Thank You Lord – Katinas

On His Shoulders

“I know He will lay me on His shoulder as a shepherd carries the lamb that was lost (Luke 15:5). There He will joyfully carry me all day long, for I am little and light - no burden to Him. There I find rest, for “the beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all the day long; and he shall dwell between His shoulders” (Deut. 33:12)”

~David Roper

Random Reflections

This entry in Our Daily Bread really had me thinking. I have been wanting to post this for some time now but I only got the chance to do so just now.

A Church That Cares
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. -Philippians 2:4

While traveling together, my wife and I started talking with a delightful young woman we met. The time passed quickly as we chatted about lighthearted topics. But when she heard that I was a minister, the conversation took a heart-wrenching turn. She began to share with us that when her husband left her only a few months earlier, she had struggled with the pain of that abandonment.

Then she smiled and said, “I can’t tell you how much my church has meant to me these past months.” her modd and countenance changed dramatically as she recounted the ways her church family had wrapped their loving arms around her in her season of heartache. It was refreshing to hear how that local assembly had surrounded her with the love of Christ.

Far too often, it seems we limit the significance of church to what happens on Sunday, but the church is to be so much more. It is to be a safe haven, a rescue station, and a training center for spiritual service. The church is to be many things, but it is particularly to be an expression of the concerned heart of the Lord of the church for the hurting, broken people, such as our young friend. We are called to “love one another” (1John 4:7).

Sometimes we confuse activity with productivity. I believe that we are most productive when we are able to get to the heart of people – when we actually get to know the deepest part of them; when they are always free to tell us how they really feel because they know we understand. We are most productive when we are able to give even when we know we are not going to get anything in return. We are most productive when we can succeed in making people feel that with us they can be safe and that through all the challenges and turmoils that life throws at them, we are their comfort, their refuge, their rest. We are most productive when we are able to share the comforting and concerned heart of God to those who need them the most.

Random Quotes

Wait and in waiting, listen for His leading;
Be strong, thy strength for every day is stored.
Go forth in faith, and let thine heart take courage;
There is no disappointment with the Lord.

Stained Glass Masquerade

Is there anyone that fails

Is there anyone that falls

Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around

Everybody seems so strong

I know they’ll soon discover

That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay

If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too

So with a painted grin, I play the part again

So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people

Under shiny plastic steeples

With walls around our weakness

And smiles to hide our pain

But if the invitation’s open

To every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain

On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there

Are there any hands to raise

Am I the only one who’s traded

In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing

And we know every line by heart

Only when no one is watching

Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free

If I dared to let you see

The truth behind the person

That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open

Or would you walk away

Would the love of Jesus

Be enough to make you stay

Somewhere in the Middle

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You’re making me
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You’re by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I’m caught in the middle

Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
And weakness or trial or pain
There is faith proved more worth than gold
So refine me lord through the faith

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and he is here

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and he is here

And this is my prayer in the harvest
And favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be empties again
The seed I receive I will sow

Music of My Heart

I came up with this song about a month ago. This was when I felt like the music that I am singing for Him didn’t sound right and no matter how I tuned my guitar, it seemed to give off the wrong notes. I felt bad. I felt like what I was offering Him was substandard. I longed to give Him the best because that is what He deserved. In my desperation, He reminded me of 1 Samuel 16:7. “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

When the music seems so loud
and the words are coming out empty
Lord I know You hear beyond the sound

When the song I sing for you
Seem so out of tune
Lord I know You see what’s in my heart

Still I will sing to You
Lord I will sing to You
I will give You praise
to You my voice I raise

I will sing to You
Lord I will sing to You
I will praise You Lord
with the music of my heart

When praising you just feels so hard
Still I will sing for You
Lord I know You see beyond what they see in me

Still I will sing to You
Lord I will sing to You
I will give You praise
to You my voice I raise

I will sing to You
Lord I will sing to You
I will praise You Lord
with the music of my heart

Coda:

I will sing with all my heart
I will praise with all my heart
I will worship you with all that I am
And Lord I will, I will make music with my heart

Uncertain Yet Untroubled

Life is full of uncertainties. But we need not be troubled.

I once talked with a friend about the future. We were mostly daydreaming then. And then I asked, “Would you prefer that you knew what the future holds?” His answer was a resounding no. He said life would be too boring if that was the case.

It has been two years since that conversation and much has changed. We grew up… matured might be the more appropriate term. We talked about what we wanted to happen but then things did not turn out the way we dreamed it would. Our wants from back then faded through and changed with time. It’s funny how we want something to happen so badly at a particular time and become convinced that we don’t want it to happen at all in another.

I have always been amazed by the fact that there is a future to look forward to. I’m amazed by how many tomorrows there still are and how fast todays happen and how yesterdays continue to fill our memories without really filling them up to the brim. There is one thing I have learned through time though. I realized that when you become too anxious about taking a peak at tomorrow, you will miss the beauty of today, and end up wallowing in regret about the yesterdays that have been wasted.

“Today is a gift. That is why it is called ‘present’.” We should live our lives one day at a time. We should forget the former things and not dwell on the past. And we should face life’s uncertainties with the hope of God living in our hearts.

God has plans of prosperity and hope for us. Our future is totally in His hands so we need not worry. The uncertain should motivate us to go on, to look to the future, and to be excited about what God has in store for us.

I am ending this entry with a beautiful quote:

“Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past,
nor anxiety and forecasting to the future;
but lie quiet under His hand,
having no will but His.” ~H.E. Manning

…there’s color everywhere

This is the best thing I can come up with to get this blog (somehow) updated. This will contain bits and pieces of what has happened to be the past few days.

No, I won’t be posting the lyrics of some local love song, it that is what you had in mind when you read the title. I just thought it would be fun to use colors when I tell tales. I have talked to people who thought my life is dull. This one should give them a hint that it is, actually, colorful. (Yes, I am trying to sound creative. It would be understandable if you thought it isn’t creative sounding at all. I am writing this with an unsound creative mind.)

So, on with the colors.

Black. My college arts professor was the first person who told me that black is not a color and so are white and gray. I am including it just because. A box of crayons isn’t complete without the black crayon on it after all. The account would be incomplete if I do not include this.

This is Harry. I got him two weeks ago.

And this is the black bag that is intended to contain Harry while I am out and about. I know I still will be using it without Harry on it though. I got this one today.

White. I’ve already said it. This is not a color. This is so lame but I can still tell you about the box of crayons.

Mushu is now extra fun to be with. He’s a sweet, sweet dog and he sure got me through the sickness I had last week.

Pink and orange.

These are the very things that have kept me alive (pink: erithromycin, orange: biogesic). The swollen tonsils began effecting annoyance on me in the evening of June 10. Later that night, I was already having chills. I decided to go to bed hoping that it would all go away in the morning. I dreamed that I was really, really sick and when I woke up, my temperature has gone really, really high. I stayed in bed the whole day Thursday and Friday. I was only able to get out of the house on Saturday evening. I was not able to attend the leaders’ meeting and planning and was not able to sing with the team on Sunday too. The only thing I got to do was to push through with the cell group meeting I scheduled earlier in the week.

Purple and blue.

I bought a new devotional notebook/journal yesterday and it matches my Bible. Also, I use a blue pen to write on it and a purple marker to highlight important verses on my Bible.

That would be all for now. The other colors will have to come later. I still have some work to do.