Digging Deep ... Finding Him!

Good day everybody! I am sooo excited! Our Christmas concert is upon us and even when we're still working on the parts of the songs, etc... I know it's all going to come together... We all just need to get at it and listen/listen/listen to our songs! Praise God for resources like the Planning Center Online where our Choir is registered and we have access to amazing resources, including all of our music for our different services and for our special events, etc.... I love it because I get to listen to great music and my girls learn the songs too! It really helps "create an atmosphere of worship" in my home when we're playing all those beautiful songs of Praise!

During yesterday's rehearsal I could feel that many of us were tired, for a period of time I actually couldn't make myself stop yawning! I don't know what was wrong with me! But... then we all shook it off as we focused (not without help and a few nudges) on the things we were singing and particularly WHO is our reason to sing. It's impossible not to find the energy to sing with everything we have ... and even feel strength where there seems to be none... He is worthy!

Our Worship Pastor begged asked us all to "Dig Deep Inside of us" and give a good last push through the last songs of the rehearsal... and it was even mentioned how we would find the energy "on the concert day" once it's all put together... the orchestra, the soloists, everything... it's true! It has happened before  but at the same time... that phrase "Dig Deep" stuck with me... and made me think... if we start digging... what will we find? I think we would all find Jesus... because He lives in us... so if He lives within us... as we are "digging inside our tired selves" then we can find the joy, the peace, the love, the strength to give Him more than our flesh is willing to give... more than our throats seem to be able to sing! Yes... it is absolutely normal to be tired... the disciples fell asleep time after time when Jesus wanted them to pray... it is only human to lose strength... but how wonderful that His Spirit lives inside of us and we can go beyond what our flesh wants and we can offer him that sweet sacrifice of worship, something that actually "costs us" and not just what we feel comfortable with doing.

I absolutely love the orchestra and the music... I love the lights and "dressing up" for our event, the Bible talks about praising Him with instruments and I love it... but above it all.. He is our motivation to sing and we can sing just as passionately with or without those wonderful things... I've shared with some people before about one of the "most memorable times of worship" in my life... and it was when, in a church I used to attend in Mexico, we lost electric power... we had great instruments and great musicians, beautiful voices singing in the microphones and all of a sudden, in an evening service, we were left in the dark, everything was off and we didn't skip a beat... there were no "gasps" or people running around when the electricity was off (I don't remember the exact reason why this happened, if it was an electric problem or just the entire block lost power) what I remember is that there were just worshipers singing to the One and True God... with all we had... yes, we loved our instruments in that church... yes... we loved the lights (my pastor was pretty peculiar about excellence in those areas) and yet... when it was all gone... our hearts were still making music! Just for Him! Nobody moved... nothing could interrupt our worship... and that is something I will always remember... so... yes... when the time comes... we will all enjoy having the orchestra, the excitement of the people ready for the concert, the lights and Christmas decorations... but dig deep and find HIM... dig deep and find Jesus... I know He is your motivation too....

Dig deep today and reflect on what He's done... who He is... think of the times when things weren't going well and still there was an inexplicable joy that made you want jump up and down regardless of it all! If possible... would you share with us a "memorable worship time" you've experienced? Think back to a place where you just surrendered your heart to Him and lifted your voice without thinking of anything else but giving Him your all... I'd love to read your story and worship with you!

"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls— 
 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills." - Habakkuk 3:17-19

Let's write a song together

Good day! Thank you for joining me on this blog about praise! I have been thinking about starting a journal of praise for a while now, then we had a wonderful study at church with Lorraine Hill and the topic was on worship (Deepening Your Worship) so that encouraged me even more.

 I am very blessed to also be part of the amazing Choir in my church... it's amazing not because we are each amazing individually... it's amazing because He is awesome and because we are all there, flawed and all, singing to the One who deserves our very best... sometimes we're tired, sometimes it's late, sometimes it's cold, sometimes some of our fellow choir members are sick, some of them in pain, some going through hardship and it's so encouraging to meet with all of them each rehearsal, each service and join our voices to SING to our source of joy and peace, to our Savior Jesus Christ. So I thought I would start this blog... as a "continuation" of my worship... Hopefully more choir members not only from my church but from other Jesus/Bible Centered churches will join me here so we can praise together... encourage one another and just use this space to share a reason why you praise Him every-single day.

Are you ready? So... what will you praise Him for today? It's easy... you can either share a thought, a moment, a reflection, a quote, a song, a prayer, etc... It's not only about thanking Him for what He's given you but also for Who He is ... so I think we have plenty of material for LIFE! Think about it... if we'll praise Him FOREVER then it means there's something for each day of our life... and more!

We can also share about the songs we're singing... if you go to the same church I go ... remember to check your music on Planning Center, our next Anthem will be "Thanks Be To Our God", it's so beautiful and sooo appropriate for this Thanksgiving Season so I thought we could all reflect on the words of this song ... what would you add to it???.  Let's "write a new song" together... Thanks be to our God.... I'll start with some words that I wrote....

"For the times when I cried silently and He heard,

and for opening His arms when no one cared

for deliverance from hell, for one day I'll see His face

Because now there's only life where there were wounds

... Thanks be to Our God" - PK

Hopefully, making this song "our own" (because all of it applies to us if He is our Savior) will help us sing it with that much more passion when we sing it together!

Paloma K.