Oh, magnify the Lord with me...

I think Psalm 34 is going to be my new endeavor to memorize. There is so much wealth of wisdom, conviction, encouragement and praise in this psalm. It brought me to tears as I read it this morning. Taste and see that the Lord IS good.

Psalm 34

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

This & That...

Ricky and Jenn’s Wedding: The trip to Baltimore was great. We arrived late Friday afternoon and rushed over to the rehearsal. The rehearsal dinner was at an Italian restaurant and was quite comical and fun. The wedding was wonderful and was such a testimony of God’s faithfulness and sovereignty. The bridesmaids looked pretty in their gray dresses and red shoes, while the groomsmen looked…well, let’s just say they all looked good until you reached the feet. Just kidding, the converse shoes were a fun touch. The reception was a couple hours after the wedding and about an hour away at a manor. It was beautiful! My favorite part of the wedding just might have been my brother, Landon’s best man speech. For those of you who may not know, he really is quite witty. He had everyone laughing as he slammed Ricky…I mean encouraged the bride and groom. I also loved being able to see my sister and brother-in-law. Though it was a quick trip, we were able to enjoy our time together. There were lots of funny moment (mom/rain/bags ordeal =), and many wonderful memories made. So, that is my brief overview!

The Girltalk blog has been doing a series on “A Mother’s Faith” and it has been very good! But since I am not a mother, God has been using this series to speak to me in a different way. This faith they are speaking of is not just for mother’s. It could be applied as a father’s faith, a daughter’s, brother’s, man’s, grandmother’s…it’s a faith for everyone. In one of the posts, Carolyn Mahaney was remembering a time when her and her husband were at a parenting conference and being interviewed. The moderator asked them, “If you could parent your daughters all over again, what you would do differently?" Carolyn said that although there are many things she wishes she had done differently, there was one thing that stood out among them all… "I wish I had trusted God more."

“For every fearful peek into the future, I wish I had looked to Christ instead. For each imaginary trouble conjured up, I wish I had recalled the specific, unfailing faithfulness of God. In place of dismay and dread, I wish I had exhibited hope and joy. I wish I had approached mothering like the preacher Charles Spurgeon approached his job: ‘forecasting victory, not foreboding defeat.’” – C.M.

This concept should be applied to every area of life. God is aware that we sometimes, or often times, struggle with trusting Him. But He is more than willing to help us grow. Just as Carolyn said that successful mothering doesn’t begin with hard work, sound principles or consistent discipline (as necessary as these are), neither should the daily tasks of our lives. “It begins with God: His character, His faithfulness, His promises, His sovereignty. And as our understanding of these truths increases, so will our faith…” in whatever we are being called to do.

“The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Fear is sin. And as my husband has often graciously reminded me—God is not sympathetic with my unbelief. Why? Because fear, worry, and unbelief say to God that we don’t really believe He is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Ps. 86:15. We are calling God a liar.” – C.M.

None of us would outwardly call God a liar, but when I don’t trust Him and His faithfulness, that is exactly what I’m doing. Everything I do, whether big or small, important or seemingly insignificant, should be laced with faith. If our practices are not motivated by faith, they will be fruitless. Having strong, unwavering faith is one of the best ways we can honor the Lord. That kind of faith crushes fear, increases fruitfulness and most importantly glorifies our Father. So, as always, I am praying that I will have less regrets, BECAUSE I trusted God more.

Nothing Escapes His Notice!

by Arthur Pink

What a wondrous Being is the God of Scripture!

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the

eyes of Him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13

God is omniscient.

He knows everything:

everything possible,

everything actual,

all events,

all creatures,

of the past, the present, and the future.

He is perfectly acquainted with every detail in the

life of every being in heaven, in earth, and in hell.

Nothing escapes His notice, nothing can be

hidden from Him, nothing is forgotten by Him.

His knowledge is perfect.

He never errs.

He never changes.

He never overlooks anything.

God not only knows whatever has happened in the past in every part of His vast domains; and He is not only thoroughly acquainted with everything that is now transpiring throughout the entire universe—but He is also perfectly cognizant of every event, from the least to the greatest, that ever will happen in the ages to come! God's knowledge of the future is as complete as is His knowledge of the past and the present; and that, because the future depends entirely upon Himself. God has Himself designed whatever shall yet be, and what He has designed, must be effectuated. God's knowledge does not arise from things because they are or will be—but because He has ordained them to be! Yes, such is the God with whom we have to do!"You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue—You know it completely, O Lord!" Psalm 139:2-4

Our Personal Phone Booth

Prayer has always been one of my most cherished gifts from God, but it has become even more precious over the last couple of months. To know that I am able to go to my best friend and Father with any fear, any troubling circumstance, any joy or praise at any moment of any day makes my heart fill with gratitude. God constantly tells us in scripture to bring our praises and petitions to Him. There is even the parable of the persistent widow in scripture about continuing to be constant in prayer and even when you think your prayers are not being answered, Jesus instructs us to keep praying. He is more then ready and willing to hear anything we have to say to Him. Prayer is a faith builder, a relationship strengthener, a peace giver and is one hundred percent beneficial. I never have to fear investing time and emotions in prayer and being disappointed with the outcome…because our faithful and sovereign Father is always at the other end of those prayers. God loves when we simply come before Him just to talk. I’m so thankful He never tires of my going to Him with all my, often times, silly prayers. God has given each of us our personal phone booth to go to whenever we want. And best of all, it's free and there will never be a line we have to wait in! “Lord, thank you for the gift of prayer. Without it, I would be lost.”

