“He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.”  ~Proverbs 28:18

While homeschooling with Josh, a series of songs came over the radio.  His cirriculum allows us to work together and sometimes he works independently.  We were at this moment when I decided to spend some time in my journal as I listened to the music in the background.

For the last few months, a couple of songs have really been speaking to me.  As I listened to their lyrics, they reminded me of the different things going on in my life.    Quietly, these songs seemed to highlight the work that God is doing inside of me.

This first song and video originally spoke to me while out in Minnesota last August.  I was out there with my dad as he was being diagnosed with terminal recurrent cancer.  Back then, I sung it with all my heart to remind myself that though life was changing, I still had to keep moving.  Ironically, it was one of the most important lessons Mayo Clinic taught us…you must keep moving, especially when it is difficult and hard.  To stop, to despair, to lay in bed all day…even when that is all you want to do…sends you down a road that becomes very hard to recover from.  Your body suffers from inactivity and within short order you lose muscle strength and mass, so your best hope of finding health is to move.  Now reflecting on it, that is mostly what my dad continued to do up until the week of his death…he kept moving, kept hoping, and kept loving even though the end was near.  This song carried me through the end of my dad’s days and is still carrying me through my grief…

This second song speaks to me every time about God’s great love for me despite how often I fall outside of His will for my life.  When He opened my eyes to my sin, my doubt, my failing to trust, the “washing” that I need to do…this song resonated deeply to remind me that no matter what He loves me.  If you listen closely, you will hear the song reference the tough questions that fall on us when we lose someone we love…and remember, my friends no matter where you are in this life, on this journey…He loves you anyway!

These lessons, this growth, the pain–the challenges, and the changes…in a way, all these things contain and sum up my hope for 2012.  While many are setting new resolutions this year, I just want to continue moving deeper into God’s grace and the paths He has set before me and my family…this year I am looking for His inspiration and strength to be steadfast and persevering in these changes; to truly make my walk more blameless by drawing closer to Him.  I hope your 2012 finds a song or two that touches your soul and lifts you up!

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made.  The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.”  ~Psalm 145:17-19