Lifesong In The Limelight/Dee Yoder

I truly believe that a person's testimony, salvation or otherwise, is one of the most powerful expressions of the Christian faith. I thrive on hearing God-stories. When I had my blog giveaway/contest, I asked for testimonies based on songs affecting one's faith. Well, people submitted, and I was moved. That's where "Lifesong In the Limelight" on Saturdays was born:

You'll love meeting Dee from My Heart's Dee-light, because, well, not only is she a delight to know, but also her love for the Lord shines through everything she writes. She's my friend, a kindred spirit and someone I admire deeply, but I'll let you see for yourself as she writes for

God Speaks Through Music: My Songs

There are so many times in my life that God spoke to me through music, but three times in particular come right to my mind.

When I was in college, I struggled often to find funding for classes and textbooks, but one time in particular led to a miracle! I was working 30 hours a week and also carrying a full load so I would qualify for my loan. I had Human Anatomy and Physiology and found that I just couldn't stretch my budget to buy the book for the class. So I was going to the library every night to read the text book in the reference section. I couldn't keep up. No matter how hard I tried, I was slipping behind. One afternoon, I was feeling really low. As I walked away from my class, I looked up in the sky and saw a whole flock of sparrows. I thought immediately of the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow":

"Why should I be discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely,
and long for Heaven and Home?
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is He.
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me."
(Words: Civilla D. Martin, Music: Charles H. Gabriel)

I was still worried, I have to confess, but I felt peace. The next day, as I was leaving the Human Anatomy class, a girl I didn't know came right up to me and said "God told me to give you this." She handed me a brand new Human Anatomy and Physiology book...the sticker was still on it! By the time I could speak, she was gone. It was just a book, but when hard times came to me later in life, I remembered that song and that book. His eye is on the sparrow...and I know He watches me.

The next song that had a great impact on me was the chorus "Give Thanks". My husband was dying of cancer. He had been in the hospital for several days and I could see he was slowly slipping away from me. His mother and I took turns staying with him all night because we didn't want him to be alone. One night, he was restless. He had pulled and tugged at his oxygen mask and he just looked frightened. I remember leaning over his bed and stroking his dark hair and I began to softly sing to him:

"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks, because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son...
And now, let the weak say 'I am strong'
Let the poor say 'I am rich'
Because of what the Lord has done for us...give thanks."
(Words and Music by Henry Smith)

Jim immediately grew still. His brown eyes locked onto mine and he smiled and then he slowly fell asleep for the night. I can't sing that song without reliving that moment and remembering his smile and his brown eyes.


After he went to Heaven, life was so hard for me. I missed him so much, I literally thought I would die myself. I can't begin to describe the despair and the pain of those first few weeks and months. I had my little boy, only three years old, and I had to get on with life, but there were nights and mornings when I just wanted to go to Heaven myself. It hurt so bad. I would try to be strong all day, but when night came, and the house grew quiet, I'd lie in our bed and just weep. I'd struggle with reading God's word and trying to find comfort and even trying to find God. One night, I was awake all night. When morning came, I looked out the window and saw the pink dawn. In my head, I heard the song:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not.
As Thou hast been, thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand has provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."
(Words: Thomas O. Chisholm, Music: William M. Runyan)

Oh! I sang it over and over that morning and all the lonely mornings to come and one morning, I meant it again.

Music has always had an impact on my life, but these three songs are some of my favorites because each time, they pointed me to a loving Father who cared and KNEW me, inside and out.

Dee is a wife and mom living in Ohio. She has a degree in Biological Sciences, with minors in German and Religion from Lee University. She has been a Home Educator for 6 years. She has several short works of fiction waiting for future publication in the Faithwriters Anthologies. She also had an article accepted by Pathway Press, for publication in the Church of God Evangel magazine, and an article published in the December 2007 issue of Faithwriters magazine.(Exit Quickly, Stage Right) She is currently doing research for her latest NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project; a novel titled "The Miting." This is a story about a girl who decides to leave her Amish faith...and the consequences of her decision. You can read more of Dee's short fiction pieces, devotions and other writings on her blog and at Faithwriters.com.

