“There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.”
~Proverbs 14:12

He allows what happens and does what He does, not only because He loves us with a perfect love, but ultimately to bring glory to Himself. He is holy and deserves all praise and glory. When we go through the painful times in our lives and draw more closely to Jesus, spending time in God’s Word, and talking to Him, it brings Him glory. Remember when you are going through times of pain, that Jesus endured, on the Cross, far more pain than we will ever endure in our lives. He took God’s full cup of wrath (that we deserve!) upon Himself, because He loves us!!!

“But He was pierced because of our transgressions,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on Him,
and we are healed by His wounds.”
~Isaiah 53:5

I hope that you have a blessed Easter, and rest in the saving knowledge of the Gospel. Spend time with God in His Word. Give God all the praise and glory that He deserves in your life. Love on your family, friends, and all of those with whom you come into contact. Shine Christ’s love for you to others. In Jesus’ name.

“For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person-though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!”
~Romans 5:6-8

Song: Scissors
Artist: Emery
Album: We Do What We Want

In your brilliance you became the only voice you trust

If it’s true then I’m dead
Right where I stand
Was the plan always this vicious?
You thought that your faith would carry you home

But it left me there in the waiting room alone
As I planned what to say
To the ones I’d be leaving
All praise and honor seem so far away
I never saw this coming you can lose what you found
And here comes the breakdown

Careful, careful watch your mouth
You’re talking like your such the innocent
(Accidents, Accidents, are we all?)
These words will be the death of you
(This I swear and this I know) the blame will find your hands
The blame has found these hands

It’s hard to live this
To know if I mean it
To let You know You have me
That I never can forget it
And these last words I say here
Are the last words that I will share
So God I’m asking, do You even care?

My hands are shaking and they won’t stop
As the world becomes a hospital room
I am not the one to ever disappear
But it’s over now, over now
Say it for the last time, one last time
I want to let go of this world for You

Careful, careful watch your mouth
You’re talking like your such the innocent
(Accidents, Accidents, are we all?)
These words will be the death of you
(This I swear and this I know) the blame will find your hands
The blame has found these hands
Hands held towards the sky
In the cool air of October
The whispers were always there
But they never caught up to your words
So will December find me all alone

The wishful face of the believer
Hope, but there is doubt that bleeds through
Still, I am arrested by Your presence
Nothing will compare to You

David goes on to say that, “this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving into the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist Him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with. 

A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream. 

But do you and I realize what we are doing at this point? We are beginning to mold Jesus into our own image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church buildings to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshiping ourselves.”

Read the lyrics and listen to the song if you like. What are your thoughts on the points made by David in the excerpt that I shared, and the lyrics of The Cheval Glass?

Song: The Cheval Glass
Artist: Emery
Album: We Do What We Want

Turn the cheval glass and find corruption under my skin and mind
You’re so far from safety
Put your fingers to your eye and steal yourself away
Repetition, Repetition
It will not be satisfied
It can not be satisfied
You can not accomplish this
You can not be satisfied

The worst isn’t ever the curse or the cleverest lines
Sang the song of never, never, believed that you meant it this time

It’s time to back all your big words
So Come on now, Come on now
But You’re all lipstick and cheap skirts
You’re the shining light until it hurts
So tonight I’ll make this bleed
Light up the sky with my misdeeds
Cause I hate, I hate, I hate this
I fell from the first time

Fall was upon us with all the leaves turning
You were so sure of yourself
You were asking me questions of us getting older
You hardly could catch your breath
I wanted anything else

And I’ve asked
For the after remorse
To stay
And still these hands
But it never takes it never takes
Old habits are so hard to break
So you fall
And circle through
Your life
That can’t be seen
Avoid the brilliant
Lights that find you
Because when they do you know you’ll have to

It’s time to back all your big words
So Come on now, Come on now
But You’re all lipstick and cheap skirts
You’re the shining light until it hurts
So tonight I’ll make this bleed
Light up the sky with my misdeeds
Cause I hate, I hate, I hate this
I fell from the first time

There’s not enough wisdom or perception
Judge this now take back your life
You are dying and the time you spent was wasted on all the sick dreams of the lie
The lie
The Lie
Pull yourself out
Made yourself in your own image
The Praise you gave thousands of times
Lifted yourself up to the sky
The sky
Bow before all that you have done
The sky, the sky
Bow before all that you have done

On March 29, Emery released their highly anticipated 5th studio album, We Do What We Want. This new album was stated to be one of their heaviest yet, which worried me, after having heard the first song, The Cheval Glass, that they released to fans. I also was saddened to find out that Devin Shelton, the co-lead singer of Emery’s signature dueling vocals, had left the band and wasn’t to be featured on the album. After listening to it a few times, The Cheval Glass began to grow on me. I still anticipated the album’s release with excitement. I was very pleased when Emery released the album artwork for We Do What We Want. It is a genius piece of art, in relation to the album’s title! When asked during an interview why they chose the title “We Do What We Want”, Emery’s lead vocalist, Toby Morrell said, “It has a double meaning. We Do What We Want musically as a band and that’s that. But it also has to do with us and you as people and how we don’t listen to or for what we need. In the end, you and I want to be god of our worlds and that is scary.”

