Help Us Accept Each Other (a hymn remake)

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,  but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails-  1 Corinthians 13

If I have faith, but not love- I am nothing.

If I give to the poor, but do not do it out of love- I gain nothing

God is love.

I am nothing without God.

I am nothing without His love.

If I do anything that is not out of love– it is meaningless.

How many times have you done the right thing because you knew that was what you were supposed to do? I have done it for years!  But if I really love Him, I have to do everything out of love. Without love in our hearts, “doing the right thing” still doesn’t cut it!

For many years, I have “done the right thing” when it comes to certain situations.  But we aren’t supposed to just do the right thing- we are called to LOVE.  When we LOVE, when we love with God’s love– His love compels us to do the right thing- each and every time- without fail!

And without reciprocity.

No strings attached kind of love. Because that’s what His love is like.

We don’t deserve it.

We can’t earn it.

But when we accept His love, He compels us to give it- freely.   And His love changes people.  I know, because it sure has changed me!

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.  1 Peter 4:8 

A dear friend showed me this hymn a while back.  These words have resonated with me for quite some time.  I set it to new music and also added a chorus to it.  May He give us a passion to love those who hunger for the kind of love only He can give!

 

“Help Us Accept Each Other”

Help us accept each other

as Christ accepted us

teach us as sister, brother

each person to embrace

be present, Lord, among us

and bring us to believe

that we are ourselves accepted

and meant

to love and live

to love as You have loved

to give as You have given

to die to our own desires

so we may do Your will

and love as You have loved us 

Let Your acceptance change us

 

so that we may be moved 

in living situations 

to do the truth in love 

to practice your acceptance

until we know by heart

the table of forgiveness 

and laughter’s healing heart 

Lord, for today’s encounters

for all who are in need

who hunger for acceptance

for righteousness and bread

we need new eyes for seeing

new hands for holding on

renew us with Your Spirit, Lord,

free us, make us one

*original text by Fred Kaan 

he who began a good work in you…

I am excited to share with you something awesome that happened to me recently!

After taking ministry prep classes for over 8 years, this past Friday I was ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene!  Aside from my wedding day and the birth of my two daughters, it was absolutely the most joyous night of my life!

I told my husband I felt like I was getting married all over again- married to the church!  There was a special Ordination Service held this past Friday evening, and there were 8 other ministers from Virginia that also got ordained.

My husband and daughters were there, and several other family members, and lots of people from my church made the trip to come to the service.  Then during our fellowship time at church yesterday, they had a lovely reception to celebrate.

As I listened to the sermon during the Ordination Service, the Lord confirmed in my spirit once again that His timing is perfect and I am exactly where He wants me to be. The pastor made many references to the word “green” and “green grass” in his message that night.  I know it sounds a little strange- but the Lord used the word “green” to spark something in me about 10 years ago…

 I hid it well from people, but inside I was miserable- desperate for something to change.  I made every excuse I could why I wasn’t happy… but what really needed to change was ME!

I wasn’t very involved in church back then- I didn’t even sing during the services. But there was this one song that one of the college students would occasionally lead us to sing during worship that I liked.  It had a melancholy tune, vaguely reminiscent of a Simon and Garfunkel song.

As the months passed, I had forgotten about that song.  But the Lord brought it to my mind one Sunday afternoon.  I couldn’t remember the tune or any of the words to save my life!  It was driving me nuts!

And then out of the blue- I remembered one word-

green

I called my husband, who happened to be working that afternoon- and I asked him if he could remember “the song”… you know it, babe- it’s the one that sounds like a Simon and Garfunkel song?  It’s got the word green in it somewhere!  It’s THAT song! 

Yes, he remembered it, but like me- he could not remember the tune or any lyrics.  But sure enough, that evening,  he remembered some of the lyrics- enough to google them,  and find out what the song was.  He emailed me the words and immediately the tune came to mind.

I can’t explain it any other way- I was COMPELLED to sit at my piano and play that song.  Over and over.  Every time I walked past the piano, I’d sit and play and sing it.  In fact, that “green” song was the first worship song I ever played without having any sheet music to go by.

