SINGING YOUR SONG……
When a woman in certain African tribe knows she is pregnant, she goes out into the wilderness with a few friends, and together they pray and meditate until they hear the song of the child. They recognize that every soul has its own vibration that expresses its unique flavor and purpose. When the women attune the song, they sing it out loud. Then they return to the tribe and teach it to everyone else. When the child is born, the community gathers and sings the child’s song to him or her
Later, when the child begins his or her education, the village gathers and chants the child’s song. When the child passes through initiation into adulthood, the people again come together and sing. At the time of his or her marriage, the person hears their song. Finally when the soul is about to pass from this world , the family and friends gather at the person’s bedside, just as they did at birth, and they sing their loved one into the next life.
In the African tribe there is one other occasion when the villagers sing to the child. If at any time during his or her life, the person commits a crime or an aberrant social act, the individual is called to the center of the village and the people in the community form a circle around them. Then they sing that individual’s song to them.. The tribe recognizes that the correction for antisocial behavior is not punishment but love, and the remembrance of one’s identity. When you recognize your own song, you have neither the desire nor the need to do anything that would hurt another.
A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have forgotten it. Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or by the dark images you may hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.
You may not have grown up in an African tribe that sings your song to you at crucial life transitions, but life is always reminding you when you are in tune with yourself and when you are not. When you feel good, what you are doing matches your song, and when you feel awful it doesn’t In the end , we will all recognize our song and sing it well .. You may feel a little wobbly at times but so have all the great singers
With Love
From me
To You!!!!
Monday, October 10, 2011
DID GOD DESIGN MARRIAGE TO MAKE US MORE HOLY OR HAPPY?
DID GOD DESIGN MARRIAGE TO MAKE US MORE HOLY OR HAPPY?
Eph. 5:23-32
For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.
And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body.
As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.(NLT)
The picture of marriage expands into something much broader, with the husband and wife relationship illustrating the relationship between Christ and the church. Husbands are urged to lay down their lives in sacrificial love and protection. And in this safe and cherished embrace of a loving husband, what wife would not be willing to submit to his leadership?
What Does the Bible Say?
• Husbands - love and sacrifice.
• Wives - submit.
Different Yet Equal
1 Peter 3:1-5, 7
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior.
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty ... You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God ... In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. (NLT)
Some readers will quit right here. After all, "husbands taking the authoritative lead in marriage" and "wives submitting" are not popular messages in today's world!
But this illustration of marriage typifying the relationship between Christ and the church adds further encouragement for wives to submit to their husbands, even those who don't follow Christ. Although this is a difficult challenge, the verse promises that her godly character and inward beauty will win over her husband more effectively than words.
If we're not careful, we will miss that these verses highlight the equal partnership of husbands and wives in God's gift of new life. Though the husband exercises the role of authority and leadership, and the wife fulfills a role of submission, both are equal heirs in God's kingdom. The roles are different, but equally important.
What Does the Bible Say?
• Wives - demonstrate godly character and quiet inner beauty.
• Husbands - honor their wives and be kind and gentle.
• Husands and wives are equal partners.
Outcome
1 Corinthians 7:1-2
... It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (NIV)
This verse suggests that it is better not to marry. Those in difficult marriages would quickly agree! Throughout history it has been believed that a deeper commitment to spirituality can be achieved through a devoted life of celibacy.
Clearly this verse refers to immorality in sexual relations. In other words, it is better to marry than to be sexually immoral. But if we elaborate the meaning to incorporate all forms of immorality, we could easily include self-centeredness, greed, wanting to control, hatred, and all of the issues that surface when we enter into an intimate relationship.
Could one of the deeper purposes of marriage be to make us confront our own character flaws, the behaviors and attitudes we would never have seen nor faced otherwise? If we allow the challenges of marriage to force us to confront ourselves, we will be applying a spiritual discipline of tremendous value.
What Does the Bible Say?
• Strive to overcome immoral living.
I believe God designed marriage as an instrument to make us more like Christ. In his book,Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas asks this question, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" Is it possible that there is something much more profound in the heart of God than simply to make us happy?
