Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Being prepared for extreme circumstances is pretty straightforward in the natural.  There are countless emergency prep checklists online to refer to.  Gather your peanut butter, flashlights, warm clothes, etc., etc. But how do we prepare on the inside?  How do our spirits and souls get ready for any more states of emergency? If you've lived any length of time, as I have, you realize how hard it is to wrap your brain around how much the world has changed in the past few decades.  It's hard to even remember how we lived our lives before the internet. Who would have ever dreamed that we would be "connecting" with strangers around the world and calling them friends?  People whom we've never even met.  It's all very strange. But pining for the past is not the answer. We get prepared on the inside by building up our faith in Christ.  We do this by reading and studying His Word. But beyond that, we will need more than ever before to abide in Him.   To abide means to

How do you take things off the "back burner" of procrastination and doubt? Well, the best way I know to stop putting off something is to just do it!  That is not new advice!  We've all heard that before.  So why, then, don't we just do it ?   Effort, energy, being decisive - these are all things that we decide to do. Have faith!  Believe that it is possible to finish that project or assignment from God!  He wouldn't have told you to do it if you weren't able.  And if you still don't think you're up to task, ask Him to come along side you and empower you to get to work and finish! We're all fighting the blues a bit more these days, what with being in quarantine and just the plain weirdness of it all, how our lives have changed as a result of this pandemic.  And it is still happening. Now more than ever we need our resolve! See this as a huge opportunity for good!  Take the extra time you may have on your hands and do  something with it! I am a big b

  The Christmas season is here!  Alleluia! I love, love, love Christmas music.  I never tire of it.  I start listening to it around Thanksgiving and let it play as I sing along throughout the holidays. This song, "The Baby King," is my contribution to the world of Christmas music.  It is about the Wise Men traveling to find Jesus and in finding Him, finding exactly what they were seeking:  God Himself born as a baby.  The Baby King. There, they worshiped and adored Him. Listen and be transported back to the time of wonder, awe, and worship.  Worship the Baby King and His miraculous, world-changing birth. May this Season find you worshiping Him always and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas.

When we truly know that our struggle is not  against flesh and blood - people - but against principalities in the spiritual world, then we know how to properly battle. We are not fighting against people. I repeat, we do not fight against people. People are either captives of the devil (knowingly or not) or children of God. Now the trick is to discern who is who and what is really going on. When you feel strife in your spirit because of how someone is treating you, or how they are trying to get at you, that is never, no never, from the Lord. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17) So where there is no righteousness, peace, or joy, as a child of God, you have no business there! You do NOT have to receive everything thrown at you! When you are committed to pleasing the Lord, obeying Him, walking in the Spirit, and serving Him, you will  come under attack from the devil!  Make no mistake about it.   If you are lukewarm, a "sort of" Ch

  Let us thank the Lord for everything today!  He is worthy!  He deserves our gratitude!  For His love, His sacrifice, His blessings, His Kingdom - so much to thank Him for!

A prayer I wrote on Day 3 of my fast: O Lord, I want to be more aware of Your Presence with me. Please show up in a more tangible way, Lord Jesus,  Holy Spirit, I want to be close to You, sweet Lord.  Please be close to me. Take my thoughts, reasonings, etc., and get me to a simple place!  Simply resting in Your Presence as I go about my daily routine. I invite You, my Lord, into all of it!  Where I have kept You at arm's length, I now say I want You closer, in all of it.  Everything!  In every relationship, in my work, in my music, in how I treat You and others, O Lord, take me higher with You!  More with  You.  More aware of You! I feel I am more aware of You during this fast, but not as much as possible.  Not as "cloud 9," but a simple and pure awareness - Your love and joy and peace always around me, with me, in me. I don't know how else to pray, Lord!  But I just want more of You!  More of You, sweet Lord!  And if this means less of me, so be it.   That I would l

