THINGS AROUND

I like giving.

I need a little reminder on how awesome Rich’s music was

—-

ELIJAH - Rich Mullins

The Jordan is waiting for me to cross through 
My heart is aging I can tell 
So Lord, I’m begging for one last favor from You 
Here’s my heart take it where You will 

This life has shown me how we’re mended and how we’re torn 
How it’s okay to be lonely as long as you’re free 
Sometimes my ground was stoney 
And sometimes covered up with thorns 
And only You could make it what it had to be 
And now that it’s done 
Well if they dressed me like a pauper 
Or if they dined me like a prince 
If they lay me with my fathers 
Or if my ashes scatter on the wind 
I don’t care 

But when I leave I want to go out like Elijah 
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire 
And when I look back on the stars 
It’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park 
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye 

There’s people been friendly, but they’d never be your friends 
Sometimes this has bent me to the ground 
Now that this is all ending 
I want to hear some music once again 
‘Cause it’s the finest thing that I have ever found 

But the Jordan is waiting 
Though I ain’t never seen the other side 
Still they say you can’t take in the things you have here 
So on the road to salvation 
I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride 
And His music is already falling on my ears 

There’s people been talking 
They say they’re worried about my soul 
Well, I’m here to tell you I’ll keep rocking 
‘Til I’m sure it’s my time to roll 
And when I do 

When I leave I want to go out like Elijah 
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire 
And when I look back on the stars 
It’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park 
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye 

‘Cause when I leave I want to go out like Elijah 
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire 
And when I look back on the stars 
It’ll be like a candlelight in Central Park 
And it won’t break my heart to say goodbye

Living With Disability : 13 Reasons For Hope

By : Jonathan Parnell

Disability is real and difficult. This is true. The recent “Works of God” conference featured several voices who met in agreement on this point. But they also agreed that God is sovereign and good.

This truth was seen most vividly in Krista Horning’s unforgettable testimony. While each message expounded key biblical texts and their relevance to disability, Krista modeled it as she described what God says to her over and against the lies of disability.

She shared, from memory, 13 beautiful things God tells her:

1. God tells me he is in control of everything, even my disability (Exodus 4:11).
2. God tells me I’m not alone (Isaiah 43:1–3).
3. God tells me he will always help me (Psalm 121:1–8).
4. God tells me he has called me for his purpose (Romans 8:28).
5. God tells me nothing in this world is better than knowing him (Philippians 3:8–11, 14; 1 Samuel 16:7).
6. God tells me he gave his only Son for my sins(Isaiah 53:3–5).
7. God tells me he has a good plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11).
8. God tells me he is changing me to be more like him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
9. God tells me nothing can separate me from his love (Romans 8:38–39).
10. God tells me his grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
11. God tells me I have hope (Romans 5:3–4, 8).
12. God tells me he is good (Psalm 34:8).
13. God tells me that this life is short, but I’ll live forever with him (2 Corinthians 4:7,16–18).

(source : desiringgod.org)

The Story of Ian and Larissa

LOVE IS A GOOD THING

—-

Love is a good thing.

Yes it is.

But this is a different kind of love.

Different than a love between lovers,

different than a love between husband and wife (til death do us part),

different than a love between a mother and her child.

This love means more than that.

This love will take everything that you have.

I mean literally everything. 

This love will stripped you off from everything that you are or everything that you think you are.

And you’ll probably be left completely naked, helpless, without any strength left.

But it doesn’t stop there.

This love will give you something else in return.

Something better.

Something worth more than your own life. 

Something that lasts forever.

This love will give you Jesus Himself.

The Son of God, The Father.

He is God Himself.

God of the universe.

Our Creator.

And He wants to have a relationship with us.

Yes us! 

Us.

A vapor. Dust. Nothing.

Yet He (Almighty God, Alpha and Omega) wants us.

That’s crazy! 

And it would be crazier if you don’t want Him!

What’s more great than God Himself?

Wealth? Health? Happy family? Great job? 

Nothing compares to His love.

Why do we care so much about the gifts when we can have the Giver Himself?

Yes, love is a good thing.

But this is a different kind of love.

