A Year of Answered Prayer - "Hiding Place"

   Last New Year's Eve, our family prayed that this year (2013) would be a year of answered prayer. I could not have foreseen how many prayers God would answer, some of which I am probably even still unaware of. I would like to highlight a few as I take a look back on 2013.

- God's gracious intervention in my desperate health situation. I'm not 100% yet, but God has been so faithful to get me to where I am today. I am very grateful to be alive. =)

- My grandparents' move to Arizona which seemed like an impossibility for a number of reasons. God is the God of the impossible! It happened so fast, we couldn't believe it!

- God leading us to a church family. The day I walked in, I felt like I was home.

- And my favorite: Our son surrendering his life to Christ and becoming a born-again believer. That was such a tremendous blessing! =)

   There are so many more, too many to name. We also saw prayers answered in families we were praying for.

   But I feel so humbled to even name the four above. So humbled that the God that created this vast universe cares about me, smaller than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things.

   I am so humbled by God's love for me. It is truly an amazing thing!

   And God gave me so many songs in 2013! Songs I know that are for others as much as they are for me. Here is a rough version of one of them - "Hiding Place":



   I am looking forward to sharing more of these songs with you in the upcoming New Year - 2014!

   My prayer for each of you this coming New Year would be that God would take you to higher heights and greater depths, that you would know Him in a deeper way and love Him more and more as each day goes by. A blessed New Year to all of you!

 "But just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 

1Cr 2:9 NASB

A broken vessel saved by grace,

Adriel

Waiting...

   I just ran across this quote today by A.B. Simpson and was so inspired by it. It spoke volumes to my heart, so much so that I dove into my pictures and found this one I took of the ocean on a trip to San Diego years and years ago. It was perfect for the quote!

   Just last week, I was feeling "stuck". But the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I wasn't stuck, but that I was right where He wanted me to be. There is nothing like God's voice that can still my heart. What a gift to hear His words that quiet my soul and help me rest in His perfect will!

"Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD."

Ps. 27:14

   Maybe you're feeling "stuck" too. Just know that in your waiting, God is working! And speaking of waiting, I highly recommend the book titled Waiting on God by Andrew Murray. It's awesome! Blessings to you today!

Learning how to wait,

Adriel

Life is a Gift - "But for a Moment"

I wonder if any of us are really fully aware of how much of life - how much of what we are able to do, how much of what we have, how much of who we are - is a gift.

Before my health crisis, I know that I didn't even think of life being the gift that it is. I took it for granted.

I was capable, determined, strong, self-sufficient, composed, prepared, in control. Or so I thought. Such an illusion all of that was. Such a lie.

I do not claim to see life completely for the gift that it truly is, but I know I see it more clearly now than I ever did before.

Everything about life - every aspect - is a gift.

There is nothing like a jolt of reality to help you see the truth: Without God, we are nothing.

It was obvious to me I wasn't capable when I couldn't take care of my family. Determination didn't really amount to much when everything I tried and everything I did to get better made me get worse and worse. I clearly couldn't claim strength when I was too weak to hold my baby or even my Bible for that matter. Yes, even my Bible was too heavy for me to hold. Self-sufficiency was non-existent as I was dependent upon others for nearly everything. Composure was the last thing I was thinking of when, for weeks, I began not being able to sleep but an hour or two each night and I felt like the inside of my body was on fire. I was in utter agony and I thought I was going to lose my mind. When I was crying and begging God to keep me each little moment throughout the day and not let me go crazy, composure was all but gone. Prepared? No. I was completely unprepared for what I faced. It totally blind-sided me. And I realized as I felt my life slipping away and death's grip on me that I was not in control of anything. This was not how I had pictured life looking, but I couldn't do anything about it.

None of those things - ability, strength, self-sufficiency...you name it. None of it was true. Nothing.

I think sometimes God has to bring us to places as desperate as what I just described to make use face the fact that everything we are able to do, every good aspect about ourselves, everything that makes our life what it is, is a gift, pure and simple. Even sleep. I never thought of sleep being such a blessed gift until my body couldn't sleep. You don't know how thankful I am for sleep now!

I know that I still take many things for granted, but I'm learning to be grateful and thankful to the Lord for even things that may seem small to others. Even the strength to sit here and type this post is a gift. There was a time when even that was too taxing.

