Praying the Psalms- Psalm 43

Jenny has begun a journey of praying her way through the Psalms that I have decided to join. Each weekend, we will pray through one psalm and post our prayer and/or meditations on that psalm as the Lord leads. Check out her journey and join us in Praying the Psalms.

"You are God my stronghold.
   Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?"  Psalm 43: 2

This has been my lament as of late, too.  I am learning to be honest with Him.

"Send me your light and your faithful care,
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
   to the place where you dwell."  Psalm 43: 3

 And this my prayer in this season.

"Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
   O God, my God.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God."  Psalm 43: 4-5

Any my solution, the only solution, really.  Praise and hope!

(I'm catching up from last week when I was not able to post for Praying the Psalms :)

A Giveaway from Dayspring!

Ever since I saw this Ever Grateful Memo Board by DaySpring on Ann's blog a few weeks ago, I've wanted one.  Just look!  Isn't it beautiful?

DaySpring and (in)courage were sponsors of The Relevant Conference and set up a beautiful lounge for us with cozy places to connect with one another and lots of yummy, hot coffee and snacks available at all hours.  They were wonderful hosts and gave the attendees many wonderful items to take home as well as the opportunity to win some beautiful products.  One of the opportunities they offered was to choose an item to keep from their Ever Grateful line and share about it with our readers.  The entire line is beautiful but I knew right away I would request the Memo Board.

It arrived about a week ago.  The Scripture along the bottom reads "Let there be thankfulness to God" Ephesians 5:4 NLT.  The Memo Board now sits on the sideboard in our dining room- at the ready to record the gifts.  And it, too, has become one of them!  I smile and read the gifts recorded by little hands.  Some I can make out such as  "baskteball practice" and "my new Sunday School class" and others I cannot decipher but rejoice that He can.

And now, I have the joy of giving one of you the opportunity to win a coupon code worth $20 to use in the DaySpring store.  Shipping charges will apply.  All you need to do to be entered to win is check out the Ever Grateful line and leave a comment on this post telling about your favorite item from the line.  If you have not already liked One Thing Spoken, Two Things Heard on Facebook (see box on right hand sidebar of blog) you can do so for a second chance to win :).  I will leave the comments open for one week.  On Wednesday, November 17th, I will announce the winner!

Risk and Reward: Radical Read-Along Chapter 8

I'm linking up today with Marla's Radical Read-Along.  Won't you join us?

To start from the beginning of my Radical Read-Along posts, click here.

In the opening paragraphs of Chapter 7, Platt asks the following question: "do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following Him?" (p. 162)  Then he launches into a discussion of the places we'll go if we decide to follow Him.  And to take a page from Dr. Seuss, "Oh the places you'll go!"  Unlike the inspirational children's book, however, Platt reminds us where we are going and how we are sent.  

Like sheep among wolves, He sends us to great need, to great danger and to betrayal, hatred and persecution.  Why would anyone agree to this?  Well, for starters, most of us don't.  But those that do, it seems to me, do so because they answer Platt's question above in the affirmative.  They believe that, YES, the reward found in Jesus is worth the risks inherent in following Him!  They believe their safety is rooted in His sovereignty (p. 172), their security is rooted in His love (p. 173) and their satisfaction is found in His presence (p. 174).


Over the past two years, I have become more intentional about my walk with the Lord.  I have tried to stop covering my sins and get honest with Him.  I have longed for victory.  His response has consistently been- through Bible studies I've done, books and blogs I've read, Quiet Times I've had, retreats and conferences I've attended- find your soul satisfaction in me!  I am " your exceedingly great reward!"


So the message of chapter 7 of Radical for me has been no different than the message of Believing God or A Woman's Heart God's Dwelling Place or Breaking Free or anything else He's put in my path.  "This, we remember, is the great reward of the gospel: God Himself.  When we risk our lives to run after Christ, we discover the safety that is found only in His sovereignty, the security that is found only in His love, and the satisfaction that is found only in His presence.  This is the eternally great reward, and we would be foolish to settle for anything less."  (p. 181)

Do I believe that the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following Him?  Or have I been a fool?

