Lyrical Friday - I Will Exalt

[photo credit]

Happy Friday amigos. 

I'm actually writing this post Thursday night because early this morning my Mother, Bruny, will be having eye surgery. Please keep her in prayer as well as the medical staff (specially Dr. Abbey) of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. I am confident that the good work God began in her, He will complete. He who created her will bring order to the chaos. He holds her in His hands and I will not fear. I will praise Him for His faithfulness to my Mother, to my family and me. 

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Today's lyrical Friday song is 'I Will Exalt' by Hillsong. This Wednesday the worship team sang this one and for the first time, in a long time, I broke down in tears. Since this fiery trial with my Mother, the peace of God (which surpasses ALL understanding) has guarded my heart and mind. His peace has sustained me. And as I sang the first verse, I exalted Him, I praised Him, worshiped Him for being my God. And then the chorus began... my hiding place. That was all I needed for the tears to burst through my tightly sealed eyes. All these days He has been my peace. But at night, when silence and stillness invite thoughts of doubt, fear and anxiety, He has been my hiding place. As His children, we can enter His presence with our doubts, questions, fears, anxiety, brokenness, mourning, loneliness, depression and failure... and hide (from everything and everyone) in Him. There He comforts us, holds us and reassures us that He himself will fight for us. If you need a hiding place, find a safe refuge in the Lord. Start by meditating on the lyrics and making them your song of praise. Prayer will lead you to His glorious hiding place. 

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For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:7

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You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. Psalm 119:114

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But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Psalm 59:6

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The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:2-4

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Those who live in the shelter of the Most High 
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 
This I declare about the Lord: 
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; 
He is my God, and I trust him. 
For He will rescue you from every trap 
and protect you from deadly disease. 
He will cover you with His feathers. 
He will shelter you with His wings. 
His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, 
nor the arrow that flies in the day. 
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, 
nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 
Psalm 91:1-6 
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For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

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I Will Exalt, Brooke Fraser  

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I will exalt You

I will exalt YouI will exalt YouYou are my God-Chorus:My hiding place My safe refugeMy treasure Lord You areMy friend and King Anointed OneMost Holy.-Because You’re with meBecause You’re with meBecause You’re with meI will not fear

The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1

in the battlefield

Miami, Wedensaday 7:30pm

Hello Lovelies. A very quick post, on the go to share an update and a word of encouragement.
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Two weeks ago from today, my Mother felt a throbbing pain that circulated her right eye, ear and nose. Thinking it to be sinus tension she took meds and to no success. Four days later she was in the hospital and diagnosed with an acute glaucoma attack which caused her to lose her sight. Last Tuesday she arrived to Miami from Dominican Republic and we took her immediately to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Since then she has undergone 4 laser procedures, 1 eye injection, 2 eye drops every four hours, 1 every hour, 1 before bed and medication. Yesterday she was told that the only option left is surgery. A physical exam was done and preparations for Tomorrow's surgery are on its way.
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Unexpected, unprepared and unbelievable are words that can describe this trial. But the Lord has been so faithful, loving and present. He has sustained us through the prayers and care of the Christian brothers and sisters in our lives. His Word has become and beacon of hope and an anchor for our faith. And so it is my duty to pass on to you, as you are found in the battlefield of a fiery trial, the encouragement that has been poured on us through His Words.
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The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. Exodus 14:14
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Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now. Joshua 23:8
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Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true. Joshua 21:45
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Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
² From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 
Psalm 61:2
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The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
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Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
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But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10

He calms and quiets as He heals

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm/quiet all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.
Zephaniah 3:17

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Twice this verse was sent to my Mother. 

Praying and believing that He is among her as her mighty savior. I praise Him for with His love He quiets her fears, and calms mine. And we all will rejoice as He rejoices over her now. 

[photo credit]

Tomorrow morning she has an appt. 

Continue praying for His healing hands to be upon her and His knowledge, wisdom and anointing upon the medical staff at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Thank you for praying. And know that the victory from this battle will also be yours. 

Sentence Tuesday

Though our heart is breaking on the inside, 

sometimes a smile on the outside 

can work it's way from our face to our heart.

 -Kandee Johnson 

Lyrical Friday & His healing, my healing

Teacups of Treasures

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Happy Friday to You. 

This week has been one massive roller coaster of emotions. As I mentioned last Friday, my paternal grandmother passed away. This happened in the Dominican Republic, therefore, my parents traveled for the funeral and burial. While there my Mother began to experience great pain on the upper right side of her face. She thought it was her sinus kicking in but the pain did not go away with medication. She was admitted to a local hospital where all sorts of tests and scans were performed on her. Stroke, Bells Palsy and any brain related illness was discarded and all pointed to her right eye. This all happened this past Monday. 

