Wonderfully Created
Music and lyrics by Frances Drost
Video created by Grimestone Photography
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The cup or the coffee?
Last night my husband served us our snack. How nice!
Only one problem. He didn't bring me my drink in one of my favorite mugs. He brought the old chipped one that I keep for him to use out in his welding shop where it can get beaten, bruised, greased and chipped and it doesn't matter.
I have a few of my favorites and I was quite disappointed when he didn't bring one of those. I bit my tongue. I did't want to dampen his servant heart. It's what's in the cup that matters anyway isn't it?
I have a bright flowered mug that is ugly, but I love it because it represents an argument I had with a friend when she wanted to 'buy' my CDs and I wanted to 'give' them to her. So she went and bought a mug of flowers for me instead.
I have another favorite that is bright red and has a cat on it. My sister gave me that one. Say no more.
The next one has two pigs on it and is a gift I bought for my husband because he was a pig farmer and loves baby pigs.
Then there's the great big one for the really tough days. It was a Christmas gift from a friend, complete with cocoa mix to go with it. It has frosty the snowman on it and works in all seasons.
I partook of my cup that he gave me without complaining. Even though there's a chip in it, irremovable grease stains on the bottom (from the shop) and a big ugly blue logo that says Discmakers on the outside. Reminds me of the company I used to use to manufacture my CDs. It reminds me of work. I want to rest while I sip my drink not think about work.
I knew I could pour a meaningful application out of this if I just brewed on it long enough.
Sure enough - "man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart." Too often I've been turned off by someone just because of how they looked. I totally missed the inside of them and misjudged them by their cover or 'cup' in this case.
Sorry Lord.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Crud on our spoons
I just finished washing dishes. If I had a dollar for every time I wash dishes, I would be pretty well off I think. I don't have an automatic dishwasher, so it's up to me if I want clean dishes. And believe me, I do want clean dishes!
I'm the kind who tries to wash up everything as I go when I'm cooking. I don't like dirty dishes to sit real long. They are obnoxious to clean! Our food can be on the table, ready to eat, and I'm still washing up the last of the pots and pans. I think I've become a bit over-the-top obsessed with this practice.
I had a spiritual moment this morning while I was trying to clean a spoon that had baked beans from overnight.....(crock-pot spoon - used to stir the baked beans occasionally). I tried to clean it, but the beans just wouldn't be removed. Time to soak.
Soaking is the best thing for hard to clean foods, like oatmeal, eggs, over-baked casseroles and baked bean spoons.
Ah yes. Came right off after it had soaked a while. I began to think.
I have some areas in my life that are getting a bit dried up these days. I can feel it. I've been here before. It's time for some soaking. Extra time praying, meditating in the Word, worshipping God for who He is, setting my mind on things above. Eventually that dried up state is going to have to slip away from the washing of the Spirit. It can't possibly stay as the soap-suds of the Word clean my heart.
I just came back from CA and the California Women's Retreat. Dr. RoseAnne Coleman http://www.roseannecoleman.com/ and Margaret Feinberg http://www.margaretfeinberg.com/ were the main speakers. Though I led the worship and did a concert I got to do some soaking of my own as these two amazing women spoke.
It rained the first 2 days I was there. Kind of a disappointment. I wanted to see sunny CA! It never occurred to me until this morning (one week later) as I was washing dishes, that maybe the rain was symbolic of the 'soaking' we needed at this conference.
I think we often go to these kinds of things with lots of crud on our spoons. The only way to remove it is to soak in God's presence, which can easily be done at get-away weekends such as this one. Maybe the rain wasn't such a bad thing after all.
When I left the CA soil in my "Alaskan Airliner", the sun was bright. The flowers were blooming and all was well. Maybe for some, as they left the retreat, their flowers were blooming again and their spoons were cleansed from the soaking rain of God's love.
Maybe rain wasn't such a bad thing after all. Soaking rain.
(picture) Dr. RoseAnne Coleman and myself.
I'm the kind who tries to wash up everything as I go when I'm cooking. I don't like dirty dishes to sit real long. They are obnoxious to clean! Our food can be on the table, ready to eat, and I'm still washing up the last of the pots and pans. I think I've become a bit over-the-top obsessed with this practice.
I had a spiritual moment this morning while I was trying to clean a spoon that had baked beans from overnight.....(crock-pot spoon - used to stir the baked beans occasionally). I tried to clean it, but the beans just wouldn't be removed. Time to soak.
