Would you go?

Last night we had small group and I wasn't prepared for it at all! I had planned on getting into the study earlier that day, but with everything I just forgot. I hate showing up and not really having anything to contribute to the discussion, but let me tell you, it was one of the coolest discussions we've had yet!

We're going through a study on Acts written by Max Lucado and each week he takes a section from a chapter in Acts and we focus on that. We've been through a lot of good discussions thus far, and well, last night took the cake. Last night we were reading from Acts 8, focusing on the Story of the Ethiopian Eunuch. A few years ago, we studied this same passage, and it wasn't anything like last weeks study.

We discussed things I'd never even thought about like, Philip just left Samaria because God asked him to. He told him to go south down the desert road, and guess what....Philip did just that! He left. He didn't ask questions, he didn't do it begrudgingly, he just got up and left because the angle of the Lord told him to. Next he comes upon an Ethiopian Eunuch whose on the desert road who was on his way back to Ethiopia via Jerusalem. This man was very rich because he was a treasurer, so why was he on the desert road that was known only for traders because robbers were known to attack people on this road. He's a Eunuch and he was worshiping in a temple in Jerusalem? Really, what? And to top it all off, Philip met him there, while he was reading out of the book of Isaiah, and he didn't understand what he was reading, but Philip was there to help him understand. AHHHHHHHHH.........what? My mind was being blown!

Anyway, Philip was brought there by God for a reason. He instructed the Eunuch about what he was reading and the Eunuch believed then the Eunuch wanted to be baptized, and he was baptized IN WATER. Did I mention that they were in a DESERT? They just happened to be near water? Are you kidding? How can this be?

There was no other way for my small little mind to understand this than to fully believe that God has plans for us. He wants us to be in specific places as specific times. So, in order for us to do as God wants us to do, we can't be comfortable, we can't begrudgingly agree to do whatever it is, because we wouldn't be honoring Him and loving Him, because He knows what's best for us.

So, I've been asking myself this question over the last few hours, am I too comfortable? Would I be willing to leave and just go and follow God's instructions? Would I do it willingly or begrudgingly? I would like to say that I would be willing and that I would trust Him 100%, but I don't think that I would.

So, in the next few days, I'm challenging myself, to really search into why would I not act the same way Peter acted. Why would I not do something cheerfully for the God that I love so much. Do I really love Him that much? Because in a few days from now, He proves to us how much He does love us. There is no denying His love for us.

Will you take the challenge with me? Will you search out these answers?

Song of the Week #4- We Cry Out/ Thoughts about Sunday

This past sunday's contemporary worship service at church was amazing, anointed, refreshing, blessed, and filled with God sightings! Over the last month and a half, I've been in and out of church for various reasons and haven't really been able to play with the band, and man have I missed playing and worshiping with them! All I can say, is that this is one of the most positive, uplifting, encouraging, engaged group of people I've ever met! (I'm on an adjective kick today, can you tell?) I was a little nervous going into the second service because we had a few technical difficulties during the first service and I just didn't know what was going to happen. Well, we had a few more in the second service, but it was so easy to look past them!

After we started the service, I could already feel there was something electric in the room. Over the last few weeks the air in the room doesn't seem as heavy, it's easier to breath in an out. This idea of breathing in and out is the way our worship leader at church describes a worship service. You need to both breath in and breath out, and with this "air" it's been so much easier to do that. I never really thought about that before, breathing in and out. Probably because I do a lot of breathing out all the time. Example: Prayer, I'm always the one telling things to God, but I'm never breathing in His answers. So, this idea of breathing in and out has perplexed and challenged me over the last few weeks.

As the service continues, I'm feeling more relaxed and I'm able to turn around and make contact with the band members and I'm also able to make connections with the congregation instead of staring at my music. The highest point in the service was when we sang "We Cry Out" which has been recorded by Gateway Church in Texas.

Well, when I first heard this song, I just wanted to cry. It's so beautiful, and pure. While thinking about breathing in and out, I've also been thinking about God's different names because of this song. I've heard before that God has many different names but I've never took the time to actually think about them and what they mean. Apparently in the Bible God has something like 210 different names. (Not an exact number) Wow, can you believe that, God has that many names. Now, I have many nicknames, but I don't have anywhere close to that number of names. And the crazier part is that in our own spoken language we all say His names differently. I can only think to ask, "How does He not get confused?"

It may seem to be a funny question, but the answer is, No, He doesn't get confused because He is the Maker of the universe. I just loved singing to Him this past sunday and calling Him by some of His names. I have a new desire, and that is to start learning more names, and to use them during my quiet times and prayer time. If you haven't heard this song, you need to check it out!

