The blog has been been moved here to my new website. Click the link to see all the great new changes to everything.
Thank you for all your support and God bless!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
A Season of Change
"A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew"
And a time to sew"
- Ecclesiastes 3:6-7
-----
I am in a season of change. My website will very soon look completely different, and this blog will be integrated into that site. I'm beginning to remember why I don't like change! Migrating all the poetry is a big job.
I am not posting any poems on Twitter or Facebook this week. I want to get the migration done as quickly as possible and I have company coming in this weekend which is when I usually do all the scheduling for posts.
Hopefully by this time next week, I'll have a new site for you to see! God bless!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Matthew 6:25-34
This section of the Sermon on the Mount has been on my mind and heart for several weeks now. Our family is in a season of struggles right now and God is teaching us to trust Him for everything we need. This is a huge stumbling block for me since I want to be in control of as many things as is possible. I like plans and schedules and definitive answers. Waiting is not my strong suit.
I haven't written a poem from this verse yet, but I am fairly sure that will happen soon. I am starting to think that the reason I haven't been able to take any of my older ideas and flesh them out is because I'm in a different place now. I have different emotions, different situations, and a different perspective. Now that's not to say I won't ever use them, just probably not right now.
I have been working this weekend on my new website, mostly a lot of data entry. It's going to be more work than either I or my webmaster thought, but it should be done soon. It's going to take some getting used to, but I have high hopes!
I am beefing up my Twitter postings to seven a day, seven days a week. I think that trying to reach as many people at as many different times as possible is an important thing. As vile as Twitter can be at times, it can be turned into a powerful tool for the Kingdom too. Keep your eyes open for all those posts!
On Tuesday, March 1st, I saw a Twitter post that there was an urgent message being presented to the IHOP staff, family and students. We were a little worried so we tuned into the live web feed and wow ... we were rocked. Here is an edited version. To get the full message, you can go here to the archive on www.ihop.org and scroll down to March 1, 2 PM. The message begins at about 1:23:00. Then you will need to click on March 1, 4 PM to access the second hour.
John Mulinde is from Uganda and he brings a powerful message from his past. It will bring new insight into many Scriptures and change your view of your life radically.
Well I am off to add more content to my new website. I pray blessings over you and that God would meet you in every moment of each day!
I haven't written a poem from this verse yet, but I am fairly sure that will happen soon. I am starting to think that the reason I haven't been able to take any of my older ideas and flesh them out is because I'm in a different place now. I have different emotions, different situations, and a different perspective. Now that's not to say I won't ever use them, just probably not right now.
I have been working this weekend on my new website, mostly a lot of data entry. It's going to be more work than either I or my webmaster thought, but it should be done soon. It's going to take some getting used to, but I have high hopes!
I am beefing up my Twitter postings to seven a day, seven days a week. I think that trying to reach as many people at as many different times as possible is an important thing. As vile as Twitter can be at times, it can be turned into a powerful tool for the Kingdom too. Keep your eyes open for all those posts!
On Tuesday, March 1st, I saw a Twitter post that there was an urgent message being presented to the IHOP staff, family and students. We were a little worried so we tuned into the live web feed and wow ... we were rocked. Here is an edited version. To get the full message, you can go here to the archive on www.ihop.org and scroll down to March 1, 2 PM. The message begins at about 1:23:00. Then you will need to click on March 1, 4 PM to access the second hour.
John Mulinde is from Uganda and he brings a powerful message from his past. It will bring new insight into many Scriptures and change your view of your life radically.
Well I am off to add more content to my new website. I pray blessings over you and that God would meet you in every moment of each day!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Unrelenting
I posted a new poem last week called "Unrelenting" which was born out of the song "You Won't Relent" by Misty Edwards from IHOP-KC. You can see a video of it performed live here on YouTube. It's also on her album, Relentless, available in a number of places. The verse that some of lyrics come from is Song of Solomon 8:6.
God loves us. God loves us passionately. God wants us, all of us. And He will ask us relentlessly to give Him everything in our lives. But He will never force anything. He will never stop pursuing us as His children, but He will never force us to love Him.
One of my favorite VeggieTales quotes is from "A Snoodle's Tale". The "Creator" is asked by the little Snoodle why he doesn't just make the other Snoodles love him. And the man replies, "A gift that's demanded is no gift at all." It makes me cry every time. If God wanted everyone to love Him, He could force us to do that. But He wants us to make that choice. He gave us freewill and gave up the chance for universal admiration when He did that. However, He will never stop trying to woo us to love Him.
My family and I would appreciate your prayers. We have all been sick with colds and such, and our son had another seizure this past week. We need healing!
