SONGS ON SUNDAYS: BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL Matt Redman 18.5.14

Welcome to Songs on Sundays!
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Singing praise to the Lord today
and speaking of ADONAI's wonders ~
in the midst of the loss of my cousin
who passed away Monday 12th May ~
it is nothing but his gain !
To be free of his lost health
now fully restored gives me cause to sing 
and wonder at the goodness of God!
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Join us in lifting a Song this Sunday
that shares your praise or comfort ~
your lament if that is where you are in your life journey...
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You're most welcome to share who
and where you are each week.
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My choice for soundtracking this week seems
appropriate,

Matt Redman's 10,000 Reasons !
BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!
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Be sure to leave your video links

in comments so we can find you. Include

a link back to #SongsonSundays 

[using the top or sidebar banner works well]

Thanks for sharing the blessings!

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Find and follow FHC online:
@_eHope - Goodreads - Facebook - 
- Pinterest - GFC  -  bottom of page
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* SHARING AT ~
-SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS-

Prayer, Wonder, Transformation #LiveWonderstruck

When we choose to faithfully pray for wonder, we can’t remain the same.

A challenge from Margaret Feinberg, author of
Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God

A prayer for wonder invites God to begin transforming us from the inside out.[Tweet this]

When we pray for wonder and live eyes wide open to wonder,
the tone and tenacity with which we live our lives changes.
We become expectant to catch glimpses of God in ways we’ve never seen Him before.
We begin dismissing mere chance and embracing divine appointments.

Some people live as if they’re looking for Satan under every bush.

I’ve always thought:
Why spend time looking for an enemy
when you could live your life in hot pursuit of the Savior? [Tweet this]

Praying for wonder invites you to turn your eyes on God.
A prayer for wonder invites you to look for God under, in, and behind every bush. [Tweet this]

A prayer for wonder puts you on high alert for God and His handiwork
and join to God in the great plan of redemption He’s unfolding
throughout the earth. [Tweet this]

The truth is, praying for wonder will change you. Forever.
And that’s a good thing.

Join me in praying for wonder today - praying that God will transform us. Praying that we will experience and find God in all we do, everyday! 

Praying God's intended blessings on you as you pray !

{and #livewonderstruck}

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LInked with more inspy at Pamela's Sheltering Tree 

And so Lent Begins... 13.02.13

 The LORD is like a father to his children,

tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

For he knows how weak we are;

he remembers we are only dust.

Psalm 103:13-14

We begin our 6 week journey through Lent,

a season to prepare for a deeper experience

of the passion and resurrection of Jesus,

with the acknowledgement of and reflection upon our own mortality.

"Ash Wednesday worship is the chance for us all to openly acknowledge our frailty and sinfulness. 

On Ash Wednesday we are faced with our imperfections. 

We all bear the mark of sin... We all stand guilty before a holy God. 

We all are mortal and will someday experience bodily death. 

Thus we all need a Saviour."  

And that is the good news we anticipate as we journey toward Easter.

 On Ash Wednesday

We can admit our own mortality.

We can talk openly about the limits of this life. Why?

Because through Christ we have entered into life eternal,

 fullness of life that will not end when our bodies give out.

The emotional result of Ash Wednesday observance isn't depression or gloom,

but gratitude and new energy for living.

When we realize how desperately we need God,

and how God is faithful far beyond our desperation,

we can't help but offer our lives to him in fresh gratitude.

And when we recognize that life doesn't go on forever,

then we find wonder anew to delight in the gifts of each and every day,

and to take none of them for granted... 

 Ashes are placed on our foreheads

as a reminder of our mortality and sinfulness.

The person who imposes the ashes quotes something like

what God once said to Adam after he had sinned:

 "You are dust, and to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19).

This is the bad news of our sinfulness that prepares us to receive

the good news of forgiveness in Christ.

May I inspirit you with this final thought ? ~ 

"How grateful I am for the grace of God that allows us to stare death in the face

so we can live with greater wonder and delight!

How thankful I am for a day that grants us permission to think about death

so we can cherish life even more."

Let's live in Wonder on This Lenten Journey ...

  

Let's #LiveWonderstruck

 

_eHope on Twitter

A Year to Live in Wonder #LiveWonderstruck

 Invitation from author, Margaret Feinberg:
Reflecting on the  21 Days of Wonder journey is a little overwhelming.

Am so thankful for the ways God showed up- every single day.

And, am so thankful for YOU and everything that you shared along the way.

The community that formed leaves me… well… wonderstruck.

We encouraged each other. We prayed for each other. We giggled with each other. And, we celebrated. Lots!

God unleashed his wonder in amazing ways.

The day we shared our three word prayers moved me to tears.

The day we all posted sunsets (even in rain and crazy weather) made me feel like we were part of a team determined to appreciate wonder across the world.

The day we shared our favorite music and I got so inspired by artists I’d never even heard of but now love.

The end of the journey was really bittersweet. I was thankful to have gone down the path with old friends and new friends. But, I didn’t want to loose the amazing community that had sprung up, seemingly overnight, determined to appreciate wonder in the smallest of details.

But, one of the most amazing things about wonder is that it’s not just confined to 21 Days. Now that we know where to look, we can find wonder in every circumstance. 

Let’s continue! Let’s declare 2013 the Year of Wonder! [Tweet this]

We’re inviting you to share how you are experiencing and seeing the wonder of God in 2013. It could be God working in your life. Or, in someone else’s. Take a picture. Write a blog post. Share on your facebook. Create a Pinterest. Tweet. Post as you feel inspired, but know that each time you post using the hashtag #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK we’re more likely to see it and it’s another chance to win some great gifts.

We’re going to be scouring the internet looking for people who are choosing to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK every day.

On the first day of each month, beginning February 1st throughout all of 2013, we’re going to be picking someone who is living wonderstruck to receive a $50 AMEX Gift Card.  This month’s winner is: Philip Shimer.

At the end of the year, we’re going to pick one person who has lived wonderstruck to receive a Grand Prize. The Grand Prize is a surprise for now, but let’s just say it’s something that will inspire wonder in an amazing way.

Ask God to unleash His wonder in your life like you’ve never experienced it before during 2013. Now live today expectant for how God is going to answer. [Tweet this]

How to chronicle your #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK moments in 2013? 

**For me?  Pinterest Journalling my responses HERE reveals what makes me #LiveWonderstruck

Actually, any way that works best for you:

• Post on Facebook: Tag posts using @Margaret Feinberg, so we can see and share in the joy of experiencing God’s wonder.
• Post on Twitter: Use hashtag #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK.
• Post on Instagram: Post a photo of how God is astounding you with His wonder, hashtag #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK.
• Post on your blog or website: Send the link to wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com
• Keep a Wonderstruck Journal: The Wonderstruck Workbook includes extra space for writing how God is wowing you with His wonders.
• Grab a few friends and take a walk with Margaret. Don’t worry– the trail is accessible to all. Pick up a copy of Wonderstruck 7-Session DVD Bible Study Kit and explore the wonders of God as found in the Scripture together. Click here to buy.
  

With each page of Wonderstruck, may you discover another facet of God’s character, feel the soft pinch of His presence, and step back in astonishment at the One who holds you. 

So cup your hands in prayer. Scrunch your face against the vault of heaven in childlike expectation. As you pray for wonder, may you be wonderstruck. 

May you fall in love anew with a mysterious and wonder-filled God.

And, if you haven’t ordered your copy of Wonderstruck yet, it’s not too late! Pick up a copy today from Amazon, here.

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Don’t let the wonder stop there. Join us as we explore the wonder of Scripture during Lent. Click here to download the free Wonderstruck by Scripture: 40 Day Bible Reading Guide.

