Rise: Five Minute Friday

This week I'm so excited to join up on the Five Minute Friday linkup. And? Honored to have a video interview that was a "five minute interview" on as well. Asheritah from onethingalone.com is gracious enough to host video interviews, trim them and place them for us to grow in fellowship and community.

This week's prompt is "Rise".
The prompt immediately brought two songs to mind as I weekly volunteer leading/teaching chapel at our private school for preschool through grade 5.

"Rise and Sing" was from our summer Vacation Bible School but we used it all school year as well. Cut and paste is my friend for the lyrics tonight.

"If you're alive and you've been redeemed, rise and sing, rise and sing!
If you've been touched by the mercy king, rise and sing, rise and sing!
"Whoa-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o"
"Our God is risen and reigning and we're elevating the glory of our God and King,
everybody rise and sing!"
"If you were bound but now you're free, rise and sing, rise and sing!
Lift up a SHOUT of victory, rise and sing, rise and sing!"

(repeat choruses and verses at will)

The second song was the anthem for our Elementary and was the close of their spring concert.
"We are the Free" by Matt Redman

"We’re the forgiven, singing redemption's song
There's a fire that burns inside
A fire that burns inside
Nothing can stop us
We’ll be running through the night
With a fire that burns inside
A fire that burns inside

(Chorus) We are the free, the freedom generation
      Singing of mercy
      You are the One who set us all in motion
      Yours is the glory
      There’s a fire in our hearts and it burns for You
      It’s never gonna fade away
      We are the free, and Yours is the glory

We are the risen, living alive in You
And our passion will not die
No, our passion will not die
Nothing can stop us
We’ll be running through the night
And our passion will not die
No, our passion will not die

(Bridge) Up from the grave You rose again
      Up from the grave You rose and we will Rise up, rise up
      Into the world that You so love
      Into the world we go and we will Rise up, rise up



Truly, I believe that the children we are raising now (I'm a mom to an 8, 6 and 4 year old after birthdays this year) are the warrior generation. They are labeled as stubborn, obstinate, strong-willed, but God is raising up leaders and warriors. We peacemaker parents are a little blindsided by the fire inside but it's God's fire. The kids are black-and-white thinkers because there will be no room for compromise when it comes to faith in their adulthood.

What a privilege to be trusted to raise up these warriors and teach them to pray-to recognize God's voice. To teach them to memorize God's words (their swords). And even more so we should be praying and memorizing His word ourselves to get us prepared for this job.

Do you feel the passion stirring inside you? Are you ready to rise up and fight for God's battles? Oh, and if you didn't read Ann Voskamp's blog on Isis this week-you must. It is a difficult reality to face, but there is always Hope in God's redemption. We can partner there. I'll wait for you.

Rise up, you have God's Spirit inside of you-the same Spirit that gave Jesus his power on Earth.
~Tammy