Stay Tuned...

I have talked about how much music speaks to me repeatedly in my blogs. I have talked about how awesome it is to hear God and feel what He is saying through the music. Well, He can also convict you through it as well.

I felt the Lord calling me to check my heart when I listen to music. It was one of those things where I didn't really feel it was affecting me too much but the more I listened to certain things the more I felt myself falling into my old thinking patterns.

This may sound completely rediculous to people who aren't into God or people who aren't willing to change and that's okay. Not everyone goes through the same transformation of heart at the same time. Mine just happens to be the right time and I bet when convictions happen to you, it will be at the right time as well.

If you think about it, we all have this desire to sing and sing loud! I sing loud everyday and it sounds a little like this..."the wheels on the bus go round and round" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Children love those songs. They love to do motions to them, dance to them, and sing loud to them. Music moves people.

When I run and workout I like to listen to any and all kinds of music, but my favorites are Enrique Iglesias, Katy Perry, and Pit Bull. If you listen to any of these types of music you will know that the rhythm pumps you up. But as the rhythm speaks to you, so do the words..."My girlfriends out of town and I'm all alone," "You're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no," "Baby I don't care, I don't care what they say" and I could go on.

This past week I have been struggling mentally with things and I kept feeling the conviction on my heart that it is rooted in the music I am listening to. The crazy thing is, it's not related to the ones I listed above, although those have played a part in my attitude at times. It comes from the songs that make me feel blue, on purpose.

After today's message about asking God what exactly it is that I need to change and what it is exactly I need to do...I now know.

For the time being I have to say good-bye to an artist. This artist doesn't really offer much but broken hearts and sadness.

Bono (from U2) once said, "it's okay to sing the blues" and I agree. I think there are times in our lives when we have to. I also think that when those times pass, not to relive them time and time again by feeding into the sorrow.

Why does music have such an affect? Because we were meant to worship. Our hearts yearn to rejoice and be glad. That is why when we hear songs to lift up the Lord our souls get so excited and overwhelmed because we are singing to our King.

So, why would we want to relive and go back to tough times? If our God has delivered us from it....stay away from it.

Are you having a hard time with what goes in your mind? If not for sadness' sake, how about prides' sake? What about lusts' sake? How about angers' sake?

I am not saying that all music is bad or that any is. I LOVE music! I LOVE concerts! I LOVE anything that makes my soul move. I just think that it has ways that can speak to the soul and its time to start feeding it right. I am not sure how I will be on this road to conviction but it was freeing to hear the Word speak directly to the thorn in my flesh. I am ready to sit still long enough to allow God to remove it and bandage it up. I am so thankful His mercies are new everyday.

"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts..." Ephesians 2:3

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts..." Matthew 15:19

Don't feed the evil thoughts and desires. Stay tuned...into Him!