I am still working on my book, with formatting well on its way. I am very pleased with the way it is coming together. I hope that poems, but more importantly the testimony, will bless a lot of women who have been through some of the same things I have.
If you have a prayer request, feel free to leave a comment, contact me on Facebook or Twitter, or send me an e-mail here. Have blessed week and may God watch over you all!
God loves us. God loves us passionately. God wants us, all of us. And He will ask us relentlessly to give Him everything in our lives. But He will never force anything. He will never stop pursuing us as His children, but He will never force us to love Him.
One of my favorite VeggieTales quotes is from "A Snoodle's Tale". The "Creator" is asked by the little Snoodle why he doesn't just make the other Snoodles love him. And the man replies, "A gift that's demanded is no gift at all." It makes me cry every time. If God wanted everyone to love Him, He could force us to do that. But He wants us to make that choice. He gave us freewill and gave up the chance for universal admiration when He did that. However, He will never stop trying to woo us to love Him.
My family and I would appreciate your prayers. We have all been sick with colds and such, and our son had another seizure this past week. We need healing!
I am still working on my book, with formatting well on its way. I am very pleased with the way it is coming together. I hope that poems, but more importantly the testimony, will bless a lot of women who have been through some of the same things I have.
If you have a prayer request, feel free to leave a comment, contact me on Facebook or Twitter, or send me an e-mail here. Have blessed week and may God watch over you all!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Fork in the Road
I've been a poet for a large chunk of my life now. I've always loved reading and so reading poetry came naturally. For the last two years, it's been my clear calling from the Lord.
It seems however that I've reached a bit of a fork in that road now. I'd been wondering why the poetry had not been flowing like before. I chalked it up to the winter weather like last year and waited for the sun to come out again. But in the last week God has made it apparent that the reason the poetry isn't flowing is because that's not what he wants me to be writing at the moment.
Now, don't worry, I'm not abandoning the poetry. I still have a ton of ideas and desire to create poetry for God. Right now though, He's got me writing music. Well, lyrics anyway. My husband is handling the music side of things, which makes for an amazing partnership. Here is our first effort together that he posted on YouTube. I've added his channel to the YouTube sidebar to the left where you can see the videos as he posts them. Some of his music, which I highly recommend, is on there as well.
So for the time being that is where my concentration will be. I'm hoping that as the creativity flows for the music, I'll be able to get some poetry in as well, but we'll see. Thanks for sticking with me and I'll keep you up to date on everything. The book is still in the pipeline as is a brand new website. It's an exciting time!
Have a great week and may God's blessings rain down on you!
It seems however that I've reached a bit of a fork in that road now. I'd been wondering why the poetry had not been flowing like before. I chalked it up to the winter weather like last year and waited for the sun to come out again. But in the last week God has made it apparent that the reason the poetry isn't flowing is because that's not what he wants me to be writing at the moment.
Now, don't worry, I'm not abandoning the poetry. I still have a ton of ideas and desire to create poetry for God. Right now though, He's got me writing music. Well, lyrics anyway. My husband is handling the music side of things, which makes for an amazing partnership. Here is our first effort together that he posted on YouTube. I've added his channel to the YouTube sidebar to the left where you can see the videos as he posts them. Some of his music, which I highly recommend, is on there as well.
So for the time being that is where my concentration will be. I'm hoping that as the creativity flows for the music, I'll be able to get some poetry in as well, but we'll see. Thanks for sticking with me and I'll keep you up to date on everything. The book is still in the pipeline as is a brand new website. It's an exciting time!
Have a great week and may God's blessings rain down on you!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Icy Reception
Oh ... my ... goodness. What an insane week!
The last ten days or so have some of the most chaotic I've ever had. Financial stuff, house guest, family discontent, friends in crisis ... oh my. Now I sit in a house covered with ice and a huge tree limb out my back door. Don't believe me? Here's the proof.
We're not sure how long we'll have power once the 30+ MPH winds kick up either. So it's been an exciting day!
However, through it all, God has always come through for us. I've been working really hard on trusting God, no matter how bad things look, and it's brought a lot of peace to me. He has been good, even when we don't understand exactly why He's doing something.
Progress on the book continues and a revamp of my website should begin soon. My webmaster wants something more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly, so that's in the plans. I'm really looking forward to it.
Well I pray that you all are warm and safe. May His blessings rain down on you, even if some snow does too. God bless!
The last ten days or so have some of the most chaotic I've ever had. Financial stuff, house guest, family discontent, friends in crisis ... oh my. Now I sit in a house covered with ice and a huge tree limb out my back door. Don't believe me? Here's the proof.
We're not sure how long we'll have power once the 30+ MPH winds kick up either. So it's been an exciting day!
