TSMSS - Surrender

**I did not mean to write this post. I had something else in mind. Yet I felt impelled, so I know this was God-induced for someone. Have no clue why but I 'surrender' to God. (Confirmed moments ago when I visited Peggy. Please visit her.) Con**

Today's theme is 'surrender'. 

Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours: our property, our time, our "rights." When we surrender to God, we are simply acknowledging that what we "own" actually belongs to Him. He is the giver of all good things. We are responsible to care for what God has given us, as stewards of His property, but by surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances. Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God's best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God's ways first.  (Surrender to God)

As in the dance of life with our Lead.

Yielding to that tug, that touch, 

sometimes gentle, sometimes firm...

to turn here...rest here...2 steps forward...3 steps back...

the exhiliration of twirling, twirling

only to be to be caught in His dependable embrace.

An utter surrender.

The world glimpses a dance of most exquisite grace and beauty...

the world is hushed...glimpsing Truth...

where the temporal and eternal collide...

A world that clamors for its 'rights'...

Confronted with the beauty of surrender...

to the Master Lead...

the perfect dance...

Oh may I, Lord, yield my rights-entitled will

to Your ever-knowing touch 

to engage in

the Perfect Dance...

Listen with me to Claire Cloninger's Surrender sung by Debby Boone.
Are you at the end of yourself today?
Good.
Now you are in the frame of mind.
To finally yield.
To surrender.
To Him, the omnipotent, the omniscient, the omnipresent.
Yield. Rest.
(TSMSS is hosted by Amy. Please go there to listen to more songs that minister.)

Surrender 

(By Claire Cloninger)

1. Like a song in the wind

Lord, You call me again

Surrender.

And I find myself drawn to Your voice

As I lean to the choice

Surrender.

2. Like the echoing sound of the sea

Lord, You echo in me

Surrender

Like a dancer I follow again

To the music within

Surrender

3. For the freedom I seek

Is the Word that You speak

Running deep as the song of my soul

To be totally sure

And totally Yours

And totally surrendered.

4. Like the song of the rain

You repeat the refrain

Surrender

And I know that your music is mine

And I follow in time

Surrender

(repeat vs.3)

5. Like a song in the wind

Lord, You call me again

Surrender

And at last I can soar like a bird

On the wings of the word,

Surrender.

TSMSS - The Love of God

No other song seems more appropriate to me as our world dwells on the word 'love' this weekend. Even as many of us are able to celebrate the love that surrounds us in our spouses and families and friends, there are many more with broken hearts or surrounded by a form of 'love' that is toxic, sucking out their spirits and value.

So today, I want to offer to all the only Love that can "go beyond the highest star and reach to the lowest hell". This song is preceded by the core message of the gospel given by our beloved Billy Graham. So listen with me, close your eyes as you envision the height, width and breadth of God's love as penned so beautifully by Frederick Lehman so many years ago.

Then pop by Amy's who hosts TSMSS (Then Sings My Soul Saturday) to hear more songs that minister.

The Love of God

(Frederick M. Lehman (1917) )

1. The love of God is greater far
   Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
   It goes beyond the highest star,
   And reaches to the lowest hell;
   The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
   God gave His Son to win;
   His erring child He reconciled,
   And pardoned from his sin.
   
   
   • Refrain:
     Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
     How measureless and strong!
     It shall forevermore endure—
     The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
   And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
   When men who here refuse to pray,
   On rocks and hills and mountains call,
   God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
   All measureless and strong;
   Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
   The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of God above
   Would drain the ocean dry;
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky.

Happy Valentines Day to one and all!

I sought the Lord...

My reading today. Just what I needed to hear. Perhaps someone else needs to.
Blessings, Sita

Psalm 34 (Amplified Bible)

 ¹I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

    ²My life makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble and afflicted hear and be glad.

    ³O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

    ⁴I sought (inquired of) the Lord and required Him [of necessity and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

    ⁵They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces shall never blush for shame or be confused.

    ⁶This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

    ⁷The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe] and each of them He delivers.

    ⁸O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.