And then one morning, I sat on my old piano bench, and  I remember my youngest daughter was crawling around on the floor in the next room.  I began to play this song that I had been compelled to play for weeks on end… and for the first time, I tried to sing and nothing came out.  Tears flowed down my face as I realized all this time I had spent searching for the words of this song- I had been searching for Him.  And these words I was compelled to sing- He was doing that for me all along, and had already done this for me… He was simply waiting for me to see it.  You know that saying “fake it ’till you make it”?  After all that time of singing praises- finally in that instant, empty words were brought to life in my heart, and His presence was so real.

He was already with me…I had been blind, but praise God- that was the day that for the first time- I could see!

And my response? Total consecration of my life!  On that day, I promised Him I would do anything He asked of me.

My call to ministry began with the Lord giving me the word “green”…. and every time I heard the preacher during the Ordination Service Friday evening mention the word “green” over and over,  He reaffirmed in my heart once again that I am exactly where He wants me.

You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.  Psalm 30 

And in case you are curious, here’s a link to the “green” song-“You Have Redeemed My Soul” by Waterdeep-

 https://soundcloud.com/julrayhar/you-have-redeemd-my-soul

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ-

  Philippians 1:6

 

remember the “green lights”

I began dating my husband when I was 17 years old.  We worked together at a movie rental place inside of a grocery store for about a year before he asked me out on our first date.

My parents had recently separated and I was a little bit jaded about the whole idea of  marriage, and what a happy family should looked like.  I met my husband’s parents early on in our relationship and I remember wondering why they were so happy all the time!

I spent lots of time at my husband’s family’s house that first year we dated.  So much time, that it was pretty much assumed that I was going to be there for dinner every night.  My  (future) in-laws frequently brought home a Wendy’s frosty for me- knowing how much I loved ice cream.

One afternoon I was riding with my (future) mother-in-law to get ice cream.  I clearly remember the light turning green and hearing her say Thank you, Lord.

In my mind I remember thinking that was a little bit over-the-top.  Really?!  Who thanks the Lord for the light changing to green?  But in reality, I wasn’t thankful for much of anything  during that time in my life.  I felt sorry for myself for lots of reasons and I was completely oblivious to all of the many blessings I had to be thankful for.

But praise the Lord- years later, somewhere in my misery, God’s grace found me.  He opened my eyes and He came into my heart.  I am so thankful for how my husband’s parents have selflessly loved me with a Christ-like love all these years.  And over the years, I realized the source for their happiness- it’s simply the JOY of the Lord!

I once was lost, but now I’m found

was blind but now I see 

Whenever I feel myself begin to slip into that bottomless pit of self-pity, I think of my mother-in-law and how she praised the Lord for something as simple as the green light that day.

When we begin to thanking Him for the little things- we realize just how much we have to be thankful for! 

And just as my wise father-in-law says- “give God all the glory- even when you think He doesn’t deserve it…  because He does!” 

Be thankful in all circumstances-  1 Thessalonians 5:18

obedience in the little things

One evening I was standing at the checkout counter at a local pharmacy, and like countless times before- I was asked if I wanted to donate a dollar to a charity.  I usually said no, and honestly it was just a natural response.  But something was different this time.

I had an entire conversation in my head.

Would I really miss that dollar?  Do I need it? And why do I always say no?

And for whatever reason, something in my cold-black heart changed… I said no- and then I changed my mind-

Sure, I’ll donate the dollar.  

This was one of the first times I clearly felt God nudging me to do something different.

And so I began these little steps in obedience. Every single time I went into a store that asked me to donate a dollar, I felt that nudge- again and again.  Every time. And each time I got quicker with my “yes” response.  Not only did I want to say “yes”, but I truly wanted to WANT to give.  It wasn’t about the dollar amount, I wanted to be obedient.  So I made a little promise to God to say “yes” to every single cashier that asked me- until I felt “released” from this… until I could not only say “yes”- but do it with JOY!

Several years had passed, and I had gotten pretty comfortable with my “one dollar” yeses- and then He nudged me once again.