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Come Tuesday morning she was seen by an Opthamologist who diagnosed a Glaucoma attack on her right eye. Glaucoma was also detected on her left eye. She was flown back and given a 12 hour span before she could possibly lose her sight. Since then she has undergone three laser procedures, 2 on her right eye and 1 on her left. Holes were drilled into her eyes to drain out the fluid being retained. As of now, her vision has not been restored and only time will tell if she will recover it in her right eye. The left eye was treated and is safe. We are clinging to Jesus, our Jehovah-Rohpe. And though the pit is dark, deep and unforgiving our hope is in God. My precious Mother is found on her knees but she is not alone, I am found there too and many praying saints. 

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Then Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its waters for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah [bitterness]. The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There [the Lord] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them, saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you. Exodus 15:22-26
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O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health. 
You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. 
You kept me from falling into the pit of death. 
Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! 
Praise his holy name. 
For his anger lasts only a moment, 
but his favor lasts a lifetime! 
Weeping may last through the night, 
but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:2-5
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The LORD nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. Psalm 41:3 
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My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, 
but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:26 
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Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me. 
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 
He redeems me from death 
and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 
He fills my life with good things. 
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! 
Psalm 103:2-5
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Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. 
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 
Then you will have healing for your body 
and strength for your bones. Proverbs 7:7-8
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When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2
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May He heal your broken heart and bind your wounds.
May He heal your bones and restore your health.
May He heal your mind from the past.
May He heal the scars from cutting yourself.
May He heal your hunger and the eating dirsorder(s).
Praying for your healing.

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Find You On My Knees, Kari Jobe 

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Troubles chasing me again,

Breaking down my best defence,

I'm looking, God, I'm looking for you

Weary just won't let me rest and fear is filling up my head.

I'm longing, God I'm longing for you

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But I will find you in the place I'm in, find you when I'm at my end,

Find you when there's nothing left of me to offer you except for brokenness.

You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

When I am weak, when I am lost and searching

I'll find you on my knees.

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So what if sorrow shakes my faith,

What if heartache still remains,

I'll trust you, my god I'll trust you.

'Cause You are faithful and

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When my hope is gone, when the fear is strong

When the pain is real, when it's hard to heal

When my faith is shaken and my heart is broken and my joy is stolen, 

God I know that You lift me up, you'll never leave me thirsty,

sentence tuesday

No matter what you're facing or 

what uncertainty is in front of you, 

know this: God is in control. 

-James MacDonald 

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waiting in the midst of silence

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I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, 

And in His word I do hope.  

My soul waits for the Lord  

More than those who watch for the morning— 

Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. 

O [YOUR NAME HERE], hope in the Lord; 

For with the Lord there is mercy, 

And with Him is abundant redemption. 

Psalm 130:5-7 

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Wait: 

> to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens. 

> to be available or in readiness

> to remain neglected for a time

> to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed

> to look forward to eagerly

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Are you waiting and not seeing any change or hearing anything? Whatever it may be that you are waiting for (an answer, direction, healing, the end of a trial, a new thing... you know what it is), hope is found in God. He is not silent now. And though we may experience times when we think God is silent, even in the silence God is often speaking. Genesis through Revelation God spoke in various ways: audibly; through prophets and godly people; dreams, the law and the written word; creatively through a donkey, burning bush, storms, rainbow and miracles. God will speak as we seek. 

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We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; 

We are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; 

Struck down, but not destroyed— 

 2 Corinthians 4 8-9

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I would have lost heart, unless I had believed 

That I would see the goodness of the Lord 

In the land of the living. 

Wait on the Lord; 

Be of good courage, 

And He shall strengthen your heart; 

Wait, I say, on the Lord! 

Psalm 27:13-14

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It is OK to fall to your knees and cry. It is human to feel defeated, lost and/or angry. But we also have the choice and will power to not remain in that state. Make a choice today to stretch your arms to Heaven and ask God to fill your with hope, joy and courage as you wait upon Him. Make a choice to read God's word today and believe every word you read. Make a choice today to praise God for all He has done for you, even if it is only one thing that you find to praise Him for. I am confident that God hears your voice, your cries and even the silent groans of your heart. I know He sees you now but He also sees your life from beginning to end and knows your future victory. Wait on Him, don't give up and He shall strengthen your heart. 

Lyrical Friday - Beneath the Waters

[photo credit]

For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace when they die. Isaiah 57:2
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“I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,” says the Lord, “And I will heal him.” Isaiah 57:19-

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalm 23:6 
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I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? 

