For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
“Running the Race”
Today’s the day I stop doubting everything I do
Second guessing each and every step I’m going through
Putting pressure on myself to be the best I can
So I rest in You because I’m following Your plan.
You’ve called me and I answered
You’ve given me all that I need
I pray for Your boldness, Your strength,and Your grace
I’ve got nothing to prove anymore-
I’m running the race.
I’m moving forward without any fear
because Emmanuel, I know that you’re here
You’ll show me every step and I’ll do my best
and I’ll give it all I got and let You do the rest
The spirit of fear doesn’t come from You
because I know this I can make it through
with the power You’ve given me I’ll be strong
I’ll lift up my voice and proclaim Your song
I wrote this song recently after praying for a Bible Verse to focus on for the year. I have chosen 2 Timothy 1:7 for many reasons. At times I have doubted myself and the abilities He has given me, and have focused to much on what other people think. Then His quiet voice whispers this verse to me-Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
He has equipped me with all that I need. I am running the race, trusting that He will set the pace, clear the path, and help me jump each hurdle that comes my way. I am serving the Lord with everything I have and using all He has given me- knowing that I must fully rely on His strength and power. I’m moving forward, without fear- because He has called me, and He is with me!
Lord, I pray for boldness as I serve You and for Your Spirit to guide me every step of the way. By Your grace, may You help me to bring others along on this amazing journey of following You!
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony
Revelation 12:11
I had the most beautiful thing happen today. Instead of going upstairs to my office at church, I decided to go into the sanctuary. I sat my laptop on the piano and began to answer emails and that sort of thing. Someone happened to come in to do some maintenance work, and after a few minutes, I said “hello” in my sing-song voice. I introduced myself to him, and then he began to talk about his church and his walk with the Lord.
He shared with me how Christ has completely changed him. He shared his salvation experience from 28 years ago, and how the Lord has used him to help bring others into a personal relationship with Christ. His humbleness and the passion with which he spoke moved me. He told me to never underestimate the power of prayer, and shared how he had prayed for a friend to receive Christ for over 15 years. He said he never gave up, and after 15 years, his friend came to know the Lord. After sharing with me, I asked him what his favorite hymn was. “The Old Rugged Cross and anything by Fannie Crosby,” he replied. I quickly took the cover off the piano, invited him to come up with me and we sang that beautiful hymn. He said “Praise the Lord” and then quietly went about what he came to do.
What a blessing to hear him share his testimony today. We will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimonies! May we never forget our salvation experiences- and may we share them with others as the Lord moves us to do so. What an awesome, impromptu worship service we had today!
Lord, may we never underestimate the word of our testimonies and how You may use it to encourage and bring others into a relationship with you. Give us strength to live for You and to let our lives be a living testimony of Your amazing grace!
My hubby and daughters know me so well…they couldn’t wait to give me their favorite gift yesterday morning- the anniversary addition of the Sound of Music on DVD!
I remember the very first time I saw it. I was about 8 years old. It used to come on TV around Easter. The first scene I saw was Liesl and Rolph dancing in a gazebo, in the pouring rain. I got butterflies in my stomach as I watched them sing- and dreamed that I, too, would one day find the man of my dreams, sing and dance in the rain, and squeal with delight over my first kiss!
The Christmas I turned 10, I got my very first keyboard. Another favorite thing of mine. I can remember my grandfather visiting me and offering me a challenge- he said if I could learn to play the theme song from The Sound of Music, he would give me 20$. I took him up on the challenge and learned to play it in no time. My grandfather passed away this August. I went to see him in his final hours of life, and while I was there, I remembered the challenge he gave me so long ago. What he gave me was priceless- a passion and a desire to learn to play songs by ear- a gift that I thank God for every day!
A couple of weeks ago, I went downstairs and found my girls snuggled on the couch, watching The Sound of Music on DVD. “Mom, sit with us! Watch it with us,” they begged me. You see, The Sound of Music is not a spectator’s sport! I must sing. every. song. And I must recite every. single. word. I sat with them and as I sang, they hung on my every note. “Mommy, you weren’t kidding!” You DO know every word!” I left them to finish the movie by themselves and my heart melted. They were too cool to sing in front of me, but once alone, they couldn’t help themselves! I could hear them singing all the way upstairs.
How sweet it is to hear them singing these songs, much like my sister and I used to do so long ago! It’s not just a movie to me- it’s part of my childhood. Music changed that strict, lifeless household into a vibrant, joyful family full of passion and love! I have always loved Maria’s positive, joyful spirit, her whimsical ways, and how she never gave up on instilling her passion for music into the hearts of each member of the Von Trapp family.
Every good and perfect gift is from Him and I could never thank Him enough for the precious gift of music- and how He has used it to draw me closer to Him all these years. And I thank Him for passing on the love of music to my children!
