in pieces

Praise Jesus- that He’s my friend. Loneliness is one of the most difficult things we face. To know that Jesus desires friendship with us is amazing. He meets our deepest longing and will always have time for us no matter what.  The more time we spend with Him the more we want to know.  There have been times that I’ve tried to fill that space with other people- a friendship or a relationship. But have found that nothing fulfils me more than connecting to Him. John 15:15 says “I have called you my friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Today praise God for his friendship.  Click here to listen to: What A Friend We Have in Jesus - by Aretha Franklin

Praise Him that He values me When I was 12 years old I had the opportunity to attend a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) kings kids summer creative arts program. I loved it- and remember having one of my first real connections with God that I can recall.  I had gone for a walk on my own- and was feeling down that day- as I had never considered myself particularly pretty and my self esteem and value were low because I didn’t feel popular with the boys. To a 12 year old that was real stuff. As I walked that day-  I found myself in the middle of a meadow field. I looked down and the teeniest tiniest flower caught my attention. As I stooped  to pick it up I felt God say to me “You see this flower? This is you. In the sea of grass and the multitude of other flowers- some brighter and bigger, this is the one that makes me stop..” I remember feeling so full in my heart. I couldn’t believe that God valued me that much. It wasn’t until later when I read more of the scriptures th...

Praise God that He sustains me When I share my faith journey with others, I have been asked many times, “When you walked away from Christ what made you come back?” or “Why did you even bother returning back to Jesus after experiencing real freedom?” And I reply “Because I have found nothing else on earth satisfies my soul like He does.” Even though I grew up in a Christian household, I had a skewed understanding of what faith in Jesus was all about.  So when I graduated, I felt compelled to search for something much less “strict and disciplinary”. Tho I had many powerful and moving experiences as a Christian, I felt like I wanted to have a go at seeing what the world had to offer. And for a LONG while I tried a lot of things! And to be honest a lot of things of this world- were fun and crazy and full of excitement - so I didn’t hurry back... until... after awhile these wild crazy adventures started to feel like they were the same story over and over again. Do something stupi...

Praise God for His righteousness. Sometimes I read Romans and think- what the heck did I just read? Then someone like Leigh comes along and reads the same passage and totally gets it... I’m a bit scared of Romans- it’s like the superfood of scripture. You know it’s healthy for you but on its own and without context it just tastes weird. I’m not trying to be disrespectful- just honest. I think it’s almost too profound for me to really, truly, understand. When it comes to righteousness there’s a lot to be said about it in scripture. Romans 3:21-24 says this: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Essentially- God has given us a free gift of righteousness - ...

Praise God that He is sovereign! When times are tough we can find it hard to say God is sovereign.  If He is- why is there so much pain in the world?  If he is in control- why is the world such a mess? Habakkuk 3:17-19 speaks to that lament: Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my saviour. The sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights Though we face trials of many kinds on earth, He is still my Savior. Though we don’t know when our last breath will be nor understand why things happen the way they do- He is still Sovereign. Winter may last a season but spring is coming. Giving way to new life. The world is u predicable and satan is always at work trying to draw our attention from ...

Praise Him for the Holy Spirit. What a gift! Not only do we have the scripture to meditate on day and night but God has given us the Holy Spirit. The Bible talks about how the Holy Spirit was given to us to counsel us, to teach us, correct us, rebuke us, lead us, encourage us, and give us wisdom and revelation to name a few.  I can’t imagine a life without the Holy Spirit.  It is my teacher, my guide and my plumb line. Today click here to listen to: Holy Spirit by Brian and Katie Torwalt

Praise Him for being my refuge. We are often faced with the storms of this life. And I for one am thankful that I have somewhere to hide when I’m fearful or discouraged or scared. He wraps me in His loving arms through Hs words in scripture - as I read more and more about His love and care for me. Today as a staff we were reading the story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14:22-36. Jesus and His disciples were all in a boat and a fierce storm came upon them. It struck me that Jesus-upon seeing the worry and fear upon his disciples - didn’t immediately just take away the “threat” to protect His own friends that He dearly loved. Instead he uses this highly “out of control” situation to teach something to his followers He could never have taught otherwise- if he had “kept them safe”. He took the time to teach them- when you are in the storms of life- and you want to see miraculous things happen- be sure you keep your eyes fixed on me.  It wasn’t because he calme...

Praise Him that He is our hope. When I was young I dreamt that I would be in this kick-ass band that would travel the world using our music to influence people for good. I dreamt that we would fight for justice and peace and help bring hope to a hurting world. I would live dressed in black for the rest of my days. Here I am 43 years old and my dream hasn’t exactly become a reality yet. I mean I do wear a lot of black- but I’m not exactly living the dream...(peels dirty socks off the chair before sitting down) For starters I’m not the most amazing singer. I mean I can hold a tune and I have passion in truckloads... but is that enough to cast everything aside to pursue a living out of it? Wisdom says no. However- I still have this dream- a dream-  that is now dormant or dusty, just sitting there on the shelf looking at me waiting for its moment to shine. What do I do when life gets in the way of my dreams? I know some lose hope... And I get it. Sometimes it’s too hard to h...

Praise God for His unconditional and boundless love. Being loved is one of the most profound and deeply powerful connections that there is in life. When my children are scared or worried or anxious- they reach out to me - to establish their security. “Oh- I am loved. I am okay. I can face whatever it is that worries me”. Time and time again they return to me reaching out for my love. I want to always be the well they can draw from- but I’ve learned I am not. Although I love my children dearly, there are times I fail. Like when  they reach out to me (maybe even through poor behaviour) looking for certainty and instead may receive a chastising or a sweeping aside- with an- I don’t have time for this right now!”attitude.. Oh my heart breaks when I see the damage I’ve done. When I see their eyes well with tears or their heads hang in sadness. I am not enough. Thankfully I know someone who is. Who constantly pursues me no matter what I’ve done. Who never sweeps me aside and wil...

