Music Monday - Hope Returns

Happy Monday Friends! I know for a lot of us we woke up feeling all sorts of things and most likely it wasn’t happy. Maybe it was fear, worry, or dread. Maybe you woke up with anxiety or on the verge of a panic attack. It’s a weird time in the world. We have not seen something like COVID-19 and to be honest we have no idea how to respond to it at all.

Most of us have never had to face this kind of uncertainty. Any time there is a change in the status quo it’s unsettling and can be totally overwhelming. I am no different than many of you - there are moments of overwhelming fear and moments of being calm in the middle of this storm.

For this week’s Music Monday song I felt, “Hope Returns” by Matthew West was something I needed to hear, maybe something we all needed to hear. Give it a listen.

That chorus…

When your world is crashing, when your knees hit the ground
When your heart is asking, "What do I do now?"
Just when you think it can't get worse
Hold on, that's when hope returns
Like a new sun breaking through the darkest night
Like a whisper saying, "It'll be alright"
I know you're tired, I know it hurts
But hold on, that's when hope returns
And that's when hope returns

~ Matthew West

We don’t know when this all will pass. We don’t know how serious this will impact the USA. And maybe COVID-19 isn’t something that worries you, maybe you’re facing other battles; chronic illnesses, finances, failing marriages, hurt children, or a long list of other things. It doesn’t matter what is causing your world to crash, the truth is still the same.

God is with us. We know that our hope found in Him cannot be taken away. No matter how scary all of this is, no matter how much we fear - He is always there. Right by our side, walking with us as we face whatever lies ahead.

So friends may you walk forward with your eyes fixed on Jesus, filled with His peace, and with the knowledge that hope returns. I’ll be praying for you all.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - A Little More Jesus

Happy Monday Friends! I’m so glad it’s finally March. Sometimes I feel like winter will never end. That the long nights and cold days will never give way to sunshine and warmth. For years February has always felt like the longest month to me. I know it’s always the shortest, but historically it’s felt the longest and maybe one of the hardest for me.

This February was a little different, while it still felt long it wasn’t as hard. There were challenges for sure, and things that happened that threaten to push me into old habits and fears. But this time, instead of turning inward, trying to manage it on my own. I looked toward Jesus for His directions and provisions.

As I continue to study my word “new” for the year and seek his guidance over others, this song was a beautiful reminder of what He is doing by making me new one little bit at a time. Take a listen to this week’s song “A Little More Jesus” by Chris August.

“A little more Jesus, and little bit less of me” - that’s what we all need each and every day. A little bit more Jesus helps me face whatever stands in front of me, allows me to love deeply, and serve more wholeheartedly. My life can only be better for having more Jesus in it, only better.

Here’s to hoping this March is full of a little more Jesus and little bit less of me.

He must become greater; I must become less

John 3:30

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - Run to the Father

Happy Monday!

It’s a new week and we have a brand new opportunity to make the week into something amazing.

We’re always running - always. Toward friends, family, raises, praise, dreams. Or away - away from fears, losses, troubles, criticisms, failures. We’re always running.

For the last couple of months we have been singing this song in church. I didn’t know if I liked it at first or if I felt like I really got the message, but the more we sang it, the more I listened to the lyrics, the more I began to understand the truth it spoke.

Take a listen to “Run to the Father” by Cody Carnes.

This week is full of so many things. Some that will bring joy, others that bring hardships. Through it all we have a chance to choose both how we run and who we run to. The more time I spent with Jesus, the more I come to understand how much I need Him. How He is the one true need I have and the one need that is always met.

Run to the Father this week friends, in joy and sorrow, in confidence and confusion, filled with hope or despair. Run to Him again and again.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - I Will Fear No More

Happy Monday Friends!

This weeks song was one I had on repeat all last week. It’s fair to say that fear has been something that I’ve struggled with the last decade. Some of the fears were logical and some were not, but they were fears nonetheless. Fear is something I’ve gone toe to toe with satan on before. “Fear Not” was even my phrase for the year.

