Yolanda Adams has a song called, “It’s Gon’ Be Nice,” and I love the message of the song. It is a song to encourage everyone that, though, things might seem crazy, when God gets through with the situation, it will be VERY nice. Enduring hard times is one of the hardest things to do in life. As I write, I am thinking, “How do you tell someone who is going through the worst of circumstances, to ‘hang in there,’ when they feel like their world is crashing in on them.”
I know that I am prone to panic. So, it doesn’t even have to be a dire situation for me to freak right on out, although, I am getting better about that as I continue to grow. But, I feel that, for some of us, it’s hard to think past the present. It is difficult to picture that everything will work out. That is why we need to commune with God. That is why we need to read the Bible. We need to seek God’s Kingdom and His face because, when we can’t look past our own present, we can look in the past and see what the Lord has done. Maybe we cannot think of something that He has done for us (though there is plenty) because we are to frustrated, flustered, or furious to recall the moments when He pulled us through our problems. So, we have the Word of God to remind us of His goodness. We have a Spirit that dwells within us to remind us of His grace. So, as Yolanda says in the song: “I don’t have the right to give up I don’t have the right to give in You’re gonna see me through So, I’m gonna put my trust in You!” When we trust Him, God works out situations in ways that we would never ever imagine. I have a sticky note on my mirror that says, “God’s got this!” It is a reminder that no matter what the day may be, it is not anything that my God cannot handle and turn around for my good. We may not be able to see it, but I am a living witness that it’s gon’ be nice! Ms. EV
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Friday FUSION features music from me, singer/songwriter, Toni LaShaun Wortherly. Today's feature is lyrics only, as it will be recorded at a later date, but it sums up the experiences I have had while chasing after my dreams. The song is called FEARLESS! I wrote this song, as I do most of my songs in response to a sermon. I have spent much of my life letting fear of the unknown dictate what I do and how I do it. After hearing the sermon, I thought about how God is the ULTIMATE protector, provider and comforter, so I have nothing to fear, not even fear itself! Fearless Copyright © 2013 Toni L. Wortherly God has not given me The spirit of fear I don’t need to be concerned About what man does to me I may have some troubled times I may shed some tears But, I can look any storm in the eye and say: I am FEARLESS God is on my side I am FEARLESS In Him, I will abide I am FEARLESS Knowing God is in control I am FEARLESS No one can harm my soul I’m FEARLESS Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS In God I trust And I will not be afraid To take a step forward To leap out on faith I may not understand The path to my dreams But, I can look any storm in the eye and say: I am FEARLESS God is on my side I am FEARLESS In Him, I will abide I am FEARLESS Knowing God is in control I am FEARLESS No one can harm my soul I’m FEARLESS Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS With God as my light, whom shall I fear? With God as my strength, whom shall I fear? Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh…I’m FEARLESS Do You Have an Android Phone? Download the Toni LaShaun Music App!
In teaching my students about bureaucracies, I asked them if they liked to work in groups. I went on to tell them that, even though, most colleges and jobs assign you to work with groups, that it is very difficult for me to work with other people. I often joke that my kindergarten report card had all E's (for excellent), but the only comment was, "Does not work well with others." For a long time, I thought it was a character flaw. As I grew older, I realized that I am a perfectionist (read, I have OCD with certain things) and I am an introvert. So, it is very difficult for me to delegate or even ask anyone for help.
Fast forward to my current life, in which, I constantly find myself in situations where I have to work with other people. God knows how to make you grow, even when you are perfectly comfortable with your quirkiness. It is still not easy for me to ask for help, though, so it only happens when I really truly cannot complete something on my own. Besides my slight case of OCD and introvertedness, I also do not like rejection. I am still learning how to deal with it. Recently, I asked a group of friends to help me with a venture. Some responded favorably and have been an amazing amount of help. Others ignored me completely. At first, I was hurt. I was especially hurt by those that I had gone out of my way to help. But then, on Sunday, my pastor preached about God opening and closing doors. I realized that it wsa okay that people did not want to help or support me in my endeavors because God has placed the exact, right people. I realized that it does not mean that these people do not care about me or my success, but that God knows who to use to help me and who would be a distraction. God knows who would be my Peter, and who would be my James and John (please look it up, if you don't know what this means). A couple of days after the sermon, I was watching a tv show and there was a person singing one of my favorite songs, "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt. I just started singing the chorus over and over. It was a reminder. Those who are going to be in my corner are going to be there. Those who are not, I can't make them want to support me. I can't make them love me or my work. God knows the right people to let in my life at the right time. And, I am thankful that he leaves some people on the other side of the closed door. Trust me, you don't want anyone involved in your endeavors that is going to steal God's glory, whether they mean to or not. So, when God starts having people back away from you, be grateful. He knows what He is doing and He knows what is best for you. That being said, I am so thankful for those who, without being begged, poked or prodded, have continued to support and push me, knowing that it is difficult for me to even ask for suport. Praise God for the closed doors, even when people are involved! Ms. EV A couple of weeks ago, during my annual spring cleaning, I went around the house fixing things that were not functioning properly. This entailed replacing A LOT of lightbulbs. The main light that I fixed was the overhead light in my kitchen. The lightbulb had been out for about two years. It was an easy fix, but I had adapted to it not working, so I just hadn't done it.
