The Power of Music

I love music. I guess it's a requirement of working in radio. I've always loved music. I feel like it goes into my ears and makes a beeline straight to my heart and soul. I can think back to many big moments in my life and immediately, I think of the songs I was listening to at the time. When I was five and my family moved to Florida, my sister and I rocked out in our new house to "Take on Me" by a-ha. At ten, my grandparents were in a plane crash. I remember riding to school the next morning with my car-pool and "Sacrifice" by Elton John was playing. Even though it's about infidelity, not the loss of a loved one, I still tear up when I hear that song. My teen years were filled with more music than actual conversations and I'm making new music memories every day.

Carlos and I love sharing new music with each other and reminicing about old stuff too. We have very similar tastes which is neat. When you care a lot about music, discussing it with another person can be like asking for their personal approval. Carlos and I share an office, and we always have music on, so we both made a "mix tape" CD. We didn't have any guidelines on what to include, so everything was fair game! Talk about difficult! I had to choose just 18 songs from my entire library.

When I pressed play today, I wanted Carlos to love the songs he'd never heard before and stand up and cheer for the ones that were old school. What was cool is that the songs that were the memory triggers for me were for him as well. When "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men played we both stood there, stared into the distance and said, "Man, this song brings back some memories." He recalled a school dance and for me, it was the anthem of my 8th grade graduation where childhood friends all went separate ways. Oh, the drama! Then Brian McKnight's "Anytime" came on. We both immediately got sad. I don't think I was ever going through a break up when this song was out, but I still feel like I was. That song just cuts right to the core.

How does music do that? I suppose our sense of hearing deserves as much credit as our sense of sight. We don't think twice when a picture triggers a memory. I think our subconscious is like a file cabinet full of locked memories and some songs are the key to a memory. For me, music triggers are a lot deeper than pictures. With music, I can feel the moment, not just remember it.

Music is a pretty awesome gift that God has given us - lyrics, voices, instruments, composition. God didn't just give us a stagnant one time gift to keep going back to. There's new music every day! We get to love the old, all while discovering new artists, songs and feelings. I encourage you to share the music you love and to ask friends and family to share with you the music they love. It can be a great bond between us all, male and female, Protestants and Catholics, young and old, and here's a thought - Christian and non-Christian. Spirit FM is such a great tool for introducing our faith to someone who has a wall up. Like I said, it can make a beeline straight for the heart and soul. Jesus might hop on board and make it there too.

-Abby

The Duck Billed Platypus

God's Crazy Ideas

Sometimes I look at my life and I just laugh. I really do. I think, how did I end up as the morning drive DJ on a Catholic radio station, in the 14th largest radio market in the country, with really no radio experience to speak of prior to starting at Spirit FM as an intern? It's ludicrous!

It's God.

Has to be. I don't believe in coincidence or accidents or cosmic happenstance. Divine Providence suits my tastes a little better.

Look at the Duck Billed Platypus. (This is what got my wheels turning by the way, thank you Discovery Channel) Some people call this animal mother natures mistake. One website wrote this about the little guy: "The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud."

Duck billed, otter footed, egg laying, FRAUD?!

Well that is not very nice. But I think a lot of us feel like the DBP (Duck Billed Platypus). We feel like God made this cosmic mistake with our lives. Like we should have been something else, or somewhere else, or worst of all, someone else. We feel unequipped, ill-prepared and even like a fraud. But we are wrong.

God has got a special plan for each and every one of us. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Hello! If he's got a plan for you, that means he has equipped you for the job.

Going back to the DBP, it is widely known as one of the worlds most unique creatures. With tools at it's disposal, most other animals would dream of. Imagine a duck that was venomous or an otter that had a beavers tail? Imagine how much more devastating an animal they would be. I'd never go near a lake again, if it had Viper Ducks! God created you with the same idea in mind!

You have tools at your disposal others could only dream of! Imagine if I could sing, I'd do it all morning long, or if I could dance, or draw, or design or whatever it is that you were created to do for the glory of God. You may feel like an odd, unequipped mess or a person, but you're not. Maybe you just haven't realized what it is God wants you to be doing.

It's simple. A pastor once dropped this nugget on me. Go PLAY.

P is for Pray. You probably could have figured that one out. It is only through Prayer that we will ever know what God wants us to do. Yes, he may give us signs along the way to help us figure out what to do, but it is through prayer that we discern those signs. God wants to be in communication with us (see Jeremiah 29:12-13) and prayer is our way of doing that.

