....peace when the THREAT LEVEL is upgraded to RED.. All Glory be to HIM...

received an email last night, finally, after a frustrating almost 3 months of waiting, and as much as it is so much better to at least have an idea what to expect, the news itself was not good..

over the last little while I have been trying to hide in my Father in Heaven's embrace.. trusting Him and not being afraid of what might be coming my way...

and now it is here... worst case scenario..

sharing the news with some friends asking them to pray, in an eerie way the peace never quite left me.. that peace that surpasses all understanding has been mine throughout all of this... trusting and not being afraid as I drifted of to sleep and throughout the night the only prayer I had was that He would be glorified through all of this..

thanks to technology I was able to do a little search of the Bible for the word "glory" this morning.. these are a few of the scriptures I found..

Sing to the Lord, all the earth;

    proclaim his salvation day after day.

 Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

1 Chronicles 16:23-24

 I will extol the Lord at all times;

    his praise will always be on my lips.

 I will glory in the Lord;

    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

 Glorify the Lord with me;

    let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 34:1-3

All your works praise you, Lord;

    your faithful people extol you.

 They tell of the glory of your kingdom

    and speak of your might,

 so that all people may know of your mighty acts

    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Psalm 145:10-12

there are many of those and they just confirmed what my heart was telling me.. rejoicing in Him, praising Him and giving Him the glory is what it is all about, no matter how harsh the circumstances..

I kept on scrolling through the scriptures and " Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!".... He had so much more for me..

Isaiah 43 has been a place where even throughout these last 3 months I have found some real encouragement and peace... there is verses 1-3.. the walking through the river and fire part.. love that one.. then there was the one I really have been clinging to.. verses 18-19:

“Forget the former things;

    do not dwell on the past.

 See, I am doing a new thing!

    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

    and streams in the wasteland.

the verses that were listed for "glory" where verses 4-7.. following right after the promise that He would walk with us through the fires.. and the raging storms..

here it is:

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

    and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

    nations in exchange for your life.

 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

    I will bring your children from the east

    and gather you from the west.

 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar

    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

 everyone who is called by my name,

    whom I created for my glory,

    whom I formed and made.”

I marvel at my God, the Mighty One, I marvel at His Word, I marvel at His love and provision, for this is what He said to me...

I created you for my glory... I love you and you are precious in my sight.. I will walk with you through the difficult things that you now know are coming your way.. you don't have to be afraid.. in my mighty power I will make all things work out.. because I created you for my glory, I made you and formed you... and... just to give you a light at the end of this very dark and scary tunnel.... I am about to do a new thing... forget the old and bad stuff that is causing all this for you.. there will be streams in the wilderness and I will give you rest in the presence of your enemies.. I will do new things that you cannot even imagine, because ...you are mine, you are precious and honoured in my sight... 

my heart is once again overflowing with His grace and love...  because He is faithful and when we seek Him with all our heart He is found.. I asked that His glory would be seen through all this ... and wow, did He ever meet me..

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

    in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

...CHANGES.. good and bad... but HE never changes :)

 just saw this picture on Facebook.. I follow all these amazing photographers that take pictures of lighthouses around the Great Lakes..
I have been to this lighthouse, it is on Lake Superior.. I fell in love with it right away.. chances are I will never go there again, so looking at this picture makes me think of good things coming to an end, how everything changes and how sometimes we do not like that...



 then there was this picture a few days ago.. this is a lighthouse on Lake Michigan and, God willing I will be there in less than two weeks.. I am planning to take many amazing pictures of all the lighthouses around that area when I go on my first ever "all by myself road trip"....

I am apprehensive about going all by myself, preparing myself to spend a week without anyone to share it with..  this is just one way a change that happened  a few years ago continues to work itself out in my life...

I am excited and I am scared..   but the good thing with road trips is one can turn around anytime one feels like it ;)

then there is this picture... I think it was about 16 years ago... a change happened about 3 months later.. our little puppy, only 10 months at the time, was run over by a car and died..  I remember grieving her loss and thinking I would never ever want a dog again...

the little girl in the picture was especially cute back then.. she was so tiny and so excited about everything she saw... she loved the puppy.. the three of us had an amazing summer that year...






 and there she is now.. finished school and ready to do some more growing up.. she is ready, I am not sure how ready I am...  changes..  they are part of life.. things never quite stay the way they are.. often that is a good thing... other times we have a little bit of a harder time with it..

made me think of the One that never changes... there is no need for Him to change, because He already is perfect.. He is holy.. and just, and merciful and caring. He is all knowing and all powerful.. but most of all He is faithful and keeps His promises.. He never lies.. He can't.. He is truth and He is all we need...

facing changes can be quite difficult.. thankfully the One that never changes  always stays with us... He will never leave, neither for a sad or a good reason, He just won't.. He is more committed to us, than we can ever be to Him... He knows us and loves us and I am sure He is pleased to see us change into His likeness more and more....