Can my dust praise you? 

Can it tell of your faithfulness?  

Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! Psalm 30:8-12

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My paternal grandmother passed away yesterday and I am confident in the Lord that she is in His presence. It got me thinking about the people I know that have passed away and into eternal glory or eternal damnation. One person made me uneasy. She was difficult to live with, hard to love, evil many times, blasphemous, a liar, a thief and she did much harm. Her heart harbored a lot of anger, bitterness, hate, filth and malice. Out of the abundance of her heart, her mouth indeed spoke and her actions followed. She did accept Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Savior, and for a moment in her life we witnessed repentance. Though she did change a bit, she remained bitter, perverse and proud. 
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All this to say, that I sat on my bed and the goodness of the Lord of angered me. Her sins were so great yet because God is a just God who keeps His word, she is in Heaven now. Her sins erased. She has been raised and now in Christ she lives. How could He? (I'm being completely transparent here). In a way, it made me mad that she would, for all of eternity, enjoy the goodness of the Lord and that His mercy would now follow her all the days of her new life. She had committed so much evil and did not deserve eternity with Him. And then God spoke to me, "Her sins weigh as much as yours." 
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Forgive me Lord. 
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Oh wretched woman that I am.
As Christ was raised to life, she has been risen in Him.
And just like her, I was dead in my sin but I will rise.
She taught me the mercy of God.
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Beneath The Waters, Hillsong 

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This is my revelation
Christ Jesus crucified 
Salvation through redemption 
At the cross on which He died 
Now here my absolution 
Forgiveness for my sin
And I sink beneath the waters
That Christ was buried in 
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I will rise
I will rise
As Christ 
Was raised to life
Now in Him 
Now in Him 
I live
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I stand a new creation 
Baptized in blood and fire
No fear of condemnation 
By faith I'm justified 
q2
I rise as You were risen 
Declare Your rule and reign 
My life confess Your lordship
And glorify Your name 
Your word it stands eternal 
Your kingdom knows no end 
Your praise goes on forever
And on and on again 
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No power can stand against You 
No curse assault Your throne
No one can steal Your glory 
For it is Yours alone 
I stand to sing Your praises 
I stand to testify 
For I was dead in my sin 

His peace, my peace

Teacups of Treasures-

And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day. Judges 6:24

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Those who love your instructions have great peace
    and do not stumble. Psalm 119:165

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For those who follow godly paths
    will rest in peace when they die. Isaiah 57:2

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You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3 

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I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. 

And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 

Peace may be the very thing you need today. 

Whether you are experiencing the loss of a loved one (as my family is), the loss of a dream, the loss of a job, the loss of a material item, or the loss of hope take refuge in God's peace. If life doesn't seem to make sense, read over these verses; pray them and accept God's gift of peace. If you need prayer, email me. 

Sentence Tuesday

How beautiful it is to learn that grace isn't fragile, and that in the family of God we can fail and not be a failure. 

- Gloria Gaither

His banner, my banner

Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi 

(which means “the LORD is my banner”). Exodus 17:15 

I received Teacups Full of Treasures by Mary Grace Birkhead as a gift. This tiny little book contains 30 names of God from both the Old and New Testaments. I am taking in each name rather slowly. Every Monday for the past three weeks I have read only one name and for the following 6 days I studied other scriptures that mention that specific name. Jehovah-Nissi is this week's name.
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 I looked up Exodus 17:15 and this is what my study bible commented: This banner was a battle flag. In Isaiah 5:26, God lifted up a banner to call the nations to war against Israel. In Isaiah 11:10,12 the Messiah would be the banner calling the nations to bring His people home. 
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This immediately painted a picture for me. During my trip to Italy I saw many tour groups. There were groups with matching shirts, others wore matching caps or lanyards with the group's name. The tour guide either carried a flag or a sign. If the guide moved, he or she would wave their flag or sign in the air. Members of their group could easily recognize where their guide was and followed them in the right direction. This is our God. He raises His banner, guiding us in the best pathway.
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Upon our arrival at Tel Aviv Ariport we were to be picked up by a gentleman whom none of us knew. Imagine searching an entire airport for a man you did not know but was your only way out. All we were told was that he had a sign with the name of our team leader. The search became easier. We soon found him because of the sign, a sort of banner. This too is our God, Jehovah-Nissi. He holds a banner with His name, ending the search of our hearts for deliverance and acceptance.
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If you are far from God or have wandered away, call to Him and He will raise His banner high and He will guide you to the right path. In the midst of the battle you are in, He is your mighty warrior and His banner will lead you through the battle and victoriously out. 
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Psalm 60:4 You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. 
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Song of Solomon 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.