Singing in the Rain

I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain,
what a glorious feeling,I'm happy again!
Singing in the Rain, Gene Kelly, 1952

Singing in the Rain is one of the great movie classics. Long time blog fans know I love musicals! The musical hit song, "Singing in the rain" has Gene Kelly singing and dancing, happy again. Are you able to sing in the rain?

Let's face it, real life is tough stuff. We often get caught in the rain. Sometimes just a shower, but other times we are hit hard with the storms of life. Where do you turn in life's storms?

In Matthew 8, Jesus and the disciples were in a boat when a storm came. In great fear, the disciples thought the might die. But Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was then completely calm. The disciples were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

There is a Christian song that talks about life's storms. The lyrics state, "Sometimes he calms the storm. With a whisper, 'Peace be still,' he can settle every sea...but that doesn't mean he will. Sometimes he holds us close, and let's the winds and waves go by. Sometimes he calls the storm, but other times he calms his child."

Being a Christian doesn't mean we don't have storms. But as Christians, we know that Jesus is near, even in the storms.

Did you know there is an additional verse in the Singing in the Rain song, not used in the musical? It goes like this,

Why am I smiling and why do I sing?
Why does September seem sunny as spring?
Why do I get ups each morning and start?
Happy and head up, with joy in my heart
Why is each new task a trifle to do?
Because I am living a life full of you.

Yes, I have storms in my life. But I'm able to sing in the rain, because happy and head up, with joy in my heart...I am living a life full of Jesus. Here's praying that with Jesus you can be singing...and dancing...in the rain.

Why I Didn't Post

Here it is Friday already, and I haven't posted a blog post yet! I suppose I could run a "rerun," but instead I thought I'd let you know why.

This week I submitted 7 devotionals to a devotional book scheduled to be published in 2012. I won't hear anything back until late July, but I'm hopeful. Writing takes a lot of time, so I decided to focus my time this week on seeking publication.

In case you haven't heard, a devotional I wrote has been accepted for publication in Gary Chapman's latest devotional book called, Love is a Verb, which is scheduled for publication in late summer. I'm very excited about it!

Seven devotionals in one week! Whew, I'm tired. So that's why I didn't post today.

Have a great week!

How Sweet It Is, James Taylor

A few Sunday's ago, my church had it's own "Musical Monday" type of experience. That is, they took a popular, secular song, and brought it to a spiritual meaning. That song was How Sweet It Is, by James Taylor (1975).

They changed simply one word in the song. The word Baby, was replaced with the name Jesus. That is all. And the song had an entirely different meaning.

When we need the shelter of someone's arms, there He is.
When you need someone to understand your ups and downs, there He is.
With sweet love and devotion, deeply touching our emotion.
Why not STOP, and thank Him, (JESUS!) Stop, and thank you Jesus!

Today, on this Easter Monday, I invite you to listen to the words of this song, and sing along if you'd like, dedicating the words to Jesus. Because how sweet it is, to be loved by him.

He is risen indeed!


(
if you received this blog post via email, visit www.chattykelly.com to see the video).

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Friday

Today is "Good Friday." I can't help but cringe at the name for this religious day. To call it "Holy Friday" is one thing. But Good Friday? Good? The day they crucified our Savior, good?

If you've read the account of Jesus crucifixion in the Bible, you know it was a bad day.

Matthew 27:28-30 -- They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.

"Struck him on the head again and again." With a staff (that is a stick, pole or rod). Again and again. Good Friday?

They mocked him and forced him to carry his own cross. He was hung there. He experienced great pain, and he eventually died there. Good Friday?

He was put into a tomb.

However, soon came Sunday, and a great and marvelous thing happened. Jesus rose from the dead! Because of this we may have eternal life if we believe. See the cost (wages) of sin is death, eternity away from God. But Jesus lived a sin-free life. He didn't deserve death. But on that terrible Friday he died, paying the price for our sins. And when he rose again, he opened the doors to heaven so that all us sinners could have not death, but eternal life.

That was a very Good Sunday. Resurrection Sunday. Easter Sunday. That Friday was an important day, the day our Savior died for us. But to me, the GOOD day, the great day was Sunday.

John 11:25 -- Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."



