Striving For Gratefulness

"Rejoice Evermore. Pray Without Ceasing. In Every Thing Give Thanks: For This Is The Will Of God In Christ Jesus Concerning You."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Charles Dickens ~ " No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another."

For those who have been placed on my path, who help to make my burdens lighter.

Albert Schweitzer ~ "In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."

For those who help my inner spirit to soar.

Alphonse Karr ~ "Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses."

For those who teach me how to view life from a different perspective.

Viki King ~ "You won't be happy with more until you're happy with what you've got."

For those who opened my eyes to see just how truly blessed I am.

Helen Keller ~ "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart."

For those who have touched my heart in ways I can not even begin to express.

Victoria Monfort ~ "Choosing Trust over Doubt gets me burned once in a while, but I'd rather be singed than hardened."

For those who showed me it was okay to trust again.

Audrey Hepburn ~ "People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."

For those who take the time to guide and help me to be the woman I am becoming.

Belinda Garrison ~ "Fear grows out of the things we think; it lives in our minds. Compassion grows out of the things we are, and lives in our hearts."

For those who help to calm my fears and those who show me where compassion lives.

George Colman ~ "Praise the bridge that carried you over."

For those who helped bridge the line between bitterness and forgiveness.

Alfred North Whitehead ~ "No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."

For those who want nothing more than for me to succeed.

Sarah Ban Breathnach ~ "Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need."  

For those who welcomed me into their family... Regardless.

William Feather ~ "Many of our prayers were not answered, and for this we are now grateful."

For those who showed me that sometimes unanswered prayers, truly are a blessing.

 

I love Thanksgiving.

It is my absolute favorite holiday of the year.

You get to eat some of the best foods ever made and you don't have to buy hundreds of dollars worth of presents that will break within a month anyway.

You don't have to decorate your house with all sorts of greens and reds.

There are no mounds of tinsel, nor tangled lights to contend with.

There is a crispness in the air, gorgeous leaves on the grounds and the air just smells like cinnamon and pumpkins.

You get to break out your fall sweaters, boots and jackets...

Who am I kidding, I live in Florida and we are still wearing shorts and flip flops.  :)

Thanksgiving has always seemed like the start of a New Year for me.

This year more so than others, because I am very thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

People more than anything.

Wonderful people who go out of their way to help, to guide, to love... Just because.

If you know me, then you know it isn't a secret that I never really had much to do with people.

Content to live in my own little world with my family, happy to ignore the "real world."

If you have been reading along for any length of time, you know how that worked out for me. :)

However, I have learned some valuable lessons this past year and I have been blessed with beautiful people who help me to learn.

I read a quote today by Alexander Graham Bell that states ~  "When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

All too often people are attached to their past, to what is familiar to them, and they tend to miss new doors, filled with new opportunities, that are standing right in front of them.

Not every plan you have for your life is going to work out.

There are going to be losses, failures, problems in relationships, loss of money or job, loss of friends and family and sometimes very unpleasant things can happen.

We may not always have control over these things that happen, but we can control our reactions and our attitudes.

If we always focus our attention to what was lost, "the closed door," we see only a closed door, which in turn can fill us with frustration and unhappiness, however, if we can learn to shift our line of vision and attention away from the closed door, we might be pleasantly surprised to discover a whole row of open new doors.

Every night during my prayers, I always give thanks for the doors that have been opened, as well as the lessons learned, from the doors that have been shut.

It all starts with your attitude and how you look at things and this year, I am thankful I have new doors lined up for me. 

There are people He has placed in my life that I am forever grateful for...

Some will read this, some will not, however, they all know what they mean to me.

I love each and every one of you ~ Just for who you are.

My boys and my family.

My bloggy friends who email me when I don't post in quite some time, just to check in and make sure all is well.

G ~ The big brother I never had ~ You are one of my dearest friends and I am thankful for the lessons you have taught me, for your friendship, for the fact that you won't allow me to have a single pity party and for showing me that it is okay to cry like a baby. You make me laugh and it is a comforting thought knowing you are right there, no matter when, no matter what.

