The reason I find this song (see previous post) so inspiring is because of the testimonies of the saints woven into it. First she speaks of Paul and Silas, then Moses, slaves in America, Nate Saint and Jim Elliot (every person should read Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot), Mother Theresa, International Justice Mission, and finally Jesus. The amazing thing about these people is that their faith was evidenced by action. That's what is noteworthy. They believed God, presently, actively, and continually.
How am I counted as one of these? By having that same kind of faith. The kind that drives me to action. The kind that pleases God. Isn't that what I want for my life? To please God? To be counted righteous? Hebrews 11:6 states it clearly: Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
I want my life to be characterized by belief, by faith. I want my children to see faith as an action, not as a noun, not as something that happened one time when I first believed. I want to be a verb!
So what does this actually mean for me? How do you have that kind of faith? What does it look like? I'm still figuring it out. But I think I have a good idea. Stay tuned...
When the saints go marching in I want to be one of them!
2/22/2008
When the saints...
This is one of my new favorite songs. To hear it, click here.
When The Saints
by Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I can’t let it go
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but I think of all who've gone before them and lived the faithful life
their courage compels me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary at the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying mans side
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down that door
I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
When The Saints
by Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I can’t let it go
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but I think of all who've gone before them and lived the faithful life
their courage compels me
And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought
I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul
I see the young missionary at the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying mans side
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down that door
I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
2/20/2008
My kids...
These are a few random things...
The other day I told Gator that his eyes were bigger then his stomach. He looked at me with the most "you-are-ridiculously-silly" look he could conjure up and said, "No, Mommy. Tummies are bigger than eyes."
I was changing Bull's diaper recently and he burst into song, singing "I love you Lord" all by himself: "oh my soul" and later, "tweet tweet sound in ear." By the way, his left ear tube has been removed. Please pray that he doesn't get any more ear infections!
I love my kids!
The other day I told Gator that his eyes were bigger then his stomach. He looked at me with the most "you-are-ridiculously-silly" look he could conjure up and said, "No, Mommy. Tummies are bigger than eyes."
I was changing Bull's diaper recently and he burst into song, singing "I love you Lord" all by himself: "oh my soul" and later, "tweet tweet sound in ear." By the way, his left ear tube has been removed. Please pray that he doesn't get any more ear infections!
I love my kids!
2/09/2008
Lent and Fasting
So, I have been trying to decide what to do for Lent. Given that this is only the second time in my life that I've ever observed it, I am struggling (so much so that I've missed the first few days!).
First, let me make it abundantly clear that the discipline of fasting has nothing to do with salvation because one can not earn a gift (Eph 2:8-9). It has everything to do with sanctification, being set apart for holiness and becoming more like Christ (Jn 17:17, Rom 6:22-23, 1 Thes 4:3). And this is something that believers should pursue on a regular basis. However, I recognize that the Easter season is special, for my hope lies in His Resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-5)!
Now, let me back up. I was raised in a Christian home, but not in a liturgical tradition. So we never observed Lent at our house. Now when Easter came around, we were all about Resurrection Day. And of course, we went all out (in the spiritual and secular sense).
It wasn't until college that I even really understood what Lent was (this goes for Advent too), because I had friends who observed it. Then when we moved back to the New Orleans area and experienced Mardi Gras, my interest was peaked. I still haven't wrapped my head around the idea that people live like hell for a few weeks just because they will give something up for 40 days. God's grace is not license to sin (Romans 6). But I digress.
So last year we observed Lent. We fasted from TV. That was hard though I'm not convinced that it helped me to fellowship in his sufferings (Phil. 3:10), or make me more like Him (Rom 12:2). It did give us more time together as a family and held me accountable for actually parenting my children instead of letting the TV babysit them (even though we don't watch a lot of TV in this house). And though there were more fights, my kids learned to play together in a way that they had never done before. So all those things were good. But did I identify more with Christ because of it? Hmmmm, I'm not sure.
If the point of Lent is to identify more with Christ, how does giving up chocolate (or some other similar item) accomplish that? Don't get me wrong, I love me some chocolate. It's really yummy, but it's loss doesn't make me more like Christ. If I really want to identify more with Him, I should do a water fast for forty days like He did in the wilderness. That would definitely cause me to rely on Him for strength!
I guess it annoys me a bit when people give things up that aren't really a sacrifice. Then I quickly point the finger back on myself (under conviction by the Holy Spirit), and try to figure out what would really be a sacrifice for me. Maybe I should give up blogging for Lent! Ha ha!
