You will not believe the way he touches me.
He burns right through me
I could not forget every word he said
He always knew me
Earth could never hold this love that burns my soul
heaven holds me
Can't hold my love back in you
I've gotta sing my love to you Jesus.
I wish I wrote those words originally but even though I did not they are exactly how I feel. I'm experiencing one of those days that I feel a heavy burden. My heart feels weighted down. On those days I find myself on my face before God or singing at the top of my lungs worship songs or both. Today is a both day.
There is a character on the TV show Heroes who's gift is the gift of making music that you can see in swirling rainbow colors. I think that is what our worship is to God. He physically sees it rising to him when we pour our hearts out in worship, praise and prayer.
I bet it's beautiful and I can't wait to see it too.
Sherry
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Miracles and Friends
I had the privilege at watching a miracle happen this week. Not your garden variety water into wine miracle but a miracle just the same.
If you don't know by now my favorite scripture in the Bible is Romans 8:28 "For all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose."
This has become over the years my motto for life. I seem to say it to someone at least once a week. God proves it to me over and over again seemingly on a daily basis.
This week I watched as God walked it out in someone else's life. January 5th unless your head is buried in the sand you know that Haiti had a massive earthquake. It left many people dead and many more homeless. The devastation that rocked this poor country is astounding and the inability for help to get there quickly showed just how much destruction there was.
Haiti has a ton of orphans and now that number has increase because of this quake. Typically the bureaucracy of the government and I suspect greed made the adoption process tedious and drawn out, often as long as four years to get a child and many thousand of dollars. There are hundreds possibly thousands of children stuck in the middle of this process just waiting to go to a family in another country and have a better life. I know of two such families. They both go to my church and they both wanted to give a better life to a child.
The miracle of which I speak was one that took a horrible destructive situation and made something beautiful out of it. Because of the devastation the quake took on the orphanages these children were left without a safe place to sleep or eat. So the people took action. Some came from the concerned potential parents here, some were politicians, and some in Haiti saw the need and with the sweeping glorious hand of God took action.
So what did I witness? Yesterday I watched as two very tired but very happy families walk off a plane carrying and holding the hands of children they didn't expect to see for quite a while. It was a very touching scene to see these three boys coming to a better life. Not just a better life of material wealth but to a life with wonderful Christian parents that will raise them to know Christ.
Yes I witnessed a miracle yesterday. Praise the Lord for he is worthy to be Praised!
If you don't know by now my favorite scripture in the Bible is Romans 8:28 "For all things work together for good to them that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose."
This has become over the years my motto for life. I seem to say it to someone at least once a week. God proves it to me over and over again seemingly on a daily basis.
This week I watched as God walked it out in someone else's life. January 5th unless your head is buried in the sand you know that Haiti had a massive earthquake. It left many people dead and many more homeless. The devastation that rocked this poor country is astounding and the inability for help to get there quickly showed just how much destruction there was.
Haiti has a ton of orphans and now that number has increase because of this quake. Typically the bureaucracy of the government and I suspect greed made the adoption process tedious and drawn out, often as long as four years to get a child and many thousand of dollars. There are hundreds possibly thousands of children stuck in the middle of this process just waiting to go to a family in another country and have a better life. I know of two such families. They both go to my church and they both wanted to give a better life to a child.
The miracle of which I speak was one that took a horrible destructive situation and made something beautiful out of it. Because of the devastation the quake took on the orphanages these children were left without a safe place to sleep or eat. So the people took action. Some came from the concerned potential parents here, some were politicians, and some in Haiti saw the need and with the sweeping glorious hand of God took action.
So what did I witness? Yesterday I watched as two very tired but very happy families walk off a plane carrying and holding the hands of children they didn't expect to see for quite a while. It was a very touching scene to see these three boys coming to a better life. Not just a better life of material wealth but to a life with wonderful Christian parents that will raise them to know Christ.
Yes I witnessed a miracle yesterday. Praise the Lord for he is worthy to be Praised!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord
I heard of another instance of this today. This makes two I have heard about in a week. Instances where God really did take care of a wrong done. But in the same ole God fashion he does it with flair and panache.
What am I talking about you ask? Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: For it is written, Vengeance is mine , I will repay, saith the Lord.
I got to tell you, I would not want to be on the receiving end of God's vengeance in any form.
Example one is not really my story to tell I really don't know all the components but in general lets just say that someone of power (Bob) hurt someone I love (Tom) deeply and maliciously 30 years ago. Last week Tom found himself helping a choking person in a restaurant and saving their lives. The person that was saved was Bob the very person in power that inflicted the pain on Tom so many years before. Coincidence?? I think not... when the person that was saved realized who had saved them they were speechless. God has style I gotta give him that.
Example two is more sad and I don't feel it right to share. I will just say this... There is a principle similar to Romans 12:19 in every religion in the world. Karma... What goes around comes around. It doesn't matter how you say it. If you hurt someone intentionally you will never escape the consequences of your actions. Most likely something similar will happen to you. You cheat... you get cheated on. You lie you find someone lying to you. But if the person you hurt is a Child of God.... Look out. It's coming and it won't be pretty.