However, through it all, God has always come through for us. I've been working really hard on trusting God, no matter how bad things look, and it's brought a lot of peace to me. He has been good, even when we don't understand exactly why He's doing something.
Progress on the book continues and a revamp of my website should begin soon. My webmaster wants something more aesthetically pleasing and user friendly, so that's in the plans. I'm really looking forward to it.
Well I pray that you all are warm and safe. May His blessings rain down on you, even if some snow does too. God bless!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Unrest
I wrote two weeks ago that my world had been shaken a little bit. Apparently that was just the beginning of the shaking!
On the 11th, my husband fell in the snow taking out the trash and, unbeknownst to us for two days, broke his leg. He got a cast on the 13th and I began to baby him. However, that night as I came downstairs to go to bed, I missed the last step, and broke my toe! So I spent some time in the emergency room, got taped up and picked up some medicine on the way home.
That has obviously slowed me down, which is why I took last week off of blog, Twitter and Facebook. I figured we'd heal for a week and everything would be fine. Not exactly.
Our local IHOP (International House of Prayer) is having an internship for college students this semester. Three young men have signed up, only one of which has a place to live right now. They have left Indiana State and put everything in God's hands for the next several months.
Last week, we found out that if one of them did not move out of his dorm on Friday he wouldn't get a refund for the classes he dropped. Larry and I knew what we had to do, so the kids cleaned out their playroom and got it ready for this young man. In just the few days he's been here, our family has basically adopted him and he fits right in. This week we found out that another intern is on his way back down here and needs a place to stay, so we're scrambling now to find beds for these guys and get ready for another guest!
We also found out in the past couple days that a couple who are good friends of ours are going through some terrible turmoil. We have been in prayer for them, ready to support them whenever we can.
As if that's not enough, our family is in a bit of financial difficulty as well. My husband is self-employed and work has been slow lately. We're surviving, but that's about it right now.
But, it will all be okay. A friend prayed over us on Saturday, highlighting some Scriptures about God's promises. I don't know what it's going to look like, and I certainly don't always stay calm about it, but He will come through if we just trust him.
My book is coming along really well. Our first edit is almost done and I'm really liking what I see. There will be four sections of testimony from my life and whole bunch of my poetry inbetween them. It will be somewhere around 100 pages, and has a great cover designed by my husband. I'm praying it can make an impact on a lot of people.
So, given everything that's going on I would really appreciate your prayers. God is all powerful and all things are possible through Him.
Have a great week and God bless!
On the 11th, my husband fell in the snow taking out the trash and, unbeknownst to us for two days, broke his leg. He got a cast on the 13th and I began to baby him. However, that night as I came downstairs to go to bed, I missed the last step, and broke my toe! So I spent some time in the emergency room, got taped up and picked up some medicine on the way home.
That has obviously slowed me down, which is why I took last week off of blog, Twitter and Facebook. I figured we'd heal for a week and everything would be fine. Not exactly.
Our local IHOP (International House of Prayer) is having an internship for college students this semester. Three young men have signed up, only one of which has a place to live right now. They have left Indiana State and put everything in God's hands for the next several months.
Last week, we found out that if one of them did not move out of his dorm on Friday he wouldn't get a refund for the classes he dropped. Larry and I knew what we had to do, so the kids cleaned out their playroom and got it ready for this young man. In just the few days he's been here, our family has basically adopted him and he fits right in. This week we found out that another intern is on his way back down here and needs a place to stay, so we're scrambling now to find beds for these guys and get ready for another guest!
We also found out in the past couple days that a couple who are good friends of ours are going through some terrible turmoil. We have been in prayer for them, ready to support them whenever we can.
As if that's not enough, our family is in a bit of financial difficulty as well. My husband is self-employed and work has been slow lately. We're surviving, but that's about it right now.
But, it will all be okay. A friend prayed over us on Saturday, highlighting some Scriptures about God's promises. I don't know what it's going to look like, and I certainly don't always stay calm about it, but He will come through if we just trust him.
My book is coming along really well. Our first edit is almost done and I'm really liking what I see. There will be four sections of testimony from my life and whole bunch of my poetry inbetween them. It will be somewhere around 100 pages, and has a great cover designed by my husband. I'm praying it can make an impact on a lot of people.
So, given everything that's going on I would really appreciate your prayers. God is all powerful and all things are possible through Him.
Have a great week and God bless!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Word of Mouth
I pray that your week, and year, is starting off as well as possible!
I have a new poem up this week called "Word of Mouth". Passing things by word of mouth has often been thought of as one of the best advertising tools, and I would agree. I would also say though that word of mouth can be a dangerous weapon when used to spread gossip and rumors. We live in a digital age where everyone can know peoples' "business" in an instant through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Add in a vindictive spirit and trouble begins.
