Day 31: "The Power of the Cross"

When I started writing this month, I figured I would write about a mix of songs...Christian and "other". Just whatever songs I felt like writing about. However, a distinct theme has developed over the last 31 days. That theme is Jesus. Everything in my life is affected by Jesus. How could I write about anything else? This last song is what it's all about. Jesus gave His life for us and makes it possible for us to live. Without His sacrifice, nothing else matters. 

"The Power of the Cross"

Oh, to see the dawn

Of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary.

Tried by sinful men,

Torn and beaten, then

Nailed to a cross of wood. 

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Oh, to see the pain

Written on Your face,

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Ev'ry bitter thought,

Ev'ry evil deed

Crowning Your bloodstained brow. 

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Now the daylight flees;

Now the ground beneath

Quakes as its Maker bows His head.

Curtain torn in two,

Dead are raised to life;

"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath—

We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Oh, to see my name

Written in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.

Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,

Won through Your selfless love. 

This, the pow'r of the cross:

Son of God—slain for us.

What a love! What a cost! 

We stand forgiven at the cross.

Day 30: "My Everything" and "Always Enough"

With these last two days of the 31, I want to be as transparent as possible about what is really important. There was a time in my life when I thought I was going to be single forever. It wasn't just a month or two where I didn't have a "love interest". I really believed that singleness was part of God's plan for my life. And it was. For that season. What I learned then is that Jesus is enough. He is more than enough. He loves us so well that we do not need anything else. We don't need love from our parents. We don't need love from our siblings. We don't need love from our friends. We don't need love from a spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend. We just need Jesus. If we have all of those other things or even one of those other things, that is extra. Everything is extra! Jesus owes us nothing, but gives us everything. More importantly, He gives us Himself, and that is all we need. If we are not made complete by Jesus, then nothing else is going to make us feel complete. You can have a perfect life by the world's standards and still feel totally empty inside. Nothing matters outside of our relationship with Christ. It is through Him that we are made whole. It is through Him that we can love and forgive others and even have relationships at all. Without Him we have nothing. With Him we have everything because we have Jesus. I wanted to include both of these songs (both by Kari Jobe) because this is what I'm trying to say! Jesus is it! If you're searching for ANYTHING, it can be found in Jesus!

"My Everything"

Rendered speechless by Your beauty
Lord, I'm blown away
With everything that's in my heart
A million words could never say all there is to say

You're more than just a song, You're more than just a whim
You're more than just a passing fantasy
You're my Everyday
You're my Every Way
You're my Everything

If I could see forever
In just one moment I would say
These todays are worth tomorrow
When I will see You face to face

I want to be with You
I need to be with You
I long to be with You, precious King
So with every day, Lord, in every way
You're my Everything

You're my Everything
You're my Everything
You're my Everything, Oh Jesus
You're my Everything

You're my Everyday
You're my Every Way
You're my Everything

"Always Enough"

I lift my hands to the highest of all
As I draw near
Surrender my life to Your promise, oh God
There is no other

I will find my life in You
You're always enough
Always enough
Let the fullness of Your love
Be all I need
All I need

Consume me, come like a fire, oh God
Reign in me
For You alone will satisfy
There is no other

I will find my life in You
You're always enough
Always enough
Let the fullness of Your love
Be all I need
All I need

If I have You, I have everything
But without You, I have nothing

Day 29: "Just Be Held"

