The Accidental Vocalist

- Amy 8 Comments

Sing to the Lord

Have you ever stepped back and looked at your life and just been in complete awe? In awe of how God has blessed you. In awe of the people that God has placed in your life. Or maybe you’re in awe of the impossible that God has made possible. What a faithful God we serve that He takes things that we only dream of and makes them reality.

And when we look back at those “dreams” to find them as our current reality, we are humbled. Humbled by His attention to our simple whim that was never considered an actual possibility.

I want to share a piece of my story with you.

Music has always been a part of my life. In the earlier years when I was growing up, my dad had a music ministry. My mom would play the keyboard and they would travel to churches singing and praising the Lord together. My dad even had a cassette tape, y’all. He was big time.

When I got to middle school, I chose the band over the choir route. At that point I considered it a bigger challenge to play an instrument than to open your mouth to sing. Plus, I wanted to be like my big sister, what can I say? I played the clarinet and I was actually pretty decent at it. I spent most years in 2nd chair fighting for first with my arch nemesis and friend, James. The result of his 1st chair status was due to my letting him think he was better. Yep, we’ll go with that.

By the way, don’t ask me to play the clarinet for you as I’m pretty sure that my frazzled mommy-brain may never let me remember how.

I totally digress…

I’ve always been one to run to music for comfort. It’s amazing how it can really touch you. I am so thankful God created it, otherwise I’m not sure where I’d be. I’ve been all over the radar with genres of music. I started with Christian music when I was little and branched out to some pretty rough stuff in my teenage years. You may not have pegged me for hardcore rock and gangsta rap, but you name it and I’ve listened to it. Yeah, I’ve moshed with the cool kids. But I eventually found my way back to Christian music after trying all the rest. While I still have to have a little taste of country and my Boyz II Men, I listen to Christian mostly now. I LOVE worship music and how it connects me directly with the Spirit of God. Nothing better. 

Confession: I’m a shower singer. A car singer. A sitting ’round a circle at a bon-fire singer. A bathing-the-kids-and-make-up-a-song singer. I think you get the point. I enjoy it. I consider myself ok at it. But I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, sing in FRONT of ANYONE. 

My church had a ministry fair one Sunday where they were looking for folks to serve in certain areas. Choir was looking for voices. I didn’t realize how big my fear of singing in front of people was until I asked the director if I would have to audition.  Relief fell over my entire body when she said no. I made a very last minute and completely unintentional decision to join the choir that day. I got involved and began to have a blast! Singing was becoming something I really enjoyed doing. In a group. I was learning about alto and soprano and beats and such. I was growing! And the best part? I was doing it all for the Lord. 2 of my favorite things: singing in harmony and praising Jesus!

Until one day when at the very end of choir practice they announced that they were holding auditions for the worship team. I packed my stuff and began to leave. There was no way that I was good enough to be on the worship team. In all seriousness, ME? On the church’s worship team? IN FRONT OF PEOPLE? Who are looking at me? IIIIIIIIIIIII don’t think so. (That was in my best Macaulay Culkin voice from Home Alone y’all)

And then I walked right back over to my friend handing out info and application packets and got one. WHA? What was I thinking? Something told me to get one and it wasn’t the anxiety building up within my gut. I didn’t know, but I went home and filled out the application and looked over the information. I couldn’t believe that I was considering this. 

I found out in the next few weeks that there were some really talented people trying out. Many were more talented than me. More experienced than me. I couldn’t figure out why I was even contemplating something so out of reach. I struggled with not feeling good enough and that oh-so-familiar fear. I was overcome with these things and I made the decision to drop out of auditions. I gave up. 

My husband was not convinced that I should drop out. He spent days encouraging me and telling me that I could do this. With hesitation, I decided to still try out. I practiced the chosen songs like a crazy person. I’m pretty sure that my daughters know every word of every song that I had to sing. I played them over and over to get it right.

