Godsway Media LLC

Hi all…I forgot to blog yesterday.  Monday holidays always set my body clock off kilter.  But here is today’s blog, never too late:

Remember Phil Stacey?  He was one of the many finalists on “American Idol” a couple of years back.  What you may not know is that he is an anointed singer of the Gospel, and has been since he finished his tour with American Idol.  Anyway, Phil has a new project out, and you can hear a bunch of songs from it at www.philstacey.com.  You can even purchase the project there, I believe…

Phil is one of my friends on FaceBook, and here are notes that Phil wrote about a few of the songs….and they are all terrific (the songs, not the notes!):

Inside Out – Everyone who knows me well knows that my life motto for the last 8 years or so has been Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting”. This song is an extension of that message. I’m not saying there isn’t any wickedness in me – I’m saying if there is, Lord take it from me.

You’re Not Shaken – the new single. I wrote this song with some talented jokers here in Nashville. It’s about finding encouragement in the midst of a dark situation. We may not see the way out, but God is not shaken by our circumstance. He is still in control and He loves us. It takes the pressure off when we figure that out.

With All My Heart – Alas, I truly believe this is the song I was signed to record. It is one of my label president’s favorite songs and he has been looking for a reason to record it for quite a while. Those familiar with Bebo Norman will recognize his name as a writer on this song. I recorded it because it is a great description of where our journey begins. It’s a prayers that says, “Lord, help me love you with all my heart, soul, stregnth (sic), and mind.”

Again, Phil has recorded a blessing of a project, so keep your eyes peeled for it!

Tomorrow, a devotion to start your worship weekend!

Shari

 

Wow, it is good to be back!  Sorry for the delay (over two weeks) of no blogging, but my personal laptop, containing all of my site information, log-ins, etc., has been “in the shop”.  It arrived home this afternoon, just in time for me to type up some devotional thoughts that have been stirring in me all week long.

I put in a small garden patch this week at our house.  It can’t be too big, since we live in a mobile home park.  I had an area that had been a kind of flower, stone, and wood chips garden spot for the past six years, and I thought it was perfect size.  I planned it all out…drew a diagram even.  I picked beefsteak tomatoes, green sweet peppers, yellow sweet peppers, “slightly” spicy red peppers, round (yes, round) zucchini and yellow summer squash, lettuce, and burpless cucumbers.  My hope is to have enough to can some sloppy tomatoes, some relish, and some bread and butter pickles when the time is “ripe”!

I first removed all the rocks, even our scripture-engraved rocks and angel statues, etc., from the planting area.  Next came the piles of red and brown wood chips, and the dissolving garden material underneath them that kept grass and weeds from growing.  What a job, all the general clean-up.  I guess I didn’t realize what could hide itself among a few wooden signs and wood chips, even in some sod that had grown over the edges.  It was amazing.  Five heavy bags of garbage later, we were down to the bare earth.  It looked rich, black, and inviting for my veggie plants.  I just knew we were going to have a huge success.

Then we stuck a spade into that beautiful earth.  ROOTS!  It was absolutely inundated with roots from a nearby tree, and from (apparently) some bushes or something that had been planted there before.  I have never seen so many roots in my life.  So we chopped up the top six inches or so as best we could, and I got down on my hands and knees Monday and Tuesday, and began to pull roots.  I was amazed at the series of roots I found…interconnected, twisted, tangled, and deep.  Below the top soil, I found extremely wet, extremely rich, black clay.  It was like jamming your fingers into inches and inches of Play-doh, and it was killing me trying to get those roots out.  But I did the best I could, and by Tuesday night, we were looking forward to a Wednesday planting.  The piles of roots were astounding, but at least they were gone from my garden.

Wednesday, I bought some beautiful plants and returned home to begin the process.  On my hands and knees once again, I dug the first hole for the first beefsteak tomato plant.  And I pulled out a root the length of my arm.  It happened over and over, but eventually, I got my garden planted, and it looks wonderful.  But it makes me wonder what I will dig up after harvest time this fall when I take a roto-tiller to it.  How deep did those roots run?

Jeremiah talks about a situation similar to this.  In Jeremiah 4:3-4, he gave the word of the Lord:

 ^3-4Here’s another Message from God
   to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
“Plow your unplowed fields,
   but then don’t plant weeds in the soil!
Yes, circumcise your lives for God’s sake.
   Plow your unplowed hearts,
   all you people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Prevent fire—the fire of my anger—
   for once it starts it can’t be put out.
Your wicked ways
   are fuel for the fire. (Message)

God is calling us, as worshippers in Spirit and in truth, to begin to break up our “fallow” ground, our hard ground, our hardened hearts.  We’ll be amazed at what we find under that top surface.  Roots of sins long-forgotten, now tangled and woven together, nearly impossible to remove.  Ground that is rich, yet so sticky it nearly sucks us into returning to our past.  And the only way to remove it all is with His help…..and on our knees in prayer.

Worshippers, let Him help you to open your heart,,,,really open your heart.  Begin the process of cleaning out the mess that life has left behind.  You will never be done until He comes again, but the process can be so satisfying.  Painful?  Yes, definitely.  But the harvest is coming, and your life will never be the same.

