So the total excitement over singing in church was totally diminished thanks to an annoying bout of laryngitis. I was very unhappy with this predicament, and felt bad to leave our music coordinator just one day to replace me in both praise team and choir. Plus, I couldn't even sing regularly from my pew in church. Needless to say, I was wondering, "God...what the heck are ya doin'?!"
Jokes popped into my mind like God is just really sick of hearing my talk and hearing my naive ways of how He should be running things - but this is obviously not true. It's just not what God stands for. So, I was back to square one. I then decided that God just had other plans for me, and singing in church that day.
Needless to say, God is always right. Sometimes I love this, and other times it irritates me. Let's be honest, I'm human, I am prideful, and I have an innate nature to always want to be right. But on days when I sing in church, I am often times much more nervous about how I'll sound rather than focusing on the main purpose of church: the fellowship and the message. God knew that the message we got yesterday was going to impact me, and He knew that I really needed to hear it. My singing in church would have gotten in the way of that.
God wanted me to know that there are other ways to serve in His home rather than just sing. He put it on my heart to help with VBS (Vacation Bible School), and so in a week I will be dealing with energized little kids and trying to help them know God. Now, I have no siblings and have really never babysat kids. I have pretty much had no experience with children. I love children dearly, but I just don't know how to talk to them! God knows this and He wants me to become broken of that hindrance. So it's "hi ho, hi ho, it's off to VBS I go..."
There have been so many other times in my life that I have wanted something that God has denied me because He knows I either cannot handle it or there is something better coming. Another example of this is something that happened to me at college. I have wanted to be an Admissions Ambassador at my college since I visited my sophomore year in high school. I applying, and I thought I rocked it. But I wasn't accepted! Other people whom I thought were not well qualified got it, but I did not. I was CRUSHED. But then, two weeks later, I was nominated to be a part of a leadership team! It was a huge honor, but had I become an AA, I would have had to turn down that leadership opportunity which works so much better for me and my hectic schedule.
God knows what He's doing, and you just have to trust that! "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." James 4:6 However, 'God time' is much, much, much longer than our pitifully short clock, so His plan may unravel in a much longer time frame than we acknowledge. You just have to trust Him.
God Bless!
ChristianKid
Monday, July 25, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
My Everyday Life
So, I have been at a loss for what to write about lately. Hence, the lack of recent posts. But I have an idea! Whether you like it or not, prepare to read about my boring, everyday life as it relates to God. Woo!
Lately, all I ever do is school and work. Blech. Not fun. And I hang out with my boyfriend every chance I get :)
But, sometimes during the day, I really take a moment and think about God. Which is nice for me because I'm a go-go-go kinda gal. Three weeks ago was the fourth of July. I think. Anyway, that Sunday I was asked to do Special Music for my church which I always thoroughly enjoy doing. However, I was asked to play patriotic songs on my trumpet. Not cool! I haven't done a full-blown solo on my trumpet since the sixth grade! But I girded up my loins (also a phrase I learned in church, ironically enough) and decided that I could do it, come what may. Well come what may, it did!
While I was waiting to practice at church, the praise team (group that leads the congregation in song) was practicing some of my favorite songs EVER. Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone by Chris Tomlin and one other one whose name escapes me - I think it was a hymn. Anyway, they were short one female vocalist - and guess who they asked to do it?! ME!!! AHAHAHA I was sooooo excited! Plus, it helped take the edge of playing my trumpet, which is usually hit or miss with me. It all went fantastically and I had a blast.
Well, now guess what? I got asked to do praise team again! Woohoo! I'm so pumped. I am the only female vocalist this time and have only heard of one out of the four songs we're doing but I am so incredibly pumped :) Plus, I am doing choir this week which means I get to rip out high notes that I wouldn't normally do during a solo or praise team which always makes me happy :) yay being a soprano!
Unfortunately, this is my last summer doing all of the fun things I love to do with my church. Onto a new church! Go BWC! Brookings, SD will become my new permanent home next summer and I'm really excited. I'll miss the old 'burg, but it's time to start my future. My youth group at my new church just got a new pastor, whom my boyfriend and I are really excited to get to know. I might look into doing vocals there, if my school schedule isn't too crazy.
But best news ever: I'm getting baptized! Sometime, lol. I wanted to do it here before I left because that was the church that brought me to Christ, but they require membership. And I feel bad being a member of a church that I no longer go to and contribute money to one church when I go to a different one. And baptism is about renewal in Christ and publicly professing faith, so my new church seems a great place to do that.
I want to wait until I get to know this new pastor there more, though. I don't know why, I just want someone I know and someone who knows me to baptize me. Just seems more meaningful to me that way.
