LIFE IN BLOOM

Learning How to Flourish in God's Grace

Category Archives: Faith


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The Power in Hymns

I grew up in an old-school, small, country Baptist church, and while we would sing hymns, we could usually be found singing just a few:  Pass Me Not, Blessed Assurance, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, I Know it Was the Blood…and a few others.  It wasn’t until I joined a Methodist church in college that I really learned some hymns.

Now, I know that my generation doesn’t usually appreciate hymns.  We usually lean more towards contemporary gospel or contemporary praise and worship.  Some of us really appreciate gospel hip-hop, and some listen to new-age christian or alternative praise and worship.  I’m part of a generation who has found unique ways to experience praise and worship through song.

Yet and still, there are some days that a hymn simply expresses the beauty of my love for Christ and the relationship that I continuously strive to grow in and maintain.  Lately, I’ve been listening to the following:

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

“Jesus sought me when a stranger/Wandering from the fold of God/He to rescue me from danger/Interposed his precious blood…Oh to grace how great a debtor/Daily I’m constrained to be/Let Thy goodness, like a fetter/Bind my wandering heart to Thee/Prone to wander, Lord I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love/Here’s my heart, O, take and seal it/Seal it for thy courts above.”

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

“My faith looks up to Thee/Thou lamb of Calvary, Savior Divine!/Now, hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away/Oh, let me from this day be wholly Thine…/May Thy rich grace impart/Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!/As Thou has died for me, O may my love to Thee/Pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire!”

I Surrender All

“All to Jesus, I surrender/All to Him, I freely give/I will ever love and trust Him/In His presence daily live/I surrender all, I surrender all/All to Thee, my blessed Savior/I surrender all.”

Jesus, Keep me Near the Cross

“Jesus keep me near the cross/There a precious fountain/Free to all a healing stream/Flows from Calvary’s mountain/In the cross, in the cross/Be my glory ever/Till my raptured soul shall find/Rest beyond the river.”

As I listen to these songs and I read the history, I’m so in awe of God…and by the fact that although many of these songs are way older than I am, they can still reach the masses.  God is not bound to generations.  The same God of Abraham, David, and Paul exists for me…and is the same today, tomorrow, and forever.  Amen.


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Finding the Simple Victories

So, I figured that the better way to look at what I do and the challenges that I face is to find the simple victories every day.  Yesterday’s simple victory was that I finally got keys to my classrooms (yes, that was classroomS…I teach in 3 different classrooms, and do advisory in another).  Today’s simple victory was actually AGAINST the students…in that I wrote up four students for discipline.

In the giant scheme of things, I don’t consider this to be a victory at all.  Consistent discipline problems affect classroom performance for the student who is misbehaving, as well as the other students in class.  No one likes to be distracted.  However, it’s a constant struggle to remind them that we’re not peers, and one way that is done is by not tolerating behavior that is disrespectful and distracting to others.  ‘Nough said.

Perhaps the biggest simple victory would be that I’ve recently been reminded as to how AWESOME God is.  On Friday, I transitioned into the grown folks club as I celebrated my 25th birthday.  People who know me, know how much I LOVE birthdays, and this one was truly special.  As I reflect on life, I’m so grateful for the ways that God has blessed me, because I know that I am SO undeserving.  Being able to see 25, in the midst of living my dreams, with a wonderful family and a host of friends is so awesome.  Seriously, if God never did ANYTHING else, He has already done MORE THAN enough.  Yet and still, I know that the best is yet to come.

I must confess that things with the job had been getting me down; however, I’m hanging in there.  There’s a purpose and a plan for me to be here, and I will see it through.