I remember a moment on one of those bleak days when I didn't have the strength to walk, sitting in a parking lot waiting for my husband to get something at a store, watching people walk in and out of that store and wondering to myself how many of them realized what a gift it was to have the strength to walk like a normal, healthy person.

When you've had things stripped away and God gives them back to you, they appear much more as they really are: as gifts. Nothing that I could conjure up by myself. Simply gifts from my Heavenly Father.

Last winter was a difficult time for me, but today I am thankful for it. I know that the trial I passed through and continue walking though was and is a gift.

Perhaps you are in a season of winter yourself, feeling destitute and dead, wondering if spring will ever come again. I know...I wondered that, too.

This time of the year is usually merry and jolly for many people. But I know there are others who are hurting more than they can express. I've posted a video below with a song to encourage you if you are one of those people.

Don't give up hope! God will never leave or forsake you.

In Christ's love,

Adriel

"Amazing" - Video

I did another quick video on Friday, which I call "Music Friday", because every week or so, my mom will let the kids hang out with her so I can work on music. That is what Music Friday is around here. =)

I wanted to share the video with you today. It's a worship song highlighting the gospel, what that means for us, and our response to the Lord in regards to what He has done for us, specifically being set free to live for Him.

I give a rather lengthy background and commentary on the song, so I won't repeat that here. You certainly don't need to hear it twice! And if you don't like listening to people talk, especially people like me that rattle on and on, the actual song is around 4:25. Yeah, I talk for almost 4-1/2 minutes! I'm not sure I'd do that in real life...I'm kind of shy, believe it or not...but the camera is not as intimidating as actual people, even though I know I'm talking to someone real. Anyway, I'm rambling again...here's the video. God bless you today! ~ Adriel

New Version of "I Come to You" is Live!

You can hear the new version of "I Come to You", which has been amazingly improved by Matthew Winfree of Hope66 on SoundCloud HERE. Matthew Winfree did a wonderful job in editing, mastering, producing, enhancing (what else am I forgetting?), this song - just really adding that sparkle to it. What a blessing! =)

I'm an amateur at best in the recording, arranging and audio aspect of this endeavor. Not even an amateur, really. So I really, really appreciated his help. I think that was incredibly awesome of him. =)

I hope you enjoy the new version and, most of all, that it encourages and blesses you. If you're interested in the story behind the song, you can find that HERE.

As always, all glory to Jesus,

Adriel

Music Updates from Friday

Friday, which usually ends up being my music day every other week or so, since my mom takes the kids so I have a quiet house to record in, I worked on some new stuff. I made a quick little video on Friday that highlights what's going on and people who are helping me. Check it out if you're curious. =)

December

As this new month begins, the flashbacks of last year's December come at me like arrows poisoned with fear. God has been hacking away at that root of fear this whole past year and I must admit that it has been somewhat discouraging to find fear still lurking in my heart.

A verse came to mind yesterday as I contemplated the upcoming new month.

"When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You." Psalm 56:3

It doesn't say "if", it says "when". It's going to happen. There are going to be moments of fear, moments of being afraid. But in those moments, what I decide to do makes all the difference. The writer goes on to say that when he is afraid, he will put his trust in God.

I watched a testimony of Richard Wurmbrand, the founder of Voice of the Martyrs, early last year (when I was right in the middle of physical turmoil). He described the few moments after he had been kidnapped and put into a car going who knows where (he ended up in prison for 14 years because of his faith in Christ). He related how as he sat there, he remembered that there are 366 passages of scripture that say to not be afraid or fear, one scripture for every day, even during a leap year. He made a decision at that moment to trust God.

That was and is so powerful and his response echoes what I want my heart's response to be as I face this month's anniversary of the hairy situation I faced late last year and early this year. Trusting God and knowing and believing that I am in good hands that will never let me go.



This song that God gave me is a song that helps me see the right perspective in relation to fear. I hear God speak to me through this.

So, to wrap things up, please keep me in your prayers. That I would walk in obedience to God's command to not be afraid, to not fear. That I would look with expectation on this month instead of dread, and have a grateful, thankful heart that is so full, there is no room for fear.

Trusting and learning to trust God,

Adriel