Thus says God the Lord,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it,
"I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,
And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
"I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.
"Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you."
Isaiah 42:5-9

This life is brief and this world is not meant to be our home.  Yet, every day the demands on my time crowd in; laundry, dinner, grocery shopping, taking care of an ever increasingly demanding 9 month old, trying to find time to show my husband care and love.  Each moment passes and I am devided in more directions than I have arms and legs to carry out the tasks.  And every day I try harder and harder to make this world a more comfortable place to be.  Some years ago (I don't even know how many) I underlined these versus in a Bible.  I don't use this Bible for daily (who am I kidding-weekly is my target right now) study and happened to have it nearby today when I found a few moments to "spare" for God.  As I flipped through the pages, trying to find some encouragement on an otherwise difficult day, I came across them again and was filled anew with the intense awe of God that they evoked before.  Oh to be numbered among those who He would speak to tenderly and confidently to!  To be called to such a high purpose to bear His name as the children of Israel were!  If only I could lay aside the piles of crud that seem parked at my feet today and stretch out my hand beyond myself for His Name's sake!  To feel the call of my true home and not the call to try one more time to make this earthly dwelling worthy of His Holy Spirit.  Sigh.  May I mention that in the midst of these longing thoughts my sweet child awoke from his nap needing comforting back into dream land, my husband-sharing his brief moments of freedom from clients with me on the couch-responded to two "urget" job related problems and the mountain of toys on the living room rug and dishes in the kitchen counter continued to tell me that my tasks were not finished yet.  My life is not usually beautiful.  My days are not usually rosy.  There are struggles and concerns that are far to heavy for me that I try to bear every day.  But my God saves.  My God redeems.  My God heals.  My God restores.  My God holds tightly to my ever-fraying emotions and never lets even one tear (including those I refuse to shed) go unoticed.  And He has called me beyond myself.  He has called me into a ministry called One Voice of Worship.  One in which I still cannot fathom what my role is, yet I know that He has called me here.  Now.  For you.  Not because this ministry is more important than what is going on in my heart or my family, but because my heart and my family are so precious to God that He calls us to you.  To encourage you.  To support you in your pursuit of Him.  To empower and embolden you to worship this Living, Powerful, Merciful, Righteous, Holy, Lover of our souls.  Let us set our eyes upon heaven this day and long for the unveiling of our hearts to see Him clearly and know Him perfectly.

Meghan Mandeville- blending my voice with yours in worship