tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23465312315044056342024-03-14T08:04:49.111-07:00Adriel's Music NotesI'm a born again believer in Jesus Christ, who gives me songs along the pilgrimage with Him. This blog is dedicated to chronicling my music writing journey. Posts include personal thoughts, stories behind songs with links to listen and download these songs for free.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-30046537202686980172015-01-29T10:25:00.000-08:002015-01-29T10:25:33.331-08:00I'VE MOVED!!!!!! NEW ADDRESS BELOW!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Hey there! I just wanted to let you know that I've moved over to <a href="http://adrielhong.com/"><b><span style="color: #990000;">adrielhong.com</span></b></a> and all new content will be posted there now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've had a lot of help with the new site and it's great to be able to have blog posts, music tracks, and videos all in one place finally. Yay! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I hope you'll come visit me <a href="http://adrielhong.com/" target=""><span style="color: #990000;"><b>at my new stomping ground</b></span></a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel =)</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-2513740476241678952014-11-07T11:52:00.001-08:002014-11-07T11:52:10.747-08:00"I Will Not Forget" - Story Behind the Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I had my facts a little wrong when I made the video for this song, but they weren't so terribly off to justify a redo (and honestly, I didn't want to redo the whole thing). The truth is, we hadn't yet opened our restaurant. We were just a couple of months away from opening actually. But those months before the opening were very busy and stressful. I guess it felt like we were open already! Anyway, sorry about that! =/</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I looked back in the journal from when I wrote this and there was a combination of health issues and life itself (opening a restaurant, along with all the other stuff) that was weighing on me. The journal entry below contains my prayer to the Lord for that day and what He spoke to my heart:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1-8-07 <i>"...You have made me glad in spite of how the natural things are. I'm going to rejoice in You today for all You are in my life and all You've done. Nothing compares to You, Lord. Your goodness is better than anything in my life being good. I will continue to praise You and thank You for the difficulties. You have upheld me with Your strength and taught me how to rely on You. As You continue teaching me more, help me to be grateful for Your hand in my life. Give me a grateful heart.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>'...You can enjoy this time and not just bear it with clenched teeth. Continue rejoicing in Me and giving Me glory. Find the blessings that I have given you and be thankful for them. Don't concentrate on what is not right as you think. Exercise to see the blessings. There are more than you can imagine. A heart of thanks will be filled with joy. A heart filled with joy will find strength beyond the natural. Continue praising Me and resting in Me. There are green pastures here, but you have to look carefully for them. There is refreshment and enjoyment for you here...Be diligent to have a grateful heart full of praise and thanksgiving.'"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">No matter how old the message is, it still applies to me today. Focusing on what is good, how good God is, all that He has done - this is as much of an exercise today as it was then. Regardless of what I'm facing and how hard it may be, I must not forget the Lord's abundant mercies toward me. With that in view, I have joy and strength to keep going.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">One of my favorite lines in this song is in the bridge: "When You allow the battles to show me I am safe."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Have a blessed day, remembering all the tender mercies and faithfulness of the Lord today! =)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Is it safe now? Okay, here we go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I want to talk about the painful side of songwriting today. The songwriting that makes me cringe and I draw away from the idea of it a little. The reaction inside of me is something like, "No...not a song about that...please!?" And yet, I'm somehow compelled to write about it regardless of my feelings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Songwriting can be really, really painful. It can be one of the most gut-wrenching experiences. Sometimes. Not all the time, but sometimes. There are some songwriting seasons that are more painful than others when the painful songs seem to come one right after the other. Other times, there are seasons of songwriting bliss. We're not talking about the songwriting bliss today...sorry. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Songwriting is a collision of truth, thoughts, emotions, and music. It makes me face myself, face situations, face God, face people, face fears, and face memories in a way that completely disarms me. I don't know if that is because of the music or the fact that I can freely write everything on my heart in a way that feels safe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">God uses songwriting in my life as a way to mold my heart and purify me. He uses it to help me sort things out and get my mind thinking straight again, to believe what's true when I'm in the middle of doubt, to make me stronger in my faith in the face of adversity. I honestly don't know what I'd do without songwriting. I would feel really lost without it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Last week, I was in the process of writing a song that was very difficult to write. It was one of those terribly painful songs. It made me put into words a memory that I had practically blocked from my mind. God used something last week which caused me to remember it and when I did, it was like a dam breaking. I broke down in sobs and there was a flood of tears.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And I knew there was a song there. No matter how much it hurt to write it, as a songwriter, I knew I had to write this song. Once I know a song must be written, there's no turning back. It's gotta come out!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And when I started writing the song, I found something sweet that I hadn't expected to find in the middle of the nightmare. God wanted me to discover that sweet part. And I found some healing too that meant so much. As much as the song itself puts a lump in my throat and brings me to the verge of tears, it was worth writing and it was a blessing to my heart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And isn't that just like God to do that? </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">God always knows what He's doing. =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Grateful for God's ways which are so different than my own,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-15338506657686187512014-09-26T12:58:00.000-07:002014-09-26T12:58:26.313-07:00"Treasure" - Story Behind the Song<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Matthew 6:19-21</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: "Treasure Chest" by Flickr user Tom Praison<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What do laundry, a new baby, and this passage of scripture have in common? Anyone? =)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">If you're scratching your head and wondering what you missed, don't worry. You didn't miss anything! =)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The answer is this song, "Treasure". The manner in how this song was written is a bit unusual, but I think the Lord works in mysterious, and might I say, unconventional ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Our third child was just a few days old (I say a few weeks in the video...I should have checked my notes on the song), I was in the middle of doing laundry, and there was a cry in my heart in the middle of the newborn madness for the Lord. A new baby changes life drastically, and being only a few days into the adjustment, using every waking moment to get something done, my heart was missing the quieter moments with the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And He knew that. With a touch of sweetness and humor, there I was doing laundry and out of my mouth came the first verse for "Treasure". In my laundry room! haha! I don't know how the Lord was able to speak that song to my heart, but He must have had to shout it, because I'm pretty sure I was too frazzled to hear a whisper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">But in a sense it was a whisper. It was a whisper of, "I love you and I care about you. In this crazy season of life, keep me at the center of your focus. I'm everything you need and more. I'm your Treasure," that made everything at that moment fade away while I worshiped the Lord right there in my laundry room. It was a special, sweet moment that I won't ever forget.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: "A little treasure..." by Flickr user Simon Ska<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Songwriting and being in the word of God go hand in hand. God uses the scripture that is tucked away in my heart or the verses that I've been meditating on to draw out a song. The lyrics for "Treasure" focus on some aspects of what and who God is to me. The song is certainly not exhaustive (that would be impossible), but they cover somewhat of a broad range of all that God is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My hope is that this song encourages you in your walk with Christ and that you would be able to see all that Jesus is to you and more. Many blessings to you through Christ our Savior!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-48494785889729287712014-09-19T14:08:00.004-07:002014-09-19T14:10:16.718-07:00In the "Studio"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've been asked if I go to a studio to record and/or what the set up looks like for my "home studio", so I thought I'd show you guys some pics I've taken over the past few months of recording.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> First of all, no, I do not go to a recording studio to record. I've never set foot in one. I have no idea what that experience would be like, but I can only imagine how nerve-wracking that would be.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk0gpLMCxT7RSE8znCpFLLBwZ2vxLH4kS70HRtBmSnVikZ1Ao0eCxTRG9MkqZ8Ghb34CRSAznMAmhaw5PmLy00AagU7P-zyOUknMrnfkvhpfqPK4-Js_-zAMR4ijVT7hVqqzH_U6sPY8/s1600/IMG_20140711_160626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk0gpLMCxT7RSE8znCpFLLBwZ2vxLH4kS70HRtBmSnVikZ1Ao0eCxTRG9MkqZ8Ghb34CRSAznMAmhaw5PmLy00AagU7P-zyOUknMrnfkvhpfqPK4-Js_-zAMR4ijVT7hVqqzH_U6sPY8/s640/IMG_20140711_160626.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I record at home. And from these pictures, you'll be able to see that it's really a simple and humble set up. Bonus days, my brother acts as my "sound engineer" and takes care of the software while I lay down vocal tracks. But a good amount of the time, it's just me in our front room with couch cushions and pillows thrown around (as my bass traps...lol). Hey, it works! That tip was given to me by another singer/songwriter. =)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd9UR1dTmSxHlSNQOJZH4PmebCGCYW9urv3F_GuvCHgIwVsXYKepaFhV-kIK__-Rmhh3lJltAB161TNNVSt_MLaDl9JZmX5EnsEZlgCLpRyQcrB9gjpNv1CPrNpNFXIA84Q-SprAT0tk/s1600/IMG_20140613_150735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd9UR1dTmSxHlSNQOJZH4PmebCGCYW9urv3F_GuvCHgIwVsXYKepaFhV-kIK__-Rmhh3lJltAB161TNNVSt_MLaDl9JZmX5EnsEZlgCLpRyQcrB9gjpNv1CPrNpNFXIA84Q-SprAT0tk/s640/IMG_20140613_150735.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHHfwVX9PHLtM3CbvtJIiOAGJvUJmrkR5Fvki06ObhLgl9UgKjO-Q_xeKJKx2566nTIaRkpdZXJV1Hyi-0OwyqJAyKx_IdZ7FXXZhU2IuXj8KV36kEgheXzk41YdcDcMciQ4tAEHFzDc/s1600/IMG_20140822_165926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHHfwVX9PHLtM3CbvtJIiOAGJvUJmrkR5Fvki06ObhLgl9UgKjO-Q_xeKJKx2566nTIaRkpdZXJV1Hyi-0OwyqJAyKx_IdZ7FXXZhU2IuXj8KV36kEgheXzk41YdcDcMciQ4tAEHFzDc/s640/IMG_20140822_165926.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> When I make the YouTube videos, I use my phone to record the video on a tripod that I have sticking out of the banisters on the stairs. I am all about super high tech, guys! lol! For awhile, the phone videos were working out okay and picking up most of what I was singing. But after a recent piano tuning, the piano got louder and I couldn't sing above it anymore in the videos. The piano developed some kind of ego after the tuning or something...I don't know. (Is that a fluke thing, or has that happened to anyone else after a piano tuning?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Thankfully, I learned a tip from a fellow singer/songwriter, who does videos also, on using a mic during recording and putting the video and the audio together in a separate program after recording. I've been playing around with that, hoping to pick up my vocals more, which it has, but now the piano is a bit muffled. I guess the piano's ego is a bit hurt by me using the mic and is now not trying very hard. haha! =)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hLE3UVp_IE67DwQ4YOgWP14bj9yZMbDqMiHDY_rbNXnSbqgz-MeBRAiJTQvpLwWuieiZUqhDMoIhgBHR2sKxpm43SC-sRxep_aC4niAmIB2-cSvFPdvRpDPG2PxMl7c6RBtoa-BjwCw/s1600/IMG_20140421_143059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hLE3UVp_IE67DwQ4YOgWP14bj9yZMbDqMiHDY_rbNXnSbqgz-MeBRAiJTQvpLwWuieiZUqhDMoIhgBHR2sKxpm43SC-sRxep_aC4niAmIB2-cSvFPdvRpDPG2PxMl7c6RBtoa-BjwCw/s640/IMG_20140421_143059.