Back to the point... Maybe I should give up negative self-talk and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5) and replace those thoughts with JOY (Jas 1:2)! Maybe I should really get serious about losing baby weight (even though my baby is two years old) so that I can truly present my body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), treat it as the temple of the Holy Spirit and glorify God with my body (I Cor 6:19-20). Maybe I should work on the fruit of the Spirit being more evident in my life (Gal 5:22-23). Maybe I should memorize Scripture (Ps 119:11). Maybe I should introduce my children to the discipline of a daily devotion (Deut 6:4-9). These things make me more like Christ.
Maybe the point of Lent isn't always about giving something up. Maybe it's about taking something on. I was recently pointed to Isaiah 58. In this passage God defines a true fast. He summarizes it in verses 6 and 7: "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Let us think on such things! Let us consider how we can identify with Christ more!
In the meantime I'll be praying and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I think I'll revisit that list above.
For more ideas, check out these blogs: Faydra and Rob.
First, let me make it abundantly clear that the discipline of fasting has nothing to do with salvation because one can not earn a gift (Eph 2:8-9). It has everything to do with sanctification, being set apart for holiness and becoming more like Christ (Jn 17:17, Rom 6:22-23, 1 Thes 4:3). And this is something that believers should pursue on a regular basis. However, I recognize that the Easter season is special, for my hope lies in His Resurrection (1 Pet 1:3-5)!
Now, let me back up. I was raised in a Christian home, but not in a liturgical tradition. So we never observed Lent at our house. Now when Easter came around, we were all about Resurrection Day. And of course, we went all out (in the spiritual and secular sense).
It wasn't until college that I even really understood what Lent was (this goes for Advent too), because I had friends who observed it. Then when we moved back to the New Orleans area and experienced Mardi Gras, my interest was peaked. I still haven't wrapped my head around the idea that people live like hell for a few weeks just because they will give something up for 40 days. God's grace is not license to sin (Romans 6). But I digress.
So last year we observed Lent. We fasted from TV. That was hard though I'm not convinced that it helped me to fellowship in his sufferings (Phil. 3:10), or make me more like Him (Rom 12:2). It did give us more time together as a family and held me accountable for actually parenting my children instead of letting the TV babysit them (even though we don't watch a lot of TV in this house). And though there were more fights, my kids learned to play together in a way that they had never done before. So all those things were good. But did I identify more with Christ because of it? Hmmmm, I'm not sure.
If the point of Lent is to identify more with Christ, how does giving up chocolate (or some other similar item) accomplish that? Don't get me wrong, I love me some chocolate. It's really yummy, but it's loss doesn't make me more like Christ. If I really want to identify more with Him, I should do a water fast for forty days like He did in the wilderness. That would definitely cause me to rely on Him for strength!
I guess it annoys me a bit when people give things up that aren't really a sacrifice. Then I quickly point the finger back on myself (under conviction by the Holy Spirit), and try to figure out what would really be a sacrifice for me. Maybe I should give up blogging for Lent! Ha ha!
Back to the point... Maybe I should give up negative self-talk and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5) and replace those thoughts with JOY (Jas 1:2)! Maybe I should really get serious about losing baby weight (even though my baby is two years old) so that I can truly present my body as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1), treat it as the temple of the Holy Spirit and glorify God with my body (I Cor 6:19-20). Maybe I should work on the fruit of the Spirit being more evident in my life (Gal 5:22-23). Maybe I should memorize Scripture (Ps 119:11). Maybe I should introduce my children to the discipline of a daily devotion (Deut 6:4-9). These things make me more like Christ.
Maybe the point of Lent isn't always about giving something up. Maybe it's about taking something on. I was recently pointed to Isaiah 58. In this passage God defines a true fast. He summarizes it in verses 6 and 7: "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Let us think on such things! Let us consider how we can identify with Christ more!
In the meantime I'll be praying and trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. I think I'll revisit that list above.
For more ideas, check out these blogs: Faydra and Rob.
2/05/2008
Mardi Gras
...is almost over. I can't wait until our city is clean again. I don't remember last year being so messy! We went to one parade this year. There are usually four that pass by our house, but because of naptime one week, being out of town another week, and the other one being way too late for my kids, we made it to one. We are fortunate because the parades in our town are usually much more family friendly than others. Also, three of the four are on Sunday afternoon. So, by design, they aren't as crazy. The boys loved it though. We got to see our babysitter (she marches with her school's band) marching in the parade. Gator looked forward to it the whole time. Then when she was there, he couldn't figure out which one she was! He eventually got it. Here are some pictures. They are still playing with the beads two weeks later (with their power rangers of course)..JPG)
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