life: acoustic & amplified

poetry, quotes & thoughts about life

Archive for the category “Career”

24 Jan 2012

Prayer changes….everything…

The past couple of months I have been doing a lot of thinking, reading, learning and coming to new understanding about prayer. For the next few days I will be posting some of the things I am learning.

For many years I tried to ‘pray’ in fancy ways and words. ‘Dear Lord, Thank you for your bountiful blessing…etc, etc…blah..blah…blah. I never felt like God had answered the phone. I was just leaving a voicemail. It was a little frustrating. Then my life exploded into millions of tiny fragments. For many years as I sought grace and healing my prayers were guttural. There were no words for me. There was no music for me. It was a path of such pain that the suffering was silent. There was no way to express it. Over and over my soul would cry to God, ‘help me…help me…help me…give me your strength for this moment…help me…help me…to love you and give you thanks right here in the middle of my circumstances.’ I would read Psalm chapter 37 and Matthew chapter 5-7 and cling to them.

And God has done what He promised. He gave me strength  for each moment, grace for the journey, hope for my future, miracles in extravagant abundance and peace and healing as I accepted and absorbed this amazing gift of life I have been given, joy overflowing and I have been blessed me in so many ways I know I will never run out of ideas to share about the grace that has come my way.

That doesn’t mean I, or everything in my life is perfect, or will ever be, while I am on this earth. That’s not even the point. A few months ago I went for a walk. My spirit was troubled and I needed to talk to God. Nature is my best place to communicate with my creator. I never fail to connect with God in the beauty of this world that has been so lavishly decorated! As I sat on a bench and started to talk to God something interesting happened…I really wanted to complain about what was happening to me – ha, yet as I began, the amazing glory of God, the maker of heaven and earth began to come into my focus, and I realized that I had nothing but thanks and praise to give and my heart and the words changed. I realized that God already knew my problem and is taking care of it..already…and I gave thanks in a whole new understanding. I sat on the bench and wrote the following song lyrics:

I’ve come to talk to you again
Oh won’t you hear another story
My whole world is at its end
When suddenly I see your glory

Cause I don’t need to ever fear
I’ve seen your miracles and wonders
So I will rest. You’ll dry my tears
Then I’ll fall asleep while my heart ponders

Your love, Your love
Is more than I could ever hope
Your love, Your love
I want the world to know
Cause everybody ought to know

I’ve come to listen once again
Oh let me hear you in this silence
Your grace will fill me to the brim
Shine your light right in the violence

Your light, Your light
Pours though my soul into the night
Your light, Your light
Help me and guard my heart
Cause everybody needs Your light

All I can do is give you thanks
All I can do is praise your name
All I can do is sing you a love song
Every day and all night long

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, power, Prayer, Purpose, quiet, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Smile, Stars and Moonlight, strength, success, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words, worry | Leave a comment
20 Jan 2012

Everyday becomes incredible when you let God do the impossible in you at least twice! – Ann Voskamp

Haha – I LOVE that!!! Try it with me today? Look for the miracles!!!!!

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Party, People, power, Proof, Purpose, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment
19 Jan 2012
3 Comments

One step at a time…that’s all

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Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, Circus, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, fun, Gratitude, Grieving, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Party, Peace, People, power, Proof, Purpose, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Respect, Seasons, Smile, strength, success, Sweet, Tears, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning
17 Jan 2012

Timing is everything!

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, dominance, Dreams, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, worry | Leave a comment
13 Jan 2012

A Scottish challenge for us this day – from one of my favorite writers!

Behind the Wires

Look around you, can’t you see what you’re missing,
Look around you, open your eyes;
There’s a whole world of loving and meeting
In a place where hostility dies.

Oh, I know that you don’t mean to hurt me,
You only want to protect what you’ve got,
But don’t you know the best way to lose it
Is to think that your freedom can be bought.

If you shut out your spirit of adventure,
If you close up your heart from within,
You build walls to keep out the danger
and find that you’ve locked yourself in.

I believe that peace is what we’re after,
But we’ve drawn up the lines for a war;
Surrender in trust to one another,
It’s the only thing worth fighting for.

So come out from behind your fences,
You’re in a war that no one can win,
Take a chance, lay down your defenses,
If I pull down the wire from the outside
Please won’t you pull it down from within.

 

Kathy Galloway (written for the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camp)
Love Burning Deep
used with permission

 

 

Posted in America, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Growth, Habits, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, Poetry, politics, power, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words | Leave a comment
12 Jan 2012

constructive chaos is an important part towards happiness

If you change nothing – nothing will change    – unknown

Purge drama! Make changes towards your happiness!

Posted in Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, Letting Go, Life, light, Losing, Love, Miracles, Peace, People, Quotes, Reality, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Trust, Vulnerability | Leave a comment
11 Jan 2012

What’s your name?

The meaning of names is a fascinating history. I found out the meaning of my birth name when I was about 9 or 10 and it thrilled me at the time that is meant something very personal to me – Amy Carol Duvall = Beloved Song of the Valley. From my earliest memories I had identified myself as a singer and so this was even more special to me.

