Devotionals for the Heart: When the birds of the desert sing praise to God

The Dawn Chorus
A devotional by Colleen C. Howard

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

—Matthew 6:26 (ESV)

This morning, my heart was touched by the Sonoran Desert’s fusion of colors and textures. I’ve lived here all my adult life, and it never ceases to amaze me.

If you’re unfamiliar with the desert, you might think it’s a desolate place filled with sand, cacti, and minimal vegetation. You would be right about the sand and cacti, but the desert offers much more. It’s a place of diversity, with Palo Verde trees, palms, and the grandeur of the saguaro cactus. Snow-capped mountains tower in the distance, and green velvet mesquite shrubs along the trails tell a story of God’s majesty and creativity.

What I love most about living here is the daily announcement of God’s morning mercies. Just before dawn, the chorus begins. The sun peaks over the tangerine horizon, and the birds of the desert sing praise for this glorious day. I close my eyes and listen. Joy fills their melody and washes over my soul. Oh, how I wish you could hear their song as they thank our Heavenly Father (God) for another day and all the possibilities it will reveal.

Even though the birds don’t make plans, God’s care for them is never-ending, and with each sunrise, they express their gratitude in song. If God cares for these magnificent creatures of the air, I can’t begin to fathom how much more God values us. We can learn something from the birds that soar effortlessly through the skies. Just like us, they don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but they seem genuinely surprised when the sun comes up, greeting each new sunrise as if it were the first they’ve seen.

Our God is a God of wonders, and His love encircles us with tender mercies. It’s astounding how many of His bounties escape my notice. The sun rises each morning and sets each evening. He holds the planets in orbit, and gravity keeps our feet on the ground. He created the stars in the sky (those in our view and beyond) and knows each of their names. This stirs my heart, and I ponder how many of God’s wonders have I neglected to see.

No one knows what today, tomorrow, or the day after will bring. But we can lift our voices and join the chorus with grateful hearts. God cares for the birds of the air and supplies their food. Yet, we are even more valuable to Him. When I hear these birds each morning, my entire being shifts into a posture of praise. Take care to listen to these fantastic creatures of the sky. Be still before the Lord, give thanks, and watch what He will do.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are the God of wonders! Help us to wake up each morning with a holy expectancy of what this day will bring. Teach us how to listen to these fantastic creatures of the sky. Help us to be still before You, thank You with a grateful heart then imagine the possibilities. Thank You, God, that your love for humankind is everlasting. Help us to fully embrace every new day with exuberance. Help us to praise You because your love has no boundaries and your grace is never ending. Praise be to God! In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~ 
Song of Reflection #1: “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” by Austin Stone Worship. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Morning Glory” by Dr. Juanita Bynum. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #3: “God of Wonders” by Third Day. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Colleen C. Howard is a follower of Jesus Christ, educator and writer. She lives with her husband in the Arizona desert where the sunsets are spectacular, the summers are relentless and the winters are a little slice of Heaven. 

Colleen earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. This degree opened opportunities to write science curriculum, develop district programs, work with Arizona teachers, community leaders, and more. With NASA Grant funding, she was also able to work with teachers all over the country and expand their knowledge of teaching science as a collaborative effort.

Over the last few years God has placed a strong desire in Colleen’s heart to shine a light on God’s presence throughout ordinary days and encourage women in their faith walk with Him. Although some days bring trials and others bring joy, Colleen believes that if you fix your eyes on Jesus then you will see the heart of God.

Colleen’s writing has been published in the following online publications: Living By Design, Her View From Home, Inside Out Worldwide, Inkspirations, and in anthologies like From Ruins to Restoration, Mountains Moved: 45 Devotions of Bold Faith, and The Miracle of Prayer. She is a monthly blogger for Dressing in God’s Love.

~*~
Connect with Colleen:
Website: authorcolleenchoward.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Singing

A Song
A devotional by Julia Wilson

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” 

– Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Wow … this is one of my favourite Bible verses. I love the image of God as a Mighty Warrior and also one who will draw near and sing over me … and you.

When I was very small, my Dad used to put me to bed and every night he sang "Edelweiss" over me. My Dad sat on the bed and drew close to me and sang just for me. To this day, I cannot hear "Edelweiss" without remembering my Dad singing to me. It is "our song."

Can you imagine God singing over you? What song would He sing? Can you picture the scene … lying in bed and the Almighty appears. He sits on the edge of your bed, looks you in the eye, smiles and begins to sing your special song. How do you feel? Do you feel warm? Loved? A sense of belonging?

