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Spiritual Sounding Board – This is your place to gather and share in an open format.
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1 I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
3 He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
never slumbers or sleeps.
5 The Lord himself watches over you!
The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon at night.
7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
both now and forever.
Psalm 121
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In honor of Andrae Crouch’s home-going this week, here are a couple of songs he wrote which have been sung in worship for years.
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Feel free to join the discussion.
You can share your church struggles and concerns.
Let’s also use it as a time to encourage one another spiritually.
What have you found spiritually encouraging lately?
Do you have any special Bible verses to share, any YouTube songs that you have found uplifting?
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photo credit: Gail
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Andrae Crouch and his gift will be sorely missed.
That second video makes me miss being in a church worship service. It’s hard to sit still listening to Cece Winans and Andrae Crouch.
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Yes – “Andrae Crouch and his gift will be sorely missed.”
This has been a favorite song for so long… It gave me HOPE…
Sang it often through many tears…
Seems songs, music, help us to focus more on Jesus…
Then focus on our favorite doctrines, theology, and being right…
No matter our differences – We can all relate to this song.
Through It All
Verse 1
I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consulation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.
Chorus
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.
Verse 2
I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own
Chorus
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.
Verse 3
I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do
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“No matter our differences – We can all relate to this song.”
No, not all of us. Most of the lyrics actually bother me a lot. Just sayin’…
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I have many things to be thankful for today. My oldest daughter’s pregnancy is going well. How blessed she is! I don’t take pregnancy for granted. I, myself, had a very difficult time getting pregnant and was on bed rest for many weeks with both of my pregnancies to avoid delivering too early. Also, my youngest daughter came back safe and sound after a visit with her friend up north. What a relief! I didn’t know the family she was staying with, so it was a bit stressful for me. And, we’re waiting to hear where my son is going to be accepted to college. Once we know where he’s going, I’m going to look for a new job within commuting distance. All of the colleges he applied to are within a 70 mile radius, so it won’t be too far. I do need a better paying job so that we can make ends meet. I’m sprucing up my resume in anticipation and I’m determined not to let fear hold me back. 🙂
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Oasis, I’m sorry that you cannot relate to the lyrics. There were some very dark times in my life when God seemed absent. When my life seemed out of my control, the last thing I wanted to do was relinquish that control in any way. Especially to some divine being who obviously didn’t seem to care about the events unfolding in my life. In retrospect, the tighter I held on to control, the less in control my life seemed to be. It took decades for me to realize that I had to let go in order to move forward. I pray that you can find peace.
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Minervasue – It’s wonderful to hear that things are going well on your end. My daughter, too, is thinking college and was accepted to a school that is 45 minutes from our house. I figure it’s far enough to start learning to be independent yet close enough to come home for a home cooked meal. 🙂
I’ve been sprucing up my resume and applying for jobs too, but have been told I don’t have “enough experience.” Which makes me laugh. It’s hard to present yourself well on a piece of paper. I’m going a round-about way by doing volunteer jobs that give me current training. I hoping that will help. But, if I can’t be paid for what I want to do, I will continue volunteering.
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Oasis, I love the words to the song, but like you I struggle. I hear victory in the words, I see the joy of faith in their faces, and wish to appropriate some of those emotions. I believe for some of us worship music can bring up very complex emotion. For some good and for others–let’s stick with complicated. However, I believe that God allows us different ways to “worship”, ways that may not line up with traditional worship. For me, sharing in another’s pain brings me a connection to God. Why? I have no idea. It isn’t better or worse—just different. May we all be gratuitous in our differences. Is there a way that you perhaps feel worshipful? I would love to know the ways others encounter God outside of worship music. I hope everyone has a good week. Good luck with your new semester, JA!!
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Oasis,
You articulate well one of the challenges that survivors face – – some things are triggering to us and may not be to others. Sometimes at church I have to just “check out” for a moment until the triggering words/event passes.
If this gathering is likely to trigger you on Sundays, feel free to not participate. I completely understand. Some, who don’t yet feel safe enough to go to church desire something to help them focus on God in a positive and uplifting way and that’s why this place is here.
If you have something (verses/songs) that feels safe for you and would like to share with others, please send me an e-mail.
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“Oasis, I’m sorry that you cannot relate to the lyrics.”
Thanks, but not a problem. It’s great that I can’t relate to most of the lyrics, because I don’t believe in some of the subtle ideas expressed about God through them (I could be the only one seeing them).
