Hear the Music of My Life Thus Far

Where I Started

Where I Am

Where I Am Today: Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work for the good of those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose…”

Romans 8:28

The “Already Here” God

Someone told me about this song a few months ago and a few months ago, it meant the world to me. It had a two-fold meaning because it represented the fact that God was “Already Here” and that the person who told me about it was a gift from God. It kind of felt like an “our song” kind of song for me. I would listen to it and be reminded of the person and see them in the most beautiful light, God’s light.

But, the person is gone now. He’s been gone for a little while and I’ve been picking up the pieces of my broken heart including trying not to be reminded of him through things we shared, like this song. But today, as I sat at my desk at work, I felt the spirit prompting me to listen to the song. I followed the move and I was surprised that I didn’t immediately connect the song with the person, but I connected it with God and I recognized that He WAS  “Already Here” all along. The love I wanted from him was already provided by Him.  

The song talks about how God is “the balm for my wounded soul.” And He has been that for me as I have picked up the pieces of my broken heart. As I listened, I wanted to just cry out to God, not from a place of sadness, but of much joy because He really had been a balm for my wounded soul throughout this process. He has healed me and made me glad. He has given me more joy than I had before I met the person. I sit back and I think about how incredible God is for staying true to His word and His character as a healer. He did a quick work and I can testify to that. He was always “Already Here” for me. I receive His love. Thank you God for being the “Already Here” God of my life.

A Song for the Brokenhearted

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

I felt compelled to share this verse and the song below because in my own circle there are people dealing with broken hearts and crushed spirits. I myself am on the other side of a broken heart and a crushed spirit and I can confidently say that if it had not been for the Lord who was on my side through the broken heart and crushed spirit, I might not even be able to deliver this message. But, I thank God that He didn’t let me mourn my loss for very long. Everytime I am tempted to be wistful and sad God quickens my spirit and says, “No no no babygirl, I need you to keep moving forward.” And I am moving forward. He’s been like a parent who keeps encouraging their child to get up after they’ve fallen off the bike–or even fallen when they are trying to learn how to walk. I have more to share about how I got over, but for now I will share this song that has ministered to me on countless occasions. I hope that it will minister to you too.

Check back tomorrow for my post on how to quickly mend a broken heart.

#13: Countdown to a Love Supreme Day

“Help me Lord please, to touch somebody, ’cause everybody needs to know they’re loved. Touch me Lord please, to help somebody, ’cause everybody needs to know they’re loved.”

“Help Somebody”

Deitrick Haddon

I heard this song for the first time last Friday thanks to Pandora and I really haven’t been able to stop playing it. I’ve listened to it at least twice a day each day since then. It wasn’t on my original list of love songs to the father, but I decided to do an addendum realizing that this is one of the two great calls we have upon our lives.  Jesus said it himself, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)

And so on this day, as #13 on the countdown to “A Love Supreme Day” I submit Deitrick Haddon’s “Help Somebody” because it is only in reaching outside of ourselves to extend the love that God has so graciously bestowed upon us to another, that people will know their loved and furthermore, all men shall know we are His disciples. As the old saying goes, “They will know that we are Christians by our love.”

The Countdown to A Love Supreme Day

So, here we are about 14 days away from Valentine’s Day. Many people are going into overdrive trying to lockdown their dates for Feb. 14th. Others could care less because they see Valentine’s Day as just another day to make money off of a bunch of lovesick suckers. As for me, I’m cool as a cucumber because I have figured out how I will spend the 14 days leading up to Valentine’s Day, the big day, and the days thereafter.

As you’ll see in the title of this post, I’ve taken the liberty of renaming Valentine’s Day “A Love Supreme Day”. Yeah, I know, that’s the name of a John Coltrane album. He wasn’t so much my inspiration for the rename. Instead, God is the inspiration for the rename because, after all, He is “a love supreme”. And as such I wanted to make this race to the finish for Valentine’s Day all about Him by doing a countdown of some of my favorite love songs to Him. It’s like a mix tape for the lover of my soul.

So join me on this countdown to A Love Supreme Day where we will take our eyes off of the earthly expectations of Valentine’s Day; the flowers, the candy, the dinner by candlelight and instead focus on the heavenly expectation and reality of being extravagantly, luxuriously, opulently, decadently, beautifully, completely and unconditionally loved by God. Speaking of love, here is #14 on the countdown to a Love Supreme Day:

If You Never…But You Did

I had a whole deep post on this topic planned, but it occurred to me that I don’t need to write about it, it’s already done. All I will say is that on this day, I hope we will all remember that God doesn’t have to do another thing for us because He has already done enough. He woke us up this morning and allowed us to see another day. He didn’t wake us up to chase a paycheck, He woke us up to show forth His glory. There is nothing we have to fight for today. So, we don’t need big houses, fancy cars, designer clothes, our name in lights, tons of money, exotic travel, big jewels, or anything that the world would associate with success and arrival. We have already arrived at God’s best and all He wants us to do is give Him thanks for all He has given us thus far.