When my audition date and time came, I found myself walking into that church. Was I really about to do this? My hands were sweating and I was shaking. I heard the singer before me. She was reeeeeeally good. I went into the bathroom to collect myself. I thought about going home. I entered the sanctuary instead. The girls from the worship team met me with a warm hug. They cracked jokes and tried to make me feel comfortable. And then they prayed over me. It was just what I needed. After that I felt much better. My shakes weren’t gone, but my worry was.

I walked up to that stage and held a microphone in my hand for the first time, ever. I managed to get sound out of my mouth without screaming at the top of my lungs and running away like a scared little school girl. Instead, I sang those songs just as practiced and I felt incredible. The Lord had brought me through one of the scariest situations that I’ve ever been in. I sang for the Lord. It was an incredible experience.

After my audition, I was so proud of myself for braving my fear that I forgot that they actually choose someone to be on the worship team. I wasn’t holding my breath that it might be me. My phone rang late one evening and it was the team. I could tell they had the no for me. And then it happened…

They said the words, “we want you to be on the worship team”. Um. AAAAHHHHH! Really?! All I could say was shut-up. Are you serious? I’m not sure how many times I said that, but I’m pretty sure that I got annoying with it. I was in complete awe. 

It has been over a year now that I’ve been on the worship team at church. It has been an amazing growing experience in my walk with God. He has slowly pulled me out of my shell and into His presence. He is teaching me to shut-up about myself. My insecurities. My feelings of not good enough. He wants me to focus on Him. And I LOVE being on the worship team with the privilege to do just this. I have been able to glean wisdom from those on the team and they love me just as I am. I am growing! Learning that worship is way more than just singing with your voice. Worship to me is letting go in complete abandon to the Lord. Saying “Here I am Lord, take me”.

Gosh, I love how God operates in our lives. Surprising at times, but all a part of His sovereign plan. 

…and that’s how I became the accidental vocalist. Though we both know that it was most definitely not accidental. 

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. – Psalm 104:33

Have you ever done something you never thought you could do?

High Above It All {Phillips Craig & Dean}

- Amy 8 Comments

Phillips Craig and Dean

When it comes to Christian music, there are a few names that are just a given among the greats. One that immediately comes to mind is Phillips, Craig & Dean. I mean the only words you need to hear are “Revelation Song”. That song was HUGE! I still have to turn that one on every now and then. It’s powerful.

The harmony that these guys pull off…. It gives me goosebumps.

My cd

They have a NEW album out that was released just last month. I was thrilled to partner with Family Christian again and review their new album Above it All last week.

I was thrilled to find the album to be a mix of great worship, but also FUN songs that you can’t get out of your head. It was not what I expected, it was better!

The song “Let it Be Known” has become a quick favorite with my girls. It has a really catchy beat and is a total dance tune. Yet, I love how it praises God and speaks loud truth. They beg me to turn it on in the car all the time!

My personal favorite on this cd is “High Above It All”. I love the words. They are powerful and they remind me that even though the world around me can seem to crumble, that God is still in control. He is high above everything and remains the same among the change.

Waters roar and mountains fall, still You remain high above it all
Kingdoms fade and nations shake, but You remain high above it all

You might hear “Jesus, Only Jesus” currently playing on many radio stations So good. And “Voices From The Other Side” really touched me as a good friend of mine just passed 3 months ago. It had me balling the first time that I heard it.

Track List:

Jesus Only Jesus
High Above It All
Let It Be Known
Voices From the Other Side
Join the Song
Come as You Are
Not for Grace
Hope Has a Name
What Hope Feels Like
How He Lifted Me

My Thumbs Up

This one gets a thumbs up. And set on replay on my phone!

Phillips, Craig & Dean fan? Get YOUR copy of Above it All at Family Christian! It’s currently just $13.99 and keep your eyes peeled for coupons! They have those running often.

$10 Family Christian Appreciation Certificate
This giveaway will end on December 19th at 11:59pm CT. I will contact the winner on December 20th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them, I will contact a new winner. US only.

