I heard the bells...

"And in despair I bowed my head: 'There is no peace on earth,' I said, 'For hate is strong and mocks the song. Of peace on earth, good will to men.'"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: 'God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to men."'~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The brokenness of the world is described in the first paragraph of this verse. "And in despair I bowed my head: 'There is no peace on earth,' I said, 'For hate is strong and mocks the song. Of peace on earth, good will to men.'" There is so much pain and suffering here, death, disease, poverty, every awful thing you have never wanted to imagine happen.

Do not lose hope for Jesus told us in John 16:33:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have over come the world."

He is so faithful and true. He has come down to save us and to prepare a place for us where there is no more suffering or sorrow, where there is always peace and joy where we can finally look into our creators face and everything else will fall away.

"Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth good will to men."

God is not dead nor doth He sleep, He is always faithful and always there. There will be a day when the whole world will be filled with peace and good will to men. He will fulfill His promises and He will return.

I cannot even begin imagine the Christmas that my Papa and Grandpa are experiencing in heaven right now. How beautiful and glorious this celebration must be, angels singing and everyone praising and celebrating that Jesus came to earth and rescued them and now they all are able to live eternally with Him. How beautiful and wonderful.

Although I long deeply to join in this celebration and see my Papa and Grandpa once again I know that I must continue His work here on earth. Continue to live for Him, for His work in us is not finished yet. Shine for Him, for He has overcome the world and will set all things right. Share His unconditional love with those who are suffering and are in despair. Live as He would have lived. Shine for Him, He loves you.

John 3:16

"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, for whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Thank you my wonderful, heavenly Father. Welcome to our world.

Beautiful Things

My heart has suffered and experienced its share of pain throughout this life. Today I was brought to my knees by the message today and overcome with emotion and tears. I am a person who always tries to hide emotion and keep it all inside but God was not allowing this today. I began to shake and fell to my seat as sobs overtook my body. I was overwhelmed by my suffering but also by the faithfulness and goodness of God my Father.

I ran to the place where I hear God speak to me the most and He was waiting for me. Waiting for me to run into His open, loving arms. He embraced my soul. In His embrace on my special dock, I had a conversation with my Father:

God when I was a little girl, alone and scared crying in my room, "I was good".

In elementary and middle school when I didn't have close friends, "I was good".

Throughout my diagnosis of my illness and the pain and uncertainty that continued and still continues, "I was good".

Holding my Papa's hand as he lies dead on the ground and embracing his shell of a body, "I was good".

"I am good".

As I continued to wait and listen I heard my Father say that He was there through it all, through all the pain and sadness, disappointments and abandonments, through the days when I didn't know that if I would make it, He was there. Then He whispered "I am here..."

My Father is all powerful, faithful and true. He is good through the storms and obstacles. He is provider and giver of every good and perfect thing. He cares about me, little insignificant me. He cares for all people and is always present. He never leaves in times of suffering or in times of rejoicing. He is ever present and always loving.

He makes beautiful things from broken messes.

He has made me beautiful through my suffering.

I am His beloved daughter and you also are His beloved child.

Never forget that. Though you feel all alone and unloved, you are His beloved child. He has a future for you.

Beautiful Things

Gungor

"All this pain

I wonder if I'll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You are making me new..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR7VOKQ0xJY

"Beautiful Things"

http://www.blackhawkchurch.org/sunday/this-weeks-message/

"God is All-Powerful and Good"

Mighty to Save

Mighty to Save

Savior, He can move the mountains.

My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.

Forever author of salvation.

He rose and conquered the grave.

Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see.

We're singing,

For the glory of the risen King.

Savior, He can move the mountains.

My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.

Forever author of salvation.

You rose and conquered the grave,

Yes you conquered the grave...

He is mighty to save. He created the universe and everything in it. He is mighty to save. He heals the sick and the weary. He is mighty to save. He is strong when we are not. He is mighty to save. He loves even the most insignificant. He is mighty to save.

Our Father is One who loves endlessly and desires a relationship with each and every person. He longs to be close and to hold each of His children in His arms. His love is so great that one cannot describe it. Thankfully He is not like us.