D ~ My prayer partner, my friend ~ You have the best laugh of anyone I know. Your joy and spirit are contagious. I love to see His light shining through you as you sing and I am so very grateful you are in my life. You have taught me the true meaning of "having my back," and what it means to have a "friend for life." You help me in ways you don't even know, as well as in ways you do and eventually I think we will be able to remove the "thorn in my side," otherwise known as praying out loud. You are a blessing to know and a joy to be around.

Pastor ~ My mentor, my friend ~ Where do I even begin? I could write post after post about you. The first person who earned my trust after all was said and done. You know when you are needed and you know when to step back a bit. There will always be a special place in my heart for you and for what you have done. You have taught me emotions are okay to show, prayers never need to be silent and joy, sheer joy can be found, even in the midst of complete sorrow. I will always defend you and forever respect you and I pray that I never let you down.

Reverend M ~ My mentor, my friend ~ You are just you. Energetic, animated, happy, and full of life. You always make time whenever I ask, without a second thought. Willing to answer question after question, never tiring and always making sure I leave your presence understanding fully. You have shown me the "circle" as well as who to let into it and who to cut loose. You make me smile and it is a joy to know you.

R ~ My mentor, my friend ~ A woman on the same path as I am, willing to help me find my footing, catching if I stumble, always helpful and never hurtful. You my friend, have a quiet beauty that shines from within you and touches those around you. It would be hard to be on this road on my own, knowing you are in front of me, gives me the courage to face my fears and continue forward.

My Heavenly Father ~ I thank you for each and every one of these beautiful people you have placed in my path. I know there are many more and each is filled with their own qualities, besides my family, these 5 mentioned by name however, are the ones that I interact with the most and I am eternally blessed and grateful You saw fit to place them into my life.

Father, I ask you to bless each person reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength as they learn submission to your leading.

Where there is spiritual indifference, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them.

Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I thank You, I praise You and I ask You, in Jesus' most precious name I pray.

Amen. 


Happy Thanksgiving.

NICHOLE NORDEMAN & AMY GRANT
You Do Your Best To Build A Higher Wall.
To Keep Love Safe From Every Wrecking Ball.
When The Dust Is Cleared
You Will See The House That Love Rebuilt
Guarding Beauty That Lives Here Still.

In The Clouds

"Have I Not Commanded You? Be Strong And Courageous. Do Not Be Afraid; Do Not Be Discouraged, For The LORD Your God Will Be With You Wherever You Go." Joshua 1:9

Never before has that verse meant more to me, than it does right now.

I know it has been awhile since I have been here.

I get your emails just checking in, as well as the messages on Facebook and I appreciate you all very much.

It has been a long month since I last checked in. A month filled with changes, growth, smiles, as well as tears.

My first 2 classes are done (I received an A in each class *smiles*) and I am 3 weeks into the next 2 classes.

Between school, work and everything in between I haven't been able to find the time to get on here and share like I used to, however, I will try to be better about it.

As I knelt at the Altar during morning service this past Sunday, head down, hands clasped in front of me, eyes closed; Scared, fearful, more nervous than I have ever felt in my entire life, almost sick with worry, hoping I wouldn't start crying, feeling so tense that I was sure if someone said "Boo" to me, I would literally crack, praying that He would take all the emotions running through me and replace them with His peace, I felt 2 hands on my head, one on each side and then a voice in my ear...

I didn't even have to open my eyes to know it was my Pastor.

He knew, just as he always does, when he was needed without being asked.

He knew the emotions swirling within me, because he had already been in this exact moment.

This past Sunday at 4pm, I preached my first official sermon. Those of you who are on my Facebook already know that and you also know how nervous I was lol.

I thought I was going to go in there, speak for 20 minutes and then go home....

What I didn't know was that it was a whole service, complete with the choir, programs, ushers etc...

As I did when I was the guest speaker, I was put in my Pastors' office and since I knew there was an awful lot riding on this (more about that in a minute), I was very anxious and literally shaking in my seat.

I sat there for about 15 minutes as he did what he had to do, in and out of the office and then M and R came in along with him and it was time for prayer.

Since praying out loud is still a huge thorn in my side that I haven't been able to remove, I was grateful he didn't ask me to lead it.

