This week...well lets just say its a week Id rather not re-live.

Yet the Lord is good, and His love endures forever.

This past week was filled with grief and sorrow.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever.

A friend of mine relapsed....
I received some hard news...
It seemed like everyone I needed wasn't here...
I feel mis-understood....
Good friends of mine are quarrelling against each other, and thus causing division (it really stinks too)...
A guy I know killed himself....
Too many of my friends are hurting, really hurting...
and I'm fed up with it all....

(not too mention homelessness, poverty, famine, slavery...that I am being too self-centered for the momemnt - to eventually make a point - to add to my list of bad things for the week)


But you know what, in all of that God is still God.

I had a great time worshipping this week. Something I've always said is that worship (which can be argued is a branch of holiness) really just makes things better. You see, a bunch of crap happened this week, and sure I could look at it all, dwell upon it and decide - yup things suck. Or I can worship the Sovereign Lord. It is only in a place of worship, only when your eyes are completely on Him that things fade away. In a place of true worship all I can think about is the King, all I can do is look in my lover's eyes and be at peace and be still. In a true place of worship I have undivided focus, nothing steers me away from my God. See, in worship you are humbled and bowed down before the Throne so you can't actually see the storm going around you - all you see are His feet in a place of humility and his eyes in a place of worship.

I think that's why its so important to be in continued worship (or continued holiness), for that way the things that so easily distract and bring us down can have no authority. Worship looks like abiding in Him.

So even though it seems like there is darkness and pain and death everywhere - remember worship smashes all of it and life shines brightly.

Worship...hard...now.

Peace,
Nicole

ps - Can I just tell you I am super super super tired and in just under two hours I can crawl into my own bed, and not sleep on some rocks and in the cold.! PTL

That said - I would go camping again in a heartbeat!