There is a God

Good Monday morning y'all!!!  I had a super fun weekend.  One of my bucket list items was checked off Saturday night when I got to see Reba in concert.  Oh my goodness...it was AWESOME!!!  Is it sad that I was crying when she got on stage?  Ugh...I just love her.  Would you believe me if I told you her blonde comedic sidekick from the Reba show came on stage and did a little comedy bit with her?  Well, that so happened too.  So, so, so, cool!  And hilarious I might add.  To top that off, the King of country, Mr. George "I make Wranglers look good at any age" Strait...and "by the way, I can really sing too", came on after Reba.  Amazing concert.  One of the other highlights, was Lee Ann Womack opening the show.  She's also uber talented.  One of her new songs, "There is a God", which I had never heard before Saturday night, totally moved me and I wanted to share it with you.  Very powerful point in the show.  I loved how all three singers talked about God in their music.  Praise!!  Anyway, this isn't her official video because I can't seem to find one, but it gives you the song.  Love to all and happy Monday.  Concert photos to come soon.

Olympic Opening Ceremonies

(Snowboarder flies through rings to kick off the opening ceremonies)

Photo by: The Associate Press

Wow!  What a night!  CGM was buzzing about on Twitter during the ceremonies and enjoyed a great tweet party with others Olympic fans who were chirping away via #openingceremonies. 

Here are a few of my favorite things about the opening ceremonies:

1.  The presentation of the countries.  It's fun to see all of the different countries represented and to learn about population of countries and how many athletes are representing each country.  I have to admit I did cry when the athletes of Georgia came out on the BC Center floor.
2.  The presentation of the whales was amazing.  I totally had the "wow" factor going on.
3.  Music by artists like Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, k.d. Lang, Brian Adams and Nelly Furtado.
4.  Ninja skiers and snowboarders.  They weren't really ninja's but could totally pull it off.
5.  The slam poet who looked like the member of Blue's Traveler and hailed from You Tube.  He was an amazing poet...loved it...and love how he was found on You Tube.
6.  The Gretzky lighting the Olympic Torch
7.  The moment of silence held in recognition of the Olympic athlete we lost yesterday.  I thought it was an appropriate and compassionate touch.

Did I happen to mention "We Are the World" Take-Two???  Uh...major tears y'all.  Major!



Cried...didn't you?  POWERFUL!  I can't wait to live in a world where we realize we are suppose to love each other.  Come one world...let's get it together!

Did you watch the ceremonies?  What did you think?  What were your favorite moments? 

Fun fact:  China spent appx. $300 million on their opening ceremonies.  Canada spent $40 million. 

A Dash of Seger

Source: Radu Voinea


Against the Wind by Bob Seger

Against the wind
We were runnin' against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin'
Against the wind

Seems to be the right words for so many things.  Blessings and challenges accompany us on our run through life and God is always at the finish line cheering us on.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." - Acts 20:24 (NIV)

Some Christmas

I'm a sucker for a good Hallmark movie.  There is no denying it.  I just love them and they almost always bring me to tears.  This is certainly no exception during the holiday season.  This morning, I watched a new movie called Christmas in Canaan featuring Billy Ray Cyrus...yup, the undisputed achy breaky mullet king.

I was really moved by the story of overcoming adversity, both racial and financial.  It confronted the loss of loved ones and the promise and hope of things to come.  It genuinly pulled on every heart string.  But there was one thing that really stood out to me during this season and it's represented in the title, 'Some Christmas.'

In the movie, there is a scene where Billy Ray can't afford to give his family much of anything for Christmas.  Times have been tough and crops are not selling for what they were.  He has six mouths to feed, four children to raise and he's doing it all as a single father.  Through all this adversity, he refuses to let Christmas go by, rather, he commits to giving his family 'some Christmas'.  He knew what things they had been wanting and admiring.  He took pictures of these items, ad clippings, and wrapped each one.  What he told his family is that though he couldn't afford to give them what he wanted, he gave them what his heart wanted to give.  It was 'some' Christmas and it was all from his heart.  I'm not going to spoil it by telling you the rest.  Watch the movie for yourself and discover the gift within it.

Some Christmas.  How many times do we give just to give instead of giving from our heart?  How many times do we ignore the blessing of a gift that came to us from someone's heart?  How often have we fallen in our lack of gratitude, in our spoiled expectations, in our scoffing at the appearance of cheapness?  What if we didn't expect anything to come under that tree at all?  Would what we get then be celebrated and cherished and loved?  Think back to some of the best gifts you've ever received.  Why did they mean so much?

The best gifts I've ever received are labeled as 'best' because they came from someone's heart.  They weren't gifts just to give me something.  They were handmade, or heart found and/or love filled.

What if we woke up Christmas morning and discovered that every present had been replaced by a piece of paper.  On each paper was an image of something we 'really' wanted to give the people we loved?  Would dad get another tie or would he get peace?  Would mom get another crystal vase or would she get joy?  The best gifts are the ones in our hearts.  These are the ones that last.  What if all of the gifts we gave came out of what our heart really wants to give?