Ann, does suddenly feeling inspired to dance around my bedroom like an idiot count as worship? 🙂 Lately, with my renewed assurance that I can truly believe that God is beautiful, in no way responsible for orchestrating horrendous crimes of child abuse against me…when I remember that God is in fact not the one who betrayed me the most, but the one who defends and fights for me… God, the one who loves me! and did not abuse me! He is Jesus, and I can actually trust him… This is incredible, and I just have to jump up and twirl around with joy, because for a while there I was in a very dark place, and almost lost sight of the goodness and holiness of his character.
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And Andrae Crouch (son of a pastor) and Lynda Randel (daughter of a pastor, with the Gaither Family) doing “If It Had Not Been” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KbkOdGFaxM
Dr. Margaret Douroux (daughter of pastor), Composer – If It Had Not Been For The Lord, Where Would I Be?
“If it had not been for the Lord, on my side;
Tell me where would I be, where would I be
He kept my enemies a way,
He brought the sunshine to a cloudy day,
He rocked me in the cradle of his arm.
When he knew I had been battered and scorned.
Repeat Chorus
He never left me all alone,
He gave me peace and joy I’d never known,
He answered when I knelt to really pray,
And in victory, the Lord showed me His way.”
(I believe this Gospel song is based on Psalm on 124.)
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minervasue & Kathi,
There’s a good work blog called Ask A Manager by Alison Green. She deals with the good, the bad, and the ugly about work. There’s good tips for resume writing, cover letters, and job interviews (and good advice from readers that post).
Green also has some free PDF’s that you can get via email.
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Thank you, Michaela, for the info. I’ve reworked my resume so many times, but I think part of the issue is that there are a lot of people in the Portland area looking for jobs that mine is just one of hundreds applying for one job. Also, I’m looking to get back into social work after being home for many years. I earned my degree in 1996 and my last paid social work job was 16 years ago. With all of the volunteer work I’ve done over the years, my experience is more than one coming out of grad school, but, it’s hard to show that. I’ll get there. I’m just having to take the slow route.
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You are welcome, Kathi, for the info. You seem like an astute, intelligent, caring, savvy woman to me. I will be praying for you.
Best wishes from Silicon Valley (California).
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Julie Anne,
Absolutely love the Scriptures you posted for worship. What comfort and reassurance that we have through those precious Words, fully knowing that our Great and Wondrous God loves us. Truly grateful.
Confession: I must confess that I really look forward to viewing the pictures you post and eagerly scroll down to see if you clicked them, for they are beautiful! To know that our Mighty God created such beauty (remembering He said “and it is good”) in six literal days boggles my small mind, and yet to live in His creation is beyond humbling. Such wonders in our backyards!
Minervasue, thank-you for sharing your news concerning your daughter, Praise Jesus. Please know all of you will be in my prayers for the good yet to come. So thankful you are a faithful mother who knows Jesus.
Oasis, I love you. Dance, dance and dance some more, for your freedom and liberty is in Christ alone……not what any man thinks. True worship is uninhibited for the Holy Spirit is the true source of our worship and He always testifies of Jesus. Tears of joy here for you!
Great worship on this Monday morning!
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minervasue – Kathi
Praying…
Thank you Lord for these new employment positions…
That these jobs would provide wealth and enjoyment…
For minervasue and Kathi…
Deuteronomy 8:18 NRSV
But remember the Lord your God,
for it is *He who gives you* power to get **wealth,
so that He may confirm his covenant
that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.
Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 NRSV
This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink
and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun
the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot.
Likewise all to whom *God gives **wealth and possessions
and whom He enables to enjoy them,
and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—
this is the gift of God.
————
Praying…
That Jesus, would go before you both and create favor…
Favor with those doing the interviewing.
Exodus 11:3 NRSV
The Lord **gave the people favor** in the sight of the Egyptians.
1 Samuel 2:26 NASB
Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature
and **in favor both with the Lord and with men.**
————-
Thank You Jesus
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I think that pic is from Gail. Gail, did you send this pic to me? I want to credit you if you did. (I need a better filing system to keep track of who sends me pics, too!)
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Julie Anne,
Yes, I sent it. We had a monster ice storm last year, no power for 10 days, totally messed up our Christmas. It sure was beautiful.
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I love Oasis too!
I do a lot of jumping & dancing around the house lifting my hands in praise, my husband cracks up when he catches me. I worship Him in the beauty of nature, especially sunsets. My kids told me to stop posting so many of my sunset shots on Facebook, they said: “nobody cares.”
Well, I do! I love to share beauty, so I will not stop when we return to our cottage in Northern MI. next summer.
Katy
JANUARY 12, 2015 @ 5:03 AM
“Oasis, I love you. Dance, dance and dance some more, for your freedom and liberty is in Christ alone……not what any man thinks. True worship is uninhibited for the Holy Spirit is the true source of our worship and He always testifies of Jesus. Tears of joy here for you!”
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