I already talked about how much brighter my home is since I replaced the lightbulbs, but I realized something else. I am so used to the work-arounds that I keep forgetting that the light is fixed. I will walk into my kitchen and turn on the light over the stovetop and the light over the sink and completely forget the the overhead light is functioning now. I don't have continue using the other two lights, which really don't give me the amount of light I need, even combined. Sometimes, we do this in other areas of our lives as well. God heals a broken relationship, a sordid past, or whatever other damaged pieces are of our lives, and yet, we continue to walk around as though things are still awry. We continue to rely on our work-arounds rather than being confident in knowing that God had mended our woounds, forgiven us, and set us on a path to live out His plan for us. Maybe it is just habit to fall into our old ways. Or, maybe we don't even go back to the old ways, but we still cannot acknowledge God's gift of grace, so we live under a cloud of doubt and darkness. I think we sometimes don't really believe that we can be fixed. But, as we read in the Bible, the first step to being made whole is the desire to be made whole. Therefore, once you have given your brokenness over to God and He has healed you, you can walk in that light. It's done! You no longer have to depend on the shortcuts and old habits that you used to "get by." Now, you can walk in victory and GET BUSY! Be about God's business for your new, whole, complete life. And, even if you experience a setback, don't forget the fix! Ms. EV Go with the Flow…what does that even mean? We hear people say it all the time “go with the flow” or “roll with the punches,” but how can we do that? Does it mean that we don’t think about what’s coming next? Are we just supposed let life happen? Should we not plan for tomorrow? I don’t know about you, but I’m just not very good at going with the flow. This is where the power of the Holy Spirit has to come in and rule in our lives.
There is no way that, of my own power, I can stop thinking and analyzing and trying to stop catastrophes (big or small) before they start. I am just not wired that way. But, thank God I don’t have to live this life by my own power. I have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, and right about now, I need some Jesus peace; the kind of peace that passes all understanding (even my own). Because I am tired of being tired. How about you? So, pray for me and I’ll pray for you that the peace of God will cover all of the broken pieces of our lives, so we can roll with the punches and go with the flow. Ms. EV Last year, around this time, I went to an audition. Only a handful of people knew at the time where I was going because I learned from the story of Joseph that sometimes it’s best to keep your dreams within your circle of trust. Now that it is over and has been over for quite some time and the first episode has aired, I can reveal that the audition was for the show, Sunday Best.
I had been encouraged by several people to step out and audition for this type of opportunity, so I prayed about it and God did not tell me not to do it. Looking back, I am not sure if He told me to do it, but I am sure that there was not a “No” involved. I may have mentioned this before, but I do not like to go to auditions or job interviews because there is always the looming possibility of rejection. At least in my theatre days, I knew what the audition process would entail. In this particular instance, I had no idea what to expect. I sat in the freezing cold in a lawn chair for eleven hours, surrounded by strangers. I tried to sleep, but the audition, the anticipation and the anxiety of being in the midst of so many unfamiliar faces kept me awake the entire time. When the line finally started moving, I was excited, but weary. I signed an agreement saying that I would not reveal the process, so I will honor that and just tell about my experience. I got less than half a minute to sing. I got complimented by the judges on my enthusiasm. And, then I was sent on my way. It was a very humbling experience when that door closed. Last night, I watched the first episode, and I just had to thank God. First of all, I was proud of myself for watching the show because I had vowed as I left that day that I would not. Of course, that was the hurt feelings speaking at the time and part of growing in Christ is having joy for others when they reach their goals. I was also grateful that God gave me the ability to show Him how much His gift means to me. I was glad I did not stick have to around for the rest of the process because I was dead tired (and maybe a little delirious). And, after watching the auditions last night, I realized that even if I had made it to the final round to sing for Yolanda, Donnie and Kim, they would have cut me, which would have been even more heartbreaking. They told at least two prospects that their voices were better suited for theater. I know they would have said the same about me because the only formal vocal training I have comes from being in theatrical productions. I think that most of us have heard that when God closes a door, He opens a window. Sometimes we need doors slammed in our faces because that is the only way God can keep us on the right track, and then, we can live out God’s purposes for our lives. If I had been on the show, I do not know how far I would have made it on the show. Sure, it would have been nice for people across the country to hear me sing; however, because God gave me this talent, as long as I perform for the audience of One, I am using His gift for His glory. If I had been on the show, I still would not know what my voice sounds like. I know that sounds weird because, obviously, I know what my voice sounds like, but would not have been able to sing the music that I write. I would have been emulating other artists and my true voice would still be undiscovered. It was only through recording some of my songs that I was able to finally