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The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Jun4
Notes

Notes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

The Sound Track of Our Lives

One of the first times I heard of Graham Cooke,

was several years ago at a conference for Aglow International. 

A phrase he used was “The soundtrack of our lives”. 

Those words stuck in my heart like an old song. 

They caused me to begin an investigation of my heart and life so profound that I had no idea where those notes would take me. 

I have spent no small amount of time picking apart my “soundtrack’ and learning how to place each note firmly into the lap of Jesus. 

Here is a quick list of just some of the things I discovered along a not so quick exploration of what was underneath that “soundtrack”. 

There is only room for one headline.  

We are prone to only being able to process one trauma at a time. 

When we become assaulted with trauma after trauma,

our minds have an amazing ability to protect themselves.

If the “soundtrack” is loud enough,

we can drown out the pain and confusion of those assaults.


We convince ourselves that we are strong enough to handle it all alone.

If we cannot handle it alone,

our tendencies lean towards placing blame on others; 

If someone else would have….. then we could have….. 

If someone else didn’t ….. Then we wouldn’t ….. 

We can fill in the blanks however we need to. 

The fact remains that we aren’t facing our own trials and tribulations.

If there is no one else to blame,

we deny that there is a problem at all.

Denial sends our trauma to the deepest part of our hearts.

It hides there and plays quietly over and over and over again,

until something happens to bring it all back to the surface again.

When this happens, we continue to hear that “soundtrack”. 

We keep on hearing that one track over and over,

which diverts our attentions everywhere except where it needs to be.

Dealing with our trials and tribulations head on.

This can take the form of any kind of compulsive behavior, excessive habit or addiction. 

From sleeping to eating to drug and alcohol abuse. 

From over working, over exercising, over vacationing,

over internet-ting, over hobby-ing, over TV/movie watching,

over anything.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think any of these things are inherently bad.

It is in the over use of them that they become a dangerous continuous loop.

I know that this is just the short list of things that play constantly in the background of our lives.

These are our own personal “Soundtracks”.

Everyone’s is a bit different,

But they are good place to start.

 

So.  What’s the answer then?

How can we change the our tune? 

How can we get to a different station?

 

We have tried just about everything. 

These “soundtracks” made us think we were getting better,

getting past the trauma.

The truth of the matter was,

these fixes only last a short time before the distracting “soundtrack” begins again,

Each time, louder than the last.

Personally, I have found only one thing that works,

And that is the Word of God.

Which is the very thing that my “soundtrack” wants to cover up.

Since God’s word speaks in a still small voice,

His voice is easy to miss.

I have to be really intentional about hearing it.

I have to place myself in a position to hear His voice.

 

The following categories of thought have been a great help to me;

*Mind renewal

*Listening for His voice

*Replacing the continuous loop of negativity by singing a new song

*Receiving joy from God Himself

*Being very intentional about all of the above

 

I have to choose it. 

Choose joy. 

It will not come to me all by itself.

Following are some scriptures to peruse.

You can use one or all.

Each is beneficial.   

 

Psalm 51:10  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Colossians 3:9-10  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Isaiah 28:23   Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.

John 10:27   My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Hebrews 3:15   As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

Psalm 33:3   Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Psalm 98:4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

Psalm 119:54   Your decrees are the theme of my song

James 1:25  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

1 Chronicles 28:9   “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

 Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7  But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don’t think Eliab is the one just because he’s tall and handsome. He isn’t the one I’ve chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

 Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalm 94:19  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 33:3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Psalm 149:4-6   For the Lord takes delight in his people;he crowns the humble with salvation.  Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.  May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.

Please take some time to find out what the real soundtrack is for your life. 

The one God created for you, not the one that the world has fed you from the beginning.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139:14

If you need help getting started, please visit the rescue page at the top of this blog.

                A new “Soundtrack” awaits you.                       

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Processing Memories

May29

Of all the things that can be a part of ones memories,

Rape has to be near the top of the list of atrocities.

The enemy of our soul, who hates us with vicious malaise,

uses this and more to destroy any possibility of reaching

the heights that God has for us.

This story made me realize that even though the processing

has been done, it my never be finished.

Like shards of glasses embedded deep inside,

the remnants work their way to the surface.

http://goodwomenproject.com/rape/when-no-one-believes-you

This is all so doom and gloom, right?

Let me tell you about the light.

The Year of the Lord’s Favor  (NIV1984)

61: 1-3, 7.  The Spirit  of the Sovereign Lord  is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.   He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3  and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown  of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit  a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy  will be theirs.

Jesus truly is the only answer to the pain.

He will never leave you or forsake you.  (Joshua 1:5)

Then you will know the truth, and the truth (He) will set you free.  (John 8:32)

He knows the truth.

He IS the Truth.

You are not alone.

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Constant Battle. Regarding Restfulness.

May23

It is a constant battle to be quiet.

A constant battle to be restful.

To hear the “Still small voice” of the Holy Spirit.

Each nerve, each cell, each synapse firing.

For more information, more knowledge,  more of anything but peace.

They twitch and scream for attention.

They demand more, more, more.

While my spirit longs for only what God can give.

Each jolt of my nerves takes me farther away.

Sitting in quietness appears to be counterproductive to my natural man.

The world we live in cajoles us into the belief that stillness is not beneficial or constructive.

After beginning this post, I read a post by Seth Godin called

“Ranking for Signal to Noise Ratio” 

posted to Facebook  on the 22 of May.

The timing could not have been better.

Seth’s main point was that in a quiet place,

the noise does not have to be big to be heard. 

In a noisy place like a night club,

no matter how loud you talk,

it is difficult to be heard.

Reminds me of my “Quiet time”.

Frequently, it may take a half an hour or more to silence all the noise,

to still all the synapses.

Even more frequently, I find myself not taking that time.  

I have so much to do!

Like email, Facebook, Pinterest!

Ouch!  It hurts to admit that!

The list on my desk grows while I spend my time zoning out on “important stuff”.

More often than not,

I must MAKE myself be really intentional about turning it all off.

I suspect that you may see yourself here as well.

As the roar of the World Wide Web grows larger every day,

my intent to hear the “Still small voice” of God must grow as well.

Truth?  I’ve heard it all before.  So have you.  It’s all just part of the noise!

But there is truth that is even bigger, with a “smaller” voice.

Here is what it says;

9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of Jehovah came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?

10 And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword: and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before Jehovah; but Jehovah was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Jehovah was not in the earthquake:

12 and after the earthquake a fire; but Jehovah was not in the fire:

and AFTER the fire a still small voice.

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

1 Kings 19:9-14

 

You see how Elijah was jealous for Jehovah the God of hosts?

Read how God was not in the tumult of earth, wind and fire, all synapses firing.

These things sought Elijah’s very life.

God was in the still small voice AFTER the fire.

Then we read again that Elijah was jealous for Jehovah God,

and was sad that all the others had forsaken Him for all the noise. 

They had made all that was in front of them in the noise, their god.

Join me won’t you?

Let us set our intent to be jealous for our Jehovah God.

Let Him be our delight, our highest joy, and our greatest pleasure.

 

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11

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