Sing Unto The Lord A New Song

Well, I have to say my Christmas break has been going quite well so far. I have a job at Dunkin' Donuts, I'm enjoying being home with my family and the most amazing thing happened to me. I wrote a new praise and worship song!! I was in the bathroom at my house flipping through radio stations. I stumbled across Q-102 which was a rap station in our area. I was going to turn it off when I suddenly heard this song that used really pretty chord progressions. It was near the end of the song but I just stayed there and hummed along with it. I thought that was one of the prettiest sounds I've ever heard! All of the sudden, my mind reeled, my thoughts took flight and I ran down the stairs to get my brother David's keyboard. After a few minutes of muddling through, I found the chords. I started writing words to go with what I played. It all seemed to fit so perfectly together! I wrote this song on Christmas Day and finished writing it the day after. Is that God or what?! After writing it, I entitled the song "We Live To Praise Your Name." I thank God so much for giving me the inspiration once again to write something that gives glory to His Mighty and Matchless Name. Who knows? This could be the start of something big, something wonderful, something I never thought could or would happen! I'm really excited about this. I feel like God has lifted me and I'm now soaring into the heavenlies! I can't wait to share this song with my friends when I get back to school.

Dear Lord, thank you so much for blessing me with a heart of worship. I've been created to worship and adore you. I thank you for calling me into the field of worship. There's so much that can happen as I keep on learning about the aspects of music and what it really means to worship you in spirit and in truth. May this song that I wrote bless others as much as it has blessed me when I wrote it and practiced it. I love you so much, my Heavenly Father. Please keep the inspiration coming. Don't let it stop for one minute. In Jesus' Mighty Name I pray, amen. (1:20 pm)

The End of Another Semester

Well, the semester is ending and everyone is headed for home. I await my Biology 101 exam at 2:00. Am I prepared? Somewhat, I suppose. I know God will see me through no matter what. I said goodbye to my dear friend Travis today. He's gone home to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I know he's excited. (laughs) These last couple of weeks I've spent with him have been so much fun. Who would've thought we be such close friends? Our first meeting was in GNED 101 class fall of 2004 and we didn't know what was ahead of us then. We pretty much grew on each other during this semester. I've definitely gained a friend for life... actually two! Travis and his girlfriend Jessica! I love Jessica. We became friends right away when I came to NC with Travis that Sunday morning. I can't wait to see her again if I get to come down there at some point. I'm praying for both Travis and Jessica and I'm hoping that all will be well concerning their relationship together. Who knows? Maybe Travis and I will be inviting each other to our wedding days. (I know Travis, it's too early for that. lol But it's a possibility, right?) Anyway, I should go back to studying for this final. I hope and pray I do well on it.

Dear Lord, I pray for this test I'm going to take it about an hour. May I know what to put down as the answer to the question. May my mind be strengthened. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace. I'll treasure it forever. Thank you Lord so much for Travis and Jessica. Bless them and keep them safe wherever they go. I love you, my Heavenly Father. I don't know what I'd do without you. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen. (1:06 pm)

Another Poem for the Day

"The One"

You are gracious, Lord
You are holy and divine
You're always in my heart
You will forever be mine

You go before me
through every twist and every turn
You give me so much comfort
when the walls of my soul churn

My Lord, my God and Master
I know You will always be true
You've given me assurance and
told me to always follow You

"I'll never leave you, nor forsake you"
You have told me in Your Book
You told me You're the Way
and I mustn't, in any other direction, look

You're the Lord of my life
my One and Only Love
when I give my tithes and offerings
You send blessings from above

You told me that I will be blessed
wherever I go
whatever I needed,
before I asked, You said "I know"

You didn't say the road wouldn't be hard
You just said that I wouldn't go alone
You said "come along with me"
through the times I cried and moaned

You kept telling me to come
You gave me courage and strength
through every height, every depth
every width and every length

Every step of the way
You managed to pull me through
the road was rough, but
it didn't matter because I was with You

But there were times when I didn't listen
to Your calls of love and life
times when I disobeyed You
and I fell deep into strife

At the time I noticed
something was absolutely wrong
I asked for Your forgiveness and repented
where I was weak, You were strong

You forgave me right away
and tossed my sins right out
into the sea of forgetfulness
where there is no more grief or doubt

I thank You so much, Lord
for being faithful, righteous and just
You are gracious and loving
You are the One that I can trust! (3:11 pm)

What An Amazing Day!!

