ONE THING

“One thing”… oh such simple words; such meaning lies beneath.
For what we hold as our “one thing” defines the life we lead.
Do I desire with all my heart to dwell within His gates?
To gaze upon my blessed Lord? To worship at His feet?

Or is there something here I seek, some treasure dear to man?
The great deceiver does his best to fool me if he dcan.
For money, praise or fame he’ll make appear before my eyes;
He tries to make me think of them as something I should prize.

Perhaps it is a “something good” – no harm it seems to hold;
A spouse, a child, a cause so dear; a friendship made of gold.
Yet if I value it too much, to it devote my life
In serving it I’ll lose that joy for which Christ paid the price.

And if I can resist those lures, there’s yet another snare;
I try so hard to serve my Lord, yet trouble, grief or care
Can quickly come if I’m to tired to spend some time with Him,
For then I start to look around: my spiritual sight grows dim.

“One thing I know …” – I once was blind, and He has given sight,
Has shown me that I need His help to set my goals aright.
Oh Lord, I ask, let my “one thing” while here on earth below
Be all my days to follow You, Your glory forth to show.

You’ve taken hold of me, my Lord; Your work begun in me,
You’ve shown to me the value of committing time to be
Apart with You to start each day, to read Your Word, to pray;
To quietly commune with you; to hear what You will say.

So by your power in me, my God, this “one thing” do I claim;
Forgetting that which is behind, toward the goal I strain
To win that prize for which, O God, You’re heavenward calling me
In Christ my Lord: Him will I praise throughout eternity.

EF - June 2009

After finishing Kelly Minter's "No Other Gods" study: functional vs professed gods. Is there something, even something right and good in itself, that I unknowingly am "serving" instead of Christ?

GREAT THINGS

Lord, You have done great things in me, and oh, I thank You so!
My life: a miracle of love and grace; Your mercy do I know.
Relentless patience you displayed; no matter how I ran
You drew me back, and deep in me, a hunger for you fanned.

You have in mind a plan for me to follow here below;
And if I do obey, oh Lord, my “promised land” I’ll know.
I don’t know what You’ll ask of me, what changes must be made,
But Lord, You have begun that work – continue it, I pray.

You’ve given me Your strength, Your power; Your Spirit lives within,
Enabling me to do Your will, to have no fear of men.
Your Word alive, active in me: a sword that I can use
To fight back when the devil would discourage or confuse.

Through prayer I cast my cares on you, bring all my worries too;
Pour out my heart, and know that You are listening as I do.
It’s such a comfort Lord, to know, no matter what I face,
That You are there with me, and so, will strengthen me with grace.

You’ve said as I remain in You, You will remain in me,
And only then I’ll bear much fruit – Oh Lord, please let it be
My goal in life on earth to thus abide in You alone,
And glory bring to God above – HE reigns upon the throne.

EF – June 2008 (re-baptism, but first time as a believer)

So many changes over the past 2 years! Beth Moore says in one of her studies that the more she is obedient, the more God asks her to do. At the time that scared me - and it still does, a bit - but I'm realizing the tremendous peace and joy He gives when I am obedient to what I sense Him telling me to do ... and that is worth far more than the opinions of those around me.

Book Review: Water's Edge

If you enjoy reading about legal twists and turns, this is the book for you! Tom Crane, an ambitious young lawyer, thinks he is on the brink of an important promotion, but instead sees his dreams come crashing down. After his career and his love life both take nosedives, Tom returns to his small hometown to tie up loose ends left by his father's sudden and unexpected death. Instead of a quick cleanup of old business, and a return to a new job in Atlanta, Tom finds himself confronted with a mystery, a huge amount of money in an unexplained account, and evidence pointing to wrongdoing by his father. Over and over, as Tom tries to solve the mystery, he is faced with legal and ethical issues. Along the way he is brought into genuine relationship with the God whose existance he had ignored for years.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Water's Edge". Tom's struggle to resolve the conflict between the evidence he sees and the knowledge of his father's faith-based life, combined with the touch of romance between Tom and Rose, who is caught in the same web of conflict, makes a great read. The clear evidence of the change in Tom as he begins to share his father's faith adds a valuable spiritual component. This was the first book by Robert Whitlow that I have read, but it definitely won't be my last!

Book Sneeze - Women of Faith

SOOOOO excited - I've won tickets to a Women of Faith event in Rochester! I've never been to one of these events live, but have enjoyed watching dvds of several of the weekends. The dvds were challenging, thought provoking, and entertaining - and I'm sure that the live event will be even better! My only problem: who to take with me .....

Book Review The Fight of Our Lives

The Fight of Our Lives by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn gives an eye-opening perspective of political correctiness, and the havoc it is effecting in America. We are taken through the events surrounding the massacre of Fort Hood: the warnings which should have been clear to all, and the investigation afterward which failed to identify the root cause, but lost itself in meaningless phrases. The authors boldly warn against the dangers of appeasing terrorists, of tip-toeing around radical Islam in the name of tolerance, of embracing diversity at the cost of safety. We are shown how the protective reaction which characterized the USA in the days following 9/11 has dramatically declined, to the point where a US Army major who made no secret of his radical Islam theology was able to open fire on his fellow soldiers within a military institution.

This book is a wake up call to awareness of the threats to peace on this continent; to the danger of "multiculturalism" which preaches the kind of tolerance that allowed the events of Fort Hood; to the reality that there is a war against Christianity, and the battle is taking place in society all around us. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the effort to destroy our culture. Know the enemy, and see the reality of the war!

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Book Review: REGGIE

“You can’t change your past, but you can change your future” is the theme of this book, and Reggie Daubs’ life story demonstrates his firm belief in this statement. He uses personal anecdotes to show us hope, to demonstrate that the relationship with his Saviour was the transforming power in his life, and this power is available to each and every one of us. More than a “self help” book, Reggie invites the reader to know ten different things about his or her own past or present, to recognize their own pain and shame but to move forward to a much brighter future, redeemed by the love of God.

This is a “must read” for anyone who is struggling with painful issues in this life. Reggie Daubs heart for the broken and needy shines clearly through, as he invites them to experience the saving grace of God, to rebuild their lives on biblical principles. From broken beginnings to triumphant lives – futures changed through faith in action.

Book Review: Then Sings My Soul by Robert Morgan

I have known and loved many of the hymns in this book all my life, and it was interesting to learn some of their background. Robert Morgan provides lyrics, sheet music, and nuggets of information about the writers, as well as the circumstances which led them to pen these well loved words. The book format lends itself to use as a devotional, as each page includes a scripture reference which either inspired the hymn, or is related to the words. There are sections devoted to Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. American patriotic hymns are also included, along with a selection of other favourites.

Although a number of the entries were excellent, I found some rather disappointing: the "background" story had little or nothing to do with the hymn itself, or seemed to be more related to American history than anything else. This was particularly noticeable in the patriotic section.
If you know little or nothing about the history of this type of music, and would like to learn a few details, I would recommend this book. If you are unfamiliar with the older hymns, this is an excellent way to learn the beautiful and inspirational lyrics, and the lovely tunes. If you are looking for more in depth history about the composers or their compositions, you will need to keep looking!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review; the opinions I have expressed are my own.