Posts Tagged ‘music’

Music is one of the things that God continually uses in my life to encourage me and pick me up. Over the last week I have been listening to Crowder Band’s new album Give Us Rest nonstop, especially the song “Let Me Feel You Shine.” Here’s how the song opens:

This place is trying to break my belief
But my faith is bigger than all I can see
What I need is redemption
What I need is for You for to put me back on my feet
(read full lyrics here)

As I’ve been back in the States sharing about what God is doing in Prague, the needs to OUR (your ministry and my ministry) in Prague (you can help meet those needs, click HERE!) and the challenges of living and doing ministry there, these first few words of this song are a HUGE encouragement for me. Honestly I just hit “back” and listen to the beginning of this song over and over again! Why? Because Prague and Czech does break missionaries. If you have met with me since I’ve been back you have heard that I referred to Prague and Czech as “Missionary Graveyard,” where the average missionary making a 5 year commitment makes it on average about 18 months. It’s the sad reality of a tough language, tough soil, unreal expectations and more…

Somehow, by God’s grace, I’ve defied the statistics and I’m on year number 5, but that doesn’t mean Prague, Czech and individuals there haven’t thrown their best at me to break me. That is why I love the words – “This place is trying to break my belief, But my faith is bigger than all I can see!” It’s true. It’s true. My faith, given to me by the redemption of Jesus of me, is bigger than the hurt, the betrayal, the lies, the discouragement, the lack of faithfulness, the cowardliness and the like! IT’S BIGGER! God can put you and I back our feet!

So where are you today? How do you need to cling to this truth? Do you need to start by submitting to Jesus for the first time or maybe for the thousandth time? He’s there. The faith He gives free of charge, is bigger than your situation, “your place,” “this place!” Turn to Him right now!

Here’s the song with lyrics:

Here’s also a behind the scene look at the song:

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening nonstop to a song from Folk Angel’s new Christmas album. The name of the song is God With Us, but honestly it’s not a song but a poem about God being with us. As I listened to the track nonstop in Prague over the last two weeks, what stood out to be the most was the longing of the Israelites for the Messiah.

I pondered… “How would they have felt?” As I thought and prayed through this, I realized to a lesser degree I can understand how they felt as I long for an “Advent” (ad·vent/?ad?vent/ The arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.) of sorts in the Czech Republic. I labor and labor. I pray and pray. I love and love. I speak and speak. I listen and listen. Yet I haven’t seen the “Advent” that I yearn for to the hearts of the Czech people. So this song/poem ministered to me in this way for the last two weeks…

Then Tuesday at 5 pm my vonage line (American line via the net) rang and my crying mother was on the other end of the line. Honestly over the past couple months I’ve had a nervous feeling, every time that phone has rang, and it was for this reason. I learned quickly that my grandfather, Bob Shisler, passed away in his sleep Tuesday morning. He has slowed down over the last couple of years and had issues that most elderly people have, but this was unexpected to all of us. Since Tuesday the words of this poem/song have hit me in a much different way!

I’m hurting. My family is hurting. It’s been hard to see my mother morning and even harder hearing my grandmother’s grieving voice, but this amazing truth – God with us – has moved me. Jesus hasn’t left me alone in this. He’s in the midst of it all. He’s here. So as we are in the midst of “Advent Season” this year, this simple, but overwhelming truth, will take on a whole new meaning for me and my family. Please listen to this song, meditate on it and realize that God is with us! He is with us!

Yesterday, I had an epiphany of sorts, while I was talking with a friend about his future and the desires he has for his life. I started thinking about amazing people I know, literally scattered throughout the whole world! Really, it was a crazy thought. I know amazing people on each continent! How cool is that?!?! One of those amazing people I met through a dear friend, Andy Garrett, is Phil Wing. Phil is a worship pastor back in Ohio, and him I met in at the Garrett Wedding, a few years back.

Well, Phil has released an EP and all of the proceeds are going to fund the adoption of their Children from Ethiopia. Did I mention ALL the proceeds are going to fund this? A 100%! I know the times are tough, but we all like good music, and how cool is it that we can get some good music and also help with a great cause! Click HERE to learn more about their adoption and ways you can donate outside of buying an EP. I will be purchasing one soon! Join me!

Have a listen….

Here is a moving video, that Phil posted on their adoption blog:

One of the reasons I was stoked to make it back to Prague, after our conference this week, was to download the newest album, from The Fray. It hasn’t disappointed! I chose to spend a couple more dollars, so that I could get the music videos and the making of vids too. Because I just love that stuff. I love watching how the creative process for others unfolds. It’s amazing. I wanted to post the video from the newest single, You Found Me, sure enough it’s on youtube, but sadly embedding it was disabled of the actual video, so I posted the acoustic version above, but click HERE to see the whole music video. Beautiful stuff and a song that really speaks to the ‘inbetween world’ we live in. So good….

It snowed here yesterday, which was beautiful, but with the snow and the cold comes longing for the warmth. I thought I’d share this picture and the lyrics to a song that I listened to yesterday, that brought encouragement to my soul. May your heart, and my heart, be melted today by the only one who can truly warm it, Jesus.

Winter by Shawn McDonald
Sometimes I feel like winter, cold I feel
Icicles are forming; It’s hard to tell what is real
Cold winter, cold winter day
Frost is on the windshield and it’s hard to see
The air is like slivers and it’s hard to breathe
It’s a cold winter, cold winter day

Warm me up inside
And let Your face from me not hide
‘Cause You are what I long to find
To melt this cold heart of mine
‘Cause when You are around
I am found

Sometimes I feel like the prodigal, a wandering weary son
Gone in search of something beautiful,
something to make me one
It’s a cold winter, cold winter day
The world is full of lies that will only rob you blind
Hit ya’ when you are not looking, and steal away your time
It’s a cold winter, cold winter day

Warm me up inside
And let Your face from me not hide
‘Cause You are what I long to find
To melt this cold heart of mine
‘Cause when You are around
I am found

Warm me up inside
And let Your face from me not hide
‘Cause You are what I long to find
To melt this cold heart of mine
‘Cause when You are around
‘Cause when You are around
When You are around
I am found

So write now I’m sitting here enjoying one of these:

Yummy… They just switched to the Christmas cups and I was compelled to enjoy one! I guess… So I’m in between my Czech class and doing some prep for a sermon I’m doing at church this weekend, and I thought I would blog some inspiration that has been in my ears over the last few days. I’m not procrastinating, I’m trying to catch my breath between things. It’s especially hard for me to transition to anything worthwhile after Czech class. In other words, Czech class kicks my butt, even when I have, the rare, good day like today! So here I am blogging wanting to share some inspiration with you. This inspiration comes in the form of 3 songs, here you go:

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