Music Monday - 20081020

Another week of Fall... Ah! The smell of fireplaces and the sound of football. The explosion of color and the cool crisp air. I absolutely love this time of year. This weekend was a busy one. I was able to get the trenches for the deck support beams finished as well as the cement poured for the posts. I will need to make yet another trip to Lowes, but this time to make a return, and pick up some gravel to put around the beams to help prevent rot. But progress was made! \o/ This morning i got back to the gym for the first time in seventeen days. :/ That too felt good, but there are other things that have my beloved almost wrapped up in knots. :( I am unable to help her see through these trials of late. As I pondered this over the weekend i finally relied that her sense of peace does not come from me ultimately. It comes from our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have been failing her in trying to lead her in my own strength, and not through prayer. :( I will be working on this one... For some time i have pondered my salvation. I mean, i am a fairly intelligent guy (and i don't mean that in a boastful way) and i can recite passages out of the Bible, i can participate in a Bible study. But i still found myself wondering... when the day comes... will i be on the right, or the left. Will i be welcomed into the wedding feast or be left standing on the doorstep where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. God is no respecter of persons. My deeds and abilities are not what determines whether i will be welcomed in. And i struggle with sin. Anger, selfishness, pride. I often fail not only my Lord, but my beloved, my family, my friends, my church. I know my acceptance is not based on my own works, but on what Christ accomplished on the cross. This morning it was nice to run into a local Pastor at the gym, whom i had never met before. We had two brief conversations and he told me that he "knew" i was a believer. I asked him how he "knew", and he said "I'm not sure, maybe it was the Holy Spirit". Now, again, he is not the be all and end all determination of my entrance into heaven, but it was good to hear something like that. Ok, enough about me... my song for this week...

On My Cross FFH How wide is Your love That You would stretch Your arms And go around the world And why for me would a Savior's cry be heard I don't know Why You went where I was meant to go I don't know Why You love me so Those were my nails That was my crown That pierced Your hands and Your brow Those were my thorns Those were my scorns Those were my tears that fell down And just as You said it would be You did it all for me And after You counted the cost You took my shame, my blame On my cross How deep is Your grace That you could see my need And chose to take my place And then for me, these words I'd hear You say Father no Forgive them for they know not what they do I will go Because I love them so Those were my nails that was my crown that pierced your hands and your brow those were my thorns those were my scorns those were my tears that fell down and just as you said it would be you did it all for me and after you counted the cost you took my shame, my blame on my cross those were my nails that was my crown that pierced your hands and your brow those were my thorns those were my scorns those were my tears that feel down and just as u said it would be u did it all for me and after u counted the cost you took my shame my blame on my cross after u counted the cost u took my shame, my blame on my cross

The truth of it all is that this world is fleeting. We can never be 100% certain of anything except in God. Man will fail, friends will fail us, institutions, even organized religion can fail fail us - but in the end God endures. I may fail Him, but He never fails me. Verse for today: Ecclesiastes 3 : 9-15, ESV What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man.

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. [1]