How Many Kings?

These are the moments

These are the moments,

I know heaven must exist

These are the moments

I know all I need is this

These are the moments

I thank God that I'm alive

These are the moments

I'll remember all my life

I have all I've waited for

And I could not ask for more

Excerpt from Edwin McCain's song, I could not ask for more

Child of Mine

Have you ever heard this song, Child of Mine, by Carole King? It's just a lovely interpretation of a mother's love for her child. MY love for MY child. I'm just so glad Lilla is a child of mine! Here are the lyrics.

Although you see the world
Different than me
Sometimes I can touch upon
The wonders that you see
And all the new colours
And pictures you've designed
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a chi-ild of mine

Child of mine, chi-ild of mine
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a chi-ild o-of mine

You don't need directions
You know which way to go
And I don't wanna hold you back
I just wanna watch you grow
You're the one who taught me
You don't have to look behind
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a child of mine

Child of mine, child of mine
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a child of mine

Nobody's gonna kill your dreams
Or tell you how to live your life
There'll always be people
To make it hard for a while
But you'll change their head
When they see you smile

The times you were born in
May not have been the best
But you can make the times to come
Better than the rest
I know you will be honest
If you can't a-always be kind
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a child of mine

Child of mine, chi-ild of mine
Oh yes sweet darlin'
So glad you are a child of mine

Every breath that I take, every moment I'm awake

Friday night Michael and I decided to head out on Saturday morning and go garage saleing. We have never been in the years we've been married so we thought, heck, let's go for the hunt. So, that night we set the alarm for 7 the next morning and crashed out. Michael slept in the loft as we have my sister's dog and 3 dogs and 2 adults in one queen sized bed does not a happy couple make!

Anyway, the next morning I was awoke by a song we've song in church many times, and I love. The name is Lord have your way in me, just a simple, but beautiful chorus. In case you are not familiar with it, it goes:

This is my desire, to Honor You

Lord with all my heart I worship You

All I have within me I give You praise

All that I adore is in You

Lord I give You my heart, I give You my soul

I live for You alone

Every breath that I take, Every moment I'm awake

Lord have Your way in me

I lay there flat on my face (I sleep on my stomach) just prone before God, and there was worship. I was overwhelmed at the love I have for a God that has been so good to me throughout my life, and yet who I've failed miserably so many times. This song could have been my heart's song at that moment.

This season of my life has been very hard, yet full of joy. I'm so thankful to be having another child, but these last six weeks have just been a constant struggle to just make it through the day. Unfortunately, I have not been leaning on God to get me through, just on my own strength. I have made excuses not to read my Bible as I've just been soooooo tired, and sooooo sick, I just wanted to veg out. I've also skipped church (which I just never do) several times saying I just didn't want to move. What ridiculous and sad excuses as I have dove back into the scriptures the last few days and they have filled and energized me in a way nothing else can.

So, I am making this song my prayer, even as I type. Lord, have your way in me. I am so thankful for a God, that even though I so often botch it up, still will allow me to come before him in worship. What joy!

Three Wooden Crosses

I don’t normally listen to country music but when I was on the way to Storytime at the library today I was flipping through the stations and just happened to land on the local one. A familiar tune came over the waves followed by a song I’d not heard before. I almost flipped the station as it sounded a little old fashioned which I am usually not interested in. I’m glad I didn’t because the song’s words were really amazing. The name of the song is Three Wooden Crosses and it’s sung by Randy Travis. Here are the words:


A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher,Ridin’ on a midnight bus bound for Mexico.One’s headed for vacation, one for higher education,An’ two of them were searchin’ for lost souls.That driver never ever saw the stop sign.An’ eighteen wheelers can’t stop on a dime.There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,Why there’s not four of them, Heaven only knows.I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you,It’s what you leave behind you when you go.
That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres,The faith an’ love for growin’ things in his young son’s heart.An’ that teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children:Did her best to give ‘em all a better start.An’ that preacher whispered: “Can’t you see the Promised Land?”As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker’s hand.
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,Why there’s not four of them, Heaven only knows.I guess it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you,It’s what you leave behind you when you go.
That’s the story that our preacher told last Sunday.As he held that blood-stained bible up,For all of us to see.He said: “Bless the farmer, and the teacher, an’ the preacher;“Who gave this Bible to my mamma,“Who read it to me.”
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,Why there’s not four of them, now I guess we know.It’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you,It’s what you leave behind you when you go.
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway.

I was thinking how true the words are really to this song. Life is so short and fleeting and only what we do on this side of eternity really matters. What are you going to leave behind?

My heart is steadfast O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:7-11.

I've been tagged!

So I've been tagged by Amy over at Amy's Random Thoughts to name my top 7 songs I'm totally into right now...hmmm...

1. The Backyardigans theme song, so, so strange, I know. However, I have a 13 month old and we watch it about once a day so I hear it a lot. Cute show.
2. How Great is Our God, Bethany Dillion
3. How Deep the Father's Love for Us, Nicole Nordeman
I haven't listened to the radio at all lately so I'll just put some songs I always like
4. Blessed be Your Name, Matt Redman (we've been listening to the Veggie Tales version lately)
5. Your Love is Extravagant, Casting Crowns
6. Daughters, John Mayer
7. At Last, Etta James

Love is Different

I was starting to think about Valentine's Day after a visit to Lisa at Lisa's Quiet Spot today, and I was considering how the world sees, talks about, sings about, makes movies about and just all together thinks about love and then how a Christian should see it. It's so much more complicated than the passion we are taught to crave (not that passion is bad) and how we are told that sometimes it just dies. The rate of divorce absolutely astounds me. Not just in Hollywood, but in real life too. Too many people are looking at marriage as temporary. If that is the case, then people should not be committing til death do us part. Anyway, I digress...

I remembered this song by one of my all time favorite groups, Caedmon's Call. If you are not familiar with them, do yourself a favor and become familiar with them. They are awesome! I've loved them since I was in college and they have just grown as musicians and songwriters over the years. They write lyrics about real life, questions we all ask and feelings we all go through. They are just an amazing band, in my humble opinion anyway. So, one of the leads wrote this song about a relationship he had and how Love was different than what he thought it would be. He said, "As often as our culture tries to tell us what love is, I thought I would put down a little of what I believe love is not. Love is neither a 30-minute sitcom, nor is it a sappy pop ballad. Rather, it is the most difficult and most profound of human experiences, but thanks to our post-modern culture coupled with our own capacity for sin, it’s often much different than we would think."

LOVE IS DIFFERENT

Well, it looks like five thousand miles broke the camel's back
But it's not as though I had a plan to win you back
Because I don't know what I want
But at least I know that much
Now I'm afraid love came right up
And it slapped me in the face, but I did not know

'Cause love is different than you'd think
It's never in a song or on a TV screen
And love is harder than a word
Said at the right time and everything's alright
Love is different than you think

So I won't expect a postcard from Trafalgar Square
But I'd be lying if I said I didn't care
Because you can't just turn it off
And put a blindfold on your heart
But I’m off to a good start
A continent away, but I do not know

But maybe you're the dream I’m waking from
'Cause I see you everywhere I go
Darlin' you are such a mystery to me, you know