I Will Draw Near - Take 2

Earlier this month I posted the words to Sarah's new worship song, I Will Draw Near.

Today as she sat down to play it, our daughter Hanna joined her in singing what I feel is a beautiful song. I was able to record it with the words so you can follow along.

Song and Words are ©Sarah Apperson, 2014

The Pleasure of His Company

I have never read a book by Dutch Sheets before I received a copy of The Pleasure of His Company.  I was intrigued by the description of the book though and decided to give it a whirl.  My family is really glad I did.

When the book arrived I saw that on the back cover it said you could use it as a daily devotional.  I decided to do just that.  My wife had been asking me to read out loud to her like I did at various times in our marriage so I chose to read this devotional.  Soon my daughter began sitting in and it became an after breakfast family devotional time.

Dutch Sheets is a very engaging author in this book.  He mixes humorous personal stories with intriguing Biblical insights.  The more I have read from the book the more my family has said how much they like this particular book.  My 15 year old is asking me to read it every day and said we should buy all of our friends a copy! 

I wouldn't go that far but i will say that this is a book that challenges you to think outside the box at times and to re-evaluate your relationship with God.  Do you enjoy the pleasure of His company?  Yes or no you will enjoy this book and hopefully fall in love with God all over again.

I could say more about it but I will let my daughter's words end this review:  "This book is really enjoyable, well written and interesting!"

Hey, it hooked a 15 year old!

I received  a review copy of this book via Bethany House and Graf-Martin Communications.

A Bubble Wrapped Life! - Just A Thought #60

I love bubble wrap.  I think most people do.  It seems to bring out the child in us.  Popping those little bubbles over and over can be relaxing and fun.

Recently, I had many suggestions that I put my head in bubble wrap.  After receiving yet another concussion...I stopped counting after 6...my well meaning friends thought it might be the safest option for me.

I thought about it...

Seriously though, bubble wrap is used to protect fragile things in shipping and storage and people trust that if they wrap it, it will be safe.  I wish life was like that.  It would be nice if we could wrap our life in bubble wrap wouldn't it?  Nothing would get through...no sickness, no pain, no hurt.  A safe and secure life.

We would be immune from all the cares of this world...sure we might get a few bubbles popped but nothing would truly touch us.

Life isn't that easy.

So we learn to trust!

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

I could live in fear of another head injury but that won't stop it from happening.  I could try to protect myself in numerous ways but all that will do is cause me untold stress, fear and misery.  It wouldn't be much of a life.  

No, I prefer to trust in the Lord.  Not just when it comes to my noggin, but in all areas of my life.  

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? (Luke 12:25)

The answer is no one!  

God knows what I need day in and day out.  He knows what my life will be like today, tomorrow and until I breathe my last.  I choose to trust in the God of the universe, the creator of everything.  If I trust in the Lord I will be firmly planted and secure.  I will have peace even in the midst of hardship.  That is better than bubble wrap. 

Compassion International's iPad Magazine

Compassion International is broadening its impact.

You can now access Compassion Magazine via your ipad.

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Being able to have more content and to write your sponsored child via your Compassion iPad magazine is pretty cool.

If you have an ipad, make sure you add this to your device.

Compassion Magazine for iPad is free and currently available three times per year in winter (February), summer (June) and fall (October) and the latest edition is now available. To receive the iPad version of Compassion Magazine, go to:

MyAccount –> Magazine Preferences –> Check the box that says “Compassion Magazine iPad Version.”

Courtesy of Compassion International: http://blog.compassion.com/expand-your-world-with-our-new-ipad-magazine/#ixzz2vnhmy5JP

If you are not sponsoring a child through Compassion, what are you waiting for?

Just follow the link and change a life today:

http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/default.htm

I Wil Draw Near

My beautiful wife never ceases to amaze me.  She wrote this worship song last week for our upcoming Sunday service. Preceding the song will be Scriptures that contributed to her thought process.  I include those passages here and encourage you to spend time looking them up.

