Backward Praise, Down the Road a Bit

I was a kids' worship leader for almost 20 years--long enough that it became incredibly natural and easy for me to do. In the last five years of that ministry, God laid it on my heart to raise up youth to lead the younger kids in the same way. So I began leading from the stage less and directing from the floor more. As a result, I had to learn all the motions backwards. (Yes, I'm in a very contemporary church where we do lots of ACTIVE hand motions and choreography to our songs).

If I hadn't shown the motions backwards, the youth leading on the stage would've been all confused, hands and flip-flops flying every which direction. It took intense concentration and EXtremely intentional thinking for me to be able to do the motions both ways. It may sound easy, but...NOT!


This emulates my 'daily living' worship as well. It is so easy for me to spend time in the Word, soaking it up, applying it, teaching it, writing it. It's quite another to mirror the Word to others. It takes extreme focus on my part, as well as intentional surrender to the Holy Spirit. Sounds so simple when I'm reading it and praying it, but...NOT!

James 1:22-25 (NIV) 

Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. 

Do what is says. 

Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says

is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, 

after looking at himself, 

goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 

But the man who looks intently into the perfect Law 

that gives freedom, and continues to do this, 

not forgetting what he has heard but doing it-

-he will be blessed in what he does.

My friends, pause & ponder this: Are you living a life of backward praise?

Leaning, Learning...Living

Happy Word-Filled Wednesday!!!!!

If you will, read the following verse, study the picture...

What part of it speaks to you?

"He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears..." 

Do you need to cry out to God?

"To the One who could save Him from death..." 

Do you need the Lord to save you from something?

Or maybe it's the picture of Jesus, face down, 

clawing His fingers into the rock.  

Knowing He was about to suffer, 

He cried out to His Father in a loud voice, 

and then pressed into Him, 

begging for strength and help in His pain.

"Reverent submission." 

Wowzer. There's a phrase you don't hear everyday. 

Jesus cried out for help and was 

reverently submissive at the same time. 

Does that strike a chord of wondering within you?

For me, the ending words are what grab me and don't let go. 

"He learned obedience from what He suffered." 

It's the act that flows from "reverent submission."

I have no problems crying out, trusting, leaning, grabbing onto Him for dear life. It is a habit, a dependence for many years.

And I learn--in my head, in my heart, even telling others what I've learned. But to take all that learning and somehow change my habits and priorities as a result? Well, lemme confess, He's still working on me there. It's about my need for comfort. My obsession with peace. My love for calm and personal space.

My earnest prayer is that He would minister to you through His Word today...reveal something hidden, great or small, that needs to come out in order to grow up in Him, in order to deepen your relationship with your Papa. I'm taking this opportunity that Word-Filled Wednesday has given me to crawl up on my Daddy's lap and ask Him to teach me while I sit and listen to Him talk. Will you do the same?

For more Word-Filled Wednesday leaning, learning and living, hike on over to:

In the Key of HE,

Hunting Wabbit

Every time my family goes on a walk at dusk, our dog loves to chase the bunny rabbits in the neighborhood. And there are bunches of them.

Last night, I watched my dog Abby come to a screeching halt in the middle of a pretty good pace. Her ears perked up, the hair on her spine stood straight out, and she morphed to a hunting dog in a nanosecond. She saw a rabbit gnawing on some grass, unaware of her presence.

The extreme amount of self-control and patience that Abby showed while sneaking up to make her "kill" was nothing short of amazing. I wish I could be that graceful.

But I also noticed the rabbit, who began to sense that something was not right. It froze. It's eyes were the only thing moving, watching for any sudden movement. It's ears were perked, listening for the slightest crunching of the grass.

As crafty and skilled as Abby is at hunting, the rabbit always gets away before Abby's leash is extended to its maximum length.  Hard telling what would happen if we let her off her leash. Yikes.

The Holy Spirit in me showed me a direct parallel between this scene and 1 Peter 5:7-8.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

Be self-controlled and alert. 

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion 

looking for someone to devour. 

Resist him, standing firm in the faith...

Just as that rabbit is fully alert and prepared for anyone 'hunting wabbit,' so I should be the same in my faith walk. Not only that, but I must rely on my Lord to help me do so. As I ask Him for protection, He will most certainly provide it.  Because He cares for me. Satan is not allowed to harm me as a believer in any way without the Lord's permission. His leash is controlled by the Omnipotent Ruler of the universe.

That's why God gave me these verses. He wants me to do my part. Trust Him, exercise His fruit of self-control, stay aware of the evil and sin that looms around me, and resist it--by standing firm in my faith. 

I'm going to do that the only way I know how...by praying right now.

Lord, You have opened my eyes and ears to a message You wanted me to see and hear. Now give me the legs to walk in this Truth. I love You and want to resist the devil's schemes and traps. I trust You to help me do so. Thank You for caring for me enough to keep me safe.

In Jesus' name, Amen.