Closer

So we've had a lot of rain here lately....now I'm seeing the weather that England is typically known for! Today was particularly wet, and windy....and though I'm a bit tired of the rain, I found myself thanking God for the rain this morning in our worship team prayers at church.  Not only did I thank God for the rain because of all the good that it does for nature, but the symbolism that the rain provides us...cleansing, purifying, leading to new growth, new life, new perspective.
This week's song is called "Closer" by Shawn McDonald. It's a bit of an extension of the last song I shared...moving beyond "the motions," beyond the "mundane".

Looking for a color in a shade of gray,
Looking for a love in a drop of rain.
Trying to find change from the old mundane.
Everything I do just feels the same.

So today, on this dreary, rainy day I was able to find "love in a drop of rain."  To feel a a bit closer to the God who created this miraculous place called earth and everything on it.  This song reminds me of my desire to just be closer to God, my desire to understand Him, trust in Him and listen carefully for his guidance. 

Spending my life out in the weather.
Been gone so long and I need some shelter.

When we finally find the shelter that God gives us from the weather of life, we can feel so peaceful. Like this afternoon when the wind was blowing, the rain was whipping, and we just snuggled up in the warmth of home for the rest of the day.  This sheltered afternoon at home gave me comfort in being with my family and appreciating all of the blessings in my life.  The shelter provided by my Lord also gives me comfort in knowing that I am loved by Him, and that He will take care of me.

I just want to be closer to you.
I just want to be closer.
I am yours.
You can have all of me,
Anything, everything.
I just want to closer.

May you feel the shelter of God today, regardless of the weather, and find ways to get closer to Him so that you can feel the warmth of His embrace.

God bless you all, and have a great week!

The Motions

"The Motions" by Matthew West, though a couple of years old, is still one of my favorites.  It can be interpreted in many ways depending on your life, your circumstances, your relationships.  What I had not realized was that the video that Matthew made for this song tells the story of a time of fear in his life, a time when he had to really trust God with his future....to not "go through the motions" of being faithful, but really live it.

We all go through seasons in life when we don't feel as connected to God.  Perhaps it's because something happened in our life that is disturbing our faith. Perhaps we can't explain why, we're in a routine, caught up in our busy lives, focused on day to day.  It can be easy to find ourselves "going through the motions."

I have to admit that I've been feeling like that a bit lately.  Sometimes I find that the routine practices of faith, like forced prayer at certain times, recited prayer, some religious routines can result in me forgetting about the meaning.  It helps for me to break the routine once in a while and do things differently.  Eventually I may go back to my routines, but then hopefully I'll be refreshed in understanding why I do them.

It's not a good feeling when you realize that you're just going through the motions.  But I'm at least grateful that I can recognize when I am so that I can make a change.  It might mean making changes in my life, changing priorities, taking a risk.  God doesn't want us to "go through the motions," he wants us to live this life with passion, His passion.

I pray that you aren't going through the motions this week, that you do feel God's presence in your life, a connection with Him in your prayers.  God bless, and have great week.

Redeemer

Sorry for missing last week. I've been entertaining my parents this past week and doing some castle hopping! Well, Easter Sunday has finally arrived. I've been holding on to this song...waiting until Easter to share it with you because it is likely my favorite Easter song. The song is called "Redeemer" and it's by Nicole C. Mullen. It's an oldie, but I think it will forever hold a place in my music favorites.

I'm not going to write a whole bunch this week, I just want to share this song with you. I hope it reminds you of the amazing gift that the Creator of the Universe (!) has given to us all. Jesus is alive in heaven with the Father now, and alive living in us here on earth. Happy Easter everyone! He is risen!