WaxNotNeeded - Another Music Post [Abandon Edition]

So you could be saying to yourself right now, really Hollie – don’t you think you have posted enough musically reference blogs in the past few months? Nope, I say. This year has been a GREAT YEAR of music to me, with favorite bands coming out with terrific new albums to all the bands I am just discovering. For me, music is a very key part of not only my life, but my worship to God. Considering I drive like 30% of my life and while driving I am ALWAYS listening to tunes, not to mention, the handy headphones that are plugged in perhaps half of my work day, I’d say it’s pretty important that the right stuff is going in (so in turn the right stuff can come out).

So with all of that being written, HOW ON EARTH DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT ABANDON UNTIL NOW? Yes, all caps – I am doing the pseudo computer scream, because serious – they are awesome.

I just got their album “Control-Expanded Edition” and over the past week it has been played on repeat almost nonstop, with two stand-out favorites being the ones listed below. What about their music draws me in? Well aside from the super melodic cords of awesome, the lyrics belt out truth and a calling for reformation and transformation of this generation (in time). “Live ItOut” has what will surely end up being in the top favorite 20 verses of all time for me.

We are lost and broken people
Turned our crosses into steeples
Let’s take them down and put them on our backs now

Keep your love on track now

How truthful is this folks? Seriously! I will leave the personal conviction part up to the Holy Spirit, but you cannot deny that it rings true to this generation. Likewise the overall message of the song in which is to share the truth (salvation, love, grace) that which we know. In “YourLove Goes On” and the following section comes around I cannot help but to belt it out, I mean admittedly both of this songs give me chills (not to mention to other tracks), it is hymns of old – you can feel what was meant when it was written, it applies to your life and instinctively know it applies to everyone else as well, so it has that family of believers effect, which I like.

And you would follow me a million miles

And a million times you saved my life

Whew. However, don’t take my word for it – listen to them yourself and have an experience all your own.

In conclusion, here are the most 100 searched bible verse in 2009 on BibleGateway (seriously great resource), in case you were just curious – or wanted a list perchance to start remembering (Bible Drill anyone?)

Dear Heavenly Father – We come to you today simply thankful for ALL things that you have given - from each new day, to the clothes on our back, the people in our lives, to the ability to call you Abba and call Your Son, Savior and Spirit, Helper. We look around and see a world in need, we see people that are suffering and crying out for change, yet they seem to be looking in all the wrong places. May believers be aligned to You Father and may those who do not believe come to Your saving truth. We know the sad truth that not everyone will call upon You as Messiah, and that is very disheartening, but we pray for all people one in the same. As none of us want anyone to perish and spend eternity away from Your love and grace. May we cling to You dear Lord, in the same way that You hold onto us – with an everlasting, unshakable, immeasurable love. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Guest Post - Governed by the Holy Spirit by Gina B

Another great post by Gina, which I am delighted to share with you all now. She simply is a wonderful woman of God and it has been such a delight to watch her blossom within the almost ten years now that I have known her. Many of you enjoyed her previous piece, Fan The Right Flame, and I am sure you will be touched by this one, just as much.

Governed by the Holy Spirit 

(link will take you to her wordpress blog)

SiC ♥

WaxNotNeeded - The World Is Watching

Recently I listened to a conversation from a woman who does not believe in God. She told a story of how she has (on at least one occasion) had to take issue with the school system for teaching creationism in science class. “Religion is belief and science is fact, they should not be taught one in the same”. Her story continued on with how both of her daughters were good, they knew right from wrong, and both excel in their own right academically and generally speaking they do not cause any trouble. Recently, she said, her youngest daughter (a sophomore in high school), approached her with some concern/question of her own, on the whole matter.

It seems there is a group at school called the “Christian Athletes” (something or other) and she noticed, that all of these people, who stood out to be different, where actually the ones who were getting smashed on Friday night foot ball games. With that being spoke the topic changed to more lighthearted things such as black Friday shopping, thrift store adventures and food, however almost a week later this has remained in my mind.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come”! To this young woman, I imagine she looks upon this group as why? Why do I need this savior you speak of, if in fact you are doing things worse than I when I know nothing of Him? Of course, as believers we know the deep rooted answer to this, but yet onlookers merely see what we have to offer by our actions and our tongue.

