You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Five Minute Friday’ category.
I need a song to sing to You
I stand in awe of what You do
I need words to describe
All that You are, what I feel inside
You whisper deep inside my heart
You show my glimpses of who You are
Iris Ministries & Will Reagan {I NEED A SONG}
i need a song. i need a song to communicate to others and TO MYSELF the greatness and goodness of God.
worship REMINDS us who God is, His greatness, His goodness, His power, His grace
it REFOCUSES our attention on Him, His greatness, His goodness, His power, His grace
it REFRESHES our heart and CONNECTS us in RELATIONSHIP
it is an expression of love, adoration, surrender
worship reinforces what matters most, reminds us of truths we forget and renews our desire to live what we believe. Rick Warren
a song comes from within me,
rising up and expresses my feelings towards God.
it rises up and declares faith in His power and majesty.
it rises up and gives Him the honour He is due, as Saviour, Creator, Lord.
a song sings to me, reminding me of His love, power and character.
there have being seasons and times which have had “a soundtrack” – a particular song that expresses how i feel or what God is doing at the moment. there are seasons when a song has resonated so within me that it becomes etched in my heart and allows the truth within the words to write comfort and hope in my mind and soul. these songs are God given, His graceful gift to me. His language to me is in songs.
One of note is COME TO ME by Bethel, that was released, as a pre release, on the day tony’s dad died. i downloaded it for free and had it on repeat for weeks. it was HIS song for me for that moment, His love song that He sung over me. (Zephaniah 3:17)
God is so worthy, there are not enough words in the universe to accurately express the wonder and wonderfulness He is. but i will sing. i will try.
Worship Songs I Love:
Oceans // Hillsong {my fav worship song at the moment}
Anchor // Bethel Church
you are the song I sing, you are the song I sing, Jesus, With every breath I breathe , With every song I sing, I want to shout it out, Lord I am listening Spirit Speaks
you’re the one that paints with light the night, you’re always not wrong, and never not right, there’s not enough words on earth to describe, or to put into song, or compare with the brightness of your majesty // MAJESTY
Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Psalm 7:17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 13:6 I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Psalm 57:9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
Psalm 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 101:1 I will sing of your love and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
on the day before we came home from our recent holiday, we arrived back at our holiday home, to find that it had being broken into. some precious things were gone and our things touched, our sanctuary away from home invaded.
once some of the formalities were done with, manager informed (message on the answerphone), police phoned
we began the process of comfort.
i made dinner. the kids favourite. we turned on tv (we became addicted to icarly and it was the final ever episode! yay for skytv)
we got blankets. we snuggled. we prayed. we thanked God for His angels who were keeping guard of us and keeping guard of our things. we asked Him to help us to sleep well and to protect us.
then once the kids were a bit more settled, i did what i do in times like this.
i went to the bedroom and i phoned my dad.
my mum and dad live in the South Island (of New Zealand) and we live in the North Island, so practically, there is nothing they could do. some advice yes. but there is just something about ringing my dad that does it for me.
about 5 years ago one of our housegroup guys died in a car accident. i had to ring round his church friends, my housegroup, to inform them. we all gravitated to church, where i began the process of helping to plan his funeral and liaison with his family as our pastor was away on a mission trip, due back in a few days. i had to make breakfast for my kids, pack lunches, take my son to school and then go to church, to be there, to talk, to find hope, to find comfort. before anyone arrived, i shut myself in an office and made that phone call. i phoned my dad.
when tony’s dad died, my dad was the first one i called.
and with each of these phone calls i make, i know its something more. i know its also a physical representation of how i find comfort, not only in my earthly dad, but in my Heavenly Father. the phone call is like the symbolic outworking of what i am doing on the inside. calling my Heavenly Dad. the God of all comfort. the Father of compassion. as i dial, i am really praying. as i dial, i am really turning my heart to God, finding hope in His hands.
just like i need to hear the voice of my earthly dad, in those moments, i need to hear the voice of my heavenly Father.
sometimes it comes in a bible verse, or a page of a book, a blog post, an email.
sometimes it comes in a song. or a timely hug from someone at church.
but i know He speaks. i know He is with me. He is the God of ALL comfort.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ Matthew 11:28-29
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
this popped into my inbox today and i thought it was a perfect follow on from my Five Minute Friday post on BRAVE yesterday so thought i would share. Be brave you awesome people – Be strong in God!
