Rescue!

It’s been 2 weeks and 1 day since the 33 miners were raised from their underground prison in that collapsed mine in Chile. Were you glued to the TV, as so many were, watching the count being tallied as each miner reached the surface and breathed in fresh air for the first time in 69 days?

I was attending a worship rehearsal that particular Wednesday evening but kept my i-Touch close by refreshing the web browser between songs to get the updates of the ongoing rescue. I guess you could say I was somewhat “glued” to my i-Touch. How remarkable that all of them plus the rescuers were able to reach the surface safely. Just incredible!

As we began to rehearse the particular song in the Youtube clip above, ... You Alone Can Rescue (by Matt Redmon) ... I thought about the act of rescue. I thought specifically about that first rescuer standing on the surface, surveying the problem and accepting the challenge of what would be the only way to get those trapped miners out. I tried to imagine what might be running through his mind. I thought about the risk that he was about to take, the selflessness that he was about to display. How heroic!

But the more we sang that song ... and I especially love the chorus ... my thoughts turned to the greatest rescue of all time ... that is after all what the song is about ... here is what the chorus says ...

“You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You, alone, belongs the highest praise!”

Yep, I thought about that word rescue a lot that night as we rehearsed and about the One who has rescued me. Later I looked it up in the dictionary for the full, official definition. Now, I know that it’s probably a 3rd or 4th grade vocabulary word but it’s definition bears remembering in full detail.

Rescue:
–verb (used with object)
to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil.

As I read this definition, my thoughts embraced it’s meaning in a fresh, new way. I really thought about the “what” of this definition that one is rescued from. I again pondered the risk that the first rescuer took ... humbling himself to be lowered, in that tiny capsule, to get to the ones in such desperate need of being rescued. He truly is a hero and deserves much honor for his bravery!

But even as heroic as he is, it is truly only a fraction of the heroism that Christ, our God, our Savior, our Lord, displayed for us. Think about it....(from Phil. 2:6-8)

.... Christ Jesus,
 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
God, the Almighty Creator, the Sovereign One, the Ruler of all, Father, Shepherd, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords stepped down into our dark, lonely, chaotic world ... to rescue us!
It made me sing that song that night in a whole new way!

It made me glance toward Heaven and feel so small against the backdrop of His magnificence ... and yet feel so right in place!

It made me feel such overwhelming gladness that I have a Savior!

What about you? Have you thought about the bonds, the prisons, the chains that have held you down? Are they still holding you down in spiritual bondage and defeat?

Oh my friend, don’t remain in your prison, your confinement, your danger, your dread ... let me remind you that through the blood of one perfect Sacrifice, for all time, our freedom ~ our rescue ~ has been bought! (1 Peter 3:18 - look it up; rejoice in it; receive it!)

Because, one day, at the name of Jesus we will all bow and every tongue that has ever uttered a sound will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2: 10-11)

Now that will be a real Hero’s welcome! I hope you are ready!

Simply abiding!
Cindy K.

Precious Memories ... Old and New

I spent last evening with a group of Sr. Citizens from my home church Woodlawn Baptist Church (Charlotte, NC). Mark and I grew up there and were married there as well. Its a place full of warm, fuzzy, Old memories! Where my faith took hold and began to soar.

I was there because I had been invited to be the musical guest at their monthly fellowship meeting. So, I enlisted the help of some of my girlfriends that are just incredible musicians/vocalists to go with me and build some warm, fuzzy, New memories as we ministered together in song. I’ve just got the best friends! Beautiful, inside and out. So glad they agreed to come with me. Thanks gals!

As we stood up front to sing and I looked out over the faces that sat before me the Old memories seemed to flood my heart and my mind at the exact same moment that tears were flooding my eyes. Filled to overflowing with gratitude for the heritage that God has given me ~

for my Mother who taught me to love the Lord and make
music for Him alone.

for the men and women who taught me in Sunday School
or Missions or were the selfless chaperones
on countless youth trips.

It was a special evening indeed ... each one of these special people touching me perhaps more than I touched them last night. All of them have had a hand in shaping the adult that I am today! Just an honor to be in their presence. And I began to think about things...

Our earthly heritage can be a wonderful thing but our real heritage, our inheritance, found in the Lord is of grand proportion! Do you know this? Can you wrap your mind around it? It matters not what your earthly heritage may be for as David says in Psalm 16: 5-6 ...

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

It’s true, I have been blessed with godly parents and a firm foundation ... my earthly heritage ... but even if I had not been blessed in this way I know that my heavenly Father, Creator of all that is, Lord of lords has wrapped me with a royal robe and called me His own. He crowns my life with righteousness and I am blessed indeed!

Yes my heritage is beautiful to me ... He is beautiful to me!

