Our God Is An Awesome God...

Oh my word, God is SOOO amazing!! Over twelve hours later and I am still bouncy and giddy over it.
So, background, I have been unemployed and living (and planning a wedding) off of babysitting and unemployment since May 21. I have been sending my resume off to childcare and preschool places all over Victoria all summer and not hearing anything back at all...
Monday, I sent off another round of resumes to five different places in the greater Victoria area (including Sidney and Langford) and finally heard something back from someone! Tuesday, I got an email back from Kim at the Sunshine Group Daycare Centres in the Langford area. Great, she wants to do a phone interview with me so I told her about the hoops I have to jump through in order to be able to work in Canada and to get back to me if she would still like to do a phone interview. Wednesday, I get a second email from her saying that she would definitely be willing to jump through those hoops with me and to send her a number where she can reach me if a 10:30 a.m. call would work for me on Thursday morning. Of course, I responded and told her that would be great.
So, now that we have been brought up to this morning in the job search arena, let me tell you about the home search arena. Gabe and I regularly look on mls.ca to check out the houses on the market and to see if there is anything remotely affordable on the Island. Tuesday night we are looking through the houses again and he sends me the link to one that he "knows I will love!" and I take a little gander at it. It is a gorgeous house on a 1 acre lot with a creek running through the backyard, trees all around it (the land around it is owned by government so there won't be subdivisions going up around us), a greenhouse, hardwood floors, etc. EVERYTHING we wanted in a house! ...And, in terms of the Victorian market and Gabe's condo that would be sold, affordable!!! Lovely, but we said we wouldn't get excited about it and would just pray and leave it all in God's hands.
Well, Wednesday morning, after receiving the second email from Kim, I started looking to see exactly where in Langford this centre (catch that Canadian spelling there?) is located. As I am looking at it on the map, I notice that it is rather close to something else... the house is less than half a mile away from the centre and is on the same road!! I called Gabe and told him what I found out, including that I kept hearing Alisha in in head saying "there are NO coincidences, Lily!" I told him that this had to be a God thing and either both of these would work out or neither of them would. He responded with "yeah..." in a rather nonchalant and dragged out tone, "I decided to give the Realtor a call, do you have his number handy?" !!! (So not like Gabe to jump at something like that; he likes to ponder things.) I went to my Life Group last night and told them all about this excitement and they all prayed over me and for the interview this morning and for the house and the general direction God seems to be leading us.
Last night, we are both giddy, excited and at peace over the whole thing and he tells me some more about what he has learned about the house, including that he is trying to set up a viewing. We pray some more and leave everything in God's hands.
This morning, I receive my phone call from Kim and we talk for an hour! Right from the start, I didn't have any nervous feeling while talking with her; it was like I was talking with an old friend, discussing our views on childcare, discipline and praise. It was amazing! At the end of the conversation, she says that she would like to make a job offer and would I like the job?!?!? Um, YEAH! Oh, I forgot to say that she sent me their policies, procedures and philosophies in the first email and I read through them going "yup, yup, yup!" So, everything is in line with that, it is the place God wants me to be! I start calling people and telling them about all this (including Gabe, of course) and every single one of my dear brothers and sisters in Christ tells me "I knew you would get that job! You know that house is yours, right?"
Praise God for He is good and He holds our lives in the palm of His hand! He has some amazing plans for our lives and we just have to walk in faith and go until He says no!
Btw, Gabe has an appointment on Saturday to go see OUR house! We'll keep you posted!

A Father's Embrace

A Father's Embrace
Lillian Ford


I hear your call, I hear your pain
My child, I will always be near to you
Nothing you can do will make Me leave
I listen to your cry; come to Me, my child.

My love will always surround you
My arms will hold you tight.

As you cry out to me morning, noon and night,
I will always hear and answer your cry
My heart breaks for you as I hear your pain
My child, you will always be Mine.

Nothing you do will make Me stop loving you
My love will always surround you
My arms will hold you tight.

In every part of your life, I am there
In your joy and in your pain, in your sickness and in your health
Call My name and I will hear
Lift your eyes to heaven and I will be there

Nothing you do will make Me stop loving you
My love will always surround you
My arms will hold you tight.

