Music

What would your life be like without music?

I’m pretty sure my brain would suffer without music. Music can have a wide range of effects on our brains. It impacts everything from cognitive performance to stress levels.

Music triggers a release of the feel good hormone dopamine. It’s boosts our cognitive function and potentially relieves anxiety and stress along with helping us stay focused. It activates our limbic system which is responsible for emotions.

I’m sure all of us realize that different types of music have different effects on us. It has a different effect on our brains. For example if you listen to up beat music it can light up neural networks that store positive and personal memories. Which is the sort of information that gets blocked during bouts of depression and listening to up beat music stimulates problem solving skills, and adaptive, positive behavioral repertoires.

Celebrating Holidays

How do you celebrate holidays?

I celebrate holidays with my family big dinners and lots of love. I have lost most of my family, but still have my husband’s.

I also celebrate holidays with the people in the church, we have holiday get togethers, with food and fellowship.

Things are so chaotic in the world today, that people need to stay close to the people they love, and share their values. The holidays are meant to bring happiness and joy.

Spiritual Death

The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but you shall not eat of the tree of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die,” -Genesis 2:16-17

For many years when I heard with verse, I didn’t understand this verse. Well I thought “They didn’t die. So what’s the big deal.” I didn’t understand what it meant to be “spiritually dead.”

Everyone should want to know what it means to be spiritually dead. Due to the fall of Adam and Eve, sin and death entered a previously perfect and pristine world (Romans 5;12). This death was not merely physical but spiritual. We were all both after the fall inherited a sinful nature and therefore spiritually stillborn (Psalm 51:5). To be spiritually dead does not mean to be without the faculties of intellect or affection of will. Our minds, emotions, and will still function, but they are cut off from the life of God. In fact, they are bend and turned away from God (Isaiah 53:6).

Spiritual death is best understood as the alienation or separation of our souls from God. Sin separates us from God, which is the source and fountain of spiritual life and light (Ephesians 2:12). If you are spiritually dead you sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:79). Because God is holy and sin is an offense to God, our spiritual death is not an amicable separation, but a hostile one (Roman’s 8:7-8). Scripture describes the spiritually dead as enemies to God (Romans 5:10, Romans 3:23), therefore the spiritually dead are cursed and condemned for failing to keep God’s law (Galatians 3:10) and await God’s wrath (Romans 2:5). They are, in fact, dead men walking.

To be spiritually dead means to be insensible to the things of God and ignorant of spiritual realities (1 Corinthians 2:14). A spiritually dead person does not love God and cannot please God (Romans 8:8). If fact, they want to only please themselves, not God (Philippians 2;21). They may appear to do good deeds from an external perspective that conform to the letters of the law. However, these deeds do not conform to the spirit law, I compare these people to the Pharisees and the Sadducees of Jesus’s times. The conform to the law but their hearts are dead. They are not motivated by a desire to please and glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31). The spiritually dead can look beautiful on the outside and on the inside be filled with death, like whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27-28).

Scripture gives us a pretty clear picture of what it means to be spiritually dead -separated from God, hostile to God, cursed and condemned by God’s law, insensible and ignorant of God’s love. It’s not pretty at all.

Thankfully, God had not left us in this state of spiritual death. Because of His great love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life, into this dark and deadly world to die for us (Romans 5:8, John 11:25). Ephesians 2:1-7 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sin in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air (Satan). The spirit that is now at work in the people of disobedience.

It is true that Jesus defeated Satan, And He is still defeated. When God kicked him out he was running, but all the while he was and is saying “I still have a mouth.” As with Eve in the Garden of Eden, she listened to Satan, she was deceived by his words. Today it is the same, Satan has no power over us, unless we choose to listen to him.

When I was growing up every time someone got into trouble they would say “The devil made me do it!” No, they listened to the devil and chose to do it.

When we choose to sin, we chose to listen to Satan’s lying lips. And chose to obey him instead of God.

I never really thought about it that way until today. Every time I choose to sin, I choose to obey Satan and choose to live as a spiritually dead person.

When Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for us He reversed the effects of sin and death. He broke down the wall of separation between us and God and killed the hostility that existed by offering Himself as a peace offering (Ephesians 2:23-19). Jesus cured the curse of the law and death by taking the condemnation we deserved (Galatians 3:13). Those who receive Him by faith are freed and empowered to walk-in joyful obedience to God. We are no longer under the curse of the spiritually dead.