God gives strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
Sometimes we get it backwards. When we worry about the uncertainties of tomorrow we’re bound to bend and break beneath the weight of anxiety. God doesn’t give strength for tomorrow’s tests. He only gives strength for today. Like manna. Each day has enough trouble of its own .
God’s only provision for your future needs is hope. The certainty of His sovereignty is your only guarantee. Make a note though: God doesn’t give you hope for the needs of today. He gives you strength for your immediate needs-and He expects you to do something about them! I’ve met people who waste time hoping things will work out-when God has already given them the strength to make a change and take a step. You can’t substitute hope for hard work, expecting God to do something for you that you can do for yourself.
Do you a have need today? Walk confidently in the strength of your God for the needs of your now.
Do you have a concern about tomorrow? Tomorrow’s strength will be deposited in your account first thing tomorrow morning-not a moment before.
Until then, put your hope in Christ alone.
Great is His faithfulness!
firstly, i have to say i have always wanted hair like the chick in Brave. curls like that. colour perhaps not as red but more dark red. nice.
but secondly, brave is something i would like to be.
or rather i think i am, sometimes.
is that a contradiction?
or rather perhaps, my request is that i am more aware of Him, who makes me brave, who is within me, who rises up on the inside and fills me with fearlessness…
there are times when i face my giants and i am aware of His presence and hope
that carries me
sustains me
emboldens me
there are times when i am riding a storm and i am aware of His presence and hope and grace
giving me peace
despite the waves and the wind swirling around me
there are times when i am curled in a foetal position, ear plugs in, aware of His presence and hope and grace and comfort
holding me
singing over me
bravery isn’t found in the quiet space or the sunny day
it is found in the midst of opposition and pain
on the darkest days filled with thunder
on the days when you scream out loud, or silently
brave can be meeting new people, trying new things, climbing new heights (or jumping off them!)
it is found on the days when you have to make difficult decisions and have difficult conversations
it is in tackling evil and indifference, it is in standing up for the weak and rising up for justice
it is in sacrifice and unsureness, trust and wisdom
it comes from having a history with God, seeing Him stand at His word, fulfilling His promises
it comes from wrestling bears and lions, staring giants in the eye, rudder to the storm
bravery comes from not knowing what to do next, but stepping out anyway
it comes from knowing that if God spoke it, He shall accomplish it
and that He uses vessels like you and me, ordinary people, to do extraordinary things
be brave
stand up
speak out
rise
pray
rejoice
be brave
The chasm between talking about something & doing something about that thing is only bridged by a willingness to forsake comfort & ease. Our fundamental unwillingness to have our own plans, schedules, or balanced lives interrupted or inconvenienced is what limits us. ~ Christine Caine
here i am.
today.
in my space.
in my world.
listening to my husband teach math with lego blocks with my daughter.
listening to my son commentate a rugby game in the hallway.
sitting.
writing.
in a moment of quiet creativity amidst the busyness that here is.
dinner cooks.
homework is completed.
cutlery clanks.
i am surrounded by those i love and that love me.
and most importantly, i am loved by God.
who has placed me
positioned me
purposed me
for here
today
now.
before i was born my here was before Him,
He knew me, loved me.
He called me wonderfully created, beautiful to Him.
At the cross, He rescued me, saved me, brought me peace.
my life is found here,
in this place,
with these people,
and my God.
okay i got inspired to write a second one. is that allowed?
so my family are obsessed with design shows. i think our two favourites would be The Block Australia and the Design by Novogratz.
there is just something amazing about a house or room that goes from zero to hero.
and a lot of work that goes into that.
its a process of transformation, of change, of grace, of renovation. it takes removal and replacing, demolishing and deconstruction, it takes creativity and care.
"God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. Imagine what he can do with you."
you are a work of art. you are a work in process. you are a design challenge.
“in every block of marble i see a statue as plain as though it stood before me shaped and perfect in attitude and action. i only have to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.” Michelangelo
“For we are God’s own handiwork (His workmanship). We are His masterpiece, created anew in Christ Jesus so we may do the good things He prepared and planed in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Masterpiece: 1. A work of outstanding artistry, extraordinary skill, or workmanship. 2. An artist’s or craftsman’s best piece of work.
