Day by Day

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.


When Lina (the Swedish writer of this hymn) was 26, her father (a devout minister) fell overboard and drowned right before her eyes. This tragic experience did not make her bitter or angry at God; instead, she chose to live each day with the conscious presence and strength of her Lord and continued to express a childlike faith/a deep & peaceful trust in Him day by day.

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

If You Want Me To

Note: Please turn off my music playlist at the bottom of this page before starting the video.

Trust...obey...surrender all...rest in God's love and His faithful promises! "And I will go through the valley if You want me to." I do desire God's will for my life and my family...nothing more...nothing less...nothing else. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me...Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." ~Psalm 23:4, 6
 
"This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in the world. I have never heard anyone say, "The really deep lessons of life have come through times of ease and comfort." But I have heard strong saints say, "Every significant advance I have ever made in grasping the depths of God's love and growing deep with Him has come through suffering." ~John Piper
 
"It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ."
~Esther Kerr Rusthoi
 
If you like her voice, check out my review of Ginny Owens' new CD "Get In, I'm Driving" and enter to win a copy here. She is blind but she sees the world through her Heavenly Father's eyes.

Review and Giveaway: Rebecca St. James's CD, "I WILL PRAISE YOU"

About "I WILL PRAISE YOU" (Release Date: April 5th):

Rebecca St. James charts yet another new course with I Will Praise You, a new collection of worship songs she terms “ her most personal recording to date.” From the opening notes of track one, listeners are offered a welcoming connection with Rebecca’s recognizably authentic vocal warmth and delivery. More than anything, I Will Praise You represents the latest steps in Rebecca’s life long journey towards the presence of God.

MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW:
I enjoyed listening to this worship CD. The theme that runs through the CD is praising the Lord and trusting Him even when things seem to go wrong...through trials/storms and being comforted by the presence of Almighty God and the hope of heaven. Beautiful lyrics to ponder. Most songs have upbeat tempos. It's fun to sing along with "You Never Let Go." My favorite songs are The Kindness of Our God and You Hold Me Now. I got teary-eyed when I was listening to them. "You Still Amaze Me" is great, too! I'm glad that Rebecca St. James included the Scripture reference for each song and her comment about each song on the lyrics leaflet. I also appreciate A Word From Rebecca regarding her ministry's mission statement: "Our mission statement as a ministry team is to serve the Church and point people to Jesus. We remind each other of this at our band devotions before our shows and as often as we can. We pray that this album will encourage you in your journey with God and that it will draw you to worship Him!"

This CD has 10 songs:-
1. I Will Praise You (Hebrews 13:15)
2. You Never Let Go (Psalm 23:4)
3. Shine Your Glory Down (Isaiah 60:1)
4. You Still Amaze Me (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
5. In A Moment (Revelation 19:1)
6. The Kindness of Our God (Titus 3:4, 5)
7. When The Stars Burn Down (Blessing and Honor) (Isaiah 34:4)
8. Almighty God (Psalm 46:7)
9. You Hold Me Now (Revelation 21:4)
10. You Make Everything Beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

If you're a Rebecca St. James fan or someone who likes to collect worship albums like me :), check out this CD, "I Will Praise You".

Rebecca’s LISTENING PARTY: http://rsjames.com/listeningparty where you may share a preview of the CD with your family & friends too! You can enter your email address and get to listen to the first three songs.
Website: http://www.rsjames.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rsjames
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rebeccastjames
YouTube: http://rsjames.com/updates/2011/3/22/video-rebecca-explains-her-song-shine-your-glory-down.html
Amazon: http://amzn.to/gqOroA

GIVEAWAY: You can win a copy of this CD. This giveaway is open only to U.S. residents. Ends 4/22.

To Enter: Leave a comment here letting me know which of Rebecca St. James's songs (from any album) is your favorite or who your favorite Christian musician/band is.

