"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 John 4:16
For my second hymn, I chose Day by Day! It's been over a week, so I didn't meet my goal, but this song was just so difficult for me!! I recorded it last week, but I wasn't satisfied with it, so I didn't get to finish it till today. I'm still not thrilled with it, but I'm content. Hope you enjoy!
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As your days, your strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Your promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Day By Day (1865) was written by Karolina W. Sandell-Berg, the "Fanny Crosby of Sweden." Robert J. Morgan provides a little history about "Lina": She was born in Frvderyd on October 3rd, 1832, a pastor's daughter. When she was twenty-six-years-old, her father drowned when the two of them were enjoying a boat ride. She found consolation in the Scriptures and expressed her faith in poetry.
This song is a reminder that God is with us each day helping us through our trials. "I've no cause for worry or for fear." Lina knew hardship; she knew sorrow and grief but she believed in God's kindness and love. She believed that He gave each day what he deemed best which could bring us both pain and pleasure, both toil and peace. Even during the hardships, Lina had faith that God was in control and just as she accepted the pleasures of having a kind Savior, she accepted the pain and toils of life.
God is present with us and so is His mercy. He protects us as a Father protects His child and what's beautiful about that is that He doesn't have to. And yet He does... He treasures us & keeps us safe. Lina quotes Deuteronomy 33:25 in the second verse. God promises that our strength will grow as the days go on. So if you feel like giving up, remember that each day, you grow stronger.
In the third verse, Lina makes a plea to God. She acknowledges that as sinful humans, we often lose faith in the Word of God, if we think it is not being fulfilled. So she asks for help that she can trust Him and not lose "faith's sweet consolation." Our days here are earth are "fleeting" and soon we will reach the promised land where all our sorrows will be forgotten.
Here's some scripture to end with:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
~ Psalm 27:1
"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
~ Nehemiah 8:10
"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
For my first hymn I chose Be Still My Soul! I finished recording it today and I'm really excited about it! My piano teacher lent me this book called Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan. It's really cool! It has a wide selection of hymns and with each hymn he gives a little history on the song and so I will reference to it quite a bit throughout this series. And now without further ado, I present to you my very first cover!!! (Warning: It's rather long, but I couldn't cut out any of the verses! Be sure to read the lyrics.)
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.
Be Still My Soul was written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel of Germany to the tune of Jean Sibelius' song "Finlandia", which became one of Finland's most popular national songs. According to Robert J. Morgan, this hymn was widely sung during World War II. It was a huge comfort to the people during that terrible time and especially to the soldiers. This song renewed the spirit of so many who were in such a hopeless place in life.
In verse 1, it reminds us to leave everything in God's hands. So many times we want to walk our own way, make decisions that are not according to God's plan, but we have to leave it to God. He will order and provide. In other cases, we find ourselves wrapped up in a lot of changes; changes we don't necessarily like. And it says that He will remain faithful. Just beyond the thorny patch is a plain field where we will find joy.
The 2nd verse speaks volumes to me right now as I am trying to decide about my future. It's clear that God has been with me throughout my life and so I can believe, with full confidence, that He will guide me through my future. In the last part of the verse, Schlegel is referring back to Mark 4:35-41, the story of Jesus calming the storm. "They became very much afraid and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?'"
Verse 3 addresses loss. You can see why this song brought comfort to the soldiers of WWII. Through our tears of loss, we come to know God's heart and love in a new light. It is when things are going bad that we rely on God the most. We search Him for answers, for comfort, for relief of pain and sorrow & He soothes us. "Thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness all He takes away." Even though He takes away, He gives us more of Himself.
Verse 4 speaks of a better life. A life where we will be reunited with the ones we have lost and we will have pure joy.
And so in verse 5 we praise Him!! He is faithful to us always. He guides our past and our future. He comforts us by giving of Himself. And it is through Jesus that we can have eternity with our Lord and loved ones and truly be happy. So acknowledge Him in all your words and ways and praise Him! "Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine."
Words like these renew ours spirits & minds. It is important we allow them to cover us for in them we will find great peace and a greater understanding of our Lord.
I am very happy to announce that I have officially finished writing my first song! It is a piano solo and it is titled “Burdened.” It is far from perfect, perhaps even missing something, but I am satisfied. I believe I started writing in back in the summer, but I got frustrated with it and quit. I’d sit there, staring at the keys, waiting for some light bulb moment, but it wouldn’t come. My goal in songwriting (a talent I don’t think I possess) is that every note, every sound reflects my heart and that is why I was extremely careful in planning out each note because they all have a purpose.
I began writing this song with a heavy heart; a burdened heart. I know that in each burden I bear, God has a purpose… only sometimes, it’s hard to remember that. I also forget quite regularly that my God is mighty to save. I am not mighty to save, HE is. Unbelief is a struggle I face daily (as I’m sure most of us do). After all, wouldn’t we all be on our knees if we truly believed He was present? In short, anxiety and doubts were getting the best of me that day and this song is the product of that. Keep that in mind while you listen, but also listen for the hope in it. Cool points to whoever knows what song the last few notes are ;)
Hope you like it!
If you’re curious, this is the image I had in my mind while writing the song.
