Featured song – One Love In My Lifetime, by McGuire, from their 1978 album Destined To Be Yours.
There is a story that is apparently making the rounds of blogs. I was pointed to one reproduction of it here, and on trying to find the original I discovered that many have posted and commented on it.
The article is well worth a read, but its essence is this: Do I love God for who He is, or do I love Him for what He does for me? I had read and thought about the article, and then came across this song as I was later listening to music. I felt that the two went together.
The song discusses a love for God that, yes, is in response to the leading He has provided for the life of the singer, but has advanced beyond the aspect of loving God just for what He has done.
A mature love is one that has gone deeper into the reason for the love. Do I have that love for God that is there regardless of how well things are going in my life? Do I have the faith of Job, who said (in Job 13:15), “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him”?
From rags to riches, here I stand
Shaped and molded by Your loving hand
With faith and trust unshaken, You led me all the way
Through years of joy and tears, I’m standing here to sayYou’re that one love
In my lifetime
And if I search this whole wide world
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is doneEvery day it’s hard to see
All the future plans
You made for me
You placed the whole world
At my feet
And lit a flame of love
That burns eternallyOne love
In my lifetime
And if I search this whole wide world
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is doneLove may come
And love may go
But You’re the one that made me
And no one else could change me
You’re the beginnning
And You’re the end
And if I live a hundred years
I know they’ll only beOne love
(one love)
In my lifetime
(in my lifetime)
Only one love
(only one love)
Burning in this heart of mine
(burning in this heart of mine)You’re that one love
In my lifetime
And if I live a hundred years
I know I’ll never find
A love that’s stronger
Than an oak tree
That will be standing in the sun
When my life is doneOne love
(one love)
In my lifetime
(in my lifetime)
Only one love
(only one love)
Burning in this heart of mine
(burning in this heart of mine)
 |
Featured song: Now’s The Time, by Carman, from his 1993 album, The Standard
The world doesn’t make sense at times. We know it today; the writers of the Bible knew it thousands of years ago. Certainly, it was known in the years when the songbook of the Bible, the book of Psalms, was written. And many of those songs focus on the glory of the Lord. They recognize that things happen that we don’t understand or like, but fall back on a faith that the Creator of the universe has everything under control.
It’s not a matter of putting hands over ears to not hear what’s wrong, or over the eyes to not see what’s wrong in the world. It has everything to do with seeing and hearing clearly everything around us, but still looking up to God, and giving Him the glory that He deserves.
Psalm 150 doesn’t waste words or draw it out. It tells why to praise God, it tells how to praise God, and finally tells who should praise God – “Everything that has breath”.
Join Carman in this rousing song giving praise to God!
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Here’s the jam goin’ ‘cross the land
And a jam that I think you know
It’s a groove on the move and a groove you’ve heard
From the Word called the 1-5-0
Now this book called Psalm may look all calm
But it’s anything y’all, but mild
It’s all about praise when the big band plays
And it makes the saints go wild
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Bring the glory down with the trumpet sound
Let the tambourine kick, too
With the harp and the lyre everyone can hear
How the praise of the Lord will come through
The strings, the bass, the cymbals clash
And the people clap their hands
The Spirit’s right and with all their might
Everyone starts to dance
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Let the people sing, let the people dance
Let the people sing, lifting holy hands
Let the people sing, let the people dance
Let the people sing, lifting holy hands
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
Now’s the time to celebrate when the Lord’s your choice
Now’s the time to celebrate and make a joyful noise
 t |
[iframe http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=gregrejoy-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000S52ME4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr” 120 240] |
The Download section is fixed now and is working properly again. Thank you for your patience!
Featured song: It’s Only Today That Counts, by Larry Norman, from the 1985 promotional album Back To America.
This song says it so well. Worry is the one thing that nearly everybody has, and is something that benefits nobody. You think about the things you’ve done wrong in your life, where you’ve hurt someone else, hurt yourself, done something foolish, acted foolish, said something hurtful, and so many other things. Focusing on those failings of the past accomplishes nothing; you cannot rewind the tape and do it again correctly. It’s over, it’s done with.
The future is just as bad. Will I be able to get a job? Will I lose my job? Will I lose my wife or my family? What about the economy? What about the risk of wars in the world? Is it safe to drive the streets today? Can I go to the store? Will I be robbed or injured there?
So does this mean I should simply act like the things in my past never happened? Absolutely not. The successes and mistakes of the past are there to give me guidance on my actions for today. Rather than spending time whipping myself for my past failings, I just need to incorporate the lessons learned into today’s behavior, in order to not fail that way again. And something painful in the past — a personal injury, the loss of a loved one, being ridiculed in school — those things lose their power when you use the grace God’s given you and forgive yourself, or those who abused you, or even the God with whom you may be angry, because He didn’t prevent it.
Should I pretend that the world is perfectly safe, and not be concerned about anything? Again, the answer is no. There is a difference between worry and a healthy concern. Worry involves sitting and ruminating about something over which I have no control, and letting that helpless and hopeless feeling run my life and direct my actions. On the other hand, a healthy concern pays attention to possible dangers, and prompts you to either avoid them, or prepare to face them. It is dangerous to drive a car; the danger decreases considerably when I take appropriate measures to do what I learned in school: Stop, Look, Listen. Assume the worst might happen and prepare for it, but don’t make it a matter of fear; make it yet another reason to trust in the Lord.
Defeat the power of the past and the future, live in the moment. As Norman says in the song — “It’s only today that counts, so live it like it might be your last.”
It ain’t no good to lay in bed at night
And worry about the past
About think of how you could have done things differently
But things just happened way too fast.Just close your eyes, and go to sleep
Let the angels guide your dreams.
And let that pain unwind behind you
And float away on silent streams.You must live your life the best you can
Though you sometimes do your worst.
And learn to laugh when you fail,
It’s not the end of the world
Your life’s a play you can’t rehearse.Don’t make big plans for tomorrow,
You can’t control what lies ahead.
You must try to live each moment
As it comes instead.There’s no use dreaming of a perfect future
Or regretting a troubled past.
It’s only today that counts
Live it like it might be your last.
It’s only today that counts
Live it like it might be your last.It never helps to worry,
And it never hurts to pray,
Tomorrow will come soon enough;
Try to take care of today.
Just relax, and trust your life to God,
The future is in His hands,
Only faith will help you face this life’s demands.There’s no use dreaming of a perfect future
Or regretting a troubled past
It’s only today that counts
And it might be your last.
It’s only today that counts
So live it like it might be your last.
Live it like it might be your last.
So live it like it might be your last.
 |
Tags: fear, Larry Norman, worry