In the Key of HE,

Lifesong In The Limelight/Chely Roach

I truly believe that a person's testimony, salvation or otherwise, is one of the most powerful expressions of the Christian faith. I thrive on hearing God-stories. When I had my blog giveaway/contest, I asked for testimonies based on songs affecting one's faith. Well, people submitted, and I was moved. That's where "Lifesong In the Limelight" on Saturdays was born:

This is where I introduce you to Chely, a friend of mine from Faithwriters.com. She is a phenomenal writer, a passionate person and just all-around wonderful. She's started a new blogspot blog called Blissful Torture, and I know it is going to be AMAzing. Anyway, I'll get on with today's

Hard Pew, Hard Heart
By Michelle Roach

Before that February morning, I heard a thousand hymns, but never listened to a one. I held hymnals and programs in my hand, but never felt one devour my heart. I noticed the hardness of the pew under my rump, and the fervor of the preaching, but never noticed the hardness of my heart, or the passion of the Spirit in the preacher. The latter was the key to my deaf, dumb and blinded existence. Those first thousand hymns fell on the deaf ears of a lost soul.

In the summer of 2001, I finally fell on my face before Jesus. I truly believe that it’s harder to reach people like me for Christ; the ones that so firmly believe that we are already Christians—as if I inherited my faith like my freckles. I received an Easter basket every spring, and opened Christmas presents every winter…those were the "fruitful" signs I showed and observed to categorize faith. Sad.

Before my rebirth, I had searched out spirituality at a couple different churches; neither yielding relationships with Christ nor His followers. The music was lame, the preaching was lame, and the fellowship was the lamest. I went back to sleeping in on Sundays.

I wish I could say they after I was saved by grace, I fell right in line with how I should’ve been behaving. I didn’t. I was über-skeptical about “organized religion”, and continued to smoke acres of pot, among other less obvious sins.

But the Lord of Lords was still on His throne. And still whispering to me. He led me to Christian radio…not musical radio, but authentic, Biblically sound teaching radio. Every moment solidified my ever growing faith, and my ever growing conviction that I was a hopeless sinner. Worse yet, I was sinning on purpose. In parenting terms, I was being willfully disobedient, and quite deserving of some type of corporal discipline.

The whispers became shouts.

I began to research denominations and local churches. If I was going to re-immerse myself into a church, I had some criteria they had to meet. They had to be Biblically sound, not touchy-feely, have a balance of liturgy and contemporary, and be pro-life in word and deed. After months of inner debate, God led me to my church home.



But I didn’t go. I drove past it frequently, and browsed their website…but on Sunday I remained home.

The shouts became screams.

On a Tuesday morning in mid February, 2003, I prayed in the shower as I sobbed. I wanted to be obedient. But I needed His help. It was as if He replied, “I have been waiting two years for you to ask, my daughter.”

I permanently put down the drugs, and that Sunday, I went to church.

During the worship service, the congregation sang a hymn I had never heard. I didn’t know then that it was a relatively new song, written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend titled, In Christ Alone. Never in my life have four stanzas spoken more clearly to me, and to this day, I cannot think of a more eloquent or succinct description of the essence of the Gospel, set to music.

I remember a sensation of fullness swelling in my chest during the crescendo of each verse, stifling my lungs…making me gasp for air. The lyrics pummeled me, and then soothed me. For years as a nominal Christian, I would look sideways, almost doubting the charisma of people that would raise their hands in worship as they sang. I thought they were fakers or plain wackadoos. But that morning, as the climax of the song mounted—the resolution enraptured my soul, and I raised my hands to the stained glass rose window above the chancel, embracing the Holy Spirit. For the first time, I sang out praises to the Savior, in public, unashamed. “For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ.”

One hundred and ninety four words—sung with faith and fervor by about the same number of mouths—opened my eyes to the love that God has not just for me, but for His Church…His Bride.

And by His grace, those hard pews have softened at the same rate as my heart.


"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway Thankyou Music

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Michele is a married women of ten years, who has recently been blessed with twin girls. When she is conscious and coherent, she loves to play with her toddlers, write whatever God puts on her heart, and volunteer at her local crisis pregnancy center in her hometown of St. Louis. You can read more of Michele's writings at her newest of several blogs, Blissful Torture, or at Faithwriters.com

In the Key of HE,

For My Friend In Pain

I was looking for a way to comfort a friend of mine in tremendous pain right now...in my search, I came across one of my favorite comfort songs of all time. It was also one of my mom's favorites. Don Moen's worship songs are always so incredibly anointed and relevant.

So for you, Laury, I am praying. And for anyone else hurting, please consider allowing this song recorded live minister to your soul:

In the Key of HE,

Get It While The Gettin's Good!

“The grabbing hands grab all they can. Everything counts in large amounts….” These were the lyrics ringing through our speaker system after my husband bought a CD remix of a popular group out of the ‘80s.1 It is amazing to me how true these words are in our culture and our world today. Allow me to share an example. A few months back I was watching a live concert on television, I can’t remember which channel. Anyway, it was a beautifully harmonized, robed choir singing another song out of the ‘80s (I’m showing my age, aren’t I?): ”We are the world, we are the children. We’re the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start givin’.”2 The extremely large crowd was swaying with every arm way up high in the air. Their eyes were closed, and it looked as if some sort of revival was about to take place.

