music monday// lift my life up

unspoken is one of my new fav bands! There’s something about this song that pulls me in. have a listen and lemme know what you think.

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lift my life up~ unspoken

You brought me this far so why would I question You now

You have provided so why would I start to doubt

I’ve never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone

So I’m giving you control

I lift my life, lift my life up

I give it all in surrender

I lift my heart, lift my heart up

You can have it forever

All my dreams, all my plans

Lord, I leave it in Your hands

I lift my life, lift my life up

Have Your way in me, have Your way in me

If peace is a river, then let it sweep over me

If I’m under fire I know it’s refining me

When I hear You calling out,

I follow now wherever the road may go

I know You’re leading me Home.

Take my life and let it be all for You.

“keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ ” Hebrews 13:5-6

“many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ but you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” Psalm 3:2-3

It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that one of man’s greatest fears is being alone. God knew way before time that we’ll be bound to feel this way sometimes, and that is why He assures us time and time again that He is with us, and will never forsake us, so we needn’t be afraid. I used to be one who heavily craved my space and wanting to be alone without feeling terrible about it. I still crave for my space but interesting enough, these days I’m yearning for intimate, meaningful friendships, a safe community of friends who welcome vulnerability and sincerity, who understand that we don’t have it all together, and that’s ok.

I guess this yearning has always been there but it’s magnified at this point of my life than years past. And thoughts of who the special someone is going to be? Those thoughts are mixed thoughts of hope and uncertainty. God knows when and how He’ll sort it out. Mine is to keep praying about it and praying for the heart of this anonymous guy, while I keep pursuing the Lord. I know being alone doesn’t mean lonely. Yet when I’m alone these days it’s like loneliness tries to find its way to me. when this happens I remind myself that I have holy spirit within me + my guardian angel right by me, though I can’t physically see him. (to think that the angel is a him is kind of awkward, considering I’m a she, right? Oh well. shrugs.)

in the moments when you’re tempted to think you’ve been left alone to figure life out or that God has forgotten about you, know that those are lies. He said He’ll never leave or forsake us. Ours is to believe. Even in the darkest valley, He is with you. He is lifting your life up.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// little lies

There’re days when I have to literally speak the Word over me to fight doubt and negative thoughts. The enemy loves to try to defeat us in our minds, cause then our actions will follow suit on a self-destructive highway, and it’s downhill from there. But we must fight back. When negative thoughts try to break in into your mind like a flood, stand on the Word and secure the lock to your heart and mind with it.

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There’ll be days you may not feel beautiful, smart or talented enough. But feelings are tricky. We cannot trust our every feeling. When you wake up and you don’t feel like bathing + not feeling like showing up at work/school, what do you do? I’m very sure as much as you’d like to give in to those feelings you don’t however go along with them. Instead, you get up anyway and get your pretty self to work/school. See? We can’t go about living our lives based on every feeling that we have.

And then there’re people who’re careless with their words, who can say the most spiteful, hurting things to/about us. And all these things can try to weigh us down, but we have to fight back by focusing on positive things and listening to people who speak love and life into our souls. I fight back by reading and reminding myself of what God says about me in the scriptures, I sing and listen to songs of truth, I drift away from the negative people and draw closer to the ones who genuinely love me and speak truth over me even if they’re only a handful…sometimes it takes just one person at a time who believes in you to help you keep going on your journey.

Other times I speak to myself. no kidding. I give myself pep talks to soothe my troubled soul. And there’re times I remind myself of the stories of people who had a hard time in life and still made it through. Eg joseph and david in the Bible, the missionary called Darlene deibler rose; teen expert, josh shipp; the evangelist, Dwight l. moody; heather lindsey of pinky promise movement, john eldredge of ransomed heart, and inspiring stories of friends and friends of friends. etc I replay their stories in my mind and trust that God is faithful to see me through and finish what He has started in me too. this song is one of my go to when I desperately need to be reminded of Truth.

little lies~ the sonflowerz

Tell me, darling angel, do you lie awake sometimes oh oo

Fighting thoughts of failure, hating what you look like oh oo

Not good enough, you’ve been told.

Not fit for love is what you know

You’re packing up your bags with a million little lies

But tonight, come step into the light

Beauty awaits on the other side of these little lies

You can dance, go ahead, throw up your hands

Dare to live on the other side where the Truth resides

With another angle you could see the good that’s here oh oo

Where God designs a garden in the image in the mirror oh oo

Stop looking in, look out

Walls built within, fall down

Forgetting you ever lived in a prison of lies

You are not a mistake, don’t you be afraid

Hear the Truth calling you, calling you by name.

“for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

“do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze…since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.” Isaiah 43:1-2,4

I know sometimes it’s hard to feel the love of God, especially when we’re going through hard things, but it doesn’t mean His love is not true and permanent. The sun is constantly shining. The fact that stormy clouds overshadow it and block our view sometimes doesn’t mean it stopped shining. Even if you don’t feel like the truth of the scriptures is good enough to pull you through, keep believing it. you can’t trust your every feeling, remember? Feelings are here, then they’re gone. But the Word of God is constant. You can outlive the feelings, you can out live the gossip, you can out live the fear.

I know, it can be such a struggle to get through some days. But because Christ overcame all these things and even death, we can overcome too cos the same spirit that rose Him from the dead is dwelling within our hearts. We need to believe and use the power we already have as children of God to rebuke and resist the demons and voices of negativity. No matter what life has dealt with you, please remember that you are dearly loved, friend. You are. Also, remember: God doesn’t make any junk. :)

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// still that girl

Boy, don’t we all have dreams and goals and plans, when we’re in school, especially in college. It’s like the possibilities are endless, and you just can’t wait to take on the world after graduation. But you wake up into the future you held so close and realize it’s not all that blissful like you planned after all. 

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The cold water of reality splashes on your face and you say to yourself, ‘wait a minute. Is this life?!’ it’s like school was this safe shelter you had and all of a sudden you actually have to go out there and make a life. Whew! And it doesn’t help either when the opportunities in the field you’re passionate about are close to none for the now, and it scares you that you’ll end up in a dead-end job or miss out on graduate school entirely.

I’m going through this kind of reality. Plans and dreams aren’t panning out like I hoped and prayed countless of times for. But God knows what He’s up to, right? Yurp. I watched a film titled ‘this is our time’, and there’s this guy named ethan. his story is so close to mine, it comforts and encourages me in a way. You should check it out, it’s a great faith based film.

I bet you have some dreams that seem so distant at this point in your life. I know it hurts. I know you get scared sometimes. I know because I’m right there in it too. But there’s hope knowing that God is able to restore our broken dreams, and perhaps we are where God intended us to be. The lyrics of this song speak so much to me.

still that girl~ britt nicole

Dreams, they come

Plans, they change. Yeah, we’re gonna break

Things we face make us who we are

Baby, you’re a star shining in the dark

Let’s go back to the summer,

The summer when we dreamed in love

Let’s go back again, let’s go back again

Yeah, back again, my friend to the summer when…

I’m holding a picture from 7 years back

I smile at the memory, it’s smiling right back at me, and I see

Brown hair and bright eyes, such a beautiful blue,

A heart full of laughter with nothing to lose

That’s how I remember you

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

Sometimes life don’t go the way you planned

And we all have days when we just don’t understand

Searching for meaning, it’s not always easy

But your story’s not over, it’s still being told

Your sunrise is coming, brighter than gold

Lets go back again to the summer when

What if the picture is bigger than you see

And God has you right where He wants you to be

Just listen to your heart

He’s telling you with every beat

You’re still that girl

You were young, you were free

And you dared to believe you could be the girl

Who could change the world

Then your life took a turn

And you fell and it hurt

But you’re still that girl

And you’re gonna change this world

Woa oo oo o o o, you’re still that girl

I see it in your eyes, I see it in your smile

You’re still that girl

“trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

“to humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1

“in their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Your heart may be broken over how things unexpectedly have taken a turn, but remember that just because you’re lost doesn’t mean you’re alone. You’re never alone. Nothing is wasted. Take heart, friend! You’ll look back someday and see that God intentionally redirected you in order to walk in the purpose He planned all along for you.

xoxo, gen delali

music monday// touch the sky

I got to hear this song not so long ago and, yeah, you guessed right. I fell in love. I could listen to it countless times a day, milking its essence into my soul. I bet you’d love it too! :)

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touch the sky~ hillsong united

What fortune lies beyond the stars,

Those dazzling heights too vast to climb

I got so high to fall so far

but I found heaven as love swept low

my heart beating, my soul breathing

I found my life when I laid it down

Upward falling, spirit soaring

I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground

What treasure waits within your scars

This gift of freedom gold can’t buy

I bought the world and sold my heart

You traded heaven to have me again

Find me here at Your feet again

Everything I am reaching out, I surrender

Come sweep me up in Your love again

And my soul will dance on the wings of forever

“let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help is in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-20

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” john 14:2-3

It’s amazing how we have direct access to the throne of God, how we get to talk to Him and have Him speak in so many different, unique ways to our quirky hearts. Wrestling in prayer on our knees is such a powerful weapon we have against the enemy.

