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"I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord." (Ps. 69:30-31a Amp)

I realize that not everyone will have a happy Thanksgiving, but I pray that each of you will experience the presence of the Lord in your life. May praise and thanksgiving fill and overflow your hearts! May you always experience Thanks-living!

Today, I’m hooking up with Bonnie Gray of FaithBarista. The topic: What season of faith are you walking through? Fall (letting go) – Winter (loss/waiting) – Spring (new starts) – Summer (embrace and celebrate).

I’ve experienced many winters of faith. Sometimes feeling imprisoned by faith...waiting, longing, wondering what will happen next. But there is one thing I have learned in the midst of it all...praise changes things, even if it is only my attitude! My praises show my trust and faith that the Lord will work out His purpose. Just as Paul and his companions...

Paul. Asleep. At night. A man appeared to him in a vision. The man pleaded, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16:9b Amp)

Immediately, Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke, and possibly others set sail for Macedonia. Confident that God called them to go there and proclaim the gospel. Landing in Philippi, they stayed for several days.

And were they welcomed with open arms? Well, yes and no.

After preaching, the men baptized Lydia, a seller of purple, and her household. But then...

One day, on their way to the place of prayer, a demon-possessed slave girl, who earned money for her masters by fortune-telling, kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (Acts 16:17 NLT)

After several days of this, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to her and commanded the spirit to come out of her in Jesus’ name. And it left her.

Seeing their hope for profit suddenly disappear, the owners of the slave dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities in the marketplace, charging them with troubling the city and teaching unlawful things.

Their obedience got them flogged, imprisoned, and shackled.

And what did they do? Moped, whined, complained, questioning God and shaking their fists at Him? No?

In the dark hours of night, shackled behind bars for their faith and obedience, the men lifted up sweet prayers and hymns of praise which echoed throughout the prison walls.

And what did God do? Leave them there to suffer and die? No? What did He do?

“Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.” (Acts 16:26 Msg)

Hearing the men’s praises, God released His power. He delivered them, brought them out miraculously! And sent them on their way to finish carrying out His call.

And what do I do?

Though we step out in faith, God does not always release us. He has not released me. I am here, confined in my faith, in peace, obeying what the Lord has called me to do.

The Lord showed me a long time ago that praise is the devil’s death-knell, which defined means any warning sound of death, or to ring a bell slowly, solemnly, especially at a funeral.

When praise rings its death-bell toll for the enemy, the Lord goes to work. The shackles of confinement fall away; the bars of imprisonment break apart.

No matter how things appear, if we obediently follow God’s desires, He will work out all things, for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV)

Confined but not shackled, I praise the Lord right where I am. Imprisonment is a condition of the heart, not circumstances. Why do caged birds sing? Because their hearts are free. Songs of freedom come from the heart, not circumstances.

And what do you do?

Have you ever stepped out in faith and obedience to a command of God and all chaos broke loose? Or had some trial or unsettling condition surround you with bars of confinement?

Maybe your peace and confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Maybe you felt shackled and held hostage like Paul. You probably doubted hearing the voice of the Lord. However, encountering contrary circumstances does not mean you misunderstood the Still Small Voice.

No, my friend, you just encountered the headwind of the enemy. In fact, that opposition can confirm a right choice. That ol’ enemy desires to thwart your obedience to God’s call whenever he can.

Peace is in your heart, not in your circumstances. So, whether you are like Paul and released or like me and still confined, begin to praise the Lord in those dark hours and watch Him go to work.

Let your imprisoned faith sing above your circumstances.

“And taking him aside from the crowd [privately]...”(Mark 7:33a Amp)
Have you ever had a deep, dark struggle in your life? Most of us have. I have. And it sent me to my knees to seek the Lord. During that time of struggle, I wrote this...

Oh, from these bars of confinement shutting me in, I cry out to God. From this darkness surrounding me, all seems lost. Yet, I know all things are sifted through the loving fingers of my precious Lord. Wishing to commune with me, He allows this thing to touch my life.

Though others see not my streaming tears, the Lord sees my aching heart and gently wipes away those tears. “Nearly all God’s jewels are crystallized tears,” someone once said.

