Shout God-songs At the Top of Your Lungs! November 25, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Attitude of Gratitude, Faith, God, Life, Praise, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving.add a comment
Sunday before last my husband quoted a scripture, from The Message, as he spoke on the Spiritual Discipline of Celebration:
Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs! Psalms 47:1
Yesterday I wrote letters to my daughters sharing about what the Lord had been doing in my life recently. I would like to share with you a brief excerpt of what I said to them:
I have to tell you that I could never have imagined just how much praising the Lord would change me. I cannot adequately express the transformation of my heart and soul attitudes and feelings. It is nothing short of miraculous. I intend to continue the practice of praising God at the top of my lungs for the rest of my life. I am praying I won’t forget. Please help me remember. I pray you will learn to do that too, in good times and in difficult times.
Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day let us all begin to practice the Spiritual Discipline of Celebration and PRAISE GOD AT THE TOP OF OUR LUNGS!
Praising God at the top of my lungs. November 15, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Difficulty, God, Hard Times, Hope, Pain, Peace, Praise, Sorrow, Suffering.2 comments
I ended my last post by saying:
Now I think it is time to put the praise music on and sing at the top of my lungs. Maybe the neighbors will hear and God will be glorified. I sure hope so.
God did a work in me during that time of praise that I would like to share with you today. First take a look at a couple of scriptures that God called to mind this afternoon. These verses come after Paul and Silas are thrown into prison…
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains came loose. Acts 16:25-26
God has done for me what he did for Paul and Silas. I cannot explain except to say that after singing songs of praise yesterday afternoon and then again this evening God has shaken the foundations, opened the doors and removed my chains.
My observation is this: Praise is the key that unlocks the door and removes the chains that hold us back from receiving God’s immeasurable grace and mercy. After all the Bible tells us His mercies are new every morning.
Here is what I am hoping I will learn from praising the Lord even when my heart is not in it at first. Praise the Lord anyway. Praise the Lord from the pit. Praise the Lord from the courthouse. Praise the Lord from the hospital bed. Praise the Lord from the graveside. Praise the Lord no matter what. He is worthy to be praised!
Sing loud, turn up the music, give it all, make a joyful noise and proclaim His praises to the rooftops.
I pray that you and I will be able to say:
I will extol the Lord at all times His praises will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord, let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering the lessons I have learned. I am hoping that you and I can remind each other that God is worthy of our praise.
Let’s remind each other to worship our God in prayer and praise continually. This is a lesson I don’t want to forget.
I am not saying I will not grieve. After all, Jesus wept about Lazarus even though He knew He would raise him back to life. I know I will get down. I know it is not wrong to grieve over the losses in my life. But, God is right here, he never leaves me through it all, He alone can heal a broken heart.
I will yet praise Him, my Savior and My God.
Now seems like a good time to turn up the praise music again and sing His praises at the top of my lungs once again. Will you join me?
Grieving… November 14, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Comfort, Difficulty, Faith, God, Hard Times, Life, Love, Pain, Peace, Sorrow, Suffering.2 comments
Here I am posting about absolutely nothing. Yikes what a way to start a post…Well, not nothing, but my words just seem to stumble out of my mind instead of flowing.
My heart is grieved because my Dad passed away. It is grieved also because it won’t be long till my Mom passes away.
It is grieved because someone came into our house and stole my jewelry while I was at my Dad’s funeral.
I am grieved because I will have a major surgery soon with a long recovery process.
There is a lot going on right now, but I truly am trusting God to get me through the pain.
It’s not that I haven’t grieved before, but this is a bit different.
I haven’t really cried that much. If you knew me you would know that I cry at cartoons, commercials, movies, TV shows and I even cry in traffic if I think about the fact that the person in the car next to me might not know Christ. So several nights ago, I popped in my favorite movie. One guaranteed to bring on a good cry even if I have watched it many times. I sat down with a box of tissue ready for the downpour…and I did not cry even one tear. My eyes did not even well up.
That is where I stand today. I know I am depressed. But I also know that God is with me. I know He won’t leave me this way for long before He brings healing to my heart. So here I sit in His lap. Feeling His love and care for me, but also feeling extreme pain at the same time.
What has God been saying to me as I wait in His lap so to speak?
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:6-10
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:3-7
God knows exactly what I need, when I need it and I do not. He knows exactly how to work all things together for my good and His glory even when I don’t understand the process. He is in control no matter what things look like. I am so very grateful for the fact that He loves me and thinks about me all the time. I am thankful to be His child, shielded through faith by His power. I am thankful for an inheritance that cannot be taken away. I am thankful even while it hurts.
God is good all the time. This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.
I pray that you and I will have genuine faith proven through our trials so that everyone will see God.
Now I think it is time to put the praise music on and sing at the top of my lungs. Maybe the neighbors will hear and God will be glorified. I sure hope so.
Veteran’s Day November 11, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in Difficulty, Purpose, Sorrow, Suffering, Veteran's Day, WWII Veteran.add a comment
My Dad was a World War II hero. A man of honor who fought with many others for our country’s freedom. He was a teenager when he fought in WWII. His plane was shot down and after he was released from the hospital he had more missions to fly before completing his service.
This year, since my Dad passed away in October, I cannot make the phone call to thank him again for his service and sacrifice for our Country’s freedom.
So today, I would like to thank all the valiant men and women who have fought and still fight for our freedom.
God bless you all!
God Bless America.
October 27, 2009 October 27, 2009
Posted by Cindy Beecher in God.add a comment
I tried to call my Dad several times today. I knew he was really weak and could not physically answer the phone. I tried, nonetheless, hoping a nurse would be in his room to answer the phone and put the receiver to his ear so I could speak with him.
I felt compelled to dial his number one last time at 6:28pm. I dialed the number, waited a few rings and a nurse answered. I asked if she would please put the phone up to my Dad’s ear so I could speak with him. She did.
I told him that Jesus died for all his sins. I told him all he had to do was believe in what Jesus did for him on the cross and he could go to be in heaven with Him. I told my dad I loved him. I told my dad goodbye.
I don’t know the exact time of my Dad’s death, but my brother called my cell phone at 6:46pm to tell me that Dad had died.
I believe my last phone call to my Dad was a gift to me from my heavenly Father. My hope is that in those last moments of life my Dad believed.
Though my heart is broken, my hope remains in God alone, He is the Lord and giver of Life. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I will travel on Thursday for his funeral. The grieving has just begun, but God is with me. I am so very thankful not to be making the trip alone!
