Posted on

Sunday Worship ~ Shout to the Lord

There are many worship songs that I love to sing, but there is only one (contemporary) song that gets me every time we sing it in church. I really, really have to contain myself not to raise my hands. Don’t get me wrong, our congregation loves Jesus and is very passionate about sharing God’s Word with the world. We just don’t raise our hands often during worship music. That is just who we are and I truly believe that there is nothing wrong with that. However, ‘Shout to the Lord’, brings always tears of joy to me. There is nothing more powerful to know that God loves me so much, that He sent His son to die for me. And that song reminds me of it.

Do you have some songs that you absolutely love and remind you how wonderful our God is? Please do share with me in the comment section which one it is. For me, besides God’s Word, music is a powerful way to connect to God. How about you?

Love & peace,
Iris

Posted on

Thankful Thursday ~ Different Perspective

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
(Colossians 3:16 ESV)

Over the past 1 1/2 years my home congregation has been without a senior pastor. I love my church and I am looking forward to whoever God has in mind for us. This past week, our congregation extended a call to a young pastor from Colorado. I am nosy, so I checked out a couple of his sermons that are available online. Well, as for me, I like him and I know he would be a great addition to our church body. But then again, God’s will be done.

I am very calm about all this; my calmness actually sort of scares me. I am usually really hyper when it comes to church. Believe me, these past months have been a little nerve wrecking, but I did not want to change churches. You know why? Because I love the people that make up our church body, we have wonderful ministry leaders, and the Word of God is taught. What else do I need? Well, okay, a senior pastor would be great. But everything in God’s timing.

You see, God’s Word is important in my life (and I hope in yours as well). I have several different Bible translations in my home and I am very thankful for that. You may wonder why I have the different Bible translations. Well, sometimes I like to get a different perspective. Two of my home Bibles are actually in my mother-tongue, German. And my favorite of the two German Bibles is the “Basis Bibel” (yes it is “Bibel” in German :)). Unfortunately this translation has currently only the New Testament and Psalms. Hopefully soon, the Basis Bibel has all of God’s Word.

So, this week I am thankful for God’s Word in different translations to see His Word from a different perspective. What are you thankful for this week? Please do share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by this week. Remember: it is not a bad thing to read His Word in different translations; it is important that we do read and apply it.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. 28 Years of Marriage – WORK!
2. 11 Ways God Takes Amazing Care of Us
3. LaughingLady
4. It Feels Like Chaos
5. Goal Weight! Losing 60 Pounds!		 6. Heather @ Living In the Moment
7. The Opposite of Masculinity
8. Two Ways To Make The Most of This Season of Life
9. Journaling Gina
10. I Know You		 11. Fasting and Prayer Go Hand in Hand
12. Sarah @ The Fontenot Four
13. Sarah – Survivorship
14. bp
15. Inspirations from Phather Phil – Thankful Thursday: My Tallest Mountain

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.

Posted on

Thankful Thursday ~ Unexpected Dinner

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
(Psalm 30:4 ESV)

Too often we all ‘storm’ through life without taking a breather. We work all day, than when we are home we work some more; cleaning, cooking, laundry, ministry, business…Our to-do-lists are a mile long.

However, last night our family took a time out and had a wonderful, 2-hour dinner. You see, our son celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday. He had been working 12 hour days, including weekends for the past 3 weeks. So, we really did not plan on truly celebrating his birthday until this upcoming weekend. As I was talking to our son on the phone last night, my husband suggested to have dinner together. Our son was happy about the change of plans. I guess he needed the family time as much as we did.

Our son was working on a major project for his company and that is why he had so many long days. When we picked him up, he looked tired, actually exhausted. So I think our son was glad to have a break. We had a great time talking, laughing and catching up on the things going on in our lives.

So this week I am thankful for opportunity we took for an unexpected dinner. I am thankful for the family God has graced me with. And I realized that I should do this type of things more often…take time out with the ones I love. God so often gives us these opportunities and we think we are too busy to take the time. Life is short and our to-do-list will be there tomorrow too.

What are you thankful for this week? Please share with us by leaving a link to your Thankful Thursday post below.

Thank you for stopping by today. Remember: take the opportunities to break out of the daily grind and enjoy time with the ones God has graced you with.

Love & peace,
Iris

Thankful Thursday Participants

1. 29 years ago: An Arranged Marriage
2. You Are Never Forgotten
3. Mia / Desert Snippets		 4. Can You Really Trust God?
5. Godly Grief
6. Heather @ Living In the Moment		 7. Sarah – Lost Photos from a Tornado
8. Fruit of the Vine
9. bp

Learn more about Thankful Thursday here.

Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.

Posted on

Monday Morning Minute ~ “I do” – 30 Years Ago

Monday Morning Minute

30 Years Ago

Yes, I said “I Do” 30 years ago this very day. May 20th, 1983 my beloved and I got married. Looking at this picture, I said to my hubby “What Baby-Faces”. He had to laugh too and said – “30 Years ago is ancient, they did not even have internet back then.” Goodness, how did we communicate back then? I guess the old fashioned way; by letter or regular land-line phones. No texting, no Facebook, no email. Oh, and my beloved and I didn’t even own a car back then. Ha, times have changed, haven’t they?

Has our marriage been smooth sailing? Oh goodness, no!!! There were bumpy roads, sweat, blood and tears. There were a couple times I wanted to call it quits. But God had other plans; we are still together, even though some of our old friends gave us only a couple of years. The funny thing is that those old friends are no longer married.

Marriage is hard work; it takes commitment and honesty with each other. But the most important thing in a marriage is that God leads. You have two sinful beings that want to do things their own way. But that does not work in marriage; or any kind of relationship. You have to make concessions, and you have to be unselfish. It really boils down to this verse:

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
(Ephesians 5:33 ESV)

Love & Respect in a marriage is the most powerful thing. Years ago, I read the book “Love & Respect” written by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Believe me when I tell you that this book has changed my way of thinking and our marriage. The book is one of the best resources that you can use to either save your marriage or make it better. Yes, marriage is hard work, but I tell you that after 30 years, it is very much worth it.

Lord of mercy and grace. This morning I want to thank You for Your guidance in our marriage. Lord, I ask that You continue to bless this marriage as You have over the past 30 years. Help us to stay together, for better or worse, healthy or sick, for richer or poorer. You are the source of our strength in this marriage. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.

Love & peace,
Iris