MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE

 I have been watching all the, "what I am thankful for" posts on face book this month.  I didn't participate, but was thinking today if I had, I would have put I am thankful for music. Music is one of those things that only brings up good memories for me.

One of the few memories I have of my Dad is associated with singing.  I remember riding with him in the car.  I wasn't very old, five or under.  It was an old car (remember this is a blog about the second half), so it had those big door arm rests.  There were no seat belt laws or car seat rules back then.  So, I was sitting on the passenger arm rest, with the window down, wind blowing in my face, radio on, singing at the top of my lungs. I don't remember the song but, I can still see my Dad smiling.

I remember going to my grandparents little ole country church with my Mom.  I can hear the piano playing,  standing between my Mom and Grandma.  I can hear the congregation raising their voices together to the hymn "The Old Rugged Cross".  Lifting their hearts together in praise and worship to their savior and the cross He died on.

I remember being at my Grandma Hanks' house.  I can still see "Pappy" sitting in the rocking chair. A baby on his knee, rocking away singing from his heart, "by and by when the evening comes, when the saints of God are gathered home".  It is a safe, comforting, warm, happy memory.

I can remember hours spent singing together with my Aunt Joyce along with the radio.  We would sing about Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E", Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden", Anne Murray's "Snowbird", and every song The Carpenter's ever sang, "Close to You", "Top of The World", and "Rainy Days and Mondays". Those were the days before Karaoke, when hair brushes were your microphone.

Then there were hours spent singing on our picnic table with my best friend Tory.  We would belt out at the top of our lungs, Olivia Newton John, Air Supply,  Barry Manilow, and our all time favorite Helen Ready, "I am woman, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore."  No video games, no computers, no cell phones, no laptops, just the two of us singing a simple song for hours.

There are song memories that make me automatically laugh, Brittany and Tory singing "Lean on Me" on a street corner in Chicago.  I think they even made a couple of bucks.  The year the Sapp's recorded a CD at Christmas.  Brittany, Greg, and Scott's rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".  Every time my family sings "Happy Birthday" to someone it makes me laugh.

One of the best parts of road trips with Brett, is turning up the radio and singing together.  He has a great voice and I love to hear him sing. We both share a love for music.  The funny thing is, even though we share that passion, Brett likes the music, I like the lyrics.  Maybe another small way we compliment each other.  

Then there are Sunday mornings when I watch Chris play drums or guitar on the worship team, and it brings tears to my eyes.  Not out of pride, though he is very good, but because I am so glad he uses that talent to honor God, instead of in a bar somewhere.

Fifteen years ago or so Christian music exploded on the scene, or I just really became aware of it then.  God has used song lyrics to speak to me so often, to show me something, or to confirm something.  I am thankful through rhapsody that I can have access to so much music.  I love it when I am reading my bible, and a verse I read, is the lyrics to a song I know.  Think of how many bible verses you might  know because you know the lyrics to songs.

It is ironic that I have such a love for music, but no talent in it.  I am surrounded by people who do have that talent.  Brett, his Mom and all of his siblings have beautiful voices.  Both of my sisters and nieces have a talent for singing. My nephew has a great ability to rewrite song lyrics.  My kids are both musical inclined, both can sing and both have the lessons and talent to be able to play different instruments. I unfortunately only have a love for it no talent.

There are tons of verses in the bible that talk about singing, which makes me think, God loves music also.  I found over 20 verses in the Psalms alone that refer to singing. David believed in honoring God in song.  I believe David must have also had a love for music, no surprise since he was a man after God's own heart.

One of my favorite verses about song is Psalm 66:1, "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands."   Makes me think, that even for those of us who don't have a natural talent, God still accepts our offering of a joyful noise.  I hope, like other sacrifices, it is the state of the heart that God looks at and not the song it's self.  

