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Sometimes I do not know what to say. Sometimes I do not know what to pray. So I sing. Here are a few songs to lift your heart today and encourage you to know that even when things are tough, God is still in control. I cast all my care upon Him. I lay all of my burdens down at His feet, And anytime I don't know what to do, I will cast all my care upon Him. (based on I Peter 3: 7) I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth, My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, The humble shall hear thereof and be glad, Oh magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together, I sought the Lord and He heard my cry, And delivered me from all my fears. (based on Psalm 34) He that dwelleth in the secret place Of the most High, Shall abide, shall abide, Under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1) Whom have I in heaven but Thee, And thee is none upon the earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, But God is the strength of my heart, And my portion forever. (based on Psalm 73:25) They that go down to the sea, That do business in great waters, These see the work of God, And the wonders in the deep, He raiseth up the stormy the winds, And lifts the waves thereof, From the heavens to their depths again, Their souls melt in their trouble; But when they cry unto the Lord, He saves them from distress, He reaches down and comforts them, He gives them peace and rest. Then are they glad for quiet; He brings them to His haven, Oh that men would praise the Lord, For His goodness and His love. (based on Psalm 107:23-31) Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on Thee, Trust in the Lord forever and ever, For in the Lord is everlasting strength. (based on Isaiah 26:3-4) Do you not know, have you not heard, The Lord is the everlasting God, The Creator of the ends of the earth, He shall not grow tired or weary. And His understanding knoweth no fathom, He gives strength to the weary, And increases the power of the weak. Why do you say, o, Jacob, And complain, o, Israel, Thy way is hidden from the Lord. Even youths grow tired and weary, Young men stumble and fall, But they that wait on the Lord, Shall renew their strength, They shall soar on wings as eagles They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint. Hallelujah, Hallelujah! (Based on Isaiah 40:27-31) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25ryU9Jbt0Q (Copy and paste this link in your browser and you will hear a song that will bless your heart.) May one of these songs stick in your head and give you encouragement today. God bless.
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 Today is my dad's birthday. I am blessed to be able to say that another year has passed and I was able to watch him celebrate it with his family all around him. Though I was not actually there in person, I was able to skype with him and be there the only way I could. It was as though I was sitting across the table from him watching him dig into his eclair with such delight that it made my heart melt. I may not have been able to enjoy the birthday treats in the same way, but it did not matter. I was there with him and all my loved ones and that was what counted. My mom, my three sisters, two brothers, their spouses, and six nieces and nephews...I truly wished I was there to hug each one of them, but God has a different plan for my life. I will do my best to submit to His will, but it is not always that easy. As I sat here thinking about everything, I remembered the last time I returned from Vermont and wrote a brief account of what was feeling. Here is a little bit of what I wrote:
Driving along to visit my dad, I noticed a sign at the end of a the road of a new development that said, “Bittersweet Circle.” Up to that point I had been carefully looking around, thinking about all the memories I had experienced over my lifetime as I passed each landmark in each town. Banks we had used; grocery stores we would often have to stop at and pick up food for the six hungry children; ice cream places we often bought creemees at; state parks we spent hot afternoons swimming at; roads that we would take for shortcuts to get to work or school; gas stations we would stop at to get gas. I can still see his face clearly in my mind, as he would look through the windows at us as he pumped the gas, wiggling his little finger as a joking wave to make us laugh. His teeth would flash white through his dark beard as he laughed back at us. He was so strong and dependable. It was so simple being a child; so easy to trust, love, and hang on to every word that he said as if he was all that mattered. And he was. My parents were my everything. They were the ones who taught me about God. It was through their lives that I saw God work, God heal, God provide, God answer simple prayers....childlike faith was what I had. I believed what I saw. There was nothing to take that away from me. No voices from the outside world; no baggage that I had to fight with; just simple, childlike faith. I want that again. I want to have that simple child's faith. God gave me a song on my way up and I wanted to share the words with you. God will never change. He is the same as He was forty years ago. We change. Our bodies break down. We go through sickness because of what Adam and Eve did so many years ago. Thanks to them we need to find God again and even then, we still have to battle the fact that our bodies are made to rot and go back into the ground. We turn to dust. Only the memories are left behind, to remember all the good times we had together. We must also remember what God did for us so we can take that next step in life. I beg you to enjoy your families...enjoy your loved ones. Spend time with them; make memories; because things are going to change. There is no question about it, but you will have those memories to hang onto. And with those memories remember that God is still good. He is always good. When I was a child God was there with me, Watching over family, Providing all our needs. We had our share of trials, But His grace was new each day, Trusting Him came easy, With the faith of a child. Chorus: With the faith of a child, You focus on His face. With the face of a child, You see unending grace, Blindly holding to His hand, Trusting Him in every mile, Oh, Lord, please give me, The faith of a child once again. Well, I'm older now, I see things differently, The voices all around me, Say things are not the same, But my God never changes, The Word of God stands true, I just need to trust Him, With the faith of a child. (Written by Cara Simmons April 2014) |
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