Singing Songs of God in Babylon

“How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?” Psalms 137:4

The last few weeks I have been participating in Beth Moore’s Bible Study, Daniel.  It is an amazing study about living in our own Babylon.  God has spoke to me more than once through out this study.  And not always a gentle, sweet whisper.  Perhaps another day, I will write more on this particular study.  In the meantime, if you want to know more about this study.  Check out this youtube video.

The last few days, I have been doing both some personal “inventory” and post inventory.  While, read back through some of my old blog posts, I came across songs which had spoken to me at different time throughout this year or a song which God gave me to post for someone else. I decided last evening I would do a list of a few of the 2011 songs in a post today.

Then in my bible study lesson this morning, I came across the scripture I noted above.  In reading Psalms 137: 1 – 6, I thought about the sorrow the Israelites had to be feeling.  Then while dealing with their sorrow, their captors taunted them and asked for songs of joy. Can you imagine? Talk about a one, two punch! As Beth wrote, “Imagine being taunted by mockers of your faith and told to sing one of your silly God-songs.”  Sound familiar.  Has that happened to you before?   Beth continues on by asking,  “How can you keep singing the songs of God in your own Babylon?”

Ok. This might seem a bit strange to some of you. However, my belly did a flip flop when she asked that because I already had the answer.  The answer for me comes in my 2012 verse.  (Confirmation this is my correct verse.  Whoot! Whoot!) While living in my own Babylon, I need to keep my eyes open, hold tight to my convictions, give it all I got!!  Be resolute, and love without stopping!! (1 Corn. 16: 13-14 The Message)

So, today I continue on with the highlighted songs from 2011.  My hearts desire is that one of these songs will speak softly (or roar powerfully) in your heart and soul.  Perhaps today your Foreign Land is named:  Unlovable, Unsettled, or even Unworthy.  Do you feel like you are exiled from what you once knew to be true!  Listen closely…the King of Glory, Prince of Peace and  the Solid Rock is wanting your attention today.  He has what you need to stand strong, be brave and love without ceasing!  He is wanting YOU to sing His songs in whatever foreign land you might be living in!

Recap of 2011 Blog Post Songs:

Hold Me Jesus ~Rich Mullin

What Love Really Means~JJ Heller

Love Never Fails~Brandon Heath

It Is Well ~ Wintley Phipps

Lessons and Prayer!

Once again I sit with the white screen in front of me, determined to get some black print on the page.  This is something I have attempted at least a dozen times since my last post on November 10th.   My intentions originally were to write about the lessons our society needs to learn in the wake of the Sandusky’s accusations and Joe Pa’s demise.  However, the words haven’t made it to the page.  While I do have personal thoughts and opinions on what I feel we as a Nation need to learn from this tragedy.  I have come to the conclusion those thoughts and opinions are to stay solely mine!

With all of that being said, I have determined that I am not to write anymore on this tragedy.  I have been and will continue to pray for all involved, including Mr. Sandusky. Only by the Grace of God will all those involved find the healing and hope needed to continue on with their lives!

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2012 is going to be a year full of changes in our life.  Jim and I are praying about God’s will and what direction He has for us! Obviously, for me it includes the direction for this blog. I have prayed about and am working on my writing and speaking platform.  Only time will tell where this will all lead.

My New Year’s Scripture will be posted once again here in the next few days.  To view New Years scriptures since 2006, click here.

As we approach the New Year, I leave you with this……………

A New Year’s Prayer
~Anonymous

Dear Lord, please give me…
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come. Amen.

 

 

The High Priest

Sadness once again covers my soul as I think through the events last evening.  A legendary football coach whose entire career is now marred by the actions of one person.

Whether you agree or disagree with Penn State Board of Trustees, it is a sad, sad day in the world of college football.  I have listen and read the commentaries surrounding  “Joe Pa.”  My heart grieves.

