God’s Message through Lyrics- Feb 8
God often speaks to us through music and as I listened to my favorite christian artists, I am aware of messages that God speaks through those lyrics.
The God We want and The God who is, will we trade our dreams for his or are we caught in the middle ? Somewhere in the Middle -Casting Crowns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WN37XYqrmY
Casting Crowns CD Cover
This is a new year a time to give up our dreams and let God take control, let him lead our lives in the direction he wants. Sometimes this is hard for the best of us. We want to give only parts of us when God wants all of us, he wants us to trust that he knows what hes doing in leading our lives. He will never lead us astray or take us down an avenue that he does not have a way out of. I know I have to learn to hand over my hopes and dreams to God and let him show me what he has in store for me.
I really want to know you, I want to make each day a different way that I can show you how,I really want to love you be patient with my doubt , I’m just trying to fiqure out your will. and I really ant to know you still To know You- Nicole Nordeman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JKVABz5p0
This statement is so true, sometimes we want to know just which way to go; waiting for a sign as to God’s will and yet its tough to fiqure it out. There are wrong turns we make and yet we must seek God’s counsel when making everyday choices and hopefuly with each guided choice having discernment to know what God wants for us, will be easier. God loves us and is patient in showing us on the right path, even if it takes awhile to get through to us.
Nicole Nordeman Cd Cover
For as Long as I shall live I will testify to love, I be a witnessing in the silences when words are not enough, with every breath I take I will give thanks to God Above.For as long as I shall live I will testify to love – testify to love – Avalon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qpki1ev6eU
Avalon CD Cover
This is one of the first songs I ever heard of Christian music and by now I have it memorized. We need to give thank to God and share all the good that God has done in our lives. even the littlest thing like God leading us to safety when we are lost is a miracle and should be cherished. This past year I suffered from an ankle fracture and in just one day my life changed from walking and being able to have a full productive life to being at the mercy of my injury and dependant on others. But in that struggle I grew closer to my friends and family and was able to really praise God for healing me through therapy and his mercy. Today I am walking agian and able to fully function leading a almost normal life. We need to reach out to others and share his love.
Since your Spirit intercedes for me, What do you hear when I pray? Cause I’m finding it hard to find the words, to let you know how my heart can hurt. So I’ll sing a tune and let you fill in the words. La La La- Point of Grace
POG CD Cover
It was hard to pick one song to use as example from Point of Grace beacuse they are my favorite christian group, I just love their songs. This song speaks because theres times we don’t know what to say when we pray, we have so many thoughts an emotions going on that its hard to put it into words for a prayer. Next time you are having problems finding the words for a prayer just be silent and let the Holy Spirit read your heart and fill in the words to God. God wants to answer our prayers and we don’t need to be experts at praying to talk to him, all we need to do is treat him like a friend. Someone that we are telling our secrets and concerns to, pouring your heart out to God will make you better and it will deepen your relationship with him.
I hope you have been encouraged by today’s songs and I encourage you to spend some time either listening to Christian Radio or put in your fave cd and just listen to those words and lyrics. Instead of just singing along take the time to hear the words and how they relate to God
I welcome all feedback and comments , God Bless your Sunday – Lorrie
Trusting God – Feb 15
There’s several things that I am afraid of and one of those things is winter driving. Ever since last year and my minor accident I had, I have been scared to go driving in the winter( afraid that i will skid off the road and get in a crash). The fear grips me and makes me terrfied and leaves me to cancel my plans because I am to scared to face the roads.
I live in michigan where we get several months of winter weather and the roads aren’t always taken care of well, especially on the weekends. Worse yet I live on a dirt road which is not plowed that often. The accident I’m reffering to happened last january, I was heading to a petsitting job in town and I hit the brake to slow down and the car skidded off the road tailspined and I went backwards into a drainage ditch. Needless to say that rattled me and left a lasting impact on me.
Yesterday, I had to handle winter driving to get to an event I went to, I was driving on a winding road in the country when I tried to slow down and the car shifted almost going down a steep hill that lead toward a lake. Both of those times could have been alot worse, but I prayed and God protected me. He sent angels in the form of passersby to rescue me both times. The first time he sent a truck driver and an auto salesman to help pull me up out of the drainage ditch.
