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."

Stop! Say What?

We were watching a movie with a heavy script. The music in the background was booming, but the words were muffled. “What did they just say?” We clicked backwards so that we could listen to it again. This happened several times throughout the movie, but we kept rewinding. After all, it wouldn’t be a complete movie experience if we couldn’t process the words….

While reading Psalm 143 the next morning, I had a similar occurrence.

(vs 5 & 6) “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done. I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.” Selah

STOP! SAY WHAT? Selah….“

“Pause,” “Reflect….think about it,” “Selah”—Say what? Say-lah! STOP! REWIND! Listen again. Soak it in!

“You won’t have an effective personal experience with Me today if you don’t process My words,” the Lord reminded me in my spirit.

The word “Selah” is found over 70 times in Psalms, and most commentators believe that the songwriters placed it there to pause in the singing and bring in the instruments, thus giving “sink in time” to the words previously uttered. This comes to mind when a musical interlude comes in the middle of a worship song. I think, “Selah. Stop! What did I just sing? Did I really mean the compliment I just gave to Jesus? What commitment did I make? Wait! Which sins did I just confess?” The same attitude can be applied when we’re asked to push the pause button of our minds while reading the Word.

Let’s take a Selah right now and meditate on the Scripture above: “I remember the days of long ago;” Reflect on the “God stuff” in those days instead of the circumstantial things. What did the Lord do in your life? What were you like before you were saved?

“I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done.” Remember times of protection, instruments of change, people who were Jesus to you. If you could roll back the tapes in the spiritual world, how many times could you see God’s hand at work?

”I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.” As you take the time to do what the Psalm writer intended for you to do, your parched soul, your tired self will begin to thirst again for the Lord to have His way with you today. Selah.

Continue on….(vs 8-10)

“Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.
Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in You.
Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God;
may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

This is the beginning of a complete experience with the Lord, friends: A Selah moment of pausing, then reflecting—then committing to go the rest of the way for an ongoing personal relationship with our Lord through the presence of the Spirit, praising Him as the “play” button of our lives continues, sometimes even in fast forward mode.

Stop! Take a Selah.

To be continued….

In the Key of HE,

I'm seekin, I'm seekin'!!!!!!!

"My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek."
Psalm 27:8

I've walked in the faith long enough to know that I must look to the Lord for everything, every time, every purpose. I know it, know it! All I have to do is look back and see...reflect back and remember...He has been faithful. This I know.

Yet my heart is deceitful above all things. It doesn't have a memory. It tends to follow my emotions if I'm not careful.

It's no accident that Kristen at Exemplify posted this as today's verse to ponder and discuss. As a matter of fact, hardly a day goes by when I don't need to be reminded that I not only need to seek Him with my mind and declare it with my mouth...I need it to be the overflowing attitude of my heart as well.

For me, the only time that happens is when I go before the Lord small--empty--surrendered.

As He fills me up by the power of the Holy Spirit, then my heart follows after Him. When I don't, my heart follows my emotions and compulsions instead.

So I declare with my mind and my mouth, "Your face, LORD, I will seek. Open, humble, ready, willing." And my heart will declare it too.