The City of God

So much is happening in the Middle East right now....I don't understand it all and haven't been able to keep up with everything, but it's on my heart.

I just wanted to share these verses from Psalm 122 that I was encouraged with this morning. When we don't know what to do, we can always pray!

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
⁷ May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”
⁸ For the sake of my brothers and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

And a beautiful song I just discovered on YouTube - "Shalom Jerusalem" by Paul Wilbur:

Top Ten

Thought I'd write a simple post about 10 things I'm grateful for today. Giving thanks always puts things into perspective:

1) Snow. We haven't really had any snow this season...until last week! It is absolutely beautiful - not too cold, and falling gently. I love it! (And it makes me a bit homesick for Canada.)

2) Music! Last night my husband and I went to a jazz concert in an old monastery - how cool is that?! I love living in Europe :-) The band was excellent. Music is such a mysterious gift...

3) Food. As I write this, my tummy is telling me it's getting anxious for supper. I really don't know how blessed I am to have a fridge full of so many options of stuff I can eat. The *majority* of the rest of the world doesn't have that privilege. Wow.

4) Skype! Of course technology has its disadvantages, but at the same time it's great. I love being able to connect with friends and family "face to face."

5) Family.What else is there to say? I love and miss you guys!

6) Community! Being part of the "family of believers." Even though I'm adjusting to life in a new culture, I am surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ, which immediately makes me feel at home.

7) The Word of God. You wanna know what I read this morning? A verse popped out at me from Judges 6 - God spoke to Gideon, and then Gideon went to prepare an offering for Him. "And the Lord said, 'I will wait until you return' " (v. 17). Maybe I'm taking it a little out of context, but I believe that God speaks the same thing to us today - He is always waiting for us to return. We may forsake Him, we may pursue our own kingdom a hundred times throughout the day, but He's always waiting for us to come back. Always.

8) The fireplace I'm sitting beside right now. Warm and cozy - 'nuff said!

9) Hope. As the old hymn goes, "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow - great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!" God's grace keeps me going - every day.

10) You, my readers. Thanks for viewing my blog! Feel free to comment or share - I hope we can inspire each other.

So...what's on your "Top Ten Thankfulness" list of today?

Herr, ich komme zu dir...

Music is my "heart language." It's one way I connect best with God, and I love leading music so that others can connect with God through it as well. 

Being here in Germany has been a bit challenging in the sense that I can't speak my own 'heart language' as often or as easily as I could in Canada. You don't know how relieving and refreshing it is to hear an English song in church! Sometimes it's the only part of a worship service that I understand.

At the same time, I am learning some new songs here. When you don't know a language very well and you're learning something new, you tend to analyze everything. Learning German songs is proving to be a helpful way for me to learn the language better....The words rhyme and flow, and the melodies stick in my mind throughout the day, giving me time to mull over the depth and meaning of the lyrics.

So I want to share with you a song that I have recently learned. The words are powerful!

You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzr2X2Buo1U&feature=related

Herr, ich komme zu dir, und ich steh' vor dir so wie ich bin

 Lord, I come to you, and I stand before you just as I am

Alles was mich bewegt lege ich vor dich hin. 

 Everything that moves me, I lay before you

Herr, ich komme zu dir, und ich schütte mein Herz bei dir aus

Lord I come to you, and I pour out my heart

Was mich hindert ganz bei dir zu sein räume aus!

 What hinders me to be with you has no place

Meine Sorgen sind dir nicht verborgen, du wirst sorgen für mich. 

My worries are not hidden from you, you will take care of me

Voll Vertrauen will ich auf dich schauen. Herr, ich baue auf dich!

 Full of confidence I will look toward you. Lord, I rely on you!

Gib mir ein neues ungeteiltes Herz. Lege ein neues Lied in meinen Mund. 

Give me a new, undivided heart. Put a new song in my mouth.
Fülle mich neu mit deinem Geist, denn du bewirkst dein Lob in mir.

 Fill me fresh with your Spirit, then you create your praise in me.

My favorite line is "Gib mir ein neues ungeteiltes Herz." Give me a new, undivided heart - that's the theme of this blog - Pursuing One Thing. Our hearts are not pure if we're going in different directions. Christ wants our undivided attention, our undivided affection, our undivided obedience. 

Praying that God would give you and me a new, undivided heart today, and a new song in our mouths that we may be filled afresh with his Spirit and live out his praise!