THE GLASS MUSIC BOX

This originally was a New Year's Resolution project. Now, it has transformed into a way to record my random musings. Look through the glass and see what you can find...

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In case you didn’t already know, it’s Spring!!! I am beyond excited. The cold weather just isn’t my forte so the moment the temperature hits 60 degrees the spring and summer wardrobes come to the f...

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No Matter What

This is what I have experienced the past two days: No matter what I want or what I think, God will always carry out His will. 

Sometimes, I catch myself praying, “It’s whatever you want God, but it would be awesome if it was ________________.” Selfish Haley bears her ugly head. 

It always seems that I get the opposite of what I ask for, and I find myself trying to figure out why. The answer is simple: it’s not about what I want. It’s about the Lord’s plan for me and what He wills for all of the world. 

This is not a dramatic example, but something that made me laugh today and realize what I was really doing. I am currently serving on a jury (on my Spring Break as a teacher) and decided to take my lunch to the nearby park. It turned out to be a beautiful day at that point. Rain chances had been pushed back to the evening. The only problem I had was with how windy it was. It was so windy that my lunch box lid would open. Hair was flying every where, including my mouth when I was trying to eat my lunch. I finally just said, “Lord, could you please calm this wind down a bit?” Instantly, the wind picked up. “Haha, you are very funny God,” I said. 

It was at that moment that I realized I was being selfish about what I wanted. Of course, God is going to give me everything I want and need in life. He is going to give me His will, because ultimately that is what I want and need. 

I have told myself that every time that I begin to have selfish/prideful thoughts, I will pray this:  “Lord, help me see your way. Guide me to ask for what YOU want, and not what my selfish flesh wants. You are the way, the truth, and the life. My selfish human thoughts are not. You have a purpose for everything that happens in my life and I want to accept whatever you place in my path, for it is from You to nurture my relationship with You. All that I say, do, or ask shall be in Your name. Amen.”

It is also important for me to humble myself and ask the ones I love around me to help me see when I am being most prideful or selfish. If you read this and have similar problems, I encourage you to also talk with someone. It is always more powerful when there are multiple people gathered in His name. 

God Bless you all! Have a nice evening!

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HE LIVES!

Hallelujah! Rejoice! Christ Jesus lives today!!!!

What a glorious day! Happy Easter! Or as my mom said earlier, HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY! :)

I could say a LOT about today, I could talk about all the hymns I love to sing on this day, but one thing I want to share with you today is a song. When I first heard this song, it brought tears to my eyes. It is so beautiful and the lyrics are awesome. 

“It Was Finished” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt

Also, you all know that this was a “Lent Project.” However, I am not going to stop since Lenten Season is over. I may not get to posting EVERY day, but I will try my best. What this has helped me do is to get closer to God by spending more time with Him and reflecting more about my relationship with Him. I also reflect on my daily actions and words...I think about if they reflect more of Jesus than myself. This blog has really been something that has changed my life, so of course I don’t want to stop now. It’s all about Him. It is nice to be able to focus something I am doing entirely on the Lord. 

Thanks to everyone who supported me thus far in this blogging journey. Have a GREAT rest of your Easter night. I hope you all had a joyous, celebratory day!

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Good Friday

What an intense day. When I have something intense happen in my life, I find it most effective to reflect and remember. I encourage you to take time tonight to reflect and remember what Jesus went through to die for our sins. I cannot even imagine how hard it was for Jesus, as a human, to accept that He was about to die a brutal death. He did it for God's will and not his own. What a perfect example of putting God's will above our own. As you spend time with God tonight, read Mark 14:27-15:46. Stop every section and reflect on what happened. As you reflect, create imagery in your head to see exactly what happened. It is something powerful to experience. Even as I mourn the death of Jesus, I also rejoice because I have been forgiven by His blood and broken body. I can't wait to celebrate on Easter! God Bless you all, and have a great evening.

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So, plans change. I originally was going to write about serving, which is inevitably a part of what I will say, but not the focus. I was so inspired by this beautiful set up at church tonight. We had a Maundy Thursday service tonight to remember The Lord's Supper. Ultimately, The Lord's Supper is a great showcase of serving, in addition to the foreshadowing of His death to come. The Lord literally told the disciples, "This is my body, broken for you," and, "This is my blood." He gave his whole life so that we may have everlasting life. As I was reflecting when partaking of the bread and the cup, I thought about how broken his body was and how much blood He shed. Thinking about Jesus being tortured brings tears to my eyes. However, at the same time it brings me joy because He did it all because of love. In serving, there must be love. Our mission is to love God, love ourselves, and love one another. When partaking if the bread and cup, we are asked to, "Do this in remembrance of Me [Jesus]". As you serve, do it in remembrance and in reflection of Him. Do not serve because of how people will think of you or what "status" it will bring you to, but to reflect the selfless love of The Lord. He gave his life, what more could He give? There are so many things that can be said about The Lord's Supper and about serving, but the underlying basic is love (John 3:16!). How will you serve others? Through love. In addition, I am excited about experiencing my church's Good Friday service tomorrow. Can't wait to share with you all. God Bless and have a great evening.

