Happy

You've got the beat

David loves the music at church. Loves. Even though we don't use hymnals in our service, he is always opening one up and following along. It's rather adorable. He tries so hard to follow and gets very upset if you try to interrupt him.



 



 

Today though, he took the following along to a whole other level - he not only followed, but he grooved to the beat. You can't hear it, but he also added some "oooo's" of his own. My little guy...aspiring musician!

 

 



Center of It

Keeping faith can be hard, at least for me. There are days when I wonder what God is thinking handing me the things he does that day. Like, really God, you think I can get through this standing on the other side? There are days when I think God has forgotten about me, like I'm a lost cause and he's moved on to greener pastures. Then there are days when I know he is standing right beside me holding my hand. Those are the days that I need to hold on to and know that he is always there, I just sometimes take that for granted.

 

Yesterday was a day that I forgot God was there. Molley had a rough first day at daycare. I wasn't ready to come back to work, and when I picked her up and she hadn't eaten much all day, hadn't slept, I thought that's it, I'm quitting and staying home. I know I can't do that, and I do love my job and the people I work with. I would miss that, and Molley would miss out on all of the fun David has had being in school there. It just seemed that God was giving me more than I could handle at once. He wasn't, and I know that she will be fine and it's just an adjustment period.

 

I heard this song on my way to work this morning, and I think it's just what I needed to hear. I've heard it before, and never paid attention to it. This morning, something told me to turn it up and listen. No matter what - good, bad, ugly, God is right there in the center of it all.

 

"Center Of It" by Chris August

 

Somedays I'm feelin' like I
Can't win, can't get it right and it
Don't matter how hard I try
Today is not my day
When it feels like I'm going crazy
And it looks like nothings changing
Come sun come rainy day
You are still the same

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall
You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end In the center of the center of it

Some nights I lay awake and I
Can't push these thoughts away
I'm worried where I'm gonna go
Where I'm gonna be are You gonna be there for me
When it feels like the doors are closing
Gotta trust that You're doing something
Come sun come rainy day
You are all I need

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

There will be days I will forget
Everything You've done for me
But when I go back there again
I'm reminded

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and night

In the dark, in the light
In the morning and the night
In the good, in the hurt
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it
The center of it all, the center of it
In the loss, in the win
In the beauty and the sin
At the start, at the end
In the center of the center of it

 

Homesick

Music has always been a mainstay in my life. I turn to music in good times and bad, when I am angry and when I am ecstatic. Certain songs speak to me more at different times in my life. "Lucky Love" by Ace of Bass screams early high school to me. This came out back when you bought cassette tapes of a single and on the other side was a different song from the album. "Everyday is a Winding Road" reminds me of late high school/early college. Avril Lavigne and I spent time together in late undergrad with her "angry chick" music, and Rascal Flatts came into my life around the same time and they are still my favorite band. Music has always been in my life.

In the past year, I have turned to songs to look for meaning in things that have happened, like here and here. This summer another song came out, but it took me until now to really listen to it and let it speak to me. The song is "Homesick" by Mercy Me.

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

I don't know anyone who hasn't lost a loved one and questioned why. It's human nature. In the moment, it is so hard to remember that God will give us the strength to make it through. It may take months, it may take years, but we will make it through by the glory of God.

In the last year, the Mott family has had a lot of loss. We lost two of Nate's grandparents and we lost two pregnancies.  Today Dew passed. I know that Dew is a dog, but she wasn't just a dog, she was part of the family. Dew was 16 years old and lived a good life. She will be missed. She's up there looking down on us now, feasting in cheese.

Blessings

I heard this song this morning on the radio. I have heard it before, but today is rang true to my heart. Not sure why, but I wanted to share it.

"Blessings" by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

I know that when trials happen in my life, I start to question my faith. I wonder why would God let this happen to me. But maybe the trials of our lives are our blessings in desguise. Maybe the blessing is building our faith, making us stronger, and bringing us closer to Him.