music monday// pursued

when i think about the love that Daddy God has for me, i just can't fathom it all. times when certain circumstances cause me to think i am all alone down here and undiscovered, His love letters remind me that He knows me, He sees me and He loves me! me, a little jar of clay, having His breath of life to move and have my being. like, He knows the number of hairs on my head! [matthew 10:30]. He knit me in my mother's womb and knows the intricate details of my life. [psalm 139:13]. when i read the whole of psalm 139, i begin to get a tiny glimpse of the depths of the love He has for me and you. 

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He wakes me with the sun seeping up through the clouds, a vibrant red. He created the salt-sprinkled sky, filled with stars to twinkle at night, He makes the sun warm and buttery and bathes me in its red-gold light at sunset. He makes the wind whisper and caress my face at the sound of beautiful-colored birds tweeting melodies during the day. He makes the choppy sea of sky a bright blue to mesmerize me. He creates the sweet smell of flowers to scent the air and clothes them in lovely, bright petals to lavish His love on me. He makes the mountains a looming lavender in the distance. He creates assorted fruits and food for my enjoyment and pleasure. He is bendable light, He shines every corner of my day.

and the shocker of it all, He allowed His Son to die to cleanse away my sins, to purchase me back to Himself! [gasps!] i can't help but pause and ponder Him and His love. He does all these things to dazzle me and woo me, like a man in love woos and pursues his beloved lady. He's chasing after me. the least i can do is live for Him and let my life be the proof of His love.

i loved the song the first time i heard it from my fav youtube channel- the anima series. it's short, sweet and simple. the lyrics ring so true! oh, and the sweet little munchkin in the video is so adorable!

pursued~ mark barlow

my Daddy, His arms are wide open. created, just to get to know Him. 

basking, in the love of my Father. all He asks of His sons and daughters is:

 open, open up and let Me in. open, open up and let Me in. open, open up and let Me in.

i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued.

all He wants is my heart, it's all He's wanted from the start. there's no way i can resist when there's no greater love than this.

i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued. i'm being pursued.

 open, open up and let Me in. open, open up and let Me in. open, open up and let Me in.

"here I am! I stand at the door and knock. if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me." revelations 3:20

"this is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sen His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 john 4:9-10

"see what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! and that is what we are! the reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him." 1 john 3:1

"for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." john 3:16

"greater love has no man than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." john 15:13

"I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." jeremiah 31:3

"since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, and nations in exchange for your life." isaiah 43:4

do you feel a tug on your heart? that's Him! open up and let Him in once you still have His breath of life in you. open the door of your heart and allow the God of the cosmos pursue and dazzle you with His love. His love is as sure as the sun. ever-present. constant. He wants a relationship with you, He's chasing after you. allow yourself to be captivated by His love and be swoon. ;)

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// lighthouse

this song echoes the urgency i need to have as a Christian to not slumber on my duty to proclaim Christ as i pass through this earth to my heavenly home. it's a wake up call to all of us.

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lighthouse~anthem lights

like ships bound for shipwreck most people just simply drift along

and miss their destination without knowing anything is wrong.

no direction and without a care

feels so good and then you're lost out there.

don't you remember how it felt till someone showed you the way?

it's up to you, it's up to me to be the lighthouse

they should know they're not alone.

so shine so they can see the lighthouse and find their way back home.

tragically we've forgotten the reason we're even here at all

worse still, we remember, it's just that we feel so comfortable

do we notice? do we even care? all the people that are lost out there

so climb to the highest point, scream in your loudest voice

there's a Lifeline waiting for you

strike up the brightest fire, fan the flames and let it burn

just let it burn, the world is waiting.

"you are the light. a town built on a hill cannot be hidden. neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. instead they put it on its stand. and it gives light to everyone in the house. in the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." matthew 5:14-16

"for we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." ephesians 2:10

so what are we screaming on the highest point with our words and our lifestyle? 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." romans 3:23

"if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 john 1:9

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. no one comes to the Father except through me." john 14:6 

we are proclaiming that

"if you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." romans 10:9

we are proclaiming God's greatest commands 

"Jesus replied: 'love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment. and the second is like it:'love your neighbor as yourself.' all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments." matthew 22:37-40

how do we love God? 

"Jesus replied, 'anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. these words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me.' " john 14:23-24

we are declaring the importance of living out the great commission of exalting Christ among all unreached peoples of the world.

