Send Your Glory - Lion & I

In this break between recording new spontaneous sessions, I've been very happy to share with you tracks from the new album by Lion & I.  These tracks were originally recorded as spontaneous sessions for this very blog, so it's just as if all is normal!!

This week I'm sharing the eponymous track from the Send Your Glory album, called....  well...  "Send Your Glory"!  It's a song borne out of a love for our country and our city.  It never fails to stir a cry in my heart for revival!!  I hope you will be stirred to pray and cry aloud for your country too:

"Send your glory to this place!"

Anointing - Lion & I

This is turning out to be a longer than usual break from new recordings!  But I'm sure to be better and back to "spontaneity" soon!

In the meantime, here's one of the awesome spontaneous worship tracks off the Lion & I just-released-album Send Your Glory.  Recorded right here on "the spontaneous sessions" back in May, this is one of my favourite songs to sing.  In true Lion & I style, it has been re-worked, and even features a rap by our very own James Bough!

I hope you enjoy it!

Sally

There Is Joy - Lion & I

Recording is still on hold whilst I recover - but normal transmission will resume as soon as I can possibly manage it!!!  So this week, I'll be sharing one of the spontaneous songs that appears on the new Lion & I album Send Your Glory.

Oooh - and in the meantime, if you live in Melbourne and would like to be a part of a live "spontaneous session", I will be leading worship (along with the Hope of Glory church worship team) at the Glory Revolution Conference on Monday 11th November.  It's gonna be a great time!

About "There is Joy"

So - to this weeks song.  It's entitled "There is Joy", is full of fun and celebration, and is based a little on Psalm 16

"...you will fill me with joy in your presence..." (Psalm 16:11)

and a little on Psalm 84

"Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you" (Psalm 84:4)

It also features some rather cool guitar playing by James Bough, some Spanish linguistics by Alisha Moure, and trumpet playing by me!!!

Enjoy!

Enthralled - Lion & I

Oh It's been a while since I've done some recording!!  Still making a recovery, so in the mean time - let me make the exciting announcement that the duo I'm in - Lion & I - has just released the album "Send Your Glory"!!

Send Your Glory (available here) is an album based entirely on recordings that were done for this blog!  An exciting mix of heartfelt worship and very funky beats!  It has hints of pop, latin, RnB, electronica and so much more!

Here's one of my favourite songs from the album: Enthralled  (originally from this post back in July 2013).  Makes me tear up every time!

Special Guest James Bough

Well, here's last weeks song!  I'm very pleased to be featuring a song by a special guest artist: James Bough, who apart from being a talented musician and songwriter, also happens to be my Lion & I band mate!  (Did i mention that we are releasing our new album "Send Your Glory" in a little over a week? Check it out here).

He Who Reigns

I love this song - it's very heart felt and hymn-like, and simply declares dependence on God and a longing to be fully His.  James says of the song "it's pretty much me talking to Holy Spirit and wanting Him to possess me ... like it says in the bible of Gideon, where God put on Gideon like a glove"

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do

Lion & I - Send Your Glory Album Release!

Hiya Spontaneous Session-ers!

Just a quick update to let you know the Lion & I are going to be releasing their new album "Send Your Glory" on November 1st!  All the songs on this new album are actually spontaneous songs that were originally recorded and featured on this blog!!!

Send Your Glory will be available both as a physical CD and as an electronic download from our bandcamp site.  Be sure to 'like' and check our facebook site regularly for more info, updates and discounts!!

Thanks for your support of "the spontaneous sessions" - without it, this new album wouldn't exist!

Sally

His Gaze

This weeks spontaneous song is "a cappella" just for a change.  "A cappella" literally translated means "in the style of the church/chapel".  How very apt!  But in reality, it just means I didn't use any accompanying instruments (well, sorta.  Except for a drum beat!).  This was super fun to do and i hope you like the outcome as much as i do.  Don't forget that this tune is free to download - so if you like it, share it around!

About "His Gaze"

Based around some verses from Song of Solomon, this song is a meditation on understanding that Jesus is truly moved by His love for us.  It's not just a duty to Him.  He truly loves.

I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.  Song 7:10

The word translated as "desire" here is actually a word meaning "to move or impel".  As the "pulpit commentary" puts it: "The thought seems to be this - As my beloved is full of worshipping affection, and I am wholly his, let his love have free course..."  Amen.

When this becomes our reality, suddenly everything else just falls by the wayside.  And then we can say nothing else matters...  Everything is gonna be fine!