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_33zEY8A-LXidFDUcmXB0G1jwaWxCXA1ANITadToxokMKl-tLjG187MV7tKyaqNaZ202-XVFCwDITQX9ESD1sb-7VWkxtaytuM6owPRS7hGgon2awWw9wHV4X0nAzhyswRRq8cRs5Xk/s1600/IMG_20140703_152644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_33zEY8A-LXidFDUcmXB0G1jwaWxCXA1ANITadToxokMKl-tLjG187MV7tKyaqNaZ202-XVFCwDITQX9ESD1sb-7VWkxtaytuM6owPRS7hGgon2awWw9wHV4X0nAzhyswRRq8cRs5Xk/s640/IMG_20140703_152644.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> In the closet under the stairs, I keep my keyboard there and put all my recording equipment away in there when I'm done with it. If/when I do any arrangements, I do that in the closet too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So that is my "studio" in a nutshell. I'm not going to go into detail about my software or all the little steps that go into recording a song, because it would be extremely boring to write as well as for your to read. But it is quite a process to get a song done from start to finish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Yeah...we're weird. =P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Thanks for visiting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Here I am, writing about healing, but before I saw any improvement physically, I got worse. Yes, worse! What in the world does getting worse have to do with healing, you might ask. As I've mentioned before, I truly believe God is more concerned with our spiritual health than our physical health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> As my health continued to decline despite countless prayers, medical intervention sought and lifestyle changes I made, thinking they would somehow better my situation, I realized I was losing control rapidly. The situation was just running away from me. I thought I could somehow control what was happening. Who was I kidding?! I was never in control to begin with!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I could hardly do anything! The harder I pushed to get better, the worse I got. The more I tried controlling my situation, the weaker I became and soon, my health was so deteriorated, I could barely walk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Oh, how my flesh fought, resisted, and resented this humble position of needing others to do things for me that had been so easy before. Needing medication to sleep, needing my husband to wheel me into doctor appointments because I was too weak to walk, needing my mom's help in numerous ways, needing to depend on my older kids for things I could have easily done before. Needing, needing, needing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I love to do! I thrive on doing things for others, for God. But God took my ability to do away and as I spent so many long days with Him, over and over He would say, "I love you, not because of what you can do. I just love you." I couldn't understand that. It didn't make sense to this self-sufficient, self-reliant, proud, able-bodied, independent, performance-driven, stubborn-bent person - Me. God just loved me, even though I couldn't do anything for Him? </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I couldn't be the wife, mom, friend, or Christian that I thought would make God happy. I no longer possessed the ability to be the ideal of all of those roles, or at least the ideal I had in my mind.</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> All I could do was just sit or lie there and cry at times, and He actually loved me when that was all I could do? That completely blew my view of God out of the water and changed the way I had been looking at Him and at myself. My errored view of myself and God had to be fixed and God used my sickness to remedy those areas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> The time I spent with the Lord when He was all I had to hold on to in my darkest hours, they are the sweetest that I have ever known. In those moments on death's doorstep, I was so close to God. As I look back at that time now, while I was getting what I thought was a taste of hell, I also can't deny the incomparable intimacy I experienced with the Lord that was as if I were in heaven. I find myself at a loss for words to describe those months. I suppose my best description would be surreal. In the middle of the agony and severe distress, there was God. His presence was so close, so near, and His love covered me and melted my heart which was hurt from lies I'd believed about God and myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> While I still pray for physical healing, this isn't my main objective in prayer. I am learning to look past what I want physically and submit to what God is desiring in my life spiritually. I am not to be ordering God around and demanding things from Him, but rather, my life and heart should be centered and ordered around God's will and desires. My desires and requests should be in line with His desires. Jesus is my example as I continue on my journey. He suffered more than I ever will, yet He was God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Instead of asking myself, "Why am I suffering?", I think it is important to ask, "Why did God suffer?" When this question is asked, it puts everything in a different perspective and helps me get my eyes off of myself and onto the Lord. Keeping my gaze heavenward and setting my mind to think eternally changes the way everything looks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> In spite of the conflict that occurs between my flesh and spirit, there really is a peace that surpasses understanding when I am fully submitted to God's will for my life. Sometimes there are just hours in a day when I am experiencing that perfect peace and the other hours are spent battling my will to submit to God's. Some days are easier than others to be content and thankful. Other days it is a fight with my flesh to just say, "thank You, God...Your will be done."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I am in no way saying this is easy, friends. This trial is the hardest thing I've ever faced. It has tried me beyond what I thought myself capable of enduring and I know that is only because God has been carrying me through this, covering me, sheltering me, protecting me and strengthening me. To think that God loves me so much that He would walk through this AGAIN with me. Yes, AGAIN. I say that because He already endured all this. But He is by my side, journeying with me on this path of suffering that He Himself took alone. I'm not alone. And even more than that, when I think about how much I'm hurting at times, I just remember that my Heavenly Father has me covered and He is the One receiving the heaviest of the blows. The little stones that pass through to me and hurt are nothing compared to what God is enduring for me while we walk through this together. God has my best in mind and I resolutely hold to that as I continue walking this path of suffering. Along the way, there is healing. It just doesn't always look the way we pictured it. But deep down in my heart, I know the healing God has done and continues to do in my life is better than any healing I had imagined or hoped for. Not my will, but God's be done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I used pictures from a visit to a butterfly exhibit throughout this post, because I feel at times that I'm stuck in a dark place that I'd like to get out of and I don't see the point of being here at times. But just like a butterfly in a cocoon, there is a transforming work being done in my heart in this dark place that takes time and I believe it is beautiful. One day, I know I will see the beauty that will be revealed that I believe in faith is being developed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Finding healing in more ways than one,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-18403739522066002892014-06-27T11:23:00.003-07:002014-06-27T11:23:28.420-07:00Story Behind the Song: "Why Are We Silent?"<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(Music video is at the bottom if you're in a hurry!)</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> <a href="http://adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-3.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">A couple posts ago</span></a>, I talked about the three big prayers that God has answered for me through my health crisis. One of them was restoring my passion for the lost.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> "Why Are We Silent?" is a song that was written the evening I came home from going out and sharing the gospel. I was so filled and excited! It was such an incredible experience! I remember just sitting down at my keyboard and this song pouring out. It was one of those quickies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> But I wasn't always pro-evangelism, at least not when it came to <b>me</b> evangelizing. I was all for those called and gifted in evangelism. I even thought I was going to be a missionary when I was a little kid. But being a missionary to me meant going to another country on a missions trip, not talking to people in my own country about the gospel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And that was the other thing. I really didn't have a good, accurate understanding of what the gospel of salvation really was until after I was married.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> God used my husband, who is a naturally gifted evangelist, and <a href="http://www.wayofthemaster.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000;">Way of the Master ministry</span></b></a> (which, I'm sure, many of you are familiar with), to not only teach me the true gospel, but to also challenge my resistance to sharing it. At first, I found Way of the Master's approach appalling and offensive. I could not imagine talking to a perfect stranger about sin instead of God's love and forgiveness. But as time went on, I began to understand that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross and the work of salvation wouldn't make sense to a person who wasn't convicted of their sin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So I began to share my faith discreetly. Being a reserved, shy person, I wasn't comfortable jumping right into witnessing one-on-one. I'm not saying my approach is the best or ideal, but this is what worked for me. Think getting in a pool <i>gradually</i>, instead of just jumping in...that was me. I began by just leaving tracts here and there while I was out. After washing my hands in a public restroom, I would look around and make sure no one was around and then I would quickly deposit a tract on the sink counter and <strike>flee</strike> depart from the restroom. Or leave a tract on a table right before <strike>running out of</strike> leaving a restaurant. I mean, I was sure to NEVER see that server again, right?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Right, so I had some serious fear and confidence issues. Not to worry! I then started being able to actually hand a tract to people in person. I know! Wow! =P The girl in the parking lot, the cashier at the store after I had paid...you get the picture. And I slowly began to say intelligible words along with the tract giving instead of just stammering and mumbling something dumb and acting very unnatural. At first it was, "Here you go", or "This is for you". I got bolder and would say, "It's a good person test, to see if you're really a good person", or "Here's a gospel tract. This message is really important". Wow! I was starting to act normal about it! haha! =)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image used under Creative Commons license,<br />
photo by Chris Yarzab on Flickr</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Then I finally got all the way in! I went out with some other ladies and I think we just ended up at a park talking to some people there, but it got my feet wet and was an awesome experience. After that, a sweet sister and I paired up and went out together a couple other times, while her husband went with mine. We had some really sweet conversations with people, some awkward moments with one or two others, but overall, our times were so fulfilling, so incredible. Seriously, if you've never witnessed to someone, you don't know what you're missing out on! It's a thrill and is exhilarating! =)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image used under Creative Commons license,<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> We went out a few more times with other people and there was one time with my mom that puts a lump in my throat when I remember it. There was a group of teenagers at an outside shopping mall and we started talking to them and there was a teenage boy and girl in particular that were really listening. Their friends kind of hung back and weren't interested. But these two young people listened intently. The girl had been in some trouble and her friend had recently died. She was crying as we shared the gospel with them. The young man had never heard anything about God, Jesus, or the Bible. In fact, I don't think he had even seen a Bible before. My mom gave him the one she was carrying. I remember we walked by them again a little while later after we had went on our way that evening and the guy was holding the Bible in a sort of awe and showing his friends. I wonder to this day whatever came of those two young people. Did either of them receive Christ? I guess I'll never know...unless in heaven, I recognize their faces. I truly hope that I do. =)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> One thing I would like to point out is that Way of the Master is a great starting point and they give you great tools to get you started in sharing your faith and encouraging you to continue. But this can quickly and easily become a method that you use mechanically instead of relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you in life-giving conversations with people. Just my two cents.