Restore your focus of praise.

Today I read an article about the '10 worship songs we should stop singing.' It was written with a very subjective point of view. The author made points about songs like, "In the Secret" where there is no mention of who is being sung to. In the lyrics they use "You" referring to Christ, but it is implied in the context of the song. I happen to really enjoy this song and I love singing it in church.

While the point that the author makes is true, it is also faulty. If one is singing this [worship] song, they usually have the background context about who they are singing to. When you have the implied knowledge of who "You" is it makes for a wonderful song!

"I want to know You, I want to see Your face, I want to know You more"

And any Christian who is walking their path with Christ will agree that that is the heart of every Christian out there. We should always be seeking to know more of Christ, and we should never be satisfied with our current level of relationship with Christ.

My goal of this post is not to bash the author who wrote about these songs, but to bring into the light the idea that we shouldn't try to tell others how to worship and with what songs they choose from the millions sung on Christian radio and in churches. We should be focusing on our own relationship with the Lord. We can choose what ways we wish to worship Christ in our way, but if another Christian has an experience with God while singing "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" we need not to criticize them. We should redirect our attention to the One who is deserving of not only our attention, but also all of our praise.

In conclusion, what I want to get across is the fact that we should not try and regulate what praise songs are sung to worship God. We should focus on our own relationship with Him and the way that we worship. We should be so engulfed in Christ and His presence we cannot focus on trivial things while in that time.

An untitled post

Okay friends, I am going to be painfully honest with all of you. I couldn't fall asleep until I got the thoughts out of my head last night. So here is the poem I wrote.

"Untitled Poem"

Where do you begin for advice?

Something that makes you feel isolated.

“Trust God,” they say.

“You can’t worry about that yet”

“You aren’t that far yet”

“You don’t know what He has in store for you”

Or worse yet,

“Everything happens for a reason”

And the worst,

“Just pray about it”

All of these things linger in the air,

Loom in my mind,

And puncture my heart.

I feel inadequate.

Unworthy.

Broken.

Defective.

I mean,

Who would want me anyway?

I don’t even want me.

I try to not think about it.

I try to not worry.

I try to put my trust fully in God.

I try not to put myself down.

I try not to let myself think about it.

I try to remind myself that I don’t know for sure,

That I am not there yet.

I try to move on.

I try not to let it hurt.

But there are reminders everywhere I turn,

Mocking me.

Walking down the street,

In the mall,

At the grocery store,

On my Facebook,

Everywhere.

I don’t mean to complain.

I know everyone is sick of it.

I sound whiney.

I am being

Ungrateful.

Self-centered.

Selfish.

I’m sorry.

I know that you cannot relate,

You couldn’t possibly understand

Unless you have been here.

I want to move on.

I want to feel okay.

But how do you feel okay

When what you were created to do,

What you want the most,

Is so far out of your reach?

How do you become okay with that?

How do you move on?

Not think about it?

Push it away?

How do you refuse to feel?

Why I am slightly against Starbucks.

Hello friends!

I have been thinking a lot tonight, in avoidance of starting one of my many projects for one of my classes. What have I been thinking about you ask?

Well, a little bit of everything, but mostly about coffee. Why? Well, because I have a slight obsession with it. But anyway, I have been thinking about coffee, and not just the good, God-given, liquid substance that gives me the stamina I need each morning to put the words together to make sentences, but the general idea of coffee and coffee dates.

When I ask someone to grab coffee with me, I am not asking that we just get coffee together-- I am in it for relationship building. In fact, sometimes I have a coffee date with someone without getting coffee. Coffee dates are about relationship building.

At most coffee shops the barista will ask you if you want your coffee for here or to go. If I am going to sit in the coffee shop and have a coffee date, I want a real mug. I want to be able to hold the ceramic mug between my cold hands. I want the warmth to entrap my fingers from the bitter cold. And I want the mug to engulf my nose with the smell of coffee when I take a sip. I want to sit and have a conversation with someone over our mugs. I want the sense of home when I am in a coffee shop. In fact, that is one of my favorite parts of a coffee shop. The homey atmosphere is what catches my attention. There are so many different things to say about the ceramic mugs. I love them. Each has it's own character, and has the power to tell a story.

