Blanco State Park, Blanco, Texas
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 18:21
I have no idea whatsoever what we did today. This is what happens when I neglect making notes. And because I have no idea, you get the next installment from my God Moments Journal. 😊
It’s really, really long. Read it if you want. Sing along if you can. 😊
A new revelation occurred to me last night (Nov 12, 2008) at a Bible Study at The Chapel. Mike Castelli was teaching on prayer. His question to the class: quickly, in just a few words, give examples of acknowledged answered prayer. Most started out talking about healings. As I sat there, trying to think of something quickly (which isn’t my strong suit!), I realized that most of my answered prayers are not about healing at all! God has chosen to bless me with obvious answered prayers relating to everyday life! A burden lifted, wisdom, direction, a battle won, a change in attitude . . . . For me, these things bring much more evidence of God interacting with me than any healing possibly could. It’s proof that He cares about the details in each of our lives – even as insignificant and unworthy as we are.
Because music has always played an important part in my relationship with the Lord, I’ve decided to include a few (out of the thousands!) songs that especially touch my heart. While the entire song is important to me, I’ll only include parts of some of them just because of time and space. Of course, they’re all much better when you know the tunes! That’s a big part of what makes the song. I’ll do hymns first.
“Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”
Just to take Him at His word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord’
Chorus: Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him
How I’ve proved Him o’re and o’re
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus
Oh, for grace to trust Him more
I’m so glad I’ve learned to trust Him
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know Thou wilt be with me
Wilt be with me to the end
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty the King of Creation”
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation!
Oh, my soul praise Him for He is thy health and salvation
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near
Join me in glad adoration
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him
Let the “Amen!” sound from His people again
Gladly for aye we adore Him
Praise to the Lord who doth prosper thy work and defend thee
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee
Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee
“In Christ Alone”
In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my life, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm thru the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when striving cease
My comforter my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
Though every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slayed
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
“I’ll Fly Away”
Some glad morning when this life is o’re, I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away
When the shadows of this life have gone, I’ll fly away
Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I’ll fly away
Just a few more weary days and then, I’ll fly away
To a land where joys shall never end, I’ll fly away
Chorus: I’ll fly away, O glory, I’ll fly away
When I die hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away!
“Just As I Am”
Just as I am without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that thou biddst me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come, I come
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot
O Lamb of God, I come, I come
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve
Because Thy promise I believe
O Lamb of God, I come, I come
“It Is Well”
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul
My sin – O the bliss of this glorious thought –
My sin, not in part, but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
Even so – it is well with my soul
Chorus: It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul
“The Solid Rock”
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name
When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
All hail the powerof Jesus’ name let angels prostrate fall
Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all
Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all
Let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all
To Him all majesty ascribe and crown Him Lord of all
O that with yonder sacred throng we at His feet may fall
We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all
We’ll join the everlasting song and crown Him Lord of all
“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing
Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate
On earth is not his equal
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be loosing
Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He
Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same
And He must win the battle
And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure
One little word shall fell him
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also
The body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still
His kingdom is forever!
“Immortal, Invisible”
Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight
All praise we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee
“To God be the Glory“
To God be the glory, great things He hath done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
And opened the life-gate that all may go in
Great things He has taught us, great things He hath done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see!
Chorus: Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done!
“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded”
O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns Thy only crown
How art Thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve Thy place
Look on me with Thy favor, vouch-safe me to Thy grace
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever; and, should I fainting be
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for Thee!
“There’s Power in the Blood”
Would you be free from your burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood
Chorus: There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb
“He Lives”
I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near
In all the world around me, I see His loving care
And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair
I know that He is leading through all the stormy blast
The day of His appearing will come at last
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind!
Chorus: He Lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way
He lives! He lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart!
“The King Is Coming”
The marketplace is empty, no more traffic in the streets
All the builders’ tools are silent, no more time to harvest wheat
Busy housewives cease their labors, in the courtroom no debate
Work on earth is all suspended, as the King comes through the gate
Happy faces line the hallways, those whose lives have been redeemed
Broken homes that He has mended, those from prison He has freed
Little children and the aged, hand in hand stand all aglow
Who were crippled, broken, ruined, clad in garments white as snow
I can hear the chariots rumble, I can see the marching throng
And the flurry of God’s trumpets, spells the end of sin and wrong
Regal robes are now unfolding, Heaven’s grandstand’s all in place
Heaven’s choir now assembled, starts to sing “Amazing Grace”!