Soaking is the best thing for hard to clean foods, like oatmeal, eggs, over-baked casseroles and baked bean spoons.
Ah yes. Came right off after it had soaked a while. I began to think.
I have some areas in my life that are getting a bit dried up these days. I can feel it. I've been here before. It's time for some soaking. Extra time praying, meditating in the Word, worshipping God for who He is, setting my mind on things above. Eventually that dried up state is going to have to slip away from the washing of the Spirit. It can't possibly stay as the soap-suds of the Word clean my heart.
I just came back from CA and the California Women's Retreat. Dr. RoseAnne Coleman http://www.roseannecoleman.com/ and Margaret Feinberg http://www.margaretfeinberg.com/ were the main speakers. Though I led the worship and did a concert I got to do some soaking of my own as these two amazing women spoke.
It rained the first 2 days I was there. Kind of a disappointment. I wanted to see sunny CA! It never occurred to me until this morning (one week later) as I was washing dishes, that maybe the rain was symbolic of the 'soaking' we needed at this conference.
I think we often go to these kinds of things with lots of crud on our spoons. The only way to remove it is to soak in God's presence, which can easily be done at get-away weekends such as this one. Maybe the rain wasn't such a bad thing after all.
When I left the CA soil in my "Alaskan Airliner", the sun was bright. The flowers were blooming and all was well. Maybe for some, as they left the retreat, their flowers were blooming again and their spoons were cleansed from the soaking rain of God's love.
Maybe rain wasn't such a bad thing after all. Soaking rain.
(picture) Dr. RoseAnne Coleman and myself.
Friday, February 19, 2010
What is a Podcast?
"The podcasting movement is actually a spin-off of another communications boom: personal Weblogs, commonly referred to as blogs."
Podcasting allows you to listen to stuff you want to hear, whenever and wherever you want. Podcasts are transferred via the internet. In their most simple form, they are a 'radio show' that is available whenever you choose to listen.
To listen to one, you need:
1) Just click the play button in the media player at the top of this blog to listen.
2) Subscribe to it from iTunes by going to the iTunes store and typing in my name "Frances Drost" in the search box. Listed under my albums will be the podcast. If you subscribe through iTunes, you can store the episodes in an iTunes playlist under "podcasts"and listen to it whenever you choose.
There are many educational and just plain interesting podcasts out there, so take a look around what's available under the podcast menu in iTunes.
While you're there, please rate my podcast and write a review - this helps to give my podcast more exposure.
Enjoy!
Podcasting allows you to listen to stuff you want to hear, whenever and wherever you want. Podcasts are transferred via the internet. In their most simple form, they are a 'radio show' that is available whenever you choose to listen.
To listen to one, you need:
- A computer
- A power supply
- An Internet connection
- An aggregator/podcatching client to subscribe and automatically download the audio content. (such as iTunes).
- An mp3 player on the computer for listening at home or a portable MP3 player for the road.
1) Just click the play button in the media player at the top of this blog to listen.
2) Subscribe to it from iTunes by going to the iTunes store and typing in my name "Frances Drost" in the search box. Listed under my albums will be the podcast. If you subscribe through iTunes, you can store the episodes in an iTunes playlist under "podcasts"and listen to it whenever you choose.
There are many educational and just plain interesting podcasts out there, so take a look around what's available under the podcast menu in iTunes.
While you're there, please rate my podcast and write a review - this helps to give my podcast more exposure.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tips for Wisdom from Proverbs 2:1-12
In my never ending quest for wisdom I soak up these tips from Proverbs 2.
1) tune your ears to wisdom
2) concentrate on understanding
3) cry out for insight
4) cry out for understanding
5) search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure
Then.......
1) (He gives it) The Lord grants wisdom
2) (Read the Word) From his mouth come knowledge and understanding
3) (He grants it) He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly
4) (Walk with integrity) He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity
5) (Walk justly and faithfully) He guards the paths of justice and
protects those who are faithful to Him.
Then.....
1) tune your ears to wisdom
2) concentrate on understanding
3) cry out for insight
4) cry out for understanding
5) search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure
Then.......
