Listen Wisely

"But This Thing Commanded I Them, Saying, Obey My Voice, And I Will Be Your God, And Ye Shall Be My People: And Walk Ye In All The Ways That I Have Commanded You, That It May Be Well Unto You. But They Hearkened Not, Nor Inclined Their Ear, But Walked In The Counsels And In The Imagination Of Their Evil Heart, And Went Backward, And Not Forward."

Jeremiah 7:23-24

I used to love my job, as a travel agent I get to help people fulfill their dream honeymoon or their 50th wedding anniversary etc...

I loved it, I was good at it and I have a list of clients who repeat their trips each and every year.

I have been doing this for almost 10 years, figured I would do it forever since I loved it that much.

The hours are flexible, I can work from home if I choose, I don't answer to anyone and the money was really good.

Slowly, in the past several months, the fire has lost its flame and the desire I used to carry for my job has ceased to exist.

I have prayed for motivation, yet none has come.

I have prayed for focus, only to be met with silence.

I have prayed for determination and only got crickets.

I come in each and every day and will myself to actually just stay in this seat and do something that pertains to my job, yet by the end of the day, I find I haven't done much at all.

In other areas, yes, in work areas, no.

The fire that burns within me is slowly shoving me out of this seat, the comfort zone of a job I used to love is being replaced with a desire to do something different.

I can't preach, yet, I don't have enough schooling to start that and that is exactly what I want to be doing.

I am angry at myself for ignoring my calling for so very long, angry I wasn't listening to Him when He gave this to me so long ago.

My minister tells me it wasn't the right time, there were things I needed to go through to end up here, testimonies that can be used to help others find their way with Him, struggles that can be used as lessons, pain that has to heal so others can see exactly what He can do.

And this is where my well known, lack of patience comes in. :)

See if I had listened to Him when He first placed this on my heart, I wouldn't be the person I am today, the fires had to be walked through, the lessons had to be learned.

My Pastor is forever telling us, "You can't have a testimony without a test."

I believe in that....

How can you truly help someone in a situation you have never faced?

You can try of course, however if you have been standing at the face of the fire, traveled through it and came out on the other side still intact, well in my opinion, it helps a little more than just being able to listen.

I seemed to have gotten off track....

Okay, listening to God, listening to that still small voice that each of us carry around inside of us, is hard...

The minute you actually hear it, is His way of calling you back to salvation, yet that is only the beginning, because once you finally hear it, you will also realize He will never stop calling you.

You can of course, ignore it, yet, if you do, you will never feel "settled" within.

Personally, if I am ignoring Him, I feel out of sorts, I feel unfocused and confusion reigns supreme within my mind.

At this time in my life when I need this job, I feel Him calling me away from it.

I need the finances it provides to pay for school, to eventually have a place for Tigger and I, a car etc...

To up and quit would wreck havoc on my psyche and I know this, hence the reason I am still sitting here.

He will provide I keep telling myself, yet in the past 21 months there has been so much emotional and physical upheaval, this job has been a constant, whereas everything else has blown up around me.

So do I ignore and continue to sit here fighting what appears to be a losing battle or do I give it up, listen to what He is saying and trust that everything will be okay?

I admit, I have trouble listening to that still small voice, whether it is for the best or it is His way of tossing my out of my comfort zone, I try to seek Him in each and every thing I do and in return, He graces me with His presence, His wisdom, His guidance, His love, His strength, His undying patience (I could use some of that), His compassion etc...

It is up to me to choose to follow, to take that step outside of all that I have known and have Faith that it is for the best, have Faith that the road He is placing me on is the exact road He wants me to be on.

You have to die to yourself, so that Christ is able to manifest Himself within you, as time progresses you become more mature Spiritually, you stop seeking "worldly" gratification and you start seeking His gratification, you stop looking for others to make you happy and you start to look within, learning a very hard won lesson, that no one on the face of this Earth is responsible for your happiness but you.

God will sometimes speak to people through dreams, music & signs that you have specifically asked for. He also speaks through other people, and they may not even be Christians.

He speaks through circumstances, He is the one who does the opening and closing to the doors of opportunity.

However, we are not to be led by people or by circumstances (that is a hard one, I know), but only by the Holy Spirit.