"then Jesus came to them and said, 'all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' " matthew 28:18-20

dear Christ follower, let's not get too comfortable on this earth, knowing that we have an all important task to fulfill here wherever we find ourselves-home, school, work, vacation-everywhere. let's reflect Jesus, the Light of the world. dear unbeliever, i love you, i do. and God loves you wayyy more. i pray you come to believe in His Son, Jesus and walk closely with Him before it's too late. 

when we pass on, there are two places our souls will go to-heaven or hell. a life with Jesus leads to heaven. choose wisely.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// fix my eyes

this song! how i love it so! it's like my personal soldier of Christ song. whenever a foul mood wants to creep on me & i hit 'play', i start smiling, nodding, eventually moving my blessed limbs and start dancing! the bedroom floor becomes my dancing ground and i sing and dance for my Jesus!

fix my eyes~ for king & country

hit rewind, click, delete.

stand face to face with the younger me.

all of the mistakes, all of the heartbreak,

here's what i'd do differently.

i'd love like i'm not scared, give when it's not fair

live life for another, take time for a brother

fight for the weak ones, speak out for freedom

find faith in the battle, stand tall but above it all

fix my eyes on You.

i learned the lines and talked the talk (everybody knows it, everybody knows it)

but the road less traveled is hard to walk (everybody knows it, everybody knows)

it takes a soldier who knows his orders to walk the walk i'm supposed to walk.

the things of earth are dimming in the light of Your glory and grace

i'll set my sights upon heaven.

i'm fixing my eyes on You

i'm fixing my eyes on You

i'm fixing my eyes...

love like i'm not scared, give when it's not fair

live life for another, take time for a brother,

fight for the weak ones, speak out for freedom

find faith in the battle, stand tall but above it all

fix my eyes on You.

i fix my eyes on You.

"therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. for the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." hebrews 12:1-2

"you therefore must endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. no one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier." 2 timothy 2:3-4

"my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." james 1:2-4

"finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." ephesians 6:10-18

we are soldiers of Christ on this earth, and our major weapon is prayer, which is mighty in God to pull down any stronghold. whatever distractions the enemy brings your way, do not lose sight of Jesus. keep your eyes on Him, and your heart in Him. the enemy would want to use fear to break your focus on Jesus, cause you to panic and become desperate to try and make life work all by yourself without God, wandering from the fold of God to seek your own 'green' pastures. don't let the enemy get you. 

no matter what, against all odds and hope, keep your eyes on Jesus. pray your way through the situation, pray to God like your life depends on it. pray to summon God's angels to fight your battles into victory. take heart, we are in the Lord's army. the Lord of angel armies never loses a battle. :)

xoxo, gen delali.

linking up here and here.

sometime

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sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned,

and sun and stars forevermore have set,

the things which our weak judgments here have spurned,

the things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet,

will flash before us out of life's dark night,

as stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;

and we shall see how all God's plans are right,

and how what seemed reproof was love most true.

then be content poor heart;

God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;

we must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,-

time will reveal the chalices of gold.

and if, through patient toil, we reach the land

where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,

when we shall clearly see and understand,

i think that we will say, "God knew the best!"

--- may riley smith.

" 'for I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. you will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.' " jeremiah 29:11-13

someday~ jj heller

let's place our lives calendars at God's feet and allow Him to handle the scheduling of the details. He sure will reveal things under the right circumstances. sometime when we are in heaven, we will hopefully get more clarity on the questions God has withheld the answers to in the now. in this life we may not understand all He does, but sometime, we will possess the perspective of heaven.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// before the morning

i know sometimes when we hear things like "God will make a way" "everything will work out just fine, wait and see" they sound like cliches. it sure happens to me sometimes when i dangerously begin to lose focus on God's word. but it's truueee. 

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when we put all of our hope in God, trust and obey, miracles happen! today's song is birthed from an amazing miracle God did in a family's life. here's a quick video on the story. tears swirled in my eyes when i first watched it. God is really faithful!

before the morning~ josh wilson

do you wonder why you have to feel the things that hurt you?

if there's a God who love you, where is He now?

maybe, there are things you can't see and all those things are happening 

to bring a better ending someday, somehow, you'll see, you'll see.

would you dare, would you dare to believe

that you still have a reason to sing

cause the pain that you've been feeling,

it can't compare to the joy that's coming

so hold on, you got to wait for the light

press on, and just fight the good fight

cause the pain you've been feeling,

it's just the dark before the morning.

my friend, you know how this all ends

and you know where you're going,

you just don't know how you'll get there

so say a prayer, and hold on

cause there's good for those who love God

life is not snapshot, it might take a little time

but you'll see the bigger picture.

once you feel the weight of glory, all your pain will fade to memory

once you feel the weight of glory, all your pain will fade to memory

memory, memory, yeah

c'mon, you got to wait for the light,

press on, and just fight the good fight

cause the pain you've been feeling,

it's just the hurt before the healing,

the pain that you've been feeling

is just the dark before the morning, yeah, yeah

before the morning.

