Nothing Without You

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A Sunday morning prayer while singing Nothing Without You by Bebo Norman during the worship service—

Take these hands and lift them up
For I have not the strength to praise You near enough
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

Yes, Lord. You must take my hands and lift them up. I am finding there are more dry times in my life than I was bargaining for. Too often I don’t feel like running to you. I haven’t the strength to praise You as I should. Fill me with longing for You, and then satisfy my deepest longings like only You can.

Take my voice and pour it out
Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

Take my voice! My “couldn’t-carry-a-tune-in-a-bucket” voice, and may it be a sweet, sweet song in Your ear! Take my writing voice, whether it be journaling for future generations or posting for fellow bloggers, may my voice be swallowed up by a Bigger voice. I want my voice to soothe with songs of mercy, not browbeating or worry. Sing through me, Lord!

All my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing without You

You are absolutely all I need. My Alpha and Omega. My beginning and my end. My all in all. Yet I spend so much time focused on lesser needs. Cover me with Your love. Consume me with Your fire. May those who look at me not see just me. May the world look into my life and see not a gal -who -has -it -together (as so often I wish for) but a brand plucked from the fire. May all gaps in my character be chances for Your light to shine forth!

Take my body and build it up
May it be broken as an offering of love
For I have nothing, I have nothing without You

My body, Lord! This is certainly a weakness of mine. I am very fond of sweets and soda, and much less fond of exercise. May You take my body from me, and teach me to glorify You in this area of my life as well.

All my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
But I love You

With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my mind
And all the strength I can find

With my heart — my emotions; with my soul — my spiritual side that longs to worship; with my mind — my intellect, my brain; with all the strength I can find — Lord, can you nail my laziness to the Cross? I want to LOVE you with everything I have…and I can’t even do this, without you.

Take my time here on earth
And let it glorify all that You are worth
For I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing without You

Lord, I am so aware of how short my time here on earth is. I feel the hours slipping by at a rate that someone my age shouldn’t be aware of quite yet. Life is a vapor. There just isn’t much time! I want my life to count, eternally. I am learning that somehow, in Your economy, slowing down and listening to you is one way to redeem the time. I don’t understand this, but I have seen it in action. Please, keep speaking to me. Please guide my steps, my actions, my path. May my life glorify Your Name.

All my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing without You

All I need, is for You to walk with Me. For You to let me rest in You, covered with Your love. Everything else in life will fall into place, if only I may walk in Your Spirit. Like the great fairy tales of old, I pray that you swoop up into your strong embrace this maiden in distress. Without You, I have nothing.

(HT to Justin Taylor on the World Magazine article Plucked from the Burning — excellent piece!)

Man Blogs

This weekend I enjoyed two great entries on masculine subjects.

Scott Somerville from K-Dad Education in writes in Romance as a Required Subject:

“Your sons need to understand that a romantic hero gets to fight the dragon of discontent every day for the sake of the woman he loves. Living happily ever after is just as much of a struggle–and a triumph!–as winning her hand in the first place.”

And Bob K from Worship Matters writes in his September 29, 2006 entry, Do Men and Women Worship Differently? (I think you’ll have to scroll down, I couldn’t get the permalink to do anything besides link to the home page):

“It’s not about worshipping God in a feminine or masculine way, but worshipping Him for Who has revealed Himself to be and in the ways He has commanded us to worship Him. As we do so, we’ll find men becoming more manly and women becoming more “womanly.” Given the current climate in many churches, this would probably result in many churches becoming more “masculine” in their worship, but any church becoming more biblical.”

I hope you’ll take the time to read both of these short posts…and take a minute to look around these challenging “man blogs!”

Living Water

“Nothing will supply the needs,

and satisfy the desires of a soul,

but water out of this rock Jesus Christ,

this fountain opened.

The pleasures of sense are puddle-water;

spiritual delights are rock water,

                                          so pure,

                                                      so clear,

                                                                 and so refreshing —

                                                                                                   rivers of pleasure!”

