I don't know about you but my May has and still will be a crazy busy month. With graduations and weddings every weekend, my whole routine has been thrown off. I didn't realize it until I opened my front door this morning (to go down and do some much needed laundry) that I hadn't gotten the mail on Saturday! I was so excited to find out I had a package on my door step and that it was my new CD to review! I was so excited to pop in the Rejoice CD from the Women of Faith Worship Team and I wasn't disappointed. I have spent all morning listening to it, and I am including my review for this CD below.
Review:
Women of Faith Worship the Rejoice album is great! The Women of Faith Worship Team (Kara Tualatai, Michelle Swift, Laura Cooksey, Janice Gaines, Allison Abbott, Jenifer Thigpen, and Jovaun Woods) put a great new upbeat twist on some of the best worship classics. My personal favorite is “You Brought the Sunshine”. It is a simply powerful message of God’s grace and love for us. It talks about how God hears all of our prayers and how He cares for us by giving us love and grace and by bringing the sunshine into our lives, and it’s all done through music!
From hymns like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” to choruses like “Our God” the group brings a fresh taste. You will be encouraged and uplifted by the time you finish listening to just a few tracks. The joy and vibrancy in their voices just begs you to sing along and to praise God with them! Rejoice is the Women of Faith Worship Team experience brought to your home, and you won’t be disappointed!
I recommend this CD to Women of Faith fans and people who love up beat pop worship music.
This CD was provided to me at no cost by Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.
A couple of nights ago, I was feeling a little down so I started listening to some music videos on YouTube. The videos that came to mind formed an interesting progression and I think that they showed where I was from beginning to end. The main reason that I wanted to share with you because where I ended up really made me laugh. I have shared some of these videos with you before so I apologize if you don't like repeats. Anyway...
I present to you my emotional journey through music!
Blessings by Laura Story
Held by Natalie Grant
Stronger by Mandisa
What if Your Best by FFH
I was actually searching for the Blue song from Madame Blueberry but I came across the "Stuff Mart Song" instead and I really love this song so I decided to listen to it instead. Unfortunately embedding has been disabled so if you want to listen to this one you are going to have to view it on Youtube.com by Clicking Here to view the Stuff Mart Song.
Endangered Love (Silly Songs with Larry)
By this time I was laughing and feeling much better. I ended the night by listening to "The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo".
The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo (Silly Songs with Larry)
I don't know if you have a Christian radio station near you, but we do. We have a great Christian station called JOY FM. The last couple of weeks JOY FM has been playing this song called "Blessings" by Laura Story. I enjoyed it and it touched my heart when I heard it on the radio, and then a friend from work mentioned it to me the other day and since then I keep having part of the chorus replaying over and over in my head. So today I am posting two videos for your enjoyment. The first is a behind the music clip from the artist that talks about how and why she wrote this song and the second is the actual song "Blessings". I hope you enjoy and I hope they speak to you as much as they did to me.
Learn more about Laura Story on her website or purchase her music:
Obviously everyone is talking about Valentine's Day because it is just around the corner. Yesterday I was reading She Seeks--another awesome blog geared toward women--and the post was all about being Committed. Just so you know, She Seeks is a blog written by a community of female authors. Committed is this weeks post by Lisa Whittle.
The post itself was awesome but as I was reading the comments I was hit smack in the face with all the problems facing our marriages. Woman after woman talked about their struggles in their marriage. Sometimes they were the problem, sometimes it was their spouse, and your heart just breaks.
That's when I decided that my next few posts will be my Valentine's Day specials and will deal exclusively with love, dating, and marriage. It all starts today.
This song I have included here is called "Dancing in the Minefield" by Andrew Peterson. This first time I heard the title of this song I didn't have a clue what it was about. So take a good listen before you write it off. It's an awesome song about marriage. In a lot of ways, I think the chorus really sums up what marriage should be.
We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
No matter whether you find yourself in the good times, the bad times, or the in between times don't give up. You are not alone! Cling to Jesus. Cling to your spouse. Be committed! Live by the promise you made to each other on your wedding day. Seek prayer and support. Your marriage is worth it.
