A Celebration: Time to Weigh and Measure... :D

Drumroll please...

It's my one year BLOGoversary today! 

Thank YOU, Lord, for a great year of spreading Your Word 

and bringing praise and honor to Your name! 

I prayed about how to celebrate. A big ole giveaway? A series of old posts?

He landed me on this:

Pause. Ponder. Praise.

Time for Selah.

How cool is that?

I still haven't told you what I believe the real meaning of Selah is. Do some research on it, because it is a fascinating study. Many say it is an interlude or a break in the musical instruments of the Psalms, others say it means "pause" or "break" in the music. Still others say it puts the "Amen" or the exclamation point on a phrase.

I've decided that the research that most resonates Truth to me is that of Tony Warren from Mountain Retreat. He says the following: 

"Selah, [celah], is from the primary Hebrew root word [calah] which literally means 'to hang,' and by implication to measure (weigh). This is readily understood because in Biblical history, money, food and other valuables were 'weighed' by hanging or suspending them on a type of balance (the equivalent of our measuring scale) to determine their value."

He goes on to say: 

"And despite claims to the contrary, there is no substantive Biblical evidence that Selah is an interrupter to pause the music while voices continue, nor is there sound evidence that it is for the pausing of voices while the music continues. These ideas are based upon the conjecture and theories of it being a music stop. It is a presupposition rather an well researched conclusion. But what we do know is that it is a word which means to weigh or measure. 

And in these contexts, to weigh the preceding words of God and wisely consider them. It is a signature exhortation from God for our thoughtful reflection and weighing of what we have just read."

I love that.

So what does that mean for me? It's time for me to take a break in the sense that I need to take some time "to measure" all that is going on in my life and ministry. I will pause and ponder the Lord's message to me and His priorities for me. I will surrender my time and ministry completely to Him and see if He would have me make any adjustments. This is always my goal, but somehow a break makes me more intentional and accountable to it.

Will you join me in prayer about a few of the things He's laid on my heart already?

1. I need to get organized household & health wise. Have some adjustments to make.

2. I'm preparing for a God-sized ministry commitment. He's led me to go on a missions trip to Cambodia in late October for ten days, and I have a TON of research, planning and training to do before I go. I will be leading kids in teaching and worship while I'm there. Please pray. I have never been on an overseas missions trip. I don't even have a passport yet. Completely going with God's leading on this one. Like I said, God-sized.

3. I'm heading to She Speaks/She Writes in late July, and I need to prepare my two presentations, as well as prepare for a publisher's meeting for a few of my manuscripts.

And there's so much more. Books to read, SUV to drive with the kids out of school, Writing Projects to submit for pay, scheduling for fall, etc.

What do you think about this? Crazy, eh? But His ways are not mine, and I would rather obey than end up in the belly of a big fish, so I'm off to Selah for awhile, a month or so...with the exception of one post for the Internet Cafe on the 18th which I'm setting up in advance. :D 

I look forward to what God will do with my extra time. He always surprises me when I obey Him. Thank you for celebrating and praising the Lord with me today! I pray that in the spirit of God's leading for me, you will consider taking the time to weigh and measure exactly what He has for you as well. He will not withhold anything good from you as you seek His face.

Psalm 84

"How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.

Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah

Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you."