#casting crowns

Hi Everyone! Did you know that The Holy Spirit can bless you with songs in your spirit that can play continually? If you haven't experienced this yet, ask God, it's a gift that He gives freely to anyone. Sometimes a single song plays for days. My repeating song is currently “Praise You In This Storm” by Casting Crowns. I just had to share it, in case it might be a song you need to hear today. God bless you, always. 🙏

Psalm 40:3-4. [3] “A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him! [4] Blessing after blessing comes to those who love and trust the Lord. They will not fall away, for they refuse to listen to the lies of the proud.” (TPT)

also, of course, the title song is legit awesome! (I get such Fall Out Boy vibes from Suckerpunch haha)

Definitely a top contender for my top five fav albums.

#1 Burn the Ships by For King & Country

#2 Caves by NeedToBreathe (though I think I could also add Into the Mystery and Out of Body here too, I just love NTB)

#3 Never Gone by Backstreet Boys (and Millennium and Black and Blue… lol all of them!)

#4 Last Young Renegade by All Time Low (my first ATL fav, absolutely vibed late 2023 and haven’t stopped since)

#5 Everyone’s Talking! By ATL tied with Delirium by Ellie Goulding

#6 Native by OneRepublic

#7 Diamonds by Elton John (it has all my favs haha)

#8 Different by Micah Tyler

#9 All the Right Reasons by Nickelback

As 2024 comes to a close, as we welcome the new year, please remember that hope, and peace, and love are in the world. You may feel hidden, you may feel small, but Someone will always find you and love you. Often, He uses the people living around you to do so.

We can be His hands. We can find and lift those in need. We can bring light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, and peace to the turmoil of the world.

Ever had a powerful moment with God—one of those times when your heart is stirred, your eyes fill with tears, and you just know something is changing—only to have that feeling disappear before you even leave the building?I was driving home from work a few days ago, jamming out to Pandora as usual, when The Altar and the Door by Casting Crowns came on. I’ve heard it countless times, but today, these lyrics hit differently:

And I cry like so many times before

But my eyes are dry before I leave the floor

Oh Lord, I’ll try

But this time, Jesus, how can I be sure

I will not lose my follow thru

Between the altar and the door.

Ouch. That’s me. Too many times, I’ve stood in church, tears falling, heart open, making commitments to God—only to let distractions, doubts, and daily life steal my follow-through before I even hit the parking lot.

Jesus spoke about this exact struggle in the Parable of the Sower:

When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15, NKJV)

It’s not that our intentions at the altar aren’t real. It’s that the enemy knows if he can snatch the seed before it takes root, it won’t grow. And honestly? Sometimes, he doesn’t even have to work that hard. We let our minds wander, our schedules take over, and before we know it, that powerful moment with God feels like a distant memory.

So how do we keep that fire from fading?

Stay in the Word – Feelings fade, but God’s truth remains. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

Pray Constantly – Prayer isn’t just for the altar; it’s for the drive home, the dinner table, the chaos of everyday life. “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Live It Out – Faith isn’t just an emotion; it’s action. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

Be Accountable – We were never meant to walk this road alone. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Proverbs 27:17)

This time, I don’t want to lose my follow-through. I don’t want to leave my commitment at the altar. I want to carry it with me through the door and into my daily life.

What about you? What’s one step you can take today to make sure your faith doesn’t fade the moment you walk away?