All in all, this is a very good album, and I was pleasantly surprised, considering that Devin isn’t on it. In my upcoming series of posts, I will be posting each song with corresponding lyrics, along with my interpretation of them. So, stay tuned! :0)

Here’s the full transcript of the interview with Toby, from AMP Magazine:

The band was said to have done some filming during the headlining tour last year. Is that footage going to be released in the near future?

We actually used the footage for our video for the song “The Butcher’s Mouth”. There is some extra footage that we might use in the future, but we don’t have anything set in stone.

It was just announced that Devin Shelton is going on an indefinite hiatus from the band. What brought along this decision and how will it affect the band?

Devin thought it was time for him to focus more on his family for a while. There is a great chance that we will work with Devin in the future on another project, or more than likely on our next record later this year that will be entirely acoustic.

What’s the band’s upcoming touring schedule? How is it going to be affected by Shelton’s absence?

We are going out on the We Do What We Want Tour all of March, and then we are headed to Australia at the end of April, so all you fans come check us out. Since Devin is gone, we are going to have to do all HOOBASTANK covers, but other than that, no difference.

For your new record, where and with whom did you record?

Matt Carter, our guitarist, produced the entire thing. He is the third best producer on earth now, so book with him while you can.

What was the overall studio experience? How did the members get along during these sessions?

Actually, we have been doing this so long that it came naturally. Without Devin, Matt and I wrote the entire record. We are more excited than we have been in a long time because we went way heavier, but maintained everything that is EMERY.

What is the future of the band with Shelton gone? Is this going to be the last EMERY record?

This is definitely not the last Emery record. We will be doing this forever. I want to be in the mosh pit when I’m 75.

As far as the album itself goes, why the title We Do What We Want?

It has a double meaning. We Do What We Want musically as a band and that’s that. But it also has to do with us and you as people and how we don’t listen to or for what we need. In the end, you and I want to be god of our worlds and that is scary.

These new songs seem more energetic and forward than the last few releases. Was this a conscious effort?

Yeah, we wanted to bring the noise. We wanted to punch you in the face and then tickle your ears with some sweet southern soul.

Lyrically, what kind of thoughts or themes are expressed this time around?

We constantly try to escape God. We want our identity to be our own, but ultimately find something that is unfulfilling and brings us to self and being more alone.

Looking back at the band’s history, which album would you cite as your favorite and why? How does it compare to this new disc?

I still love In Shallow Seas because it was Devin’s last record so far, and it was us just being us. It captures who we were at the moment. But honestly, I love every record. They are my life’s work.

There are a couple moments on this new record where it sounds like the band tried doing something in the background more…folksy with strings and orchestral elements. How did these parts come to be?

The answer is that we usually start a song with an idea, and it feels like after that the song kinda tells us what it wants and we try to satisfy that. Also, we kinda wanted to just be adventurous. Also, we do what we want…

Which song off this new collection is your favorite and why?

My favorite is track 9, “I Never Got To See The West Coast” because it is the saddest song we’ve done
I think.

Which track will probably become a new show opener? Show closer?

No set list yet, but I think good album openers are usually good set openers. So I wouldn’t be surprised if we open with “The Cheval Glass”. The closer is usually an oldie. “Studying Politics”? “As Your Voice Fades”?

What can fans expect next from EMERY?

Since we do what we want, there is no way to know what to expect next. Irish folk music….hip hop, perhaps?

Any last words you’d like to share to pump up fans for the new album?

If you are already a fan of EMERY, then I think you will really like what we’re giving you on this one. We tried to take steps to do what EMERY is and does best, and not just become a watered-down “rock” version of what we were. We are still developing and excited to be making our genre of music, whatever you like to call it.

Tonight I find it hard to sleep, each sound and squeak I hear keeps me staring at the ceiling. Oh, it’s dark as night outside and I can’t stand the quiet that it brings me. And I’ve got too much on my mind, I think it’s time to take a drive and leave it all behind. I’ve got a song that’s halfway there I think it needs the ocean air I’m going to grab my guitar and get in my car.

Oh, I need some understanding. I need a little love. Gonna speed down to the ocean side in a race with the stars above.

