Blessings

Blessings

Blessings

This is a song I wrote for my sister, Catherine, and her husband, FJ, for their wedding day (Catherine & FJ Abaya). At the time I had to sing it acapella because my hands still hurt so much. This made me very nervous, but after singing acapella on the cruise ship, I was determined to do it! I hoped it would be a blessings for their ceremony, as well as a chance for me to pray out loud my hope for their life together.

When it came time to record this song I was ecstatic to surprise them with me accompanying myself on the guitar.

This song underlines the importance of having God woven into your marriage, “three cords combined.” Life can provide you with joyful times but also many challenges and disappointments. Sometimes circumstances around you can get so bad that it can use up everything you’ve got! When two people who love each other are both dealing with their own difficult situations at the same time it can get really rocky. God can be that third cord to keep you strong and keep from breaking apart.

If you ever find yourself wondering who it is you are living with and even questioning whether you like them.

You are just normal!

We all unknowingly bring so much of our past experiences into our lives that we don’t always see the other for who they are but either who they remind us of or even who we wish they would be. It’s important to stop and recognize this.

We need to get our heads wrapped around the fact that we are all broken doing the best we can with the tools we were given.

It’s also important to be open to the fact that we could learn more through counseling.

Counseling has been a helpful tool we have referred to off and on throughout our marriage. It’s part of the reason we have made it this far.

I encourage you to embrace your spouse and the fact that you are both imperfect and can still learn and grown no matter how long you have been married.

Ultimately though, welcome God into your marriage every day. He can give us compassionate ears that can listen to our spouse when we really don’t want to. He can give us self control when all we want to do is scream about our own boss, or our own relational situations. It is purely by the strength of God that we can have what it takes to care for each other in the midst of our own stuff.

Seriously, let God give you what you need to be there for each other. Don’t turn your pain into a competition, where you compare who has the worst situation. Everyone’s feelings count. We normally know this but when we are hurting it’s hard to think clearly. Remember you are a team. You two are one, but you don’t need to do it alone! Praise God!!

Can you relate? What are some tips that have been helpful in your marriage?

Add your thoughts below. We’ll be glad you did.

Unstrung

Unstrung

“Unstrung“

“I may be unstrung but I’m not undone.  I’m praising the Lord and I’m having fun!”

Unstrung by Pain

I wrote this song during a 5 year period of time when I was unable to play my guitar due to chronic pain in my hands.  This was a very difficult time for me. Not only did it feel like I had lost a part of me (I had played the guitar since I was 8 years old), but the never-ending pain soaked up all my energy.

Becoming more and more depressed about life, I finally decided to write an acapella song.  I needed to feel empowered to sing a song on my own without any instruments required.  In my Orcadians Choir and Chansons Jazz Choir, at Shorecrest High school (Go Scots!!), I learned how to sing many acapella songs and knew I could do it.   So, I wrote this song as a gift for myself  to lift my spirits up when the pain in my hands would bring me down.

In the past the guitar had become my way of communicating my feelings.  Without the guitar, but with a friend, I was able to discover that I could be very musical through writing and singing songs.  The inability to play guitar forced me to stretch and discover my song writing skills.  After 5 years of writing songs without the guitar, my husband encouraged me to try playing again just a little bit to see how it would go.

At first I was resistant because I didn’t think I could survive the disappointment if I couldn’t play. However, the desire to play again ran so deep within, I just had to give it a try!  After a few minutes of playing–and then a few minutes more–I just about fell over.  It seemed that there was a chance I could play again! Over time I gradually built up my little hand muscles enough to be able to play multiple songs again. Now I can play for a couple hours!

Restrung by Hope

I am so grateful to all those who prayed for me over the years when I had run out of hope, myself.  Sometimes we need to keep hope alive for others until they are able to hope again! My story reminds me of the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof down to Jesus so he could be healed. My friends and family raised my prayers up to God continuously for me when I couldn’t.

Even though my hands are not fully recovered I am incredibly grateful!  I have been given a second chance to do my favorite thing – accompany myself on the guitar while singing for myself and others.

The most important things I learned from this experience is, be grateful for each day and that no matter how bad things get it isn’t necessarily the end of the story!

Have you ever experienced having something very important “taken away” from you?  Have you ever got to the point of feeling hopeless?  Did you share your burden with someone else so they could help you?  How did it go?  Are you still hanging on?

Add to the conversation below. We’ll be glad you did.

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