Tuesday night, many people across America tuned in to the State of the Union address by President Obama. He outlined our nation's needs and desires, our victories and failures, and then, give a plan of action for our future. It made me think, "What is the state of my union?" I'm not married, but I am in a relationship with Christ. So, what are my needs and desires? My victories and failures? And, what is my plan of action for the future? I'm not about to answer those questions in front of all of you, but I will say that it is good to take inventory and it should happen more than once a year.

We should all ask ourselves if our relationship with Christ is growing. If it is, we should ask God to show us how can we keep it growing closer. If it is stagnant, we need to examine what is holding us back from experiencing the fullness of God. What are the distractions, disappointments, and disillusions that are keeping us from taking a step closer to God. We should take note of our victories in Christ and our failures to self or Satan. We should give God praise for the victories and for the mercy He shows us when we fall short. We should take the time to allow God to show us a path for the future. Notice I said path and not destination. God shows us the pieces to the puzzle and lets us know when we are on the right track or gently guides us back on the right road (or, if you're being hard-headed like I can be, chastises us until we find our way back) .

When the President finished speaking, there was a rebuttal, and political pundits from all over will weighed in on the speech. But, that's where God, the King of Kings, is so much more faithful than our government. When you have your state of the union, God is the only one who needs to hear. You don't need anyone else's approval. You don't have to defend your position to another human being. So, what is the state of your union with Christ? Ms. EV

I woke up very early this morning in somewhat of a panic. I started thinking about what I do not have in my life. I started thinking that I am not achieving enough; that I am a failure. I started wondering how I had taken a step back instead of a step forward. I started praying hard, and I eventually fell back to sleep. When I woke up and started preparing to face the day, the thoughts came right back. I felt myself start to get lost in anxiety, and then, I said, “No. Not today. Not ever!” God has been too good to me for me to let these thoughts break me down.

You see, yesterday, I went back into the studio for the first time in five months and recorded my first gospel song. The song is called, “My Victory Is In My Praise.” It was the first song I have recorded that it took one take for the lead vocal. I wrote the lyrics at the beginning of the year and I had it next on my list to record, so I took a leap of faith and recorded it.

The song is about using praise as a weapon to overcome your inner struggles; you know those late at night, don’t nobody know, but you and God (I know that was bad grammar) struggles that creep into the daytime sometimes. It is about praising your way through ailments, whether they are physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. It is about praising until your deliverance comes from whatever it is that has you bound; be it singleness, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, illicit relationships, or just not living up to your potential.

So, as I thought about yesterday’s recording session, and how close I felt to God, the words from my uncle Rodney’s sermon on Sunday rang in my ears, “That’s why the devil hates you!” I am not a failure. I have everything I need in my life. In fact, I am an overcomer (the red squiggly line says this is not a word, but we churchy people know that it is). So, I decided to start praising.

I thanked God for helping me make some tough decisions about my life that I knew would change my ability to afford some of the luxuries that I am used to, but would free up my time to use the talents that God has bestowed upon me. I thanked Him for giving me something to write and say for almost every day of the last year. I thanked Him for keeping my head way above water even when, on paper, it looked like I should drown. I thanked God for helping work through loneliness and its associated issues. I thanked God for getting me through mourning, and giving me the opportunity to comfort others. Victory! Healing! Deliverance! It’s all in the praise and my God is able!

Because you are a loyal reader of this blog, I am going to give you a preview of the new song. The preview and all of the lyrics are below. Enjoy! Ms. EV