What am I talking about you ask? Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: For it is written, Vengeance is mine , I will repay, saith the Lord.
I got to tell you, I would not want to be on the receiving end of God's vengeance in any form.
Example one is not really my story to tell I really don't know all the components but in general lets just say that someone of power (Bob) hurt someone I love (Tom) deeply and maliciously 30 years ago. Last week Tom found himself helping a choking person in a restaurant and saving their lives. The person that was saved was Bob the very person in power that inflicted the pain on Tom so many years before. Coincidence?? I think not... when the person that was saved realized who had saved them they were speechless. God has style I gotta give him that.
Example two is more sad and I don't feel it right to share. I will just say this... There is a principle similar to Romans 12:19 in every religion in the world. Karma... What goes around comes around. It doesn't matter how you say it. If you hurt someone intentionally you will never escape the consequences of your actions. Most likely something similar will happen to you. You cheat... you get cheated on. You lie you find someone lying to you. But if the person you hurt is a Child of God.... Look out. It's coming and it won't be pretty.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
God send an Angel at 17
The Lord has revealed himself to me in many ways. But he has seen fit to send me Angels twice that I know about. While I'm sure there are countless times that he has helped me with his warriors I can say I have actually seen them twice in my life. This story is about the second time.
I think I was Seventeen years old. If not I was very close to being that age. My father was the assistant pastor at a church in South Phoenix. It was a very small church in a very bad neighborhood but that is where my father felt called. Our pastor had two children still at home. A girl two years younger than me and a son that was a couple of years older. I'm not sure how old he was. Lets call him Dave for the sake of the story. Dave was not a Christian. He rebelled against his father in every way. He was into drugs and alcohol and "partying". I have no idea if his parents really knew any of this.
One day Dave ask me to go to his company picnic. He said that it was in Mesa somewhere and he would pick me up at around 11 AM. I know Dave liked to get stoned and told him that I would go if he showed up clean. Well Dave showed up at 11 stoned. I could tell but my parents didn't seem to notice so went ahead and went with him because I didn't want to cause a scene. Big mistake on my part.
On our way to Mesa I can't really tell you which way we went I wasn't paying attention. We seem to drive through a stretch of road that was in the middle of no where. This was 1982 trust me when I tell you Phoenix has grown a lot since then. All of a sudden Dave's car stalled and sure enough Dave announced we were out of Gas in the middle of no where on a very hot summers day. Needless to say I was a tad freaked out. Here I was in the middle of God knows where with a stoned preachers kid. Not my idea of a good time and to make matters worse Dave didn't have any money.
I did the only thing I knew how and I started praying. Dave was trying to figure out which way to start walking in order for us to find a pay phone. The next thing I knew out of literally no where a small car appeared. The man driving had a very kind smile and he said hey I think you need these and handed to full gas cans out the window to me. I turned and handed them to Dave and excitedly turned around to thank him and he was gone. Him and his car vanished into thin air. I looked up and down both ways of the street and there was not a car in site. If you ever want to know what will sober up a stoned guy... have God send a Angel. Dave was dumb struck. We immediately started looking for something to use as a funnel to get the gas in the car and found a wine bottle broken just perfectly. It did the trick and I was praising God the whole way home.
We did not make it to the picnic that day. I made Dave drive me straight home. We talked about what had happened on the road that day and we both knew that God helped us.
Dave turned his life around. He now works to get young boys off drugs with Teen Challenge. His father still pastors that church in south phoenix accept they bought some land and moved farther south.
I'm not sure why God has let me see his angels twice in my life. I hope it's because he knew I would share those experiences with as many as possible.
Now I have shared them with you. I hope by hearing them you at least have come to think about how much God cares about you so much that he thinks about us in the little things.
I'm sure he has sent his protectors to you at some time in your life.
Think about it.
Blessings,
Sherry
I think I was Seventeen years old. If not I was very close to being that age. My father was the assistant pastor at a church in South Phoenix. It was a very small church in a very bad neighborhood but that is where my father felt called. Our pastor had two children still at home. A girl two years younger than me and a son that was a couple of years older. I'm not sure how old he was. Lets call him Dave for the sake of the story. Dave was not a Christian. He rebelled against his father in every way. He was into drugs and alcohol and "partying". I have no idea if his parents really knew any of this.
One day Dave ask me to go to his company picnic. He said that it was in Mesa somewhere and he would pick me up at around 11 AM. I know Dave liked to get stoned and told him that I would go if he showed up clean. Well Dave showed up at 11 stoned. I could tell but my parents didn't seem to notice so went ahead and went with him because I didn't want to cause a scene. Big mistake on my part.
On our way to Mesa I can't really tell you which way we went I wasn't paying attention. We seem to drive through a stretch of road that was in the middle of no where. This was 1982 trust me when I tell you Phoenix has grown a lot since then. All of a sudden Dave's car stalled and sure enough Dave announced we were out of Gas in the middle of no where on a very hot summers day. Needless to say I was a tad freaked out. Here I was in the middle of God knows where with a stoned preachers kid. Not my idea of a good time and to make matters worse Dave didn't have any money.
