How Heavy Are Your Burdens?

How heavy are your burdens today? Do you feel impatient for God's answer to your prayers? Are your days spent in worry full of anxiety and stressed out, because you can see no end to the valley you are in right now? Maybe God has given you an answer to your prayers. Maybe you just don't want to deal with His answer. Has He given you the command, "Have courage and trust Me. Wait on Me. Hold strong to your faith and I will be there for you when you have patience now." If this is the case and you are seeking guidance check my blog tomorrow for my Sunday post titled, Lord Give Me Patience, and I Need It Right Now!

FaithfulToOne © 2007


Burdens

I do not carry my heavy burdens alone
Though fragile and weak I feel strong
My gracious Lord be with me now
Give me courage not to stumble or fall

I am fully aware that it is your love
Coursing faithfully through my veins
Once a lost soul without you Lord
With no direction, courage, or strength

Terrified I would run and hide

My Lord when I am with you
Dark shadows do not scare me
Your grace lights my troubled path
A Heavenly light so pure and bright

Shadows that cast fear can’t survive

I praise you Lord
For your merciful peace
Contentment calms my heart
Allowing me to focus on you
Discouragement fades away

Lord walk with me
I feel protected close to you
I do not carry my burdens alone
With prayer your spirit
Fills me full


FaithfulToOne © 2005


2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The Lord Of The Dance

Have you ever gotten a tune in your head that came out of nowhere? You find yourself humming or singing it and it just won’t go away? Well that is what happened to me the other day. Now, let me state that I don’t remember hearing this song since I first learned it as a young girl, so it is not like I just heard it on the radio or sung it in church last Sunday. It has been ages (OK maybe not that long. That makes me sound too old. LOL) since I can remember hearing this song. Still there it was. It was driving me crazy by the end of the day. I remembered the tune and some of the words. I finally started to wonder if this was God’s doing. So, my next step as a teacher of course was a little bit of research on the Internet.

My search took me to The Strainer & Bell website at http://www.stainer.co.uk/lotd.html , because they hold the rights to the song I kept humming. What was the song? It is called The Lord of the Dance. I contacted the company and got permission to post it on my blog. If you get a moment it is worth the trip to their site to read the history of the song and what Sydney Carter wrote about the song.

The Lord of the Dance

Words and Music by Sydney Carter

I danced in the morning
When the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon
And the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven
And I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem
I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he

I danced for the scribe
And the Pharisee,
But they would not dance
And they wouldn't follow me.
I danced for the fishermen,
For James and John -
They came with me
And the Dance went on.

Chorus

I danced on the Sabbath
And I cured the lame;
The holy people
Said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped
And they hung me on high,
And they left me there
On a Cross to die.

Chorus

I danced on a Friday
When the sky turned black -
It's hard to dance
With the devil on your back.
They buried my body
And they thought I'd gone,
But I am the Dance,
And I still go on.

Chorus

They cut me down
And I leapt up high;
I am the life
That'll never, never die;
I'll live in you
If you'll live in me -
I am the Lord
Of the Dance, said he.

Chorus

Copyright 1963 Stainer & Bell Ltd. London, England


When I got done reading the words to the song I prayed for God to open my heart and mind so that He could communicate His message clearly to me, in a way that I could easily understand, so that I could follow His will. God will lead us and direct our feet, if we have faith and listen. We follow His will so that we may honor Him and glorify His name.

Well, when I got done praying a new thought came into my head and then it all made sense. I started thinking back to wonderful memory I had during a very terrible time in my life. This is the story.

My first marriage lasted almost 19 years. One of the things that my ex-husband and I did together and that I really enjoyed was dancing. Oh, how I loved to dance with him. There was such a special bond that was felt for us when we danced.

Right after my divorce when I was in a group at my church a man asked me out. I made it very clear I was not ready to date but if it was company and friendship he wanted that was fine. He thanked me for being honest and said that would be great. Then he asked me if I could dance. Simple question right? Wrong?

