Sunday Song {Keep Making Me}

This song is most definitely my heart song this week, month, year.

I am in a season of idleness. I feel like I am just waiting for something. I am not being active and I can feel God nudging me to draw closer to Him. That is the beautiful thing about our God He never pushes, just nudges. I don't feel like drawing closer to Him because it is the "christian" thing to do or that I feel guilty that I am lackluster in this area; more like a long lost friend sending me text or note saying "hey, remember me?! I would like to hang out with you again."

So "'Til you are my ONE desire, 'Til you are my ONE TRUE Love, 'Til you are my breath, My everything, Lord, please keep making me..." Amen.



"Keep Making Me"
Sidewalk Prophets.

Make me broken
So I can be healed
‘Cause I’m so calloused
And now I can’t feel
I want to run to You
With heart wide open
Make me broken

Make empty
So I can be filled
‘Cause I’m still holding
Onto my will
And I’m completed
When you are with me
Make me empty

[Chorus:]
‘Til You are my one desire
‘Til You are my one true love
‘Til You are my breath, my everything
Lord, please keep making me

Make me lonely
So I can be Yours
‘Til I want no one
More than You, Lord
‘Cause in the darkness
I know You will hold me
Make me lonely

[Chorus]

Sunday Song {Oceans-Where Feet May Fail}

I have had this idea for.ever.
To post a song that touches my heart at the beginning of the week.
To reflect, meditate and dwell on.
Music speaks to me like nothing else ever will. I want to be a great and articulate writer. Unfortunately, I lack the ability to convey my deepest thoughts and feelings that make sense.

When my heart is happy or sad, I find joy, comfort and peace in song. This is what I love most about leading worship. Getting lost in the song. I never see the people starting at me, my heart and soul is in complete and utter worship of our Savior.

I could be having the crappiest day ever and then it all be turned around by one song on Way-FM.

This week my song is Oceans Where Feet May Fail by Hillsong.


The lyrics:

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
[x6]

I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

1st. Her voice is amazing. Her "haunting" sound takes me to a deep place of worship.

2nd. This song is based on the story of Peter walking out onto the water. Read more HERE.

3rd. Do you ever feel God preparing you, not calling you...yet, but preparing you for something. You don't have the faintest, well maybe an inkling, but it is so unknown and unsure. He is preparing me/us. I love that about God. He doesn't just give you something you can't handle. He prepares you for it, if you are sensitive enough to feel the leading. I find myself declaring

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, Let me walk upon the waters; WHEREVER you would CALL ME. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger, In the presence of my Savior. Amen."

I know there isn't anything I can't handle as long as I rest in Christ. When I am frustrated, this song is my prayer this week. "I will call upon [HIS] name and keep my eyes above the waves."

A Prayer of a Little Girl {Things Lo Says}

I wanted to get this posted BEFORE Easter, so I guess it is now or never.

Gosh, this happened several weeks ago, like before spring break and I wish I could remember everything that surrounded this prayer, but I can't. I constantly tell myself this IS important so I won't forget...yeah right. Anyway, one afternoon I went to check on Lo to see if she actually napped when I overheard this little prayer/conversation she was having with Jesus. It's moments like these you wish you could have an audio recorder in your ears to remember every.single.word. I focused my mind hard to remember as much as I could and quickly wrote it down.

Here are some of my favorite lines of her prayer:

Jesus I know Easter is not about the toys, its about you Jesus. You are the best God evah (yes, she said it just like that!) I know I need to sleep but I just really want to read this Bible book to you God.

God I have this boo boo on my knee but you need to get it better, but I can still walk God, see {proceeds to walk around her room showing God! HA!}

She prays for at least 5 minutes or more telling God her entire life story. Just pouring out her heart and life to Him.

God I know you made the people and the animals, but I just want to know HOW? {blind faith--completely trusts in the Almighty and His power--this right here is why God asks us parents to raise our kids up in the Him, so when they are older they will not depart from it! Proverbs 22:6. The faith of children is astounding!}

And then all the children say AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

{a little selfie from the iPad}

As I sat and listened and felt my heart nearly explode with pride and joy, I couldn't help but think what Jesus was feeling in Heaven. I could just picture Him smiling and His heart full as He listened to this innocent child talk to Him feeling every bit as proud and joyful (probably moreso) as I was. Jesus loves the little children so much because they just come to Him as they are and unashamedly sit in His presence  My kids teach me so much about my faith and how to just be. Stop worrying so much about what words I use to pray or what I "let God in on" in my life {like I am really hiding something!} and just be in HIS PRESENCE!

