Category: Tunes on Tuesday

Gift for Jesus

With all the gift giving this season. Don’t forget the reason for the season, Jesus.

What gift could you give him?

You may think you have nothing to give, but like the little drummer boy you give what you can, you give your gifts, your talents, your time, your life. Everyone has a life to give. And he deserves it because he gave his.

Even if you think you have nothing to give, Jesus says otherwise. He created you, he gave you gifts and talents you may not even know exist.

When you follow God’s plan for your life he uses those gifts and talents for him.

God gave me the calling to ministry ten years ago. And I didn’t start my blog till this September. He had to take me on a journey to teach me and grow and develop me into the woman that I am today. I am a very different person then I was ten years ago, because he had to mold me into who he made me to be and he’s still molding me.

That’s why I started this blog to use the gifts he’s given me to help others see God in their everyday lives.

The gift you can give him this Christmas is YOU!

God Loves YOU

Yesterday I talked about having the faith in God to make the big sacrifices and that, that starts with conversation, with talking to God.

But there is so much more, it’s more then taking to him its about knowing him. I have trusted God when he asks me to make big leaps of faith because I know him.

I know that he loves me and that he will not let harm come to me. I know that he has brought me through some crazy impossible situations and that he will continue to do so. Because I know him

I know that he is loving, kind and gentle, that he provides all my needs when I trust him and that he never leaves me.

Jesus made his acrifice because he loves us and wants us to know him.

Take a chance and give him a chance to show you just how much he loves you.

Jesus is enough

When you love someone and they love you sometimes all you need, sometimes all you want is to just sit with them and enjoy their presence.

Jesus is like that.

His love is so pure, so true, so comforting that all I want to do sometimes is just sit in his presence and drink in his love, joy and peace.


Photo by Luis Alberto Sánchez Terrones on Unsplash

Sometimes that the best thing for us.

Just to sit and enjoy his presence, no talking necessary just drink him in.

No matter what is going on, when you don’t have the words or the strength you can just sit in his presence and that is enough. Because he is enough.

Baggage and Beautiful Messes

Why do we only see the flaws when we look in the mirror? Why do we carry around all the baggage of our past pains and hurts?

Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

 Beautiful Messes by Hilary Scott & the Scott family talks about laying down all our baggage at the foot of cross and giving it to Jesus, because to him we are never lost causes.

God doesn’t see us the way we see ourselves, he sees us as beautiful messes.  He see the beauty he created us to be, that is bogged down by the baggage we choose to carry with us. We are the ones that choose to walk around carrying all our hurts and pains, lugging around the baggage of our past.

Photo by Tommaso Pecchioli on Unsplash

But his burden is light.

God doesn’t want us to carry all that around with us. He wants us to lay it all at his feet.

Baggage can be many things worry, anxiety, past hurts and pain. It’s anything that holds us back from exseding the joy, love and love that come from knowing Jesus.

One of the secrets of our marriage is that we don’t carry our baggage with us. My husband and I both go to God first before going to each other or anyone else, when we realize that something bothers us.

We ask God, why? Whether it is something someone said or did or even our own mode or attitude that we know is not from him. We go to God first and ask what the root cause of the pain is. Then after we’ve sorted it out with God we go to each other or the person that hurt us and talk it through, if necessary. Many times we’ve worked things out with God and don’t even need to talk to the other person.

We don’t have to walk around with all the hurt and pain of our past or even our present if we lay them at the foot of the cross. He is always with us, always accessible and always wants to help us.

Next time you feel someone poke an old wound or make a new one go to God first and find freedom.

Photo by Samuel Scrimshaw on Unsplash

Temporary fixes and gripping chains

Why do we keep trying the same temporary fixes to fill the holes inside us and expect different results?

We all have times when we want to escape, from work, school, home, kids spouse. Everyone needs a break sometime.

But is what we run to really helping? Or is it just a temporary fix, like putting tape on a busted pipe it may work for a moment but eventually the pipe is going to burst again, and if we keep using tape it’s never going to solve the issue.

The lyrics of the song Chain Breaker by Zach Williams describes the cycle we go through in life so often searching for the solution but never finding the answer in the same process.

But there is a better way, a better life.