From Day 1 of my fast, I had a greater desire to spend time with the Lord.  In addition to my usual morning quiet time, I spent my lunch hour with Him, too.  I listened to sermons online, or read, or wrote in my prayer journal.   I felt closer to God.  I had peace. Normally, I would usually spend my lunch hour watching a sitcom, or looking at cooking shows online - always looking for new recipes!  I had no desire for either during the fast. I kept a daily journal during the 40 days.  In the Bible, 40 is an important number.  Awesome things took place during either 40 days or 40 years.  I wondered what my 40 days would bring me, where it would lead and take me. I tried not to place too many expectations on the fast, on what the Lord would do  in, around, or for me and instead I simply hungered for more of Jesus.  Thank You, Lord. I wasn't distracted by food or "entertainment!"  It came more naturally now to focus on the Lord, staying close to Him, instead of thinking about

Early in August of this year, the Lord led me to do a 40-day fast.  It would be the Daniel Fast.  For those of you not familiar with the Daniel Fast, it is based on the diet that Daniel ate in the book of Daniel, chapter 10.   Now the Lord led me on Daniel Fasts in the past, but they were always for 21 days, the length of time that Daniel fasted.  So when He very clearly spoke to my heart that I was to fast for 40 days this time, I was surprised.  My first reaction was not good.  I actually got upset.  I am ashamed to admit this.  I wish I would have been eager to obey.  But instead, my mind went straight to what I would have to give up.  I was thinking how deprived I would be.  And for 40 whole days!  I was not happy about it, to say the least.  I had been through this before, so I knew the suffering involved in fasting.  And even though the Lord provides grace and enables me to endure the fast, I still don't like it at first! I think part of my response was due to how previous fa

I wrote this song many years ago.  Or rather, it came to me as a gift. It is the first song I ever wrote.  I was reading in Isaiah chapter 12 and started hearing this song in my mind.  I just started singing it.  It was such a special moment.   I hurried over to my piano and started playing it.  My roommate came out to the living room and shared in this special moment.  We were both sort of awed by the whole thing. I had been a professional accompanist working at the University of Delaware.  It was my first job after graduating with my Master's Degree from the Manhattan School of Music.  I was on the "classical music" track. But God had other plans. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever want to be a songwriter.  That wasn't in the plan.  After all, I was a classically trained pianist.  But once I finished writing this song, "Isaiah 12," I was hooked.  I wanted to write more songs. I was now a songwriter. Did this mean I was to give up being a professional pi

Christ lives in our hearts by faith once we receive Him as Lord of our lives.  So it would stand to reason that since He lives in our hearts, that if we "follow our hearts," we are following Him.  But that is not the case. Scripture tells us that the heart is deceitful above all else. (see Jeremiah 17:9 ) The heart is the seat of our emotions.  God gave us emotions as gifts.  But they are not to be trusted as gods or sources of truth and wisdom.  Emotions are ever-changing and unreliable.  No, we need more than our hearts to guide us. For truth and wisdom there is only one place to consult: God's Word.   We know that what our heart "tells" us can be the furthest thing from God's Word.  "But I feel  like this is the right thing to do."  "I am overwhelmed with emotion, so it must be God's will."   As women especially, our emotions run deep.  They can also be all over the place! That is why it is crucial to know and study God's Word.

Running my errands one day, I stopped at Target. Soon after I parked my car, a woman started to get in her car,  parked right next to mine.  I felt led to pray for her. Before she opened her door, I rolled down my window and asked if I could pray for her. She started crying uncontrollably.  “What’s wrong?” I asked.  “I can’t forgive him. I’m just so angry,” she said.  Seeing the severity of her emotions, I assumed what the transgression was. I asked her when it happened.  She blurted out something like, “Over a year ago.”  I sat in stunned silence.  The torrent of tears pouring out of her seemed so fresh, so new. As if her husband had just committed the offense recently.  She was crying as if it happened yesterday, not took place over a year ago. What I learned from that encounter is this:  Hurts we don’t let go of fester. The wounds stay as fresh as the day we were wounded, no matter how much time has passed since, if we do not forgive .  This woman told me she was a Christian. How sa

  Listen to a song from "Knowing God."