Though none of us are perfect, I believe we forget sometimes that we, in fact, have the world watching. Those who do not believe will in a way, judge our savior and our creator through us. This is why we are urged more than a handful of times to be set apart, to lead by and be an example. In these times, this is of the upmost importance, I am sure as you look around at the world around you, we will all agree. Let your light shine, be bold – be quick to listen to the correction of the Holy Spirit, and continuously let the One who knows all guide your way.

Dear Heavenly Father, We thank You for Your word. Thank You so much for leaving Your letter of love to us, so that we might know how to live! We thank You for Your calling of us into Your court. Help us to continuously be an example of Your love and truth to all those that we meet, to all those that we see. May Your children cling ever more closely to You, for while the world around us is rioting away, You alone are the everlasting hope! In the name of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. 

SiC ♥

WaxNotNeeded - The One You May Not Like

Whelp. I may get some flack for saying this, but I think the term “God is love” has gone into overdrive as of late, eh? Though perhaps for the wrong reason. It seems that there are some people who are now using this phrase to justify anything and everything they do, even though it is wrong. How do we know what is wrong or right? Well the Bible so graciously tells us and for all the new age stuff you can pretty much infer what is good and what is bad by exercising a little wisdom.  Not to mention, once you are saved and have accepted Jesus into your heart, a great helper called the Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence and will call you out, when you are doing this that displeases the Father.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not judging (though it does bring upon a sad countenance to my being when I see this being used to justify sinful things), just simply getting something off my heart. Of course baring in mind that no one is perfect and we ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (aka no pedestal here). Yes, God is love, God loves us despite our sins, God loved us so much He sent His Son to live and die for us, as it says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world He sent His only begotten son that WHOSOEVER SHALL BELIEVE in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life”, but God also brings upon/allows wrath due to disobedience. Anyone remember all the Israelites who came out of Egypt? 40 years, for 40 years they wondered around in a relatively small area due to their fallings.

However, I suppose I should not think it odd, I mean what better tool for Satan to confuse the masses with by taking this great truth and twisting it for his own desires.  It could be that this is the mantra of the subculture who believes in a “God”, but not Jesus (so really they are no better off than one who believes in nothing). Of course as I sit here and write this, wondering if I will actually have the courage to post it, a verse has come into remembrance, which sums it all up …

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV

Don’t be one of those people, don’t be the one that gets turned away! Seek truth or burn, it is as simple as that. You may be saying, “it’s hard” and I say TRUST ME I KNOW … it can be an ever present, ongoing struggle depending upon what you are facing, but it’s worth it now on earth and it will be MORE than worth it after this age is done.

Dear Heavenly Father, We thank You for creating us, sending Your Son and sending Your Spirit, our Savior and our Helper – together You are the blessed Trinity. May we be mindful of what we hear and see and what we say. May we be apt to read Your word, so we may know Your laws and Your will for our lives. May we seek the Truth, Your Truth, instead of that which seems to be as it is pleasing on the outside, but inside is full of riot and decay. We thank You for Your constant forgiveness, and we seek each day to better, in You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

SiC ♥ 

*LoveIs* - 9.9.12

Whew, well it seems that it has been a minute or two since I posted under the *LoveIs* tag, but all things are still going well on the Little 5 Points and overall in life (concept) fronts. I would like to introduce Mr Mike who is a new volunteer to the Sunday mission (he himself was once on the other side of things once upon a time). We all feel very blessed with him being there and I do enjoy the way he teaches/preaches. Plus anyone who drives a blue motorcycle already gets some platinum stars in my book. ;)

Prayer requests for Brother Dewey and Brother Jimmy as it seems they are both struggling with some health things right now.

