Category: Songs

10,000 Reasons

Carolyn

Psalm 103:1-10

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, 
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

I love this song, 10,000 Reasons, by Matt Redman. Maybe it’s because it resonates with the words of Psalm 103 which I love. Have you heard it?

 

Psalm 103:11-22

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
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.
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

The Cross

Carolyn

We just drove back today after being away in Florida for the last week for spring break. It was a last minute trip, such a wonderful provision. The weather was beautiful. The beach is my favorite place to be. It’s always so relaxing and good to be near such an incredible part of God’s creation.

Have you ever seen this cross?

We passed it today on our trip home; it’s something we always see around Effingham, IL. I loved it that right as we came upon it, I was listening to Hillsong’s CD and the song “At the Cross.” Here are some of the lyrics:

At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There’s no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now?

You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me

You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done

Here’s the song if you would like to listen. It’s really pretty.

As we prepare this week for Good Friday and Easter, I liked thinking about the cross and what Jesus has done for us, and I’m looking forward to celebrating next Sunday morning at church!

If you are reading this, know that you are prayed for today for God to reveal Himself to you very powerfully this week as you consider what He has done for you through His death and resurrection!

A Year in Song: 2011

Carolyn

The Lord often speaks to me through music. These are a few songs that I want to remember from 2011 that really ministered to me at specific times. Out of context, maybe they seem strange, but they all came at very specific times and helped direct and strengthen me.

Josh Wilson “I Refuse”: Though he wrote this after a natural disaster and his desire to do something, for me, it was a reminder to not refuse what God would ask me to do, to be obedient. It always played at key moments, right on time, right when I needed the encouragement and reminder.
Matthew West “Strong Enough”: These next two songs from Matthew West and Mandisa about strength helped remind me of the Lord’s strength and that the things that seemed hard would in fact bring growth and make me stronger.
Mandisa “Stronger”
David Crowder Band “SMS”: I was listening to this “Show me a sign” and praying for that, for wisdom. I’d wished I had someone to give me counsel. The phone rang during the song as I prayed. My lifelong friend from Arkansas was on the phone, and she and her husband, a pastor, gave me the exact counsel I needed! Praise the Lord!

And one last one about new beginnings, “Listen to the Sound” by Building 429: this also came at an exact moment when I was waiting, thinking, and then listening and heard this.

I’ve never thought to write about my year through music like I do themes, but I think I’ll start doing this. These songs remind me of God’s faithfulness to me, for some of the ways He shepherded me along, and for His continuing love and direction in my life. He provided abundantly well, and I praise Him!

Slow Down

Carolyn

One of the messages of this past year for me has been to “slow down.” I can’t remember how it exactly started, but I believe it was a song:

Teach me to number my days
and count every moment before it slips away
take in all the colors before they fade to gray
I don’t want to miss even just a second more of this

It happens in a blink, it happens in a flash,
It happens in the time it took to look back,
I try to hold on tight, but there’s no stopping time,
What is it I’ve done with my life?
It happens in a blink.

Slow down, slow down, before today becomes our yesterday.
Slow down, slow down, before you turn around and it’s too late.

I remember the words “slow down” speaking so clearly to me. If I’d leave work and have something on my mind, I’d hear the song and realize I needed to let it go and focus on what was in front of me at home.

I was dropping my son off at his piano lessons one afternoon, and as I was walking across the street, I looked up at the store window that sells tea and such, and there in the window were the large words, “SLOW DOWN.” They weren’t there the next week; they were there though the day I needed to see them.

During our pastor’s sermon a week or two ago, I caught it when he clearly mentioned “Slow Down.” I remembered again the message this year that I had kept wanting to overlook. Because sometimes, slowing down means letting go of things we feel better at or things we enjoy doing in order to do the things that don’t come as easy (training children!). But it’s what my children need, and it’s what I need.

I don’t know that I’ve done a great job of assessing what it looks like for me to slow down, but as the year has gone on, it seems to be happening. This week has been our spring break, and I’ve enjoyed the days with my children, doing things we haven’t done together in quite some time, focusing on them, not just being physically present with them, but being there in the moment with them.

One thing I haven’t been able to get off my mind this week: a family we knew from our time in Virginia who were in our Sunday school class lost their son, a freshman at University of VA, in a tragic fall at the university Sunday night. They are now missionaries in Ireland, but the dad was in Charlottesville that weekend. He went to church with his son, they spent the afternoon together, went to dinner and a show with grandparents, and ended the evening around 10 when they dropped off the son at the dorms. His last words to his dad were, “I love you, dad.” Apparently, he went out then with some friends, and less than an hour and a half later, he was dead from a tragic fall. This same family lost another grandson in a drowning accident 2-3 years ago. I have been praying for them all week and trusting this is not in vain, that God knew the days ordained for this young man, and that He has good and perfect purposes. I am praying for their comfort, for his two brothers, for his precious parents and grandparents, that they are able to see even now some of the reasons and ways God is glorified in something that from man’s perspective is so harsh and tragic.

As my son played trick after trick on me today for April Fool’s Day (seems 12-year old boys especially enjoy things like short sheeting the bed, putting salt on toothbrushes, pretending to splash you with water, and such), I was reminded to just enjoy him and enjoy his joy in the fun.

I am excited about the days ahead and learning more what it means to “slow down” and finding the outcomes of what this means for our family.

**UPDATE**

I just finished this blog post and had to take my husband’s car to get a headlight replaced. As I walked to the porch to get my shoes, I found them with shaving cream in them! The jokes continue, and I try to remain glad!

On the way back home, we drove past this sign in a yard and it seemed timely: