I just viewed and thoroughly was blessed by a worship video posted on YouTube. I am including the link so you can check it out and be blessed!

(Please allow the following YouTube link to open and wait until a brief introduction/ad plays....THEN be blessed by this Korean Worship Team) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMNQg3qzqL8#watch-main-area

For many years, I have been worshipping the Lord in song and dance. Periods of the last 20 years I have spent in various churches that place a great emphasis on expressive worship. During those time periods and in those church families, I have enjoyed a freedom in worship that some may not understand nor have experienced, but for me, the worship and adoration of my Lord has been very rich and intimate. There is nothing more refreshing and powerful than extended periods of deep, intimate worship of Christ! I can't even IMAGINE what heaven will be like!

If you love to worship the Lord, as I do, with music and movement, you will be blessed by this beautiful presentation of worship. Be blessed!

"Let them praise His name with the dance;

let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp."

Psalm 149:3 NKJV

Sitting at my desk I am looking over some of the odds and ends and bits of paper and notes that surround me! It seems that any time God speaks profoundly to me I simply MUST put it in writing and tape it or lay it some place of prominence! Many places throughout my home I have little post-it notes, taped messages from God to me and more.

Just now I looked at a tattered strip of paper with the scripture from 2 Timothy 1:7. I can recall the very time in my life when God gave me this verse as a powerful encouragement to press on! In the King James version, the scripture reads,

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

When I am feeling confused or 'wishy-washy'...this scripture reminds me of how I am made and just how God has equipped me and wants me to serve Him!

NO FEAR but...

POWER

LOVE

and

SOUNDNESS OF MIND.

Off the top of my head....or shall I say, from the bottom of my heart....I'm sharing what the Lord impressed on me this morning.

As I am reading through the Bible yet again, I am currently reading about the reign of David in the book of 2 Samuel. Today I spent quite a bit of time in chapter 15. As I read this chapter, the Holy Spirit immediately spoke to me about the attributes of a heart of a SERVANT.

I quickly realized that I am nearly CLUELESS when it comes to knowing the life or heart of a true SERVANT. As I pondered, I realized that during this time in history a servant was completely at the total mercy of his master. So often in scripture we can read of the foolishness or disobedience of a servant and the dire consequences that follow those selfish choices. EXECUTION often followed. What seem to me, as I read these accounts, to be insignificant or often minor acts of disrespect or lies or disloyalty, are actually very MAJOR indications of a heart that is bent toward insubordination, selfishness and disloyalty, all traits that can not be tolerated or allowed if a person is to be fully under the authority of another.

As a nanny, I often find myself asking my three young charges, "Who's in charge?" My intent is to teach the children respect for authority and to help them learn submission and the need to follow rules. I have learned over the years (of raising my own children and seeing other examples) that if the authority allows the breaking down of respect and obedience, TROUBLE is not far behind.

It is essential to learn to respect and honor authority....as God teaches. The heart of a true SERVANT captures and exemplifies this principle and position of authority and submission. God has not ordered a true Godly authority to be harsh or cruel or unfair, but God's example of authority is JUST along with attributes of mercy, love, compassion, honesty and goodness. Subjection and submission to a Master who reigns and rules like God does should be entered into with great humility, gratitude and thanksgiving, even joy. To be under the leadership and rule of One who cares and loves us more than we can imagine is to be truly FREE. (Odd, that we are looking at the heart of a servant, yet talking about FREEDOM. Paul teaches about this very concept throughout many of his letters in the New Testament.)

Two examples that jumped out at me during today's reading were verse 15 of 2 Samuel 15 and verse 21 of the same chapter.

Verse 15 - "And the king's servants said to the king, "We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands."

Verse 21 - "But Ittai answered the king and said, "As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be."

Wow.....talk about the heart of a servant! If my own heart were even CLOSE to this complete devotion to the Lord as the examples in 2 Samuel! I would also be ready at every moment to greet life or death, joy or trials, comfort or hardship with total abandonment and submission and obedience to God's will and ways! That is my prayer....

"O Lord, give me a servant's heart to love and serve YOU more and more like You desire and teach us".

Hey blogging friends.... anyone wonder where I've been?

Truth be told, I spend what little internet time I have checking email and visiting Facebook! Seems I have little time to write blog entries. Another factor is that my days here in Maine, as I continue my job as a full time nanny, focus pretty much on my three young charges and daily life at camp. To honor my employer's request to keep "camp" life discreet and non-public, I do not post photos or camp happenings on my blog or elsewhere....so that leaves little else in my life to post about! :)

Well, I'm not entirely immersed in work ALONE...I do have other interests and activities...so perhaps the greater deterrant is the lack of internet accessibility! If any of you blog, you know that writing a post isn't always quick and easy....it takes thought and time....and these days...I'm just plum short on both!

I've been working on completing (now in editing phase) the material I have compiled for Nursing Home (or other) Visitation Ministry. This project has been years in the making and takes a big chunk of my time. I love doing this and I'm following what God laid out for me to do....so I am not complaining....just explaining where I've been and why no posts!

My life is full and rich and God-centered and I really would have it no other way! Sometimes I get weary and SELF-centered....but it's then when I have to press on and dig in and be the woman God wants me to be! Hope you all are blessed and experiencing God's Presence and Power today!

This morning in my devotions the Holy Spirit brought a word to my mind.

OASIS
o·a·sis (-ss) NOUN: pl. o·a·ses (-sz)

1. A fertile or green spot in a desert or wasteland, made so by the presence of water.
2. A situation or place preserved from surrounding unpleasantness; a refuge: an oasis of serenity amid chaos.

I awoke about 5 a.m. this morning and literally had to FIGHT my flesh to drag my self out of bed. I knew that I was awakened to pray and spend time with the Lord, since I had this very issue on my mind the previous day. Knowing I had fallen asleep sometime after midnight, I was convinced that I needed more sleep, although truthfully, I felt rested and wide awake! It was a struggle for a few moments as today is a day off work for me, and on top of that, the Maine rain was falling very softly on the trees outside my open window. It was the kind of morning when you want to linger in bed, snug under the covers, for just a while longer! However, I pressed through and, in an effort to honor and obey my Father, I got out of bed.

During my time with the Lord this morning, I was praying about my life and this day that lies before me. Knowing that TODAY or even this very moment is really all that I have to give the Lord, I was seeking the Lord's wisdom regarding "making my life count". I have learned that while it is God who leads and controls my life, it is ultimately ME who makes the choice to obey and follow or to turn aside and serve my own agenda for the day and each moment. Seeking the Lord's direction on a deeper level, is when the word OASIS came to my mind. As I listened, the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying that my life, particularly this summer, is to be an OASIS where HE can abide and dwell so that others may find His refreshment, rest and peace. The Holy Spirit reminded me that all I really need to do is remain connected to The Vine (Christ) and to be pure and holy and USABLE for His glory. It is GOD who will be doing the refreshing and nurturing in the lives of others. My role is to point others to Him and to be His temple where He may dwell!

Just thought I'd share this instruction with any readers who happen onto this blog. Feel free to keep me accountable and 'check up' on this new mission that the Lord gave me for the summer! I will definitely be doing more praying and studying about this new purpose and direction and it will be exciting to see just what God does during the next months! May HE be praised and glorified in all things!