New Way to Live

Arise, there's a new way to live
Thought we were living, but that's not what we've been
We've been, breathing out and breathing in
But the question remains have we ever truly lived.


~New Way to Live, Jason Gray

I couldn't figure out why I have been so bitter these past few weeks. I couldn't figure out why my heart had been so hardened by the things people said to me. I couldn't figure out why my eyes had adverted away from God even though I tried to seek him over and over.

I am learning that I need to surrender and forgive. Forgive being the bigger part.

During Holy Week this year, an already stressful time for me as I am journeying to the Road to Calvary, my best friend decided she wanted to end our 6 year friendship. And what made it worse for me was the fact that she couldn't do it face to face. She did everything through facebook. I was hurt, confused, angered, bitter, resentful, you name it. I cried tears but I couldn't figure out why I cried them.

Then Good Friday came. I cried, knowing that Jesus died for me and saved me. But for some reason I couldn't let go of what had happened a couple days prior.

And these past few weeks have been the same. I haven't been very close to God and I haven't talked to him, even though I thought that I was doing a good job in my life. I mean, I wasn't out drinking, I wasn't doing drugs, I wasn't out breaking the law. so that had to count for something, right?

This past weekend I spent some time with some wonderful girls of God. And we also had an added little perk of listening to one of my favorite artists, Jason Gray. There was so much that went on this past weekend, but I will make that another post in the days coming. We got to have some special time with him and he was talking to us about stuff. There was a new song that he was working on and it just wrenched my heart wide open.

I was grateful that I was in the company of amazing friends. For had I not been, I would have not been able to get through that moment. God was speaking to me and laying His hand on my heart. He was telling me: "Forgive.....forgive.....forgive. That's all you need to do. Forgive, and let it go. I will handle the rest."

I knew exactly what He was talking about. I needed to forgive my friend for what happened. And things happen for a reason. This was just a stepping stone that I couldn't get over. I tried my hardest to hang on hoping that maybe, just maybe, if I did, things could work out. But I had to step off that rock and move on to the next one, waiting for God to tell me what to do.

Jason shared a story about how God wants all of us. Not what we think he wants us to be or how we should act in front of Him. We can never truly be intimate with Him if we are not willing to share everything with Him. Even our anger.

This was another turning point for me. I had to release the anger that had built up over the past couple days and give it to God. It was holding me back from Him.

It's going to take a bit to learn to do, but this weekend with amazing friends and musicians showed me that I have to be vulnerable at the feet of Jesus. He can give me peace and joy and comfort.

And I am learning there is a new way to live. A life full of joy and happiness. Satan can attack me all he wants, but as I read God's Word and commune with other believers who will lift me up, I can stand against him. Sorry, buddy, but you can't win this fight. You never have, you never will.

I'm Not Going Down...I'm Rising Up

So....once again, my journey is through a song....

Not Going Down from Jason Gray


Not Going Down:
I'm not going down
I'm rising up....woah
I'm gonna stand my ground
and I won't give up...oh, no
And I'm not Goin' down


I have been really trying the last couple of days to stay on track...it's really hard. Especially yesterday when they decided to rearrange the office before I got there. It took nearly four hours later to get the office back in shape where I was able to sit down and do my work. I hadn't eaten since 9am and I didn't get to eat until 6:30 That's a long time. Not good when you are trying to keep your metabolism level and eat every 3-4 hours. I was getting really cranky and whiny and I could tell my body was telling me to eat....But I didn't

And I have been trying to keep up with cardio. I HATE sweating! It's yucky and I just feel disgusting! But today I cycled for 30 minutes and every last song I would like, I'm done...I can't do this anymore. Then another one of my fave songs would come on and I would just keep going. I finally said, "That's it. 25 is good. I'm done!" then Not going down came on. I got back on the bike and said....5 more minutes, Mindy....just 5 more minutes.....


This song motivated me through the last stretch of the exercise. I focused on God and pushed through and persevered. God is amazing at pushing. No....the SPIRIT is great at pushing me. He kept whispering in my ear and saying, just a couple more rotations...you can do it. I'm giving you strength.

Not only does it motivate me through my workout, it motivates me through life. This has been a song that I sing regularly to myself to help push me. Jason is a great lyricist....and it's great when you really can connect with someone's music. It makes it part of you; not just a song.

Thank you, God for pushing me to the limit. You are awesome!

Jason Gray: Everything Sad is Coming Untrue

Now, I try not to be one that is biased, but I have been waiting (im)patiently for the new Jason Gray album “Everything Sad is Coming Untrue”. I have been a strong supporter of his music for some time now, and Centricity Music has not let me down yet.

Nor did they or Jason let me down this time either.

“Everything Sad is Coming Untrue” is a wonderful blend of pop, praise, folk, and everything else in between. Jason is a gifted songwriter and knows how to wrap God’s word around your heart.

If you are curious as to where Jason came up with the title, it’s a passage in Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings” where Sam wakes after the darkest day of his life to find those he thought dead were alive and that all was well: “’Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?’ ‘A great shadow has departed,’ said Gandalf, and then he laughed, and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land…”

I can’t say that I have a favorite, because all the songs have some form of meaning to me. But I think that one of my favorite lines is from “More Like Falling in Love”, the first track on the album: “Cause all religion ever made of me, was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet. It never set me free.” I think it’s true that we focus sometimes why our “religion” is better than the other person’s, and we could debate out this all day long, but this is an album review, so let’s carry on!

Jason is a great storyteller and is not afraid tackle tough subjects like battling deception on “The Golden Boy and the Prodigal”, and not letting worship get watered down or fluffed up like in the song “Fade With Our Voices”. This album is a true testament of what it means to confess and fall at Jesus’ feet and offer ourselves completely.

If you are looking for some good hearty music that needs to pull at your heartstrings, then “Everything Sad is Coming Untrue” should do the trick.

More information can be found at Jason’s newly updated (and really cool!) website or at Centricity Music’s website.

I encourage you to pick up the album. I am telling you now that you will not be disappointed!