And oh, the eternal pleasures that await we who believe in Christ! He totally traded His comfort to come to this broken world to purchase us back to Himself with His holy, precious blood. I keep reminding myself to live each day in light of eternity, cause all of this down here is just temporal. Let’s keep surrendering our lives, our dreams and hopes to the One who knows best! Not easy, but completely worth it.

I recently got a new perspective in relation to the last verse- john 14:2-3. Someone in my Sunday bible class mentioned a testimony of a person who had one of those near death experiences and was taken by angels to see heaven and hell. In that experience, the person saw tall mansions, and little houses in heaven. The angels explained to the person how the deeds of the saints are translated into building materials of precious stones. Meaning that the rooms Jesus said He was going to prepare for us is actually based on our individual obedience…so your level of obedience determines what building the angels are commanded to build for you. Shortly put, the testimony reveals that we build by our obedience/deeds. It got me thinking of the faith without deeds is dead verse and 1 corinthians 3:11-15 which says

“for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved- even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

Well, I don’t know for certain how true and accurate the story is but it did really get me thinking, like seriously. I had never thought of it that way before. What I do know is even if I don’t get a super glamorous mansion when I get to heaven, my soul will still soar for joy, knowing that I get to have eternal life in the presence of my Savior, which of course is wayyyyy better than eternal damnation. Good thing is, there’re no negative feelings like jealousy or the need to compare and be discontent in heaven. There’s no night or rain or suffering there. So whatever my lot in this passing life and in heaven, it is well with my soul.

xoxo, gen delali.

music monday// storyteller

Life is a journey. Sometimes it’s such an uphill climb that leaves us bruised and hurting. It’s like a range of mountains we keep climbing. The valleys in between aint no sunshine and flowers either. most times it’s like I just can’t catch a break.

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But when I cast my mind back on the paths I’ve wandered and journeyed on, I can see that even in the heartaches, I wasn’t alone. I can see that the pain doesn’t last forever. Even though in the moment it looked like that was the end of me, I didn’t stay in the moment of hurt. God helped me through it, and it comforts me to know that He’ll keep helping me through.

It’s such a great thing to get to journal all that the Lord’s been doing in and through me, to get to write about His faithfulness. An anthology and book are sure to grow out of it someday soon. ;)

This song. I love, love, love it. loved it the first time i heard it. it reminds me of the storyteller that God has made me to be. Oh, and I like how Jamie grace echoes in the background. (if you haven’t caught on, jamie and morgan are actually sisters :) I hope you like it!

 storyteller~ morgan harper nichols

On a Sunday evening I’m looking back

over all the years and where I’ve been

Looking at old photographs

I’m remembering You were right there,

and You have been ever since

with every page that turns, I see Your faithfulness

oooh, the mountain where I climbed, the valley where I fell

You were there all along, that’s the story I’ll tell

You brought the pieces together, made me this storyteller

Now I know it is well, it is well

That’s the story I’ll tell

there were some nights I felt like they would last forever

but You kept me breathing,

You were with me right there (tell ‘em)

And all that You have done for me

I could never hold it in

So here’s me telling this story over and over again

You hold the broken,

You hear my every cry, my every cry

(You hear my, You hear my)

My eyes are open, I know that it is well, it is well

oooh, the mountain where I climbed, the valley where I fell

You were there all along, that’s the story I’ll tell

You brought the pieces together, made me this storyteller

Now I know it is well, it is well

That’s the story I’ll tell, that’s the story I’ll tell

For years and years and years I’ll tell

That’s the story I’ll te-e-e-ell

(love both the music and lyric videos)

“even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.” psalm 23:4

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 corinthians 1:9

“because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed. For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Dear friend, however twisted your story has been, the Lord is faithful to use it to bring you good and glory for Himself. I’m so not where I thought I’d be by now. You might be thinking along the same lines with your life too, but God knows what He’s up to. Let’s allow Him to write His story through us.

Remember Joseph? I bet he thought his dreams of becoming a prominent leader seemed like a distant fantasy while he was a slave + in prison. But see how the good Lord used that time to train him for leadership, and the dream actually became a reality! We may be seeing the end goal now but God knows the process through which we’ll be refined for that end goal. Let’s trust that He’s in the process with us. We are never alone.

xoxo, gen delali.