The season has changed, the bondage of your barren winter has ended, and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season of pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land, filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. ~ Song of Solomon 2:11-12 TPT

Treasure

"When my daughter received my letter, she decided to look to the King to learn about love like I encouraged her to. She fell deeply in love with what she found, and the change in her was amazing. When I asked her about any romance in her life, she said that she had asked the King to pick her husband. She explained that she was going to stay asleep in regard to romance until the King of Love itself decided to wake her. A year later, she revealed that the King came to her to say that it was almost time to arise for a new morning. Sure enough, He woke her up and introduced her to a valiant young solider of the King’s. Another year later, she wrote me, saying that this man had asked her to be his bride. When she said yes, he kissed her for the first time. She said, 'That night I felt like I had become something... treasured... different.' She had never felt anything more passionate in all her life than the deep slow burn of waiting on him to lead her. The wedding was glorious."



Credits: Story "Treasure" by Flyleaf (Memento Mori, 2009)

"God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." ~ Ephesians 3:20 MSG

First of all, I want to say Happy New Year! I know, I'm a little late. And I apologize for that. Second, I want to thank you for visiting my blog, and third, you're awesome! Yes, you are. OK, so let me begin by saying that 2014 was quite a crazy year for me. A lot of changes, some were good, some were bad, but it's a year I'll never forget. I had the opportunity to pursue many of my dreams, and to do it with the best people by my side.



The first dream to come true was to take a photography class. At first it was very challenging because I was pretty much clueless about the whole idea of working with a vintage camera, and using different chemicals to develop my pictures. I got so frustrated that I wanted to drop the class, and move on. I thank God I didn't do that, but instead, I kept going, and of course, shooting. My professor, a well-known black and white photographer, was very pleased with my photos. I loved the course! Especially walking around this amazing city, New York, and capturing places and moments with my camera.



Inspired by this experience, my sister and I decided to start a photography project called "Grace & Film". If you're on Instagram, you can look us up, and follow. Basically, my sister is the creative editor. She created the logo, and edits every image. I on the other hand, take the pictures. We love our little "company". We're now in the planning phase, and visualizing where to go next.



Another amazing part of my year was to sing with my own "band". One of my music professors paired me with two guys that have seriously changed my life for the better. One of them is an extremely talented guitarist. The other one is an out-of-this-world pianist. We did three songs together, and performed in front of other students. It was crazy! But oh, it was so beautiful. I also joined another class where I was chosen to lead three songs. Two of these songs were "Heart Beats" by Johnnyswim, and "Oceans" by Hillsong United. My bandmates were awesome and super creative. I felt so honored to do what I love the most with such precious people.



My ultimate dream, and something I was not even praying about at the moment, was recording a song at an actual studio. Everything was so orchestrated by God. I didn't push my way to it, or promoted myself in any way. I was just practicing with my guitarist one day, and one of the music production professors heard us. He was actually in a class teaching a lesson. He came out of the room, and said that we sounded very good. He asked me if I have ever been recorded by any of the music production students, and I said no. He said that my voice should get recorded. The following day, I was supposed to practice with my friend who is a sax player. The professor saw me again, and invited me to record, right then and there. I couldn't believe it! And not only that, he invited me a second time, so basically, I have recorded 2 songs! It was such a lovely experience. I will forever be grateful to Jesus for this.

What do you say when you’re lost for words
It all falls short and so I stand in awe
Stand in awe of You
Melodies come and go
You remain, so I stand in awe
Stand in awe of You

You reign forever
And hold me together
And come whatever, You love me
You reign forever
And hold me together
So come whatever, I love You

What do you do when God forgives
And gives His life so You can live in awe
We live in awe of You
Melodies come and go
You remain, so we stand in awe
Stand in awe of You

Holy, holy, we lift up holy hands
All for Your praise, Your honor and glory

I’ll sing forever, I’ll sing forever
I’ll sing forever, I love You



Credits: Picture by Christina Mun (www.deviantart.com). Lyrics & video "In Awe of You" by Jesus Culture.

This is my first post for 2014. I hope this will be a GREAT year. Anyhow, I just want to share the lyrics of a song called "Sinking Deep" by Hillsong Young & Free. A good friend of mine showed it to me yesterday, and I am obsessed with this gem. It is like a love letter to Jesus; and Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so it fits perfectly for this season.

Standing here in your presence
In a grace so relentless
I am won by perfect love
Wrapped within the arms of heaven
In a peace that lasts forever
Sinking deep in mercy's sea

I'm wide awake, drawing close, stirred by grace
And all my heart is yours
All fear removed, I breathe you in, I lean into
Your love, oh your love



When I'm lost you pursue me
Lift my head to see your glory
Lord of all, so beautiful
Here in you I find shelter
Captivated by the splendor
Of your face, my secret place

Your love so deep, is washing over me
Your face is all I seek, you are my everything
Jesus Christ, You are my one desire
Lord hear my only cry, to know you all my life

Jesus, thank You for loving me...

When someone is hurting or brokenhearted, the Eternal moves in close and revives him in his pain. ~ Psalm 34:18

Every time I am broken, and feeling like I am not good enough, You come to embrace my mess, and console my sad heart. You are the One that knows me, the One that cares for me. Do not let me go, oh Dear One. Everyone needs a Friend like You, and I certainly need You. I am nothing without You. God, I want to know that I will be OK. I want to be assured that I will be held when things do not go my way, and everything around me is a chaos.



You are the God that sets me free. You are the One that remains the same: faithful to the end. You satisfy my hunger, You heal my wounds, and You stay beside me when I feel very lonely. Human beings are so honored to have a God like You. You are more than a doctrine. You are more than do's and don'ts. You are a real, personal, beautiful Savior. Thank You for calling me at such a young age. Every day with You is a gift.



My identity is hidden in You. God, I wrestle each moment, and I struggle with every thought that comes from the evil one. Sometimes I doubt that You call me Your daughter, and that I belong to You. But today, I choose to believe in Your Word. The Holy Scriptures say that I am Your royal priest, a holy nation. I am Your very own possession, and as a result, I can show others Your goodness, for You have called me out of darkness into Your wonderful light.



Credits: Psalm 34:18 taken from The Voice Bible. Photo 1 "tides they turn" by Melissa Lakhena (www.deviantart.com). Photo 2 "when the oceans dance" by Hamed Al Mehairi (www.deviantart.com). Video "I Can Feel You" by Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson (www.youtube.com/ibethelmusic)

'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Eternal, 'plans for peace, not evil, to give you a future and hope—never forget that'. ~ Jeremiah 29:11 The Voice

What is your dream?

I may not know you, but I do know that you have a dream. I do too. To be honest, sometimes I dream way too much! But I also know that in order for me to dream, I also need to be aware of the cost of those dreams. I need to fight for them! And there is a price. A price worth paying. In here, you will see some of my dreams. Hopefully, I can encourage you to believe in your goals and ambitions, and never let go of them.



I have always dreamed of singing, and making music. Now that I know Jesus, of course I want to sing and make music that brings Him glory. I am grateful to be one of the worship leaders in my local church, which I find absolutely amazing, but it is also a great responsibility. Singing takes a lot of practice, passion and devotion. Seeking God does too. And it is wonderful to be able to do what you love most for the One that you love the most.



Another dream of my heart is playing an instrument, and that is the piano. I have tried to learn, but I have not given it the time and dedication needed. But I yearn for this! When I actually play the piano at home, I feel like I was made to do it. I just need practice. And more practice.



I started writing when I was 9. I loved doing it, and I still do. Writing is very special to me because you can express yourself in ways that maybe you cannot do when you are speaking. Even though I enjoy this form of art very much, I feel like there is something in me that needs to be awaken. I believe there are so many stories and tales hidden in my soul that need to be written and shared with the world. This blog helps me do exactly that.



Yes, just like the image above, one of my crazy dreams is to get married, have a beautiful wedding, and of course, have the best husband ever. I do not think I have met the "love of my life" yet, but anyhow, you can always dream about it. God bless you future hubby, if you are reading this, ha! :)

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. ~ Walt E. Disney

I heard one of my favorite singers saying that God wants us to dream, and to fulfill each of those dreams, but He wants to do it with us. In other words, the Father wants to be part of every dream we have, big or small, why? Because He loves us. Life is more interesting if our Creator is in the center of it. The Lord wants to walk with us every step of the way. God wants us to dream big, because He is a big and extraordinary God.

Just do it!

Credits: Photo 1 "Pride of Happiness" by IgNgRez, photo 2 "The Song of Freedom" by BlackJack0919, photo 4 "Wedding in Istanbul" by khzstock. I do not own photo 3. All of these photos belong to www.deviantart.com

I am doing this post as a reminder. I want to remind myself of who God created me to be. He created me to sing.

Every person has a list of people (or heroes) they look up to. These are some of the people that I admire the most:

Kim Walker-Smith



I love Kim! I love her because she is an extravagant worshiper. I love how she sings, and how she is so very in love with the Father. Her personality is beautiful. She is like a little girl singing to her Creator. Yay Kim!

Misty Edwards



Misty is so precious. She has such insight into God's Word. She sings out of the overflow of her relationship with Jesus. I love the respect she has for God's presence. Her songs are deep and life changing.

Brian & Jenn Johnson



I love these two! Brian is so creative, and a musical genius. I really like the music he writes. His wife, Jenn, is like a lioness leading worship. Her spontaneous songs are exquisite. Both of them are incredible & genuine worshipers.

Brooke Fraser



Brooke is so talented. Her voice is fascinating. Her music is so delightful. All of her lyrics have entered my heart in such a profound way. I love that not only is she a great artist and a worship leader, but she is also a humanitarian. This lady is awesome!

Leigh Nash



Leigh is amazing! I loved her in Sixpence None The Richer and I loved her solo projects as well. Her voice is so pure and inspires me to sing.

Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Ephesians 5:19b-20 NIV