~William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Did I tell you about my early birthday present?  It is this turntable-thing-machine that will digiitize my old vinyls and cassette tapes!  Oh yes!  That will be my project for the next 17 years or so…

Based, I guess, on the songs I select to watch and listen to on YouTube.com, they ever-so-kindly make “recommendations” for me – videos they think I will like based on things I have viewed.

I get having them suggest “La Vie en Rose” by Edith Piaff or Dido’s “Here with Me” from the Love Actually soundtrack.  I am appreciative of the new Patridge Family stuff they make me aware of and am only somewhat baffled by the constant re-occurence of the Eagles’ “One of These Nights,” since I do indeed adore The Eagles (but there are other songs by them, right??).

But why on earth do they keep suggesting things like the WWE’s Smackdown Theme Song or mini episodes of “Different Strokes”?  Why?  Or anything having to do with Monster Trucks?  That I do not get.  Huh-uh.  No.  What the heck?  That’s not me.

But, wow o wow.  They suggested this and I am in love with it. 

This is Corrine Bailey Rae.  She is British.  She is soulful.  She plays a beautiful guitar.  She’s Billie Holiday, but so modern.  She is breezy.  She is deep and she communicates the song so beautifully.  Great video.  Haunting melody.  Loving it. 

And when I told Tredessa?  She reminded me that she told me I would love her about a year ago when she gave me a song for my Itunes, “Put Your Records On,” and Tredessa, as always, was so right!

Corrine Bailey Ray, I’d Do it All Again, official video

Song: I Need a Silent Night by Amy Grant

Rocky’s Adventure

Rocky went camping with his brother-in-law a few weeks ago (Jovan’s sister, Jessica’s husband, Matt).  After dark, by the light of the fire, he waxed romantic for Jovan, who was home with Averi.  So he started carving a stick to say, “I love Jovan.”  Thoughtful, yes?

However, as he was nearing its’ completion, just as he bore into the wood, which by now carried the sentiment, “I love Jova…” on the downward stroke of the “A,” he stabbed himself.  He stabbed himself really deeply.

Getting stabbed

There was blood, lots of blood.  Thankfully, he admitted what happened to Matt instead of hiding it pridefully, which he was tempted to do and they were able to take care of it until he could get back to safety and a hospital.  We can laugh about it now, but I saw the poor guy barely able to move the next day and it made me wince.

I think, though, for the sake of the romantic points it must surely have gotten him, it was probably worth it.

Video

The video is a song he put together for the church staff, who love teasing him about it,  about his stabbing adventure.  He’s just silly.  And sweet.  I love the kid (and his girls).

photos by Ellie, The Photo Card Chef; video by Tredessa

Beautiful News

Joy is the theme of my song,
And the beat of my heart,
And that joy is found in You.
For You showed the power of Your cross
And your great saving love,
And my soul woke up to You.
I heard Your beautiful news;
Grace so amazing, so true…

Shout it out, let the people sing
Something so powerful should shake the whole wide world.
Make it loud, make it louder still;
Saviour we´re singing now to celebrate Your beautiful news.

There´s a God who came down to save
Showed the world His amazing grace
There´s a God who came down to save
And He calls your name

Bible reference: John 3:16
Matt Redman ©2006 Thankyou Music (administered worldwide by EMI CMG Publishing, excluding the UK which is administered by Kingswaysongs.com)

http://www.mattredman.com/

FIRE FALL DOWN

Cause I know… that you’re alive
You came to fix… my broken life
And I’ll sing… to glorify
Your Holy Name… Jesus Christ

You bought my life
With the blood that you shed on the cross when you died
For the sins of men and you let out a cry
Crucified now alive… in me

These hands are yours
Teach them to serve as you please and I’ll reach out
Desperate to see all the greatness of God
May my soul rest assured… in you

I’ll never be the same
No I’ll never be the same

Cause I know… that you’re alive
You came to fix… my broken life
And I’ll sing… to glorify
Your Holy Name… Jesus Christ

You changed it all
You broke down the wall when I spoke and confessed
In you I am blessed
Now I walk in the light
In victorious sight… of you

Fire, fall down!  Fire, fall down on us we pray, as we seek You…

Show me Your heart

Show me Your ways

Show me Your glory!