Cooking Mishaps

Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.

A few years ago during Christmas time. I had gotten all my baking one a few days earlier than expected. But with my kitchen being very small and the refrigerator completely full on food. I had a wonderful thought. I would just put plastic wrap on a big tray of goodies to keep them good and put them in the oven.

They next day I was cooking a roast in the over. As I was preheating the oven I smelled something awful. And my oven wasn’t preheating very fast. As I looked in the oven, I realized I had left all the baked goods in the oven and had melted the dish and everything else. A weeks worth of cooking melted into a big sticky mess.

I had no time to bake things all over again. So it was off to the store to buy cookies, and such.

A Good Name Is Better Than Riches

Have you ever thought about the status of your name? Would you say it was pretty good? Do you even care how those around you view your name?

The generation that I grew up in, it was a disgrace to forsake your last name. I don’t people even think about how other people view their name. And it shows.

What does your name imply about you? When people hear your name mention your name what do they immediately think about you?

In this context, a “good name” really speaks to your integrity. It’s about your reputation and the character you possess inside. It identifies who you are from a moral and ethical standpoint. It’s essentially what you are all about.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches…” That’s amazing when you think about it. Your good name is better than all the money in the world.

It certainly doesn’t fit with what culture thinks about having money. I could think of some really positive ways to use great riches. It would set my mind at ease knowing I’d never need to worry about money again.

But, when I think about it. I never have to worry about anything. God takes care of all my needs.

Why a Good Name is Better Than Riches?

  • A good name provides stability

When you have a good name people trust you. That trust is a stabilizing factor in your relationship with them. They know what to expect from you and can lean on your decisions with absolute confidence knowing they were made with pure motives.

Those whose good name has been tarnished have a difficult time building trust and consequently maintaining friendship. Their motives will always be questioned as insincere. They are more or less looking out for themselves and taking little consideration for the needs of others.

How often do you question the motives of those who throw their great wealth around? Doesn’t it seem like there are often strings attached? That they have an ulterior motive for using their money?

I’m sure anyone of us can think of someone who uses their money in shady ways.

You don’t want to be in a situation or relationship where people don’t trust you. Trust helps relationships and friendships grow deeper. Your good name will go along way in making this happen.

  • A good name is eternal

Riches are fleeting. They could be with us one minute and gone the next. We cannot take riches with us once we leave this world when we die,

A good name however is theoretically eternal. How many people do you remember positive things about when you hear their names? How many men and women in history are still being spoken of in a positive way?

How will your name be remembered and portrayed by family, friends, and co-workers once you’re gone? Will they focus on the value of your life or only remember that you cared about yourself and your wealth? One will be seen as value and well the other will be seen as selfish and not caring about anything or anyone.

Your character will have influence on those around you, especially children. The best parts of you can be handed down from generation to generation which makes your good name eternal.

  • A good name brings loving favor

At the end of Proverbs 22:1, it says, “Loving favor is better than silver and gold.” When you seek a good name instead of riches, you are also to seek loving favor over riches. I can think of no better way to garner loving favor than to have a good name.

People will love you for having integrity. They appreciate you for your kindness, mercy, and attention to their needs that you show. They will stay by your side when you are attacked.

I know I would rather prefer to be loved. It’s one truism to which we can all relate to.

What riches could you live without, a life that doesn’t experience love would be devastating.

Riches are not evil and there is nothing wrong with having them. But a good name is better than riches, better than all the riches of the world. It provides more value in the present and the future.

Lessons Learned

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

The lesson a learned earlier in life was you can’t change people. It’s hard to watch a family member or friend struggling with a problem or making bad decisions. You naturally want to help. You want to make people’s life easier or joyful, or fix their problems.

Trying to keep a loved one out of harms way may seems like a good idea, but it doesn’t work when they don’t want your help.

Not everyone wants to change at least not in the way you think the should. Despite your desire to help, you can’t make people change unless they want to change. Even if they affect us directly.

I’ve met many people who have went into a married thinking they could change the other person, that have failed. If you see qualities in them when your dating that you don’t like you either need to walk away or spend a lifetime dealing with that quality.

From experience I tell you, it’s better to accept what’s out of your control and that you can’t change people who don’t want to change.

How To Release Emotions Stuck In Your Body

I don’t claim to have all the answers by any means. Although it seems many depressed individuals don’t have a healthy way to get their emotions out.