Too many voices clamor for my attention. Wearied from the noise of the world, my ears impatiently wait for the comforting sound of His voice. The Lord “takes me aside from the crowd privately” into absolute aloneness with Him, that I may listen only to Him. His words of love and comfort speak thunderously in this solitude.

When darkness and loneliness loom endlessly, they yet result in the richest and most rewarding of all spiritual experiences, for it is then that I see my darkness is but the overshadowing of the wings of the Lord, and I await the radiance of His glorious light to fall from heaven that I might behold my precious Savior.

The Lord’s purpose in taking me aside is never immediately discerned. However, getting my attention and bringing me into a deeper relationship with Him is always His will in my blackest hours.

The Holy Spirit comes as the dew of dawn to silently dispense His peace and comfort. In waves of coolness, He breathes upon me like a refreshing wind.

This parched mortal vessel yearns to be filled with those Living Waters provided only by the Lord. His peace pours forth as an endless river, rushing over me to cleanse all that would obstruct my view of Him. As I go to the Well, I drink in His Life and I am revitalized.

Then, I sing of His wonders and tell of His glories, and my walls of confinement fade into nothingness. The way opens before me. I see His brilliant, glistening footsteps on the path before me as if sprinkled with the glitter of heavenly dust, and only the light of praise brings them into focus.

Not all my questions are answered nor all my longings appeased, but His gracious mercy provides the path of recovery to soundness, to wholeness, to a larger place, to Himself.

It is for this that I praise Him...for “taking me aside.”

~~Lord, may rivers of blessings be poured out to other parched souls because of my desert. I pray that freedom may come to them out of my confinement, that light for blind eyes may come out of my darkness, and that comfort for the hurting may come out of my loneliness. Amen.~~



Today, I'm hooking up with...

Canvas Child's Imperfect Prose on Thursdays...


Reflections of His Grace...


Coming soon...

(I felt led to repost this.)

Whirring lawnmowers. Annoying blowers. This was how my morning started. How could I attain quiet for a conversation with the Lord?

I walked to my family room window and looked out. Bazillions of beautiful blossoms arrayed the trees, and, at the same time, spewed out their allergy-packed pollen as thick as fog, prompting tissues to peek out of all my pockets. A brisk breeze released the grip of the “helicopters” on the maple trees, as the tiny descendants concealed the ground in a blanket of ancestry.

These sights and sounds heralded the profusion of nature’s new, spring season.

As I stood there gazing at God’s hand of creativity, a brief, spring sprinkle fell delicately on our patio, animating the dried seedlings to hop and dance.

Giggling at the delightful sight of dancing seedlings, the thought crossed my mind: sometimes the blustery winds of a new season blow against us, and we succumb by loosening our grip on the Lord as our Vine of nourishment. In letting go, we find ourselves lying on the ground, disconnected from our fellowship with Him.

When this happens, we usually misunderstand the point of what has come our way. Yes, sometimes the enemy blows his hot blast of affliction upon us, but, other times, it is God’s sweet breath of purpose.

Along with His wind of purpose, God occasionally sends showers, whether as gentle dews or great downpours as an answer to our prayers. Either way, we are not always hopping and dancing at the answer He provides.

When we learn to welcome, with open hearts, all the elements of each new season in our lives, whether heat, cold, rain, or drought, as being the gentle guidance of the Lord to rejuvenate us and bring about a new season of growth in our lives, praise and thanksgiving will begin to emerge from deep within us.

Starting down in our toes, praise will begin to bounce around, creep up into our throats, and dart out our mouths, causing our spirits to delight and dance before the Lord.

When you feel like a dried seedling lying on the ground, do you welcome the spring rains of circumstance that fall upon you? Do you understand that they are sometimes the answers to prayers? Do you dance in praise to the Lord for them?

As the saying goes…

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass...it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

Joel 2:23 says, “Rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rains He sends are an expression of His grace.” (The Life Recovery Bible NLT)

Prayer: Lord, May I recognize those things that come into my life as being elements of guidance and growth so that I may follow Your lead and welcome them with dancing feet in praise and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.



This post is also shared with Weused2bu.com. I hope you'll hop over and visit them!