I told him yes and no. Puzzled he asked me to explain. I told him about my ex-husband and how we use to love to dance together. I told him my ex-husband was a good leader but that was for a good reason. I had a close intimacy with him when I danced. The reason it was so easy to follow his every move was that as we danced close together the inner thigh of my leg ever so lightly would touch his. I could feel his closeness, I could feel every time he was about to shift or change. Now the problem was that I was not about to have that intimacy with a friend or stranger. I did not want to lead a man on or give him any ideas that were not there. Well my friend smiled and told me no problem. You see, he had been a competition dancer for several years. Now, when I found this out I almost broke the date right then and there but I didn't because of a promise he made me. He told me he would have me dancing like Cinderella in no time that night. Ok, call me fairytale silly but I had to see this.

Well, he was right. He was a wonderful friend and he showed me such gracious kindness that night. He had me twirling and dancing in a way I had never thought possible. It was a wonderful and very special evening, but when I went home that night, I received some wonderful insight too.

So, what is the message to all of this? The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. Having faith in God is like the dance. We must surrender ourselves to God, be willing to put our trust in Him, and be attentive to His direction. But there is one more thing that to me is the key to the puzzle. When I went home that night after my date I realized something. I danced better that night than I had ever danced before but I would have still traded all of that to have had one dance with my ex-husband still with the love and bond we had once had as husband and wife. The key that was missed that night was intimacy.

Now, please don't take this the wrong way. What I mean is when we danced as husband and wife it felt like magic on the dance floor, because of the special bond that we shared. I had no problem surrendering myself to his lead. I was more than willing to put my trust in him, and my mind and body were completely attentive to every move he made. I never had to wonder what was going on, what he was doing, or where we were going. I instinctively knew because of the intimate loving bond we had.

The same goes with our relationship with God. Do you have that intimate loving relationship with Him? A relationship built on love, faith, trust, prayer, and devotion? Do you want to just dance some fancy foot work out on the dance floor with God or do you want more? When God calls us to him He wants more. He is a wonderful, patient, and loving leader. He knows all the steps, but he wants more than that from us. He wants that special loving bond with you on the dance floor like the one I use to have with my ex-husband.

So the question I had to face with my faith was want kind of dancing did I want? Was I willing to open myself up and trust God enough to form that intimate bond? Oh, what a glorious day it was the first time I danced that way with God. I now dance with my God with an intimacy that is to be shared with no one but Him. Are you ready to dance this way with God too?

“Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I'll lead you all in the Dance, said he”


Dear God, thank you for all the love and patience you have shown me. I want that special loving bond with you always. Father lead me, guide me, direct my feet. Let me dance with praise for you, to honor and glorify you forever. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen

FaithfulToOne © 2007

The Bible As A Soap Opera On Day Time TV?

Back when I was in college, I can remember walking through the Commons (A central campus building for students to come and hang out) on my way to classes every afternoon. I started to notice the same people there every day glued to the television sets. What were they watching? Soap Operas! You know- All My Children, General Hospital, etc. Now, I had never watched soap operas and never had any interest in them to start with, so I had no idea what the obsession was all about. Oh and yes for some it was a real obsession.

Not to long ago when my daughter moved back home to live with me for a while she started watching the soap opera Passions. She would tape it every day to make sure she would not miss it. A couple of times she was watching it when I was home and I sat down to see what the big deal was. This person was cheating on that person, then this person was plotting to kill that person, then this person was caught in a love triangle with that person, then this person was not really the father of the baby that belonged to that person, then this person was blackmailing that person for the indiscretions they committed and did not want anyone to know about, etc.

Oh my gosh, the drama of it all! I could always guess pretty well where the story lines were going, but it took forever for them to get there. They would drag what would normally be one episode on a night time drama, and then drag it out for weeks. Still, I could feel the way people get pulled into these soap operas and I stopped to think why?

Why are we so easily pulled into other people’s tragedies? Are there really so many drama voyeurs out there addicted to other people’s drama, sins, and miseries? Well, sadly the answer is yes. It is a whole lot easier to escape into someone else’s drama than to stop and face your own. I hate to tell you this but sin is in thought, word, and deed. Where is your mind going while you are watching all of this? Is it glorifying Him?

