So Will I - Hillsong Worship

I have about a 35-40 minute drive to and from work everyday. It is the PERFECT time for me to pray or have a "worship session" as I call it. We have a subscription to Sirius XM radio, and I listen to The Message (ch. 63). I LOVE music and always have & in the car is my favorite place to jam out! Every day either on the way to work or on the way home (or sometimes both) the song "So Will I" by Hillsong Worship plays. I've loved that song since the first time I heard it, but I never actually thought about the words. Last night, I actually READ the words, not sang them. I studied the words and thought about the meaning of each line. This is such a POWERFUL song about God's creation. I absolutely love when a song lines up perfectly with scripture. I am going to break down the song how I interpret it, and post of scriptures that go along with each part of the song! 

God of creation

There at the start

Before the beginning of time

With no point of reference

You spoke to the dark

And fleshed out the wonder of light

This verse is pretty simple to those who know about the creation story. God created the heavens and the earth.  John 1:1 states that "In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. And the Word was God." He is the beginning. No one else, nothing else BUT Him! Genesis 1:1-2 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the  earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."  He was here before the beginning of time. Everything was dark. Genesis 1:3-5 talks about him speaking to the darkness and creating the light. "And God said, "Let there be light", and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day' and the darkness he called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day." 

And as You speak

A hundred billion galaxies are born

In the vapor of Your breath the planets form

If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve made

Every burning star

A signal fire of grace

If creation sings Your praises so will I

This is one of my favorite parts of the song. How powerful is our God? He speaks, and a hundred billion galaxies are created, planets are created, stars are created. Genesis 1:14-19: "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.' And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day."

"If the stars were made to worship, so will I". These burning balls of gas were created to worship him. How can I NOT worship Him, when He created me? "If creation sings Your praises, so will I". Everything He created was made to worship Him. We should ALL worship Him, for He created us. Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created through Him AND for Him! 

God of Your promise

You don’t speak in vain

No syllable empty or void

For once You have spoken

All nature and science

Follow the sound of Your voice

He tells the wind where to blow, the tells the oceans and seas where to stop. How amazing is it that God can speak, and everything in nature be calm - at the SOUND OF HIS VOICE?? In Mark, Jesus, who is God's son, calms the storm by speaking. He says "Peace, Be Still" and the waves and the wind ceased. The men on the boat even said, Who is this that the wind and the sea obey him? He is the master of the universe. Everything should follow the sound of His voice. If the wind will be still just by Him speaking, why am I not doing what He asks of me? 

And as You speak

A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath

Evolving in pursuit of what You said

If it all reveals Your nature so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You say

Every painted sky

A canvas of Your grace

If creation still obeys You so will I

Every time I read the words, "As You speak", I get chills. All He has to do is speak and it is so. Genesis 1:20-23: ^“And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day." There has been some controversy over the line, "Evolving in pursuit of what You said", because as Christians, we do not believe in evolution. I listened to a video from a worship leader who talked about this very verse. I will link the video here if you are interested. Psalms 19:1: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Many times we look at the sky and, and think "How Beautiful" especially at Sunrise/Sunset. But do we ever think of the sky as a canvas of God's grace? I bet you will look at the sky differently now. I know I will. 

If the stars were made to worship so will I

If the mountains bow in reverence so will I

If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I

For if everything exists to lift You high so will I

If the wind goes where You send it so will I

If the rocks cry out in silence so will I

If the sum of all our praises still falls shy

Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times

I have NO words for this part of the song. I am BLOWN away by these words. If the wind goes where you send it, so will I. Isaiah 6:8 - Here am I, send me. We should always be willing to say to God when He is asking, "Who will go?", Send me, I will go! If we feel God calling us to move, we should move. If all of these things created by God worship Him, obey Him, and shout with joy for Him, SO SHOULD I! 