Today was a great day for me. Earlier in the week, I asked my friend Travis if I could come with him to his church in North Carolina. After a while, he told me that I could... just have to get up early and be ready to go by 7:00. lol So, when I got up this morning, it was 6:15. I was surprised at myself because I didn't set my alarm! I suppose it was just the excitement I must've had. We drove all the way... 2 1/2 hours. I'm glad I'm such a patient person. I got to meet his girlfriend Jessica while we were there. She's so sweet!! The two of us hit it off pretty well, I'd say. I also got to meet his parents and his brother. I can tell where Travis gets his sweetness from... as well as his sillyness. (laughs) No offense, my friend. Anyway, when we all got to the church (wow! the smallest church I've ever seen!) we started having bible study together first. We talked about when man first sinned. After that, the welcome of new people (pretty much me) and praise songs started. Travis played his own version of "O, Holy Night" for special music today. That was the most remarkable version I've ever heard in my life!! After that, we had some real worship time. It just got to the point where I fell on my knees. I could feel God's presence so strong when we were singing!! I have to say, I love small churches now. There isn't a really big bunch of people to keep up with and worship is so much more intimate. There was a lady who taught today's sermon today. (Travis, you have to tell me her name again. lol) It was about choosing the High Life (God's way) or the Low Life (the World's way). It was really good. After that, we got ready to go to a parade they had there. It was so much fun to watch all the floats and bands go by. It was time for us to go after about an hour and a half. Travis and Jessica didn't want to part, but sadly they had to. I really felt for them then.

After we said our goodbye's, Travis and I got into the car so we could go back to Liberty. We talked and listened to music on the way. About an hour away I was feeling sleepy, so I shut my eyes for a little bit. Travis started singing praise songs and I decided to join in. It woke me right up! I like the harmony we have together. I can't wait until we start collaborating one of these days. That's going to be such fun. When we got back, it was choir call time: last night of the Living Christmas Tree performance. It turned out real well and we were all glad it was over. lol When we were finished and waiting to get out of the tree, my thought was "when I see Travis, I'm going to run up to him and hug him." Of course, that's exactly what I did.(chuckles) Travis and I were so ready to eat because we hardly ate a thing all day long. We went to the rot, met up with a couple of my friends after a while and ate together. That was a lot of fun.

I thank God for such a wonderful day today. I also thank God that I have Travis for a really good friend... one of the best friends I've ever had in my life. I also thank God for Jessica. I love how we got attached to each other so quickly! lol I can't wait to get to know her even more as time goes on.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much for everything that has happened today. Thanks so much for sending Travis into my life. He's such a blessing to me and it touches my heart that I have him for a friend. Thank you so much! Thank you also for Jessica. I love her like she was my own sister. Of course, she is my sister in Christ. I suppose that's close enough. (laughs) Bless her immensly, Father. Keep her safe wherever she goes. May all these special memories be close to my heart always. You did it all Lord God. You showed me through dear friends that there is a true heart of worship no matter where you go, no matter how big the church is, or how much time is spent praising you. I live to praise You, my Lord and Savior. May I never stray away from that. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen. (12:35 am)

Divine Intervention Looks Coincidence in the Eye: Part 2

Well, I have to say, tonight's been quite a night for me. I got to meet Brad and we have become really good friends. I can't wait to see what happens next during this friendship that has established. I discovered that he's one year younger than me, he likes a lot of the same music I like, and we pray for each other a lot over the phone! It's so amazing!! I'm excited about this but also kind of in question about it all. I mean, why did it happen? What's supposed to happen next? Where do I go from here? These questions I ask. I'm supposed to be focused and totally dependent on God for everything I need. I have to say though, Brad helps me keep going in the right direction. He prays for me, encourages me and helps me in so many ways. It's like I have a guardian angel in the flesh! lol I never thought that one chance call or conversation on the phone could change your life like this. That has certainly happened to me last night. I don't know what will become of all this, but I do hope that whatever it may be, it'll benefit me spiritually. That's my main focus right now.

Dear Lord, thank you so much for sending this dear person into my life. You have brought to me someone who seems to be an encouragement to me as I am to most people. Help me Lord, to be strong-minded. Help me Father, to have strength and wisdom where they would be needed most. May I not stray away from your mighty hand of mercy. I love you so much and you are the true Inspiration of my entire life. I love you with all my being, Lord Jesus. May I never, ever lose sight of that. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen. (1:37 am)

Divine Intervention Looks Coincidence in the Eye

I had a very interesting night last night. I was in my dorm room listening to music and relaxing. Boy it feels good to relax for a change! I heard my phone ringing and I said to myself "I bet I know who this is." I was thinking it was Sean because he calls me all the time. I said "hello?" and all of the sudden this music starts playing. There was no one saying anything in response. Just this random music. After that, I heard a phone ringing. I thought "ok, that's weird." This person picks up the phone on that end and he's like "hello?" We start wondering what happened. He thought I called him and I know that I didn't. It was really weird. For a few minutes we talked about it and kept wondering how it happened, then we started laughing about it. We laughed a lot. lol Then we started introducing ourselves and told each other about our backgrounds. We have a lot of the same beliefs and think pretty much the same way. It was quite fascinating! What was also kinda weird was this; when we were talking, some random music would start playing. He was like, "are you playing that?" "No, I'm not" I said. He kept asking me if I was sure and I kept telling him I was. We laughed a lot after that. Anyway, his name is Brad and he lives not too far off from me on East 14. We exchanged dorm room numbers and decided that we're going to meet each other tonight during open dorms. That's going to be interesting. We don't know how this came about but we're both glad it did. Brad told me that he needed a break at the time anyway. He was working on a paper then. I don't know what's to come of this meeting but it sounds like it might be the start of a fun friendship. I named this blog "Divine Intervention looks Coincidence in the Eye" because we think it might've been God who had something to do with this in some way. Also, he doesn't believe in coincidence so we just called it divine intervention. I'll probably write a follow-up blog later after open dorms tonight just to keep you posted.