Praise Him for His creation. Our family loves to spend time outdoors. If there’s a tree, Levi’s climbing it- if there’s an open space Kai has run across it- if there is something to  admire Aliyah will find it and spend time appreciating it. I find it easy to have my heart and spirit open to God when I’m surrounded by His majestic creation- from tall mountains- to beautiful sunsets and roaring rivers- to delicate flowers, or the brightest starry sky- to feeling the wind on my face- all creation expressing its praise to the Maker. I too lift my heart to Him who has made me and loves me. Calm your soul- breathe. Warm your face in the sunshine- lay back and watch a bird flying high in the sky or the leaves rustle on a tree. Be in the moment enjoying the sound of praise to Him, not letting the distractions of fear or anxiety to get in the way.  Praise the Lord Praise the Lord from the heavens Praise Him in the heights above Praise Him all His angels Praise Him a...

Praise Him in the waiting  Wow- this one can’t be more applicable right now.  When we’re in a place of waiting- and trying to get through something difficult or wishing we were on the other side of hardship, it can feel almost impossible to be in a place of praise to God. I mean who has time to praise when we’re just trying to cope? But praising Him is something we can do as we wait in the tension.  It might be the last control we have in a world that is chaos. I know patience  is hard work. It takes effort. And I struggle with the waiting. The tension between where I am and where I want to be. Wishing sometimes it was all over. Letting my mind and my actions prove that I do need more time in the waiting to see that I’m truly at His mercy. But it’s in that pressing... that newness comes. It is in the crushing that we see what is meant to be- produced. It reminds me of the song New Wine by Hillsong.   How God takes us through the crushing and t...

Praise Him because He never changes! Whatever storms we face - trials, challenges, hardships, loss of control, anxiety, fear- The Lord never changes. He is steadfast. He is the same yesterday today and forever! He is my rock. He is my anchor. He is the one I cling to. No matter what valley I’m in or mountain I stand on- in the highs and the lows- He is the constant. I praise you because you are steadfast. I praise you because you are the beginning and the end. I praise you because you are my firm foundation. I will not be shaken. I pray today that whatever you face you will also know His perfect peace and refuge.. You can add these songs to your music library from the 30 Day Praise Challenge book: Your Love Never Fails by Chris McClarney or 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman. I personally will enjoy the words of Highlands (The Song is Ascent)   Click here to listen! I hope you enjoy it too!

Praise Him in the face of suffering  We live in a fallen world- which means we will face injustices, difficulties and hardships of many kinds. I’m sure many of you have stories of your own to attest to that fact. I too- have stories of grief, pain, anxiety, hurt, loneliness helplessness, and fear. In the midst of that I can see the goodness of God. I know it can seem strange to say that God is good in the midst of chaos and pain  (believe me- I edited out an entire epistle of a loving and just God in a world of suffering of pain-  as I felt the focus for this exercise isn’t meant to be on why things happen as much as my response to what is happening around us) So instead, let’s look at what we have to Praise Him for amidst these adversities. Every time I look back- especially on really difficult times... I can see how the hand of God had been in everything I faced. Truth: He never leaves me. I am not alone. Even if I don’t “feel” Him at the time. Truth: He c...

Praise God for how He made me. In Psalm 139:13-14 it says “For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my Mother’s womb. I praise you because  I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” This study talks about being a reflection of who God is. And that we are His masterpiece! One line that stood out to me said: As you praise Him, He will help you LET GO of the anxiety you feel over your limitations. And that is one of my fears- I worry my body will fail me and that I can’t make it do what I should!  But as I learned yesterday- He is my strength in my weakness. In saying that- I have a say (control) over the health of this body to make it as well prepared as I can with how I care for it, feed it, exercise it, and manage it to give me the best fighting chance it can have. Lord I praise you for how you made me! Help me care for this body like you do! The author of the book- chose Beautiful Things by Gungor an...

The Lord Is My Strength I don’t have to be strong because I serve a God who never grows weary Isaiah 40:28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary And young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord WILL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint.” Don’t be discouraged by your weakness, instead Praise God that he promises to be with you and to give you the strength you need. It has been in my weakest most vulnerable moments where I’ve looked back and seen him most prominent in my life. I praise you Lord - that even in my weakest hour- you have been my strength. I love this song... Please Be My Strength (Gungor) Have a listen...

In the midst of worldwide chaos and fear over the Covid-19 virus I slumped down on my couch and glanced over at my bookshelf and noticed a book that popped out at me as if to say “Here I am- I’ve been waiting for such a time as this”. The 30 Day Praise Challenge- by Becky Harling In a time of her life facing cancer, crippled with anxiety and fear- she was challenged by her mentor to spend 20 min a day in PRAISE for 30 days. And it changed her life. Each day is set up in this format: She gives you guided praise SONG lists to listen to each day which she encourages you to put into playlists for your car/home listening. Today I start the challenge: I have decided to start the next 30  days with Praise instead of Facebook I won’t copy the book in here (I’ll let you get your own version) But I will try to post some scripture, thoughts and songs to share with you! DAY ONE: God Gives Me Wisdom My 1 take- away: Any time I face anything -TODAY:  Praise God that H...