No matter what has gone before me (my past), no matter what is swirling around me now (my present) and no matter what lies ahead (my future) ... my God, my Father, my Portion is bigger! Yes, He’s bigger and He is enough.

Scripture assures me...
I am His and nothing can separate me from His love. (Romans 8: 38-39)

He is enough!

If I am in Christ, then I’m an heir according to the promise given to Abraham (Galations 3:29)

He is enough!

Yes, while I can trace my earthly heritage back to my parents and grandparents and great-grandparents ~ my spiritual heritage is traced back to highest royalty ... the King of kings! And as His child what a place of position He has placed me in....and you, if you are in Christ. How humbling to know that He loves us that much!

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.. (I John 3:1)

I pray that you’ll walk in His love today! I pray you will walk confidently in the royal position that He has bestowed upon you and hold fast to the Hope that is in Him!

Remember, He loves you with an everlasting love ....

Psalm 37

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” (Psalm 37:3~NAS)

Okay, so today I find myself asking for a fresh word from the Lord to address some issues that I must face. I ask for His strength and courage, wisdom and grace to walk through some difficult conversations, to abide silenced in some uncomfortable waiting and to endure some unpleasant encounters. Have you found yourself there lately? Ah, the facts of this life ... it’s sometimes quite hard!

Then I read Psalm 37 and it leaps from the page at me!

From verses 1 & 2: “Do not fret....” and “Do not be envious...” ~ Calm my anxious thoughts Lord!

Then the nugget ... from verse 3:

“Trust in the Lord...” ~ O God, I do trust in Your unfailing love. I bow the knee to sovereign God ~ I give you all my fear and my hurts and my “frets” and my “envy’s”.

“...and do good” ~ Teach me, Lord, to be pure, authentic, real, merciful, loving, kind, truthful and full of grace.

“Dwell in the land...” ~ Give me a steadfast heart O God to stay put and not run ~ not retreat ~ to DWELL right where you have me!

“and cultivate faithfulness.” ~ I did a little word study on this word cultivate ... it intrigued me. The original Hebrew word means to pasture, tend, graze. I like the mental image of those words that describe cultivating faithfulness. Tending to my call to faithfulness and grazing on God’s perfect faithfulness that does not fail.

So as I face these uncomfortable places where we sometimes have to walk I pray that You, O Lord, would remind me of Your faithfulness and Your unfailing love ... and may I confidently, comfortably dwell there ~ resting & cultivating (tending & grazing), and fully sheltered in your wonderful provision for my life.

Happy Anniversary to my Sweetie!

Mark,

Twenty-six years ago today, on June 23, 1984, we said “I do.” We pledged our love and commitment before God and man and raced off to begin our life together as husband and wife.

But who can know the journey that your lives will take? We certainly did not. There have been glorious days and some days, well, not so much; but, I’m so thankful that every step of the way has been walked alongside such a godly man who pours out his life daily in the sacrifice of service to God and to us ~ his family.

On this day, I honor you Mark and to our heavenly Father I say “thank you”, again, for birthing our love all those years ago. I could not have imagined the faithful and loving husband and father you would be. I am abundantly blessed! We are abundantly blessed!

All my love and all my “I do’s” still belong to you.

Lovingly,
Me

Reminders in the month of May!

I love the month of May. Okay, okay, for those of you who know me you know my real motivation .... it is, afterall, my birthday month and my birthday is followed immediately by Mother’s Day ... I just love all the attention! Just kidding ... okay partially kidding! I do love the attention!

But not for the attentions sake. No, it runs much deeper than that. I love the way my guys ... Mark, Brad, Cory and Will ... take care of me. There is something just so lovely about having these strong men at my side as we walk through life. They make me feel safe. They make me feel loved. They remind me that I am blessed beyond measure. They are my treasures, this side of heaven, and I’m abundantly, overwhelmingly grateful to God for each one of them.

The love I feel for them, the love I feel from them, points me right back to the Father! The God who made me. The God who ordains my days. The God who blesses my every moment with His incredible presence.

And then I’m reminded ...

He will never leave me nor forsake me!
He is my valiant Warrior!
He is for me so who can be against me!
He is my safety!
He alone loves me with an everlasting love!

In Him I live and move and have my being (Acts 17:28). He calls me to Himself and I am changed in His presence! The Word...alive in me. My mind truly cannot fully comprehend it; but, I know this, He is my Treasure, all year long, ... and He entrusts me with His presence daily. My heart is His home. My heart is His throne. My heart is His tabernacle. He chooses to dwell within me.

Oh, may I never miss it! When the calendar flips to June and then July, and then August and so on ... may I always see His blessings, always abide in the safety of His wings, and always embrace His boundless love and mercy. May I never forget in the “ordinary-ness” of my days that I am the apple of His eye!

Thank You, God, for the reminders in the month of May! All of life points to You and there is no where I can go that You are not already there! (Psalm 139)