There have been times when choosing to praise God in spite of something traumatic happening in my life brought healing. It may not have come at the very instant I made the choice to speak or sing something to God, but it came. For some reason, when you force yourself to shift your thinking away from pain, disappointment, discouragement, fear, or worry – if only for a moment – to proclaim the things you know to be true, it’s as if God cuts a slit in the dark shroud that’s suffocating you and allows a shaft of brilliant hope to shine in. Courage grows, freedom shows it’s beautiful face again. When we say or think, “God is still the God He was before” or “God is still on the throne” or “He never changes, He is still faithful, He still cares about me” or any number of truths like these we’re taking a step toward Him, putting ourselves out there, with arms reaching forward in faith. We’re waiting for Him to make the next move and pull us closer, to refine us, to beautify us, to do a miracle and somehow bring something good out of something completely awful. Sometimes we have no idea how any good can come out of what we’re facing, but we trust. We praise.
I guess that’s the ticket – when we praise in spite of circumstances we are proclaiming our faith. We are saying “I still believe, God. I don’t feel You, I don’t see You. I don’t hear You right now. But I’m choosing to believe that You’re still good and You’re still there. You’re still God.” The Bible tells us many times that faith pleases God. In fact, it tells us that without faith you cannot please Him. Many of his people in the Old Testament, before Jesus came to save them from sin, were justified simply because they had faith.
Choosing to praise in pain or any trial also gets our eyes off of ourselves and back onto Jesus and the purpose He has for us. We can begin moving forward rather than being stuck knee-deep in sinking sand or muck.
I watched a video today of a worship leader from the Hillsong Church in Australia who endured a terrible disappointment and loss, yet chose to praise God. Watch it and let God speak to your heart. Listen to the lyrics of the song, too. This has become my new favorite.
My friend graciously forgave me as we talked this afternoon. I’ve been thinking about it since and remembered that verse in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” As we walk our path alongside our friends we sometimes clash, sometimes accidentally bang into one another, sometimes get scraped. If we’re following Jesus, He can use these “incidents” to sharpen each of us, to mold us, to perfect us. This type of shaping is bound to hurt – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot – but the end result can be good.
I was privileged to walk in the Komen Race for the Cure this past Saturday with one of my daughters and four friends. What a great day! Here are some things I loved about that day:
I love the contagious sense of excitement as we made our way through the course set out for us. At one point someone started the wave way up front and it traveled all the way through the throng to the back as we all shouted and cheered.
Have you seen Fantasia 2000? I haven’t watched it for a while because we have it on VHS and need a new VHS player. It would be fun to get it on DVD and watch it on a big screen. Disney created animated sequences to interpret some well-known classical music. It’s imaginative and visually stunning at times! The last song/sequence is the very best in my opinion – breathtaking!
I’m so blessed to have both my parents living and that we have an open, loving relationship. It enriches my life and gives me so much support – just knowing they love me and are there for me. I hope I can do the same for them!
I just enjoyed a few days with my mom. She came over to visit since my girls are on spring break so I took two days off work. We saw a movie, shopped ’til we dropped (groceries and the mall), ate some M & M’s and ice cream, drank diet cokes & coffee, and just relaxed. My favorite part of the visit was when we had breakfast together at Bob Evans one morning, not because of the yummy omelet and pancake, but because of the heartfelt open conversation.
Time away with my sister and her family, in sunny Arizona, was like the wonderful rush of “ahhhh” after a strenuous workout, when the endorphins kick in.
There was much conversation and diet coke (of course!), much laughter, watching movies, sitting in the sun, walking through beautifully manicured, landscaped southwestern neighborhoods with cactus and brilliant fuchsia bougainvillea vines growing everywhere, shopping at 
Ikea for the first time, tutoring my sis on facebook, driving around town in the little pick-up truck with my nephew Curtis, playing with their two sweet doggies, singing at the piano and visiting with my older nephew TJ, playing guitar hero, holding the snake, Vinnie (!) and just plain ol’ heart-warming love.
I sat down at the piano to play a little the afternoon he was home with us and he came into the room. He started singing a praise song I was playing, so I sang, too. 
Or think of yourself wearing black clothes in a moderately dark room. You could be covered in lint and “fuzzies” but none really show because of your dim surroundings. Walk into a bright spotlight, like the ones they use in a play, and suddenly every little speck, hair or particle is visible to everyone. Flaws and smudges you didn’t even realize were there are suddenly glaringly obvious.
I was talking to a good friend yesterday who is facing some big decisions in a bewildering situation. She is trying to trust and not be afraid, but doggone it, sometimes you’re just afraid. Even if you believe in God, fear can get a grip on your heart and cripple you. At one time in my life I was so anxious and afraid my very nerve endings felt on edge, like the tension was churning from within me out through every pore of my skin. I don’t know why, but our minds tend to always race to the worst conclusion or possibility when we begin letting fear creep in. Soon, the thing we’re afraid of looms over us and occupies all our thoughts and energy. It doesn’t have to be this way!
Along the Narrow Path 