Praise sets out first

Oh numbers 9 and 10 are kicking my behind! So much good stuff! But today is an afternoon of sunshine and beautiful babes that fly and skip across my yard so I will be brief.

This:

Numbers 10:14....okay so the Lord has been speaking to my heart about how He leads and how we have to watch and wait for Him.  When the cloud lifts up,we have to move.  If it's lingers long, we have to stay put. Even if it lingers long and we want to move on already (that one hit home hard core) we wait for Him to move. And if He says to move even if it's been a short time, then get up already! There's awesomeness to watch Him do!

Then this morning, this beautiful word.  When the camp packs up, it's the tribe of Judah that packs up first. It goes Judah, then the tabernacle,then the rest.  Why Judah first?  Then it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks:

Judah means praise. 

PRAISE SETS OUT FIRST

When the presence of the Lord says it's time to move into a new beautiful work (or another beautiful but difficult work) the first thing we are to do is set out our PRAISE. 

I don't know about anyone else but that was a beautiful word for me and so today He brought me to some awesome songs of encouragement and challenge and I sat outside in the sunshine while my kids played and listened to worship music and just enjoyed Jesus. It's been great. My head is killing me and my bathrooms are dirty and my laundry is undone but 

Praise sets out first,

Even when you're just setting out into healing, praise sets out first. There's a few songs I've had on repeat because they just reverberate with truth in my dusty soul and this is one of them:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_JXmKO9Mdbk

Here are the lyrics:

The Becoming 

After the destruction
In the wake of every storm
The sun reveals the suffering
And all I’ve known is gone
Well I can take the rising waves
But when I’m washed up on the shore
Feeling just like driftwood
And nothing makes sense anymore

Jesus meet me
Be everything I need
In the waiting
In the in between
Jesus, hold me
And keep me from running
Cause I don’t want to miss
The beauty of becoming

Something new is growing
I can feel it come alive
In the dead of winter
Spring is on the other side

Jesus meet me
Be everything I need
In the waiting
In the in between
Jesus, hold me
Keep me from running
Cause I don’t want to miss
The beauty of becoming

Give me beauty in the ashes of this pain
Give me water in the wasteland, let it rain
As I wonder, in the darkness, be my guide
Oh Creator Oh Redeemer bring new life

Jesus meet me
Be everything I need
In the waiting
In the in between
Jesus, hold me
Keep me from running
Cause I don’t want to miss
The beauty of becoming

- See more at: http://www.jennysimmons.com/2012/12/19/listen-to-the-title-track-the-becoming/#sthash.t4tulb0B.dpuf

So just in case anyone is wondering what's going on in my heart, there ya go.  My heart is crying out for him to keep me from missing anything beautiful from this painful season.

But I was thinking about how much easier this season has been than others in my life.  It's easy when you have a tumor eating through your skull and threatening your brain to share with others your pain and to ask for help and for prayer.  And because of that I have more support than when things were hard with a family member or a friend or someone from church that was awful to you.  I have more support than when my marriage is struggling and I want to ask for prayer but I don't want anyone to judge me. 

THAT IS LAMESAUCE. 

I need you guys, and we all need each other. So I am begging you to tell me when you need prayer. 

When you want your life to slow down enough to just sit at His feet and worship Him..

When you're overwhelmed at the expectations society has on women and people in general..

When you love your husband but aren't sure you like him..

When you love your kids but you're tired of wiping snot..

When you love your church but hate going because she's there..

When that person in ministry hurts you..

When your job stinks..

When you just plain for no good reason feel ALONE..

Text me, call me, message me, something!  Just because it's not a hole in your head doesn't mean that I don't want to pray for you!  

We are all in the process of BECOMING and we need Jesus to be everything we need. Let's be there for each other okay? We don't want to miss the beauty. 

Ps. This is a tiny bit of the beauty I saw today...my kiddos crack me up. 

Seth declared our front rocks to be his swimming pool and proceeded to cannon ball into it and "swim" all afternoon. I love that kid!