Sunshine on my Shoulders

Home is where He is...

2008-08-21T13:24:00.002-05:00

Since getting married and moving 1500 miles from my "home", I've been in a time of transition. I learned many years ago that I can't depend my security on a place (home), because God tends to move me around. But, now I'm learning that it can't be in places OR people. My security needs to be in the Lord. HE needs to be my home. I can't claim my family as home any more - I'm not with them now. I can't even claim Isaac as my home - we're only promised "til death do us part". Sure, that's great for now, but I might not always have that. At the very bottom line, my home needs to be that my heart is at peace before the throne of God. That's what I'm learning... it's going to take a while.

"You Will Never Walk Alone" Lyrics
Words and music by Lowell Alexander
Performed by Point of Grace on their album: Free to Fly
Listen to this song here

Along life's road
There will be sunshine and rain
Roses and thorns, laughter and pain
And 'cross the miles
You will face mountains so steep
Deserts so long and valleys so deep
Sometimes the journey's gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But I want you to remember
I want you to know

You will never walk alone
As long as you have faith
Jesus will be right beside you all the way
And you may feel you're far from home
But home is where he is
And he'll be there down every road
You will never walk alone

The path will wind
And you will find wonders and fears
Labors of love and a few falling tears
Across the years
There will be some twists and turns
Mistakes to make and lessons to learn
Sometimes the journey's gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But i want you to remember wherever you may go

You will never walk alone
As long as you have faith
Jesus will be right beside you all the way
And you may feel you're far from home
But home is where he is
And he'll be there down every road
You will never walk alone

Jesus knows your joy, Jesus knows your need
He will go the distance with you faithfully

You will never walk alone
As long as you have faith
Jesus will be right beside you all the way
And you may feel you're far from home
But home is where he is
And he'll be there down every road
You will never walk alone

Mercy

2008-04-09T21:20:00.003-05:00

This is my story. Praise God for the mercy of our Christ!!!

CeCe Winan's "Mercy Said No"
Listen Here

I was just a child, when I felt the Savior leading
I was drawn to what I could not understand
And for the cause of Christ
I have spent my days believing
That what He'd have me be is who I am
As I've come see the weaker side of me
I've realized his grace is what I need
When sin demanded justice for my soul

Mercy said "No, I'm not gonna let you go
I'm not gonna let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid"
Mercy said "No, sin will never take control"
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank you, Jesus
Mercy said "no"

For God so loved the world that He sent His Son to save us
From the cross He built a bridge to set us free
Oh, but deep within our hearts
There is still a war that rages
And makes the sacrifice so hard to see
As midnight fell on crucifixion day
The light of hope seemed oh so far away
And as evil tried to stop redemption's flow

Mercy said "No, I'm not gonna let you go
I'm not gonna let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid"
Mercy said "No, sin will never take control"
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank you Jesus
Mercy said "no"

And now when Heaven looks at me
It's through the blood of Jesus
Reminding me of one day long ago

Mercy said "No, I'm not gonna let you go
I'm not gonna let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid"
Mercy said "No, sin will never take control"
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank you Jesus
Mercy said "no"

NEW SPRING PUBLISHING©

The Voice

2008-03-24T10:04:00.003-05:00

"Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." -Jesus in John 5:25.

All humankind is born dead in sins - death is separation from God. For centuries the voice of Jesus the Messiah has been ringing out in a world of dead souls. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost." -Jesus in Rev 21:6.

Have you heard the voice of the Son of God?

And when I'm weary and overwrought...

2008-02-07T12:15:00.000-06:00

"When the Saints"
by Sara Groves

Lord, I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know
It's more than I can handle
But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones
and I can’t let it go

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

Lord, it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind
it all can overwhelm me
but I think of all who've gone before them and lived the faithful life
their courage compels me

And when I'm weary and overwrought
with so many battles left unfought

I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars

I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaohs court
I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them

I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad
I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

I see the young missionary at the angry spear
I see his family returning with no trace of fear

I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights
I see the sisters standing by the dying mans side

I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor
I see the man with a passion come and kicking down that door

I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road
I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load

And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
And when the Saints go marching in
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them
I want to be one of them

To listen, visit here.

"Everything to Me" by Mark Schultz

2008-01-31T17:59:00.000-06:00

Are you ready? Go here. Watch the music video. It's okay to cry.

God is writing my love story

2007-11-13T13:20:00.000-06:00

When I was 13 years old, my father gave me a heart necklace that has a keyhole and a separate key... and he asked me to allow him to keep the key. He told me that the key (in his safe-keeping) was to be a symbol of the fact that I was allowing him to keep my heart in trust for the man I would one day marry. To a young, idealistic thirteen year old girl, this idea sounded quite romantic. I excitedly agreed. During the last 11 years, I have often pondered exactly what it meant to "guard" my heart for my coming knight. For 11 years, I strove to honor my future husband by saving my romantic love for him.

