My Favorite Worship Songs [as of right now]

Lead Me To The Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul
Redemption's hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom

Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
The Word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now You're risen

To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart



From The Inside Out

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Neverending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Neverending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart, in my soul
I give you control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord, let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Neverending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the insdie out, my soul cries out

Perspectives

This morning I was reading Psalm 102. It starts out, "Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!" For the next eleven verses, the Psalmist goes on to describe all his woes, focusing mostly on how he's wasting away. He uses a strong word picture in verse nine, and I couldn't help but think how deeply distressed he is: "I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears in my drink."

But verse 12 changes tone abrubtly. The Psalmist suddenly writes, "But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever." He got a new perspective. He was deeply focused on all his woes, but then he remembered his God! He continues his praises of God through verse 17, where his change of attitude is revealed: "He regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer." Not only has he realized that God is so much bigger than Him, he sees that God hears his pathetic cries for help. Through the rest of the Psalm his awe and dedication to God is revealed. Verses 19-20 say, "From heaven the LORD looked at earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die."

In verses 23-24 it seems he has a brief spell of remembering his woes, but in verse 25 he jumps right back to praising God, who remains forever!

This reminded me that in the midst of what seems like a crazy life, a life where I never stop running, always have something to stress about, God is still God. I needed a new perspective, the one the Psalmist gained. I need to stop focusing on me and start focusing on God, the eternal and perfectly holy plan He has for His creation. Praise God that He is above all, even the smallest detail, and the stressful things in my life are there to accomplish God's holy will!

EXCITEMENT! [for the right reasons?]

Yesterday morning I found out one of the most exciting things of my life so far: I got the best position in an state-wide band - seriously a dream come true. I was shaking with excitement. I couldn't get it off my mind. I couldn't focus on any of my school work. It was taking up my every thought.

I ask, "for the right reason?" because although I have no doubt that I had every right to be jumping with excitement, I wondered if everything in my life that's even more amazing than that news makes me jump for joy.

To get right to the point: Does my salvation make me that excited? That is by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me - and is continually happening to me. But does it absorb my every thought? Does it make me want to live each day? Is that what gets me up in the morning? Am I so overwhelmed at my salvation that I can't focus on anything else?

Sad to say, my answer is often no. But it should be a yes. The Gospel is by far the most awesome and amazing and undeserving news I could ever hear. I am so overwhelmed by the sacrifice and love shown for me on the cross. Every day of my life should be filled with overwhelming joy because my Savior died for me so I could live for Him.

Are You Willing?

This morning I got up grudgingly. Like every Monday morning I had to drag my butt out of bed to do my devotions. I sat down at my desk and opened my Bible to Matthew 21. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to read. I read the whole chapter, but verses 1-11 stood out to me the most, and particularly verse 8. Here's the passage in its entirety:

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethpage, to the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them' and he will send them at once." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying, 5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son
of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

If I'm going to be honest, when I read verse 8 where Matthew records that most of the crowd lay their cloaks in the road, I thought, "I probably wouldn't be one of the most. I would be the exception." I pictured my fluffy black winter coat being trampled on by a donkey. I pictured the furry hood caked with mud.

And then I saw Jesus look at me in my mind's eye, and shame filled my heart.

I knew that this revealed a heart attitude that I needed to take care of. It showed that I was holding onto my possessions more than I was valuing Jesus. At that moment, when all I could picture was my coat being trampled by a donkey, I had lost sight of the worth of my Savior. Isn't He so much more valuable than anything money can buy? And shouldn't everything He's graciously given me stewardship over be used to bring Him glory?

So my challenge for myself was Am I willing to give up everything to serve Jesus? Earlier I had read in Matthew 19:16-30 about the rich young ruler, who wasn't willing to give up all his riches to serve Jesus. As I read Matthew 21:1-11, the verses of Matthew 19 echoed in my ear: "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first" (verses 29-30). If I'm trying to be first in this world, holding onto everything that I think will make me rich, I've lost the Truth that Jesus is the only thing that will truly make me rich - and He's all I need.

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Every year this busy day comes around: Thanksgiving! And in all the busy-ness I find myself forgetting what the day is truly about. To me, this day is not about simply being thankful for what I have: for friends, family, good food, a warm home, etc... Today is a day about being thankful for what I could not live without, and that is only one thing: my God and Savior, Jesus Christ! For the Christian, every day is to be a day of thanksgiving, of praising God for who He is and for His indescribable gift, but today especially I am reminded of how thanksgiving needs to characterize my life.

I've been thinking a lot about God's grace lately, and so this morning, before all the busy-ness, I decided to worship God through one of the greatest hymns ever written, Amazing Grace. The song is such a wonderful display of so many things I have to be thankful for:

• He's saved a wretch - me!
• God's grace relieves my fears.
• His grace brings me safely through the trials of life and His grace will lead me to home in Heaven!

But what really struck me this morning was the last stanza:

When we've been here ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first begun.

I'm not only to be thankful for today, but I can be thankful that I have the hope of eternity praising God! And I want to begin today!

Cranberry-Glazed Pork Roast

My mom makes such great meals! Here's a recipe for a really yummy pork roast we had this week (and this is coming from someone who's not a huge fan of meat!)

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (4 lbs.)

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, apple juice, barbecue sauce and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside 1 cup sauce.

2. Place roast in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 3/4 hours. Spoon a third of the remaining glaze over pork. Bake 30 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, basting twice. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved sauce.

A Day At The Zoo...?

Actually, not a day at the zoo... just a day in Vermont! Who knew? This is how we spent our Saturday:

Gramma's horse, Mark:

Miniature Donkeys:

Yes, a Zebra in Vermont! His name is Zeus.

Proof that I took these pictures: that's my dad's hand!

He was a such a friendly zebra!

Alpacas:

Texas Longhorns... also in Vermont: