FINAL Blog Post! (for now) Is it still okay to listen to secular music?

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Lyrics to GITF

I hope you have enjoyed all my posts this semester! I may just continue this into the new year because this is such a fun topic to look at as a young Christian! I want to leave you all with one more song that touches my heart every time I listen to it! It's a spiritual hymn that we all may know so well, but there is a different sound created by Kierra Sheard! Great is thy Faithfulness gives an amazing message, and if you want to know why, I have the lyrics linked up there for you! We have so much to thank God for as believers, and songs like these will cause us to reflect on that. Happy listening!


"Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness." -- Lamentations 3:22-23

Worship to Let Your Worries to Wander Elsewhere: Another Great Spotify Mix!

Worship Everyday Playlist!

I finally have the opportunity to share this amazing worship playlist with you! For this week's post, I 

will share a few of my favorite songs and how they contribute to the idea of worship allowing us to 

have peace and contentment in our lives as Young Christians.

Song #1: Waymaker by Sinach

"Waymaker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness. My God, that is who you are."

Every time I listen to this chorus, I receive a simple reminder that God will always make a way in the

midst of whatever season we are in; he always keeps His promises and never will leave; this song is 

such a blessing to worship Him to! 

Song #2: Simple Gospel by United Pursuit

"I reach out and you find me in the dust. And you say no amount of untruths can separate us."

I love this song, for it reminds me of my high school years when I would, at times, feel unashamed 

for wanting to be so committed to serving Christ. However, this song reminds me that even when 

others laugh or ridicule me for doing the right thing in His sight, I should still rejoice, for there is 

"nothing that can separate us from the love of God", as Romans 8 declares. His Word is truth and 

life, so rejoicing in the simple fact that God sent His son to save us all is simply powerful enough to 

worship the Lord for who He is.

Song #3: Free by Kierra Sheard

"Mentally, you've captured me. In my mind, I am free. In my heart, if I am yours, I am free."

This final song definitely has always been a holy-spirit-filled, tear-jerking worship experience when  

I listen to this. The words are truly powerful, for as 2 Corinthians 3:17 declares, "Now the Lord is

the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." As followers of Christ, worshipping in 

the atmosphere of freedom is often peaceful and a reminder that no matter what we experience, we 

are already free if we simply believe God can do it. Kierra's prayer at the end of the song is 

especially powerful, for it signifies that there are young people in this world that truly have a desire 

to want more of God each and every day. 

All in all, worship truly solidifies our relationship with the Father, for it truly causes us to have a 

change of mindset about our current circumstances. There are also a few messages and prayers in 

this playlist that has definitely been significant for my relationship with Him. Worship music should 

definitely be a significant part of our lives, for it allows us to simply let go of our worries and feel the

presence of God while listening to music. Hope you all enjoy this playlist, and happy listening (and 

worshipping)!

"Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." --Psalm 29:2

90s-2000s Playlist: #BringBackGoodMusic + A Shoutout!

90s-2ks Mix Playlist

I'm back! Just a playlist with my favorite Spotify playlist of music from my era (Yes, I know, there are a few

songs that are from today/2010s, it's cool!)! The one thing I love about the 90s-2000s music wise is

that the music has lots of great messages that we can relate to, and even some topics that we can learn

education lessons from! I hope you all enjoy it!

P.S. I have a shoutout to Jake DiLaura's blog from my college writing class! His blog is not exactly

related to mine title-wise, but I, too, absolutely love Christian rap music as he does! The music that

he picks every single week (whether I have heard of the artist(s) or not) is very appealing to my eyes,

and I'm sure other young teens would love the music as well! Check it out when you have the

chance; trust me you won't be disappointed!

Christian Rap That Doesn't Suck

Lecrae's "I'll Find You" feat. Tory Kelly: A Note of Encouragement

For today's post, I would like to FINALLY do some christian rap! I absolutely love Lecrae (and Tori 

Kelly, although she's a pop artist) and the message that this new song, "I'll Find You," brings! His 

lyrics talk about how sometimes we struggle through life and we feel like our pain will last for an 

eternity. Whether it's experiencing tragedy, sickness, or even trying to simply make it through school, 

it may feel like we're drowning in deep despair, we may feel like no one is there to help us fight 

through. However, as the lyrics say, "When you got nobody to turn to, just hold on, and I'll find you," 

God tells us this to reassurance that He is in the midst of what we face. In addition to fighting pain, 

we may even feel that "they don't understand the battle I face," so it can cause us to stay positive 

around others, and break down while they aren't around. 


Are you feeling this way? Do you feel that the pain is lasting longer than temporary at this present 

moment, and that no one understands what you're going through? Well if you are, don't feel like 

you're alone. I myself have been facing a lot of pain through these past few weeks, but I must rest in 

the fact that "it's all worth it in the end," and that God will always strengthen us when we are going  

through. Also, it's very important to talk to someone about what you're facing; if you bottle up your 

problems, it doesn't help at all. TALK. There will always be someone who understand you, and if 

people may not help you the way you expect, God WILL. He is always your friend. I just realized 

that this post just turned to a serious matter, and I'm okay with that. As Christians (young and old), 

we need music like I'll Find You as a reminder that no matter the outcome, God will never leave us to 

drown in our pain and constant trials. Stay strong everyone, "it's all worth it in the end." God is 

saying "just hold on and I'll find you." 



"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." -- Isaiah 41:10

New Jazzy Music: Insecure! *Warning: Explicit Language*

So Jazzy's back again with a new song! This hit called "Insecure" with Bryson Tiller is an interesting take on what it's like for a girl to feel her man is too clingy and well... insecure! I truly love this, and although it wouldn't be relatable to someone like me, it definitely gives a perspective of "too much clingy", but in this case, being vice versa. 

If you're familiar with Jazmine's love life, you would know she went through an abusive relationship a few years ago, and she went through a period where she didn't even want to make music any more before her 2015 album, Reality Show. Although she may not be able to relate in her current relationship, in all her music, all of her different sounds can relate to women who may experience hurt or happiness in some way, which I absolutely love! 

Hope you enjoy this sensational new sound! Happy listening! 

A Jazzy Premiere: AMAZING Riffs and Runs!

Jazmine Sullivan Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxRPasnb_hQ&list=LLe5bCDZ8jT1l5b_KOR3Ln_g

Hopefully by the title of my post, you can tell that I LOVE Jazmine Sullivan! She's my all time

favorite R&B artist, and my singing style is based off of her sound. Her vocals are definitely goals to

me!


Just a little background, her mother named her "Jazmine" for her love of Jazz music. Little did her

mother know that she would grow up and become and amazing singer who has such a jazzy voice in

her own way! Jazmine's fame began at age 11, when she sang Diana Ross's "Home" from the play

The Wiz. When you hear her sing that song, who would even think she's 11 years old?! You would've

thought it was an adult in the background, but nope, it's Jazmine! She went on to perform at the

Apollo in New York, several churches, in plays at her high school (which is in Philadelphia), and

even in clubs at 15!


Jazmine has three solo albums from the label J Records, and I can sing every single lyric to all of

them! I can relate to most of her songs, but most of all her incredible musical ear is so subliminal; I

hope that when I start making music, I will have that same ear she has! Now I know that her isn't

Christian, but when you listen to her songs, you definitely will feel the emotions that she conveys in

her lyrics. All in all, you will definitely enjoy this video. Feel free to watch it as many times as you'd

like, and hopefully, you won't get too tired of her "Jazzy" sound!

Breast Cancer Awareness Reflection: Remembering My Aunt Joy

In totally unrelated to music news, It's October. This is one of the hardest months for me to get through because of three words: Breast Cancer Awareness. As much as I love giving awareness, I find it so difficult, for I had two family members that passed from it; One of those people being my Aunt Joy, who is pictured at the far right. She passed on June 6, 2013, and I will never forget how devastated I was after her funeral. Out of all of my Father's sisters, my Aunt Joy was probably the one that I could relate to the most; She was extremely hilarious, and I loved her wisdom and faith and God. I always wished that she could pass on her faith to me before I finished high school, but remembering that I could always keep her in my heart, I graduated knowing that she was proud of this accomplishment I made. One of my favorite moments with her was when I was about eight years old, she babysat me at one of her old houses about ten minutes away. We ate good food and plenty of snacks, and I always laughed at her when she made fun of the commercials on TV (especially the laxative ones, LOL). Before I left, her cat scratched me, and I was so dramatic about it, I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. All she did was put some alcohol and cream on it before putting a band-aid on it and laughed. After she did this, she told me this advice that I'll never forget, "It's okay. You're gonna have scars sometimes, but don't touch them! They'll heal soon!" I thought about this news when I found out about her passing, and I wished that my tears from my pillow could help me heal. Now almost four and a half years later, I am not totally healed from all my scars, but I definitely feel her presence and that advice that will never leave my mind. Aunt Joy, I love you so much, and I know you're proud of where I am. My next two degrees are dedicated to you, for they will be a remembrance of my scars that eventually healed because of a whole lot of FAITH. 

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." -- John 14:27

The Piano MUST Go Up: A Veggietales Lesson!