I grieve for the children whose innocence was lost at the hands of  Jerry Sandusky.  A leader whom most boys and their families trusted and highly respected. I grieve for the families of the victims and the Sandusky family.  I grieve for Penn State and Joe Paterno.

It is not my place to “heaping burning coals” on Coach Paterno’s head.  I know without a doubt what I would have done if I had been in his situation and it wouldn’t have stopped with talking to my administration.  But I am not Joe. I am not and will never be a coach, let alone at the level he coached. So, I can’t begin to understand the chain of command or pressure Coach Paterno may have faced.  Outside of what little the media is reporting I don’t know the full extent or the truth of what Coach Paterno’s superiors said to him when he reported the allegations.

What I do know, this is a tragedy which holds true to the fact that “sin has a rippling effect.”  The sin of moral failure especially has waves that reach farther than even the abuser can control. Such is the case at Penn State.  Look at the victims in the wake of Sandusky’s abuse. The boys, their birth families, their families when they get to be adults.  Graduate Assistant McQuery and his family, who reported the incident to Coach Paterno.  The officials and their families at Penn State. Coach Paterno, his wife and their family. The students and athletes at Penn State. Victims, a long line of victims which obviously didn’t even begin to cross Sandusky’s mind when he chose to act.

Oh, I could stand in righteous indignation and vindication all day.  But at the end of the day, I have to ask ” What about my own failures and poor choices?”  While they certainly don’t include perpetrating on children, they none the less grieve my heavenly Father.

What has happened to us as a society? We are so quick to place blame and “throw stones” at those who have committed sexual sins.  Yet, we turn a blind eye to our own failures.

The story of the adulterous woman dragged into the town square about to be stoned to death, has always been one of my favorite stories of the bible. (See John 8: 3 – 11)  Why that story?  First, because Jesus calls out those who were judging her, second Jesus loves her instead of condemns her and finally, He restores her to the beautiful child of God she was destined to be.  Whoot! Whoot!

Seems for the most part, society would rather throw stones than allow the judging to be done by the High Priest. (Which isn’t any one of us or those who enforces the laws of our land.)  Our High Priest sets at the right hand of God the Father.  When all is said and done each one of us, regardless of the extent of our failures and poor decision will have to stand before Him.  Give an account for what we have or haven’t done and face the consequences for the choices we have made.

I have no idea what Joe Pa’s personal beliefs are.  However, I have watched the news coverage and listened to his heart as he addressed those outside his home last evening.  His heart is breaking! I believe his statements last evening revealed a bit of what my Jesus would have done.  Joe Pa chose to keep his stones in his pocket.  Even though just fired from his position, he respected the Board of Trustees of his beloved school when he said,  “A tragedy occurred, and we all have to have patience to let the legal process proceed.  I appreciate the outpouring of support but want to emphasize that everyone should remain calm and please respect the university, its property and all that we value.”

Yes, it is a sad, sad day for those caught in the wake of Sandusky’s moral failures.  In fact, it is a sad day for everyone.  We as a society can no longer ignore these perilous times are destroying our moral fiber.  My next post will be on the lessons we need to learn from the Sandusky scandal.

This Place Matters

It snuck up on me.  I wasn’t a history buff in school.  Old, musty smells use to nauseate me.  New was always better than old! In my teen years, I could have cared less about the history of my hometown. At one time, it seemed that my love for the historic building/structures in my hometown was totally happenstance.

Thinking through my passion about our history and dedicating to preserving it, I questioned where it came from.  The realization hit me, it was through the loss of both my folks that I came to appreciate my history and heritage!  My hometown was their hometown!  They went on dates and took us kids to the same theatre which I went on dates and eventually took my children to.  Dad played football on the same field my sons played football.  My husband and I renovated and live in the same house my folks lived in! So, perhaps historic preservation is more of a part of my destiny than it is some fluke.

Tonight my hometown is saying good-bye to the traditional Friday night football games in the historic WPA football stadium in our downtown.