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Jesus came to serve. How powerful is that? To be Christ-like, our goal should be to serve; serve The Lord and serve others. Jesus served us by giving up His life for all. How do you serve Jesus? How do you serve others around you? There are many ways to serve. Serving will be the topic for tomorrow's post, in addition to Maundy Thursday experiences. God Bless and have a great evening. Peace be with you!

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Loving Those Who Ridicule

Why didn't Jesus show His power to everyone in the Sanhedrin before His crucifixion? How did Jesus love them without them knowing it? Luke 22:67 They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." But He said to them, "If I do tell you, you will not believe." Jesus already knew the depths of their self-assuring thoughts. At that time, nothing Jesus could have done or said would have convinced them to believe Him. In their minds, they were right beyond all shadow of a doubt. The crazy thing is, these people were Pharisees! They spent many years serving God but could not see the Truth right in front of them. That because they believed their own minds..... The flesh. Brothers and sisters..... Our worst enemy as a child of God is our flesh. It will tell us we are right and use any excuse it can logically muster to stand it's ground. Jesus Christ......... Wow...... He knew they were wrong. He made a decision to love them unconditionally. He let them ridicule and torment Him. Then He died on a cross to bridge the gap between them and God! 'Christian' means to be like Christ. How are you going die to save someone today even if they are in the wrong?

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Withstanding Ridicule

If anyone knows about ridicule, it is Jesus Christ. Watch this video to see how Cephaias treated Jesus before He died. I watched the 'Caiaphas Questions Jesus' video on @YouVersion! Check it out here: http://bible.com/v/4J If you have troubles with the video, please let me know! It is a neat way to experience Holy Week...actually seeing it in action. "And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows." (‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭53-65‬ ESV) With all the ridicule you may experience, go to Jesus. He knows the greatest hurt of all, for He died for you. He will be able to give you the strength to withstand the ridicule that you may face. Jesus suffered so that we would not have to. From watching different depictions of what happened to Jesus as He was getting closer to His death gives me a better picture of how much He actually suffered. It just makes me love Him so much more each time because I think of all the sacrifices He made for you and me. What is it for me to make a little sacrifice to Him? Any sacrifice seems easy compared to the one He made for you and me. Whatever comes your way, you can withstand it if you call upon The Lord. God Bless you all, and have a great evening!

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Palm Sunday

Happy Palm Sunday!

“And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mark 11:8-10

I can just imagine the excitement of being in that crowd, holding a palm branch in hand and awaiting the arrival of Jesus. 

Today, my preacher brought up some great points about this story and I want to share them with you tonight.

The first thing that really spoke to me is about what people expected about Jesus. While the people were waiting in the crowd for their King of Israel, their Savior, they probably imagined him arriving into Jerusalem on a beautiful white horse (as we later have a reference to in Revelation 19:11). When they saw Jesus riding in on a donkey, disappointment and doubt probably filled their minds. “THIS is supposed to be our King?” Many of those people that said “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” also were some of the same people who said, “Crucify Him!” leading up to His death. 

Think about this: Jesus never had really anything to call His own. As my preacher said, everything he had was borrowed. He was born in a borrowed stable, He borrowed the room where the Last Supper took place, He carried a borrowed cross, and He was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb. 

When I was hearing this, I instantly thought about how it says blessed are those who are poor, meek, and mild. People who have hardly anything can give everything they are to God, because that is all they have. All Jesus had was the Father. For people who are rich in many things, it makes it much harder to give up things and leave them behind for the Lord. It is one thing to admit that you would give up anything for the Lord, but to actually carry that action out is a totally different story. 

I also watched as people processed in with palms and waived them while the congregation also waived palm branches. Just like Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem that day, we welcomed Him into our worship and hearts and were gathered in His name. 

My main prayer today was just that. “Just like the people welcomed you into Jerusalem that day with palms. let me (us) also welcome You into our hearts just as easy as it is to wave a palm branch.” Have the Lord close to your heart during this Holy Week and in all that you do, do it in remembrance of Him.

God Bless you all, and have a great evening. 