The 2nd time he sent a driver and his wife who used some chains and pulled me back on the road, and they followed me to my destination. It was through the grace of God that I managed to come out of those times unharmed. I still have the fear but I know that God sends his angels to watch over us, if we just believe in him. I know that the fear will never go away completely but my belief makes it easier to overcome.
Have you had an accident stories or near disasters? share them and comment I welcome comments
Mar 8-09 Seeing God in All Things
SEEING GOD IN ALL THINGS – MELISA TAYLOR 4-16-07
Psalm 139:5, “You both precede and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head
Application Step: next time you find yourself in an undesirable situation, instead of asking “why me”, thank God for being there with you
Power Verses
Romans 8:28 we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
Dueteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was driving home after speaking all day at a women’s conference. The conference had been such a blessing and I was praising God for His faithfulness in showing up in a mighty way. I had the honor of witnessing first hand how God was impacting the lives of women and their families. Needless to say, I was on a God-high and loving every minute of it. God was so present and it was easy to see Him on this day.
During this time of spiritual bliss, I noticed something rather large darting on to the road ahead of me. It was a deer and she was headed for my lane. The traffic was heavy and my car had nowhere to go but to continue straight. I slammed on the brakes trying desperately to stop, but it was useless. At the moment just before impact, I looked into that animal’s big brown eyes. Why, oh why, did she run out into the road like that? My car hit that beautiful creature full force. She was tossed in to the air and landed, lifeless, in the lane next to mine. I cried, “Oh No! I killed a deer!”Many stopped to see if they could help, but there was nothing anyone could do. Miraculously, my car was not damaged and no one was injured – except the poor deer.
Anytime something bad happens, I try to see God in it all. I had clearly seen Him at the women’s conference that day. Where was He now? Why did this have to happen and ruin my God-filled day?When I got home, I ran inside to get my husband. I was crying so hard he could hardly understand me. My four children were also home and quickly became concerned for their hysterical mother. I told them the story. First question from my kids: “Is the deer dead?” First question from my husband: “Is the car okay?” They surrounded me with love and reassured me everything would be fine.
Hours later, I was still shaken. My ultra sensitive and loving son, Dylan, noticed this and offered me a Godly perspective on my situation. He said, “Mom, there are many reasons this could’ve happened and none of them are your fault. God has a plan and a purpose for everything, even that deer’s life. Maybe that deer was very sick and God used you to put it out of misery. Or maybe God was protecting the man behind you, so He used your car as a shield. Or maybe God knew that there are many deer, but only one you. He needed you to be my mom today. Mom, whatever God’s reason, it’s not your fault, but you have to trust Him. He was with you the whole time. He never took His eyes off of you or His hand off of your head.”
Oh, will someone pass the tissue please? How is it that a nine year old boy who suffers with anxiety and communication disorders can put this situation in the proper perspective and show me that it’s not about me but about God? I’ll tell you how.Dylan was looking for God in this sad accident. I wasn’t. It was easy for me to see God in the events at the conference because I was alert, aware, and looking for Him. When tragedy struck, I took my eyes off of Him. Just like Peter trying to walk on water I, took my eyes off of Jesus, and sank.
Do you look for God in all things? Do you see God in all things? I threw my arms around my precious son and thanked him for being the light in my life that day. Then I turned to the Lord and thanked Him, too—for the conference, for my family, and for the deer.
March 15-09
Last night was the WinterJam in Ypsilanti and here is my review of the show. Although my one disspointment of the whole event was that the artists that I wanted to see, Stephanie Smith, Barlow Girl and Francesca Batestelli they were all in the pre-show and not in the main show.
I took pictures but I lost the cable to my laptop from my camera so I will put the pictures up later. We were seated at stage left so the shots I got were from the backs of the preformers.
The first group on stage was New Song a group from Georgia they had a great songs and are a fantastic group with songs that are inspirtational and uplifting. http://www.newsongonline.com/
The next group on stage was HawkNelson who had a good set of songs, they had dance moves and the lead singer even got down into the audience to sing. http://www.hawknelson.com/
Next there was the speaker Tony Nolan who entertained the audience but he also encouraged the audience to make a choice for God and decide, he serves as pastor for the tour.http://www.tonynolan.org/
After an intermission was followed by The Afters who were quite talented with the lead singer playing piano and doing some good ballads, very professional. I think they were my favorite group of the night. http://www.theafters.com/
The final act was TOBYMAC, his team put on a great show and I have to admit that they gave it their all in singing, dancing and performing (personally this is not my style of music thiat I like so that had an affect on my opinion ). They gave their all to the fans and proved to be the favorite of the audience.