Above it All was provided to me by Family Christian for means of review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Four Reasons Why We Told Our Kids the Truth About Santa

- Amy 14 Comments

 

Truth About Santa

I want to begin by saying that I have absolutely no issue with anyone who supports Santa with their children. That is a personal choice for your family and I make no judgement on that. We are all free to make our own traditions and memories with our families.

My husband and I both grew up with the Santa thing. We left cookies for Santa, listened for reindeer hooves on the roof, and sent Santa letters. We never got together and said that when we had kids we weren’t going to play the Santa game with them. We knew that we would let the Lord lead and He has. For years our family has done the Santa stuff. We’ve visited him with long lists, made extra special cookies, and even left his reindeer food on the front porch so they would find our house.

We sat down together a couple of nights ago to have the talk with our girls. No, not the birds and the bees, but the talk about the fact that Santa isn’t actually real. I was a bit hesitant as we sat there waiting to break the news. I knew that within the next few moments we were going to be saying words that were going to change their lives forever. They would be going from children who had that bewilderment of a man that flies with reindeer to children that knew that was not real. I always thought that we would tell them when they asked us a question first. God had different plans.

1) Conviction from the Holy Spirit

..and when He may come — the Spirit of truth — He will guide you to all the truth… – John 16:13

This was the first and most important reason that we told them. This began to hit me last Christmas. I kept feeling the nudge to ask my oldest what she thought about Santa. She told me one day that someone at school had told her that Santa wasn’t real and that she didn’t believe them because how could we (her parents) get all those presents each year. I didn’t say much and just let her believe what she wanted. We went along pretending as the feeling of conviction (which I didn’t immediately recognize as that) got worse. I shared this with my husband and he wasn’t sure if we should drop this bomb or not.

This year as Christmas grew closer, I knew that we had to. I didn’t know how or when, but we had to tell them.

2) To take the focus off Santa and put it on Jesus

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:11

If you take a look around, most of the world is spending their time emphasizing Santa. We can’t depend on them to explain the TRUTH about Christmas to our children, that’s our job. So when it comes down to it, we want them to celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Jesus Christ, not because of presents or stockings. 

3) Honesty

Say you’re on the way to the doctor and you know they are about to get a whopping five shots. Your kid asks you if they are getting shots today. You say, “Oh, I’m not sure we’ll see when we get there” and change the subject. You may not have meant to lie to them, but you told a white lie to avoid meltdown. Some can be seemingly harmless like the scenario above, but where do we draw the line? If we continue to tell them little white lies, will they really trust us when we actually tell them the truth? It’s important for our children to be able to trust us. When we convince our children to believe in an imaginary man only to find out later he never existed, what will they think about what we have taught them about Jesus?

4) Logistics and appreciation

I felt a little silly with this being a reason, but after much thought it’s not so silly now. There were years when my daughter would ask for things that were just way out of reach for us as her parents. She got a little upset one year when she didn’t get what she wanted. I think she may have thought that because he’s Santa, that he can produce anything even if it costs $300! Telling her this has opened her eyes a bit to see that me and her daddy work hard to provide these presents for her. I believe that it’s giving her a new appreciation for her presents. Not to mention that we don’t have to explain why Santa uses the same wrapping paper as we do! Or why Santa left a Dollar General price tag on that one thing. 

 

Here’s how it went. My husband and I asked our oldest what she thought about Santa. She said “I think he’s real. I mean, there’s no way that you guys can put that many presents under the tree every year.” And then she said, “Can you put that many presents under the tree each year?” Perfect segway…

We began by telling them that Santa was in fact real. He was a true saint back in the 4th century who was a very religious man that dedicated his life to giving to the poor and needy. He knew the real meaning of Christmas about baby Jesus. And because of that he gave just as the wise men did. We told them that even though Santa was a great man from the past, that he wasn’t magical and that he didn’t fly with reindeer. Expecting a flood of tears, the question that followed from my oldest’s mouth was this. She looked at her daddy with a sneaky smile and said, “Dadddddy! So it’s YOU who eats all the cookies on Christmas Eve every time!” She talked about this all night. And that was that.

