Power of Worship in us

I was always told that the devil uses secular music as a tactic to lure many people into the world of secular music. It is a weapon of the enemy, a thing I was told that I had to constantly fight against. I don't deny that there are many young christians that struggle with an issue of listening to secular music, but I will say that I think we give it such a horrific definition, and in a way much more power than it deserves.

I watched the Grammys last night and I watched Nicki Minaj's performance. I cringed the whole time. I log on to facebook and see a ton of statuses and twitter post about how Nicki is so demon possessed and she needs deliverance, how inappropriate it was, etc. All very good points, but nonetheless, very obvious points. But I began to think: who cares? Why do christians feel so offended, so intimidated, so threatened by the world's tactics? Last time I checked, my God was still greater.

We all know the story of Lucifer. An angel created to do one thing and one thing only. Worship. Every part of his being did just that, and I can only just imagine the music and worship that poured out of him. One day he realized just how beautiful he was, and decided the worship should go to him. Then he was cast out because of the pride in him. Can you imagine not being able to do the ONE THING that you were created for? Then I realized just how powerful worship is. When God created us, he created us to do ONE THING and one thing only: to worship HIM. He gave us the power that Lucifer lost in heaven. He gave us the creativity, the voice, the instruments that enable us to do so. And in there lies Satans anger, frustration, and jealousy. The bible says that Lucifer was a loved angel to God, that he was on the mountain of God. He was pretty much V.I.P. He was truly loved by God. The fact that God created us to do the one thing that Lucifer can never do is quite mind blowing to me. Which is why he made us in His image, so that we would never exalt ourselves higher than God. So that our very existence reminds us our our Creator. He regards us higher than anything in heaven, which is why he stops everything just to hear us when we worship. In our worship, we then are able to go to God's mountain. We are able to enter The Holy of Holies.

The way I see it now, the devil doesn't "create" music. Its what he USED to do. He can only distort the minds of those creating it. It is our job to not worry on the pittyful things of the World, but to worship God with even more love and more creativity.  The secular music industry isn't advancing because Satan is more creative, it is advancing because we have yet to understand the exact power and abilities we have in our worship. We have yet to understand the wonderful and beautiful connection we make our Father in heaven. We have yet to understand the power of worship in us.  The devil has lost every battle because no matter what he throws in our direction, at the end of the day, we took his job. We stand were he once stood.

Taking a risk

My family used to get together for memorial day or the fourth of July and take a little trip to a park called Highland Park, located in Highland Park. We would have our family picnics there and we would all bring our bikes because on the other side of the park was this very steep hill that gave us the biggest adrenaline rush ever. Looking back at it, it's a miracle that no one ever was sent to the hospital. Actually, it was very stupid of us. We would get to the top of the hill start biking down and then lift our feet up because we could no longer pedal due to how fast we were going. Sometimes if we felt we were losing control we would go in to the grass and just throw ourselves down because we would have gotten hurt if we kept going down.  At the time I must have been 10/11 yrs old.

If you were to ask me to do that again now, I would tell you that you're out of your mind and walk away.

I want to reach that point of risk-taking that I used to have. I want to be like I used to be when I was younger and take risks and not care about what COULD happen, but believe that everything would be okay when I reach the bottom of the hill. That even if I know that something bad might happen, I simply steer into grassy areas and start climbing that hill again to complete my goal.

I've lately been so frustrated at what my life has turned out to be. I've had resentment, to a certain point, toward all those who get everything handed to them and dont appreciate what they have in front of them. One of my biggest dreams right now and biggest desire is to go back to school. I long to be back in a classroom and just learn about everything and anything. Everytime I think I'm close enough life gets in the way. After quite sometime of being out of school, I find myself at the top of the hill wondering if I'll ever have the chance to reach the finish line, the bottom of the hill. I find myself watching others reach that finish line as I stay up there. My other prayer is to have the guts to fall in love. I watch others fall in love and feel the adrenaline rush as I keep chickening out because I'm too busy "guarding" my heart. I don't want to get scratched up or bruised up, but honestly the only thing that happens is that I watch others have the time of their life as I stay on top of the hill because I'm too scared to go down.

I've been on top of this "hill" for quite a while. Too scared to go anywhere. Stuck in the same place. But I can hear a voice in my head telling "Get on that bike and start pedaling". I have no idea what God has in store, but I know that I'm tired of seeing everyone reach the finish line. I realize now that I have to go back to the attitude I used to have when I was a younger girl and not even care about what the outcome might be, but to go down the hill carefree and believe with all my heart that I will be okay.

It's time to start pedaling.

Mr. Not-So-Right

Girls have always been taught to look for Mr. Right either by our parents or Disney movies we saw when we were little ones. As girls get older they still seem to have that whole scene in their head when Prince Charming and Cinderella get married and the whole town is celebrating. As a christian girl, we are even more drilled with all the qualities and requirements a man should posses before we even consider him. Our "callings" have to be compatible. His ministry should compliment mine. Prayer warrior. etc.

And thats on top of the whole blue eyes, brown hair thing we search after.

The more.."alone" I find myself the more I find myself cutting down my list of requirements. Not because I want to settle for just anything, but because I realize that there is only one thing that matters: at the end of the day we are in Gods perfect will, and we are two instruments he put together to glorify him in anything we do.

Im looking for Mr. Not-So-Right. I don't want a human Ken doll, I want someone who is as real as it gets. He's going to have to be brave because I refuse to kill any insects in our home. He's going to have to be tall because I'm only 5 ft tall, who else is going to reach things for me? He's going to have to be a prayer warrior, because I guarantee that there are going to be days he wishes he could escape from me, hahaha. He's going to have to be strong for when we have wrestling matches. He's going to have to have alot of energy because... we will be staying up till the crack of dawn sometimes. :). He has to have a sense of humor because I am the biggest dork and my dancing and singing around the house wont be too amazing.  He's going to have love God because that will be the glue in our marriage.

I don't want someone who checks off all the requirements on my list. I want someone who simply gets me. Who loves the things I love because he loves me, not because we are doing the same thing. Perfect men don't exist, but real men do. I am nowhere near perfect and thats how I want him to love me. Girls who expect perfect will waste years looking for it, because there is no such thing.

I'm waiting for my Mr. Not-So-Right :)