- you will understand what it means to fear the Lord
- you will gain knowledge of God
1) (He gives it) The Lord grants wisdom
2) (Read the Word) From his mouth come knowledge and understanding
3) (He grants it) He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly
4) (Walk with integrity) He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity
5) (Walk justly and faithfully) He guards the paths of justice and
protects those who are faithful to Him.
Then.....
- you will understand what is right, just and fair
- you will know how to find the right course of action every time
- wisdom will enter your heart
- knowledge will fill you with joy
- wise planning will watch over you
- understanding will keep you safe
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
What Would You Do?
I was only 7 when we got word from our Pastor that my
oldest brother was killed in a tractor accident on a farm hours
north of our farm. They didn't know exactly what happened,
but found him pinned underneath the tractor and wagon at the
bottom of a cliff in a riverbed. He had been unloading
rocks over the cliff.
Something must have gone wrong.
Our family took a small airplane to Northern PA for the funeral,
navigated by my other brother, Adriel. I faintly remember that trip.
In a few weeks I'll be providing music for 2 sweetheart banquets
about 3 hours from where I live....and yep, you guessed it, I'll be near
that farm where my brother died.
I had an interesting e-mail today in relation to these bookings.
Apparently the secretary of one of the churches lives on the farm
where my brother was killed years ago.
She has extended an invitation to come and see the farm
and see where the accident happened while I'm there ministering
in the area.
I answered her fairly quickly because of course I'd like to see the farm!
Or do I?
I find that as the day goes on I feel nervous about visiting the site.
After all, I was just a little girl and that was such a long time ago,
yet the loss of a loved one never really leaves you.
You feel their absence at family get togethers. Your heart flutters
with delight when you meet someone who knew them and tells you
more about them that you didn't know. They are always with you.
You look at their grandchildren and wonder if they look like their grandpa
did at that age.
I am excited and nervous about this. I'm afraid of my emotions.
Maybe I'll be fine. Maybe I'll want to cry and be alone. Maybe I'll learn
more that will give hope and courage in the face of tragedies like the one
right now in Haiti.
I don't handle tragedies very well to be honest. Maybe that's why I write
a lot of songs about death. Never realized I wrote so many until my
producer listened to all I was writing when we began working on
"Inside Things"and pointed this out to me. I guess it helps me process it.
a lot of songs about death. Never realized I wrote so many until my
producer listened to all I was writing when we began working on
"Inside Things"and pointed this out to me. I guess it helps me process it.
If you had this opportunity, what would you do? Would you
visit the scene of the accident of a deceased loved one?
Meet Tia.
My brother's oldest grandaughter.
My brother's oldest grandaughter.
Monday, January 11, 2010
"Fasting is Like Buttoning Your Top Button First"
This past weekend our Pastor challenged us to 10 days of fasting. My husband and I decided to take the challenge. What better way to start off a new year. I found the message to be so helpful and thought I'd share his points on my blog.
Fasting in a nutshell is refraining from eating food for the purpose of spiritual growth and sensitivity.
Why fast?
1) To declare over our life and body that we are going to do more than merely exist.
2) Because we want to hear God.
3) Because we long for breakthrough in our lives.
Ways to fast:
1) No water, no food - this is a supernatural ability and should only be done with strong leading from God and approval of doctors.
2) Water only
3) No food; minimal liquid supplement
4) Daniel fast (Daniel 1) - no meats or sweets - only vegetables, fruit and water
5) Omit meals
Results of fasting:
1) Deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
2) Powerful cleansing work
Fasting in a nutshell is refraining from eating food for the purpose of spiritual growth and sensitivity.
Why fast?
1) To declare over our life and body that we are going to do more than merely exist.
2) Because we want to hear God.
3) Because we long for breakthrough in our lives.
Ways to fast:
1) No water, no food - this is a supernatural ability and should only be done with strong leading from God and approval of doctors.
2) Water only
3) No food; minimal liquid supplement
4) Daniel fast (Daniel 1) - no meats or sweets - only vegetables, fruit and water
5) Omit meals
Results of fasting:
1) Deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with the Lord.
2) Powerful cleansing work
- body - removes toxins
- mind - removes distractions
- spirit - removes strongholds
4) Releases faith
5) Increases wisdom
6) Powerful and lasting breakthroughs
"We were created to be led, not driven"
"Fasting is like buttoning your shirt starting with the top button first. Somehow the Lord lines up the rest of the buttons in our life and makes sure they get buttoned."
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