Spring Happy

It always amazes me how nature knows spring is coming. First you see a few trees sprout..then it rains a few times...and out of no where everything is alive. Its astounding. God is amazing. He "taught" nature what to do and in return nature reflects just a glimpse of His beauty...just a taste of His majesty. If you look and listen closely they praise Him. The birds sing of His goodness and the trees sing of His glory. The sky declares His praise. I know that this happens for each season...and there isn't a time where nature doesn't speak of God's greatness...but in the spring and summer is when i notice it the most. It brings me a different kind of happiness...a level that is dormant during the other seasons. I don't know if its natural or if its just me but spring makes me happy. It must have been spring when some of the psalms were written...it must of been a beautiful crystal clear day when they heard nature speak.

Psalm 19: 1-4
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; heir voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world."

Psalm 96: 11-13
"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord, for he is coming!"

More than a story...

One of the first songs I heard when i really learned about Christ was by Avalon called "Everything to me". This was during a turning point in my life where i made a choice. The choice was to give into a feeling I felt for a long time. It was time.

It was 1999 and I was already "part" of church and involved in ministry but i didn't truly understand why. I attended church and was a "good" person and convinced myself that was enough. My heart knew there was more but I was selfish and liked it that way. That year God took my heart and gently shook it...i heard his loving voice speak "it's time" and that was all it took. I willingly gave Him my WHOLE heart...cause He already had bits and pieces of it..and I choose to follow Him. I remember as a little girl loving Jesus and not even knowing why...my family was catholic and i couldn't understand at 10 yrs old why I loved this Man..the Man from the Story. But i loved Him so much. And even as a child i recognized that it was real love...like i had for my mom and dad...but i didn't understand it.

Many people have drastic conversions where they turn their back on drugs and alcohol...sex...and lies. Mine was pretty subtle...i was not in a very bad place. But i was NOT where God wanted me and that was all i needed to know.

This all came to my mind today as i was doing some reading..preparing my heart for the days a head...where we remember the unbearable price God paid...and the unbelievable Gift He gave us 3 days later. As I read it reminded me that this is More than a Story...and i want to share that with the world. It brought back the memory of the first song..the song that stopped me...literally..in my tracks and in that moment i knew...i could no longer deny the "STORY" and Jesus was so real to me and has been ever since.

I want to post the lyrics of this simple song...the song that made my heart acknowledge Him...which brought Him to tug on my heart and reveal so much to my blind eyes...which made me happily surrender.

Verse 1:
I grew up in Sunday School, I memorized the Golden Rule and how Jesus came to set the sinner free. I know the story inside out and I can tell you all about the path that led Him up to Calvary.
But ask my why He loves me and I don’t know what to say. But I’ll never be the same because He changed my life when He became.

chorus:
Everything to me He’s more than a story More than words on a page of history. He’s the air that I breathe, The water I thirst for and the ground beneath my feet He’s everything, everything to me.

Verse 2
We’re living in uncertain times and more and more I find that I’m aware of just how fragile life can be. I want to tell the world I found A love that turned my life around.. they need to know that they can taste and see.
Now every day I’m praying just to give my heart away. I want to live for Jesus so that someone else might see that He is...

chorus:
Everything to me He’s more than a story more than words on a page of history. He’s the air that I breathe the water I thirst for and the ground beneath my feet. He’s everything...everything to me.

Bridge:
And looking back over my life at the end I’ll go to meet you, saying you’ve been everything to me more than a story more than words on a page of history....


Lord, you ARE everything to me...thank you for all You have done for me.

JM

Disappointed....

"Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way."

I was reading last night and I had to read this verse about 7 times. God amazes me for putting everything we need in one Book. People disappoint people...even leaders/teachers disappoint people. But God does not. He IS consistent ALWAYS. And I thank Him for that. I pray for Him to make me consistent and help me be pure. I pray for consistency in my speech and in my life. I pray that my speech does not pollute my character and my witness. Let my speech be a reflection of my heart for Christ.

I was reminded again last night that i am not the one to judge. Although it comes natural to be critical...it is not my job. I was disappointed.. but as always God found His way in and helped me to refocus. He restores my thought process...its remarkable.

Satisfied in Him..

JM