Tag: music

Just the Right Time

God has the best timing. I really don’t know how He does it. 🙂 He allowed just the right song to play on my car radio at just the right time, when I felt overwhelmed to the point of giving up.

I’ve been titrating down on the medications I take for depression, anxiety, and OCD so that my Hubby and I can try to have a child. Over the past two months I’ve gone from taking five medications to just one – and needless to say, it has been extremely difficult. My depression has worsened, my anxiety level has been sky-high, and my obsessive thoughts are almost constant. But my psychiatrist is assured that I’ll be able to handle things through deep breathing and mindfulness. Also, the constant support of the Lord and the love and encouragement from family and friends has pulled me through to this point.

The song that I heard on the radio is called “I Will Lift My Eyes,” and it is sung by Bebo Norman. I’ve heard the song before, but it was especially poignant tonight and it caused tears to stream down my face. It’s been a long time since I’ve really cried – the medicines that I’ve been taking caused me to feel very dull and rather emotionless. But it felt good to release pent-up thoughts and feelings in the form of tears, and to be uplifted by the words of the song. A few of the lyrics are:

“I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
the Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
so hold me now…”

If you’re struggling with something and you feel like there is no hope and there is no help…please don’t give up. God is there – even if it doesn’t seem like it – and He will break through the hurt, the pain, the thoughts, the fears…and speak to your heart in just the way you need, and at just the right time. How do I know? Because He promises to be our Help, and because He just did this for me.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains – 
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
The Maker of heaven and earth. ”
~ Psalm 121:1-2

 

Photo by Paul Gilmore on Unsplash

He Holds Tomorrow

I struggle a lot with anxiety.

Whether it be navigating a social situation, obsessing over something that I haven’t done perfectly, or feeling completely overwhelmed by an upcoming task –  my tendency is to rely on myself instead of looking to God for help.

But I know that this is not the right way to respond to life’s difficulties.

There is a song by Jason Gray called “Sparrows.” I like it because it helps me to put things back into perspective when my world feels like it’s spinning out of control.

Here are some of the lyrics:

You can’t add a single day by worrying
You’ll worry your life away
Oh don’t worry your life away
You can’t change a single thing by freaking out
It’s just gonna close you in
Oh don’t let the trouble win

You may feel alone
But you’re not on your own

If He can hold the world He can hold this moment
Not a field or flower escapes His notice
Oh even the sparrow
Knows He holds tomorrow

So how would it help me if I truly believed that my God holds tomorrow? If I trusted that He cares for even the sparrows – and that His love for me (and you) is so much greater? I should think that it would have a major, positive impact!

But it’s a little more difficult to flesh this out in daily life.

When you can’t pay your bills…
When a loved one is sick and there is nothing you can do…
When you fear for your safety…
When a relationship is falling apart…

It could be any number of things. But I think the important thing is that we try to bring each worry to God. He is the One who sees us and loves us and desires to take care of us.

So what is it that you’re worrying about? Why not give it over to the Father – situation by situation – and let Him handle today’s worries…along with the worries of tomorrow.

 

Photo by Przemyslaw Reinfus on Unsplash

About Me (Part 2)

Want to get to know me a little better? Here’s your chance! 😀 This is Part 2 of my “About Me” series. Part 1 (questions 1-25) can be found here. The posts are a series of questions that I found here – and they delve a little deeper into the recesses of, well, me! So take a moment and scan through the questions and my responses…and hopefully you’ll learn something new!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
I don’t really watch many sports games on TV – but they Hubby likes to sometimes, so I’ll end up watching them because he’s watching them. The sports that he tends to watch are either football or baseball. Now if I went to a live game, that would be different. If I did have such an opportunity, I would probably want to see a hockey game!

27. HAIR COLOR?
Okay, this seems like an easy question, but for me it’s not so much. I think I have brown hair with golden highlights, but my husband says my hair has more of a reddish hue. So I guess I’ll just mix them all together and say that I have brown hair with golden and red highlights.

28. EYE COLOR?
Green 🙂 With flecks of gold in there, too.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Sometimes! I go back and forth between contacts and glasses. For a while there I was wearing my glasses all the time, but now I’m back into wearing my contacts during the day and my glasses at night. Either way, I need them, because my eye-sight is horrible!

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
I have no idea! I like many foods, and it really depends on what I have a craving for. But I do like pasta and other Italian foods a lot, especially my Mom’s baked ziti, which she serves with a caesar salad and garlic bread that’s right out of the oven. Mmmmmm!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I don’t like scary movies. Okay, well, maybe some of them. I like Thrillers. But they can’t be too disgusting. I DO like happy endings…but not forced happy endings. I like when  there’s some sort of struggle or tension in the plot, but the characters work their way through it and it’s resolved. Also, it can be okay when a movie leaves you thinking about it long after the ending.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Déjà Vu, starring Denzel Washington. We watched it over my brother’s house, relaxing in comfy chairs and munching on tasty snacks. It was a good time!

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
I am wearing a marled gray and white t-shirt. I know, pretty boring…but it’s comfortable!

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Ugh, I don’t like either! I can’t stand the heat and humidity of summer, and I don’t like how you have to get all bundled up in winter…and I’m not a big fan of snow – but I guess the lesser of two evils would be winter.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both are great, but I’d lean towards liking hugs better. There’s something so soothing about being wrapped up in a great bit hug!

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Anything canolli, cheesecake, key lime pie (it must have a good crust…to me that’s the best part), anything with chocolate and peanut butter, or cinnamon, or vanilla…you can tell I like desert, huh? 😉

37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Both would be beneficial, but unfortunately I don’t really do either right now. I do walk my dog each day, so that’s a little bit of cardio. But I need to do more.

38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Hmmmm, I’m not a big television fan – unless it’s NCIS or Big Bang Theory…so I guess I’d have to say computer. I do my work on the computer, I write my blog posts, and I surf around for whatever interests me at the moment!

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I’m reading a Young Adult book called “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick. It’s book one of a series of engrossing fantasy novels. I’m really enjoying it so far. 🙂

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A collage of pictures of me and my husband on our wedding day (May 27, 2012). I’ll even show you a pic of it!

mousepad

41. ANY TATTOOS?
No, but I’ve thought about it. Something small and tasteful. I guess we’ll see! 😉

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
The sound of handbells. My husband and I play handbells at our church, and we love it!

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
I’m not really that into either, but if I had to pick it would be the Beatles.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME IN 2017?
My parents’ house, about an hour away. I know, not very far. But I used to travel – I’ve been to Chile (in South America) and China.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I’m good at empathizing with other people.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
I was born in New Jersey! Yep, I’m a Jersey girl.

47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Still living in NJ! My family and friends are here, so it’s difficult to think about moving.

48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
It’s ivory and brown. Not very exciting, but it works for now.

49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
It’s a heather blue.

50. ANY PETS?
Yes, we have two pets: a dog named Daisy and a cat named Misty. They make our lives all the more lovely. 🙂

Thanks SO much for reading, and I hope that this was fun and informative! If you have any other questions you’d like to ask me, feel free to leave them in the comments section. Blessings to you. ❤