Sabbath Meditations-Fun

Hello, Readers,

I pray that your weekend is off to a great start and that you are preparing to wind down into another week of fulfillment and faithfulness.

As I announced a few weeks ago, I will be taking time on the weekends to draw away from more serious posts on parenting, caring for special needs or adoptive children and issues of education and life. My focus will be instead to develop an oasis where we can renew our faith and not have to think about stressful things but steady our minds upon Him. We all know that there are enough distractions in this world. I could proceed to tell you all the hustle, bustle and stress of my week, but I won't right now.

It is my intention to bring a little peace, rest and sanity to a world that no longer understands the concept of a Sabbath rest. Now, I am not saying anything here about whether or not to celebrate the Sabbath nor when it is appropriate. That is a matter between you and your God.
Nevertheless, the principle of rest is one that the whole world could learn how to practice more.


In past weeks, I've posted peaceful praise videos, psalms meditations and worship chorus videos, knowing that we need the refreshment of being still to know that He is God. This time, however, a different approach was laid on my heart. JOY!

We all know, "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Some of us even know this one, "In His presence is fullness of joy".

While we say that, often our lives are too chaotic to sit in His presence for long and experience JOY but we need it oh, so much! We need it like dry peanut butter needs jelly . We need joy in the face of trials and in the presence of pain.

I have had my share of suffering. (Some one else's share as well or so it seems at times.) Even now, there are struggles that seem to grasp at my ankles in attempt to hold me down. But in the tough times, God always brings me joy-sometimes in the strangest, most unexpected ways. He will whisper to me of things that He is calling me to do in the near future, things that I never thought of months ago and yet that He will guide, provide and enable me to do. (When the time is right and confirmation is given, I will share about this more.)

Meanwhile, I bask in His presence, away from the fiery darts that fly over me (and into His redirecting hands). In His presence is fullness of joy! Lord, You are my portion. You are all I need.

Spending time in His presence doesn't mean we have to sit all sober and stiff and look like we are in great agony of the soul just to communicate with Him.

It can be instant, like a breath and

WHOOSH!

into His presence we go with one prayer, one song from our hearts.

It can be recitation of one verse as we lift up the written and spoken words He has given to us as an offering of praise back to Him. Even as we learn a truth, we acknowledge Him in our hearts as Lord and thank Him for what He is teaching us. We don't always have to feel His presence to know He is here. He is here as He promised, regardless of how we feel. But isn't it even more special when we can feel that He is near? Though the joy does not come from our feelings but from the knowledge of being in His presence, the joy does arrive in us based on our choices too. We can choose to walk in His peace and joy or choose to ignore His everpresence in our lives.
Enough. I'm lecturing. Sorry. On to the post. Today's musical posts are lighter than usual as they include some music for children. We all have a part of us that connects with the childhood ability for trust and joy. Jesus tells us to be like little children-"for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Let's spend the next few minutes to a half hour pretending, if you will, that we are children in His presence. Imagine yourself as one of His thousands of little children, in heaven singing, dancing, praising and laughing in the light of His presence. Instead of the people on the stage in these videos, imagine that you are with them on stage with all of the children and you are all singing to an audience of One.

Enjoy! and please come back afterward to tell me if it blessed you as much as it did me.

So? What do you think?