Keep Hoping St. Francis

In light of the events of yesterday, this is my prayer.

The Best Mother's Day Ever

What else could a mother ask for on Mother's Day than to see her daughter on the platform prophetically painting for worship?

3 John 1:4 

"I have no greater joy

than to hear that my children

are walking in the truth."

(Please forgive so many shots of essentially the same thing, but I'm a proud Mama and didn't post all 25 or so pictures.  Please put up with the seven I am posting.)

Our family in the front row....close to the action.

SO REMEMBER YOUR PEOPLE

REMEMBER YOUR CHILDREN

REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE O GOD!

For those that did not know, Meg has been taking art lessons since August.  We are so proud of her creativity, her heart for worship and her passion for Jesus!  She has talent, that's for sure.  (Thank you to Gina, her instructor for lovingly teaching her!)  But, even more than that we love to see her being free in worship.  As she painted during the worship service, she would stop now and then, lift her hands and just worship.  That blessed me the most.  It's not all about the art; it's all about Jesus.

[rephrase: Upon pondering my closing sentence, I think it is rather: "The best art is all about Jesus."  Amen?!]

Especially for TiTi

This has become our favorite morning worship song--starting our mornings out right! We recorded this today for TiTi. Enjoy!

Broken Things

Interceding for a friend, the Lord sent this song. Not only is it my prayer for my friend, it's healing me, too.

A Peace Retreat

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,

shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

How do you handle frustration and conflict in your home--especially between your children? Some parents try to eliminate all conflict for their children and make frustration non-existent. But what does a child really learn that way? Frustrations in life will happen. Everyone will have bad days, days when they are not on top of their game, days when things do not go as planned. Being misunderstood is part of the human experience. Thankfully, we have a Friend who is familiar with the feeling.

Instead of eliminating conflict, we'd much rather teach our children how to deal with it.

I was recently so inspired by this post. "What a lovely idea!" I thought and immediately set out to create a peace retreat in our home.

I started by rearranging the furniture in our little apartment to make room. I bought a little stool/storage ottoman from Target on clearance and a scented candle. And I started making a prayer book. It has pictures and collages to help the little ones (especially the ones who cannot yet read) to meditate on the Prince of Peace.

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16

Right away the children started using the peace retreat. When the noise and commotion of this big family got overwhelming, I'd find one of them sitting there looking at a book or praying. A couple days after setting up the peace retreat, Captain (four years old) was very frustrated with his older siblings. Clearly, he wasn't being understood and that made him angry! I picked him up and put him on the stool. "Would you like to spend some time with Jesus, Cappy?" He nodded, his eyes full of tears.

I lit the candle and left him with the prayer books. Ten to fifteen minutes later he got up and went to his room, a changed boy. That night as I tucked him in he said, "Mom, the next time I'm naughty, I'll put myself in the peace retreat."

There is a notebook there where the children have doodled or written prophetic notes while spending time with Jesus. There is a picture of two stick figures walking together--one big person and one small person. I'm told that it is Jesus and Luc. On another page there is a note that says "I love you, Israel." In the same handwriting on the next page it says, "Jesus, why did you write that?"

It warms my heart to see my children having conversations with the One Who Is Peace. I love it that they are learning to separate themselves from their play, the TV, their books and all other things and to spend time with Jesus.

Often Moms need a peace retreat with Jesus, too.

The Fires, The Prayers, The Rain

For those who may be unaware, there are raging wild fires all over Southern California. One is so close, in fact, that we can see it from our house. The air is heavy with the smoke and ash is covering our windows and cars. We are biding our time indoors today. Which is just as well, as we have a lot of cleaning up to do from our camping trip this past weekend. We were blessed to go camping Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by the beach and away from all the fires and bad air.

This morning I turned on the news to see that the fire is spreading and may not be under control until September 8th!

So, I gathered my children to pray. Luc prayed that the firefighters that went off a cliff yesterday would be blessed by Jesus today and that they would not be in any pain. All the kids asked God to change the weather; send rain!

Then we sang "Let It Rain."



After we prayed we turned back on the news--just in time for the weather report. The weatherman said, "This is so strange, but on the radar are clouds moving in. Humidity is up from yesterday and by tomorrow we actually have some rain. This wasn't expected."

The kids faith was boosted! Now they are praying that the clouds would move in faster and that the rain would come today and not tomorrow.