I wear a ring almost every day that says "be still". It's scrolled out with the metal of the ring, and the underside is inscribed with Psalm 46:10..."be still and know that I am God." That's an easy verse to give to someone else who is hurting, but when we're the ones in pain, it's the hardest thing to do. There has been a lot of hurt in the lives of people I love here lately, and there's nothing I can do about it. Other people in my life are having happy times of celebration, and sometimes it's hard to balance all of it. The truth is, we can't do any of it on our own. We can't know real joy and happiness outside of Jesus. We can't make it through the pain without Him either. Here on earth, Jesus knew both happy times and sorrow. He was celebrated in Jerusalem one day, and a few days later some of those same people were calling for His death. Even though it was part of God's plan for Him to die, it still probably hurt to hear people passionately hate Him so openly. He had friends betray Him. He felt the sorrow of losing friends and loved ones. He also knew the joy of restoring sight to the blind, mobility to the crippled, purity to the lepers, and life to the dead. Jesus experienced every emotion that we face, but He's often the last place we turn when we are facing it ourselves. We try so hard when we really just need to rest. It may not all make sense here, but He knows. We may face unspeakable horrors, but He can still redeem it. Even if we feel like there's no way God can still love us, use us, forgive us...He still can and He still does. He never stops. He never gives up. He never leaves.

"Just Be Held"

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who wont let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Day 28: "Beautiful"

I have a playlist or "station" on Spotify that I titled "singy songs" because they are songs I love to sing along with. Some of them are catchy, but most of them are moving in some way. There are 20 songs on that list, and 17 of them are about Jesus. There is just something about worship music that blows my mind. A song doesn't have to be loud or complicated. It can be the simplest melody and just a few words, and it can still shake people. Worship music is about the attitude of your heart as you sing, listen, or pray through a song. Since worship doesn't just mean music, it's more about what you've spent time doing before that moment than what is happening or being played at any particular time. Some people think you have to sing along to really experience a song, but sometimes just letting the lyrics wash over you as you sing in your heart is better. I can't wait to get to Heaven because we will be praising and singing songs of praise all the time, and I think it will be amazing. This song is one from my Spotify list. It's not complicated. It's just true and real.

"Beautiful"

Here before Your alter
I am letting go of all I've held
Of every motive, every burden
Everything that's of myself

And I just wanna wait on You, my God
I just wanna dwell on who You are

Beautiful, beautiful
Oh, I am lost for more to say
Beautiful, beautiful
Oh Lord You're beautiful to me

Here in Your presence
I am not afraid of brokenness
To wash Your feet with humble tears
I would be poured out till nothing's left

And I just wanna wait on You, my God
I just wanna dwell on who You are

Beautiful, beautiful
Oh, I am lost for more to say
Beautiful, beautiful
Oh Lord You're beautiful to me

Beautiful
You're beautiful, oh You're beautiful
Beautiful, beautiful

Holy, holy, holy You are, You are
Holy, holy, holy You are, You are
Holy, holy, holy You are, You are
Holy, holy, holy You are, You are

Beautiful, beautiful
Oh, I am lost for more to say
Beautiful, beautiful
Oh Lord You're beautiful to me

You're beautiful
Beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful

Day 27: "Flawless" (Not Beyonce)

Have you ever misheard lyrics? I know I'm not the only one who has because Jimmy Fallon has a whole hashtag about it. There's a song called "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" by Travis Tritt, and when I was little I thought the words were "I spilt tea all over your BLT." Which is, you know,  a legitimate reason to write a song. You gotta tell em their sandwich is soggy. No good.

Anyway...that hasn't happened to me in a long time, but recently I figured out I was singing this song completely wrong (full disclosure: I also thought Building 429's song "I press on" was called "Happy Song" and I was really confused about it.) This song says "The cross has made you flawless." However, I was hearing "The cross has made you promise" which is just bad theology. Jesus didn't make us promise anything to Him. He didn't wait to die until we agreed to do our part. He just did it anyway. Even though He knew we were going to keep messing up over and over again. Just like this song says, it's never too late! As long as you have breath in your lungs, you can have Jesus and His life and His love and His grace and His mercy and His forgiveness and all you have to do is give up trying to do it all yourself! That's it! Just admit to God that you are just messing it all up and you cannot do it anymore. He has to take over. He wants to take over our lives. Not in a creepy possessed kind of way, but in a He knows way better than we ever will kind of way. We just have to stop trying to control it and let Him take it all over. Honestly, even in the times when I am most anxiously trying to control everything, I don't really want to. I am just believing the lies from the devil that are telling me I have to work harder, do more, be more, and I certainly can't give up. But God says "go ahead and give it up. You don't have to work harder or do anything differently. You can come just as you are. I already love you." We don't have to promise God anything in order to get salvation, but we do GET to promise ourselves to God. God never breaks His promises, but He is always willing to forgive and forget when we break ours. And we will. We always do. He stays perfect through our imperfection. He stays faithful through our unfaithfulness. He stays close through our drifting. He just wants you. That's it. You don't have to bring anything, but you will still want to. When you experience God's grace, you will want to promise Him everything and give Him all you have. And all we have is our own life. Thankfully, all we have to give is exactly what He wants.

