Liz's Letters

Last night I was blessed to attend a very special worship service at my church...the celebration of The Village Church's latest CD. God of Victory CD was released yesterday and remarkably was ranked number 22 overall on iTunes...not in the Christian music genre - but overall . This is really cool, but not as cool as the wonderful way that God is glorified in this great blessing and the way that His love is being spread throughout the country, even the world through this CD. What humble talent I witness in the musicians that lead worship where I worship. Some of these songs, you may recognize, some of them, you won't. One is a big hit on the radio right now and our gifted Michael Bleeker's name is credited; along with a well-known singer, song-writer. I giggle, because when I first heard Glorious Day on the radio, my thought was, "Hey...how are they singing a song from The Village Church?" ha ha! We had been singing it in our worship service for some time -...

Amy Grant came to a Flower Mound restaurant prior to the release of her most recent CD titled Somewhere Down the Road. Our local (Christian) radio station featured her live one morning and she played this song on the air, live. It touched my heart. I have looked forward to hearing it and singing along every time it comes on the radio or my iPod . Various situations and people enter my mind as I sing along. But this last week, it has become my prayer. The song has ministered to me and given me hope, joy, and reminded me - strongly - of God's presence. He was with my hubby when his airplane crashed. He was with me when I received that unnerving phone call and He is very here while we recover...physically, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally. Listen and praise the God who is always present, even when we are crying out in fear or pain.

God is relentless, that's for sure. He does not give up. I recently had to give my testimony (a requirement for membership at my church) and was again amazed at the amount of time it took me to turn my life over to Christ. I was 25 years old, but I had 3 really good friends sharing with me and praying for me...for 5 years! Currently, God has been relentless in pursuing parts of me that I have been reluctant to give to Him. Attitudes. Relationships. Pride. Anger. But He gently moves, day after day, moment after moment, until finally, I am surrendered to Him. From 1999 until 2008, He had me on a persistent journey. It was rough and I held onto things - people - because I was afraid to be without them. God, however, knew He had better plans for me. I was involved in situations that were damaging to my health, relationships that were tearing me up with abuse and co-dependency, and living in a place that looked remarkably like a pit. Not that life was all bad because it wasn...

Last night, this man, Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, serenaded me and my friend, Tricia! I have always loved his voice. The show was great! He was fantastic!

I love music. It speaks to me, ministers to me, and moves me. I know that music isn't the ONLY form of music, but in my heart, it is one of the top means by which I feel awed and connected to my God. This song does it for me every time. I just wanted to share. Blessings to you my dear family and friends, ~Liz

My prayer this past summer has been that God would be my Everything. There is much in my life to be grateful for and He blesses me each and every day. But, there is a hole in me that can only be filled by Him. I try, sometimes, to fill that hole with other relationships, with activities, with things that leave me feeling empty and confused. We have been singing this song a lot in worship at my church so it has become special to me. My prayer and my song to my God. Happy Labor Day God in my living There in my breathing God in my waking God in my sleeping God in my resting There in my working God in my thinking God in my speaking Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything God in my hoping There in my dreaming God in my watching God in my waiting God in my laughing There in my weeping God in my hurting God in my healing Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory You are everything Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory Be ...

Another way that God is good... I love this song and have loved it since the first day I heard it on the Newsboys Adoration CD several years ago. This past weekend it took on new meaning in my life. The song goes beyond the surface and touches the depths of who we are in Christ. It expresses who Christ is to me and who I am to Him. My theme song for this season.... In Christ Alone In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteo...

For my birthday last year, my best friend who recently ended our friendship, sent me a CD. It is the new Lifehouse CD, Who We Are and she bought it because we both enjoy the band. We had gone to hear them in concert one spring where we stood in the pouring rain, under a blanket, throughout most of the concert. It was hilariously fun and something that I know I will never forget. In February, when I was so angry with her, I threw the CD out of my car in a catharsis because it was such a gift of love and I was in such pain, I couldn't bear to hear it. I did go back and retrieve it and then I put it away for a while. Recently though, I started listening to it again. Knowing the song that is playing often on the radio, Whatever It Takes, I suspected that I might be opening myself up to painful feelings, but I also know I must walk through them. Just that song itself tells the story of what I would say to her if she would give me the chance. The chorus says it all: I'll do whatever...