It’s funny how you can think you have made progress in an area and it only takes a moment for you to feel like your back to the beginning of your battle. There was a moment this past week that caught me off guard and in the moment I felt I was back to the beginning of my battle with fear - but I wasn’t.

I had tools, people, and God’s truth to fight the overwhelming fear that threatened to grip me. I wasn’t back at the beginning and while I wish it wasn’t something I needed to face again, I was so very thankful for the storms of the past, the experiences I’ve had, the lessons I’ve learned; they made navigating this one so much easier.

Take a listen to the song, I Will Fear No More by The Afters.

There are so many lyrics that speak to me when I listen to this song. But one that brings such peace is; “Even though I'm in the storm, the storm is not in me”. That is a remarkable truth friends. That the storm is not in us, God’s Spirits in us. While we may face storms they are not something we need to be fearful of.

“You're my courage when I worry in the dead of night
You're my strength 'cause I'm not strong enough to win this fight
You are greater than the battle raging in my mind
I will trust You, Lord
I will fear no more”

And that chorus is like a balm to the soul. It’s a reminder of where our strength comes from. It’s a reminder of how great our God is and how we must lean into our faith and trust Him. He longs for us to trust Him and not be held captive by fear.

If you also happen to fighting the giant of fear this week remember whose you are and lean into God to get you through the storm.

To Everything There Is A Season…..

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - If We're Honest

Happy Monday Friends!

It’s a new month full of new possibilities, new chances, and fresh starts. This week’s selection is a little more self reflective and mellow than ones in the past. It’s a beautiful song and it speaks truth that we often want to hind or deny.

Take a listen to “If We’re Honest” by Francesca Battistelli.

So bring your brokenness, and I'll bring mine
'Cause love can heal what hurt divides
And mercy's waiting on the other side
If we're honest
If we're honest

It would change our lives
It would set us free It's what we need to be

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard to remember we all have things we’d rather not share. That there are things we would prefer to stay in the dark and let no one know about - not even God if we could control that.

We don’t know everyones story. We don’t know all the battles they are fighting or the shame they carry with them. If we were honest with ourselves and with others maybe the journey wouldn’t be so lonely. Maybe the healing would come in ways we couldn’t even imagine. Maybe we would find love instead of the judgement we fear. If we were just honest…

Here’s to a month of being a little more honest and allowing the honesty to set us free.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - Counting Every Blessing

Happy Monday Friends!

I don’t know what this week will hold for any of us. It might be one of the best weeks of our lives, one of the worst, and anywhere in-between. No matter what kind of week lies ahead I pray that we choose to see the blessings, the millions of blessings that are present no matter the season we are in.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

This week’s Music Monday song is “Counting Every Blessing”, by Rend Collective. Take a moment to listen to the words

Seasons come and go. Times are good and times are bad. But through it all God is with us and we are blessed in so many ways. It isn’t always humanly easy to the blessings God has given us, but with some practice I’m betting we can get pretty good at it.

Let’s spend the week looking for the many blessings God has given us friends and then let’s thank Him for each and every one.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - Well Done

Happy Monday Friends! Starting this week off by throwing it back to 2012. This song was my jam and “well done” was my phrase of the year. I have always been a hard worker. I never was one to do things half way. In fact, I was all in and then some most of the time. You think that would be a good trait, but I learned that year that that wasn’t always the case. God wasn’t asking me to go all in on lots of things I was doing. He was however asking me to follow Him with all I had.

Take a listen to the song “Well Done” by Moriah Peters

When I listen to this song I have a silly grin on my face and I’m either tapping my feet or dancing around the room. It has an upbeat tempo and a positive message. Like I said before, I learned alot that year about what God was really asking me to do. I made a lot of changes and it wasn’t a picture perfect year by a long shot. However, I found that this verse became my prayer and something I tried to live out. It kinda became my measuring stick in certain ways.

“If people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth
They're gonna find out soon
If they're following me then
They're gonna follow You”

~ Well Done by: Moriah Peters

I wanted that to be a true statement. That if people were following me, watching me, looking to me for advice that it would all point to Jesus. That how I lived my life would sometimes unknowingly lead people closer to Jesus. It made me reflect on how I lived out my walk and the impact it could have on others.