-Matthew Henry

Free Reading

Abebooks announced today that Google is offering .pdf files of many public domain books.  This isn’t anything new – several websites have been collecting and donating to the public oldies-but-goodies for free downloads (for ipod or printing, etc.) for quite awhile now.  However…Google Books is sharp, as Google always is!  For further information about this project, check Google’s blog post on Downloading the Classics.

Eager for more online freebies?  Here are a few more sites offering full texts:

Project Gutenberg

The Baldwin Project

Many Books

Classic Book Library

Penn Library’s Digital Library Projects

Ambleside Online (follow links to specific books)

Literature for Children

LibriVox

Audio Books Online:

Audio Books for Free

Story Nory for Kids

Homeschool Radio Shows (this website sells many audio books and radio programs, but also sends out a free radio program once a week to your email — NOT only for homeschooled children — children and adults of all sorts will appreciate this service!)

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.

by Kent M. Keith

Future Men

One of the books that I am reading right now is Future Men by Douglas Wilson. (I always have several books going at a time because its just too boring to finish one before going onto the next — I prefer keeping several areas of my brain working out at once — sort of like circuit training for the mind. LOL.) It is just so enlightening to read these books about boys. I am reminded that I am SUCH a girl — through and through — and I need the encouragment and direction for raising masculine men. Not to mention that these books on boys help me better understand my husband and his ways…!

From the Introduction to Future Men:

"The faith exhibited by wise parents of boys is the faith of a farmer, or a sculptor, or anyone else engaged in the work of shaping unfolding possibilities. It is not the faith of someone waiting around for lightning to strike; it is the faith of someone who looks at the present and sees what it will become — through grace and good works.
"Countless examples may be multiplied from any given day in the life of a small boy. Say a boy breaks a chair because he was jumping on it from the bunk bed. Unbelief sees the cost of replacing the chair. Faith sees aggressiveness and courage, both of which obviously need to be directed and disciplined. Suppose a boy gets into a fight protecting his sister. Unbelief sees the lack of wisdom that created a situation that could have been easily avoided; faith sees an immature masculinity that is starting to assume the burden of manhood.
"Unbelief squashes; faith teaches. Faith takes a boy aside, and tells him that this part of what he did was good, while that other part of what he did got in the way. 'And this is how to do it better next time.'"

Oh, Lord, the Good Farmer! Would you sow seeds of faith in my heart? Would you help Ron and I to believe and strive toward the best in our sons? It is you who causes the crops to grow, Father. I just want to be your handmaiden, ready to serve You in any way you would prefer. Use me like a tool in your garden! May the crops that are raised in our home glorify Your name in just the way you desire.
I do not want to be guilty of squashing the Good in my boys.
I DO want to be faithful to instructing these little guys in the ways of godly, masculine men.
Thank you for revealing to me so much lately about the manly soul — keep me appreciative of Your good works as I see to understand Your ways. Your thoughts are not my thoughts, and I am so thankful that You are so high above me! Usher me into Your Truth, and please give me the grace to walk by it.