Songs are powerful. We hear a song and it transports us back to a moment in time. What songs do that for you? I cannot hear “Candle In The Wind” without remembering the very lovely Princess Diana’s funeral. When I hear “You’re More Than A Number In My Little Red Book,” I am transported back to the 1970’s and I am watching speedway with my Dad and brothers.

Imagine what God thinks every time He hears your special song. He thinks of you. He pictures you. And what about you? Every time you hear yours and God’s special song, do you think of Him and smile? Do you feel that overwhelming sense of love and belonging?

Zephaniah says "God delights in us." Stop and pause for a minute … The Almighty God delights in you! Wow! He sees you. He hears you. He loves you. He delights in you.

When I delight in my children, my heart swells and I just love them for who they are. Imagine how much greater God’s love is for you.

Songs are used in worship.

When we sing, we are tapping into something that is higher than us. I have been known to be singing worship songs in my kitchen when suddenly I ‘feel’ an overwhelming sense of love for God. I know I have to get down on my knees and worship Him right where I am. I can worship with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

Sometimes worship is so overpowering that I sing with tears streaming down my face, though I am not crying. In worship we draw closer to God. When we are upset, it is important to worship too. As Casting Crowns say, "I will praise you in the storm."

Whatever season of life we are in, songs will draw us closer to God. I have lost count of the number of times I have sung “Blessed Be Your Name” when my heart was breaking.

In summary, songs are powerful. They transport us to a moment in time. We all have special songs that mean something to us. Imagine God having a special song for you that transports Him to thinking of you every time He hears it.

As we close this devotional, I'd like for y0u to remember these words in James 4:8a (NIV): 

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." 

God bless you!

~*~
Author Bio:

My name is Julia Wilson but I also go by Christian Bookaholic.

I live with my husband and five cats in a small town in Worcestershire on the banks of the River Severn (England). We have four grown up children and three granddaughters.

I have always loved reading and have always been surrounded by books. I used to work as a teaching assistant for special needs in the local high school. Ill health forced me to stop working in December 2015. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known as M.E.) and fibromyalgia. I now have plenty of time to read and review books!

Our eldest son set up my Christian Bookaholic blog. I review every book I read. I read over 300 books a year. I read Christian and mass market. I prefer stories set from 1850 onwards. My favourite type of books to read is stories set in WWI and WWII, and Russia under Czar Nicholas II.

I am a historian, having a Combined Humanities degree where I majored in History and minored in English. I also love swimming. I only learned how to swim in 2017 and go swimming four mornings a week for 90 minutes before breakfast, it keeps my joints going.

I am also a crazy cat lady. I absolutely love my cats. I have grown up with cats and cannot imagine life without them. My dream is to own an old fashioned seal point Siamese … but not while we have our young rescue cat as she hates other cats!

I love God and love going to a large lively church called Lifecentral. I cannot imagine life without God. He gives a peace even when life does not. He guides my life. He is my Rock.

Music Monday: Interview with Gospel singing sensation VIRTUE

Gospel group VIRTUE is composed of Karima Kibble, Heather Martin, and Ebony Holland. They are biological sisters who have taken the gospel music industry by storm with their beautiful voices, kind hearts and humble spirits. 

Today, they are visiting this blog to share news of their latest CD released this February. The CD is called Fearless and they want to give away one copy of it to the wianner of the CD giveaway contest hosted by Rafflecopter (see widget)! If you'd like to win a copy of their new CD, fill out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget toward the end of the interview. 

Enjoy getting to know the ladies of VIRTUE as you read their interview today! 

*Words by Alexis are in bold and words by Virtue are not in bold.

~*~

Alexis: Fearless, your new album, is FIERCE! What was the inspiration behind the title song, “Fearless”?

Heather: Thank you! The song was written by an incredibly talented young man who goes by the name of Alvin Garrett. When we heard it, we immediately identified with it because we are three women who at this point in our lives are juggling our music career, side jobs, raising children, being wives, going to school, and a multitude of things at one time and to do it all, we’ve had to totally depend on God and be fearless!

What’s your favorite song on the album? Why?

Ebony: I’ll just say, for the record, I truly love every song. But today, “Worship You” is my favorite because I truly worship every time I hear this song! I go in, especially in my car on the way to work.