Gazing out the window into a rainy night, my tears mirrored by the drops of rain. Filled with doubt and hopelessness, I do the only thing I can do; pray. Every word spilling out in almost a robotic fashion. Same prayer, same feelings of resentment… Why would God have me carry these burdens so heavily and not help me?! I need His Voice! And then…He speaks. His Spirit gently guides me into a new way of thinking. Maybe there is hope. Can it be? My God is mighty to save…YES.
I return to my quiet prayer. Hope and belief have now taken the place of my resentment. I am not alone. He whispers back, “Beloved, I hear you. I will sustain you.” The burden is still present, but it is well with my soul for I believe HE is present.
"Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you."
There's always something exciting about a new year. You feel as if you get a fresh start on life. I've been thinking about my new year's resolution and what needs to change in my life...
I haven't seen other people's resolutions but I assume this is a pretty unoriginal one... but oh well.
I will no longer be staying up to all hours of the night, I will go to bed between 10 and 12.
I will faithfully get up every morning to workout with my workout partners. And on days, we don't workout, I will go to the Y by myself.
I will eat healthier. Small portions, less sweets.
I will not procrastinate on my homework, putting myself through serious emotional stress and my mom as well. (If you know you me, you will laugh at this one because I've procrastinated my way through this entire semester. I didn't procrastinate as much in my other two years of high school, so that makes me think that things in my personal life have contributed to my lack of motivation and laziness... Anyways, it's going to change.)
I will take the time, daily, to read and study God's Word, journal, and pray. (The goal is the read the Bible in One Year thing. I've started it like every year for the past 3 years and have yet to finish. I will finish the Bible before I go to college.)
I will also take time, daily, to work on my music. (Songs I have yet to finish writing, will be completed and recorded this year. Perhaps, I'll become a "youtube artist" and become famous ;)
This isn't really a resolution, but I want to travel this year. I want to go somewhere I've never been. Perhaps during the summer or sometime in the fall. I just want to go.
Well, this is all I can think of for now. Basically, I want to live out a GOOD routine. I know some days aren't going to be perfect...life gets crazy and you can't live out this robotic routine, but I want to get to the point where I want to go to bed early, I want to get up early, I feel weird if don't workout...etc. That way, on a day where I do get to sleep in a little bit, or I do get to relax a little more I feel rewarded instead of lazy. If that makes any sense...
This is it. Time for a new beginning. There is so much hope in those two words.
"Another fresh new year is here... another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give! This bright new year is given me to live each day with zest... To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best! I have the opportunity once more to right some wrongs, to pray for peace, to plant a tree, and sing more joyful songs!"
I have the opportunity and I'm taking it. I hope you do too. Happy New Year :)
What if the reflection in this photo is a symbol created by God to tell us that it is possible to reach what seems unreachable.
Think about it. The sun is sometimes seen as a symbol for the Son, Jesus Christ, right (sun/Son)? And in this picture, the sun is reflected in the water on the sand; on the ground where it is easily attainable. Granted, it is a reflection so there's not really anything to "attain", but bear with me. One of the most unique qualities about Christianity is that God humbled Himself. He sent His Son (a part of Him) to earth to walk among us and ultimately to die on the cross for our sins. What if God purposely created reflections like this to remind us that Jesus, the Son, came down to earth? Jesus is the mediator between us and God. Through Him we can have a personal relationship with our Father in Heaven. How can you ignore the intimacy and power of this story? So, this may have or may not have made sense, but I'm just thinking out loud so sorry, if I was confusing. This picture reminds me that God is not just far away up in Heaven looking down on me, but that He is with me, He walks with me, and He is among all of us.
So that's my story and I'm sticking with it :) I like thinking symbolically. It creates an entirely different world. And as my Dad would say, we are meant to be a symbolized people. Instead of apathetically viewing the world as its surface image, we should be uncovering God's purpose in all of His creation. You never know what God might be trying to tell you through His creation even if by a mere reflection.
Hope you all have a restful Sunday!
"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14
“If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” [John 14:15]
I’m finding out that keeping God’s commands is much harder than just doing them.If you read “An Act of Love” you know what I am referring to.Isn’t there a phrase like, “Set on fire for the Lord” or something?Well, the truth of the matter is, when God speaks to me I get truly excited and encouraged.It’s not too often I get a clear direction from God.Ultimately, I want to do God’s will, I want to obey, so whenever He does give me a clear direction, I get this sort of “fire” inside me.I’m doing a poor job of explaining this, but I think you understand what I mean.The ups and downs you face when obeying and keeping God’s commands.Right now, my “fire” is pretty dim; I just went over the peak of the rollercoaster and now I am speeding down, down, down. I did the initial obeying of God’s will, but now everyday I’m faced with more and more “tests” to see if I’ll keep.Why do we start out so strong, but are so quick to weaken?God has given me no reason whatsoever not to trust Him.So why do I have all these doubts?Why am I so quick to want to give up?
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” [Philippians 2:8]
If that doesn’t give good perspective, I don’t know what does.JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God, died the most painful, humiliating, shameful death ever, on a cross, for us, all in obedience to God. If Jesus loved me enough to do that, then certainly I can handle this simple directive. There is power in God's Word. Amen?
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” [Romans 8:28]
Also, this is not only an act of love to him, but to God.
“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.” [2 John 1:6]
Oh God, You are more than enough.“When the shadows fall and the wrecking ball swings and tears me through the heart... Will you lead me? Beside the still waters? Where the oil, it runs over? And my cup overflows.You restore my soul.” [Walk With Me by Caedmon’s Call]