Awaken Love

Well, here we are!  Last week's song is finally ready! (apologies for the lateness, I was super busy with an event for the awesome Vinnie MacDonald.)  Did I mention that Lion & I are also about to release a new album???  Very excited!!

What Does God require of Us?

If only we could work out what God wants from us, and then give it to Him, life would be so much simpler, right???  Well, it is simple! In the Gospels, Jesus tells us that Love is what God requires of us.  He sums up all of the law in love: 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind.  And love your neighbour as yourself" Luke 10:27. Simple, but still a pretty tough call all the same!

It takes God to love God

A Wise Man once told me "it takes God to love God".  This reminds me that I desperately need the love of God inside me before I can even begin to really understand what it means to love God or others.  It's like His love opens us up to be able to love.  1 John 4:19 puts it nicely:

we love because He first loved us

Awaken Love

The cool thing is that when we start to really meditate on what God's love is  - how high and how wide and how deep it is - it starts to change the way we love.  And did you know we can literally ask God to come and Stir Up and Awkane Love in us???  It's one of His favourite things to do! And it also means we are then equipped to give Him exactly what he wants!  Ask Him today, and see what he does!

This Is What My Heart Is For

This weeks song comes from a free worship time a few years ago.

I think as humans living in this world, our hearts get so mis-used and mis-understood. We know we were made for love, but we confuse love as just romance, or as something we earn, or something we might be lucky enough to experience one day. But in fact, our hearts were made for Him! For real love. For love that is eternal and is busting down the doors of sin just to gain access. This is what my heart is for...
 

Rise (Ps 139)

This weeks song is coming to you courtesy of the new Lion & I album "Send Your Glory". It's due out sooooooon!!!

I recorded a spontaneous song based on Psalm 139 back in July this year (check it out here), and it has since been remixed as part of the new Lion & I album!

See what you think!

In the presence of my enemies

"the lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...."

Most people would probably be able to quote at least some lines from Psalm 23.  Type 'Psalm' in google and the first suggestion is 'Psalm 23'.  It's one of those Psalms that has been meaningful to thousands throughout the ages.  It's a classic!

Peace in the midst of a Battlefield

I've read the lines countless times and taken comfort from their poetic truth (well, mostly. Let's just skip over the period where, as a child, I was convinced the writer was anti-God because he was proclaiming that he didn't want the Lord as his shepherd... oh the subtleties of 17th Century English!).  But lets read verse 5 again:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

It sounds like a lovely idea.  That in the middle of troubled times, the Lord invites you into His presence to spend time with Him.  But think again.   What He's also saying is that your enemy is going to be there watching you.  How many of you like to go on a romanctic date while knowing that someone who is trying to kill you is going to be there watching you???  It's a very odd, and yet strangely powerful picture. 

He says "come and dine with me"

But when you think about it, it's actually the ultimate insult to the enemy!  That you would rather sit down and eat with Jesus than engage in battles and distractions.  It's sheer brilliance, and I get the feeling that God delights in this!  But it does put us in a tricky position.  One where we have to be willing to capture our fears and crazy thought and make them subject to our choice to go to Him.  Not just when the battle is over, but right in the middle of it! It's where victory lies!

So remember - right in the middle of your fight today, the Lord is making a place where He wants to invite you to come and focus on only Him. Will you enter in....

  

My Heart Is Glad

It's that time again!  My favourite time!  Time to worship...

This weeks song comes out of Psalm 16:

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.... You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand (Psalm 16:8-9, 11)

Have you ever truly considered:
 - In His presence is fullness of joy;
 -There are everlasting pleasures at His right hand.
Those are some serious claims!  Do you find that spending time with God is truly the most enjoyable and pleasurable thing that life has to offer??? I think too often we're tricked into believing that God is angry all the time... or even worse: ambivalent.  But the truth is He is the most passionate, exciting, pleasurable and joyful being.  Ever.  If our experience falls short of this, then the good news is that there's more for us to discover about who He is!

I challenge you!  if spending time with God has become routine or boring for you, ask Him to open your eyes.  Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.  Ask Him right now!  And then watch as He takes you on a journey into the heart of the One who is infinitely good, infinitely joyful and infinitely just.

My Heart Is Glad!!!

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Just a reminder that this weeks song will also be featured on SouthernFM 88.3 program "Songs of Hope" between 8-9am  AEST this Sunday.  And if you miss it, you can download podcasts of these programs!

My Help

"where does my help come from???"

