Songbird Sundays: Desert Song

Title: Desert Song
Artist: Hillsong United

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me, Lord, through the flame

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

(4x)

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

This seed I've received I will sow

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A Truly Strong Woman

The following is an excerpt taken from page 100 of the book, So Much More, by Anna Sofia Botkin and Elizabeth Botkin:

A truly strong woman is not masculine or mannish, but is firm in decision,
character, beliefs, and action; she has all the softness that does not imply
weakness in the wrong way; she is possessive of a firmness that is not harsh or
domineering or exclusive of delicacy. She has the ability to provide for
herself, but in restraint does not. Instead she channels that ability by
supporting and building up her father or husband, enabling him to fulfill his
God-ordained role. The strong woman is loving toward family, helpful whenever
she can be; she is competent, capable, and intelligent, yet dependent on,
trustful of, and submissive to the Lord and her father or husband. I had never
before understood the harmony that existed between being strong and being
feminine. Yet a feminine woman is a strong woman, because her strength comes
from embracing and fulfilling the role that God has given to women.

Have a blessed day!

God's Amazing Provision

[Image compliment of the Reader's Digest website]

We had Servolution two weeks ago, that was our missions trip to our own town and surrounding areas. We got to help out some at a ministry based in Dallas called Care Center Ministries and it was such a blessing to help them out. One day, we got to help out with The Basket, where we gave a box full of food to each family that came in.

Each box was filled to the brim with canned foods, breads, and other donated items. And each box also received a goodie on top- some got mashed potatoes, others had cake, and still more had pizza boxes.

Kerri and I were carrying out one with a pizza box on top to someone's car when we overheard a woman nearby. She was talking to a guy beside her as she said, "When I get some money, I'm gonna buy my kids a pizza- straight from the store."

I was struck by the layers of meaning that statement had. How often do we take for granted a simple box of pizza? We have so much going for us, and too often we forget to thank God for each little thing. Instead, like our consumer-driven culture, we choose to complain about all that we don't have.

Anyway, this was such a testimony to me of God's provision and just how great He was. That simple statement was what taught me the most on this missions trip. It's amazing how you hear God's voice most clearly when you're doing His will.

Have a blessed day!

Ignorance is Negligence

[Image compliment of Photobucket]



One thing that God has been laying on my heart alot recently is the fact that we need to stop being ignorant in our faith.
Too many times we setttle on the back of the theology we hear spouted all around us, rather than standing up and finding out what we believe and why we believe it. We answer questions with recited answers. We go along with what all the other Christians are doing because we figure they know what's going on better than we do.
This is our faith. Take hold of it!
God doesn't need a bunch of mindless followers wandering idly in His general direction. He calls us to stand up and take hold of the purpose He's given us. He wants children who will sacrifice life and limb to call Him Lord.
How often do we really look in to each aspect of our Christianity? How much of what we believe is based upon actual Scriptural examples rather than our perception of what we think God will be pleased with?
We don't have to go through life guessing at what God thinks and says and does. It's all right there in His Word.
The challenge now is to seek it out.
Find out what God expects of you and dare to go against the mindset of those who'd rather stay in their comfort zones. How much of what you do is actually Biblical or just what you want to do?
Search it out. Know the Truth.
Because ignorance isn't bliss, it only hurts you in the long run.
Have a blessed day!

Surrender

And I'll stand

With arms high and heart abandoned

In awe of the one who gave it all

I'll stand

My soul Lord to you surrendered

All I am is yours

Tonight was the second night of VBS for the kids at Lakeshore church. I was the leader of half of the fourth grade girls, while Kerri handled the other half. It was great fun hanging with those kids and I really enjoyed it.

The above excerpt is from one of the songs we sang during worship that really hit me. Lately, I've been letting my stress get the best of me and weigh me down. I just felt so bogged down and worried about what the future will bring and what God wants me to do. I've been praying about it every chance I get, but it was worrying me because I do want to do God's will.

As I was singing this song, I just felt God softly reminding me that it's all in His hands. I've surrendered it all to Him, so there's no use in my worrying about it. I don't have to have everything figured out because God is always on time and He will tell me what He has in store for me when I need to know it.

It just gives me such peace when God reminds me that I don't have to have it all figured out. I'm not alone in this. He's leading me and He won't let me go.

It reminds me of a quote from the movie 'Love's Long Journey' based on the novel by Janette Oake, where Missy says, "It's okay to stumble, He's ready to catch you."

