our whole life as a living sacrifice...

One of my favorite worship songs was sang at church service last Sunday. When I led chapel services, I would often choose this piece as a closing song just before the benediction. It reminds us Christians that ALL of our lives - the upds and the downs, joys and the pains, the honor and the shame, the past and the future - should be offered unto the Lord, for His glory.

I Offer My Life (Don Moen)

All that I am, all that I have
I lay them down before you, O Lord
All my regrets, all my acclaims
The joy and the pain, I'm making them Yours

Lord, I offer my life to You
Everything I've been through
Use it for your Glory
Lord I offer my days to You
Lifting my praise to You as a pleasing sacrifice
Lord I offer you my life

Things in the past, things yet unseen
Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true
All of my hopes, all of my plans
My heart and my hands are lifted to you

What can we give that You have not given
What do we have that is not already yours
All we possess are these lives we're living
And that's what we give to you Lord

each chasing our illusive dreams?

I recall the lyrics of this song that I remember well from my secondary school days. They bring back good memories, gentle reminders and fresh inspiration for today.

An Illusive Dream (Words and Music by Jimmy Owens)

Where might you be going this fine day my friend?
Off along an aimless road that soon must end,
Chasing an illusive dream that shines so fair
But when found isn't there.

I can understand your weary sigh, my friend.
There but for the grace of God go I, my friend.
Come and let him lead you to your journey's end,
Oh come along and walk with him.

Where might you be going this fine day my friend?
Off along an aimless road that soon must end,
Chasing an illusive dream that shines so fair
But when found isn't there.

If without the grace of God your life should end,
And before the face of God you'd stand, my friend.
What would your illusive dream avail you then?
So come along and walk with him.

In our roles as students, professionals, parents and family members, we often find ourselves in a maddening race. In minute moments of quiet or sudden disruption, we may sense that we're "grasping at the air" or "running on empty". My friend, if you find these feelings much like your own, do take a moment now and seek for a new paradigm & renewed center for your life.

the sharing of a dream...

A colleague and friend called to share about a dream she had recently. She said she seldom have dreams and forgets them even if she has any. The first time she had this particular dream was about a month ago and didn't share it with me until the same dream recurred a few days ago. Then, she felt compelled to share it with me. In this dream she saw me and waved at me from a distance. She saw me smiling pleasantly and remembers asking me how I was and that I replied that God had put me on "higher ground" than I was before.

I must thank her for sharing her dream with me despite anticipating the response she might had gotten from me. She's a godly woman and though I cannot fully understand the dream now, it has reassured me that despite feeling I'm in the pits right now, God has a higher purpose for me.

I want to thank her and all of you who have continuously supported me through this long and often tiresome journey.