You gotta face the clouds to find the silver lining

What Faith Can Do - Kutless (co-written by Scott Krippayne)

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

When it comes down to you

What are we fighting for? - Tyrone Wells

People get ready
There’s something in the air
Creeping in slow so we don’t even notice
Brothers and sisters beware

People get ready
Open up your eyes
Hatred and violence, millions fall silent
We don’t even hear their cries

It’s time to love one another, we’re sisters and brothers
What are we fighting for?
Too many backs that are breaking, lives being taken
What are we killing for?
I think it’s time for forgiveness, to rise up and end this
What are we waiting for?
Love teach us the way, to overcome hate
And weapons of war

People get ready
What’s your loaded gun?
Silent indifference
Hunger for vengeance
Or words from a wicked tongue

People get ready
Only you can choose
What you will do
When it comes down to you
No one else can walk in your shoes

It’s time to love one another, we’re sisters and brothers
What are we fighting for?
Too many backs that are breaking, lives being taken
What are we killing for?
I think it’s time for forgiveness, to rise up and end this
What are we waiting for?
Love teach us the way, to overcome hate
And weapons of war

Oh my Lord
I have a dream
Oh my Lord
One day we’ll see
Oh my Lord
All men be free
Oh my Lord
I still believe

People let's love one another, we’re sisters and brothers
What are we fighting for?
Too many backs that are breaking, lives being taken
What are we killing for?
I think it’s time for forgiveness, to rise up and end this
What are we waiting for?
Love teach us the way, to overcome hate
And weapons of war


Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina

When everything is falling apart...

My sponsored child, Rosita

My heart breaks for the people in Haiti who are suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake yesterday. I keep thinking about Rosita, my sponsored child through Compassion International. I know in my heart that she is ok. She does not live in Port-au-Prince. Likely the communities where Compassion works are more rural and are not affected by the earthquake. The preliminary reports we have gotten at World Vision are that none of our sponsored children or staff in the country were harmed in the earthquake. But this is an event that will dramatically affect this country for many years to come. As a World Vision employee who fielded phone calls and emails from donors and concerned child sponsors all day, I know that there is a huge amount of compassion out there. The outpouring of care and support we saw today was truly inspiring. This world has the capacity for great evil and destruction, but also for great compassion and love. I believe there is some strong spiritual warfare going on in the lives of people in Haiti, but know in the end love wins. God, I pray for Haiti. I pray that Your light overcomes the darkness in hearts and lives. Use this disaster as an opportunity to open Haiti's hearts to You, Father. Amen.

If you want to donate to the relief effort in Haiti, please visit www.worldvision.org and search "Haiti Earthquake Relief." Thank you for helping.

I heard this song on the radio on my way home from work tonight. A good reminder of simple truths.

Safe - Phil Wickham

To the one whose dreams are falling all apart
And all you're left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think you're on your own
But you're not all alone

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas?
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong He'll never let you go?
Oh you're not alone

You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms

Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you to rise?
So hear Him now He's calling you home
You will never be alone

These are the hands that built the mountains
The hands that calm the seas
These are the arms that hold the heavens
They are holding you and me

These are hands that healed the leper
Pulled the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to a cross
To break our chains and set us free

Love is the Way, the Truth, the Life

Every day this week, while driving in my car, the song, Until the Whole World Hears (Casting Crowns), has come on the radio. Every time. Just like last spring, when What Do I Know of Holy (Addison Road) came on every time I was driving. And in that case, God was definitely moving. So I'm thinking there's gotta be a reason for the current situation.

Lord, I want to feel Your heart
and see the world through Your eyes
I want to be Your hands and feet
I want to live a life that leads ...

I pray that they will see more of You and less of me
Lord, I want my life to be the song You sing ...

And as the day draws near
we'll sing until the whole world hears

There have been some other songs filtering in this week, as well. Often, while getting ready for work, I put my ipod on shuffle. I like to do that just to see what God will decide to play. Here's what I got on Monday: Beloved (Tenth Avenue North). I had never heard this song before, but the timing was impeccable.

Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need
Give Me your life

This one has also been on the radio and stuck in my head a lot this week: Love Never Fails (Brandon Heath). It goes well with what I have been reading and thinking about lately. Love, after all, matters the most ... Love never fails you ... Love always hopes ... Love still believes when you don't. Love is the Way, the Truth, the Life.