After these years of waiting and praying and trusting, the time has come. As of November 4, 2007, Isaac Alan Wardell has the key to my heart on a chain around his neck. The key was officially given to him by my parents with their full blessing... and I am sublimely happy. At this point I have full release to fall in love with him and begin to develop a bond that will sustain us for the rest of our lives. And so we are committed, and I'm excitedly awaiting his proposal.

Tomorrow!!!

2007-10-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

TOMORROW!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow tomorrow tooooooooooomorrow tomoooooooooooooooooooooooooorroooooooow! Yaaaaaay! In case you can't tell, tomorrow is the big day -- Lord willing, I will be landing in Salt Lake City at 3:00PM CST. That's 2:00PM whatever-Utah-time-is. I can't believe it's aaaalmost here! The next 23.5 hours are goin' to be looooong though. *tries not to look at the clock* Hehe. :D Yaaaaay! :D

Peacemakers

2007-10-16T09:06:00.001-05:00

Check it out... you haven't had coffee until you've had Peacemaker's coffee. Hehe. :D This is Isaac, Caleb, and Hosanna in their first home-made commercial. :D

If I could just see you tonight...

2007-10-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

"A Thousand Miles"
by Vanessa Carlton

Listen to this song here.

Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces pass
And I'm home bound

Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making a way
Through the crowd

And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder....

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight

It's always times like these
When I think of you
And I wonder
If you ever
Think of me

'Cause everything's so wrong
And I don't belong
Living in your
Precious memories

'Cause I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder....

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight

And I, I don't want to let you know
I, I drown in your memory
I, I don't want to let this go
I, I don't....

Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces pass
And I'm home bound

Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making a way
Through the crowd

And I still need you
And I still miss you
And now I wonder....

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass us by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you...

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
If I could
Just hold you
Tonight

Let's go!

2007-09-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

Title: Me And Becky

Artist: Chris Rice

Becky has a house on Abundant Live Boulevard
A good name, good family, and butterflies in her yard
Becky loves Jesus and really wants to make Him proud
She tears up in church and she sings her harmonies loud
She's got a Bible by the bed, a prayer journal, and a fish on her car
She makes sure to bow her head and give thanks in every restaurant
But is that enough?

C'mon Becky, let's go for a ride
If I'm driving too fast then I apologize
But there's a world out there that we left behind
Full of souls as important as yours and mine
Looks like a reckless road, and a sacrifice
And I'm crazy scared it may cost our lives
But then I remember Jesus died
So c'mon Becky
Let's go for a ride

I'm rolling up to Becky's house on my Sunday drive
I have to laugh to myself 'cause it looks exactly like mine
I smile and wave at all the happy people strolling by
We've got the same walk, same talk, and the same sparkle in our eyes
'Cause we're thankful for the blessings, but maybe we could lay 'em aside
I get a feeling we might be missin' the time of our lives
So hop in and hold on tight

C'mon Becky, let's go for a ride
If I'm driving too fast then I apologize
But there's a world out there that we left behind
Full of souls as important as yours and mine
Looks like a reckless road, and a sacrifice
And I'm crazy scared it may cost our lives
But then I remember Jesus died
So c'mon Becky
Let's go for a ride

'Cause we're thankful for the blessings, but maybe we could lay 'em aside?
I get a feeling we might be heading for the time of our lives

So hop in and hold on tight
C'mon Becky, let's go for a ride
If I'm driving too fast then I apologize
But there's a world out there that we left behind
Full of souls as important as yours and mine
Looks like a reckless road, and a sacrifice
And I'm crazy scared it may cost our lives
But then I remember Jesus died
So c'mon Becky
Let's go for a ride

For you :)

2007-09-08T01:35:00.000-05:00

Have Faith In God

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely,
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children,
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the Lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God, He'll answer yet.

Have faith in God in your pain and sorrow,
His Heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.

Have faith in God tho all else fail about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own;
He cannot fail tho all kingdoms shall perish,
He rules, He reigns upon His throne.

Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
He watches o'er His own; He can not fail;
He must prevail,
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Jesse S. Stanaland

For my Granddaddy

2007-08-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

"No More to Weep"

Hush, child, don’t shed those tears.
Your Daddy’s here to take your fears.
Don’t be so sad - the end is near.
Just take my hand, I am here.

Hush, child, don’t worry so.
I am your Friend, not your foe.
Don’t worry now of where to go.
I’ve washed you clean, white as snow.

Hush, child, yes, I love you.
I can forgive, all you do.
To conquer death, it must take two.
Just you and Me, I’ll see you through.

Hush, child, the storm has passed.
The sunshine on the earth is cast.
Don’t let it go - to Me hold fast.
The pain is gone, with Me at last.

Hush, child, just lay in sleep.
At my side, your name I keep.
The sadness gone, the joy so deep.
Forever here, no more to weep.

-Rachel Burkum

I thank God that I can look forward to that time when my Grandfather will be whole and at rest... no more to weep. As we prepare our hearts for his exchange of earthly mortality to immortality, it's so good to know that we do not mourn like those who have no hope...

