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God’s love for us is so amazing.  It’s not dependent on our works or our obedience.  He just loves us.  Period.

What about His blessings?  Perhaps that’s a different topic altogether.  A few days ago I mentioned how obedience can help us dismantle the hardness of heart.

Does obedience also unlock God’s blessings in our lives?

Take a look at this old testament promise that I love so much:

2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God.
(Deut. 28:2) [emphasis mine]

What do you think?

I found myself praying about areas in my life where my heart has grown hard, where my soul seems cold.  This prayer slipped out of my mouth as I was walking the dog down N. Harrington, praying aloud into the quiet morning air.  I resonated with every part of my body and I thought I’d share it with you.

“I want to dismantle the hardness of my heart through steady, slow acts of obedience and devotion”.

Amen.

Hey Gang,

I’m still here.  If you follow the blog posts at all, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that I’ve not blogged or written much in the past couple of months.  “Life moves pretty fast.  If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”  (name that movie quote)

Fall is always the busiest season for me.  We add soccer to our schedules – so we have games every weekend.  (Thus, the absence of the popular “Small Town Stories” series I was doing on Saturday mornings).  I’m gearing up for the busy retail season with HPP Enterprises, my e-commerce company, and church is bustling along as always.

In less than two weeks I will be hosting my first ever event here, “Refuge“.  I am so excited to be hosting this event and several of you faithful blog readers are attending – can’t wait to hang out with you for 3 days!  It will be an incredibly powerful time and it’s not too late to join us – just register at RefugeSSI.Com.

With everything that’s been going on, the blog is usually one of the first things to take the back burner.  The early morning time that I’d normally be writing my blogs is now used to train new workers and product source for e-biz.  The late evenings, selfishly, but rightfully, are used to just slow down, relax, and watch some of our favorite TV premiers and seasons with my wife.  A Summer transition in our worship ministry at SSCC added a considerable layer of responsibility, meetings, followups, and work to my plate at church.  So … although the blog topics are present in my mind (and my potential blog articles list in Evernote is growing quite large)!, I’m just not able to take the time.

This is just an 8:30 AM check-in to say I’m alive and well.  Maybe we’ll bring back this space but for now, you get what you get, when you get it.   Yeah, I know – that breaks all the rules about blogging … but this blog ain’t my God, and although I’d love to have a huge readership, this space is more for my own downloads, so the timing is all mine.

Hope you understand.

Are you still with me?

Most Christians know Isaiah 40 quite well – it’s one of those verses we learn to quote early and often.

It’s such an awesome promise to us, and really meant something to me this morning.  I’ve felt like I’ve been in a bit of a funk, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and this was a promise I needed.  As I wrote this out in my private journal this morning, I felt compelled to be vulnerable enough to share it with you, hoping this prayer will help you as well.

———————————————————————

Isaiah 40:28  Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29  He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30  Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31  but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
———————————————————————
Such great promises for us.  I love how this is written as a promise for us to cling to.  It’s generic enough to know that I can grab it today, in 2011, and run with it.  I’ve been feeling weak and weary.  This morning, I’m making this my prayer.

Father, thank You for Your Word.  Thousands of years ago, through the prophet Isaiah, You spoke this promise.  The promise that when I faint and when I am weary, and fall exhausted, that you will renew my strength.  That I will run and not be weary, I will walk and not faint.

By faith, I claim this promise this morning.  I’ve been weary.  I’ve been exhausted.  Not just physically, but spiritually.  The condition here is waiting on You.  So, I wait.

So I wait for you … so I wait for you …
I’m falling on my knees – offering all of me.
Jesus, You’re all this heart is living for.

Sweet.

That’s the one word I’d use to sum up our 9/11 services at SSCC yesterday.

We opened with the Latin-groove “Glorious” by Martha Munnizzi.  Always a tough one for the band and vocals to pull off (this song has the craziest key changes I’ve ever seen).

Kicking off the congregational singing was “Hosanna” (Baloche/Brown).  After this opening song we were seated and watched a 3:00 minute video reflecting on 9/11 ten years ago.  Afterwards, our pastor spoke briefly about what has changed in our lives since then, and how restless the world has become.  Reading the famous quote by St. Augustine “I am restless until I rest in You – we performed as a special, Audrey Assad’s “Restless“.

This flowed into congregational singing of “Come Thou Fount“.  Our closer was “Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone” as a gospel response song.

That’s a recap of the songs this week.  As always, I’m posting this as a part of the weekly “Sunday Setlists” event hosted over at TheWorshipCommunity.Com.