Overdue thanks to one attendee who made a little gift for me [yay for skullies and roses, woot!] Prayers for the person below, that he continues to STAY STRONG with whatever life may bring his way, for as we know each day - is a new day, and to CLING TO JESUS!

Today during the end of our time down there we received a compliment from a passerby stranger, this is "love in action", the woman said - who continued forth with saying she was personally inspired (seems God has been working on her for some time) to go out and help someone(s) in need.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

SiC ❤

SONS - Keep Quiet Giveaway

So let me start off by saying if the SONS album “Keep Quiet” was a cassette, rather than a digital download my copy would cease to be playable. So far into 2012 this is my favorite “new” band find. Their lyrics are sublime representations of the truths I write about and believe. The way they convey authentic biblical messages and current state of the world factualness is bold and elegant. Le sigh. As corny as this may be, if I was ever blessed to publicly speak on a format in which I could "bring a band along" they would be one of my requested choices. 

Here is just one of the 12 tracks on Keep Quiet, “Doubt”. Truth be told, I cannot even pick out top faves from the album, it is honestly THAT GOOD in my opinion. Of course I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to JesusFreakHideout who introduced me to this band via their "Artists We've Been Trying To Tell You About" compilation disc. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WaxNotNeeded - Lyrical Interjection (Personal Conviction Ed)

It seems as if a day doesn’t go by in which a sentence doesn’t escape my lips which begins with “I can’t believe this generation”, “the generation we are in is so”, “for sure Sodom and Gomorrah had to be just like this because”, etc .. etc .. etc. There is no escaping the fact that the world we live in is getting ever more openly sinful by the second and sometimes it just makes me want to scream. Of course, as I was reminded ever so gently by my mother (while driving back from Labor day vacation), “no one is perfect, we all have flaws, we must leave the personal conviction up to God”. Understood, noted and accepted – I retorted back, but alas my repetitive vocalizations as of late would not allow the quick response to go unresolved within my mental faculties yet again. So as with a wonderful and simplistic, but caring sign I was offered a logical “next step” of my merry-go-round view of society presented by the next song that played on the radio …

Losing by Tenth Avenue North

I can't believe what she said

I can't believe what he did

Oh, don't they know it's wrong

Don't they know it's wrong

Well maybe there's something I missed

But how could they treat me like this

It's wearing out my heart

The way they disregard

This is love or this is hate.

We all have a choice to make

Oh, Father won't You forgive them

They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no)

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them

Cause I feel like the one losin'

Well it's only the dead that can live

But still I wrestle with this

To lose the pain that's mine

Seventy times seven times

Cause Lord it doesn't feel right

For me to turn a blind eye

Though I guess it's not that much

When I think of what You've done.

This is love or this is hate.

We gotta a choice to make

Oh Father won't You forgive them

They don't know what they've been doin' (oh no)

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them

Cause I feel like the one losin'

Why do we think that our hate's gonna break a hard heart

We're rippin' arms over wars that don't need to be fought

Cause pride wont let us lay our weapons on the ground

We build our bridges up but it's just to burn them down

We think our pain is own apologies and get them to stop

Well truth be told it doesn't matter if they're sorry or not

Cause freedom comes when we surrender to the sound

Of Your mercy and Your grace, Father, send Your angels down

[X2]

Oh Father won't you forgive them

They don't know what they've been doin'

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them

Cause I feel like the one losin'

I feel like I've been losing

Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them

Cause I feel like the one losin'

God is good, great and wondrous, correct? AMEN HE IS (rhetorical question).

Dear Heavenly Father – We thank You for all that You have given your children – from merely being born, to sustaining us with Your Spirit, to offering salvation through Your Son. May we keep our eyes focused on You Father God, not allowing ourselves to be consumed with the world around us, but alas being consumed BY YOU and YOUR WILL for our lives. Thank you for being patient with us Father, as though we may have read the Bible a thousand time, simple concepts elude us. We are grateful for Your earnest understanding and our humility and humbleness. In the name by the One without which there is no hope, Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.

SiC ❤