I Haven't Found It Yet

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  

When can I go and meet with God?

- Psalm 42:2 -

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This song has been playing way

 in the back of my head for awhile.  

view video

For years I've had these recurring dreams.  I'm looking for something that I can't find.  A yearning, a search for an illusive person, unknown place, or misplaced thing that I can't quite get my hands on.  A lost schedule.  An assigned classroom.  A missed appointment.  A nearby bathroom.  A forgotten gathering.  A nebulous destination.

I feel frustration or disappointment, embarrassment or fear.  And then I wake, bewildered and spent.

*

It recently dawned on me {no pun intended} what I'm looking for.  Heaven.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
- John 14:1-4

We haven't found what we're yearning for, have we.  The search might be playing out through endless striving for money or accomplishments or accolades.  We drain our relationships dry with our endless neediness hoping that someone or some object or goal will fill that promised hope.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.  For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

As we finally grasp what we're really looking for, the peaceful satisfaction of His presence in the midst of earthly hardships will give us a hopeful, joyous anticipation for what lies ahead.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Linda

visiting 

Jeanne/Lisa J

Richella & Lisa

How Can We Pray For You Today?

Let us therefore come boldly 

unto the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy, 

and find grace to help 

in time of need.

- Hebrews 4:16 -

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There are some days when it's just too hard to pray.

You've run out of words.  

Or hope.

Or you yearn for kindred spirits to lift you up to the Father.

How can we pray for you today?

Place your request in the comment section.

Or pray for someone there.

Email readers - click on the post title to come on over and join us.

Prayer changes things ~
Linda

view Lauren Daigle video here

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gathering with
Richella  .  Lisa  .  Jeanne

In Praise of the Good Good Father

Father's Day.

This can be a most difficult Sunday, can't it.

The father / child relationship is often fraught with complexities and unresolved misunderstandings.  Unprocessed emotions and severe losses from decades ago cast shadows that hover in the background of our minds.  Regrets linger long and too easily take up permanent residence in our wounded, scarred identities.

For those who were left feeling like they were either too much ... or never enough, it's a holiday that unearths a harsh sadness or a dull kind of pain or twinges of unexpected anger, a grieving that never seems to completely diminish.

That's why I want us to consider our Heavenly Father today.  For unlike any earthly relationship, His fathering has always been kind and steady and tenderly powerful.  He has never changed like shifting shadows.  Even in our darkest moments, He has never abandoned His children.

Oh God, it's in the fragile seasons that You meet us strong.  It's when we feel misunderstood or broken or abandoned that we run and hide in the warm shelter of Your arms.

You're a good good Father.

You show us mercy and grace, that unmerited favor.  You don't hold our sins to our faces, You forgive and remove them from us forever.  You see our inmost intentions, whether messy or holy ... and You remind us that we're not defined by our sins, but by who we are in Jesus Christ.

You're a good good Father.  That's who You are.

You whisper that every last thing we yearn for is found in Jesus Christ alone.  You gently remind us to stop endlessly looking to others for comfort, for they are often wounded themselves and unable or unwilling to go there.  Your compassions are new and fresh every morning, our frailties are gently laid to the side.  You make us strong.

You're a good good Father.  And I'm loved by You.

Our critics are daunted, powerless to control who we are as You, the Lover of our souls, protect the very essence of our beings.  Even through sadness, disappointment, frustration, or fear, our inmost places are protected from the harmful words or callous insensitivity of others.

You're a good good Father.  And I'm loved by You.  That's who I am.

You welcome us with open arms.  You don't walk out the door and leave us alone and defenseless with all our broken messiness.  We lean hard into You, we rededicate our life's intentions to Your sacred pleasure.  We purposefully seek You for we know full well that we are weary and needy.

You're a good good Father.  You're perfect in all of Your ways to us.

It's in You that we find perfect rest for our restless souls.

*

watch video

Linda

*

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Loose Ends *
Joyful June Edition  >>

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stopping by to see
Mary & Lisa

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adapted

Wow! 2017's 3rd Stocking Stuffer Giveaway!

I'm thinking of that gentle Saturday morning not long past, in the relaxed company of a couple of the creative grand-girls.  

Together we idled the time away, feet up {theirs literally}, doing a few fun art projects, chit-chatting away, playing on our tablets, the little one casually launching into spontaneous one handed cartwheels and death-defying splits at a moment's notice.

And singing.

{Yes, the two of them are holding paintbrushes with their toes.}

* smile *

The hours passed by with songs of praise playing in continuous forward motion all thanks to You Tube.  Ol' Grandma learned a few new praises, the three of us loving the songs that were belovedly familiar.  I relished the sound of their sweet voices singing quietly, with occasional bursts of energy and joy.  And I joined in with them.

How cool to all say at the same time, 'Ohhh, I LOVE this song!'

I can't think of anything I'd rather do than sing to the Lord with the next generation.  It just doesn't get better than that.  Our hearts united by more than genetics and history, eternally knit close by our mutual love for the Holy One we sing to.