We are emotional creatures, and we were born to express emotions freely and openly. Somewhere along the way, however, many of us learned to repress emotions, especially those deemed “negative,” in order to fit in, earn love, and be accepted.

I grew up in a home where the motto was “Children are to be seen, not heard.” Emotional expression was not allowed, let alone accepted. No one was there to validate or help process emotions in a healthy way. Anger was met with anger, fear wants unacknowledged, and there was plenty of shame to go around.

There wasn’t a model on how to deal with difficult emotions. And when those emotions showed up, I often felt overwhelmed and inadequate, and ashamed of my failure.

I learned to bury my pain deep inside, feeling invisible, angry, alone, and unable to ask for what I needed. Trying to hide the pain from others and myself -I built walls, put on masks,and soldered on. For better or worse.

At age 12 I began drinking, because that’s what I seen my parents and by siblings do. All I knew was I wanted the pain to go away. Drinking let to marijuana, and marijuana led to cocaine. And all the pain from that I buried too.

My pain was buried so deep, I didn’t realize it was there until I had by own children. Having my daughter opened up old wounds, and the house of cards I had built began to unravel.

In my late 20’s the depression came creeping in. Knowing I never wanted to do to my children what my mother had done to me. I tried my hardest to set an good example for my children. But, I found myself taking prescription opioids to dull my pain and put my mask around them, and dealt with my repressed memories and emotional residue that to this day has left my suffering from joint pain, migraines, and nerve damage in my face.

After years of therapy sessions, and a husband that stood by me the whole way. Not saying we didn’t struggle through it. But he never left. I am stronger than ever today. And I’ve definitely learned a few things along the way.

The truth is, we all hide our emotions occasionally. We pretend, avoid, and deny uncomfortable emotions in an effort of self-preservation, as a defense mechanism.

We do this most often with difficult emotions like shame, fear, or anger. When we experience events that emotionally overwhelm us and we’re unable to process what is happening, accept our emotions, and express them through our body and mind, we hide them where others can’t see them, and from ourselves too. But they’re still there.

Our unresolved emotions gets trapped in our body where they build and fester, draining our energy, leading to burn-out, emotional imbalance and then eventually disease. We create toxicity in our body, mind, and heart.

So, how do we process the emotional energy that’s stuck inside our body? Here’s a few steps, I learned along the way,

1. Self-Awareness

The challenge is to recognize the emotion and feel it in your body. This is where mindfulness comes in. The goal is to notice what it happening within your body, accept it, and feel it fully, without any judgment.

There’s a teaching done on radical acceptance by Tara Brach. The practice of R.A.I.N it’s stands for:

R – Recognize

A – Allow

I – Investigate

N – Nourish

With compassion, and it directly de-conditions the habitual ways in which you resist your moment to moment experience. Acceptance is liberating and the practice of the R.A.I.N. technique teaches us to accept our moment to moment experiences instead of running from it.

When we face difficulties head-on, with self-compassion and the understanding that it will eventually pass we will get through it.

We have to feel it to heal it. We have to fully experience the emotion in order to process and integrate it into our experience.

If the process of including our feelings and observing the body’s sensations connected to those feelings as they come and go throughout the day. But, offering yourself self-compassion as you go through the difficult emotions.

Sit still for a few minutes a day with your eyes closed and listen to your body. Ask yourself:

  • What does you body feel like right now?
  • It there are pressure or tingling? where?
  • Do you feel heavy, hot, warm, cold? Contracted?
  • What are those sensations connected to?

2. Self-Expression

Emotions need to be expressed to be processed. The goal is gto move the energy of emotion through and out of your body so you can let it go.

Self-expression needs to be authentic and embodied. True healing occurs when the mind and the body integrate, so express the emotions on a bodily level first.

While sitting quietly ask yourself :

  • What does this emotion you just connected with need from you?
  • What feels right in this moment?
  • What do you need?

Maybe it’s a good cry, or scream into your pillow, going swimming, walking, running, hitting a punching bag, writing or painting it out, or simply breathing – whatever feels cleansing at that moment, do it.

When we free poisonous emotions that are carried within our, we free ourselves from it’s shackles.

I believe that one of the best forms of emotional healing is journaling. Writing can be a very therapeutic experience of self-discovery. It reconnects our true selves and processes our deepest feelings and emotions.

By writing about our fears and hurts we can look at them from a distance, detach from the grip they have on us and eventually let them go. That release can be truly healing,

Your journal can become a safe space for you to free yourself, get unstuck, and move forward.

