Love & Laundry

As soon as I heard this song I knew I had to post it. I am pretty sure they followed me around with cameras and microphones for a few weeks. Lyrics are below the video. ENJOY!

Here I go again it’s another messy morning
Walk around the clothes that are covering the floor and
Take my kiss and coffee to go
Then put on my mascara while I’m driving down the road
I thought that I could do it all
Turns out I was crazy
Man I need an iPhone and a cleaning lady
We haven’t had a date night in what seems like forever
It might take a miracle to get myself together

Chorus:
Oh I wish that there were more than
24 hours in a day
I haven’t found it yet but there’s gotta be a way
And I keep praying that
I can get everything done
And still have time for love
And a load of laundry

I’d sure like to relax laying in a bubble bath
But then I’d have to clean the tub and really who’s got time for that
There goes my day dream I’m just wishful thinking
Oh shoot I’m running late, I gotta make it to a meeting

I’ve been waiting for this moment all day, just you and me
The lights are low, next thing I know
We’re both drifting off to sleep

Head over to Amy's for more songs to tap your toe by.

Come As You Are

Lately the theme of worthiness seems to be prevalent in my conversations. How we, as those that love and strive to follow Christ, tend to buy into the lie that we should become a little better before we lead. A little less sinful before we dare to go before Christ in worship.

That we need to be "good enough". 

Where did we get the notion that salvation stops at the acceptance of Christ as our Lord and only hope? That is just the beginning of our salvation. 

Our true and ultimate salvation, freedom from eternity in hell, separated from God, covered by grace, yes, it only comes once. 

But there is more to it than that. Salvation is not just an event, it is a life-long, no, it's an eternal commitment from God to us.

God offers us daily salvation, over and over, until we are truly free. We will never be perfect until the day we stand before God's throne, but we are to strive for perfection in our daily life, as it is held up to and reflective of Scripture. God is holding out his hand of salvation. For every sin, every self-doubt, every fear and every uncertainty. He knows we will fall short. He knows we will need chance after chance. And he is more than willing to offer that chance. 

But in the meantime...

He wants us. Just as we are. Just where we are. 

We don't have to be good enough. Only desperately in love with him. Jesus took care of the rest.

My song for this week is Sixteen Cities "Come As You Are".  Some of the Scriptures (NIV) that apply to this discussion are listed below the video.

Hebrews 7:25 

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

2 Corinthians 9:8 

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Romans 8:31-39

 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 

   "For your sake we face death all day long; 

      we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3: 14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family, in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

More songs over at Signs, Miracles and Wonders

With Everything

We sang this at youth camp this week. It is one of my favorite songs off this album so of course I was very excited.  I think I have posted this before but when it is this good, that's ok!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."   

1 Peter 1:3-9

ENJOY!

post your favorite song and link to Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders. Happy Weekend!

Endurance

This is the final posting from my friend Susan. I hope you have enjoyed these posts about finding your Pure Purpose as much as I have! Enjoy!

What if someone took a snapshot of you and made it an example for others so that’s all others know about your life? Some snapshots of our lives can be framed into a nice photo that accurately reflects a particular situation in our lives. However, our lives aren’t mere snapshots. Our lives are rich recordings, capturing our thoughts, emotions, relationships, situations, struggles, growth…every detail of every moment of our lives. Our lives are a marathon. We may stop to walk along the way. We might make a wrong turn and need to get back on track. We may enjoy the refreshing wind at times and sit by the side of the road in tears sometimes. Endurance is movement through the marathon of life, regardless of the varying types and speeds of movement. Endurance involves perseverance. Sometimes we persevere at a sprint, and sometimes we barely shuffle our feet.

When have your legs felt strong and you felt the refreshing wind in your face as you ran through life?

When have you been completely overwhelmed with the path ahead, your legs feeling like massive weights, and you wanted to stop for a long rest?

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5:1-5

When we have problems and trials, we can develop endurance. (We can also sit and mope and whine and become self-focused.) Endurance develops character. Character develops our hope in salvation. And yet…isn’t it our hope in salvation, our relationship with Jesus, our acceptance and understanding of God’s character, that helps us deal with our problems and trials in the first place?

