music monday// joy

so, there's this band, it's irish, and i loooove their art. their music is powerful and beautiful! rend collective is their name. a few months back i came across their music and i couldn't not keep listening to them. i watched and listened to their heart behind their new album- the art of celebration. the message runs deep and sparkles with Truth. i'm sharing the message + one of my fav songs by them- joy.

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so, aside the irish accent, what really stuck out to me in their message were these words...

"...life has a way of draining that child-like wonder from us through our failures or disappointments, whether it's suffering or betrayal, or even just familiarity. that's why we put up our defenses, isn't it? that's why we become numb. we pull back from life and become spectators because we're afraid of being hurt again. but the good news is, Jesus is always near than you think. He's not finished with us yet. we may doubt, we may feel like we're broken beyond repair, but He's the peace in our troubled sea. He's the healer of the broken-hearted.

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...seriousness is not a fruit of the Spirit but joy is. you see, there's an irrepressible laughter in the heart of God and the whole universe cannot contain it. He is the One who celebration, feasting and holidays. He is the One who sings and dances over us. when He suffered the cross, He did it for the joy set before Him and that joy was knowing that you and i would be fully free, no longer captive to our sin. yes, the whole human story is described in terms of celebration-the marriage of Christ, whose bride- the Church. now, happiness is not the same thing as joy. happiness is an emotion- a superficial response to pleasant circumstances, but joy is deeper, it's a spiritual discipline. 

we as people are more inclined to negativity and cynicism. we don't find it easy, or even natural to pursue joy, and that's why God in His Word actually commands us to celebrate...we must fight for our joy. how then do we remind ourselves as a wounded church family that we still have a reason to sing? how do we move from the edges and fringes of the party into the center? well, the Bible says, taste and see, that the Lord is good. [psalm 34:8] and to do that, we have to once again, open our hearts to wonder and beauty.

i'm not saying to be fake or put on a false smile, but rather to always find a reason to rejoice even if we're in the darkest circumstances...and after all, Heaven is gonna be the greatest party of all time and we need to start practicing now. so don't get caught up in your guilt and failures. you are forgiven, you are free. you're worth more than you could ever imagine. so, c'mon with a child-like heart, wide-eyed with wonder, let's rediscover the art of celebration."

"husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." ephesians 5:25-27

"let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! for the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear. (fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) then the angel said to me [john], 'write this: blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' and he added, 'these are the true words of God.' " revelations 19:7-9

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 joy~ rend collective

we're choosing celebration, breaking into freedom

You're the song, You're the song of our hearts.

we cast aside our shadows, trust You with our sorrows

You're the song, You're the song of our hearts.

we're dancing to the rhythm of Your heart

we're rising from the ashes to the stars.

You're the joy, joy, joy, lighting my soul

the joy, joy, joy, making me whole

though i'm broken, i am running into Your arms of love.

the pain will not define us, joy will reignite us

You're the song, You're the song of our hearts

c'mon my soul.

the dark is just a canvas for Your grace and brightness

You're the song, You're the song of our hearts.

we're dancing to the rhythm of Your heart

we're rising from the ashes to the stars.

You're the joy, joy, joy, lighting my soul

the joy, joy, joy, making me whole

though i'm broken, i am running into Your arms of love.

You're the joy, the song of my heart, the hope of my soul

in the shadows, in the sorrows, in the desert when the pain hits,

You are constant, ever-present, You're the song of my heart

You're the joy, joy, joy, lighting my soul

the joy, joy, joy, making me whole

though i'm broken, i am running into Your arms of love, into Your arms.

"nehemiah said' 'go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. this day is holy to our Lord. do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." nehemiah 8:10

"but let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy. spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You." psalm 5:11

"the Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. my heart leaps for joy, and with my song i praise Him." psalm 28:7

"You make known to me the path of life, You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." psalm 16:11

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. for the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." hebrews 12:2

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"rejoice in the Lord always. i will say it again: rejoice!" philippians 4:4

"the Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you, in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." zephaniah 3:17

"but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..." galatians 5:22,23

when i face situations that try to steal my joy, even if it seems i don't have any reason at all to be joyful, i remember the salvation i have in Jesus and the eternal bliss that awaits me in Heaven, and hope surges, along with joy. i also remind myself of all the Lord has done in my life and begin to be thankful for them, and joy begins to bubble in my heart.

are you burdened some some trouble or situation? choose joy, darling. :)

xoxo, gen delali.

currently

listening to- my lighthouse by rend collective, little light by rachel platten, God is good by dustin kensrue. can i say how much i love rend collective?! so, so good!