I am thankful that I am aware that nothing ever stays the same  (other than Him ), it gives me hope in some situations.. (the bad ones), and it makes me more intentional about engaging lovingly in the other ones.. like letting my baby fly the nest...

all in all... it is all good, because that never changing One, He will use everything in our lives for the good for those, that love Him, that have been called according to His purpose...

All my changes come from Him,

He who never changes..

I am held firm in the grasp

of the Rock of all the Ages!

thankful for that... ETERNALLY...

... the storm may not part.. but God is still IN CONTROL...

scary stuff, happening all around us and for me, as I am sure for many others, in my personal life as well. unsettling stuff, disappointing stuff, hurtful stuff ... not what one would wish for..

the good news is that this is not new... not something that has not been there before..

long, long ago, when David wrote down these songs.. he had some pretty scary stuff going on too..

I love how I can hear from my God, when I go to His Word.. makes sense, He gave this to us, to remind us, to teach us, to inform and change us..

so this morning, after spending some time in the book of Jonah ( the book my pastor is preaching through right now ) I kept on reading in the Psalms.. my "go to" book for troubled times..

Psalm 16 is once again, where I stayed.. and listened....

Keep me safe, my God,

    for in you I take refuge.

 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

    apart from you I have no good thing.”

 I say of the holy people who are in the land,

    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods

    or take up their names on my lips.

 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;

    you make my lot secure.

 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

    surely I have a delightful inheritance.

 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

    even at night my heart instructs me.

 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.

    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

    my body also will rest secure,

 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

 You make known to me the path of life;

    you will fill me with joy in your presence,

    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

planes shot down, violent attacks, personal persecution.... scary and then again, not really..

a part of life, for sure. a part of life here on earth, no question about that, just study your history ( all of it, not just the last few hundred years and everywhere )

is my God surprised? taken aback??? you can be sure He is not.

He is IN CONTROL... He is God alone..

Hide me now

Under Your wings

Cover me

Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father, You are King over the flood

I will be still and know You are God

Find rest my soul

In Christ alone

Know His power

In quietness and trust

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father, You are King over the flood

I will be still and know You are God

Be encouraged..  

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

    surely I have a delightful inheritance. 

ALL PRAISE BE TO GOD!

... He will take great delight in you... DO NOT BE AFRAID.....

I am so glad I signed up for this daily email called "365 Fear Nots"..

it's just a scripture really they are sending first thing in the morning and there have been many times where this has been exactly what I needed to cling to the "I am not afraid" thing in the past few months..

today.. another treasure.. what got to me was that I am very familiar with what follows the "don't be afraid"... wasn't quite aware of this little phrase right before one of my MOST favourite verses..

Do not fear, Zion;

    do not let your hands hang limp.

... The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:16-17

I have read through the whole Bible in a year at some point in time, but have never studied through the book of Zephaniah though and so this morning, I spent some time in this chapter.

I have memorized verse 17 and have found great comfort in picturing my Daddy in Heaven taking such delight in me and rejoicing over me with singing... I didn't realize the setting.. I didn't take in all of the context.. so

this morning reading it and letting it sink in I am even more amazed by this love the Father communicates here..

His people had been haughty and arrogant, they had sinned and were stubborn, they had turned away and He was punishing them.. He was purging them of the arrogant and just leaving the remnant.. the humble and meek.. those that would come and worship Him from everywhere.. He told them, like He told me this morning, that they did not have to be afraid ... because the Mighty Warrior who saves was going to be with them.. and not only that.. He was going to take delight in them and wouldn't hold their sin against them... instead He was going to rejoice over them with singing..

what a tender and merciful moment.. the Almighty Warrior... delighting and singing over His beloved children..

so thankful that I am on of them.. that my sins are forgiven, He doesn't remember them no more.. instead He delights in me..

He sings over me and quiets my heart dealing with fear and distress.....

tonite, I am clinging to this.. tonite, I am finding myself to weary to even be able to respond anymore.. emotionally worn I am just going to let Him hold on to me. because He is my Abba Father.. He not only delights over me, He knows me, He wants to know me, He wants to spend time with me, He saves me and He has my back. I don't have to be alert.. I can just hide in the shadow of His wings and let go of all that burdens me. all that makes me sad and leaves me weak... He will renew my strength so I can soar on wings like eagles... I will run and not grow weary and I will walk and not be faint.. all thanks to Him...