"...weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning." psalm 30:5

"for i consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." romans 8:18

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"for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not see. for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 corinthians 4:17-18

"i wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word i do hope. my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning-yes, more than those who watch for the morning." psalm 130:5-6

everything that God does is for a reason. the pain is for a greater purpose, for a beautiful glory that's coming. don't let anything break your focus on God. hold on, friend. :)

xoxo, gen delali.

keeper of the spring

so, today i want to share on guarding our hearts. our hearts are the wellsprings of our lives and from it come our thoughts, words and actions. i've been trying to guard my heart for a while now and the outcome compared to how i used to leave my heart unchecked is remarkable. before i intentionally started guarding my heart, i would watch certain movies/ tv series, read secular non-edifying books and listen to songs that didn't glorify God and didn't edify me either. i sometimes allowed certain friends who should remain simple friends become too close. simply put, i left my heart unguarded, no boundaries.

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with time, i began to filter everything and anything that came to me with the Word of God. if this friendship continues what fruit will it bear? if i watch/read/listen to this what implications and fruits are going to result? are they good fruits or bad fruits. i began to ask myself. i had to let go of some dead weight and people/things that were obviously going to have negative influence on me rather than me having an impacting influence on them. 

i had to evaluate the people i constantly surrounded myself with and ask, how much of influence do these people have on me? does that influence bear good fruits? - the fruits of the Spirit [love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, gentleness and self-control. galatians 5;22-23] do i desire to be godly when i consistently hang with this or that person? my interactions with certain people had to greatly reduce and some things simply had to go! this doesn't mean i lock up my heart, throw the key somewhere and not be able to even feel or be empathetic, no. i simply allow God's sure and true Word be what i use to filter/check what does come into my heart. if the thing isn't making me grow into the stature of Christ, i let it go.

here are some words and a story from joshua harris' book i kissed dating goodbye, illustrating how important it is to keep watch over what comes to our hearts.

the Bible is replete with warnings about the nature of the human heart and with instructions to make our top priority watching over it. proverbs 4:23 tells us, "above all else, guard your heart..." how should we do this?

first, picture guarding your heart as if your heart were a criminal tied in a chair who would like to break free and knock you over the head. in other words, protect yourself from your heart's sinfulness. keep a wary eye on your heart, knowing that it can do you damage if it is not carefully watched.

"the heart is deceitful above all things...' we read in jeremiah 17:9. "who can know it?" though the advice of many well-meaning people today is to "follow your heart," the Bible warns that your heart can lead you in wrong, even deadly, directions. our hearts lie. something can "feel" right and be completely wrong. 

in his book 'first things first', stephen covey uses an analogy that can help us understand the knack our emotions have for bending reality. if you take a flashlight and shine it on a sundial at night, you can make the sundial tell any time you want. but while this method gives you a time, that time won't be accurate. why? because you've manipulated the source of light.

in the same way, our emotions can "shed light" on our circumstances from any number of angles. they can tell us whatever we want to hear. but we can't place all our trust in these heart readings.

...next, picture guarding your heart as if it were a fresh spring of water that you want to drink  from daily.

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an elderly , quiet forest dweller once lived high above an austrian village along the eastern slopes of the alps. many years ago, the town council had hired this old gentleman as Keeper of the Spring to maintain the purity of the pools of water in the mountain crevices. the overflow from these pools ran down the mountainside and fed the lovely spring which flowed through the town. with faithful, silent regularity, the keeper of the spring patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches from the pools, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water. by and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants sparkled.

years passed. one evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. as the council members reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary paid the obscure keeper of the spring. "who is this old man?" he asked indignantly. "why do we keep paying him year after year? no one ever sees him. for all we know, this man does us no good. he isn't necessary  any longer!" by a unanimous vote, the council dispensed with the old man's services.

for several weeks nothing changed. but by early autumn, the tress began to shed their leaves. small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. one afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. a few days later, the water had darkened even more. within a week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor emanated from the spring. the mill wheels moved slowly, some finally ground to a halt. businesses located near the water closed. the swans migrated to fresher waters far away, and tourists no longer visited the town. eventually, the clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

***

the shortsighted town council enjoyed the beauty of the spring but underestimated the importance of guarding its source. we can make the same mistake in our lives. like the keeper of the spring who maintained the purity of the water, you and i are the keepers of our hearts. we need to consistently evaluate the purity of our hearts in prayer, asking God to reveal the little things that contaminate us. as God reveals our wrong attitudes, longings, and desires, we must remove them from our hearts.

