Book Review: Me My Man and his Music

Hello lovelies,
Happy Holidays! Happy Kwanzaa! Today is Kujichagulia - self- determination. There are so many things to reflect upon in this past year.  I have been recently blessed to sing and lead praise and worship at my local church, Word of Life Christian Community Center.  It has been a chance to grow in ministry and also given me an ability to grow in God like never before.  In the spirit of Kujichagulia I am determined to follow the will of God in this area of Worship, and prayerfully submit to his leading as He forms and reveals His plan for my life.

This Holiday season, I've been relaxing and just finished a great book aimed for gals like me "Musicians' wives" It is called "Me, My Man, and his Music."  As a newlywed wife of a musician, Tim Green, I have always looked for support and resources and there seemed to be a lack of books for my particular type of marriage.

I love this book by Kim Mcquitty, because she gets really honest about what worked and what didn't work. She explained how a wife of a musician is going to have an untraditional marriage and to see the beauty of that as well as try to understand the complexities of it.   It was really eye opening and increased my faith in God and also my appreciation for my husband and the calling that is on his life!

If you are the wife of a musician get yourself a copy of this book, if you know anyone who would be interested go to her blog and amazon and support Kim McQuitty.
http://kimmcquitty.com/

Buy her book here

Thankful for another year of freedom in marriage,
AGFreed

mother wort updates and more

Hey all,
Thanks for following and reading.  I do appreciate your visits and hope that my posts are helpful.  So I've discovered that after a couple weeks of taking mother wort, that it is NOT for me. It might be for you, but not for me.  I had some side effects(inbox for details) that were not cool, but I've found that Passion Flower works for me. I've found, after a month of passion flower, that I have been calmer, less defensive, and had better clarity of thought.  I feel much happier, better able to deal with conflicts and also better able to move beyond conflicts when they occur.  So thankful!

I also have learned to get off that cafe mocha, cappucino, caramel macchiato, and onto some chamomile tea! It has calmed my nerves to the point that I sometimes think, am I different person/ personality?

Here's what the beautiful flower looks like: The history is beautiful! and has to do with the sacrifice of Jesus!

I will keep you posted but this has helped me tremedously to really live free!



Love and Blessing,
AGFREED!

Mother Wort works for me!

Hello all,
I don't know if I've made this known before, but I suffer from anxiety on a pretty regular basis. I can't say I've had panic attacks, but I certainly have an active mind that dreads normal everyday things.  Crazyiness!
Now I know that it is genetic, but I didn't know what my parents used to call "nervous energy" until I've experienced it as an adult.  I realized that the bad thoughts I have on a daily basis are a condition of the mind and that its not that I don't love, trust or believe in Jesus, its because I'm human.

The moment I realized this was when after having a sustained episode of anxiety, nervousness. I was sick and tired! Wondering, what was wrong with me! Praying "Peace be still' to my nerves that just wouldn't calm.  I searched on youtube for an answer, and a natural remedy showed up.... two actually.

The first, Passionflower, it is an herb that when taken calms the nerves and eases blood pressure, but may make you drowsy.
The second, Mother Wort, is also an herb and has a calming effect on the smooth muscles, including the heart.

I tried the Passionflower first, and definitely had relief in 5 minutes of taking it!!!! Thank you Lord.  The background of passionflower is amazing, it has been a symbol to some of Christ.  Because of this I felt like the Lord was with me helping me find relief.

The next day the things that I normally dread were no big deal, and even when I did have accelerated nerves or had to yell at a kid at school, my nerves did not stay there!  Hallelujah.  Now its only been 3 days, but I will keep you posted as to if this will be a normal part of my regimen.  I feel like myself again, I finally feel free!!!


Living Freed,
AGfreed!

What is there to lose?

"He is no fool, to lose what he can not keep, to gain what he can not lose."
Jim Elliot, Christian martyr and husband of Elisabeth Elliot.

I've been thinking about God's plan and purpose of course for my life, but also with 9/11 being  today. Thinking about all the suffering and hurt that we experience in this life.  No one knows this kind of pain more intimately than Elisabeth Eliot, wife of the Christian Martyr, Jim Elliot, who gave his life to share the gospel to a people in remote Ecuador.  Putting her own pain aside, she remained in Ecuador to minister to the people who eventually came to believe in Jesus Christ.  

The following is a song by Twila Paris, but with clips from the movie Through Gates of Splendor, which is an account of the Jim and Elisabeth Elliot's mission trip to Ecuador. 

What an awesome testimony, the same sacrifice that Jim and Elisabeth gave, is that of Jesus. He too gave up His physical life, that we might have eternal life! God asks us to do the same, to give our lives away that others might live through our "death".  

"He is no fool, to lose that which he can not keep, to gain that which he can not lose." In giving our lives God gives us the eternal life.  Amen.

Answering the Call

I hate to only post when things are going good for me. But we are encouraged by one another's testimonies. 

I believe God has done amazing things through simple spending time with Him and seeking my purpose and calling. I've been reading some and trying to get to the bottom of my "calling"/  my purpose.

What I have discovered over the past couple of months, as I've been "filling in" for my pastor's wife as praise and worship leader (first timer) is that I am called to do this!  Although it hasn't been easy or flowed every time.  I've noticed that God speaks to me about which songs to do, my personality is really well suited to giving adoration praise and glory to the Lord.

I've also noticed that my urge to make a big deal about "what is beautiful" is fulfilled in leading and worshiping the Lord.  I am so thankful! So grateful for this news, because I have a level of faith and confidence that God is with me and has placed His gracious hand on me to do this! Thank you Lord!



Sincerely,
AGFREED! for real y'all!

Movin' Mondays

Allow this to bless you and minister to your heart if you were like I was before this morning.  Its amazing how something so simple can have such a huge impact

The words very simple
 I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down
 For the Joy of the Lord!


 What a life altering thought!


Continuing to move forward,
AGFREED

I'll be back

Such a busy couple of months here and its already April, but I'm determined to get back to writing.  I've been moving forward down a clear path and I'm excited about all the growth I've been experiencing.
 God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

Bye for now, look out for some upcoming posts.

Love,
AG Freed