This is the song I am singing today!…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: These hands are Yours, teach them to serve as You please…

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”  Psalm 23. 5 NKJV

I know what it is to have been carried.  I have been carried.

NOTE:  The actual recording is one of my favorite songs.  I could only find the recording with pictures.  It does show up as a link when the song is through if you’re interested in a less busy rendition.

“I can hear the Father saying, ‘My house is your house, My table is your table…’.” 

The video image is just the CD cover.  Ignore.  Turn up your speakers and hear the heart of the Father towards you.

“God, it seems you have been our home forever…”  Psalm 90.1

“Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.  This day is sacred to our Lord.  Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”  Nehemiah 8.10

The joy of the LORD is your strength.  Are you hearing the sound?

This is the truth of this Christmas season for me.  This is the message of hope God has directed me to over and again.  This is the revelation of the gospel I am just beginning to understand.  This is what the Apostle Paul tried to get through to the Philippians when he said “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again, Rejoice!” (Ph 4.4).  This is what I heard for the millionth and the very first time this Christmas season.  It is the words you hear Linus recite in ”A Charlie Brown Christmas” and a sweet child’s voice inserted into Amy Grant’s 2008 Christmas hit, “I Need a Silent Night.” It is the truth above the roar of busyness and my epiphanic-fervor:

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of GREAT JOY which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the City of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.’”  Luke 2.8-11 NKJV

The revelation of Jesus Christ and His arrival as our Savior was good news of great joy!  Our strength indeed!

The Jesus and joy connection?

“I have told you this so that My joy may in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15.11).

“Ask and you wll receive and your joy will be complete” (John 16.24).

“But I say these things…so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them” (John 17.13).

God set forth  (even commanded) celebrations for the purpose of joy for the people.  One example:

“And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy.  The women and the children also rejoiced.  The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away” (Neh. 12.43)

Joy is a verb.  You gotta take action.

“I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will JOY in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3.18).

Jack Hayford’s notes in The Spirit-Filled Life NKJV Study Bible gives this on the word “joy” in Habakkuk:

JOY: Strong’s 1523: To joy, rejoice, be glad…contains the suggestion of “dancing for joy” or “leaping for joy” since this verb originally meant to “spin around with intense motion.”  This lays to rest the notion that the Biblical concept of joy is  only a “quiet inner sense of well-being.”…altho everything is wrong in Habakkuk’s world-he is leaping for joy over his relationship with God …

These can be joyless times.  The “holiday season” may have just been one more drain on you after a year of disappointment or lack.  The condition of our nation may be bringing fear.  Religious duty, a significant loss in our lives, strain in our marriages, unhappiness at work or any number of things may cause us to put on the smile-mask a Christian “should” wear and yet feel as flat and used up as the neighbor’s giant inflatable Santa looks on the lawn this morning.

But the good tidings of great joy are for me and for you.  So how do we appropriate it?  How do we walk in the kind of joy that gives us the strength we need to endure?  Repeat the sounding joy.

The sounding joy?  Good news!  Great joy!  I have a Savior!  He came to save me!  I think I’ll jump up and twirl and spin around like a madwoman while I echo the angels as loudly as I can: Glory to God in the highest!  Glory to the God of my salvation!  And peace to us here on earth, goodwill towards us from You, Father!

It is possible, I truly believe, that this act of joy as a verb – to joy – may actually begin to bring true giddy life-giving happiness to my soul.  The sounding joy: God is God!  He is faithful! He rules!  He reigns!  I receive my King!  I join with all heaven and nature in rejoicing that the curse has been broken on my behalf!   He has saved me from certain death and a joyless existence!  Glory to God in the highest!

Repeat the sounding joy.  Repeat the sounding joy.  Repeat, repeat the sounding joy! 

Not just at Christmas, but - as needed!

Joy!  Seriously – be glad and dance a little!…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF:  Don’t let the enemy steal my joy!  Not one day.  Worship and crazy praise a must!

pictured: an etsy.com image, Stephanie on Christmas morning (in the midst of physical joy!) finding out she had received the antique oak dining table and chairs she really wanted, and the chalkboard in the kitchen with my “epiphanic” stuff on it (and I am preety sure I invented that word this Christmas!)