***As my daughter is visiting, I haven’t been able to finish a new post. So, I am sharing with you an article that I wrote a few years ago for our church paper. At the time, Celebration was the church’s Wednesday night service.***

Recently, as my husband and I were leaving the sanctuary after Celebration, we were stopped and asked if we would counsel with a deaf couple. As Decision Counselors (now called Decision Guides), we have never counseled with the deaf. Even though I had taken sign language classes, we both felt a little apprehensive and, yet, at the same time, we felt challenged. God will always give us His strength when we are weak. And we really needed His strength!

With hand gestures flowing rapidly from one person to another, our interpreter spoke to the young couple seated before us. We had the privilege of counseling with Grace and Sam. Being part of a conversation with the hearing impaired is a very humbling experience. In this situation, Norman and I were indeed the handicapped ones.

Grace and Sam wanted to talk to counselors about being baptized. They shared about their salvation and love for the Lord. They will be married soon and they wanted their lives to be in covenant with the Lord. So, at a recent Saturday night service, they came to church to be baptized.

All those to be baptized came into the baptismal as a group. As Grace and Sam waited their turn, Dave Stone [our pastor] baptized the others first, and as each one went under, Sam raised his hand in praise to the Lord. What a glorious sight!

As their friends and Grace’s father looked on, Dave baptized this precious couple. Teary eyed, I sat riveted to my seat as we, along with the congregation, witnessed the outward expression of their inward confession, as an interpreter conveyed the message of Dave’s words to Grace and Sam. Their hands then waved the sign for praise. What a privilege to have been a part of this.

After the service, we told Grace and Sam that we loved them and would be praying for them. We all hugged and said we would see each other later. In total silence, Norman and I walked up the aisle, hand in hand; our hearts too full of God’s goodness to break the spell with words.

Walking through the parking lot, I broke the silence by saying, “I’m totally amazed how awesome God is. He hears us even when we have no voice to speak to Him. He knows the voice of His children. He hears us no matter what our handicap.”

On the ride home, I tried to imagine a world of total stillness, but I could not imagine my life without ever having heard my grandmother sing The Old Rugged Cross. (My grandmother has been dead for almost forty years, yet, to this day, I still cannot sing it without crying and thinking of her.)

I could not imagine never experiencing the joy of hearing my children call me Mommy. I could not imagine never having my soul touched by the sounds of my husband telling me that he loves me. I could not imagine never being afforded the luxury of hearing the name of Jesus preached in a sermon.

Yet, at the same time, I could only imagine my auditory nerves never being blasted by the sounds of hard rock or rap music, or people arguing, or the dog whining, or the garbage language in movies. Oh, to imagine that none of these had the ability to invade my world! I could have an uninterrupted quiet time with the Lord, anytime, anywhere. He hears us no matter what our handicap – or situation.

I pray God will lay His hand of blessing on Grace and Sam and that He will always be the center of their lives. Sam mentioned after the service that he wished to be used of the Lord. The interpreter told him that the Deaf Taskforce needed someone to teach a Bible study class. Go for it, Sam! God will always use those with willing hearts as His instruments.

~Oh, Lord, thank You for allowing us to be used as those instruments that sit in readiness at Your feet. Only You know what our capabilities are and what we can accomplish. You would not send us out unless You thought we were fit for the task.

Thank You that You bend low with Your hand cupped to Your ear, waiting patiently to hear the melodies of praise from our hearts. I praise You that You use the Holy Spirit as Your tuning fork to fine-tune us for Your service. Your harmony is the sweetest when played on those instruments that lay closest to Your feet. May we be so close to Your feet that we always hear Your Still Small Voice.~~

Whenever the question is asked…Who is your favorite biblical hero of faith…most people pick Paul. However, my heroes of victorious faith are those in the Old Testament, those whose faith held to the backside of the cross, having the faith to see what was yet to be. They had no anchor of hope in Christ as we do.

Abraham is probably my number one hero of faith. When Paul wanted to convey righteousness through faith to the Romans, he wrote about Abraham, telling them to “walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had.” (Rom. 4:12 Amp)

Then he said, “It is clear, then, that God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God’s law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith.” (Rom. 4:13 NLT) All he did, the Bible says, he did by faith.

From the beginning of God’s promise of his son Isaac to Abraham until the time of fulfillment was about twenty five years. Then, Abraham’s faith was tested to the max. When he obeyed to the point of nearly sacrificing his own son, a Ram in the thicket was provided.

