the next BIG thing in music. :)

dear reader,

You're probably wondering who the next BIG thing in music is, or by what authority i declare them "the next BIG thing in music" right? Here it is, plain and simple; by God's authority.
I know that anyone and everyone who lives to please the Lord, will have their share of blessings fall on them, including God's guidence through everything and success granted from God alone.
By that i mean... using your God given gifts, not as a form of entertainment for the world, but as a direct approach at thanking God by using them for His Glory, and His Glory alone. So in three words, here's the next Big thing; *drumroll please*
BY GRACE MUSIC

The band consists of four guys; Austin Adamec, William Smith, Asher Adamec & Robert McMinn. :)
I just recently found out about them through, yes, Twitter. Twitter seems to be the IT thing lately, for some odd reason. haha ;)
Anyways, this is by no means an attempt at song reviews, band reviews, or a biography about this rising band. This is just from a girl who felt moved to help them spread the word about their ministry. If you wanna read a biography/listen to
their music, go here; http://www.myspace.com/bygracerock
As you will see, they only have a few things up at the moment, but have a 3 song EP coming out September 26th (can't get here fast enough ;)) which will be on iTunes.
But what is up on there, is great. I can't wait for more.

So that's about it, i simply wanted to help them spread the word as they are rising from Jacksonville, Florida into the rest of the world. Remember their name.

For more info on the band & what they're up to visit the following sites; and follow them on Twitter :)

Myspace; http://www.myspace.com/bygracerock
Facebook;http://www.facebook.com/bygracemusic
Twitter; http://twitter.com/bygracemusic
Blog; http://bygracemusic.blogspot.com/

I hope you will like, (and that your like will grow to love) and support them. :)
They could really use a lot of prayer right now, specifically for "Wisdom & discernment when making decisions as a band and also continued unity within the band." -- their own words. :)

thanks for readinggg! God bless.

all my love; gabyyy.

Battlefield.

dear reader,

So i recently heard Battlefield by Jordin Sparks. I mean really heard it. The lyrics just clicked after one of my favorite artists; Sarah Reeves said on Twitter "So I can't stop listening to Battlefield by Jordin Sparks. I wonder if she even realizes what's she singing...soo powerful!!" yupp. those were her words.
I had heard her song once before, but it didn't really click. You know? And when i saw Sarah post that on Twitter, i thought, "hmm, there must be something i missed. some other meaning." So i went and listened to it again. It amazed me how i missed some very important words in that song. Someone else on Twitter said, "That entire tour seems like army for God in disguise..." so i thought, yay for Jordin! and everyone else who goes out to her shows. May they also find the true meaning of these songs and relate it to their lives.
Here's my attempt at translating what her song says into my life, and my walk with Christ.
I don't really like including lyrics in these blogs, but for this song, i must.
Excuse me, for i understand this will only make the post longer. But you can skip the lyrics and scroll down to the part where i attempt to translate.


Battlefield; Jordin Sparks
Don't try to explain your mind
I know what's happening here
One minute it's love
And suddenly it's like a battle-field

One word turns into a
Why is it the smallest things that tear us down
My world's nothing when you don't
I'm not here without a shield
Can't go back now

Both hands tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again
Why we gotta fall for it now
I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for

Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield? (x2)
Why does love always feel like..

Can't swallow our pride,
Neither of us wanna raise that flag, mhmm
If we can't surrender then we both gonna lose what we had, oh no

Both hands tied behind my back with nothing
Oh no, these times when we climb so fast to fall again
I don't wanna fall for it now
I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for

Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield? (x2)

I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor
I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor
I guess you better go and get your...

We could pretend that we are friends tonight (oh-oh-oh)
And in the morning we'll wake up and we'll be alright
Cause baby we don't have to fight
And I don't want this love to feel like..

A battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield,
Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield

I guess you better go and get your armor...

I never meant to start a war
You know I never wanna hurt you
Don't even know what we're fighting for (fighting, fighting for)

Why does love always feel like a battlefield, a battlefield, a battlefield? (x2)

I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor
I guess you better go and get your armor, (get your armor) get your armor

Why does love always feel like...
Why does love always feel like...
A battlefield, a battlefield..