God is a chain breaker he made a way for us to be free to not feel tied down but to find joy and peace in our homes, in our work and in our families.

He is the way.

When we go to him, when we need rest, he lifts us up, he takes our fears our worries and our frustrations when we give them over to him.

If we grip onto the chains that our strangling us he can’t remove them. We have to surrender them over to him so he can remove them. 

Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash

need you now

Everyone has a story to tell, everyone has a moment when they hit their rock bottom and cried out to God “I need you now.” 

My moment was in 2008. I was in a 6 year relationship that was going nowhere, when I had a pregnancy scare. This woke me up almost out of a slumber. I realized I didn’t want this man to be the father of my kids, but I knew I wanted to raise my kids in church.

So I decided to go back to church.

I was terrified and convinced that I would be met with glaring stares and rejection but I wasn’t. Instead I was welcomed with open arms. My friends from the church I grew up in, never gave up on me, they were always there for me during the years I intentionally choose to ignore God. But when I choose to come back to church they welcomed me back with open arms and no judgement.

That is how God is, when we choose to say “I need you now” He leaps for joy and runs to embrace us. He throws a party in heaven rejoicing over His child returning home.

Who or what do you turn to when you hit your rock bottom?

Why not, give God a chance to show you how much He loves you.

Prayer isn’t something to be scared of

Those moments when you’re lost, tired, confused and stressed. There is one thing you can always pray, Jesus.

In times of stress and worry we often neglect prayer because we think we need the right words or we don’ know what to say. But we don’t really have to say anything. We can simple call on Jesus and let him do the talking.

Prayer doesn’t have to be some eloquently written poem. Prayer is a conversion between you and God.

Don’t worry about what to say.

You can be open, honest, raw and say anything, he can handle it. The most important thing is that we are opening the line of communication to him and that we are giving him a chance to talk to us.

Just say Jesus

God is Good

There are so many songs that talk about how good God is and each one resonates because he is good. King of my Heart by Bethel Music repeats how good he is to us in everything that we face. He is the anchor in the storm, his is fire in our souls and the mountain where we run.

We know that we can run to him no matter how we are feeling and he is there for us. There to comfort us when we are sad, or shield when we’re weak. He anchors us when we start to stray and he is who we run to and thank for his blessing beyond our expectations of belief.

He is good, because he has proven it to me more times then I can count. He blessed with amazing friends that never gave up on me when I ran from , God, he blessed me with an amazing husband who has strength and character that I didn’t know I wanted or needed. God is good.

He has been there for me in some the hardest moments of my life, and helped me find joy and peace when I saw none.

God is good.

Choose JOY

It’s easy to get bogged down by the responsibilities of life and to feel sad, anxious, worried overwhelmed by the pressures of the holidays or just by the state of the wold.

You can look at the media and think what is there to be thankful for or to rejoice over.

But our joy doesn’t come from the world it comes from Jesus.

Joy by For King and Country reminds us that we can CHOOSE JOY!

Joy because Jesus came to give us a better life that doesn’t always mean our circumstances change, sometime it just means he can be or joy in the storm.

So CHOOSE JOY!

 

What if I’m wrong?

What if you’re wrong? What if I’m wrong? The question that plagues most of us when it comes to eternity.

If I’m wrong, then I will have lived a life that is amazing, that has caught me by surprise, a life that I would not trade for anything.

Because life with Jesus has been a grand adventure more then I ever could of dreamed or imaged for myself. Even during the toughest times in my life I find joy and peace in Him; and my happiest moments are beyond my wildest dreams, because of Jesus.

Are you so afraid of Jesus that you aren’t willing to give Him a chance? What do you have to lose?

He is the most loving, kind, gentle, beautiful and gentle being I have ever know. Why not give him a chance, right now.

Take a moment and talk to Him, about anything you want, scream, yell, whisper or just talk to Him in your head.

He’s listening, He wants to talk to you, but you have to listen too.

He speaks in so many different ways, though our thoughts, through others, through dreams and through images.

Be open and willing to let Him in. I bet he’ll surprise you.

Where I find my confidence

When I was young, I was shy and insecure, lacking confidence, always looking for approval and to feel wanted.

