(A Worker's Prayer)
I love this prayer written by the Gettys! I especially love it because the tune is based off of Bach's "Wachet Auf". They chose to use something by Bach because the theme of this song is bringing glory to God. Bach was a classical composer who always signed his work, "Soli deo Gloria!" (Glory to God alone!) You can get a feel for the tune in the first few seconds of this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4OrJW18ZyQ
The words are set to a slightly slower, slightly modified version of this, but the intro sounds just like that. :)
I couldn't find a recording of them singing this. :( So sorry.
BEFORE YOU I KNEEL by Keith and Kristyn Getty
Before You I kneel, my Master and Maker
To offer the work of my hands.
For this is the day You’ve given Your servant;
I will rejoice and be glad
For the strength I have to live and breathe;
For each skill Your grace has given me;
For the needs and opportunities
That will glorify Your great Name.
Before You I kneel and ask for Your goodness
To cover the work of my hands.
For patience and peace to shape all my labor,
Your grace for thorns in my path.
Flow within me like a living stream,
Wear away the stones of pride and greed
‘till Your ways are dwelling deep in me
And a harvest of life is grown.
Before You we kneel, Our Master and Maker;
Establish the work of our hands.
And order our steps to seek first Your kingdom
In every small and great task.
May we live the gospel of Your grace,
Serve Your purpose in our fleeting days,
Then our lives will bring eternal praise
And all glory to Your Name.
(I think that last verse would be a great wedding prayer. :D)
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Just for Laughs :P
I think I found a job for myself! :D
I read in my God's World News magazine that an Austrian hotel is advertising for a modern-day court Jester.
"All applicants must be musical, creative, ingenious extroverts. And being a snappy dresser wouldn't hurt either, since zany costumes are encouraged at the job interview during which the candidates will be required to play an instrument. The hotel notes that the winner will earn around $1,900 a month."
LOL...okay, so I don't quite match up to standards (Ingenious extrovert? I don't think so. :P), but it made me chuckle how close I came to the description.
I read in my God's World News magazine that an Austrian hotel is advertising for a modern-day court Jester.
"All applicants must be musical, creative, ingenious extroverts. And being a snappy dresser wouldn't hurt either, since zany costumes are encouraged at the job interview during which the candidates will be required to play an instrument. The hotel notes that the winner will earn around $1,900 a month."
LOL...okay, so I don't quite match up to standards (Ingenious extrovert? I don't think so. :P), but it made me chuckle how close I came to the description.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Faith in a Heavenly Home
Sunday's sermon was a real blessing to me and I thought I'd share some of my notes with y'all. :D
You can listen to the sermon here.
Death
[We were reminded that we will all die one day.]
Hebrews 11:13a "These all died in faith..." (Read earlier verses for context.)
Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
Psalm 89:47, 48 Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?
Psalm 103:14-16 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Faith
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
vs. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
vs. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
vs. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ephesians 2:8, 9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Promises
Hebrews 11:13-15 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Hebrews 9:13-15 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Pilgrims
Hebrews 11:13, 14 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
[This life on earth is short, which is good, because it's not our home. This is not where we belong!]
Home
Hebrews 11:14-16 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
[And as you know, I'm excited to go there!! http://useyourgift4hisglory.blogspot.com/2013/06/im-getting-excited.html :)]
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
[This verse was a great reminder and encouragement! I love the phrase "...we walk by faith, not by sight." I was reminded of it as I sang and played Bow the Knee this morning. I liked the lyrics so much I used them in my Skype status. ;) "When the storms arise, don't forget we live by faith and not by sight...Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see..." by Chris Machen and Richard Kingsmore]
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
(All verses were taken from the NKJV and all emphasis by me)
So those are the verses in my notes from Sunday. Hopefully they encourage y'all!! God has prepared a home for us in heaven that is wildly beyond even the greatest imaginations. (Yes, I've been watching Anne of Green Gables lately. :D) I hope y'all are going there with me!
You can listen to the sermon here.
Death
[We were reminded that we will all die one day.]
Hebrews 11:13a "These all died in faith..." (Read earlier verses for context.)
Genesis 3:19 "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
Psalm 89:47, 48 Remember how short my time is; for what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?
Psalm 103:14-16 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Faith
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
vs. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
vs. 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
vs. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Ephesians 2:8, 9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Promises
Hebrews 11:13-15 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Hebrews 9:13-15 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
Pilgrims
Hebrews 11:13, 14 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.
[This life on earth is short, which is good, because it's not our home. This is not where we belong!]
Home
Hebrews 11:14-16 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
[And as you know, I'm excited to go there!! http://useyourgift4hisglory.blogspot.com/2013/06/im-getting-excited.html :)]
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
[This verse was a great reminder and encouragement! I love the phrase "...we walk by faith, not by sight." I was reminded of it as I sang and played Bow the Knee this morning. I liked the lyrics so much I used them in my Skype status. ;) "When the storms arise, don't forget we live by faith and not by sight...Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see..." by Chris Machen and Richard Kingsmore]
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
(All verses were taken from the NKJV and all emphasis by me)
So those are the verses in my notes from Sunday. Hopefully they encourage y'all!! God has prepared a home for us in heaven that is wildly beyond even the greatest imaginations. (Yes, I've been watching Anne of Green Gables lately. :D) I hope y'all are going there with me!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Quote of the Month
Thank you to everyone who entered quotes for the month of August. There were so many good quotes it was really hard to pick just one!! I'll be using some of the others for future months. :) (Or I could just change it to a quote of the week. :P)
This one seemed to make the most sense for me right now. ;)
"We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be" -C.S. Lewis
This one seemed to make the most sense for me right now. ;)
"We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be" -C.S. Lewis
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Favorite Genre of Music Poll
You've probably all seen who the obvious winner is on the "Favorite Genre of Music Poll".
*drum roll*
Romantic!!!!!! :D (Okay, so I did vote first to get the ball rolling. :P)
We had a whopping 10 votes for Romantic. ;)
There was only 1 vote for Baroque, :( (sorry Bach...)
2 for Classical, (I understand that...sorta)
and 2 for 20th Century. (Come on you guys...ever heard the Cat and the Mouse?! Okay, so it's more fun to play than to listen to. :P)
Thank you to everyone who participated! It was fun to see the results! :D
*drum roll*
Romantic!!!!!! :D (Okay, so I did vote first to get the ball rolling. :P)
We had a whopping 10 votes for Romantic. ;)
There was only 1 vote for Baroque, :( (sorry Bach...)
2 for Classical, (I understand that...sorta)
and 2 for 20th Century. (Come on you guys...ever heard the Cat and the Mouse?! Okay, so it's more fun to play than to listen to. :P)
So, while we're on the subject of Classical music, here's a super cute video. :D
This kid is totally destined to be a conductor some day. ;)
(You have to watch to the end too! That's kind of how I get when I listen to certain classical songs. :P)
Thank you to everyone who participated! It was fun to see the results! :D
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