I did the only thing I knew how and I started praying. Dave was trying to figure out which way to start walking in order for us to find a pay phone. The next thing I knew out of literally no where a small car appeared. The man driving had a very kind smile and he said hey I think you need these and handed to full gas cans out the window to me. I turned and handed them to Dave and excitedly turned around to thank him and he was gone. Him and his car vanished into thin air. I looked up and down both ways of the street and there was not a car in site. If you ever want to know what will sober up a stoned guy... have God send a Angel. Dave was dumb struck. We immediately started looking for something to use as a funnel to get the gas in the car and found a wine bottle broken just perfectly. It did the trick and I was praising God the whole way home.
We did not make it to the picnic that day. I made Dave drive me straight home. We talked about what had happened on the road that day and we both knew that God helped us.
Dave turned his life around. He now works to get young boys off drugs with Teen Challenge. His father still pastors that church in south phoenix accept they bought some land and moved farther south.
I'm not sure why God has let me see his angels twice in my life. I hope it's because he knew I would share those experiences with as many as possible.
Now I have shared them with you. I hope by hearing them you at least have come to think about how much God cares about you so much that he thinks about us in the little things.
I'm sure he has sent his protectors to you at some time in your life.
Think about it.
Blessings,
Sherry
Friday, January 1, 2010
2009 in review
Reflecting on 2009 it was a year of Fun, Inspiration and of great pain. I guess every year has its share of that in varying degrees. I must say I learned a lot about myself in 09 and even more about human nature.
I am a product of my environment. I grew up watching certain behaviors and thinking them normal and thus repeat them. Although some of the more destructive ones I had managed to break the cycle along time ago I find that some of the more subtle ones I have continued to cling to till this year. I love how patient God is with us in our dysfunction. He just waits and directs and nudges us in the right direction till we give up the reigns and finally let him lead. I am glad I am not God because I would be so frustrated with my people if I were and their lack of faith and direction.
Some of the more wonderful things about this year were the opportunity to go to Peru with my oldest daughter and see the mighty potential in her. She can not see it of course but I see a young woman of compassion in her and of daring and I know the Lord will use that mightily if she lets him.
I got to see my youngest daughter blossom into you beautiful teen and find her talent and how special she is. I see a wonderful grateful spirit in her that warms my heart and I can tell the lessons about life and God are penetrating her soul. I see an eagerness to be a child of God in her. I know I have one more chance to raise a Godly woman and I pray daily that I succeed.
This year I have realized what it means to take a risk and put my foot down. Satan hates that and has tried to rip and tear at me. But I have stood my ground and will continue to do so no matter what. The end result will be something of beauty the Lord has promised. Though the path is very very hard. I will persevere.
I have made new friends this year and have finally opened myself up to people at church. It was scary after being burned so many times but they seem to have accepted me and for that I’m grateful. I think it may take me a while to relax and truly be myself but I have committed to try if they will continue to let me in.
I have lost a couple of dear friends this year too. Both of which I loved beyond measure. Sometimes people just walk way I guess. I struggle with that a lot because of my lack of feeling worthy. But I realize that being my friend is not always easy because I’m such a high challenge person. I shall miss them both.
So I guess I am looking forward to 2010 and all the possibilities it brings. New growth, new life and the same ole race to finish with Dignity and Honor into the open arms of my Saviour.
Happy New Years everyone.
I am a product of my environment. I grew up watching certain behaviors and thinking them normal and thus repeat them. Although some of the more destructive ones I had managed to break the cycle along time ago I find that some of the more subtle ones I have continued to cling to till this year. I love how patient God is with us in our dysfunction. He just waits and directs and nudges us in the right direction till we give up the reigns and finally let him lead. I am glad I am not God because I would be so frustrated with my people if I were and their lack of faith and direction.
Some of the more wonderful things about this year were the opportunity to go to Peru with my oldest daughter and see the mighty potential in her. She can not see it of course but I see a young woman of compassion in her and of daring and I know the Lord will use that mightily if she lets him.
I got to see my youngest daughter blossom into you beautiful teen and find her talent and how special she is. I see a wonderful grateful spirit in her that warms my heart and I can tell the lessons about life and God are penetrating her soul. I see an eagerness to be a child of God in her. I know I have one more chance to raise a Godly woman and I pray daily that I succeed.
This year I have realized what it means to take a risk and put my foot down. Satan hates that and has tried to rip and tear at me. But I have stood my ground and will continue to do so no matter what. The end result will be something of beauty the Lord has promised. Though the path is very very hard. I will persevere.
I have made new friends this year and have finally opened myself up to people at church. It was scary after being burned so many times but they seem to have accepted me and for that I’m grateful. I think it may take me a while to relax and truly be myself but I have committed to try if they will continue to let me in.
I have lost a couple of dear friends this year too. Both of which I loved beyond measure. Sometimes people just walk way I guess. I struggle with that a lot because of my lack of feeling worthy. But I realize that being my friend is not always easy because I’m such a high challenge person. I shall miss them both.
So I guess I am looking forward to 2010 and all the possibilities it brings. New growth, new life and the same ole race to finish with Dignity and Honor into the open arms of my Saviour.
Happy New Years everyone.
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