Blog Archives
God Inspires Praise
Today Christians observe Palm Sunday, the day when Christ road into Jerusalem and the people “Hailed Him as King!”. The Jews were looking for an earthly king. We know that Jesus Christ is the KING of Kings.
Praying you see the blessings of God all around you and that you are inspired to shouts of joy and praise to God! ~ Faye
Our Last Breath
I recently spent a few minutes with a precious friend who was nearing the end of her earthly journey and preparing for her heavenly life. It was my pleasure to see her smile when we talked about her running through God’s incredible forests in heaven as she was an avid runner here on earth. Then, as I leaned in closer to her, I said, “God is so good!” She struggled to talk through the pain and medications, but she took every ounce of her energy and repeated back to me, “God — Is — So — Good!” How precious those last words from Sher were to me.
This morning while reading my devotions I was reading from Psalm 104 and came to verse 33 – 
I was so blessed to know that some of Sher’s last breaths included her praising God. I pray that I will have the same relationship with my Lord and Savior to have praise to Him be on my lips ALL of my days!
Praying you enjoy God’s incredible blessings here on earth as you prepare for eternity with Him ~ Faye
Praise the Lord!
I don’t have any profound thoughts to share. I’ve just been enjoying being in God’s presence and worshiping Him through His creation the past week and thought I’d share the photos that brought to mind the words from Psalm 148:
Psalm 148
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens!
Praise him from the skies!
2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all the armies of heaven!
3 Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
4 Praise him, skies above!
Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord,
for he issued his command, and they came into being.
6 He set them in place forever and ever.
His decree will never be revoked.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you creatures of the ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,[a]
wind and weather that obey him,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock,
small scurrying animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all people,
rulers and judges of the earth,
12 young men and young women,
old men and children.
13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord.
For his name is very great;
his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
14 He has made his people strong,
honoring his faithful ones—
the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
How Can I Keep from Singing Your Praise?
It’s Spring in Iowa. Actually one might even think it’s been Summer with temperatures in the 70s and 80s for over a week instead of 30s and 40s. All of the plants and trees have been budding and bursting forth their beauty. I’ve been working in a garden center and am blessed that the owners allow me pretty much free reign of the property to take photos. Every where I turn something else seems to herald its praises to God. 
When I see how God has blessed me throughout my life, how can I keep from shouting His praise? Funny, as I’m writing this, Chris Tomlin’s How Can I Keep from Singing? is playing in the background. God’s timing is so incredible. I turned on Chris Tomlin’s CD this afternoon after I needed a spiritual remake and a lifting up of my spirits. I ran into some people who pretty much are able to only see the glass of life as half empty. They’ve had many difficulties in life, but after talking with them I just felt so sad and sorry for them. When I got home, I knew I could wallow in their self-pity or I could crank up the music and praise God for all He has given to me. These friends have been stuck in the past dreading the changes life offers. Now I don’t like change either, especially when it comes with trials – chronic illnesses, infertility, floods, tornadoes, broken water pipes, health concerns, etc. 
But then I look at these beautiful plants and flowering trees. They’ve been hibernating over the Winter after dying off in the Fall just to be able to withstand the harsh winds, snow and ice. Then when the sun comes out, temperatures warm and the Spring rains come, they burst for their glorious color and intricate beauty. Look at this Magnolia blossom, it’s beautiful before it even opens. The white, pinks and purples all gracefully coming out of the base of the bud. There’s not even leaves of the tree when the bud is showing off it’s glory. It doesn’t care if the sky is cloudy and overcast, it’s ready to praise its Maker. It’s not worried about any possibility of weather changes and even the “danger” of frost. It just obeys God’s command to glorify Him.
My heart grieves for these friends who are struggling to see God’s beauty in their lives. I am so grateful to be deeply content in You alone, for You have been there for me through all of the trials and blessings of life. Help me to keep these words in my heart and mind:
How can I keep from singing Your praise? How can I ever say enough, how amazing is Your love? How can I keep from shouting Your name? I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing! ~ Chris Tomlin
So abundantly grateful for the blessing of being able to give praise and glory to God! ~ Faye
I’m linked with Good Morning Girls and Beholding Glory.
Worshiping God
I’m just back from another worship rehearsal. I thoroughly enjoy the team God has put together for me to serve with. We enjoy spending time working out the kinks before Sunday and not taking ourselves too seriously. We enjoy who God created each of us to be. I recently purchased a beautiful calla lily and had fun taking photographs of it. When I got it home I realized that one of the blossoms was actually “deformed” with a second petal. I had spent about 1/2 an hour taking photos and never saw the flaw. Why? Because I was so captivated by the beauty of the plant from its multicolored leaves to it’s inviting blossoms. God doesn’t care if we sing off key, hit wrong notes on the piano, can’t get the sound system to pick up the guitar, or miss the timing of a slide. God doesn’t care about the little details. God just wants our worship. We were made to serve an Audience of One. Just enjoy praising God with your heart today! 
I was searching for some quotes on worship and came across these two:
“As John 4:23 says, Its time, as worshipers of God, to give him all we have. For when he is exalted, everything about me is decreased. So many times we stand in the way of really stepping into the secret place of worship with God. Just abandon tradition and the “expected” ways of Praise & Worship and get lost in the holy of holies with the sole intention of blessing the Fathers heart.” Jessica Leah Springer
“When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart.” Lamar Boschman
Praying that your heart may be blessed with the fullness of God to lift up your hearts in praise to worship Him! ~ Faye
I’m linked with Good Morning Girls and Beholding Glory.
God's Abundant Blessings! 