So the Psalmist asks in Psalm 121- the subject of this weeks spontaneous song.
(Incidentally, this song is going out to James, who requested I do a spontaneous song based on this Psalm.  If others out there have a favourite Psalm, drop me a line and I'll give it a go.  Apparently I'm taking requests!!).

I lift up my eyes to the mountains.   Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)

In this Psalm, the singer is asking "In whom do I put my trust?".   It's such a good question!  As Christian's, our answer is of course "God"!  But It's always so shocking when we find ourselves in a situation where we'll discover, "Oh, I thought my trust was in God, but actually, it turns out I was trusting in my ability/my job/my income/my comforts."  But God's never surprised by this!  In fact I'm convinced He allows us to walk into many of these situations so we can be confronted by truth, and by repentance and humility, we can realign our hearts so our lives resound with the cry "My help comes from the Lord!"

The Lord watches over you.  The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,  nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm.  He will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:5-8)

Amen! I have a sneaking suspicion that nothing moves God's heart more than our wholehearted faith and reliance in who He is.

About 'My Help'

I've had this song on repeat since early today.  There's just something so deep about it's message and I can't get enough of it!  It's fast becoming one of my favourite plog entries (and not just because I managed to sneak an F# in the bass line of a song in C major...). As usual, this track is also available for free download.  Why not gift it to a friend and share those F#s ??

As with my two previous posts, this song is to be featured on the radio this Sunday between 8-9am on Southern FM's "songs of hope".  A great Christian program that also supports local artists like me - they've been playing one of my songs every week as an introduction to spontaneous worship.  Tune in!  Or if you can't, check out their podcasts! 

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place

Good morning! I hope you're having a great day wherever you're reading from.

You might notice that this weeks song is in a slightly shorter format than usual.  That's because last week, and for the next 3 weeks, my spontaneous sessions are being shared on the radio!  That's right!  The radio!  The fabulous Rodney Carr who presents "songs of hope" on southern FM is featuring songs from this plog in an introduction to spontaneous worship. You can show your support by tuning in to 88.3FM between 8 and 9am for the next few Sundays!  Or alternatively, you can download the podcast from the Songs of Hope website here.

About "How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place"

This weeks song is from Psalm 84 (and as usual, is available for free download, below!)

How lovely is your dwelling place,     

Lord Almighty! (Psalm 84:1)

I sang through this Psalm earlier in the year, producing the track "My Soul Longs" - one of my plog favourites so far!!  We also recently sang through this Psalm at church as part of our "worship and the word" on Friday nights.  But Psalm 84 expresses such a central theme that I just keep coming back to it again and again.  It's message is fresh everytime: "There's no better place than wherever He is!!"

Amen!!

Awaken the Dawn

Good Morrow!  Another week, another song!

This one is "Awaken the Dawn" based on verses from Psalm 108 (or 57!):

My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn (Ps 108:1-2)

I love the phrase "I will awaken the dawn!".  It speaks of a fierce determination to praise God with everything inside!

I also like the idea implied in Psalm 49 that as we praise, as we meditate on the scripture and sing through them, mysteries will become known.  Wisdom will be released.  Understanding will go from being ethereal to tangible.  That's what this spontaneous worship thing is all about, right???  Soaking in the mysteries of God til they become the realities of our heart!

Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike: My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle (Ps49:1-4)

There are two versions of this song: the normal everyday Awaken the Dawn, and now for those in a hurry, the shorter Awaken The Dawn (radio edit).  Enjoy!

Behold The One

A bit late with this post, sorry!!  But we've been working on the new Lion & I album!  Due for a release sometime around September 2013, it's gonna be awesome!

Many of the tracks on the new album will be familiar to you if you've been following this plog - because many of the songs are reworkings and new versions of the songs that have been featured right here!

You might remember a song called "Worth it All" from an earlier post in March.  Well the song featured this week "Behold the One" is a reworking of that song!  Featuring James the Justified (the other half of Lion & I) and a whole new arrangement, we hope this song blesses you and gives you a taste for what the new Lion & I album will be like!.

(please note, while this song is available for listen, it's not yet available for download.  But we promise it won't be long til you can get your very own copy!)

Psalm 139

Hello to all my Russian viewers!!!  Apparently there are a lot of you out there! Whether you're just stumbling across the "plog" accidentally, or are coming to listen to new music, feel free drop a message in the comments below.  And that goes for all of you listeners out there.  I'd love to hear how you got here, or how you're finding 'the spontaneous sessions' so far!

