trouble with my song

  "Your decrees are the theme of my song during earthly life." Psalm 119:54

We all have a song we sing. I once heard a sermon on how we sing daily to God, not literally but in our actions and the attitudes of our hearts. I for one love to sing, even when I don't know the words. I sang in Haiti when I had no clue what the words were or how to say them. I would love to say my song has a praise theme. That I am daily pleasing to the Lord with my song. But a lot of times my song is filled with rambling of earthly woes and complaints of people He has yet to smite for me. Most days my song is a lot like this....I apologize for my singing.

           (He really does like to sing. His usual part is singing "mine" and "shine" and being cute!)
Today as I wrestled with little boys to eat their veggies, wash their hands, and climbing on the table I really wanted to sing a "woe is me" song. Surely the God who made the sea stop at land could make a one year old stop using his fork as a catapult for his peas. But then instead He stopped me and reminded me of all He has done. He did tell the sea to stop at the land and it listened. His Son's death on the cross did satisfy His wrath against my sins. Thats when I chose a new song to sing. A song of praise and awe of the God who loves me even when I forget the lyrics to His praise song. What song do you sing each day? Is it a song out of key and out of touch with the God you are singing it to? Or are the lyrics the cry of your overflowing heart?

"Jesus worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us,Son of God and man
You are high and lifted up; and the world will praise Your Great Name"

 "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will
  see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." -Psalm 40:3

[9.11.2001]

It's hard to imagine as an 8th grader how the horrors I was watching on tv was going to change my life. It was the first act of evil I had experienced. Being so young, I could not wrap my mind around how this act that put so many other plans into play...
I was in 2nd period when the first plane hit. My teacher turned on the news and we watched with great concern for what was happening. As I settled into 3rd period I watched in terror as I saw the plane collide with the second tower. Screams and gasps filled the halls of my junior high and I watched as they adults faces took on a mask of terror.
Then the first tower fell....then the second, filling the air with dust and copy paper. I remember seeing men in suits covered in white dust running and weeping. I remember being so confused.
At home we watched the news. I remember hearing President Bush address the nation. Hearing grief in his voice and seeing stress in his eyes. Goosebumps covered my entire body as I realized something even bigger would follow.
While I was an 8th grader confused and covered in goosebumps, a fresh out of boot camp senior was realizing his decision to join the Army has taken on a new look. He heard the news while eating lunch. That senior was my husband. That day changed his army experience from drills and light duty to life in combat and a year in Iraq. That day changed the direction his life took, the career he would choose, and his relationship with Christ. In turn it molded him into the man i'm in love with today.
It's hard to believe it's been 11 years. With so many questions unanswered about why, God is the same yesterday , today and forever. In him we find our peace and lose our fear!

bank balance blessings

    If you don't know Bobby and I very well let me just tell you now we are far from being considered weathly. We do not have all we want but we have what we need in surplus and then some. We are also believers in doing what you love and not doing something for the money. We stay a lot happier that way. In our short time being married we have had times when the money was just not coming in like it we had hoped. We have had times where we had to skip on some things to make sure bills were being paid. This is in no way a complaint. I think it is these times that builds our relationship with each other and God. We actually haven't suffered from not eating at Wendys a couple of times and cooking instead, or not going to see a movie. Crazy right? It was in those times when God revealed Himself to us the most. When He not only provided but showed off a little in the process.
     I was taught at a young age about tithing. How we are to give God a tenth of our earnings first before we give Uncle Sam or AT&T what they are owed. To many people this is a situtation thing. If the bank is full so is the offering plate but if the bank is almost to the red line the plate is passed. I actually understand the reasoning in it. I really do. It's scary to give when you don't know if the check you have written will clear or not. Or worse you may have to go home and eat the Sunday lunch and not to some resturant. If we are honest giving may not be the issue but the "first" part is sorta tricky. You will give if there is any left over after all else is paid.
     I was fortunate to marry a man who is a firm believer in tithing no matter what the bank statement says. There have been times when I see him carrying that pink enevelope to the car and I freak a little bit because I have just seen our account balance. But he is faithful in his tithing. Our tithing. We see it as a form of worshipping our Lord. The God who paid our debt on the cross. 
     I just began a study in Malachi and I found something that is really near and dear to our story.
                     
                       “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me!”
                           You ask: “How do we rob You?”
                   “By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.  
                 You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me. 
             Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in My house.
             Test Me in this way,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates
           of  heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.   I will rebuke the devourer  
            for you,  so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not
             fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will consider you
                fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.-Malachi 3:8-12

Many times when Bobby and I have been struggling to see ends meet God has opened the floodgates. I cannot believe the blessings we have been given for a small faith task of tithing. I think about how differently the world would see the church if ever believer began to tithe like they should. The verses said "the nations will see you as fortunate..." What if in this uncertain economy churches were being built and built onto without a loan from the bank. Or able to do "impossible" tasks that had a seemingly high cost becasue we were using the blessing God gave us. I want that for my church. I want Bloom Baptist to be considered fortunate. I was us to reach people because of out faithfullness to worship and obey God!

this is just the image i get when i think of God opening floodgates...it's from Ducktales!