Then I got a great idea! Who knows maybe some big Hollywood screen writer will read this blog and I can say it was my idea first. Ok, I’ll stop the dreaming LOL. Well, my idea is why don’t they take all the dramatic stories in the Bible, put them in a today soap opera format, and spread God’s word that way. Hey, it could work.

My vote for part of the pilot show is The Book of Job. Wow, now if you want to read some drama at its best, read The Book of Job. (This is a very loose translation) So, here you have a man that is tested to his limits with one tragedy after another. Oh, the things that this man has to go through and endure are phenomenal. No, I am not going to tell you the whole story that would wreck it for you. I will tell you that the story has some powerful characters in it like Satan, God, and several more. If they put this in a soap opera format they would have people biting their nails waiting for the next day’s episode. OK, I am a sucker for happy endings, so I will tell you it has a very blessed and happy ending. You say that you have already read Job before? Well then I challenge you to go back and read it again with the soap opera format in mind. It sure made me look at it differently.

Have you ever been like Job? Has there ever been a time that you feel you just can’t take it anymore? You pray and nothing happens? Have you ever lashed out at God in anger? Have others ever been harsh with you when you are ready falling apart? Has God ever had to set the record right with you on an issue? Read Job and there you will find REAL DRAMA!

So often we are so caught up in learning the scripture, decoding the messages given to us in God’s word, listening to sermons about God’s word, and always seeing it in such a sterile setting that we miss what awesome characters and stories there are in the Bible. The Bible has it all people: Murder, mystery, adultery, betrayal, lust, friendship, love, sacrifice, etc. Forget the new television show Heroes, we have the best super hero character there is. The point that is even more totally awesome is that God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit are all real and not just a bunch of fiction.

I’m reminded of a quote my mother had with a picture of a candle hanging on my younger brother’s wall when we were younger. My younger brother could show out with a very bad temper when he was younger. So, to remind him to think first she had this picture hanging up in his bedroom. It said, “Anger is the wind that blows out the light of reason!” This quote has a much deeper meaning to me now that I am an adult.

Oh, I almost forgot a couple of things since I was so excited about Job. First, if you want a bit of entertainment listen to Carman’s song, Soap Song. He incorporates the names of many of the soap operas into his song. It is a great entertaining and inspirational song. I have posted the lyrics to the song below with a link to his website. His music and messages are reaching so many people. Second, I have posted 2 poems from when I was going through so tough trials. It is so wonderful to know that if we have faith, trust, and patience in God when a window closes He will open a new door to a place that was even better than before. I look back on these poems now and can’t believe I was ever that low. I am so thankful for God’s love and His many blessings He has given me. Take care and God Bless.

Heavenly Father, I pray today for your continued wisdom and guidance in my life. Keep me from jumping to conclusions when I don’t understand or can’t see things clearly. I want my light to shine for you. Keep my light of reason burning bright so that I may not fall in Satan’s traps showing anger or doubting you. Keep my eyes and life always focused on you, so that my life may always honor you. Father, I praise you for the many doors you have opened in my life already and I look forward to tomorrow committed to my walk with you. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.



Soap Song

By Carman

Gone are the days of Leave it to Beaver,
Matt Dillon and his sidekick Festus.
Now we survive on the immoral lives
Of those of the Young and the Restless!!

It's not that they're young,
They're just uh, restless!
Not doing at all like they should!
So they go to the General Hospital,
And The Doctors can't do 'em no good.

So they keep on with their Search for Tomorrow
Not doing one thing that's right!
And they all end up in Another World,
About to fall off The Edge of Night!

But that shouldn't matter,
Cuz after all, As the World Turns
You only have but One Life to Live!

There remains a blessed hope for you
And All your Children,
More Hope than Ryan could ever give!

If we want true contentment, peace in our homes
With an end to marital strife
We must live for Jesus Christ
The Only Guiding Light
Not one, but All The Days of our Lives!

