a song for a book

presence - kathryn scott

just finished reading the shack. around the same time someone shared this song with me - presence. when i really stop and think how big and beautiful, simple and complex, sweet and powerful and personal God is, i am overwhelmed with something that feels like a mix of sunshine, excitement and peace.


you are just so beautiful - i love your presence, God.

perfect peace

stay close by my side
keep your eyes on me
though this life is hard
i will give you perfect peace

in this time of trial
pain that no one sees
trust me when i say
i will give you perfect peace

and you'll never walk alone
and you'll never be in need
though i may not calm the storms around you
you can hide in me
burdens that you bear
offer no relief
let me bear your load
cause i will give you perfect peace
stay close by my side
and you'll never walk alone
keep your eyes on me
and you will never be in need
though this life is hard
know that i will always give you perfect peace
i will give you perfect peace

perfect peace
song by Laura Story

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:6-8

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. matthew 11:28-29

my Help and my Strength on this journey

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
psalm 121:2

Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
psalm 124:8

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.^[d]
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
psalm 84:5-6

psalm 4:8

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
Psalm 4:8

thank you, God, for reminding me of this verse through a friend recently.
you are my refuge and my peace.

i will not take these things for granted...

a healthy, happy baby boy
a backyard
hot as heck sunny days
air conditioning

naptime

being a stay at home mom

the Lord is sweet

Good Friday

the thunder crashes in the heavens, and the earth grows dark in the middle of the afternoon, and a man, beaten to a bloody pulp, cries from a cross between two thieves, "it is finished!" because he did, one day God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of those who trusted him, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will pass away and all our hardship will be finished.

writing taken from beth moore's, so long, insecurity

God speaks to me through parenthood

God speaks to me through his word, through music, through his creation, and through my role as a parent.

God is our heavenly Father - now that i am a parent, i understand this relationship more.

will is 20 months old and doesn't understand everything, but he understands a lot. he has a strong will. he doesn't always want to obey. he wants things his way. when he disobeys, he likely gets hurt or hurts something else. i tell him, you need to obey me. sometimes i remove him from the situation before he gets hurt - this may make him cry for a few minutes, but i know what is best and i am looking out for him. he does not like to be still. there are moments when he is still, and i love it! i know it's then that he's learning something new. sometimes i need him to be still (diaper change) and if he's not, things don't work out as good (he gets a diaper wedgy - haha - just thought of that one). even though he can frustrate me to no end, i still love him. he makes me laugh - brings me joy!

the same can be said about me.

i am 28 years old, and i don't understand everything, but i understand a lot. i have a strong will. i don't always want to obey. i want things my way. when i disobey, i likely get hurt or hurt something/someone else. God tells me, you need to obey me. sometimes he removes me from the situation before i get hurt - this may make me cry, but God knows what is best and he's looking out for me. i don't like to be still (like, in the quiet with no distractions) except when going to sleep. there are moments when i am still before the Lord and I can feel God smiling. that is when he is able to teach me the most and show me something new. sometimes, God needs me to be still, and if i'm not, things don't work out as good. i miss opportunities - i'm not able to give godly wisdom and encouragement - i'm not able to just be there for someone. even though i know i frustrate God to no end, i know he still loves me. i pray i bring him laughter and joy.

Spiritual notes

here's the link i talk about below with the quotes from beth moore and betty robison. please watch - it is so good.
http://lifetoday.tv/qt/2010/03/100311.htm


okay, so God has been speaking - i best write it down.

grace is God's gift. grace is also God's empowerment! just think about that. if you are in Christ, you have God's grace!

wake up, o Church.

"God doesn't like our leftovers." - Anne Graham Lotz

we are feeding our thoughts - whatever your thought life is like - you're feeding it.
as a western culture - we are so allergic to the disciplines of the Spirit that we are living in defeat.
get your mind preoccupied with the thoughts of God.
memorize and meditate on scripture. - beth moore paraphrased on lifetoday - can't get the link to work on my mom's computer but you can watch this online - so awesome!!! the whole thing.
the most blessed i am, is when it's just God and me....yes, we are encouraged at church and in the teaching of others, BUT there is nothing like the fellowship with God. - betty robison

May I know the hope to which you have called me, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints, and your incomparably great power for us who believe. that power is like the working of your mighty strength which you exerted in Christ when you raised him from the dead and seated him at your right hand in the heavenly realms. ephesians 1:18-20 (changed some of the pronouns to make more personal)

satisfy me Lord in the morning with your unfailing love that i may sing for joy and be glad all my days. psalm 90:14

i've been wasting a lot of time, filling up on chocolate and chips and facebook. praise God for his word - for fellow believers who speak truth and encourage.