Will you pray with us? Pray for the Station Fires, the Oak Glen Fire, the Yucaipa Fire, and all the fires burning in California right now. Check this blog for updates.

Oh How He Loves Us

Has a song ever rocked your world? This song has me completely undone. Every time I hear it something starts stirring up in me and I start manifesting. I can't even wrap my mind around it. Oh, how He loves us!

YOU NEVER LET GO!

I woke up with this song in my head, although I don't even know when I last heard it. It was just stirring in my spirit. Then this morning, a friend of mine who is a sidewalk counselor outside an abortion clinic, emailed me and said that God had this song on her heart today and she emailed me a link to it!

Thank you, God, that you never let go!

Holy, Holy, Is The Lord Our God

I think, in heaven, when the elders throw their crowns before His throne and say "Holy, holy, holy" it will gain momentum and will start to thunder up and sound something like this.




(The worship team from our church, Harvest Rock.)

You Won't Relent Until You Have It All

This song has been stirring my spirit lately. It won't relent.

You won't relent

Until You have it all

My heart is Yours

~

I'll set You as a seal upon my heart

As a seal upon my arm

For there is love that is as strong as death

Jealousy demanding as the grave

And many waters cannot quench this love

~

Come be the fire inside of me

Come be the flame upon my heart

Come be the fire inside of me

Until You and I are one

Undignified!

Israel's new favorite song is "Undignified". He loves to worship and he refuses to be ashamed of it. Last Sunday he was on the platform dancing with Pastor Che and Pastor Sue to this very song!

In case you don't know where this idea of unrestrained and undignified worship comes from, check out II Samuel 6. When the ark of the Lord returned David danced before the Lord--WITH ALL HIS MIGHT! And all the house of Israel with him as the ark was brought up with shouting and the sound of the trumpet. (Man, do I wish I could have seen that!)

David's wife was embarrassed for her husband, the King of Israel, while he acted like a fool. She said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamlessly uncovers himself!" II Samuel 6:20 (Can you sense the sarcasm?!)

I LOVE David's answer. "I will play [music] before the Lord. And I will become even more undignified than this and will be humble in my own sight."

Sounds like, "You think that was shameful? You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

When it comes to worship you've just got to go for it. I always feel like, "If this were my last chance on this earth to worship the Lord I want it to be my best!" Who really cares if it looks ridiculous or if others don't understand. It is not before others that I am playing. It is before the Lord.

What God is Saying

During our prayer times, I have been encouraging the children to listen to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I stop and ask them what God is saying. The more we practice this the more I come to believe that this is isn't just an exercise, but that God is actually speaking.

A couple days ago I asked Meg, "What is God saying?" With eyes closed and hands up she said, "God wants His people to be holy!"

Whoa!

Last night at our church's renewal service Israel tugged my hand. I leaned down and he said, "God is telling me that He loves people and wants to come into their hearts right now!"

Soon there was such a manifest presence of God that I was weeping at the altar for at least an hour.

Wow!

This morning we were singing a song by Misty Edwards called, "I Will Run." Part of it says, "All I want is You! All I crave is You!"

I paused the CD and asked the children if they understood that. Israel said, "It's like you shouldn't love or want anything more than Jesus. Like you can love your toys or want a toy, but you should never love 'em more than you love Jesus. You have to want Him the most!"

EXACTLY!

God has been speaking to me lately that He is a jealous God and will not share me with anyone. He doesn't want to compete with my other passions. He will not take second place even to the promises He's giving me. He is more important than my destiny.

He is a jealous God.

He wants holy people who are FAITHFUL!

Thank the Lord that He speaks through my children.

This song by Derek Webb has been challenging me, too.

The Father Who Teaches Me To Worship

Last night at our church’s renewal service my husband was holding Captain who is 1 ½ years old. While we sang and danced and raised our hands in worship, my husband prompted Captain. Captain, happy in his daddy’s arms, raised his hands, waved them around and shouted things like, “Praise Jesus!” It was so precious!

And not just precious in the sense of “Look! A baby copying a grown-up.” But precious in the sense that the Bible says that praise is beautiful. And from the mouths of babes and infants He has perfected praise! (Matthew 21:16) We must guard ourselves from thinking, “This isn’t real worship but mimicking.” No way! I don’t buy it!

