taste and see

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

please note that this verse says 'that', not 'if'. once you have tasted, there is no choice. the LORD IS good. this is an absolute truth, not a preference thing. God, whose glory extends beyond time, and beyond the scope of our minds and imaginations, IS good, and what you feel about that doesn't make a speck of difference in the matter. to those who believe that they have tasted and found that God was not good.... all I can say is that you must not have truly tasted. there must have been something sinful, something of the flesh that you were keeping between you and the God. and I earnestly pray that you would truly taste and experience the LORD, for you will find that He is good. it is simply impossible to find otherwise. God is good beyond our experiences and our world, and just because you may have had a bad time in life DOES NOT mean that God is not good.

I know personally, that there are certainly times when you've got to work at it, but I can also tell you, without a doubt, that when you have tasted the LORD and found shelter in Him, there is NOTHING that can compare.

bless you, friends.
~em

Turning criticism into prayer

I read this post a while ago when it was first written and it stuck with me. And I realized that I do this a lot. I started to write a post about this and then just decided to reblog Kristen's. She put it so wonderfully.

I have a problem. So it turns out it's a bit of a pride and judging kinda problem. It turns out that I am kind of {like really} proud of being 'capable' and 'efficient' and that's not exactly a great thing. And when I see people not being 'capable' or 'efficient' I can begin to look down at them and judge. But God has been showing me that that is not the appropriate response. Prayer is, both for myself, and them. (but I've got to be careful how I pray... because who said being capable and efficient was necessarily a good thing either?)

Anyways, here's what Kristen wrote :)

 

it's the miracle {of the moment}

right now I'm feelin like this song is almost the epitome of my "one word" for this year.

And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about

And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go

So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss
The miracle of the moment

read those lyrics - I believe that every one of those words is true. and I want to live like it!
today, don't forget that each moment is a miracle. embrace it, live in wonder of it. thank the LORD for it!

blessings upon your day!
love em