Strength

Featured song: Strength Of My Life, by Leslie Phillips, from Dancing With Danger, 1987.

Life can be incredibly difficult. No matter how good things may seem to be, we live in a world that is broken, and that brokenness may impact me at any time. It could be something that affects me personally, or it could be something that affects someone close to me, or it could be a place in the world that is hit by a disaster, natural or otherwise. Any of these things may be the straw that “breaks the camel’s back”.

Upon waking up in the morning, the disasters in my life can make me feel like I want to just put my head under the pillow to try to make it all go away. The reality of life is that I cannot really escape from these things. The greater reality of life is that I have Someone to carry these burdens for me. There is no way that I am strong enough, especially when that burden is there facing me day after day after day. Jesus takes the load that I cannot, and supports me in my weakness. Let Him be the strength in your life.

I open my eyes to the sound of morning news
And wish for ten more minutes left to sleep
And as I get into the shower
The thoughts of facing one more day
Overwhelm me and I begin to weep
And I’ve never felt
Like I’ve needed Your help,
So bad

Well, my tears are pushed away now
For the sake of morning rush
‘Til the Bible on the table catches my eye
And I read that You are near to
The hearts that break with grief
And I realize that I don’t have to try
To live life myself
Because You’re ready to help
Me live

And every day I look to You
To be the strength of my life
You’re the hope I hold onto
Be the strength of my life

Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today

Each day has its problems, it troubles and its tears
And it seems I’m always anything but strong
When I learn to know my weakness,
I understand Your strength
And even when the hard times last so long
I won’t try by myself,
I’ll just ask for Your help
Each day

And everyday I look to You
To be the strength of my life
Breathe on me and make me new
Be the strength of my life

Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today

Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today
Be the strength of my life
Strength of my life
Be the strength of my life today

Tags: help, Leslie Phillips, strength, worry

Featured song: God With Us, from Bob Bennett’s 2009 album, Christmastide.

I rarely post a new song, since there are so many excellent older ones. But every so often I find there is a new song that stands out and really speaks to me, and then I feel I must share it. I have enjoyed Bob Bennett’s voice and music for some time; click on his name in the tags to the right and see other posts where I have used his songs. This is from a new 2009 Christmas album of his; as in the past, his words are powerful, and his simple guitar backgrounds are pleasing to the ear. For me, this is a new Christmas favorite!

Make wide the way and straight the path
God with Us
He comes in mercy, not in wrath
God with Us

Behold an ancient mystery
God stepping into history
Hail the incarnate deity
God with Us

Good will to men and peace on earth
God with Us
He comes to us by humble birth
God with Us

Clothed alike in flesh and bone
He comes to make His Father known
His Spirit says we’re not alone
God with Us

God with Us
Because we fell
Yeshua Hamashiach
Emmanuel
God with Us
It was always meant to be
God with Us
With you, with me

Innocent as a newborn child
God with Us
The souls of sinners reconciled
God with Us

From Bethlehem to Calvary
Come to set the captives free
That every grave might empty be
God with Us

God with Us
What a story to tell
Jesus Christ
Our Emmanuel
The lame will dance
The blind will see
God with Us
With you, with me

Not by merit do we proclaim
He is fully God and fully Man
Blessed be His Name
For the Eternal One
Has surely kept his Vow
To be God with Us
Here and now

So light the lights and trim the tree
God with Us
A holiday with a mongrel pedigree
God with Us

But at the heart of why we’re here
The morning after midnight clear
Reverence replaces fear
God with Us

God with Us
Our hearts compel
Our worship of the Living God
Emmanuel
May His Spirit give
Open eyes to see
God with Us
With you, with me

God with Us!

You can purchase this directly from Bob Bennett at his web site here, If you prefer a downloadable album, he gives a link to a place where you can get it. It is also available on the iTunes store.

Tags: Bob Bennett

Featured song: Home by Michael Card, from his 1994 album, poiema.

My first semester of college was exciting to me. It was an adventure in which I was eager to participate. It was to be on my own, to be an “adult.” Yet, by the time a month had passed, I was so homesick I could barely stand it. Home was over 500 miles away; a weekend visit was out of the question. When an opportunity arose for me to share a ride home for Thanksgiving, I jumped at the chance. And that Thanksgiving is possibly the most memorable one of my life, but not because of any details of it. Honestly, I cannot recall anything specific about it other than the fact that I was there. But the feeling I associate with that event is one of warmth, welcome, and the joy in just being home.

As we have just left the holiday of Thanksgiving and are now into the official Christmas season, I was thinking about what it is that makes this a season of joy and warmth for some, and one of dread and anxiety for others.

The basis for this joy seems to be home, and my connection to it. My home was a pleasant place, my family was loving. We had conflicts at times, but the overall feeling I have of my home life was positive, warm, and a good memory.