I've also noticed that in general we're all becoming more flippant with words and insults towards others. It's not uncommon to hear kids cursing at their parents, and vice versa, in Wal-Mart these days. Respect for others is a slowly decaying idea. We as Christians need to take that back and lead by example, showing Christ's love by taming the tongue.
The past couple days have been ones of turmoil for me that's been brewing for several weeks I guess. My sense of who I am in God, where my heart is, and how I've actually been living are being deeply shaken. A new year is bringing new revelation of where I should be, and I am struggling with giving it ALL to Him. Complete surrender is what He asks, and He will settle for no less. I would appreciate your prayers as I stumble through this new section of the path God has for me.
I posted on Twitter and Facebook on New Year's Day that I was working on a major project for the poetry, so I thought I'd let you in on the secret a bit. I'm not certain of a date, but within the next couple months I will be releasing a book! It will include a selection of my poetry from the past two years, as well as some of my testimony. I wanted to tell some of my story, the amazing journey I've been on for 32 years and how Christ has lifted me out of the miry clay. You'll get to see how some of the poems were born out of that and find out more about my background. So keep your eyes open for that announcement!
I would be happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Please let me know how I can pray for you at anytime! You can send me an e-mail at holli@holliswank.com, contact me on Twitter, or on Facebook. You can also leave a comment here on the blog.
Have a wonderful week and may God bless each and every one of you!
I have a new poem up this week called "Word of Mouth". Passing things by word of mouth has often been thought of as one of the best advertising tools, and I would agree. I would also say though that word of mouth can be a dangerous weapon when used to spread gossip and rumors. We live in a digital age where everyone can know peoples' "business" in an instant through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Add in a vindictive spirit and trouble begins.
I've also noticed that in general we're all becoming more flippant with words and insults towards others. It's not uncommon to hear kids cursing at their parents, and vice versa, in Wal-Mart these days. Respect for others is a slowly decaying idea. We as Christians need to take that back and lead by example, showing Christ's love by taming the tongue.
The past couple days have been ones of turmoil for me that's been brewing for several weeks I guess. My sense of who I am in God, where my heart is, and how I've actually been living are being deeply shaken. A new year is bringing new revelation of where I should be, and I am struggling with giving it ALL to Him. Complete surrender is what He asks, and He will settle for no less. I would appreciate your prayers as I stumble through this new section of the path God has for me.
I posted on Twitter and Facebook on New Year's Day that I was working on a major project for the poetry, so I thought I'd let you in on the secret a bit. I'm not certain of a date, but within the next couple months I will be releasing a book! It will include a selection of my poetry from the past two years, as well as some of my testimony. I wanted to tell some of my story, the amazing journey I've been on for 32 years and how Christ has lifted me out of the miry clay. You'll get to see how some of the poems were born out of that and find out more about my background. So keep your eyes open for that announcement!
I would be happy to pray for anyone who is in need. Please let me know how I can pray for you at anytime! You can send me an e-mail at holli@holliswank.com, contact me on Twitter, or on Facebook. You can also leave a comment here on the blog.
Have a wonderful week and may God bless each and every one of you!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy New Year!
Well, 2011 is here, like it or not! Quite a bit has happened in the past few weeks to be sure.
Christmas was amazing as we'd hoped it would be. Friends and family filled our home with love, and gifts of course. The most wonderful part of the day was when Larry and three of our friends sat in our living/school room and played music. Erin even joined in on wooden spoons for a while. The sense of fellowship and love embodied the Christmas spirit completely for us.
Starting the 28th, IHOP (prayer not pancakes) began their major conference, onething. They stream the entire thing for free so from Tuesday afternoon through Friday night that consumed much of our time. We heard some really excellent messages, some absolutely amazing worship, and were able to download the notes and MP3 recordings of everything. We're looking forward to going back and listening to the things we didn't catch and pouring over the notes to go deeper into the ideas.
New Years Eve was very fun, consisting of watching the webstream of onething, rocking out with the worship music, and praying fervently for healing for my husband. It was amazing to ring in the new year watching somewhere around 25,000 young adults worship the Lord and pray for each other. There is hope in those kids.
I hope that you were blessed by this holiday season, and if you have any prayer requests, feel free to get in touch with me. Here's to a new year in the Lord and being days closer to His return!
Christmas was amazing as we'd hoped it would be. Friends and family filled our home with love, and gifts of course. The most wonderful part of the day was when Larry and three of our friends sat in our living/school room and played music. Erin even joined in on wooden spoons for a while. The sense of fellowship and love embodied the Christmas spirit completely for us.