We often don’t have the time and space to process emotions at the moment, so make sure you allow yourself the space to feel the emotions you’ve had throughout the day and journal about them at the end of the day.

3. Self-Care

If we’ve habitually neglected our bodies and ignored our emotions, we have to re-dedicate ourselves to body-mind self-care and indulge in healing habits that will bring in the feeling of well-being.

I have to admit I’m terrible at taking care of myself. It seems I can always take care of everyone but me.

The goal is to realign back with your authentic self, reset back to a relaxed and open state and come back into wellness and balance.

Take time for yourself to slow down, and be alone, get out into nature, and listen to music, cook your favorite dinner, take the time to do a mind cleanse and relax your body, a bubble bath, or a nap to restore your. Take good care of yourself and awaken to life’s little joys and simple pleasures that will nourish your body, mind and soul.

With mindfulness, you can allow your pain to surface, even if it’s for a brief time, and then surround it with love and care. I wish I could say you can heal without drugging up the old emotions. But, sadly you can not, we have to feel to heal, The only way out is through the body – so in order to move the stuck emotions that have a tight grip on you.

You have to allow them and accept them, feel the anger, the shame, and the grief. Learn to give your inner child the support they never received. Slowly you will learn to listen and validate your pain and to love and accept yourself.

Healing is a taxing process. Give yourself all the care and compassion you would give a friend who is doing this hard work. Offer yourself understanding, love, and care. This is hard work, do your best with what you’ve got,

Trapped emotions get in our way. They sabotage our efforts to create the life we want and make us miserable along the way. But healing brings liberation and you are worth it.

The Difference Between Mercy And Grace

Mercy and grace. Grace and mercy. These are two terms that are often used interchangeably. They go hand in hand, but there is a difference.

Marcy is not getting what you deserve.

Grace, is getting something you don’t deserve.

Imagine if you are racing down the street, breaking the speed limit, when suddenly you see blue and red lights flashing behind you. That’s something you deserve in this situation.

You deserve to get a ticket and a fine. You broke the law, and there’s a penalty for that crime.

After a brief conversation, the officer lets you go with a warning. That is mercy. You deserved a speeding ticket, but you are not getting what you deserve.

Now, imagine that you have a project due at work, and as hard os you have tried, you haven’t been able to complete it. Without it, you have no chance of getting a bonus that you have been working towards.

At the last minute a co-worker jumps in and saves the day, helping you with the last remaining things you need,

That would be grace. No matter how hard you worked, you didn’t deserve the bonus -you fell short. But someone else came along and provided what you needed.

There’s a reason I bring up this distinction. It’s because all around us are people who desperately need both of these blessings, and they are both freely given by Jesus through His death and resurrection.

The Bible tells us very clearly who we are and what we deserve. We are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Because of that, we deserve death, eternal separation from the perfect Father (Romans 6:23). No matter what we do in our own power and effort, we can not change that fact.

This is where Jesus comes in with His mercy and His grace.

Because we are sinners, we deserve death. However, as we call on the name of Jesus and make Him our Lord and Savior, we do jot get the death we justly deserve. We receive mercy.

As sinners we don’t deserve to come into God’s presence and be called His children. We don’t deserve His blessings and the Holy Spirit. But through our faith in Jesus, we receive grace.

Many have found that promise and have hope because of this. Yet, all around us are people who are struggling through this world, trying their best to do more good than bad thinking that is their path to eternity.

They will never truly experience grace and mercy, then though they want it badly.

If you look around you I promise you will see someone who will break your heart, someone who is on a path to destruction. Ask yourself what would have if I spoke to them about the blessings of mercy and grace? Even if they don’t want to hear a word of what your saying, you have planted a seed that will grow.

My Favorite Foods

What are your favorite types of foods?

I would have to say my favorite food is chicken and most seafood. I guess I’m called a Pollotarianism.. except for tune and raw fish. Tuna just disgusts me, because that’s all my mother would feed me every day 1/2 tuna sandwich and a 1/2 glass a milk. And sushi just fills like a squishy limp I’m my mouth. I truly miss going fishing with my father and cooking the fish over a open fire.

Although liking these foods can sometimes it can be a pain because the hubby absolutely will not eat chicken or seafood. So I end up most the time basically fixing two meals.

Walk or Run

How often do you walk or run?