Are You Sitting or Kneeling?

Paradigm was last night. It was filled with great worship and a great word from Pastor Nick. We even started a new series entitled Red Letters.
I knelt down during one of the songs that was really hitting me and when I stood I thought, "Next time, I'm just gonna sit on the chair. I can't feel my legs!"
So then I felt like God was saying, "How many times do you sit before me instead of kneeling?"
I kinda stored it away and kept it on my mind for the night, pondering what all God was saying through it.
I didn't even realize until I got home that it went right along with Pastor Nick's message.
He spoke about cohabitation and how many couples are choosing it instead of marriage. Why? They're afraid of commitment. They want all the perks of marriage without having to give anything. They have their own money, their own stuff, and their freedom. Whereas in marriage, the two become one- as it was meant to be.
He went on to say that often times we do the same thing. We want all the perks of Christianity, like getting our prayers answered and getting to hang out with all the cool people at church, listen to the rockin' music, and sometimes even get free stuff! But when it comes to getting devoted, when God tells you to give up something for Him, or persecution comes- we say, "Hey, that's not what I signed up for!"
So he said that many in our generation are cohabitating with God instead of getting married to Him?
God told me that we're also sitting in front of Him instead of kneeling before Him.
Kneeling is that position of surrender. The one that says, "God, I'm giving this to you. It's not mine anymore, because my life is yours."
When we kneel before the Lord we are showing Him the respect we deserve. Oftentimes, people downplay God as their best friend. And while it's great to call Him that and understand that that's one aspect of Him, that's not the whole of who He is. He's our Lover, our Savior, our King. And those titles demand respect, not a slap on the back. (This is also similar to what Kerri said in Pre-service Prayer)
Sitting is saying that we're comfortable with what's going on. God's presence is no big deal and not worth any more effort than lounging back.
So my question to you is, are you sitting are kneeling? Is God worth your time or is Christianity just another accessory that makes you look cooler? Are you willing to get down on your knees for your Savior?
Have a blessed day!

Songbird Sundays: The Difference

Sorry I'm late, again!

Title: The Difference

Artist: Philmont

I checked the map to make sure that I got it right
But still I don't know where You're taking me tonight
And I've tried so hard to mix the old life with the new
But there's not in between if I'm gonna follow You

There's gotta be a difference
It's gotta be significant
If You're really inside changing my life
You would shine, You would be evident
If there's a difference
If there's a difference

Here I am, I've got this baggage by my side
But I am ready now to leave it all behind
So I'm taking this moment to tell You I'm open
I'm taking this moment to give You everything

There's gotta be a difference
It's gotta be significant
If You're really inside changing my life
You would shine, You would be evident
If there's a difference
Difference

We're not meant to be another face in the crowd

There's gotta be a difference
It's gotta be significant
If You're really inside changing my life
You would shine, You would be evident
If there's a difference
There's a difference

There's gotta be a difference
It's gotta be significant
'Cause You're really inside changing my life
And it's so evident that there's a difference
There's a difference

There's a difference
There's a difference
There's a difference

He's Crying Out

Isaiah 65:1-5

1"I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;

I was found by those who did not seek Me.

I said, 'Here I am, here I am,'

To a nation that was not called by My name.

2I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,

Who walk in a way that is not good,

According to their own thoughts;

3A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;

Who sacrifice in gardens,

And burn incense on altars of brick;

4Who sit among the graves,

And spend the night in the tombs;

Who eat swine's flesh,

And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

5Who say, 'Keep to yourself,

Do not come near me,

For I am holier than you!'

These are smoke in My nostrils,

A fire that burns all day.

For some reason this passage of Scripture has always stuck out to me. Perhaps it's because I can almost hear the desperation in God's voice as He cries 'Here I am!' to tHis rebellious children. Maybe it's because I know that we're those rebellious children. Whatever it is, these five verses speak a relevant and very real truth that needs to be heard.

God has been reaching out to His children for hundreds and thousands of years. Lovingly, He wants to draw us in and restore us to our former glory- to make us into the beautiful creations He intended for us to be.

But with each loving touch He pours out on us, mankind shows in a new and more utterly vile way just how far we've fallen, just how enslaved we are to Satan and his schemes.

How dare we spit in our Creator's face?

How dare we stir Him to anger?

And yet He still weeps in longing for our love?

Hosea 2:19

19"I will betroth you to Me forever;

Yes, I will betroth you to Me

In righteousness and justice,

In loving kindness and mercy;

20I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,

And you shall know the Lord.