Then onto the outside area (but not into the Sanctuary yet) to pray with the choir, where he says to me that if the roles were reversed, he isn't sure he could do what I was about to do.

~ Side note,  Thanks for making me even more nervous, Pastor W. ~ :) :)

As the choir heads out, he speaks with our pianist and then it is our time to go out.

I head to the center seat as instructed (yes, his seat once again) and he takes the seat next to me as the choir starts singing.

Let me just say, our choir rocks....

I absolutely love listening to them and I was so happy they were there on the program.

Next up is prayer and another song selection, which by the way was beautifully done and makes me cry every time I hear it.

You can listen to it here if you so fancy.  :)

Then my Pastor is the one who introduced me and he had me in tears by this time.

Let the people who know me (outside the Church) that I was in another family, that they loved me and accepted me.

That it wasn't up to them to question who God choses to bring His word and for the ones that came "just to see" he said he would pray for them.

He read 2 Timothy 3:13-4:7 to me, making it known that I was to speak life into the people of God, never death.

He spoke for a few more minutes and after a few more verses from the choir, it was my time.

The Scripture that was laid on my heart 2 weeks ago was 2 Chronicles 20:2-7 and while I wouldn't have specifically chosen this Scripture, God had other plans.

I was told 2 1/2 weeks ago that I needed to do this, I wouldn't have a lot of time to do it, however if I didn't get it done, I would have to wait another year (due to the structure of our Church).

He also gave me free reign from the Bible, to preach on anything laid on my heart, and quite honestly I was hoping for a nice Psalm or a cool Proverb or perhaps even something out of Revelation, but Chronicles?

Good thing I just finished my Old Testament class lol.

So I prepared a sermon based on fear as well as sacrifice and I will post it here in the next few days.

I took my place behind the pulpit, started reading and I kid you not, the microphone did almost the same thing it did before...

I just had to laugh as my Pastor came up and kept tapping it, finally it stopped with the awful feedback and we proceeded.

I took a deep breath and started over.

While watching the DVD, I can see my nervousness shining through, there were areas where I was tongue-tied and I fidget with my hands (last time I was told I needed to stop speaking with my hands, so I was trying to keep them at my side).

When I was about 3/4 of the way through, something happened within me that literally took my breath away and you can see it as I am speaking.

I am struggling to catch my breath and speak at the same time.

That all-consuming love I felt last time, (when I had finished speaking) overtook me and it is so powerful and so filling that you just want to laugh and cry at the same time.

I finished in tears.

I took a step back and as my Pastor came back into the pulpit, (he had been sitting in the pew watching) I could see he was in tears as well.

He spoke for a few more minutes and called me down to the front and then called everyone up for hugs and such.

He reminded everyone that there was a Church conference the following night at 7pm and informed me before I left that I was to be present.

The Church conference was to hold a vote, on whether I was to be able to move forward.

In order to preach in my Church, the congregation votes to allow you to move onto the next step and I was even more worried about this I think, than anything else.

I knew that my sermon had a lot riding on it and I put so much pressure on myself that last Wednesday I was actually sick just from nerves.

As I left the house last night, due to Daylight Savings Time, it was almost completely dark.

There were clouds rolling in and breaks in the clouds where you could see the moonlight shining through.

As I got to the stoplight at the end of my street, I put some music on, rolled down the window, stuck my head out for some fresh air and looked up...

The clouds were breaking and almost directly above me I saw the most incredible sight...

One break was shaped into the form of a heart and right beside that break, was another break and it was shaped into the biggest Cross I have ever seen.

"Wherever you go" those were the words I heard as I looked into the sky.

My heart was pounding like crazy.

I picked up my prayer partner (I know you are reading this and you know I love you lots) who was sick and feeling wretched but still wanted to cast her vote.

We got to the Church, I sat in the very back until my Pastor came in and called me to sit in the very front row, back towards all who would be voting so I couldn't see a thing, except the pulpit I had just stood in front of less than 24 hours before that.

I could feel the burn behind my eyes and the whisper of the voice telling me "You will never make it."

We opened with prayer as well as a reading from Scripture.

He made sure they all knew who I was and then spoke about why we were there, what they were required to do.

He asked for a motion on the floor, and once he had that, he asked for a second...