The key for you is to recognize God’s voice when you hear it, in whatever way He chooses to communicate to you. 

**Sidenote, I have opened the comments for the contest I posted about yesterday....Yes that was a blond moment and thanks for the emails letting me know**
 

CHRIS TOMLIN
Who You Love, I'll Love
How You Serve I'll Serve
If This Life I Lose, I Will Follow You
I Will Follow You

Harmonious Voice/Contest

"What Is It Then? I Will Pray With The Spirit, And I Will Pray With The Understanding Also: I Will Sing With The Spirit, And I Will Sing With The Understanding Also."

1 Corinthians 14:15

I had a different post planned today, the outline, pictures, song snippet and Scripture was already in place, all I had to do was put the words down, God had other plans.

I was outside enjoying a chilly afternoon, listening to the rain come down when a song popped in my head, not only was it in my head, I couldn't get it out, no matter what I tried to do.

My heart said to write about this artist, my head said no can do, as usual my heart wins.

Now I have written about my love of Creed, that is easy because I know what I am speaking of, and that comes from listening to them for years and years.

To write about something you don't know of, is a leap of Faith for me, so this is my opinion, my feelings and my thoughts on a new artist I have recently come across.

Christian music isn't new to me, I have listened to Michael W. Smith for well over 20 years, I know who DC Talk is and I love that the Newsboys are still around.

Certain people in the Christian genre stand out...

You have Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Amy Grant, Kutless, Third Day, MercyMe, David Crowder Band etc...

Certain singers that have a voice seemingly blessed from above, with lyrics that can move you to tears.

Not every singer has this gift, yes, they can sing, yes, their lyrics are great, however I think in order to move someone to a certain degree, you have to have something exceptional within, that is projected out.

They write from the heart & they sing from the heart and it shows when you hear them...

To be able to make someone stop whatever it is they are doing and truly listen to what you are singing about is a gift, to move them to tears is just icing on the cake.

Tenth Avenue North, Matthew West, Michael W. Smith, MercyMe and Third Day all have this ability (yes, there are others however it would take me to long to list each of them).

It isn't every song, otherwise the people in the world (who listen to these artists) would be filled with a bunch of crying people, just certain songs...

It could be just a certain lyric that does it...

Have you ever just been sitting there, enjoying a song and the artist sings a line that takes your breath away and makes your eyes well up? That is what I am speaking about.

There is a line from Tenth Avenue North's song - "By Your Side" and it goes "Why are you still searching, as if I'm not enough"...

I don't care where I am, when I hear that line, my throat closes up and I get all teary-eyed, just because I can almost hear our Father saying these exact words to me.

I found this new artist by accident, never heard him singing on KLove, didn't know of him period, Praise God, I do now.

His name is Devin Williams, cute as a cookie, with the voice of an angel, a smile that I can just see lighting up a stadium of fans and a humbleness that permeates in every picture I found during my search.

I was lead to his FB page and was able to listen to some of his new music and all I can say is WOW.

All four songs on there are awesome, the one that took over my thoughts today was "You're The One".

His voice is deep, harmonious and beautiful...

His lyrics are powerful enough to bring me to tears, so in His time, I can see this artist right up there with Michael W. Smith...

Besides, is there anything more beautiful than to see a man openly worshipping God, singing His praises and doing His will?

I think not.

Christian music should be straight from the heart of the artist, written to capture your heart, almost like a intimate journey of music and lyrics poured straight down from Heaven.

Upon listening, you should be able to feel like you are in His presence, as well as starving for just a little bit more...

Devin does that with his music, from the first note captured to the very last one, you almost feel like it was written directly for you, sent straight from Above, at a time when you most need it.

I am grateful to have had the pleasure of listening to him and now I want all my readers to have the same chance...

Because Devin moved me and because He moves me daily, I am going to hold my first ever contest. :)

Go to his FB page, listen to each song snippet and come back and tell me which one you liked the most as well as why...

On November 15, I will randomly pick one winner for his CD "Pour It Out"...

Since I don't do contests, you tell me if you Tweet it, Blog about it or FB it and I will tally that for you as well, so that is what? 3 chances to win? (See why I don't do contests?)

Now, I am off to listen some more.

And to my naysayers, yes I had his permission to write this post so keep your emails to yourselves please.

