"I hate waiting..."

"In waiting, I waited, for the Lord." (Psalm 40:1, margin.)

"Waiting is much more difficult than walking. Waiting requires patience, and patience is a rare virtue. It is fine to know that God builds hedges around His people--when the hedge is looked at from the viewpoint of protection. But when the hedge is kept around one until it grows so high that he cannot see over the top, and wonders whether he is ever to get out of the little sphere of influence and service in which he is pent up, it is hard for him sometimes to understand why he may not have a larger environment--hard for him to 'brighten the corner' where he is. But God has a purpose in all HIS holdups. "The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord," reads Psalm 37:23.

On the margin of his Bible at this verse George Mueller had a notation, "And the stops also." It is a sad mistake for men to break through God's hedges. It is a vital principle of guidance for a Christian never to move out of the place in which he is sure God has placed him, until the Pillar of Cloud moves.

--from Streams in the Desert

Jesus knows what I need

Santa knows what I want for Christmas
but Jesus knows what I need
It can't be purchased, wrapped up, and placed
under an ephod tree

I need patience, kindness--virtues like these
to bend on my knee at the manger

Santa may bring things that last for a year
but eternal gifts come from the Savior

Some days come where I'm playing selfish
I can't think of no one but me
Then I think of all that I'm blessed with
and that it's always best to give than to receive

I need faithfulness, love, generosity
to open my home to a stranger

Santa may bring things that last for a year
but eternal gifts come from the Savior

I need patience, kindness, generosity
to bend on my knee at the manger

Santa may bring things that last for a year
but eternal gifts come from the Savior

Santa knows what I want for Christmas
but Jesus knows what I need
--Leigh Nash

With You

I'd swim across lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room

To be alone with you
To be alone with you

You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals

To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree

To be alone with me you went up on the tree

I'll never know the man who loved me
--Sufjan Stevens

All this time...

All this time
All this time
All this time
And you on my mind

I feel like the wind just came and blew all the crumbs away
I'm finally breaking it off with your memory

You're still in my cupboards
Get out of my cupboards
Get off of my walls

All this time
All this time
All this time
And you on my mind

You're where I hang my keys when I walk in the door
You're the jacket I borrowed and proudly wore
But with you in my head you stay under my skin and interfere with my heart

All this time
All this time
All this time
And you on my mind

I feel like the wind just came and blew all the crumbs away
I'm finally breaking it off with your memory

--Sarah Watkins

Lord, I want it all

"May all your expectations be frustrated.

May all your plans be thwarted.

May all your desires be withered into nothingness that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the compassion of God who is Father, Son, and Spirit.

Amen."

--Brennan Manning

Hope from Grey's Anatomy...

I will show you love like you've never loved before
I will go the distance and back for more if you just say the word
'Cause you will come alive again
Call the trying times your friend
Pain that you have suffered through
Never get the best of you
You will hope in something real
Won't depend on how you feel
When you call my name, then I will answer, answer

Cause I am on your side
Though the wind and waves
Beat against your faith
You were on my mind
When the world was made
Trust in me my child
Trust in me my child

Walk out on the water
You have no control
Scared of every failure
Sacrifice your soul, please let that go

Cause you have climbed an uphill road
You have worn a heavy load
You have cried through endless nights
Nearly giving up the fight
Watch your dreams like fallen stars
Heartache made you who you are
Looking back you see that I've always been there

Cause I am on your side
Though the wind and waves
Beat against your faith
You were on my mind
When the world was made
Trust in me my child
Trust in me my child

Where you gonna hide, where you gonna hide from me?
Where you gonna go, where you gonna go that I can't see?

Cause I have heard your cry
And it breaks my heart, for I love you so
I will never lie
This is not the end
There is still a hope

Cause I am on your side
Though the wind and waves
Beat against your faith
You were on my mind
When the world was made
Trust in me my child
Trust in me my child

-Kendall Payne

A Chance to Die

Reaching, always reaching
Never reaching solid ground
Seeking, always seeking
Never seeking what I've found

Hey, baptize my mind
Hey, baptize my eyes
Hey, baptize my mind
For these seeds to give birth to life
First they must die

Both my hands are filled with guilt
Be my absolution
Both my eyes are blind with filth
Be my absolution

Hey, baptize my mind
Hey, baptize my eyes
Hey, baptize my mind
For these seeds to give birth to life
First they must die
--Jon Foreman

It's time for a new year...

the battle line is drawn, it's all in black and white
hope is pulling forward and fear from behind
it's time

it's time to make a move, so what will you decide
the clock is ticking on, don't let it pass you by
it's time
it's time

the time is now for lifting souls
the time is now for letting go
from your skin to your core
let light and love come rushing through the door

you learned every song, memorized the verse
took the bread and wine and even bought the shirt
it's time

it's time to hold your shield, it's time to draw your sword
let's be the resistance, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord
it's time
it's time

the time is now for lifting souls
the time is now for letting go
from your skin to your core
let light and love come rushing through the door

it's time to make a stand
to put your heart in greater hands
from your skin to your core
let light and love come rushing through the door

sisters, brothers, thieves and lovers
come uncover eternity
turn your faces from finite places
Heaven's grace will set you free

--Phil Wickham

Just do it

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest people may cheat you; be honest anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the end, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway."

-Mother Theresa