Worship

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Lately, God has drawn me to His side and reminded me that my time with Him is so important and keeps me going.  Spending time in worship with Him brings peace to my anxious heart, contentment, and a true joy and gratefulness.  I've been doing a couple of new things this week that have especially helped.

Meditation has always made me nervous.  It's so important to stand guard over what we open our hearts and bodies to, and many meditations that say "let in the positive energies" or "let all your thoughts go" are dangerous, in my opinion.  However, I have read many studies speaking of the benefits that meditation has, particularly on stressed individuals.  Many days I wake up and feel okay, and then a few hours into the day I start to feel anxious--so anxious that I become paralyzed with fear.  So, a few days ago, I knew I had to do something differently.  I googled "Christian meditation" just to see what I could find, and I found a website with meditations that are mainly Scripture.  I'm addicted!

I also find, in my quiet times with Jesus, that having a Christian study book helps.  I'm currently reading "Bad Girls of the Bible" and going through the workbook, and I absolutely love it.  Here's the blurb (info on the back cover):

"For ten years I studied bunches of biblical role models and finally realized what we had in common: Zip.
"Sarah was so faithful.  Esther was so courageous.  Mary was so innocent.  I was so none-of-the-above.
"Then I hapened upon Jezebel, and something inside me clicked.  I identified with her pushy personality, I understood her need for control, I empathized with her angry outbursts, and I began to wonder...
"Could those Bad Girls from the past teach us how to be Good Girls in the present?  I'm here to tell you--yes!  Whether they were Bad to the Bone, Bad for a Moment, or Bad for a Season but not Forever, these infamous sisters show us how not to handle the challenges of life.
"We first meet them in a contemporary, fictional story (Delilah becomes a hairdresser named Lila from Dallas!), followed by a zippy, verse-by-verse review.  Of course, I've included plenty of fun, 'Lizzie style' commentary to keep readers smiling, and each chapter includes four life-changing lessons well worth remembering.
"Bad Girls of the Bible is for all women--from Former Bad Girls who need to be reminded we're truly forgiven to Veteran Good Girls who long to understand those still searching for answers.
"This is the place, sisters.  Grab a veil and dive in!"


I can tell you, each chapter I've read has left me laughing aloud, crying some, and really digging into the meat of God's Word.  In many ways, it's changed my life.  I highly recommend this study.


Another important part of worship for me?  Definitely music.  Sometimes I play it softly in the background while I journal or study.  Other times, I play it specifically to sing along, and still other times I march into the piano room and play and sing my little heart out.  Music is such an important gift that God has given us, and it's an excellent way to connect with Him and express ourselves to Him.  Today, I found some worship videos on youtube, and I've put together a playlist for all of you, just to get you started.  These are some of my favorite worship songs that I thoroughly enjoy singing to the Lord.  Click here.

There are a few other things that are special to me in my worship time, but I'm going to make a second post soon to split it up a bit.  Let me know if you have any other ideas or things that you do in creative worship to Jesus.

Radically His,