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And I would say if you are a woman, don't bring up the commandment about adultery and what Jesus says about lusting in your heart (unless the Lord prompts you to). As a woman, you are already vulnerable, but especially when you are speaking to men, this question can be easily turned into something inappropriate. I've experienced this firsthand and it was very unpleasant. There are enough other commandments to help people see the condition of their heart and where they're at with God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Anyway, this song is a challenge to us as believers. Why are we silent when lost souls are crying out? I don't know if you ever take time to observe people, but I do sometimes, many times inadvertently. I might be waiting in line at a store and I notice someone and you can read some of their story on their face and you can literally hear their soul crying out. Why are we silent when we've been called to GO and share the gospel to all men? This question: Why are we silent? This is the question I want to encourage all of us to not just think about, but to ask ourselves and <b>do</b> something about. Stop being silent! You have a message to share!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><i style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"> (By the way, <a href="http://store.livingwaters.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=112&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=369&lang=en" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #990000;">THIS TRACT</span></b></a> is my personal favorite because it has the full gospel in it and that is really important to me, because if I'm not able to have that one-on-one conversation with someone, I want them to at least have something they can read that will walk them through the main points in a clear and concise manner.)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.600000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i><i>“If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”</i></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Here's today's video! I always love to hear what you think about this stuff, so fire away. I know I've shared some heavier stuff lately. It's just what's been on my heart. God bless each of you as your pursue God and His purpose for your lives.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-40470909819243465412014-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:002014-06-10T16:27:34.661-07:00Praise God, We are Debt Free!!<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">You may remember <a href="http://adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-will-praise-you-music-friday.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">this post</span></a> about our sudden move and such. Well friends, with a very grateful heart, I am happy to say that the sale on our house closed and as of today, we are debt free!! The bank has been paid their money and we are finally free from debt! We are very thankful for God's mercy and grace! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Goodbye old house! We loved you and all the years we got to spend in you. =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-29898731966235264502014-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:002014-06-06T10:26:32.856-07:00The Miracle of Healing Pt. 3<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This is part three of this series. If you missed <a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The Miracle of Healing Pt. 1</span></a> and <a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-2.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The Miracle of Healing Pt. 2</span></a>, I would encourage you to read them if you have the time. They serve as a backdrop to this post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It's amazing to look at my situation now and see all the prayers God has answered through this hardship. Prayers that I prayed months, even years before, God answered. I've been reading through old journals recently and seeing prayers written in there that I have seen God answer and can see Him answering right at this moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There were three prayers in particular that I'd like to share with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b> 1. Assurance of salvation:</b> I have struggled with my eternal security for a number of years. The method by which I was saved was not "ideal", but I can't deny that I was saved in spite of the method. I was very young when I received Christ and at the time, I can't say I had a knowledge of sin to the degree that I became aware of as I matured. I just wanted Jesus. I just wanted to be His. As I got older, I ran into areas in my life where I fell into sin that I knew were wrong. As a young married woman, the guilt from my sin made me question my salvation. Even after confession, I struggled with guilt. God was always there to reassure me, to show me how the Holy Spirit was convicting my heart, which showed I was His, I was safe and secure and that I just needed to receive His forgiveness and place my trust in His work done on the cross for me. And I would stop doubting...for awhile. But then I would do a Bible study or hear a message that talked about how a believer could never practice sin and it would remind me of my former years of sinfulness and the doubts would come back. I remember asking God why He let me sin like that and His answer, I will never forget: "To humble you."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It was true. Growing up in a Christian home, I avoided making a lot of the outwardly common mistakes many unbelievers make. I thought I was a pretty good person. Outwardly, I appeared to be an exceptional young person, but I had hidden sin that no one knew about. However, since it wasn't seen by others, I had a very self-righteous attitude toward others whose sin was more outward. And if it hadn't been for that area of weakness in me where I seemed to continuously fail and I couldn't gain control over it no matter how hard I tried, I don't think I would've ever had a real awareness of what being set free from sin was like or what the sacrifice of Christ meant for me (unless God had somehow revealed that to me in some other manner or form). God set me free from my sin when I came to Him in humility, wanting to be free and acknowledging I couldn't be free without Him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> God had been my Friend for so long and I had been so fond of Him as a girl, so simple with Him. After repenting of my sin and being delivered, I started to really see God as the holy God that He was and is. But I somehow lost my closeness with Him in the middle of that. I was afraid of Him. I was afraid of failing Him. And I wasn't trusting in Him anymore, I was trusting in myself. It wasn't simple, now it was complicated. There was still that self-righteousness in me and any time I failed in any way, I thought for sure that I must not be a Christian, that I must not love the Lord; otherwise, I wouldn't have done this or that. And so my life became one of performance again. Before, I had been performing for my family and friends, putting on a good facade to cover up my sin. Now I was performing for a God I desperately wanted to please and be right with. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I can't tell you how many times as I go back through my journals through the years, the same prayer is there. "God, I want to be secure in my salvation! I don't want to spend the rest of my life doubting my salvation!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Well, friends, God hears our prayers. And He ended up answering mine in a way I couldn't have imagined. He took my health away. Just utterly flattened me, physically. I remember one morning upon waking up shortly after this trial had begun, God spoke scripture to my heart that made me understand the purpose for this trial. The scripture was from Luke 22:31-32 and the Lord simply spoke to my heart, "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I am praying that your faith will not fail." The moment I heard that, I knew. I knew that this was about the assurance of my salvation. I knew that this was about my faith being tried. I could not have imagined, however, how hard and long I would have to fight or how severe the battle would become.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b> 2. Anticipation of heaven:</b> This was something else I prayed about. I did not have an excitement and anticipation of heaven. Whenever I thought about it, there was almost a feeling of dread when I thought of it never ending. That seemed a bit dull. I knew something was wrong and that my heart's response wasn't right. So I asked God to change my heart and my view about heaven. Goodness!! This trial has certainly done that! I yearn for heaven now. I am looking forward to it so very much! I still can't wrap my mind around forever and ever...that just makes me feel so funny! Haha! Something having no end just...wow! But something about having a physical problem that could well indeed last the rest of my life and knowing that it's not forever. That this trial is but for a moment and that heaven is forever and all will be right and perfect there and all suffering will be forever gone! I am so excited about heaven now!! =)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b> 3. Passion for the lost:</b> When Gary and I were a young couple with just two small children, we went out with people from our fellowship and shared the gospel. We would go to shopping centers, parks, and various public places, sharing the gospel with people using tracts and having one-on-one conversations with people. I can't tell you how fulfilling this was. I remember the first night I went out and I came back just so filled, completely amazed at how rewarding it was. I remember writing a song that night about sharing the gospel. That night had a huge impact on me. And we kept doing it here and there through the years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Then as life got busier, we didn't go out as much. Our kids were older now and some of the conversations wouldn't have been appropriate for them to have heard, so there was the dilemma of one of us going and one of us staying. Neither of us really like that dilemma. My handing out tracts dwindled. I was busy and just needed to do my errands, not have passing out tracts to worry about, for crying out loud! Wow...writing that is sad. Pretty heartless of me, I know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Another baby came along and it was at the hospital that I realized something was wrong with me. I had a hard time giving our labor and delivery nurse a tract...I was almost embarrassed and ashamed to. And I couldn't get the guts up to give people tracts that came into the room to take care of the various things that are taken care of when you're in recovery. I would literally get all nervous and scared and freeze. I ended up just leaving a tract in the room before I left. Someone would find it, right? I started praying about this obvious decrease in passion for the lost. I didn't do much about it, to be honest. With a new baby and life now even busier, it wasn't a top priority. But it was on my heart and God knew that and He used my health crisis to get my attention and impress into me an awareness that I will never, ever forget for the rest of my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> When things with my health were at their worst, my body felt like it was literally on fire inside constantly. It was beyond agonizing. I really thought I was going to go crazy, it was that incredibly tormenting. I would just get through the day moment by moment, often praying, "God, You are my Keeper. Keep me right now. Keep my mind." I prayed that all throughout the day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There was a day when I said (either silently or out loud) something like, "This is hell...this must be what hell is like!" What followed immediately was God's reply of, "This is NOTHING compared to hell!" It was at that moment that I realized if what I was facing and experiencing was just even a tiny taste of hell, then people headed there have absolutely NO IDEA what they will experience. I mean, I can't even begin to describe the torment I was in, because it is completely beyond words. The only, <b>only</b> reason I am sane is because God kept me. That's the only reason, period. There were moments when I was on the brink of just losing it. This really got my attention and I saw that here was God answering another prayer. So completely unlike how I thought He would, but it was answered just the same. I got a tiny, minuscule taste of hell that made me not want anyone to experience even as much as I had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I'm honestly still working on this. I haven't actually gone out yet to talk one on one with people...not strong enough for that yet. But I've had other opportunities to share the gospel with others, like my old neighbor, relatives, here on line. I know it's not much, but it's something. And I've got to build back up to that place of having the confidence to just walk up to anyone and share the gospel. For me, it starts with putting tracts in my purse...I keep forgetting! My personal favorite is <a href="http://store.livingwaters.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=112&category_id=8&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=369&lang=en" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">this one from Living Waters</span></a>.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It's small, has a thorough and biblical explanation of the gospel in it if all you can do at the moment is leave it by the sink in a restroom, on a table at a restaurant (with your generous tip), or simply put it into the hands of someone as you're leaving a grocery store, at a gas station, taking a walk...wherever!