    ⁹O fear the Lord, you His saints [revere and worship Him]! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear.

    ¹⁰The young lions lack food and suffer hunger, but they who seek (inquire of and require) the Lord [by right of their need and on the authority of His Word], none of them shall lack any beneficial thing.

    ¹¹Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.

    ¹²What man is he who desires life and longs for many days, that he may see good?

    ¹³Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

    ¹⁴Depart from evil and do good; seek, inquire for, and crave peace and pursue (go after) it!

    ¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are toward the [uncompromisingly] righteous and His ears are open to their cry.

    ¹⁶The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

    ¹⁷When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their distress and troubles.

    ¹⁸The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.

    ¹⁹Many evils confront the [consistently] righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

    ²⁰He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

    ²¹Evil shall cause the death of the wicked; and they who hate the just and righteous shall be held guilty and shall be condemned.

    ²²The Lord redeems the lives of His servants, and none of those who take refuge and trust in Him shall be condemned or held guilty.

S.A.D...? Well, T.L.L.U! The Lord Lifts Up!

Reposting  as God reminds me:

What is S.A.D.? According to http://www.sada.org.uk/whatis.htm:
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every Winter between September and April, in particular during December, January and February.
It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter.
For many people SAD is a seriously disabling illness, preventing them from functioning normally without continuous medical treatment.
For others, it is a mild but debilitating condition causing discomfort but not severe suffering. We call this subsyndromal SAD or 'winter blues.'


In the local news recently, it was reported that S.A.D. seemed to be especially bad this year. It was comforting to know what was hitting me hard these past couple of weeks. Winter blues or the mild S.A.D..

On the one day when the sun came out as I was driving, filling the van with sudden light and warmth, something happened in my brain that suddenly threw off the blanket that was seemed to be covering me, hampering all that I tried to do. Wow, the world seemed not so threatening any more. It was easier to walk, to smile, to live.

Did this affect my time with God too? Yes, it did.
It was a monumental effort to do anything. But, I forced myself, I read the Word, I wrote down in my journal what 'caught' my eye and I prayed it. I'm not going to say that I received any miraculous deliverance, because I didn't. All I know is, my emotions do not tell me the truth, but my God does. I have grown.

Thank You, Lord. I also know that God placed special people in my life who were upholding me in prayer. I can never repay such love. If any of these prayer warriors are reading this, please accept my deepest gratitude.

Last night was the last session in a 3-session workshop on Praying For Your Children by Shyamala Krishnan, our pastor's wife. Using her own journey and life experiences, she shared delightful and wise insights into interceding for your children. The auditorium was packed for all sessions. Obvious participants were parents who were anxious about their children and their futures and their obvious lack of control over everything. But there were, also, children ministry workers who were single, couples with no children yet and of course, grandparents. It struck me, as it did a while ago, how much westerners rely on 'how-to' workshops. Many will take steps learnt in the workshop and apply them studiously...for a while, but I fear that perseverance may fade.
Why?

Because it is prayer.
Prayer is essentially a relationship with God. Relationships require perseverance.

If we do not grasp that, then after we have given our shopping lists for awhile with no apparent results, enthusiasm will fade.
Westerners love results, instant results. When we do not see results, we look for other 'solutions'.
I know. I'm a westerner too. And I have had to learn that there are no short-cuts to developing a relationship.

So God has brought me to a point where there are no other solutions. He has brought me to the point where I know I need Him more than anything, where I know that only He satisfies. He is teaching me about trust. He is teaching me about His Word. With His strength, I can.

In my reading 2 days ago when S.A.D. was hitting me hard, I read and prayed Psalm 143--

vs.4...so my spirit grows faint within me (He knew!); my heart within me is dismayed...

vs.7...Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit faints with longing. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

vs.8...Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.

vs.10...Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Father, thank You so much. I continue to trust. For those You moved to intercede for me, would You bless them with a special touch of Your grace this day? Thank You that You uphold all those who fall and lift up all who are bowed down (Ps.145:14). Touch us with Your glory, that blinding light of Your essence that blots out darkness. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

What is T.L.L.U.? : THE LORD LIFTS UP!