3-22-09
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise
Yes, we are not saved by works but by grace. And yet, there is all that talk in Paul’s letters about striving for more and serving God. We have to make our peace with this truth as well.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God,not by works, so that no one can boast
I know that, while I have been a Christian all my life, I didn’t truly understand the scope of what that meant until recently. The more I learn about what it means to be pleasing in God’s sight, the more I find that God, who is merciful and compassionate and infinitely loving, is also the same God who is jealous
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me
worthy of our fear One thing I have learned is that there are three types of Christians who grieve the heart of God.
1.) The Fruitless Christian: John 15:1-2, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
2.) The Lukewarm Christian: Revelation 3:16 , “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
3.) The Worldly Christian: I Corinthians 3:1-3a, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.”
The good news is that these types of Christians don’t have to stay in the place they are in. At times, I’ve been a worldly Christian—carrying on as the rest of the world did with no regard for the work God could be doing in my surrendered life.
At other times, I have been a fruitless or lukewarm Christian. Yet God was patient with me and showed me the way to live much grander than I was living. He gave me the courage to put feet to my faith. I still have much to learn and much growing to do. I still have to ask for His forgiveness, and praise Him for new days. I still have to ask Him to silence Satan’s lies that I don’t matter and rest in the truth that I do matter—and that I can make a difference in God’s kingdom.
Which type of christian are you? What can you do to improve your christian walk ?
The other day I had a thought: how many people pray the prayer of salvation as “fire insurance,” as I have heard it called, and leave it at that? Sadly, they experience no discipleship, no spiritual growth, and no relationship with God. I would venture to guess that this is true of a lot of people. They simply “said the prayer so they wouldn’t go down there,” as my friend’s little girl says. The Christian life is merely another check mark on their to-do list. Taken care of eternity? Check. And yet, is that enough—or are we called to more?
We can probably all think of people who call themselves “Christians,” yet they exhibit no evidence of a walk with God in their lives. Yes, the thief on the cross was saved and taken to Heaven at the very end of his life.
March 29-Value of Friendship
Today I am petsiting for 9 more days and enjoying my time here in this video I introduce you to the dog im sitting for and talk about friendship enjoy
This weeks devotional is from Charisma Magazine Online, written by Germaine Copeland
Satan understands the power of prayer, and he plots to prevent us from praying creative, reflective prayers. He works to intensify our unresolved issues such as an inappropriate need to please people. Our need to fix others or a false feeling of responsibility devours our energy, and we have less time to pray.
Purpose to pray; don’t give up or lose heart. Begin with a plan, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop the process of prayer that will most effectively open your mind to God’s presence. Schedule a time to pray. It is good to begin with a psalm of thanksgiving and praise. You may sing a hymn or a spontaneous song of joy. Pray the Scriptures, and imagine walking or running with Jesus in solitude—along the seashore, beside quiet streams, in a garden of luscious, sweet smelling roses, or on mountain peaks. Talk to God, not in pious, religious words, but in your normal manner of speech as you would talk with your best friend.
God is concerned with everything that concerns you. Pray about the day’s activities, and practice God’s presence throughout the day. Pray for others knowing that your prayers are reaching out and encircling them. Pray positive prayers according to the will of God. Your words have power. Always submit to God’s will in any given situation. Take a few moments to be quiet, listening for God’s instructions. Keep a prayer journal, listing those for whom you pray, and record God’s personal message to you. Pray with purpose.
Marathon Miracle- by Mary McManus
This week I am out recovering from dental procedure and heres is an story from my friend @gracefullady. She is an amazing woman, with a kind heart and a courageous spirit. She’s overcome polio and was able to do the Boston Marathon. here is her story: Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.
On Monday April 20, 2009 I along with my husband Tom and daughter Ruth Anne proudly took my place alongside visually impaired and mobility impaired runners to begin my 26.2 mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston. We had already banked over $10,000 for Spaudling Rehab Center- the facility that helped me to take the first steps on my healing journey. Now it was time to do what I said I would do- run the Boston Marathon.
It was a cool start to the day but when the sun came out and hit my black capris, I could feel God spreading warmth to my legs. Dave McGilvrey, race director gave us an oral command as we watched the clock countdown to 9 am. The start of the race felt like any other training run we had done, there were a few spectators along the way and we wound our way through the streets of Hopkinton. We were accompanied by a double amputee and jake, who was seated in a bicycle like chair riding backwards.
