A Personal Liturgy

Hands down, the best part about living in Iowa is our church.  We were really nervous to move back here because we had an unsuccessful church search during our internship summer.  I just did not want to give up the strong gospel teaching, close community, and immense growth I experienced at The Summit Church in Durham.  Luckily, God knows what he's doing!  Through friends, he led us to discover Sacred City Church here in Davenport.  Sacred City is a relatively new (about two years old) small church plant.  I believe there are less than 200 people in the church as a whole.  Long story short, we LOVE IT.  We have been so blessed to get involved right away with a strong community including meeting on Wednesday nights with our "missional community" led by our pastor, Justin, and his wife in their home.

Last week, Justin mentioned that he has his own personal liturgy that he reads, recites, and prays each day.  He keeps it digitally on his phone in the notes section.  I don't know why I never thought of that before, but I thought it was brilliant!  I sometimes copy down verses on note cards or in my notebook, but (1) it takes forever to copy long verses, and (2) who has their note cards or notebook with them all the time?  I know for sure I have my phone with me all the time, though!

My liturgy is not "perfect" or complete or theologically impressive.  It's just where I am now with the Lord.  I envision this changing often as God is always teaching me new things.  Plus, just as God helps me conquer one struggle, another one inevitably appears.  One of the reasons I have disliked liturgy all these years is that it is often recited by a congregation in a way that becomes robotic with no thought or meaning behind it.  I like the idea of creating a personal liturgy because it can be tailored to personal learning, struggles, and triumphs, and it can be a living, breathing reflection of my walk with the Lord.  Also, I want my liturgy to be a way to help me memorize scripture.

I spent a half hour last week (during a super-short Ava nap, no less) putting together my own personal liturgy, and it was a great exercise!  There's not a right or wrong way to do it, and I completely made up my method.  However, in case it helps, here are the questions I asked myself to go about creating my own liturgy:

1.  What truths about God do I need to be reminded of daily?
2.  What lessons is God trying to teach me right now that I need to learn well?
3.  What verses connect to these lessons God is teaching me?
4.  What am I currently struggling with in life?
5.  What verses connect to these struggles and might spur me on?

And that's it!  Once I found the verses I wanted, I simply copied them from my YouVersion Bible app directly into my notes section on my iPhone.  They even put the reference for you when you copy!  It was super quick and easy.  In the spirit of transparency, here is my personal liturgy for the moment.  Maybe it will inspire you to create your own!

Katie's Liturgy

1.  God is great, so I don't have to be in control.
2.  God is good, so I don't have to look elsewhere.
3.  God is glorious, so I don't have to fear.
4.  God is gracious, so I don't have to prove myself.

In Christ, there is nothing I could do to make you love me more; nothing I have done that makes you love me less.  You are all I need today for everlasting joy.  As you have been to me, so I will be to others.   As I pray, I'll measure your compassion by the cross and your power by the resurrection.

Ava is a gift from God, not to make me happy, but to make me holy.  It is a privilege to make disciples in my home, and I will strive to make the most of every opportunity and cherish the moments I have.

Don’t you see that children are God ’s best gift? The fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth. Oh, how blessed are you parents, with your quivers full of children! Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you; you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep. (Psalm 127:3-5 MSG)

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22 NIV)

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV)

Doing humbling work makes me more like Christ.


Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8 NIV)

God himself is all I need for everlasting joy and fruitfulness.  I will learn to be content and praise him in every circumstance.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:1-8 NIV)

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3 NIV)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV)

Getting more things or more time to myself or a less fussy child will not satisfy my soul.  Only the Lord can bring me peace and satisfaction.

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:2-8 NIV)

My roles as wife and mom are God’s best for me.  His plan is perfect.  Willingly doing the work he’s given me without complaint is a way I can offer myself as a living sacrifice to God who deserves all I have.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1, 2 NIV)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

I am not perfect.  I am a horrible sinner.  However, I am redeemed and forgiven.  I am worse than I ever imagined but more loved than I ever thought possible.  I will daily walk in my new identity and strive to walk with the spirit.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 NIV)

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:16-18 NIV)

Am I living in a way that demands a gospel explanation? 

Prayer Cards

I don't know if it's the end of the school year or what, but lately I've been feeling anxious, aimless, restless, worried, frustrated, and all sorts of other things that don't involve peace.  I know that these feelings are just reminding me that I need the Lord, and they definitely drive me back to Him.  One of our friends in our small group, Joana, mentioned that when she is stressed or upset, she has to remind herself to go to her prayer cards.  She didn't talk about what a prayer card was, but all that week, the wheels in my brain were turning.  Two things I've never been stellar at are prayer and scripture memory.  I decided I liked the idea of having prayer cards, so I made my own version.  I found a super nifty ring of mini blank index cards at the Duke bookstore for $1.50, but any index cards will do.  I just started copying down verses that spoke to me in my daily reading, verses I've always loved, verses in the Bible studies I'm doing, and verses people send me.  I write the scripture on one side and the chapter and verse on the other.  Oh, and I use fun colored pens.  That part is optional :-)

The cards give me something tangible to hold onto and to focus on.  I use them for prayer as I read over the scriptures and pray them.  I also use them for scripture memory since they are basically flashcards.  Sometimes I study the scripture and try to recall the chapter and verse, and sometimes I read the chapter and verse and try to recall the scripture.  I know that I need the word of God to abide more deeply in my heart so that it comes to mind in stressful times and in joyful times and so that it saturates my life.  The prayer cards are also really good for plane rides and all of the travel I've been doing!  You can't use any electronics for a good part of the flight, so I keep these little cards in my hand and use those minutes to study.  What verses do you have memorized to help you through the day?  I'll add them to my cards :-)

Nomadic

If you haven't noticed, we're a bit nomadic.

