music monday// lovin' me

hi lovely humans!!! so  today, i was actually torn between two awesome songs by the same musician: the awesome jonathan mcreynolds. i was torn between sharing "loving me" and "the way that You love me." i wish i could share both today but I'm going with "loving me" for today.

i guess i'm torn between the two because they both talk abut the love of Jesus. and He sure has been flooding me with His love...like it's crazy, i can't begin to describe it...but i will. i certainly will try in a book someday soon. His love is endless like the ever-widening ocean of blue skies.

 

(photo from when i was on my way to Swaziland from South Africa with my fellow missionaries in 2013) 

so this song is so dear to me because it echoes my thoughts about how my Darling Jesus loves me with such a fierce passion...a relentless love. and i love how the lyrics are so personal. i love the vulnerability of it all.

here goes!

lovin' me// jonathan mcreynolds

 I'm nowhere close to a perfect man
And it takes a supernatural love to even understand
That beyond the walls behind, the mask and confident smile,
Was a broken man trying to grow up and make life worthwhile,

And I know there were times that You probably shouldn't,
But I thank You for always lovin' me
And I know anyone else they probably wouldn't,
  But I thank You for always lovin' me

Now I know there were days I looked at myself,
I felt like less of a person compared to everyone else,
What about this flaw too big too small, can I exchange?
And trying to make-up for where I fell short, I let sense slip away

  But when I look in the mirror and don't like what I see
Oh, I just thank You for always lovin' me.
And I know I get bad but You wait patiently
I wanna thank You for always lovin' me.


oh i just thank You for always lovin me
Father, i wanna thank You for always lovin me

See, You just keep lovin me,
lovin me

thank You for lovin me,
lovin me 2x

  oh Lord, i wanna thank You for always lovin' me


Though I know I don't have everything that it takes You keep lovin' me
And regardless of every mistake that I make, You keep lovin' me yeah
And it probably don't matter what I do or say, You keep lovin' me
ohhh and even with the pimples on my face, You keep lovin' me yeah

So You just keep lovin' me yeah, lovin me
  I wanna thank You for lovin' me, eeehhh lovin' me
oh so You just keep lovin me yeah

oh Lord I thank You for always lovin' me! yeah
Though i know i don't deserve it
You keep on lovin me
 and i know i didn't do nothing for it
but You keep on lovin me 
oh and when i really, really didn't love myself
Lord, You were there lovin me
ooohh, inspite of me, Lord, You just keep lovin me
Lord, I thank You for always lovin me.

don't you just love the soul with which he sings? it's coming straight from the heart.
these days i've been carving out time to dwell and ponder some more on the love Jesus says He has for me... jar of clay me. from the way i've experienced Him these past few years, i don't know how i'd ever doubt His presence in my life. like how??? 

my small frame doesn't stop Him from loving me and using me fr His purposes. not my terrible sins of kissing guys i used to like,(no worries, the last time that happened was summer 2012), not my sometimes judgemental thoughts towards others, not the insecurities that try to grab at my heart, not my doubts, fear, depression...not my huge, froggy, lazy eyes, not my huge set of teeth, not the blemishes on my face caused by my acne years. like nothing. NOTHING stops this perfect Gentleman from loving me. and i'm overwhelmed by this never-ending love.

thank You, Father for loving me. 

And its funny how it seems as if jon mcreynolds had me particularly in mind when he was writing this song. his songs are so real, so relatable. how i love them so! God bless you, mcreynolds!

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought.  You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. ⁴ You know what I am going to say before I even say it.  You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head!// psalm 139:1-5

  How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!// psalm 139:17-18

  "The Lord appeared to us in the past saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." // jeremiah 31:3

 ...But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.// romans 5:8

 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.// psalm 86:15

friend, Jesus loves you very much! i pray you get to experience this liquid love He has for you and be intentional to notice all the ways that He pours His ocean of love on you!


{so the organization i go for missions and outreaches with --Teens Aloud...well, we had a couple of camps and i'll be back to blog about them: the high school Christmas worship camp and the teen builders worship camp. i loved every bit of being a camp counselor. :) }
 

xoxo,

gen delali.

music monday// no gray

hi guys! so, i've decided to start a new music series thingy where i share a unique song almost every monday. why? cos i love, love music!!! it's a part of me and it was about time it got it's own little spot on the blog.

i pray they're songs that will leave us really pondering about our lives and have us re-examining our walk with the Lord. :) and hopefully it'll be a way to come across 'new' songs/artists that you would love.

and i know how folks get about mondays. ;) poor monday, what did he (or is it a she?) ever do so wrong? ;) so, while you're out there wringing it out with monday, i'd like to invite you into my space cos i'll be here to offer some refreshing, soul awakening music. :)

for the very first post, i'd like to share a song a friend shared with me last friday. it's really moving. 
have you ever been torn between the world and Jesus? yeah, me too. so. many. times. i know! i've been there, still end up there, if i'm honest.

...the times when you're worried about what names people will call you if you get really into God...when you want to party it out the wrong way, club it up, wear the super tight/low cut cleavage clothing, curse it out to look 'cool', listen to/sing worldly songs so you can look 'hip' and fit into today's cuture, ...and all the while you go to church more out of a ritual than a committed love for the Lord. ...when we turn some guy who couldn't really be bothered about our soul into an idol, a mini god of a sort, craving his attention when we should be craving Jesus to fill us up ...when we constantly put our quiet time with the Lord at the back burner ...when we know the right thing to do and yet we do the wrong thing...we've all pretty much been there. i'll be the first to admit. dear old paul said in romans:

ok, now the song: no gray by jonathan mcreynolds. it says:

i wrote this song and i pray that you listen to all the words 

cause i feel like at some point in everybody's life

we feel like this,

Lord I'm split in two

part of me loves the world

and the other loves You

so what do I do

i wanna be saved

but I got to stay cool too

and no i'm not a fool

i know eventually I'm gonna have to choose

and really I don't wanna lose

my ticket into heaven

and a chance to be used by You

and if it's God that i'm after

i just can't serve two masters

and before something happens

i got to turn it all around

because i know

i can't just have my cake and eat it too

cause it's real easy to stay on the fence and still do you

and it'd be cool if we could love the Lord and still go do our thing

but see it doesn't work like that

you gotta to be white or black

see, i've realized

when it comes to sin

You just don't compromise

see, it's a matter of death and life

be weak and do wrong

or be strong and do right

and i don't wanna keep going to church

singing all about how much You're worth

and then continue doing my dirt

living as if i didn't care if You're hurt

Lord, i really need you to help me

get it together fast

saints, we really gotta

get it together fast

no, it don't work like that

you gotta be white or black

no gray

no shades of gray

no no no no no... no no no no no...

don't work like that

you gotta be white or black.

i found this lovely mime video for the song.

"no one can serve two masters. either you will hate one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. you cannot serve both God and money." matthew 6:24

and though we can't attain perfection in our walk with the Lord, we can certainly intentionally cling to Him, and really try with our all to love and obey Him, and allow sanctification into our lives.

i hope you're blessed by the music. and i hope monday behaves. ;)

xoxo

delali