Starting the 28th, IHOP (prayer not pancakes) began their major conference, onething. They stream the entire thing for free so from Tuesday afternoon through Friday night that consumed much of our time. We heard some really excellent messages, some absolutely amazing worship, and were able to download the notes and MP3 recordings of everything. We're looking forward to going back and listening to the things we didn't catch and pouring over the notes to go deeper into the ideas.
New Years Eve was very fun, consisting of watching the webstream of onething, rocking out with the worship music, and praying fervently for healing for my husband. It was amazing to ring in the new year watching somewhere around 25,000 young adults worship the Lord and pray for each other. There is hope in those kids.
I hope that you were blessed by this holiday season, and if you have any prayer requests, feel free to get in touch with me. Here's to a new year in the Lord and being days closer to His return!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Season of ...
What is Christmas to you?
A season of ... joy? giving? celebration? busyness? stress? Maybe a little of all that?
For me it's that last one; or at least it has always been before. I'm hoping that this year will be a little different though. This year (I pray) we've got the focus right.
A verse that has been on my mind since I found it is Hebrews 13:6. I obviously try to do good and share, but are those two things really sacrifices in my life? Do I share to where it hurts? Are the good things I do forcing me to sacrifice anything?
I wrote about our amazing Thanksgiving dinner last week, and this verse reminds me of that evening. We sacrificed time as a family, money for the extra food, gas to drive our friend back and forth. I sacrificed some comfort, having a new person I didn't really know well in my home.
But God blessed it mightily. He was well pleased with what we did. And I want that again. I want all the blessings God has for me.
So, like I said in my last post, we are opening the doors of our home to friends, family, maybe even a stranger, on Christmas Day. We'll have food, warmth, music, and fellowship. It won't be quiet. It won't be private. It won't look like any other Christmas we've had in the past.
And I am very okay with that.
I have been writing Christmas poems for a few weeks now, and I currently have four that I'll be posting the week of Christmas. I'm actually hoping He'll give me one more so I have a full slate of new ones that week, but we'll see what He's got.
Have a great week everyone. I pray that God pours out blessings as you navigate this season and that you are always able to hang onto the reason we celebrate every year. See you next week!
A season of ... joy? giving? celebration? busyness? stress? Maybe a little of all that?
For me it's that last one; or at least it has always been before. I'm hoping that this year will be a little different though. This year (I pray) we've got the focus right.
A verse that has been on my mind since I found it is Hebrews 13:6. I obviously try to do good and share, but are those two things really sacrifices in my life? Do I share to where it hurts? Are the good things I do forcing me to sacrifice anything?
I wrote about our amazing Thanksgiving dinner last week, and this verse reminds me of that evening. We sacrificed time as a family, money for the extra food, gas to drive our friend back and forth. I sacrificed some comfort, having a new person I didn't really know well in my home.
But God blessed it mightily. He was well pleased with what we did. And I want that again. I want all the blessings God has for me.
So, like I said in my last post, we are opening the doors of our home to friends, family, maybe even a stranger, on Christmas Day. We'll have food, warmth, music, and fellowship. It won't be quiet. It won't be private. It won't look like any other Christmas we've had in the past.
And I am very okay with that.
I have been writing Christmas poems for a few weeks now, and I currently have four that I'll be posting the week of Christmas. I'm actually hoping He'll give me one more so I have a full slate of new ones that week, but we'll see what He's got.
Have a great week everyone. I pray that God pours out blessings as you navigate this season and that you are always able to hang onto the reason we celebrate every year. See you next week!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Giving Really is Better
Thanksgiving in our house had always been a family thing. For a long time, we traveled to my grandparents home until they passed away several years ago.
Then that home was passed to my mother, so we went to the same home, only ate with my mom and brothers. Something was still missing.
Then three years ago my husband and I decided to make it about just our family. That was better, without the drama, but something was still missing.
In 2008 and 2009, it was our family and my youngest brother. Again, nice, but missing something.
This year changed EVERYTHING.
This year we invited a man I would call an acquaintance to eat with us. He is a former soldier, having done two tours in Iraq, going through some personal issues, and was going to be alone (save the dogs) on Thanksgiving. My husband and I found this to unacceptable.With some cajoling, prodding, and assuring him it was no burden, he came on Thanksgiving to eat with our family of five.
And it was the best holiday we have ever had.
We made him some dinner, talked to him for a couple hours, gave him the leftovers to take home, and it was one of the best feelings I've ever had. He was so thankful and appreciated having people to talk to. What was a simple gesture made such a difference to him, and us as well.