I used to dream of a little house with a white picket fence, and I dreamed I'd stay there, oh, approximately... FOREVER. 

Then, I married Brent.

Brent did not dream of a white picket fence. 

And he did not dream of staying in one place forever. 

He moved me once, then again, then again. 

And at some point I realized...  I should maybe get used to moving.

Now, we've been married almost 7 years, and we've moved 4 times.  The 'big move' (to Durham) has been so positive that I have the bug now. 

This year, Brent has been exploring career options, and with those options come discussions of where we will live and what we will do and what our lives will look like when he graduates.  Sometimes, scary stuff.  But I found myself (surprisingly) wanting, even longing to go somewhere else and do it all over again.  Don't get me wrong - I love me some Texas, and we really miss being close to our families - but I have felt what I think is God working on my heart saying we're not done yet.  It's not quite time yet to settle in and build the fence. 

Brent came to business school with a background in finance.  We saw Duke as a chance for a new beginning and perhaps a change.  I'm so proud of Brent for being brave enough to leave what he knew and dare to think that there might be something more, something better, something different that God would have him do.  He felt drawn towards strategic management, and specifically, drawn towards John Deere. 

"John Deere????"  You ask.  Yes, I asked the same thing.

This summer, between MBA year 1 and year 2, there is an internship component.  Brent interviewed for a ton of internships and explored a ton of companies, but there was always a draw towards John Deere from the very beginning.  A draw to the program, the people, the lifestyle, the values, the success of the company. 

As it has been true for us so many times before, Isaiah 30:21 has been true for us this year:

"Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it!" 

Oh, I love that verse.  Don't you?  If we listen and walk faithfully, the sovereign Lord promises to direct our steps.  Not always in the easiest or most comfortable way, but in the way that He wills, which... if you ask me... is the best way.

As it turns out, God may have been calling Brent to this job from a very early age.  Here is a pic his mom found of him driving a John Deere tractor at age 2 on his ranch with his dad and sister.  I mean, how cute is this?!?! 

To make a long story short, there were a lot of obstacles in the path and a lot of uncertainty, and a little bit of fear (on my part), but God was faithful, and Brent got the very internship he wanted.  He's going to be working as an intern in the Strategic Management Program at John Deere for 12 weeks this summer.  Then we'll be back to Durham for one more school year.  Should he be able to work for John Deere full time upon graduation, he would be in a management program that would require us to move often - every year or two at least.  Sound familiar???  haha...I think it's our destiny.

We are thrilled for Brent to be working at Deere, and he is so excited.  He's going to be working on a project involving forestry.  My mom is so cute - she sent us the most adorable John Deere t-shirts when we told her.  Mine is pink and says "real women drive tractors". HA!  (have they met me?)

The internship will take place at the John Deere headquarters in Moline, Illinois.  Praise God that I'll be able to go with Brent since I already work remotely.  Therefore, for the summer, we will be living in Moline, Illinois.

Wait, you don't know where that is?

I had the same problem.  It's OK.  Here's a visual.  Moline is where the red "A" is.  It's in northwestern Illinois on the border of Illinois & Iowa.

I have never been to Moline, and I don't know what our summer will look like. 

All I know is that God wants us there, so nomads we will be, and there we will go. 

Striving

Just some honesty today. 

The events of this Monday reminded me what God has been trying to teach me over and over again for the last, oh, fifteen years.  I'm in Houston for work, which is always crazy.  Today I was leading a content meeting for the 70+ teachers I support, and I just felt "off".  I felt like the day was not as good as it could have been from the start.  There are lots of reasons why I felt this and lots of things that happened, some beyond my control.  By lunchtime that little voice was pretty loud in my ear telling me that today was a failure and reminding me of all the things I could have / should have done better to prepare / troubleshoot / support / plan / react / execute / coordinate / lead.  And by the end of the day, I was in tears.  Just me alone behind my computer, beating myself up, afraid to look at the survey, dreading what people said about the day.   Chalk it up to another day that I didn't live up to what I thought I could or should.

But just yesterday, Brent and I were studying the triumphal entry in preparation for Easter this week.  Easter.  This week.  The very week I should be praising Jesus for his work on the cross for me and meditating on the amazing grace he has given me so that I NO LONGER have to strive or be perfect.  Romans 5:18 says: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says:  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old is gone; the new is here. 

So why do I relinquish the grace and peace that could be mine?

I have a huge issue with striving and perfectionism.  In college it drove me to study all the time and stress myself out with 50 leadership positions and cry to my professor when I got my first "B".  In my early years at YES, it drove me to stay at school until 8:30 and work until 10:30 at home and work all weekend and beat myself up for every dumb thing I did.  In my later years at YES, it drove me to take on three or more full time jobs each year, even when I swore I would take things off my plate.  It drove me to tears weekly from the stress and drove my blood pressure sky high.  It's my innate desire for perfectionism and achievement that keep me striving, reaching, and stressed. 

In my heart, I know that Jesus has paid it all!  It is finished.  There is no need to strive to be better, faster, higher up, more perfect, more accepted, more what people need, or just the better version of me.  When Jesus looks at me, there is nothing I could to to make him love me less and nothing I could do to make him love me more.  Nothing.  He loves me just as I am with all of my shortcomings and failures and imperfections.  How I long for that truth to sink in!