Do you see the beauty around you?
The mountains and valleys, oceans and plains
All that you see is My love story to you
My love for you is all around and written in the very stars in the sky.

Nothing you do will make Me stop loving you
My love will always surround you
My arms will hold you tight.

The very air you breathe, the very life you have
All that I created, I give to you.
I love you so dearly and will never leave your side
I will always be with you, my child, I feel your pain and feel your joy.
You are my child and I will forever love you with all that I am.

Nothing you do will make Me stop loving you
My love will always surround you
My arms will hold you tight.

Desperation

Speak to me, Lord, let me hear Your voice
Show me Your way and fill me with Your peace.
Lord, I feel so lost and alone; I need to feel You near.
I cry out to You, Lord; show me the way!

I need to hear Your voice, I need to feel Your hand
Comfort me, Lord, and heal my brokenness!
Please, Father, come to me now.

What did I do? Why do I feel this?
Pain, uncertainty, guilt, sorrow.
Lord, I beg You to come and wash over me
Wash this sin away that I may be
In Your presence again, I plead.

I need to hear Your voice, I need to feel Your hand
Comfort me, Lord, and heal my brokenness!
Please, Father, come to me now.

I yearn to be with You, my Lord and King.
Where I feel no sorrow, no pain, only joy at Your side
I need You, Lord, I need to be with You
No more sin, no more broken hearts.
Lord, guide me home, safely to Your side.

I need to hear Your voice, I need to feel Your hand
Comfort me, Lord, and heal my brokenness!
Please, Father, come to me now.

Your all encompassing love, like a Father for His children
The pain You must have felt at the sacrifice
The sacrifice of Your Son, the death that saved us all
The joy You felt as He rose again and
Saved all Your sons and daughters.

Oh, Lord, I thank You every day of my life.
You saved my soul, You gave me breath
With the sacrifice of You beloved Son.

As a Child

Faith as a child
Is what we are called to have.
The questions they ask
“Who?” and “How?”
But most importantly, “WHY?”

Give them an answer
They accept without doubt, without fear
With many more questions
But faith in the Truth.

Faith in the Truth, You call us to have
Faith in the Truth, now and forever.

Faith as a child
Accepting Your way.
Growing in Truth
Every step of the way.

Show me more, teach me how.
I believe what You say
You love me, I know
Teach me more of the Kingdom.

Faith in the Truth, You call us to have
Faith in the Truth, now and forever.

As a child longs
For his father's embrace
So also, do I long
To be near to You.

I long for Your love
I long for Your Truth
I long for the faith as a child
We are called to have.

Faith in the Truth, You call us to have
Faith in the Truth, now and forever.

Love Song

His gentle love washes over me
Cleanses me from head to toe.
His sacrificial love breaks my heart
As I see Him up upon that cross.

I close my eyes and weep
As I ponder His love for me.

I have no power
I have nothing to boast about
I have only my sin and
Crumbling remains of life.

Yet, He loves me still
He loves me, yes, me!
He loves me enough to give
His life for mine.

I open my eyes in awe
Of His wondrous, powerful love.

My King looks upon me
His entire body shining with His love.

“My child,” says He.
“I will love you for all time.
Call upon me and I will be there.”

“Lift your eyes and see my face.
Fall to your knees within my embrace.
I will be here for all time,
This is merely the beginning of our story.”

My Call

I have no crowns of thorns; I have no courts of glory.
I have no purple robes; I have no coins of gold.
Yet I am set apart to worship our King.
Yet I am set apart to glorify our King.

I will worship; I will glorify.
For He is worthy; for He is holy.

I have my hands and feet, I feel them moving.
I have my human heart, I feel it breaking.
I have my spoken words, I hear them teaching.
Move in me, my King; use my life, my Lord.

I will worship; I will glorify.
For He is worthy; for He is holy.

Even in the darkness, let me shine Your light.
Even through trials, You show me the way.
Use me forever, I am Your child.
Mold me and make me into Your will.

I will worship; I will glorify.
For He is worthy; for He is holy.

You give me the words, I will use them.
You give me the passion, I will live it.
You give me the pathway, I will follow.
You give me my life, let me use it well.

I will worship; I will glorify.
For He is worthy; for He is holy.
I will worship; I will glorify.
For He is worthy; for He is holy.