That thing dearest to his heart he released to God and received it back multiplied times over. Abraham’s faith seed was planted there on Mount Moriah, and his seed produced seed upon Seed, and all of us have been blessed and rewarded since that time.

Look at the results produced from that one extraordinary act. If we follow this out, we will see the culmination of a progression of a life of faith, obedience, and sacrifice, from the seed of Abraham’s obedience, to David’s purchase of the threshing floor, to Solomon’s building of the Temple.

As the hill of these sacrifices and obedience, Mount Moriah (meaning ‘seen or vision of Jah’) is the same area, and thought by some scholars to be the very sight, of the greatest sacrifice ever, the crucifixion of Christ.

Our faith walk should be like Abraham’s, for he knew God kept His promises, “He drew strength from his faith, and, while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement His own promise.” (Rom. 4:21 Phillips)

When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he wrote about living by faith as Abraham, “It is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7 Amp) Therefore, “Those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God [as partners in fellowship] with the believing and trusting Abraham.” (Gal. 3:9 Amp)

Paul also said of Abraham, “No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.” (Rom. 4:20 Amp) His words of praise strengthened his faith, connecting Him to God’s power.

Paul said, “Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith and depends [entirely] on faith.” (Rom. 4:16 Amp) He said our faith should rest “in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:5 NKJV)

When you come before the God of the universe, do you believe that He is the God of all creation, that He is able to do what He says, that He will be with you in whatever you are going through, and that He rewards those believing in Him?

*Is there an Isaac in your life that you need to release by faith?
*Does your praise empower your faith?
*How long have you waited for an answer to prayer or the fulfillment of a promise from God?
*How do you walk, how do you behave, while you are waiting, in faith or doubt and worry?
*Do you rest in the power of God?

Does Jesus say to you, as He did to Peter when he began to be overwhelmed by the waves, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31b NKJV) Or does He say to you as He did to the woman that came to Him on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire”? (Matt. 15:28 NKJV)

If God is looking for victorious faith in His children, does He find it in you?

photo courtesy of kxande2 @ flickr

Today, I share with you a portion of something the Lord spoke to me some years ago. As always, His words changed me. From His heart to yours…

“Every time you have an intense trial or you wonder where I am, you must learn to quickly realize that the devil knows that something good is about to happen - that I am about to bring about some great thing into your life and he is going all-out to thwart My every plan and purpose.

This intense time must be spent repeating My words and praising Me. This is your only way out. This is a break-through time and it must be spent concentrating on Me. The devil will do anything to bring you down and he especially preys on these intense times because he knows that, if he can get you to stop praising, then your focus is shifted away from Me and onto your problem.

Learn to quickly see his hand at work and to even more quickly begin to praise Me more. Praise is the devil's death-knell (At which point, He told me to look up the meaning of knell, which means to ring in a slow, solemn way, to sound ominously or mournfully, toll, warning sound, extinction or failure of something, any sound announcing the death of a person or the end, or the sound of a bell rung slowly as at a funeral. Then, He continued.)

Now you understand how important it is to praise Me. Praising Me brings the devil to his knees and is excruciating to his ears. When you praise Me, you bring glory to Me and he cannot stand in My glory. He intends to bring you down but I intend to bring you up - up with Me. The more intense the pain and suffering, the more intense should be your praising.”

Praise gets the attention of both God and the enemy! It becomes a two-edged sword.

After the Lord rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David wrote, “I will call on Jehovah, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Ps. 18:3 Masoretic Text)

If we express that verse according to its definitions, it might say, “When I summon Jehovah by Name, Who is worthy of being celebrated in praise, I shall be safe, preserved, rescued from and have victory over my enemies!” How great is that? All because God’s glory in praise prevails over darkness!

The Lord told Moses, “When you go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresses you, then blow an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies.” (Num. 10:9 Amp) Our praise is that trumpet of alarm preparing the path for God to deliver us from our enemy.

David knew his praises of God would bring down his enemies and said to Him, “From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” (Ps. 8:2 NIV)

The worst sound in the ears of the enemy is praise from the lips of one of God’s children. The enemy hates it.

I have learned to praise God no matter what. When my day is darkened with a multitude of problems that need to “take a ticket, take a seat,” and the songs of my heart begin to stick in my throat, do I still sing to Him anyway? You bet!