Back on Monday with some Christian music updates!

Shari

 

 

Surprise!  I know that I have received e-mails from those of you who know me well, wondering why I have not been blogging,  The best answer I can give is that I have had the “yucks” for quite a while now.  The bronchitis bug ended, then I had the stomach bug, and now I am battling the allergy demon.  Lord, help me to keep up with this blog, no matter what my state of body or mind!

I will have two entries today.  This one, I’ll list all of the Dove Award winners from the Gospel Music Association, along with a couple of other announcements.  The next one will be a special worshippers’ devotional, one that has been on my heart, and that I hope will minister to you as you prepare for your busy Sunday!

The Dove Awards were presented this past Sunday night, and there were some wonderful, blessed people honored.  So here goes the big list…..I don’t think I missed any!

And The Dove Goes To…

The 40th Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards were presented Sunday night at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, honoring the year’s brightest and best during the LIVE, exclusive broadcast on Gospel Music Channel. For the first time in the GMA’s 40 year history, music fans were given the opportunity to vote in two of the 43 award categories, “Artist of the Year” and “New Artist of the Year.”

A complete list of 2009 Dove Award winners is as follows:

Artist of the Year: Steven Curtis Chapman

New Artist of the Year: Tenth Avenue North

Song of the Year: “Give Me Your Eyes” Brandon Heath, Jason Ingram

Male Vocalist of the Year: Brandon Heath

Female Vocalist of the Year: Natalie Grant

Group of the Year: Casting Crowns

Producer of the Year: Bernie Herms

Rock Recorded Song of the Year: “Lost” by Red

Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year: “Washed By The Water” by NeedToBreathe

Urban Recorded Song of the Year: “Get Up” by MaryMary

Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year: “Do Yo Thang” by KJ-52

Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year: “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath

Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year: “A New Hallelujah” by Michael W. Smith

Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year: “Reason Enough” by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year: “They’re Holding Up The Ladder” by Jeff & Sheri Easter

Country Recorded Song of the Year: “I Wish” by Point of Grace

Rap / Hip Hop Album of the Year: Ordinary Dreamers, Group 1 Crew

Rock Album of the Year: Satisfied, DecembeRadio

Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year: Never Going Back to OK, The Afters

Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year: Revelation, Third Day

Inspirational Album of the Year: Great God Who Saves, Laura Story

Southern Gospel Album of the Year: Lovin’ Life; Gaither Vocal Band; Bill Gaither, Guy Penrod, Marshall Hall, Wes Hampton; Gaither Music Group

Bluegrass Album of the Year: We Are Family, Jeff & Sheri Easter

Country Album of the Year: Around the Bend, Randy Travis

Urban Album of the Year: The Fight of My Life, Kirk Franklin

Traditional Gospel Album of the Year: Down in New Orleans, The Blind Boys of Alabama

Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year: Change the World, Martha Munizzi

Instrumental Album of the Year: Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Various

Children’s Music Album of the Year: Absolute Modern Worship for Kids 4, Various

Spanish Language Album of the Year: Seventh Day Slumber, Rescatame

Special Event Album of the Year: Passion: God of This City, Various

Christmas Album of the Year: Peace on Earth, Casting Crowns

Praise & Worship Album of the Year: A New Hallelujah, Michael W. Smith

Musical of the Year: God Bless the USA by Sue C. Smith, Brentwood/Benson

Youth/Children’s Musical of the Year: An Island Christmas by Wayne Haun, Shelby Haun, Joel Lindsey, Lillenas Publishing

Choral Collection of the Year: I’ll Say Yes by Carol Cymbala, Brooklyn Tabernacle Music

Recorded Music Packaging of the Year: Revelation (Third Day) by Tim Parker, Becka Blackburn, David McLister, R.W. Sims, Essential Records

Short Form Music Video of the Year: Slow Fade, Casting Crowns, Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures

Long Form Music Video of the Year: “Alive and Transported,” tobyMac, Eric Welch, Tameron Hedge

What a great list of people, and a great combination of ministries!  Gospel music is so blest, amen?

A couple of announcements for you:

For all of you who are like me, and are fans of the ministry of Kutless, you will be excited to know that the group headed back to the studio this week to work on their new worship album.  No dates available for release of the yet unnamed album.

More Bethany Dillon news (you can’t tell we’re friends on FaceBook, can you???):  Bethany’s online store, https://www.missingink.net/mishop/product.asp?AffiliateID=90&home=1 is having some amazing sales right now, and you deserve to know about them!  Everything in the store is $9.99 or less!  CD’s are $8.99.  T-shirts are around $2.00….I love sales, how about you?  Bethany is a great Christian woman, and she deserves our support!

Finally, something you might want to check out something on line that I am enjoying immensely.  It’s called gospelpundit.com.  Just try it…you’ll see what I mean!

Thanks for the comments that are coming in.  Soon I’ll have an e-mail at GodsWay, so stayed tuned.  Until then, I can be contacted personally at sharimomma3@hotmail.com!

Forever engraved on His palm, and eternally under His wings,

Shari