#bethel

ancientfaces:

This is Bethel (the member who shared yesterday’s photo and memories) at 4 yrs old in 1913. Her story with this photo:

“When we moved to Hammonton (CA), my father and Uncle Ira Briggs built both of our houses. They were right next to each other. Our house had one bedroom. Kid was our dog. We brought him from the ranch in Auburn (where my dad was raised).”

Her lucky family - she shared photos and stories for future generations. Discover more at AncientFaces

Falling is easy, but staying in love is hard
Hard to be honest and keep our heart open
To be who we truly are
Without the excuses, without the façade
There’s no pretending
Here in Your love Oh, Lord 

Set me free, Oh, Lord set me free 

I’m finally seeing You were here all along
Your love wasn’t absent, no
It doesn’t come or go
The image I’ve had is starting to fail
You’re patient with me
You’re lifting the veil 

Oh, Lord set me free

I let out the sails of my heart
Here I am, here You are

I let out the sails of my heart
Here I am, here You are

Standing here in Your presence
In a grace so relentless

I am won
By perfect love

Wrapped within the arms of heaven
In a peace that lasts forever
Sinking deep
In mercy’s sea

When I’m lost You pursue me
Lift my head to see Your glory

Lord of all
So beautiful

Here in You I find shelter
Captivated by the splendor

Of Your face
My secret place

I’m wide awake
Drawing close
Stirred by grace
And all my heart is Yours
All fear removed
I breathe You in
I lean into Your love

Your love

Your love so deep
Is washing over me
Your face is all I seek
You are my everything.
Jesus Christ
You are my one desire
Lord hear my only cry
To know You all my life.

Oh, I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

You’re a Good, Good Father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

Oh, and I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

Cause you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Oh, it’s love so undeniable
I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable
I, I can hardly think

As you call me deeper still
Into love, love, love

By Your spirit I will rise
From the ashes of defeat
The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me

In Your name I come alive
To declare your victory

The resurrected king
Is resurrecting me

The tomb where soldiers watched in vain
Was borrowed for three days
His body there would not remain
Our God has robbed the grave
Our God has robbed the grave

Your name
Your name
Is victory
All praise
Will rise
To Christ our king

By Your spirit I will rise

Lord God come awaken love Come stir my soul to long for all You are I’m desperate just to have more of Your heart Come awaken love

‘Cause I live to love You Almighty God of love And my desire is to know you And give you all my heart

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse was broken…

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting?
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated

Forever He is glorified
Forever He is lifted high
Forever He is risen
He is alive, He is alive

We sing Hallelujah
We sing Hallelujah
We sing Hallelujah
The Lamb has overcome

I will call upon Your name Keep my eyes above the waves My soul will rest in Your embrace I am Yours and You are mine

I have come to this place in my life I’m full but I’ve not satisfied This longing to have more of You I can feel it my heart is convinced I’m thirsty my soul can’t be quenched You already know this but still Come and do whatever You want to I’m standing knee deep but I’m out where never been I feel You coming and I hear Your voice on the wind Would you come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put You in Let love come teach me who You are again Take me back to the place where my heart was only about You And all I wanted was just to be with You Come and do whatever You want to Further and further my heart moves away from the shore Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours Further and further my heart moves away from the shore Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours Then You crash over me and I’ve lost control but I’m free I’m going under, I’m in over my head And You crash over me, I’m where You want me to be I’m going under, I’m in over my head Whether I sink, whether I swim It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head Whether I sink, whether I swim It makes no difference when I’m beautifully in over my head I’m Beautifully in over my head I’m Beautifully in over my head.

Your love is devoted like a ring of solid gold Like a vow that is tested like a covenant of old Your love is enduring through the winter rain And beyond the horizon with mercy for today Faithful You have been and faithful you will be You pledge yourself to me and it’s why I sing Your praise will ever be on my lips, ever be on my lips Your praise will ever be on my lips, ever be on my lips

My heart beating, my soul breathing I found my life when I laid it down Upward falling, spirit soaring I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground Find me here at Your feet again Everything I am, reaching out in surrender Come sweep me up in Your love again And my soul will dance On the wings of forever Upward falling, spirit soaring I touch the sky When my knees hit the ground

I’ll remind myself
Of all that You’ve done
And the life I have
Because of Your son

Love came down and rescued me
Love came down and set me free
I am Yours
Lord I’m forever Yours
Mountains high or valley low
I sing out and remind my soul
I am Yours
I am forever Yours

What a wondrous thing                                     I can stand to sing                              Cause when I fall to my knees,                      You’re the   one who pulls me up again What a mystery That You notice me And in a crowd of ten thousand You don’t miss a thing

You split the seas so I can walk right through it You drowned my fears in perfect love You rescue me so I could stand and sing I am a child of God

Let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and winds still know his name

T R U S T // Remember that story of how Jesus calms the storm?

So, Jesus is out on the water with His disciples when a great windstorm arises and everyone starts to freak out - except Jesus. Jesus is casually SLEEPING through the whole thing - seemingly unaware of what is going on - until the disciples wake him up.

It says that he “awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.“ (Mark 4:39-40)

I’m sure the disciples were still trying to process what had just happened when Jesus turns to rebuke them asking why they were so afraid. He asks, "Have you no still no faith?”
Glancing over this story, I would always be “on Jesus’ side” and be thinking “Gosh, the disciples are so dumb - they have Jesus PHYSICALLY with them and they can’t even trust Him to calm a storm…”

But today as I was reading this story, I saw so much of myself in the disciples. It says in scripture that the “waves were breaking into the boat” and “the boat was already filling.” They weren’t just freaking out for no reason, over a small matter. Just looking at the circumstance, they had every right to be freaking out. They could’ve sunk and drowned.
But Jesus is not defined by the circumstances we face.

The fact of the matter is that Jesus, though sleeping, was NOT unaware. God is always in control of every aspect of every situation, no matter how WE may interpret the chaos of the situation. Even nature - the wind and the waves - bows down to before him. He always has and always will have full authority over our lives and this entire universe.

This omnipotent God - who loves us furiously and personally - longs for us to trust him.
He’s got it all under control. Just wait and see.