There is no one like Him!

@mwsmithofficial and friends cruise 2014.. I WILL TRUST AND NOT BE AFRAID!

after counting down for 450 days (  might have been more ), on July 6 it really happened.. no more sleeps or days to wait ...  the Cruise ship left Seattle Harbour and we started sailing north... to Alaska....

meeting many precious friends the day before already the level of excitement was quite high..

first concert that night and a jam packed schedule for the whole week .. devotions, worship, teaching, concerts and more concerts.. choir rehearsals and performances.. 

beautiful Alaska... glaciers, seals, whales.. tiny little towns.. very quaint and interesting  beyond the touristy places.. lots of pictures taken...

deep conversations with great friends.. lots of great food and laughter..

it was the perfect getaway ... 

I knew that I wouldn't be able to get away... I am just not the type to push stuff off.. can't compartmentalize.. I am a woman after all... this latest fire also has been burning too hot..

so I prayed that the peace my Lord promises to give me would allow me to enjoy what He was blessing me with...

and He did.

the devotions and teachings were right on.... just some scriptures that were shared:

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous

Joshua 1: 5-6

this was the most impactful one for me:

Surely God is my salvation;

    I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense

    he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12 : 2

the few times I had some internet connection some more bad news made it's way to me.. anxiety wanted to grip me but hey, I was not going to let it.. I WILL TRUST AND NOT BE AFRAID......

drinking in the nearness of my Lord and Saviour through the love of His people poured out to me, the majesty of His creation, through singing His praises almost ( or so it felt anyways) 24 / 7....  I was courageous, not giving in to fear but rather trusting Him for whatever the outcome of this perfect storm will be.. 

on my way home from the airport.. a phone call.. REALITY ... many more since then, the temperature has not changed.. it is a hot fire, but like when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the blazing hot furnace... there is one more person with me as I am walking through the fire....

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

 For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior

Isaiah 43:1-3

His will is perfect, it cannot be thwarted by anyone, His purposeful goodness is at work, no matter how it looks or feels.. His plans ARE and always WILL BE to prosper and not to harm.. to give a hope and a future..

TO HIM BE ALL GLORY AND PRAISE

.. 4 more sleeps.... and 4 years ago....

so close now... started counting down to this 1 1/2 years ago... three more sleeps now, before I take off here.. and then just one more night before we all embark on this amazing cruise up to Alaska..

makes me think of 4 years ago....  right at this time I was in Florida, my youngest and her dance studio friends dancing at Disney World..

it was hard to be there, all those wounds were still so very raw.. seeing all the "happy" families.. and there was I, and my child.. oh, her Daddy did come to watch her, so did her Grandmother.. and we were doing just fine, or so it seemed.. but... the pain of the marriage break up was still so very very real...

flying back to Buffalo, I boarded my plane to Seattle the next day..  my daughter going home with her dance teacher.. when I got to Seattle, checked into my hotel, I found myself in my room wondering what I had done..

I was going to get on this cruise the next day and I did not know one single person... NO ONE...

thanks to what God has done in my life I am not as shy anymore as I used to be.. but, hey, 1900 people on a cruise ship for a week and I didn't know anyone... pretty scary..

alone, that's how I felt anyways.. so I guess it was okay...

met a nice lady the first morning and was seated at a table with all women travelling alone or with a girlfriend and made some wonderful friends there too..

it was good that I was by myself.. I needed the alone time in my cabin, the crying and praying and journalling and crying.. and more crying...

4 years later... so much has changed... I am still alone but this time, I think I know and have a relationship with quite a number of people I will meet up with... it is amazing to see them all again, some have become really close, have been a great support and encouragement for me in those last few years...

so, I am excited.. I feel blessed.. I cannot leave the turmoil and the difficulties behind, that's just not who I am, but I will enjoy and cherish every minute of this week.. I will allow the blessings of worship concerts and teaching times and devotions, of choir rehearsals and choir concerts ( with Michael W Smith ... oh my ) sink deep into my soul... I will allow the love that my God is pouring into my heart permeate every cell... and I will be blessed... I will be blessed by the people the God has brought into my life through all this and I will, if He allows, be a blessing to them..

considering I have counted down for over 500 days, this is going to go by SOOOOOO FAST.... but hey... there are other amazing things on the horizon because with my God there is never a dull moment......

this is what my Jesus said: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

I am intending... by His grace..to live those 7 days to the full... thanks to a friend who will be on the cruise as well, all the events have been entered into my iCal... on my iPhone.. it's going to be amazing!!!!

All Praise be to Him!!!