Truth from Psalm 40

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40)

Quotes

I'm a huge fan of quotes and when I find ones that are inspiring or thought provoking I tend to write them down, resulting in quotes written down all over the place in my house!

I thought I'd share a few that have been inspiring me and/or causing me to think lately:

"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time." (Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven)

"God asks no one whether he/she will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only choice is how." (Henry Ward Beecher)

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies within us while we live." (Norman Cousins)

And a Bible verse that has been on my mind a lot lately:

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" (Isaiah 30:21)

True Love

If you ever wondered what Easter is really about, or maybe like me, you can use a reminder check out this video:

Cracks In The Foundation

Last week I went into the bathroom in our basement downstairs and stepped into some water that shouldn't have been there. At first I thought my mom was a little over zealous when it came to washing the floor, but after some investigation I found out that the water was coming in from outside. And as I talked to different friends and family members it turned out we weren't the only one with this problem.

You see the night before we had a huge downpour and since the ground here was still frozen, the water had no where to go but in the cracks in our foundations and into our basements.

What I found interesting about this all is that most people who had water come in had no idea that there was anything wrong with their foundation. It was only when the storm came that it became obvious something was seriously wrong.

Aren't our lives like that? We can go about our business day after day and call ourselves Christians, go to church and do all the right things and on the surface everything seems fine. But then when the storm comes we realize something is desperately wrong when we're up to our knees in water with no way to stop it from coming gushing in.

Like Jesus taught in Matthew 7:24-27:

"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."

Jesus Calling

For a while I've been looking for a good devotional book to start my day with and the search is over. Two weeks ago I picked up "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young and it's been rocking my world.

It's written very different than most devotional books because it's written in the perspective of God writing to you and while it took a bit of getting used to, it's been amazing. Nearly every day I've been confronted with a profound truth or just something I really needed to hear.

If you're looking for a fresh element to add to your morning devotions, I highly recommend either picking up a copy of the book or downloading the Jesus Calling app in iTunes.

"The only thing you can grasp without damaging your soul is My hand." (Jesus Calling)

The West Wing

The West Wing moved up to bump the original Practice out of the running as my all-time favorite tv show. Here's why:

and...

I may be a little late to the party, but I absolutely love this show!

How Good Business Is Done

A few months ago I signed up for a membership with www.shootlove.com. It's a photography website and since I've been wanting to expand on my photo taking abilities and they were giving a great introductory offer, I decided to sign up.

During the first couple of months they had a few roadblocks and delays and instead of just expecting their customers to put up with it, they instead did something unexpected:

SL Big Announcement + GOYA Assignment from frshnk on Vimeo.

And they were good on their word. The day after getting this message I got a notice that my monthly payments to shootlove.com were cancelled and I'm now lucky enough to have a lifetime membership, absolutely free!

And that my friends is how good business is done....

Eye Opening Article

It's interesting how with all the reports of the nuclear problems Japan is having, officials from the government both there and here insist that things are safe. This is the first article I've read that shows just how unsafe things are and how bad things could get.

The people of Japan truly need our support and prayers!

How Could This Be

Writing is something that I just love to do and my writing takes on a lot of different forms.  Sometimes thoughts or lines will come to me that turn into a devotional, other times a radio ad, other times a chapter for a book and then there are some times that they turn into a potential song.  I say potential because while I can write words that resemble lyrics I lack the musical inclination to turn them into an actual song.  But that is where it pays to have gifted friends :)

To hear one of our recent songs, check out the video.  The lyrics are also posted below.

How Could This Be

By: Julie Bouchard & Kristen McNulty

Moonlight at midnight

All the stars shining bright

Reflections of Your glory

All of heaven tells a story

Seeing just a small glance

Journey of the second chance

Creation redeemed

That's your plan for me

Hearts and lives restored

I'm amazed Lord

How could this be?

How could this be?

Rainbows on a dreary day

Direction when I've lost my way

Light that shines bright inside

Even the darkness can't hide

What a complex mystery

Heaven re-writing our history

That one event changed it all

Jesus Christ, redeemer of the fall

How can it be, how can it be?

Forgiveness and grace are mine

Covered by Your love divine

How can it be, how can it be?