God has forced me to give up some of my striving and ambitions by moving me to Durham.  Praise Him that I am FAR less stressed than I used to be.  My life is slower, my job more humble, my ability to strive limited quite literally by circumstances and geography.  I needed to be restrained; that's for sure.  I feel that he is preparing me for another season of life with even less striving and less possibility for public recognition and less people pleasing.  And I'm so grateful. 

But today, I'm not in Durham.  I'm in Houston, and all the old strivings have a way of fitting right back into place like a puzzle.  I was rushing out the door to get to work super early (so things would be perfect at my content meeting), and I skipped my time with the Lord.  I didn't read; I didn't pray.  I was relying just on me.

The Lord is not through with me yet.  I'm not a hopeless case.  Today, I recognized the striving relatively quickly and identified my intense desire to please people.  While I did cry, my second response was to remember what the Lord has done and not go completely to pieces.  Today brings to mind one of my favorite Nichole Nordeman songs that speaks to this very issue I struggle with, and maybe you do too.

Legacy

I don't mind
if you've got something nice to say about me. 
I enjoy an accolade
like the rest.
But you can hang my picture in gallery
with all the "who's whos" and "so and sos"
who used to be the best at "such and such"...

It wouldn't matter much.

I want to leave a legacy.
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to YOU enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering:
A child of mercy and grace
who blessed your name unapologetically
I want to leave a legacy.

Loving the Word

I have never been much of a morning person.  Once I get up, I do love the freshness and newness and quietness of the morning... once I get up.  It's that whole "getting up" part that's the issue for me.  It takes at least 3 alarms and a few licks from Blazer to get me out of bed.  When I lived in Houston, I had to be at work super early, so getting up to spend time with the Lord was really difficult.  I finally got into somewhat of a routine that involved copious amounts of coffee, but it was hit or miss.  Now that I work from North Carolina, I am on Eastern time and my work is on Central time.  This means that essentially, my entire work day has shifted forward by one hour.  Instead of starting work at 7:30, I start at 8:30.  Instead of finishing at 5:30, I finish around 6:30.  This is totally fine with me, because it gives me a whole glorious hour in the morning to read and pray, and I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to do it.

Somehow I got myself into four Bible studies at one time, so it's a good thing I have 45 minutes to an hour each day to work through them.  I'm reading through the New Testament one chapter a day with Watermark Church.  I'm doing a study of Daniel with the "wives" club here.  I'm studying Jonah with a senior I'm discipling through CRU.  And I'm reading through the Old Testament on my own.  So on any given day, I'm reading the New Testament, the early Old Testament, and the prophetic books!  At first I thought it was going to be confusing, but it has been the biggest blessing!  For the last few months, God has just been opening my mind and drawing me in with his word and causing me to love it (and him) more and more each day. 

Working through different parts of the Bible at the same time has given me so much perspective on the people of God, the character of God, and the promises of God that we see fulfilled in scripture.  In my Daniel study, we're learning about what the "end times" might look like, and I see that there is so much deception and so many lies in the world that we are quick to believe.  I think what I love most about my daily time in the word is that it saturates me in truth.  Each day I see more and more of who God really is, and that helps me to see the world through the lens of truth.  I've started to make a concentrated effort to memorize scripture, and it has been a great experience which I'll post more about later.

I've never told the full story of how Brent & I met and fell in love, but I'll tell you part of it today.  We were friends in college, and I didn't like him that way until a ski trip we took with friends.  We drove to Colorado and back, so we had plenty of time to chat.  I clearly remember Brent and some of our other friends starting an impromptu game of Bible trivia.  Basically, this consisted of them lobbing questions at Brent and Brent knowing the answer to every single one.  I remember sitting there in silence because I sure didn't know the answers!  And I remember thinking that I wanted to know the Bible as well as Brent.  That's truly when I began to like him as more than a friend.  Well, fast forward to today:  Brent sill knows a lot more about the Bible than I do.  However, I'm slowly but surely catching up! :-) The more I read, the more I know, and the more in love with the Lord I become.  Brent is always there as a sounding board when I say things like, "Can you BELIEVE that Aaron was the one who made a golden idol for the people, after what God had just done for them??"  or "Wait, can we go through the genealogy in Genesis one more time?"  or "I should really know this, but not all the gospels were written by disciples, right?"  It felt good to be in church last week when our pastor mentioned that he was going to talk about the "sign of Jonah".  I leaned over and whispered excitedly... "That's in Matthew!  I know that! And I know exactly what it's referring to!"

Sitting with my coffee by the window each morning is the highlight of my day.  There is no TV on, no emails chiming on my computer, and no calls coming in.  It's quiet, and I need it.  If I miss a day for some reason, I feel it.  It puts my mind on the things of the Lord and helps me to focus for the rest of the day.  So yes, I've been quiet on the blog lately, but I think that partly reflects the quietness of my heart and my life lately, and I don't have much else to say except Praise the Lord!  For he is holy and sovereign and loving and just and his word is wonderful.  So that's what I wanted to say today.

Paul & Justin's Story

When I was in college at Texas A&M, I attended Breakaway for four years, and it literally changed my life.  Breakaway is a nondenominational, weekly Bible study on Texas A&M's campus.  It started in the '80s with just a few students in an apartment, and now it is held in Reed Arena (Texas A&M's basketball stadium!) where as many as 8,000 students gather every Tuesday to "break away" from college life to worship and meet with the Lord.  Breakaway has incubated a few worship stars - Chris Tomlin himself used to lead worship, and my freshman year we sang along with Shane & Shane.  Crazy!  The founding director of Breakaway, Gregg Matte, is such a faithful man of God who had a clear vision for just what God could do on A&M's campus. 

