Tunesday Tuesday.

Third Day just knows how to put out a classic don't they? How good is the Father's love for us!

A Valentine's Day Pslam.

Pslam 103, of David

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, 

Bless His holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, 

and forget not all His benefits,

3 Who forgives all your iniquity, 

who heals all your diseases,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,

His acts to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, 

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 He will not always chide nor will He keep his anger forever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 As far as the east is from the west, 

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children, 

so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame, he remembers we are dust

15 As for man, his days are like grass, 

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 for the wind passes over it and it is gone, 

and its place knows it no more.

17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear him,

 and his righteousness to children's children,

18 To those who keep his covenant, 

and remember to do his commandments.

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, 

you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will!

22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his domain.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Tunesday Tuesday.

This song today is an old one. Came up on my iTunes shuffle, and so many of the good ones do, and when I saw the video on YouTube, I knew I just had to share it. Big Daddy Weave came to my church a few years ago, and though my family had heard about WorldVision many many times, it was the testimonies of these guys that actually got my family to adopt a child through them. Mike Weaver, and all of the band are such great, genuine, sincere guys.

Now, Big Daddy Weave, admittedly, isn't my favorite group, but they make good music. (did you see the emphasis on good?) Their rhythms and lyrics so move me to a place of worship that it's hard not to like them. Personally, I just prefer a one man band (or two man, Shane and Shane.) I few days ago a posted another one of BDW's songs at the bottom of my page when talking about Redemption. They just hit on everything! Magnificent God and Jesus Move are two others that I really like.

Anyway, this song is called Overwhelmed. I think my favorite part says:

All that You’ve done is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

Often overwhelmed is a bad thing, no? Beth Moore often talks about how she'd like to just sit and be whelmed. But if there's anything I want to be overwhelmed in, please let it be JESUS.

Okay, enough of me talking now, please listen to and WATCH this beautiful video!! :)

All Things Redeemed.

Christ the Redeemer. Redemption. We are redeemed. He is redeeming all things. These are all thoughts that have been on my mind lately and I love when God puts His word with a physical picture to remind us of it! Don't you? His word is living and active and ever present in our lives.

The first definition in the dictionary says:

redeem

/rɪˈdiːm/

1.

 Compensate for the faults or bad aspects of; to do something that compensates for poor past performance or behavior, to atone or make amends for (sin, error, or evil), to save (someone) from sin, error, or evil. 

 

Synonyms: vindicate, save/free from blame, remove guilt from, compensating, qualifying, save, compensate for the defects of, rescue, justify, vindicate.

Now that we've clarified what being redeemed what what redemption is, I can go on. Last week I was able to read the story of Ruth again and I just love the way the writer writes it like a play. He sets it up so perfectly as a drama, setting the way for the kinsman redeemer to come and save Ruth. Just as Christ has been brought into humanity's life story to be our Redeemer. To atone, make amend for our evil, our sin.

This week I've been thinking about how God redeems so much, not just at the start of our walk with Him and he's done, but all throughout our lives, he takes things and makes them new.

For example.

I have these two floral plants on my balcony that I bought when my mom was here and I was so excited to have color and something to look at. If you know me, or have ever worked with me, you know I have a black thumb. I kill plants! I don't know a thing about watering or how much sunlight, or watering (!!) they need. So a week after my parents left, I did too for a trip and I left my plants outside because that's were plants go, right? In the sun? Well, much to my dismay, when it's 90* and sunny and you're not home to water them, you're SUPPOSED to bring them inside, I'm told. So imagine my surprise when I get home and they are all but brown. I ran to the kitchen and dump buckets of water on those plants and watch the next day for blooms.

And were there blooms the next day? No.

But this week, 3 weeks later, with slow watering and a careful eye, both plants have had blooms and I am happy to say my balcony has color again.  God has redeemed, or compensated for poor past performance or behavior, the life of my plants, when I should have brought them in but left them out to almost die in the sun. My poor behavior and knowledge on flowers led to their bad, but God has redeemed it for their good! You guys I was so excited when I realized this connection. 

Did you see my post on Monday about my quick prayer, "Lord redeem this 10x over"? He always has a plan to bring about good, don't you know Romans 8:28! And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

*not my photo, not my blooms. I wish.

 {P.S. There's a really great song by Big Daddy Weave that is called Redeemed that you should check out! Here's the link for it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzGAYNKDyIU }

Tunesday Tuesday.

Bethel Music did it again. They came out with a song that I just can't get out of my head. And this time it's contagious. My roommate has started singing it as well. It's called, You Are My One Thing.

Enjoy!

Monday Musings.

This is going to be short. Yesterday I was out walking a LOT farther and longer than I thought I was going to. It was easy to get frustrated, with myself, mind you. Nobody else was to blame for getting off the bus too soon or for not asking precise directions when leaving the church.

So I came up with this quick prayer, and I'm pretty sure other people say it and it's not original, but I just said:

"Lord, please redeem this situation 10 times over."

Just like that, it leaves you open to expect the Lord to come in great ways and redeem and make much of himself. Especially when we make messes of ourselves.

Try it and see if you don't find yourself with less stress and joy!