In my quiet time this morning, I was reading from Psalms. I love the fact that many of the Psalms and other scripture have been put to music. Even as I was reading the words of Psalm 84, the songs resonated in my heart and my mind. They go with me everywhere because they are a part of me. That scripture (even if I never remember the reference) is a part of me and goes with me. I guess this speaks so deeply to me because of the big role that music has always played in my life. My high school French teacher once made the statement that I would remember anything that was set to music and it's true! To this day, I still remember which French verbs are conjugated with Etre. Think how much greater it is that thanks to so many talented singers and songwriters, I can remember scripture through music.
"Better than One Day" is a song written from portions of Psalm 84, which I read today. Enjoy the link below (a version by one of my favorite bands--Kutless) and maybe the scripture from Psalm 84 will stick with you too.
More Resources:
Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.[c]
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d] 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. 9 Look on our shield,[e] O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 LORD Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Hello, Everyone! A week ago I told you that I was reading Idoleyes by Mandisa. I also promised that when I was finished I would post a book review, and here it is.
Overview: Idoleyes is an auto-biography by former American Idol contestant Mandisa. Although the book centers mainly around her experience auditioning for, participating in, and after effects of American Idol, the reader is also given stories from her path and what led her to audition with American Idol. The book is full of highs and lows, personal triumphs and defeats, and most of all Mandisa’s love for Christ and scripture.
My Opinion:
I’m just going to come right out and say it…I loved this book! From the foreword by Beth Moore to the very last page I was hooked. I am a Mandisa fan. I have been since I was first introduced to her on American Idol. So to say I was biased from the start is more than a little pointless. However, I want to make one thing absolutely clear—I didn’t read this book from cover to cover because of American Idol. I was intrigued by Mandisa because of American Idol (side note: my husband and I choose who we think are going to win once they reach the live show—I picked Mandisa), I was drawn in when I saw her sing at a Women of Faith event, but I read the book because of the candid honesty I felt from Mandisa in the very first chapter.
Mandisa is open and honest about the struggles she faced before,
during, and after American Idol and I could relate to that. It was a breath of fresh air to know there is another real person out there. So many times we get wrapped up in hiding our imperfections that we miss the opportunity to share what God has done despite us, but Mandisa does not miss a single opportunity in this book!
I give Idoleyes and highly recommend it to any woman who has ever struggled with food, self-image, or doubt because God doesn’t work in our ways or on our time tables.
Yesterday, I started reading "Idol Eyes" by Mandisa. For anyone who doesn't know, Mandisa is an AMAZING Christian music artist. She has the most beautiful voice and even better than that she is a beautiful person inside and out. Like most people I was introduced to Madisa through the TV show American Idol. Although Mandisa didn't win, she was a very well known contestant for 3 reasons. #1 She was an outspoken Christian witness. #2 She rocked her vocals almost every week she performed. #3 After she left her audition, Simon made comments about her weight.
In reading her book, I am beginning to understand a little more about her world and her struggles with eating and being overweight. These are not things that are foreign concepts to me. I know exactly where she is coming from. Although I don't look it, I am just over 100lbs over my healthy weight range (although I really hate the whole BMI scale because it doesn't take into account build and muscle mass). Also, my husband, Jimmy, deals with major weight issues.
For the past 19 months, Jimmy and I have been making major life adjustments when it comes to eating and exercising. I have to admit that Jimmy is doing much better than I am. When it comes to food I find that I cave WAY too easily. Mandisa would say that we are both "addicted to food" and it's true. It's not that I eat when I am stressed. I eat when I am bored and when I socialize. Unfortunately those two things happen often which makes temptation great. The question is...
How do you overcome an addiction to food?
The only true solution is to trust God and work really hard to overcome it with His help. Does that make it easy? No way! To believe that just because you asked for God's help your struggles are automatically going to go away is naive. God equips us to "do all things through Christ who gives [us] strength." (Phil. 4:13)
Practical Tips for Overcoming a Food Addiction:
1. Eliminate Easy Access
If you are a snacker, throw away all your junk food. Get it out of the house, apartment, office, car, or other snacking locations. If you really must have something try replacing it with healthier foods.