 The reason I am slightly against Starbucks is the fast pace. Starbucks, by default, will give you a paper to-go cup for your coffee even if you are staying. You have to piratically beg them for a real mug, and even then they do not have enough mugs for a full cafe. Or so I have heard. I haven't asked for a real mug when I am there because when I go to Starbucks it is usually when I am on the run. I avoid the place when I am having one of my many coffee dates because I am pushed away by the fact that the barista never asks if I would like my coffee for here or to go.

When Starbucks neglects to offer real mugs, they are encouraging the autonomy of this society. It is neglecting the need for real and meaningful relationships. I mean, what is homey and comforting about a cardboard cup and a plastic lid? Boy, that really says, "I want to have a meaningful conversation with you," doesn't it?

I don't think that this is going to change how Starbucks does coffee, or even to change any one person's mind about going to Starbucks for meaningful conversations-- I mean, I am just a simple girl who treasures the little things in life, and has a great need for relationships, but this blog is called 'Just A Thought...' because it is a place that a bunch of my thoughts are able to come together in one place.

And don't get me wrong, I love going to Starbucks when I am in a crunch to grab a quick coffee when I am on the run, but when I am choosing a place to get to know someone, or to have a meaningful conversation with a colleague or with a friend, I am not going to head to my nearest Starbucks. this was just some food for thought for all of you!

Sending my love! And wishing you good conversations over coffee! <3

God is bigger than your test grade.

I was sitting here thinking about how sometimes I can feel like I am being defined as a test grade. And as I am not a good test taker, you can see why I am bothered by that...

But I am trying to remind myself that I am not defined by a grade. So I came up with this version of "God Is Bigger [Than The Booggie Man]" from Veggie Tales.

The lyrics that I made go as follows (it works the best if you listen to the song and sing/ think of my lyrics while it is playing!) Enjoy and remember, you are not defined by your test grade. Study hard, but it does not define you!:

You were lying in your bed,
You were feeling kind of sleepy,
But you couldn't close your book because the chapter wasn’t ending

Were those standard deviations in the book?
Was it the mean after all?
There was something big and scary putting numbers in your brain.

Now your heart is beating like a drum,
Your skin is getting clammy,
There's a hundred word problems jumping right onto your test!

Bob: What are you going to do?
Junior: I'm going to quit college
Bob: No. You don't have to do anything!
Junior: What? Why?
Bob: Because...

[CHORUS:]
God is bigger than your test grade.
He's bigger than statistics or chemistry.
Oh, God is bigger than your test grade,
And he's watching out for you and me.

Junior:
..So when I'm lying in my bed,
And my anxiety starts creeping,
I'll just laugh and say "Hey! I’ll figure it out!"

And get back to my working.

'Cause I know that God's the biggest, and He's watching all the while,
So when I get scared, I'll think of Him, close my eyes and
smiiiiiiiiiiiiile!!!

God is bigger than your test grade.
He's bigger than statistics or chemistry.
Oh, God is bigger than your test grade,
And he's watching out for you and me.

Problem #1: So are you confused?
Junior: Just a little.
Problem #2: Are you worried?
Junior: Not a bit! I know whatever's gonna happen, that God can handle it!

Problem #3: I'm sorry that I scared you when you saw me on the page.
Junior: Well that's ok, 'cause now I know that God is taking care of me!

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE.

"Here I am. Send me."

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 

"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" 

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!""- Isaiah 6:8

Hello all!

In the Bible we are called to do the Lord's work and to spread the gospel. This can be done in many shapes and forms from preaching in a church, sharing the gospel with a friend, or going on a missions trip across states or across seas. Each of His disciples are being called to share the gospel with our neighbors and with the world!

We are not being called to save everyone, only Jesus can save, but we are called to plant seeds. To plant seeds everywhere we go. With our every action and our every word, We are called to do this as an individual, but more importantly, we are called to do this as the Body of Christ.

In Mark 16:15 we see God's call on us to spread the gospel, "And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

We also see this being played out in the Bible in the book of Acts when Paul takes his three missionary journeys.

Old school music? What?

At church on Sunday we sang the hymn, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms." Singing this song has kind of gotten me on a streak of old school Christian songs!