Many claim the name of God while sitting back and muddying the glory of His name by being apathetic hypocrites. It almost makes me sick! And a substantial amount of that disgust can be accredited to the fact taht I've been guilty of these very things.

This is a time to become prostrate before the Lord. We must seek to do His will and redeem all those times we've made it about ourselves rather than his love.

Examine your heart today, every day. I'll do the same with mine. Hear His desperate cry for your love- will you answer Him and fall to your knees, overwhelmed by a passion and desire to love Him? Or will you continue to sit on your butt and spit in his face?

If it's the latter, do Him a favore and be real with yourself and everyone else- if you're going to continuously act like that, you're not truly a Christian.

Cry out to Him today and put a smile on the face of the man who died to raise you from the ashes. Now that's what Love is.

A sixteen year-old girl in Asia laid down her life rather than neglect God's Word. Are you willing to lay down your magazine? -Alex & Brett Harris

Have a blessed day!

Blogoversary Afterparty!

Alright, here are my picks for the Afterparty- these are blog posts that I found especially interesting and thought I'd share with y'all. These are blogs that I regularly follow and very much enjoy!

From Feelin' Feminine:
Fortunate to Be Women
The Return of Femininity and Respect

From A Pondering Heart:
The Lie: A Life of Singleness

From Empowered Traditionalist:
How Do You Catch His Attention Series (this is a link to pt 1)
Question From an ET
10 Things Guys Love About Girls Series (this is a link to pt 1)
Brothers to the Rescue

From Virtuous Living:
Impacting the World Through Homemaking
Being His Crown
Tend and Befriend

From Like A Warm Cup of Coffee:
You are Prepared for Battle... Are You Fighting or Turning Your Back?

And From The Stay-At-Home Missionary:
The Holiness of Our Daily Activities

Well, those oughta keep you busy for a while. They really are great posts and I hope you find the time to read them. I'd also encourage you to follow these blogs because these women are so inspirational and have helped teach me so much about God's Word and growing in my understanding of it through their writings. Thanks girls!
Have a blessed day!

Happy Blogoversary to Me!!

It's been one year since I started Living Water! I'm quite excited! I was planning on putting this post up sooner, but oh well- life got in the way (as it often does). Living Water has been around for one year now, and I'm praying it will keep going for even more years.
Today I wanted to make a list of some of my favorite blog posts I've written. Now I wouldn't call them my absolute favorite, because I didn't have the patience to actually go through all of my blog posts and read them. But out of the ones I looked over, I thought y'all might enjoy rereading these:

• Modesty Series:
  1. The Effect Immodesty Has on Men
  2. Modest Apparel
  3. A Modest Attitude
  4. Swimsuit Modesty

The call to modesty is one that God has really placed on my heart. I love writing and sharing my thoughts about modesty for women and really enjoyed writing this series. And the comments were such blessings as well. :D

• Living Water... What's in a Name?

This is the post where I pretty much explain why I chose Living Water as the name for this blog. Be forgiving, it was one of my first posts.

• Idols Bow to the True God

I express my wonder at a certain event recorded in the Bible concerning God's sovereignty over idols. It made me smile and I couldn't help but share it again.

• Faith Like David

David is such an inspirational man and in this post I talk about how David had such a large portion of faith. We should all aspire to be men and women after God's own heart.

• 10 Good Reasons to Wear a {Modest} Skirt

I loved writing this after I read another post about wearing skirts and some good reasons for it. I figured I ought to make a list like that! It was great fun to write.

• Pushing Through in Prayer

The idea for this post came from a time that I was praying about what God's path was for me. I began to ponder what 'committing' something to God was. This is the result of that question.

• Pray to the Saints?!?

I read something online about a girl who was having trouble with something and was praying to a saint and said nothing was happening. My reaction- what?? So I decided to address this issue in my post about how I think the saints would be appalled that people are praying to them at all!
Well, I could have chosen many more, but I didn't want to overload y'all with posts. I know that I usually just skim through these to see which title seems the most interesting. :P And no one has time to read every single one of my blog posts over again. I didn't even want to read them all when I was going through them to make this post. I already told y'all that! :P
Tomorrow I'll put up a post with a few of my favorite posts from other bloggers. I love things like that. And after this overdose of my posts, you'll want a breath of fresh air.
Well, Happy Blogoversary to Me!!!!!
Have a blessed day!