Breakaway has a huge team of volunteers that work through the campus and community on different projects.  As a student, I worked in the Breakaway office and volunteered on several teams.  Breakaway is one of the biggest things I miss about college, and I try to live vicariously through the newsletters and email updates I still get about the ministry.  Whenever I'm in College Station on a Tuesday night for recruiting or some other random reason, I always to to Breakaway, and I'm always overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement and praise for God's glory and the way he has moved so mightily on that campus to the degree that you can FEEL his presence when you arrive there. 

I finally live in a college town again, and I'm so excited to be here in a place where I have the opportunity to interact with college students and feel a bit of that old spark.  Last week, I got an email update about Breakaway, and it contained a link to this video:  Paul & Justin's Story.  I don't know if I was especially missing College Station or just needing some encouragement about how the Lord uses small acts for big purposes, but this video spoke directly to my heart.  I felt inspired and so grateful for the Lord's faithfulness in answering us when we desire to be used for his glory.  It's not a sad video, don't worry!  I was smiling and had tears rolling down my face at the same time.  But that's typical of me.

If you have 3 minutes and 54 seconds to spare, it's worth a watch.  It will do you good.  ...and if you're an Aggie and have a sudden urge to hop in the car and drive as fast as you can to Texas A&M, well - you can't blame me!!

Through the Fire

I'm currently in a Bible study with wives of business school students. I love being able to have community with them and share similar struggles and highlights. We are doing a Beth Moore study on Daniel, which seems like a strange choice, but it has been AMAZING. Last night we studied Daniel 3, and it just overwhelmed me. God's word is so rich and full of application for us, even in the Old Testament!

You've probably heard the story of Daniel 3. I know I last thought about it in Sunday school as a kid, and I'm pretty sure there was a song about it. It's a good story, but it didn't really sink in with me until yesterday.  I was thinking maybe it's the same with you, so I wanted to share. It's the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego escaping the fiery furnace. You should really go read Daniel 3 for yourself here, but I'll give you the basic overview:

King Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) has a 90 foot high golden statue made and orders all of Babylon to fall down and worship the statue. Anyone who does not bow down and worship the statue will be thrown into the fiery furnace, already raging. At the king's command, every person in Babylon from the lowliest citizen to the highest official bows down to the statue - except for three men of God - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refuse to bow down. Nebuchadnezzar gives them a second chance, but they boldly proclaim that they will NEVER bow down. They proclaim that their God is able to deliver them from the furnace, but even if He doesn't, they still won't bow down. Infuriated, the king orders the fires to be heated 7 times hotter, has the three men tied up, and orders them thrown into the fire. The fire is so hot that the soldiers who throw them in are immediately burned to death. Once Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are in the furnace, the crowd notices something disturbing - they see four men walking around in the fire. Sure enough, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego plus a fourth man are walking around, unharmed and unbound in the fire. The fourth person turns out to be the son of God - a preincarnate Jesus, right there in the fire with them. A terribly frightened king calls the men out of the furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerge completely unharmed - nothing has been singed or burned except their bonds. The Bible even says they did not even smell like smoke. And King Nebuchadnezzar believed and praised God and declared that everyone in Babylon should praise God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are promoted in the kingdom and are never mentioned again.

Take-Away 1: I don't want to bow down.
I can think of so many things in our culture that everyone bows down to - money, fame, celebrities, beauty, power, jobs ... the list goes on. Even if everyone else around me is bowing down, I want to actively resist the things of this world that can so easily defile. That image of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego standing tall while everyone else had their face to the ground worshipping an idol is seared in my mind. Let that be me standing, Lord. Let me care more about your fame than about what other people think. In the passage, the king's men say of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: "They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." (v. 11) Oh Lord, let that be said of me!

Take-Away 2: I want faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
In the study, Beth challenged us to really wrap our minds around what was going on there. These three men resisted the king on principle. They refused to conform to the culture and blaspheme God. But at what cost? The cost was DEATH. Immediate, certain, painful death. And yet they did not waver. Even when given a second chance, they boldly stood up and declared their faith, no matter the cost.  They could have "pretended" to bow down or rationalized why they were going along with everyone else.  But they didn't. They expressed certainty that God was ABLE to save them, but also acknowledged that he might choose not to save them. Either way, they weren't going to break. They said, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (v. 17-18) Do I have faith like that?

Take-Away 3: God doesn't always deliver us from the fire.
I'm sure that the three men hoped God would completely deliver them from the fire. Maybe they wished the fire would just go out. But it didn't. They were bound and they were thrown IN THE FIRE. Although God didn't deliver them FROM the fire, he delivered them THROUGH the fire. This speaks to my heart so clearly. Often, we wish for God to take away our trials. But we are guaranteed trials as Christians. It's a certainty. Often, God will have us go into the fire and he will bring us through it. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire, "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." (v. 27) This brings tears to my eyes. They were IN the fire, but they were not harmed. They didn't even smell like smoke. I believe that God does this all the time with situations in our lives. And guess what Beth pointed out: What was the ONLY thing that burned up? Their bonds - the ropes that had held them captive. What if we come out the other side of the fire FREER than we were before? There is one more option - it's possible that God will not deliver us from or even through the fire. It's possible that the fire will consume us. But we will be consumed for God's glory and it will be because of his great love and sovereign plan for us. I want to remember that we should always pray to be delivered from the fire because God can deliver us. But sometimes we will be delivered through the fire or not delivered at all. God's will be done.