As corny as this sounds, I actually got goose bumps. Those dissolved as quickly as they came, however, when the crowd began to roar over a popular celebrity who walked out on stage (the one who recorded the song). As the shining star took over the spotlight, he took off his leather jacket, lassoed it in the air and tossed it into the crowd. Well, the hands that were just surrendered in the declaration to “start giving” began fighting over that leather jacket. Thank goodness they didn’t have candles or the place would’ve been on fire! All the while, the robed choir moved forward to surround and sing with the celebrity, and you could actually see certain members nudging each other out of the way so they could be closest to him. Yup, we are the world, and sometimes we act like children….

As easy as the cynicism flows and the judgment follows, the Lord wants us to take these kinds of situations to search our own attitudes. Before we look at the speck of greed in the crowd, we need to look at the planks of selfishness in ourselves (Matthew 7:3 applied in this context). As Christians, what do we grab while the grabbin’s good? Some of the things that come to my mind are food (super-size me!), the last pair of shoes on the rack, the road (that lane is mine!), the front pew at church, the closest parking spot, as well as the remote control after a hard day’s work. Some of us even feel a need to rush to the spotlight for some well deserved attention or to fight over the open position at our jobs. The list goes on and on, and we can somehow force ourselves to believe this mentality is needed to get ahead in life, or at the very least, to survive this life.

Jesus’ way of thinking is the opposite; instead, He teaches in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first His righteousness,” and in 6:19 NOT “to store up for ourselves treasures on this earth.” Does this mean we can’t have possessions? No, but He wants us to come empty-handed, seeking Him before all else.

“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
IN THIS WAY THEY WILL LAY UP TREASURE FOR THEMSELVES AS A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR THE COMING AGE, SO THAT THEY MAY TAKE HOLD OF THE LIFE THAT IS TRULY LIFE.”
1 Timothy 6:17-19

If we believe these words, then is it possible our entire mentality needs a makeover? It’s not just about grabbing things, as in possessions; it’s also about having an attitude of “I deserve this” or “It’s my turn now.” It's saying, "I serve a lot in this church, so they better listen to my opinions." Or "I've worked hard this week. I deserve a pat on the back now and then." And "I am entitled to this person, place or circumstance." You fill in the blank.

Jesus could’ve had anything He wanted, but He spent His life giving—He opened his hands and arms wide in His living AND in His death. He wants us to understand this message and get it while the gettin’s good, my friends. THIS is the thing we need to be quick to nab. So let’s “DO good, be rich in good deeds, being generous and willing to share,” grabbing hold of THE LIFE that is truly life—the one that seeks Jesus each and every day in every way in all that we do and say….with open hands, we pray. Amen.

1 Lyrics taken from the song Everything Counts by Depeche Mode
2 Lyrics taken from the song We Are The World by Michael Jackson

In the Key of HE,

A Gift To Return

It's a busy week. I don't have time to post or write at all. But as I serve at Fine Arts Day Camp all week long at my church, I am reminding myself of the same message I am telling to the kids. Our gifts must not be buried. Our talents must be used. But all for His glory. All for His name. All for His purposes. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the show and the production, that we can lose our focus. I almost lost mine today. Then I was reminded of a poem I wrote almost exactly one year ago...for the same camp. I am praying this poem He wrote on my heart for me, for the other leaders, directors and teachers, and especially for the kids of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship's Fine Arts Day Camp 2008:

A Gift To Return
By LauraLee Shaw

Your life is precious to our Lord,
“It is very good,” He exclaimed.
Your talent is a gift from Him,
So use it as one unashamed!

Whatever you do with your talent~
Don’t compare, looking around,
or
You’ll find yourself on sinking ground.

Because the Fact is:

Your talent is needed in this world.
It can make a difference, you know,
For when you use it with His strength,
HE is the star of the show.

Whenever you shine with your talent~
It’s by the power of the Spirit,
and
He is the One who is able to steer it.

Because the Truth is:

“…you have received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully. Then in all things God will be praised through Jesus Christ.
Give Him the glory and the power
for ever and ever. Amen.”
1 Peter 4:9b,11b

Father God, I give You this new day of using my time, my talents and my spiritual gifts for Your glory. May I be small in my own eyes, and show You off HUGE in the eyes of others. I give You all the glory for ever and ever. Amen.