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20th Day of Wonder: 'Meaning' insight to #LiveWonderstruck

From Wonderstruck author, Margaret Feinberg:

Though we are given names before or shortly after we emerge from the womb,
our names are often reflections of who God has created us to be
or the work God wants to do in our lives. [Tweet this]

 Do you know the meaning of your name? [Tweet this]

If not, take a moment to search for the meaning of your name online.
Then spend ten minutes prayerfully reflecting on how God has demonstrated his love
and goodness in the meaning of your name
as well as who he has called and created you to be.
Take time to reflect on the wonder of God’s plan and provision for you.

Wonder Challenge:
 Share with everyone what your name means or the story behind your name!
Post, tweet, pin or blog and make sure
to include the hashtag #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK. 

   Tomorrow: LISTEN                                                               

Throughout the years I have pursued the meaning of my name
 through various books and resources and
have been pleased to know of its worth to me.
My appreciation of my parents for choosing such a name increased
once I discovered its value.
But for today's research into wonder, I was now equipped with the internet.
And what a valuable resource it has proven to be.
I am overwhelmed with wonder at what I've discovered for my name,
Sharon-Rose....

Sharon   

Even though in our present culture the name Sharon is a popular name for girls,
in the Bible it only occurs as the name of two separate regions:
one is a pasture land east of the Jordan occupied by the sons of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:16),
the other is the plain that covered much of the north coast of Israel (1 Chronicles 27:29).
The famous phrase "I am the Rose of Sharon," is exclaimed by the bride
of the Song Of Solomon (Song of Solomon 2:1 - see note below).
The only other book in the Bible in which the name Sharon occurs
 is Isaiah (33:9, 35:2 and 65:10).

The name Sharon is spelled identical to the word

   (shiryan), meaning 'body armor '

(1 Kings 22:34, Nehemiah 4:16). The prophet Isaiah uses the
body armor as metaphor for ' righteousness' (Isaiah 59:17)

The word for body armor comes from the root

   (shrh), but this word isn't used in the Bible, so we don't know what it might have meant. It's part of a series of identical roots that are all too rare to do anything with. Root  (shrh) is unused but yields the noun   (shyrya), denoting some kind of weapon, most probably a ballastic one (Job 41:26).  Root   (shrh) is also unused but yields the noun   (mishra), meaning juice (Numbers 6:3). 

Finally the root   (shara) is a verb that means to let loose or release, 

and is used in Job 37:3 and Jeremiah 15:11.

A completely different approach is favored by NOBS Study Bible Name List, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names and even BDB Theological Dictionary which reports that the famous theologian Gesenius "plausibly connected" the name Sharon to the verb

   (yashar), meaning to be level or straight. This verb commonly and quite frequently in Scriptures denotes compliance to a moral or ethical standard; just, law-abiding.
Most derivatives of that verb have to do with just that, except the noun   (mishor),
which means level place or plain (Isaiah 40:4, Jeremiah 21:13).

For a meaning of the name Sharon, NOBS reads

 Plain and Jones reads A Great Plain. But to a Hebrew audience, especially a Hebrew audience that never heard of the famous theologian Gesenius, the name Sharon sounded like Body Armor. 

Other names taken from the verb

   are Asshur, Jashar, Jesharelah,Jesher, Jeshurun and Sharon.  

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Note on 'Rose of Sharon':

In the Song of Solomon the bride of the story calls out something that is traditionally translated with "I am the rose of Sharon," (2:1) but 'rose' is not correct.

The word is

   (habasselet) and denotes a crocus or meadow saffron. But the nod towards the actual plant is eclipsed by the wonderful way this word may fall apart to a creative audience:

 (habab) is a rare word, used only once in the Bible (Deuteronomy 33:3).
It means love in the sense of the love that God feels for the people.
A derivation is the word   (hob), a rare word meaning bosom (Job 31:33).

 (salal) means to grow dark and derivation   (sel) means shadow.

The word that indicates this flower seems to mean
literally 'Overshadowed By God's Love.'

I am overwhelmed with the wonder of God at this revelation of meaning
 for my past, my present, my future.  My heart and life...

It has brought untold understanding.

How can  I do other than #LiveWonderstruck? 

Other search results revealed further shades of meaning :

Sharon is a name of Hebrew origin meaning, "princess, the one who laughs",
has a glowing personality, is contented with her life and
one who inspires others to succeed.

