Lift Up A Voice

You tell me, I’ll go with you

Jules Smith — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:47:51 +0000

I heard a woman on the radio the other day – I knew I would forget her name) talking about battling depression and the highs and lows that come with it. Since I suffer from depression myself I tuned in to listen more closely. What she said about the valleys made sense to me – that with God being the center of my being, the valleys are not as low, nor do they last as long. She also talked about how when no one else in her life can really “relate” or help her out of the valley – it is so comforting to know that Jesus is there – a constant – surrounding her with his love. I could totally relate to the ideas she expressed. But what she said next really made me think about my perspective on things. She said when she wakes up each morning, she asks the Lord where he is going today…and that wherever it is, she is going. Lord…wherever you go today, I will go with you. It really made me think. I stop and think about the prayers I offer up as I start my day. As I drive into work, and I talk with God, am I telling him that I will follow him wherever he leads?It turns out, no. Each morning, I tend to be telling God how my day is going to be – and asking him to show up where and when I need him. Turns out, I’m trying to be the one in charge, and telling Him how it needs to be. Perhaps I should be re-thinking all of that. Doesn’t it really make more sense that I should be following him where He leads? I love when just a single statement makes me stop and question the way I think about things. When one simple idea makes me take notice of the way I’m living life – and try to make some positive changes…its so refreshing. Ever since my thoughts were stirred by this statement I have boldly approached my father in heaven and aked him…where are we going today? My mind has been renewed, my thoughts have been clear, and my focus has been changed. Now, do I still and try control God and tell him where I need him to be….? Yes…I have to admit I do. But I’m learning that things seem to turn out a lot better – according to his plan – if I say to him….you tell me God, I’ll go with you today.

Noise

Jules Smith — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:37:42 +0000

I can remember when I was little, my daddy did not like a lot of noise at the table. We were allowed to talk, but we had to speak quietly. We were NOT allowed to sing, the television was off, and everybody sat at the table. But no noise. I never really got that as a kid. What’s wrong with a little noise? We all tried to abide by the rules, but with so many at the table, you had to be loud to be heard sometimes. Now that I’m older, and perhaps a little wiser, I long for peace and quiet. I understand the constant request for silence. It seems as if we are being bombarded with noise from all directions. I believe that my definition of noise is even more broad than my daddy’s was back then, due to the way society has changed so much. We, society as a whole, are not sure what to do without noise. I consider noise all of the stuff that we listen to, read, watch, post, update, etc. Most homes have multiple televisions – with about 400 channels. We have gaming systems that are created/simulated to look just like “life.” We have ipods, and ipads, and laptops, and smartphones, facebook, twitter,google+, and the list could go on and on and on. I’m not for a minute saying that any of these things in and of themselves are bad…but they are noise. I pulled into a gas station this morning at 5:45am to fill up. When I got out of the car in the crisp, peacful first air of the morning, there was a speaker above the gas pump, blaring out a scratchy version of an 80′s rock ballad. Have we really gotten to the point where we can’t even pump gas without noise? My toleration for all this noise is decreasing. I think that the barrage of tweets and posts, status updates and likes, videos and songs just gets to be too much noise. Why are we afraid of silence? I long for peace and quiet. Time to reflect and pray. Time to just breathe and listen. I feel at times that I desperately just need to be still. Sometimes I think it is easy to drown everything else – the important stuff, the scary stuff, the stuff that would be easier dealt with not being dealt with – with all of the noise. Our children seem to need the noise like they need air. I believe we should learn to cherish the times when we can shut the noise out and just be still and listen. God is talking to us…are we listening…are we even hearing him? Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God…” I think it would be a whole lot easier to be still and know if we could learn to shut out the noise and listen. God is with us and is waiting for us to listen. What noise in our lives is drowning him out?

