[Faith-talk] "Morning Thoughts" and some songs

[Amy Ragain]

this was very good. please read and hopefully you will agree and take something from it!
I have added at the end the links to 2 songs that I think fit todays message very well! :)



Begin forwarded message:

> From: Stephen Smith <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Date: August 1, 2011 7:36:10 AM CDT
> To: Morning Thoughts 1 <stevesmith1943 at me.com>
> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Monday, August 1, 2011
> 
> Deuteronomy 31:1-13 (NASB)
> Moses’ Last Counsel
> [31:1] So Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. [2] And he said to them, “I am a hundred and twenty years old today; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross this Jordan.’ [3] “It is the LORD your God who will cross ahead of you; He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua is the one who will cross ahead of you, just as the LORD has spoken. [4] “The LORD will do to them just as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when He destroyed them. [5] “The LORD will deliver them up before you, and you shall do to them according to all the commandments which I have commanded you. [6] “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
> [7]  Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. [8] “The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
> [9]  So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. [10] Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, [11] when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. [12] “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. [13] “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.”
> 
>  Good morning Lord Jesus!! Thank You God, for being God; for making the tough decisions and yet providing Your Grace as a balm to soothe the pain. You are the only One who can give me the strength to carry on when, during the course of travel down my life's journey there come times of anguish, despair, loneliness, fear and grief; when a chapter in my life is finished, and I am confronted again with the need to cross the Jordan River, relying only on You, Lord to make the way. As I pass through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me. As I climb the highest peak and look into the vast beyond, You are with me. In the midst of the jungle of grief, where the sun doesn't shine and there seems to be no direction, You are with me, guiding my feet along the path only You can make. On the shores of the sea, as I say good-bye to my loved one, You are with me, showing me a vision of the far side of the sea, as the vessel sails into the vast unknown. Father, today there are friends, loved ones who may be on that vessel, getting ready to set sail. I know you are with me, with all the family and loved ones of those passengers, who like Joshua, are about ready to cross the sea, cross the Jordan River, and enter the Land of Milk and Honey. Be with them as You are with me, and I praise You for Your Love, Strength, Purity, and Compassion, Your Grace, and most important - Your Truth!! I Love You God!!
> 
> Good morning, and Top of the Week to you, my blessed, beautiful and precious family (whether I have personally met you or not)!!
> 
> This is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!!  Only He knows what's in store for each of us, and I am so encouraged by His Word, which consistently reminds me that whatever it is, it's all good!!  For it's all for His Glory, and He and what glorifies Him can only be good!!  Sure, there is pain, suffering, sin, shame, tragedy and devastation, but they are only the prelude.  They only set the stage of life in which God lives and through which God receives all the praise and glory.  
> 
> Think of the trials we encounter as the obstacle course in the park; set there for the benefit of those who would choose to partake, to discipline themselves by attempting every exercise along the way.  Succeed or fail, they continue on to the next obstacle and again make the attempt.  Over and over they try, day after day, week after week.  Each attempt becomes a little more sure, a little faster, a little higher, more successes, fewer failures.  The course becomes familiar and fear is reduced - even eliminated.
> 
> The unknown will always be before us as God allows us each to grow, to become stronger in body, faith, discipline, compassion, and love.  And, then as time passes, we see that the body seems to fade, the discipline becomes more difficult to maintain.  We have a choice to make - a fork in the road of life.  Will we choose to chase after that which God has not ordained - perpetual youth for example?  Or, will we choose to follow the path that leads to increased faith, compassion and love - things of the spirit, on spite of the body?  
> 
> Every day that fork becomes more pronounced.  Days when we are confronted with the awareness of the fragility of life in the body; days when the enemy seems to have surrounded us; when we can no longer pay the bills and employment is only a myth; when loved ones die or become seriously sick and we can do nothing - except pray.  What will we choose?  We want to use muscle and bone, logic and strength to solve every problem, but that is not always what God calls for.  Sometimes we just have to pray and wait on Him to perform His Will.  We have to learn how to relax when all the walls in our cave are crashing down upon us.
> 
> God is with us, all the time, at every fork and every turn.  He will never abandon us.  Look back, see the footprints in the sand.  Remember all those times He carried us over the steepest, most devastating, loneliest, most fear-filled times of our lives.  Rejoice, for He is Power, Strength, Presence, Love and Compassion!!
> 
> With great love, hope and faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
> 
> <3Steve:-)) 


this 1st song is from a group called Blackhawk...I should prob tell you that they are not a christian music group so the thioligy put forth in the song may not neccessarially be accurit to scripture but it still fits well I think!

4:47Add toAdded to queue


this song is called "sometimes He Calms the Storm" by Scott Krippayne

4:06Add toAdded to queue