Good Morning A2K!

Good Morning A2K!

I hope this message finds you well! I shared this on FB this morning and just really feel like there might be some here who could benefit from this too. I hope that even if you disagree with me... My perceptions... That you will still read this and listen to the song, and find something that could help you on this journey we are all taking. I love you all. I hope some day those who don't believe me will.

Have a great day everyone!

I love this song. Absolutely love it. I have found over the years... Especially recent ones as I have been fighting my way back to a place of peace and light from a place of darkness and despair... That music has a power within it that is not seen, but can be very much felt. It can influence our mood, our thoughts, our perceptions.

I did not recognize this fully before now. All I knew was I didn't like heavy metal music because it made me feel angry. Having carried so much anger within myself throughout my life, it drew that to the surface and I would begin to feel overwhelmed with it. If I wanted to validate my feelings of being sad to myself, I would listen to sad music, and I would cry and feel sorry for myself because no one else would.

Then in my 20's I discovered worship and praise music in church... And then let that carry over to my life outside of church. It would lift my spirits. Not always immediately, as I spent a lot of time in a depressed state because that is all I had known and was quite comfortable there. Like a warm throw blanket on a chilly winter Eve. But ultimately as I pressed forward in it, my focus began to shift... From how bad my life felt, to how good it could be. From how small I am, to how big God is.

Listening to worship music is what helped me to quit smoking when I was 26. It kept my eyes off of these horrible withdrawls, the fear of failure, and the doubt of whether or not I could actually do it, and reminded me that it was only in and through Him that I could... And I did. For two short months. But what a glorious freedom that was!

So, over the last year especially, I have noticed even in the darkest times of discouragement, if I held on just a little longer a song would just drop in my lap one day. Literally that is how it has felt. Like it was just dropped there. Boom... Here Robin.... Listen and remember. Remember who you are. Remember what I have called you to. Remember... This life and all it contains is temporary, not eternal.

How easy it is to get swept away by our feelings and forget... We are only passing through. This life was not our beginning... Nor will it be our end. It is merely a stopping place on this spiritual journey we are all taking. And this song has hit that point home for me. My favorite line in the song being near the end...

"Lay down, lay down your old chains... Come now and take up your new name. Your best life up ahead now. You're one step away."

As I have listened to this over and over it occurred to me, I was already given a new name. Again, back on my 20's. Princess Hephzibah. It hit me so strongly I created an email account using that name. It was derived from this:

Isaiah 62:
3 You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.

Hephzibah, in the Hebrew means:

"My delight is in her"

So princess Hephzibah, in my heart, became my new name because I am a child of the King and He delights in ME.

Even when I still didn't completely identify with this, this is what He has called me. Who He has called me to be, and to identify with. You see, what you identify with is what determines how you will live. If you identify with your past more than your future that is where you remain... But if you choose to identify with your future... Who He has called you to be... You will become that person He has called you to become.

It may not happen immediately, but it WILL happen... In His time and His way, as you choose one day at a time to lay down those old chains. Those old thoughts. Those old perceptions. And begin to see yourself as He sees you. In the light of His presence.

Good Morning A2K! I hope you are doing well!

My general mood today. Life gets tough sometimes and we have to struggle. It's just part of living I guess. This is not directed at a man. It is directed at LIFE!

Merry Christmas A2K!

My wish for you all is that you would find joy and peace in all of your life and that your greatest dreams would be fulfilled in this coming year! May this year be even better than the last and continue growing in goodness as you do! Take care everyone! You are in my thoughts and prayers always!

One of my Christmas favorites!

Happy Friday A2K! It's only 18 hours or so until we ring in the New Year! Well if you are in my time zone that is... lol I hope y'all have fun plans tomorrow! Please be safe and know you all are in my heart as we bring in 2017 together... While being so far apart.

As for me... This is me today.... Just doing a little jig. This song has put a little bounce in my pounce... Bahahaha! Nothing is really any different today, than it was yesterday. Yet my heart feels a little lighter. I hope you will do this little jig with me today... If only in Spirit.



