

Interestingly, it started about the time I stopped sharing here...in this matrix of numbers and letters I call my blog.

And then something so sweet happened.  Holy Spirit woke me up.  He extended His hand to me as a wallowed and flailed in my own muck.  He led me to a book someone gave me a couple of years ago.  A book that I had picked up and lost interest in quickly...probably because it wasn't the right time for me to read it.  He led me to this book and I am DRINKING up every word droplet.  My carelessness in keeping the art of thanks has left me parched and wanting.  

I am thankful to my sweet friend Terri for obeying the voice of the Lord in giving me this book.  


I was slow in getting to it, but man has the timing been ever so perfect.  I am thankful for the sweet refreshing sense of grace that I feel.  Towards my husband.  Towards my children.  Towards myself.

I breathe in deep.  And I am hopeful.

It's just a start, and I'm a little rusty, but today, I did stop.

I stopped to take time to be grateful for the small...

...and by stopping, I already feel the joy starting to rise in my soul...

~the craters and cracks in my concrete floor~
~varying shades of chocolate~
~making this house more home~

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~the orchids in my office...smiling at me~
~new curtains~
~new paint~
~new office~

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~new puppies & older puppies~
~Sam and his love~
~Tozer and his discovery~

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~warm light trickling in patterns on the floor~
~fresh pedicures~

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~much needed order in my life~
~free fonts~
~knowledge of photoshop~
~office supplies~

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~spelling games~
~children that enjoy learning~
~vintage desks~

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~chubby fingers faithful with the day's work~
~resources enough so I can stay home with my children~

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i.  am.  thankful.