You see, we often stop where we are because we’re waiting on something. We think we need more faith or we need more strength or we need more courage. We may even ask God for it. And then we wait and wait and wait….when we already have what we need! If you have a relationship with Jesus, you have his strength and courage. You may not always feel like you have it, but it’s there. We may feel completely drained and insufficient and incapable, but it’s not because we actually are. Standing on the promise of Romans 1:5.

The Holy Spirit gives us everything we need. The strength and courage we need is already in us, and not only is it in us, but the Holy Spirit fills us! You have access to God’s love, courage, strength, joy, discernment (and the list goes on…) inside you, accessible at all times. So why do you think we still want to sit beside the road, bury our head in our hands and quit?

My thoughts might not be even close to yours, but here are a few I’ve considered.

1. Even when we know God provides all we need through him, we try to rely into our own strength and courage instead of tapping into his.

2. We wait to tap into his strength and courage only when we’re completely exhausted. We try to hand him the baton, expecting him to run the rest of the way for us, not with us.

3. We rely on the Holy Spirit to guide, equip, and encourage us so infrequently that we’re not sure how to listen and rely on him.

We’re human. I don’t want this to become a crutch we rely on, but we have to admit, we’re going to struggle with our past baggage, current struggles, and future apprehensions. The key is whether we try to manage it all or rely on God to equip us to persevere and endure.

Our marathon doesn’t start the moment we get the phone call, receive the diagnosis, or discover the betrayal. We don’t run through the crisis and check it off our list. Our marathon is our entire life. Challenging uphill climbs. Downhill coasts. Crushed by crowds of people. Feelings of isolation. Encouraged by others. Discouraged as others fly by. Inadequacies. Doubt. Injuries. Milestones. Rejuvenation. It’s all part of the marathon. And you’re in training through the entire marathon. Increase your endurance through consistent training.

Training isn’t just a to-do list. It’s a to-be list. What you do prepares you for who you become. Who you are influences what you do. Both are intimately connected. What is God prompting you to do and who is he prompting you to become?

Adapted from Pure Purpose by Susan H. Lawrence. Check out Susan’s blog at http://purepurposebook.wordpress.com/ and follow Pure Purpose on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/PurePurposeFB

Authenticity ~ Guest Post by Susan H. Lawrence

Another wonderful offering from my friend, Susan. If you are interested in a free sampling from her book, Pure Purpose, leave me your email address and I will be happy to send it off! Have a wonderful week! ~ Shannon

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  Lord, teach me what you want me to do, and I will live by your truth. Teach me to respect you completely. Psalm 86:11

      Authenticity is “being actually and exactly what is claimed.” (www.merriam-webster.com)

      Have you ever given advice you have difficulty applying in your own life? Have you ever stretched the truth (a.k.a., lied) to make yourself look a little better or perhaps a little worse in order to avoid doing something? (Perhaps you’ve even deceived yourself.) Are there areas of your life in which you know there are principles you should follow, but you just don’t seem to be able to discipline yourself to apply them or you struggle with how they apply directly to you?

      Truthfulness isn’t just about what you say. It’s about the way you live. It paves the way for an authenticity in our lives, a perspective that reflects actually and exactly what we claim. Authenticity is a reflection of God, which means if we want authenticity, we can’t look in our own mirror; we have to use God’s.

      Truthfulness affects others. It affects their faith, because it affects how they see God. Whether I have a long-term relationship or momentary encounter with someone, my character, the way I behave, my attitude…all combine to reflect the God who created me for purpose on this earth. No moment, no situation, no person is insignificant.

      And here’s the truth. I don’t always reflect the truth of God’s character. Sure, sometimes it has nothing to do with deceit. It might have to do with ignorance. But in all honesty, how often are we ignorant in a situation…versus how often werationalize we’re ignorant? It’s much easier to plead innocence than to take responsibility.