L is for Listen. As we are praying over the course of days, weeks, and even years we must be listening to what God is telling us. We must listen to what He places in our minds and in our hearts and even through other people. We must be on the lookout for the signs and opened doors (and closed ones) that we find along the way. These are all ways that God will speak to us.

A is for Act. As we are Praying and Listening we must also Act. We must take Action. Begin to move in the direction God is leading you. Don't worry that you aren't completely sure what to do. You will continue to get signs and messages from God as you take each step.

Y is for Yearn. All the while you are Praying, Listening, and Acting you must also be Yearning. You must submit yourself to God's will in this process even if His will is not your own. You should be going to Church and reading His Word. If you are not growing closer to God through this process you are not doing it right. In Jeremiah 29:12-13 He tells us to "seek Me with all your heart."

So go play in God's wonderland, you Duck Billed Platypus of a person, you. You just might figure out why God made you so special and unique after all.

Carlos

We Need Each Other

Make a New Friend

Today I spent the afternoon in the company of a few good friends. You know, the really good friends who make you feel like no matter how much time apart you may or may not spend its always like you just saw them. Two weeks or two months, doesn't matter. Good people and good conversation is truly just good for the soul.

I think that is why God says in Hebrews 10 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

I know Pastors will often use this verse as reason why we should all go to church, I've heard it used that way before and for good reason. But when I read it, I see so much more.

I see Fellowship. Love. Togetherness. Hope. Peace. Encouragement. Strength. Unity. I see Jesus in the fellowship of His Saints.

We need each other. We really do. We need to love our brother or sister in Christ the way he calls us to. We need to put aside our denominational differences that divide the body of Christ and really start to show love. When all the pomp and circumstance of whatever style of church we attend is stripped away all we have is people, all we have is each other.

Working at Spirit FM has been such a blessing for me. I get to work on both sides of "The Fence" if you will. It's always funny when I go into a Catholic church and people find out I'm not Catholic. I always see a few who's eyes bug out a little and they kind of pause for a moment, just like they do when I meet people who are not Catholic realize that Spirit FM is owned by the Catholic diocese. Welcome to "The Fence" the divide between Catholic and Protestant.

If you ask me, it's stupid. I don't care if you are Black, White, Blue or Green, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic or Non-Denominational. Who do you serve? Jesus? Is He your Lord and Savior? Yes! Good. Let's go tell someone about him. These times are hard enough as they are, why add fuel to an already burning fire that we are never gonna put out? In these uncertain days we need each other. We need to pray for one another, to life each other up, to stand in the gap and to truly love each other.

As I was sitting there with my friends I thought about how great it is to work for Spirit FM. To see people just be love. When we have station events, it is such a beautiful thing to look out in the crowd and see the handiwork of a mighty God. To see the different races and colors, the different shapes and sizes and my favorite part, the different churches. Christ The King and The Crossing, Grace Family and St. Lukes, First Baptist and United Methodist, all coming together to worship Him. OUR LORD. OUR SAVIOR. Who died for each and everyone of us. That is my favorite part of Spirit FM. Seeing everyone coming together for Jesus, no matter what differences we may have. That to me is what makes Spirit FM so unique and so special to me.

We Need Each Other. We really do. Take the time to make a new friend and don't let your differences get in the way. You may find out that you have more in common than you once thought.

Carlos

God and 6 Pack Abs

Why Do We Do What We Do?

We get caught up in soooo many stupid fads and trends, don't we? I can think back to the 80's and remember all kinds of dumb fashion ideas.

Remember 80's hair? Come on ladies, you know you do...

Or how about the Trucker Hat Fad? Thank you Ashton Kutcher for this one...

Why do certain items or styles become must have's in our lives? Did we see some sexy TV starlet wearing this or that, or some hunky movie star with the abs from the movie 300?

It's funny, I was at the gym and my iTouch was on shuffle and a song from Lecrae came on called "Identity". The lyrics from that song hit me, HARD. "He live in the gym and his hair stay faded, late model car so they think he made it, but he's Christian he gave his life, but he still ain't satisfied in the savior Christ. Still finds his identity in looks and cars, if he only knew that he ain't have to look so hard, If looked in God, though it may seem odd he be so satisfied he could leave it all."