I think I have gotten stuck on these songs because they remind me of the seldom times that my gram would take me to her church, and my pap playing them on the piano for me when I was younger and showed him my precious masterpiece of randomly slammed keys! (:

Some of the songs that I have been stuck on are:
"There Is Power in the Blood" 
"By and By"
"The Lily of the Valley"
"Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
"Victory in Jesus"
"Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"
"I've Got Peace Like A River"
"Just a Closer Walk With Thee"
"Hallelujah What A Savior"

For more songs, check out my Spotify playlist here

What are your favorite old school Christian songs?!?!

Musings: The glitter on the sidewalk always shines.

I have learned a lot in the past, usually the hard way because I have tendencies to do certain things by trial and error after I have given them much thought. Some of my life's little musings are as follows:

1. Smile. Just smile at people-- at strangers. When we skimp out on the smile, especially with strangers, they can walk away with the perception that we are mean and miserable. And your smile can make all the difference in their day.
2. Take everything with a grain of salt.Good things are great and bad things are bad, but there is always something in the in between.
3. Refrain from your complaining. Seriously. When you complain (especially about other people) it brings everyone else around you down to your level. Venting is necessary, but have vent sessions with one person, maybe two if you're having a particularly bad day-- and make sure you ask them if you can vent first. Complaining is detrimental to yourself and others. Make it a habit to say three positive thing about the person or situation or thing that you are complaining about. It will make a big difference in your life.
4. "And if not, He is still good." (He is referring to Jesus Christ). He is good no matter what, even when He tells you 'no.' His no is better than anything you could dream up for yourself.
5. Not everything that feels good is good for you and not everything that hurts is bad for you.
6. Coffee and good conversation will fix almost anything.
7. And if coffee and good conversation can't fix it, peanut butter will. If peanut butter can't fix it... well... I don't know what to tell you.
8. Be intentional. With everyone you meet. Ask your professors to lunch or to grab coffee, they are humans too, and they love when you treat them like they are a real person. Just get to know them more than the person teaching you sociology in the front of the classroom. Be intentional with the cashier or the person making your sub at Subway-- just say hello and thank them.
9. Patience is a virtue? Yes it is, but it is a virtue that you should and need to learn. I can't stress this enough. Be patient. You will be happier and less anxious.
10. Be calm. Don't overreact to the little things-- don't sweat the small stuff! The sooner that you realize that a mess is just a mess and can be cleaned up, you will feel better about who you are, and the people you interact with (your children, spouse, parents, co-workers, friends, etc) will be less likely to live in fear of making a mistake around you.
11. When something happens to you, it is not the end of the world. I was diagnosed with PCOS (poly-cystic ovary syndrome), does it suck? Absolutely. Will it affect me? Absolutely. Is it the end of the world? Definitely not. The glitter on the sidewalk always shines. Grieve it. Accept it. Live with it. But DON'T let it control you or your life.
12. You can't fix everyone, and you don't have to try. You should be there to listen and support those you love, but you aren't expected to fix their problems.
13. Find value in every single person that you meet. We are all created in the image of God and we all reflect different parts of Christ (including those who are not saved). We were all given dignity and worth when God created us. Before we did or didn't do anything. God loves you just because He made you. He is proud of you.
14. Send encouraging notes. Anonymously or signed. People love getting them and it can make their whole day a lot better than it was before!
15. Cleaning isn't everything. Relationships are more important. A lot of things are more important than a sparkling kitchen floor. Name your dust bunnies and move on! No, I'm not saying to be dirty and live in filth, I am just saying that everything doesn't have to be perfect.
16. Don't worry, don't hurry. Do your best, and leave the rest.
17. Make sure you have time to take God and I time (aka: devotionals)  daily. You won't fall a part as easily.
18. Make sure you are taking the time to feel something painful and not just stuffing and numbing it. Let yourself feel the pain, if you don't it will all build up and you will explode.
19. Life is too short to be under-dressed all of the time. Can you have a t-shirt and jeans day? Sure! But dress up sometimes!
20. Fight for what you feel is right. Specifically those of human concerns (pro-life, modern slavery, human trafficking, domestic and child abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, mental), health care reforms, etc.)