One of the most powerful ways to maintain a healthy weight, keep your bones strong and live longer is walking. It’s simple no matter what age.

I used walk with about a mile every day with my dog, but she is 16 years old now and struggles to go that far. And I am having a difficult time as well. I am scheduled for knee replacement surgery next month. In hoping I can get back to walking after I recover.

I’ve seen where people have older dogs in strollers and go walking with them. Maybe I’ll look into that.

Using Worship As A Weapon

Worship is a powerful weapon that can change us. I believe that God goal is to transform up before changing our surroundings.

Worship can change you on a personal level. Worship is the on,y thing we give to God that He didn’t first give to us. So nothing we offer to God is really ours.

God doesn’t share worship. Many love their preferences over God’s presence. Any act of obedience is also an act of worship. Why is obedience so pleasing to God? Because it proves we really love Him. In John 14;15 Jesus said “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.

Anywhere you have true worship, you will encounter a counterfeit. “Fake worship” refers to a lack of a genuine pursuit of God. A counterfeit worshipper is revealed in how they treat people after they worship. God doesn’t want us to worship Him and then become unrighteous in our conduct.

Bad things don’t happen to good people because we are not good people. Jesus was the only ‘good’ person to whom bad things happened because He voluntarily died for us. We should be amazed by God’s benevolence towards us. Seeing life through the lens of the Gospel results in grateful hearts.

We cannot remain upset about our problems when we truly worship because God brings His peace.

Your primary goal isn’t changing how you treat people. Your goal should be to fully surrender to God as your King and worship, like the wise men. (see Matthew 2:11).

If you don’t bend your will in worship, life will break it in crisis. Bending your will is telling God, not my will but Your will be done, including in moments of fear and uncertainty.

Looking Back To Look Forward

Jerusalem begins the High Holidays this evening starting with Rosh Hashanah. Friday Sept 15th at sundown until Sunday Sept. 17th at sundown, 5784 (2024) Many people judge Israel for there ways. I believe that if people understand their ways, that they would see some great wisdom in the ways in which they live.

Rosh Hashanah is Israel’s head of the year. It give an opportunity to reflect backward and set intentions for moving forward. It is a time of self-reflection looking back on thoughts and deeds from the previous year and planing how to improve yourself and your actions seems like a pretty good way of doing things.

This holiday is observed with prayer services, candle lighting, festive foods, and meals, and gathering with loved one’s and communities. Which may sound like a Christmas celebration to us in America. But there are six most common and significant holiday traditions when Rosh Hashanah is celebrated.

Sounding the Shofar

Hearing the sound of the shofar, a ceremonial instrument made out of a ram’s horn, is the most important traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah.

The Shofar is one of the most ancient musical instruments, originally used for many purposes -most importantly bringing people together and announcing news. “Now it’s really tied to the time of the High Holidays. Hearing the sound of shofar is a mitzvah, which is a commandment not just a tradition.

Taslich

Taslich is a ceremony performed at a moving body of water, such as a sea, river, or creek. This ritual is about symbolically casting away sins, and people often throw bread crumbs into the water to symbolize casting off sins and letting the water wash them away.

Teshuvah (Repentance)

Teshuvah, literally translates to “return,” in the High Holidays it’s a overarching theme. It is related to the fact that we have to return to the people we have wronged. Going back to places, people, and thoughts, over everything we have done in the last year. Returning and asking for forgiveness, and making amends.

Apples and Honey

Dipping apples in honey is not only one of the most important traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah, but also the tastiest. All of the food that is related to the Jewish holiday is seasonal which makes them special.

Apples represent the roundness of the year, and honey is used to represent our wishes for sweetness in the coming year. Using these foods to represent two most important themes of this time of the year -the circle of the year and the sweetness that is hoped for in the coming year.

Pomegranates

Pomegranates are another fruit in season at the time of Rosh Hashanah, and this theme turns up in food and symbolic decor. Pomegranates are said to have 613 seeds in them, the same number as mitzvot which are good deeds in the Bible.

Rosh Hashanah Greetings

Offering traditional holiday greetings is a customary and friendly way to greet Jewish people during Rosh Hashanah. “I’shana tovah” translates to “to a good year in English. Similar to happy new year,

I love the idea of looking back over the year at our mistakes and planning for a better year. And going back to the people we have done wrong and ask for forgiveness. Even if they don’t forgive you, it is righteous in God’s eyes.