Devin ~ (((Hugs))) God Bless You in all that you do... Don't stop singing.

DEVIN WILLIAMS
You're The One
You're The Dream
You Make My Life Complete
So I Lay It At Your Feet

Just. For. You

"But God Demonstrates His Own Love For Us In This: While We Were Still Sinners, Christ Died For Us."

Romans 5:8

**Please note there are images within that may not suitable for children - Turn off the music player at the bottom before pressing play**

I found this video a few weeks ago while I was bored at work one day.

I can't watch the whole thing.

Heartbreakingly powerful, to know He did that, for me.

Fit To Wear The Crown?

"And I Will Be A Father Unto You, And You Shall Be My Sons And Daughters, Saith The Lord Almighty."

2 Corinthians 6:18

Son/Daughter of the King of Kings, makes you a Prince/Princess. I read and hear about it all the time, yet couldn't truly come up with anything in the Scripture that states we are Princes/Princesses.

It makes sense though, being His children, that we are considered royalty.

When I say royalty, I don't mean riches as in money, nor jewels nor furs etc...

Your royal bloodline comes directly from Him, the question is, are you fit to wear the crown?

The answer of course is yes, however what are you doing to live up to your royal status?

We are all made in His image, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

The love He has for us is unimaginable, undescribable and so very beautiful.

What are we doing that is worthy of such greatness?

Are you following His word the way you should be or do you pick and chose in order to continue to justify the life you are living?

Do you feed and shelter the poor? Help the hurt? Abstain from breaking the commandments?

Your Father, looks down on you day after day, loves you more than even I can describe, each and every one of you, each and every single second of every day you are still alive.

He loves you enough to tolerate your childish behaviors, the temper tantrums you throw when life isn't going your way, even when you turn away from Him, He still loves you.

I sit out back at night sometimes, trying to picture Him looking at me with eyes filled with love, regardless of what I have done in my life, what I am still doing and what He knows I am going to be doing tomorrow.

He knows where I am going to fail even before I do, He knows I am striving to be a better person and He knows the areas where I am so very weak.

He knows I don't feel worthy to wear the crown, He knows I fight a war within myself to be who He wants me to be, He knows my heartaches as well as my victories, He stands beside me through all of them.

He cheers with me when I win, He cries with me when I lose, He knows my anger, my joy, my lack of patience, who I love, who I am not fond of, who I struggle to forgive and who I continue to forgive daily, He knows where I am weak and steps in to let me know He is strong and His strength is there for the taking.

He knows my fears, He knows my secrets, He knows my intermost ugliest thoughts as well as the thoughts I speak aloud. He knows my struggles, He knows my desires, He knows my dreams as well as what I am doing at this very moment...

And He loves me anyway.

We all have a crown to protect, you can't be royalty and act like it isn't a big deal.

He gave you that crown, it is your job to honor it, honor Him in all that you do, all that you speak and all that you think.

You will never be perfect and I am only beginning to learn this lesson, yes I should strive to be like Him, however I will never be Him, I will never be perfect and He knows this, yet, He still has a crown on my head and He still loves me anyway.

DAVID CROWDER BAND
And I Realise Just How Beautiful You Are
And How Great Your Affections Are For Me.

The Lost Bird....Found

"I Am The Vine; You Are The Branches. If A Man Remains In Me And I In Him, He Will Bear Much Fruit; Apart From Me You Can Do Nothing."

John 15:5

The tree was tall, yet semi-bare, lots of branches, yet not to many leaves.

It wasn't grown on the right foundation, it wasn't watered nor nurtured the way it should have been, it has seen storms throughout time, weathered many of them, yet the cracks started to appear almost immediately.

Small, hairline cracks starting at the base and climbing up every few feet.

The roots aren't underground as they should have been, instead, they are surface roots, easily tripped on if you get too close.

In this tree is a birds nest, high above the ground, nestled in the only leaves the tree grows.

Inside the nest, are several birds, waiting, watching, taking in everything around them.

The birds have been there a long time, sometimes leaving the nest, yet always returning to the same nest.

Until one day, one of the birds is seen falling out of the nest.

The bird hit the ground, battered, hurt, unsure of what to do next...

She wanted to go back to the only nest she had ever known, back to her family of birds, back to where she belonged.

