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Sourced Creatively
Be Encouraged! God is THE source of creativity, even in provision. While your job and your side hussle(s) are ways God provides for you, He is not bound by your those 2 ways to provide for you.
He provided using a ram in the thicket (Gen 22:13), Widow’s Oil (2 Kings 4:1-7), and a coin in the fish’s mouth (Matt 17:27) for example.
Point to ponder while you wander…“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV
Musical Monday: All I Did Was Stay Still
The song Defender written by Rita Springer, Steffany Gretzinger and John-Paul Gentile is the song I needed to hear this morning. I needed the reminder that praise and worship are my weapons. They are how I fight.
Click here to hear it sung by Katie Torwalt: DEFENDER Lyrics below.
You go before I know
That You’ve even gone to win my war
You come back with the head of my enemy
You come back and You call it my victory
You go before I know
That You’ve even gone to win my war
Your love becomes my greatest defense
It leads me from the dry wilderness
And all I did was praise
All I did was worship
All I did was bow down
All I did was stay still
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
You know before I do
Where my heart can seek to find Your truth
Your mercy is the shade I’m living in
You restore my faith and hope again
And all I did was praise
All I did was worship
All I did was bow down
All I did was stay still
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
And When I thought I lost me
You knew where I left me
You reintroduced me to Your love
You picked up all my pieces
Put me back together
You are the defender of my heart
And when I thought I lost me
You knew where I left me
You reintroduced me to Your love
You picked up all my pieces
Put me back together
You are the defender of my heart
And when I thought I lost me
You knew where I left me
You reintroduced me to Your love
You picked up all my pieces
Put me back together
You are the defender of my heart
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
All I did was praise
All I did was worship
All I did was bow down
All I could do is stay still
Praise becomes my breakthrough
My song becomes my triumph
Worship is my warfare
My victory is in youHallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
Hallelujah, You have saved me
So much better Your way
Hallelujah, Great Defender
So much better this way
All I did was praise
All I did was worship
All I did was bow down
All I did was stay still
All I did was stay still
Point to ponder while you wander…when I need to make decisions and I can’t. When I’m feeling over emotional and want to just hide. When my world becomes overwhelming. The only thing that helps me level off is worship. It restores my balance and clears my head. It reminds me who I am, and whose I am. It amplifies the reminder I am not in this alone.
After worship I’m able to go for a walk, talk to a friend, and process rationally. And pray.
Happy Birthday, Vinny!
In honor of Vincent VanGogh’s 165th Birthday…I offer Starry Night. Painted in June 1889. Currently housed by the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
“I know nothing with any certainty. But the sight of the stars makes me dream.” -Vincent VanGogh
Musical Monday…Undone
Undone. For me it is in the same vein as Natalie Grant’s “I Will Not Be Moved” & Stephany Gretzinger’s “Out of Hiding“.
Songs that reveal things I feel deeply but cannot describe.
“Undone” musically illustrates my opinion on a topic that I find to be the most impossible to describe due to overwhelming magnitude of its meaning to me. And then Paul Maybury and Lindsay Sweat do it in one word…. UNDONE.
So entertained by that.
Their song is sung by Kim Walker-Smith on her latest CD…which of course is exactly what I needed this season.
Here’s the song and lyrics…
When I’m looking for a sign
When I’m feeling like I can’t go on
You close in on all sides
You are stronger than my doubting
Your love finds me when I hide
And even when I try to live without You
You are always kind
I am undone, o-oh
I am undone
When You cried out from the garden
Let Your will be done, not mine
When You took the weight of my mistakes
So I don’t have to fight ’em
Now I let the sun rise on every scar and every sign
Of when You took this bruise and dying soul
And breathed it back to life
I am undone, o-oh
I am undone, o-o-oh! oh
I am undone, o-oh
I am undone, o-o-oh! oh
On and on, on and on
You carry me
You are there, You are there
Even in my wandering
When I fall, when I fall
Oh, let it be at the cross
And I am undone, o-oh
I am undone
I am undone, o-oh
I am undone, o-o-oh! oh
On and on, on and on
You carry me
You are there, You are there
Even in my wandering
When I fall, when I fall
Let it be at the cross
I am undone
Undone lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Essential Music Publishing
Point to ponder while you wander… Let yourself be loved by Jesus. Right now. In this very moment. Don’t wait another second to receive Him and His love.
Sin and Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” -Thomas Jefferson
Random fact…I refer to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial as “Jeff”.
I enjoy visiting Jeff for the view sometimes, and other times I go there to ponder. Something about being there in the early quiet of the morning just inspires me.
Recently I heard that people want to either tear down his memorial or tack up a list of his sins.
Seriously?