Easter is about recognizing that Jesus came and died to be the KING WE NEEDED! Not the King we wanted. He came and died to be our SAVIOR because that is what we needed most in order to live.

Happy Easter!

A Little Girl's Prayer Answered.

I love my "Kids Say The Darndest Thing" series and recording all the random things that come out of their mouths. But then there are moments like these that I just can't bear to forget...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes people feel like God is "too busy" for all our everyday request and concerns. I am guilty of thinking that desire or "need" I have is to piddly for God to have to deal with, so don't burden Him with your non-sense request.
This is not true. God wants to be involved in our everyday and mundane.

A few weeks ago Lo and I attended my sister's dance recital. Lo just had to bring her stuffed elephant along with the elephant's paci to the recital. I very clearly told her she was responsible for that AND if it got lost that was on her.

"I know Mommy! I can do it!"

Fast forward to walking back to the car. As soon as we get through campus and in the car Lo lets out a horrifying shriek that the paci is gone! (Mind you the paci was on a clip hooked to the elephant, so how it came off I don't know).

I calmly situated her in her carseat and said we would try and drive the path we came and see if it was lying on the sidewalk somewhere.

She is in complete hysterics.
I drive trying to see in the dusk of night. I can't see anything.
I explained it was gone.

Boo-hooing is not even remotely adequate to describe the level of grief she was experiencing. You would have thought she lost the actual doll itself or worse me!
Now normally in these situations I am irritated and not calming. But for some reason I just heard her pain and could relate. I lose stuff all.the.time. I get so angry when I do. So I let her grieve.

She kept hoping someone would find it and get it back to her...I said there was no way that would happen. Honey, it's gone. Our only hope is if Auntie Meg, happens to see it on her walk to her car, but that was unlikely because she didn't know to look for it. {per usual my cell was dead therefore no communication could be had about said paci/clip}

I kept rubbing her leg on the drive home, explaining how sad/mad I get when these things happen and it was ok to cry. I calmly explained that is why we need to be careful with our stuff. I tried to learn where she last saw the paci, which was on the way to the car. She just kept saying how careful she was.

My heart was breaking for her. I just kept silently praying. "Dear Jesus, if there is a way." But then I would quickly realize there most likely wasn't "a way." So I would pray "please help me to help her cope, it is just a toy,  sometimes we need to learn to deal with disappointment, but...if only there was a way."
I was so torn and back and forth.

We finally arrive home. I have vocal team practice to get too. I quickly race around to her door to unbuckle her. As I flip open the door lying RIGHT next to her was that paci/clip. Right next to her!!

Now guys, let me pause to say, I believe in Jesus, I believe HE can do anything, BUT I also recognize He is not going to intervene every time for His reasons that sometimes we don't understand. But I was NOT expecting this. You can call me crazy, you can come up with "logical" reasons all.day.long. BUT nothing, NOTHING will make me believe any different. Jesus put that paci there. He heard a little girls grief and my mother's praying heart and ANSWERED.

That paci was NOT there when I buckled her in. I would have seen it. As it was laying as plain as day right beside her when we got home. I know she was in boo hoo mode, but she should have found it as she was screaming and crying out about it.

The second we found it, I cried out "Thank you Jesus!" And I had her pray a thank you as well. She was upset by the whole thing that it took nearly another 30 minutes to truly calm down. Chad thought she had been severely injured when I carried her in, that is the level of crying I was dealing with.

Later when I asked her about it, she said "Jesus put that there for me." {I told her nothing of my notions of the miracle, that was all her.} I said "yes He did baby.God loves you very much and I want you to know that He cares about your BIG needs and your Little ones. We serve a wonderful God."
"I know mommy."

Miscellany Monday (on Tues that should have posted Monday)

Note: So I schedule some of my blogs. This should have posted yesterday and I just got home from work and realized it didn't post...grrrr.

1. We went to the movie A-Team last Wed for a small group outing. I figured it would be ok I have sat through worse movies ::cough. Lord of the Rings:: that is 9 hours of my life I will never get back...anyway this movie was AWESOME. I laughed so hard throughout. The action was great. All this to say...go see it!

2. I finally got my prayer journal up and running. I back tracked all my old prayer requests and praises. Can I just say how amazing it was to go back again and read all God has done in my life and the life of my friends. Just going through those entries clearly shows God's amazing power. I highly encourage people to have a prayer/praise journal, it is a good place to go when you get down and forget about God's faithfulness to us.