hear my sound. Speaking of recording, if I had been on the show, I would not be recording music right now. Even if I had won the whole thing, I would be signed to a label that would have control of my sound and my image. I believe that God wanted to be sure that He, and He alone, had dominion over my sound, my image and my life. God has allowed me to have an experience that made rejection less terrifying. He has allowed me the opportunity to shine in a room full of people in a way that I would never have imagined, given my introverted nature. Closed doors are blessings, too. Whether the door is closed on a career, a relationship or a dream, it has closed for a reason and God knows what is best. Never give up on your dreams because of a closed door. Instead, reflect on what you learned when the door slammed as you crawl out of the window and keep pressing toward the mark. Ms. EV For the foreseeable future, Ms. EV's Blog will feature music from Toni LaShaun Music. Today's song is Soul Satisfaction. I wrote this song after listening to a sermon by my uncle. I started thinking about how I had often looked to everything and everyone else for satisfaction, rather than turning to God. I have not recorded the song yet, but I plan to feature it on my upcoming CD because it is a great testimony of my journey as I fell in love with Jesus. These are the lyrics: Soul Satisfaction Copyright © 2012 Toni Wortherly Come to the Water that won’t run dry Drink in all His love; it will satisfy If you’re thirsting and yearning from deep within If you go through the motions feeling unfulfilled Come and Drink Come and Drink Him In He is the sole satisfaction for the soul He can take all your broken pieces and make them whole There’s no greater peace, no greater joy, No greater love to find God alone will meet your needs He satisfies… He satisfies Come get your fill of the Living Bread Those who dine at His table will leave well-fed If you’re starving and weary, in Him, you can rest Accept His invitation and receive His best Come and Dine Come and Dine with Him He is the sole satisfaction for the soul He can take all your broken pieces and make them whole There’s no greater peace, no greater joy, No greater love to find God alone will meet your needs He satisfies… He satisfies Oh Lord, You alone will satisfy... Oh Lord, You alone will satisfy me He is the sole satisfaction for the soul He can take all your broken pieces and make them whole There’s no greater peace, no greater joy, No greater love to find God alone will meet your needs He satisfies… He satisfies Do you have an Android phone? Download the TLWMusic App HERE!!!
I love to write! And, even though it may seem like it’s easy for me to share my writing because I blog and share my music, my writings are like my babies. Every time I share something, it is an act of obedience because, trust me, I do not share everything. Last year, I was asking God what to do with my music. I felt led to enter a couple of songwriting contests. Not to sound prideful, but I think my songs are great, and I needed to know how they stacked up against other writers. I needed to know what was working and what improvements could be made. So, I entered two songs in two different contests.
Each contest noted that it would provide a critique of the song. That was the scary part. I wanted brutal honesty because I want to learn and grow, but I did not want to hear anything I didn’t want to hear (you know what I mean). Well, last month, I got the results of the first contest. My song made the first two cuts. Of “hundreds of entries,” my song was among the top 45. When I looked at the critique, I could understand what the evaluator was saying and I will use the comments to help when I write more music. This week, I found out that my second entry did not even get honorable mention. I got the evaluation today and it was not very helpful. I was pretty bummed. Again, everything I write comes from my heart; so, to have someone give negative feedback would be like calling someone’s baby ugly. It just hurts. After I saw the critique, I went to lunch. I was waiting for my order, and I heard a student from my school say to me, “Oh my gosh, I just have to tell you this…,” so I looked up and saw her face beaming. I had no idea what was coming next. She continued, “I listened to all of your songs, and I love them! I especially love ‘Little Sister’!” For the second day in a row, someone complimented my music out of the blue. And, what made it even better was that Little Sister was the song that did not fare so well in the contest. One of the comments was, “An objective listener would not understand the vague lyrics.” But, this little girl understood the lyrics. But, wait, it gets better. This little girl has one of the most phenomenal singing voices that I have ever heard. She is a gifted and talented musician! And, God sent her to me less than an hour after I read the evaluation of my song. I am pretty sure I skipped out of the restaurant and to my car. I said this yesterday, but it can be repeated, God knows when we need encouragement. I am not, by any means, being proud and boastful, nor do I think I am all that. I know that God can make me so much better and that there is work to do. But, in getting two completely unsolicited compliments, it lets me know I am on the right track. It helps me to know that I need to keep pressing forward. There may be people who don’t like or understand what you are doing when you are on the path that God desires for you, but what they think of you is merely a matter of opinion. Listen to God. Obey Him. He will promote you at the right time and He will keep you encouraged along the way! Ms. EV I apologize for the late hour of this post. Please understand that in my life, my priorities are God, then family, and then everything else, so I just got home from supporting my "kids" at a track meet. I tried to post something while I was there, but ended up sending a blank blog :/ So here goes the real post; it is a re-post, but deals with attitudes just like yesterday.