Take-Away 4: God is with us in the fire.
One of the most amazing parts of this story and one that I think I missed as a kid is that THREE men went into the fire, but FOUR men were walking around in there, unharmed. It was so troubling that the king and his men started to freak out a little bit. The king says, "“Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (v. 25) Well he looked like a son of the gods because he WAS the son of God. Many scholars believe that the pre-incarnate Christ himself was in the fire with them. God was so gracious to give us this picture. Yes, he allowed them to be thrown into the fire, but HE WAS WITH THEM. Literally! When we are in the fire, God is literally with us. Weather he brings me around the fire, takes me through the fire, or consumes me in the fire, he will be with me.

Take-Away 5: I want to live for God's fame.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were so bold with their faith that their faith spurred a ruthless king and pagan kingdom to praise God. These three men are never heard of again in the Bible... but what better way to go out than proclaiming the Lord and living for his fame? Talk about lives well lived!

Dainel.  Good stuff.  Check it out.

Psalm 37

On this anniversary of 9/11, I wanted to share a Psalm that I read over and over in the weeks that followed 9/11 when I was a sophomore in college.  This Psalm was my lifeline in one of the most confusing weeks I've experienced.  It was the first time in my sheltered little life that I really, truly felt scared and in danger.  I saw and felt evil and wickedness, and I was tempted to despair or, more truthfully, "freak out".  In the years that have followed 9/11, we may have killed Bin Laden, but the evil hasn't gone away.  We are still living in a world racked with sin and wickedness, and this Psalm gives me hope that our God is still on his throne.  Our God still reigns.  He is VICTORIOUS and he is JUST.  We need only trust in him as our refuge.  It's a long Psalm, but I didn't want to leave out one word.  It's almost like God included this in his word to encourage us in these very moments:  "Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.... The Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming."  The few minutes it will take to read it are worth it.  If you are feeling overwhelmed from all of the 9/11 media coverage today, maybe you need a minute to take a long, refreshing drink of God's love and glory. 

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;
for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,
and their inheritance will endure forever.
In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

But the wicked will perish:
Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;
those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be destroyed.

The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.

Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
intent on putting them to death;
but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Hope in the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
a future awaits those who seek peace.
But all sinners will be destroyed;
there will be no future for the wicked.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Our Pile of Stones

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
1 Samuel 7:12

Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder... to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that ...these stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:4-8

When we started thinking about moving, we began to learn how to rely on God every day for every thing. We knew he wanted us to move and do this kind of crazy thing, but we kept getting so consumed by the details that we would freak out a little bit. (OK, maybe that was mostly me freaking out, but I'm a details person, OK?) Every few weeks we would be faced with something that seemed literally impossible. We could not, in our minds, conceive how it might work. Each time we would commit those things to God, learning to pray fervently, telling God that we couldn't do it and begging him to please do it for us. And do it he did. Each and every time we prayed, God moved. Not always in the exact ways or in the exact timing we would have planned, but always better than we asked or imagined.

Things began to fall in place one at a time, in God's timing, and we saw what God was teaching us: being worried is pointless. Instead, he wanted us to commit all our worries and details to him. I was reminded that God ALWAYS does things in a way that will bring Him the most glory. He specializes in doing things in a way that can only be explained in a way that includes Him.

Each step that God has led us in is precious to me. I want to be able to look back and say just like Samuel, "God did it. Look how God has helped us so far." Here are stones that we are praising God for. For me, they serve as a reminder of all that God has done and all he's asking us to trust him for in the future.

Stone #1: Admission & Tuition
As I said in my previous post, not only did Brent get into one school, he got into three. We felt that Duke was the best fit for us taking into consideration location, program, quality of life, and people. We were thrilled for Brent to get admitted and were prepared to take out loans to pay for the degree. But God gave us more than we even asked - Brent received a scholarship to pay for his tuition. We are so grateful, and this made us even more sure that Duke was the place for us.

Stone #2: Houston Home
Maybe you've noticed, but it's not exactly a good time to sell a house. Much less a custom-built house. Much less in a short time frame. Much less in Humble, Texas. Much less when there are THIRTEEN other houses for sale in your very subdivision. So it will come as no surprise that I was pretty worried about selling our home. We put our house on the market back in January and began to pray. Every time I drove in the driveway and saw the sign, I tried my best to not freak out, but it was hard. However, I temporarily forgot that God does things on his own time, which is even better than our time! We prayed for the perfect buyer to come along, and she did. Our house is in the final phases of being sold, and it will close the very week we are leaving for Durham. Perfect? Yes. I certainly did not bring that buyer. The Lord did.

Stone #3: Durham Home
We visited Durham for 4 days back in April for Brent to attend the new student weekend. We knew this was the only time we would be in Durham before we actually moved there, so it became apparent that we needed to find a place to live in a very short time period and in between all of the events Brent had to attend. We planned to mostly look at apartments, but at the last minute, we found a Realtor who would show us a few houses for rent. I prayed for God to go ahead of us to Durham and prepare the perfect place for us to live, and he did. We met the Realtor as soon as we got off the plane and looked at the three rentals. The first and third houses didn't fit our needs, but the second one felt homey from the moment I walked in the door. We weren't ready to make a decision quite yet, so we went and looked at tons of apartments, but I just didn't feel good about any of them. The whole weekend that second house kept tugging at my mind, and I made one of the quickest decisions I've ever made - I told Brent I could not stop thinking about house #2 and what did he think? Well, he couldn't stop thinking about house #2 either :-) So we immediately called to rent the house and got it.

I am in love with this house. It's smaller than our current house, but it's so cozy and charming. It's an old cottage that's been totally remodeled. It's on a beautiful, historical, tree-lined street within biking distance from campus. The giant front porch with beadboard ceiling makes my heart beat a little bit faster. I can not WAIT to get some rocking chairs and sit on that porch in the cool NC weather with a glass of wine. SO EXCITED.