3. My job is going really great! I am really enjoying what I do. I split my time between clinical work (ie checking on patient charts) and doing a food service audit. Making sure their facility is within the health code rules and regulations before the State gets their. And if time permits which so far it hasn't I get to do in-service trainings.

4. It is H-O-T! So we are spending plenty of time by the pool (both of them :) ).


5. I am in love with THIS pizza dough recipe. It is so quick and simple and I use it for all sorts of dough needing things like: pizza, bread sticks, bierock casserole and anything else you need a basic dough for. Just thought I would share in case any of you out there love to make bread like I do!!

Such a good little helper

Sort of a boring Miscellany Monday...I think I am running out of miscellany things. HA!

Miscellany Monday

I am just going to jump right in:

1. I like blog "topics" sometimes it really helps me focus my thoughts and slows down all the thoughts racing a 110mph through my brain. It is exhausting at times.

2. I am stressin' big time lately. And God is working on my heart in regards to that BIG time lately. This weekend at church we talked about the battle of "good" (Christ) vs. "evil" (our sin nature) going on inside of us. It was good to realize I am not alone in that, but a little depressing to me knowing that this war will never be over until I am with Jesus...I just have to keep winning little battles against my sin nature. Currently today sin nature is winning. And I don't like it!!!

3. On a positive note my littlest sister came over this weekend and we made Twilight Eclipse shirts. She is such a great artist so her's is awesome. Mine, well I just wanted to be clever. But for the record I am Team Edward and she is Team Jacob. If you don't get that well, then you might as well just skip over this point. I get the privilege to go with all her teeny bopper friends opening night at 12am! I better start napping now.

4. I have lost our routine. I had high hopes that when Chad was home for the summer things would get better and run smoother. Quite the contrary. The house is falling apart, I haven't worked out in 2-3 weeks, and our menu is anything but desirable. So I resolve to get on top of it again starting in July. I will be done with my 5 days of work for the quarter then, so hopefully I can get us back into the swing of things.

5. I have an old fashion prayer journal. It has been neglected. Not the praying part just the updating part. I like to keep track of when God answers prayers and all the praises I have. So I have decided to create a PRIVATE prayer blog. No one will see it except me. Which brings me to this a blog friend of mine wrote about prayer HERE and I feel the exact same way. So if any one has prayer requests they want me to pray for and add to my PRIVATE journal feel free to email me at mkeethler(at)gmail(dot)com.

6. I will close this crazy random miscellany Monday with this. Hot showers are the best. I seriously could take 2 or 3 a day. It is a refuge for me. It is where I love to think and pray and wash all my cares away. Who is with me? :)

Well, happy Monday everyone!

Praying for the Johnsons

Please pray for this great family. They are due with their second baby, a little girl in March. Julie is about 26 weeks pregnant and experiencing pre-term labor.
Please check out their blog for specific prayer requests and updates. I just want as many people covering them in prayer over the coming weeks and months.

Zephaniah 3:17 -
The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Answered Prayers

I feel truly blessed. I am continually amazed how God works in my family's life. So often we ask people to pray for us but we forget to give God back the praise for answering those prayers! I want people to know HOW GREAT MY GOD IS and how He blesses us even in the small things...things that seem so trivial you don't think to go to God about. But God wants to be apart of EVERYTHING in your life, especially the small things. So here are a few things God has blessed me with:

* A safe and healthy delivery of my beautiful daughter, two weeks early! Yes, I prayed she would come a bit early. I knew that once summer came around I was to go back to the working world and I just wanted all the time I could squeeze in with her before I had to "punch the clock."

*I also prayed that there would be a way for me to stay at home with my sweet little daughter for at least a year or so. God has just recently answered this prayer. God placed this same desire on my husband heart and we both have been budgeting carefully and trusting in God to make this a reality. God also allowed for my husband to teach summer school this summer, something that was a slim chance that he would be chosen to do! Once again allowing me to definitely be home with my daughter even longer! AMEN!

*Perhaps the biggest prayer I have had answered is God giving me the strength and patience to endure some of the longest and extreme periods of colic Lo has exhibited! Those of you who know me, know that patience has never been my strong suite but with God's grace and strength we are slowly overcoming this time! I know I would have never made it with out calling on God's strength!

God has blessed us in so many ways and I am truly thankful! I can not wait to continue to see how God works in our family's and daughter's life!