With my guitar in hand and toes touching the sand I can see the sun is coming. Colors fill and crack the sky with purple, silver, and golden light drawing the day from night. On the shoreline a Fisherman with bait on his line and a rod in his hand is ready to greet the day. He turns around to notice me and the two of us are patiently waiting for the sun’s rays.

Oh, I just need some understanding and a little love. And somehow I am thinking now I could get what I’ve been dreaming of. But this Fisherman is closing in, I think He could be crazy.

He says,

“Won’t you ride with me, oh, I could use the company. I’ve got a fish to catch and you have got a song to sing.”

His eyes were anchors as the boat would sway, “What would you like to say? You have my attention.”

“I see you came out here to write your song, but you don’t have too long, so show me what you’re working with. I’d like to give you a little something and you may think it’s nothing on first listen, in the time it takes for you to make love, you could break love, waste love, and throw it all away. But all you need is faith and hope will bring a brighter day. And every time that you love, let it lift someone else up. If somebody tries to burn you, give him your hand in turn and pick him up when he’s all alone. Now if you find yourself getting frustrated try not to get too jaded or you could go ‘insane’ like me.”

“I tell you man you must be crazy. Or am I always lazy when it comes to love? With every failure and turning tide I toss the boomerang but ah, it never comes back to me. So have some faith you say and hope will find it’s way? Well, I doubt what you’re sure of when. And it seems to me the greatest of these is Love…but it’s so hard to love.“

Well, we were sitting on his boat our backs to each other He was giving me a little time. And all that He said was hurting my head wondering how to leave the selfishness behind all that I could say is:

“It’s so hard to love…the way that you want me to.”

(Instrumental break)

I stepped off the boat and thanked the Man, not sure what I was thankful for. When I turned back around to see Him again, He was already gone. Walking back from the water to my guitar, that’s when the light came on. I knew what He was talking about, I knew how to finish my song.

Oh I just need some understanding, I need a little Love. And I want to sing my song to somebody who doubts what they’re made of. Oh, we all need some understanding, we all need Love!

We all need Love!

“…If God is good, then what are we?
There is no plant without a seed.
When morning comes, will we believe
All that was lost can be retrieved?

You say you’re good, then let me see,
A faith is dead without the deed.
How can we fail, if we believe?
Let’s be who we were meant to be…

Wisdom, light my way into the dark.
Your words, the melody that carries me.
We can’t make a change ’til we know who we are.
What burns? The fire refining me.”

“…I will put this third through the fire;
I will refine them as silver is refined
and test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
and I will answer them.
I will say: They are My people,
and they will say: Yahweh is our God.”

~Zechariah 13:9

“It’s a science. It tries to determine underlying patterns in chaotic systems: Weather, ocean currents, blood flow, that sort of thing. Well, it turns out that there are few things more chaotic than the beat of a human heart. Speeding up, slowing down. A pretty face, a flight of stairs. It’s always changing depending on what’s happening to us out there….But underneath all of that bump-a-ta-bump mess, there is, in fact, a pattern. A truth. And it’s love. The most important thing about love is that we choose to give it, and we choose to receive it. Making it the least random act in the entire universe. It transcends blood, it transcends betrayal, and all the dirt that makes us human.“

~Ryan Reynolds character, Frank Allen

Tonight & Forever” from the Chaos Theory Original Soundtrack.

I’m using this blog as an opportunity to share the devotional that I read today. This is an excerpt from the April 27th devotional of Springs in the Valley, by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. It relates to my experience of a year ago and how it doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with the most difficult time in your life, or a time that could easily be considered the best time of your life thus far; you should always go to prayer, in Jesus’ name, for the limitless. Pray that He reveals to you the next chapter in your life. That He will open it in His time, and that it will be in line with His will for your life and to His glory.

April 27

Is any thing too hard for the LORD? (Gen. 18:14)

GOD wants us to ask Him for the impossible! God can do things that man cannot do. He would not be God if this were not so. That is why He has graciously made prayer a law of life. “If ye shall ask…I will do.” This inviting promise from the Lord means that He will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves; He will do for others what we cannot do for them—if we but ask Him. How little do we avail ourselves of this immense privilege!

Someone spoke this searching word at Edinburgh in 1910: “We have lost the eternal youthfulness of Christianity, and have aged into calculating manhood. We seldom pray in earnest for the extraordinary, the limitless, the glorious. We seldom pray with any confidence, for any good to the realization of which we cannot imagine a way. And yet, we suppose ourselves to believe in an Infinite Father.”

The natural man calculates results. Calculations have no place in our relation with God.

That matter which has been so burdening us just now, and with which we can see so way of dealing, how are we praying about it? In anxiety, or with thanksgiving?

Worrying prayer defeats its own answer; rejoicing prayer gets through. “In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Then will come the answer “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

The more we are cut off from human help, the greater claim we can make on Divine help. The more impossible a thing is to human or mortal power, the more at peace we can be when we look to Him for deliverance.