He then asked that all who were in favor to please stand, I stayed seated...

He looked at me and asked if I was against myself and I said I didn't think I was supposed to vote for myself lol, he said you aren't, but I want you to stand.

So I stood and then he said I want you to turn around and see who has your back...

I took a deep breath and fighting back tears I turned around, to everyone in the congregation standing.

This Sunday, I will be presented to the Elders of the Church and I will let you know how it goes.

BART MILLARD
I’d Like To Look In The Mirror, Without Hiding My Eyes
I’d Like To See What You See, Why You Think I’m Qualified
To Speak For You, O God, Most High

How Will They Remember Me?

"Have I Not Commanded You? Be Strong And Courageous. Do Not Be Frightened, And Do Not Be Dismayed, For The LORD Your God Is With You Wherever You Go." Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

I should be doing homework, however I couldn't concentrate on the task at hand.

I kept hearing the word legacy in my head and each time I concentrated on it, I knew a post was brewing, I also know once a post is brewing, I have to write it before I can do anything else.

I was content to just be a good wife, daughter, mother etc...

However that isn't a legacy.

It also isn't how many degrees or awards you have on your wall, nor how many trophies you have in your curio cabinet, it isn't how many rings you have won in the Superbowl nor how many belts you won in the wrestling ring.

Legacy is defined as; Anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

If you were to die right now, what would you be leaving behind?

For people He placed in my path?

For the boys He trusted into the care of their father and myself?

For the family members I see on a day to day basis?

How will they remember me?

I used to seek praise from those around me, to let me know that they were happy with what I was doing, what I had done, how I did it etc...

How will they remember me?

I used to do everything in my power to not leave a "mark" on those around me, content to sit in the shadows of whomever I was around, happy to be the girl whose name no one could ever remember.

How will they remember me?

I will never forget the day, not long after he left, I had a revelation that took my breath away...

My tombstone wouldn't say "beloved wife" on it, small perhaps to some, but at the time it was a huge deal to me and it just broke my heart even more.

In my warped way of thinking, he was the end all, be all, of my legacy - My life as it was, while I was married.

Thanks be to God, I no longer think that way.

If I stop and truly think about it, that wasn't my life either, at least not all of it.

I allowed myself to be what anyone else wanted me to be, only because I didn't know who I was anymore.

I had a purpose being his wife, their mom, their daughter, their aunt, niece, cousin etc...

Anything but being what He wanted me to be.

While I still have the majority of those "titles" to call on, they aren't my purpose.

I have a divine purpose and I also know that how they will remember me, will be something He will help me with.

I want to teach my boys to call on Him first, not last.

I want them to know how to pray and never teach them it is something you do in private, nor is it ever something to be ashamed of.

I want them to know pure joy, in the midst of absolute pain.

I want them to know that no matter what you lose, it is just material and can be replaced with Something that is so much greater than anything in this world.

I want them to experience the all consuming Love that no one on this face of this Earth, can give them.

I want them to raise their hands in praise, stand in Church when the Spirit moves them, and weep for utter peace when it comes over them.

I pray He guides each and every step I take and that I am completely encamped by Him and His angels as I teach them and guide them.

I want them to be blessed with a Pastor who has patience, compassion and love, just as I have been blessed.

I want to show them what it is to be blessed with Godly friends whose outstretched hand you see, before you even hit the floor, just as I have been.

I want to show them how to be that kind of friend, just in case.

I want them to know that the best Friend they will ever have, is not of this world, yet He is just a whisper away.

That is how I want my boys to remember me.

That I pointed you to Him, more than I pointed to myself.

That I call on His name first, long before I call on you.

That we shared more smiles, than tears.

That there were more hugs, than cold shoulders.

That there was always an opportunity for a silent walk on the beach, with a friend.

That we always remember, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 

That we use each experience He gives us, as a lesson to be learned.

That we guide one another on how to be kind, gentle, compassionate, empathetic, humble, and loving.

That is how I want to be remembered by those He placed in my path.