With the last game now in progress and stadium soon to stand silent, memories flood my mind. The stadium holds over forty years of history for me.  In my mind’s eye, there are pictures of my Dad in his 50′s football uniform standing on the field.  The smell of crisp autumn air engulfs my senses and in a far off distance I hear the high school band playing our school fight song! Memories fill my thoughts as I recall my husband trailing his players as the team runs onto the field. Tears encircle my eyes as I remember the victories and defeats my son’s experienced in their traditional blue and gold!

National Trust for Historic Preservation embodies three words which state what the Panther Stadium means to me “This Place Matters!” At this point in time, there is no chance this decision will be reversed.  So, this post pays honor to this historic place.  With the lights soon to dim and the seats becoming eerie from abandonment…I bid farewell to the “Home of the Fighting Panthers!”

Guest Post: Pain Happens in a Broken World

Life Lessons from The Help  Pain Happens in a Broken World By Poppy Smith Have you read or seen the movie, THE HELP? If you have, you know it is a story about racism and the treatment of black maids who worked for white people in the South. People’s reactions range from outrage at the humiliation blacks have often received, to charges that it was biased and untrue. I came out of the movie grieving. I not only felt wretched at the pain racism causes, but also at the hurt and suffering that comes when people mistreat others. Pain Happens in a Broken World. Being cruel to others, whether by actions or words, happens in every culture for many reasons: because individuals think they are superior for some reason due to their skin color, gender, position in society, wealth, or education. Whatever the reasons, they all flow from a sinful heart. Have you been hurt? Have you known what it is like to be looked down on, dismissed as unimportant, or made to feel unwanted? Have you experienced cruelty of some kind? How did it make you feel? Have you wrestled with anger, wanting to get revenge, or feeling crushed and of no worth? In The Help, one of the poorly treated maids gets her revenge in a startling way. But revenge is God’s prerogative, and not ours to take (Romans 12:19). Your pain might have come from someone you work with, live next to, or go to school with. Its source could be a relative or close family. Even fellow believers hurt others when operating in the flesh and not the Spirit. But no matter where your pain originated, it is something God wants to heal. God Cares About You. Why should He care? Why does He call you to forgive those who have harmed you? Because He loves you and wants the appalling power of bitterness, hatred, and inner rage to stop poisoning your heart and your life. God’s Path to Healing. How can you and I, followers of the Lord Jesus, indwelt by His Mighty and All-powerful Spirit, find freedom from pain? Only by forgiving the one, or many, who caused our pain. Three necessary principles for dealing with pain: Reject blame and bitterness. It doesn’t move you forward. It chains you to the past. Pray for willingness to forgive. It is a process that often requires time to work through. Forgive the offender. Be willing to release that person from your desire for revenge, or even for an apology. Realize they most likely have moved on and forgotten the incident. Remembering is only hurting you. Let it go. Remember something else: the Lord is our Healer. He wants you to experience joy, no matter how much pain you have experienced. He wants you to THRIVE in every aspect of your life. And He has provided a way for this to happen! Will you walk in it? Author Bio

Poppy Smith With her fun personality and passion for communicating life-changing truths, Poppy Smith inspires believers to thrive spiritually and personally. Poppy’s practical how-to messages (in print or in person) uses colorful examples from her own struggles to be more like Jesus. She encourages women (and men, at times) to grow in every kind of situation—whether joyful or painful! Poppy is British, married to an American, and has lived in many countries. She brings an international flair seasoned with humorous honesty as she illustrates Bible truths. A former Bible Study Fellowship Lecturer, Poppy’s teaching challenges women to look at their choices, attitudes and self-talk. As a result, God’s speaks, changing hearts, changing minds, and changing lives.

The above article comes from Poppy’s recent Thrive e-newsletter. Receive Poppy’s Ten Tips for Saying “No” by signing up for her newsletter at: http://www.poppysmith.com/newsletters.htm