We made sure we went out slowly because we heard that with the adrenaline pumping and a steep downhill, it would be so easy to just take off. We learned our lesson in the Hyannis Half when we went out at a 13 minute mile pace. Slowly but surely we ticked off the miles and the crowds began to gather. I had run in several other road races during the past year and this is the first one where the spectators could observe that I had a physical challenge. There were spontaneous chants of “Go Mary, Go Mary” (I had written my name on my singlet and when it was warm enough to take off my jacket, down my arm). There were nursing home residents on the sidewalk in their wheelchairs; there were thousands of children wanting high five’s and there were signs from God along the way – literal signs that spectators held quoting Scripture and one in particular saying “With God, all things are possible.” God bless the spectators who handed us orange slices and bananas which had been lovingly peeled and placed in our hands. They were important supplements to our water and gel.
A friend of mine, Dr. Bernie Siegel, father of mind/body medicine and someone who has coached me through many healings had email’ed me before the race saying, “go mary…look for the penny..it’s a sign from god and i and that all is well and you are going to finish.” I did not see a penny at the start but in Wellesley at the halfway mark. I was able to pick it up and to know that we would finish and that I would somehow make it to the finish before 8 hours.
My initial goal pace was a 15 minute mile but with the headwind and a chill in the air as well as having waves of runners at different times, I knew that if I ran a 15 minute mile, I would risk an injury and risk not finishing. Today was no day to be concerned with speed. We picked up our pace after Wellesley knowing we had enough in the tank to get us home and we had practiced this part of the route on all of our long training runs. Psychologically, we had a great edge; Dom, our team trainer had sent us out to Wellesley from Brookline and then back to Brookline. How wonderful to only run down Grossman’s Hill in Wellesley toward Newton rather than up and back!
A four hour half marathon pace would make most runners cringe – but those who understand the purpose of my mission would know that time does not matter – I was running the Boston Marathon – I who, two years ago was in a leg brace and used a wheelchair at times for mobility; I who, a year ago, could only run for 5-10 minutes without stopping to walk; I who is now ready to put a new face on post polio syndrome and progressive neurological diseases and any physical challenges that people may face to know that it doesn’t matter how ’slow’ one may run or what their ‘form’ is but what’s important is to participate in the race of life and to know, deep in my soul that I had just as much of a right to be there as did Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall. Running this race was 90% mental and 10% physical telling myself that despite all the damage wrought by the polio virus and then post polio syndrome, that I was fully capable of running 26.2 miles – and except for walking through water stations – I ran the entire route.
At one point, there was a crush of runners who pushed and shoved their way and one in particular said, “Lady, you can’t be walking here” (I was walking through a water station which was crucial to my race strategy to ensure proper hydration). I did not let his comments phase me. Some even jeered at me for running too slowly and pushed me aside but I would move on undeterred knowing that I would reach my goal. The energy of the crowds and seeing some friends and Spaulding teammates who were also running giving us hugs and love as they passed, more than made up for the rudeness of these runners.
And so, at 7 hours and 45 minutes, Team McManus crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was a time that would earn me a number for next year’s Marathon because the qualifying time for a mobility impaired runner is 8:00! Is this something I will do again? No – in truth, at 55 years old my body experienced a lot of wear and tear as a result of the grueling training during one of the harshest Boston winters we have had in a long time. Will I continue to run? Oh yeah – and I’m going to compete again working with my personal trainer to increase speed and shorten distances and know that in truth, with God anything is possible!
nancy sutherland
Thanks for the very meaningful post relating to Christian music. One of my favorites has the “Girls of Grace” singing “trust in the Lord” from Proverbs 3:5, which is one of my memorized verses.
Have an abundantly blessed Sunday!
Rachel-
I don’t listen to Christian music, but I am a Christian and appreciated the message.
Melissa-
Good for you…I LOVE all those artists and completely agree that the lyrics can (and often do) minister to you right when you need.
Jessica
Beautiful! Sometimes it takes our innocent children to share a comment like this to turn our perspective and see the other side.
Teresa
So glad I found your blog. Will be back for a longer visit.
Be sure and stop by my blog for a visit.
Though I am relativity new to blogging, I am loving all my new friends