Dear Lord, I have a question for you; was this all you? I know you want me to be single for a reason. I know that for a fact, but is this your way of telling me the reason why you wanted me to be single? I bring these questions to you now. I lay them down at your feet, my Heavenly Father. Help me Lord, to stay focused no matter what happens tonight. I love you so much and I know you wouldn't let me go on this journey of life alone. Thank you God, for being so faithful. You're the reason I live and breathe. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen. (4:13 pm)

Stress...and yet, Perfect Joy Awaits Me

Well, I have to say these past couple of days have been crazy. I spent two nights in a row at the computer lab doing work, I have a biology test this afternoon, and I'm stressing over how I'm going to get home. My friend Richie might not be able to take me this time because his car seems pretty full. I hope and pray though that no matter what circumstances come my way, I will have perfect joy in the Lord. It says in Philippians 3:1, "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe." No matter what happens, I can be still and know that God is God. It is also stated in chapter 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Yes, I use the King James Version if you haven't guessed that already. (laughs) For those of you who stress over the finals you have and how much studying you have to do for them, don't worry! God has your back. He's there with you making sure you do well. Sure, you have to do the work which includes studying, but remember that God is with you. Gosh, I have to tell myself that. There are times when I forget and the finishing results don't come out so well. I have to realize that whatever trial or hard time I face, God is there with me. He is the light at the end of my tunnel. He's the One who holds me in His arms when I need a shoulder to cry on. He leads me on and tells me to always trust Him no matter how rough the terrain along the way. Stress comes, but then perfect joy awaits me.

Dear Lord, I thank you for helping me realize this today. I pray to you Father for your mighty hand to take over my life. Help me to become more like you. May I never forget what I've been put on this earth to do. I've been called to worship you in spirit and in truth. May I never stray away from that. I want your precious word to be pure in my mind and in my spirit always. I love you, Lord. I delight in serving you all the days of my life. In Jesus' mighty Name I pray, amen. (2:22 pm)

A Lot To Think About... Maybe

There's been so much on my mind lately; Philosophy, Biology, Music Theory, Aural Skills, Worship class, so much stuff! Now I have the Living Christmas Tree to add on to it this year. All I can do is pray and thank God that I can rely on Him for the strength to keep on going. Lately, I've been hanging out with a friend that keeps me encouraged, is great company and makes me laugh a lot. His name is Travis Davis and if he didn't see this blog coming, it will probably take him by surprise. (laughs) I told him once that I have many friends, but there are few people I call best friends. After that, he asked me "well, what does that mean?" and I told him, "you're one of those few." He seemed pretty touched by that. It's the truth though. I couldn't ask God for a better friend. When he goes home to minister at his church, I miss him. When I see him before or after we're done in the tree, I'm always happy to see him. (sighs) I'm such a mess sometimes when it comes to describing friends that really stick out in my memory. I'm not afraid to admit that. Heck, I'm always a mess! What am I talking about? The thing is, whenever a certain friend comes into my deep thoughts, I write about them. It's just something I do. I hope and pray that everything will pretty much stay the same in this case. I don't want a thing to change. To Travis: you truly are a blessing to me and a joy to be around. Thank you for listening to me when I had something to say. Thanks so much for sticking by me when I needed someone in times of trial (namely, my tug-of-war between you know who). I thank my Heavenly Father for you and I pray that God will bless you just as much as He has blessed me when He put you into my life. Hmm... He might have started that already when Jessica came into the picture. (chuckles) You and Jess are in my prayers always. May God bless you and keep you safe wherever you go.

Prayer: God, I thank you so much for everything; your loving kindness, tender mercies and hope for the future. I pray now for Travis and Jessica. May their relationship be surrounded by your grace. I thank you for your angels encamped round about them, protecting them wherever they go. Thank you also for giving me the chance to be at this great university. May I never forget what you brought me here for. Help me Father to keep my mind at ease about different things, whether it be tests, relationships or anything else. May my mind be at rest because I know I'm safe in your arms. Thank you Lord for everything and everyone you've blessed me with. I love you so much. In Jesus' Name I pray, amen. (4:40 am)