This Christmas, I plan to add "Some Christmas" under the tree.  Besides presents and ribbons and fancy packages, I want to add hope and peace and love and promise.  I don't want to just give something someone can get themselves, I want to give something God has given to me.  So as the commercial Christmas begins to fill our homes, may we all think to put "Some REAL Christmas" in there as well, some Spirit of Christmas.

The movie was based on a novel co-written by country music artist Kenny Rogers.

Billy Ray's new song, which isn't half bad, that was featured in the film.

Fabutastic Christmas Video!!!

I just downloaded this song on iTunes and can't stop listening to it! I'm obsessed...I love the mash up with Africa.

"He is With You"

I came across this video/song for the first time this morning. It has ministered to me in a priceless way. I hope that by sharing it with you that you will also have a renewing hope in your hearts today.

"He is With You" - by Mandisa

On the iPod - Where Is the Love?

It's 'What's on My iPod' Monday.

Today, I did a random shuffle in my iPod and the song that popped up was Where Is The Love, by the Black Eyed Peas. I've listened to it a couple of times today and then really took a look at the lyrics and as you can imagine, it got me thinking. If Jesus were amongst us in the flesh today, what would he say? I think he would be very busy turning over a lot of market places. Can you think of anything that wouldn't exactly jive with the gospel of Jesus? What a disappointment we must be sometimes.

I was getting frustrated with Hambone this morning because, as most toddlers do, he was not listening to me. It was driving me bonkers. I caught myself telling him that I'm the mommy and I know what's best for him and he's going to get hurt and then I asked him, "why don't you listen to me?" Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. If my little love bug can frustrate me that much, imagine how God feels with our lack of listening skills. He knows what's best for us. He wants to help us, guide us, teach us, love us and protect us. But how many times do we ignore Him in favor of doing it our own way just to wind up messing it all up and running to God for comfort? Or, how many times have we trumped God's word with our own doctrinal interpretation of the what God wants?

I know that when Hambone gets all "jacked up on Mountain Dew" that he's going to trip over his own feet or a toy or one of his daddy's monstrosities of shoe and then he'll face plant into something not so soft. This leads to pain and tears and some times a little bleeding. I hate that. I hate it when he doesn't listen to me and then gets hurt because it's my job as a mommy to love him and to 'take care' of him. How much more God feels of this towards all of us is astounding. We get going ninety to nothing and we don't stop to listen to the warnings and when smack head first into immovable walls.

So this song, Where Is The Love, was really popular on the air waves during my under-grad (2003) and had great meaning on a post 9/11 university campus. It's not liberal to think of social injustice or to question the decisions higher political powers are making. It's not conservative to believe that there should be morals and ethics upheld. It's humanity to want to see the gospel of Jesus in all that we do and are surrounded by. The world in a post 9/11 era is different. We have to question, we have to wonder and we all already do. The way we think and how we think globally has been challenged since the fall of the towers. People are yearning for a much deeper spiritual understanding of the world we live in and why things happen the way they do. Theological studies are in increased demand by students and theological books are flying off shelves at an all time high. We want to know answers to the deep rooted theological questions that we all have.

The song takes a look at our world from one perspective, that of the gloom that seems to exist and the dichotomy that life in this world presents. It asks the question that in all the evil that surfaces our planet, where is the love? Where can love be found even in hate? Where can we see the light even in darkness?

Listen to the song and read the lyrics. What do you think? Where do you think the love is and is it possible to make love more visible than hate? Where can you show more love today? Be the love the world needs.

Where Is The Love by the Black Eyed Peas - WATCH THE VIDEO

Lyrics

What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love

It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'
in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing wit me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit it (Yeah)
Something's wrong wit the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)

Washed by the Water

I recently stumbled upon this song on another blog. I had never heard of it before or the group. Ever since, I have been addicted to this song. There are so many things here I can connect with, but there is one powerful lyric that strikes a cord right where my heart is. So often, we are hurt by 'friendly fire'...meaning, the ones we love often cause the most damage. That seems to certainly be the case as I have found things. But realizing that you are washed by the water, the blood of Christ, makes all things new. And that, as the song says, even when the flood starts rising. We need to gain perspective and where we're at and make sure that even when things hurt, even when we're struggling to keep our head above water in a flood we didn't create, that we have our eyes on God. We need to make sure that the things we do are what God would want and not be irrationally responsive with knee jerk reactions when we move to panic mode. Trust, have faith and believe in the power of the blood that has washed you clean.



Lyrics of Washed by the Water by Needtobreathe.

Daddy was a preacher
She was his wife
Just tryin to make the world a little better
You know, shine a light
People started talking
Trying to hear their own voice
Those people tried to accuse my father
Said he made the wrong choice
Though it might be painful
You know that time will always tell
Those people have long since gone
My father never failed

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

Even if the Earth crumbles under my feet
Even if the ones I love turn around and crucify me
I won’t never ever let you down
I won’t fall
I won’t fall
I won’t fall as long as you’re around me

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water