The OC Supertones

In high school, which was more years ago than I would care to admit, one of my favorite bands was the OC Supertones. I liked the band because yes, as a trombone player it was one of the few bands that I could play along to, but also because their lyrics had a depth to them that I appreciated.

There wasn't many other bands out there quoting the likes of Schaeffer and encouraging Christians to go beyond the surface of faith.

When the band broke up I was very disappointed that I never had the opportunity to see them in concert, but my hopes were reignited recently when I found out they played a couple concerts on the West Coast last summer. Here's to hoping it won't be the last time the guys get together for a few shows.

Wilderness:

Crossing Another Item Off

Last weekend I had the chance to scratch another item off of my bucket list- a helicopter ride! I was out of town and they were offering rides, so my sister, sister-in-law and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

It was a thrilling experience to say the least. Although I was the only one who had a helicopter ride on their bucket list, we all had a great time. The take off and landing was so much different than an airplane and the view from the top was incredible. We got to tour the town in style before landing on the ice in the middle of a lake. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend taking a spin!

Superbowl Commercials

Maybe it's professional hazard, but I love hearing and watching well-written commercials. So the Superbowl commercials are ones that I look forward to catching, almost as much as I look forward to watching the game.

This year my favorite commercial of the bunch was Chrysler's. I think what I love about it is how they take something basic, the idea that Detroit is an auto manufacturing town, and turn it into a compelling story.

In my opinion it was brilliant.

Mountains Move

While I love worship, it is a challenge for me to find worship albums that I can really get into and listen from start to finish over and over again. But I've found one that I'm loving and I thought I'd share it with you all.

It's called Mountains Move and it's from Kristian Stanfill. I highly recommend you check it out!

Your Love

One song I've been listening to a lot lately is "Your Love" by Brandon Heath. The lyrics that stand out to me in particular are:

You're the light when the night is falling
You're the song when my heart is singing
It's Your love
You're the eyes to the blind man
You're the feet to the lame man walking
You're the sound of people singing
It's Your love"

Have you ever experience a love like that? One that fills your heart and changes everything. Giving light to the darkness, hope in the hopeless and peace in the turmoil?

We as humans even on the best of days fall short when it comes to really loving someone else. No matter how hard we try, we do mess up, we do disappoint and we do hurt. We don't meet other peoples needs, we say the wrong things and we are way too quick to jump to conclusions and solutions when all someone else needs is understanding.

But there's another love out there. A love that no matter how hard we try to replicate we'll always fall short of. And it's a love that doesn't need replicating because it's available freely to every one of us and that is the love of God.

Many of us view God as an older gentleman with high standards who makes it impossible to get a stamp of approval from. But that couldn't be further from the truth:

"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." (Psalm 86:1)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"[Jesus said] as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." (John 15:9)

"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9)

And my personal favorite:

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow- not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Isn't the love of God a truly amazing thing?

Let Go

Lately I pulled out my copy of "Let Go" by Francois Fenelon.  When I picked it up I thought it would be a quick read because of its small size, but it turned out to be just the opposite.  There is so much wisdom packed into each chapter- most only 3-4 pages long, that you'll find yourself not wanting to read more than a few pages at a time so that you can let it all sink in.  If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend picking up a copy. 

"Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles, that He may comfort you; tell Him your joys, that He may sober them; tell Him your longings, that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes, that He may help you conquer them; talk to Him of your temptations, that He may shield you from them: show Him the wounds of your heart, that He may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others." (from Let Go)

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Last year at this time I was thinking and praying about the year 2010 and while I don't often get messages like this, I believe I got a message loud and clear from God saying that 2010 was going to be a year of change.

It rang so loudly and seemed so profound that I shared this with a number of people in my life. It's a good thing I did because I wasn't alone in shaking my head in awe as the events of this past year unraveled.

2010 truly was a year of the foundation being shaken up in my life and I experienced major changes in pretty much every area of my life: family, ministry, friendships, health, the list goes on and on.

While knowing in advance that 2010 was going to be a year of change didn't remove the effects that these changes had on my life, it did help to soften the blow because with each change and challenge I was reminded that God saw this coming. He knew what I would be facing this past year and in His grace He was kind enough to give me a heads up.

During one intense period of changes and challenges this spring I was talking with someone I respect very much and he told me that when I climbed out of this valley he believed that I would have a different and deeper relationship with God. To be honest, at the time that wasn't much of a consolation, but today I can see the truth in what he said.