I don't watch the news much any more.  I gather bits and pieces online.  Most of it is so utterly depressing that it is hard for me to watch or hear.  And what is worse, how much of it is truly factual? I spent one day last week getting caught up - watching various news programs and commentaries online.  By the end of the day, I was fraught with stress and anger. I understand why some people are so upset and angry about the events happening around us.  I was angered by injustice, evil seemingly "winning," just tuning in for one day!   The internet has changed the world, but like most any invention, it can be used for tremendous good or heinous evil.   People are airing their darkest thoughts online for all the world to read/hear - what good is there in that?!  People arguing, proving their point, or riding the "popular" wave to the point that they don't even know what their riding any more - it's just the "in" thing to do.   We don't need t

  A song for you today.  Be blessed! (sorry for the short entry today - internet down this morning!)

Ok, this is scary.  I mean promoting my musical.  This baby of mine has been a labor of love for almost 10 years.   During that time, it has taken many turns - the plot, the lead character, the songs.  When we lived in L.A., I had a couple of read-throughs with some professional actors.  It was fun! I enjoyed hearing my words come to life by some very talented actors who knew the right inflections and emotion behind each line right off the bat. But, as they say, life got in the way.  I never got to produce it in L.A. And now, this pandemic.  Oy. The last read-through I had was in April, via Zoom.  It went well and the "cast" really liked it. But now what?  How can I get this thing produced during this crazy time? Yet I feel led to have at it - at least start the buzz about it. You must realize how much I abhor promoting my works.  But I am very excited to share my "baby" with the world!  "Knowing God" revolves around Sarah, the leading lady who meets with

What is it that you think you need to make you whole?  What piece is missing in your life? "If only I had ______, I know I could make it."   When life doesn't turn out as planned, where to we turn? Or when we reach a certain age where we thought we should have "arrived" by now but aren't there at all, then what?  Give up?  Stop dreaming?  Stop living? No one tells you that you wake up one day and you're 20 years older in a flash.   Oh sure, people talk about how quickly time flies.  But we don't really feel  it when we're young.  It's only as we get older that we realize how short life really is. And boy, it  - time, life - whizzes by at breakneck speed. Maybe you are a goal-setter and your life is so carefully planned out, to the smallest detail, that you are  exactly where you planned to be in life, where you wanted to be, and doing what you thought you would be doing at your age.   For me, it's like the Lord would not let certain dream

Is your faith strong enough to hold up under persecution?  Or do you falter or run at the first sign of pain, suffering, or intimidation? In this "new world" of ours, only those who have been previously battle-tested will be able to endure, to stand, in the face of what is to come. Personally, the Lord has been preparing me for these last days for over a decade now.  It has been hard.  Very hard.  He has put me through His toughest tests, trials, and tribulations.  Why did I stick around?!  Because where else can I go?  The world offers me nothing.  The "medications" of the world are powerless to save (drugs, alcohol, etc.).   There is no Savior besides Jesus.  He is the One, That is why I stick with Him no matter what. I have discovered a little bit of just how He was treated when He walked this earth.  I have met with the cruelest of hatred for no reason other than I am a Christian.  I have battled evil plots and schemes that came against me.  These too came at me

I wrote this song, "Seek the Lord," way back in 2001.  We still had our Steinway grand then.  Oh how I miss it.  How we came to sell it - that's for another blog entry! A friend once told me that my music was "for a time."  I never questioned what she meant by that, but I had a feeling that my music was for a hurting time, for those who are hurting inside.   I bring words of comfort and direction in my music.  And not everyone is in a "bad" place emotionally, spiritually, or in life.  So I have often felt that most people wouldn't "get" my music, be able to relate. But I would say the whole world is pretty much in a bad way these days with this pandemic affecting all of us. Maybe now is the time for this song.  Oh it has been there for a while and "spoke" to those who needed it before this time, I imagine. But I felt led to "re-release" it here for you all today.  Right now.  In this moment. For such a time as this. Wh