The whole scene reminded me of my relationship with God, how He holds me in His arms and teaches me to worship. Sometimes I don’t know how to worship or how to pray. But the Spirit of God prompts me and gives me words that are His! “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us…” Romans 8:26

No one says, “That’s not real worship! Your Father is giving you the words and you’re just mimicking!” And so it is when my child was in his earthly father’s arms and worshipping.

I am so grateful that my God is patient with me, teaching me how to serve Him, how to honor Him, how to walk worthy of the calling. I’m so grateful that when I come before Him and I am speechless (if from awe or from feeling so spiritually dry that I have no words) He prompts me and fills my mouth (and heart!) with His praise!

“Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.” Job 8:21

The catch is that I have to be like a child, willing to be carried, willing to be led, ready to be told what to do and quick to follow. Yet another reason why Jesus said that unless we become like little children we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

While watching my husband teach our little son how to worship I heard the Lord whisper to me, "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

Strong and Beautiful

Ganchimeg, our strong and beautiful worshipper

Age 3, praising at home

Age 5, taking first communion

Age 5, worship dance at church

Age 5, worship dance at Ihbeleg's dedication

Praise is beautiful.

The Prayers of My Children

Heard during morning worship:

Meg: I need you Lord with all my life! Show me how to help the Indians.

Israel: Lord, I need you because you are so nice to me. You always know my name!

The Faith of My Children

You know how as a parent you can get caught up in the day-in-day-outs of raising kids? Weeks can seem like one long day of diaper changes, story times, play dates, and peanut butter sandwiches.

Lately I’ve felt such a strong calling from the Lord, sort of a warning not to neglect the spiritual development of my children. Raising children who are on fire for the Lord won’t happen by osmosis. Taking them to church every Sunday and saying grace before meals does not constitute a religious education, let alone a passing of a prophetic baton.

So, I’ve started making times with the Lord a more regular and substantial part of our day. In the mornings, after breakfast and bed making we’ve been having worship. I’ve gathered my children in the living room and had small worship services, complete with prayer, singing, speaking words of encouragement to one another, and Bible reading. As the children and I sing, I’ve been encouraging and instructing them in praying spontaneous prayers, making declarations of faith, and listening to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to them.

I cannot even articulate what a blessing it has been. I’m seeing a glimpse of my children stepping out into their gifts like I never have before! The other day at a church prayer meeting, Israel, without any prompting, starting laying hands on his siblings and interceding for them. It was so beautiful and he prayed such mature prayers.

I’ve seen a change of heart in Meg. Today, rather than running to tattle when her brother accidentally shut her finger in a door, calmly came to ask for ice. I pried into why and she told me. She told me that she didn’t say anything because she didn’t want her brother in trouble. (YES!) She has also been praying for “her” country more and more. (For those that don’t know she has said for about a year now that she is going to be a missionary to India.) And the prayers are no longer just, “Let me go to India” or “Help the people.” Today she prayed, “Thank you God for who you are! And please show yourself and who you are to the Indians.” She told me also, “Mom, when I go to India and build a church for poor people, I’m going to be the pastor!”

Even Captain is getting into it. Yesterday during worship while we were praying and shouting to God about how good He is, Captain shouted, “Jesus!” as loud as he could.

We have been singing a song in our morning worship that says, “Standing here, in Your presence. Thinking of the good things You have done. Waiting here, patiently, just hear Your still small voice again…….I will worship You for who You are!”

Yesterday I asked the kids to make a list of the good things He has done. Here is their list: (I promise I didn’t help them with this!)

He healed us.
He blessed us.
He loves us.
He loves children.
He loves everybody, even bad people.
He created us.
He helped us.
He gives us food and drinks.
He gave us a house.
He keeps us safe.
He died for us.
He likes us.
He keeps us in God.

Today I asked the kids to make a list of who He is to them. Here is that list: (Again, no help from me!)

Our Shield
Our Sword
Our Sea
Our Home
Our Helper
Our Strength
Our good, good Helper.
Our Take-care-of-er
Our Savior
Our Deliverer
Our Shelter
Our helper outside and inside.
And Luc said, “He is our Tree, because He shades us.”

The fact that my children are increasing in faith is motivating me to dive into the Lord, as well. I am praying for them more. I am looking for their spiritual gifts and encouraging them in using their gifts.