Isaiah 55:8-9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

We are blessed to have such a wise and faithful Father, who's ways are even better than we could ever imagine. Be filled with His love, He desires you and is mighty to save.

Constant

Psalm 34:1-

"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their face are never covered with shame...Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him...The righteous cry out, the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked' the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems his servants, no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."

Trouble comes around for many all too often. It happens when one is least expecting it and often leaves you lost and wondering who you are and what is your purpose. Tragedy is life changing and one may wonder is there anything good in this life. The answer is yes. Think of the One who created heaven and earth. Think of the One who created you. Take refuge in Him in times of struggle because He is good. He is the one who will get you through this storm to brighter days. He is the one who is always faithful and true. He will save you from your darkest hour and shine His beautiful light into your life.

Your Father hears when you call. You are His precious son or daughter. He created You.

Exalt your Lord in times of trouble and remember that He is near. He will redeem you. So take refuge in Him when you are sinking and know that He is there. His love endures forever and He is ever constant.

Constant

Charlie Hall

"...My God you are here with us, constantly here with us. You are our everything faithful and true...Faithful Jesus, healing Savior. Compass, center, breath of life. Faithful Jesus, cherished treasure. Our portion, wisdom, God's great light."

Be Still

Time swirls all around, the earth spins faster and faster, pulse is racing, breathing quickens. Be still. Run, run, hurry, hurry, meet the deadline, finish the task. Be still. On to the next thing, be the best, succeed, work, work, work. Be still. Run, run, hurry, hurry.... Be still.

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God...

What will tomorrow hold, how much more can I take, what will happen next? Rest in me. Drowning, sinking, suffocating. Rest in me. Sadness, darkness, tragedy, pain. Rest in me. Unbearable, broken, exhausted. Rest in me.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest...

Relying on human strength, weakness, depletion. My grace is sufficient for you. Save yourself, do good deeds, hope it is enough. My grace is sufficient for you. Failing, struggling, grasping. My grace is sufficient for you.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will bast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Rest in His arms, lay your head in His lap, He is faithful till the end. Love and mercy never ceasing come and rest in Him. Strong enough to move mountains, big enough to hold the world. Rest in Him. Be still and know that He is God, rest in Him, His grace is sufficient for you. Listen for His quiet gentle voice and just be still...

Sanctuary

Stephanie Seefeldt

My Dreams pass away like pedals on the wind

My fragile heart fears tomorrow time and time again.

Lord all this pain and sorrow I don't understand,

So I will go into the place where I can see you once again.

I will enter your sanctuary.

Though the storms of life surround me.

You will show me glimpses of your glory.

Up to Your holy mountain.

Where I am changed in your presence,

And reflecting in Your radiance,

There is none but you in Your sanctuary, Lord.

Not the End

Suffering washes in like a tidal wave, it tosses and whips in different directions. The sun begins to come into sight yet another undertow quickly sweeps you under and life swirls out of control. When the situation seems hopeless and nothing appears to be strong enough, a hand suddenly pulls you up out of the darkness and misery and puts you back on solid ground. You realize that you were never alone and someone was always watching out for you.

The suffering fades and in its place is a peace so great that you can't explain it. Strength begins to flow through you and joy is radiated from your heart and soul. How can this be one may ask? There is only one explanation, there is Someone far greater and has more power than any other being. One who desires the best for His people and fills there hearts with hope, perseverance, and love. The only one who can heal a heart that is suffering so and is broken and make that very same heart whole again. The one who is your perfect Father who never leaves or forsakes you.

I have experienced great sorrow in my life and have felt broken and alone. Yet Christ has lifted me out of this despair and has filled me with such strength and joy. He is the reason that I am alive and I will live for Him until my very last breath. No one knows the amount of days that they have left on this earth so live each one to the fullest. Just because great tragedy has stricken me I have learned that He is not finished with my life and this is not the end. I have learned so much through this period of time. God's timing is absolutely perfect and He always provides. He knows everything that anyone could ever need.

So if you are in a sea of despair take hope because the God of all creation is here for you and will never leave. You are loved and you can make it through this season and He will set your feet back on solid ground, He is not finished with you yet.