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Guardian Angels

Today, I had an experience with a guardian angel.

On December 8, 2014, my aunt passed away. She was not your average aunt. I was very close to my aunt, who was “mentally handicapped.” She taught me so many things about life than I could ever read about. One thing she taught me is about a selfless love, a love that only comes from the Lord. 

Today, I visited her grave with my mom and mommaw. It was a very windy day and my mommaw has a cold, so we could not stay long. We got in the car to leave. Mom tries to turn around and back out, but suddenly we hear that dreadful sound of something being ran over. 

The car was stuck. It’s almost like my aunt wanted us to stay with her just a bit longer. 

We got out to see what happened. At first glance, it only seemed to be a small bush that got in our way of leaving. However, I looked closer and saw a steel rod stuck underneath my mommaw’s car. 

We attempted to move it. Not a budge. I then have the bright idea to tell my mom to drive forward while I pull down on the rod. It works for a second, until I frighten myself when it begins to move. I let go in fear and the steel rod snags some of my flesh on my finger. I now have a nice gash on my left pointer finger. Blood was every where. The rod was stuck even more now. That’s what I get for trying to be a hero...

Our only option now was to call my dad and have him bring a jack. That is the only way that the rod will be unstuck. We call and request the jack, along with a band-aid and triple antibiotic ointment. However, not but five minutes later, we look up to see a red truck coming our way. 

Mom flags down the truck and they come to see what is the matter. They assess the situation and promise a prompt return with everything we would need. 

As we were waiting for their return, I thanked God for sending someone to help us, even though daddy was on his way. Then the thought came into my head: Donna was our guardian angel. She probably communicated with God to send those people by so we could be saved in a prompt manner, especially because my finger was profusely bleeding. I can just imagine how she would tell God about what we had gotten ourselves into. 

When the couple finally returned, it took less than a minute for the car to be freed while my gash was doctored. All we had to do then was have a nice parting conversation with the helpful neighbors and wait on my dad to get there and let him know that we were okay. 

Today proved to me that guardian angels do exist. It’s those personal moments with God, in times of peril, that truly strengthen your relationship with God. As we all sat and reflected on the situation, we all talked about how Donna and God were watching over us. I remember my dad saying, “The Good Lord took care of you all.” Sharing an experience like that in the name of the Lord is even more blissful than when I looked up and saw the red truck. Fellowship is something truly special and not something to be overlooked and to be cherished. Any opportunity you have to be in fellowship with others, do not pass it up. 

I think about my aunt almost every day. At her funeral, so many people said, “if anyone is going to Heaven, it’s Donna.” I was so blessed to have someone like her in my life. Many people probably judged her based on her outside actions, those of a “mentally handicapped” person. I am so glad that God placed her in my life so that I may experience such a beautiful gift of life. I only hope that people’s lasting thoughts about me one day are just like hers: ones that reflect her positive relationship with God. How can I do that? Live out my life for the Lord. 

This post is dedicated in memory of Donna Bruce. 

God Bless you all, and have a great evening. 

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Light of the World

“The true light, which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:9-10,12-13

He is the light, and only from Him is the light that shines throughout the entire world. 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

His light is so powerful that is shines through all darkness. No matter how deep you may feel into darkness, His light will shine through just to reach you.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

As you make your journey with God, He keeps a lamp over you so that you may have light on every path that He leads you. No path that God leads you down will ever lead to darkness. The path will always be lit with His love, grace, and mercy. Use His word to help guide you to the light, for His word is a “lamp unto my feet.”

“And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 22:5

That verse above gives me so much hope and happiness for the future when the Lord returns. I just instantly imagine all of His servants together, surrounding His throne and looking at His face. What a joy that will be!!

Therefore, do not shy away from the Light. It may be discomforting or disorienting at first (kind of like when the lights have been off for a long time, and your eyes adjust to the lights finally being on again after sleeping or in a room). After you adjust, everything is so much better. You can actually see what is around you, be observant of all actions and people that surround you. After adjusting to His light, you will be able to see His vision and will for you more clearly. 

Reading these verses made me instantly think of a song that I recently discovered. “He is the Light” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt is a perfect example of what these verses mean. 

He Is The Light V1 I feel the nations of the earth are shaking There is no power that can match His grace Lift up your head, lift up your eyes to see All of creation is waiting and longing For sons and daughter to declare this truth Lift up your head, lift up your voice and sing Chorus He Is the Light, shining in the darkness He is the Hope, Hope of all the nations He is the Light, he is the Light for all the world to see V2 I feel that faith across the earth is rising We prophecy about His Kingdom coming Just like Heaven, all across the earth Bridge Great, Great is the Lord, Praise His Name, Praise His Name

Here is the song for your listening enjoyment. :)

    God Bless you all, and have a great evening!

