time to let go...

Today, today, you wanna run away now
You brake, to keep it together, love
Love is all you need, you're a queen but you've never known it

Life has come and left you blinded
Stole your smile, left you crying
It's not your fault, shame is all you've got now

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

Be brave, brave, the waters all around you
I'll stay I'll keep you from sinking down
(Love) Love is on your side, it's stronger than you'll ever know

So many years of quiet
Building up like a fire inside
Feeling like you gotta let it out now
Just let it out

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

How did you get here
Your locked inside of all this fear
Inside you're crying out
Your mind's at war
Get out, get out and live for more
There's so much more
Live for more

[Chorus:]
Your heart is tangled up in silence
It's time to let go
And feel the light (find the light)
I know it's easier to hide
But you gotta let go
And feel the light, let go and feel the light

Brave, brave waters all around you
I'll stay, I'll keep you from sinking down

Feel the Light-Britt Nicole

birthday treat:)

sweet friend.

sweet gift.

sweet birthday!

puppy-sitting:)

This is how I know my hubby will make a great dad one day....Playing with kleenex and loving cuddles;) So sweet! Thanks Schnee's for lending us your Juniper pup for the weekend as you focus on your new baby girl, congrats!

healing begins

http://tenthavenuenorth.com/journal/entry/healing-begins

I want to share this link to the journal of Tenth Avenue North, one of my new faves in music. I love this reminder that God wants our healing, and it happens as we submit ourselves to Him and others through painful vulnerability...

I pray he will use your confession and mine to heal our broken hearts and bring the wholeness only He can offer!

James 5:13-16 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

free: how easily we forget

Photo Credit: Fully Alive Photography

I've been reading in Exodus (yes, I'm behind on my one-year reading plan!) about the Israelites and their time of slavery in Egypt, as well the miraculous way God freed them from this miserable existence.

Pain, suffering, hopelessness, confusion, bitterness, doubt
These were the very things they needed to be freed from, many of these being their sinful responses to the oppression they experienced for so many years. And we know that those sins of the heart were entrapping them because even after God freed them from the hand of Pharoah, the physical suffering and pain, they continued to resort to the same emotions whenever they encountered suffering of any kind. It is the attitude we so often have, one of forgetfulness and pride that says, "Well yeah God, you freed me from this (awful thing I was going through) but now I have a new struggle and how in the world are you going to come through this time!? Maybe I'd be better off back where I was (in that awful thing I was going through)"

How easily we forget.

"As Pharoah and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the Lord for help. Then they turned against Moses and complained, 'Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt!? Why did you make us leave? Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was far better than dying out here in the wilderness!"

But Moses told the people, 'Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"

How easily we forget.

At first the Lord's instructions for the Passover seemed a little redundant, a little excessive. "Why do you care so much about this, God?" I asked. The details of when, how to kill the sacrifice, which lamb to choose, etc.
But God showed me the theme, the heart behind his instructions. The redundancy stemmed from God's heart for his people....

So you will not forget.

He knows the tendencies of our wayward hearts. He desires so much for us to remember his goodness, his power, his faithfulness. He wants us to trust him the next time we end up in a trial or struggle. Otherwise we turn our trust back to ourselves and are rendered powerless, hopeless, trapped. Remember! Remember that I'm the One who freed you last time, and I will do it again!

Lord, help us remember. Let us keep our eyes fixed on you!

"Since I am so sick,
Since I am in need,
Since I have no healing within me....
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Surely those who wait on you will never be ashamed.
All of those who call on you will know the faithfulness of your name.
They'll know the faithfulness of your name!"
-100 Portraits and Water Deep-
Enter the Worship Circle
(I highly recommend these CD's, especially if you are prone to forget like I am)

new spring fave

I rekindled my love for spinach and strawberries on Easter with this yummy salad. The dressing really ties it all together, so don't skip it! I can't wait until our summer farmer's markets open up so I can get the most fresh, ripe, red, juicy strawberries (or I might just have to sneak into Elaine's garden since she's planting some this year!)

Strawberry Spinach Salad!

fresh diced strawberries
spinach leaves (I like to mix in some spring mix leaves, too)
sliced almonds
finely sliced red onion
optional: feta or goat cheese

for the dressing:
1/2 cup of sugar (I use organic sugar as a natural sweetener with no preservatives)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tblsp poppy seed

In a blender, pour the sugar, salt, vinegar, oil and blend until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds. It is SO delicious!

Happy Spring!

no more

No more floor plans, no more dreading the weekend because it means no news, no more stressing over paying the bills, no more rollercoaster ride, no more wondering, no more negotiating, no more waiting:)

Sam is taking an associate position at Chiropractic Arts here in ABQ....his first day is tomorrow!

I will reflect soon on more of the details of how this came to be, but for now, I want to give you all some of the peace and closure we're feeling and say PRAISE GOD! He is good. We might not understand it all right now, but He is good and these months of surrendering the outcome to the Lord while working hard on our end have led is here.

New Mexico is officially our new home:) Now it's time to change our cell phones and get NM plates on our cars.

Thanks for your constant support friends:)

Cheerfully His,
libby