you are all i want - you are all i need - everything my heart could hope for - we are longing for the glory of the Lord - cuz we know there's so much more - only you - fill my soul! kim walker, i have found

The priestly blessing

The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

" ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

numbers 6:22-26

Haiti mission trip

these are some pictures from my dad's trip to haiti. he is back safe as of last friday. he's the one with the syringe. he has white hair and really big glasses - hehe. i'm gonna post some excerpts from some of his emails below.

http://www.paulbrown.us/haiti/album1/

...I hope to get my first shower tonight. The team here is good, with 2 leaving today and us adding 2 new ones. I have a new roommate from Kansas. Food is good. Last night not much sleep. Work is good and not hard. I am doing the pharmacy and spending some time in the rooms with our staff and patients. Everyone is here for the right reasons and their priorities are right and the Lord is truly the Lord of their lives.

Hello from Haiti! Things are going real well here. We actually have empty beds in the hospital but there are still patients with earthquake injuries in the hospital and they are still showing up for treatment. It has really settled down. Samaritan's Purse has now committed to be here through March and discussions are underway to go past that. Four of our team left today and eight will leave on Saturday, which will leave only 4 of us here for about 8 hours until a new team that is mostly Canadian joins us. There are a lot of great stories happening here and none can be explained by man so we are just trusting that God is adequate and He is still in control. The current team is still good and it is the 4 of us left on Saturday to transition this operation over to the new arrivals. There is very little overlap between teams now. I watched a C-Section today and held the baby that was probably less than 15 minutes old. Probably did not do that with my own children. Things are expected to be slow for the next few day because Haiti has designated Feb 12-14 and a time of national mourning. Our cooks are gone as of today so we are on our own for a few days. I think we will survive. Temperature here is about 85 each day and we are all working in T shirts and scrubs.

Such a difference in medicine in a 3rd world country as compared to the US. Hospitals have no private rooms, grand pianos, water walls, or air conditioning. Our internet has been out for more than a day, and most of the computers are leaving Sat. Do not know when the next communication will be. Hope everyone has a great (and chilly I understand) Happy Valentine's Day.

It's Friday night in Haiti and it was a wonderful sun shiny day of about 85 here at the Baptist Mission. We are into to now turning the hospital back over to the local doctors but that full transition will take place over the next 4-6 weeks. Feb 12-14 is 3 day national holiday for the mourning of those lost in the earthquake. The church on our compound seats about 600 and there was over 1000 in attendance today. They were lined up around the walls and into the streets. They started before 8am and went to 12noon, with about 3 hours of that being singing. The pharmacy is located through the wall from the sanctuary so I got a full dose of that service. We had a great fellowship tonight with the missionaries with the 8 that are leaving the medical team tomorrow sharing their thoughts. The common theme was the love and thankfulness of the Haitian people towards us being here. We are truly the ones being blessed by a people that have so little in material possessions but have such a dependancy on the most important thing, the Lord and His acceptance of all of us no mattter what our circumstances.

Monday in Haiti was a very busy day. Even though many of the earthquake victims have been discharged, there is still some major efforts having to be done with those that we still have. Our sickest patient with a spinal cord injury from laying under a fallen wall for a long time was medEvaced to the US today. This has been being worked on since before we got here and it all of a sudden happened today when the Navy called and said their helicopoter was on the way. Another patient needed parenteral nutrution and I was able to find 4 bottles stashed away and only out of date by 6 months. We started it today and are trying to work it in between antibiotics so that we don't blow the IV line. Very interesting practicing medicine in a stop and go world when we are so used to running absolutely on schedule and everything expected at a moments notice. An 8 person Canadian team joined us on Sun and it is amazing how quickly people can come together when the same goals and beliefs are common. We are seeing a lot of things happen here that are out of the ordinary and know that we are just observers to something that is coming from a Higher Power. Sunshine and clouds here and still 70-85 degrees every day. We are blessed and know that we are in to turning this hospital back over to the Haitians.

wednesdays with beth moore

i love watching wednesday with beth on LIFE Today with James and Betty Robison. it comes on channel 14.1 at 8:30 on wed. mornings (of course) here in my neck of the woods. but, i just discovered you can listen and watch these broadcasts anytime on the web.

wednesdays with beth

lots of encouragement through the teaching of the Word of God here.

today she said something i loved - that sometimes God wants us to stop telling him, "i love you". sometimes we should tell him, "i love you, too".

till i only dwell in thee

this is a most beautiful song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRW8WV5cFaU


"Hymn" by Brooke Fraser

If to distant lands I scatter
If I sail to farthest seas
Would you find and firm and gather 'til I only dwell in Thee?
If I flee from greenest pastures
Would you leave to look for me?
Forfeit glory to come after
'Til I only dwell in Thee

If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision 'til I only dwell in Thee
That I only dwell in Thee
'Til I only dwell in Thee

Revelation 21:3
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. NIV

this is what it's all about.

and God is still giving

lee came home at lunch yesterday reporting that he got a raise! effective that day. nice!