On Christmas Day, we're opening the doors of our home to any family or friends who want to come. I'm going to bake throughout the day and set out snacks and spend the day with the people we love and cherish.
And I suspect it will be the best Christmas I've ever had.
The old adage is true: Giving is truly better than receiving.
Then that home was passed to my mother, so we went to the same home, only ate with my mom and brothers. Something was still missing.
Then three years ago my husband and I decided to make it about just our family. That was better, without the drama, but something was still missing.
In 2008 and 2009, it was our family and my youngest brother. Again, nice, but missing something.
This year changed EVERYTHING.
This year we invited a man I would call an acquaintance to eat with us. He is a former soldier, having done two tours in Iraq, going through some personal issues, and was going to be alone (save the dogs) on Thanksgiving. My husband and I found this to unacceptable.With some cajoling, prodding, and assuring him it was no burden, he came on Thanksgiving to eat with our family of five.
And it was the best holiday we have ever had.
We made him some dinner, talked to him for a couple hours, gave him the leftovers to take home, and it was one of the best feelings I've ever had. He was so thankful and appreciated having people to talk to. What was a simple gesture made such a difference to him, and us as well.
On Christmas Day, we're opening the doors of our home to any family or friends who want to come. I'm going to bake throughout the day and set out snacks and spend the day with the people we love and cherish.
And I suspect it will be the best Christmas I've ever had.
The old adage is true: Giving is truly better than receiving.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Toda
Toda means thanks in Hebrew. This became the basis for my poem this Thanksgiving, giving thanks to God and Christ in one of the most important languages to both Jews and Christians.
I really wanted to write something special this year, because I have so much to be thankful for. The past few months have been an incredible season of blessing and learning and spiritual growth for me. He has poured out so much into and for me recently.
I pray that you have a blessed holiday and safe travels this week. May He smile on each one of you during this time. God bless!
I really wanted to write something special this year, because I have so much to be thankful for. The past few months have been an incredible season of blessing and learning and spiritual growth for me. He has poured out so much into and for me recently.
I pray that you have a blessed holiday and safe travels this week. May He smile on each one of you during this time. God bless!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Impressions
"Impressions" was inspired, like many other poems, by a song. "The Song You Sing" by Creed really made me think about the impact I was having on other people, day in and day out. The lyrics that really caught me were:
God wants us to have an everlasting song. He wants us to sing a song that brings others to eternal life with us. It's not enough for us to make it if we don't try to bring anyone else to Jesus. We can't just coast along now that we're saved. We need to go out, be His hands and feet, sing His song, speak His word, and spread His gospel.
Have a great week everyone and may God bless you all greatly. See you next week!
Does the song you sing
Have enough meaning
Inspire us to sing along
Does the song you sing keep echoing
Inspire us to sing the song you sing
Have enough meaning
Inspire us to sing along
Does the song you sing keep echoing
Inspire us to sing the song you sing
God wants us to have an everlasting song. He wants us to sing a song that brings others to eternal life with us. It's not enough for us to make it if we don't try to bring anyone else to Jesus. We can't just coast along now that we're saved. We need to go out, be His hands and feet, sing His song, speak His word, and spread His gospel.
Have a great week everyone and may God bless you all greatly. See you next week!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
On the Move
Yesterday was probably one of the longest days I have ever had. The family piled in the car at 4 AM and took off. Our destination? Dallas, Texas.
18 hours later we arrived.
I will never do that again. EVER. Except for the ride home.
There were blessings in the trip though. We got to see an enormous amount of God's beautiful Creation as we drove through Missouri and Oklahoma. Illinois and Texas were cloaked in darkness, however we did get to experience God's power in an intense thunderstorm as we approached St. Louis.
His hand was clearly on the entire thing as none of the kids killed each other, got sick on the ride or was (majorly) injured. There were no problems with the van and we were given fabulous directions by several different people. We made it, even in the dark, through the (to us) insane Dallas traffic.
I am hoping that being in a hotel, even with three kids, for 3 days while my husband is off doing his work will give me a chance to write some. I had planned to schedule poems for this week on Monday as we were originally to be here tomorrow, but the plan changed so I did not get the chance to schedule anything. I am going to do that today and everything should be back to normal next week.
I hope you all have a great week. We'd appreciate your prayers on Saturday as we travel home. God bless you all!
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18 hours later we arrived.
I will never do that again. EVER. Except for the ride home.
There were blessings in the trip though. We got to see an enormous amount of God's beautiful Creation as we drove through Missouri and Oklahoma. Illinois and Texas were cloaked in darkness, however we did get to experience God's power in an intense thunderstorm as we approached St. Louis.