When my eyes spill over with the tears of heartache, do I still look to Him and praise Him? Absolutely!

When chaos invades my world, do I still claim His peace and praise Him? Yes, indeedy! For “I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace.” (Ps. 34:1 TLB) Amen!

How about you? Do you still praise the Lord no matter what the circumstances?

May the Lord’s intimate words seep deep within your being and rise up as the oil of praise and be poured out upon His head.

When the clouds of disappointment, heartache, and circumstances roll in to darken our day, what do we do? Whine and complain? Doubt and worry? Question God?

But what does scripture tell us? “Blessed is the people knowing the joyful sound; O Jehovah, they shall walk in the light of Your face.” (Ps. 89:15 Masoretic Text) The ‘joyful sound’ in Hebrew means an acclamation of joy or a battle-cry, especially clangor of trumpets, as an alarm, joy, jubile, loud noise, rejoicing, shout, (high, joyful) sound.

So, what can we conclude? Praise keeps us in the Light!

Therefore, would the opposite be true? Does our lack of praise cause darkness to linger? Or do we still raise our hands in praise and worship when in painful despair? Do we still fall on our knees in the presence of the Lord when in a heart-wrenching trial?

What do you do? When the stream of joy dries up and disappears, do you follow Paul’s words, “Again I say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4b NKJV) The one rejoicing unlocks the dam built by negative thoughts, words, and circumstances. S/he waters that dry, rock-bed and joy flows once again, for s/he “will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart.” (John 7:38b Phillips)

Sing any tune, make up any words, but praise your Beloved. Praise the One Who is the Light of the world.

In your darkness, He is your light! Raise your hands in praise and keep the Light on!

Not everyone will have a happy Thanksgiving…especially this year. Many are out of work, have issues relating to health, children and family, finances, loss of a loved one with this being the first year without them, grief and other loss, divorce, separation, depression, not being able to go home, a family member broke the law, addictions, or any number of other things.

What happens to thanksgiving and praise when peace disintegrates into chaos, when a husband loses his job and finances are cut off, when a child is in a car wreck, when the repo man stands knocking at the door, when buying Christmas presents is a vague recollection, when pain strikes the chest and there is no insurance, when the roof overhead is in jeopardy of being taken away, when the cupboard holds no more than the cup?

I’ve been through all this. So, what happens to my praise and thanksgiving when my day is darkened with a multitude of problems that need to “take a ticket, take a seat,” and the songs of my heart begin to stick in my throat, do I still sing to Him anyway? You bet! When my eyes spill over with the tears of heartache, do I still look to Him and praise Him? Absolutely! When chaos invades my world, do I still claim His peace and praise Him? Yes, indeedy! For “I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace.” (Ps. 34:1 TLB)

I have learned to transform my attitude into one of gratitude as Habakkuk had. In the closing words of his book, the prophet asserted his faith in God and promised to praise Him, even if all else failed, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” (Hab. 3:17-18 NLT)

Paul’s statement is now mine, “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want.” (Phil. 4:12 TLB) And this statement has taken up residence in my heart, “No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18 TLB)

Are life’s fiery darts aimed at your life, attempting to puncture your heart? What seeps out of your heart?

Whatever is going on in your life, there is always room for thanksgiving! It is the sacrificial gift of your heart. What does it cost you?

A true, sacrificial gift costs you the surrender of your money, for you give sacrificially, as the widow who gave her two mites. It costs you the surrender of your time, for you sacrifice it to put God first. It costs you the surrender of your heart, for you sacrifice your love to those who hate you. It costs you the surrender of your lips, for you sacrifice your praise to God when all seems lost.

Though you may be going through some really rotten things right now, praise the Lord anyway. Praise and thanksgiving may not change your surroundings but it will change your attitude.

Thanksgiving is not a once-a-year, special holiday for being as overstuffed as the turkey. Thanksgiving is an eternal season of the heart, an overflow of the heart’s gratitude for all that God has done and is going to do and for everything one possesses, no matter how much or how little that may be.

Will you have Habakkuk’s attitude this Thanksgiving season? Don’t let Thanksgiving get stuck in your throat!

May the Lord touch you in a special way this Thanksgiving. May it become an eternal season in your heart.