Three Word Wednesday :: Keep On Singing

You know that song “10,000 Reasons”? I love it, but one part gets me every time:

“Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me

let me be singing when the evening comes.”

That line gets me because most evenings I’m not singing. Really, most evenings I’m done trying to hold myself together. And plenty of evenings I’ve already crumbled.

When the evening comes, I’ve refereed sibling arguments while cooking dinner. I’ve been disappointed by people I love dearly. I’ve answered the same questions multiple times. I’ve been frustrated with those hard-to-love people in my life. I’ve been challenged and encouraged and failed in a matter of minutes.

But whatever may pass, whatever lies before me, God wants me to be singing. {Tweet that.}

I’m not patient, naturally. But I know that’s what God is working on in my life. He wants me to see people as he sees them. He wants me to remember my kids are watching me. He wants me to know him more so I can be more like him.

“You’re rich in love, and You’re slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind.

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find …”

My husband and I had a hard conversation this weekend. It was one of those that started with one frustration I was having and overflowed into other related struggles. The conversation ended with him encouraging me to have a different perspective.

Y’all, adjusting my perspective is hard. And, really, I was at a loss of how to even begin. And then just two nights later during our small group, a wise friend said, “When we change what we think, we can change how we act.”

God answered the question I’d been holding onto. He reminded me he’s working here – beginning in my soul and overflowing into my home and my relationships.

The following night – three nights from when Greg and I stayed up too late discussing some hard parts of life – my daughter wandered out of bed a couple hours after we had tucked her in. “Is Jesus coming back tomorrow?” she asked us sincerely.

The three of us talked about how the Bible tells us we don’t know when Jesus is coming back but he is one day. We talked about how God tells us not to worry about tomorrow because he’s already there.

“He knows my whole life, doesn’t he?” Cate asked.

“Yes, and we’re so glad he knew you would be our daughter,” Greg told her.

We talked some about salvation and baptism and what being a Christian looks like. We talked about how we can’t do anything other than believe to become a Christian, but that when we do decide to follow Jesus there is a responsibility to love and serve others.

When Cate walked back upstairs, I could tell she was more at peace than when she came down 10 minutes earlier. Greg and I were reminded that despite our imperfections, God is working here in our family.

That hard conversation with my husband. The unsolicited advice from my friend. The unexpected conversation with my daughter. Those are reasons to keep on singing.

I add them to my #choosingJOY list on my phone and glance at others :: 148. Listening to music with Greg while driving home with the kids sleeping. 149. Kids’ excitement over passports. 150. Sky High Sports. 151. Songs and sermons that convict and encourage at the same time. 152. Doughnuts. 153. All four of us falling back asleep in our bed on Sunday morning. 154. Seeing God bring people and visions together.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I’ll worship Your holy name”

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An InLinkz Link-up

I'm also linking up with Lyli Dunbar's Thought-Provoking Thursday. 

Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

{Three Word Wednesday} Less is More

Our tree is smaller than those the last few years. I have less decorations out than usual – not that I decorate that much anyway. Instead of doing a photo card and newsletter, I just made a year-in-review newsletter for our friends and family. I don’t bake much under normal circumstances. I scaled back our gift-giving list this year, even though I love buying gifts. And I didn’t plan our annual Jesus Birthday Party that had become a staple activity on other family’s calendars.

Less is more.

I keep hearing those three in my soul and feel free when I embrace them.

I love the Christmas season. I love traditions and plans with friends. And I am certain doing less won’t mean I enjoy what matters – this Christmas or any other day.

That’s how God works. His Kingdom is nothing like the world. With God, the last shall be first and the poor made rich. He tells us all to come to Him like children. He becomes greater when I become less (John 3:30).

Less is more. I keep repeating the phrase in hopes it will sink into my heart.

In doing so, I feel free to chase what is holy – that which is not of this world. When I let go of burdens and expectations of this world, I’m yoking myself to Jesus, who promises a lighter burden and an easy yoke (Matt. 11:28-30).

Too often I yoke myself to feelings and tasks that don’t matter. I idolize productivity and things that aren’t going to bring peace. And yet I hear the Prince of Peace telling me less is more. I hear it when my kids play, when my family sits down around the table with friends, and when the UPS guy arrives with yet another box because I’ve been doing my Christmas shopping in the quieter moments at home.

The Christmas Story is the epitome of less is more.

“What kind of King would leave His throne in Heaven to make this earth His home? While men seek fame and great renown in lowliness our King comes down. … What kind of King would come so small, from glory to a humble stall? That dirty manger is my heart too. I'll make it a royal throne for You. Jesus, Jesus, precious one, how we thank You that You've come. Jesus, Jesus, precious one, a manger throne for God's own son.”