2. Find a Support Network
You need people who support you and will pray for you as you try to make lifestyle habits that will help you overcome your food addictions and weight problems. If there isn't anyone to ask you the hard questions then what's to stop you from falling right back into your bad habits?
3. Make a Plan
If you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Create a food plan. Know what foods and how much of them are okay to eat. Plan to exercise. Plan to report in to your support network. Plan your benchmarks and goals. Plan to succeed.
4. Pray and Memorize Scripture
This really could be number one but I like to list this hear because by the time you do the other three steps you will have more specific prayer needs and you will know what kinds of weaknesses you need to memorize scripture to help you with.
Although it won't be easy, you can succeed. You might mess up but it you get up and get back on track then you can keep going. God wants you to succeed. He wants you to find freedom in Him. He will give you the tools. Just ask Him. That's a great place to start!
"For however exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:12
This morning I was listening to the song "Background" by Lecrea and C-Lite that my friend Sarah shared on Facebook. I love Lecrea but I wasn't really expecting the song to speak to me today but it did. The whole point of the song is putting Jesus first and letting Him take the lead in your life rather than trying to be the focus yourself. In the second verse Lecrea says,
"So, just let me shadow you. And just let me trace your lines.
Matter fact just take my pen.
Here, you create my rhymes.
Cuz if I do this by myself I'm scared that I'll succeed.
And no longer trust in You, cuz I only trust in me.
And see, that's how you end up headed to destruction."
I feel like that I have been there many times. How many times have things been going good and I have been so eager to take credit for my life? How often do I forget that my blessings are coming from God when things are easy sailing? It's just so easy to get full of yourself!
Then the song get's to the bridge:
"I know I'm safest when I'm in your will and trust your word.
And I know I'm dangerous when I trust myself; my vision blurred.
And I ain't got no time to play life's foolish games.
Got plenty aims but do they really glorify your name.
And its a shame the way I want to do these things for you, yeah.
Don't even cling to you. Take time to sit and glean from you.
And its seems that you are patient in my ignorance.
If ignorance is bliss, its cuz she never heard of this"
It's powerful and overwhelming to think about giving God the complete control He should have. That's the whole point! We can best glorify God and be like God when we allow Him to fully takeover our lives. I want to be able to voluntarily say that "I could play the background" and some days are better than others. For now I am striving to get to the point that my live shouts that every SINGLE day! Each day I want to be more and more like Christ. I want to give up more control so that I can truly be like Him. You too can play the background if you will follow Christ.
This morning my husband shared this song with me. It's called "What If Your Best" and it's by a Christian group called FFH. It really spoke to me. I encourage you to watch the video and see what God says to you, and then take the time to read a little about what God said to me.
Chorus: I want your best but what if your best is brokenness Would I be broken? I want your best but what if less than what I ask And what I'm hoping? What if your best is here in the waiting, here in the going thru the motions? I'll still be trusting all I am, and all have, and nothing less to Potter's hands
I honestly can't tell you how many times I have asked these questions lately. It seems like things aren't going my way and maybe God isn't even listening. Who knows? Oh yeah, God does! Sometimes it's all we can do to believe that God is the Master and He doesn't need our help. Thankfully He chooses to use us and He does care about us and does want His best for us. A lot of times it can be confusing and we might find ourselves thinking, "Really, God, this is your best?" We forget that we are living in the midst of the storm. When the storm passes and we can finally see the rainbow maybe then we will have a better point of view.
I know it's hard! I'm there right now. There are things in my life that I would really like to see happen. It scares me that some of the things I dream may not be in God's best plan for me. Only time will tell. Until then I need to trust and to follow and to obey because God will give me His best.
He promises us that in Jeremiah 29:11-13, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'"
God wants us to have His best for us for two reasons:
1. When He gives us His best it brings Him glory
2. When He gives us His best it gives us a hope and a future
There are a lot of "what ifs" in life but if we dwell on them we miss the joy of "what is".
Thank God for what He has planned for you--even if you don't know what that is. Know that it IS His best.
and highly recommend it to any woman who has ever struggled with food, self-image, or doubt because God doesn’t work in our ways or on our time tables.