But when I found my identity in Jesus and I got to know Him, to know His love and His unconditional love. Knowing God loved me no matter what, that He would always protect me, keep me safe and never leave. That’s when I found my confidence. My confidence grew because it was in Him and who He is, not me.

When we know God’s love for us, it bolsters us, gives us strength and confidence to be who He made us to be. That’s why spending time with Him and learning who He is, is so important. It gives us the confidence to do and be who He made us to be. His children.

We are each so important to God. He wants to spend every moment of everyday with us and He will defend us even to death, because He already did.

That’s love and that’s where my confidence and joy and peace come from. They come from the one who gave up everything to be with me, to be with you. To have a deep, intimate, personal relationship with every single member of humanity. He is our creator and He loves each and every one of us, that is who we find our confidence in, the one who loves us, all of us.

How do you see yourself?

It’s easy to struggle with how God sees you when you get wrapped up in how others see you or how you see yourself. But how God sees us is what matters!

He is our creator and a creator always knows how something was meant to be used. It’s us or others that misuse ourselves and see ourselves not as we were intended to be.

God sees us all as His beautiful kids that He loves. We need to ask Him to show us how He sees us each day. Then we can fulfill the purpose He intended for us when He made us.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

An honest moment

Its easy to give up and feel discouraged. To feel like no one is listening. No one is reading, no one cares. I haven’t written as much as I would like lately, some do to moving across the country and some due to discouragement, wondering if any one is actually reading, am I really making a difference.

Honestly I started this blog because I knew I needed a platform for the books I know God’s given me to write, not because God told me to start a blog. But God has used it to teach me so much and how to share His love, even if it reaches one person, that one person matters. His love for us is not performance based. We don’t have to do anything for God to love us.

So whatever God has asked you to do. Know that it’s never conditional on His love but if we love Him, what He’s asked of us will deepen our love for Him and help us know His love more.

Happy Fourth of July

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,  who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

Regardless of your opinion of our leaders, we are called to pray for them. Whether we agree with them or not.

As I said in a on previous post the best way to change someone, is to pray for them.

So take a moment today and pray for our leaders.

The name of JESUS

Speaking the name of Jesus out loud is powerful, it brings an emotional response from us. Some fear, some worry, some peace, some joy, his name invokes something inside us.

We each have a different response when we hear his name.

But we can only truly know him, if we develop a relationship with him.

I can tell you all day about how amazing he is, that he’s completely changed my life. I can tell you how hearing his name brings so much peace and joy to my heart when I hear it that it can be overwhelming at times.

But you can never truly know him, till you know him yourself.

Bring Heaven now

As believers in Jesus its easy to look to heaven as the solution; to think that we just have to suffer till we get to heaven. But Jesus never intended for us to live this life alone.

Heaven can be here on earth now if we look for it, if we focus on Jesus. One of my favorite questions that I first heard from Graham Cooke is “What do you want to be for me now?”

Heaven is free of pain and hurt yes, but its also full of worship. So we worship while we wait, we worship while we wait for the healing, we worship while we wait for the provision or the answer. Worship brings heaven to us and worship opens us up to letting God lead. Its in worship that we surrender all our worries and concerns.

So no matter what we are going through, worship through it. Give God the glory and ask him ‘what he wants to be for you now?’

The reason behind

When we face times of stress or trials in life it’s easy to give up and give in to temptation for quick fixes that scratch an itch or satisfy for a moment but leave us feeling guilty and full of regret in the long term. 

But because we know God loves us and he has a plan for us and that plan is way  better then what might be right in front of us. We don’t take those quick fixes.

We trust that his plan is better, that because he loves us he will provide. It seems counter cultural, but it’s the way he designed us. He has given each of us passions and skills. But they are meant to be used to share his love with others not for selfish gain or ambition.

He holds it all together

God knows what were going through, he knows ever ache and pain, every anguish and He’s in it with us holding our hand, leading us, guiding us, holding us, because He always knows what we need, when we need it.

He’s with us when were having our worst day and our best day. He will comfort us when we need it and rejoice with us in our triumph’s. God does life with us, because He is our life. He’s our constant companion, our best friend and the one who loves us most. We need only to focus our attention on Him.

Love without condition

We all want to be loved without conditions or expectations. So why would we assume God would want anything else?

Yes, we love God because of what he’s done for us, but we should love him for who he is.