I gotta tell ya, it intimidates me. I so want them to surpass anything that Gana and I are. And I believe they will. And I feel the day is coming when I will go to them asking, “What is the Lord saying?” More than likely they’ll tell me to have faith in God, like they do.

An Honest Worship Song

This belongs with that post about the Divine Conspiracy. If you haven't read that one, click to that first, please, and then read this.

I find a lot of modern worship songs about everything but honesty. I told you how I have trouble singing some! This is a song I heard this past Sunday. Finally, an honest worship song!

My flesh doesn't like it at all. Read ahead at your own risk......and be blessed.

Daja

To Pieces

The fire is gone
The passion is old
The flame that used to burn so bright
Has eventually grown cold

I will not lie
My flesh is weak
But I cannot believe the choice of words
That I’m about to speak

And I’m afraid that if I pray this prayer
The changes You will make
But my life cannot remain the same
No matter what it takes

Break me to pieces
Break me to pieces
Break me to pieces
Break me to pieces

My will is gone
My pride destroyed
And as I see myself being filled with You
My soul is overjoyed

It seems so strange
And hard to believe
That in the midst of this brokenness
In You I am complete

And I never want to go back
To the life I had before
So, I will ask one more thing of You
For You to break me some more

(C) July 2006 4XA Music Pastor Josh Abdelaziz

Divine Conspiracy

I’m not ordinarily a liar. I believe the old adage that honesty is the best policy. When I say I will do something I follow through and do it—with one very important exception. And that is in worship.

Words like “You’re all I want” and “You are my all in all” and “I give You everything” and “Take my life and let it be consecrated” flow right off my tongue as I worship the Lord.

Although, this may border on lying, there is something else that I’m thinking in regards to this.

You know what? I think worship is a divine conspiracy to make us commit to stuff that our stubborn natures would otherwise resist. Difficult promise? Set it to music and people will stand in line to make it.

Here’s a favorite:
“Over the mountains and the sea, Your River runs with love for me and I will open up my heart and let the healer set me free. I’m happy to be in the truth and I will daily lift my hands, for I will always sing of when Your love came down.” (by Delirious)

Beautiful song. I love it, I truly do. But, truth be told, I only sing certain lines. It’s true! I sing my heart out as it begins….

"Over the mountains and the sea, Your River runs with love for me.” Yep. I can sing that. It’s truth! Jesus’ love flows to me every single minute!

“I will open up my heart and let the healer set me free.” Yep, I can sing that too. Mainly because there is no time frame mentioned and I really do desire to open up by heart more and more to the healer.

“I’m happy to be in the truth.” Oh yeah! I can certainly sing this! I am really happy to be in Jesus who said, “I am the Truth.”

But, here’s the spot where I zip my lips and simply hum the melody. “I will daily lift my hands.” I don’t sing it. As good as my intentions could be, I know full well that I do not lift up my hands to Him daily. I probably should. I should also read my Bible everyday—but ssshhhhh…..today I didn’t. It’s not that I just didn’t have time. Because obviously, if I’m sitting here writing this, I could have had time to read a Psalm or two. But, I didn’t because it slipped my mind, or I didn’t make it a priority, or I chose to watch a movie instead.

Even though I’ve given up belting out a favorite song, I don’t think the divine conspiracy is all bad. The Lord has worked some ugly stuff out of my life in worship far easier than if He had to pry my skinny little fingers off of my problems.

I can hold onto stuff that He wants to take out of my life for my own good. I am relentless in my insistence to do it my way and in my time. Because of this, the Lord in His gentle persistence sets His will to a beautiful melody. I gently loosen the grasp I have on my own will and surrender to His.

And when I do, what joy fills my soul, what peace takes over my life, what wonderful surprises are around every corner.

So, why can’t I, in my logic, sit down and make these promises, give up these vices and embrace the truth? Well, I don’t know. But, the Lord does. So, that’s probably why there is a divine conspiracy to make me (and maybe you, too?) commit to things that I don’t think I’m ready for yet.

Don’t think of it as being tricked. Think of it as being led. Led like someone who as a wonderful surprise waiting for them, but somehow has to be convinced to show up to the office on his day off.

That’s how I think God has to work with me from time-to-time. How I love it when He says, “Tada!” and I can see how He’s surprised me.

Yeah, maybe it is a divine conspiracy for my own good.

Daja