Today, Brittany, Katie, and I did department devos at work. The topic? Compassion - based on the words Bob Pierce prayed before he started World Vision: "Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God." Coincidentally - or not so, as the case may be - I was singing Hosanna last week. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me ... Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause. Something prompted me to ask my musician friend in Croatia if he knew where I could get a copy of the song in Croatian. He sent me the song and a video on YouTube of his band playing it in Croatian. Then we sang Hosanna at church on Sunday. In my life, I have become keenly aware that repeated themes have meaning. As I started taking note of the repetition, I started thinking about how I first became aware of the song. The first time I heard Hosanna was on the Hillsong album that I got after visiting Hillsong London. Which I only did because I was visiting friends in London who I met at ROM in Croatia the first year I went. And these were the same friends who prayed for me at the airport when I was on my way from Cape Town to Seattle because my mom was dying. At one point, I realized that the singer was Brooke Fraser, whose music has hugely impacted me. Her song, Albertine, in particular, God used to speak to me about my experiences in countries around the world - particularly in Eastern Europe. Now that I have seen, I am responsible. Faith without deeds is dead. ... I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been. And Abertine was the song played during department devos my first week at World Vision. I knew it was not a coincidence. It was God's way of making sure I knew He was paying attention and that He was being intentional. So, back to Hosanna: break my heart for what breaks Yours...

Last week, a few of us from the Correspondence Team were asked to speak for department devos today, on the topic of Compassion. Brittany shared about her experience of the procession to her husband's uncle's funeral (Kent Mundell, the Pierce County sheriff's deputy who was shot and killed while on duty in December), and how seeing the tears of people who didn't even know Kent made her want to show that kind of compassion to others. I shared about how my experience of losing my mom has made me more compassionate toward others who have experienced suffering, and how this showed me that God works through difficult experiences to transform lives. Katie shared about the compassion she learned by walking with her friend through the death of her boyfriend from cancer. Stories like these always remind me of Bring the Rain (MercyMe)

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You?
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Jesus never promised us that following Him would be easy. But I believe the cost is worth it. "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good." - Mr. Beaver in The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis). Love is the Way, the Truth, the Life.

And there is more to the story. My story. The context in which all of this is taking place: my recent experience at Urbana, and the many conversations and prayers that have ensued, as well as some other pivotal meetings coming up.

I can't help but wonder what God is doing in all of this. I KNOW He is doing something. He is orchestrating. He is shaking the puzzle pieces out of the box and beginning to put them in place. He is reminding me of where I have been and preparing me for where I am to go. I have a feeling I will be looking back at this point in time in a year and I will be amazed to see how things have fallen into place...

I Will Follow Your Voice

I Will Follow Your Voice - Downhere

I can hear the people
I hear the ideas they love
I can hear preachers, the pleas of their seekers
The message of heroes and proclamation of kings

I hear the messages
I hear the debate
I hear all the love songs
I hear all the promises
I hear music that dreamers create

I won’t take advice from cynics
I won’t listen to the word of fools
Sure, everyone has their own take
On what I should do, but…

I will follow Your voice
I will follow Your voice
I will trust Your choice
I will not fear

I will follow Your voice
I will follow Your voice
Not my will but Yours
Be done here…

I can hear the questions
With answers that breed doubt
The spiritual poison of hecklers and demons
Who whisper in corners hoping for a sell-out

I can feel the pressure
To filter everything I say
To sit down in silence
Put up with injustice and turn the other way

I hear about a war
I lose with tragic force
I hear I’m going down
I’m headed for the ground
I hear I should panic
I should be afraid
I hear through all the noise
A still and steady voice say, “wait”

With every channel on
We don’t know where we belong
Help me to hear Your voice
Above all the other noise

What is the measure of a life well-lived?

Little Is Much - Downhere

What is the measure of a life well-lived?
If all I can offer seems too small to give?
This is a song for the weaker, the poorer
And so-called failures

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much

Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Consider a Kingdom in the smallest seed
Consider that giants fall to stones and slings
Consider a child in a manger
Consider the story isn't over
What can be done with what you still have

Urbana '09

Heading off to Urbana today, and still not sure what to expect. Not sure why I'm going or what God has in store. But I read this on the homepage for Urbana '09, and it struck me as pretty directly related to me, despite the fact that it was probably just written as a general statement:

"At Urbana you'll learn how critical global issues like human trafficking, environmental degradation, poverty and divisions between peoples affect missions. You'll also be connected to tangible ways that you can take part in God's work to bring reconciliation and healing to our broken world through his Son."

God, I pray my heart is as open now as it was prior to Deputation. I know that I am going in apprehensive and I don't want to do that. I want to let you move and I don't want my own fears or plans to get in the way of what You want to do through me. Have Your way in me, Lord.