{From “Manger Throne” by Third Day, Julie Miller and Derri Daugherty}

God could have sent Jesus however he wanted to and he chose a young woman to give birth to the Savior of the world. The birth could have happened wherever God saw fit, yet newborn baby Jesus was laid in the manger – where animals come to eat.

The details matter because God orchestrated what seemed so ordinary to do something extraordinary. Yet wise men followed a star then and people continue seeking the One whose birth we still celebrate. Jesus feeds our soul with truths that don’t always make sense in this world.

Less is more. In a mighty kind of way.

An InLinkz Link-up

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I'm also linking up this post with Holley Gerth's Coffee For Your Heart and Jennifer Dukes Lee's #TellHisStory. Just after I finished writing this post earlier this week, I read Jennifer's post on having a preapproved Christmas. Y'all want to go read that one too, if you haven't already. 

Want more stories? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."

LIGHT :: Living & Learning

Holley Gerth offers free words like these for your use.

My word for the year has been LIGHT. God kept bringing those five letters to mind, long before I knew what this year would be like.

Songs about light and finding our way out of the dark have really struck a chord with me. Josh Wilson’s “Pushing Back the Dark” is among the songs that will remind me of this year, when my heart broke for my dearest friend, when I faced scars I thought had healed, and when conflict invaded a peaceful sanctuary. I heard him talk about this song the other day on the radio: “We are all called to fight against the fall. … We can't do everything but we have to do something.”

Isn't that the truth? All this darkness isn’t always our fault. Yes, sometimes are actions have consequences we would have rather avoided, but human nature contributes to plenty of the darkness. Even so, we need to do something when we know the One who provides lasting light.

We need to mourn with friends and walk into their darkness.

We have to say yes even when we are scared and no when we are tempted otherwise.

We should give more than we get and believe in hope even when a situation seems impossible.

We need to move and lead and trust. Just standing around complaining and wishing isn’t going to change the world. But how we treat people in our daily lives, how we spend our time and money, and where we invest ourselves will.

Changing the world seems daunting, but God has been showing me it’s about making a difference where I am – in my kitchen, around my table, at my kids’ school, in the check-out lane at the grocery, in my car when other drivers can’t even hear me, and wherever else I step in this small town I call home. We don’t have to travel across the ocean or speak multiple languages – although that’s fine too.

We just have to shine our light, which is really God’s light. Just, I know. Easier said than done, but I’m thankful we get plenty of opportunities to try. And as we do the darkness will be less and the light from God alone will spill into the lives around us. Like the sun rising. Like a crack in the blinds. Like a flashlight from heaven.

Let’s not settled for barely being able to see in front of us. Let’s trust that God is leading us and preparing us for a place where darkness is no more. Let’s push back the dark and embrace the light.
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So many great songs have reminded me of this message this year. I have an ongoing playlist that will remind of this time, this journey. I’ve shared some in previous posts {here and here and here}, but here are some more songs that are part of my playlist ::

“Chasing the Light” by Mat Kearney :: “ ... Every bridge that keep on burning, every leaf that you keep on turning, every road that you find uncertain, pray for you now ... that you’ll figure it out. Every hope and dream that’s dying, every time that I see you crying, every step that you keep on climbing, pray for you now ... as you keep chasing the light. ...”

“Learning to Be the Light” by Newworldson :: “I'm learning to be the light ... that makes the shadows hide. The light that breaks the curse of pride. The light that takes the weary in its arms. When it all came crashing down, there was only darkness all around. But in the distance I could see a flame ...”

“Christ is Risen” by Matt Maher :: “... Christ is risen from the dead. We are one with him again. Come awake, come awake! Come and rise up from the grave. Oh death! Where is your sting? Oh hell! Where is your victory? Oh Church! Come stand in the light! The glory of God has defeated the night!”

“Wanted” by Dara Maclean :: “From the day you were born and took your first breath, you opened your eyes and in came the light. He was watching you. But all of your life you couldn't shake the lies in your head, saying you're a mistake. Oh but you were made by a God who knows your name. He doesn't make mistakes ...”

“Rise Again” by Needtobreathe :: “... We crawl through the abyss then we came through the other side. Heaviness is only temporary the daylight will soon break in. The sunlight can change a heart in the wake of a bitter end. Oh I know I’m gonna rise again. Set my sights on where I’m going and my goodbyes to where I've been ...”
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What are you hearing these days from God and in song?
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I'm linking this post with Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart, Beth Stiff’s Three Word Wednesday, Jennifer Dukes Lee’s #TellHisStory, and Lyli Dunbar's Thought-Provoking Thursday.

Want more stories? Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox." This post contains Amazon affiliate links.