God of salvation

You chased down my heart

Through all of my failure and pride

On a hill You created

The light of the world

Abandoned in darkness to die

This verse struck me hard. He is God of our Salvation, without Him, we are doomed. He LONGED for us, He begged and pleaded for us to come to Him, even though we fail daily. Even though we let our pride get in the way of worshiping Him. Even though we put other things and people before Him...yet He still wants us. Yet He still longs for us to come to Him. This makes me think of another song by Tenth Avenue North, called Control. A line in that songs says "God You don't need me, but somehow You want me." then goes on to say this line that gets me EVERY time, "The King of Heaven WANTS me." Despite all of our failures. Despite all of our faults. He still WANTS us. 

This song is about creation, so how can you overlook this line: "On a hill You created, the Light of the World (Jesus) abandoned in darkness to die." When God created that hill, He knew that HIS SON, the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, was going to die on that hill. God created the hill that Jesus bled and died on. WOW! 

And as You speak

A hundred billion failures disappear

Where You lost Your life so I could find it here

If You left the grave behind You so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You’ve done

Every part designed in a work of art called love

If You gladly chose surrender so will I

I can see Your heart

Eight billion different ways

Every precious one

A child You died to save

If You gave Your life to love them so will I

And now, my favorite verse of the whole song. I think it speaks for itself, really. He doesn't see our failures or our faults. He speaks, and they are gone. They no longer matter. Jesus died on that cross so we could have life. 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT version is my favorite) - “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross, so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.” He PERSONALLY carried our sins. He died for OUR sins, for He was without sin. He didn't have to do that, but He did. He rose from the grave, leaving it behind. He left the grave behind. He didn't dwell on it. So should we leave the grave behind. Don't dwell on your past sins, if you have repented and been forgiven. Don't dwell on death, but look forward to it, because that day, we will see HIM face to face. If you are a believer, don't be afraid of death. Don't dwell on the thought of dying. 

Every time I see a baby or a child, I think about how God created that perfect being. He breathed life into that child. We see it as GOOD. But, we may see people sometimes who we don't see as good. We may see people who don't look like we do or don't talk like we do. Every time we see a person, no matter how big or small, we should look at them as God sees them. He CREATED that person, and we are called to LOVE that person. If Jesus gave HIS LIFE to love that person, SO WILL I. This is the hardest thing for me. Sometimes it is hard to love people. But we are CALLED to LOVE. Everyone. No. Matter. What. 

And the last part of the song: 

Like You would again a hundred billion times

But what measure could amount to Your desire

You’re the One who never leaves the one behind

He would give His life again "a hundred million times" for us. Why do we not follow Him? Why do we not worship Him? Why do we put others before Him? All He wants is our hearts. After seeing what all He has done, after seeing how we were created by Him to worship Him, how can we sit back & continue in our selfish ways? If the stars were made to worship; If the mountains bow in reverence; If the oceans roar His greatness, If the wind goes where He sends it; If the rocks cry out in silence; IF EVERYTHING EXISTS TO LIFE HIM HIGH - why am I not lifting Him high? 

What a powerful song. Probably my favorite Hillsong Worship song so far. It may just be a song to you, but really think about what the song is saying. What the meaning of the song is. 

The Daniel Fast

Starting January 8th, our church began a 40 Days of Renewal. This included a partial "Fast" called the Daniel Fast. We received booklets that had different scriptures to read during breakfast, lunch, and dinner including a prayer time as well. It was a time of renewal and rejuvenation, not just being renewed in body, but also in spirit. 

A little about what the Daniel Fast is: 

The Daniel Fast is an opportunity for you to draw closer to God through fervent, focused prayer. It involves a 21-day commitment (we did 40 days) to a partial fast, which means you restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to the Lord. 

The Daniel Fast is not a diet, although some people do lose weight as they make healthier food choices. The Daniel Fast is a unique, life-changing experience. Participating in the Daniel Fast can result in many wonderful spiritual and physical benefits. 

If you’re wondering, “Where did the Daniel Fast originate?” That’s a great question. The Daniel Fast was first observed by the prophet Daniel in the Bible. On one occasion, Daniel was greatly concerned for his people and sought the Lord’s wisdom during a time of prayer and fasting. Daniel 10:2-3 says, “At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips.” The meaning of “choice food” is not clear; however, most commentaries conclude that he ate no bread or sweets. The Message translation sums up Daniel’s eating habits during that time: “I ate only plain and simple food.”