For more information about Carman's music and mission click here-
http://www.carman.org/index.shtml

If you have just made a decision to follow Jesus or if you want to put a prayer concern on a global prayer chain click here- http://www.carman.org/faith/



In Darkest Hours


I stared lost tonight gazing up at the ebony sky
Wondering why time seemed to keep passing us by
Hopes and dreams like stars once sparkled so bright
Clouds of doubt overcast the damp cold darkened night

There was neither the welcomed heat nor fiery glow
From the reassuring gentle touches felt long ago
And like the blazing sun and summer’s cheerful days
Those precious warm feelings seemed so very far away

The dark lonely winter that now brings a brisk shiver
Satan’s constant jabs causing scarred skin to quiver
His chilling cold touch penetrating deep to the bone
Stirring faithless doubts into the lingering unknown

Still pondering hard on the many thoughts you wrote,
Piercing cold rushes quickly now through my thin coat,
As evil’s grip tightens at my heart urging fright and flight,
With tears falling on my cheek like the rain into the night.

Has God’s gift to us so quickly become last years present,
A lack of faith jeopardizing precious love and commitment,
Have feet strayed from the path stronger legs once traveled,
Faltering and weak seeing hopes and dreams soon unraveled.

Sweet man let us not lose focus on His bright glorious light,
Like the stars His love can pierce through the cold dark night,
I need my “Real Man” his head bowed now with mine in prayer,
Strengthening our faith through the trials we united must share.

Together let us renew our faithful commitment to our loving Lord,
His strength can then be our battle’s shield and unyielding sword,
With prayers and praises Satan’s grip will relinquish to His powers,
We can walk safely comforted through these long stressful hours.

God forgive me for the faithless worries making me falter and weak,
Your heavenly leadership is what I still need and lovingly seek,
I pray humbled for God’s wisdom to still be my blessing and guide,
I pray that His will for you is standing strong in faith by my side.

FaithfulToOne © 2006



I Now Know A Different Path


Lost now forever in the far away distance
Where even straining I can no longer see
Connections your heart once lovingly made
Tenderly in faith reaching out to me

There I stood in faith on our path
Once feeling so lost and alone
Left to wonder why it’s your heart
That felt such a need still to roam

This ring a symbol of undying love
You proposed and asked me to wear
It came with promise and commitment
The same ones you asked me to share

Then came trials of patience and that of time
Commitment must always face the true test
Your faith failed to place love on the altar
Valued and cherished above all the rest

Then to discover your heart so unsettled
It was clear you felt a need still to roam
Your choice sacrificed our hopes and dreams
With it our future, our family, and our home

The time came and our paths were parted
Still I offered this forgiveness and I pray
That in your search someday you’re given
What you chose so freely to take away

May God now bless you and keep you
To guide you in faith each day from above
Seek Him in prayer to lead your search
For the one in faith you really should love

It is Almighty God that now directs me
And fills me full with so much love
His words healed me and now protects me
As I honor his will and direction from above

Oh it’s what He’s really given me now
And not what you chose to take away
With His love in patience I wait on Him
Because I know His love’s here to stay

I have neither worries nor a shed of doubt
My heart feels the anguishing pain no more
Because I see now when He closed a window
He chose to bless me with a new open door

FaithfulToOne © 2006


Job 1:20-22
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Through The Eyes Of A Child

I think one of the things I enjoyed the most when I use to teach young elementary children was their sense of wonder and the simplicity of their lives. There is something to say about enjoying adult company but there is also something special when you see things through the eyes of a child. Things are so much simpler in a child's eyes. There are times when stresses and trials we face as adults overwhelm us and we find ourselves wishing we could escape to earlier days when we did not have the world ganging up on us.

We need to just stop for a moment and remember that we are children and we will always be children in God's eyes. We are His children and it is that easy to let go of the things that are overwhelming us. We just need to have faith and trust in our Lord. Jesus calls us to Him so he can show us His love, hope, peace, guidance, courage, and so much more. All we have to do is reach out to Him.