Over the years I didn’t really think much about my name, I was just trying to survive life itself. Over those years I was given other names by the people I loved and cared about: fat, cow, lazy, clumsy, stupid, liar, vain, ugly, etc. The list was pretty long and none of it was very good. Words, and the thoughts they produce, are so powerful. Do we realize the power of our tongues and thoughts? It was very hard to live with those names, yet I had no way of rejecting them…they were true, right?

As I lived those names I always had a feeling of shame. I tried to hide them and not let anyone know. I tried to cover myself with coolness and ‘act’ like I was better than others by my love of fashion and my house being beautiful. I didn’t want to be called by those names, yet I didn’t know how to change them. I was too weak, a complete liar, vain and never finished anything hard (my mother told me that and she knew me better than anyone).

In 1990 I began a journey with God, and that journey began something that is truly remarkable. I began the process of earning a new name. I didn’t even know it, but as I began to attempt to live beyond my own abilities, and make frail attempts to live the words of Jesus in Matthew 5-7, I was earning a new name.

In 2007 I wrote my life story – as I looked for a title the meaning of my birth name came back to me. OMG! I had lived my name for all those years! I had walked through the valley as God’s beloved song. It hit me that maybe it would have been better to have been given a more fun name, but the realization was extremely profound at that time and it even became the inspiration for the title of my good-newsletter, Songs from the Valley (www.songsfromthevalley.com).

After this realization, I began to pursue and examine being God’s beloved. This is the amazing truth I found – we are ALL the beloved. It was so exciting to find so much evidence and documentation of how God loves us so much. It began to change me, this being loved so much by my creator! The truths of the value of each soul, and God’s real, unconditional love, has been shown to me over and over. It is mind-blowing and makes me a little giddy whenever I think about it.

Anyway…

Over the past four years God has done some amazing things in my life, and I have become aware that I am no longer in the valley, but I just realized that I have a new name. This is big! I am no longer the Beloved Song of the Valley – I am now the Beloved Song of Christ. Wow!!!! I stand amazed by grace.

We have all been given true names by God. It is who we really are. What’s your name? Beloved _________ of Christ! Ask and seek and you are guaranteed to find it. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matt 7:7

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, Mother, music, Peace, People, power, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, words | Leave a comment
06 Jan 2012

I keep getting back up…

There are days when I just want to quit. I don’t want to keep fighting these battles. I just want to go my own way. I want to give up and be comfortable. I don’t want to be aware, or have to choose. I don’t want to be strong. I want to jump into the music business and go to the top. I want to sell myself to get there. I want to sing to thousands of people and get praise and acclaim from all over the world. I know I could work hard enough. I want to be spoiled and live in a nice house. I want to buy shoes and be shallow. I want to be beautiful and dress fabulous in designer clothes and prove to everyone, especially certain people on a short list I have, what I…yes, I said it, what I can do. If I can’t do that, then I want to forget it all and be able to be satisfied with some simple job and blend into anonymity, which then makes me want to just lay in bed for days, in my pajamas, and only get up to eat ice cream out of the container. I want…I want….I want….is the recurring theme.

Every day I am aware of how difficult, even impossible, it is to live this spiritual life. Every day I face a new choice of who I want to be, how I live. It goes against everything I seem to want. Every moment is a new choice to make. So many choices and so many times I fail. Over and over I fail. Yet God remains faithful. I have lived my faith – I have found the faithfulness of God to be so much more mind-blowing than I could ever comprehend. I have lived the miracles. No one can take that away from me! And so I continue with the struggle to love, the struggle to open my heart, the struggle to be patient and obedient and wait on God’s timing for my music. One more day the battle wages on and I chose to take one more faltering step with God. Yes, the warrior is a child every morning, every night and all through the day. Thankfully I know the truth that everything is grace! Gods mercy remains and is new every morning – just for me. Oh, and for everyone else who chooses to receive it.

Henri Nouwen says this about Spiritual Choices:

Choices. Choices make the difference. Two people are in the same accident and severely wounded. They did not choose to be in the accident. It happened to them. But one of them chose to live the experience in bitterness, the other in gratitude. These choices radically influenced their lives and the lives of their families and friends. We have very little control over what happens in our lives, but we have a lot of control over how we integrate and remember what happens. It is precisely these spiritual choices that determine whether we live our lives with dignity.

Posted in Adventure, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, power, Proof, Purpose, Quotes, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Sweet, Thoughts, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment
05 Jan 2012

Then Sings My Soul…

Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul;
it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.
– Martin Luther
Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Freedom, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, People, power, Reality, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Tenderness, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning, words | Leave a comment
04 Jan 2012

Carpe Diem

Finally, what I really want is to be happy in this moment, where the magic and miracles happen. Stay in the moment and all gifts are added as you breathe and take inspired action.

~Joe Vitale

Posted in Adventure, art, beauty, Becoming Yourself, Beginning, Beliefs, Blessing, Career, Change, Choice, courage, create, Dancing, determination, do, Dreams, Encouragement, Gratitude, Growth, Habits, Happiness, Happy Holiday!, home, Hope, Imagine, Impossible, Joy, kindness, Leadership, Letting Go, Life, light, Love, Miracles, music, Peace, People, power, Reality, Reflection, Relationships, Smile, strength, success, Thoughts, time, Today, Trust, Vulnerability, Winning | Leave a comment

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