Be Encouraged

Snippet

For those who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God, it requires enormous trust and reckless, raging confidence to accept the love of Christ, which knows no shadow or alteration or change.  When Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavey burdened,"  he assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way.  These words are a touching testimony to the genuine humanness of Jesus.  He had no romantic notion of the cost of discipleship.  He knew that physical pain, the loss of loved ones, failure, loneliness, rejection, abandonment, and betrayal would sap our spirits, that the day would come when faith would no longer offer any assurance, and drive or comfort, that prayer would lack any sense of reality or progress, that one day we would echo the cry of Teresa of Avila, "Lord,  if this is the way you treat your friends, it is no wonder you have so few."   (Reflections for Ragamuffins Brennan Manning Pg. 63

Scripture

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Song  Keep Your Head Up  By Ben Howard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADP65wbBUpc

I spent my time, watching

The spaces that have grown between us.

And I cut my mind on second best,

Oh the scars that come with the greenness.

And I gave my eyes to the boredom,

Still the seabed wouldn't let me in.

And I try my best to embrace the darkness

In which I swim.

Now walking back, down this mountain,

The strength of a turnin' tide.

Oh the wind so soft, and my skin,

Yeah the sun so hot upon my side.

Oh lookin' out at this happiness

I searched for between the sheets,

Oh feelin' blind, I realize,

All I was searchin' for, was me.

Oh oh-oh, all I was searchin' for was me.

Oh yeah, keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

No, no, no, no, keep your mind set, keep your hair long.

Oh my, my darlin', keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

Na, oh, no, no, keep your mind set in your ways.

Keep your heart strong.

Now I saw a friend of mine, the other day,

And he told me that my eyes were gleamin'.

Oh I said I'd been away, and he knew...

Oh he knew the depths I was meanin'.

And it felt so good to see his face,

All the comfort invested in my soul,

Oh to feel the warmth, of his smile,

When he said, 'I'm happy to have you home.'

Oh oh-oh, I'm happy to have you home.

Oh yeah, keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

No, no, no, no, keep your mind set, keep your hair long.

Oh my, my darlin', keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

No, no, no, no, keep your mind set in your ways.

Well keep your heart strong.

'Cause I'll always remember you the same.

Oh eyes like wildflowers, oh with your demons of change.

(Keep your head up)

(Keep your heart strong)

(Keep your head up)

(Keep your heart strong)

May you find happiness here.

(Keep your head up)

(Keep your heart strong)

(Keep your head up)

(Keep your heart strong)

May all your hopes all turn out right.

Keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

No, no, no, no, keep your mind set, keep your hair long.

Oh my, my darlin', keep your head up, keep your heart strong.

No, no, no, no, keep your mind set in your ways.

Keep your heart strong.

'Cause I'll always remember you the same.

Oh eyes like wildflowers, oh with your demons of change.

Sentence Prayer

John Wesley’s Prayer

I am no longer my own but yours,

Put me to what you will

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for you or laid aside for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal

And now glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

You are mine and I am yours. So be it.

And this covenant now made on earth, let it be satisfied in heaven.

Amen