It’s true that at the end of it all I want to hear “Well Done” from the Father. But to hear it then I have to be living my life now the way He asks me to. It’s a constant assessment of my daily walk and the followthrough to make the changes that need to happen when it isn’t what it should be.

How’s your walk friends? Do your actions match up with your beliefs? Is the verse above true of you - that if people are talking with you that you are leading them to truth? Take some time to assess and make changes if necessary. Then walk forward following hard after Jesus.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - See A Victory

Happy Monday friends. I hope your weekend brought you rest and that you are ready to face this week head on. For this Music Monday I’m sharing a song I actually just head for the first time this weekend. After writing Friday’s blog about the temptations and battles we face this song just spoke to me. I love how God works everything together.

The song is called, “See A Victory” by Elevation Worship. It’s a little of a longer song so make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and just listen.

There are so many lyrics that stick out to me. That speak and encourage me. One set is;

“There's power in the mighty name of Jesus
Every war He wages He will win
I'm not backing down from any giant
'Cause I know how this story ends
Yes, I know how this story ends”

It is so hard when I’m facing a giant to remember that I already know how the story ultimately ends. I know that God wins - very time. Yet, when I’m in the middle of it I waiver or question, when I should not be backing down. When I should be standing tall against my giant and calling on Jesus to help me defeat it. I say there is power in the name of Jesus, but it’s only when I’m standing in front of my giants that I can see if I mean it or not.

The second set of lyrics that spoke to me, broke my heart in the best way. They are;

“You take what the enemy meant for evil
And You turn it for good
You turn it for good
You take what the enemy meant for evil
And You turn it for good
You turn it for good”

This is so true. I am currently working on my testimony to share at church and looking back into my past is not always a happy thing to spend time doing. I, like I’m sure most of you have things you would rather never think of, or forget happened altogether. But it’s through the looking back that I can see how God literally took “what the enemy mean for evil”, what he meant to use to bring me down and keep me down, and turned it into something beautiful. I can say honestly say there are things in my past that are ugly, but I have watched God take that ugly and allow it to minster to another one of His children in incredible ways.

This song will be one that I know will be played over and over again when I’m in the middle of a battle - as a prayer, as a reminder, as a battle cry. I pray that whatever battle you’re currently fighting you can find hope and encouragement in this song. Know friends that you are going to see a victory at the end - you know how the story ends - and it’s good.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann

Music Monday - Old Church Choir

I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy music as a way to worship and build my relationship with God. So, I thought I’d start doing Music Mondays. Each Monday I’ll be feature a worship song and talk about why/what I find compelling in it or lessons that it has taught me. When at all possible I’ll link the song.

I had originally planned to share a different song than I’m going to today. I was trying to be proactive and plan ahead. I should have known better. Since reading the beginning of James last week I cannot get the song below out of my head - “Old Church Choir” by Zach Williams. I’m taking that as a sign that it should be the song of the week. Take a few minutes and give it a listen.

I have a hard time not dancing and singing along when that song comes on. It just naturally puts me in a good mood and puts a smile on my face. This was actually my song of the year when my word of the year was joy . I had had a rough go the year before and I had let my joy be stolen on a number of levels. I had felt like a giant rain cloud was following me around, just like Eeyore.

I learned a lot that year; the difference between joy and happiness, how both big and small things can bring great joy, and what true joy is.

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

~”Old Church Choir” Zach Williams

The chorus of the song spoke volumes to me that year. That no matter my earthly circumstances or surroundings, no matter how hard or sad something was, or how disappointed I felt in a situation none of those things could take the true joy that was in my life. Nothing could take the joy from me in knowing that I am known by my creator, that He loves me enough to redeem and restore me. That is true joy.

Friends, I hope this song puts a smile on your face and helps you to remember no matter how things look, nothing can steal the true joy you have in Jesus.

To Everything There Is A Season…

Kiley Ann