enjoying: my book thrifting trips. i found really great books by anne lamott, joshua harris, eric & leslie ludy among others on my last trip. i found 2 copies of i kissed dating goodbye! i'm deciding to gift the second copy. *mentally scrolls through friends.* haaa, i know who! ;)

reading- genesis- really refreshing to get back to the basics of this God-given life. i love being plunged into the stories of flawed people who loved God from the beginning of time, i love the unfolding, the redeeming. i dunno but i giggled each time abraham had to lie that sarah was his sister and not his wife in order for his life to be spared. and the interesting part is, each time, he & sarah were sent off with lots of gifts after the lie was brought to light. funny, little couple that God used greatly!

aaand, i'm almost through with i kissed dating goodbye by joshua harris!! guys, the wealth of Godly wisdom dripping from this book is nothing short of amazing! having being single for over 3 yrs, patiently waiting for God's best, the book goes down my throat really well. it affirms my convictions about serving God & being productive in the waiting season. i'm gonna be blogging some excerpts pretty soon. and the fact that he wrote it when he was only 21?? incredibly wise beyond his years if you ask me!

watching- nothing really, although there are sermon videos, meaningful scripture-based movies, and videos from the anima series that are begging for my attention. haha i'm too caught up soaking in words from books. that's what happens when the bookworm in me fully awakens. ;)

understanding: what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God-[my forever Home] and His righteousness and trusting Him to take care of the details of my life.

rocking- finger coils. i had on twist outs for some time and decided to go for a new look. i did the finger coils myself last weekend, all by the help of some useful kinky hair tutorials i found on youtube. i used organic root stimulator lock & twist gel. it took me close to 5 hrs to finish all the coils. it's been a week and it's still looking pretty neat as compared to the twist outs which began to look a lil messy after a few days. but maybe that's bcos i used only water+hair oil without the gel for the twist out? welp, i think i'll go with the finger coils more often. it's convenient and easy to maintain.

memorizing- philippians 4:6-7 "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 understanding will guide your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

romans 12:2 "do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will."

2 timothy 3:16 "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

2 corinthians 10:4-5

"for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

thankful for: the hand of the Lord in my life. without Him i'm sooo lost!

praying: bold, BIG, hopeful, strongholds-shattering prayers.

loving: this lovely quote i found on pinterest.

what have you guys been up to lately?!

xoxo, gen delali.

currently

Relishing in & enjoying: the time spent in the beauty and serenity of nature with Cheryl, le guitar. :)

venue for photos: my alma mater, UG. :)

Gushing over: my new bible and camera I gifted myself for my birthday and the flat pumps my sweet friend, martina gave me for the birthday (which was 25^th may :) 

I love that the bible has these cute index thingys that make it easier to find a book. 

I got this cute Samsung HD camera a little before my birthday. I know, I have to invest in a big girl nikon/canon camera sometime but for now this should do. ;)

the cute flat pumps-thanks martina!

Loving: my new cross earrings & my not-so TWA-{teeny weeny afro}. well I got kinky curly twists over the weekend so it hasn’t been that long since I rocked my ‘fro so it still counts. ;)

before & after church on le birthday

Listening to: desert soul, joy, my lighthouse, you are my vision by rend collective… sing in the rain by moriah peters…my hope is in You by aaron shust. These have been on repeat like crazy. Rend collective is becoming my new fav band, ya’ll!

Watching: preacher’s kid {watched this last night actually}. This movie is really good! Watched it first when it came out a few years back, and it doesn’t get old. Especially to any girl out there seeking for attention from the wrong guy, the girl looking for love in the wrong places, the girl who is willing to compromise her values/beliefs just to please some guy who’s not worth it, the girl who thinks she’s gone too far, messed up too much to return to the ultimate Lover of her soul, this movie is for you. It’s got a lot to teach.

Reading: aside le bible, a summer read titled ‘beach season’, {and blogs, one of my favs being, the lipstick gospel}

I haven’t really done a ton of novel reading. I finished reading through proverbs during the weekend and started jeremiah. {I’d love to name one of my future sons jeremiah. such a powerful + lovely name, right?}

Thankful for: sweet friendships, the kind where you can share your wild dreams & fears & bare your soul. The kind where you aren’t afraid or ashamed to be vulnerable. the kind that puts up with all your quirks. the kind that breathes life and speaks truth into you, the kind that is real. I’m not about shallow small talk, I’m about deep + hearty conversations.

Dreaming about: the beautiful future and all the possibilities it holds.

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Learning to: play the guitar and to fight for my joy. The latter is a spiritual discipline which is oh, so worth it.

Praying for: diligence to love and serve the Lord with all my heart and soul. {but without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6}

what have you been up to lately? do share!

xoxo

gen delali.

linking up here.