***

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here's a song that speaks to me a lot on this matter.

slow fade- casting crowns

people never crumble in a day. it's a slow fade.

which people do you consistently surround yourself with? do they breathe life and speak truth into your life? what behaviors/activities do you engage in? are they drawing you closer to Christ? the movies/tv shows, books, music you feed your mind, do they feed your Spirit or your carnal pleasures? let's be intentional with guarding our hearts guys. it's important! what consumes your mind, controls your life.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// the waiting

waiting. it's something most of us do not like to do. cos it's hard, it's impatience-cladded, laced with anxiety. and even though i know very well i must not be anxious about anything, my oh, so human nature finds it hard sometimes to let that sink in deep into my heart of hearts. my heads knows that, yet my heart struggles. and i'm finding this struggle is rooted in unbelief that my Father might not come through. 

the current circumstances in our limited view and small patch hinders us from seeing God's predestined plan and purpose. and as i sometimes groan and fuss, i picture God looking down from heaven from His bird's eye view saying oh, my daughter worries for nothing! I so have this covered, she needs to trust me and patiently and joyfully wait.

i've been in a season of waiting for some dreams to burst with brilliant, vibrant colors, for some promises my Father has made to me. i choose to believe, trust and wait. funny thing, i've realized most often God gives us glimpses of the final picture of the plans He's given us. i began reading the story of joseph today and it hit me all over again. he had no idea the process through which he'll have to go through before tasting the juicy parts of the dreams God gave him. his suffering+ wait was the introduction, the prologue, the backstage setting for his main, center-stage story. the hard wait prepared and refined him for the very dreams he had, yet to be fulfilled.

maybe you're waiting too...for

a Godly spouse

funds for school

money to cover your rent/mortgage

a child

healing in your body and soul

a job

a favorable time to start that business/project

a special promise God has whispered to your heart...

however the wait looks like for you, take heart cos you're in good company.

abraham was 75 years + childless when God told him he was going to be a great nation. the promised son, isaac was born when he was 100yrs old. he waited for 25 yrs for that to be fulfilled. [genesis 12:1-5; 21:1-7]

jacob waited and worked for 7 years to be able to marry rachel, his beloved. [genesis 29:20; 30] 

joseph was a teeager, 17yrs when God revealed his destiny as a great, influential leader in his dreams. he was 30yrs before he eventually became that. he waited for 13yrs. [genesis 37:2-7; 41:46]

moses was purposed to be a leader as a boy as he was an 'adopted' grandson of pharaoh, making him more like a prince. he was 40yrs old when he fled to be in the wilderness. he waited for another 40yrs in the wilderness as God molded and trained him before he got to lead God's people out of egypt when he was 80yrs. [acts 7:23- 30]

david was anointed as a mere boy to be king of all israel. but he waited till he was 23yrs to be king of the tribe of judah. and he waited for another 7yrs to finally be king of all israel when he was 30yrs. [1 samuel 16:13, 2 samuel 2:4; 5:4]

told ya you're in good company. ;) these people waited for years but God fulfilled allll His promises for them in His own time. it might take some more days, weeks, months or years but it will happen!

this song expresses some of my thoughts as i try to wait without anxiety on the Lord for His promises to me to manifest.

the waiting~jamie grace

what will it look like, what will it be like, when my world turns out like You planned?

when will i get there? feels like i'm nowhere, my dreams are like dust in my hands.

but i know this is the waiting, i anxiously wait

as i hold on to Love that will never let go

and in these times when my patience is tested

won't You remind me that i'm not alone, here in the waiting, the waiting, the waiting

all of the questions, secret confessions, Lord, You'll make sense of it all.

and i know You'll show up so i'm letting go of these thoughts that are taking control.

oh, and i know, i know this is the waiting, ooo the waiting

and in these times when my patience is tested, You are the Love that will never let go,

here in the waiting, the waiting. 

mmmhhh, so  i'll be here waiting, waiting, waiting believing You'll never let go.

"for in this hope we were saved. but hope that is seen is no hope at all. who hopes for what they already see? but if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." romans 8:24-25

and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." romans 5:2-5

"therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. let nothing move you. always give yourself ts fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain." 1 corinthians 15:58

"for the revelation awaits an appointed time, it speaks of the end and will not prove false. though it linger, wait for it, it will certainly come and will not delay." habakkuk 2:3

"and so after waiting patiently, abraham received what was promised." hebrews 6:15

our Father is right there with us in the wait, cheering us on as we brave the storms. people may mock and laugh with disdain or even pity as we wait, but let's wait in His strength -His joy. He's gonna come through at the appointed time. :)

xoxo, gen delali.