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” – Romans 12:22

“But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” – Psalm 66:19

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” – Matthew 21:22

God arranges the smallest things…

Take little troubles as they come,

and remember them to your God

because they come from Him.

Nothing that concerns His people is small to God.

Your little anxieties are not too small for His notice,

for the very hairs of your head are all numbered (matt 10.30).

You may pray to Him about your smallest grief.

If not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will,

then you have reason to see that He arranges the smallest events in your career.

So accept them with joy.

This is a truth on which you may implicitly rely.”

“He knew all that would happen and all that you would do.

Nothing is a surprise to Him.

Known to the Lord from the beginning were all your trials

and all your sins.

Nevertheless, He still loved you.

In the foresight of all that was to happen,

do not think that He will now or ever forget you.

He will not!

If He so loved you, even when you were dead in sins,

will He deny you anything that is for His glory and your good?

If He loved you when you were a mass of corruption,

will He not answer your prayers now that He has made you an heir of heaven?

Beloved, be of good comfort!"
CHS

A Woman's Best Ornament

by J. C. Philpot

("Every Man's Work to be Tried with Fire")

"Don't be concerned about the outward beauty
that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive
jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be
known for the beauty that comes from within,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is so precious to God." 1 Peter 3:3-4

This "beauty that comes from within" is that . . .
meekness,
quietness,
gentleness,
brokenness of heart,
contrition of spirit,
humility of mind,
tenderness of conscience,
which are fitting to the children of God.

A gentle and quiet spirit is a woman's best ornament.

As to other gay and unbecoming ornaments, let those
wear them, who wish to serve and to enjoy . . .
the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life.

Let the "daughters of Zion" manifest they have other
ornaments than what the world admires and approves.
Let them covet . . .
the teachings of God,
the smiles of His love,
the whispers of His favor.
The more they have of these, the less will they care
for the adornments which the "daughters of Canaan"
run so madly after; by which also they often impoverish
themselves, and by opening a way for admiration, too
often open a way for seduction and ruin.

Lord, let this be my practice and my prayer. Let me have a gentle and quiet spirit, which is to walk humbly before You and man. Help me to covet You and Your favor above all others. Develop in me these qualities, which are so precious in Your sight. Amen

Ricky & Jenn + November 15 = A Wedding!

Tomorrow my family is leaving for Baltimore for a wedding of a close family friend. It should be a fun and unique wedding! All the groomsmen are wearing converse shoes and I "Heard" that the bridesmaids were too, but that has yet to be validated. Anyway, this wedding is yet another example of God's faithfulness and sovereignty. I know Ricky and Jenn sought to walk out their relationship in a God glorifying way and I'm sure they would both agree that everything was worth the wait and occurred in God's perfect timing. Maybe I'll post some pictures when I get back...maybe.

"Love Is Waiting"

Brooke Fraser

In the autumn on the ground, between the traffic and the ordinary sounds

I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through

I watch as lovers pass me by

Walking stories - whos and hows and whys

Musing lazily on love

Pondering you

I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell

When it's time to walk that way we wanna walk it well

Chorus: I'll be waiting for you baby

I'll be holding back the darkest night

Love is waiting til we're ready, til it's right

Love is waiting

It's my caution not the cold

there's no other hand that I would rather hold

the climate changes, im singing for the strangers about you

dont keep time, slow the pace

Honey hold on if you can

the bets are getting surer now that you're my man

I could right a million songs about the way you say my name

I could live a lifetime with you and then do it all again

and like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,

neither should I rush my way into your heart

Random Thoughts...

I thought the following Spurgeon excerpt was encouraging and once again praises God's sovereignty and provokes me to place complete trust in Him. We can rest securely in the fact that though trials and hardships may come, they come with God's permission. They come for His glory and our good. Our "troubles" have already been weighed for us in the scales of His love. God is faithful.

Your Future? by Charles Spurgeon

Your future path has all been marked out in the great decrees of God's predestination. You shall not tread a step which is not mapped out in the great chart of God's decree. Your 'troubles' have been already weighed for you in the scales of his love. Your 'labour' is already set aside for you to accomplish by the hand of his wisdom. Remember, you are not a child of chance. If you were, you might indeed fear. You will go nowhere next year except where God shall send you. You shall perhaps be thrust into the hot coals of the fire, but God shall put you there. You shall perhaps be much depressed in spirit, but that heaviness shall be for your good, and shall come from your Father. You shall have the rod, but it shall not be the rod of the wicked--it shall be in God's hand. Oh! how comfortable the thought that EVERYTHING is in the hand of God, and that all that may occur to me during the future years of my life is foreordained and overruled by the great Jehovah, who is my Father and my friend!

Also, Boundless posted an article yesterday called "Caution and Courage" concerning people's fears about pursuing relationships due to worrying over finding "the one", because then, they think they will have a perfect marriage and no problems. It helped me see that in all areas of life, I often lean more on my understanding then I trust God and I like to have all the details worked out before I "step out in faith". This article was a good reminder that we are not in control of every detail of our lives and God calls us to be courageous people governed by wisdom. How strong is our trust and faith in God? For myself...their is much room to grow!