Be blessed.

OOPS! I just realized how bad my math skills are! Lol! It would be almost 28 hours now! Bwaaaaaaahahaha!

Good Afternoon A2K! I hope y'all are having a good week!

This song has been running through my head for almost three days now! I have limited data on my phone at the moment and no wifi soooooo.... Downloading videos costs me! However... Three days of only being able to complete half the chorus in my brain is driving me nuts! I decided I can have the patience to wait a half an hour for it to download... Lol I like it a lot! I have only heard it a couple of times but it's got sooooooooul!

However... I must warn you... It is very Christiany....

No wait....

Jesusy.

Not all will find the joy I do when I listen to it, and that's ok. I love ya all the same.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Good afternoon A2K! I hope everyone is doing well and ready for a good weekend! I am just preparing for a severe winter storm that is heading my way. I am actually rather excited! Where I live now even if it snows heavy it's gone in a day or two! So this will be my first time seeing the snow in the Great Smokey Mountains. Yep... This IS exciting! Anyway... I shared this on FB today. Feels right to share it here too. Then shortly after that I heard this wonderful song on the radio. I'm not sure you ALL will enjoy it, but I think it's beautiful. It is a Christian song. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Several years ago I had a vision during a prayer meeting. One of the strongest most vivid visions I have ever had, honestly. I was living in FL at the time. About to move again for the third time I believe... Though I may have been in FL for eight years I will tell you this... I was literally ALL over FL in that eight years too. I honestly think some days that my previous life puts a whole new kind of spin on the term "tumbleweed". Lol I am just so glad that part of my life is over.

Anyway, my point being that I don't exactly remember which move this vision coincides with... hehe... I remember I felt very close to the congregation I was involved with. There were very few congregations I was involved with long enough to join in on their prayer meetings. I had a lot of difficulty finding a church after leaving MI. However, I found this great little church in Bradenton FL.

So, during this meeting I suddenly saw myself standing on a beach watching the sunset. It was beautiful. Calming. I remember being so enraptured by this sunset that it took me a minute to notice the waves were no longer lapping around my ankles. I looked down and sure enough the water was no longer there, but was actually receeding into the ocean. I thought, "Oh my... That is strange."
So I followed the water line back to where it stopped and my eyes began their journey upward.

About halfway up this wall of water I realized... Oh my God... This is a tidal wave! And in my heart I felt I would most assuredly die because it was too late to turn... Too late to run... There was no where to go, but to just stand... And wait. Just then the wall of water hit me. The force was indescribable. I remember it effected every essence of my being, inside and out. The pressure of the water forced my posture farther and farther backwards. To the point I was almost laying down. It felt like this for what felt like a very long time, then just as suddenly as it hit... It was gone.

I was standing straight again, and realized I was still standing!!! I was like... WHOA. I remember being able to feel the water gently receeding around my ankles again, and feeling a rest come upon me. Until today I had forgotten about one important detail I had seen, but not even thought about since the vision. What did the sky look like afterwards?

My focus has always been on the sky prior and that I had withstood this massive tidal wave. So what did the sky look like? It was light, but it was different. Clearer... Brighter... The light was more pure and inviting. You see... They sky was no longer the landscape of the sunset. It had become the canvas of the next sunrise. A vision yet to be painted. The light was purer and brighter.

You see, when the darkness overcomes the light there is a heaviness to it. An emptiness that pulls you into its depths. The darkness is a very vast place. With seemingly no end.

However, when the light overcomes the darkness... Darkness flees. Purifying the light. Removing the heaviness and drawing you farther into it. The light is a vast place too! With seemingly no end.

This is how you distinguish between light and darkness. To be pulled means there is a small resistance within you to the direction you are going.

To be drawn means there is a willingness and surrender within you leading you in the way.

In order to hear God in these days you must listen for His whisper. It is all around us. Threaded into the creation He surrounded us by. He did that on purpose you see... So we would have to pause... Quiet our hearts and minds... And listen. All who do will hear.