Don't mishear these lyrics. And be careful with your tea around other peoples' sandwiches.

"Flawless" (MercyMe)

There's got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that's who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there's worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We're on the edge of our seats saying it's too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can't believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that's exactly what He did

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I'm ok because
The cross was enough

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We're on the edge of our seats saying it's too late
Well let me introduce you to grace grace
God's grace

No matter what they say
Or what you think you are
The day you called His name
He made you flawless

Day 26: "Good to Me"

Audrey Assad has magic in her voice and her pen. She writes my prayers and she doesn't even know it. I have mentioned it already this month, but I love it when I hear songs that feel like I could have written them if I had the words for it. They proclaim the cry of my heart or at least the cry I want to come from my heart. This song is no exception. God is so good to us and nothing can steal our joy. Even when it seems like nothing is going right and everything is falling all around us, we can rest in Him and put our trust in Him and He will still be good.

"Good to Me"

I put all my hope on the truth of Your promise
and I steady my heart on the ground of Your goodness
When I’m bowed down with sorrow I will lift up Your name
and the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy

Because You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me

I lift my eyes to the hills where my help is found
Your voice fills the night, raise my head up and hear the sound
Though fires burn all around me I will praise You, my God
and the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy

Because You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me

Your goodness and mercy shall follow me
all my life
I will trust in Your promise

Because You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me, good to me
You are good to me

Day 25: "Hard to Get"

I was in Nashville this weekend for a wedding, but I also got to hear my uncle preach at the church where he is now the pastor. It is the church where my grandparents were married, where my grandfather got saved, answered the call to preach and was ordained, and where my grandparents are buried. Last month, my aunt and uncle moved from Arkansas so he could be the newest pastor of that church. It's a legacy church. A family church. It is growing so much that they are about to build a new building. I think my grandparents would be so thrilled if they could see it today. They would also be so proud of my uncle. He has had a very full two months there so far, and this weekend was no exception. Late on Saturday night, a teenage boy was killed in a car accident. His family goes to my uncle's church. My uncle was with the family for most of the night after the accident, and then he still preached in the Sunday morning service. His sermon was timely and appropriate and filled with wisdom that can only come from God. But before he preached, he took his suit jacket off and put on his guitar and sang this song. It is a song that was written by Rich Mullins but was never properly recorded by him because he died before he could make his next album. Rich Mullins was writing songs that he felt gave a glimpse of the life of Jesus. This particular song is about being heartbroken, lonely, uncertain, and having questions that we may never know the answers to. It is an honest song that paints a vivid picture of how we feel when we don't understand what is happening in our lives and it feels like God is far away. It was a very appropriate song for the situation and for the church family this weekend, but it can also apply to many other situations in life. There are things about God that we will never understand in our human, sinful minds. There are many of those things that we don't need to understand, and that is a hard thing to get our minds around. We want to know what's going on. We don't want to have questions. We don't want to only see the next step. We want to know how the whole process is going to go and what we're going to look like and feel like and be like at the end. But sometimes we don't get to know those things. We just get to know God. And that is enough. He is enough.

"Hard to Get"

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt

Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said

Still I'm so scared I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then

Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained

And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this somehow
All I really need to know

Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt blame and regret

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get