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "'Death is swallowed up' in victory. "'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:51-57)

"Arise My Love" by Newsong:

Not a word was heard
at the tomb that day.
Just shuffling of soldiers feet
as they guarded the grave.
One day, two days,
three days had past.
Could it be that Jesus
breathed His last?

Could it be that His Father
had forsaken him?
Turned his back on his son
despising our sin.
All hell seemed to whisper
"Just forget Him, He's dead."
Then the Father looked down
to his son and he said..

Arise, My love.
Arise, My love.
The grave no longer
has a hold on you
No more death's sting
No more suffering
Arise...Arise...my love.

The Earth trembled
and the tomb began to shake,
and like lightening
from Heaven the stone was rolled away.
And as dead man
the guards they all stood there in fright
As the power of love
displayed its might
Then suddenly a melody
filled the air
Riding wings of wind,
it was everywhere
The words all creation
had been longing to hear
The sweet sound of victory,
so loud and clear.

Arise, my love.
Arise, my love.
The grave no longer has a hold on you.
No more death's sting
no more suffering
Arise...arise....

Sin, where are your shackles?
Death, where is your sting?
Hell has been defeated.
The grave could not hold the king!!!

Arise, My love.
Arise, My love.
The grave no longer
has a hold on you
No more death's sting
No more suffering
Arise....Arise....Arise

Friends

2007-07-31T11:17:00.000-05:00

I've been having SO much fun this summer... hanging out with the wonderful friends that the Lord has given our family. Here are a few pics for y'all!

Today....

2007-07-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

We have this moment to hold in our hands
And to touch
As it slips through our finders like sand
Yesterday's gone and tomorrow
May never come
But we have this moment
Today

-Bill Gaither

"That Sacred Head now wounded"

2007-07-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

Come and see, look on this mystery
The Lord of the Universe, nailed to a tree
Christ our God, spilling His Holy blood
Bowing in anguish, His sacred head

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.
Sing of His faithfulness, pouring His life out unto death

Come you weary and He will give you rest
Come you who mourn, lay on His breast
Christ who died, risen in Paradise
Giver of mercy, Giver of Life

Sing to Jesus, His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever, sing for the love our God has shown.

Sing to Jesus, Lord of our shame
Lord of our sinful hearts.
He is our great Redeemer.
Sing to Jesus, Honor His name.

Sing to Jesus, His is the throne
Now and forever,
He is the King of Heaven.
Sing to Jesus, we are His own.
Now and forever sing for the love our God has shown.

-Fernando Ortega

Shocking.

2007-07-11T17:36:00.000-05:00

My Mom

2007-07-06T09:48:00.001-05:00

Today is the day we celebrate one of God's most precious gifts to me -- my MOM!

Lord, I thank you SO much for giving me to my Mom. I was SO blessed to be born in this family. I'm very thankful for her... and for the sacrifices she's made and the love she's given all these years. I praise You for the good gift of my mother! In Jesus' name, amen!

Happy birthday, Mama!!

2007-07-03T21:35:00.001-05:00

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Life

2007-07-01T22:51:00.000-05:00

At times life is like honey-covered cactus -- it can cut you pretty deep and sometimes it's downright sticky. (I know, you're rolling your eyes... that was pretty lame.)

BUT, in the midst of all the pain and sorrow humanity is enmeshed in, isn't it wonderful to know that our God is always here for us? Jehovah Jireh is the God who provides... everything we need. Praise the Lord!!!

On that bright note, here's a piece of the happy side of my life...

Concealing idols

2007-06-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

"Rachel gave a natural cause for not rising to be hospitable to Laban. Have I ever, Lord, because I am concealing idols within, given physical reasons for not rising in Thy service? Oh may I be cut off entirely from the world, concealing no longer the false gods. May that in me which holds them be slain, as Jacob declared it should be (v. 32)." -Jim Elliot, 1948

Reference:

[Laban:] "Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?" Then Jacob replied to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent. Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols. (Genesis 31:30-35)

"Letters I Left Behind"

2007-06-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

This made me cry.

Funness

2007-06-18T19:03:00.002-05:00

The last two weeks have been an awesome lot of fun. Two long awaited events happened in the last two weekends. First, we had a weekend with the McCawley's... check out the slideshow!!

It was lots of fun and fellowship. Morgan, I say the best part was our girl's time Sun night!! Hehe.

Aaaaaaand then, Puddles07!! Hannah, Mrs. Alice, and Ashleigh finally made it! It was positively delicious. Here are the travelers...

Here we are being together:

It was a restful...

relaxing weekend.

We toured a 1920's recreated city where you can get cots with less mice!

We danced...

and skated...

And most of all, we just enjoyed being together.

So we thank Morgan, Travis, Ashleigh, Hannah, and Mrs. Alice for two weekends beyond compare. Come again, you all. We miss you already.

2007-06-14T17:27:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my new space!