music monday//rise

Praising the name of the Lord isn’t so easy to do all the time. Especially when walking in some blazes. But the inspired Word says to praise Him, anyway. There’s so much He does for us that we take for granted.

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 rise~kari jobe

Lead us to You, show us Your mercy

Your majesty lifted up on high

It tells of Your goodness

Your name is true

Your name is holy

Your splendor is written in the skies

It tells of Your greatness

We will rise to praise You

Offer our lives before You

Let every nation, all of creation

We will rise, You are worthy

Lift up our eyes to Your glory

Let every nation, all of creation

We will rise

We stand in awe

You won the victory

Your enemies tremble at Your name

It speaks of Your triumph

You clothe the poor

You mend the broken

You heal our hearts

You take our shame

It speaks of Your kindness

We will cry out Your renown

You are the God who has saved us

We will rise to praise you

We lift a glorious sound

You are the One who redeemed us

We will rise to praise You

“praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you His servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forever more. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalm 113:1-3

“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord, let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt His name together.” Psalm 34:1-3

What I try to do when mr. grumpy wants to take over is to take note of all the things that the Lord has done and is doing for me. so something like a thankfulness list. Even if it’s something small that you can see the Lord doing for you, still rise and be thankful. It can be a struggle, but we gotta fight off the wrong moods and feelings. Let’s rise and praise His lovely name.

xoxo, gen.

music monday// these days

There’s this thing about Mondays that just undo many folks. And that’s exactly why I decided to create ‘music Mondays.’ To help us get through Mondays. Cos, yeah, I get it. it means the start of another week on the grind and possible stress. There’re so many things that we wish we could wish away. But oh welp, the best we can do is pray through it all and choose to be joyful on the journey, on the way to where Daddy is taking us.

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 these days~ mandisa

I never liked Mondays or bad news

Or breaking in new shoes

And mornings when I can’t find my phone

Nobody like traffic or short nights

Or sit ups or long flights

But sometimes that’s just the way it goes

It’s funny what You use to help me grow

So I’ll learn to love these days

Life along the way

In the middle of the crazy

God your love is so amazing

Through the ups and downs

You’re the only hope I’ve found

Lord, you meet me in the madness

I’ll learn to love these days

I’ll learn to love these days

I can see silver lining

When the sun’s not shining

Even when You choose to bring the rain

Oh, but there’s freedom believing

And trusting Your leading

Cause You’re Lord of all my joy and all my pain

I could wait the hundred years

You gave me here, the days when you were near

The days when I was out there

Looking for what comes next

Oh, cause every minute, every hour, everyday

Is such a gift and I can say

I’m thankful for each day

So I’ll learn to love these days

Life along the way

In the middle of the crazy

God, Your love is so amazing

Through the ups and downs

You’re the only hope I’ve found

Lord, you meet me in the madness

So I’ll learn to love these days

I’ll learn to love these days

I’ll learn to love these days

I’ll learn to love these days

“those whom I love I rebuke and discipline…” revelations 3:19

“endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?...no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” Hebrews 12:7, 11-12

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…” malachi 3:3

The Lord will sometimes allow us to experience certain situations which we wouldn’t find so lovely. But in His love, He knows what’s best for us and uses so many situations to help us grow in Him and exercise our faith.

I doubt anyone loves taking exams. Well, I sure don’t. but it’s necessary we study and prepare well for them in order to move to a higher stage of life. I believe it’s similar with life in general. We need to go through some things to refine us, to take away things in our hearts that are not of Him, to make us better and more like Him.

xoxo, gen

music monday// to know You

Knowing the Lord of our souls is a life-long journey. There is so much to Him. these lyrics remind me of some of the ways to keep knowing Him.

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to know You~ casting crowns

To know You is to never worry for my life,

And to know You is to never give in to compromise

To know You is to want to tell the world about You

Cause I can’t live without You

To know You is to hear Your voice when You are calling

To know You is to catch my brother when he’s falling

To know You is to feel the pain of the broken hearted

Cause they can’t live without You

More than my next breath

More than life or death

All am reaching for, I live my life to know You more

I leave it all behind, You are all that satisfies

To know You is to want to know You more

To know You is to want to know You more

To know You is to ache for more than ordinary

To know You is to look beyond the temporary

To know You is believing that You will be enough

Cause there is no life without You

All this life could offer me, could not compare to You, compare to You

And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing You, knowing You

“I tell you, do not worry about your life…” matthew 6:25

" that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings..." phillipians 3:10

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. if you really know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” john 14:6-7

“these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9

My prayer is that I do not get tired of getting to know my Lord, that I’ll keep on pursuing Him and when I get weak and weary, pray for strength to carry on like the faithful soldier that He’s called me to be in His kingdom. I pray you pray the same too.

xoxo, gen

music monday// never once

it’s so easy to think and even believe God has forgotten us, right? I’ll be honest and admit there’re times it looks like I’m all alone in a sticky situation. It looks like it but that’s not the case. Though physically we may be alone, in the spirit realm, we are never alone. God’s spirit dwells in us, He has His angels watching over us, His eye is on us.

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Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we’ve come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Carried by Your constant grace

Held within Your perfect peace

Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace

Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful

“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.” John 14:18

“no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous…” Joshua 1:5-6

“have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

I can understand the state of aloneness you may be facing. I’ve been there. But remember when joseph was in the pit it seemed God had up and left. As if God showed him all those lovely dreams only to find himself in a pit. I don’t know what run through the thoughts of joseph whiles in the pit and in the prison, but see how God was indeed with him throughout the whole drama? He was preparing him for the very dreams He gave him.

Even if the people you counted on abandon you and get tired of you, don’t let that deceive you to think God has forsaken you. Joseph’s brothers hated him but God was still with him. so if you have to repeat to yourself that God never forsakes you, to help you get by, then do. It’s my mantra too. God never forsakes me.

xoxo, gen