Reflections...past, present and future...

Time to “un-decorate” our trees, put the ornaments away, take the lights down, return the unwanted gifts, go on a diet because of all the goodies that we consumed ... whew, I’m exhausted just typing it!

Seriously, while we will do those things listed above, Christmas is never really over for the believer. I mean, sure the day passes, the season passes, and we flip our calendars but if we abide in Him and He abides in us then we get to celebrate Him, His very presence, every day of every year. What better gift could he give us than Himself - Emmanuel, God with us (John 1:14), His very life, His righteousness, His benefits (1 Peter 2:24)! Oh it just thrills me to think of all that He blesses us with every day of our lives.

For me, I’ve been thinking more and more about how very good God has been to me in 2009. He has taken me to deep places and grown my faith in ways that, given the choice, I would never have desired but He knows best and is molding me, more and more, into His image. The Refiners fire....indeed...and I’m learning to surrender!

And then there’s the last week of December...there has always been something so special to me about the last week of December. The celebrations behind us and the new year before us...we find ourselves standing between the old and the new. We find ourselves standing on the precipice of untouched days ahead and it sets our hearts to dreaming of all that can be and maybe will be. I find it so refreshing and exciting, even with the unknown of those days.

So Happy New Year my friends! I pray that you will reflect on 2009 fondly. I pray that even in the ups and downs of this past year you will have seen the mighty hand of God in your life. I pray that as you stand on the brink of 2010 you will be more determined than ever before to press in and press on. More determined to surrender to His will and the calling on your life!

Be blessed!
Cindy K.

Mixing - underway!

Today has been spent in the studio watching, listening to the mix of the songs that are on my CD. Wow! It's truly an amazing process and GAT3 studios is just awesome. They have walked me through this entire process with such authentic attention and interest to the heart of my vision. From the incredible musicians and background singers they have arranged, to the current mix process they have honored the call of my heart. Thank you GAT3.

So many of you have told me that you would like to purchase a copy of my CD and I think the best way to allow that would be to let you pre-order a copy. With this in mind, I've added a Buy Now button and as soon as the CD is available I will mail it or deliver it to you. You know where to find me at church :) and I'll make every effort to get it into your hands ASAP. I hope to have the finished product in hand by the first week of January 2010.

My blog address to pre-order is http://psalmfortyfiveone.blogspot.com

Please take advantage of this option and I thank you for your love and support throughout the process. God has blessed me with the very best friends and family. I love you all.

And what a process ... truly, what a ride this has been! Who would have thought that out of the midst of my fear, pain, anxiety, illness, uncertainty ... our Father would open this door of opportunity... I thank you Lord for turning my sadness to joy, for being the song that I sing. We're still walking this journey out aren't we God? But, I trust in You! I trust in the work You have already done in my health and I surrender to Your will for the rest my life! I chose to praise you while I have my being! (Psalm 146:2) Oh may You be blessed by this project! It's all for You! I love You wildly!

Look upon the cross.....

Everywhere we look, if we look with spirit eyes, we can see Him! I was out walking the other day and looked up into the trees. I noticed that in the top of the tree it appeared that the branches had formed the shape of a cross. This is what I saw....



Can you make it out? Oh I hope so. I hope this is not one of those ... "guess you had to be there moments". Look in the top of the tree...










Well, it struck me as I walked, in fact, I almost walked into a mailbox looking up so intently....everywhere we go, everything we see, everything in our lives are because of an awesome, holy, sovereign God.

Today I was reading Psalm 99 - 103. Can I share a little of what He impressed upon me? I'm not typing all the verses, just the key words, phrases that especially ministered to me.

Psalm 99: 5 - 9
Exalt the Lord our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.

Moses, Aaron, Samuel.....they called upon the Lord (vs 6)
He spoke to them...(vs 7)
They kept His testimonies....(vs 7)
Oh Lord, our God, You answered them....(vs 8)

Oh to have that same level of confidence and intimacy....

Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

Just in case we think we need a reason to worship Him..that verse offers us a very good one!

Psalm 101:1
I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to You, O Lord, I will sing praises!