It went better than I expected, but how could I really have doubted it wouldn’t go well? The Lord lead us to this place!

We are not removing Santa from our Christmas completely. We talked with them about how he is still fun to imagine and that even though we know that he’s not real, that the thought of him is still fun and there’s nothing wrong with pretending. He now falls in the same category with Mickey Mouse and Elsa from Frozen, which they know are just for fun!

 

What about your family? Does your family do Santa or no? Join the conversation below.

When the Game Stands Tall $24.99

- Amy Leave a comment

Did you see When the Game Stands Tall when it was in theaters? It was out in August of this year and it got fantastic reviews! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. It was inspired by an extraordinary true story. You know that those are always good.

When the Game Stands Tall is a true story about love, loss, friendship, and perseverance.

A high school team sets a 151-game winning streak under the leadership of coach Bob Ladouceur. But when tragedy strikes, they must find it within themselves to get back up and push forward.

It has officially been released! Head over to Family Christian and grab your copy of When the Game Stands Tall.

Get this movie as a gift or grab it for yourself! And while you’re there, check out the  Tenth Avenue North Cathedrals CD! Or check out the 50% Off sale going on now through December 24th!

Tenth Avenue North Cathedrals CD $9.99!

- Amy 9 Comments

Cathedrals

 I’m a really big Christian music fan. I sing in the shower. In the car. In the kitchen. While sweeping. While cooking. Pretty much doing anything. I love when a good song comes on the radio. I especially love when these guys come on the radio!

Tenth Avenue North’s latest album Cathedrals is out now! Huge fan of theirs. So many of their songs have spoken to me. This latest album had me wondering why they named it Cathedrals. I mean, I love cathedrals. They are so beautiful!

Poland Cathedral

 Takes me back to visiting this incredible cathedral in Poland last year! The detail and architecture in these churches are amazing. So grand and beautiful. But why name an album Cathedrals? Here is a little bit about this album:

This collection of songs explained that once we know that we dont have to save ourselves, we are freed up to be honest about our struggles. We can admit that we feel worn, and we need redemption. We are free to struggle, but hallelujah, were not struggling to be free. The band was struck by John Dunns memorable quote, no man is an island. With these new songs, Tenth Avenue North encourages us to get off our self-made islands of isolation, to break the chains of shame that have kept us there, and find communion with God and each other. Tenth Avenue North encourages us to realize Gods spirit doesn’t dwell in buildings; He dwells in us for WE ARE HIS CATHEDRALS.

Hallelujah

I adore this statement.

He dwells in us. We are HIS cathedrals. We are grand. We are beautiful. God has paid close attention to every single detail in each one of us. Just as the builder creates the architecture of a majestic cathedral, our great Builder has created us with His incredible spiritual architecture unlike any other.

This album has their newest song on it that you may have heard “No Man Is An Island”. Such a great song. 

Right now at Family Christian, you can get Tenth Avenue North Cathedrals CD for 25% off with the coupon code CYBER! $9.99 with NO COUPON NEEDED!

Do you get the Family Christian catalog? There may be an even better coupon in there! Be sure to check out the Family Christian website for ALL the latest coupon codes. You may be able to score an even better deal. 

This would make a fantastic gift idea! Hubby, if you’re reading this…hint hint. 😉

Finding Gratitude

- Amy Leave a comment

Sing to God

Everything in my home seems to be breaking. I kinda want to break up with it. It started with the hot water heater. Next came our van. Then it was the heat in the bonus room. Now ladies and gentlemen, it is our garage door. We’ve gone without hot water, used only one car, went without heat upstairs, and now have to walk allllllll the way around the house to get into our car. You gotta love being a homeowner.

My girls are at a stage where they actually play together. They are 4 years apart and you’d never know it some days. They pull each other around in the laundry basket and make sweet cards for each other. But that sisterly love can go from sweet and innocent to completely mean in a matter of moments. I go from watching them frolic in the sibling daisies to surviving the prickly thickets of contention.