I never meant
to start a war
Don't even know
What we're fighting for

I never meant
to start a war
Don't even know
What we're fighting for

My attempt at translation
I exlained this to my sister, who was also trying to understand the meaning. Two things surprised me; how the words just slipped out of my mouth, and how i finally heard a spoken translation of the lyrics. What you understand within can oftentimes be different than what you do when you hear things explained, but very much along the same lines. To me, this song means that our relationship with Christ was never meant to be a "war" or a "battlefield", it was meant to be precious and refreshing. Jordin says in the song "i never meant to start a war, don't even know what we're fighting for." In other words, the war begins when we constantly try to be good enough to deserve Christ's grace, forgiveness, and most importantly His unconditional love, when He so willingly GIVES these gifts to EVERYONE.
What would we be fighting God for? Control. Control of our lives, our future, our relationship, and everything in between.
"Why does love feel like a Battlefield" Because we make it that way. Christ doesn't and never intended to start a war. He just wants to love on us, but we constantly move away from the grip of his loving arms because WE think we're not GOOD ENOUGH. When in reality, Christ doesn't love us because we are GOOD ENOUGH, he loves us because we are His, created in His own image. He didn't die so we'd be good enough, he died so we'd be completely freed from the chains of sin and everything else that binds us up and prevents us from living freely for His Kingdom. We aren't good enough because He died, we are forgiven and loved, (Forgiven and Loved by; Jimmy Needham; http://www.myspace.com/jimmyneedham).
That's why we are in a meaningless war in which only WE have the power to end once and for all. Not our friends, not our family, and definately not the government.
"I guess you better go and get your armor". Like it says in Ephesians 6:10-18.

We are to pick up the armor we were so amazingly blessed with and live life God's way, not both our's and His way.

i like this quote.

"We must be careful to not fashion our God after our understanding. We can't make our version of God & worship Him afterwards." -Chad Jarnagin.


And that was my attempt at translation. I hope i made myself clear, if you saw something i missed, feel free to comment and or add your own translation of the song or contact me on Twitter; http://twitter.com/belovedreamer.

all my love;
gabyyy

Pursuing My Dreams; My Heartbeat.

dear reader,
im not too sure how to start this. so im just going to come clean.
im scared. im scared that my future won't look the way i want it to or the way i think it should. my mind has been meditating on only that since the day before yesterday. i feel like now, at the age of 17, i should be seeking to fulfill my plans. And i haven't even graduated high school yet! im just about to start my senior year. do you see anything wrong with that yet?
if you read my post from Sunday it seems i should take up my own advice, right? i know. But even the believer doubts sometimes. i've been thinking about what i really wanna do with my life. Pediatrician and Photographer are the big ones right now. i know that's what i want. I can't see myself doing anything else. i know that being a Pediatrician is what God called me to do. i have this undescribable love for kids. And the desire to help them overpowers me sometimes. Mainly because i have not the means to help them. I see children hurting all over the world through commercials, ads on the Internet, or my favorite artist promoting the foundations they are involved in... and everytime, my heart sinks. I feel guilty because i haven't done anything.

This dream of mine, began when i was probably 14-15. It all started with a toy drive my church held, at first i thought "oh sweet, we get to give toys out." But then it became more than that for me. I wasn't just giving out toys, for the sake of doing it. Or for volunteer work with my church, i was making kids smile. Perhaps for the first time that Christmas, they felt hope. And they were happy, because they were actually getting toys. And i was a part of the reason why they were smiling. I know i didn't provide the the toys for them, but i was helping to pass them out.

There's another situation, where i knew God was beginning to call my name. My mom had this friend who would come over sometimes and the'd talk. Well one day, during the toy-drive week that Christmas, she was telling my mom that her husband and her weren't gonna be able to give their kids presents that Christmas. We as grown people, know 1- that Santa isn't real, and 2- that Christmas isn't about the presents. But imagine telling that to some little kids, not the best idea in the world. So, ill spare you all the details. I overheard them talking and immediately i knew i felt the need to bring bags from the toy-drive home for them. And any other kids around the complex. I did, and they were distributed to them, and the smile on their faces, specially on my mom's friend's kids, was... priceless. Won't ever forget it.

So i guess you could say the fire starting burning in me since, but i haven't been able to feed it. My heart still jumps, sinks, smiles everytime i see kids suffering, happy, or being blessed through various programs, still, i wish i was a part of it though. But the Lord knows what he's doing, i know.