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My 13-year-old is actually such an inspiration to me in this. She is so bold and passes out tracts a lot. She doesn't ever seem to forget to pack them in her purse! I need to be more like her and I need to get into following her example. It's true...there's a lot of excuses we can find to not do it. For myself, I just hardly go anywhere. But when I do, I can give tracts out...that's what I need to remember. That's a starting point. I've got to get back to sharing one on one. That is a goal of mine and by God's grace, I will get the strength back to hit the shopping centers and public areas and be able to handle the initial stress of that first one on one conversation. Whooo! That first one is the hardest, but it seems to get easier from there. Just talking about this makes me want to go out and do it! haha! =)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So there you have it! The three very big, specific prayers that God used this health crisis to answer and remedy in my life.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">There are so many more prayers that have been answered, I could go on and on. But I wanted to concentrate on these three, because they were ones that had been on my heart for awhile and it just shows that God cares and He hears the cry of our hearts.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My health trial has been a means of God's healing in spiritual areas that I couldn't remedy myself. It's interesting as you continue walking through a health problem, how many aspects of healing begin to emerge. My healing has been deep down inside of me so far.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHONZPrvy4Owa2zLpwDOKBVExVLVtL78Ufli2WdBTP-w4reZHEKETMVC2ieuabqJwVPlcS-oNTgNZpEk3VJDd1-rByM41F4Rg90ZN37nxqEkdm-HepMYBZUAC7denm2IcDIqeinzbiXAM/s640/gold-used-with-permission-ibible-verses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHONZPrvy4Owa2zLpwDOKBVExVLVtL78Ufli2WdBTP-w4reZHEKETMVC2ieuabqJwVPlcS-oNTgNZpEk3VJDd1-rByM41F4Rg90ZN37nxqEkdm-HepMYBZUAC7denm2IcDIqeinzbiXAM/s640/gold-used-with-permission-ibible-verses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I've only got one more part in this series to share with you to wrap things up and then we're done. Thanks for hanging in there with me. If this has bored you to death, I'm so sorry!! But I needed to lay this foundation, so I could move on to sharing a journey with you that I mentioned in the second installment of this series. We'll be headed out soon! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">God is always faithful and good,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Adriel</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I have put off writing this post for a number of reasons. Namely that I know writing this will be emotionally difficult, merely because of the transparency with which I am sharing, in addition to how very raw I am. I also think that what I write will be scrutinized and possibly criticized - I'm covering some topics that are a bit touchy. And finally, that it will mark the beginning of sharing a journey with you that I've known I needed to embark on, but have held back, not knowing if I'm strong enough to face it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I've only shared bits and pieces of the trial I've faced for almost two years with you. And I'm not even sure that I'm ready to go back and walk through the painful memories that are still so fresh and sometimes haunting, but I know I'm supposed to share my story in regard to the last couple of years. This post is a prelude to the journey I plan on taking in the near future. I hope you will join me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> In <a href="http://adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">The Miracle of Healing Pt. 1</span></a>, I told you the story about the miraculous healing of our son. In these next parts, I'd like to talk about a different kind of healing that God has been doing in my life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /> I will be giving a lot more background and details in the proceeding posts, but I want to begin by telling you that I have been unwell for quite awhile, markedly following our second child's birth. For whatever reason, my body doesn't respond well to pregnancies and deliveries and with each one, my health has gotten worse and worse. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The past two years have been the hardest and worst, following my most recent pregnancy and delivery in March 2012. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've prayed for physical healing, I've been anointed with oil twice and prayed over by elders of the church, and I've continued praying and believing that God can heal me. I pray every day for physical healing. I haven't been told by God to stop, so I continue to pray. I am completely confident that God can heal physical infirmities if He so wills. There is not a doubt in my mind about that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There are some who think a believer should never be sick, that God's will is for everyone to be physically healed and well, and that whatever you ask from God, you're going to get. I've been challenged to present verses that tell when Jesus did not heal or what diseases He did not conquer on the cross. I honestly am not up to a debate on this topic and to be completely truthful, the challenge from a certain individual left me feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me (because along with their challenge came some very strong words that were painful to hear when you've been sick for so long). If you share these views, I hope and pray that you are never faced with physical suffering that leaves you wondering what you did wrong, how you failed, or in what way your faith was too small. Before you judge someone who is sick, please try to have some compassion and consideration toward the individual who is suffering. You may be wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And briefly, I will say that while there are many miracles recorded in the Bible, there were also saints who were sick. Timothy was encouraged by Paul to drink a little wine for his frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23) and Paul had to leave behind a brother named Trophimus, who must have been terribly sick if he wasn't able to travel (2 Timothy 4:20). And to answer the question - which diseases are not subject to Christ, I say none. They are all subject to Him, but we live in a fallen world and sickness is part of the deal. One day, we are promised an eternal home where God will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). If we weren't going to have any more pain and suffering in this life on earth, why would God promise us this for our life after we go to be with Him? So that's where I'm coming from. I believe God still heals physically and I've seen Him do it (<a href="http://adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">just read part one of this series</span></a>). But I also believe there are other ways He heals that are not so obvious to us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I want to focus on other ways God has been </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">healing me during these last nearly two years. This healing is not physical, but is, I believe, even more important. God has been healing my heart. He has been healing me spiritually. He has been healing me emotionally. He has been healing me mentally. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> If God were to have answered my prayer for healing back when my health collapsed, maybe I would be physically healthy, but I would not be as spiritually healthy as I am today. I was so busy with life, I didn't have time to consider what I was thinking about my husband, why I was responding to certain situations in the manner I was, or how I was erroneously viewing God. I remember feeling like a chicken running around with its head cut off, barely keeping my head above water...yeah, the same one that was cut off! haha! No, but really, I was just barely surviving.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And God cared about that. He cared about me. And God decided to intervene, even though He knew it was going to hurt me terribly and even make me angry at Him for a season. God saw the eternal and spiritual benefits of allowing me to go through a season of physical suffering. God cares much more about our spiritual health than our physical health and I am so thankful that He does.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.100000381469727px;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." </i>James 4:2-4</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It's interesting to look back at the situation now and see all the prayers God has answered through this hardship. Prayers that I prayed months, even years before, God answered. There were three in particular that I'd like to share with you...</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> <i>(to be continued next time!)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> God is my Song in the night! This song has been an encouragement to me and continues to be. I hope it encourages you as well. =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The Lord is my Healer,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-3.html" target="_blank"><b>Click here for Part 3!</b></a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-31865566022166886332014-04-16T11:51:00.001-07:002014-04-16T11:51:06.558-07:00Passion for Christ<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Today, a question at a ballgame and encouragement from Sunday's sermon collide! Are you ready for it?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">A lot of us are familiar with <i>The Passion of the Christ</i> film that came out ten years ago. When I saw the movie, it impacted how I looked at Christ's sacrifice. It made me realize to a greater degree than before, how physically horrendous Christ's torture was. And I know that this torture paled in comparison to the separation He would face on the cross as He bore the sins of the world and the wrath of the Almighty God fell upon Him and His Father forsook Him. It's amazing to think that Christ was forsaken by God so that I never would be. That thought touches me so deeply.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSff1HfYfGapmRG-b4q7XT24YfLTjbKcjv80IsbC1BZpev5k8gyFOK05WT7cRF5my9scuc9bnGIRTCn_chHkm00-VA5-WoqdolOnqWAenDG2EqkUtrIayNDP0UTZHJmw_boe-b2BSsws/s1600/ExcitedAboutJesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Adriel, Hong, Music, Passion, Christ, Christian, living, " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSff1HfYfGapmRG-b4q7XT24YfLTjbKcjv80IsbC1BZpev5k8gyFOK05WT7cRF5my9scuc9bnGIRTCn_chHkm00-VA5-WoqdolOnqWAenDG2EqkUtrIayNDP0UTZHJmw_boe-b2BSsws/s1600/ExcitedAboutJesus.jpg" height="398" title="Why don't Christians get excited about Jesus?" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Perhaps this is not the best match for this post as far as pictures go. I took it recently at a ballgame as I thought of the question I ask myself on other occasions to the ballpark, which is something to the sort of, "<i>Look at all these people going crazy and being so excited about this game. What would happen if people got this excited about Jesus?</i>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Now you may not even be into sports, but the question is really a matter of the heart. Whatever you're fond of or enjoy and get excited about...are you as excited about the Lord as that? It's a fair question, I think. I am finding that even "good" things like marriage, parenting, homeschooling, music, singing, ministering...yeah, I can get more excited about those things than about God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And I'm not suggesting that this question applies only to a Sunday worship service. Don't get me wrong! I'm all for people making that vertical, intimate connection with God during times of praise and worship where everyone and everything around them fades away and it's just them and God. They don't care who or if anyone is watching them. They enter into that special, secret place where the words connect with their heart and the only response is to just raise their hands to God in surrender and adoration. (That is really just wonderful and I hope everyone knows what that is like.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">But I'm really talking about more than that. I'm talking about beyond the four walls of the church. I'm talking about outside of the church activities. I'm talking about our daily lives. And I'm talking about more than outward demonstrations of adoration and passion for God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Today, "passion" has a much different meaning than where it originated from. The origins of this word go back to 1125-1175 AD. It stems from the Latin word "passiō</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">", which means suffering and submission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This begs the question, am I passionate for God the way I ought to be? Am I willing to suffer because I love God? Am I willing to submit my will and desires to being crucified daily? Am I willing to look like a fool for my Lord?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Jesus did that for each one of us. He looked like a fool. Our pastor reminded us of that this past Sunday, that as Jesus was dying on the cross, people challenged Him by saying if He was really Who He said He was, then He could just come down from the cross. He chose to look like a fool...for you and for me and He stayed on that cross and appeared to not be Who He had claimed to be. And why? Because if He had not, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we? But more than that, we would still be dead in our sins, without hope of salvation and eternal life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So along with that question from Saturday's game, </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Sunday's message gave even more depth to what I was questioning in myself. The message was really encouraging and lifted my gaze upward. Our pastor talked about Christ's sacrifice and what it entailed. A couple points that really stuck out to me from the message were:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">1: <b><u>In the middle of trials, don't leave the cross</u>.