Father of life seated on Your throne of grace
It’s only by Your mercy we are saved
Lord, You have said if we call upon Your name
We and our families will be saved

So we cry out Your name
El Shaddai, God of grace
Lord most high, Jesus Christ
We rely on Your grace
Adonai, crowned in praise
Lord most high, Jesus Christ

Father of love never failing to forgive
Each moment is a gift from You to live
We’re only here to tell the world about Your grace
Until the day You take us all away

We will cry out on Your name
El Shaddai, God of grace
Lord most high, Jesus Christ
We rely on Your grace
Adonai, crowned in praise
Lord most high, Jesus Christ

Thankful Thursday Week 4

Wow, a whole month of thankful thursdays! can I tell you that I've become more thankful on a day to day basis because of this very blog! It's been such an awesome journey!

Here we go!

1.) Celestial's Wild Berry Tea with Honey: after an awesome band rehearsal tonight, this was such a nice treat to come home to!

2.) CNJAC: These lovely Sigma Alpha Iota alumnae are awesome! I love them!

3.) Batons: I've missed using a baton since conducting class and I've been able to use one a lot in the last two weeks and I've loved it!

4.) Beautiful Sunny Days: The weather last weekend was gorgeous and I was so happy to get out of the house!

5.) Sushi: it is such a refreshing dinner and it's healthy1

6.) GPS: I've had to use my GPS a lot this week and it's gotten me through many interesting areas of NJ this week!

7.) Kari Jobe: Her music is always speaking to me and I'm really excited to be introducing a song of hers this weekend to the congregation!

8.) Flip Flops: I could wear them all the time!

9.) Spring Dresses: I love dresses and I can't wait to wear my new one!

10.) Dog Sitting: It gets me out of my house for a few days and because I'm out of my house I feel like I'm back in college!

Song of the Week #3- You're Not Alone

Back in Feburary I bought a whole bunch of new music as I do every few months and I came across Meredith Andrews cd from 2008. I'd heard her music a few times, but didn't listen closely until one day while cleaning my room her song "You're not alone" comes on. I'm instantly hooked on it! The lyrics just spoke to me! The title itself speaks volumes. It describes the life of a christian because we're not alone, we don't have to walk through life, and hard times or good times by ourselves because we have an all knowing and loving God who is always there for us no matter what. He wants us to know that we don't have to go through tough times by ourselves, because He is here with us, but also He's sent other people in our lives to act as Jesus' hands and feet to us as well.

He promises in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you or forsake you." This songs speaks this verse so clearly! It's a verse that I've had to be reminded about frequently. God's constantly reminding me that I don't have to walk through this life alone, He is there to lead me through everything. I pray that this song speaks to you as it has spoken to me.

I search for love, when the night came, and it closed in, I was alone, but you found me, where I was hiding, and now I'll never ever be same, it was the sweetest voice, that called my name sayin

You're not alone, For I am here, let me wipe away your every fear, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through the darkest night, And I'm the one that who's loved you all your life, All of your life

You cry your self to sleep, cause the hurt is real, and the pain cuts deep, all hope seems lost, with heart ache your closest friend, and everyone else long gone, you've had to face the music on your own, but there is a sweeter song that calls you home, saying

You're not alone, For I am here, let me wipe away your every tear, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through the darkest nights, And I'm the one who's love you all your life, All your life

Faithful and true... Forever, For my love will carry you...
You're not alone, for I... I am here, let me wipe away your every fear... Oh yeah, My love I've never left your side, I have seen you through your darkest night,

Your darkest nights, And I'm the one that's loved you all your life,

All of your life

Thankful Thursday Week 3

It's Week 3 already! Wow, it's been nearly a month since I started this blog! I can't believe it! So here's this week's version of Thankful Thursday!

1.) Qasadilla's. I had some really yummy Qasadilla's tonight with peppers and onions! YUMMM

2.) Subbing Jobs- I was able to work 3.5 days this week!

3.) VVC Worship Team- they are a wonderful group of people that love Jesus and make some pretty awesome music

4.) Venti Non-Fat Hazelnut Latte- mmmmm deliciousness (Thanks twin for getting me stuck on these)

5.) Sweet Endings- It's a pretty cute coffee shop in the center of my town that's so cute and fun and peaceful! I love spending time there in the afternoons

6.) Snarling Dog 0.53 Green Grip Guitar Picks- Ever since I stopped being silly and insisting that I can only use pink picks, I have dropped fewer picks! YAY, grippy picks!

7.) www.etsy.com- This is such an awesome site. I love looking around for design ideas and because of etsy I've decided to make my own guitar straps now!

8.) Successful Shopping Trips- I went shopping on Sunday and walked out to my car with 4 really full bags and spent under $220. It was pretty fantastic!

9.) New clothes- I love wearing new clothes, there's just something about them that brings a smile to my day! I've been able to wear a new outfit every day this week! WOOHOO

10.) inC Leadership Team- Let me tell you, the college and career group at my church is fantastic! They are such Godly Men and Women and they are so encouraging and humble!

It's been a pretty fantastic week! I'm very much looking forward to this weekend! Job Fair on saturday and submitting my application for my dream job on monday! Wow, big things are happening!