Sculpting a masterpiece doesn’t happen overnight – it’s a process that requires time and careful work. The same is true for imperfect progress. God is chiselling us, making us new – and that requires time, careful work and a great deal of grace. ~ Lysa Terkeurst
my life is under construction.
i am just a jar of clay.
i am being renovated by the master designer of the universe, who breathed out the stars, and clothed the fields, and coloured the oceans.
i am unique, with a unique purpose and destiny.
i surrender my life afresh to the hand of the designer, to the one who pulls out the old and forges the new.
i am a before awaiting an after.
my eyes are set on a glorious forever after.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
i like after.
i like that feeling after the game, after the show, after the conference, after the message.
that glow of a job well done, a project finished, an opportunity satisfied.
that feeling of after means i’ve done all i can do and now its up to God.
okay, even that all i can do is up to God too, you know what i mean.
i have prepared, laboured, prayed, given, worked, planned, stressed, poured out.
and now its done.
i can put my feet up, thank God, and surrender the next to Him.
what happens next is that God takes that what i’ve done, what i’ve partnered with Him to do, and He grows it.
my doing is a seed.
He is the grower.
the harvest is the results.
He takes what we’ve done and stirs hearts. changes lives. heals brokenness. brings light.
He accomplishes.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
i like the after.
*** i have to also put out there i like the before too. i love planning and preparing and praying and not so much the stressing, but i love that buzz of getting ready for a moment, a moment that God will use, a moment that has signficance, a moment that makes memories…
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
this week we took time to remember my father in law, alan.
it would of being his 78’th birthday on thursday.
as a family and with tony’s mum we gathered together at our house, amidst the busyness that a thursday brings in our household.
throughout the day, as i was driving and doing, i remembered alan.
a kind man
a man who prayed
a man who got down on the floor with his grandkids, who built lego spaceships and read stories and did puzzles
a man who loved us and was loyal stronghearted
a man who loved jesus and followed the Holy Spirit
there is still a great big alan shaped hole in our hearts and days when we feel his absence more acutely.
today is one of those days.
we’re going to a manx society function. alan was from the isle of mann. this is very much a space that we associate with him. part of him.
but its a blessing to remember these good things, to appreciate, appreciate even the loss.
because that is an indicator of how he was loved and how he loved.
we remember, we will not forget.
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
beautiful Jesus
your love amazes me
though i search to know its depths, i know it is more vast than i can comprehend
so i rest in it
i dwell in it
i find hope it
i trust in it
that you love me, simple
you love me.
i give up my way, my earning, my striving, my working, my running
i can do nothing, but respond, but receive, but rest
i will call upon your name
believe in your grace
i will rest
secure
confident
at peace with God
knowing
that you love me, simple
you love me.
i feel sometimes that i live my life
holding your hand
walking ever closer with you
i need you
i need your love
i’m grateful i don’t have to earn it, and it is forever
because even in my failings you love me
beautiful jesus
my soul will rest in your embrace, i am yours and you are mine
you love me, simple
you love me.
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
ordinary people.
the bible is filled with them.
shepherds.
fishermen.
tax collectors.
tent makers.
farmers.
mothers.
ordinary people that have left a mark on history – not because of their own life – but because they lived for One who is Extraordinary.
my life is part of the amazing story that Jesus is weaving throughout all of history – from Adam to me God is telling the story of love, grace, power and redemption. though i am ordinary i am priv’d to be part of God’s extraordinary purpose to demonstrate His reality. in my everyday life i can choose to live in my little kingdom or embrace the potential of the Kingdom of God.
The biblical model is that God deliberately chooses imperfect vessels — those who have been wounded, those with physical or emotional limitations. Then he prepares them to serve and sends them out with their weakness still evident, so that his strength can be made perfect in that weakness. ~ Undaunted || Christine Caine
{
ps.
even my everyday tasks, though mundane, can be lived as worship to the King of Kings. washing. dishes. luxing. making school lunches. helping with homework. tshirts. jeans. flats. pony tails.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24
}
my life may be ordinary in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of my family i am extraordinary valued.
to those i love my life has incredible purpose.
i am on mission. an ambassador for Christ. i am not living to write my own story, but living for HIS story.
THIS is my life. in this moment. in the domestic-ness. in the joy. in the pain. in the victory. in the defeat. in the opportunity. in ministry. in this minute. this is my life and i have a choice how i will live it and who i will live it for.
my life may be ordinary, but it will, if i choose to live it wholeheartedly, generously, gracefully, leave an indelible mark on eternity, as God works through me.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2
live not limited by ordinary but realize that God loves you and has created you and positioned you for His purpose, plan and glory. He is extraordinary through you.
Recent Comments