Here are the words to her song:

I Will Draw Near

 

Fountain of Life, flow over me

'till I'm filled with Your glory

Spirit renew the fire that once drew

me into the Holy of Holies

And I will draw near, as I wait here

I will return to my Father

My heart of stone, I lay at Your throne

That I may know You and be known

The sound of Your voice, fills me with joy

You turn sorrow to gladness

You don't disappoint, You never leave

and I am changed in Your presence

So I will draw near, as I wait here

I will return to my Father

My heart of stone, I lay at Your throne

That I may know You and be known

Only in You are justice and truth

and mercy binds me to You

How high are Your thoughts, How great are Your ways

Your covenant is my peace

Bridge:

You satisfy my soul with good

You bought my freedom with Your blood

Your fire consumes my sin

You captivate my heart

So, I will draw near, as I wait here

I will return to my Father

My heart of stone, I lay at Your throne

That I may know you and be known

© Sarah Apperson, 2014

Psalms 94:14; 107:9; 111:9-11 

Isaiah 31:3; 40:31; 54:10; 55:6-8

Jeremiah 2:13; 3:12; 3:19; 31:13

Ezekiel 36:25-27; 43:5

John 4:14 

Acts 2:2-4 

Ephesians 1:7-8

Titus 3:4-7

Hebrews 12:29

Love Mercy

I have been meditating on Micah 6:8 quite a bit these last 2 weeks.  If you are not familiar with the verse it says:

"He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?"

I looked up the definition of justly.  It means to do what is morally right or fair.  So we are called to act with fairness, to do what is morally right.  

Interesting that this is followed by a call to love mercy!  Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.  A synonym for mercy is grace.

Love Mercy.

I am forever grateful that God loved mercy.  He loved us enough that He sent His Son to die for us, to save us from what we deserved (hell) and to show us mercy and grace.  

This gift of salvation allows us to truly walk humbly with our God.
 

You Can't Measure Forever

 My son is at an age where he is trying to quantify and measure things.  His big thing right now is trying to figure out time.  He uses his hands to measure out what he thinks you mean by a half hour, an hour, etc.  He keeps using the word 'forever' as well when he wants something to continue.  So when he was playing with his sister, he mentioned the word 'forever' and spread his hands wide.  My daughter said to him, "You can't measure forever!"

I heard that comment and was immediately impressed by the wisdom of that statement. 

We can't measure forever.  Keep that in mind as you look at Psalm 100:5 which says, "The LORD is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness endures throughout every generation"

I thank God that His mercy does last forever.  I stand in need of His mercy and grace.  The fact that God is eternal and His mercies are everlasting give me cause to sing with joy!  In fact if you read all of Psalm 100, it speaks of just that:

A psalm of thanksgiving. "Shout happily to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD cheerfully. Come into his presence with a joyful song. Realize that the LORD alone is God. He made us, and we are his. We are his people and the sheep in his care. Enter his gates with a song of thanksgiving. Come into his courtyards with a song of praise. Give thanks to him; praise his name. The LORD is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness endures throughout every generation."

I can't read that passage without getting excited. 

There is so much here but I want to point out just a few things.

Serve the Lord cheerfully - We shouldn't act as if serving God is like pulling teeth.  We should do so cheerfully.  In fact we should do EVERYTHING as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:23) We should do whatever we put our hands to with a cheerful heart.  In fact, it's good for us to do so!  (Proverbs 17:22)

He Made Us - God is the creator of everything.  People can debate the age of the earth and how we came into existence but the Bible says God did it.  That's good enough for me. 

We are His - God sent His Son and purchased us with a price, His own Sons life.  I am glad that I recognized and accepted that gift. 

We are His people, the sheep in His care - I praise God He truly does care for us, watches over us and guides us with His voice, His Word and His provision.

Yes the Lord is good and we have a reason to sing!  We can't measure forever, but I am glad that I have the chance to spend forever with Him!