Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Whats a song??

As I was playing my piano this morning this blog started to brew in my head so here goes.... I think everyone would agree that words are powerful therefore songs can be powerful. After all songs are words merely put to music correct? I have studied alot of music and songs over my life time, being a music student from the time for 4 years old and studying it in post secondary school will do that to you. I can sit at my piano for hours and just play and sing. I love to hear/learn new songs and I have to say there are so many great music writers out there - very God gifted and talented people and best of all they are using their talents for God. I don't know about you but there is just something about poping on a worship cd or a cd by your favorite Christian artist that does "the soul good" if you know what I mean. Often when Im sad and listen to music I feel comforted or happy, if Im feeling down listening to it can lift me up, it just brightens my day and brings me in a sweet commune with God. I truly believe God uses music to touch peoples lives and communicate with them - after all thats what most of the book of Psalms is. Growing up in a Christian family I have been blessed and fortunate enough to attend church my entire life therefore allowing me the privilege to learn many songs and watch as we enter into a new generation of worship songs. We no longer only sing hymns at church but we sing praise choruses, new worship songs that have a such power and truth to them. Do you ever find you wake up in the morning with a song already playing in your head? I get that alot and I am so glad when its Christian songs because I truly believe what we listen to effects us whether we think it does or not. I try really hard not to listen to the radio... not because Im some great saint, or because their isn't good tunes out there or because I want to cut myself off from the world but simply because I know for me what I listen to effects the way I think, effects my mood, and it effects the way in which I respond to situations. I really love the old hymns, this is not to say I dont believe music today has less truth to them or they are less "Godly" because I don't but there is just something about singing an old hymn. One of my favorite hymns is "I'd rather have Jesus". I really love the chords and notes of this song but more powerful then the music are the words and the truth they bring.

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS
(Miller / Shea)
George Beverly Shea
 
 
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land,
I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand:
 
Chorus
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin's dread sway
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
 
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause,
I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than worldwide fame,
I'd rather be true to His holy name:...
 
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom,
He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He's all that my hungering spirit needs;
I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead


I don't think I need to go into detail - the words a pretty self explanatory but I love to sing this song often. I think of the words of which I am singing because often we just sing songs but we don't really think about what we are saying when we sing. I often joke with my husband ab out how awesome it would be to be rich or just to have a little bit more money - not because I think money makes you happy because I know it doesn't but just because it would be nice to be rich and be able to buy other people stuff to be able to just not ever have to worry about money (yes I know God will supply all my needs thats for another post) but if I had to pic k between riches, my house (which I can't wait to move into) material things I like ie: shoes, handbags, clothes I know I would pick Jesus hands down every time.


I know that Je
sus choose me instead of worldly things , he choose to die on a cross for me instead of mans applause so why should it even be a question for what you and I would choose? Do yo u enjoy music? What are some of your favorite songs or artists?





Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Redeemed...


The dictionary says Redeemed means
  • deliver: save from sins
  • restore the honor or worth of
And I like that!! This year has been a trying one for many many reason for me personally, for my family and for some of my friends and as of late I have really been growing in my walk with God especially in this whole area of "being redeemed". I have known for a long time (growing up in a Christian family, attending church, a Christian school etc) that I am redeemed by God's blood and grace but I don't think I have really ever tried to understand what that means. I really like the second part of the definition "restore the honor and worth of". God through His shed blood has made me worthy of something and honourable. I have been blog slacking of late because for one this summer has been crazy busy with weddings, buying a house, moving my sister, cottage holidays etc but also because I have been trying to spend the time I would be blogging and spending it focusing on my "blogging" or my chatting with God. I donno about you but I find it so much easier to just give God my 20 minutes a day for a short devotional but I can sit at my computer for hours reading about your lives etc and oh how ashamed I am of that fact and yet it's easy to just recognize it but that won't fix it I have to do something about that and so I have been.

This is not to say I was not spending time with God before this I was just I don't think I was giving Him enough time if you know what I mean. I'm finding such a sweet peace inside me and I feel like my relationship is growing so much stronger and I'm excited about that. This year I have seen a friend loose her husband, I saw a horrible disease (cancer) take my grandma's life and I saw her fight so hard and bravely to beat it but she didn't, I have felt the pain and longing to be a mommy and yet am not yet pregnant, I have felt and experience the joy and pain of friendships, I have experience the joy of buying a house and the nervousness and anxiety that brings I have suffered my own personal health issues and the fear and uncertainty they bring.

I read something the other day that really moved me and I feel obligated to share.“...Our healing begins when we participate in the suffering of God. When we don't avoid it but enter into it, and in the process, enter into the life of God. When we see our pain not as separating us from, but connecting us to our Maker...” Oh how true that is. As I heal not only physically but emotionally I can only do that through connecting to the Master Healer. I truly believe that my suffering is a rare opportunity from God to showcase how awesome He really is - and He is really awesome!!
and that suffering has a way of connecting people…sometimes in weird circumstances…but the result is usually for the better. I was listening to Selah ( a group whom I love dearly to listen to) and they have a new song out called "unredeemed" and I encourage you to listen to it.
*On a side note as a musician myself I am continually at "awe" at the gift Selah has in writing songs. I have studied many different forms of music song different styles and listened to millions of different songs yet none as talented as the group Selah and their song writers - one day I pray I can be half as talented. * I am so glad that God takes me and all my brokenness and he uses it. I am really trying hard to remind myself each day that this could be my last. I know sounds like a horrible thought but I truly believe that if we thought that way each day we would live our lives differently. We are not guaranteed tomorrow it is by God's grace we have tomorrow. I am continually challenged as I look at many others out there suffering so much more or differently than I am and yet their faith and strength is so strong. I guess I say all this and it might not make any sense as I'm very exhausted and writing this very late but its just all floating in my head and I wanted to get it out. So I leave you with these lyrics by someone who is much more gifted with words then I am
" When anything that's shattered is laid before the Lord just watch and see it will not be .... unredeemed".

What a promise and truth those words hold. I am hoping to start blogging again my frequently but not at the expense of my time with God ( or my husband and my family cause I love them dearly to) ... now to start catching up on all your blogs...