Stirring Up

I'm cleaning my kitchen and playing a worship cd that is really speaking to me as of late. These songs have been speaking to me in this place of adjusting to my ever-changing life. All week I have been really seeking to answer the question, "Who am I now that I am a Mom? Who am I in the midst of post-partum depression?" As soon as I asked God that question and really sought Him to answer it, His answers are becoming clearer with each passing day. With every change in my life, with every doubt I have of myself, every insecurity, there is one thing I can be sure of... I am His. And there is great comfort in that. A very true and real peace that surpasses all of my understanding. More than that, an understanding of His grace being absolutely sufficient for me and feeling His strength encompassing me in my weaknesses. I don't have to be whole, because He is.

I am encouraged, I am stirred up, I am alive and full of joy - in Christ.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
They say, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust" Psalm 91:1-2

Christmas Carols

My favorite Christmas carol is "O, Holy Night". The words are just so incredibly powerful and so worshipful.

"O, holy night
The stars are bright shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world
In sin and error pining
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth"

Just chew on that. Christ was born and your soul felt its worth. Pining for so long for freedom from sin. I was meditating on this thought yesterday, as we listened to the Christmas carols on the radio. Paul asked the question, "Do you think the artists that sing these songs really think about what they're singing?" And I asked, "Do you think most Christians that sing these songs and really think about what they're singing?" I forced myself to really pay attention to the lyrics. They're are so full of glory and joyful declaration of the birth of an eternal savior! And we take so many of these songs for granted. I imagined them being written by a composer completely inspired by their love for a God who would move heaven and earth (and send his Son) to save mankind. The scope of that is so HUGE and almost incomprehensible. It overwhelms my heart.

"Fall on your knees!
O, hear the angels' voices!
O, night divine
O, night, when Christ was born
O, night divine
O, night
O, night divine

I imagined a composer sitting at a piano and writing a love song for Jesus to celebrate and commemorate the day He was born. It's easy to look past these songs without ever thinking on them. You know the words by heart and can sing them while mentally putting together your grocery list. It can become so mechanical.

I don't want it to be mechanical. Not my worship for my Creator. When I sing glorious songs full of joy of His existence, I want it to be from the heart - and not some part of my brain that committed to memory the right words and actions to perform. Worship isn't a performance - it's a life.

My Cool Bro, part deux

Tony started a weekly blog called "Do the Shuffle" where he gives his review of music on whatever songs pop up. I've placed it on my blogroll and so should you! Here's the link:
http://profile.imeem.com/Zr8c1aD/blogs/

My Cool Bro

Ever since I was a little my older brother, Tony, was somewhat of a hero to me. My younger bro and I idolized him. 9 years older than me, everything he did (and still does) was something to be emulated. Some of my favorite things that were Tony-inspired include bleu cheese salad dressing, the art of making a mix tape, and most of all, my love for good music. If Tony is listening to it, it means it must be worth listening to. Now, he's a minor celebrity in Minneapolis as a DJ for a Sat afternoon radio show, which is only fitting. Now he introduces his listeners, both on the FM dial and web-streaming, to incredible mixes of all kinds of music that you should be listening to.

As a cancer survivor and recoverer of open-heart surgery, Tony is still one of my heroes. Here's to you DJ Fly. Keep rockin'!

You can catch Tony's show online Saturdays from 2-4pm(MST) at: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/

You can also hear him on the MPR podcast "Musicheads".