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights
Help me to see Your goodness in the land of the living
I see the beauty around me and I can’t stop praising
Praising You for who You are, for what You do, for what You’ve done
who am I that I would be saved by Your Son
You take my breath away
Amazed by how You show me that You love me
without Your grace in my life where would I be?
You are my strength, You are my rock
You are my calm in the storm
You steady me and ready me
and You keep me safe from harm.
You take my breath away
And even the rocks cry out
when I have no voice to praise You
when You take my breath away
I wrote this song about a month ago. I had been dealing with minor health issues- allergies, a cough that wouldn’t quit, inability to sing, and just feeling down-right tired and miserable. I was so tired of feeling sick. Singing- the very thing that brings me the most joy was something I was not able to do. I still spent time with God… but I had to be a little more creative with it. I prayed, read the Bible more, and I wrote poetry. Then one day I told God how frustrated I was for not being able to sing- or talk- for so long.
And that morning, a verse popped out at me-
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13
I began praying to God- that He would help me focus on Him and not my circumstance. That He would show me His goodness and get my eyes of myself and help me to stop having a pity party. And day by day, I began to feel better. I was more aware of His presence and less of my own ailments. It was as if He painted each sunset and colored each mountain top just for me- I would tear up at every little beautiful thing… He literally took my breath away with His creation! He was so clearly working on me to worship Him in other ways. There is so much more to worship than singing! He used that time to open my eyes to His beauty around me and to hear His voice. Time to remember all that He has done for me. Time to be thankful for all He has blessed me with, and a little more time to be quiet and let Him do the talking!
Be still, and know that I am God- Psalm 46:10
Thank You, Lord, for never ceasing to amaze me with your unfailing love. Thanks for opening my eyes a little more, and for helping me to be quiet and listen to You. Thank You for showing me Your goodness in the most awesome ways!
“Oh, oooh! Can I finish it?” my daughter begs as she holds up a plastic jar of “trail mix”. This isn’t just some ole trail mix you’d buy from the store. This is a home-made, one-of-a kind jar filled with sweet, salty goodness made by a friend. Imagine this- teddy grahams, m&m’s, peanuts, and candy corn! Candy Corn! Sweet goodness…. Somebody STOP ME! I couldn’t stop myself from eating this all day… so I welcomed my girls finishing off the delectable jar of treats.
Candy corn has always been a favorite of mine. I haven’t had it in years- until today, but the first taste of it brought me back to childhood. Swirling leaves on fall days, wearing warm sweaters, sitting in my driveway talking about all sorts of deep things….like what we are going to dress up as for Halloween, and what our new favorite song was on the radio.
So I ask my oldest, as she steals each kernel of candy corn from the jar, how her day was. She says “Oh, Mommy! God really does hear every single prayer!” I smile inquisitively and ask her what she means by that. “Well, I prayed that there would still be one more piece of candy corn in the jar, and there wasn’t just one, there were two!”
I told her she was silly. And then I had to correct myself. If He cares for each sparrow that falls to the ground, how much more does He care for each of us? And who am I to say God doesn’t deserve praise and glory for something as small as a my daughter finding an extra piece of candy corn?!
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
And then, without skipping a beat, she continues to talk about her day. She says “Momma, I think Ruby is starting to like church!” And then she bowed her head, folded her hands together, and showed me how they both prayed for something today at school.
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 18:2-4
Then it hits me- all those mornings I sit in my van at the bus stop and say prayers with my girls- maybe they really are listening! Most mornings they rush to get out of the van, and sometimes I wonder if they even hear me pray. I tell them we need to pray, and sometimes I hear them moan and groan about it. I think the real lesson is in not talking about it- but simply doing it. Our actions speak so much louder than our words. We say “Do as I say” when sometimes I need to do less talking and more “doing”.
As she smiles and shares with me the important details of her busy day, I praise Him for the simple things… for sweet memories, candy corn, and simple child-like faith.
Lord, thank You for bringing back memories of what it feels like to be a child again today! Thank you for candy corn and for sweet girls who help me eat it. Help me to pray without ceasing and to praise you for all things- big and small- because You are worthy of it all!
Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.
Isaiah 55
I rue the day that Dunkin Donuts came to my neighborhood! I literally pass it multiple times a day– every time I enter or exit my neighborhood. It calls my name- “Julieeeeeeee- you needmore coffee!!!!” And if there is any truth to the saying “You are what you eat” – then I surely expect to turn into a pumpkin from all the pumpkin coffee I drink!!!
It’s not the donuts that I am drawn to- it is the rich, decadent, hot (or sometimes iced) coffee that “calls” me. It is the irresistibly quick “pick-me-up” that allows me to be a little extra cheery for the girls when they come home from school- that quick burst of energy that enables me to do chores at super-human speed – that’s what I love most!
