Reaches

 

Reaches

 

Just going to do a simple blog.  Basically, I want to share lyrics to a song by Third Day and I’m going to show you what the passage is in the Psalms that they used to write it.  

 

“Your love, oh Lord

Reaches to the heavens.

Your faithfulness stretches to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains. 

Your Justice flows like the ocean’s tide

I will lift my voice to worship you, my King.

I will find my strength. 

In the shadow of your wings.”

 

In Psalm 36:5-9 it says this.

 

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, 

Your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your Justice like the great deep.  

O Lord, you preserve both man and beast.  

How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men find shelter in the shadow of your wings.  

They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.  For with you is the fountain of life, in your light we see light.”  

 

 

 

Your love oh Lord by Third Day

 

Give Ear

 

Give ear

 

I have certain friends that I have committed to pray for.  A few of them know who they are but a lot of them don’t know I’m praying for them.  A few days ago, one of those friends named Erica just simply posted something on Facebook and it reminded I needed to pray for her and I had been neglecting it.

  Recently I sat with a notebook and wrote out my feelings and it was never really intended to go anywhere else.  Honestly my thoughts get so scrambled and messed up, but I have times where if I don’t get them out my brain gets hung up on the wrong things.  I’ve quoted this before, but Anna Nalick said it best in her song Breathe.

 “2 am and I’m still awake, writing a song if I get all down on paper, it’s no longer inside of me threatening the life it belongs to.  And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd, cause these words are my diary screaming out loud.”

  That’s often what it feels like as a writer you simply have to get things out be it on paper or verbally you have to release thoughts.  I prayed a lot before starting this blog because I haven’t done one of these since February and I often feel I don’t have anything to say or a way to encourage people anymore.  But maybe you’re like me and you’ve been through struggles, and you need a friend like mine who just posted something on Facebook and God used it to remind you to pray. I want to take you to Psalm 5 because we need this reminder.  

 

Psalm 5:1-2

 

“Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.  Listen to my cry for help, my King, and my God, for to you I pray.  In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”  

 

In my opinion 1 Peter 5:7 is still one of the most important verses you can ever memorize.  

 

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  

 

We need a place to go with our thoughts and we also need to remember God cares for us and those around us.  

 

I’ve been on a journey as of late and if any of you want to pray for me about anything it would be that I find friends to connect with.  Since my divorce I have never felt more alone where I live.  Like I told my counselor I somewhat dread my days off work because all I have is my dog to talk to.  Sure, I’m single I can go anywhere and do anything but for the most part I’m alone and bored.    I have a friend I get to meet for breakfast on Thursday morning.  I meet with my parents sometimes on that day too, but I’ve been kinda bouncing from one church to another because one stopped having Wednesday night services.  I will flat out admit this if I ever get asked to do anything after church with someone, I will probably cry the whole way there just because making a friend would mean that much.  Being alone in a big city and barely knowing anyone is harder than you could ever imagine.  So, if you want to pray for Zac that’s how.  I need Christian friends.  But if you get anything from all this pray and seek God.  

 

Psalm 5 by Carolyn Arends

In Heaven’s eyes by Sheila Walsh 

Spur

 

Spur

 

Most of us at one point have watched a western movie or tv show and are familiar with cowboys wearing spurs to steer a horse to do what they want. I’ve been doing this blog thing for some years now and if you ever see it as a video, I will tell the viewers that my purpose is for them to draw closer to God and find hope in him.  Spur can also be a term to encourage. That’s something I feel called by God to do.  I’m about to share some verses with you and I speak from a lot of personal experience on this.  In Hebrews 10:19-25 it talks about encouraging one another to meet with other Christian believers and to not forsake doing so and to spur or encourage one another.  When my world fell apart, I will admit there was a time I self-destructed.  Church was the absolute last place I wanted to be.  I especially didn’t want to be around people.  It took a lot to get me to interact with others.  But I needed to.   I’m slowly connecting with a local church and getting to know others and when you get hurt like I did it’s hard to do.  Covid kind of messed up people and churches too.  But I’m here telling you to connect with fellow Christians because God calls us to.  Don’t believe me check these verses out.  

 

Hebrews 10:19-25

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God, with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another— and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

 

I will tell you from experience the more devastated a person’s life gets the more they need encouragement.  I have a few friends who have encouraged me, and I needed it more than they ever knew.  So, take this blog as your encouragement to get back to church and connect with the people of God.  I will tell you personally that I can’t be at a church on Sunday morning due to my work schedule and my pastor knows this.  I show up for Wednesday night services and I do my best to be there as often as I can.  

 

People need the Lord by Steve Green

Tell me again by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Short and to the point

Short and to the point

 

Been working through books in the New Testament lately and sometimes it’s one verse that gets my attention.  This will be one of my shortest blogs ever but maybe someone else needs it.  I spent most of 2023 praying for a sense of purpose and hope.  Early this morning I read this one verse and I needed it. 

 

First Timothy 1:1

“This Letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us Hope.” 

I needed that reminder that God gives us hope and maybe you need it to. 

The other night I was sitting in my easy chair playing video games listening to my mp3 player and I heard this song. I had never really paid attention to the lyrics before but I’m going to share the chorus here with you because there is someone who needs it possibly as much as I did.  This is just spur of the moment I’m off work at the moment and I picked up my Bible and started reading and I truly believe someone else needs this.  This is from the song Carry the Light by Mark Harris. If the name is familiar to some of you it’s because you may have been fans of the group 4 Him. 

“I stand on Your promise
Your love is forever
And I believe with all my heart
You are my one and only Savior
You are the calm when my world falls apart
And to the ends of the earth
And for the rest of my life
I'll carry the light”

 

 

 

Carry the Light by Mark Harris

New Start

 

New start

 

I don’t always have something to say in regard to doing this blog or my fictional stories but I’m slowly getting back to writing.  By the time I get to post this it will be at the start of a new year and we need to start it in the right direction.  I have a friend who greets me with a positive attitude each day about embracing a new day of possibilities.  We need to be like King David and start this new year seeking after God.  I’m going to share with you some verses to get us in the right direction.  

 

Psalm 143:7-10

 

“Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails.  Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.  Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you.  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good spirit lead me on level ground.”

 

A lot of 2023 was me making mistakes and having to get my life back on track and focused back on God.  Let’s start this new year seeking Him and trying to be on the right path.  Pray more, praise God more and read your Bible more.  Draw closer to God’s unfailing love.  Why? Because we all need to.  Pray for your friends.  

 

Once in a lifetime by David Meece

Treasure island by Steven Curtis Chapman 

The Word by Sara Groves