Contacting Alien-Spaceships By Satellite Communication??…

Those verses are truly inspiring. At this moment i seem to be going through 2 seasons at once. A part of me is in this spring time, seeing the great things God has brought to me. Most of this is dealing with school. I just moved to Nashville and transfered schools. So far classes are great, im learning so much and have never been happier with my choice of schools. This is now the fourth college I have been enrolled in, so thats saying something and I thank God for it everyday.

On the other hand im also going through this winter season, and im not sure but i might be seeing the start of spring coming. and kind of ironically deals with school. i moved up here knowing no one at school, mid year. thats so hard. people are already set in their ways and arent necessarily looking to add to their group. I know its only been a little over a month, but its rough and in that respect sometimes much harder to see God working in my life. So, to quote one of the lines from ‘I Believe in Love’ by BarlowGirl that has been helping me a lot in this time of transition is,
“I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining
I believe in love even when I don’t fell it
And I believe in God even when he’s silent”

These words were originally found on the wall of some prisoners in a concentration camp.If those men can continue to know that God was there with them even in their time of pain and suffering and not hearing Him, then i know i can find the hope in my situation and grow from it.

So, I pray that those words will also encourage you in your winter seasons.
Rock On and Stay Strong!
-Heather-

Oh how I needed to read that today. Thanks Vicki

There are two women named Vicky I interact with, and both of them speak life to me. One is my secretary, who is speaks directly to the places in my life that need it because she knows me. The other knows me not beyond the written word but seems to write words of peace and encouragement on days I need them most. So thanks for being a conduit of peace and encouragement Vicky Beeching.

I was thinking about what the winter looks like, and how I’ve been experiencing it for quite some time now. Funny thing is as hard as life has been at times when I look back all I can see is the grace and power of God working in my midst. It just brings to mind Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength,an ever-present help in trouble” and the promise of Christ in the great commission, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He’s always, always here! I’m overwhelmed by that thought.

We just got a new lead pastor at our church. As we met today and got to know each other I told him about how 5 years ago I was fired as the youth pastor from the church I grew up in for reasons I still don’t know. I was asked to resign on a Monday, told to leave and not come back on the Thursday. Youth parents were told I resigned for other reasons and it was a brutal, painful mess. The crazy thing about that winter is that in it I have found some of my best friends, I’ve written songs, I’ve met all the guys who played on my EP and made it sound like I knew what I was doing. Who knows if it’s good enough for anything but me, but it doesn’t even matter. I have relationships and experiences that I wouldn’t trade away even if it meant the pain of that time never existed.

To an extent I know I’m still in the winter of life as I am weighed down with so much that pulls me away from where I want to be, but I think the snow is melting. My heart is aching to be used by Christ and for my calling to be fulfilled. Without the winter though I may have never found where I was called to be. Lets just hope the snow melts before I’m too old to move… it’s close with 30 just a few months away. : )

Thanks again for your encouragement Vicky.

I see alot of people daily who have every reason to lose hope.

Some never had it.

Some never lose it.

At the end of the day..at the end of your life..You’re going to either have Jesus or you won’t.

Let His Love and Hope shine through you daily, and be an example of hope even when things are looking low. That’s the best witness any of us can have…

God is amazing. To do exactly what we need, to use others to bring us closer to Him even. I’ve been struggling to keep close to God these past months, and I’m not sure what to do.
Anyways Rebecca st. James said her favorite verse once was 1Corinthians 15:58: “So my dear Brothers and Sisters, stand stron. Do not let anything move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your work in the Lord is never wasted.”

That picture is *great*, Vicky! :o)

I’m not much of a morning person either. I had to get up shortly after five AM for a six o’clock lab session recently, and it almost killed me! ;o) Of course, the hardest part is trying to get to sleep at an appropriate time the night before. I was a good boy and went to bed a few hours early, but didn’t actually manage to get to sleep until some time after midnight… Ugh.