Loving Your Brother

When I was pregnant with my second son, visions of two brothers deeply in love with each other danced in my head. When I shared my hopes and dreams, people scoffed! I was really taken aback by many reactions, "That'll never happen!" "Siblings are supposed to hate each other!" "Dream on!"
I will be the first to admit a Pollyannaesque worldview. If the glass isn't half-full, then let's do something about that, eh? I also have a bit of a rebellious spirit. If someone tells me something cannot be done, I'm going to try that much harder to ensure that it will.
My boys have not been AS in love with each other as I hoped. But then if they were born mature, what would they need parents for? (And if I didn't have children, would I be forced into maturity as quickly as I ought to be?)
Our 3 sons do cherish each other deeply. They truly are best friends. Sometimes while we are out shopping, I notice them holding hands (but I NEVER point it out, for then they might stop — if anyone teases them about this you will forever be on my blacklist). They make each other cards or homemade board games when they are sick. They often bring each other snacks or glasses of water when they stop to get something for themselves. More often than not, after tucking them each into their own beds, we will peek in on them to find all three of them snuggled together under one blanket.
I feel that home schooling has been another surprise answer to prayer. Close family relationships were the desire of my heart — I had no idea that home schooling would be one of the vehicles God would use to grant us this desire. The boys spending more time together during the day, and being on the same family team — not running off on their own individual tangents all the time –has produced amazing friendships. I feel blessed that God "talked us into" home schooling and then astonished us with so many extra benefits!
God has been kind enough to their dad and me to give us a foretaste of this desire of our hearts. So far, it seems that the Lord has clued us in when the friendships start slipping — which inevitably happens every once in a while. We had one little neighbor boy who used to spend a lot of time in our house, and he really was quite destructive to the brothers' relationship. We prayed about what to do, and God asked me to play with the group of boys when the neighbor boy was over (which they actually seemed to enjoy, not to mention I had a bit of fun myself!) and this helped much. Not long after that, the little boy moved away, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
The last few weeks have shown a bit more bickering and jealousy in the house. I have been so busy with Christmas and reading other people's blogs that I have chosen to turn a blind eye to much of it. A lot more derogatory words have been exchanged from the olders to the youngers. And as for our youngest, we haven't held as high standards for him as we should have. He is the one to show favoritism and try to play one older brother against the other. His brothers have been too kind to him, letting him be the Prince of the House.
I just read a cute post on Making Your Kids Love Each Other. Such good ideas!
How thankful I am that God's mercies are new every morning. I am inspired to wake up tomorrow morning and help my littles love on each other more and more. I am inspired to get myself back on the family team and not be off doing my own thing for much of the day.
Back to loving God, and loving others — this is where I want to go. And everything else will fall into place…
Lord God, will you guide Ron and I in helping our children love each other? Do not let us tolerate ugly words amongst them. Help us to teach them biblical ways of dealing with conflict, and biblical ways of loving the unloveable. Help us to love them and enjoy them while we discipline and disciple them. Thank you that You are such an enjoyable God! May we learn to feast on You and share You with the little ones you have loaned to us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

What the Good Man Does is Always Right

My son Christian read a story today from our book of Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson. He called out, "Hey, Mom! I found your favorite story, What the Good Man Does is Always Right, remember it? Can I read it out loud for all of us?"
What a blessing to hear him refer to it as my favorite story. When I first read it to him a few years back, I remember fighting with my flesh all the way through it. The main male character is an idiot. What woman wouldn't scold him for his impropriety? Yet, not only does Mrs. Fairy Tale not scold her husband-dear, she finds something positive to say with each unveiling of bad news.
The end of this story [spoiler warning] brings Mr. and Mrs. Fairy Tale a bag of riches, due to the Missus' good attitude. A good reminder that I, too, can bring about good things for our family by simply following the guidelines God has given me in my How To Be a Good Wife Manual.
So, honey, if you ever sell our horse for some rotten apples, I'll give you a big kiss and say, "What the good man does is always right!"

Proverbs 31:11 and 12

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

The Ten Million Commandments of California

California.

Land of the fruits and nuts.

Land of lots of legislation.

My hubby just let me know a new law has already gone into effect, requiring us to turn on our headlights whenever adverse weather conditions require that our windshield wipers are on! Now, this is a great, commonsense idea — but need it be a LAW? (Did you know the idea for the law came from a "There Oughta Be a Law" contest?)

When we refuse to be self-governed (i.e. when we refuse to obey God), the government must step in. (The kids are just now thinking through these ideas while reading history story books of early America — thanks to Truthquest History).

Jesus said that the entire Jewish Law could be summed up in 2 commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Imagine a world where people actually did just that…how many other laws on the books would we need?!

Instead, especially here in California, we desire the "freedom" to become slaves to our sin, to do what feels good, looking out for number one at all costs. And so we have become the land of the 10 million commandments.