Here's one of my all time favorite Veggietales shorts (besides the silly songs, because who doesn't like those)! It's called Going Up! from the movie Sumo of the Opera, and surprisingly I didn't even know this existed! It took me a few times to figure out the lesson in this silent film; I don't really find interest in those kinds of shorts, but I went along with it, and now I love it so much (especially the dramatic background music)! What I really got from this message is you shouldn't give up if you want to reach the ultimate goal. In the beginning, we see that Larry the Cucumber and his fellow co-workers (Jimmy Gourd and Mr. Lunt) are trying to pull up the piano to Madame Blueberry's house so that their boss, Mr. Nezzer, will see that they are good employees, and that they each deserve a spot in the front seat of his truck. However, as they are pulling it up all the way to the top of the steep steps, both Jimmy and Mr. Lunt are extremely exhausted and decide to give up because of the hot sun. While Jimmy and Mr. Lunt take an ice cream break (and a nap), Larry, still persistent with the end goal in mind, still decides that even with no help, "The piano MUST go up!" Eventually with all his strength, he got the piano all the way up to Madame's house! What a hero! So Larry accomplishes the goal to sit in the front with Mr. Nezzer, and as for Jimmy and Mr. Lunt, well.... let's just say they got what they deserved.

So as young Christians in today's world, how can we live out this video?

YES, it is hard to live out our christian faith in our world, but if we begin with the end goal in mind (as Larry did with hauling up the piano), we will be victorious in every aspect of our lives. What is this end goal? Simple. Eternal Life. If we want to achieve this goal of seeing our Father in heaven, we must do the work here on Earth first. There may even be obstacles like the the steep steps the veggies had to climb, or there may be distractions like the ice cream truck and sleeping to avoid the work (not saying sleep is bad for you), but we must do keep trying with all the strength and persistence that we know God gives us each and everyday. So, don't give up, my friends, for "The Piano MUST go up!" Life may be tough, but we serve a God that's even tougher! 


"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." --Philippians 3:14

The Breakdown: Can Young Christians listen to Secular Music?

For years and what seems like centuries, I've been told this in church, "Young people have to be careful with the music that they listen to, especially the music of today."

The question is, are we allowed to listen to it?

I've been going to church all my life, so I definitely grew up singing, dancing, and listening to gospel music. However, when I started music school, there was always different types of music that we studied, and not even half of it was gospel. It didn't bother me at first, but then when we would have discussions at church, I would get deeply concerned if being a musician was really what I was called to do.

During my junior year of high school, I took a music elective because I was so passionate about learning different genres of music. Surprisingly, I loved the music and soon continued to listen to the music outside of class. I never thought it was wrong, but I just knew that I had to be careful with the explicit content in the messages of the song. 

Is this why young Christians don't appeal to gospel music?

When I first heard music on the radio that wasn't gospel, I was more aware of the beat than the lyrics. As I continued into my teenage years, I realized that maybe lyrics aren't exactly a concern in today's society, for a "dance-able beat" is what's more important. 

But is it really important although it isn't glorifying God?

Looking at genres like Hip-Hop and R&B, most of the messages in those songs are about chasing money and the opposite sex, sexual activity, and violence. These types of things are not what Christians should be listening to, for they aren't helping our spiritual beings as we live to please the Father.

When I think of gospel and the messages that they bring, most teens would listen to certain songs like, "Total Praise," by Richard Smallwood, or hymns like "Blessed Assurance," and they would most likely not find the songs interesting, for they may not relate to the message or the words in general.

So how do we get young Christians to relate to the message and find out that gospel really isn't so bad?

When I first started singing hymns for worship, at first, I was very uncomfortable. I didn't know how my pastor knew all those "old songs" that he would make us join in on during the altar call. But when he gave a message one Sunday about how those songs were sung by our ancestors going through tough times like slavery, I began to shed tears, for I could finally feel their pain, and soon came to the realization that they sung hymns to get through oppression, pain, and sickness. 

I could relate to that, for I've experience so much pain through my teenage years, and now I proudly sing these songs, because I appeal to the messages they give. I strongly agree that teenagers should listen to not only just hymns, but older, traditional songs that have meaning and expressed that in spite of the pain, there is hope in Christ to bring anyone out from the negativity they experience. 

All in all, I believe that young Christians, especially teenagers, should be careful when listening to secular music, for their messages can cause us to fall astray from the calling that God has for each our lives. It may seem cliche', but staying close to gospel music is the probably the way to go, for it can keep us near temptation to do the things that secular music talks about and focus more on things of God. 

But does that mean all secular music is bad? Well, it depends on how your ears are open to what the song's message is conveying. So keep your ears open! 

"My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit." -- Job 27:4