Nathan, I also wondered if my life would end at thirty… However, if the last few months are anything to go by, it’s not bad. Really! Surprisingly, I’m still able to hobble around (with the assistance of my walker), and I’m not entirely deaf or blind yet… :o) My mind’s been going lately though…

Anyway, let’s get to the main topic. What a beautiful verse, Vicky! Thanks for sharing that and for your words of encouragement! For me, the last several months have been really incredible in so many ways. God has been doing so many great things in and around me; I can’t thank Him enough for His boundless mercy. However, looking back over the last few years, there have been a couple of difficult times. One of these was when I was between jobs in a bad Michigan economy, and another time was when I was between churches after some kind of rough stuff that happened at the church I’d called home for seventeen years. Neither of these experiences were lots of fun, but I did learn and grow more during these times than during some other times that were more comfortable. That’s one thing about walking in the valley, you’re certainly not on a plateau!

However, it’s important to be on the lookout even in the good times. Our enemy doesn’t like to fight fairly, and he’s constantly on the lookout for situations to take advantage of. Just the other day, I was getting a bit worn down after too many nights of not enough sleep. For a little while, it seemed easier to start believing lies rather than the truth of God. However, once you realize that you’re being lied to, it’s so much easier to see the truth! (For those in doubt, it’s often the exact opposite of the lies…) :o)

Covenant, thanks for sharing such poignant encouragement! Heather, I’ll be praying that you find your niche there at school and that you find your Father God sufficient to meet all of your needs.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers the other day Jonathan. The meeting with the angry parent went as well as could be expected. And I know life won’t end at 30, it just sounds old… : )

I think the difficult thing with approaching thirty is all the expectations one has growing up, and to not be where you thought you’d be. Not that I’m in a bad place, just thought life would be different. So it’s a revisiting of hopes and dreams and sorting through what’s worth keeping and what God has changed, and it’s a refocusing on what God is doing and has done. A moment of reflection if you will.

But it’s all good. There’s a promise that’s worth remember. Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

The 30′s will be good. : )

Hi Vicky,

I downloaded your song “Captivated” some time ago from an Itunes playlist (just liked your voice and the song, am not a religious person). It plays it from time to time in my car when I drive our two daughters to school. The other day, I noticed my 3-year old daughter Vicky (pure coincidence) humming a song. So I listened more carefully, and what she was singing was: “Captivated by you, I am captivated by you…”. Thought that you would enjoy to hear that your voice and music also touches the little ones. Thanks for that.

Life ending at 30? Come on guys. Let’s see some Christian men who are always pushing the boundaries, taking over the world for Christ, and doing so unabashedly…without smiley faces, talk of fears of “growing up”, and speaking of lost “hopes and dreams”.

Men, just do it.

I’m really going through a dark time financially, it seems like I’m living paycheck to paycheck and everytime I want to spend a little cash on something fun it comes back to bite me later.
work used to be fun, I like what I do, I just dont like doing it for 12 hours every single day. coming in to work at 10.5 and then leaving at 10.5 is really hitting me hard. I’m starting to get physically and emotionally sick from all the stress.
and to top it all off, on sunday out of all the cars in the parkinglot at church that I could have hit, I hit a police car!
and i’m starting to think that I might be bi-polar, one minute I feel like I’m on top of the world and the next I feel like the world is falling apart. it’s very logical, I was diagnosed with ADD as a child and i havent been treated for it since I was 17. untreated ADD can turn into bi-polar disorder. which could also explain the constant racing of thoughts, lack of sleep, and abnormal rage.

theres definately more I just cant think of it cos I dont want to cos it hurts.

Linz

Linz,

That sounds like a really tough situation. Pray to the LORD for wisdom, strength, and perseverance.

In your case, ask yourself: How can I improve my job situation? Different locale..more education…different field…Be honest and objective. Get a friend to help you out with the planning…a friend who was in your position, but was able to find a way out.

God Bless!

Linz – praying for you… and believing that God is in control…I know its easy to hear trite Christian statements like “God is in control” but I truly believe He is… hang in there girl…And we are all here for you : )

Guys – I’m totally smiling about all the “is there life after 30″ chat! I’m 28 and definitely a bit afraid of 30…definitely agree with Nathan’s thing about approaching 30 being a time of reflecting on dreams and where I’m at in life…

Well… time for bed… its been a great day…handed 12 new song demos into EMI record label today… having a day off tomoro to CHILL!!!

Ilene, I’ll be praying that God holds you extra close and that you feel Him there and are comforted! I think most Christians have been through times when God seems distant. Just know that He is never distant from us, and that this hard time will end.