"Until Jesus becomes our Savior, we are enemies of God.  Although we may be quick to deny that we are against Him, there is no neutral ground.  We have either been reconciled to God through His Son, or we are at odds with Him."  Dr. Charles Stanley This pretty much sums up where we stand with God, either as His friend or His foe.  Which are you?  Have you been born again?  Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, why don't you pray right now and ask Him into your heart?  It's about time, no?   He does not require a long, elaborate, or eloquent prayer from you.  Just a heartfelt plea.  Tell Him that you need a Savior - that you need Him.  Ask Him to come and live inside of you through His Holy Spirit.  Tell Him that you are serious about wanting to get right with Him - no more games, lies, or denial. Then be at peace!   And after you pray, don't go by your feelings! You may or may not "feel" any different. Trust, by faith, that it is a don

We're living in a different world.  Different from the way things were.  This pandemic has brought us to our knees collectively.  Hopefully, it has caused us to stop short and take stock in life itself.   The pandemic is a reminder of what we knew all along but pushed to the back of our minds - life is fragile.  Life is unpredictable.  Life is not something to be controlled. Whatever we are in the habit of seeking for security, comfort, truth, and peace, these are what we will seek during a pandemic.  We will not suddenly become something different from what we were.  We are all creatures of habit. If you were accustomed to turning to food or alcohol  or the internet or work for comfort or escape, then you most likely turned to it even more during this time.   If you like to control, be in control, then you will tighten the reins.  Only how in the heck to you control a pandemic?  You don't. If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably formed some spiri

On what is your identity based?  What makes you you?  Are you listening to our culture's definition of what and who is important? If the devil can get you at the root, the core, your very identity, all else in your life will follow suit - be messed up, confusing, and just not right.  But the sad fact is that these things may "feel" or appear alright when deep down they are most certainly not. Identity is found in so many ways.  The world's ways are superficial and temporary.  They either crumble quickly or may take awhile to disintegrate, but crumble they will.  The hard part is to see them for what they are because in and of themselves, they are not bad things.  But when they become as gods in your heart and lives, they have no real substance or sustaining power because they were not meant to bring you true and lasting security and peace.  Only Christ gives us that. What are these false foundations?  Here are just a few:  looks prestige money job title gender possess

To be found in Christ is to be known.  Fully.  But how many of us can stand being fully known?  We know all of our dark sides, our worst moments, our deepest insecurities and longings.  We know the seemingly unlovable parts of ourselves. No matter how much, if any, unconditional love we have received from others, the fact of the matter is, no one knows and loves us as Christ does.  Fully. Intimately. Truly. Christ knows everything we've ever been through, everything we've endured, all the ways we've been treated and mistreated.  No one else on the face of the earth knows us as well - not even we ourselves. He knows why we react the way we do - our conditioned responses.  He knows how much and when we hurt inside.  He knows that He alone can fill our hearts, love us, and fulfill us.   When we realize this - that only in Christ we are truly found and known, it does several things. First of all, we are relieved!  Finally, we can be ourselves with the One Who knows everything a

Here is my latest song.  Warning: you will not be able to get the hook out of your mind!  Sing on! "Be on your guard; stand firm  in the faith; be courageous; be strong." I Corinthians 16:13

If someone asked you if you want to be good, or better, or the best, you would probably answer, "The best."   Even my "best self" falls miserably short of the glory of God.  I want more than what my "best self" has to offer.  I want Christ to be glorified in me  And even as my "good girl" self, I am light years away from His goodness. " For I know that nothing good dwells  in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."  Romans 7:18 When Paul writes "nothing good dwells in me," he doesn't mince words.  No good means no good. So if Paul, one of the most brilliant minds ever, not to mention one of the holiest people ever, says that nothing good is found in his flesh, surely the same holds true of us!  It is our pride that cannot admit that we are not really "good" people after all.   Mother Teresa, widely accepted as one of the best examples of a human b

