ALY ALLEN | THE BLOG

i love sara groves . i love her lyrics, her soothing voice,  her beautiful heart that oozes out of her music... her christmas CD is one of my favorites.  this song features her son, reading from the Jesus Storybook Bible .  [if you don't own one , you must. even if you don't have kids, or if they're grown. seriously.] In your heart you know it's true though you hold no expectation in the deepest part of you there's an open hesitation but it's true kingdoms and crowns a God who came down to find you it's true Angels on high sing through the night alleluia heard it told you think it's odd the whole thing fraught with complication the play begins with  baby God and all His blessed implications but it's true kingdoms and crowns a God who came down to find you it's true Angels on high sing through the night alleluia alleluia, alleluia Oh it's true kingdom...

i wanted to share this song with you. a lot of us can probably relate to it in some way or another. just because it's christmas doesn't mean our hurt and pain and struggles just go away. sometimes it's hard to enjoy holidays and for some of us there's no one around to spend it with. maybe there are plenty surrounding you but you still feel alone? for some, christmastime actually  magnifies  what we're going through. whatever your circumstance, this Hope that was born at Christmas is still alive today. because He came. Emmanuel. God with us. He has not left us. He's still here in the midst of everything. good or bad. great or small. this is one of my favorite singers, Anthony Evans . the song is called "Immanuel": no decorations, no tree with tinsel no lights this year at home the rooms are silent, no carols playing for the first time she's all alone but what a wonder she says there's comfort Emmanuel, our God is with us y...

i'll let it speak for itself: here at the altar of the broken things i'm finally throwing down this mirror of me when i've done all i can do and there's nothing left to prove and i just need You i'm totally completely dependent upon You i'm totally completely dependent upon You here at the place of empty vessels i'm pouring out this heart of selfish ambition when there's no more options left and i'm nothing but a mess that's when You're best i'm totally completely dependent upon You i'm totally completely dependent upon You when there's no words left to say when there's nothing left to pray i just wait i'll wait on You Lord i'm trusting in Your Word 'cause You're totally completely faithful to me You're totally completely faithful to me and her voice, and the music, is almost haunting. so beautiful : sarah reeves new CD [called broken things]

i love the lyrics to this song so  much. it renews my hope. and my strength when waiting gets hard. i want to write songs like this when i grow up. and her voice is so soothing i can't stand it. [listen below] Voice of mercy, breath of God Life from life sustaining us Earth below and skies above Beautiful redemption’s song Melodies like morning rise Darkness leaning toward the dawn  Into our sorrow sings the light Beautiful redemption song Chorus Hallelujah, love is come Hallelujah, God with us Hope restored and death undone Beautiful redemption song Beautiful redemption song Weeping will not last the night Nor will sadness be for long Joy was born of sacrifice Beautiful redemption song Let the wounded come and see Empty grave and lifted stone  Sinners saved and captives, free Beautiful redemption song Beautiful redemption song

i need this reminder sometimes, don't you?  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,   neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 and if i could add to that verse, i'd remind myself that even my own thoughts and perceptions , no matter how convincing they seem, can't separate me from His love. nothing at all.  i love this song by Kathryn Scott. i've been singing it over and over these past few days. this morning it's on repeat   [it's been a rough one with a very uncooperative two year old... you know all about those right?]

well, it's sort of funny that i'm posting this. remember how i wrote about this just a few weeks ago? how i had been singing the solo for "revelation song" for awhile, and then our director had someone else sing it? and how that was totally okay with me? well, for whatever reason, we sang it again this past sunday and he had me do the solo :) of course, i did as i was told. and of course i loved singing it again. someone a few weeks ago suggested that i post an actual video of me singing, instead of just photos... so i'm obliging. ** this post is newly updated since our services now on vimeo! yay! the video is embedded right here on the page... you can either watch the whole thing or you can scroll to about 17:00 minutes The New Covenant - June 26, 2011 from  Shadow Mountain Community Church on Vimeo . p.s. my dress = $15 at Ross. i have 2 more in the same style but different pattern. isn't it perfect for church singing? 

gosh this is long... oops! a few months ago i had an opportunity to live out what i say i believe when it comes to worship. musical worship. [because that's not the only kind of worship, you know?] if you hadn't picked up on it already, i am a singer and i sing in my church's choir/praise team. if you have read this post from awhile back , you know why i sing. and you know that i know it's not about me. but that's easy to say and to believe when you get to sing lots of solos and get lots of compliments from people, right? even though it's not about me, you still want to see some photos of me singing, right? what's a blog post without photos? do you know "revelation song"? it's my all time favorite. from revelation 4 and 5, it is John's vision of heaven. just breathtaking [the passages in revelation, AND the song]. for the last few years, i would sing the solo for that song, anytime we would sing it in church. one morning about si...