Sharon is a blessed name and a name of peace and serenity

 The site I used for the above full Hebrew meaning is HERE

Definitely worth pursuing if you want to know much more than surface interpretations of names.

Looking forward to learning more about yourself?
Your destiny?
God's heart and call for your life?
Enjoy this avenue in the pursuit of Wonder...
#LiveWonderstruck 

Yes! For everyone who’s been asking, there is a Wonderstruck workbook. 

Here’s the link:http://mar.cta.gs/05l  awaken to the wonders of God all around.
Learn more, here.

. Click here to sign up and receive a bonus eBook: Wonderstruck by Jesus Christ.

21 Days of Wonder Day 17: GOD #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

Wondrous delight is found in the presence of God. [Tweet this] 

With a blank sheet of paper and pen in hand, along with a Bible nearby,
begin making a list of the characteristics of God. 
Write down various names for God. Record attributes of God.
List promises of God.
Then spend some time thanking God simply for who he is and
offering words of adoration to him.

The wonder of God’s presence awaits you.

Wonder Challenge: What’s the attribute of God or promise that you appreciate most?
 Give a shout out to God online—through Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or your blog—
about the facet of God’s character or a promise that is stirring your heart.

Some of Who GOD is to me ... 
and I #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

Add #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK to your post to
connect with others on this journey of wonder!
I Photopost Wonder on a  #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK board at Pinterest
I would love to see you there!
or tweet with me @_eHope

Examples of God’s attributes:  Holy, Righteous, Eternal, Truth, etc.

Example of post: God, thank you for being ________!

Tomorrow: RESTORE

Amazon still has some copies! Don’t wait to order Wonderstruck,
they’ve been going fast!  http://mar.cta.gs/05b

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It’s not too late to join the fun! Join us during the 21 Days of Wonder Challenge and
awaken to the wonders of God all around. Learn more, here.

Receive notifications for the 21 Days of Wonder in your inbox each day.
Click here to sign up and receive a bonus eBook: Wonderstruck by Jesus Christ.



Shared with Angie 

21 Days of Wonder: 'Rest' #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

From Margaret Feinberg:

*Apart from rest, we can sleep through the wonders of God. *

Though your schedule may be full, consider what you can do today to imbibe rest
as one of God’s greatest gifts.
Perhaps you can sneak in a catnap. Or allow your eyes to rest during the midafternoon.
Or climb into bed an hour early.
Look for a few minutes when you can just rest—
allowing your mind and body and emotions to recalibrate. 

Drink in rest to awaken more fully to the wonders of God all around. [Tweet this] 

Share with others what you experience through rest.

For me?  

Rest allows restoration.  Body, mind, spirit.
Renewal. Refreshment.
Balance and equanimity.
Living with the sound mind God offers rather than stress/worry.
Rest provides margin.  Room for Peace to increase.

Awareness of God's Presence.

And when God is present, all that God is, is present...

Love, Joy, because we know that it's in God's Presence there is 

fullness of joy!

Everything we need is Present.  God is I AM.

I AM = whatever you need. And God knows exactly what we need!

We just need to give time in God's Presence to receive.

To hear God's heart speaking Life into our heart.

HIGHLY recommended, I give 'Rest' a 5* rating!

source

Wonder Challenge: Whether you’re on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or your blog,
we’d love to know the answer to this question: When do you feel the deepest rest?
Make sure to include #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK so we can find you!

My response?
I feel the deepest rest when I'm tucked in close to
Father's heart.
Listening and hearing His heart for me.
Feeling His embrace...
That's where I
#LIVEWONDERSTRUCK

I #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK on Pinterest HERE

Tomorrow: GOD

Kindle version of Wonderstruck is now available for reduced price of $7.39 on Amazon. I love a great deal! Here’s the link: http://mar.cta.gs/053

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Take the 21 Days of Wonder Challenge and awaken to the wonders of God all around.
Learn more, here.

Click here to sign up and receive a bonus eBook: Wonderstruck by Jesus Christ.