Lord, I welcome Your conviction and Your Truth. I agree with You on how I've missed the mark and behaved a fool.  Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon me and move me to obey and follow You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Multitude Monday

Here are some of the things I was thankful for this week:

731.  Hopeful about resolution of a problem at school for my boy
732.  Time to prepare the last details for our church's women's retreat
733.  Making the retreat venue look beautiful
734.  So many hands and hearts that went into the day
735.  God's presence with us
736.  Seeing the JOY on the faces of the women at the retreat
737.  Hearing how God imparted WISDOM to them (and me) that day
738.  Tasting and seeing how good He is
739.  Imparting His love to the woman there through touches and hugs
740.  Knowing that our sacrifice of praise and worship was a pleasing aroma to Him
741.  Sharing with the women at the retreat about the new Women's Book Club Andrea and I will facilitate (We will be reading Not So Fast, Life Together, Authentic Relationships, and Radical)
742.  Receiving feedback from the women that points toward my heart's desire for next year's retreat- a two day event :)
743.  The goodness of God- we give Him all the glory and He gives us JOY!
744.  Family Dance Night with the kids at school

745.  Husband taking two out the three kids to dinner and an indoor play place Sunday afternoon without any suggestions from me
746.  Sunday afternoon on the couch- reflecting and resting in Him

You can find my running list of 1,000 gifts in my sidebar and read why I got started here.

Go read these...

So I Stopped Eating by Emily Wierenga

The Day I Broke Up with Fear by Kat Lee

A Christmas Card Drive of Epic Proportions by Lisa-Jo

Practically Universalistic: Radical Read-Along Chapter 7

I'm linking up today with Marla's Radical Read-Along.  Won't you join us?

To start from the beginning of my Radical Read-Along posts, click here.

Chapter 7 started with a bang for me.  Platt's assertion about how the American ideal of the equality and intrinsic worth of all people has been subtly but powerfully hijacked into the idea that all ideas are equal and valid (p. 141) was an eye opener for me.  American Christians have allowed the enemy a foothold here, I now see.  He took a truth from God's Word about the intrinsic value of all people and twisted it to include validating all their faiths and belief systems as well.  I'm resisting the urge to quote paragraphs here since most of you reading this post have read the chapter already but the end result of buying into this concept is often "to rest quietly in what you believe and resist the urge to share your beliefs with someone else."  Now, I do believe that people have the right to be free from governmental control over their belief systems and/or religion and the exercise thereof.  But allowing for freedom does not mean, we as individual American Christians, should hide the Truth.

While I am thankful that I have escaped the trap of universalism and the corresponding belief that "all religions are fundamentally the same" (p. 142), I do have admit that I mostly live a universalistic life.  Intellectually, I reject the idea that all religions are valid and all roads lead to God, but practically speaking does my life look much different that my counterparts who believe just that?  *sigh*

Chapter 7 also ended with a bang for me.  "We are the plan of God.  There is no plan B."  (p. 156)  For 4.5 billion (yes, billion!) people who are lost, there is no plan B.  "God has clearly decided to use the church - and only the church- as the means by which his gospel will go to the ends of the earth" (p. 157).  *sigh*

Is it just me or do you ever think, why did I ever start reading this book in the first place?  Because I am feeling all kinds of uncomfortable in my American Christianity right about now.  And I am pretty sure that it is going to take a radical outpouring of God's Spirit on me to bring me into radical obedience with His Word.  Good thing that is what He is in the business of doing!  

Multitude Monday

Here are some of the things I was thankful for this week:

719.  Peapod Grocery Home Delivery!

720.  Teacher Development Days mean a short week for the kids

721.  Visiting friends- 3 adults, 8 kids- ALL had fun!

722.  Friends who pray for me

723.  Friends who listen and offer godly counsel

724.  Lots of Halloween (and alternative to) fun!

725.  The cutest policeman, swat team and strawberry shortcake in town

726.  Knowing what one means for evil, He uses for good

727.  Trusting that there will be fruit from this trial

728.  Remembering that I can lay the anxiety down at any time and He will give peace

729.  Learning and teaching to love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you

730.  An email saying I won!

You can find my running list of 1,000 gifts in my sidebar and read why I got started here.