That Amazing God!

Can I just brag for a moment on God? He truly is amazing. Today I found out that CD’s will soon be on their way to Niger, West Africa, Canada, and Australia!!!! Another one, possibly may be sent to Jordan, yeah that would be the Jordan in the middle east. I’m just standing in awestruck wonder! Thank you to my sweet friends who are sending them out to their friends in distant places...you are the hands and feet of God!

I must say that these destinations are just plain “crazy” BUT I’m so thankful to be part of the “crazy journey” with God as He launches these CD’s to the uttermost parts ... all for His glory and all for His fame!

You know the saying .... God can even use a donkey to get His point across! :) as mentioned in the Bible (2 Peter 2:16)...

Ok, that may be a little bit of an extreme comparison, I’m not calling myself a donkey. I know that I’m the loved daughter of the Most High God but I am saying that in my weaknesses, my infirmities, my limitations ... exchanging all that I am for all that He is ... He is able and willing to absolutely bring Himself glory through the lives of his people.

So, as I find myself “singing” vicariously in other countries, I bow the knee to Almighty God and I say with the psalmist....

And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen
Psalm 72:19

MAKE YOUR PRAISE GLORIOUS GOD!

The Gals singing at a Sr. Citizen function

One week ago, I had the awesome privilege of sharing in word and song with a group of very lively senior citizens at Calvary Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. It was so much fun...They were so much fun!

These beautiful women above joined me. We sang some great tight harmonies! Thanks ladies for lending me your voices for the evening. I know that our God was blessed!

Finding Rest - Psalm 62

I’m sitting here on my sofa ... house quiet save the puppies running around and playing in the den. It’s been rainy today and so when they came in from a few minutes in the yard the youngest one, Lucy, looked like a wet rat (she’s only 4 months old, a hairy mixture of malti-poo and “powderpuff” breeds) and I can hear her running with all of her might through the kitchen and den, sliding as she goes. She’s such a ball of energy and completely unaware of it! If she’d only slow down!

My thoughts return to what I’m doing ... I’m sitting here on my sofa ... my quiet corner of the house ... feeling very content at the end of a day where the housework is done; things, for the most part, are put away in their places; the laundry is finishing up; and dinner is in the crock pot. You know those kinds of days? Contentment, satisfaction, peace ... emotions that lend themselves to our fully thinking about the goodness of God! Moments where it is easy to be still before the Lord.

But what robs us of these moments in our daily days? You know the days when nothing is going right? What makes us come in from the world looking like a “wet rat” sliding all over the place, like Lucy, completely unaware that if we’d just slow down a bit ... just a bit, and take time to be still ... perfectly still in His presence ... how different our days might be.

I can only speak for myself but I want to be still. I want to be found resting in His presence, safely in His grip, completely absorbed by His goodness! I want to say with David (from Psalm 62) ...

 1 My soul finds rest in God alone;
       my salvation comes from him.

 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; 
       he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
 5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; 
       my hope comes from him.
 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; 
       he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
 7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; 
       he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; 
       pour out your hearts to him, 
       for God is our refuge. 
       Selah

Did you catch that in verse 1 and 5? They basically say the same thing but the tense makes the application slightly different. Vs. 1 says, my soul finds, that’s present tense ...it’s happening at this very moment; Vs 5 says it this way, find rest, indicating a plea to take an action; to look for something, in this case to find rest.
Now I’m no scholar but in my life that speaks to me ....
I can be confident that my soul does find rest in my right now moments.
I must be actively pursuing rest in those moments that I find myself striving against the rest that He so freely gives.

So Father, I thank you for the rest that you give me in the midst of peaceful days and the peace you offer on those days where, to You, I must look like a ball of energy, striving for rest that is only found in You. Forgive me Lord for not being still in Your presence.

Psalm 23 ~ With added perspective ...

Several weeks ago at church, our Latino Pastor, Gilberto Colon shared an incredible message about suffering and rejoicing. In his message, he read Psalm 23 with an added perspective and it really touched me in that deep, deep place where our hope abides. We know that David wrote Psalm 23; however, the author of the added perspective is unknown......may these words minister to your soul right where you are .... right now ....

Psalm 23
The LORD is my Shepherd (That’s a Relationship!)
I shall not want (That’s Supply!)
He makes me to lie down in green pastures (That’s Rest!)
He leads me beside the still waters. (That’s Refreshment!)
He restores my soul (That’s Healing!)
He leads me in the paths of righteousness (That’s Guidance!)
For His name’s sake (That’s Purpose!)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (That’s Testing!)
I will fear no evil (That’s Protection!)
For You are with me (That’s Faithfulness!)
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me (That’s Discipline!)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (That’s Hope!)
You anoint my head with oil (That’s Consecration!)
My cup runs over (That’s Abundance!)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (That’s Blessing!)
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD (That’s Security!)
Forever. (That’s Eternity)


Also, praying for the country of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake .... join me won’t you?

Cindy K

Sunrises and Rocks..The story of the photograph ......

I feel so privileged to be able to use this photograph as my CD cover. Let me take a moment to give the backstory.....

For months I had been attempting to say “overwhelmed” in a picture. I thought that a sunrise would say it nicely and settled on an online stock photo depicting the sun coming up and spreading it’s warmth over a green grassy field and one lone tree stretching heavenward for all of it’s needs. That was a good idea, perhaps, but it still didn’t capture the essence of being overwhelmed. What to do?

While sharing my dilemma with a friend and sharing with her the story of the rocks my son had given to me....more about the rocks in the insert of the CD which tells that story and the lessons that God is teaching me through this simple gift of 4 rocks. The rocks are inseparable from the songs that have been recorded....so, I was telling you that I was telling my sweet friend about my dilemma.

She had an idea...it turns out that her brother-in-law, in Minnesota, is a professional nature photographer and has the most beautiful picture of rocks on his website. She told me to check it out and if I liked it, she’d contact him to see if he would let me use the photo. Well, I did like it...alot...and he has allowed me to use it. He is a fellow believer and very supportive of what I’m doing.

He explained to me that he captured the picture quite by accident as he was out at Sugarloaf Cove, Lake Superior, Minnesota trying to capture a sunrise...oh really? So was I! It just wasn’t working out for him...oh really? Me either! He happened to down look at his feet and saw the water rushing over the stones. He stood there trying to time the incoming water so as to capture the water’s power, covered and uncovered rocks, and the water’s foam in perfect timing. This photograph is the result.

Praise God for His own perfect timing...
2 people trying to capture the sunrise, for different reasons,
2 people beholding rocks and gazing at their beauty,
2 believers, bound in Christ, capturing “overwhelmed”....
for such a time as this...

Thank you Darren. My heart is blessed by your generosity to me and your support in this call of the Lord. May the Lord bless you abundantly!

Check out his website of beautiful photographs at www.darrenolson.com

Blessings to you for your day! And, whatever happens to you today, find God in the details....He may just be working behind the scenes of any given situation to accomplish something incredible in you a little further down the road....

Cindy