“Only those who seek the invisible can do the impossible!”

God will answer when to thee,

Not a possibility

Of deliverance seems near;

It is then He will appear.

God will answer when you pray;

Yea, though mountains block thy way,

At His word, a way will be

E’en through mountains, made for thee.

God who still divides the sea,

Willingly will work for thee;

God, before whom mountains fall,

Promises to hear thy call.

~M.E.B

Have you ever had one of those moments that seems like it’s from some sort of movie that you’ve seen? Of course you have! Well, on Thursday, December 17, I had one of those wow,-a-man-told-me-something-profound-and-then-I-looked-around-10-to-20-seconds-later-and-he’s-wasn’t-anywhere-to-be-seen,-almost-like-he-was-an-angel moments! Haha!

So, I was filling my cup up with tea, with my Bible and devotional book in hand, prepared to leave Hamburger Haven. And a man with a short, grayish beard, and salt and pepper hair asks me if I go to the Bible college nearby. He was wondering if I was holding my textbooks, and I told him, “no they’re just my devotional for the day.” He then said, “you should check out Proverbs 18:19, it’s a good one.” I said, “thanks, there’s a lot of good ones in Proverbs”, as he walked away. I looked back up 10-20 seconds later as I was leaving, and he was no where to be seen, not inside the restaurant, or outside going to his car, nowhere as far as I could tell.

It was very cool! It immediately made me think of something that would happen in a movie about an angel, such as The Preacher’s Wife, which I had just finished watching the night before. Additionally, me and a friend had recently talked about angel’s and how her dad had talked to her about God sending angels for protection. The next day, her devotional was all about God sending angels into our lives to watch over us through various avenues.

So, back to my recent experience. Thinking about what the man had said, it definitely sparked my interest to look up the scripture he had recommended. So as soon as I got in my car, I did just that. And then I was puzzled. When I looked up the scripture, I didn’t understand how it applied to any current situation in my life.

the proverb says…

“It’s harder to make amends with an offended friend than to capture a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with iron bars.”

I have no clue how that applies, but it’s definitely good to know, and makes sense. I was thinking that maybe he meant to say, Proverbs 19:18. So I looked it up, and it would make more sense…

“Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don’t, you will ruin their lives.”

Maybe he saw that I had interest in doing my devotionals, and then assumed that my parents raised me well, and therefore, my life isn’t ruined. I don’t know, but it logically makes sense. I then went back to work. I told our new doctor about it, and she said that maybe he meant Psalm 18:19 instead. So I looked it up, and of course, it’s a good one too…

“He led me to a place of safety;
He rescued me because he delights in me.”

So, I found 3 new verses and had a great experience that, whether he was an angel or not, was God lead. All in all, an awesome experience! After that, the weekend that followed consisted of some major angels that God sent my way as well. But I’ll follow up with that story in one of my blog post’s in the near future.

Directly below this, is a video that my friend also shared with me. It’s a video of Tyler Perry’s character, Madea giving advice on letting go. You will probably laugh, and maybe even cry, depending on what you might be dealing with currently. It relates very well to the message in this blog post. It’s so difficult to hear this advice, but sometimes, it what we need to hear.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anais Nin

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING WE CAN LET GO

Let it go…by T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead. You’ve got to know when it’s over.

Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains…LET IT GO!!!

If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth…LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you…LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge…LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction…LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents…LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude…LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better…LET IT GO!!!

If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him…LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship….LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help themselves…LET IT GO!!!

If you’re feeling depressed and stressed…LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying “take your hands off of it,” then you need to…LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2010!!! LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left…think about it, and then LET IT GO!!!

“The Battle is the Lord’s!”

If you feel lead to, simply say “The Lords Prayer” for the person, or whatever the situation may be that you have been holding onto in your life. Seek what He wills for your life, because after all, why should you want anything different. Our plans are small, His plans are bigger than you can fathom, predict, or control.

The Lords Prayer, from Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever. Amen.

Next, stop and think and appreciate God’s power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.

“Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior. He Keeps me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one. But with Him, I can do everything, Christ is my strength.”

God loves you and watches over you every day.

USED vs. LOVED

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone; and scratched lines on the side of the car.

In anger, the man took the child’s hand and hit it many times not realizing he was using a wrench.

At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.  When the child saw his father, with painful eyes he asked, ‘Dad when will my fingers grow back?’

The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.

Devastated by his own actions, sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written ‘LOVE YOU DAD’. The same day that man committed suicide…

Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life & remember this:

Things are to be used and people are to be loved.  The problem in today’s world is that people are used while things are loved.

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character; Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

And always keep in mind: Things are to be used, People are to be loved.