Tag Archive | Value

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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He Delights in You

May21

The following text was written during a time the biblical David’s life was rife with conflict.

Multiple battles with the Philistines.                         

People ceaselessly trying to take his life.

Yet, he saw His God as the protector of that life.

 

2 Samuel 22 (NIV1984)   David’s Song of Praise

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from   the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.  He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent men you save me.  4 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

5 “The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.  6 The cords of the grave coiled around me;   the snares of death confronted me. 7 In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God.  From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

8 “The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.9 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.10 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.  11 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky. 13 Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. 14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.  15 He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them. 16 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.  18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.  19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. 20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. 23 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 24 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

(It is thought that this took place BEFORE David’s sins of murder and adultery.  Even after that though, it is still maintained that David’s heart was to return and to stay within the guidelines God had set for him)

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,27 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. 28 You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.  29 You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light. 30With your help I can advance against a troop with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.  He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. 32 For who is God besides the Lord?  And who is the Rock except our God?  33 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.  35 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great. 37 You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. 40 You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.  41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. 42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the Lord, but he did not answer. 43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

44 “You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me, 45 and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me. 46 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.

47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!  Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! 48 He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, 49 who sets me free from my enemies.  You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. 50 Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. 

51 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

 

Have you had multiple battles?

Multiple attacks?

Does it seem as though God is absent?

Note in verse 8 how God was angry at those who tried to hurt David.

So angry that the heavens shook.

Note in verse 15 God scattered David’s enemies and in verse 20, He rescued him and brought him into a spacious place.

Why?  Because He delighted in him.

In verse 28 God saved David when he was humble and brought low his enemies who were proud.

God made him strong and able to do battle.

Why?  Because David asked.

 

So go ahead.  Ask.  The same is true for you.

God awaits your call. (verses 4 & 7)

He wants to do the same for you.

Why?  Because God delights in you.

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