We all know the founding fathers were not saints by any means. But his memorial is meant to inspire and to make people think not as a temple of worship!
My response to those people is let he who is without sin cast the first stone!
I doubt those folks suggesting the sin list would not want a list of their sins tacked up on their tombstone for everyone to see? I know I wouldn’t!
Point to ponder while you wander… We should be inspired by the wisdom of historical figures, but also learn from their struggles and failures. But if we only focus on someone’s sin…we miss out on the gift God intended those people to be.
Same is true of the people in our day-to-day lives.
Unity of the Nation
I was just on the roof of my building enjoying the view of DC, and praying for wisdom for our president and our congress.
And this is what came to me…Our military is the best in the world, so chances America being taken down from the outside are not very high. But the chances of us destroying ourselves from the inside out are currently astronomical.
We are not United.
Why would a terrorist waste their time attacking us? When we the people are using our diversity as a wrecking ball against ourselves & destroying our own country.
History should be studied and learned from so it is not repeated.
But yet we haven’t learned a thing! Here we are fighting amongst ourselves over historical statues and skin tones!
Come on people. Take a deep breath.
Hate, fear, anger, wrath, rioting, and finger pointing do not resolve anything. And we all know fear is a liar!
People are hurting, legitimately, and I’m sorry to see and hear that. But knocking down a very old Christopher Columbus statue is not going to heal anyone’s wounds. It just won’t.
Is this what you want to teach the next generation of Americans? Do you want your kids and grandkids to destroy art and history because they are hurt and upset?
I sincerely hope not.
Listening. Open communication. Love. Kindness. Patience. Mutual respect. These are tools that lead to unity.
Unity does not mean we are all the same and have the same opinion. It doesn’t mean blindly following either.
Unity is diverse people coming together for the common good. It’s choosing to listen to those who have a differing opinion. Unity is choosing to be kind & respectful even when you disagree.
The goal of unity should be to build on the successes of the previous generation accomplished, and improve in the areas where they struggled.
Point to ponder while you wander…This is our country. We are the people. We, you and me, are the solution to the problem.
So please join me in praying for peace and unity for our people, and wisdom for our leaders. Please choose to be kind. Be the positive change.
A Psalm, a Masterpiece & the Eclipse
“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” Psalm 8:3-4 NLT
As a nature lover, it’s easy to think that the beauty and majesty God created and think the Earth or the skies is the pinnacle of His creation. But actually, you are.
He created the Earth for you to tend, keep, and enjoy. You are His Masterpiece!
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Point to ponder while you wander…God considers you to be His masterpiece over this…
Photo Credit: NASA
Waxing Poetic
Waxing poetic? What does that even mean?
I think of it as glossing over the negative and speaking of a topic as if it were 100% beautiful. Kinda like how high school glory days get better and better as you age. Kinda like someone telling tall tales or b.s.ing a great story that’s short on facts and high in entertainment value.
The definition I found was this…to speak in an increasingly enthusiastic and poetic manner. It can imply enthusiasm or refer to flowery writing or speech.
Why am I talking about waxing poetic today? No idea…just randomly drifted through my brain and I like the way it sounds. 🌞 ha ha
On another random note..I dreamt about my junior high school friends last night. It was a very enjoyable dream until it was invaded by a high school boyfriend. It was strange because I knew he didn’t belong there. He really didn’t. He went to a rival school.
Anyway he kept smiling at me. It was weird.
So when I woke up I prayed for the people in the dream. Including the ex-boyfriend.
I Am A Princess
I found a picture on the web with a twirling girl that said, “I am a princess not because I have a prince, but because my Father is the King.”
I love me some princess movies. Sleeping Beauty. Tangled. Frozen. Princess Diaries. But my favorite is Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn.
There’s a scene where she is in the taxi, deciding between a regular life with Joe Bradley or being who truly is…the daughter of the king.
Spoiler alert: She chose duty.
She chose to serve her people, her father’s people.
The first time I saw it I sobbed. Why? Why can’t she be with Joe Bradley? He is just dreamy dreamy dreamy. I mean come on…Gregory Peck…in the 50’s suits. I’d cry too if I had to leave him, like she did in the taxi. Just being honest.
Then I had a revelation about the responsibility being a daughter of THE KING. The responsibility of sharing who He is, and how He loves and sees people. Chosing to love, when people are unlovable. Chosing to pray, truly standing in the gap for others. Declaring The Word over the situations we see.
So I loved the reminder of the fact that I am already a princess, even without the prince.
Point to ponder while you wander…You are a beloved child of the Most High God!
John 1:12, Romans 8:29 & 9:8, Ephesians 1:5, I John 3:2
jillbeingstill 