Sometimes I just find myself consumed in the things that are wrong with my life. I can just see God looking at me thinking, “Are you kidding me? LOOK at how I have blessed you, my child.” The fact is, I’m spoiled.

 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

In ALL circumstances. That one is easier said than done after all the circumstances that I listed above. How do I change my discontentment to gratitude?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God achat viagra fr. – Philippians 4:6

First, we can see that if we’re discontent, then we’re worrying. Worrying about what others have that we don’t have. Focusing on what we lack. Second, if our heart is filled with anxiety and dissatisfaction it can’t also then be filled with thanksgiving. 

How great is our God? He’s bigger than broken heaters and fussy children. He has a much bigger and better plan for us than that.

Thankfulness is mentioned over and over in the Bible. Every good and perfect gift if from God. (James 1:17) Give thanks to the Lord, calling upon his name, making known his deeds among the people. (Psalm 105:1) I could go on and on.

Beyond all of the problems with my home, vehicles, and arguing children, I see the incredible blessing of a home and a family. Let’s do our best to focus on the blessings of God in our lives, rather than the attempts of the enemy to take them away. Each time that we choose to be thankful with what we have, the devil loses a chance for a stronghold.

Where do you see God in your circumstances? When you find Him, you have found thankfulness.

God is thrilled when we open our eyes to find Him revealed. Isn’t that His ultimate goal? It’s what we were created for! To bring Him glory! What good things is God doing in your life? Are your eyes open for Him to be revealed? Make a list of your blessings. Sometimes writing it out can help you to see it all more clearly.

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for so much. To have a home with things inside (even if those things break occasionally). I’m thankful for my entire family and friends. But most of all, I’m thankful for a God who fiercely loves me enough to continue blessing me every day, even when I don’t always see it.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever. – Psalm 118:1

Thankful

CLOSED For Such a Time as This {Giveaway}

- Amy 10 Comments

Book of Ruth

The Bible is full of amazing stories isn’t it? Stories of love, hate, deceit, and loyalty. Examples of the way we should live our lives and also how we shouldn’t. There are some awesome stories about courageous men that with God’s power overcame otherwise impossible circumstances. I mean. The Bible is kinda tha bomb. 

Though we often times relate the courageous stories in the Bible to men, I want to focus for a minute on the women. Yep, let’s give it up for the ladies. They are a huge part of the Bible, too. Some were not the smartest crayons in the box, but the Bible also shares the stories of many brave and amazing women, too. 

My personal favorite story of a woman in the Bible is Ruth. I think that the book of Ruth is one of great loyalty. And also of great love. After the death of her husband and her father-in-law, Ruth decided to stick by her mother-in-law even though she was urged to go back home. Through emotional and physical support, she was extremely faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi through the hardest of times. I gotta tell you, that must not have been easy. Think about it. She left her own family (Momma and Daddy) to be with her mother-in-law. Mother. In. Law. She was armed with love and a bazooka loaded with grace. That’s what I’m guessing.

Leaving everything she knew behind, Ruth stayed to care for Naomi. She began gathering leftover grain behind farmers in the fields to provide food. A rich landowner named Boaz began to bless them providing more grain and welcoming Ruth. She listened to the wise advice of Naomi and they began to thrive. Eventually Boaz and Ruth got married, and both she and Naomi were taken care of from then on.

What a friendship those two shared. One based on loyalty, family, and God’s plan. I just love to read about the women in the Bible who made a difference.

I was thrilled when I got a chance to review For Such a Time as This by Angie Smith! I had the privilege of meeting Angie back in 2010 (I believe) and she is such a sweet soul. This book is jam packed full of stories about women in the Bible. A whopping total of 40 examples of women who made a difference. The stories are retold so that girls can understand and read them and the illustrations are just amazing! It’s as though the stories come alive. 