As for seeking the outward praise I spoke about earlier, the only thing I want to hear is;

"...Well done, good and faithful servant" Matthew 25:23

JEREMY RIDDLE
You've Called Me Out Of Death.
You've Called Me Into Life.
And I Was Under Your Wrath,
Now Through The Cross, I'm Reconciled

 

Shedding One Cloak, For Another

"The Fear Of Human Opinion Disables; Trusting In God Protects You From That."

Proverbs 29:25 (The Message)

I read tonight that shyness can be a form of pride, that fear of what other people will think about us and being overly concerned with their opinions, can be reflection of obsession with self.

Scripture says we are not be worried about the opinions of others, that we are not to fear what people think about us or even what they say about us, if we are doing what we know is right.

In fact, according to 2 Timothy 3:12, if we are striving to live Godly lives, we can expect not to be liked.

I must have missed the memo that day when it went out. 

That was a joke. :)

I have spent my life worried about what others thought of me, no matter who they were, even if I never saw that person again, I still cared more about what others thought, and less about what He thought.

I don't think anyone has ever used the word "shy" to describe me, timid perhaps, shy not so much.

I watch and take it all in before I make any sort of move and I have never been one to just dive right in.

I am the type of person who will just dip a toe in the water to gauge the temperature, instead of jumping right in.

I worry about the impression I will make, on the people I am about to engage with.

I go through a list a mile long, from how my hair is looking, to the shoes I am wearing and quite frankly, it can be exhausting.

I do it when I am speaking to people about Him.

That changed for me today.

Today I removed the cloak of timidness (I do LOVE the jacket below. Way cute!).

As I was posting on the discussion board for my evangelism class, I was struck with a wave of clarity.

You see I have been pondering for quite some time...

What kind of Pastor I will be?

Will I make a difference?

Will I fail?

Will I have victory?

How does He want me to deliver the messages He continues to imprint on my heart?

As I sat here answering a classmate, I could hear His voice as clear as day; Boldly.

The conversation went something like this;

Boldly? (Yep, that is me, always questioning)

With passion, with love and with boldness.

Follow My Words, follow the Book that has been laid out before you, don't deviate from any of My Word.

What if the people don't like it? (Again with the questions)

Not everyone will.

What if they don't like me? (I really need to learn to stop asking questions)

It doesn't matter.

I don't know how to be bold. (That would be more like a whisper)

You are no longer in your comfort zone, I have placed you where I want you to be, where you will make a difference, for My Kingdom, for Me.

Don't deviate from My Word.

And just like that, the conversation was over, the cloak of timidness was shed and I knew without a shadow of a doubt, what He wants me to do & how He wants me to do it.

You see I had just posted on the discussion board, how I have been watching several Pastors and how they deliver their messages and I was struck with the fact that out of all of them, only a few of them ever mentioned Hell, the majority of them hardly ever mentioned the consequences of sin and very rarely are they bold in the delivery of their messages.

It is almost as if they are immune to what society deems as "okay" and in my heart I knew I didn't want to become like that; A feel-good Pastor, who sugar-coats the message to appeal to the congregation and what they want to hear.

I also knew I didn't want to be the type of Pastor people wouldn't come to, thinking perhaps that I didn't have the time for them.

It is extremely crucial to me that I don't fall prey to the enemy, that the line I walk has a complete balance between what He wants from me and what I deliver.

That the messages are directly from my Father, backed exclusively with the Gospel, that there isn't any form of coddling where sinful behavior is concerned, and that it is done with compassion and love.

I am very blessed to have three mentors in my path who also follow this same style.

These three are wonderful people who share their extensive amount of wisdom with me, who guide me when I can't quite figure out where to place my next step, who love me regardless of who I used to be, who answer question after question (imagine that), who show me what patience is (thank you M) who show me how beautiful a Godly woman truly is (thank you R) and who show me that emotions, all of them, are allowed to be expressed, to be felt, without shame (thank you Pastor).

I used to think being blessed meant you had a healthy bank account, a nice shiny new car, a big house that the neighbors envied, a loving husband, 2.4 children and a white, picket fence.

Now I know what it means to be truly blessed and it has nothing to do with any of those things.

It has to do with the way you truly "see" things.

It is a perfect love.

It is waking up one more day, to see a gorgeous sunrise.

It is a feeling inside you, one that no human can produce for you, it is Him.

