Lord, I Need You

Lord I need You, when the sea of life is calm

O Lord I need you when the wind is blowing strong

Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees

Lord I need You, Lord I need You

Sometimes when life seems gentle and blessings flood my way,

I turn my gaze away from you, and soon forget to pray

But when the sky grows darker and courage turns to fear

My anxious voice cries upward with words You long to hear

Lord I need You, when the sea of life is calm

O Lord I need you when the wind is blowing strong

Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees

Lord I need You, Lord I need You

Lord help me to remember, I’m weak but You are strong

I cannot sing apart from You, for Lord You are my song

Although I’m prone to wander and boast in all I do

Lord keep my eyes turned upward, so I depend on You
(Ron Hamilton)

Singing this song many times over in the past 6 months has spoke to me. I realized my constant need for the Lord in my daily life. Not one days goes by that I do not need Him. Recognizing my weakness without Him has drawn to my knees to ask Him to come by side, because I need Him!

Blessings! 

A New Day Dawning

Having recently started working third shift, I soon found there was something that I longed for during each shift. No matter how tough the shift was or how easy it was, there was a moment in the shift that seems to fill me with peace and revive my weary human body. 

"What" you might wonder?

It is the promise of a new day. 

The beauty of each morning as the sun began to top the mountains or peek through the clouds. And you might say that not every day is the sun visible. How true that is, but even though it is hidden from eye, it is still there. As dawn breaks across the horizon, just the promise of a new day fills one with peace and revives deep down. 

So it is with our Christian life. New days dawn in our walk with Christ; some bright and cheery, others damp and dreary. And it is always easy to rejoice when the sun is bright, life is full of joys and blessings. But so often it is even harder to be happy when the skies are filled with clouds of disappointments, trials, hardships. As children of the King, we are reminded of the mercies that are new every day, whether they be something as little as a beautiful sunrise or  something as big as physical healing in the life of a loved one. Even when the day is drear, it is filled with the mercies of the Lord. Just by being alive is indication of His mercy extended toward you or me.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

So whether your day is bright or drear, the Lord has bestowed His mercies upon you. When the way is bright, thank Him for what He has done. And when the way is drear and hard, look for the small things that He has blessed you with.

Look for that new day! Wait patiently for it and dwell in the beauty that the Lord has bestowed in the bright and the drear.

Remember that there is a NEW DAY for all those that seek Him! It could happen any day!

PS. A "new" day has dawned in my life. I am now officially registered for the clinical aspect of Nursing. This has been a long awaited moment of mine, having studied 2.5 years of part-time gen ed studies in preparation for this moment. I am looking forward to seeing where God leads from here.

The Apple Tree

Just yesterday as I listened to some CDs that had been stored away for some time. And I was filled with joy and peace as I heard an old gospel song that has meant so much to me over the years. A song of invitation and reconciliation. A song of surrender to the Lord. A song that the Lord used to speak to me to prompt me to "come home"  and into His arms of love.

Coming home means so much to an individual. Maybe having spent time away on a trip, studying away from home. Coming home has a feeling of comfort and a sense of being. A place where one can be just who they are meant to be. 

In a spiritual sense, coming home is a feeling of joy and peace. A feeling of being completely surrendered to Jesus and His will for my life. No matter what I may have done, He is standing there with open arms, waiting for me. Waiting for you. 

Day after day I would listen to this song and I sensed a feeling of conviction. The Spirit continued to nudge my soul until one Sunday morning, the Lord called and I answered. I came home! Oh, the feeling of peace and joy that flooded my soul that morning, as I recognized the love of God for a soul such as mine. 

Four years later as I dealt with issues and struggles in my personal life, inwardly I slipped away from serving God and being completely surrendered to Him. At a meeting, the Lord used the song leader to lead this invitational song at the close of revivals, calling me back to Him.

And just as He saved my soul that first day, He was waiting for me with open arms, willing me back to Him. And He is waiting with arms outstretched for you! He loves you with an immeasurable love! 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Just like Ma and Pa were waiting for their son with open arms, Jesus is waiting for you. His arms are wide open, calling you home to Him, fully surrendered to Him, filled with peace and joy that only He can give.

Daily seek Him! Daily surrender your life to Him! Lord, I'm coming home to the peace and joy that only you can give!

Come home my child, come home! Find rest in the arms of Jesus. He is waiting for you!

Finding rest. Part of a series of "Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour." Find more out here.

Would We Truly Long for Heaven?

Would We Truly Long for Heaven?

(click for a sound clip)

Would we truly long for heaven 

If this life was perfect here,
If we had no pain or heartache,
If we never shed a tear? 

If we had no disappointments,
And our dreams would all come true,
Could we keep that heav'nly vision
And that deep eternal view?

Would we truly long for Heaven
If we never gave a sigh,
If the old were always taken,
And the young would never die?

If we had no cherished loved ones
Waiting at the eastern gate,
Would we truly long for Heaven
And reunion that awaits?

Would we truly long for Heaven
At the ending of the road,
If our backs were never bleeding
From the burden of the load?

If the sun was always shining,
If we never felt a gale,
Would we long for Heaven’s Harbour
To be safe within the veil?

Would we truly long for Heaven
And the bliss of yonder shore,
If we had no loved ones tugging
On the line at Heaven’s door?

If our precious family circle
Never was broken here below,
Would we truly long for Heaven
Where our loved ones we shall know?

Yes, dear Savior, we are longing
To be safe on Heaven’s shore,
And these trials only make us
Long for Heaven more and more.

And we see that Thou art using
Every trial of each day
As a tug from Heaven’s anchor
Just to pull us Heaven’s way. 
--Elizabeth Drudge

This song really struck a chord this weekend as I listen to the Buffalo Valley Men's Octet at Wilkes-Barre Mennonite Church Sunday morning. If my life was perfect, what would I have to look forward too? If no one ever died, who would I miss? 

Then I thought, do I truly long for heaven with each passing day? Does each day find me longing for the day when I will see my Savior's face? Scriptures reveal the day is fast approaching - 

"18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye 

have heard that antichrist shall come, even 

now are there many antichrists; whereby we 

know that it is the last time.(1 John 2:18)

Many false teachers are in our presence, attempting to teach "new" doctrine and doing away with "old" doctrine. But God's Word is unchanging! He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

My challenge to you is to truly long for heaven. Stay strong in the True faith of God as we are in the last days. Heaven awaits for those who have remained faithful to the calling of God on their lives. some final Scripture for you -

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary

 the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, 

seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8)

5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelations 21:5-7)

The joy that awaits us truly outweighs the pleasure and luxury of this world!

Truly longing for heaven!

(in)courage: There's Power in Your Story -

I was blessed as I read what Kaitlyn had to share today at (in)courage.

Shared from (in)courage...  

You don’t know me from Adam. Oddly enough, I don’t know you either.

But this I do know:

You need encouragement.

You have a Story to tell.

You are community.

If we had the chance to sit down across from each other over a frappechino and something chocolate-y {a warm brownie, preferably}, I bet we would be fast friends.

There’s nothing that binds friends so fast as the power of Story. It’s in the sharing of Story that we find community in one another. When I share a piece of myself, you can relate to the real me, raw and exposed. When you speak of your triumphs and struggles, I’m right there with you, celebrating as you cross the finish line and holding your hand when the tears fall... Read more...