Our goal for each day....are we singing and praising Him with the songs of our heart? In every season? Under every blue sky? Under every stormy one?

Psalm 102: 26-27
You, (God) endure....
You, (God) are the same
And Your years will not come to an end....

Psalm 103 (I love this entire Psalm)

Bless Him who heals, redeems, loves, changes not - I on the other hand am simply dust (vs 14) and He knows it yet He walks with me through all of my "dusty days". He withholds no good thing from His children....His lovingkindness is everlasting to everlasting....

His sovereignty rules over all.

What a faithful God, creative in all His works....and all of creation acknowledges Him....we must only cease our striving and simply know that He (alone) is God. Be blessed today, my fellow bags of dust! You are loved with the everlasting love of an everlasting God.

Cindy K.

Glory to God...Forever!

It's hard to believe that it has been 6 months since my life journey took an unexpected turn. In that 6 months I've experienced the amazing grace of God! He has met me right at my point of need with overwhelming tenderness, mercy and favor. He has made the unbearable bearable and I have found that as His child my soul can sing not only under blue skies but also under stormy ones.

Please know that I'm still walking this journey out, face to the ground, but over the past 3 months God has placed a calling on my heart to speak boldly of His mercy, His goodness, His faithfulness in the midst of my storm. As a result, I've written a small (12 page) booklet that will accompany an 11 song CD that I will begin recording at GAT3 Studios (Charlotte) on Thursday, Oct. 22nd. I've booked the studio for the entire process of this project. GAT3 has hired 4 studio musicians from Nashville, Asheville, and Charlotte as well as a background singer to accompany me. I'm so excited that I just can hardly sit still! It's gonna be so much fun. The working title at this point is "Overwhelmed" because I simply am.

I appreciate your prayers this Thursday, if you happen to think of me, as I go into that studio for one purpose only....to make much of Jesus! May He use this offering as He desires! May He continue to work in my life and in my health as He chooses and may I submit to His sovereignty over everything that touches me. I bow the knee now and forevermore.

Let the words (& songs) of my mouth and the meditation of

my heart be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)

I'll keep you posted. Much love to you all!

Cindy K.

Divine Exchange

It's been a really long time since I've blogged. I've just been trying to adjust and get settled in to my life post diagnosis, surgery and radiation and it's been a little harder than I thought it would be. The medicine has been very difficult to adjust to but by God's grace I'll make it. And, speaking of His grace that is exactly why I'm blogging....

I was sitting on my patio this evening...just a few minutes ago in fact...listening to my Ipod. I've found a new song in the past few months called "Divine Exchange" by Lara Martin. (Hey SCCC friends, she's the same worshiper who wrote "God Is Here") Anyway, as I'm singing along I look up into the treetops that are set against an otherwise gray sky and there I see it...a little golden toward the top of the trunk. What could that be? Dry bark in the midst of damp? No, it was golden sunshine hitting in one spot alone. The clouds must be breaking somewhere in the distance allowing a little ray of gold to hit the top of my tree.

I could hear God speak to me in that very moment, affirming the lyric that my heart (and my Ipod were singing)..."and as I worship You, You lead me to the place; to the place of Divine Exchange" .... Something as simple as the exchange of gray sky for a spot of golden sun can represent His goodness in the midst of struggle. He's is so good to us, so faithful, so very present. I love Him with all of my heart!

I grabbed my camera so I could share this pic with you and I hope the pic will appear in this post in such a way so that you can see the golden sun. I've also listed the lyrics so you can read them.

Divine Exchange (by Lara Martin)

My heart is captivated, Lord, by You alone.

Captured by the awesomeness of You alone.

Melted by the grace and mercy You have shown.

I stand in wonder.

I reach to You, the One who makes

the blind eyes see.

Who breaks the chains of sickness with authority.

Restoring what was broken so it may fly again.

I live to worship You

I breathe to worship You

All of my days, Your face I will seek

For as I worship You

You lead me to the place

To the place of divine exchange ......

Thanks for letting me share this special moment between Jesus and me! Be blessed!

Cindy K.

PS: If you'd like to hear the song, you can google Lara Martin which should take you to a link for her Myspace page. This song is in her playlist. It is not in Itunes.