I'm happy to say that things are chugging along nicely here... lots of "le tour de france" viewing mingled with lots of new songwriting.  In addition, I'm gearing up for a solo gig at The Entrance this Saturday night!!   It's a great night out, so if you live in Melb, come along!.  Also, Lion & I are getting ready for the release of our new album!!  (You can hear and/or purchase last years offering here!)  It's all very exciting!

And don't forget, you can download and share most of the songs from the spontaneous sessions for free.... including this weeks session - Psalm 139.

Psalm 139

Psalm 139 is one of my favourit-ist Psalms... I remember discovering it one night during my university years.  I had just bought a new NIV bible, and had taken it with me to Kmart to read during my tea break.  I came across Psalm 139 and was just transfixed.  "What an awesome Psalm," I thought, and proceeded to write one of my first songs "When I Awake" based on the text.

Well, the love affair with Psalm 139 continues!  I'm not sure exactly what it is about it that touches me so much... but it just speaks the most assuring truths about how much God loves us.  I can be so up and down sometimes.  So high on life, then the next minute, down in the doldrums over something that's happened.  I get the feeling King David might have been a bit the same!!  But God's not like that.  Whether we're good or bad, or happy or sad, or winning or losing: God's the same.  Constant. Aware of every hair on your head.  All knowing.  He doesn't change.  He doesn't have bad days.  And He loves perfectly.  He thought about me and knew me before I was even formed - he literally dreamed me into being!!!  It's just overwhelming.  As David says in the Psalm:

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,    too lofty for me to attain.

I hope you enjoy this reflection on Psalm 139!

 

Enthralled

This weeks song is "Enthralled".  As usual, it's available for free download by clicking the player below.  Based on Psalm 45.

I love Psalm 45.  I've heard it sung so many times, by so many different people, but it never gets old!  It starts with a statement by the writer, and then moves on to talk about the excellency of the King.  The excellency of Jesus:

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king;my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men, and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever (Psalm 45: 1-2)

It then goes on to entreat the bride to listen and hear the important message - that the King desires her beauty.  That she needs to leave everything behind, and throw herself on the love of the King.

Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty... (Psalm 45:10-11)

I love this!  It's such a powerful picture.  It requires the bride (that's us, the church) to leave behind the things we have known... leave behind the world that we were born in to, with all it's familiar and safe rules and routines, and simply chase after Jesus.  Just lay it all down to let the King love us!

"Give it all up!!  Jesus finds you irresistible!"   

The Raven and The Lily

I'm very happy to announce that my first ever single (released last year) is now available for digital purchase/download from bandcamp!  Of course, If you'd prefer a hardcopy, just leave me a message in the comments below, and i'll arrange it!

Based on the parable of the Raven and the Lily from Matthew 6:25, in which Jesus talks about the futility of worrying, this track was recorded as part pre-written song, and part spontaneous song.

You can buy it as an "album" which includes the TRATL Remix (by James Bough, of Lion & I fame), or just as a single.  Simply click on the link below.

I hope you enjoy!

Mel-burn

As Promised!  New Lion & I tracks are on their way!  But while we're finishing off all the details before a full album release, I'm letting you have a sneak peak of one of the spontaneous songs! This song is technically not yet finished (and so is not available for download), but I'm sure you'll get the idea!

About 'Mel-Burn'

At our weekly Friday night Worship and Prayer (or Harp and Bowl) sessions at our church, we often find ourselves interceding for our beautiful city of Melbourne.  We pray for revival, for the breaking out of God's power and love, for a softening of peoples hearts towards God, for our city to be set on fire for God....  for Mel-burn!!!

This spontaneous song is just that - a prophetic declaration over our city!

"Burn, Mel-burn!"

I hope you enjoy this preview!

Eternity

nooo... that's not the answer to the question "how long does it take Sally to upload tracks from two weeks ago??".  So I've missed the last few weeks... the upside is I'll be uploading 3 songs this week to make up for it!  And as usual, this track is totally free to download at my bandcamp site by clicking on the link below.  So if you love the track - share it around.

About "eternity"

I'm sure you're familiar with the verse "he has set eternity in the hearts of man", but did you know where it comes from???  It's from Ecclesiastes.  Smack bang in the middle of some other beautiful words!  

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

It's such an irrefutable thing- that we as humans have this leaning towards eternity.  Most cultures around the world are based on an understanding that the soul is eternal.  It's a universal concept that is not dependant on time or religion or geography or culture.  God has indeed written eternity on the hearts of man.  And yet how we let the things of this world distract us and blind our eyes.  But if you listen... you can hear the song.  You can feel the pull of the spirit of God.  Calling.

