God Loves a Joyful Noise

Need a laugh? Found this on Matthew Paul Turner's blog, an author that I used to work with in a previous job. I love his blog title, When Christians Can't Sing.

Peace of Mind by Mindy Smith

A new year gives fresh starts. So, for those of you who have a tough 2011, here is a song to help in your search for a peace of mind and a hopeful heart.

Mindy Smith - Peace of Mind (courtesy of You Tube)

I need peace of mind
and a hopeful heart
to lose this rage
and move out of the dark
I ain't looking for rainbows
or shooting stars
just some peace of mind
and a hopeful heart

I need a peace of mind
and a lullaby
cause theres an angry voice
in my head tonight
tellin' me to do things
that can't be right
I need peace of mind
and a lullaby

and a miracle
for this broken soul
a little miracle
for this broken soul

I need peace of mind
and gentle hand
as I try to change
the way I am
and God forgives me
when I can't
I need peace of mind
and a gentle hand

or a miracle
for this broken soul
a little miracle
for this broken soul

I need peace of mind
and a hopeful heart

Tim Tebow and Jesus Christ

I’m jumping on the Tebow Time bandwagon and adding my two cents. I don't have a problem with Tim Tebow's vocal belief in Jesus Christ. As a Christ follower, I wouldn't go as far as to call him God's quarterback as alot in the media have dubbed him. I believe that God is answering other prayers besides the ones from Tebow. And, for the Broncos seven straight wins, it has more to do with Tebow's leadership to ignite his teammates and do the impossible than divine intervention. I knew the run would be over when they played the New England Patriots. As a Pats fan, I knew Tom Brady and crew would humble Tebow and beat the Broncos badly. Tom Brady showed how the game is played when awesome QB skill is carried through all four quarters. I like Tebow's heart and how he prayed for the injured Pats player when they carried him off the field. Through more game time and improvements in accuracy when he passes to his moving targets, Tebow will be a QB threat in the upcoming years.

If you watched SNL this past Saturday, they did a skit on Tebow and Jesus. As a Christ follower, I wasn't offended that they did a satirical swipe at Tebow mania. I know some of the Christians that were offended. But, you have to laugh at the absurdity of all. To focus on God answering prayers of quarterback instead of focusing on the prayers of the unemployed, the hungry, poor, and sick. The media doesn’t elevate the local pastor whose church is helping those children who may not get presents this Christmas. It’s because the pastor’s efforts doesn’t sell magazines or get high network ratings. Only the efforts of young quarterback in the prayer position. You have to say God has a sense of humor by using Tebow to bring words like prayer, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior into a politically correct public arena. And, doing it through another place of worship – football. It’s fun to see the debates on divine intervention vs. actual skill. Regardless if you agree with his beliefs or not, Tim Tebow has made an impact on our cynical society.

Courtesy of Saturday Night Live/NBC Universal (video from You Tube - Charles Prince BKNY post)

Where are the single Christian men?

As many single Christian women can attest, it can be hard to find decent single Christian men to date. I thought it was an issue for women of a certain age. But, it sounds like it's hitting the 20 and 30 somethings too. These men lack initative. To be bold and ask a girl out, then following up with dating plans. When you meet them online, they put you in a prepetual pen pal state as they send several long email essays with endings like "we should get together, so call me or text me sometime". You go along with the program since he writes the right words like "I believe that God should be the center of communication" and "communication is important to me to express I how feel, good and bad" and "I believe that conversation should happen in person and not over alot of emails". Words that women want to hear cause face it, we all want men who do communicate their feelings well and we don't want to email forever.

But, time goes on. You may have moved off the dating website to texting. You keep texting while waiting for the first date invitation. Still nothing. You realize he is asking the same questions from when you were talking on the dating site. He doesn't remember that he has asked you the same questions before. You play along, giving him the benefit of the doubt that his memory may not be good. Deep down, you wonder if it is because he is chatting with alot of women at once and can't keep all you girls straight. Regardless, no date in sight. You don't want to be mean and bitter but you wonder if he is just a good writer and has no plans to meet in real life. Or that he just likes the female attention.

