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