I'm also becoming quite frustrated with my healing prayer list becoming bigger and none of those things moving to my praise prayer list. But, God has a plan and I just have to trust him. I also get irritated that I don't put aside enough time in each day to deeply pray about everything on my list (which doesn't even begin to cover my mental prayer list). Usually I do two or three things well and then scan through the rest...which I do not approve of myself doing. Mental check: do what I want to do how I want to do it, not just breezing through and calling it good enough.
I hope this finds you all well and I would love to hear stories about the little things God is doing in your life now!
God Bless!
ChristianKid
Lately, all I ever do is school and work. Blech. Not fun. And I hang out with my boyfriend every chance I get :)
But, sometimes during the day, I really take a moment and think about God. Which is nice for me because I'm a go-go-go kinda gal. Three weeks ago was the fourth of July. I think. Anyway, that Sunday I was asked to do Special Music for my church which I always thoroughly enjoy doing. However, I was asked to play patriotic songs on my trumpet. Not cool! I haven't done a full-blown solo on my trumpet since the sixth grade! But I girded up my loins (also a phrase I learned in church, ironically enough) and decided that I could do it, come what may. Well come what may, it did!
While I was waiting to practice at church, the praise team (group that leads the congregation in song) was practicing some of my favorite songs EVER. Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone by Chris Tomlin and one other one whose name escapes me - I think it was a hymn. Anyway, they were short one female vocalist - and guess who they asked to do it?! ME!!! AHAHAHA I was sooooo excited! Plus, it helped take the edge of playing my trumpet, which is usually hit or miss with me. It all went fantastically and I had a blast.
Well, now guess what? I got asked to do praise team again! Woohoo! I'm so pumped. I am the only female vocalist this time and have only heard of one out of the four songs we're doing but I am so incredibly pumped :) Plus, I am doing choir this week which means I get to rip out high notes that I wouldn't normally do during a solo or praise team which always makes me happy :) yay being a soprano!
Unfortunately, this is my last summer doing all of the fun things I love to do with my church. Onto a new church! Go BWC! Brookings, SD will become my new permanent home next summer and I'm really excited. I'll miss the old 'burg, but it's time to start my future. My youth group at my new church just got a new pastor, whom my boyfriend and I are really excited to get to know. I might look into doing vocals there, if my school schedule isn't too crazy.
But best news ever: I'm getting baptized! Sometime, lol. I wanted to do it here before I left because that was the church that brought me to Christ, but they require membership. And I feel bad being a member of a church that I no longer go to and contribute money to one church when I go to a different one. And baptism is about renewal in Christ and publicly professing faith, so my new church seems a great place to do that.
I want to wait until I get to know this new pastor there more, though. I don't know why, I just want someone I know and someone who knows me to baptize me. Just seems more meaningful to me that way.
I'm also becoming quite frustrated with my healing prayer list becoming bigger and none of those things moving to my praise prayer list. But, God has a plan and I just have to trust him. I also get irritated that I don't put aside enough time in each day to deeply pray about everything on my list (which doesn't even begin to cover my mental prayer list). Usually I do two or three things well and then scan through the rest...which I do not approve of myself doing. Mental check: do what I want to do how I want to do it, not just breezing through and calling it good enough.
I hope this finds you all well and I would love to hear stories about the little things God is doing in your life now!
God Bless!
ChristianKid
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
To God be the Glory
At my church, we often do Special Music performances from members of the church before the sermon begins to set the mood for the sermon. I usually sing touching songs or play a number on my trumpet when I perform for this. However, one thing I always found weird about our special music was that no one claps afterwards. At first it was strange, but I began to get used to it and like it. Clapping shows you appreciate it, but saying "amen" afterwards shows you truly touched someone. And clapping puts the focus on you.
I love my God-given talent of singing. It's one of my favorite things to do and I cannot think of a better way to glorify God than to use that talent to touch other people. Because we don't clap and say "amen" instead, it shows that we acknowledge God as the source of such beautiful music and we thank Him for granting someone with such a wonderful gift. We have other members who perform amazing acapella numbers, group harmonies, and other instrumentalists such as flutists and pianists.
When we show other people what wonderful gifts God has blessed us with, we need to make sure we understand where those gifts come from and that those you are performing for understand this as well. In one of my favorite movies, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Shia LaBeouf's character, Francis, comments on an opera singer's voice having produced music sounding like it came from somewhere else and that's how he wants his golf game to be.
Now I play golf and sing, so this really hits home for me. Every once in a while, I will be singing in choir or just in my car and can all of the sudden start singing better than I ever could have imagined. And it sounds like it's coming from somewhere else - not my voice! It's one of the coolest things I have ever had happen to me. And it's happened during golf, too. When I hit that perfect drive or nail that forty foot putt, I know that sort of shot is expertise far beyond my years so it must come from something else. Some people may attribute this to luck, but luck has to come from somewhere too! And coincidences must be attributed to something as well.