</b> Pick up the cross, don't discard it. The cross was the way to victory for us through Christ's sacrifice and still is. I personally have not been picking up my cross as I should have been lately. I've been using an ongoing trial (and a move) as an excuse to not be "passionate" for God, so as to not suffer more and to make things easier on my flesh. I was convicted to hold that cross close and embrace it again as an old, dear friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">2: <b><u>The cross is freedom</u>.</b> That's the opposite of what our minds tell us, isn't it? But it's the truth. The cross is a daily choice, which means freedom is a choice as well. The cross = freedom. You want freedom? Pick up your cross and follow after Jesus!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Here's some questions that Saturday's ballgame and Sunday's message have caused me to ask myself: Am I cheering for God's will in my life, even if it's not what I would choose? Am I standing up for His truth, even if the crowd is abandoning it? Am I applauding what is holy and righteous, even though it makes a conversation uncomfortable? Am I making a fool of myself for God's glory and kingdom, even if it makes me unpopular?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Friends, let's live for the Lord the same way He died for us: passionately!</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Rejoicing in Christ,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-7512261964743953312014-04-09T11:00:00.003-07:002014-04-09T11:00:57.548-07:00"New in You" - Salvation's Work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA40KI-V5TenqTGNzNs0YVfYFaGQsLxxTJLvyH8hIYtaRe3kIIsOv7S4GUuJRtA1_IeybnD1UmgIoaAybsfJOWC5WQSyyFl3d1KCKII1vZajFN1pp99zabm5ICDnNdjkan9fQaJmlofQ/s1600/2Cor5_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA40KI-V5TenqTGNzNs0YVfYFaGQsLxxTJLvyH8hIYtaRe3kIIsOv7S4GUuJRtA1_IeybnD1UmgIoaAybsfJOWC5WQSyyFl3d1KCKII1vZajFN1pp99zabm5ICDnNdjkan9fQaJmlofQ/s1600/2Cor5_17.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This song highlights what I was before God saved me. I wrote this song down a long time ago. I can't even remember when or why! But the point is that I am new in Jesus and for any true believer in Christ, this song is true as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I love the analogies that go with this song. Think about them. Think about what you were before Christ. Think about where you were headed. Think about the reality of you, as an individual, before becoming a believer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And then think about what God did in your life. The profound changes that occurred and still affect you today in how you live, how you talk, how you react, etc. It's amazing, isn't it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And this song is just a reminder of that glorious work God has done in my life and in yours if you're a believer as well. Blessings to you, my friends! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-74931186417555611002014-04-01T01:21:00.003-07:002014-06-13T00:04:43.059-07:00The Miracle of Healing Pt. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYya4l9jsVzsD0Z1cJ6wzH0HSJxdJYrbgRWrnZmZtwzfS3cRZqbVjMaO09awYc7luv9vI_3gp5U-EwbWxg57Rjb57MZaTo18oOBcni-ITgU8NP3wO3WtdDWvwLK_flwOmXBk5FuFCGDmc/s1600/Miracles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYya4l9jsVzsD0Z1cJ6wzH0HSJxdJYrbgRWrnZmZtwzfS3cRZqbVjMaO09awYc7luv9vI_3gp5U-EwbWxg57Rjb57MZaTo18oOBcni-ITgU8NP3wO3WtdDWvwLK_flwOmXBk5FuFCGDmc/s1600/Miracles.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>(You can skip to the bottom for the song if you're in a hurry.)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I had planned on sharing a different post today, but I have had this one written for some time with the intention to eventually share it. I received an email from a fellow mother with an infant son who had a rough start to begin with and has had a number of procedures already in his little life so far. She shared something that just hit home for me and I really was led to share this post today instead of the other one. Praying for an incredible miracle for my friend's son!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> When our son was about a month old, he became very ill in a matter of just a few hours. By the end of what had started out as a seemingly normal day, he was terribly lethargic, not nursing well and his stool was bloody (among other things that I won't gross you out with). We took him to the ER. They did a few tests, even a spinal tap checking for meningitis, but no answers came. They admitted him and put him on antibiotics. I stayed with him since I was nursing him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I don't remember a lot from that time. Just little pieces. It was one of those awful experiences that I guess my brain blocked out a lot of remembrance of. I can't remember if we stayed there for seven days or ten. It was one of the two. I don't remember seeing our oldest daughter at all during that time. From what I hear, she stayed with my parents during the day and my husband would take her home with him after work to sleep at home. I don't remember what I ate or if I ate regularly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I do remember the interruptions at night with nurses coming in to check on our son. I remember it was the one year anniversary of 9/11, because they were showing all that stuff on the television. I do remember a visit or two from family and a friend. I remember my husband giving me a break for a few hours so I could go home and get a shower at least once (it had to have been more than that). The most vivid memory, however, was the overwhelming sense of oppression over that situation. It was very dark. It was not just a normal thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> After the seven (or ten) days on the antibiotics, Jacob was doing so much better and was declared ready to leave the hospital. His symptoms were gone, so they took him off the antibiotics and sent us home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And then a few days later, it all came back again. We caught it this time with enough time to get in to see the pediatrician. This time, they sent us home with a stool sample collection kit. (Sorry for the gross details.) We collected the necessary samples and dropped those off at the lab and waited a couple of days. The results that came back were shocking. Our son had salmonella poisoning, but not just any kind. Reptilian salmonella poisoning. WHAT?! We didn't own any pets, we'd hardly gone anywhere with the kid. We just don't venture out all that much when they're that little. It was a puzzle to us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So back on the antibiotics he went, this time for the full round. Little did we know that the time he had been on the antibiotics in the hospital had been just long enough to get rid of the symptoms, but not long enough to eliminate the bacteria from his system. Instead, the shorter amount of time on the antibiotics had led to the bacteria building up an immunity to the treatment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> He got better for a little while, but the symptoms continued to return with full vengeance. The poor little guy was getting weaker and weaker. He was in a lot of discomfort. I remember my husband holding him on the couch just so our son could sleep. Somehow, having that presence of his daddy and the comfort it brought helped give our little baby boy the rest he needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Back and forth we went. Antibiotics. Symptoms returning. Stool sample. Wait for positive result from lab. Get another prescription for antibiotics. Administer for two weeks. And the cycle continued. I forget how many times we went through this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I had a person from the city call me asking me questions regarding bottles and water. That's how odd (and serious) this case was. The city was wondering if it was their problem. If perhaps the water supply was contaminated. Yeah.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It came to light that the pediatrician's office had seen two other reptilian salmonella cases right around the same time we had taken Jacob in for his checkup previous to him getting sick. These kids actually did have pets carrying this bacteria in their homes. And when I thought about it, I never remember the nurses washing their hands before they handled my baby. So I'm pretty sure that is how all that began. Bad hygiene.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> But back to our little baby. He'd been through round after round of antibiotics that were clearly not eliminating the bacteria entirely. He was slowly declining. I remember my husband telling me one day as we were dealing with this that while he had been holding Jacob, God had asked him, "If I take your son, will you still love Me?" That hit my heart so hard, like a punch in the stomach. But the answer for both of us was, "Yes".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> The situation became critical to the point that the pediatrician called us after months of this ongoing cycle. He ordered us to get Jacob admitted into the hospital immediately for (I think) two weeks of IV antibiotics. But it just didn't sit right with us and when my husband said, "I'm not sure if we're going to do that", the pediatrician minced no words in saying, "Then whatever happens to your son is not my responsibility." It was at this point that it really was obvious that even the doctor recognized how critical it was, enough to indirectly say that if Jacob died, it was not his responsibility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> What do you do? We had a tough decision to make. The IV antibiotics weren't guaranteed to work and there was the possibility of more harm from them to Jacob's body in addition to what had already occurred. And in our gut, deep down, although logically it seemed like the most reasonable thing to do was take him to the hospital, it didn't sit right. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My husband called one of the elders of the church we attended at the time and explained the situation to him. The day he called happened to be Wednesday, which was when they had evening prayer. The elder suggested we bring Jacob to the prayer meeting so that he could be lifted up in prayer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> We went. We thought we should at least give God the opportunity before rushing to the hospital. It wasn't that we hadn't been praying for him on our own. But the suggestion of corporate prayer drew us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I don't remember very much from that prayer meeting either. I don't remember if they anointed Jacob with oil or who prayed what, but I remember my brother, who was around 11 at the time, coming up to me afterward and saying to me, "I believe Jacob is healed!" I think I answered with a non-committed "maybe". I remember scoffing in my mind, being skeptical and I remember God being very firm with me about my attitude later that evening and rebuking me in a sense for not having faith like a child and for having the gall to snuff out my brother's childlike faith with a skeptical response. I decided to dare to believe that my son had been healed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> The next day, there were still some very slight symptoms and I found my heart doubting. But I pushed the doubt away and resolutely believed my son was healed. The rest of that day and afterward, Jacob was fine. God completely healed him, not only eliminating the bacteria and the symptoms entirely, but also healing the damage internally to his system. He was absolutely fine!! Even the stool samples I had taken when he was obviously symptomatic a day or so before prayer ended up coming back <i><b>negative</b></i> for salmonella! God even took care of that little detail in the lab. It was a miracle and when God does a miracle, He doesn't leave any loose ends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> To be frank and honest, I do not believe in naming and claiming it and it will be so. I am in no place to be ordering God around. "I claim by faith that God is going to give me a new car" or whatever our brains think up. That's not what this was. When God moves your heart to ask for something and dares you to stand and believe that it will be so, that is a matter of true faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> The thing is, I can't say my faith was really all that great or much at the time. It really was pretty puny. Pathetic, even. But for whatever reason, God wanted to heal our son miraculously, and He did, not because we were people of great faith, but because He is a great God and wanted to show His power to us in that way. I can't tell you how much this encouraged people who had been praying for our son. And in addition, this was something we were able to share with Jacob as he got older, especially when he went through a time of wrestling with surrendering his life to Christ.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This song I'm sharing today, God gave to me during that time of our son being sick. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I wondered if he'd make it. And in light of the question God had asked my husband regarding taking our son, I knew I had to hold on to God. I didn't know how our story with Jacob would end when I wrote this. It was right in the middle of that whole ordeal. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When I go through hard things, I find writing therapeutic. I write what's on my heart and mind. I write the things that I can't seem to express out loud. Like I've said before, hard times make for busy writing seasons! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It is extra special to me to be sharing this song with you, not only because my son is alive and well, but also because my husband sang this song with me. It's special to sing a song about this situation with him. It's an old recording and it's not the best quality, but I hope that it encourages you to hold on in the middle of whatever you are facing at this moment in your life. There is hope and it's not in your circumstance changing, it is in Jesus Christ! God bless you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-miracle-of-healing-pt-2.html" target="_blank">Click here for Part 2!</a></b></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-67569423484627049022014-03-21T10:49:00.002-07:002014-03-21T10:49:51.302-07:00"I Will Praise You" - Music Friday!<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaARfWKTvzFggR7eNhLaZQNRdeDK4qySh7se5465qRRvpnJVK1KJ4awJt0kD3VDiXjKWYnHdkqQ4NvzqBb7BRroBXkeSyfSVYfPpdSOlCaRg0Ipi1Fn7Mezlx6-feGdJGx1_0sbGnAiY/s1600/PraisePicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: x-large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaARfWKTvzFggR7eNhLaZQNRdeDK4qySh7se5465qRRvpnJVK1KJ4awJt0kD3VDiXjKWYnHdkqQ4NvzqBb7BRroBXkeSyfSVYfPpdSOlCaRg0Ipi1Fn7Mezlx6-feGdJGx1_0sbGnAiY/s1600/PraisePicture.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a>(This post is rather long...video is at the bottom!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">There's not very much to share with you as far as the story behind this song. I don't remember it and my journals are all packed up. Yes, we are in the middle of moving. Three weeks ago, moving was the last thing I imagined I'd be doing right now!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So, I will tell you the story behind our move instead, because it kind of fits in with today's song, being a praise and worship song. And this move is really a blessing that we didn't see coming. And if you can't see how this story has anything to do with the song, that's okay. Just go with it. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">(If you're a close friend, you've probably already have heard all this, so just skip it!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A few years back, 2007 to be exact, before the economy went downhill (we all remember that, right?), my husband and I pursued the ultimate dream of independence and wealth and opened a restaurant. That was stupid, we know. And to add to our stupidity we took out a huge business loan to embark on this venture. My husband's main motive was to get out of debt. Yeah. Get in a lot more debt to get out of the little debt you're in. Smart. It sounded smart at the time when we looked at numbers from other stores and my husband made the business plan. Really, it did. A no-fail plan.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Everything was inflated and the expenses for build out were crazy because everything was expensive then and our home was worth twice as much as it had been when we had bought it in 2001. Do you want to guess what we did? Maybe you're afraid to. I understand. Prepare yourself...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We took out a home equity line of credit and paid off a good chunk of the business loan. We defied those naysayers that said your first year in the restaurant business was your worst. They were so wrong! Our first year was phenomenal! We did awesome! We were the star store of Arizona! Woohoo! We were successful! Ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And then the economy tanked. And people stopped eating out so often. And having our own business wasn't quite so appealing anymore. The reality of actually owning our own business crashed down on us, especially my husband who managed it. The hiring and firing, the endless training (there was always someone to train), the constant employee drama (there was a drug ring among some of our employees, would you believe it?!), the dwindling profit, the never-ending work that had to be done all the time, and to add to all that, the huge burden of the debt we were in.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">By the grace of God, we sold that store at the end of 2010. Yes, we took a BIG loss. But it was enough to pay off the rest of the business loan and now we only had the mortgage for our house and the HELOC. "Only" isn't the best word to use, but in light of having three loans, two was better. I should add that before we sold the store, Gary had hired a manager and God had graciously provided Gary with another job in the field that he left (to open this lovely business), so we had a steady income with which we were able to cover the payments for these two loans.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A couple of years ago, our family went through a financial seminar and we were able to see, from scripture, that debt was wrong. We had always known that to a degree, but we had never considered a mortgage a "real" debt until we really examined the scriptures and the math. You pay for that house a few times with a mortgage! Goodness!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">God greatly impressed on our hearts to get out of debt. And so we diligently stuck with it. We had learned to live on less in the lean months from the store before my husband had gotten another job, so we continued that lifestyle and the rest of the money went toward our debt. Last year, we paid off the mortgage for the house. We were down one with one to go!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My husband is a numbers man and he estimated we would be able to be completely out of debt and have the HELOC paid off in six to seven years. That seemed so far away, but we have been keeping at it. You feel like you're digging a tunnel through a mountain with a shovel, or maybe even a spoon. Slowly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And then, about three weeks ago, my daughter answered the phone and took a message from the bank where we have the HELOC. After family prayer on a Monday night, my husband said rather casually, "Oh, I called that lady back and our HELOC is maturing in May." Um...!!!!! Apparently, because of changes that the Obama administration has made to these loans, our terms have suddenly changed and $100,000+ is due in May. Um, yeah. Thanks for giving us two months to cough that up. haha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My husband and I spent some time discussing the situation that evening and the next day. It got us thinking. Really, it was just a push from the Lord in the direction He was wanting us to go in. We, as a family, have made a decision to not get into any more debt. Although we could renew the HELOC (and actually we will to protect the house in case it doesn't sell by May), we didn't have the peace about continuing to stay in debt. It didn't take long for us to arrive at a decision that we both knew was right: Sell our house, pay off the HELOC and rent. NO MORE DEBT!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We decided that if we were going to go to the trouble of moving, we wanted to move into something bigger. We are a family of six in a three-bedroom home right now with 1365 sq. ft. We are very thankful for our current house and have found creative ways to make it work for us. My husband has gone crazy with adding storage wherever he has been able to. And the truth is, we could keep living here and we would be happy. We were quite prepared to stay in this house for a number of years and pay off the HELOC little by little. But God has decided to move us into something bigger that will meet our needs better in this season of our life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We looked at a few homes that very same week, but none were right for us. Toward the end of the week, we looked at one more. It was incredible! Gary called about it and got the initial papers turned in along with the processing fee. We found out we were first in line and there were other people after us interested in it. God literally led us to this house and everything went through and we our move in date is April 1st.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">No joke, guys, this all happened so fast, we were just shocked! I mean, it was basically one week and everything was in place for a completely new direction for our lives. When God wants to move (or wants you to move, literally!), He will make it happen!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So that is the crazy story of our life right now! I am so blessed by what God has done and is doing and how He has led us. A year ago, I would be bummed out about all this. I would be focusing on everything that I'm losing. But I am so thankful to see how God has been slowly changing how I look at things and that I have been able to see how He is blessing us at this very moment through this circumstance. It amazes me how good He is!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I hope you enjoy this simple praise and worship song.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">May each one of you see the marvelous work of God in your lives, even in the things that don't look great at first glance. God is worthy of everything we can offer Him! Have a blessed day!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-84989341660449481562014-03-05T12:52:00.005-08:002014-10-01T13:35:53.893-07:00"In the Middle" - Story Behind the Song<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/4454969931/in/photolist-7METmp-36ARsJ-8L1Cxu-7QWA1b-2MKxLb-487pEL-3EM3EA-D2sCW-jTuqYX--------5pFghs-dyCmJH-h5J9US-4GW9aW-dNc4gr-7TH1Gq-8Um6ev-nA8Kx8-nonEeR-pvfQU-65786d-9DS9Vf-oYHFkX-dyyvfJ-6ffjkR-ajgX7C-6swa4j-784QyW-gNgHBC-Vk9mo-4riK7o-dDdyie-2fmLC-oCMEYz-eB9ahW-bhtMU8-jgfN5C-6tHeM9-mjBw2D-cm7hhm-7wzZ4Z-6PkUiZ-eiYE5T-dqSrtw" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvS19rELUI1gVu7fiOw51a5FMC9P4TID90HB3DgX1hwLR5vqiCXsh0w9Ar37XWsHbNH7k1fw1O0t_OcSqIg5yU9w-VfY734jh6ZPXKQk1XFbA5-yJYUmWG5IRJjoUCv_G58DB5POZfoDI/s1600/InTheMiddleII_HartwigHKD.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: "In the Middle II" by flickr user Hartwig HKD<br />CC license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvS19rELUI1gVu7fiOw51a5FMC9P4TID90HB3DgX1hwLR5vqiCXsh0w9Ar37XWsHbNH7k1fw1O0t_OcSqIg5yU9w-VfY734jh6ZPXKQk1XFbA5-yJYUmWG5IRJjoUCv_G58DB5POZfoDI/s1600/InTheMiddleII_HartwigHKD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This song...I don't remember what was going on when I wrote it. The only clues I have are from my journal and that year, we had opened up a restaurant. I had concerns over that. I see that I wrote about being in a wilderness of sorts and that I was asking God to help me not look at my circumstances. But perhaps the most telling is this entry from just four days after writing this song:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">8/9/07</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> "I had to trim my tomato plants a couple of days ago. The plants were growing so wild and the weight from the tops of them was bringing the whole plant down upon itself. In trimming it, I had to cut off parts of the plant that had very small, very dwarfed tomatoes. These tomatoes would have never reached their full potential. Instead, they would have matured into fruit that could not have been used and in addition to this, the energy and resources that went into them would have taken away from the rest of the plant.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> Last night, I was contemplating this, as sometimes it is the same in my own life. God does pruning and I look at the pile of trimmings and there is dwarfed fruit in the pile. I complain to the Lord, pointing out that there is 'fruit after its own kind' in the pile. It's true that since it is fruit that should be there, it is therefore arguably 'good' fruit. But what if this supposedly 'good' fruit would never reach its full potential, that it would never be used; that instead, its only purpose was to suck life out of the plant and the rest of the good fruit. It shouldn't remain.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> I don't know if I'm fully grasping the entire message in this picture, but I do know it has helped me see more about God's pruning. I tend to lose heart during that process. In actuality, the Lord is really narrowing my focus to the fruit that will completely mature and be useful. God is much more aware of the fact that chaff will be burned up; the excess that cannot be used will be destroyed.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> Thank God that He takes the time now to trim us! If He waited until the end of this age, there would be a great deal of 'waste'. He certainly has our best interest in mind when He prunes us!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And that, my friends, is the story behind this song, "In the Middle". I was in the middle of struggling with God over my situation at the time, but it doesn't take long to realize that it's simply useless to struggle with God. What good does it do? And why do we think we know better?