*

That chart-topping band Kutless has a brand new rock / worship album, their 10th one ... and I'm absolutely sure that the gang will love ALPHA / OMEGA.  Maybe I'll bring their music along when we gather for Thanksgiving.   And maybe all twelve of us will sing King of My Heart together.

I'd love that.  And I can't help but believe that He would, too. 

play video

I'm super happy to share this year's 3rd Stocking Stuffer Giveaway today!  Maybe you'll be the one to take a copy of ALPHA / OMEGA on your next journey to see someone you love ... to tuck deep into a Christmas stocking ... or give as a lovely hostess gift.  

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post by this Sunday evening, November 26th at 9 pm, eastern {continental US only, please}.   I'll be announcing the winner right here that evening!

*     *     *

SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE

Congrats to Debby Hudson,

winner of the copy of ALPHA / OMEGA!

Let's reach the next generation with the love of Jesus ~

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at 

Holley's

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255:  Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising:  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Every Mile Mattered * The CD Giveaway

Most late Sunday afternoons find us slow driving somewhere between here and there.

Church and brunch and naps complete, we leisurely head down the back roads and sandy paths where we are assured of a slower pace, a quieter vista, less hustle and bustle than the crazymaking Route 6 which defines the Cape's major roadway.

Sometimes a familiar destination beckons, but oft' there's no clear plan in mind as we randomly wander where the Spirit seems to lead, wondering what might pop up 'round the next bend.

On our most recent chocolate milkshake fueled Sabbath interlude, every mile mattered, for Nichole Nordeman's soul soothing music accompanied our rather aimless wandering.

This one's for all the wayward journeyers, the impatient wanderers, the stubborn ones who veered off course.  Here's to all the weary travelers, the victorious survivors, the one with griefs still too great to bear.

Dove award winner, deliverer of 7 Top 5 radio singles, Nichole Nordeman is back with a message we all need to embrace as our own ... Every Mile Mattered.

She reflects ... 

'These songs have been working their way into my heart for years, long before they were bound by lyric or melody.  They are mile markers.  Places I've been.  Things I've seen, and maybe see a little differently now.  Every mile on the road mattered.  The endless miles of God's mercy and goodness.  Every bump and bruise.  The long stretches I'd rather erase.  The journey really does change us, or should, anyway.  I hope these songs offer grace to any traveler who stumbles into them.'

view video here

And all I can think of is this ... 
'And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose {Romans 8:28}.

*

I'm more than happy to have a copy of Nichole's brand new Every Mile Mattered CD to gift to 1 random commenter.  Yay!  Please share your own meaningful mile or two in the comments section of this post by Friday, July 21st at 9 am {eastern}, continental USA only, please.

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Outdoor Bouquets & The Giveaway Winner  >>

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sharing Nicole with Holley

*

Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

In Praise of the Good Good Father

It is in the fragile seasons that You meet us strong.  It's when we feel misunderstood or wounded, broken or abandoned that we run and hide in the warm shelter of Your arms.

You're a good good Father.

You show us mercy and grace, that unmerited favor.  You don't hold our sins to our faces, You forgive and remove them from us forever.  You see our inmost intentions, whether messy or holy ... and You remind us that we're not defined by our sins, but by who we are in Jesus Christ.

You're a good good Father.  That's who You are.

You whisper that every last thing we yearn for is found in Jesus Christ alone.  You gently remind us to stop endlessly looking to others for comfort, for they are often wounded themselves and unable or unwilling to go there.  Your compassions are new and fresh every morning, our frailties are gently laid to the side.  You make us strong.

You're a good good Father.  And I'm loved by You.

Our critics are daunted, powerless to control who we are as You, the Lover of our souls, protect the very essence of our beings.  Even through sadness, disappointment, frustration, or fear, our inmost places are protected from the foolish words or callous insensitivity of others.

You're a good good Father.  And I'm loved by You.  That's who I am.

You welcome us with open arms.  You don't walk out the door and leave us alone and defenseless with all our broken messiness.  We lean hard into You, we rededicate our life's intentions to Your sacred pleasure.  We purposefully seek You for we know full well that we are weary and needy.

You're a good good Father.  You're perfect in all of Your ways to us.

It's in You that we find perfect rest for our restless souls.

video

click on lower right corner to enlarge

<<  Bouquet * The Vacation Edition

The Rare Gift of Being Fully Present  >>

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wednesdays with Holley

Mandisa's New Song, Tyler's Video, and The Giveaway

What can I say?  

Mandisa has a very special place in my family's heart.

I popped her brand new album, Out of the Dark, into the CD player as I headed out to do some errands last week.  And before I had gotten to the end of the driveway, I was fighting back tears.  The hot stormy kind that refuse to be thwarted.

For the first track, 'Voicemail,' crashed right on into my soul.

Big time.

'Cause I know what it's like to hit bottom.

There's some beautiful music here.  Songs of worship, of deliverance, songs of the brokenhearted, of the redeemed.  