As I'm running on the treadmill trying to get me a set of my own six pack abs from the movie 300, I had to ask myself, why and for whom am I doing this for?

The song goes on to say, "I'm not the shoes I wear, I'm not the clothes I buy, I'm am not the house I live in, I'm not the car I drive, I'm not the job I work, You can't define my worth, By nothing on God's green earth, my identity is found in Christ."

Haven't we all at some point wanted to be someone else or have what someone else had. The hot car, the hot wife, the big house, the perfect body. But for what? If we put all our efforts in these earthly things then we'll miss out on all the things God has for us. We chase what the world says will satisfy us, but it never truly does. The new car is only new for a year or so, then a newer one comes out. Fads and trends change all the time, brown has been the new black twice since 1990 and I think blue is the new red right now. We keep searching for new looks and trends and ideas so we can stand out from the crowd, a look at me, look at me world, but God says "I'm right here, I see you and you're perfect just the way I made you"

He doesn't care about the clothes we wear or the car we drive. Whether I've got 6 pack abs or a two liter stomach. If we would find our worth and value in God's eyes, I know that we would all be truly satisfied.

So you might be asking yourself, did I get off the treadmill and go eat a doughnut? No, I kept on running, finished my work out. I'm just making sure my priority is in place. The body needs to be healthy and it's nice to look fit. But my identity is in God, not the 6 pack abs.

Here is the song by the way, in case you want to give it a listen:



Carlos

Jars of Clay

The Long Fall Back to Good Music

I admit I was a huge Jars fan about 15 years ago when they first dropped the still awesome album, "Jars of Clay". Flood, Liquid, Love Song for a Savior, all great tunes still ring soundly in between my ears. Loved that album. Everything since, in my opinion has been mediocre fluff at best. Until now.

The Long Fall Back to Earth for me is their greatest album since their first and people seem to be taking notice.

NEWS SOURCE: Provident Label Group

Propelled by a new multi-format radio hit, a national tour, ubiquitous coverage on The Gospel Music Channel, and, most importantly, an ardent fan base, three-time GRAMMY Award-winning and multi-Platinum band Jars of Clay once again finds itself at the very top of Nielsen SoundScan's Christian Albums chart.

Jars of Clay released The Long Fall Back to Earth, its 10th album and at the invitation of host Big Kenny (Big & Rich), performed the following night at a fundraiser for the African Children’s Choir with Faith Hill, Third Day, Keith Urban and others. Respected for its humanitarian efforts as much as its innovative, intellectual brand of rock, Jars of Clay was honored the night after the benefit during the 40th Annual Dove Awards for the band’s relentless commitment. Jars of Clay, who presented on the show, was bestowed with a Gospel Music Channel Gospel Angels Award during a special segment of the live broadcast. The band was recognized for its work in Africa through its Blood:Water Mission organization which has built more than 650 clean water wells positively impacting more than 500,000 people in 11 African countries.

Keep listening to the Big Big House Morning Show, we'll have more chances to win the album from Jars of Clay.

Carlos

Imagine the Possibilities

Spoiler Alert! If you haven't watched the video on The Big, Big House Morning Show page titled, "New Pro-Life Video" check it out below, then come back to read this blog. It's much more moving if I don't spoil the ending. So go! I'll wait for ya!

Welcome back! Whew - what a great video, huh? It's scheduled to run during the season finale of American Idol. How great will that be!?! Every single life has the potential to be great. You never know if the baby growing inside his mother's womb is our next pope, Billy Graham, Michael W. Smith or Dave Thomas (I love me a Wendy's Frosty!). What's even more amazing is that in God's eyes, we are all just as great as those folks who are in the spotlight and have done things the world sees as notable. We don't have to become the next big revolutionary to make a difference in someone's life. When it's put that way, it's even more important to give each life a chance to be lived.

We as Christians focus a lot on telling women why they shouldn't have an abortion. But do we focus enough on promoting and supporting adoption? Sure, if you ask someone on the street if they think adoption is worthwhile and if they are pro-adoption, most would probably say, "Definitely!" But are we making it a viable option to people? Are we as a community supporting them in making the decision to give their baby up for adoption? I can't imagine how it would feel to know I would carry a child for nine months just to give it away. That would take a huge amount of maturity, sacrifice and strength. I like to think that the mother that would give her baby up for adoption is also a visionary. She can look to the future and see the possibilities, the potential, the promise for her child.

