Easter Sunday... a loss for words.

Have you ever had those moments when you are in a time of musical worship, and you literally cannot make the words to the songs pass your lips? I have recently, and not because of emotional/memory types of things (though I still can’t get through “How Great Thou Art” without thinking of Daddy or “It is Well with my Soul” without crying… because sometimes it isn’t, and sometimes it’s hard to admit that it is.) but because of one of the following two reasons:
1) I truly have not felt worthy to say those words to my God. Who am I to sing praises to Him when I am such a lowly sinner? A sinner who continues to take for granted my relationship with the most High and Holy God of all Creation…

2) Because as the song says, “I stand amazed in His presence”… and I can’t… I just can’t speak. My words (well, not even mine… the words of the song’s author) fail me… they are no adequate praises or words… There is not one word in my vocabulary that can encapsulate who my God is and what He has done for me.

The great thing about this occurrence in my life is that I believe that these are times of true worship. Times when my heart and head are focused on Him, and not the uncertainty of my life that is spinning around me… but truly and completely on my Lord. During these times I feel like my head wants to sing the words so loud… so strong for Him to hear… but my heart stops me because I recognize just where I am in this whole wide world. On one hand I recognize that I don’t deserve to look towards the Heavens and take another breath, but on the other… oh on that other hand I recognize just how much He loves me… and I just can’t comprehend it. I don’t understand it… I don’t understand why the Creator of the world would make me… why He would send His most beloved creation, His son, to die for me and my sins… to redeem me and my trespasses.

There simply are no words…

… no words to describe my thankfulness…
… no words to describe how grateful I am…
… no words to describe His majesty, His Victory, His Power…

If I have trouble speaking the words in this life… I can’t imagine what it is going to be like when I see His face one day. You read in the bible about how people just fall on their face in front of the Lord… how could you do anything else??! If I can’t say the words when I am surrounded by His spiritual presence, how could I possible say anything in His physical presence??

Today is Easter Sunday… the most Holy day for Christians. Not because we celebrate the Life or our most revered spiritual figure and not because we celebrate the death of our Savior. We celebrate today because He still Lives. Jesus Christ is the only historically religious figure who died but did not remain dead. His bones lie in no tomb. His headstone is in no cemetery. He is sitting at the right hand of my God… and at those times when I can’t say the words, He knows what I am thinking…

…He hears them when I can’t even say them.

I heard these two songs today during Midway’s Easter Cantata… one I had never heard before but the words to this beautiful song brought tears to my eyes. The other is so appropriate for this day... and is one of those that I sometimes just cant say the words.

Broken into Beautiful
Gwen Smith/Sue Smith/Chad Cates

She's smiling on the outside

But she's hurting on the inside

It's getting hard just living anymore

And the shadows she has clung to

Painful things that she has been through

Have left her feeling worthless, Lord... but

(Chorus)

You change worthless into precious

Guilty to forgiven

Hungry into satisfied

Empty into full

All the lies are shattered

And we believe we matter

When You change broken into beautiful

We live with accusations

Sometimes heavy expectations

That tell us we can never measure up

And yet You repeat with mercy

That in your eyes we are worthy

At last we see how much we're loved cause

(Chorus)

Though we can't see how we can stand before you Lord

And feel valued, priceless and adored

Before the throne of God above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Praise the One, Risen Son of God!

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I am,
The King of glory and of grace!
One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God

I hope you all enjoyed this joyous day with your family... and remembered that it isn't about eggs... it's about the Risen Savior.

Love Y'all,
Kacey

Lessons from a Farmer and Jesus as a Horse Whisperer

Hey all... ... sorry for the blog absence, that seems to be happening a lot lately. Lately I have thought a lot of things to write on the blog... just have not done it. So finally here's an update, hope you enjoy. Lessons from a Farmer: (James 5:7-8) The lesson here is patience... 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

But it's not just about patience... it's about how the farmer waited.

I can remember when I was little we had this huge family garden (literally seemed like the size of a football field)... and until he died, Daddy continued to plant a garden every year though they seemed to get smaller and smaller. Harvesting those crops was only the end of a long process that began months before some times. Daddy and Pawpaw would get out and prepare the field by tilling the ground, then planting the seeds. But that wasn't the end of the process... you don't just leave a garden and expect all of your vegetables to be ready weeks or months later. No... there are things to do during that waiting period.

The farmer has to tend the garden...

Daddy would water his garden daily depending on the rain, He fertalized the soil and the plants, he pruned the plants or in the case of the beans wrapped the stems around the trellis. He would check the plants to see if bugs were enjoyed the fruits of his labor before he did... and if so he would spray the plants to get rid of the bugs. His little enemy in the last few years were the bunny rabbits. They loved to come into the garden and eat off the plants, so he event put up a little fence one year to keep them out (it didn't work too well). He did all of these things to ensure that the plants would grow so that he would be able to provide nourishment for his family...

We must be patient and wait in the same way... actively.

When God shows us His will, we shouldn't just sit on that information and do nothing... you have to proactively work toward the goal. In my case, I feel like God is calling me to go home... so I am looking for work at home. My family is somewhat planning in expectation for me to be there as well... I think of the things I would like to do once home... that's been constantly on my mind lately. Some of my girlfriends and I were talking tonight about how we are waiting on a husband... waiting for God to bring us together. However, in the meantime, we must work to prepare ourselves for that future mate by making ourselves better individuals, better women, better christians.

So what do you do while you wait??

Jesus as a Horse Whisperer: Luke 19: 28-37 I think we are all familiar with the image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. However, are you familiar with the text? We read it today in Sunday School and I was blown by a certain detail in the story that I never knew before... and for those who are not familiar with horses and other livestock, this detail in the story could go unnoticed. 28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen... Have you ever seen someone sit on a horse that had never been broken? Let's just say... they don't usually stay on. Breaking a horse for a rider can take days, weeks even... especially a colt who may not be as used to being around people. The process takes baby steps... lots of them, to get an animal comfortable being touched, being maneuvered, being controlled.

So think about that... and think about the fact the Jesus just saddled up for the ride.

There was no time to break that animal, but there was also no need for it. For our Master is, was, and will always be in control of everything... including that horse/donkey/mule/? that He rode into Jerusalem. I don't think Jesus picked that animal because He wanted to be the first to ride it, but because He was the only one who could ride it. I hope that the significance of that act is not lost on you. Love Y'all, Kacey