And as I tooled around town that morning, I claimed 'Comeback Kid' as an ode to my own incredible grandchildren.

*

Mandisa's last album was released in 2013.  She wrote the hit song Overcomer to encourage her close friend Kisha, who was battling breast cancer.  Mandisa believed that God was going to heal her, but when Kisha went to be with Jesus in 2014, Mandisa’s foundation was shaken in a way she never expected.  

She fell into a deep pit of depression for close to three years, shutting out her friends, family, and the rest of the world.

She tells her story to ABC's 'Good Morning America' here.  

*

December 2014

Meanwhile ...

In the midst of Mandisa's suffering, our family claimed Overcomer as 'Tyler's Song' with a touching video of his story made by big sister, Kathryn.  It was her sweet gift of hope, honoring her adored adopted brother's fight for his life.

The Lord took our youngest grandson home to heaven in September of 2015, but not before he ... and his sister's little video ... powerfully impacted lives right and left around the globe.

Kathryn's moving video is here and Tyler's mom and dad share their family's story there.

Summer 2015

*

Fast forward a year or so ...  

Mandisa believes that if she continued down the dark path she was on, she would not be here today.  But God stepped in and lifted her out of that pit of despair by using her close friends to communicate their love for her and God’s love for her.  Mandisa's brand new album is her way of letting all of us into her redemption story.

video

I'm absolutely delighted to give a brand new copy of Out of the Dark to one random person who leaves a comment on this post by Thursday, May 25th at 10 am {eastern time, continental US residents only, please}.

Bless yourself ... or someone who's walking through a dark night of the soul.

For Jesus' sake.

<<  On the Necessity of Marking Unsettling Anniversaries

Introducing 'Bouquet' ... and The Giveaway Winner  >>

*

sharing Mandisa with 

Holley & friends

*

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTs 16 CFR, Part 255:  Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising:  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come

I'm sitting here contemplating the sheer awfulness of yet another shooting in this country, the sheer awfulness of escalating evil, the growing violence and terrorism around the world, this steady slippery slide into the abyss of sin running rampant and out of control ... even as we begin our focus on the beauty and wonder of this precious advent season.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

This is my steady prayer, this is the plea that lends itself to an inward peace.  It's the only worthy response to the incessant cacophony that barges in, trying to intrude on the gift of joy You've given.  This worldwide madness, this escalating chaos beckons us to yearn earnestly that You, dear Prince of Peace, would make Your earth-changing presence known to us in powerful ways, personally and as a global community.

As much as we might like to dwell in some kind of holy bubble, the truth is that we don't live in a vacuum.  We are connected not just by technology's far reach, but also by the truth that we are human beings, kindred spirits created in Your image.  How You must grieve that Your beauty, Your design has become so very marred and distorted.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Do Your holy work among us.  Bring peace to fearful hearts.  Somehow use all that swirls around us to draw us closer to Yourself.   Mold us and make us to be Your image bearers, to show the beauty and love of Jesus Christ to a wounded, crazed world who desperately needs what only You can give.

Protect Your children from harm and danger and evil.  Draw all men, women, and children to salvation in You alone.  Reign supreme, conquer that most evil foe, the restless enemy of our souls.  Unleash Your mighty power and Your awesome might so that all might see Your justice shine.

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

video

morning invitations * awake

video

Oh God
in those pockets of our souls
 that have gone dead and dormant
do a resurrection work

where our ears have closed tight
open them wide

where our hearts have hardened
soften them
 making them pliable with surrender

where we've closed ourselves to your Holy Word
breathe renewed conviction and hope

wake us up, shake us up, shape us up

for Jesus' sake
amen

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body  >

morning invitations * dance

Praise the Lord.

Sing to the Lord a new song, 
His praise in the assembly of the saints ...

Let them praise His name with dancing
and make music to Him with
tambourine and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in His people;
He crowns the humble with salvation.

Let the saints rejoice in this honor
and sing for joy on their beds.

May the praise of God be in their mouths ...
Psalm 149:1, 2-5

video
-  click on the little square widget in the lower right corner to enlarge  -

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God, we're rejoicing in this brand new day 'cause
 You've been so incredibly good and kind and faithful!

Accept the praises that rise full and strong from
 hearts that overflow with a joyous gratitude.

For You alone are worthy to be adored and celebrated.
And we wouldn't have it any other way.

Humble yet confident, we can't wait to see all
 You have for us to be and to do in the season that beckons. 

Meanwhile we sing, we pray, we wait ...
and yes, we just might even dance!
In Jesus Name.
Amen.

Before you leave, I'd love if you'd ...

1.  leave a comment ... it'll put you in the running for the giveaway of one of four FREE 30 MINUTE 1 - 1 PHONE COACHING SESSIONS!  The giveaway ends on October 31st at 9 am eastern.  

2.  invite a friend to join you at this happy gathering ... links to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and email are below!

3.  subscribe here so that you can easily print out the Friday worksheets!

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