Can we lay down our own ambitions to love and serve our spouse? Through marriage we can learn about unconditional love, respectful honor, how to forgive and be forgiven. We can see our shortcomings and grow from that insight. We can develop a servant's heart, and draw closer to God. As a result, true soul happiness can be discovered, and this, I believe is one of God's ultimate desires and purposes for designing the covenant of marriage.
Eph. 5:23-32
For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.
And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body.
As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.(NLT)
The picture of marriage expands into something much broader, with the husband and wife relationship illustrating the relationship between Christ and the church. Husbands are urged to lay down their lives in sacrificial love and protection. And in this safe and cherished embrace of a loving husband, what wife would not be willing to submit to his leadership?
What Does the Bible Say?
• Husbands - love and sacrifice.
• Wives - submit.
Different Yet Equal
1 Peter 3:1-5, 7
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior.
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty ... You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God ... In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. (NLT)
Some readers will quit right here. After all, "husbands taking the authoritative lead in marriage" and "wives submitting" are not popular messages in today's world!
But this illustration of marriage typifying the relationship between Christ and the church adds further encouragement for wives to submit to their husbands, even those who don't follow Christ. Although this is a difficult challenge, the verse promises that her godly character and inward beauty will win over her husband more effectively than words.
If we're not careful, we will miss that these verses highlight the equal partnership of husbands and wives in God's gift of new life. Though the husband exercises the role of authority and leadership, and the wife fulfills a role of submission, both are equal heirs in God's kingdom. The roles are different, but equally important.
What Does the Bible Say?
• Wives - demonstrate godly character and quiet inner beauty.
• Husbands - honor their wives and be kind and gentle.
• Husands and wives are equal partners.
Outcome
1 Corinthians 7:1-2
... It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (NIV)
This verse suggests that it is better not to marry. Those in difficult marriages would quickly agree! Throughout history it has been believed that a deeper commitment to spirituality can be achieved through a devoted life of celibacy.
Clearly this verse refers to immorality in sexual relations. In other words, it is better to marry than to be sexually immoral. But if we elaborate the meaning to incorporate all forms of immorality, we could easily include self-centeredness, greed, wanting to control, hatred, and all of the issues that surface when we enter into an intimate relationship.
Could one of the deeper purposes of marriage be to make us confront our own character flaws, the behaviors and attitudes we would never have seen nor faced otherwise? If we allow the challenges of marriage to force us to confront ourselves, we will be applying a spiritual discipline of tremendous value.
What Does the Bible Say?
• Strive to overcome immoral living.
I believe God designed marriage as an instrument to make us more like Christ. In his book,Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas asks this question, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" Is it possible that there is something much more profound in the heart of God than simply to make us happy?
Can we lay down our own ambitions to love and serve our spouse? Through marriage we can learn about unconditional love, respectful honor, how to forgive and be forgiven. We can see our shortcomings and grow from that insight. We can develop a servant's heart, and draw closer to God. As a result, true soul happiness can be discovered, and this, I believe is one of God's ultimate desires and purposes for designing the covenant of marriage.
Its Been A Long time!!
Well here it is 3AM on Monday morning ( the day we start filming on our New project in DETROIT MI) Don't really know why I am up except I am feeling really grateful about all that is currently going on in my life... Life is really good and getting better everyday .. I know that sounds cliche but its true.. I have so much to look forward to.. One of the things on my agenda is the launching of a Lifestyle brand with my family.. This is such a dream come true for me.. Stay tuned for more details as things progress.. Working with my family doing the things we love is something that has always been a part of my bigger dream,.. Which leads me to the reason that I am writing this blog tonight.
I believe that in every moment of every day we are always writing our life story... On some level I have always known that and behaved as such... This is both a good & bad thing... (smile) In the good times it was about making the right decisions (or the best decisions) at the right time.. at other times I know I made decisions solely based on the fact that I thought it would make my story more interesting.. There are truly no regrets in my life however if I could tell my younger self anything I would say "Girl you are interesting enough" LOL...