His hand was clearly on the entire thing as none of the kids killed each other, got sick on the ride or was (majorly) injured. There were no problems with the van and we were given fabulous directions by several different people. We made it, even in the dark, through the (to us) insane Dallas traffic.
I am hoping that being in a hotel, even with three kids, for 3 days while my husband is off doing his work will give me a chance to write some. I had planned to schedule poems for this week on Monday as we were originally to be here tomorrow, but the plan changed so I did not get the chance to schedule anything. I am going to do that today and everything should be back to normal next week.
I hope you all have a great week. We'd appreciate your prayers on Saturday as we travel home. God bless you all!
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I would appreciate it if you would fill out this short survey about various things surrounding my poetry - http://bit.ly/cOTyj4 ... Thanks!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Glorious Return
"Glorious Return" expresses the world that we are living in, and the world we will be living in until Jesus comes back. There will be suffering and persecution, but we are to count ourselves blessed for those things. We are following in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior.
I am very pleased to report that I am still writing, despite a slow down, as I penned two new poems last week. One of them is for Christmas, so you won't see it for a bit. The other should be in the rotation before too long.
The interesting thing though is what happened when I went to write. Our daughter had a practice for the puppet ministry she is involved with, so I went to the library for some peace and quiet. I sat down and a little girl immediately sat down with me and began to talk to me. She asked what I was going to be doing, so I told her I was going to write. I explained that I write poems about God and Jesus, and we spoke for a while about Him and how she wanted to build a rocket to go see Him someday. I found out that she was 4 years old and it floored me. God had placed me there to witness to a 4 year old little girl before I wrote. If I hadn't gone with the flow of His Spirit, I wouldn't have been there.
I am making a slight change to how I post poems and blogs. My schedule has shifted a bit, so I am going to post them Tuesday through Saturday, giving me Monday to set everything up and take a bit of the pressure off my Sundays.
I hope you all have a blessed week and He shines the light of His face upon each and every moment. Come, Lord Jesus!
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I am very pleased to report that I am still writing, despite a slow down, as I penned two new poems last week. One of them is for Christmas, so you won't see it for a bit. The other should be in the rotation before too long.
The interesting thing though is what happened when I went to write. Our daughter had a practice for the puppet ministry she is involved with, so I went to the library for some peace and quiet. I sat down and a little girl immediately sat down with me and began to talk to me. She asked what I was going to be doing, so I told her I was going to write. I explained that I write poems about God and Jesus, and we spoke for a while about Him and how she wanted to build a rocket to go see Him someday. I found out that she was 4 years old and it floored me. God had placed me there to witness to a 4 year old little girl before I wrote. If I hadn't gone with the flow of His Spirit, I wouldn't have been there.
I am making a slight change to how I post poems and blogs. My schedule has shifted a bit, so I am going to post them Tuesday through Saturday, giving me Monday to set everything up and take a bit of the pressure off my Sundays.
I hope you all have a blessed week and He shines the light of His face upon each and every moment. Come, Lord Jesus!
-----
I would appreciate it if you would fill out this short survey about various things surrounding my poetry - http://bit.ly/cOTyj4 ... Thanks!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Influential Music
My life has almost always been built around music. My parents raised me to 60's, 70's and 80's music on vinyl records and radio stations. Events in my life are recalled by a song that was playing when they happened. I don't ever remember not having music around, and now when there is no music on, I feel kind of empty.
As expected, music is a huge influence on my poetry. I thought you might be interested in what's engaging me right now, and where many of my ideas are flowing from. Here is a list of music I'm using to get me writing these days:
Christmas music? Yeah, I'm writing for Christmas right now. I have one called "This Child" and I am hoping for at least one more before the end. The others I have found to be very good at stirring my heart and my emotions as I write, bringing me closer to His ideas for the poems.
A lot of it is likely unknown to many of you because it comes from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Every two months we get a Limited Edition MP3 download of the "highlights" of the Global Prayer Room there, and every time we have found at least one song that touches us. It is an amazing place and an amazing resource for pure, heartfelt worship music.
Before I go, I need to ask for your help. It won't take long but I have a ten question survey that I need as many people as possible to fill out. It will really help me shape how I get the poetry to you, if you're interested in products or a book, and let me know how you're finding things.
Have a great week and I'll talk to you again soon. God bless!