My niece wants to be a teacher like her mother and I. The difference is that she knows she would like to be a teacher now. Her mother and I both had other careers, aspirations, and experiences prior to teaching. I think both us still have dreams that go beyond teaching. But, my niece is pretty determined that this is what she wants to do, so today, she shadowed me. She watched me in my class. Now, I am very, very frank and candid with my older nephews and niece, I keep it real, so I did not sugarcoat anything that I did in class today. There was no show; it was all real. I needed to confront my students on some behaviors that were displeasing to me. Normally, this would not occur in front of an audience, but it had to be done now because it is the middle of the last quarter and there is only a short amount of time to correct bad behavior. So, after my correcting yesterday, I knew that I had to approach the issue with sensitivity and grace. You know the saying, “You can attract more flies with honey than with vinegar?” Well, I really don’t know why anyone wants to catch flies, but that’s not the point. The point is that in this particular moment, the attention of my students was the fly. I could have laid into them; I had plenty of ammunition. Instead, I took a soft, but stern approach. And, although, they didn’t say much to me, word travelled back around that my approach was appreciated. Time will tell if my audience was indeed moved to action, but when I asked my niece what she learned. She replied, “That your kids need to do their work,” Then, I asked her for her honest opinion on how I handled the situation and she said I handled it well. That meant more to me than any reaction from my students. As a Christian, it is not always easy to find the balance between nice and mean. I think I’ve written about it several times in the last couple of weeks because it is an area I am working on personally. My desire is for others to see Christ in me, but that does not mean that I am to be disrespected because I show grace and mercy. This entire situation was a great lesson in how we treat God. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to follow His Will, and yet, many times, we disrespect Him and take His kindness for granted. So, I understand why, in the Old Testament, God took people out in those situations because initially that’s how I felt. But, I am so glad that He sent Jesus and sees us through Jesus’ eyes, with grace and mercy. I hope I get the results I desire, but I will not be a salty light or spread venomous vinegar around to get my “flies.” I will listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and behave accordingly. Ms. EV I went back to work today after a busy, yet restful week and a half break. One of my favorite parts about being off from work is sleeping in until I felt like getting out of bed. I love my job; I just wish I could make my own hours! Everyone who knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person. However, because my job requires me to actually communicate with other human beings by 7:30am, I have made adjustments to try to be somewhat personable.
So, this morning, when my alarm went off at 6:15am, I was determined to make it a great day. God has been so good to me and I needed to reflect that as I returned to work. I thought of something I have heard former pro football player, Deion “Prime Time” Sanders say, “Look good, feel good; feel good, play good; play good, pay good.” While I knew that my outward appearance would have no actual effect on the amount of my paycheck (if it did, I would be a LOT richer…LOL), I took Sanders’ motto in a more figurative sense. According to several compliments today, apparently I did, in fact, look good. I was careful to pick out clothing that would give me confidence and to make sure my hair was acting right (anyone with thick. naturally curly hair knows what I’m talking about). I did not do these things because I was trying to impress anyone; I did them because I needed to motivate myself to leave the house. When I looked in the mirror before I left, I liked what I saw and it gave me a little pep in my step. It made the early hour I left the house a little more bearable. And, while, as I said, looking good won’t increase my paycheck, going to work with a great, let’s-do-this attitude led to a pretty fantastic day. My job felt more rewarding today. All it took was a little attitude adjustment. Maybe, for you, it’s not an outward change that will give you a spring in your step. Maybe it’s just a good night’s sleep. Or, maybe it is taking the time to truly realize that God’s got this. Whatever it is, try to discover that little adjustment that will make your day a little brighter. The more positive you are, the greater impact you have on those around you. Ms. EV |
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