A Potpourri and a Prayer Request

Anybody who has read me for long knows that music is a huge part of my life. I love the old hymns, gospel songs, southern gospel quartet music, some of the contemporary choruses (if they make musical sense). What I love most is that so often just the right song is on the schedule for Sunday services, or the choir song is just what I need.

Yesterday morning I was praying and telling the Lord that I needed him more than ever before. Suddenly it hit me that these were the exact words we were going to be singing in choir just a bit later. It was a medley of "I Need Your More" and "I Need Thee Every Hour." My hubby has a lovely voice and he had the solo part in this song.

I need You more,
More than yesterday;
I need You more,
More than words can say.
I need You more
Than ever before,
I need You, Lord,
I need You, Lord.

More than the air I breathe,
More than the song I sing;
More than the next heartbeat,
More than anything.
And, Lord, as time goes by

I'll be by Your side,
'Cause I never want to go back to my old life.

I need You more,
More than yesterday;
I need You more,
More than words can say,
I need You more
Than ever before,
I need You, Lord,
I need You, Lord.

I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.
I need Thee,
O I need Thee!
Every hour I need Thee!
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee!

Everything else we sang just fit in and soothed and/or challenged my soul. I am so thankful for music and for those who have the gift and inspiration to write and compose.

As a bit of an update, the babies had a fussy week-end, but we're convinced that it is the teething process now more than the flu. They are each cutting really big molars in their really tiny mouths - more than one each. I can only imagine how much it hurts. Thanks for your prayers.

I am doing a study with Chuck Swindoll that I found in my stash of devotional books recently - it's called Living on the Ragged Edge, and it is an intense look at Ecclesiastes, the journal written by Solomon. We all think of Solomon as the wise king who prevented the baby from being sawed in two and gave him to the real mother. But Solomon really struggled with life, and let it all out Ecclesiastes. Chuck Swindoll says this in the first paragraphs of the second chapter of his book:

"God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (I Samuel 16:7b). . . . We frequently act out a role, seeking to falsely impress others rather than truly reveal ourselves. In doing this, we may appear to be stable and successful when we are actually troubled and frustrated. Some of us peel off our masks and admit our struggles from time to time, but few of us remove them permanently and make vulnerability a hallmark of our lives. Solomon chose to take this step when he made his journey available for all to read. The result is a book that reveals the hopelessness of finding genuine happiness apart from God."

We all enjoy this blogging adventure or we wouldn't spend so much time composing posts, visiting our friends, commenting, even e-mailing and phone calling people who we may or may not ever meet in real life. So many of you inspire me with your writing, and with your devotion to God, and with your prayers for all of the requests.

When I told God that I needed Him more, I was very serious. I want so much to be transparent to Him. Sometimes we don't let everything "hang out" in this venue, but we do catch a lot of each other's hearts and souls. I don't want to be one who gives the impression that I have it all figured out - because I certainly don't. Having been a Christian most of my life, and wanting to do His will at all times, I still have such a long ways to go. Many of you are truly helping me in this journey.

Kristen and I, as you know, had to go private on our blogs a few months ago. It was hard for me to do that, because I love doing the kinds of posts that bring new people over, such as Show and Tell Friday, for one. But I so appreciate those of you who have stuck with me and make the extra effort to log in and read and comment.

Now for the PRAYER REQUEST part of the package today:

Kristen has created a new public blog today, in hopes of generating some prayer partnership for her new journey - she was inspired by Barb's honesty and transparency of the last two weeks with her STOP SMOKING challenge. I have been so concerned for Kristen's health because of this destructive addiction that she developed somewhere in her life's journey. But she is finally at the point of knowing she has to quit. Nothing anybody else says or does to convince someone they need to quit does much good. But seeing someone else, someone who has smoked longer than she herself has been alive, succeed and bare her soul has been an inspiration to Kristen.

Please go over to her new site, Smoke Free Mama and join her in the journey. We know we can count on your prayers!