The idea behind the Daniel Fast is not to duplicate Daniel’s menu but to imitate his spiritual hunger. Daniel’s passion for the Lord caused him to seek spiritual food rather than physical food, which should be the desire for anyone doing the Daniel Fast. (taken from The Ultimate Daniel Fast Website)

There are many different variations of the Daniel Fast, but most of them follow basically the same pattern; no sugar, no bread, and no meat. I will list the "Approved" and "Avoided" foods guide that we used. 

Daniel Fast approved foods:

• Any Fruit and Vegetable (including fresh, frozen, canned, and dried)
• All whole grains (barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, and whole wheat)
• All nuts & seeds (almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds) NOTE: these must be plain, not seasoned with salt unless it is sea salt
• All natural Nut Butters (no salt or preservatives added..must be 100% natural!)
• All legumes (black beans, black eyed peas, chickpeas, great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas)
• All quality oils (avocado, coconut, grape-seed, olive, peanut, sesame, and walnut)
• Distilled, Filtered, or Spring Water 
• Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk
• Herbs, spices, sea salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, soy products, and tofu

Avoid These Foods:

• All Meat & Eggs
• All Dairy Products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• All sweeteners (sugars, artificial sugars, syrups, etc.) NOTE: Natural/Pure Honey is OK.
• All Bread & Yeast 
• All refined & processed food products that contain any artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, or preservatives
• White Flour & White Rice (or anything made with these products)
• All Fried Foods
• All lard, margarine, and shortening or any other solid fats
• All Beverages except water, unsweetened almond, coconut, rice, and soy milk

Favorite Daniel Fast Recipes: 

My MOST favorite recipe that I made during the Daniel Fast was Mexican Stuffed Potatoes. I LOVE potatoes (with lots of butter and cheese of course), but during the Daniel Fast, I learned that you could still enjoy potatoes without loading it down with butter and cheese! These are so simple and easy to make! See the recipe below:

• 1 Potato
• 1 can of no salt added black beans
• 1 can of no salt added rotel - flavor medium (or you can use diced tomatoes if you don't like the spice of rotel)
• 1 can of no salt or sugar added yellow corn
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Minced Onion
• Garlic Powder

Wash the potato and poke about 5-6 holes in the potato using a fork. Wrap potato in a paper towel and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Flip potato over and microwave on high for 3-4 more minutes. The timing will depend on the size of the potato. I used a small potato and did 3 minutes on each side. For larger potatoes, you may need to microwave 5 minutes on each side. 

While microwaving the potato, in a large skillet, mix together the black beans, rotel or diced tomatoes, and corn. Add sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, minced onion, and garlic power. I never measure my spices, so if you are someone who needs measurements I will give my best guess. 1 tsp of Sea Salt, 1 tsp of Pepper, 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp of garlic powder. For the minced onion, you can substitute a real onion if you like onions. We don't necessarily like onions, we just like the flavor it gives to our food so I use minced onion. I use about 1 tablespoon of minced onion. If using a real onion, it is completely your preference on how much onion you want! :)

Cook on medium heat for about 6-8 minutes, until heated thoroughly. 

Once potato and mexican mixture is done, cut open the potato and add sea salt if you would like, then spoon the Mexican mixture into the potato. Viola! You are ready to eat! 

PS. I cannot believe I did not take a picture of this amazing meal! But TRUST ME, it is amazing! 

I learned that I could change just about any recipe to my liking. We ate a lot of beans & brown rice. Lots of stir fry veggies. Lots of fruit and smoothies. 