View down the street from our front yard

Front of the house with the awesome porch

View from the front porch that you will have when you come visit

Light & bright kitchen

Looking into the living room

Super cute study which will become super important! Read on.

Stone #4: Job
I won't go into every single detail, but I prayed hard for a job for me in Durham. I applied to two jobs that I really wanted, but I didn't get either of them. Although I definitely cried, I began to realize how wonderful closed doors are. I'm so glad I didn't get those jobs because clearly they were not God's will for me. It's like God was protecting me from myself. I ended up getting another job offer in Durham that sounded really promising, and I was about to accept it.

However, at the same time, my current employer, YES Prep, talked to me about an interesting offer. I have been blessed to work for YES in many capacities for five years now, and I'm quite entrenched in the organization. Right now I'm the Content Specialist for middle school English meaning that I basically manage middle school English across eight campuses including curriculum, common assessments, and teacher support. I never thought to ask or even dare to imagine that YES would consider keeping me on staff. However, that's just what they offered, and I accepted.

I'm going to be working full time in my current job and traveling back and forth. The majority of the time, I"ll be working from home in North Carolina which is pretty much a dream come true. Then I'll travel to Houston for one week every six weeks to run professional development and district-wide meetings and observe teachers in their classrooms. Though I'm sad about leaving the classroom, I'm grateful to get to work on things I love: curriculum, instruction, assessments, and teacher development & coaching. I will also have tons of flexibility to hang out with Brent and hopefully get involved with a new church and a campus ministry. I am BEYOND excited about this arrangement, and so glad I get to continue to do what I've worked so hard to build up. Praise God for giving me something I did not ask or even hope for! He is good.

Stone #5: Grad School
More than a year ago, I was trying to decide if and where to attend grad school. I looked at a lot of schools here in Houston since that seemed to be easiest and make the most sense. However, God really led me to choose the summer program at Columbia. Praise God that he knew the plan WAY before we did! Moving to NC will not disrupt my grad schooling one bit. Had I done a program here in Houston, I'd be scrambling to find something else right now. I'll be in NYC the entire month of July this year, and (this is the best part!), Brent gets to come with me! That's right... he will be on break before his school starts, so he's going to come to NYC and hang out with me for a month! Again... couldn't even dream it, yet it's happening. We're renting an apartment on the Upper West Side for the month, and we're even bringing Blazer since we're driving from NC. I mean.... seriously? Is God good, or WHAT?!?

Here are a few pics of the apartment we will rent in NYC. The quality is not great since I copied them off the Internet, but you get the idea! Love it! That couch looks pretty comfy if you want to come visit!

We have so much to look forward to here in the Norwood Nest and pray that your family is also blessed by our amazing God. God has done it!! As we look back on the stones and remember what God has done and who He is, how can we not trust Him with our very lives?

Where You Go, I'll Go

For the past eight months, the Lord has brought us on a journey that is only just beginning, and we're ready to share it with the world!

We're moving!!!

To North Carolina!!!

As of June 10th, we will be official residents of Durham, North Carolina and Brent will be a proud member of the Duke MBA class of 2013! That's right... the Aggie of all Aggies will add "Blue Devil" to his identity.

We are thrilled and couldn't be more excited. Though we will always be Texans, we can't wait to add North Carolina to our life experience. It is only through the Lord's loving direction in our life that we are embarking on this journey. Praise God that everything we are and everything we have is from Him!

At this point you may be thinking: "Wait. Didn't the Norwoods JUST move?!" Let's pause for a moment to play a little game I like to call "Nail Down the Norwoods". It's difficult, but you can try and play along at home.

Q: How long have the Norwoods been married?
A: 6 years.
Q: How many places have the Norwoods lived?
A: Two owned houses, two apartments, a rental house, four cities, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Q: How many jobs has Katie had?
A: 6 jobs at 2 schools.
Q: How many jobs had Brent had?
A: 4 jobs at 4 companies.
Q: How many degrees do the Norwoods have?
A: 3 finished and 2 in progress.

If you're starting to think that the Norwoods are gypsies and/or want to wallpaper their living room with diplomas and tuition payments, then you would be correct! All kidding aside, we have never been happier because we know we are in the middle of God's will. The Lord has very clearly led us down this path, and we have found immense comfort, provision, and joy in His plan for us.

Weather you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying "This is the way; Walk in it!"
Isaiah 30:21

I used to plan where I would be in two years, five years, ten years... and guess what? I don't care about my plans anymore!!!! I want God's plans, and I can say that honestly now. In the last 8 months, I cannot tell you how many times I have been on my face on the floor begging for God's will, not mine, to be done. In the midst of uncertainty from every angle, I discovered the sweet comfort of God's sovereignty compared with the terrible stress of trying to do things on your own. Oh, how grateful I am that it's not about me. I am a terrible decision maker, so seeking God's will is the most joyful comfort I have found.

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:13-15

I can't WAIT to tell you all the details. ......so many things to say!!!! We've been waiting for the right time to tell everyone, but now I don't even know where to start. To God be the glory for everything. In my next post I'll tell you all the ways the Lord has faithfully provided, led, and loved us. Praise Him!!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is within us, to Him be glory!"
Ephesians 3:19-21

For now I need to brag on my husband for a moment. About a year ago, the Lord began to lead Brent towards returning to school. At the time, I was not, um, thrilled. One thing about Brent...when he gets something in his mind, HE WILL DO IT. So when he started talking about going back to school, I knew: We were moving.