have you guys heard this Chris Tomlin song? mmmm, i've had it on repeat because we're singing it tomorrow in church and i have to have it memorized. you have to listen below [if you're lucky, and if i remember to do it, maybe i'll post the link to our service with our choir singing it... i'll have to wait until it's archived online on Monday morning, though] O h sovereign God, Oh matchless King The saints adore, the angels sing And fall before the throne of grace To You belongs the highest praise These sufferings, this passing tide Under Your wings I will abide And every enemy shall flee You are my hope and victory Praise the Father, praise the Son Praise the Spirit, Three in One Clothed in power and in grace The name above all other names To the valley, for my soul Thy great descent has made me whole Your word my heart has welcomed home Now peace like water ever flows [chorus] Yours is the kingdom Yours is the power Yours is the glory Forever [chorus]

i sort of can't believe i'm posting this right now... just as much as i can't believe i actually got up and did it in the first place. this morning i shared a song that i wrote. i shared it with the women in my Bible study. it was the last day we would meet together, so they called it "sharing day" and lots of brave and beautiful women stood up and shared what God had done in their lives through the last nine months, as we all studied "Breaking Free" on our own and together. i ended the sharing time by sitting down to the piano and playing for them.  i was nervous and emotional, after all the testimonies i'd just heard, but i was also confident that God would use me. after all, His Word does not return empty, and most of the song is based on Isaiah 61. also, i know He asked me to do this, and He gave me every note and every word of the song in the first place, so i wasn't really thinking about anything but being obedient to His calling. the peace...

well, if we were meeting for coffee today, i'd tell you there was a lot going on. first, as soon as you walked in the door, you'd rave about the hoop art and this yarn wreath hanging on the wall. i'd tell you that while i was supposed to be getting ready for the Queen Bee Market next weekend, i managed to sneak in some time to make them, and i couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out! [okay, that's not true. i could be more pleased if it didn't look like m my two year old attached the trim. it's crooked and doesn't line up evenly. and don't get me started on the yarn that's fraying. i'm such a perfectionist with this kind of stuff, but i still do love it for being my first attempt] [totally  copied leslie on the pom pom trim . it adds that perfect finishing touch, huh?  i bought it here  from the sweetest gal] [embellishments have yet to be finished and attached. i'm sort of burnt out on flower-making for now] but t...

i came across this song today. i love that the "what ifs" in the chorus below aren't really what ifs to me, they're true and proven. i hope you have been blessed in this way described below. and not just in the ways we usually define blessing: We pray for blessings  We pray for peace  Comfort for family, protection while we sleep  We pray for healing, for prosperity  We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering  All the while, You hear each spoken need  Yet Love is way too much to give us lesser things  'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops  What if Your healing comes through tears  What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near  What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise   We pray for wisdom  Your voice to hear  We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near  We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love  As if every promise from Your Word is not enough...

i don't know if i share song lyrics too much on here.. oh well, it's my blog :) anyway, i stumbled upon t his Bethany Dillon song a few weeks ago called "You Are on Our Side": Th e orphan clings to Your hand Singing the song of how he was found The widow rejoices For her oppressors are silenced now You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore When You could just be silent and leave us here to die Still, You sent Your Son for us You are on our side The runaway falls at Your feet You are what he has searched for The rich man is broken When he stands beneath a sky full of stars You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore When You could just be silent and leave us here to die Still, You sent Your Son for us You are on our side   how poignant are those  lyrics? i mean, the fact that she uses the "w" word... you have to ...

we were on our way to Disneyland yesterday. as we pulled out of the driveway, my current cd of choice was playing in the car. it's a compilation of all those songs that i gave to my worship pastor , that i'd be preparing in case he needed me to sing any of them in the near future. so they're on repeat in my car all the time. one of them is Kathryn Scott's "Beauty for Ashes" . every time it comes on, my daughter will say "song, sad" with a big frown and furrowed brow. i'm not really sure why she thinks it's sad, maybe it's just in comparison to the other songs on the CD? anyway, she started repeating the lyrics. after each phrase was sung, she'd repeat the key words: "I'll trade these ashes in for beauty" [ashes for beauty] "And wear forgiveness like a crown" [like a crown] "Coming to kiss the feet of mercy" [kissing mercy] "I lay every burden down" [burden down, lay down] when ...

we took a little ski trip up to mammoth earlier this week. a much needed and much appreciated vacation. everywhere i looked, especially at the top of the mountain, ready to ski down, i was struck by God's extravagance. His beauty. His magnificence. breathtaking, spectacular and so vast. there aren't enough adjectives in our language. that's why [at least for me] sometimes music describes that which words alone cannot. i was reminded of this song by Keith and Kristyn Getty [writers of In Christ Alone] called Creation Sings.  i couldn't stop singing it the entire week as i beheld His glory at every turn: [these mountains definitely made my "one thousand gifts" list] [no, i don't know those people] Creation sings the Father's song;  He calls the sun to wake the dawn  And run the course of day  Till evening falls in crimson rays.  His fingerprints in flakes of snow ,  His breath upon this spinning globe,  He charts the eagle's flight;  Commands...

about four years ago i started listening only to christian music. one day, i just decided to make the switch and see what would happen. i downloaded a bunch of music that i liked and burned it onto CDs that i kept in my car. you guys, it made such a huge difference in my life. i would arrive to work in a better, more peaceful mood. i would get to school and feel focu sed. so many things started changing, when i began to feed my mind with praise while i drove. [i used to drive a lot more than i do now]. you know philippians 4:8 , right? Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. i wanted to do that. i had become a negative and cynical person and i didn't want to be that way anymore. i didn't realize that the music i listened to, even if it was just on in the background, made me depressed and grumpy and c...