He’s not finished

Jules Smith — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:00:30 +0000

I heard a saying once – or maybe I read it on a magnet at Cracker Barrel – and I didn’t really commit it to memory intentionally, but I have never forgotten its words and the power of it message in my life. The saying was “Jesus accepts me for who I am, but loves me too much to leave me that way.” Lately this phrase has become really important to me as I seek to continue to grow in my love for the Lord and in my desire to bring people to Him. Through my lowest lows in recent weeks, I keep asking myself why in the world Jesus would want to use me for his work. I’m not the smartest, the most well-spoken, the strongest…I’m broken and often afraid of losing my way. I feel like sometimes I’m not worthy enough to call myself a child of God. And in spite of my broken state, God loves and accepts me for who I am! I don’t have to be anybody else but me. But it gets even better (do I sound like an infomercial…?) Jesus does accept me for who I am – but through his mercy and grace he loves me way too much to leave me like I am. Since I surrendered myself to his will, He has begun to change me. In small ways and in BIG ways. I am His work in progress. He is transforming me, renewing my mind, using me to further his Kingdom, placing amazing people in my path, and allowing me to grow in my faith and in Him. He showers me with mercy and grace in my daily walk. He listens and he speaks. He teaches me to believe when I doubt, to ask for his help when I’m hurt, and to rejoice in him when he has made me glad. He does not turn his back on me when I slip and fall, but rather opens up more to me to help me learn each day. I know that Jesus loves me, and I know that He is working in me to make me a better person every day. He accepts me and keeps changing me with his love. And He’s not finished with me yet.

Sleeping through my storm…

Jules Smith — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:00:36 +0000

Recently Brian and I started a small group in conjunction with a series called “Fearless” we had been doing at Foundation Community Church. The study is based on a book of the same name by Max Lucado. So far there have been so many things that have really stuck with me. I’ve been asking myself what it is that I am truly most afraid of. Where do those fears come from? And on and on. And as a follow up to all of those questions, how do I react when my fears control me. There is a story of Jesus and his disciples climbing onto a boat one day. Jesus took a nap. While he was sleeping a violent, fierce storm blew up. The disciples immediately questioned Jesus by asking him if he didn’t care if they died. This reaction has always interested me. They knew what he was capable of…they just wanted to know why he wasn’t helping them. They were questioning his character. They were frustrated and angered even. My big take away from this lesson is that Jesus knew all along what was going on. He didn’t “accidentally” fall asleep. He purposely slept – for the disciples to grow in their faith and understanding. It makes me wonder how many times God has gone to sleep so that I could grow. How many times have I become angry at God for seemingly not caring that I was suffering? I know that he has slept through some of my storms so that I would come out better on the other side. That’s a lot of love. I see my responses in the words of the disciples. I have questioned God and his love for me. And through the course of each of those storms, my faith has grown. God loves me enough to sleep through my storms.

Lead… With Notes and Spirit

Jules Smith — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:33:28 +0000

Reblogged from :

For me, being a beginner at leading worship has had it’s challenges as well as opportunities to grow as a musician and my ability to worship through music. Over the course of the last two months, I have summarized the following points not to direct others to how it should be done but how it has applied to me. …

Time To Get Up…

Jules Smith — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:29:08 +0000

Reblogged from :

Wake up, it’s time for church. If you had any experience going to church when you were a kid, you heard your mom say, or yell, that many times. …

Caution: Sidewalk Ends

Jules Smith — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:51:50 +0000

There is a new subdivision being built near my home. I actually pass by it every time I go to Brian’s house. It’s got one of those fancy, schmancy community names like Harbortowne or something crazy that doesn’t have anything to do with the cornfield in which it sits. I’ve watched this subdivision begin and grow over the course of the past year. Recently a sidewalk was formed and poured leading from the entrance of the community. I thought it a bit peculiar at the time, because, as I said, the community is surrounded by fields, but I then I figured it would perhaps become like a walking path around the subdivision. Each day that I passed I saw more forms constructed and more concrete poured. One day I noticed that it looked as if the work had stopped. There were no more little orange flags indicating that the sidewalk was under construction, no more workers smoothing out the surface. It was finished. The sidewalk that came out of the community snaked out to the street, wrapped around down a slight hill…and then dead-ended right into a field. It was a path that led nowhere. Every time I pass by I have to giggle and even though it see it at least 10 times a week, the whole thing still perplexes me a bit. Why would anyone walk on a sidewalk that only leads them to the middle of nowhere? Hmmm. I guess maybe the reason I take notice of this sidewalk each time I drive by is because I think there is a bigger meaning. For a long time, I had no idea what path I was on. I just knew I was on one…one that I thought looked good. One that the world told me I needed to be one. But one that led nowhere. Now, while I was on that path – I thought it was an awesome one. Just like that newly poured, smooth sidewalk, my path was appealing and I pleasing. But it was just for show. It had no purpose. It was empty. I am so thankful that God worked on my heart, and didn’t ever give up on me. I am so happy that the seeds that had been planted – and that had been dormant for so long – have taken root in my life. God has me on HIS path now. It’s an amazing journey walking in His light. It’s a path filled with purpose and meaning. His sidewalk is leading me to deeper understanding of His love and His will for me. God’s path for my life doesn’t have an end…it stretches out beyond this life into eternity. I am grateful for all that God puts in my path – even when I’m frustrated, broken down, hurt, or scared. I am thankful that God’s love guides me daily on my walk with him. What path are you on? Where does your sidewalk end?