At the end of each story, there is a “He, Me, She” section where you can go a little deeper with your daughter about the story. The “He” section is about how God was involved in the story. The “Me” section is about the reader and how the truth of the story can be applied to her life. And the “She” section is for the parents to pray over their daughter. I just LOVED this part of the book. 

Britton Reading

My girls really enjoyed this book. It is requested each night! Some of the women in the book are women that aren’t spotlighted in the Bible. It’s awesome to see perspective on the women that we don’t normally hear about. I encourage you to check out For Such a Time as This. It would make such a great Christmas gift for a daughter or niece. Buy one for yourself! I think I enjoyed just as much as my girls. 😉

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$25 Family Christian Appreciate Certificate Giveaway

To build up some excitement around this book, I’m so happy to be able to offer a $25 Appreciate Certificate to one of YOU from Family Christian. With Christmas coming up, this will surely come in handy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Saturday, November 29th at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 30th and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only. 

I received a copy of Such a Time as This for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Five Characteristics of a Biblical Wife

- Amy 42 Comments

Five Characteristics

I gotta say, marriage isn’t exactly what I expected it to be. All those years of playing Barbies and house were just a teensy bit different than the real thing. We were happy with our homes being located in a rocky ditch in our backyard and my “husband” always loved to eat my mud pies. There weren’t too many disagreements, but if there were, we’d just quit playing with each other. We might have even said “I’m not your friend anymore” and walked away with our arms folded. That’s because this was all pretend. Remember those days?

Unfortunately for 8 year-olds, marriage is real-life. And when I say real, I mean REAL.

It’s a love like no other. It’s one of the greatest gifts that God has blessed His people with. Though it may not be as fun or easy as playing house was, it’s way more rewarding.

My husband and I have been together for 13 years and married almost 9 of those years. Starting our marriage when we were still young, it’s had a lot of time to change and grow. The biggest change being God. Though we were both believers in the beginning, God was kinda left out. It wasn’t until year #7 that God truly got invited in. Things have changed a lot since then. And for the better!

I am in by no means the perfect wife. I am far from it. I make a lot of mistakes and don’t treat my husband the way that he deserves most days. If you read Taming Your Negative Monster, then you’ll know that I have issues to work on. Many affect my husband. Taking a look at the Biblical aspects of a wife, there is a lot of direction from the Word on how to function in this role. Here are five characteristics of a Biblical wife.

1) Noble character

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones. – Proverbs 12:4

As a wife, we should strive to hold to what we know is right (morally) and to demonstrate that in how we live. This means staying strong in our faith and beliefs firmly fixed and making our husbands proud (his crown) of the strength of our character.

2) Proverbs 31 focused.

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship; she brings her food from afar. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other civic leaders. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. – Proverbs 31:10-27

Just as the church is married to Christ and worth the blood of Jesus (he died for it!), a godly, faithful, and fruitful wife is of great worth to her husband. This humongous verse describes the Biblical wife in detail. A lot to live up to, huh? One of my favorite parts is when it says “she watches for bargains”. THAT’S ME! See? I’m totally a Proverbs 31 wife. Whatever our strong suits, this is a fantastic list with a broad range. ​She’s trusting, worships The Lord, economic with finances, works hard for her household, talks well about her husband to others, kind, sets a good example, raises her children well, and fears The Lord​.

I can see a lot I need to work on. I pray that I can use these verses as my guide for my role as a wife.  I love when the Bible paints such a clear picture of what we are supposed to do. 

3) Part of a team

And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” – Matthew 19:4-6

 

This one is a good reminder that in marriage, we have become one. I know that we hear this a lot, but really wrap your head around it, won’t you? We women like to have our along time. Am I right? I know that I do. We also have a tendency to sometimes do things on our own. This verse is a reminder that no matter how much we enjoy doing this alone that we are now a part of a team. And with that, we need to keep our other half informed, involved, and included. Remember that each of you are not singular and work on a common vision as a couple. This one is a hard one for me since I’m a do-it-yourself kinda gal, but I want to remember our oneness like the Bible tells me, too.