It also happens when you meet them in singles group or Bible study group. These men who enjoy their singleness and the attention of all the single women in their group since the female to male ratio is higher. They don't have to take initative because alot of women pursue them. I'm starting to think the Christian men who actually take the lead and make things happen are already married.

It's not just Christian men. It appears to be alot of men in general regardless of the reglious affiliation that don't take initative. With articles like The End of Men and Why Men are in Trouble, it is a cultural problem that is getting more exposure. I don't know if alot of boys are being raised to be men of action (outside of video games) and leadership. Or if they are intimidated by the success of women's achievements in education, work, and personal finances. What ever the issue is, I don't know what the cure could be. Only to hope and pray that there are some single men who can rise above it and shine. And, that they ask women out and make it happen.

Praying for a Husband

There are a group of single Chistian women who fast and pray every Monday for a husband. I read about them and pondered the idea of following suit. Like a good marketing campaign (I know this because I work in marketing), there are testimonies that God answered their prayers and these women got married. I am happy for them but my skepticism came out. It's how I'm wired. I question every thing and not take it at face value. For some reason, a part of me sees this aligning with the prosperty gospel - "pray to God to bless you financially and money will show up unexpectedly." Don't get me wrong. I believe that prayer works. But going down this path feels like I'm making God be Santa Claus, giving Him this list of desires to fulfill. Author Anna Broadway was able to articulate this better than me.

Currently, I'm 40 years old and never married. I have dated but none of those men took it to the next step and proposed. I have had to accept that it may not be God's will for my life to marry. My mom (who is more faithful in this area than me) believes it is the wrong timing. That God will answer the desire of my heart. Yet, I know God doesn't answer every prayer. If marriage does happen, it would be a miracle and not from anything that I'm doing. I told her hopefully it doesn't happen at the nursing home when I'm 70. But, anything is possible.

So, I'm living life and not making it a big search anymore. I spent most of my 30s looking for that husband through online dating. Wasting alot of time on first dates that didn't go anywhere. Or dating men that lacked the qualities I needed for a healthy relationship. I don't want my 40s to mirror the last decade. It helps that I no longer can have biological childen. The pressure of getting married before the fertility window closed was so strong that finding a husband took priority over most things in my life. No more. The goal now is to continue growing with existing friendships and seeking out additional friends. And, getting love from my family.

As for praying for a husband, I will work through the skepticism. And, if God does answer that prayer, you will get a wedding invitation.

Heart Like Mine

When I'm listening to the song Heart Like Mine by Miranda Lambert, I think alot of conservative Christians would be appalled with her lyrics.

Even though I hate to admit it
Sometimes I smoke cigarettes
The Christian folks say I should quit it
And I just smile and say "god bless"

Cause I heard Jesus he drank wine
And I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm a storm and heal the blind
And I bet he'd understand a heart like mine


She flaunts her humanity, the nature that allows her to be honest about herself. That she doesn't fit in the religious dogmatic box when it comes to her feelings about Jesus Christ. She doesn't sign up to be self- righteous or holier-than-thou but accepts the grace that is given to her. She knows that Jesus would talk to her, learn about her, accept her, and loves her. It's the reason why the religious ones wanted him dead. If you don't believe he could love a girl like her, it is not understanding God's heart. He does understand a heart like hers not the heart of a Pharisee. With that love, she will be transformed and grow as a woman after God's heart.

Lambert understands that when she says
And I'll fly away from it all one day
And I'll fly, I'll fly away
But these are the days that I will remember
When my names called on a roll
He'll meet me with two long stem glasses
And make a toast to me coming home

She knows she can run into the open arms of her Father like a prodigal daughter. The song echoes the faith of Brennan Manning whose memoir, All is Grace, I just finished. He calls himself a ragamuffin who struggles with his demons while knowing how much God loves him as him. Despite the darkness he has tackled throughout his life, he allows God's grace to carry him through. It's not about being perfect but understanding that God loves us, and we can be transformed by it.

In this season of Advent as we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we will be like Miranda Lambert with our heart anticipating acceptance and grace. We will fly away to where there are no more tears and no more pain. All will be new and we can feast at the banquet table with the One who loves us and celebrate our hearts.