God has blessed Brent with incredible work ethic and intellect. Brent is just REALLY good at what he does. He studied for the GMAT, aced it, applied to four business schools, wrote 20 different essays, and flew to interview at 5 schools. Brent kept saying he was not going to get into any of the schools he applied to. I respectfully disagreed. I knew we were going. Period.

God answered our prayers and was so faithful in both opening and closing doors. Brent got into not one but three of the top business schools in the country - Cornell, Duke, and the University of Michigan. Duke was our first choice and everything about it was blessed by God. I am so, so proud of my husband for his ambition, leadership, work ethic, intelligence, and faithfulness, and I can't wait to go on our new adventure!!

'Tis So Sweet!

This week, I've been blessed with some sweet times of worship that have filled my heart with joy in preparation for Easter. On Wednesday, I drove to College Station to give a presentation, and I worshipped all the way. I've said it before, but going to College Station is good for my soul. It is my daily desire to walk with God with the same single-mindedness that I did in college. I would read my Bible outside class and worship in my car everywhere I went. God was my only guide. I always feel refreshed and re-centered when I go to good old Aggieland. Today, I downloaded some great songs on my iPod and worshipped the heck out of my workout. I was running on the treadmill at the gym, sweat pouring off me, and I was listening to the Jadon Lavik album you see here. I was so full of praise and joy that I lifted my hands to praise God right there on the treadmill. Thank you, Lord, for focusing my mind on what Jesus did for me on Good Friday by redeeming me with his blood. What an indescribable joy we should have on Easter Sunday with his resurrection. I'm sure every Christian song can be connected to Easter in some way, but I feel like the songs that made their way through my iPod this week especially spoke to my heart.

My new theme song is officially "'Tis So Sweet" sung by Jadon Lavik. I LOVE THIS SONG. It's a lovely, simple guitar version of the hymn, and it has been on constant repeat for me. I mean it's bordering on crazy how many times I've listened to it. Word of advice: Download it. Sing it loud. When it comes out of my mouth, I always change the words to "Jesus, Jesus, how I trust YOU, how I've proved YOU o'er and o'er. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust YOU more..."

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise
Just to know "Thus sayeth the Lord"

O how sweet to trust in Jesus
Just to trust His cleansing blood
And in simple faith to plunge me
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood

Jesus, Jesus how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus
O, for grace to trust him more

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus
Just from sin and self to cease
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace

What if we took Jesus at his word? What if we rested on his promises? What if we ceased sin and self and just took life, rest, joy, and peace? Just thinking about what is offered to me makes me praise God. What person on this crazy Earth doesn't want life and rest and joy and peace? God has proved himself over and over. Let's spend more time thinking of all the things he's done and have faith in small and big worries. For it to be good enough to know "Thus sayeth the Lord." The name of the song is so beautiful: 'Tis so SWEET. Aaaahhhhh I'm listening to it again right now. You have to have it.

Here are some other songs that have filled me with joy this week and been blasted loud on my Bose docking station. If you haven't downloaded them, they're well worth the price on iTunes.

Download from this album: "I Will Sing of My Redeemer"

Download from this album: "What a Savior"

Download from this album: EVERYTHING. Start with "Light of the World".

Download from this album: "Love the Lord"

Download from this album: EVERYTHING. But you could start with "Healer".

February = 1, Katie = 0

Wow.

February,

You got me. You win.

You've made me

exhausted and unmotivated.

February, you have:

asked me to work long hours,

made me drive 8 hours to Dallas and back,

scheduled me to work for TFA all weekend,

taken up every "free" Saturday with tutorials,

made me crave vegetables after eating so much junk,

caused my schedule to consist of

work, eating (sometimes), and sleeping (sometimes),

piled up the laundry,

made me go to the grocery store late at night

just so I can have something to eat for lunch,

helped me throw lots of pity parties,

given me a few chest pains and a knot in my shoulders,

caused me to cry over a copier at Kinkos,

made my workout calendar ridiculously bare,

and

nearly made me want to quit this blog

{and everything else, for that matter}.

Oh, February. You think you're so great. But you're not.

You've made me very tired and a little depressed.

But, you're almost over.

Hooray!

For now, I will combat you with large quantities of

Shane & Shane and Brandon Heath.

It's the only thing that will drown you out.

Believe me... I know.

Good thing God is greater than February.

With one word the storm will be gone.

With one word the war will be won.

With one word I know I can overcome.

...Jesus.

{Shane & Shane, "With One Word"}

You are good, you are good, when there's nothing good in me.

You are love, you are love, on display for all to see.

You are light, you are light, when the darkness closes in.

You are hope, you are hope, you have covered all my sin.

You are peace, you are peace, when my fear is crippling.

You are true, you are true, even in my wandering.

You are joy, you are joy, you're the reason that I sing.

You are life, you are life, in you death has lost its sting.

{Shane & Shane, "Forever Reign"}

The only thing that matters is your love.

...It's all I have to give.

Your love is enough to light up the darkness

It's your love. All I ever needed is your love.

{Brandon Heath, "Your Love"}

(Ir)resolution

It's New Years Day! The day of resolutions! The day we're supposed to make a long list of promises about what we'll do better this year. This is actually just the sort of thing I love to do. I'm always beating myself up about not being good enough at things. In fact, this year, I want to work out regularly, eat healthy, be a loving wife who attends to my husband's every need, be bold and intentional in ministry and service, love my family and friends well, get a 4.0 in grad school, read lots of books, be the best teacher in Houston, and, in general, save the world and be perfect while doing it.