      Not listening to God isn’t the same as not knowing his character. We live in a “shirk responsibility” culture. It’s easier to blame someone else. But when it comes to your personal walk with God, it’s between you and him. I can assure you, he’s not the one creating space. Are we distant from God sometimes? Yes, but we can acknowledge the distance and move. Or we can choose instead to try to figure out the distance, whine about the distance, and end up in the same place weeks or months from now. Are we hurt or confused sometimes? Yes, but again, we can acknowledge our emotions and experience and begin the process of moving to another place, or steep in the turmoil and end up in the same situation, or worse, weeks or months from now.

      You’re not a victim. How can I be so sure? Because I know my God. He’s not a victimizer. He’s a Victor. He created you. And he is Truth. There is truth in you. We need to let him reveal it to us, so you see the reflection God sees. So others see the reflection God sees.

      God understands all hearts, and he sees you. Proverbs 24:12

      (For practical tools for how to “get R.E.A.L.,” authentic in your Relationships, Experiences, Attitudes and Leadership, check out Week Eight of Pure Purpose by Susan H. Lawrence.)


Check out Susan’s blog at http://purepurposebook.wordpress.com/ and follow Pure Purpose on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/PurePurposeFB

I AM

This is the song of my salvation. This is the song that was playing when I gave my life to Christ. I may have officially prayed the prayer a few weeks later, but this is the song that broke my heart to Christ, the song that was used to call me home. It is still my prayer and thanksgiving song to my precious Jesus.

I love you my Jesus.



More songs at Signs, Miracles and Wonders.

Communication ~ Guest post by Susan H. Lawrence

Here is another great offering from my friend, Susan. Enjoy!


Each of us is impacted by our past experiences, family, health, education, relationships, and much more. Consider everything and everyone who has impacted your life from teachers to friends to coworkers to ministers. Jot as many as you can in one minute.

Each time we communicate, we bring our background with us. We use it to make sense of what we’re saying. Others bring different background to their communications. We may have some similarities, but no two people’s lives are exactly the same, and no two people will communicate in exactly the same way. We filter what we say and what we hear. So every time you say something, it goes through two filters: yours and the person’s to whom you’re talking. Every time you hear something, it goes through two filters: yours and the person’s who is speaking to you.

Understanding our filters helps us understand our communications better.

Consider a situation in which you made an assumption that was later proved to be inaccurate about someone.

If one assumption you’re made has been proven inaccurate, consider the possibility than any assumption you make about people might be inaccurate. We hear and give information based on our filters. But our filters aren’t purely clean. Our experiences, relationships, and attitudes clog our screens…and the screens of people we’re communicating with. That’s why we sometimes think someone said something they didn’t say or insist they didn’t tell us something when they actually did.

Being aware of your filters means acknowledging the possibility there’s been a miscommunication. When there’s a miscommunication, who’s responsible?

There are at least two people involved in communication. Both have filters. Does it really matter who’s right and who’s wrong when there’s a miscommunication? If the goal is communication, and communication isn’t complete or effective, strive to focus on the goal-communication- instead of getting stuck in a blame game.

No one should accuse or blame another person. Don't blame the people, you priests, when they quarrel with you.  Hosea 4:4

We can’t assume everyone shares our experiences. It can be frustrating to start at the beginning to explain something to someone when we just want to move on, but again, if the goal is communication, and communication isn’t complete or effective, we need to strive to focus on the goal, communication, instead of getting stuck focusing on our filters, who should already know what, how much time we need to take to explain something, etc. Building relationships with healthy communication is always worth time and effort.

Here’s my list of communication tips:

       No one is a mind-reader. If you want or expect someone to know something, tell them.
 Take a breath before speaking. Once it’s spoken, you can’t swallow it.
 Communication will fail. Do your best, but know it’s not foolproof.
 Communication is not avoidable. You can be quiet, but you’re still communicating.
 Communication assumes…based on past experiences, relationships, and personality.
 Communication involves relationship. It’s not just about you, your intentions, and your goals.

How will you reflect God in your communication?