Thank you God for music and all the happy memories wrapped up in it.    
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In His presence

I had the privilege and honor of spending the past weekend in Bonne Terre, MO. I was at a retreat with my friend Elaine, and a group of wonderful women from her church.  The whole weekend was awesome.  Beginning Friday afternoon with a 2 and 1/2 hour car ride over by MYSELF, just me and God.  The sun was shining, the weather was warm, the trees were beautiful.  It was a country drive on hilly highways, part of it even ran along the river road.  I drove through Chester, IL, do you know who is from Chester?  Popeye of course.  Imagine.  I live within an hour and 1/2 from the home of Popeye and the home of Superman. Wow.

If you know me at all, you know I am a big music fan especially christian artist, but I chose to spend this ride with the radio off.   Still trying to work on that discipline of listening for God and being still in his presence.  The ride was amazing and I actually hated for it to end.

However, at the end of it were two of  my very good friends, Elaine and Nancy.  We have participated in so many children's, youth and ladies retreats together that this was like a family reunion.  The retreat center was such a neat place.  It is a farm, a couple from their church own it and allow churches to come for retreats.  We stayed in this remodeled barn, which is beautiful, complete with a stone fireplace, bedrooms, bathrooms, complete kitchen, hot tub, horses out the back windows.  Right out the back windows, in fact they have chewed up the screens.  Not just any horses, but Clydesdale's horses, and he had two that were 5 months old.  This place was like a Norman Rockwell painting.  Thank you Mark for your amazing hospitality.  God has certainly given you the gift of servant hood.

I was excited to get to share a testimony for one of the sessions, but even more excited about what God was going to teach me.  The retreat was based on disappointments, and each session was based on a different season of life.  One session was based on disappointment and how God gave this woman hope, one was based on disappointment and how God allowed her to be content even in the disappointment.  One was based on a disappointment in life and how God brought her through the fire of that disappointment.  Another session was  based on disappointment and how even in that disappointment God kept His promises.  Then it was wrapped up with the closing that in all these disappointments, just like every disappointment in life, we have to surrender it to God.  That it all comes down to surrender, if we want to find hope, be content, make it through the fires, and see God's promises we have to surrender all to Him.  God spoke so clearly to me through these other women, so thankful for their open and honest stories.

Then after everyone else left Saturday evening Elaine, Nancy and I stayed behind for the night.  We got to spend the evening in the hot tub catching up on each others lives.  We served together in ministry for so many years, it was so neat to see where God had taken each of us.  The new paths and opportunities he had lead each of us too.  There was a time, when a night for us in a hot tub, might have been filled with conversation that was not so pleasing to God, laced with gossip and malicious words.  But there was none of it that night.  We shared about our ministries, and families, prayer requests for people we love, and agreed to pray for each other in specific areas of our lives.

Then Sunday morning I got up for another 2 and 1/2 hour drive back home.  When I left, there was a light frost on the ground, and fog in the air.  Again, I chose to ride with no music, just me, God and the quiet in the car.  And as I drove, I began to become aware, that there is a difference in knowing God is always with you, and being in the presence of God.  We teach our kids at an early age that God is always with them, and I am always subconsciously aware of that.  But, there is a different feeling about quieting your heart, and your mind, to know you are in the presence of God.

There are two different texts in the bible where it talks about people standing on holy ground. In Exodus, when Moses stands before the burning bush in 3:5 it says, "Do not come any closer" God said, "take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."  Also in Joshua 5, before the fall of Jericho, a man approaches Joshua and in verse 15 it says.  'The commander of the Lord's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." and Joshua did.

I believe that in both these instances these men were standing in the presence of God himself, that is why it is holy ground.  I could be wrong about that, but that is my thoughts.  For me, what distinguished between the difference of God being with me, and being in God's presence, is my attitude, my submission, my heart, my mind, my surrender.  There is a difference in coming to God in that frame of mind, totally focusing on being in the presence of, a Savior who redeemed me, a God who loves me, a Son who died for me, and a Lord who wants all of me.

I have a long way to go to figure this out, but I feel like I got a little glimpse this weekend.  In my car, alone with God, I got a glimpse of what God is calling me to when he says be still and know that I am God.  And I liked it!!!!!!!
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