Give us a glimpse behind the scenes of making Fearless. How often were you in the studio producing this album? What were the challenges and pitfalls? What was the most rewarding aspect of making this album?

Karima: Going into signing a new deal, we and our label Mixed Bags Records, knew that this would be challenging because we all lead full time lives as mothers, and other numerous other roles. And we all live in 3 different states! So we decided to just take one summer to record. Ebony and I packed up our kids and moved in with Heather and her family in Birmingham, Alabama, to get the record done. It was a hardcore plan!

Heather has four kids, so we thought it would be easier for her that way. Personally, the studio is my favorite part because you get to be creative and you can fix your mistakes! At the end of the day, we made some sacrifices to do this project, but we are a close-knit family, so we really enjoy being around each other. It had been a long time, almost 10 years since we made a record together, so it was at times tough getting back in there. But overall, it was a very good experience for all of us. The most rewarding aspect is the finished product, the music and the emotions that came out of this process. We’re pretty proud of it!

In what ways do you hope your new album will impact listeners?

Heather: We hope that our listeners find Jesus through the messages of hope and inspiration that are found in our music. We pray that someone who is struggling with life will find these songs helpful in deciding to do the right thing. We hope that they are encouraged to be faithful and fearless.

What drew you to the music industry? Share your story about how you went from dreaming of performing to making that dream a reality?

Karima: I’ve always known that I wanted to be a singer. I didn’t want to go to college because I wanted to sing, but my Mom wasn’t having it! She sent me down to Oakwood College, where Ebony had already been attending for a year. Thank God I went! Shortly after I got there, someone asked me to put together a group to sing at AYS, a campus Friday night program. So I rounded up two other girls, and the chemistry and blend was great. From that point on, we sang on campus together all the time. In one of our regular rehearsals, we didn’t know that a person from a major record label was sitting in and falling in love with us! LOL! She offered us a deal, we were very young, but we signed. After a couple member changes, we’ve evolved to an all-sister group with Heather joining us a little later. And here we are today.

Who is your favorite musician? What makes them special to you?

Karima: I can’t say that I have a favorite, there’s just too many! One of them is Brandy, love her tone and her range is incredible! I would say she has that “thang.”

Heather: This is a tough question for me too. I will just name one of my favorites, I really love PJ Morton. He is a writer, singer, producer, musician all in one, and a native of New Orleans. Just a real talent! I can relate to his music and his voice is simple, but moving.

Ebony: Whitney Houston is my all time favorite! She was just a beautiful person to me, with a gorgeous voice that still gives me chills.

Do you only sing gospel music? Why or why not?

Ebony: Yes we only sing gospel music because we believe that it is our purpose. We grew up singing in the church, so gospel music is just in us. We would not be true to ourselves, or authentic if we sang anything else. You have to sing what you are passionate about, and for us, it is sharing God’s love to people through song.

How did attending and graduating from Oakwood University prepare you for the real world? Did it help your music career dreams come true? Explain.

Heather: You know Oakwood has a reputation for being a training ground for amazing singers and musicians. It was a perfect place for us to begin our journey into the music industry because they can be a tough crowd! 

Sometimes singing at AY on Friday nights could feel sorta like the Apollo because if you couldn’t sing, you didn’t want to be in front! So this kind of standard made you rehearse harder and longer to make sure you sounded good and could deliver a powerful performance. Also, I think our spiritual experience there was amazing. Hearing and being taught by some of the greatest speakers and preachers was a real help in fostering our relationships with God.

What’s it like being an Adventist artist in the music industry spotlight? How do you share your unique faith?

Heather: We feel blessed that God finds us worthy enough to represent Him. But, I think it’s no different than being in any other career. You stand up for what you believe in and people respect you for it. Sometimes there are situations that you may not agree with or that you can’t do because it’s on Sabbath, so you explain your faith, then you don’t do it. Every time someone feed us, it’s an opportunity to share our faith because our diet is unique. We just stay open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and He always gives us an opportunity to let our lights shine.

What’s next for Virtue? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years? 

We are currently working on a cookbook because we love to cook and it tastes great! Also, we feel that God is calling us to share our health message with the world in a doable tasty form. Our fans can also look forward to a devotional book that we’ve been working on for years now!!

~*~
Connect with Virtue:
Website - www.virtuegirls3.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/VirtueGirls
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/virtuegirls/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/virtuegirls/

~*~

WIN a copy of Fearless:

a Rafflecopter giveaway