It is a love that is fierce and passionate, protective and gentle, a love no one can give you, like He can.

It is knowing He died for me, before I was even born, because He loved me that much.

It is climbing into His lap and crying for all the pain you feel, for all the devastation you see and knowing He is crying with you.

It is closing your eyes in a Summer rainshower, knowing He is pouring His love down upon you.

It is so many beautiful things, that have nothing to do with material things.

He loves you, just for who you are and that right there is a marvelous blessing.

Shed the cloak you are wearing, whether it be shame, timidness, shyness, arrogance, hatred, weariness etc...

Put on a new cloak today, His cloak, filled with a love you will never, ever be able to comprehend, never, ever be able to describe and one you will never, ever want to let go of.

KRISTIAN STANFILL
In His Grace And Unfailing Love
The Risen King Gave His Hand To Us
To Lift Us Up, From The Pit
And Set Our Feet Upon A Rock That Ever Stands

Courage vs Fear

"For I Hold You By Your Right Hand — I, The Lord Your God. And I Say To You, Don’t Be Afraid. I Am Here To Help You."

Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

To start life all over again, when you thought all along your life was set ~ Courage

To ask for help, when you never did before ~ Courage

To step out in faith, when there is nothing but darkness surrounding you ~ Courage

To state "I can't" and then do it anyway ~ Courage

To smile, even though there are tears in your eyes ~ Courage

To take an opposite stand, even though the crowd may be saying something different ~ Courage

To give encouragement, even though you may not get a response ~ Courage

To take the hand of a friend who is hurting, and put aside your own pain for awhile ~ Courage

To get up in the morning, when you just don't feel you can face one more day ~ Courage

To trust again, once all trust has been shattered ~ Courage

It takes courage to face your fears head on.

In my case, it takes more courage than I ever thought I could muster up.

It isn't a secret that I don't seek out people, I am more than happy to live in my own little world, however He has greater plans than that for me and it takes every ounce of courage I have within me, to face what He has called me to do.

If I stop and actually think about it, fear almost always wins.

I will fail Him ~ Fear

They won't like me ~ Fear

I will be laughed at ~ Fear

He won't love me anymore ~ Fear

He is angry with me ~ Fear

I could go on and on, however I will assume you get the picture.

There is a fine line that one walks when it comes to courage vs fear.

Fear should never be allowed to win.

If allowed, it most likely will consume your life, and then you are just left as a shell of what you used to be.

Courage is what you will need in order to change the shell back into a "real" person.

I have had to ask for an enormous amount of courage, on more than one occasion and been granted what I have asked for each time.

Sad to say, but I believed the lies of the enemy, that I wasn't worthy, that I had no business going back to school, that no one would ever love me again, that I was a complete and utter failure, that I would ultimately die alone etc...

Each day I wrestled with my own mind, trying to discern what was real and what was a lie, each day I had to seek His truth out, what He thought of me, what He was truly asking of me, if He really loved me, if He was perhaps mistaken and to be honest there are still days that I allow my mind to go back to the lies.

I take that to Him, (most of the time in the ugly green chair), and I just talk to Him as I am talking to you now.

No flowery words, no reasoning with Him, just honest heart to heart talk between a Father and His Daughter.

It is during these times my courage is renewed, my soul becomes calm, His peace is flowing within me, His love shines through and I know He is sitting right there with me, listening to every fear, every doubt, every worry, my tears landing in His palm, my heart beating in perfect time with His and if I close my eyes, I can almost see Him, so very close.

Never did I think, that I would seek Him, the way I do now.

Never did I think I could love, what I can not see, with such passion.

Never did I think, I would gladly give my life up, for Him.

Never did I think, joy would envelope me, when chaos surrounds me.

Never did I think, I would shed tears, for those that don't believe.

You need courage to get past your fears and He is the one who will supply it to you, all you have to do is ask.

I pray each one of you has the courage to stand out and apart from the crowd, that He is the one who supplies your courage, and that you face the fears head on, with Him holding your hand.

CASTING CROWNS
The Only Way We'll Ever Stand
Is On Our Knees With Lifted Hands
Make Us Courageous
Lord, Make Us Courageous