Losing Sleep

I sleep-wrote this the other night. I remember waking up around 3 and writing, but I don't recall what I wrote. I was cleaning out some files the other day and stumbled upon it. I like it.

Darkness Does Not Hide The Light

There is light, whilst the city sleeps

It hangs mid-air, suspended in the skies

Spoken words may echo in the silence

A vacant mind bares a good disguise

The Darkness cannot hide the Light

For though they are opposite they need one another to endure

Desolation does not disable Truth

For how do we know goodness without the impure?

Spirit, Take Me Up In Arms With You

That's my very favorite Switchfoot lyric, and, if you may not have noticed, all my blog titles---ever---are lyrics. This one so perfectly describes my relationship with the Lord right now.

Lately He has been showing me a lot about contentedness, and how to enjoy each minute. So many days I am in a rush to get through the day, week, month, season. I'm always looking into the future and thinking about what I'll do for God then. Over and over lately He has been showing me that bringing glory to His name is what I do here and now. Relevant Magazine featured an article this past month about God's will for our lives and how we get so caught up in the "What's God's will for my life?" question that we forget to live for Him in the present. Here's an excerpt:

It really makes me breath a deep, refreshing sigh of relief. 

"But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1st Tim 6:6

One of my all-time favorite books is Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. I first read it about 6 years ago and it's one of those books that I can pick up again and again and find new relevance to. It seriously transformed the way I view Christianity. The Lord wants us to enjoy Him. What a gracious, generous God we serve, that we are encouraged to live life to the fullest by the means of diving deeper into His presence and the manifestation of His glory. When I consider this I am so content living a modest life doing meager things in order to saturate myself in Him. 

The other pivotal thing the book taught me was that almost everything we do can be an act of worship. From work to play to enjoying nature, to eating to physical relations with our spouse. Yes I went there. The Lord is the Creator of our senses and He is to be magnified when we appreciate them in the matter of which He has intended, exclamation point, exclamation point!

"The Lord is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (DWYL)

A few moments that I enjoyed today: 

1.) A very delicious cup of soup in my new Caribou mug.

2.) The companionship of my husband and the way he looks at me with adoration I know I don't deserve. 

3.) The first day of near 60 degree weather!

4.) Quiet moments at night like this one.

5.) Finding the perfect gift for a friend and the anticipation of her reaction, even if I have to wait 4 months to give it to her.

6.) Going to work after a day off and feeling glad to be back and grateful that I missed it after just one day.

7.) Excitement over a dinner party tomorrow and spending time with friends over yummy food.

8.) Finally finding a few houses on the market in our price range that are structurally sound and move-in ready.

I hope that over the next few months I will be able to identify more and more the little victories each day that the Lord has gifted me with. I want to cultivate a grateful heart.

And Then Your Glory Came

Something wonderful happens when you pray lines of scripture. There are a few key phrases that I do consider ‘mine’ so to speak and I use them in daily conversation with the LORD, most of them are from my favorite chapters and the ones I am most familiar with (Psalm 73, Isaiah 43, Psalm 139, Romans 8). I definitely don't have all these memorized word for word, and in many cases I had to look up the reference. The point is merely to embrace a phrase and bless the LORD with it. This is probably the only area that I don’t mind when a verse is taken out of context, because it’s used only for the purpose of dialogue. I do so because a particular phrase really puts into words what I feel, but I can’t otherwise articulate. Somehow, praying phrases that people like David also prayed seems sort of magical and moves me. These are my favorites, some of them are intended to be myself, to the LORD and some of them are Him, to His People (i.e. Isaiah 43).

Whom have I in heaven but YOU?

And Earth has nothing I desire besides YOU.

My flesh and my heart may fail, 

But God is the strength of my heart 

and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25-26)

*side note, I pray this verse almost daily as it has changed my life, I consider it to be my ‘life verse’*

The LORD is my strength and my song. (Ps 118:14) 

You are my hiding place and my shield. (Psalm 119:114)

            In Your presence there is fullness of joy. (Ps 16:11)

Oh taste and see that the LORD is good. (Ps 34:8)

But in all these things

we overwhelmingly conquer. (Rom 8:37)

You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps 139:13-14)

What is man that you thought of him? (Ps 8:4)

But You, Oh LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. (Ps 3:3)

The LORD, He is the One who goes before You.

  He is with You, He will never leave you or forsake You. (Deu 31:8)

No temptation has overtaken you except which is common to man. (Cor 10:13)

…the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the GLORY THAT IS ABOUT TO BE REVEALED TO US. (Rom 8:18)

 Even the darkness is not dark to you. (Ps 130:12)    

Search me Oh God and know my heart. (Ps 139: 23)

Make Your ways known to me. (Ps 25:4)  For You I wait all day. (Ps 25:5)

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, for the LORD is the One who holds his hand. (Ps 37:23-24)

When you walk through the waters I will be with you, when you walk through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When You walk through the fire you will not be burned for I am the LORD Your God. (Isaiah 43; paraphrased)

My Melancholy Baby

A new Haiku that I wrote, it sounds depressing, but it's actually supposed to be victorious.

Dark and Dreary

Angry And Bitter

Many Souls Dark and Dreary

Will Remain That Way

Few Rise To Vanquish

Some See The Silver Lining

And Go On To Love

Fly:Away

I have always loved to write, and poetry is usually the way my thoughts are best described. I have decided to start posting some of my favorites on here. This is something I wrote just a few days ago that explains the relationship I have with my Creator. Its kind of a cause and effect type of piece, the first being before and the latter is after.

Fly : Away

Fly

I dream of flying above the city skyline.

I want to see the sights above the traffic lights.

Sweep me off my feet.

I want to be where fear of man does not hold me back.

I will jump and not think twice.

There is no room for the faint of heart.

Take me where the sky and sea meet.

Reaching farther, grasping higher.

Reveal to me with brilliant clarity.

Transcendence is my desire.

Away

Shed the baggage, abandon the fright.

There is nothing to hide in the dead of night.

On the wings of The Most High

I see things more clearly.

Perplexed that in the Face of Glory

It is not shame that I feel, but love.

With no one but You to impress

All else fades to grey.

Remarkably calm in Your presence.

Everything changes when You take me away.