God knows we're broke

After a year of tight finances and a summer of living a little loosely, I started looking at our budget a little more seriously. Okay, I started looking at it, instead of just entering receipts. And I was reminded that we are no longer a double income family.
So, I knew God wanted us to manage our money better. I started cooking more and looking for things to do that didn't cost much, because where can we be tempted to blow the most money? Food and Entertainment

So, our first date in September - we took a walk on the Suwanee Greenway - free! church friends babysat - free!

We had a Sunday School fellowship at Stone Mountain and saw the lasershow - free, because we were in a church van. a friend babysat for free.

i couldn't believe it - i didn't even ask for these tickets, but ben was able to get them for me for free. lee and went to this concert. got to see jars! and third day of course. free! grandma babysat - free.

i've really been wanting to buy an entertainment center and some more storage furniture because the clutter is getting to me. in october, we received the dresser from family and the bookshelf from a neighbor who was going to get rid of it. free!

in september we took advantage of museum day and went to the high - had to pay for parking, but museum was ----free!

God knows we still want to have some fun and don't have a lot of money. He knows I want a neat looking house (well, neater - i do have a toddler). He cares about my sanity. He cares about my marriage. For the past two months i have seen God in these details and look forward to what's to come.

i almost forgot - one of lee's coworkers gave him two tickets to the georgia tech/v tech homecoming football game. which was one of the best games in georgia tech history! and lee got to go with a friend. for - you guessed it - for free!

so much more

"earth is crammed with heaven
and every common bush ablaze with God
but only he who sees, takes off his shoes
the rest can only sit and pick blackberries"

elizabeth browning

i saw this yesterday written in the margin of my Bible in Exodus when Moses sees the burning bush. i think my old testament professor shared this with the class one day many years ago. i think i may have even blogged this poem before. i guess i really like it. sitting and picking blackberries sounds very pleasant and yummy, but God has so much more to show us and give us. If we will only have eyes to see and a heart to worship and obey.

a date in the woods!

okay, this is actually at our house the night before our date. my orange slice smile isn't nearly as good as lee's. we agree it's because he has a bigger mouth - literally and figuratively.

we checked out the suwanee greenway. this is about 20 minutes from our house. in some places you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. this pic doesn't really look like me, but there weren't a lot of good pictures to choose from.

check out these awesome pics i took - i love my camera!

Praise God - the Mighty Creator

Delight in the LORD

My Dear Sister

God has not overlooked you
He has not ignored you
He hears every petition
And intimately knows
The heart beneath it.
Give Him full access
To all your longings
Pray every single day
To become a person who delights in Him.
When it seems to disappear
Remember to check your JAW
Are you jealous?
Are you angry?
Are you worried?
Roll it all on Jesus
He's strong enough to carry it
Big enough to handle it.
Trust God with all your heart
Now leave this place
And go into the world
And do some GOOD.

Saturday's commissioning
inspired by psalm 37:1-9
beth moore and living proof ministries

There's Power in the Blood

Our church had a baptismal service this past Sunday. There were 3 children and 4 adults who were baptized. They gave testimonies about the power of Jesus in their lives and declared publicly that they want to live for him. It's days like this one when God encourages me and reminds me that he is at work and still in the business of changing lives if people will believe he is who he says he is. He is Almighty God - nothing is impossible for him.

Oswald keepin things real

"When God speaks, many of us are like people in a fog, and we give no answer...

Be ready for the sudden surprise visits of God. A ready person never needs to get ready - he is ready. Think of the time we waste trying to get ready once God has called!"

Oswald Chambers - my utmost for his highest

life means so much

"the value of any object is determined by the price someone is willing to pay for it. the highest price has been paid for your soul and mine, which makes us the most valuable things in the universe. life means something. everyday is a gift. gratefulness should define our moments."

chris rice

i've been going through all of our cds this week. trying to organize and begin the baby-proofing project. which means i have to move the cd tower.

will and i enjoyed jewel's "pieces of you" on tuesday. (isn't painters and morning song great???) he was okay until i started singing "amen" and tried to hit the really high notes at the end. in high school i would practice my vocals and warm up with that song before i had to sing a solo at church. anyway, sometimes will is not really into shreaky high pitched sounds - and also blenders and mixers going full speed.

i ran across my chris rice cd - i bought it a few years ago - it's his short term memories album. my spirit drank it up! i've forgotten about so many things the past few months. thankfully, God is shining through the darkness. He's good at that. and i'm feeling more normal these days.