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He is The True Light. Stay tuned for more tomorrow.

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Remember! When you believe in Him, you will be forever sealed with the promised Holy Spirit! He is our eternal guarantee!

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Prayer

Today was probably one of the most stressful days of my life as I reflect on all that happened.

As I reflected, I also realized I had an open line of communication with the Lord the entire day. I found myself (what seemed like) constantly praying to Him about whatever was going on in my life at the moment. 

Through my communications today, these things were revealed to me:

1. God will answer your prayers. They may not be in the exact way you expect them, but He does answer them.  2. There is power in prayer. When many people are joined together in His name, it is amazing the presence of the Lord that is felt.  3. The Lord protects...

...which brings me to the thought that brought me through some of my most uncertain times today: Psalm 23. This is my absolute favorite Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me down paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  I will fear no evil,  for you are with me;  your rod and your staff,  they comfort me.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

No matter where the Lord leads you, it is for His name’s sake. We should fear no evil, because He is with us every step of the way on the path that He does choose for you and me. When we follow the Lord, goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This Psalm is remembered when I need reassurance. Today, I needed a lot of reassurance over many things. 

So, when you need reassurance, look up or think of Psalm 23. It will give you peace within your heart and ease your mind. There may be other verses that speak to you in this manner as well. Also think about those when you are suffering the most. Notice how closely you hold to the Lord during these times as well, because He is the only thing that can truly get you through it. 

Also, speaking of power in prayer. I would like all readers to pray for one of my coworkers. God knows what needs praying for...

Thanks for being amazing, I love you all. God bless and have a great evening. 

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The Lord is knocking on your door. Do you let Him in? How do you greet Him? Do you treat Him while He's there? Do you let Him stay? How do you reflect the way He would treat you (once you let Him in) in your daily life? These are questions that are good to reflect on in reverence to your relationship with Christ. This is just a "thought post." Anytime you would like to leave your testimonies or thoughts, please feel free to send a message. Your testimony could appear on the blog! God bless, and have a great evening.

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Freedom

What does it mean?

free·domˈfrēdəm/

noun

the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint

the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.

What does it mean to be free in the Lord?

I am thankful for the free will that the Lord has given us. We have the freedom of being able to lead our lives without one ounce of guilt. We are not a slave to our sin. We are able to act, speak, and think as ourselves. God is not a restraint, nor is He a hindrance. His grace is freedom. As followers of Christ, we are looked at with love and grace through all that we do because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Freedom in the Lord means that we can truly live our lives without any burdens, because He carried them when He carried the cross all the way to His death. 

Do we abuse our freedoms?

Many people assume that once they are saved, they can lead the life that their flesh has always wanted. They can continue to drown themselves in the sins and pleasures of the world. This is not living in the Lord. Yes, of course these acts can be forgiven; however, it is a misuse of the freedom we have been given. It’s almost like you knowing that someone will love you no matter what, so you think it is okay to cheat on them time and time again. Do not cheat grace. Cherish grace by giving thanks to the Lord and living as He would. If freedoms are abused, it is best to communicate them to the Lord. Just as if you abused a relationship you have by taking advantage of the other person, you would talk to that person to make sure everything is okay with that person. He knows we are not perfect, yet we are perfect in His eyes because we are created in His image and renewed by His flesh. 

How do you express your freedoms in the Lord?

Regardless of those few times that we may happen to abuse the free will that we have in the Lord, there are many times we express the freedom in a way that it was intended to be used. Express your freedom by “putting on the new self.”

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed your were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, which thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:12-17

Basically, live your life, be a pleasant person to be around (through love, serve one another) and pleasant to yourself, and do everything in the name of the Lord. To me, that sounds exactly like freedom. We have the free will to just live our life; all we have to do is live it in His name. 

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13

Live for your flesh: abuse your freedoms. Live for the Lord and serving others through love: using your freedoms. 

Will you abuse or use your freedoms?

Here is a great song that popped into my head as I was thinking about this subject. “I’m Going Free (Jailbreak)” by Vertical Church Band. It’s super upbeat and the lyrics are great. Hope you enjoy listening as your reading of this post ends. 

God Bless you all, and have a great evening! Peace and love be with you!

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I'm just going to leave this here for today's post. Freedom. What is it? How do you express your freedom in The Lord? Do you abuse your freedoms? What does it mean to be free in The Lord? More on this subject tomorrow! Stay tuned!