Good Morning A2K! I hope you all are doing well!

As most of you know by now I am a pretty deep thinker. Lol When I take the time to actually do it, that is. So... In pondering a few things this morning these two questions popped into my mind. One of the things I love about A2K is that I know I am not the only one capable of thinking so deeply sometimes and I have crossed paths with a few kindred spirits here.

So, while some of you may read this and think, "What the ????" I know there are others who will get it. Who will understand there is something more to what I am saying that can only be found through being bold enough to ask the question to yourself. So here it is. Whether you get it or not I hope you all have a wonderful week! I have woken up to this song playing in my head for the last couple of days. It has nothing much to do with my post, but I like it. It is another Christian song, btw.

Ponderings of the day:

What if the things we dream up through our imagination are not really dreams or imagination at all?

What if they are actually a subconscious reaction to a reality that is there but we just can't see it with our eyes?

Good morning A2K! I hope this post finds you well!

With all that is happening in our world now a days I am finding myself with less and less to say. I mean really... What can anyone say that would change anything anyway? We can think up how differently we would do things. We can tell everyone about how things would be better if we just did this, this, and this instead of what is being done, thought of, or planned.

We can fix any wrong in our own head and think things would be so much better done our way. But it all falls flat if there is no action to follow. I guess if I were to be honest, I would have to say that is part of the reason I haven't been around much. Not that I don't care what others think. Not that I don't think there is value in anyone else's thoughts and ideas, because I do. But my heart tells me that to get our country going back in a better direction it's going to take more than just words, thoughts, and ideas spoken into the dark abyss of a world that isn't listening because they are so consumed with their own words, thoughts, and ideas.

It's going to take action. That is what I do in my spare time now a days. I think about and plan the actions I can personally take to contribute to helping our country. To restore hope in a place where it's light is fading fast. Am I crazy to think lil ol me could have an impact of any sort? Perhaps. But stand or fall I am willing to try when the time comes.

This is a new song for me. Just heard it recently for the first time, but the timing was perfect. It is a very Christian song, that reminded me not to give up. Not to let discouragement win when we don't see results right away. This world is filled with more than just things. It's filled with people and people are worth every bit of fight it takes to restore hope to their hearts.

Have a great day everyone!

Good to have you drop by.

Interesting post and as you said, it's a matter of taking an actions. It's much more useful and helpful than just sitting around weeping over things. At least this way if things don't improve, at least you know you tried.

Good afternoon A2K! I hope your week has started well!

Hello Sturgis! It is always good to see you!

No song to share today as I seem stuck on the last one I posted still. Man... It is like medicine to my soul, I just love it! However, I do have a Netflix series to suggest watching, if anyone is interested. It's called 13 Reasons Why. I started watching it a night or two ago and I only made it to the end of episode 5... barely... doing that nodding the head, but "I'm ok!" thing... lol Not sure why I haven't been sleeping well lately... Except when I am trying to watch a really good series! Lol

Anyway, I do recommend this having seen what I have seen so far! It carries several very powerful messages. It is difficult to understand the effects of our words and actions on others when we can't feel how it is that makes them feel.

It is something we rarely contemplate in our day to day hustle and bustle. As someone who felt very poorly treated in high school which caused an unending train of thoughts about suicide the majority of the four years I was there, I can confirm that words cut deeper than we realize. Actions can crush a spirit. Put the two together, and it can end in disaster for anyone under the right circumstances.

Circumstances... Something we like to think we are always in control of, but in reality our control of most things in life is quite limited. However, we control the direction our thoughts go, the manor in which we choose to see someone or a situation, and the actions we will take. Those are truly the things that have the greatest impact on those things we cannot control.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Good Morning A2K! I hope your week has started well! I am just enjoying a beautiful spring morning in beautiful NC! Suddenly THIS song just randomly pops in my head! Lol It made me giggle and put a little smile on my face when my stepson got it stuck in his head (because of course I had to start singing it!) And started singing it himself five minutes later! I hope it puts a little smile on yours! Have a great day everyone!

