Musicality

I (Aimee) don't know if I've mentioned before that I did not grow up listening to Christian music. I grew up in the church, and while I was not perfect, I knew a lot more about what it really meant to be Christian than most of the people that I grew up with. But none of that affected my musical choices. About 2 years ago I decided to start giving it a try, and now I'm hooked.

I loved singing in our church choir. But when I was home or in the car I was listening to secular music. Now, here comes one of those disclaimers: don't hear what I'm not saying. Not all secular music is bad. It does not automatically make you a "bad" Christian if you don't listen to Christian music anymore than listening solely to Christian music makes you a "good" Christian.

I just wanted to point out a couple of things that have occurred to me.

1. Christian music can be a great tool to help you to worship God throughout your week.

In church on Sunday you worship God with music. So, it only makes sense that music would help you to connect with God during the week.

2. Christian music can be a great ministry to your soul throughout your week.

I love Casting Crowns! Love! Love! Love! They have a great sound. No doubt about that. But they also have such great lyrics. And, if you buy the CD rather than downloading it, in the booklet they list all of the Bible verses that inspired the song or that are relevent to the song. So often I find myself listening to music and then, suddenly, I realize that I've just stopped and I'm singing along because the words are so true and so powerful. I've meditated on the music. I've used a few of their songs in worship services. They've meant so much to me. Casting Crowns are not the only ones who can do this. I'm just using them for an example. The point is, if you are open to it, music can minister to you.

3. Music that is not honoring to God is not good for your soul.

Listening to Christian music for so long, and then going back to listen to some stuff that I used to listen to on a regular basis was an eye opener. Not all of it is bad. Not all secular music is bad. But some of it is. And all of this made me more aware of it. Just like watching junk on TV, or movies full of sex and cursing and violence, etc., listening to disrespectful, crude music is bad. It's like junk food for your soul in that it has nothing but negative effects. It makes you think that it's good, but it isn't.

If you don't normally listen to Christian music, allow me to recommend Casting Crowns. They have a lot of albums to choose from.

If you listen to secular music, whether sometimes or all the time, I invite you to really consider whether what you're listening to is honoring to God. Is it building you up or tearing you down?

Everything in your life effects you in some way or another. What you choose to surround yourself with can be just as important as who you choose to surround yourself with. All of these things and these people work to either draw us closer to God or they pull us away from God. Staying put in your walk with the Lord is an illusion; you're either moving forward or backward. I pray that your music would help you to move forward. And, if it isn't, that you're eyes would be opened and your heart would be moved to make a change for the better.

Meet Travis Ryan!

Hey everyone!

While Aimee and I were at Tsunami in December, we had a chance to talk with Travis Ryan after one of the general sessions.  He is currently the worship pastor for Saddleback Church in San Clemente and this was his third year leading worship at Tsunami.  We hope that you will be blessed and encouraged through this video!

sherann

Friendly Situations

I (Aimee) have a friend that I've known now for almost 15 years. We've been through some interesting ordeals together. We've had some ups and downs, great moments and bad moments. She's one of my best friends. She knows me very well. And I know her. We have great respect for one another, even though we don't always agree on everything. We can share anything without fear of judgment, or criticism, or rejection. Did I mention that she isn't a Christan? Oh, I didn't? Well, now you know.

One of my closest friends is not a believer. And yet I can still honestly say that everything I said above is true. She is a great friend. In fact, when I was talking to her last night, I commented that she is one of the most real, honest, and authentic people that I know.

What do you think about all of that? Are you allowing God's light to shine through you to those that need Him most (namely: those that don't yet know Him)?

Sometimes we have to be honest with ourselves and admit when there is a person in our lives that is not a good influence. Someone that it's really not a good idea for us to hang out with. But, if we can be strong enough, and we can lean on God enough, then we should be reaching out to be friends with as many non-believers as possible. That is very Christ-like, after all.

Jesus said that, "the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

Sometimes, for some people, you may be the only bit of Jesus that they have in their lives (or potentially in their lives).

Tongue Tied

Have you ever heard that saying: the more you learn, the more you learn how much you don't know.  It's really true.  On several levels.  I (Aimee) don't know why that seems to be really hitting home lately in particular.  It just seems like the more I learn about God the more I seem to have trouble vocalizing things.  I can process it in my head (somewhat).  But then I try to put things into words and I can't.

How do you praise a God that you can't fully understand?  A God who is beyond words?  Especially when you consider the fact that we're so flawed ... how can we ever do justice to His glory?  And that's just one example.

Personally, I've found myself very tongue tied lately when it has come to praying for others.  People who I know are struggling and I really want to lift them up to God.  Then I find myself praying something like this:

          Lord, I want to lift up this person.  Lord, they're having a really tough
          time right now.  Of course, you know that.  You know everything.  In
          fact, I'm sure that you understand better than I do.  Anyway, my point
          is that they really need you.  I mean, well, we all need you.  But, you
          know what I mean.  Please be with them Lord.  Ok.  I know that
          you're already there with them.  You're always there.  You're every-
          where.  Thank you for that, Lord...

I've found myself stumbling over the fact that everyday I come to a better understanding of how big, how powerful, how knowledgable, and just how beyond comprehension our God is.  God already knows everything that's going on with that person I want to lift up.  God is already with that person.  The Bible tells us these things.  The Bible also tells us that we should pray for one another.  It's kinda confusing.

So, let's think about it.

When we pray for ourselves we aren't telling God anything that He doesn't already know.  But we might be admitting it to ourselves for the first time.  Entering into prayer is entering into the presence of God.  Not that He wasn't already with us.  But it brings us into a mindset where we are aware of His presence.  So, when I pray for others, I may be admitting things to myself for the first time about my relationship with that person.  I'm definately entering into God's presence.  And if I'm praying for that person while I'm with that person, then I am helping them to do the same.  Prayer is a means of encouragement to ourselves and to others.  And prayer is so many other things that I can't even put it all into words.  Tongue tied again!

But it's ok.  Because you know what else the Bible says?  It says in Romans 8:26:

          "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself

          intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

God, in His loving perfection, even intercedes for us when we're trying to talk to Him.  He helps us with everything!  If we'll just be open to Him!

What an awesome God we serve!

Bible Math

No, I’m not talking about how many animals went onto the ark.  I’m not talking about how to calculate the dimensions of the tabernacle.  Interesting questions, kinda confusing (if you're already confused, don't worry about it right now, you can ask an older and wiser Christian about it later), but not what I'm talking about here.  I’m talking about one word: ‘undivided.’ 

‘Undivided,’ very simply, means ‘not divided.’   To divide something (divide, as in division—see, there’s the math I was talking about) is to break it up or separate it into pieces.  The Bible says that it’s good to live in “undivided devotion to the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:35).  To live in “undivided devotion” means to live a life where we are not splitting our devotion into different areas.  In other words, it’s not okay with God for us to give Him only a part of our devotion or to give it only part of the time.  He desires, and deserves, nothing less than all of us.  

Jesus said that you are supposed to love God with "all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37).  God desires, and deserves, nothing less than all of us.  Didn't I already say that? 

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus speaks to a church and He tells them that they it’s not okay for them to remain comfortably in the middle.  He says,

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were

either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot

nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:15-16)

There's no such thing as half-way with God.  You can't be a sometimes-Christian.  Either you believe or you don't.  And if you believe then your actions, the way you live your life, should reflect that.  Cause if you don't believe, it's a guarantee that your actions, the way you live your life, will reflect that.

My question for you—just as it has been the question that I've been asking myself—is whether or not you are living in "undivided devotion"  You and God know the answer.