As expected, music is a huge influence on my poetry. I thought you might be interested in what's engaging me right now, and where many of my ideas are flowing from. Here is a list of music I'm using to get me writing these days:
- "2000 Decembers Ago" by Joy Williams
- "What Child is This?" by Mercy Me
- "I Want to Be with You" by Cory Asbury and Team (KC-IHOP)
- "Jesus Is" by Hillsong Church London
- "Rend the Heavens" by Isa Couvertier
- "Samuel's Awakening" by Jason Upton
- "A Lion Has Roared" by Jeremy Horn
- "Soul Cry" by Misty Edwards
- "Revelation 4-5" by Justin Rizzo and Team (KC-IHOP)
Christmas music? Yeah, I'm writing for Christmas right now. I have one called "This Child" and I am hoping for at least one more before the end. The others I have found to be very good at stirring my heart and my emotions as I write, bringing me closer to His ideas for the poems.
A lot of it is likely unknown to many of you because it comes from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. Every two months we get a Limited Edition MP3 download of the "highlights" of the Global Prayer Room there, and every time we have found at least one song that touches us. It is an amazing place and an amazing resource for pure, heartfelt worship music.
Before I go, I need to ask for your help. It won't take long but I have a ten question survey that I need as many people as possible to fill out. It will really help me shape how I get the poetry to you, if you're interested in products or a book, and let me know how you're finding things.
Have a great week and I'll talk to you again soon. God bless!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Change of Pace
All summer long, I worked pretty hard to keep churning out new poems and blog posts, spending time on Twitter and Facebook scheduling posts. I hope that it has been great for you all, blessing each of you in a deep way.
Now that fall has arrived, though, I can feel a change coming. It happened last year, and I can see it on the horizon now as well. These cold months seem to signal a slowdown for me, a break I guess in my pace. I have not written a new poem in several weeks, and while I have ideas, nothing is flowing very easily. I am going to keep trying and I am sure that some things will coalesce, but I want to be honest about what you can expect at the moment.
I will continue to post a poem every weekday on both Twitter and Facebook, some you've seen recently and others from farther back in the archives. I am going to do my best to write a blog post every week as well.
Finally, I would greatly appreciate you filling a short, ten question survey about several things surrounding the poetry. It will help me get an idea for where people are finding the poetry, what you think of the postings, and if you'd like to see some things that have been in mind for a while now.
Thank you for all your support and following me down this ever changing road. May God bless every one of you as we all walk out this path called life, until the return of our King, Jesus.
Now that fall has arrived, though, I can feel a change coming. It happened last year, and I can see it on the horizon now as well. These cold months seem to signal a slowdown for me, a break I guess in my pace. I have not written a new poem in several weeks, and while I have ideas, nothing is flowing very easily. I am going to keep trying and I am sure that some things will coalesce, but I want to be honest about what you can expect at the moment.
I will continue to post a poem every weekday on both Twitter and Facebook, some you've seen recently and others from farther back in the archives. I am going to do my best to write a blog post every week as well.
Finally, I would greatly appreciate you filling a short, ten question survey about several things surrounding the poetry. It will help me get an idea for where people are finding the poetry, what you think of the postings, and if you'd like to see some things that have been in mind for a while now.
Thank you for all your support and following me down this ever changing road. May God bless every one of you as we all walk out this path called life, until the return of our King, Jesus.
Friday, September 24, 2010
One and Only
As I have drawn closer to Jesus, it has been made apparent that He needs to be my singular focus. "One and Only" is an expression of that. I love my children, and I am devoted to my husband, but Jesus must come before all of that. He spoke of this in Matthew 10:37. He demands to come first, nothing less.
I pray that your weekend is a great one! Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about. Leave a comment here or get in touch with me through Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail. God bless everyone!
I pray that your weekend is a great one! Let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about. Leave a comment here or get in touch with me through Twitter, Facebook, or e-mail. God bless everyone!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Blessed Ones (Matt 5:3-12)
I am not feeling very good, so I am going to keep this short.
"Blessed Ones" comes from Matthew 5:3-12, otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes. It is the second in the His Words series I am working on. I pray that it blesses you this day.
Have a great week and may God bless!
"Blessed Ones" comes from Matthew 5:3-12, otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes. It is the second in the His Words series I am working on. I pray that it blesses you this day.
Have a great week and may God bless!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Silence
"Silence is golden."
"A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;" - Ecclesiastes 3:7
"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." - Proverbs 17:28
Much is, and can be, done in silence. God used the silence before time began to start His work. When we turn off all of the world's distractions, all of the world's temptations, and just sit, He is there. That is what "Silence" is about.
Have a great weekend everyone. Send me a note if there's anything I can pray about in your life, and may God bless each moment!
"A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;" - Ecclesiastes 3:7
"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue." - Proverbs 17:28
Much is, and can be, done in silence. God used the silence before time began to start His work. When we turn off all of the world's distractions, all of the world's temptations, and just sit, He is there. That is what "Silence" is about.
Have a great weekend everyone. Send me a note if there's anything I can pray about in your life, and may God bless each moment!
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