I'm Doing You a Favor Because I Like You

Perhaps I live under a rock.  I sometimes wonder if I'm the last person to discover great books, toys, ideas, artists, and so on.  Some time ago, I rediscovered a great song and spent the season enjoying it.  It's a lovely, beautiful song called Winter Snow, simple and gorgeous with touching lyrics.  I grew fonder with each listen, so much so that I asked my husband for the artist's CD for Christmas. 

He listened, God bless him. 

Perhaps you live under a rock too.  If so, let me share a few lyrics with you from the CD my husband gave me for Christmas called The House You're Building (which is not a Christmas album and does not contain "Winter Snow") because you don't want to miss this. 

You live in a million places
Your fingerprints can be seen on a million faces
There is a trace of You in every hallelujah
Every song that I sing

For love of You
I'm a sky on fire
Because of You I come alive
And it's Your sacred heart within me beating
Your voice within me singing out
For love of You

You are the highway I travel
Cause I watched You carve streets of gold from the sand and gravel
I gave you brokenness
You gave me innocence
And now, this road leads to glory
For Love of You

And if that doesn't win you over, how about these words:

As the dew falls on the blade
You have touched all this fragile frame
And as a mother knows her baby's face
You know me
As the Summer air within my chest
I have breathed You deep down into my breast
And as You know the hairs upon my head
Every thought and every word I've said

Savior, You have known me as I am
Healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be
In the morning, in the evening
You have known me.
Known

If you haven't already, get to know Audrey Assad.  If you know her, share.

You're welcome.

Counting old and new gifts and those new-to-me #551- 575:

a husband who spoils me

new songs

Winter Snow

words

sledding with my family

silly boys

winter lambs

snowmen and the children who build them

a white Christmas

our annual Christmas Eve traditions, plus new memories

The Nativity Story

Snowmen Sundaes

shared communion and "Silent Night" by candlelight in a circle in the sanctuary

winter snow falling, quiet, soft and slow as we left the church

Christmas morning and day

and the next day

and the next (so much family!)

Cella's chocolate covered cherries in my stocking (yum!)

the blessing of being able to give well

the excitement on my sugars' faces because of what they're giving

their belief in the One who gives best

her request to sing "Jesus Loves Me"

her whisper in church days later, "Jesus loves me."

JOY!

a new year full of promise and mystery

I'm Doing You a Favor Because I Like You

Thankful for the Music

The headache has been here since the end of last week.  It has taken slight breaks now and then but has refused to leave completely.  With it comes its friend, Fatigue.  I have pressed through, spending time with my best girlfriend on Friday, hoping conversation would cure what medicine couldn't.  Saturday, I didn't let it stop some time out with my husband, and it took a short leave for church on Sunday.  Monday it returned in force and made doing anything -- writing, reading, cleaning, smiling, cooking, talking, teaching -- less than desirable.  But of course, I had to do most of those things, including driving to school to pick up The Thinker.

And that's when it happened.  A song.  A song of praise.  A song of praise with such good singin', I couldn't help but smile and lift a hand, just one, as I drove.  For a brief few minutes, the hurt was less than the joy.  And even though my lips couldn't form the words, there was Victory in my heart.

"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:19-20

Today, I'm continuing my count to 1,000 with Ann because every day is a good day to give thanks, even if you can't articulate it on time. 

And I count Internet Cafe Devotions as a place I'm thankful for, a place to find more like-minded Word-filled thoughts. 

 

Gifts #341 - #359:

Psalm 95:1-3 in The Message:
     "Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
     Let's march into his presence singing praises,
     lifting the rafters with our hymns!
     And why? Because God is the best,
     High King over all the gods.
     In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
     in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
     He made Ocean—he owns it!
     His hands sculpted Earth!"

the music in my heart

a song of praise

beautiful leaves in abundance




















visiting with my best friend

fun in a toy store with the hubs

hearing my dad preach

lunch with family

back rubs

their smiles

"tank you, Mommy" several times a day in her little voice

Honeycrisp apples

apple cider

colors

early morning fog lit by sun:  world aglow

grace, grace, grace -- It's always Amazing!

like-minded people

the sound of my sister's voice over the phone set to the music of my brother-in-law's banjo

the smell of pumpkin bread

fun with Photoshop

Thankful for the Music