My relationship with God has gone deeper and I see Him very differently than I did even a year ago. I also feel very much loved by Him, which is something that has been so amazing to experience.

As 2011 has arrived I have no idea what the year will bring, but I do know this- no matter what the next year holds, whether they are "Job sized" challenges or abundant blessings, God has His hand on my life. And if this past year has taught me anything it's that He walks with us every single step of the way. During no other time period in my life have I felt the nearness of God and it's been a remarkable thing to experience.

New Years Prayer

"May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God's love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead." (Anonymous)

What A Wonderful Christmas

If your family is anything like mine Christmas day doesn't usually come and go without some sort of roadblock or mini-disaster.  Last year it was a flood at my grandpa's house right before we served Christmas dinner.  This year my brother called Christmas morning saying that he, his wife and my little nephew wouldn't be able to come for Christmas since he and his wife were quite sick.  When we found this out we knew we had a choice to make- focus on what we weren't going to have or focus on what we did have.  And so we continued on with our plans.

Christmas morning we had my grandfather and aunt and uncle over for a traditional McNulty Christmas breakfast.  The highlight of this being our stocking opening.  This has become somewhat of a legend in our household.  Our banister is packed with everyones stockings (at last count I think we had eight) and most of us contribute to filling them with unique and creative things.  This year the stockings were such a hit that we didn't have room in our stockings for everything that people brought!  After our stocking opening was done our company left so my Mom and I did our gift exchange and then had some downtime.

In the afternoon most of our extended family, along with my sister and brother-in-law met up for Christmas dinner at my aunts house.  It was great to get to see everyone and we had such a good time!  After our delicious dinner we had our 2nd Annual Baking Contest.  How it works is that everyone brings their entry (either a cookie, bar or square) along with a small entry fee and they are numbered so it's anonymous who made what.  We do a taste test of the entries and cast our vote for the winner.  The winner gets a cash pot, which suited me just fine because this year I took home first place!  

On Boxing Day after church we all gathered again at my grandfathers house for another family get together and of course, more games and contests. First was a dress-up contest where everyone came dressed up as a character from a Christmas movie and had to recite a line or two from the movie.  There were prizes for best costume and most convincing character and it was hilarious to be a part of!   My sister and brother-in-law even went so far as to do a scene from Christmas Vacation on my grandfathers front lawn.  I have no idea what the neighbors thought but I thought I was going to be sick from laughing!  This is the first time my family has done anything like this and I don't think it'll be the last!

Finally to wrap things up we played a game that I created this year called "Sing It, Act It or Say It".  I made it for a Christmas party I hosted earlier this month and it turned out to be a really fun game to play as a group so I decided to do a re-run on Boxing Day.  I've been encouraged to make a non-Christmas version of it and copyright it but I think it's something I'm going to keep for just family and friends...

So those are the highlights of my Christmas of 2010- how was yours?

God With Us

"All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us')." (Isaiah 7:14)

God with us.

One of the most stunning truths about the Christmas story to me can be summed up in three words: God with us.

The same God who was the mastermind behind creation confined Himself to a baby's body. The same God who ruled over creation was content to be brought up by human parents. The same God who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was willing to humble Himself to die for those very beings who refused to worship and obey. God with us.

When we're tired. When we're discouraged. When we don't feel like we can make it through another day. God with us.

I can see evidence of God with me everyday. I see it in the sunrise that streaks across the sky. I see it in the music that moves my soul with every note. I see it in the people He sends across my path just when I need them. I see it in the circumstances He orchestrates into a brilliant set of events, otherwise known as my life story. God with us.

God with us. Not just today. Not just tomorrow, but forever. No matter what life events arise. No matter what our days hold, we've got God with us and that fact changes everything.

It puts the hope in the hopeless. The peace in the turmoil. And the love in what otherwise would have been lonely.

God with us.

That's the Christmas story. Not just sheep and wisemen, but what the birth of Jesus set in motion. Events that had been pre-planned by the ultimate God of love. Through Jesus coming to earth and dying for our sins, we were given a second chance. A way to restore our relationship with God. Our own story of Redemption.

My Favourite Time of Year

I love this music video. It looks like the people in my Christmas village come to life :) The band put a lot into this and they did it all without the support of a label- impressive!