It will not really be you speaking but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 

Matthew 10:20

Adapted from Pure Purpose by Susan H. Lawrence. Check out Susan’s blog at http://purepurposebook.wordpress.com/ and follow Pure Purpose on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/PurePurposeFB

Only You Remain

My words are just so small and insufficient to describe My God.


 I have better words than mine that I can use. These verses help us to start to see how big our God is.  How amazing to know that the God of these verses is still so much bigger than we can ever comprehend. 

Genesis 1:1 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 40 (NIV)

 ¹ Comfort, comfort my people, 

       says your God.

 ² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, 

       and proclaim to her 

       that her hard service has been completed, 

       that her sin has been paid for, 

       that she has received from the LORD's hand 

       double for all her sins.

 ³ A voice of one calling: 

       "In the desert prepare 

       the way for the LORD ^[a] ; 

       make straight in the wilderness 

       a highway for our God. ^[b]

 ⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, 

       every mountain and hill made low; 

       the rough ground shall become level, 

       the rugged places a plain.

 ⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, 

       and all mankind together will see it. 

       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

 ⁶ A voice says, "Cry out." 

       And I said, "What shall I cry?" 

       "All men are like grass, 

       and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

 ⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

       because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 

       Surely the people are grass.

 ⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall, 

       but the word of our God stands forever."

 ⁹ You who bring good tidings to Zion, 

       go up on a high mountain. 

       You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, ^[c] 

       lift up your voice with a shout, 

       lift it up, do not be afraid; 

       say to the towns of Judah, 

       "Here is your God!"

 ¹⁰ See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, 

       and his arm rules for him. 

       See, his reward is with him, 

       and his recompense accompanies him.

 ¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd: 

       He gathers the lambs in his arms 

       and carries them close to his heart; 

       he gently leads those that have young.

 ¹² Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, 

       or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? 

       Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, 

       or weighed the mountains on the scales 

       and the hills in a balance?

 ¹³ Who has understood the mind ^[d] of the LORD, 

       or instructed him as his counselor?

 ¹⁴ Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, 

       and who taught him the right way? 

       Who was it that taught him knowledge 

       or showed him the path of understanding?

 ¹⁵ Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; 

       they are regarded as dust on the scales; 

       he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

 ¹⁶ Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, 

       nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

 ¹⁷ Before him all the nations are as nothing; 

       they are regarded by him as worthless 

       and less than nothing.

 ¹⁸ To whom, then, will you compare God? 

       What image will you compare him to?

 ¹⁹ As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, 

       and a goldsmith overlays it with gold 

       and fashions silver chains for it.

 ²⁰ A man too poor to present such an offering 

       selects wood that will not rot. 

       He looks for a skilled craftsman 

       to set up an idol that will not topple.

 ²¹ Do you not know? 

       Have you not heard? 

       Has it not been told you from the beginning? 

       Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

 ²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, 

       and its people are like grasshoppers. 

       He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, 

       and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

 ²³ He brings princes to naught 

       and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

 ²⁴ No sooner are they planted, 

       no sooner are they sown, 

       no sooner do they take root in the ground, 

       than he blows on them and they wither, 

       and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

 ²⁵ "To whom will you compare me? 

       Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

 ²⁶ Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: 

       Who created all these? 

       He who brings out the starry host one by one, 

       and calls them each by name. 

       Because of his great power and mighty strength, 

       not one of them is missing.

 ²⁷ Why do you say, O Jacob, 

       and complain, O Israel, 

       "My way is hidden from the LORD; 

       my cause is disregarded by my God"?

 ²⁸ Do you not know? 

       Have you not heard? 

       The LORD is the everlasting God, 

       the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

       He will not grow tired or weary, 

       and his understanding no one can fathom.

 ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary 

       and increases the power of the weak.

 ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, 

       and young men stumble and fall;

 ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD 

       will renew their strength. 

       They will soar on wings like eagles; 

       they will run and not grow weary, 

          they will walk and not be faint. 

Revelation 21: 22-27 (NIV)

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Amy at Signs, Miracles and Wonders is hosting Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. Check her out!