For Extra Entries:
1. Please go here to vote for my photo by clicking "Vote Now".
2. Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect or NetworkedBlogs.
3. Post about this giveaway and link to this post on your blog.
4. Post the link to this giveaway on your Facebook page or tweet it. Please also leave your Facebook link or twitter link in your comment.
5. Rate my book reviews here, then come back to let me know which title(s) you've rated (you don't need to tell me what rating you give me :)). Each book you rate earns you an entry.
6. Rate my daughter's book reviews here, then come back to let me know which title(s) you've rated (you don't need to tell me what rating you give her). Each book you rate earns you an entry.


“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Week in Words #4

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." (~Helen Keller) It's an encouraging reminder for us when we go through trial and suffering.  James 1:2-4 says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." (John 17:23)  This verse made me think of the song, "They'll Know We Are Christians."  We are one in the Spirit.  We are one in the Lord.  We are one in the Spirit.  We are one in the Lord.  And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.  And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.  Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love...

"Educating our children includes more than arithmetic and spelling; it includes building character. No educational pursuit can replace the deep need for a generation of children to be brought up first in the 'nurture and admonition' of the Lord." (~Rick Williamson)  That's one of the reasons why we homeschool our kids :).

"Keep me from saying words that later need recalling; guard me, lest idle speech may from my lips befalling...When dangers gather round, oh, keep me calm and fearless; help me to bear the cross when life seems dark and cheerless. Help me, as You have taught to love both great and small, and by Your Spirit's might, to live at peace with all." (~Johann Heermann, 1585-1647, from his hymn, "O God, My Faithful God" in the book, Mr. Pipes And Psalms and Hymns of the Reformation, page 92)  That's my prayer!

"In a sense we become gardeners tending the spiritual development of our kids. God places the spark of life in the seed. We can't control that or how the plant eventually matures. But we can make sure the soil is rich, the ground is generously watered, the weeds are kept at bay, and the opportunity for sunlight is freely available...In the long run, the goal of parenting isn't for our kids to be known for how well-behaved they are, but for how well they know and respond to God." (~Mark Matlock, from his book, Real World Parents, page 13)  That's my goal, too.

In the Valleys

I have recently seen and heard of many fellow Christians facing trials and difficulties physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, spiritually, etc.  I hope and pray that they will keep clinging to Jesus, our Prince of Peace/our Forever Faithful Friend.  Some of my favorite verses that comfort me whenever I'm in the valleys are:

"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Psalm 68:19

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4
"...So that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" makes me think of this poem below.  I hope you find it encouraging.  Remember..God is with you even in the valleys...you're never alone.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)  Hugs from me to all of you.  If you have any prayer requests, please feel free to let me know in your comments and I will pray for you.

It's In the Valleys I Grow  By Jane Eggleston

Sometime life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble, and woe.
It’s then I have to remember
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God’s love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it’s in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross.
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was satan’s loss.

Forgive me, Lord, for complaining
When I’m feeling so low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it’s in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share Your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank You for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it’s in the valleys I grow!

~Please visit here for the links to other Spiritual Sundays posts. Thanks so much to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays every week.  Have a blessed day in the Lord, everyone!

Thankful Thursday #15

 
This week...
1. I am thankful for snow.  We all love snow here.  We had our first snow of this winter on Tuesday and had lots of fun sledding.

2. I am thankful for my husband's time off work from Dec. 24th to Jan. 3rd.  We love having him home with us. 

3. I am thankful for our wonderful neighbors.  We enjoyed our visit with them when we gave them our Christmas goodies.  They are really nice people.

4. I am thankful for books that are encouraging & inspiring and draw readers closer to God and His Word.  You can see my top ten reads of 2009 here (the post below this one).

5. I am thankful for the eternal perspective God has given me.  Trials and sufferings on earth are nothing when we think of spending eternity in either heaven or hell.  "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)  May you welcome a new year with an eternal perspective!  "Save some, O Christian!  By all means, save some.  From yonder flames and outer darkness, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.  Seek to save some!  Let this, as in the case of the apostles, be your great, ruling object in life, that by all means you might save some." Charles Spurgeon