I was in line at a McDonalds drive thru.  I heard the person in the car ahead of me order their meal, and then I pulled forward.  I rattled off my order and then came the question-

“Would you like to donate a dollar to (some charity)?”

And I immediately fell into my old way of thinking…

She didn’t ask the person in front of me!  Why me?!  Why did she only ask ME to donate?!  Why are people always asking me for money?

And once again, I heard Him nudge me-

be obedient in the little things.

I learned a very valuable lesson that day.  You see, if I had heard that same question asked to the person ahead of me in the drive thru, I would have been prepared with my “yes”.  But the drive thru attendant caught me off-guard that day, revealing to me that maybe He wasn’t done with me yet on this whole dollar thing…

be prepared in season and out of season – 2 Timothy 4:2

It has never been about the dollar.

It’s always about obedience.

No matter the question, my heart’s desire is always to say YES to His nudge-whether it’s to help a friend, make a phone call, pray for someone.  Every day I say YES to Him- His nudge becomes stronger and His voice clearer!

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews 4:7

Emptied to be Filled

  

Blessings abound

When I give what I’ve found

Emptied so I can be 

Filled

Each moment I find

Greater peace of mind

When I obey Him 

And follow His will 

Last spring I found an abundance of 4 leaf clovers. This year- not so much.  I found one a few weeks ago as I was talking with a friend in my driveway, and I gave it to her. 

Every day I take the same walk- always scanning clover patches as my dog sniffs and tarries. Usually I am talking to God and praying, but the other day I started thinking- where have all those clovers gone? Am I just not looking in the right place? Am I giving up too easily? It is easy to do things when you get immediate results. When you have to put time into it, well…sometimes it doesn’t seem worth the effort. 

But for some reason, I had to find one 4 leaf clover that morning. I searched, I talked to God, and when my dog was ready to move on, I tarried…and just the moment I felt like turning away- there it was! A beautiful, humongous 4 leaf clover- standing tall above the rest of them- like it had been planted there just for me.

As soon as I picked it, I saw an elderly man walking towards me.  Give him the clover! I heard a little voice within me say. What if he thinks I’m weird? I argued back. Just do it! You will regret it if you don’t! And like that, it was settled. 

As I continued walking, the elderly man approached me. “It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it!” he greeted me.

“It sure is!” I smiled and extended my hand to give him the 4 leaf clover. “It’s going to be a great day,” I told him. “This is for you!” He grinned a child-like grin as he reached for the 4 leaf clover, and we parted ways. 

I glanced down at my feet, and much to my surprise- there was another 4 leaf clover waiting for me. Isn’t it funny that I would walk for weeks and not find a single one- but the minute I find one and give it away- He multiplies it?

When we empty ourselves- He fills us up again! 

And if you look for it as silver and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.-Proverbs 2:4-5

extending hands of grace

Sunrise on my morning walk

“Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

As I do most mornings, I leashed my dog up and headed out for a walk.  It was sunny and mild- the perfect spring morning.  As I was walking, I took notice of a police car heading in my direction, which I perceived to be going faster than the speed limit.

I immediately defaulted to judging- thinking negative thoughts about him, based on nothing more than the thought that he *may* have been going slightly faster than usual, with no other cars in sight.

I continued walking and began to cross the street.  I glanced behind me and noticed the cop car had turned around and was driving towards me on my side of the street.  I crossed the street and kept walking.  The cop pulled up beside me and motioned for me to come to his car.

Great!  Immediately my mind wandered to the millions of things he could be stopping me for- and not one of those thoughts was a positive one.

God ever so gently showed me the err of my ways as I saw the cop extend his hand of grace to me-

“Here you go!”  The cop smiled and handed me a larger than normal dog biscuit.  “I just wanted you to have this.  Hope you have a great day!”

And in that instant I realized how guilty I was- of judging him, of thinking he was not there to help me- but to reprimand me for something.  Honestly- I didn’t even know if he had been going above the speed limit, but in my split-second judgement of him, I had already sized him up- stereotyped him as someone who thought he was “above the law”,  looking to pull someone over.