The only problem with resolutions is that the world is not resolute. The world is irresolute and uncertain. I mean, let's be honest... I'll probably both succeed and fail at all of those resolutions I listed, depending on the day and the moment. This morning I realized that there is only one resolution that I need to have this year:

Trust God.

I need to trust God because instead of resolution, I have irresolution. Life is uncertain, and I'm a worrier. Bad combo. God is certain, and he is sovereign. Good combo.

This morning, Brent left at 6:30 am to go hunting with my dad and his dad at his ranch. So I was awake early this New Years, lying in bed with nothing but Blazer and my thoughts to keep me company. Did I leap out of bed with a sense of possibility, a positive attitude, and a zealous desire to get the new year started? Did I fling open the shutters, wrap the curtains around me Sound-of-Music-style, sing, and embrace the unknown?

Um... no.

I lay there, and I worried. Glamorous... I know. Y'all, my feet had not even hit the floor in 2011, and I was already fretting about the year to come. What was I worrying about, you ask? Oh... anything and everything. I'm an equal-opportunity worrier. I worried about things happening today like Brent's safety as he drove and hunted. I worried about things happening next week like going back to school, leading a new Bible study, and starting a new consulting gig with Teach for America. I worried about things happening months from now. Heck, I even worried about things that I don't even know are going to happen!

Anxiety loves company, so I called Brent who was on his way to pick up his dad, and I had worked myself into tears. I told him I was scared and he was like, "Why? I've only been gone for five minutes!" (haha... I always get scared by the slightest noise when he's gone, but it was a bit soon for that). I explained that I was just scared about everything... the whole idea of 2011. Ha! Crazy wife alert! Instead of (rightfully) calling me crazy, though, Brent calmly reminded me that we know God, we listen to God, we follow God, and we trust God. And God can be trusted. So whatever happens to us in 2011 will be God's will, and therefore it will be OK.

Well, when you put it that way.....
He's so logical sometimes it can be kind of annoying. :-)

As a result, my resolution is just to trust God. To trust God with family, job, school, appearance, marriage, money, health, church, time, friends, home... EVERYTHING. In a world that's decidedly irresolute, I resolve to trust in a certain God.

I don't want to box God in, but I'm relatively sure that I won't be running a marathon, climbing a mountain, losing thirty pounds, or gallivanting Europe this year. But I do know that God isn't finished with me yet, and 2011 will hold some adventures that will be scary. But I'm going to trust God and hold on tight. So as long as you don't mind reading about a normal gal, I'll see you back here soon and we'll take on 2011.

Anthem For Christmas

Today I was driving along, listening to KSBJ Christmas music on the radio, and I heard the beginning of this Michael W. Smith song "Anthem for Christmas". I thought, "I love this song!", and I turned it up loud. It has a beautiful instrumental beginning and is really a great song.

But as I drove down I-10 to check on my friend's cat today, I heard it with fresh ears. The words sank right into my soul, and it literally took my breath away. Tears started streaming down my face involuntarily as I felt the most immense gratitude to God for sending Jesus to Earth as a baby and our savior. Of course I know the Christmas story, and I have heard it countless times in countless ways, but something about this particular song today overwhelmed me. It was like understanding Christmas anew. Now... it will come as no surprise to you that I'm a total sucker for an old-school Michael W. Smith ballad, but I think there's something special about this one. If you need a reminder of how glorious and loving and amazing our God is, take a look and listen to this.

In the space of the beginning

Was the living word of light.

When this word was clearly spoken

All that came to be was right.

All creation had a language

Words to say what must be said.

All day long the heavens whispered

Signing words in scarlet red.

Some have failed to understand it

So God spoke his final word.

On a silent night in Judah's hills

A baby's cry was heard.

"Glory!" sang the angel chorus

"Glory!" echoed back the night.

Love has come to walk among us

Christ the Lord is born this night!

All creation sing his praises!

Earth and heaven praise his name!

All who live come join the chorus

Find the words his love proclaim.

The entire story of the world is encapsulated in this song, and it centers around Christmas. In the beginning was God, and he made the world perfectly. People brought sin into the world and ignored God even though all creation pointed to Him and heaven whispered day and night. God's people turned away from him in disbelief over and over again. I'm studying Exodus right now, and it is so amazing to read about the Israelites who were just like us. God protected them and provided for them and met with them and STILL they did not believe and grumbled against God, wanting to do things their own way. Even though people did not understand God's love, he loved us anyway. The words written in "scarlet" were the prophecies throughout history that Jesus was coming - that we needed a savior - that history would be made perfect through the birth of our Lord. But people still did not understand and still turned away.

The part of the song that really makes me cry is: "So God spoke his final word." ...And it wasn't a word of condemnation, but a word of love. God's final word was sending his own son to Earth as a man to save us. What a precious, beautiful, miraculous thing - I can hardly wrap my mind around it. There's another fantastic Christmas song by Joy Williams called "Here with Us". One of the lyrics is: "It's still a mystery to me that the hands of God could be so small. How tiny fingers reaching in the night were the very hands that measured the sky." Praise God for that mystery! Praise God for coming to walk among us in our messy, complicated world to save an ungrateful people. This should fill us with a peace and gratitude that never escapes our minds.

How I wish I could have seen the angels singing "Glory!" around the baby Jesus. How I want my whole life to be spent praising his name - joining the angel chorus and finding words to proclaim his love. I know my heart is full of love and gratitude for our savior on this Christmas Eve's Eve. If you need a reminder of what God has done for us, download "Anthem for Christmas" or listen below. Disregard the cheesy snow & rainbow picture. Turn it up, close your eyes, and praise God. He is good.