This is a love that will last forever.

And nothing can separate us from this love.

³⁵ What will separate us from the love Christ has for us? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or violent death separate us from his love? ³⁶ As Scripture says:

    “We are being killed all day long because of you.
    We are thought of as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties. ³⁸ I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces ³⁹ or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.

Romans 8 : 35-39

—-

It knocked me down, it dragged me out, it left me there for dead.

It took all the freedom I wanted and gave me something else instead.

It blew my mind, it bled me dry, it hit me like a long goodbye, and nobody here knows better than I that it’s a good thing.


Love is a good thing. It’ll fall like rain on your parade, laugh at the plans that you tried to make, it’ll wear you down till your heart just breaks and it’s a good thing.

Love is a good thing.


It’ll wake you up in the middle of the night, it’ll take just a little too much.

It’ll burn you like a cinder till you’re tender to the touch.

It’ll chase you down, swallow you whole, it’ll make your blood run hot and cold.

Like a thief in the night it’ll steal your soul, and that’s a good thing.

Love is a good thing. It’ll follow you down to the ruin of your great divide, and open the wounds that you tried to hide.

And there in the rubble of the heart that died you’ll find a good thing.

Love is a good thing.


Take cover, the end is near. Take cover, but do not fear.

It’ll break your will, it’ll change your mind, it’ll loose all the chains of the ties that bind.

If you’re lucky you’ll never make it out alive, and that’s a good thing.

Love is a good thing.

It can hurt like a blast from a hand grenade when all that used to matter is blown away.

There in the middle of the mess it made you’ll find a good thing.

Yes, it’s worth every penny of the price you paid. It’s a good thing.
Love is a good thing.

Do not fear.

HOSANNA 

—-

Hosanna could both mean, ”Save, please!” a cry to God for help, and “Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come.” (source)

The lyrics in the first part of this song depicts our condition when we are still living in our sins. We didn’t know Jesus back then or we knew Him but we didn’t love Him. We just kept swimming around in our own mess. We’re hopeless and therefore, the term Hosanna here means, “Save, please!”.

Save us, Lord! We can’t do this on our own! We are trapped in our sinful nature and we hated You and Your laws!

But the second part depicts a condition when we accept Jesus and His grace and His mercy. And by His blood, He washes us away from our sins. We live in His grace. We fell in love with Him. And we’re made righteous in front of our Father in heaven who’s now has His approval for us because the blood of His Son has purified us. His wrath and punishment that we’re supposed to receive (because of our sins) has already poured on His OWN Son when He was tortured, persecuted, mocked, crucified and even died (eventhough He’s innocent) on the cross. But on the 3rd day He’s risen. He is our saviour. And all authorities in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Therefore in this part, the term Hosanna means, “Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come.”

Hosanna to the Son of David!

The Son of David is our salvation! Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!

—-

I am tangled up in contradiction
I am strangled by my own two hands
I am hunted by the hounds of addiction
Hosanna

I have lied to everyone who trusts me
I have tried to fall when I could stand
I have only loved the ones who love me
Hosanna

Oh, Hosanna
See the long awaited king
Come to set his people free
Oh, Hosanna
Come and tear the temple down
Raise it up on holy ground
Hosanna

I have struggled to remove this raiment
Tried to hide every shimmering strand
I contend with these ghosts and these hosts of bright angels
Hosanna
I have cursed the man that you have made me
I have nursed the beast that bays for my blood
I have run from the one who would save me
Hosanna

Oh, Hosanna
See the long awaited king
Come to set his people free
Oh, Hosanna
Come and tear the temple down
Raise it up on holy ground
Hosanna

We cry for blood
We take your life
Hosanna
We cry for blood
We take your life
It is blood and it is life that you have given

You have crushed beneath your heel the vile serpent
You have carried to the grave the black stain
You have torn apart the temple’s holy curtain
You have beaten death at death’s own game
Hosanna

Hail the long awaited king
Come to set his people free
(We cry) Oh, Hosanna
Come and tear this temple down
Raise it up on holy ground
Oh, Hosanna
I will lift my voice and sing
You have come and washed me clean
Hosanna