God's Love

If you're having a hard time loving someone, I found this song really encouraging:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihvG607W-c

Here's the chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Especially applicable when we think about Pastor's sermon on forgiveness...seeing others as God sees them...
applicable when we think about witnessing to others...seeing them as people who need God just as much as we do...
applicable when we get so self-centered and self-focused and forget about others around us...

Applicable on so many levels!

"This is All That I Can Give...That's My Everything"

Tonight at Beautiful Minds, Sharon said something to the effect of, how much do we need God? How much do we want Him in our lives? A little bit of need? Or do we really truly NEED Him? Are we able to say to Him, God take all? Like the widow who gave her two coins, are we able to give Him everything we have, no matter how pitiful??

Then I go to the blog Bring The Rain (audreycaroline.blogspot.com) and this song by the David Crowder Band comes on:
Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark
Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me
I think I'll stop
Rest here a while

And didn't You see me cry'n?
And didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down

Chorus:
And this is all that I can say right now
i know it's not much
And this is all that I can give
yeah that's my everything

Bridge:
I didn't notice
You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice
You were cry'n too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet


See the chorus? Our lives are nothing. There is not much we can bring to Christ. We don't have some great gift to bring. All we have is our pitiful lives. But He wants us to bring that--to bring our everything.

I am only starting to see a little piece of what God requires of me. Girls, what are you willing to give up? Consider the things He may ask of you:

*He may ask you to be single for the rest of your life. Can you submit that to Him?

*He may not grant you children. Can you submit that to Him?

*He may direct you to be a missionary in another country. Can you submit that to Him?

*He may take people away from you that you love. A breakup, a friend forsaking Christ, a child dying. Can you submit that to Him?


Tonight we learned about how Oswald Chambers was in a relationship with a girl he loved for eight years, and then gave her up because she was not God's will for him. Would you be willing to give up someone you loved for Christ? Completely give up your wishes in order to be in submission to Him?


SURRENDER ALL AND BE BLESSED!!

Dependence through Song

Hi ladies,

I thought both the following songs are encouraging, and show our need for dependence on Him. Try to listen if you get the chance! :)

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking
Never let 'em see you when you fall
That's how we live and that's how we try
Tell the world you've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

[CHORUS:]There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scared
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God
Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again

Who lived and died to give new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see out let grace be enough

By a perfect God [5x]
Be changed by a perfect God
Be changed

(by Natalie Grant)


Savior, please take my hand .
I work so hard, I live so fast.
This life begins, then it ends.
And then I do the best that I can, but I don't know how long I'll last.

I try to be so tough, but I'm just not strong enough.
I can't do this alone, God I need you to hold on to me.
I try to be good enough, but I'm nothing without your love.
Savior, please keep saving me.
Savior, please help me stand.

I fall so hard, I fade so fast. Will you begin right where I end?
And be the God of all I am because you're all I have.
Hallelujah!
Everything you are to me is everything I'll ever need.
and i am learning to believe cause you're the one who's saving me.

(by Josh Wilson)

Self-centeredness

Hey Sisters,

Just really quick, I wanted to share something that God spoke to me. Again, through C.S. Lewis ;) (I just finished Surprised by Joy).

Lewis pointed out that there is a difference between being selfish and being self-centered. We can be selfish--taking everything for ourselves, always acting in our own best interests--without being self-centered. And we can be self-centered--Always talking about ourselves, thinking about ourselves, focusing on ourselves, without being selfish. Do you see the difference? And he pointed out that, while both are wrong, it's far less pleasant to be around someone who is self-centered than someone who is just selfish.

Well, this really convicted me, because even though I'm usually (usually, not always) willing to give up something for something else, I'm still always thinking of myself. Pride (seems like everything goes back to pride, huh?)

I know in my friendships I've often been self-centered. I often end up talking about myself--partially because I want to, and partially because I'm too lazy to think of questions to ask the other person.

I tend to see everything by how it relates to me, how it involves me. Instead, I want to forget about myself, and see God and his people.

Hehe, just thought of that song we used to sing in Junior Church:

JOY, JOY, this is what it means:

Jesus first, myself last, and others in between! ;)