A Word about “Sound of Freedom”

Just the message that I sent out yesterday that my husband and I had tickets and were going to see “Sound of Freedom” evoked various responses. My liberal sons jumped on the QAnon bandwagon, ridiculing our choice of movie. My sister wanted to know which theater we were going to because there had been many glitches in the AMC theater chain. (We went to the Regal.) But I was not going to be thwarted from my desire to see this film, so after my medical appointment, we headed into town for the matinee.

I would like to encourage everyone to see this heartbreaking movie, not because of the heartbreak but because of the truth that is in it. No, it is not totally factual. It has been fictionalized to make a better story, but if you read the real story of Tim Ballard and his efforts to rescue children, you will see that there is plenty of truth in the film and that is what breaks my heart. Especially the part about our nation being the largest purveyor and supporter of child trafficking and pornography.

“Sound of Freedom” -Official Trailer from Angel Studios

If you cannot afford a ticket, then Angel Studios has provided a “pay it forward” program to help you to see the movie. Just go to their site and follow the links. Tickets for Sound of Freedom

The tagline for the movie is that “God’s children are not for sale.” Remember that Jesus took the little children into His arms and blessed them; He did not turn them away. The current problem with our border is not just drugs, though that is horrific, too. The cartels use the open borders to traffic children. See the movie. Pray hard for this evil to be exposed and that God will have mercy on the children and save them. See the movie. If you are like me, your eyes are already somewhat open to the evil that men do to little children in the name of profit and pleasure. But if you are like me, you have no idea of how extensive the problem is. See the movie. And then spread the word so that others will see it.

Difficult to watch and impossible to forget. See the movie!

Pray and Give Thanks

I think that this verse has been a theme in my life for the last three or four months. Undergoing one medical test after another, I must say that anxiety fluttered within me and tried to take hold. I kept repeating verses to myself about casting my burdens on the Lord and that He was with me no matter what I faced.

My last medical test was on Monday, an MRA, which I was told means Magnetic Resonance Angiograpy. In other words, they were taking pictures of the blood vessels inside my brain to see if anything was amiss there. (This followed an episode with blurred vision and severe vertigo.) Anyway, I would be lying if I did not confess my anxiety that hit strongly as my husband drove me to the hospital for the test. He prayed for me, I went in and tried to read as I waited to be called. The test itself wasn’t so bad, just a helmet like thing fit over my head and face and into the tight quarters of the MRI machine I went. I prayed while I was in there, and I gave thanks for all of the good reports so far. None of the multitude of tests had shown anything significant, so I was very grateful that all kinds of medical issues had been ruled out.

I got the results sent to me via message from the hospital later that evening. Of course, I couldn’t understand the medical terms but I did notice that the MRA picked up on the fact that part of my brain doesn’t get blood anymore. That would be where I had my stroke, of course. So, I waited for my neurologist to call to interpret the results. He called after I was in bed (he is one of the hardest working, most dedicated doctors I know, working long after office hours) and left the message with my husband.

“The results are normal!” That was the doctor’s pronouncement.

My husband let me know once he got off the phone and I was exultant that God came through for me again. As I prayed, I asked God why so many tests and then normal results. Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t want a bad report. I was just surprised that I had so many symptoms and the test results were all fine. God spoke to my heart and told me that He used the tests to draw me closer to Him and the healing came from Him.

Arising this morning to a new day without any new tests or specialists to see, I immediately turned to praise. As I took my shower, I sang “1000 Hallelujas” quietly to myself. As I read my devotionals, I played Chris Tomlin’s “Holy Forever” over and over again, worshipping the Lord for His power, grace, mercy and love for me.

I accept God’s sovereignty in my life and His magnificent way of getting my full attention. I am thankful that He loves me enough to take the time to work on me.

Holy Forever-Chris Tomlin

Exaltation

What does it mean to exalt the Lord? According to the online dictionary, it means to “elevate with praise, to glorify.” So, why do we exalt the Lord when He is already in the Heavens, the real Master of the Universe? I think we exalt Him because we need to hear ourselves acknowledge His power, His sovereignty and His worthiness to be praised. So much of the time, all day long, we spend giving ourselves and those around us little pep talks, telling them and ourselves what a good job we are doing or how much we appreciate the effort that they are making. Yet, when it comes to God, I think sometimes we take Him for granted, choosing to esteem ourselves rather than our Creator. So, today, I am taking time to exalt the Name of the Lord for WHO HE IS, not for all that He has done for me, although that list is innumerable. I just want to focus on His Lordship, His Kingship, on His character that is unchanging.

We cannot tell of the Lord’s greatness without acknowledging Him as the One who is the Ruler of our hearts. God is God…let’s praise Him and let Him know that although the world may turn against Him, we know that He is and always will be Lord of all.

1000 Names-Phil Wickham

A Thousand Hallelujas-Brooke Ligertwood

Great Is the Lord-Michael W. Smith

Receive the Blessings

God showers us with blessings and sometimes in our ignorance of what He is doing, we put up an umbrella or run for shelter. Instead, we need to be in touch with what God’s plan is and accept the kindness, wisdom and understanding that He is giving us. Stand under the shower, don’t run away from it!

Let’s Start the Month with Praise

This verse is short but filled with wisdom and a call to praise God. We are praising Him not for what He has done for us but for Who He is. I hope that you will join me today, pause and just reflect on Who God is…His names and His greatness.

Great Is the Lord-Michael W. Smith

How Great Is Our God

Awesome God-Michael W. Smith

Note: Please excuse the ads in the worship videos above. And enjoy the praise time!