The Plan I Have For You

I have my alarm set to a contemporary Christian station.  A few weeks ago, God woke me with these words from Colton Dixon's song "You Are" If I had no voice, If I had no tongue, I would dance for you like the rising sun. And when that day comes and I see your face. I will shout your endless glorious praise. I've been a part of a church choir for many years.  As I sing, its my shout to God for his amazing grace, provision and mercy on my life.  Its as much of a ministry and a blessing to my heart to stand and sing as I hope it is to those who hear it. In July of 2011, I had a very minor ear surgery.  The procedure, simple, performed in office, was the greatest thing in the world for the dizziness and constant pain I had been facing.  I never expected something so simple to literally change my life.  As soon as the procedure was finished, I could tell sounds I heard all my life were very different. The doctor assured me it would level out in the coming...

As I sit writing this morning, the sun is breaking through the clouds from the east in an explosion of warmth and light that makes me think of heaven.  These moments in life where we see just a tiny glimpse of what the eternal holds, they are so special. Tears of joy, that's what's flooding my face right now.  Reflecting on the past few months and the sweet release God has brought me.  Recently, several of our choir members prepared cardboard testimonies to use during our Christmas musical.  The stories just our group can share of God's amazing plan for each of us is yet another small glimpse of the greatness of our Lord.  My "testimony" is the final one.  It was meant to be a general summary of how nothing compares to life with Jesus.  Ironically, it accurately describes my journey as a Christian. I was brought up in church and saved as a child.  I have no doubt the experience was real and I know with certainty I gave my heart to Jesus that...

Psalm 146 Praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord. 2 I will praise the LORD all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3 Don't put your trust in human leaders. Don't trust in people. They can't save you. 4 When they die, they return to the ground. On that very day their plans are bound to fail. 5 Blessed are those who depend on the God of Jacob for help. Blessed are those who put their hope in the LORD their God. 6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth and the ocean. He made everything in them. The LORD remains faithful forever. 7 He stands up for those who are beaten down. He gives food to hungry people. The LORD sets prisoners free. 8 The LORD gives sight to those who are blind. The LORD lifts up those who feel helpless. The LORD loves those who do what is right. 9 The LORD watches over the outsiders who live in our land. He takes good care of children whose fathers have died. He also takes good care of widows. But he causes evil people to fail i...

Ephesians 5:13-14   But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:   “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” One of the things I won't soon forget about my time with the American Cancer Society is the drive home a fter an overnight Relay event.  The overnight Relay experiences sy mbolizes the hard, dark road walked by a cancer patient followed by the ho pe that comes at the end of their journey.   Watching the sun rise after a long Relay event has always been a magical experience.  As the li ght s preads its way across the field, it warms the soul and brings with it a re newed spirit .  However the light does not take away the exhaustion, nor does it wipe away the experiences of the dark night.  Only when the light begins to break does one realize just how dar k the night was before. Photo taken at the Dodge County, Minn., R...

This is one of the toughest posts I have been called to write.  Admittedly, it has taken more than a month for the words to come together to share.  It bears an issue with which I really struggle, and I know there are others here who deal with the same things.  I have heard too many of them around me lately. After praying for how to share, I was blessed with a testimony of Rhett Walker, lead singer of the contemporary Christian Group The Rhett Walker Band.  Rhett was a preacher's child who led a life of rebellion during his teen years and fathered a child.   He discussed the destructive behavior I call " self beating ."  You know the feeling, that nagging, second guessing of yourself, That voice reminding you often of the things that could have been better or should have been better.  " Oh if only I had," or "if only I hadn't. "  Satan is so wonderful to remind us of our imperfections and use it to keep us down. Don't you find it so much...

Today I would like to introduce to you a very special guest blogger, Paige Barnes.  Paige is my cousin by blood and my sister in Christ.  I had asked her to share on my blog several weeks ago, and when God gave her the words to say, it was the same subject I was preparing to write about myself.  So enjoy her post, and then check out her blog for more!  Thank you, Paige for sharing. Sucker Punched  By: Paige Barnes Realizing that you have not been truly obedient to God is like a  sucker punch to the gut.  It's like you think you are making progress, and then God speaks to you. And this time you can hear him because you are  really  listening.  And He tells you that you are not being completely obedient to him. You are partially obedient, but that is not enough. He has called you to more. He asks for and is due complete obedience. It's not because God is greedy and needs it, but He desires for me to be his pure and spotless bride. H...

My blog has been silent for a couple of weeks.  I've spent a lot of time listening, intensely, to the call God placed on my heart more than two years ago.  Until now I have been able to shove it neatly back into that corner, waiting on this huge opportunity for everything to fall perfectly into place as I wanted it to happen. God has called our family to make changes this year.  We started off looking at a relocation, to make things logistically easier.  Instead change has been about awakening our very complacent spiritual souls and reviving the heart of our family.  We have been so guilty of "going through the motions" of life, living by a checklist of what needs to be done, then falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day with nothing left to give. I have been so incredibly blessed with a job that has fed my passionate desire to help people.  Its been an honor to know that every day I worked, I made a difference in the lives of people acro...