Breakfast every day was a fruit smoothie. I used a variety of frozen fruits to make my smoothies. I would ALWAYS add a banana, spinach, water, and all natural local honey to the frozen fruit and blend it together. It was my favorite morning "meal". For a snack I would usually eat a banana with almond or peanut butter (remember must be ALL NATURAL!). Lunch was usually leftovers from whatever I cooked the night before. Dinners were usually stir fry veggies with brown rice, roasted potatoes and brown rice, salads with olive oil dressing, baked potato with some kind of filling (usually veggies or beans), you get the picture. I ALWAYS ate fresh fruit with my lunch and dinner. It helped to fill me up, because LETS BE HONEST...no meat and bread with meals can really make it hard for you to feel full after meals. 

You can find lots of good Daniel Fast recipes here. 

It was an amazing time of renewing my mind, body, and spirit. I did end up losing about 10 pounds during this journey. But to me, it wasn't all about losing weight. It was about growing in my walk and in my faith. Renewing my spiritual life was much more important than renewing my physical life. If you renew your spiritual life, everything else will fall into place. 

I enjoyed this journey so much and I hope that we get to do it again with our church next year. If not, I would love to do it just me; however, it is so much easier to stay on track when you have a support group who is on the same journey you are! I encourage you, if you need a spiritual or physical renewal, to try the Daniel Fast. 

Policeman's Ball 2018

For the last couple of years, the FOP Auxillary #4 in Calhoun County has put on a Policeman's Ball in January every year. Just a little bit about this Ball (Taken from the Facebook Page of the event): "The date was chosen around National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day (LEAD) which was created by the Concerns of Police Survivors organization. Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to the surviving families of fallen Officers all over the Country. FOP Auxiliary 4 will combine efforts with C.O.P.S. to assist in sending families of the fallen to DC during National Police Week. The costs to send family members to DC is between $2,000 and $3,000. 50% of the proceeds generated by this event will be directly given to the Alabama Chapter of C.O.P.S. We are proud to partner with this organization and raise money to support such a wonderful cause." 

We have been wanting to go for years, but we always had something come up that weekend and were never able to make it. Luckily, this year we got to go! It was an awesome night of fun, food, dancing, and fellowship with many other officers and their families! 

Location & Caterer: Classic on Noble, Anniston, AL

Entertainment: Good Times Entertainment

Causes: C.O.P.S  & National Law Enforcement Memorial

They also held a raffle for a firearm and took donations for a local Officer’s son who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. I think they ended up raising over $1700 to be donated to the family. 

The place was beautifully decorated and each table had pictures and cards that children from all over the county made for the officers. The food was FABULOUS as well! 

We had a wonderful time & we cannot wait until next year! This is something so near & dear to my heart, because I live this Law Enforcement Life DAILY! It was so awesome to get to have a fun date night, but it makes it even better that this event raises money for such a great cause! 

Thanksgiving & Christmas 2017

This post is going to be mostly pictures. It is the best way to describe the holiday season! 

Thanksgiving 2017

Bentley's First Snow Day! - December 8th

He enojyed the snow cream!

We ended up with about 3 inches before the day was over!

Christmas at the Falls - December 13th!

He loved our tree & ornaments! 

Christmas with MiMi, PopPop, & Uncle Dylan!

Christmas with Bec-Bec & PaPa!

He got some fun riding toys from his grandparents! Mom & Dad got him a police car. It has lights, sirens, and doors that open and close! Kip's parents got him a 4 wheeler! He loves to ride it through the ditch and over rocks! 

Christmas Eve 2017

Christmas Day 2017

We started the tradition last year to have Christmas Morning breakfast at our house, so the grandparents could see what all Santa brought Bentley. We love having both our families get together on Christmas morning!

Another holiday season has come to an end. And another year is quickly coming to an end. I can remember years ago, longing for the time when I had a family of my own, a husband and children to share the season with and here we are. Time goes by SO fast, and I know I say that ALL THE TIME, but it really does! Looking forward to what 2018 will bring to our family! 

Fall Pictures

I stepped out of my comfort zone a little bit and set up a "mini session" to take pictures of my child. I have always had a LOVE for photography but never pursued it. I am actually pretty impressed with how our pictures turned out!

It helps that I have a cute model to photograph! ;-)