When you are with the one you love you don’t need anything else, but just to be with them. Our love for God should be the same, because his love is the same for us.

He wants nothing more than to spend all eternity with us or he wouldn’t have given everything to make it possible.

Seek him for him and appreciate the joy of just his presence.

What others say

It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts. To become overwhelmed and insecure when we turn to our own opinion of ourselves or others opinions of us.

But the only opinion that should matter is Jesus, what he says is what matters.

He says we are loved, we are strong, we belong.

If you depend on getting your value from others you will always feel like your not enough. But Jesus says your priceless.

He paid everything for you, because he loves you

Today I had a rough day at work everything that could go wrong went wrong and by the end of the day I was stressed and tired because I had left Jesus out of the equation. I didn’t focus on him.

But on the way home I heard You Say by Lauren Daigle, and I knew what I needed to write about today.

It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about us. What matters is what Jesus says and he says we are loved.

Take a moment and refocus your thoughts as you listen to this song. Let the words speak to you and let Jesus remind you of who he made you to be.

Share Peace and Joy

This Christmas season is a time to celebrate Jesus and what he has done for us.

We should be proud and joyous about how he changed our lives and be elated to share it with others so they can find the ame joy and peace.

During this season we sing about his joy and peace the most. Why not share it with others and ask if they want to know his peace and joy too?

O Holy Night

Listening to O Holy Night, always helps me to stop and focus on Jesus to feel the peace and calm that he brings to the atmosphere, to remember that Christmas is about him and bringing glory to our savior.

He changed everything that night when he choose to come down to earth not as a king, but as a baby, to humble himself and live a life of service to his people.

Jesus didn’t come down to be served but to serve. He came to restore relationship between us and father God. 

To show us love.

Do you have firm foundation?

“Build My Life” by Pat Barrett, sung by Allison L’Ecuyer @allisonlecuyermusic

What we build our life on matters. Any builder will tell you the foundation is crucial. If it’s not firm and level the building will not last. 

Our foundation is Jesus. He’s rock solid but when we mix other things in with him as our foundation we degrade the quality of our foundation. Making it easier to falter in storms and sink or lean over time.

But if Jesus is our only foundation then we will stand through the storm and time will show just how unchanging He is. His love for us is the same for all eternity and for every moment of every day.

He doesn’t change, our dependence and trust in Him is what changes. When He is not our focus and we allow other things in instead of Him we will falter.

That’s the power of free will that He gave us. We choose just how much or how little of Him that we want in our lives. If we want to stand firm on Him as our foundation then He must be the start, middle and end of our day. Our focus must be on Him and He will guide us through our day.

You may think I don’t have all day to spend in prayer. But that’s the beautiful thing about the Holy Spirit He is with us everywhere, all day, wherever we go. So start your day with a quick devotion, listen to songs, sermons, or podcasts that fix your mind on Him while getting ready for your day. Talk with Jesus as your drive to work or ask your kids what Jesus is teaching them as you take them to school. Rest in God’s presence on your lunch break. When you’re stressed ask God’s advice on how to fix it. Ask Him what to make or pick up for dinner. Ask whoever you live with what God taught them today. Read a Bible story to your kids at night, pray over them and have them pray over you too. Make your life all about Jesus in and through your daily life.

We don’t have to stop life to spend time with Jesus, we just need to include Him in it.

God’s not Dead, Part 2

Read Part 1

When we walk around with unforgiveness that anger and bitterness spills onto everyone else in our lives. Because we haven’t dealt with it, it just builds and builds until, it explodes on some unsuspecting person that may have done the tiniest thing.

Acknowledging God’s exisistance is the first step toward forgiveness. Acknowledging that he does love us and it’s because he loves us that he gave us the free will to choose him or not. And it’s that free will that causes us to hurt each other.

Even those that choose him are not faultless, we all still make mistakes and no one is perfect except God.

Many peoples distrust of God is because others have misrepresented him, none of us are faultless. Only through knowing God ourselves can we really know who he his.

Don’t let others misrepresentation of him keep you from knowing a loving and trust worthy God that sacrificed his very life for you.

Seek to know God for yourself and let him show you who is he and the freedom that comes from his forgiveness.

Written by: Rebecca Darga