Psalm 139:11-18

"If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hid me and the light become light around me,'

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days are ordained for me were written in you book before one of them came to be...When I awake I am still with you."

Forever Reign

You are light you are light when the darkness closes in. You are hope you are hope, you have covered all my sin...You are life you are life in you death has lost its sting. And oh I'm running to your arms I'm running to your arms. The riches of your love will always be enough, nothing compares to your embrace. Light of the world forever reign."~Kristian Stanfill

Stand Still

Sometimes I wish that the world would stop spinning and time would stand still. We would have no obligations or deadlines awaiting us. We would have no stress and suffering. In that moment we could just be.

There is a place where we can experience this. A place where there is no more suffering or sadness. A place where time does not matter and a place where we have only one purpose, the purpose of worshiping our Creator. How great that day will be...

This day is coming, no one knows when or how but someday it will be upon us. While waiting in expectation we must also live. Live and shine for the One who created all things and blessed us with life. Live each day to the fullest because time is precious and our days are numbered. Live for the one who created you and look forward to the day that you can see your Maker face to face.

Homesick

Mercy Me

"You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now"

I heard this song the day that my papa passed away and then again the day of his funeral. He has passed from this earth into eternity 2 weeks ago and is seeing our savior face to face :)

God's Timing Not Mine

Life never goes according to our plans. We have no control over what our days hold. Some days the sun may shine bright and high in the sky and others storms may come and darkness surrounds us.

Today was a day that contained dark clouds and stormy weather...yet there is a hint of the sun light peeking through the clouds. My hero passed away today. My papa was the strongest most loving man that I have ever known. He taught me what unconditional love looks like and what it means to truly care about people. He persevered through the difficulties of having a chronic illness and never complained about his circumstances. He was such a humble man who had the faith that could move mountains. He is truly an inspiration and God has truly blessed me with the time that he allowed me to have with my papa.

Although this has brought a deep sadness into my heart there is also great joy. My papa finally is free. He is free, free to run and jump, free to dance and sing, free to live a life without physical restrictions. I can see him now reunited with his family praising the One who created him and gave him life. He is in heaven singing and making a joyful noise.

God's timing is perfect and everything happens for a reason. I cannot fathom why my papa had to leave this earth so unexpectedly but I do know that God used his life in miraculous ways and that He is welcoming my papa into His great big loving arms.

I am blessed to have been able to spend time with this precious man and that I was able to experience his great love. I look forward to the day when we can worship our Creator together and my hand can slip into my papa's great big hand once again.

There is light in the darkness. The sun will shine again...

Proverbs 16:9

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines our steps".

Even though at this time I do not understand why this happened I do know that He has great plans for every person's life and he will lead our next steps and will be with us each step of the way. Thanks be to God who created heaven and earth who holds all control in the palm of His hands.

Awakening

Awaken, it is a new day filled with hope and joy. Love surrounds all and peace fills the earth. Chains fall off and freedom reigns. One may ask why is this so? The answer is the Lord has come to save all and bring His wonderful light into the darkness. Death has no sting and everything is made brand new. Your sins are forgiven because His love saves.

He listens to the heart and knows the deepest and darkest places. He knows the passions and desires of the heart. He delights in His children and longs for them to succeed and carry out His will. He has great plans for His children, plans for a greater future that is prosperous and full of growth.

Now that the earth is awakened it must reflect Jesus Lord God's great light like the moon. Shine for Him and others will see the great light and love. It fills the soul and provides strength, healing, hope, and most importantly love.

Why has a savior as great as the Lord come to such a dark and lowly place? The answer is simple, because He loves us.

1 John 4:19

"We love because he first loved us."

How He Loves Us

David Crowder

He is jealous for me.

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of His love and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

and I realize just how beautiful You are,

and how great your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us.

Oh, oh how He loves us.

How He loves us all.

Yeah He loves us.

Oh how He loves us,

oh how He loves us,

oh how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes.

If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside my chest.

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way,

That He loves us.

Oh how He loves us.

Oh how He loves us.

How He loves us all.

Yeah He loves us.

Oh how He loves us,

oh how He loves us.

Oh how He loves us all.

Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Trust in Him who created and breathed life into all. Shine for the One who is forever love and forever faithful.