i have been listening to the new Leeland album (Thanks Corey for introducing me to this band) and there is a song called "let it out now" that is exquisite. i will share the lyrics in their entirety:
It’s like you got to walk like him
Got to talk like her
Got to be like them
Everybody knows you follow the crowd
Or get singled out
But God says who you are
Not the world or movie stars
Don’t you know He holds the answers in His hands?
We’re stuck in a system
Is there anybody different?
Is anybody listening?
Is anybody listening?
Everyone has their own sound
Let it out now, let it out now
There’s nothing wrong with living loud
Let it out now, let it out now
I’m drawing the line between
Being them or being me
I’m not ashamed
To call myself one of Yours, Lord
But it’s a narrow path
I’ve got to break from the pack
No turning back
No turning back
Yes, God’s looking for a people
With a passion in their hearts
We’re God’s children
We need to shine bright
We need to shine bright
Everyone has their own sound
Don’t you know all
God’s children have their sound?
What a beautifully contradictory idea to what we are taught in Christianity today; that we all have to look alike and follow the same rules if we want to please God. Only one problem: that idea is not in the Bible. No where does God create robots that worship the same and serve in the same manner. Each of us has a unique fingerprint of God on our lives. Many think they have to be in the ministry to be spiritual or only pastors are close to God because of their calling or training. A pastor just sings one of the notes in this symphony to God called the Body of Christ.
Each is to serve in their unique individual giftedness and make beautiful music to our King. If you have not read it already, read "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper. Pay attention to the music he hears while in heaven. A symphony of uniqueness yet harmonizing in praise of Elohim.
Let your song out
Let it out now!
Let it out now!
Here's the You Tube Acoutic version of "Let it Out Now" by Leeland:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgqUrti0ZgE
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Psalms 66:1-2 . . .
The most amazing things have happened in the last few weeks. I've just wanted to shout from the rooftops about how wonderful our God is -- I keep asking Jason, "Have you blogged about this yet?" and he keeps saying no. It's driving me crazy 'cause I just want everyone to praise God with me! I think this may be his attempt to get me to start adding my thoughts to this blog -- so I guess his procrastination has worked in his favor 'cause here I am posting my first-ever blog.
Anyway, for starters . . . someone (and you know who you are -- thank you!!!) bought us a new mini-van!!!! Did you read that correctly? Yes, someone (anonymously) bought us a mini-van! For those of you that don't know, we lost our Odyssey because we were not able to make the payments -- BIG, HUGE, humbling experience! Anyway, we were making due with Jason's car and hanging around the apartment a lot. Jason mentioned this to one of his professors and he gave him a suburban that we all lovingly call "Joseph" 'cause it is the suburban of many colors. I was so grateful to have it and was determined that we were going to do something memorable in it (although driving with the windows down - no AC - and having stuff blow all over you and the children is pretty memorable. . .) It's just the way things were and I wasn't going to grumble. I was happy. THEN, what seemed to be a random, rainy, Monday afternoon I got The call. I was only half-way listening to a girl that said her name was Shanna. I was waiting for her to get through what I assumed was her sales pitch when I started picking up on parts of what she was saying. It went something like, "You don't know me but we have a mutual friend and this friend has just bought you a mini-van." Excuse me?!!! After she repeated herself (laughing -- can you imagine how much fun this must have been for her!) and gave me the name and phone number of a guy at a dealership. I figured out that we really had a van -- wow! Are you getting this?? I'm still jumping out of my skin -- God bought us a van!!!! It may not seem like much to you but I'm just amazed that the God of the Universe saw fit to give us a van! I mean, really -- He tells the stars what to do and here He is thinking about getting my children to the grocery store and church and the park . . . I had wheels -- Joseph's wheels were old but they moved and I was grateful. Case closed -- or so I thought. No, the God we worship didn't just give us basic wheels -- He gave us a van with AC and cruise control, a gas-gauge that worked . . . . Our God is extravagant. I was already feeling pretty loved but now I'm just in "Wow!" mode. Are you saying "Wow" with me? I mean, really -- Praise our God -- He is Amazing.
Here's a kicker -- my kids were like, "hum -- cool, a van." Don't get me wrong they really liked it but they weren't turning cartwheels the way I was (or at least I was in my heart -- I never did learn how to those things.) Finally, a day or so later, Abigail said something about this van going away, too. That's when it hit me. She was too afraid to get excited about our nice van 'cause she was afraid it would be gone, too. I had tried to explain the first day that this was ours and that someone else had bought it for us but apparently it didn't sink in. Poor baby! I told her, again, "No -- all the payments have been made on this van for us. We did nothing to earn it but it's ours and can never be taken away." Finally, she got it and her smile was beautiful. You could see the relief and, at last, the excitement. Then we had a wonderful talk about how Christ purchased us on the cross and how we don't deserve salvation or being allowed in the presence of God but that Christ made all the payments for our sin and it can never be taken away. Wow, such peace. Someday, when Christ calls her name, maybe she'll remember. Right now, it's so beautiful to see how He's laying out the path for her to follow.
