Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
So. This is the week. Friday morning I get on a plane (I haven't been on a plane since 1999...) and head to Dallas for a week of creative worship workshopping.
And I'm taking a huge deep breath...it doesn't seem quite real to me. Yes, I've wanted to do it for several years. But...it really is a huge step out of the comfort zone.
We will present an original song to a board. We will have guitar classes (I have a guitar that I pull out and play with it...as opposed to actually playing it...every once in a very great while. I think I remember the C, G, D, F and A minor chords...). I'm not going to be at the top of either of those efforts.
But it's good. It's good to be challenged, to be put in a position of taking risks. Especially when, really, I'm not looking for validation as a worship leader or song writer or musician.
I'm just looking for the kick in the backside that will knock the melancholies out. A fresh vision to take the place of the one that has gone away. Courage to not take that personally.
Yeah, I'm still fighting that. It's crazy, but, well, it's the truth.
So I'm pushing past the comfort zone and headed out into something way different for a week.
I'm hoping I can articulate it when I get back. :-)
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Week of Praise, Day 7
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Psalms 119.
If you've never looked at that chapter closely, it's worth a look.
It's actually a pretty amazing piece of literature; comprised of 22 eight-verse sections, it is a tribute to the Word...God's laws, precepts and prophecy.
Each of those eight -verse sections has a label on it. Most folks don't realize that those labels are letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The kicker is that, in the Hebrew, each verse in each section starts with the letter at the top of that section.
It's a massive acrostic poem.
And it extols the glory of God's word.
God inspired the ancients to write His message to us, then sovereignly moved on the scholars of the day to collect all the law, the prophets, the gospels, the epistles...even the history...into an anthology, and then protected that anthology so that we have, today, a book that is unique in all the world.
He gave us his Word.
A lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps 119:105)
It brings peace, and keeps me from stumbling (Ps 119:165)
It contains wondrous things (Ps 119:18)
It is better than gold and silver (Ps 119:72)
It is established firmly in the heavens forever (Ps 119:89)
It brings life (Ps. 119:93)
It brings understanding (Ps 119:104)
...and a whole bunch more. Just in that one chapter.
We live in a unique time, when the Word is easy to read and study by the common person...in not-so-long-ago-history, it was not available to regular folks like me.
Some of the most horrible persecution occurred when the organized church killed folks for the crime of possessing an English translation of scriptures...which is astonishing now.
Even when an English translation was legalized, printed Bibles were rare. One Bible per family....that was handed down as an heirloom (One of my aunts has a Bible that was originally purchased by my great-great-great-???-great grandfather in the 1800's, and handed down through the family, with difficult to read records of deaths, births and marriages in the family).
The family owned the Bible, but it was preserved, and read aloud by Mom or Dad, if at all.
Now I personally own about 6 Bibles...and we have a myriad of translations available on line...even Hawai'i Pidgin. We have ACCESS to the Word; any time, any place.
And I'm amazed and grateful.
Psalms 119.
If you've never looked at that chapter closely, it's worth a look.
It's actually a pretty amazing piece of literature; comprised of 22 eight-verse sections, it is a tribute to the Word...God's laws, precepts and prophecy.
Each of those eight -verse sections has a label on it. Most folks don't realize that those labels are letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The kicker is that, in the Hebrew, each verse in each section starts with the letter at the top of that section.
It's a massive acrostic poem.
And it extols the glory of God's word.
God inspired the ancients to write His message to us, then sovereignly moved on the scholars of the day to collect all the law, the prophets, the gospels, the epistles...even the history...into an anthology, and then protected that anthology so that we have, today, a book that is unique in all the world.
He gave us his Word.
A lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps 119:105)
It brings peace, and keeps me from stumbling (Ps 119:165)
It contains wondrous things (Ps 119:18)
It is better than gold and silver (Ps 119:72)
It is established firmly in the heavens forever (Ps 119:89)
It brings life (Ps. 119:93)
It brings understanding (Ps 119:104)
...and a whole bunch more. Just in that one chapter.
We live in a unique time, when the Word is easy to read and study by the common person...in not-so-long-ago-history, it was not available to regular folks like me.
Some of the most horrible persecution occurred when the organized church killed folks for the crime of possessing an English translation of scriptures...which is astonishing now.
Even when an English translation was legalized, printed Bibles were rare. One Bible per family....that was handed down as an heirloom (One of my aunts has a Bible that was originally purchased by my great-great-great-???-great grandfather in the 1800's, and handed down through the family, with difficult to read records of deaths, births and marriages in the family).
The family owned the Bible, but it was preserved, and read aloud by Mom or Dad, if at all.
Now I personally own about 6 Bibles...and we have a myriad of translations available on line...even Hawai'i Pidgin. We have ACCESS to the Word; any time, any place.
And I'm amazed and grateful.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Week of Praise Day 6
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
All of these verses I've been posting...it can seem kinda removed. 'God is all this stuff, so let's praise Him.'
But this morning I got a fresh look at a reason to praise Him.
It's all through Scripture, so I'm not going to go dig up all the references today. This is MY story.
He is worthy of our praise because He knows. He cares. And...oh, my...He responds.