4) Submits to her husband

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. – Colossians 3:18

This is a highly talked about command in the Bible. Some don’t believe this is still necessary in today’s society, but they are mistaken. Submission is a matter of respect. It doesn’t mean that as wives we are inferior. It simply means that we are to make conscious volition allowing our husbands to be the leader of our household.

5) Sets an example

In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. They are to teach what is good, so they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s message will not be slandered. – Titus 2:3-5

If you’re a younger married women, then this is the kind of lady that you want to become. And obviously if you are already there then you are setting an example and you may not even know it. However, if you have a daughter then you are already setting an example. You are exhibiting how respect, self-control, purity, work around the house, raising children, kindness, and submission are done. Young ladies and women are like sponges to those around them. Show them Christ through your actions as a wife.

All of this is easier said than done. Am I right? There’s not a perfect wife that ever lived. Even Eve who had everything in the world that she would ever need as a wife made mistakes. *ahem* Let’s all give Eve a round of applause for childbirth, shall we?! 

I am encouraged knowing that I can always look to the scriptures for guidance in how to be a more biblical wife.

messy beautiful

I’m also thankful that I got to read the book Messy Beautiful Love: Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages by Darlene Schacht just recently. She is a blogger and one heck of a writer. This book is teeming with honesty and bursting at the seams with truth. She takes the reader through various issues that many marriages face and gives biblical advice for how to deal with those. I felt completely challenged during the whole book. Reading about what Darlene has learned throughout her marriage is quite refreshing because she’s just so real. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies and just like the title of her book, it’s messy.

It’s also very beautiful.

Thank you God for the precious gift of marriage and the unique covenant that we are able to make with and our husbands and with You. It’s such a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church.

No matter what stage of marriage you’re in, this book is an encouraging and challenging read. I highly recommend it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Friday, November 21st at 12:00am CT. The winner will then be chosen at random by Rafflecopter. I will contact the winner on November 22nd and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard from them in 24 hours, I will name a new winner. This giveaway is open to those in the US only. 

I received a copy of Messy Beautiful Love for the purpose of review by Family Christian. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Michael W. Smith’s Newest Album Sovereign $7.79!

- Amy 3 Comments

Sovereign

I’ve been listening to good ole Michael W. Smith since back in the day. I think back to the song Place In This World and get nostalgic. Every now and then it comes on the radio and I have to sing along. It’s such a good song!

He’s kinda iconic in the Christian music industry. You can’t really even touch on that genre without mentioning him. What a soothing voice he has. Smooth like butter!

Michael W. Smith hasn’t released an album since 2008 which I find surprising. I’m so excited for his new album that he recently released! He wrote with new folks that he hasn’t yet worked with and even does a duet with one of FAVES, Kari Jobe. 

You can check out a very recent interview that Family Christian did with Michael W. Smith here!

Check out his newest album, Sovereign! It’s currrently $18.99 at Family Christian for the Deluxe Edition that includes the CD and a DVD! 

And just between you, me, and the fence post, you can get this for only $7.97 starting Black Friday and going through Cyber Monday. Would be a GREAT time to pick this one up. 

And now for your viewing pleasure, I have included the music video from what seems like forever ago, Place In This World by Michael W. Smith.


This post was written by me on behalf of Family Christian. All opinions epressed are 100% my own.

Taming Your Negative Monster

- Amy 9 Comments

taming negative monster

It lurks in the darkness waiting to rear its ugly head. Close behind thoughts of doubt and pessimism. Hanging on the skirt tails of comparison. And just below the surface of low self-esteem.

It’s the negative monster and it will claw its way into ruling your life.

If you let it.

I could’ve titled this post “Taming Amy’s Negative Monster” if I’m being honest. I’ve lived with one for as long as I can remember. He’s probably about the size of big foot and carries around a big plate of you’re not good enough and this sucks. This little booger likes to manifest into my outlook on life. I’m talking glass half empty, worse case scenario, end of the world kinda stuff. If I don’t watch my attitude’s back, my negative monster will come out and find ways to take a simple situation and turn it gloomy.