But God wants us to see others through His eyes of Love and Grace. Apart from Him, I fail miserably at doing this.  Instead of thinking the worst about someone, we need to put our hope in Him always and expect Him to show us the good in others.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12

And as far as I have come on this walk with Him- in His wonderful, loving way- He shows me just how much further I have to go.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  Psalm 119:18

My walking buddy and his “treat” from the cop

   

There’s always a silver lining

silver-lined clouds on a beautiful day

a blessing is found 

when our praises abound

As we worship Him- He is refining

He shines on us grace 

When we seek His face

He alone is our silver lining

He knows every care

when our words aren’t there

there’s never a reason for hiding

His Son intercedes

He knows all our needs

He alone is our silver lining

Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Breath of Life

O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,

Revive Your church with life and power;

O Breath of life, come cleanse, renew us,

And fit Your church to meet this hour.

O breath of life, come sweeping through us

O breath of life, come cleanse, renew us

O love of Christ, afresh to win us

fill us with Your holiness

O Wind of God, come bend us, break us,

Till humbly we confess our need;

Then in Thy tenderness remake us,

Revive, restore, for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,

Renewing thought and will and heart;

Come, Love of Christ, afresh to win us,

Revive Your church in every part.

(words by Bessie Head)

These beautiful words resonated with me years ago when I first heard them.  The Lord put a “new song” on my heart and I set these lovely words to a new melody and new piano accompaniment.  My heart longs for revival- for His Spirit to revive, restore, and renew us.  May His breath of life fill us with passion and equip us for His service!

*If you would like chord charts for this song, email me and I will be happy to send them to you

You Have Redeemed My Soul

You have redeemed my soul

from the pit of emptiness

You have redeemed my soul

from death

You have redeemed my soul

from the pit of emptiness

You have redeemed my soul

from death

I was a hungry child

in a dried up river

I was a burnt out forest

and no one could do anything

for me

but You brought food to my body

and water in my dry bed

and to my blackened branches

You brought the springtime green

of new life

and nothing is impossible

for You

(by Waterdeep)

I didn’t write this beautiful song- but it might as well have been written for me.

I heard this song one Sunday when a college student led worship at our church many years ago. God began to stir within my heart a desire to draw closer to Him as I heard it.  Months went by, and all I could remember was the word green, and I knew I had to find this song again. I called my husband at work and asked him if he remembered what song I was talking about.  He did-  but he, too, couldn’t remember the name.

It wasn’t but about an hour later- my hubby remembered it (he has a fantastic memory, praise the Lord!!) and he sent me the words of the song. I sat at my piano, with nothing but these words and I played and sang it. I did this every single day.  For weeks.

It was the first worship song I ever played on my piano. Honestly, it wasn’t worship at all when I first started playing it. But I believe God had been planting seeds and that He was teaching me how to worship. I was hungry for Him and desperate to change my life.  I played and played…and the more I played, the less I had to think about what I was doing.

One morning, I sat on my old piano bench, and  I remember my youngest daughter was crawling around on the floor in the next room.  I began to play this song that I had been compelled to play for weeks on end… and for the first time, I tried to sing and nothing came out.  Tears flowed down my face as I realized all this time I had spent searching for the words of this song- I had been searching for Him.  And these words I was compelled to sing- He was doing that for me all the time, and had already done this for me… He was simply waiting for me to see it.  You know that saying “fake it ’till you make it”?  After all that time of singing praises- finally in that instant, empty words were brought to life in my heart, and His presence was so real.

He was already with me…I had been blind, but praise God- that was the day that for the first time-

I could see!

One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”  John 9:25

Every Moment I Surrender

Every Moment I Surrender

I’m doing all the things that I know to do

I’m praying every day-

I need You

to be more than just the written Word

Let it live inside my heart- make me Yours.

Awaken my passion- light this spark.

Show me I’m not alone

Won’t You melt this heart of stone?

Fill my life again and make me Yours.

Strengthen me for each new day

Lord, show me Your perfect way

Fill my life again and make me yours.

Draw me closer to You

through the storms of life.

I lay them at Your feet

I’ll sacrifice-

Everything I have I give to You

Use this, Lord,

Make me new.

Just when I think I’ve given all

You show me just how short I fall

Every moment I surrender