These examples illustrate the need to rely on God, as well. We cannot do anything without God. We are not to rely on ourselves. As Matthew 19:26 states: With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. There is nothing in this world you cannot accomplish with God on your side. Whether it is singing with a Godly voice, or making a difficult putt, or David defeating Goliath, as long as we trust in God, we can accomplish anything.
Now let me give you an example from the other side of the spectrum: at my college, we read the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It was a touching story of how a broke mountain climber whose sister died of epilepsy wanted to climb K2 to place her necklace on the mountain as a symbolic thing to him. But he got caught in a storm and almost died but was nursed back to health by village-men and he swore to repay them via their education system. And he set out and built all these schools in the Middle East/K2 region and helping them overcome their constant oppression and lack of education.
It was truly inspirational! While reading this, I felt I could do something like this to. The author, Greg Mortenson, even came to our school to talk about his experiences and what we could do to help. The basketball arena was packed to the brim and then some. I remember thinking, "how awesome would it be if all these 2,000+ people in this stadium saw this great role model and then heard he attributed his success and gifts to God. What a wonderful testimony that would be! Alas, Mortenson was an atheist.
But as if God Himself agreed with me that Mortenson should give God the glory for his successes, Mortenson was discredited on national television! 60 minutes found out that he was a scam who didn't do half of what he said he did. He just took credit for it. He was also found to have been with Al Qaeda, having taken pictures holding machine guns and wearing a turban with them. It pretty much destroyed all Mortenson had made himself to be.
God wants us to be successful in our endeavors, but He does not want us to forget who gave us the ability to be successful. He just wants credit for what He's done. Wouldn't you if you put in all that hard work?
1 Corinthians 10:31 says that "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Do it ALL for the GLORY of God.
Just love God and glorify Him and His name...He is most certainly worth it.
God Bless!
ChristianKid
I love my God-given talent of singing. It's one of my favorite things to do and I cannot think of a better way to glorify God than to use that talent to touch other people. Because we don't clap and say "amen" instead, it shows that we acknowledge God as the source of such beautiful music and we thank Him for granting someone with such a wonderful gift. We have other members who perform amazing acapella numbers, group harmonies, and other instrumentalists such as flutists and pianists.
When we show other people what wonderful gifts God has blessed us with, we need to make sure we understand where those gifts come from and that those you are performing for understand this as well. In one of my favorite movies, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Shia LaBeouf's character, Francis, comments on an opera singer's voice having produced music sounding like it came from somewhere else and that's how he wants his golf game to be.
Now I play golf and sing, so this really hits home for me. Every once in a while, I will be singing in choir or just in my car and can all of the sudden start singing better than I ever could have imagined. And it sounds like it's coming from somewhere else - not my voice! It's one of the coolest things I have ever had happen to me. And it's happened during golf, too. When I hit that perfect drive or nail that forty foot putt, I know that sort of shot is expertise far beyond my years so it must come from something else. Some people may attribute this to luck, but luck has to come from somewhere too! And coincidences must be attributed to something as well.
These examples illustrate the need to rely on God, as well. We cannot do anything without God. We are not to rely on ourselves. As Matthew 19:26 states: With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. There is nothing in this world you cannot accomplish with God on your side. Whether it is singing with a Godly voice, or making a difficult putt, or David defeating Goliath, as long as we trust in God, we can accomplish anything.
Now let me give you an example from the other side of the spectrum: at my college, we read the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It was a touching story of how a broke mountain climber whose sister died of epilepsy wanted to climb K2 to place her necklace on the mountain as a symbolic thing to him. But he got caught in a storm and almost died but was nursed back to health by village-men and he swore to repay them via their education system. And he set out and built all these schools in the Middle East/K2 region and helping them overcome their constant oppression and lack of education.
It was truly inspirational! While reading this, I felt I could do something like this to. The author, Greg Mortenson, even came to our school to talk about his experiences and what we could do to help. The basketball arena was packed to the brim and then some. I remember thinking, "how awesome would it be if all these 2,000+ people in this stadium saw this great role model and then heard he attributed his success and gifts to God. What a wonderful testimony that would be! Alas, Mortenson was an atheist.
But as if God Himself agreed with me that Mortenson should give God the glory for his successes, Mortenson was discredited on national television! 60 minutes found out that he was a scam who didn't do half of what he said he did. He just took credit for it. He was also found to have been with Al Qaeda, having taken pictures holding machine guns and wearing a turban with them. It pretty much destroyed all Mortenson had made himself to be.
God wants us to be successful in our endeavors, but He does not want us to forget who gave us the ability to be successful. He just wants credit for what He's done. Wouldn't you if you put in all that hard work?
1 Corinthians 10:31 says that "so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Do it ALL for the GLORY of God.
Just love God and glorify Him and His name...He is most certainly worth it.
God Bless!
ChristianKid
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)