So, are you wondering what happened to "Joseph?" Well, I was talking to a group of neighbors trying to find someone that could use some dishes that had been given to me (thinking I could find someone that could use them.) I mentioned them to one women and she said no. Then, without even thinking, I said, "Well, do you need a car?" This is such a God-thing! She started crying and told me that when they had their next baby in August that they would no longer have a vehicle large enough for their family and they just didn't know what to do about it. Her husband later told me he had only told God of their need and was just amazed at His answer to their prayer. We decided that someday we would be in the position of having to tell others that God can be trusted and to encourage others to know that He is alive and active. If we had not experienced this for ourselves then it would just be theology. But, we have -- and we KNOW.
Well, I guess since Jason has finally got me writing on this blog that I will have to continue (later.) This is only the tip of the ice-burg (although, a large tip) at what God has been doing since we've been here. I'm still just as convinced as when we got here that this is where God wants us. He's such a great encourager -- and creative, too. Who would have guessed a van?
Love to you all!
mickie
Anyway, for starters . . . someone (and you know who you are -- thank you!!!) bought us a new mini-van!!!! Did you read that correctly? Yes, someone (anonymously) bought us a mini-van! For those of you that don't know, we lost our Odyssey because we were not able to make the payments -- BIG, HUGE, humbling experience! Anyway, we were making due with Jason's car and hanging around the apartment a lot. Jason mentioned this to one of his professors and he gave him a suburban that we all lovingly call "Joseph" 'cause it is the suburban of many colors. I was so grateful to have it and was determined that we were going to do something memorable in it (although driving with the windows down - no AC - and having stuff blow all over you and the children is pretty memorable. . .) It's just the way things were and I wasn't going to grumble. I was happy. THEN, what seemed to be a random, rainy, Monday afternoon I got The call. I was only half-way listening to a girl that said her name was Shanna. I was waiting for her to get through what I assumed was her sales pitch when I started picking up on parts of what she was saying. It went something like, "You don't know me but we have a mutual friend and this friend has just bought you a mini-van." Excuse me?!!! After she repeated herself (laughing -- can you imagine how much fun this must have been for her!) and gave me the name and phone number of a guy at a dealership. I figured out that we really had a van -- wow! Are you getting this?? I'm still jumping out of my skin -- God bought us a van!!!! It may not seem like much to you but I'm just amazed that the God of the Universe saw fit to give us a van! I mean, really -- He tells the stars what to do and here He is thinking about getting my children to the grocery store and church and the park . . . I had wheels -- Joseph's wheels were old but they moved and I was grateful. Case closed -- or so I thought. No, the God we worship didn't just give us basic wheels -- He gave us a van with AC and cruise control, a gas-gauge that worked . . . . Our God is extravagant. I was already feeling pretty loved but now I'm just in "Wow!" mode. Are you saying "Wow" with me? I mean, really -- Praise our God -- He is Amazing.
Here's a kicker -- my kids were like, "hum -- cool, a van." Don't get me wrong they really liked it but they weren't turning cartwheels the way I was (or at least I was in my heart -- I never did learn how to those things.) Finally, a day or so later, Abigail said something about this van going away, too. That's when it hit me. She was too afraid to get excited about our nice van 'cause she was afraid it would be gone, too. I had tried to explain the first day that this was ours and that someone else had bought it for us but apparently it didn't sink in. Poor baby! I told her, again, "No -- all the payments have been made on this van for us. We did nothing to earn it but it's ours and can never be taken away." Finally, she got it and her smile was beautiful. You could see the relief and, at last, the excitement. Then we had a wonderful talk about how Christ purchased us on the cross and how we don't deserve salvation or being allowed in the presence of God but that Christ made all the payments for our sin and it can never be taken away. Wow, such peace. Someday, when Christ calls her name, maybe she'll remember. Right now, it's so beautiful to see how He's laying out the path for her to follow.
So, are you wondering what happened to "Joseph?" Well, I was talking to a group of neighbors trying to find someone that could use some dishes that had been given to me (thinking I could find someone that could use them.) I mentioned them to one women and she said no. Then, without even thinking, I said, "Well, do you need a car?" This is such a God-thing! She started crying and told me that when they had their next baby in August that they would no longer have a vehicle large enough for their family and they just didn't know what to do about it. Her husband later told me he had only told God of their need and was just amazed at His answer to their prayer. We decided that someday we would be in the position of having to tell others that God can be trusted and to encourage others to know that He is alive and active. If we had not experienced this for ourselves then it would just be theology. But, we have -- and we KNOW.
Well, I guess since Jason has finally got me writing on this blog that I will have to continue (later.) This is only the tip of the ice-burg (although, a large tip) at what God has been doing since we've been here. I'm still just as convinced as when we got here that this is where God wants us. He's such a great encourager -- and creative, too. Who would have guessed a van?
Love to you all!
mickie
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Survived
So the semester is done and i am registered for the summer and the fall already. we were given a suburban from one of my professors and it is properly named "Joseph" as it is the suburban of many colors. we are going to take a picture of it with the family and i will post it. We survived our first semester of Seminary and are looking forward to brighter days. The family is rolling along and Chloe is turning into a little chunk.
She is already 16 pounds and has cut her first tooth at 7 months. The other three did not reach 17 pounds until they were a year old. And they did not cut their teeth until about that time also. She is shaping up nicely to be able to defend herself from her siblings.
Here are some updated pics:
She is already 16 pounds and has cut her first tooth at 7 months. The other three did not reach 17 pounds until they were a year old. And they did not cut their teeth until about that time also. She is shaping up nicely to be able to defend herself from her siblings.
Here are some updated pics:
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