That "rush" i experienced, of wanting to get things done on my own, the rush to get started for fear of running out of time, led me to another beautiful encounter with God. Yesterday, i went with my younger sister to get the mail. I accompanied her because i knew i had to get out, and see the Glory of God around me to realize, that there's no rush! He will do with my life whatever He wants to, whenever He wants to. Not on my watch. I had a lovely talk with her, i explained to her what i was going through and i why i felt the way i did. And it was good to get it off my chest.
I told her, i really wanna be a Pediatrician, and a Photographer. I have immense passions for both. I also commented that i wasn't sure if i could be both? I tried to think on a more realistic level, can i do many years trying to study how to be a great Pediatrician and also how to be a great Photographer in the processs...at the same time? The answer was, im not sure. I believe i can, because i believe in a great God. And He tells me to dream, and not be afraid. He tells me "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28. So i have faith, not that both of my passions or dreams, will work out, but that the Lord will do what He knows is best for my life. Whatever it is, it's the best. That's all He knows, the best. And that's all i want. In the end my sister and i figured out, we are treasuring our dreams from home right now. <3

On Photography.
Meanwhile, i've been indulging in my other passion. Photography. This morning sister and i went out after our workout and took pictures around the complex. it was beautiful! I was absolutely stunned at the results! Here are some of the pictures that came out, and are my favorites. :) hope you like! feel free to comment as well.

photo credit: meee ;)

photo credit: meee ;)

photo credit: meee ;)

photo credit: my little sister ;)

So, in conclusion. The Lord has been great. He has spoken to me through many people, even those whom i do not know. Like other bloggers, *www.annieblogs.com* so amazing! Check out her blogs, she has some cool stuff on there. :) And also Photographers, like Skip Hopkins *www.skiphopkins.com* and Jeremy Cowart, *www.jeremycowart.com* Both are amazing Photographers, and both of their websites were just updated! I encourage you to check 'em out and show em some love :) If not for anything but the pleasure of looking at beautiful art. :)
The "rush" i experienced was nothing, the Lord gives me even better feelings. No matter what happens, Pursing My Dreams, will continue to be ;My Heartbeat.


all my love,
gabyyy

meditating on His word.

dear reader,
Today, i just wanted to tell you that the Lord has been good to us all, in many different ways obviously, and we see with different perspectives, but He's been good nonetheless. take time to thank Him today, slow down; pray, think, thank Him who allowed you to breathe today. You're facing trials and tribulations? so what? only a Mastermind, who knew what he was doing if i might add, would think that allowing us to go through them would make us cling closer & harder to Him. Because He knew, we would realize, we couldn't face em alone. You'd think that when things get tough we'd run, who would want that type of relationship with anyone? but that's just it, God isn't just anyone. and the type of things we go through, we can't live through on our own. it's just impossible to live, truly live, without God. Some people run away from God, not because they're afraid but because they're still trying to figure this all out on their own. Truth is, they never will. Not even when you're in Christ do you know everything that's going on. Being in Christ does not mean your life gets easier, it could get either way, depending on the way you perceive a healthy relationship with Christ. (more to come in a different post about the way we should perceice a health relationship with Christ.) The only thing you do know is that He is in control so therefore you shouldn't be afraid. Problem is, not many people pick that up like they would the lottery. The thought of letting go of their lives, into the hands of someone they can't see frightens them. It's understandable, of course. But only when you grab what the Word of God tells us, and take it serioulsy instead of for granted, will we feel secure in letting our lives fall into His hands for the taking care of.
Sometimes trials are the only way God can communicate with us, "he doesn't have to put me through this for me to seek him" u might say... really? think about it, if your life was going perfectly great & you were responsible for it, would you really seek a higher being? for anything? honestly, i wouldn't. why would i need a higher being if i can do everything on my own? but that's just it, we don't seek God so that "things" will work out, no our quest is much bigger than that.
we seek God because we're empty. we were created empty, & He who created us made it so that NOTHING in this life would fill that void except Him! pretty smart huh? Mastermind. God? i think even that's an understatement.
So today, think about all this, & ask yourself, am i allowing God to fill me?
Am i seeking Him enough that i desire His fulfillment above ALL else? if that's not the case, i encourage you to make it that way.
you won't be disappointed. God bless you all, we're in this journey together.

all my love; <3
-gabyyy

first time for everything.

this isn't exactly anything worth reading, it's my first post.
i chose not to make it a big deal, so im just letting you know. :)
im still trying to get used to this... hang in there and if you wanna help, be my friend :)

i hope to bring you many productive posts in the future.

thanks for taggin along,
all my love <3
gabyyy

PS. this short post was put under a "read more" link because i coudn't take the link off of it. i don't know how yet.
God blesssss.