My husband's sister and brother-in-law, Megan and Matt struggled for years to conceive a child. Finally, after a lot of heartache, tears and money-spent, they chose to adopt. I love spending time with this family. The love they have for their daughter, Ella is so special. She has gorgeous blond hair in contrast to their dark brown locks. She is smart as a whip and has enough energy to power the city of Los Angeles. The picture above is of her with my husband, a.k.a, Uncle Josh trekking around Magic Kingdom. She's making Uncle Josh do all the leg work. Like I said, smart kid. I'm sure Megan and Matt are eternally grateful to Ella's birth mother who imagined the possibilities for her unborn child and chose to give her life.

Abby

No Accident

Everyday Sunday

We recently had Trey from the band Everyday Sunday in studio. (By "recently" I mean almost a month ago) He came by to promote the new album, "Best Night of Our Lives" and during his time with us we talked about the car accident that could have easily ended the lives of everyone in the band. Watch the video to hear the full story:



A friend of mine recently saw this video and he called me a few hours after. Told me thank you for having him on. I never knew this but on his 17th birthday he went out with some friends and had a car accident eerily similar to the one Trey had with Everyday Sunday. He'd always chalked up his survival to "dumb luck" but after hearing the story he felt like God was pressing upon his heart that he had a plan for his life the same way he has plans for Trey's and that of Everyday Sunday. The accident he always called "dumb luck" he will now be calling a miracle.

I know that people have lost loved ones far to soon in life to car accidents like this one. I know many families have been ripped apart by tragic accidents. I know what it's like to ask God, why me? Why my family? Why my mother or father or son or daughter? I know what it's like to yell at God and ask the question, did you love them more than mine? Were they more special? Was mine not good enough to be saved?

If I had the answer, I'd give it to you. But I stand on this: God is good. All the time. No matter what.

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.

This does not mean that, if we entrust our lives to God, we will never suffer as a result of evil in the world. In fact, Jesus told His followers that they would certainly suffer, but that He Himself would give them the inner peace to have courage and joy in the midst of the suffering:

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

And for those of you who may read this and still think God is up there playing with our lives and really doesn't care who does and doesn't die, read this: Ezek 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God.

God loves you. Life is hard. But God is bigger. Be Blessed!

Carlos

How to Trust in God

I Found This on eHow.com

As crazy as it may seem, I really did find this on a "How To..." website. According to them here is a step by step way to Trust in God.

Step 1

In 2 Corinthians 9:8, we're told, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” Reading this carefully, we learn that God is able to make all things right. No matter how hopeless or futile a situation may be, if we understand this scripture we understand that God is able to take even the worst details of the worst situation and turn it into abounding grace. Why are we struggling with our pitiful attempts that continue to fail us when God is so fully capable of handling it so that we can "abound in every good work?" The answer to that is because we are cherry picking our trust in God.

Step 2

In Philippians 4:6, we read “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” While we lie awake, unable to sleep because of our worry and distress, God is waiting for our request. He is waiting for our prayer and petition so that He can be God and we can get some sleep!

Step 3

Logically, we are trying to solve issues that we simply do not have the skills nor the wisdom to solve. Enter, God. He knows what we want, what we need and the difference between the two. In Isaiah 41:13, He says, “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Note that He offers His help. That help can come in many forms. How often have you gone through trials only to look back some time later and realize that you would never have believe things would work out that way? Maybe one of the reasons we have a hard time giving it up to God is because we will have to live in His answer instead of just having an answer given to us. That does take great trust. But God is worthy of great trust.

Step 4

When we go to God initially, we are prepared to act when He makes a way for us. We are prepared to make changes when He leads us in the right direction. In Psalm 32:7, we read “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” When we give our worries to God, we are protected, we are soothed with deliverance, and we have given Him back the power that we rob Him of when we stubbornly hang on to problems we will never be able to control on our own.

Step 5

At times, we can be afraid to let go. When we let go, we are giving up control. Most people don't like feeling a loss of control. But the truth is, we are not really in control at all; otherwise, we would not be struggling and worrying without progress. Isn't it wonderful to know that God is waiting for us to let Him bring us peace? As God said in Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Who knew all this time as I was trying to figure it all out myself, all I had to do was go to eHow.com. Think of all the time I wasted...

Carlos