"If man will not be governed by the 10 commandments, he will be governed by the 10,000 commandments." — G.K. Chesterton

Song of Micah

——
Micah.
Our strong-willed child.
Our Independent Thinker.
While our first-born was so eager to learn about Jesus, memorize scripture, and beg Jesus to come into his heart so he "wouldn't be a bad guy anymore," our second-born has been a little less enthusiastic. In fact, at age 3, he looked me square-in-the-eye and declared, “I don’t like God and I don’t need Jesus.” He began to refuse to pray during family prayer times. He often disconnected from us in spiritual matters.
Over the past few years I struggled through theological questions regarding Calvinism v. Arminianism and Everything-In-Between. How much of our salvation is based upon our choosing God v. God choosing us? In other words, as a mommy, where did my striving need to be focused: in convincing Micah to choose the Lord, or in begging the Lord to choose my son? Well, of course, we haven’t backed off of the overall goal of Romancing Our Child’s Heart for the Lord but we have commenced a serious campaign of begging the King to save our little boy’s soul!
More than once the prayer heavy on my heart at my women’s prayer group or homeschooling support group has been for Micah’s heart. Some folks have told me not to worry, after all, he is so young! These folks have not seen the resolve in my son’s eyes :). Other sweet friends and grandparents have sensed that there may be something to our intuition and joined my husband and I in praying for God to keep Micah for himself. My childhood best friend (now a missionary in East Africa) vowed to pray often for little Micah (she sees in him a intricate, complex soul much like her own).
Wow, does God answer prayers! I know full well that Micah's walk with the Lord will face many years of ups and downs — from dark stormy days to days of flourishing Spring, but I cannot help proclaiming what the Lord has done ALREADY in my young man’s heart! I am so stirred that He hears the prayers of my heart – who am I that He should touch me with His Grace?
Over the past year, Micah has shown a new-found interest in Things of God. It started with an Easter movie about the death and resurrection of Christ – his little heart was broken in two that Jesus had to die on the cross! He cried for an hour, leaving two belwildered parents wondering how to lead him to the Throne of Grace! He now swings on his swing and revels in songs of praise to the Lord with the wind brushing against his face as he connects with the Almighty! Several times we have overheard him composing songs of his own to celebrate his Lord, and even during our bedtime prayer will often ask if he can sing his prayer. It seems that nature and things of beauty and grandeur speak right to his heart of the Glory of God.
A few weekends ago our family went camping with several other Believers and had the opportunity to have “church” in the mountains together on Sunday morning. I was struck to the heart to see my little boy with his eyes closed and hands lifted up to the sky, singing to the Lord Most High with love all over his face! The Cherry-on-the-Sundae of this Blessing from Above was the song Micah spontaneously broke into on the drive home from the camping trip:

God is The Powerful One

God is the Powerful One
Most powerful in the world
He’s so nice to me
He takes care of me
He loves me a lot
Oh, He loves me a lot!

He’s so nice
He’s so very nice
I like Him
I like Him because He is most powerful in the world…
And so nice to me!

I will die, but I will stay Alive
I really want to see Him

God is the Powerful One
God is the Strongest One
Who is so nice to me.
God is the one who is so strong
God is so very strong
Even if I die, I will still stay alive
He is my Powerful One

He saved me lots of times
He loves me – even though he knows me,
He likes me a lot!

I furiously jotted down the words as fast as I could, and I know I left out a phrase or two (in fact, he told me the other day I must have left out the words “He is stronger than a worm and a monkey,” but I just can't see where that should be inserted into the song). We are eager to see what the Lord continues to do in Micah’s heart. We will do what we can and what the Lord leads to ensure that Micah is discipled into a Man after God’s Own Heart, equipped to become a strong, godly, masculine leader. We are now convinced that we also need to be coming before the Lord on behalf of all of our sons. Would you join us and say a prayer for their souls?