This morning had been a bit of a battle in myself to stay in the ground I'd claimed, if that makes any sense. Then, scrolling through Facebook, I came across a friend's post. She'd posted it for her daughter and others who were off at college, but it was a highlighted Bible verse and the wording jumped straight into my heart.
As it happens, it's the Message translation, which kinda made me smile.
Rev. 3:8:
I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength. I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were rough.
I wasn't looking for encouragement, but He gave it.
Because...He's like that.
And words can't express my thankfulness to my God, who gives us what we need when we need it.
All of these verses I've been posting...it can seem kinda removed. 'God is all this stuff, so let's praise Him.'
But this morning I got a fresh look at a reason to praise Him.
It's all through Scripture, so I'm not going to go dig up all the references today. This is MY story.
He is worthy of our praise because He knows. He cares. And...oh, my...He responds.
This morning had been a bit of a battle in myself to stay in the ground I'd claimed, if that makes any sense. Then, scrolling through Facebook, I came across a friend's post. She'd posted it for her daughter and others who were off at college, but it was a highlighted Bible verse and the wording jumped straight into my heart.
As it happens, it's the Message translation, which kinda made me smile.
Rev. 3:8:
I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength. I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were rough.
I wasn't looking for encouragement, but He gave it.
Because...He's like that.
And words can't express my thankfulness to my God, who gives us what we need when we need it.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Week of Praise: Day 5
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
It' the OMNIs that get me.
How could we not praise a God who is all the OMNIs?
(all scriptures today taken from the NIV 84)
Omniscient -- all knowing:
The LORD is a God who knows - 1 Sam 2:3
...for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. - 1 Jn 3:20
Plus a multitude of individual verses that lists all the variety and extent of His knowledge.
Omnipresent -- existing in all places at once
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed on the depths, you are there.
If I rise up on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there, your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. -- Ps 139: 7-10
'And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' - Matt 28:20
Omnipotent -- all powerful
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. -- Phil 3:21
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God
and was returning to God; -- Jn 13:3
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his -- Dan.2:20
Plus another multitude of verses describing various things over which God has power.
There is NO ONE ELSE, not on earth, in earth, under earth, above earth or in any other realm who has all knowledge and all power and is present wherever one could possibly go.
And this incredible, unfathomable, OMNI Person...loves and cares for...me.
It' the OMNIs that get me.
How could we not praise a God who is all the OMNIs?
(all scriptures today taken from the NIV 84)
Omniscient -- all knowing:
The LORD is a God who knows - 1 Sam 2:3
...for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. - 1 Jn 3:20
Plus a multitude of individual verses that lists all the variety and extent of His knowledge.
Omnipresent -- existing in all places at once
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed on the depths, you are there.
If I rise up on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there, your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. -- Ps 139: 7-10
'And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' - Matt 28:20
Omnipotent -- all powerful
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. -- Phil 3:21
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God
and was returning to God; -- Jn 13:3
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his -- Dan.2:20
Plus another multitude of verses describing various things over which God has power.
There is NO ONE ELSE, not on earth, in earth, under earth, above earth or in any other realm who has all knowledge and all power and is present wherever one could possibly go.
And this incredible, unfathomable, OMNI Person...loves and cares for...me.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Week of Praise: Day Four
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Because He loves me, and loved me even before I knew or cared anything for Him --
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us - Rom 5:8 ESV
Because He loves me, and loved me even before I knew or cared anything for Him --
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us - Rom 5:8 ESV
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Week of Praise: Day Three
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
We are all familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 --
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV 84)
But what we fail to recognize sometimes is that declaration follows immediately after God says for them to settle down in the foreign land, to accept the exile and dispossession...in short, to accept as God's plan something that seems totally foreign to anything God had ever done for them, even in opposition to what He had promised them.
In that same passage, God names the duration of the dispossession...70 years. Long enough that the older folks who were carried off would die in exile, but a promise that their children would return and rebuild...and He promised to prosper them where they were.
Even in judgement on the nation, those who stayed faithful would be under God's protection.
God is a Covenant-keeper; even when we don't understand and it looks like everything is going wrong and falling apart, He can be absolutely trusted.
Selah.
We are all familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 --
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV 84)
But what we fail to recognize sometimes is that declaration follows immediately after God says for them to settle down in the foreign land, to accept the exile and dispossession...in short, to accept as God's plan something that seems totally foreign to anything God had ever done for them, even in opposition to what He had promised them.
In that same passage, God names the duration of the dispossession...70 years. Long enough that the older folks who were carried off would die in exile, but a promise that their children would return and rebuild...and He promised to prosper them where they were.
Even in judgement on the nation, those who stayed faithful would be under God's protection.
God is a Covenant-keeper; even when we don't understand and it looks like everything is going wrong and falling apart, He can be absolutely trusted.
Selah.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Week of Praise: Day Two
Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
I thank God for His unwavering faithfulness...even when I am weak and doubleminded and consumed with myself.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness;
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
-Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV
I thank God for His unwavering faithfulness...even when I am weak and doubleminded and consumed with myself.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness;
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."
-Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV
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