Linz, I’m really sorry to hear that it’s been so rough for you lately! A good friend of mine went through something like that, and I know it’s no fun. I’ll be praying that God shows you the right direction to get out of those dark woods and that He also gives you the strength to walk the path that He shows you. :o)

That’s sweet, Vicky! Twelve new demos? Awesome! Do you have a rough guess, based on the other times you’ve done this, at how many weeks it might take you to complete the recording process? I’m just curious. Of course, after that’s done, it still has to be mixed and mastered… and the graphics work needs to be done sometime… and then sometime later the project can be duplicated and distributed… and then *we* get to listen! (And is anyone at your label hazarding a publicized guess of when *that* might be?) On another note, I hope you have an awesome day off tomorrow!

I got an upgrade to my recording setup along with a few new soft synths in the mail today. I’m so excited! I still miss my piano, but these electronic toys will have to do for now… :o) However, before I get to start using these, it looks like I’ve got to fix my computer that just broke! :(

Hey CovenantMD, why does it have to be either or? I don’t want to miss out on any part of life! I think of Christ in the situation with Lazarus. He knew he would raise him from the dead, yet he lived all of life, not just the parts he liked. And so he mourned the death of one he loved, and “Jesus wept”.

David, a man after God’s own heart, wrote laments. Jeremiah wrote a book we call Lamentations! So why should we then avoid it? It’s so like us in American culture to think men should pick ourselves up by our bootstraps and keep fighting with complete disregard for anything else. I never want to stop moving, but there is more to life! The important thing is that our laments don’t draw us from God, but that we end up pointed back to Him. Like in Psalm 102, “But you, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.”

I’m sorry if transparency and smiley’s make you feel uncomfortable. I myself find the first freeing and helpful to others who are struggling and the second beneficial for written communication. Don’t worry though, I’m not just a ball of emotions. I’m moving forward and I’m not afraid to stand up and speak boldly. Just because we look at where we’re at doesn’t mean we don’t pursue the future!

Vicky, enjoy your day off!

Well said, Nathan! :o)

I love visiting you!

Lori

Thanks for sharing that Vicky,

I was diagnosed with an terrible and uncurable disease 4 years ago, after hopping from treatment to treatment (all of them useless yet painful) Within the last month, I have found relief by getting radiation every other day. And by relief I mean that the only thing left is my fear and my insecurity(unless I skip a session, then it comes back with all its fury!)

I was just talking to my husband about this, how my Egipt got so familiar that it’s hard to let go of it. Hope was so slim, it’s hard to rejoice in freedom. (hope in God didn’t slim, but hope in being well in this life did)

I feel like God is tearing my heart from my chest with that verse.

I can’t say how much I appreciate you sharing it.

Blessings,
Ceci White

Nathan:

Laments of David and the prophets compared with blog comments like the above? Come on, bro.

Maybe I’m just getting the wrong impression. Maybe I’m just an emotionless tool..We all have dreams and aspirations. But putting fears about the future and a sort of squishy pessimism about age out on a public messageboard? Not my thing…

I’m optimistic about the future of the Church, America, and the World, despite the obstacles in our way….As long as we stay faithful and spread His Word through our words and actions in every area of life. That’ll require some pretty tough leadership and a dedicated Body of Christ.

I pray we’re all up for it.

Ceci,

My heart goes out to you. I work with people in your situation daily, and I pray that you are able to find comfort not only in God’s Word, but through advancements in medicine which are coming at light speed.

Keep the faith..

Alrighty then!

You know… it never ceases to amaze me how fast something can make the move from encouraging to discouraging. funny how that happens…

thanx for all the words of wisdom guys! this really helps.

How come Vicky you seem to know exactly what is going on in people’s lives? You have an amazing gift there. I too have been experiencing a difficult season, one i amstill struggling to know will ever end. Although last week God gave me the first glimpse of hope in over a month. So praise God for that.
The mountain is steep but Our God can do anything and it is more important for us to learn from the struggle than to not experience it at all.

I’m going through a time in my life where I have some difficult decision to make. Going through some struggles in my life that at times are overwhelming.

I really appreciate your words encouragement and verses that you share. Your songs are amazing also, pointing us to a God who loves us beyond compare. Each time I listen to them they are new and so real all over again. Such a blessing to have others to share our lives with on our spiritual pilgrimage.

God’s richest blessings