Be Present

Jules Smith — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:22:03 +0000

This morning one of my co-workers said something to me that has resonated in my head all day long. She was telling me about her break and how nice it was to be off, but that she had had some things on her mind and she couldn’t shake them. She said that she felt those worries and issues had robbed her of much of her time and of her peace. Those words painted a strong mental image for me. And they hit very close to home. How often have I let worries rob me? How many times have my insecurities stolen from me? When was the last time I allowed my fears free reign over my time? That one simple sentence made me really stop and think. It’s not like I wasn’t aware of my fears or my worries. I know they are there, and there are times when they are worse than other times. I had just never thought of the fact that I was allowing those feelings of doubt to take away precious time. I really did some soul searching, and I’m sad to say that I have lost countless hours of my life and my precious time worrying, stressing, and being fearful. Its not rare to hear people say that there’s just not enough time in the day…or if I only had more time. Time is precious. Time is a gift. Time should not be wasted – or stolen – by worries for tomorrow. I’m so thankful for those simple words spoken by my friend. As I strive to be the best version of myself in 2012 and to be authentically me, I will no longer allow myself to be robbed by fears and doubts. Rather, I will focus on being present in each moment I am given.

Aiming For A Bullseye

Jules Smith — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 18:04:19 +0000

Reblogged from Faith Passage:

This year, Jules and I are very excited about our ministry and where God will lead us. Last year was an amazing year and we did more than we ever imagined from what spawned as just a name for a Christian acoustic band (Faith Passage). In the beginning, we only talked about being a band that worshiped God but since then we have become way more than two ordinary people writing and performing songs together. At the point of inception, we didn’t know what else to do and didn’t even know where we were going to …

Authentically me

Jules Smith — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:11:18 +0000

A few months back there were a series of commercials that ran, seemingly every other 30 seconds, about depression. They started out with soft, meloncholy piano music. The first line of the commercial was…”Depression hurts.” I must say that I agree. For a long time (decades) I think I was in denial that I suffered from this ugly disease. I blamed hormones, post pardom, relationship issues, seasons, and anything and everything else I could think of. I’m not sure that I used to even believe that depression was a “real” disease. I thought that it was just me that felt the way I felt…like it was all in my head…and I just wasn’t “right.” My understanding and acceptance of this dreaded disease have changed and after a lot of reading about conversations with others, I know that I do indeed suffer from depression. But knowing and understanding do not make it much easier. Depression does hurt. It hurts physically…it drags and wears on my body at times. Depression hurts relationships…it is hard for others to understand and to deal with the ways that depression manifests itself. Depression hurts…at times it makes me question who I am and why I’m like this. I get so frustrated with my emotions and feelings at times. When I’m down and in a “funk” – I hate it. I don’t want to feel that way. I don’t enjoy the irrational flood of emotions that sweep over me. Last night I was pretty low. Ugh. New Year’s Day…the promise of 2012 lying ahead…so many exciting plans for the upcoming year…and I’m crying. I don’t really even know why I’m crying. I remember telling myself in the midst of tears…”I just need to try harder.” But no matter how hard I try – I will not make it “go away.” This morning, my mind is more clear, my tears have stopped, and it hits me…me trying isn’t the answer. God is my answer. I’ve learned to rely on God for so much over the last couple of years. I have surrendered my life to him and furthering his kingdom here on earth. But I was still trying to fix me on my own. I can keep trying on my own or I can let God help me with this. I believe in God’s plan for me and my life. I know that he is in control. But I have no idea why I have tried to fight this depression on my own. All the fighting in the world on my part will not do the trick. God knows me. He made me in his image and he loves me. I have to trust that he is going to help me through anything and everything that comes my way in life. God gave me an amazing man in my life. Brian is the most understanding, patient man I have ever met. God knew that I needed someone like this in my life. Brian is my “accountability” partner, my prayer partner, my best friend. He laughs with me and lets me cry when the tears come. I understand now that God knew what I needed in a relationship and he gave me that. God will provide. My word for 2012 is “authentic.” It has been hard for me in the past to admit or talk about my depression. I felt like it was an admission of weakness. My relationship with God and my growing faith in me have helped me to understand that depression does not mean that I am weak. God created me to be me. I am who I am and I am loved. I will continue to learn and grow and own my emotions. I will listen to God as he guides me. I may never understand why…but I will take all the lessons that I learn and become the person who God wants me to be. I need to be authentically me.