It is not a matter of how wealthy your family was. My mother’s family had little in terms of money or possessions, and her parents were strict. Yet in their lack, the holidays she experienced were amongst her favorite memories.

Some people don’t have a positive home background. Their parents were neglectful, or abusive, or skewed their favor toward a sibling. This made childhood a continuing pain, and not a pleasant place to seek out in memory. As a result, there is no warmth in thinking about past holiday seasons.

For all people, whether home life was good, indifferent, or bad, there is still that desire to have a good and warm experience at holidays. And when we do try for the desired “happy holidays”, be it at Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year’s Eve, it often falls short of our expectations. It doesn’t matter whether we are trying to recapture the joys of the holidays of our childhood, or trying to create the joy that was not there when we were young; it just doesn’t, it can’t live up to the ideal.

Why is this? Are our expectations too high? Are they unrealistic? True, some of our desires are heavily colored by culture, by the many movies and TV specials we’ve seen as we grew up. But regardless of what it is that contributes to any positive attitude toward the season we may have, behind it all is a longing for that home that is warm and loving and welcoming. I long for the home where everyone shows love to each other, where nobody is sick or in pain or distressed, where I am just grateful for the time I can spend in the presence of those I love. Or better still, to come home and find those friends and family that I’ve lost, waiting to greet me and spend time together. In this dream, it doesn’t even matter whether or not I receive any presents; just being in this home is the only gift I want.

What we are really longing for in our preparations and celebrations is for Heaven itself. What we have loved about home (or dreamed about for that perfect home) and the positive feelings associated with that home is the glimpse of heaven that home provides.

In today’s song, Michael Card expresses some of these feelings about home, both his connection with his home through the one who loves him and welcomes him there, and in thinking about that permanent home that we who love the Lord Jesus will some day have.

Home is a comfort, and home is a light
A place to leave the darkness outside
Home is a peaceful and ever-full feeling
A place where a soul safely hides

And being at home should remind you that still
There’s a place that’s prepared just for you
And I think my home is just heaven’s reflection
As long as my home’s here with you

Home is where someone is waiting and loving
And happy to see you again
That half of your heart that somebody else treasures
The one who’s your forever friend

But it seems that He’s told me, the life that He showed me
Is life mostly spent on the road
But when the world’s empty jar has done all of its harm
I know that His love waits for me in your arms

Cause home is a comfort, and home is a light
A place to leave the darkness outside
Home is a peaceful and ever-full feeling
A place where a soul safely hides

And being at home should remind you that still
There’s a place that’s prepared just for you
And I think my home is just heaven’s reflection
As long as my home’s here with you

And being at home should remind you that still
There’s a place that’s prepared just for you
And I think my home is just heaven’s reflection
As long as my home’s here with you

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Tags: home, Michael Card, safety

Featured song: Thank You by Ray Boltz, from his 1988 album of the same name.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. The origin of the holiday is profoundly Christian; giving thanks to God by some of the first white settlers to this country for His favor in surviving a first, hard winter in a new world. And the tradition of thanking God survives to this day, so many years later.

There are many things I can come up with for which to be thankful to God, but today I want to use this post as an opportunity to thank the Lord for people in my life, people who were used to grow me in my spiritual life during my college and post-graduate years.

When I arrived at college way back when, I met a group of people who introduced me to a more full life in Christ, who led Bible studies that influenced me, and who showed me this phenomenon of Jesus music. Thank you Tim Hamilton (you may find one of your songs up here some day!), Craig Cooperrider, Russ Sizemore, Ed Woods, Bill Rasmussen, and many others. You played an important, critical role in shaping my life.

Later on, many friends I met in Omaha while in medical school were also influential to me. Thank you Pastor Don Rice, Lloyd & Lois Weyhrich (uncle and aunt), Tom Amenell, John Camoriano, Steve Moessner, and the group of friends I came to know at The Cavern at Pella Lutheran Church. You helped me get through those challenging years, and further grew my faith.

Finally, I am thankful for the people I came to know at Christ Lutheran Church while I was in residency: Joe Rystrom, Steve Hoffart, Dean Slyter, Pam Yaksich, Karla Struble, Jim and Diana Moeller, many others I knew then, and of course Kim Pfeiffer, who blessed me by becoming my wife.

For all of these people who God used in my life, I am thankful. I regret that I have not been consistent in keeping in touch with everyone over the years as I wish I had done. I bless God for those who have fallen asleep in Jesus and are now rejoicing in heaven, as this song expresses. And for all of you — I am a life that was changed.

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw this young man
And he was smiling as he came.

And he said, “Friend you may not know me now,”
And then he said, “But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
One day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Then another man stood before you
And said, “Remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn’t have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that’s why I’m here today.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven
You’re not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, “My child, look around you.
For great is your reward.”

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Tags: Ray Boltz, thanks