She wasn't wanted back in the nest though, she wasn't welcome back in that nest.

As she stumbled around, wondering where to lay her weary head, she noticed a different tree a few blocks from her original one.

One day she went seeking protection from the new tree, the elements were getting to be more than she could handle and she was tired of the storm.

She was drained, lost, confused and didn't have much strength left to continue on.

This tree was beautiful, rooted within the ground, full of branches and glorious leaves, there was fruit and even berries on this new tree.

The sun always seemed to be shining on this tree, no matter what the weather was like, the light within was almost blinding.

As she was looking around, a new bird she had not encountered before came within her eyesight.

He was kind and compassionate and took her under his wing.

He listened, he guided, he showed her what she was truly capable of, he showed her she could fly, high above the clouds, he welcomed her into the new tree and within the new tree was a new nest, a nest so big it didn't seem to have an end, filled with all kinds of birds, of every size, almost all would welcome the new bird into the family.

She was afraid when she came to him, broken and scarred by life, so unsure of what her next step would be, she needed direction, she needed someone to tell her what to do next, only he wouldn't do it, in time, ever so gently, he pushed her to the ledge of the nest, careful not to push her to hard, yet not so easy that she would feel she had to stay in that nest always.

He knew this scared little bird was destined for something big, he also knew she was terrified of taking that step, afraid of failing once again, most importantly afraid of failing someone so much bigger than her.

Once she became familiar with her new surroundings, he seemed to fade into the background, yet wasn't very far from her, he watched her, was there if she had questions, yet unlike in the beginning, he stopped answering all the questions and had her seek the answers from within.

She could see his hand in each step she took, however he wouldn't take any credit for her transformation, she had to learn on her own, something was much bigger than him or her, guiding them both towards something greater than they even knew was possible.

She began a wonderful transformation, guided by forces unseen, helped along the way by new birds, a new nest, a new tree.

She could feel the change happening within, scared yet excited at the same time and the new bird stood back and watched her, still never so far that she couldn't reach his wing if she need be, yet far enough to not get in the way of the lessons being taught her.

She would get to the ledge and then take a few steps back, each time he was there to guide her, he could see her uncertainty, yet wouldn't allow her to give up, wouldn't allow her to just sit in the nest, content to stay where she was, he needed her to keep moving forward.

The night came when it was time for her to spread her wings, he knew she could be an asset to the new birds that coming in, she just had to find the faith within herself, he had done all he could to prepare her for the new journey she was about to embark on, little by little he had seen her come out of the shell she had been trapped in, her song which once was dark and dreary was now full of light and joy, her wings fluttered to those around her, helping, even though she didn't think so, guiding, even though she didn't think so, she was ready to take the final leap and leave the nest, always welcome into it, however never to stay for very long.

Just like him, she needed to find the lost and bring them in, help the sick, shoulder the pain of the old and the new.

He taught her how to help each and every bird that comes into the nest, he showed her what true compassion is without stifling her growth, he showed her that he had been there through the lessons, he just couldn't give her all the answers she sought, he showed her that she had a purpose for life, a purpose much greater than herself.

Last night I had Bible study, once the study was over I went and spoke with my Pastor, once all was said and done, this is how I saw him.

A bird greater than myself, one who has guided me, without getting in His was, one who has shown me what I am capable of, without hindering His process in my life, one who laid everything out for me, yet allowed me to find my own way.

Yes, he could have handed me the answers on a silver platter, however he chose to let me find my own answers.

When I thought I was stumbling around in the dark, lost beyond being found, God put this man in my life, stern, loving, forgiving, kind, compassionate.

A God fearing man who just won't allow me to sink into my own self pity, a man who could have just discounted me, yet he didn't, instead he took the time to help me shed my own skin, to shed my old life and during the process, he never took any credit, instead showed me who to really be thankful to.

Today, I am thankful for my Pastor, a man that knows all my secrets and loves me anyway.

A man who took me under his wing when no one else would, showed me how to find true love from Him, showed me what it was like to be truly loved by Him and allows me to shine His light, each chance I have.

Thank you Lord, for this man.

BRANDON HEATH
You Know The Effort I Have Given
And You Know Exactly What It Cost
And Though My Innocence Was Taken
Not Everything Is Lost