Blessings

I am so blessed! I'm currently sitting in a chair at a school where I'm subbing today. How blessed am I to have a job? It is so easy for me to complain about not having a full time, steady job, but guess what....I don't need one. I'm living with my parents with hardly any bills to pay compared to a lot of people I know, with only a little debt from college because my parents are amazing people and bore a lot of that burden for me. How blessed am I? I am totally, unbelievably, 100% blessed.

It's amazing how down we can get when things don't go exactly like we planned it. But, see that's the problem, our plans are not the right plans. They may be good ones, but they don't always provide the best outcome for us. But, God has plans for us. He has great plans for us. One of my favorite verses is 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 a hope and a future. The you will call upon 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.'

Wow, that passage bring so much joy in my heart. God has plans for us. He doesn't want us to be alone or sad or discontent. He wants us to be happy, joyful, loved and cared for. The later is how I've been feeling lately. He's doing a great work inside of me because I've been seeking Him and I've been finding Him. His Word is Truth. He is Truth. God is never going to lie to me, He's never going to make up stories if something doesn't go the way I want it to. Is there anyone in your life that you can honestly say is 100% honest with you all the time? I know that I can't. We all fail in life. We are not perfect.

God bestowed His greatest blessing on us when He sent His only son to the cross. God knew that Jesus had to come to earth as a man to become the ultimate sacrifice and blessing for us. Wow. What a blessing?

The word blessing means: the act or words of a person who blesses. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.

What kind of blessings do you have in your life? Are these blessings in your family? Your Church? Your friends? You Job? Your students?

Make sure you stop and think about the many blessings in your life!

Song of the Week #2 -We Want the World to Hear

A few weeks ago I was driving down to my Alma Mater, the lovely campus of James Madison University. This is the place that I feel in love with back in 7th grade just by looking at a poster. I told my band director that I was going to go there and well, 6 years later I was walking around the campus as a student, and not just a student a music education student. Ironic? I think not!

After 4 wonderful years there I graduated and moved back home. This move placed a void in my life because I missed my friends, sisters and roomate tremendously, so I've decided that I need to visit as often as I can. Well, I've made 2 visits since graduation! Not too shabby since I do live 5 hours away.

Okay, down to my thoughts of the day! As I was driving I remembered that I left my ipod in my trunk and well since I was trying to escape the snow, I decided that I would just leave it there and not stop because time was of the essence. During my travels I had to switch my radio frequency quite a few times as you could imagine since I was traveling through 5 different states. I started off with Star 99.1fm. My radio station of choice in New Jersey and lost the station at almost the exact same time as I crossed into PA. Well, there wasn't much to choose from so I decided to listen to NPR. Why you may ask. Well, there wasn't much else! So after a few hours of classical music, I was ready for something that I could sing to! Here enters KLOVE.

KLOVE is a national Christian radio station that is broadcast all over the nation from different smaller radio stations. I was listening to the music and found out very quickly that I knew only a few of the songs on this station. I was baffled. I'm always on the look out and think of myself as a Christian Music aficionado. I can spend hours on itunes, twitter and google looking for new bands. Well, all of a sudden I found myself singing the words to a song that I never even heard before. So, I took out my cell phone (I know, don't text and drive) and I started my VCAST song ID application up and got the title and artist to the song. Well, I had at least heard of the band, and for the life of me couldn't understand how I didn't know this song. Well, it stuck with me.

When I say that the song stuck with me I really mean, the chorus stuck with me.
There is none righteous

There is none worthy
There is none Holy but You the King
I will live my life to sing of Your wonder
To shout of Your glory so creation will hear God
We want the world to hear

How powerful are these lyrics? It spells it out plain and simple. He is the King. He is the only one worthy of all of praise and that we shouldn't be hiding this knowledge under a bush, but that we should be telling the whole world.

Last night at our college and career groups large group meeting we sang this song. Well, God had worked everything out yet again, because we were talking about how Holy God is. Dun, Dun, Dun...."There is none Holy, but You the King." He's holy, what does that mean? Well, we defined holy as someone being set apart, divine. I can only think of one person in the whole universe who fits that description and that is God.

So, ponder these lyrics. Take a look at what they have to say. It's a pretty sweet song! Praise Him, the one that made you and that one that is Holy and who will always be Holy.

WE WANT THE WORLD TO HEAR - LYRICS

Album:

What Life Would Be Like

Lyrics By:

Chris Kuti

Eternal King, we bless Your Name
For You were and You are, forever You will be
Praised in this place
And Lord our hearts are yielded
We give them only to You God

There is none righteous
There is none worthy
There is none Holy but You the King
I will live my life to sing of Your wonder
To shout of Your glory so creation will hear God
We want the world to hear

Oh sovereign King this heart is free
From the death that I was born into
You put Your Grace out on display
And in response I can help sing Your praise God

Hallelujah we sing
Hallelujah we cry
Hallelujah we’re living for Your Name, Jesus

Hallelujah we sing
Hallelujah we cry
Hallelujah we’re living for You