Good morning A2K! It's a beautiful day here in sunny NC! I have much to share but am struggling to find enough time to actually sit down and write it out! So for now I thought I would just say HI! How ya doing? Good I hope! Cause it's a great day to be alive! Hope to be back soon!

Good afternoon A2K! I hope you are having a good day! Here's my most recent ponderings. Have a great day everyone!

I was driving out to see a friend about a week ago, but I hadn't been there in a couple months and the entire landscape has changed in the process... At first I thought, no problem I have been there enough times to remember my way... A few miles and a turn or two down the road I thought... oh crap... Houston we have a problem, I don't recognize none of this!

So I pulled over as soon as I could... which is not easy on these hilly, curvy mountain roads... and set my GPS. Luckily I had not quite gotten off track just yet being the directionless wonder that I am by nature! Lol However, as I am sure most of you have figured out by now my brain couldn't just leave it at that. It was about an hour drive and so I spent that time mulling it all over...

Pondering how it is I could have the way memorized when everything looked the way I was used to, but add a few leaves on the trees and some hay in the fields and I was lost... How it was I could see the way based on memories of certain things... yet in thinking about it... I couldn't actually SEE the way. It was just a memory. One that proved useless when things changed. My point being that I could "see" the way without physically "seeing" the way.

Over the years I have had many people ask me, "How can you know God is real? There is no tangible evidence of his existance." Well, think about this question for just a second if you will... How do you prove a memory you have is real to a world that never experienced what you did? Can you?

Life is so much more than just facts and figures. Not everything that is real is in fact tangible.

Good evening A2K! I hope y'all had a great week!

This song is by one of my favorite Christian bands. Life gets difficult sometimes. It really does. It can be confusing and discouraging when your life is swirling about you and there is not a thing you can do about it. This song reminded me today that sometimes when our world feels like it is falling apart it is actually falling into place. Sometimes doors close and then another one opens.

We shouldn't focus on that closing door so much that we miss the opening of a new beginning. A new chapter. A new part of our journey. Life was meant to be lived. People come and go in the process. I will always be grateful that A2K has been part of my journey. I hope it will continue to be for years to come.



Have a great weekend everyone!

Hello A2K! I hope you all are doing well. It's been a while. Not that I haven't been back... Just haven't had much to say... Like anywhere... Here... Real life... My dreams... I have no clue what is happening to me but THIS song has been running through my mind today.... Out of the blue... Totally NOT my style of music... But man... I really think this guy is on to something....

I can't go back to the original version of this song anymore.

Disturbed owns it now. There are some great interviews with the lead singer about how he came to his vision of the song. I recommend tracking one down.

Thanks ehBeth I think I will!

However strange this may sound... Without looking it up I "feel it" tonight EhBeth... What was behind this song... Why... How... This song was written. I'm not 100% sure I could describe this with words... I just suddenly "get it". Maybe my version is a little different than his... But man... I just "get it". A song I didn't even know I knew... Wow. I'm a mess... Lol

Good evening A2K! I hope this post finds you well.

So... The song from yesterday has been haunting me... Just playing over and over in my brain. I thought I might take the time to look up a few things on the original. Posting that one tonight. I can't decide which version I like best. The original version is a tad bit more up beat... Peppy almost... Lol And the Disturbed version... Well... It is dark... And weighty.

I read up on Simon and his writing of this song. I found it interesting that he was so callous with his telling of how he wrote this in an interview. Truly he did not experience this song at some deep, profound level... Even in the writing of it. And that shows in how the song is sung by him. However, just because he did not experience this song at some deep, profound level doesn't mean no one else could or would.

I watched an interview with the lead singer of Disturbed as well. I was surprised actually to find out that he had been quite hesitant about going this direction with this song. They did a fantastic job in my opinion. They were able to bring out the meaning that the author himself couldnt see.