The Switch To Tumblr

So from now on, I'll be posting primarily to my Tumblr blog.

Check it out!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The next two weeks are going to be a couple of the most crazy ones I’ve had in a very long time. I’m headed up to Florida with my Marine Biology class, then going towards upstate South Carolina for band practice for a youth conference I’m leading worship at, and when you throw in church, friends, and family time, you’ve got yourself a serious need for some Red Bulls.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE being busy, but I find myself losing time for Bible reading or even prayer, and it’s right about then when I ask God, “Why am I too busy on this stuff to spend time with You?”, and that’s generally when I realize that’s exactly what I’m doing: making myself too busy for God.

Lord, let me not crowd my days with so much that I put You in second place. I want You to be the solitary focus of every one of my days. Until forever. Amen.

Walks In The Rain

So I should probably be working on an English paper that's due this Friday right now, but I'm a little busy keeping this blog updated.

Figures.

So the other day, I was reading on Misty Edward's Facebook wall how she likes going for walks in the rain because she loves to hear "Heaven's symphony play her name in melodious thunder." Well quite honestly, I was curious to know what she meant. I've always respected her relationship with God, so I knew that I had to try it. Just once.

But now I'm hooked.

I absolutely love walking in the rain while praying now. It's such an awesome experience to pray and seek God's attributes in nature as I feel the water flow down my face. I can't really compare it to anything else I've ever done. I'm hoping to open the door to God's divine favor in my life by showing Him that I mean business. For real.

I look at those prominent figures of the Bible, and how they were constantly proving they meant business to God by spending time seeking after Him, so I figured I should do the same. I mean, It's hard sometimes to keep leading worship when I can't seem to see the immediate fruits of my labor. Occasionally, I'll even wonder if doing all that work of planning a set, making copies, and practicing music is really worth it. So as I continue to walk in the rain and seek after my True Love, I pray that He'll look down from Heaven and say, "Well done."

Keeping Silent

It's extremely hard for me to be confrontational. I'm just not very good at it. It's almost like sometimes I won't even try to correct someone, or give my opinion in hopes to avoid a conflict.

This is a dangerous mindset to have, especially in today's highly opinionated society. Generally speaking: if you don't know the facts on an issue, then chances are you won't be entirely convicted by it, and you'll be blown around like the seeds of a dandelion by all the hot air blowing round about you.

That's why recently, I've found it easier to stay quiet around people, and let everyone else give their opinion before I put in my two-cents. That way, I can take the time to establish my opinions or gather my facts before looking like someone who is ignorant about something. The hard truth? I don't know everything. Which is why during many of the discussions my class holds during Philosophy, I stay quiet. It's not that I don't have an opinion about the topic at hand, but I would rather someone think that I'm keeping my thoughts to myself, rather than having to improvise a bunch of statements that might not necessarily be my true convictions on it.

Good thing the Good Book backs me up on this. Proverbs says that even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent. Now Mama didn't raise no fool, so if I apply this principle to my life, how much can I find myself in the shoes of a wise man?

Is it hard for you to keep silent sometimes? Why?

Salt, Coffee, and Lady GaGa

Hello. My name is Taylor and I used to be addicted to Lady GaGa.

Ok, well, not exactly addicted, but I used to listen some of her songs every once in a while. Along with a HUGE variety of other secular and mainstream artists.

The other day, I went out for some coffee with Pastor Blake to discuss the worship set for an approaching Wednesday night. However, we soon found ourselves talking about different kinds of music and soon after that, about the kind of music we should/shouldn't listen to.

Now before you go off thinking that he's one of those pastors that believes that rock music is the devil, let me explain: he talked about a pile of pepper.

Imagine you have a pile of pepper in the middle of a table.

Occasionally (not often, but sometimes) you place a grain of salt in the pile. Maybe not everyday, but perhaps once a week, or every few days.

Pretty soon, it will be impossible to distinguish between the pepper and the salt. Impossible.

Now just think: if we profess to be Christs' followers, but jam out to certain music, or watch certain movies, what does that say about our walk with Him?

Can those grains of salt mix so thoroughly with our pile of pepper, that soon it will be impossible to see Christ in us?