Cop This Disc: “Love Unstoppable”

After nearly three years since his last release, “Free to Worship”, the father of soulful gospel, Fred Hammond, is back again with his new album, “Unstoppable Love”. I love Fred Hammond like I love cooked food and cupcakes, so I’m really excited that he is back. I haven’t heard anything on the album aside from the first single, but that is all I need. I trust Fred’s ministry and his heart for God. I can’t wait to hear another album of love songs to the Father.

In celebration of “Love Unstoppable”, I wanted to share the album’s first single, “They That Wait”.

Please go out and support Fred Hammond today in record numbers. If you did it for Jay-Z when Blueprint 3 dropped, and his music isn’t even glorifying God, how much more should you do it for Fred whose music’s purpose is to bring glory to God and edify the people of God?

He Is Sovereign

I am in one of those moods again…I haven’t been here in about a year, but I guess in the devil’s time he would need me to return to my former self, just for a minute, thinking I will brood in this mood long enough to reverse the work God has done in me. But little does he know, God is going to get the glory, right here and right now. I’m not even going to put words to what my mood is, though you can read about if you click on the link in the first sentence. All I will say is I trust HIM and HIM alone. HE is sovereign and to that end, I submit this song to every woman and man who is waiting in God’s will for God’s will to be done. Be steadfast and unmoveable…

Songs For Your Wait

I happened to be checking the search terms that have brought people to my blog and I noticed that one of them was “songs about waiting for God’s will.” And since I consider myself the princess of contemporary gospel music, I thought I’d offer my personal picks for songs to listen to while you tarry.

1. “I Don’t Mind Waiting” Juanita Bynum: I discovered this song a couple of months ago while listening to Pandora—which I have to thank for much of my new music acquisitions over the last few months. We all know Bynum as a troubled woman of sorts, but I will not refute her ability to minister through her own brokenness and she does so masterfully in this song. All she does is repeat the phrase, “I don’t mind waiting”. And you know? That’s all that necessary because it’s the repetition that cements the lesson.
2. “I Trust You” James Fortune & Fiya: I heard this song during one of my weekends in Atlanta last fall. Every time I got into a car, this song would play. It was the theme of the weekend and I felt as though God needed me to hear it because it was during a time when I had some decisions to make. He needed me to know that of all the people I could run to, He’s the safest place and he will lead me to the right place.
3. “Victory” Brenda Water: My best friend used to play this song frequently when we lived together. It seemed like every morning I woke up to Brenda Waters’ singing, “I don’t know how, God’s gonna do it.” There were times when I was annoyed because she was one of those people who, when they liked a song and played it, they’d let it repeat over and over again. But when she let me borrow the CD once day, I ended up doing the same thing. Waters core message is that despite not knowing when God will come through for us, He will come through, and when He does there will be victory.
4. “God’s Will Is What I Want” New G & Ricky Dillard: One Sunday morning our splendiferous-ly wonderful young adult choir sung this song and I couldn’t help but jump to my feet. Many of the older congregants didn’t understand what the choir was singing because the “God’s Will Is What I Want” chorus is repeated quite swiftly but once they caught on, the church was jamming. And the song is just simple. “God Is What I Want” is repeated so many times that even if you didn’t want it in the beginning you will want it in the end.
5. “There Is No Place” Fred Hammond: I love me some Fred Hammond. Before him, I had no idea gospel music, music to my Lord and Savior, could be so romantic—I’m serious about this. Well that’s beside the point but I had to just say that. Anyways, this song came to me a few years ago when Hammond’s CD “Free to Worship” was released. It’s it about the will of God and the fact that there is no place better than being in it.  Simply put.
6. “If It’s Not You” Joann Rosario: As a single woman, I am always tempted to go out and rectify my singleness situation by myself, but by doing so, I’d get myself in a whole heap of trouble and that’s where Joann Rosario’s song comes in. I heard this song one day I couldn’t help but rejoice at the fact that God sent me a reminder in song form that I can’t even waste an iota of time dealing with anyone who isn’t Him, for Him, or from Him. I listen to this song when I am feeling vulnerable and am in the position to compromise myself and go outside of His will. Once Rosario sings, “If it’s not you, I don’t want it at all. If it’s not You, Lord You’re the real, real. There’s nobody else I can trust with my heart. So I stand assured, Lord You are the real.”I just let those words minister to my heart and it helps me to remember that God is the lover of my soul.

Interestingly enough, as I wrote this list, and noticed that many of the songs lead with trust instead of out rightly speaking about God’s will, I realized it was important to mention that trust is the necessary part of waiting for God’s will to be manifested in your life. We can’t earnestly wait if we aren’t honestly trusting God. Trust Him fully, surrender yourself and your notion of preference and wait on the Lord to do His work.

So that’s my list, not at all comprehensive. What would you add?