I watched the 1953 version of "Titanic" the other day.  As I watched it I was struck by a few things. They were ill-prepared because they wrongfully thought that the ship was unsinkable.  Over 1,000 lives were lost that night before ships were lawfully required to have enough lifeboats for all on board.  This has always baffled me.  The engineers must have known deep down that every boat is sinkable, no matter how large or well-crafted.  But their pride got in the way. The designer was on board.  How he must have rued the day he did not include enough lifeboats in his design. I thought about how millions of people around the world feel "unsinkable" in their pride.  They do not see their need for a "lifeboat," for God's salvation.   I thought about how death is the great equalizer.  The very wealthy and the poor alike both met their doom that evening.  The rich man's wealth couldn't save him.  The poor had nothing to lose. When the orchestra pla

All the laws in the world do not have the power to change the human heart. Oh there may be outward compliance, but that is no indication of what is going on in the heart. Think about wearing a mask during this pandemic.  Did you ever once feel  like wearing a mask when you went out?  Probably not.  I know I didn't.  Do we always feel  like doing what is right?  In today's world, do we even know right from wrong any more?  I mean, what the Bible calls sin has become acceptable in our society.   Only Christ can change the human heart.  And that is not done from the outside-in. When we are born again, Jesus comes to live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  That is how He is able to change us from the inside out.   As far as I have experienced, there is no other route to genuine change.  No self-help, no striving or trying to "be good" can change the heart of the matter.  Doing the right thing outwardly can be done by just about anyone.  But the Lord is after our hear

The minute you were born again into Christ, the devil became your enemy.  Before that, you were no threat to him.  But once you have the power of God living inside of you through the Holy Spirit living in you, he wants to destroy you.   I hate to even talk about him!  But as Christians, we must be hyper-alert to his ways in these last days so we can stand our ground, hold fast to our faith, love others, and be bolder than ever in our witness for Christ.   The devil is a liar.  The devil is a destroyer.  The devil hates.  But his tactics are usually more subtle than obvious.  He is crafty and sneaky.  He works through people and situations.  He is trying to: wear you out discourage you discredit you get you to sin get you to doubt get you upset get you to walk in the flesh get you to lose heart tempt you to give up altogether show you a supposed easy way out get you to hurry and rush God's timing get you to settle for less than God's best for your life get and keep you angry abo

Did you ever notice how a song stays with you?  When it comes to memorizing Scripture, whatever verses I have put to memory by repetition I have usually forgotten. But psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, I remember.  For decades. We all remember songs from way back when.  There is something about a song that has that kind of staying power.  I am so grateful for this!   I have written a song about some foundational truths from Ephesians.  The song reminds us of: 1. Who we are in Christ.  We are seated with Christ in the Heavenly realms.  This is our position in Christ—“SIT” (2:6) 2. How we are to walk, or live, as Christians worthy of our calling —“WALK” (4:1) 3. How we take our stand against the enemy and his schemes —“STAND” (6:11) Ephesians 2:6 , NLT: "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." Ephesians 4:1 , NIV: "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life w

       Today's blog is one of my songs for you.  Listen, remember, and be blessed!         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFDvRVKZe8c      Based on Phillippians 1:6:      "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the           day of Jesus Christ."

You want escape.  You want the easy way out.  And who wouldn't?  You've prayed and prayed and still no relief.  You even fasted.  You have the faith.  You believe God implicitly. And still your prayers go unanswered. You start to believe that it is not God's will to heal your loved one.  Years have passed.  Still no end in sight. What happens to our faith when our most heartfelt, fervent prayers are not answered when and how we like? I have found that I either get more persistent - pray more often - or I am tempted to just give up. "I guess it is not God's will to provide in this way."  How do we seek God and believe He has the best in mind when He allows a painful situation to continue? During His earthly ministry, Jesus healed everyone who believed in His healing power, who believed in Him.  Over and over we read in the gospels where He says, "Your faith has made you well."  (Mark 5:34) Or "According to your faith, let it be done to you."