When I was going through some old poems that I wrote before I was saved I came across a poem titled Child's Play. I added the addition to the title of the first poem when I wrote Child's Play Part 2- The Invitation in response to the original poem. If we would just stop and look at things through a child's eyes we can often see more clearly. When we see things through a child's eyes we see things in a pure form before the thinking of the world stains and taints it. Don't let the things of the world come between you and your Heavenly Father's call. He is calling. Will you answer?

Child’s Play
Part 1- The Plea

It use to be so easy to live
Doing as all little children did
Having fun and playing games
Never a care or worry came

Since I’ve grown older life’s changed somehow
The games I play aren’t so simple now
Confusion and pain are all I find
I wish I had a peace of mind

Pushed and pulled
Night and day
I need to live
To find a way

It use to be so simple then
I wish I were a child again…

FaithfulToOne © 2000

Matthew 19:14
14Jesus said, “Let all the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”


Child’s Play
Part 2- The Invitation

Let all the little children come to me
I am the way, the truth, and life you see
I heal the sick and give strength to the weak
Come to me if it is peace you seek

Long ago I accepted your pain
Forgiveness offered with my bloodstain
For what was gained from the loss
Is forever written on the cross

Love and salvation
Hope, mercy, and peace
Come to me now
Let torment cease

I am the way, the truth, and life you see
Be born again and come to me.

FaithfulToOne © 2000

John 14:66
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Do You Hear The Knocking? Open The Door!

Being an artist I admit I can be a bit out there sometimes. Just ask my students. Henry David Thoreau said, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Well a friend of mine once told someone, There are those that hear and move to the beat of a different drummer. Glo goes to the beat of a totally different band, but it is a good thing when you get to know her. " Yes, God made me creative and unique. In many ways I felt different from others growing up. I was a happy outgoing child but often I felt I did not fit in. I had friends but I was alone too. There was always this nagging hole of emptiness that would eat at me when I was alone. It felt like I was searching for someone that was lost and I could not find him/her. I could hear my mind calling out to him/her, I could hear an unintelligible response far away, but I could not figure out the direction to go to get to him/her. I often wondered why I had to be so different from others around me? Why can't I just be normal then more people would like me? There is no one that will ever really understand me. This continued on and on as I was younger and sometimes I picked the wrong path and the wrong people to be around searching for who was lost in that empty hole never realizing it was me that was lost in the empty hole and it was my Lord calling out to me. It was not until I realized this and called out to Jesus that I heard the knocking. The knocking was always there. He never once gave up on me. He knew me. He knew how different I was because God created me special and good that way for a reason. So what did it matter how different I was? It wouldn't matter once I had faith and a purpose for my life. I heard the knock this time loud and clear. I ran to the door and flung it open wide. My Lord and Savior please come in were the word said with tears of joy in my eyes. The emptiness was filled till it overflowed with the love of God. As my faith has grown I have become comfortable with who I am and now understand the blessings He has given me that make me different. I feel blessed now because I understand why He gave me these blessings. He is the one that always truly understands me and accepts me, because He created me that way.

Do you feel an emptiness inside you can't fill? Have you tried to fill it with all the wrong things of this world in your life? Are you searching for someone lost only to find out it is you? STOP! BE STILL! OPEN YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART! DO YOU HEAR THE KNOCKING! OPEN THE DOOR AND LET HIM COME IN!



I Knock

I know your sorrow
I know your sin
Open the door
Let me come in…

I know you’re lonely
I know your strife
Be born again
Give me your life…

I know your heartache
I know your lost soul
Come humble to me
And give me control…

I offer you grace
I forgive your sin
Open the door
Let me come in…

FaithfulToOne © 1998


Revelation 3:20
20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.




Choices

Our lives are full of choices

Each new one directs our path

Rewarded with God’s blessing

Or consequence’s wrath


Choices echoing their message

Something should be learned

Take heed to stop and listen

The ignorant get burned


Stubborn pride brings only folly

Fools let temptation be a guide

Trust faith to be your compass

The Lord’s always at your side


FaithfulToOne © 2005