Break Every Chain!

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 ...Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, 

and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.   

Psalm 107:13-14(NIV)

Why do I so often try to argue with God?

About my calling…

About His prompting…

What I want His will for me to be…

My reasons for not following…

My excuses for waiting, instead of stepping out…

Why do I let fear and uncertainty take precedence…when I know God will provide and protect me?

(These are questions I recently was moved to ask myself after listening to the message my pastor gave at my church.)

We try to reduce the will of God to the logical limits of our brains, but the will of God is not logical. He doesn’t always make sense. And, honestly, it sometimes feels like we’re on a wild goose chase. “Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surrounds Him”

God has a grand design, and we are a part of His greater work. Our part is faithfulness and hard work. God’s part is leading us into wise decisions, which produce the right results as He receives the glory. As followers of Christ, the quality and quantity of our work is a reflection on God.

Awesome Song!

 (Remember to mute or stop the music on my playlist on the right sidebar)
This was the song we sang during the worship and music part of our service.

Praying your heart is touched, like it touched me.

Linking up at:

Winsome Wednesday

Word-Filled Wednesday

Gathering at the Grace Cafe'

My Heart Will Sing.....(Part 3)

This is the 3^rd post of a 3-part series I am writing that covers an annual Ladies Holiday Tea at my church. To read Parts 1 and 2, go to the following links.

 Part 1 

 Part 2

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy, 

And with my song I praise Him

Psalm 28:7

I hope you are enjoying your Thanksgiving weekend! Mine has actually been quiet and relaxing, which is good, since the past few weeks have been pretty hectic for me. I decided to finish up this series on the Ladies Holiday Tea. I hadn’t realized how many pictures I had taken that day. It seemed like there was something exciting and new everywhere I turned.

 (left click to enlarge pictures)

 

Not only were the tables creatively decorated, but the program was also pretty amazing. Our speaker was a gal who is on our music worship team, but she didn’t sing that day. She talked about having joy and gratitude, and she mentioned a book that is on my list of top ten favorite books, “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. I often post quotes from the book and even have a quote of hers on my Blog Header. 

We also got to hear about our service project this year….a local smaller church has been assisting people who are struggling financially with household items that we often take for granted and automatically go buy when we run out….ie. soap, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry soap, paper towels, and even diapers for some families. The church has been a godsend to many families and the need is growing to the point that they have trouble keeping their shelves stocked. For this year’s tea, guests were asked to bring in a donation to help out with this program. I was thrilled to see that we had an outpouring of women who willingly donated to this church! God is SO good!!!

There were a few songs played in the program by other members of our worship team. One of the songs they sang went with the theme of our program, “My Heart Will Sing”. I love the song and am sharing it with you here....enjoy!

 All in all, this was in my opinion the best year for this event, ever! God has done and continues to do great things to show His love through others! I pray we will always keep working in His service to share the love and mercy of our Savior! May you move this weekend from a posture of thanksgiving and gratitude into one of adoration, joy, and peace. Oh, what more could we be thankful for, than the birth of our Savior and King!

 

In His Love, 

Ann

I Hear Ya, Loud and Clear!

Ever feel like what you are doing with your life and for God isn’t enough? I have struggled with that feeling for many years. Not that what I do (have been doing): raising my son, being a loving wife, helping and encouraging others when the need arises and I am able, isn’t important. But I see every day, especially with internet and satellite TV, that there is so much more that I could be doing. Sometimes it frustrates me, to not have the funds, or it seems like road blocks (people, events, bad timing) keep me from doing more. I have prayed that doors would open and yet they don’t. Then I read in a Bible Study guide I’m studying that sometimes God is just saying it’s not His plan for me right now. I don’t like that answer, so I get even more frustrated. I continued to read and it hit me hard what was written next…..God wants more than our service…..He wants a close, everyday relationship with us. That is number one to Him, that we walk and talk with Him, even more than we do with our spouse or children. Wow! I think I had been blocking that important piece of information out so long that I didn’t hear Him calling me to come back to Him, first. It was like a loud speaker had been put to my ears and blasted….”come, walk and talk with Me, child.” Kind of hard to not hear Him speaking to me. Maybe I’ll have opportunities down the road of life to go on a mission trip, or help in some great way. Maybe not. But God has shown me that all He really wants from me is to walk with Him every day! He’ll decide the rest.

Here are some verses and pictures that have been to me a “loud and clear” message from God:

Praying that every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.
"Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway" (Proverbs 8:34).

The voice of the Lord vows to be your delight and bold advocate. So, listen intently to the one voice that is guaranteed to give you life and hope.
“Love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life” (Deuteronomy 30:20a).

Everyday with Jesus is sweet and satisfying.
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19).

God knows everything about us.

 “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me”. Psalm 139:1

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

 

In His Love, 

Ann

 Linking up today over at

 Winsome Wednesday