Musical Monday: Doubling it up!

Sharing two songs this week as I missed last week and the two topics these songs cover are always on my heart.  Both songs are by Kari Jobe, who has an amazing voice and she sings with such conviction. She has a God-given gift. I hope you will take some time and enjoy.

The first song is called- "Be Still".  How often are you still during the day? I will answer that one for myself-almost never!  We live in a world of constant motion, activity, and tasks. We want things now, no waiting, no time to sit.  I have had to be very mindful of this especially after returning from Zambia to America-land of busyness.  Even though it was much more work during the day to live there, it seemed so natural to take time and sit, pray and study God's Word for an hour. It easily fit the relaxed, less scheduled lifestyle over there.  Here, I get the sense I must be "doing" something all day, so I do, then by night I am too exhausted to be still before Him.  This is not how it should be...I lose God when I am busy.  And then when hard times come, I wonder where He went.  But He never leaves us, we leave Him.  Even the pace of this song just reminds me of what the pace of my day should look like.  Hope you like!

Isaiah 40:31 
But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

"Be Still" by Kari Jobe

Second choice is "The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe again.  What beautiful truth in this song...

"The more I seek You,

the more I find You,

the more I find You,

the more I love You."

When I take the time to get in His Word, to pour out to Him in prayer, to worship Him in song, I find Him.  And I love what I find.  Are you taking the time to seek Him throughout your day?  He is there.  Watch what He does when you do.

"I melt in Your peace,

it's overwhelming."

Who doesn't want peace in this crazy, messed up world?  He is the only giver of true peace. But you have to constantly seek it, don't expect it to be there when you are not spending time with Him. I hope you will worship Him tonight with this song!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14.27

"The More I Seek You" by Kari Jobe

Musical Monday-"Oh, How He Loves Us"

Love.  It really is that simple.  He loves us-this is what we need to get back to...I am sharing one of my top favorite songs today-"Oh, How He Loves Us" by David Crowder Band.  As I think about our society and all that is happening, I sit and wonder why...why do some people hate God? Hate Christians?  What if it's because of us? Because of the people who claim to know Him?  We have made Christianity to be about a "moral code" as you will see suggested by Matt Chandler in this video and along the way, we have left out Jesus.  Did you come to know Christ because of a set of rules or because you knew He would still love you knowing you have broken the rules and will continue to break the rules?  I don't know about you, but I chose the latter.  That is why I gave my life to Him and His steadfast love is what makes me now strive to live out His teachings.  Let's get back to love and see what happens.
Thankful for His great love tonight---

Oh, How He Loves Us

1 John 4:10 

We love 

because 

He first 

loved us.  

Thoughtful Thursday: Yes and No

"Cut out that which seems good to invest in the best." Ann Voskamp

You know those times when you read something and you think-yep, that was written for me.  This blog I am going to refer you on to today is one of those pieces for me and I hope you will get something out of it too.  The quote above is from this blog and it is the hard lesson I have learned this year.  (and I know it will be an on-going lesson my whole life!)  The last few years as a stay at home wife/mom, I have been antsy.  Trying to find my way, how I can impact others for eternity, do something meaningful.  I have enjoyed it immensely too, don't get me wrong, but just never felt like I was doing enough.  Like my days didn't really matter.  This may come off as horrible to some of you, but just being honest. :)  Maybe you can identify.  Then, last year, we decided to move to Zambia in pursuit of adoption and missions work.  Exciting stuff.  I thought, now I am really going to serve the Lord, really going to be useful in His kingdom.  And it was amazing-all year as I was helping at the preschool, training teachers, or assisting Mickey with medical outreaches, going to Bible studies with Heidi, working on adoption things, I felt like God was really using me.  
Wow, was I missing IT.  
We got the boys and life got crazier really quick.  And finally I heard God's voice.  "You are enough, Mandey."  "You have enough." You are doing enough."  "I am telling you no-trust me."
I knew I was supposed to say no to the adoption to say yes to my own family that God had already given me-at this time.  Adoption is good, and it may be for us someday, but for now, this was a lesson I needed to learn.  I am so thankful.  Glad it happened before it was too late and they are gone, grown up...

"Your most meaningful work in the Kingdom of God may not be the big things that you do — but the one little person you love." 

Last favorite quote from the blog in case you don't visit the link:

"It can be hard to prune good things that are blooming. It can be hard to remember why you are pruning.

Because there’s a counter-intuitiveness to it, this plucking off certain life activities that will yield good fruit. Some might even think it foolish to pare back, when the bloom and gifting apparent; a good harvest inevitable.

Yet it’s the pruning of seemingly good leaves that can grow a better life. 

To allow later seasons to yield the longed-for abundant crop.

It takes courage to crop a life back — but it’s exactly the way to have the best crop of all.  What seems like hard work that’s taking an eternity today — is exactly what may make the most difference in eternity.

Ann Voskamp

The Great Challenge

What are you saying yes to that you need to say no?  

Musical Monday:Anniversary Edition

This Wednesday, July 9th, will mark our 9 year wedding anniversary.  And what better way to start the celebration by looking back at where we began.  Neither of us have ever been huge into country, but one day while driving together during our first year of dating, this song came on- "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney.  And of course, being two young lovebirds, we had to make it our song.  :)  I know, I know, pretty corny. But at 19, we knew we were "suited perfectly for eternity" as the song goes.  Check it out if you want-the only thing I would add now to the song is "Me, You, and God" because without Him being at the center of our marriage, there is no way we would be celebrating these past 9 years together as a married couple.  We owe it all to Him and we thank Him for seeing us through all the ups and downs and being constant in His love.

"Me and You"