Do you know what I’m talking about?

Negative monsters like to prey on things like comparison, discontentment, and other negative people. It’s hard sometimes to see how bad your attitude has gotten until it affects your relationships.

The Bible says:

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22

I don’t know about you, but I would love to be known as a person so cheerful that I’m like good medicine.

God has really been speaking to my heart lately about my attitude. I’ve almost felt scolded in a way. Do you ever feel that way? Like my daddy is telling me that I need an attitude adjustment or I’m grounded. I find myself saying things and almost immediately feel conviction in my spirit about what I’ve just said. I’m thankful for these moments in my walk with Christ. They are perfect examples of God’s work in me. He is forever perfecting you too!

Keep your mind on things that are: true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent, and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8

Basically, we need to focus our thoughts on God’s truth. This means recognizing falsehoods, pursuing the truth, and constantly reminding ourselves of the truth.

The things we say don’t just start by popping out of our mouth. They begin in our thoughts.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5

Paul is talking to the Corinthians here about the power of the enemy and spiritual warfare. He says to take everything thought captive and make it obey The Lord. We have to renew our minds.

But God looks at our hearts. Why do we have to work so hard on our minds? Because our minds can change our hearts! If the end goal is to have a pure and clean heart, we have to make our mind agree with the truth we know in our hearts. After all, the Holy Spirit himself lives there.

This is a constant battle that we will all be in all of our lives. The enemy doesn’t take a sick day. He wants to take your thoughts, your heart, and anything else he can get it hands on and destroy them. Destroying everything in its path along with it. This is why it’s so important to continually take negative thoughts and feelings and wrangle them like a one ton bull, bringing them fully under control of Christ.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29

Let’s be cognizant of the words we speak to others. Just like Paul says the Ephesians above, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Don’t even let it come out of your mouth. Use your words to build others up. 

A good man produces good deeds from a good heart. And an evil man produces evil deeds from his hidden wickedness. Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech. – Luke 6:45

Your positivity and your negativity all flow from the same place, the heart.

Everything single one of these things is something that I need to work on right now. This is one of my daily prayers. If you struggle with a negative monster, first all you need to tell that thing to beat it! Your heart is occupied viagra vendre. And then let’s look at some ways you can be more positive right now.

  1. Pray about it. This one may seem obvious, but it took me a long time to actually do this. Telling God about your want to change shows that you heart is ready for a change.
  2. Choose joy. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says Always be joyful. It’s not always easy to do this, but choosing to be joyful rids the devil of his power. Take THAT devil!
  3. Focus on the positive. Easier said than done, huh? If you can focus on finding positive in every situation, you’ll be surprised how much more positive that you actually find.
  4. Say only positive things about yourself to others and about others. Back to the, “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all” rule. This applies to self-talk as much as it does speaking about others. Edification is always the goal.
  5. Surround yourself with other positive people. In the past 2 years, I’ve notice how big of a difference it makes to be around others who are positive. It has changed me. If it means letting go of friends that bring you to a negative place, so be it.
  6. Have an attitude of gratitude. No matter how bad things are, there are tons of things to thank God for. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says- Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Change your grumps to gratefulness.
  7. Have an attitude of worship. There is no greater joy than connecting with The Lord in intimate worship. Praising the One who created us and receiving His amazing love fills our hearts and no doubt gives us a supernatural positive feeling. Let it simmer there in your soul and then let is spill out to those around you.
  8. Fact or Fiction? This is choosing whether your negative thought/words are from God (fact) or the enemy (fiction). Grab that thought, make choice based on if it’s God’s character and then act. Say out loud if you have to, “I rebuke that in the name of Jesus”. 
  9. Baby steps. Becoming a positive thinker doesn’t happen overnight. God spends our whole lives refining us. Any change for the better is a good one! Set small goals that are easy to obtain and celebrate your progress. Thank God for making you into a better person. That will help with your #6! 🙂

Do you have issues with negativity? Please tell me I’m not the only one!