His Presence: the antidote to anxiety

(reposting thoughts from 2007 on A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place, the Beth Moore study I am repeating.)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exodus 33:14 (The Holy Bible, NIV)

The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

...or "I will dispel your anxiety."

That was a key verse in the Beth Moore study today. I was starting to feel a bit emotional about my father's medical condition. By the afternoon, I was seriously put to the test.

Satan is so predictable, it's not even funny. I had just finished buying groceries with my Mom, and got into the van to go pick up my 9-yr-old. Turned the key.
Well, all I got was a clicking sound.
My breathing stopped momentarily. I tried again. Same thing.
My breathing resumed with accelerated speed.  
Didn't our roadside assistance expire?
Since my mother was there, I had to act like I was mature, right?  
SO, what do I do!? 

Yep, that was the question that kept hammering at my brain which had suddenly been erased of common sense. 

So, I had to go to my husband's brain. (Risky(-; hahaha). 

Called on the cell. Busy. Ok. Checked time.
Had to be at the school in 10 minutes.
Called the school. Told them I was stuck at the plaza.

The principal responded, "It's not that far of a walk. I'll tell your son so he's not waiting and worrying."
"Right", I said. OK, so what do I do? "

Mom, you can stay here while I walk..[oops, I have to wait for my other son for 1/2 hour.] So, I'll be back, Mom.
[Mom busy praying.] 

Tried hubby again. Busy. My hands were shaking. Sure sign I was losing control somewhere. Suddenly the distance from the plaza to school seemed like 100 miles.

Lightbulb moment. TTC bus!
OK, Mom, have a toonie? Yep.
So off I went, my legs shaky. Bus came almost immediately. Wow, had the TTC gone hi-tech on me? Announced my stop. Wow. Surreal. Got off in 3 minutes flat. As I walked to the school, I decided not to give in to panic or anxiety. 

Yep, that verse came back to me. So, instead of praying desperate prayers for deliverance, I prayed and sang, "Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole."

In 3 more minutes, I was there. Aaah, a bench. Sat down to support my unsteady legs. Tried hubby while waiting to see my son. Victory. 

I heard that male, sensible, voice. Oh, God is good... 

He just calmed me by just thinking through 'what to do.' He would call to check our roadside assistance status. Yep, he had to tell me to call a friend, the same friend who rescued me the last time something went wrong with the van. 

Called. 

My friend answered. She took over talking since after giving her the gist, I lost my eloquence..."ummmm...I don't know what to do.ummmmm".. 

Only a good friend will refrain from shouting, "Get it together!" 

She calmly advised me [like my hubby had done] she would pick us up. She came, we went to pick up Mom.

Tried the van. Clicking sound.
Tried again, click, then it started!
Turned off as if I could not believe it.
Tried again. Yup, click, then it started.
My friend had already left to pick up my other son, so I chased them feeling very insecure.

The van seemed to be functioning as if it was a depressed human being, me. 

There was no lustre. Know what I mean?

Alright, hurry up now...we all got home.
Had tea with my friend. Feeling so disoriented.
Asked my hubby to come home please as we still had to check out the van.
He came, he went. It was our battery. All charged out.

New battery needed.

Money that we do not have.

What was that verse again?

"My Presence will go with you..I will dispel your anxiety.." He allows struggles for me to hunger Him..."...

So, that's where I am right now...looking to Him..looking for Him.
Need a heart battery Spirit-charge.
Will you look with me?

Father, I come to You, let my heart be changed, renewed, flowing from the grace that I've found in You...Father, Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more...I'm all Yours...Your Presence is with me....I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be Not Afraid

(John Michael Talbot)

1.
You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.

R.
Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me, and
I will give you rest.

2.
If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow'r of hell and death is at your side, know that
I am with you through it all.

3.
Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn, for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me, blessed, blessed are you!

TSMSS - Word of God, Speak!

This truly ministers to me today. Pray it blesses you as well:

(Please drop by Amy's to hear more songs that minister.)

Mercy Me - Word of God Speak

 
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

[Chorus]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

[Chorus 2x]

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay