Diva in Disguise

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b



For nearly a week now the media has been in a frenzy over a Scottish singing sensation named Susan Boyle whose performance on the reality show "Britain's Got Talent" surprised and enthralled everyone all over the world. You have to live under a rock not to have heard about her.

Never has any contestant on this show been so talked about and adored. It's like she's already won the competition. She literally became a celebrity overnight. Just why are we so fascinated with her? I think because of the supposed irony. Here's this unemployed, homely, cat lady, spinster who's "never been kissed" and out of nowhere, this voice comes that no one expected. She sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and the song is about broken dreams which adds to the irony because I think her dreams just came true.

When she stepped out on the stage the audience judged the book by it's cover as always. We live in a very looks obsessed society in Western culture and I wouldn't say she's ugly. She has two eyes, a nose, and a mouth and she's not badly overweight. But I won't say she fit the definition of pretty either. She really wasn't much to look at. People scoffed and laughed and thought the audition would last about three seconds. After she belted the first line though...no one was laughing. She sang that song as well as I've ever heard a Broadway performer sing it. The look on Simon Cowell's face was priceless. Everyone was stunned and thrilled. You don't expect that kind of extraordinary talent in someone who looks so ordinary.

The media and show business think they're so big and powerful and have created a mold that famous people are supposed to fit. So many good looking people who can't really sing are famous and I've watched American Idol plenty. The auditioners who know they don't really have any talent often bring props and gimmicks as if that will help them and don't make it past the first round. They even try dancing and trying to use fancy ornamentation in their songs to make it. They don't just sing because they know they can't. I don't think many of them are serious about a music career. They just want their five minutes of fame and attention whether good or bad.

I often wonder what would happen if some of these famous singers stopped those noodley things they do with their voice and the ornamentation. Would they be as famous if they just sang straight? Susan Boyle, in spite of her plain appearance, walked out on that stage with confidence because she knew what she had even though the audience didn't yet. And it took seconds after she belted out that first line for people's jaws to drop and for them to jump to their feet and applaud. I had trouble hearing the rest of her song because everyone was cheering so loud. She sang straight and she's got it. If you closed your eyes you would think it's Barbara Streisand.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with ornamentation and "noodling" as my voice teacher at Cab Calloway used to call it. I love to do it when I sing pop songs. But there comes a point when it becomes overkill and is just used to cover up lack of tone quality.

This surprise has shown us that there are really no ordinary people in God's world. That even though a person might not look like much, we can never really know what secrets they might have. Jesus said in his sermon on the mount..."Blessed are the humble, for they shall be exalted." Susan Boyle is living proof of that statement. Everyone has something special about them and I think God is using Susan Boyle as a wake up call to us of that statement. Nothing that he creates is ugly.

You go Susan! You're an inspiration to "ordinary" people that they can be extraordinary and you really are living proof that dreams can come true. God has a big plan for you I know it!

What is the Plan God?

I've been wondering for a long time just how my life situations can be used by God. Because right now, I don't feel like my life is going anywhere. Oh yeah I'm a nursing student, but lately I've been wondering if that's really what I want to do. I guess I got scared. Nursing school is hard, but I've heard several times that the stuff that's hardest is the stuff most worth going for. I've also had to come to the realization that it will probably take me more than two years to finish just because so many people have to take certain courses more than once. I just have to keep working, and trusting, and believing. If I keep running from something just because it's hard, I will be running for the rest of my life and the four years since high school will have been for nothing. I won't do it. I won't give in. I will be the best nurse I can be, but I will not stop being a musician.

I figure that in order to be a nurse, you have to be around sick people. But there won't be any sick people in Heaven so what is a person to do with their talents? That might be why God gave me the gift of music if not to use in this life...maybe the next. I still plan on glorifying him with my music here though as much as I can. I just wonder why I've always felt like that has been suppressed. There's been a solo here and there, but nothing big. If I knew I could really make it in the music business, I'd dump this nursing in a heart beat and jump with both feet into music. But there are no certainties and I'm not the starving artist type. So I'm a cautious person. But I've seen what life is like just existing from paycheck to paycheck and not knowing where the next one is coming from and I can't live like that. I hope to have a family one day and I want to do right by them.

Does this make sense to anyone? I hope so. Once again, I feel suppressed, but I know that children of God aren't anywhere that God hasn't placed them so I can be confident in that. I just keep praying for peace with my life though. Everyone has regrets, but I feel like I'm too young to have them. I'm just not completely sure of anything right now. I pray for direction and have faith that he will give it to me in his own good time. Thank you Lord.

Easter 2009

Happy Easter! He is Risen! This is the most joyous day of the year for Christians. On Good Friday, our Savior Jesus, was crucified on Calvary. The Creator of the Universe was being murdered by his own creation. The price of sin was being paid by the only one who could pay it. The Sacrifice of the Lamb of God threw open the gates of Heaven and there is now no condemnation for those who trust in Jesus Christ's payment for their sin and ask for his forgiveness.

On Easter Sunday the tomb that contained the body of Jesus was found empty. He had risen from the dead and received a new body, like the ones we will receive in Heaven once we leave these weak earthly bodies.

When I'm at the beach, I look out at the ocean and contemplate the beauty of everything God creates. And to think that the God who made something as spectacular as the ocean and told it just where to begin, and where to end, loves me and even died for me, is just mind boggling. I don't know why, and I sure can't understand it, but I'm glad that it is. I might have shared this song last year, but I'd like to share it again. Here it is.

Because He Lives

God sent his Son,
They called him Jesus,
He came to love
heal and forgive
he lived and died
to buy my pardon,
an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because he lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know he holds the future,
And live is worth the living just because he lives.

How sweet to hold a new born baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still
the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days because he lives

Because he lives I can face tomorrow
Because he lives all fear is gone
Because I know he holds the future
And life is worth the living just because he lives

And then one day
I'll cross the river
And fight life's final war with pain
And then as death gives way to victory
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know he lives

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow
Because he lives, all fear is gone,
Because I know, he holds the future
And life is worth the living just because he lives.

This song says it all. Even though life is hard and I can get very depressed sometimes, I can still have joy in knowing that my God and my Savior is alive and though it has been over 2000 years since he said he'd be back, 1000 years is but a day to God and his timing is not our timing. It's what I was focusing on today. His understanding is not our understanding. It is so much better. I don't know about all of you, but I am real glad that there's someone in control and that it doesn't have to be me. Because if I was in control of my life, I would already have messed it up real bad.

I've met people who don't believe in God, but I've never met a person who doesn't want to. We were born to be discontent in this world and look to something higher than ourselves to trust in. The problem is that some people look to everything, but what they're supposed to look to. They look to jobs, money, power, drugs, alcohol, other people. Some of these are good and some are bad, but it is not good to trust in anything, but God. These things will pass away, but God never will and he will never change. That's a good thing by the way. There is always hope and Easter is proof of that.

Glory be to God the Father and the Son, and the Spirit. Great Jehovah three in one! Who will rejoice with me?

First Blog

Hi Everybody. This is my first blog on this site. I was invited by a friend and it is Easter Sunday 2009. I look forward to getting to know this site and the people on it.