Chorus: The King is Coming! The King is coming!
I just heard the trumpets sounding, and now His face I see!
The King is coming! The King is coming!
Praise God! He’s coming for me!
“Make Me a Blessing”
Out in the highways and byways of life, many are weary and sad
Carry the sunshine where darkness if rife, making the sorrowing glad
Chorus: Make me a blessing, make me a blessing
Out of my life, may Jesus shine
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray
Make me a blessing to someone today
“Blessed Assurance”
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
Perfect submission, perfect delight
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love
Perfect submission, all is at rest
I, in my Savior, am happy and blest
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love
Chorus: This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
This is my story, this is my song
Praising my Savior all the day long
“He Leadeth Me”
He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught
What e’er I do, where e’er I be
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me
Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine
Nor ever murmur nor repine
Content whatever lot I see
Since ‘tis my God that leadeth me
And when my task on earth is done
When by Thy grace the victory’s won
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee
Still God through Jordan leadeth me
Chorus: He leadeth me, He leadeth me
By His own hand He leadeth me
His faithful follower I would be
For by His hand He leadeth me
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free!
Chorus: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
“Be Still My Soul”
Be Still My Soul, the Lord is on thy side
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still my soul, thy best, thy Heavenly Friend
Thru stormy waves, leads to a joyful end
Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake
All now mysterious shall be bright at last
Be still my soul, the waves and wind still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below
“Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul”
O what a wonderful, wonderful day; day I will never forget
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met
O what a tender compassionate friend, He met the need of my heart
Shadows dispelling, with joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart!
Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure after the passing of time
I have a future in Heaven for sure, there in those mansions sublime
And it’s because of that wonderful day, when at the cross I believed
Riches eternal and blessings supernal, from His precious hand I received
Chorus: Heaven came down and glory filled my soul
When at the cross the Savior made me whole
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
“The Longer I Serve Him”
Since I started for the Kingdom, since my life He controls
Since I gave my heart to Jesus,
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows
Every need He is supplying, plenteous grace He bestows
Every day my way gets brighter
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows
Chorus: The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows
The more that I love Him, more love He bestows
Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows
The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows
“When The Roll is Called Up Yonder”
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more
And the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!
On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise
And the glory of His resurrection share
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!
Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care
Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!
Chorus: When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder
When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there!
“When We All Get to Heaven”
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, sing His mercy and His grace
In the mansions bright and blessed, He’ll prepare for us a place
Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day
Just one glimpse of Him in glory, will the toils of life repay
Onward to the prize before us! Soon His beauty we’ll behold!
Soon the pearly gates will open, we shall tread the streets of gold
Chorus: When we all get to heaven
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus
We’ll sing and shout the victory!
And now, for some more contemporary songs that aren’t hymns – – – –
“Who Am I”
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever-wandering heart
Who am I that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again
Who am I that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out thru the rain
And calm the storm in me
Chorus: Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done, but because of Who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours
“God of Wonders”
Lord of all creation, of water, earth and sky
The Heavens are Your tabernacle, glory to the Lord on high
Early in the morning, I will celebrate the light
And when I stumble in the darkness, I will call your name by night
Chorus: God of Wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of heaven and earth, Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth
“How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”
How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away
As wounds which mare the Chosen One bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon a cross, my guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything, no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward? I can not give an answer
But this I know with all my heart His wounds have paid my ransom
“In My Life”
There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better, some are gone, and some remain
All these places have their moments
People and friends I still can recall
Some are dead, and some are living
But in my life , I loved them all
But of all these friends and loved ones, there is no one compares with You
And these memories loose their meaning, when I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never loose affection
For people and friends that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
But in my life, I loved You more
“If We Never Meet Again”
If we never meet again this side of heaven
Far away on that beautiful shore
Soon we’ll come to the end of life’s journey
And perhaps we’ll never meet anymore
Till we gather in Heaven’s bright city
As we struggle thru this world and it’s strife
There’s another meeting place somewhere in Heaven
By the beautiful river of live
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of Heaven
I will meet you on that beautiful shore
“Wonderful, Merciful Savior”
Wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer and Friend
Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men?