*This is a reprint of my Good Friday post last year.

What Have You Done for Me Lately?

What have you done for me lately?
ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah. What have you done for me lately?
ooh, ooh, ooh, yeah.
What Have You Done for Me Lately, Janet Jackson, 1986

What does your prayer list look like? Mine is a hodge-podge for family and friends, health concerns, job concerns, wants, needs, and requests. God does tell us to bring everything to him in prayer, but in thanksgiving. (Phil 4:6).

Thanksgiving probably doesn't enter our mind as we are praying for that person with cancer, or who lost their job, or who is getting a divorce. If we're not thankful, then bitterness can sink in.

We look to God, and think, "What have you done for me lately?" When God doesn't answer prayers the way we want, we can even get angry. Why God!??! Haven't I served you? Haven't I loved you? Haven't I...?

Here is the truth. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us to redeem us. We no longer have to spend eternity separated from God, but may have eternal life with Him. If He never did one additional thing for us on this earth, THAT ONE thing was enough.

Don't get caught up in a "what have you done for me lately" thinking. God did enough. Everything else from there is blessing. Count your blessings, and give thanks.

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:

1 Tube Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (Big and Flaky)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted (you will not use all of the butter but it makes it easier to have enough to dip the marshmallows)
8 large marshmallows
3 tablespoons sugar mixed with 3 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Separate crescent rolls. (Note: This is much easier if you can find the “Big and Flaky” variety. If you can only find the regular size, trim off about a quarter of the marshmallow.)

Give each child a triangle of crescent roll. The pastry represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.

Have them dip the marshmallow into the melted butter and roll to coat evenly. This represents the oils of embalming.

Roll the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. This represents the spices used to anoint His body.

Place the coated marshmallow at the short straight end of the crescent roll. Bring the two corners up to the top of the marshmallow.



Roll up (away from you and toward the point) the crescent roll with the marshmallow and seal to make sure the marshmallow is not showing (or it will leak out when baking). This represents the wrapping of Jesus’ body after death.



Place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheet and place in preheated oven for the length of time indicated on the crescent roll package (around 10-14 minutes or until golden brown). The oven represents the tomb.

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Break open or bite into the rolls and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

It’s a wonderful reminder of The reason we celebrate. Hallelujah!



*This recipe was copied with permission from www.shecooks.org.
Visit or subscribe to see more delicious recipes.

Informer, Snow

Informer, ??????
?????? boom, boom, down.
Informer, Snow, 1992

Watching VH1's One Hit Wonders is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love that show! Well, I've only seen it twice. Because the videos are always at least PG, I don't watch it when my kids are home, and when they're not home, I'm usually working around the house, or out myself. But the other day I was under the weather, with nothing to do but lay on the couch and watch...One Hit Wonders of the 90s! Woo!

I enjoyed each song as it played, but one of them made me laugh out loud. The song Informer was a big hit of 1992, spending seven weeks at number 1. I had to laugh as the DJs talked about how no one knew the lyrics! So when the song came on, everyone would sing, "Informer! da, da, da, da, hmmmm, hmmmm, hmmmm, a boom boom down!" You just couldn't understand it! But that didn't keep you from singing along, (well as best you could.)

I've even included the video below, so you can listen. The chorus starts at 17 seconds, see if you can figure out the words. Now we have google. I was able to look up the words, although even seeing them they didn't make complete sense. They were "Informer You know say daddy me snow me-a (gonna) blame. A licky boom-boom down." What?! Still, the song is a fan favorite.

Sometimes people say they can't understand the Bible, but they don't put as much effort into figuring it out, as they do trying to understand song lyrics. The Internet can offer interpretations of scripture, as can Bible studies, friends, and your pastor.

God states clearly in the Bible, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jer 29:13). It's not enough to just "hum along" with God's Word. You need to look up the lyrics so you can sing every word. What if like "Informer" you can't understand all the words, after you look them up?

The wonderful thing about our loving God, is that he doesn't expect you to understand it all. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Is 55:8-9)

Still, when you study God's Word, and seek a relationship with Him you will get a better understanding. Romans 12:2 states, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Once you are informed about God, then you can be an informer for him. Tell the world about Jesus.