2011 so far has been an AMAZING year with mind blowing opportunities and even though from the outside it seems that i am just taking it all in stride.. Truthfully I AM OVERJOYED (insert Stevie Wonder's song here).. i have been blessed to be able to take a step back while it is all happening and realize that GOD has always had it all under control. So what was I worried about? As a christian the only time that I seem to worry is when I forget WHO I AM and WHOSE I AM... We worry the most when we feel separated from GOD and for get how much HE LOVES US.. Thats when I usually find myself down the rabbit hole. (LOL) So what I have learned to do is to focus on HIM and constantly remind myself of all HIS LOVE has done and will do in my life... I know that sounds fairly simple but you should try it.. Its a moment by moment reaffirmation of my MY FAITH.. Being a Christian doesn't mean that your FAITH won't be tested.. It just means that you have the tools to past the test.. And you realize that every test is put in place so that you too will have a testimony
My goal moving forward is to blog more diligently...I really do have so much more to say... So much to prepare for and to enjoy!! GOD keeps all his promises.. I have witnessed this in my own life constantly and this year i have been blessed to recognize it in real time as it is happening not just in hindsight..
My life is my ministry and I realize and accept that everything I do is to glorify HIS name.. How I live, how I love, how I work , all of it is for his GLORY and i finally get that.. Grateful that I do because its been a long time coming.. Just glad that HE knew that I was worth the wait..
OK its 3:30AM time to call it a night and try to get some sleep before the next amazing adventure begins.. I have so much more to share however now is time for sleep.. If i I had to leave you with one thought it would be "ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND DON'T FORGET TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THEY ONLY MULTIPLY... Remember I speak from my heart and I only speak of what I KNOW,,, If i share it with you here be sure that it is because I have experienced it myself......I am so VERY GRATEFUL for it ALL... Good night MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AND ALL WHOM YOU LOVE!!
I believe that in every moment of every day we are always writing our life story... On some level I have always known that and behaved as such... This is both a good & bad thing... (smile) In the good times it was about making the right decisions (or the best decisions) at the right time.. at other times I know I made decisions solely based on the fact that I thought it would make my story more interesting.. There are truly no regrets in my life however if I could tell my younger self anything I would say "Girl you are interesting enough" LOL...
2011 so far has been an AMAZING year with mind blowing opportunities and even though from the outside it seems that i am just taking it all in stride.. Truthfully I AM OVERJOYED (insert Stevie Wonder's song here).. i have been blessed to be able to take a step back while it is all happening and realize that GOD has always had it all under control. So what was I worried about? As a christian the only time that I seem to worry is when I forget WHO I AM and WHOSE I AM... We worry the most when we feel separated from GOD and for get how much HE LOVES US.. Thats when I usually find myself down the rabbit hole. (LOL) So what I have learned to do is to focus on HIM and constantly remind myself of all HIS LOVE has done and will do in my life... I know that sounds fairly simple but you should try it.. Its a moment by moment reaffirmation of my MY FAITH.. Being a Christian doesn't mean that your FAITH won't be tested.. It just means that you have the tools to past the test.. And you realize that every test is put in place so that you too will have a testimony
My goal moving forward is to blog more diligently...I really do have so much more to say... So much to prepare for and to enjoy!! GOD keeps all his promises.. I have witnessed this in my own life constantly and this year i have been blessed to recognize it in real time as it is happening not just in hindsight..
My life is my ministry and I realize and accept that everything I do is to glorify HIS name.. How I live, how I love, how I work , all of it is for his GLORY and i finally get that.. Grateful that I do because its been a long time coming.. Just glad that HE knew that I was worth the wait..
OK its 3:30AM time to call it a night and try to get some sleep before the next amazing adventure begins.. I have so much more to share however now is time for sleep.. If i I had to leave you with one thought it would be "ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND DON'T FORGET TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO THEY ONLY MULTIPLY... Remember I speak from my heart and I only speak of what I KNOW,,, If i share it with you here be sure that it is because I have experienced it myself......I am so VERY GRATEFUL for it ALL... Good night MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU AND ALL WHOM YOU LOVE!!
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