But then the inevitable happens- I crash… hard! I.can.not.hold.my.eyes.open. And I’m grumpy. Real grumpy.
So, one day I was sitting in the line at DD, patiently waiting for my afternoon cup of joe and it was taking a little longer than usual. No worries. I actually had my Bible sitting there in the seat beside me. Not a bad driving companion, eh? Well, I figured I might as well spend my time wisely. I opened it up and out jumps Isaiah 55.
Is anyone thirsty, come and drink– well, sure I am… I’m waiting for my coffee right now!!
Even if you have no money- it’s all free– well, you got me there. This is definitely not free and it adds up when I do it several times a week…
Why do you spend your money on the food that does not give you strength?- ok- you got me there too. I know that I don’t really need this coffee. And yes, the energy is good, but it is only temporary.
Listen to me and you will see what is good– Alright, Lord. I hear you loud and clear today. I need to turn to You and Your strength- and indulge a little less.
I got my coffee and prayed about His Living Word that spoke to me in the drive-thru. I made the long drive home (just kidding… it’s like a 30 second drive) and vowed to drink a little less joe and to feast a little more on His Word. I sat down at my piano and I put the scripture to song….
I am going to share something slightly embarrassing today… yes, folks, I have been a victim of “laundry bottle identity crisis”. I cannot be the only one that has suffered from this condition, so I felt the need to come out of the closet…
One evening when my youngest was still a baby, I was carefully switching the laundry from the washer to the dryer. As I mindlessly took each article of clothing out, my dear, darling husband sweetly pointed out that the bottle of laundry detergent I had been using for weeks was, in fact, not detergent at all- it was….. wait for it…. FABRIC SOFTENER!!!! The horror!!!
I did not know what to do! I mean, I thought wow, my clothes sure have been smelling good!! And then I worried- what if it was just like spraying Febreeze on them? What if I was just covering up the stink??
And I laughed, and laughed for weeks on end about that little mishap. And you know what? It has happened again… many, many times!
So, the real question is why do they make these bottles so similar? Come on, guys!!! Those of us who are keeping you all in business are sleep deprived mommies and caregivers who just need a little extra sign on the front of the bottle. It is really hard to tell the difference between these bottles… same color, shape, size, and sometimes they even have similar pictures on the front! And the word “laundry detergent” is in the smallest print possible!!
Then I got to thinking about this “laundry bottle identity crisis”… it’s not that it isn’t labeled… it’s just that I fail to pay attention to details. But- I don’t want my laundry to just smell clean, I want it to be clean!
Which leads me to one of my favorite Bible verses-
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
I don’t want to just look clean, I want my heart to be clean before God. It is even more important that we take care of our “deeper cleaning” and make sure our hearts are clear before Him each day. Just as I need to take an extra minute to read the laundry bottles, I need to also take those few extra minutes throughout my day to pray and read God’s Word.
Lord, help me to mind the “small print” on the laundry bottles and in Your Word, to take the time to pay attention to details, and to continue to see You in all things. May You help me to laugh more, get frustrated less, and to find peace and joy in You!
Countless times I have gone to a grocery store and have brought my girls with me. Those of you with children know what a challenge this can be… so the fact that I make it up to the checkout counter in one piece with both girls and have not lost my marbles is a small miracle in itself. So after everything has been rung up, I am reaching into my wallet to pull out my debit card and I hear the cashier say, “Waiting on you!” Well, don’t you see that I am trying as fast as I can to get out of here and I have my card in hand, about ready to swipe??
Patience is something I am severely lacking. I cannot even bear to shop online because I do not want to wait 3-5 shipping days for my purchased items to be in-hand. I pray for patience daily. I am not proud of this, but I also find myself wishing away the summer. I have been blessed with two beautiful, healthy, fun girls, but summertime definitely requires more multi-tasking, disciplining, more balancing of “hats”, and much less “quiet” time- and part of me longs for the routine of school days.
And as I am praying for patience, I see that God is speaking to me. I opened my Bible and on the front page is this verse-
Children are a gift from the Lord; They are a reward from Him.- Psalm 127:3
And it hits me like a ton of bricks… My girls are a blessing- a gift from the Lord. Stop wishing away these summer days and have joy in these moments. Enjoy being in His presence and enjoy the gifts He has given me.
And then I realize that He is probably saying the same thing to me that the cashier says… “I’m waiting on you”…He is waiting on me…to be thankful and grateful for what I have and to stop complaining about all the things I can’t do, but to say I can do all thingsthrough Christ who gives me strength! He is waiting on me to see His goodness in each and every moment. He is waiting on me to see Him in every circumstance… and to focus on all the blessings He has given me!
So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. Isaiah 30:18
And He gently reminds me how patient He has been with me…How grateful I am for His grace and His love… and I am reminded that living in fellowship with Him each and every day is a blessing that I do not deserve.
I Sing Because I'm Free 