Country Music Girls Sing the Best Relationship Songs

Didn't use to be a country music fan. But listening to songs from Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum, the lyrics are swaying me over to that side. Country singing girls know how to tell like it is when it comes to men and relationships. Their lyrical tirades let those men know how they feel and let us fans articulate what we need to say in a catchy 3 minute tune. These songs are a great elixir for the breakup blues or relationships that test your patience.

Miranda Lambert - Baggage Claim


Lady Antebellum - Long Gone (here is a song that sums up my recent relationship situation)


It's so like you just to show up at my door
And act like nothin's happened
You think I'll sweep my heart up off the floor
And give it to you
Like so many times before
You're talking to a stranger
I'm not that girl anymore

[Chorus]
That girl is long gone
Boy you missed the boat it just sailed away
Long gone
She's not drowning in her yesterdays
Betcha never thought I'd be that strong
Well this girl is long gone

Don't waste your breath with baby baby please
Cuz I am so not listening
Don't bother getting down upon your knees and try to beg me
I'm tired of how you twist the truth
You're not talking to the same girl
Who used to forgive you

[Repeat Chorus]

Gone like the wind under Superman's cape
Like a thief in the night I made the great escape
I'm not the kind of girl that keeps making the same mistakes

[Chorus]
That girl is long gone
Boy you missed the boat it just sailed away
Long gone
I'm not drowning in my yesterdays
Betcha never thought I'd be that strong, betcha didn't
Yeah well baby I proved you wrong
This girl is long gone, long gone
This girl is long gone, long gone
This girl is long gone
This girl is gone

Celebrating C.S. Lewis

Today a lot of people will remember this day as it is the anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. It happened before I was born. My mom remembers the day vividly with news being announced in her middle school classroom. His assassination as well as his brother’s, Martin Luther King, and several others sent the sixties generation into a free-for-all. Belief in institutions like government, schools, and church eroded because the world no longer seemed secure. And, they felt that those institutions couldn’t protect them.

That skepticism still resonates to this day as that attitude about church was passed down to me. Because of a bad church experience, my mom didn’t make go to church as child. Religion would be my choice. As I got older, I wasn’t an atheist. More of an agnostic, believing in some higher power. I couldn’t wrap my arms around certain religions like Christianity. And, most of the Christians I met were judgmental and self-righteous. I prided myself on my intellectual abilities, bragging that I didn’t need God even though inside I felt empty and lost. At the age of 27, from listening to ad on a pop radio station, I started going to a church geared toward skeptical Gen Xers like me. It was the first time I heard about Jesus Christ and learned about forgiveness and grace. Jesus was friends with the prostitutes, tax collectors, adulterers, and foreigners. He was radical and revolutionary. Something that a lot of people don’t know about because of the religious dogma that is being spoken instead of His love.

Learning more about Jesus, I became a Christ follower. Reading C.S. Lewis helped to feed the intellectual side of my new belief. Lewis had grown up in the church. But as a teenager, he became an atheist. When he was teaching at Oxford, he became a Christian. Some say it was the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien with whom he met with other writers on a weekly basis in a literary discussion group called the Inklings. His debates and discussions with Tolkien, who was Catholic, led Lewis to embrace Christianity again. He said in his book Surprised by Joy, “he was like a prodigal, kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape.” I can totally relate to this. People who knew me before I was 27 are amazed that I follow Christ. I fought it but couldn’t deny Him anymore. Reading Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity helped to seal the deal. C.S. Lewis’ writings have impacted many regardless of their religious beliefs. Most children and adults love the Chronicles of Narnia.

Today is C.S. Lewis’ birthday. He died the same day as JFK. Yesterday was my grandfather’s birthday who died eleven years ago. He was the only father figure in my life because I didn’t know my father. As he was dying from cancer, he embraced the Jesus he knew from childhood and had walked away from as a teenager, similar to C.S. Lewis. Having that rekindled love for Jesus helped my grandfather to die peacefully and not be afraid of leaving his family behind as he faced death bravely.

November 21st and 22nd will always be special days for me.