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> As I'm in the middle of another situation that is difficult, I find encouragement in these past experiences and my heart takes comfort in being reminded that God is my Father, He loves me, He wants to prosper me and do me good. I'm learning to surrender. I'm learning to say "thank you" with each snip of the pruning shears, even though it's painful. I'm learning to love those dear hands that are molding me - a lifeless, dull, ugly lump of clay - into a vessel that the Potter can use in His house, though they may work me in a way that doesn't make sense or is uncomfortable. Yes, I am learning. Praise God for being such a patient teacher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I leave you with the verse that was written along with the journal entry I shared with you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">James 1:2-4</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-76772262781971182672014-02-21T09:35:00.002-08:002014-03-19T02:07:58.979-07:00"Keep Me Walking" - Story Behind the Song<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There are a few songs that I don't remember the background of...the setting just escapes my memory. But for the majority of them, I do remember fairly well why/when I wrote them down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It's quite interesting, really, how these songs are like pictures. Snapshots of time. Forever memories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This song - wow. I read the words, I hear the melody and I remember the setting clearly (not to mention I've got a journal that helps if my memory ever gets hazy).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There are details that I do not think are appropriate to share with you, as the background involves other people whom I don't wish to uncover publicly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I can tell you, however, that I felt like I was walking on slippery ground. The environment was dangerous. My desire was to walk uprightly before the Lord. I didn't know what else to do, but to cry out to my Father God to keep my steps safe and secure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And that is the key. Instead of focusing on how wrong other people are walking, focus on your walk, though it may be riddled with stumbling blocks from said people. Draw the circle around yourself, stay in the light, walk circumspectly, examine yourself...however you slice it up, do that. God will honor a sincere, humble cry for help. He wants to keep us from slipping, from taking those wrong steps. God is ready and willing. Pour your heart out to Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus Christ,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-82987829000781865652014-02-14T16:35:00.000-08:002014-02-14T16:35:33.579-08:00My Husband, My Hero, My Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4AK6s2O7syOehTsPR5GyENadb2xDiTlg-4uumTnCT3TVZa0AlYcdLgPybOk5qyIylkBqdWkyoz3VandD4-P8-_M1FaSIYdxBoMBOvmfAMC1AHqaR4wWPFsYfDYDARTsOSJ5G-HiTXAs/s1600/G&A2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4AK6s2O7syOehTsPR5GyENadb2xDiTlg-4uumTnCT3TVZa0AlYcdLgPybOk5qyIylkBqdWkyoz3VandD4-P8-_M1FaSIYdxBoMBOvmfAMC1AHqaR4wWPFsYfDYDARTsOSJ5G-HiTXAs/s1600/G&A2009.jpg" height="383" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valentine's Day - 2009</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My husband and I will be celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary in just a few days. Today, being Valentine's Day and our anniversary being on the 19th, I wanted to take a break from my usual posts and share a little bit about <b>my husband</b>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsH9V0os70XEM-YQS4KIE0WrdjGGqJzSpnxUDX1iT9SfUYhVmyRSdulUNI2hcj1nLWVXkPTX7VJJTa-jy6xPz9g4dqTZjWGd_K7627KsrhTfxf-Ra6srxGhk9d-1_dfe-YcvaJfbLWd0/s1600/Gary&Kids2007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsH9V0os70XEM-YQS4KIE0WrdjGGqJzSpnxUDX1iT9SfUYhVmyRSdulUNI2hcj1nLWVXkPTX7VJJTa-jy6xPz9g4dqTZjWGd_K7627KsrhTfxf-Ra6srxGhk9d-1_dfe-YcvaJfbLWd0/s1600/Gary&Kids2007.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's an awesome Dad! '07</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> When my husband and I were courting, I told him he was <b>my hero</b>. I even got him a Superman ornament for Christmas...I know, corny. What can I say? I was goo goo gaga for the guy!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJst0AaM10F3A32OErmnK5RiN3voTSe1owfLdHdCCLKGdk-uzWBj0DxHOZRxWWo_TzCXpy53aMr6-6NnKFIL65hpY_F7gD93hFfzDvHcPaW563u1VBVL3YjmQwUOLR2F3T3H4WOoEmgQ/s1600/Wedding+Kiss+(Black+&+White).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJst0AaM10F3A32OErmnK5RiN3voTSe1owfLdHdCCLKGdk-uzWBj0DxHOZRxWWo_TzCXpy53aMr6-6NnKFIL65hpY_F7gD93hFfzDvHcPaW563u1VBVL3YjmQwUOLR2F3T3H4WOoEmgQ/s1600/Wedding+Kiss+(Black+&+White).jpg" height="320" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only wedding photo I have digitized.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> It's funny how you begin your life together and you have ideas about what life is going to end up looking like, but you really can't imagine what the future will really hold. We certainly couldn't have imagined in our head-over-heels-in-love state the kinds of challenges and difficulties we would end up <b>facing together</b>. (Of course, we have had wonderful, great times in our life too!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RuSohuc9SY8WDFRncVTheaX88cbCl_nQIEOQDkrmoEm2vvKLnJAsPpRxyGJhocZnVZ0KCmJ7bxZjsOlfwreZ2DOABGOIs0vsioz1aC5u7aeDe0FcnocauVSeGCV4R1Z1lg3c73zFaqc/s1600/HongFam2003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RuSohuc9SY8WDFRncVTheaX88cbCl_nQIEOQDkrmoEm2vvKLnJAsPpRxyGJhocZnVZ0KCmJ7bxZjsOlfwreZ2DOABGOIs0vsioz1aC5u7aeDe0FcnocauVSeGCV4R1Z1lg3c73zFaqc/s1600/HongFam2003.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little family in 2003.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> But I just want to tell you that my husband is more a hero to me today than he was 14 years ago. That man has stood by me through the years, and sometimes it's been through some pretty crazy stuff. He's so supportive, so loyal, <b>so amazing</b>!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuM9MUfa9bVQluskwW_eY1MxA8OtqJVIP4ME9TCmwqBRn7Xv_a4y2Y7M7Kj_fhb5UcF8Xmdb6SZXr4wyDh0sjEFolM09hbUsyUH5TNwZ5cPbH-FyTMzeps8gixBCFjo6qqa0tvQNVAkyo/s1600/G&A2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuM9MUfa9bVQluskwW_eY1MxA8OtqJVIP4ME9TCmwqBRn7Xv_a4y2Y7M7Kj_fhb5UcF8Xmdb6SZXr4wyDh0sjEFolM09hbUsyUH5TNwZ5cPbH-FyTMzeps8gixBCFjo6qqa0tvQNVAkyo/s1600/G&A2004.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just the two of us at Disney World in 2004.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I don't think I really knew how amazing he was until my health collapsed. I must admit I had let some past offenses taint my view of him. Sometimes it takes something hard to realize how much you really have, how much people really love you, <b>how blessed you really are</b>.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK-sBqIPqFYheXw6R0FZ278h695NT5UcsapIzKSxL73uszcpTLS14Sh1sCoL5F3jCNZF7Q6737fGJGh8_nB4GeCAQTtCA1eaAh9SmFbueSp4YX3GAtcZTDMVNeBs-7Mpr9En93uvnNs4/s1600/G&A2005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK-sBqIPqFYheXw6R0FZ278h695NT5UcsapIzKSxL73uszcpTLS14Sh1sCoL5F3jCNZF7Q6737fGJGh8_nB4GeCAQTtCA1eaAh9SmFbueSp4YX3GAtcZTDMVNeBs-7Mpr9En93uvnNs4/s1600/G&A2005.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow fun in 2005.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My husband took over things I couldn't do, coming home from work only to work more (he still does this). I know it is ultimately the hand of God, but I probably wouldn't still be here if it weren't for <b>my husband</b>.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd89TW_AEhImSAWT3ZxJJgpfqyZS3YnA25H_1t4GYHGA_UajKvhtMikEo6j0Vnh6GWNWiXLBMXX4hLeWORQsDU5vYVBrtssoZA_HzBKxRBFglk2um719oZ9mEHAkqVXNG99hfc_TPR58/s1600/HongFam2008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxd89TW_AEhImSAWT3ZxJJgpfqyZS3YnA25H_1t4GYHGA_UajKvhtMikEo6j0Vnh6GWNWiXLBMXX4hLeWORQsDU5vYVBrtssoZA_HzBKxRBFglk2um719oZ9mEHAkqVXNG99hfc_TPR58/s1600/HongFam2008.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little family in 2008</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> That <b>wonderful man</b> took time off of work to drive me to all the doctor appointments, wheel me from the car to the doctor's office, sit with me in the waiting room, explain the situation repeatedly to doctors.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99JJ9DHd_2u8NTJF5auQHdwfr33YvQY3J2E797FquvZueoDX1eo3fP-TRmWYXa2fri7tp4ofqJqy_uVFWMrh011Qx7pxtRF6sTUEVIZw2A9F5cSdoYJ36ENuSXqodncz9nlymwjMpu-4/s1600/Hong+Family+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99JJ9DHd_2u8NTJF5auQHdwfr33YvQY3J2E797FquvZueoDX1eo3fP-TRmWYXa2fri7tp4ofqJqy_uVFWMrh011Qx7pxtRF6sTUEVIZw2A9F5cSdoYJ36ENuSXqodncz9nlymwjMpu-4/s1600/Hong+Family+2010.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little bit bigger family in 2010.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> While I was fighting for my life, <b>so was he</b>. When the case proved too difficult for the doctors, he would make the calls to get in to see another doctor as soon as possible. He never stopped fighting for me. <b>He never gave up</b>. If it hadn't been for him, I'm pretty sure I would be dead.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNl3b2Wm-8rYxTJSaT9kqmJiQjdnzdSGsGhdZQmFWQvi5MZ93Jge2Xz-bM-fNqyjGmLGEU78oFkv8RMrk4VVa3gDcWh0W8Mk0_yOUtyfcohCmq8_3qAKDOb1fnqLo1AzFFjPUpU4San0/s1600/G&A2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNl3b2Wm-8rYxTJSaT9kqmJiQjdnzdSGsGhdZQmFWQvi5MZ93Jge2Xz-bM-fNqyjGmLGEU78oFkv8RMrk4VVa3gDcWh0W8Mk0_yOUtyfcohCmq8_3qAKDOb1fnqLo1AzFFjPUpU4San0/s1600/G&A2013.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two of us - 2013</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So today, as we celebrate a day that is often about a silly and shallow definition of "love", I'm celebrating being so loved by an incredible man, that <b>he has laid down his life for me</b> for numerous months and continues to do so. My husband has made a lot of sacrifices in the past year and a half. I am so, so blessed. He is a wonderful example of this verse:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Ephesians 5:25</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Gary, I love you! Thanks for fighting for me and being my guy! You're my hero more than ever and you have my heart! Thank you so much for showing me Christ's love these past several months. <b>You're one in a million!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aalvZYkx7nsurnpl953bTh19jFsPVyFh0TxCm9Bh-hOY4JjgYFpa0QcT92fnGF0srmKruWnIKk7wJX_RdJhESTp-FgwofHqjin04fzIX5LReUyy2vZrTj3DKW3lMgVS9_DCcuvZP6NI/s1600/HongFam2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aalvZYkx7nsurnpl953bTh19jFsPVyFh0TxCm9Bh-hOY4JjgYFpa0QcT92fnGF0srmKruWnIKk7wJX_RdJhESTp-FgwofHqjin04fzIX5LReUyy2vZrTj3DKW3lMgVS9_DCcuvZP6NI/s1600/HongFam2013.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family last December, 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So thankful and blessed,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">P.S. I had to go hunting for pics of the two of us. They're not easy to find!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-14828895989610254652014-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:002014-03-19T01:50:27.096-07:00"Blessed is the Man" - Story Behind the Song<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> <i>"</i></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>How blessed is the man who has made the L<span class="yhwh" id="yui-gen91" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ord</span> his trust..."</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Psalm 40:4a</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I honestly don't know when I wrote the words down for this song. All I know is that in September of 2006, with the <u><a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/01/bummer-to-blessing-wait.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>same background</b></span></a></u> as a few others songs that I've shared recently (hard times make for a busy songwriting season!), I found a piece of paper with most, if not all, of the words for this song written on it in my papers. I went to the piano and God had a tune at that time for the words. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Amazing...years and years those words sat. And then, years later when it was the right time, God gave me the tune. And it happened to be just the right time in my life for this song. God is just incredible! =)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> So, that is the background behind this song. I hope you enjoy it and that it blesses you!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/pWnVZTYgp3k?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-58389082559961268382014-01-26T12:58:00.002-08:002014-03-19T01:50:58.783-07:00"All Things New" - Story Behind the Song<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I can tell you some of the story behind this song, but not all of it. The fact is, the story is not yet finished. I hope one day that I will be able to share the rest of the story with you and that it has a happy ending.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This song was written </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">many years ago </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">in response to an ugly situation that I thought had been resolved, but I could not have been more wrong. It is yet to be resolved, but I have faith that one day what I believe in faith will one day be reality.