in pieces

Praise God for His Son. Without whom- I’d have no hope. No future. No purpose.  When God sent His Son, He gave me everything. Not only a free gift of eternal life, and a slate wiped clean, but a reason to live. I am here to worship Him with my life. If I do not praise Him- there is no reason to my existence. The Bible says that one day every tribe and tongue and nation on earth will bow to Him. Whether we choose to accept that now- or when we are face to face to Him - is up to us. I know that there is nothing on this earth that can satisfy my soul more than my faith in Jesus Christ. What a joy to celebrate Jesus today - on Easter Sunday! Click here to listen to: King of Kings by Hillsong Worship And Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) by Kari Job

Praise God for His presence in the waiting. As Easter is tomorrow - I can’t help but praise God for His presence in the waiting.  A couple years ago a colleague spoke in church about being in liminal space. That time between what was and what is to come.  Do you know how a trapeze artist moves from that space of being let go to being grasped again? Perfect precision in that moment. The liminal space - is that weightlessness in between. The courage to let go with the belief and trust that you will be caught again.   Liminal space. Without it you’d never do anything- or go anywhere - you’d just swing back and forth. I think Easter Saturday is a great example of liminal space. The time between His death and His resurrection. The time between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I have often struggled with the Saturday between. Good Friday (while sobering) gives me something to grieve and reflect upon. And on Sunday I rejoice in His victory over death, and His resurr...

Praise God that He answers prayer A number of years ago I came across the verse in Psalm 37:4 that says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I spent a few weeks just meditating on that one verse. I had circumstances in my life that I was longing for the Lord to answer. I knew that God doesn’t always answer the way I desired but I was finding that there seemed to be “no” answer at all- silence from God - which almost felt worse than an obvious no from Him. Part of me wondered if it was a season of waiting- practicing patience- which for me would not be a bad thing to practice. But even in that- God felt strangely quiet and distant. Throughout those days as I studied the verse- I began to ask myself- what does it mean to “Delight myself in the Lord?” I began to discover that delighting in Him wasn’t just about completing a lot of religious practices- not just ticking the Christian boxes and expecting a response from God through...

Praise God that He is strong in my weakness. We all fall short. I think most humans are fairly aware of their failures. Some ignore them. Some don’t believe them. But I do think we know that at our core they’re there.  I don’t believe God is surprised.  But what He promises is that whatever weakness we carry - he can be our strength in that. Have you ever come face to face with the reality of weakness in your own life? Some of us have addictions. Some of us have bodies that fail us. Some of us have weak minds. Some of us give in to temptations. Some of us struggle to love. Some of us struggle to be loved. Some of us value the wrong things. Some of us are hurt. Some of us are broken. Some of us are lost. Some of us are incapacitated by fear. Whatever weakness we’ve encountered in ourselves. God is bigger and stronger and more powerful than our deepest darkest most shameful secret.  His hope and strength is for ALL PEOPLE. No matter ...

Praise God for His Healing Power Whether we suffer from a physical, emotional, or spiritual wound- our God can heal. He can heal us from the past, from broken relationships,- from addictions, from sorrow. Sometimes we don’t ask because of fear that He may not answer our prayer like we want Him too.  However, that also means we can miss out on the healing power that He can bring. What could I be missing out on because I’m afraid to even ask? His healing power isn’t based on what I want- otherwise my faith is based on what He does for me- not who He is to me. Will I still choose to praise Him even if He doesn’t answer my prayer? But then... what if He does? He is the potter - I am the clay. He is the creator. I am the created. Romans 9   20  But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?  “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,  ‘Why did you make me like this?’” 21  Does not the potter have the right to make ou...

Praise God that I can trust Him. I think many of us have faced a battle of trust at one time or another. Trust is an interesting commodity. I’ve learned that when someone is getting to know me- trust tends to be given in small doses to see how the trust will be used. If the trust is invested in something wisely (according to the giver) more trust will be given.  If nothing is done with the small doses of trust given- the trust is lost and much harder to be earned again.  The more I do with the trust the bigger the trust becomes and the more trust that is earned the wider the door becomes to openness, honesty and vulnerability - until eventually the door is flung wide to complete acceptance. This is complete trust. Sometimes we can place our trust in the temporary - In things that don’t have eternal value.   Soon we will find that these worldly confidences are not solid at all- but a facade of truth. When we place our trust in God we find over and over aga...

Praise God that He is my Provider The world is truly an uncertain place. But boy have I been blessed. He goes before me and behind me. He knows my deepest needs. He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. He has provided for me again and again and again. There have been times I felt so helpless- unsure what to do and He has blessed me beyond what I deserve- not only has He given  me the greatest treasure in His Son Jesus - securing my eternal inheritance - he has given me peace in the face of chaos- contentment in the face of anxiety- and joy in the face of fear. Philippians 4:19-20 says: And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Click here to listen: Provider by Urban Rescue

Praise God that He is victorious over evil. As we face our many adversities on earth- Especially today- I feel a sense of strength when I read the scripture and see that God reigns in the end. He is the one who is victorious over evil. Even tho pain and suffering are here for today- one day  all evil will be dispelled.  So I do not need to fear the one in the world. He promises that a time will come when every tribe tongue and nation will bow before Him in worship. All will bow down. All creation will sing His praise together - imagine what that kind of worship service will be like! I was just contemplating yesterday how God has always been faithful to His promises. And this promise will come true too! John 16:33 says I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Today take some time to listen to No Longer Slaves- by Jonathan David and Melissa Helser What. Beaut...

Praise God that He wants to Be with Me Today I praise Him that He desires connection to me- He functions outside of time. He knows my daily pressures. He knows my capabilities to accomplish tasks. He is more interested in the time we spend together than what I can do. He says- Find rest in me daughter. Let me be your refuge. And As I do He will help me prioritise what’s important. Today I rest in His presence knowing He is for me and delights in our relationship. I don’t have to achieve tasks or live up to a certain standard to be good enough to spend time with Him. Be Still and Know He is God- Psalm 46:10 While I was in YWAM we used to sing this song a lot Meet with Me - by Ten Shekel Shirt Also- click here to listen to I Love Your Presence by Bethel Live

Praise God that He’s our Perfect Father I know many of us have come from families that maybe weren’t the greatest examples for us to learn good parenting from. We are human and we can really fall short. I’m sure that’s why many of us might have a skewed understanding of God as a Father.  I had a friend that told me once that even though He grew up with a poor example of a Father He felt the Lord tell him that He had the opportunity to shape his own role as a father not off his earthly father but after the best role model- the Perfect Father- God himself.  Imagine if we all did that and were able to receive the perfect and overwhelming love He offers.  Today  as I look at my own children- I think about the fierce love I have for them- and I am thankful that He loves me more than I can even imagine- that He is my number one supporter and encourager and that He delights in me.  Zephaniah 3:17 says   The  Lord  your God  in your ...