Oh, You rescue the souls of men
Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, Spirit we long to embrace
You offer hope when our hearts have hopelessly lost our way
Oh, we’ve hopelessly lost the way
Almighty, Infinite Father, faithfully loving Your own
Here in our weakness You find us falling before Your throne
Oh, falling before Your throne
Chorus: You are the One that we praise
You are the One we adore
You give the healing and grace our
Hearts always hunger for
Oh, our hearts always hunger for
“Amazing Love”
My Lord, what love is this that pays so dearly
That I the guilty one may go free?
And so they watched Him die, despised rejected
But oh, the blood He shed flowed for me
And now this love of Christ shall flow like rivers
So come wash your guilt away
Live again!
Chorus: Amazing love, what sacrifice
The Son of God given for me
My debt He paid and my death He died
That I might live
That I might live!
I could put in all the songs from Sarah Groves’ CD, “Conversations”. It is my all-time favorite CD. Every song on it speaks to my heart. I feel like I could have written them all myself. Sarah also seems to share my love for the Old Testament. Its lessons run throughout her songs. And then there’s also my belief that this CD came to me as a gift from God, with impeccable timing – as are all His gifts.
Probably my second favorite CD is called WOW Hymns. I absolutely love the old hymns and have spent years looking for recorded hymns that I could sing along to. It stays in my car. All the time.
Following are three songs from Sarah’s CD that especially speak to my heart and soul.
“Painting Pictures of Egypt”
I don’t want to leave here, I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me either way
The places I long for the most are the places where I’ve been
They are calling out to me, like a long-lost friend
It’s not about loosing faith, it’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable, when you move so much
The place I was wasn’t perfect but I found a way to live
And it wasn’t milk and honey, but then neither is this
The past is so tangible, I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy to discard
I was longing for some freedom, but now I hesitate to go
I’m caught between Your promise and the things I know
Chorus: I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacks
The future looks so hard
And I want to go back
But the places that used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I’ve learned
And those doors were closed off to me
While my back was turned
“Hello Lord”
Hello Lord, it’s me, your child
I have a few things on my mind
Right now I’m faced with big decisions
And I’m wondering if you have a minute ’cause
Chorus: Right now I don’t hear so well and I was wondering if You could speak up
I know that You tore the veil so I could speak with you in person
But right now, I just can’t hear You
I don’t doubt Your sovereignty
I doubt my own ability to hear what You’re saying and to do the right thing
And I desperately want to do the right thing, but
Chorus: Right now I don’t hear so well and I was wondering if You could speak up
I know that You tore the veil so I could speak with you in person
But right now, I just can’t hear You
And somewhere in the back of my mind
I think You are telling me to wait
And though patience has never been mine
Still I will wait to hear from You
“Going Home”
I’ve been feeling kinda restless
I’ve been feeling out of place
I can hear a distant singing, a song that I can’t write
But it echoes in what I’m always trying to say
There’s a feeling I can’t capture
It’s always just a prayer away
I want to know the ending, things hoped for, but not seen
But I guess that’s the point of hoping anyway
I’m confined by my senses
To really know what You are like
You are more than I can fathom, more than I can guess
And more than I can see with human sight
But I have felt You with my spirit
I have felt You fill this room
This is just an invitation, just a sample of the whole
And I cannot wait to be going Home!
Chorus: Going Home, I’ll meet you at the table
Going Home, I’ll meet you in the air
You are never to young to think about it
Oh, I cannot wait to be going Home!
Face to face, how can it be? Face to face how can it be?
Face to face, how can it be?
As it turns out, the first and last songs in this list pretty much sum up my faith. “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” , but I can’t wait to be “Going Home”. And no, I didn’t plan the arrangement. It “just happened” that way. Many days I actually feel a bit of homesickness. I cannot WAIT to go Home! I know some people think that’s an awful thought. Most don’t want to die. I can’t say that I want to die, of course, but I just can’t wait to get to Heaven! I think it’s the Holy Spirit in me, yearning to be back with The Father.