Random Treasures

“Yet even now”, declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love ; and he relents over disaster.–Joel 2:12,13

Afterward the Children of Israel will shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to His goodness in the latter days–Hosea 3:5

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places–Habakkuk 3:17-19

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 9

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever." - Psalm 138:8

No matter where I go in life, Your Spirit will guide me.
Every time I find You somewhere in my life.
Always seeking, never finding, never knowing
what I'm hiding.
Your Spirit fills me in places no one else can find.
For my heart is deep with dark places - fill me!

Your Spirit guides me to places I can't see.
Have Your Spirit come back to me.
Feed our stomachs with tacos and our hearts with love.

Take me to that place, where hopes and dreams
bring us closer to You and in the end,
Your purpose will be known.

- Team Taranatron

for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 8

Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to You. - Psalm 102:1

Here is my heart, broken and cut.
No other could mend, so I brought it to You.
Lord, hear my prayer,
though it's as silent as the night.
Take me by heart, take me by hand.
Walk with me so I'm not alone.
Mend my poor heart, that I may live.
This is my prayer.

Wake me up from my spiritual sleep,
yet give me rest in Your Name.
Please hear my prayer for this new job.

When I can't see, You still see
the big picture; You push aside everything
to spend time with me.
I'm tired and overwhelmed... there's just
so much to do. But I know that Your power
is much greater than my circumstance.
Lord, melt me and shape me into the tool
that You would have me to be.
Reopen my heart; light a flame of passion inside
that only satisfies and delights in You.

I don't know what to do;
I don't know what to say;
and I don't know how to wait patiently.
Teach me to trust You,
and to truly know Your voice.
You redeem all of my mistakes
and make them beautiful
when I entrust them to You.


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6 , Part 7

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 7

(in times of failure)

May the intensity of my longing for You be pleasing
even when we feel we don't deserve it.
The Lord sees and judges the heart, is pleased
with a heart of obedience.
When I'm feeling so low, God is even then with me.
Hold my eyes up to Your light.
Please hear my prayer for this new job.
May I remember that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
What others see as nothing You find in me something great.
even when it wasn't perfect.

- The 3 Musketeers


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5, Part 6

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 6

I woke up today feeling that life was gray.
You are faithful despite my unfaithfulness, doubt, and confusion.
In my head, I know You are here. Sometimes my heart is not as sure -
sorry for my instability...

Your love is amazing, constant, never-changing and beautiful.
Thank You!
God of light, I want to see You through my heavy eye-lids.
Thank You for making that possible.
Even when I'm a moron, You still prove faithful!
(How do You do that?)
Let Your overflowing love pour over to others more deeply.

God, give me strength that I don't have.
Help me keep my focus on You.
Pray for me, Lord.

- God's Grace

for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 , Part 5

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 5

My heart cries out for wisdom.
I seek You and still find no joy.
Where is the path You want me to take?
Thanks for the "treasures" You have brought this week.

My body cries out for Your strength
for I am weak without Your mighty power.
Words can't describe how I feel towards You.
Your grace is enough!

Lord, if You could just speak a little louder, please...
God, I need You. I cry out for Your touch, Your love,
Your wings to come and keep me from harm.

Like a chicken with its head cut off, I run around
seeking satisfaction and fulfillment. I need You
to grab my face and show me the satisfaction I may find in You.

Why do I even bother breathing
if I don't breathe in You?
Life is death if You're not living in me.

Ps. 70:4 - "May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You."

- The T-Birds


for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 4

"O Lord, You have searched me, and You know me." - Psalm 139:1

You Rocketh.

I can't hide from You, even when I try.
Take the anxieties from every corner of my heart
and hold me to You
so that I cannot avoid my responsibilities.

Ask me. Tell me.
I am here for You.

Lord, set my soul on fire; You are my one desire.
Let my tears fall in Your hands; let my trust be kept in You.

- B to the K2G2

for the beginning of this series, you can go here
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 3

By seeking Him wholeheartedly, we shall find peace.
How almighty is our God; how awesome His power is.
By trusting in Him, we can live this life for Him
without limitations.

Thank You, God, for my great friends
and thanks for always being there for me.
I don't really know where I'm supposed to belong.
Thank You for loving me no matter how many times I mess up.

Your grace is sufficient for me.
Your love is everlasting.
You are holy.
I give You praise, for You are good.

- The Shout Outs

for this series intro, you can go here.
Part 1, Part 2

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 2

Turn my frown upside-down.
Please heal my wounds and end my suffering.
Lord, in You I find my rest.

Help! I need somebody, not just anybody...
to quiet my eager heart and to put a skip in my step.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Jesus
will always heal them.

Keep me safe, guide me home
and fill me with Your love.
Fill me with Your love and peace,
a kind which I have rarely known.

- The Freedom Writers

Series Intro
Part 1

The Cry of Our Hearts - Part 1

Ok, Lord, seven of us lookin' up at You.
are we ready for Your return?
I want to shout but my voice is muffled by the branches.
Autumn trees blossom green.
Find rest, o my soul, find rest in God alone.

How long do we wait to listen for Your voice?
Even though You are here with us every day,
why do I always feel alone?
How long until we realize that You are the One True God?
Reliance on God relieves anxiety.
I need You, Jesus.

The beauty that You have created is amazing, thank You!
You are truly amazing.
You know the number of stars and the hairs on my head.
You are amazing.
So I shout up to the heavens, "I need Your help!
I need a rescuer."

- By The Doors

For the beginning of this series, you can go here.
For the next post in this series, go here.

The Cry of Our Hearts - Introduction

This past week at Torch, we did something a little... well, I guess you could cliche-icly call it "out of the box." (wow, it's kind of ironic that the phrase "out of the box" could be called cliche...) :)

We brought our worship to the Lord without music. I have to say, I was a little worried about how that would go. As our friendly neighborhood worship director, I know that it's important to make sure we know the reality that music and singing are NOT the only form of worship we can bring to the Lord, and that it's good for us to experience that corporately from time to time - but I was still a little nervous.

Silly me.

You guys took a risk and brought your hearts to the Lord in a really honest way, and I know it blessed His heart - and, in that crazy cool way that worship often works, we got blessed in the process of offering our worship to Him.

Nights like that are worth a standing stone, even if it's only a virtual one. :) So here's ours: a series of posts on Chasing Jesus, offering the cry of our hearts to His. Every line of these psalms, with the exception of anything straight from God's Word, was written by one of you. Let's continue to pray them together, amen?


for the next post in this series, you can go here

Confessions of a Modern Day Pharisee

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.

I wanted to confess that I often forget this.