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I have continued singing it and believing that it is true and one day will be true for the original situation it was intended for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> In the meantime, I find the words comforting and encouraging as I pass through other trials and hardships. I hope that it blesses you too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;"><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;">"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;">Isaiah 61:3</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-64983691248078924072014-01-19T16:06:00.001-08:002014-03-19T01:51:46.029-07:00"You are the Lord" - Story Behind the Song<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Well, after some weighty stories and songs, I wanted to break things up a little with a worship song that focuses primarily on our Lord and Who He is as the Son and Savior, Father, Creator and King, and the Holy Spirit and Counselor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> God as three distinct roles is quite a mystery to me. I will not even attempt to explain it with my incredibly small amount of understanding. And yes, while I am aware that the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, the concept of God being three-in-one is not a foreign idea in the Bible. In addition, the word "Bible" is not in the Bible either...does that mean it's not real? Of course not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Now, I don't intend to write an essay on the Trinity, nor do I intend to argue the point. That isn't the purpose of this post. But I wanted to touch on the Trinity briefly for the sole purpose of the fact that this song is about God as the Son, the Father, and the Spirit. Each verse highlights different aspects of our Lord in these different roles.</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/130057212&color=a41f04&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-90575482032730087782014-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:002014-03-19T01:52:59.429-07:00"In This Hour" - Story Behind the Song<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This song was written under the same circumstances of "Wait" back in 2006, which you can read about <b><u><a href="http://www.adrielhongmusic.blogspot.com/2014/01/bummer-to-blessing-wait.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">HERE</span></a></u></b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This time, though, I wanted to share some from the journal I kept during that time. Here is a journal entry from just a few days prior to the song being written down:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"'Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice! Let your forebearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Philippians 4:4-7</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> I read these verses today, and even though I know they're true, I have a hard time holding on to them for myself.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i> I need your help, Lord. To rest in You and embrace Your peace. I am beyond weary. My hope has to be in You, Lord. I ask for mercy. Have mercy on me...I have nothing left. I am so exhausted! Be gracious to me, Lord. Please, lighten this load. Your Word says that You do not give us more than we can bear...I don't know how much more I can bear. I am spent. Please bring some relief. Even just a small amount. I want to be fruitful to You. Show me how to please You even in the middle of this."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And with that, I leave you with this humble video of "In This Hour".</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/k-SWOi3vOC8?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I promise the next song I share will be happier. This is just part of the journey. =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-61752252122346310732014-01-10T14:01:00.002-08:002014-03-19T01:53:29.650-07:00Bummer to Blessing - "Wait"<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> Waiting on God isn't the easiest for us as human beings. We like to fix problems, get out of uncomfortable situations as quickly as possible and we would rather run away from trials than face them. Fortunately, we have a Father who knows what is best for us, His children.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> I got my journal out from when "Wait" was written in 2006. I was facing health challenges, there were some serious situations that friends were facing, our times of prayer with the brethren felt like battles, we had some heartbreaking things occur in our extended family, and it was the year we had left our beloved church family that Gary and I had spent our entire married life, up to that point, with, Gary having spent a few years prior to our marriage there as well. It was a tough time. It was difficult.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> I'm not going to try to make this blog all pretty and sweet and pretend like my life is perfectly wonderful when it's really not. I used to be really concerned with how I appeared to other people. I prided myself on looking like I had it all together, even when inside I was completely feeling insane. I could pull it off pretty well. I was good at fooling people, which is bad. Let's just say I was pretty much forced to let all that go for a period of time and I discovered that being real and authentic was a much better way of living than pretending like all was well when it really wasn't. I've always admired people who were real, because they were so relatable. Of course, I could never bring myself to be that real...people would find out I wasn't perfect!! <gasp></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> Needless to say, my posts are going to be raw and real, some more so than others, and the fact is that the other day I faced feelings of despair in regard to my health. As I struggled with my soul - to be thankful, content, submissive to God's will - the Lord put this song on my heart again. It was almost as if He said, "Remember that song?" Yeah, I remembered that song. I went looking for it in my folder of songs. I never did find it...had to print a new copy.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> Funny how long it's been since I played that song...a really long time. And although it was void of chords, I could still remember how to play it. So I made a video for whoever out there who needs some encouragement to wait on God. I sure do and it speaks to my heart! What seemed like a bummer became a blessing. Isn't that so neat how God can do that? He's so amazing!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RYN9UebrMnQ?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> By the way, I've seen different people stating what their word of the year is. After taking a little step back and looking at what God has been putting on my heart so far, I think it's safe to say that my word for this year is "WAIT".</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"> I wish I could say that I am thrilled. I'm not. My flesh says, "Not more waiting!" But I know God will get my heart to where He wants it to be. My prayer is that I learn to wait...without wandering and without doubting. That my faith would be strengthened as I wait. Hey, the Bible is full of promises for those who wait! And that's an encouragement to me. So with that in mind, here is one of my favorite scripture promises regarding waiting on the Lord:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,</i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;"><i>and not faint."</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Isaiah 40:31</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Waiting,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Adriel </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-51227678304120453372014-01-07T21:14:00.001-08:002014-01-07T21:14:40.537-08:00Numbering My Days...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIHV79WHX5jbXcQn0DB85gMAx3YESHHJuEvfFS0NofHW5Qe97j_AGDeil_gBwb_2p-HF8Werv3SrjmnPcyLuDKNqqvJ51Fdhg_I-96idT079LHpNgAOxiHEQFoDBRC08PFapNO_GkxrU/s1600/Psalm90_12Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIHV79WHX5jbXcQn0DB85gMAx3YESHHJuEvfFS0NofHW5Qe97j_AGDeil_gBwb_2p-HF8Werv3SrjmnPcyLuDKNqqvJ51Fdhg_I-96idT079LHpNgAOxiHEQFoDBRC08PFapNO_GkxrU/s1600/Psalm90_12Quote.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">That title sounds a bit morbid, I know. That was not my intention! In case the title alarmed you, <b><u>NO</u></b>, I have not received any news from a doctor telling me I have a certain amount of time to live or anything! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> This morning, my inbox contained an email from my brother with Psalm 90:12 as the subject. I found it to be rather providential, seeing that I was really wrestling with my soul today in regards to a "momentary, light affliction."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I spent some time today looking through some old pictures and found this picture of a cemetery we had visited way back when. It kind of made everything hit home for me. The verse, the picture - they just went together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> <b>Takeaway point:</b> Make every day count for the Lord! Even in our weak moments, there is the possibility and ability to bring Him glory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I can't say I made it through today with flying colors, but I will say that God is faithful and good. He gives us the strength to stand, the faith to believe, the hope to endure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I spent some time today making a couple of videos. I should be posting one of them, at least, this week. I thought that was better use of my time than moping around. haha! ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">All glory to Jesus,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-6676949920294296472013-12-31T14:59:00.000-08:002014-03-19T02:08:52.850-07:00A Year of Answered Prayer - "Hiding Place"<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://www.markramseymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2013.jpg" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Last New Year's Eve, our family prayed that this year (2013) would be a year of answered prayer. I could not have foreseen how many prayers God would answer, some of which I am probably even still unaware of. I would like to highlight a few as I take a look back on 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">- God's gracious intervention in my desperate health situation. I'm not 100% yet, but God has been so faithful to get me to where I am today. I am very grateful to be alive. =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">- My grandparents' move to Arizona which seemed like an impossibility for a number of reasons. God is the God of the impossible! It happened so fast, we couldn't believe it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">- God leading us to a church family. The day I walked in, I felt like I was home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">- And my favorite: Our son surrendering his life to Christ and becoming a born-again believer. That was such a tremendous blessing! =)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> There are so many more, too many to name. We also saw prayers answered in families we were praying for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> But I feel so humbled to even name the four above. So humbled that the God that created this vast universe cares about me, smaller than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I am so humbled by God's love for me. It is truly an amazing thing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> And God gave me so many songs in 2013! Songs I know that are for others as much as they are for me. Here is a rough version of one of them - "Hiding Place":</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/127037552&color=c9291b&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I am looking forward to sharing more of these songs with you in the upcoming New Year - 2014!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> My prayer for each of you this coming New Year would be that God would take you to higher heights and greater depths, that you would know Him in a deeper way and love Him more and more as each day goes by. A blessed New Year to all of you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> <i>"But just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>1Cr 2:9 NASB</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">A broken vessel saved by grace,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346531231504405634.post-45961401386484417132013-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:002014-01-13T23:43:27.021-08:00Waiting...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIWclMjDdu-GYp43TPE9vqK_6Ux6zyoA_YQBLiq3g2njC9_B3eYK6A-jq7hHbZ5YqbPnFu-OMYpsM8LwRjA6t9A6riHY-LsocDVIj4-q3f9yuSREmKrxDWQyTI7dUFMVXpjz2-5voqV4/s1600/A.B.Simpson+Quote_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIWclMjDdu-GYp43TPE9vqK_6Ux6zyoA_YQBLiq3g2njC9_B3eYK6A-jq7hHbZ5YqbPnFu-OMYpsM8LwRjA6t9A6riHY-LsocDVIj4-q3f9yuSREmKrxDWQyTI7dUFMVXpjz2-5voqV4/s400/A.B.Simpson+Quote_1.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> I just ran across this quote today by A.B. Simpson and was so inspired by it. It spoke volumes to my heart, so much so that I dove into my pictures and found this one I took of the ocean on a trip to San Diego years and years ago. It was perfect for the quote!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Just last week, I was feeling "stuck". But the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I wasn't stuck, but that I was right where He wanted me to be. There is nothing like God's voice that can still my heart. What a gift to hear His words that quiet my soul and help me rest in His perfect will!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>"Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Ps. 27:14</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"> Maybe you're feeling "stuck" too. Just know that in your waiting, God is working! And speaking of waiting, I highly recommend the book titled <a href="http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/murray/waiting/waiting.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Waiting on God</i> by Andrew Murray</span></a>. It's awesome! Blessings to you today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Learning how to wait,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Adriel</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0