"Eternity is calling me...  drawing me away... "

The Remixs

Whoops!! Got so excited going away for church camp on the long weekend, that I forgot to post an entry for last week!!!  So here it is! (BTW, church camp was *so* awesome, I haven't experienced worship and the presence of God like that for quite some time!  Just powerful.  Makes me so amazed at what I get to see while in this world, and expectant for what it's going to look like when we get to do this full time in the next world! But I digress....)

I'm very excited to announce that there's some new Lion & I tracks on the way!!  As part of our 2012 debut album, James Bough and I set about writing songs in a number of ways.  One of these was to take some acoustic spontaneous worship and remix it into a format more like a standard album song.   I shared one of these songs on the blog earlier in the year - water of life (one of the most popular entries).  The exciting news is that James and I are about to collaborate on another set of remixes, using material recorded right here for "The Spontaneous Sessions".

In anticipation of the new tracks, I thought I'd feature Satisfy from the Lion&I album!  A remix from a spontaneous recording based on Isaiah 55:2, Satisfy asks the question:
 ”why spend money on what is not bread, and your strength on what does not satisfy? listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare”  

I hope you Enjoy!

Send Your Glory

It's been such an action-packed time that I've only just managed to sit down this afternoon and record this weeks last weeks song!!  Whoops!  As usual, it's available for free download - so why not bless a friend and send them the link!!  In addition, there's a chart available on the "chord charts" page.  We use this song in worship at our church, so please feel free to use it in your worship time too.

Melbourne, Australia

It always blows my mind to think that generations before me worshiped the same God, by the same Spirit.  Generations have poured out their hearts in prayer in this land. Someone I've never met, 100's of years ago has stood on this soil and been touched by God, they've tasted the depths, and they've cried out for more.  Every generation, regardless of how dark their generation has been, has a people that cries out for revival.  In 1902, a hunger for God's presence swept this city, so much so that a group of Melbourne Christians went over to the US to beg RA Torrey to come and hold revival meetings here.  2,000 representatives from 214 different churches volunteered to help, and even more volunteers visited every Melbourne house twice to invite people along.  During the weekdays, 1000's of business-men flooded the Melbourne town hall for lunch time meetings:

Up to 15,000 people crowded the Exhibition Building at night to worship! Weekly attendance of the meetings was around 1/4 million (especially impressive when the entire Victorian population was only 1 million at that time!!!!)



Hunger for God sweeping a city! Amazing!!  And i bet their prayers and feelings weren't so very different from ours today...  "We long and groan to see the fullness of God" (check out Romans 8:22-23!).

Revelation 5 gives us a picture of how the prayers of the saints are stored up in a bowl. All those people crying out to God for revival - their prayers are in that bowl.  My Grandfather's prayers for revival for Melbourne and Australia are in that bowl.  So are my Mum's, and mine, and countless others I've never met!  Oh the collective weight of people who have cried out to God for this place. You can feel the air is heavy with the expectation of generations past and present....

                                    "... send your glory...."

Pssst....The final remix of this song ended up on the Lion & I album Send Your Glory here

Anointing

This weeks song is prophetic worship in a slightly different form!  Many years ago, a good friend shared a vision he saw of me - similar in imagery of when Moses anointed Aaron :

..precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. (Psalm 133:2)

As I sat down at the piano to sing through and ponder on this prophecy, this very simple song formed in my fingers and my mouth.  It's still one of my favourite songs to sing all these years later.  Everytime I play it, I feel the nearness of the Spirit of God.

I've shared the chords to this song on the "chord chart" page here.  And as usual, you can download the audio of this song for free by clicking on the link below.

Enjoy!

A Song To The Bride

A little while ago, as I was worshiping  I saw a vision of the Bride of Christ. Well actually, I saw a vision of Jesus as He was looking at the bride....  He just kept saying "isn't she beautiful???" .  The look on His face, the words and the feeling He was expressing, the wonder, the love he had for her - it was just overwhelming. I was so overcome, it took me a couple of hours to recover.  He was just so in love with her.  It was an intense vision!

I think that we who have been Christians for a while can sometimes have a tendency to see all the faults, all the shortcomings, all the problems in our churches.  We will sometimes speak badly of our local church, or even about other congregations or the body as a whole.  What's more, we're often afraid to lift our gaze to Him as his bride, because we're so aware of our own shortcomings!!!  Yet the bible paints a very different picture of the bride.  Ephesians 1:22 describes the church as being the fullness of God, and Jesus describes His bride as the "Joy set before Him" and endured the cross for the sake of having her.   Ephesians 5:27 says Jesus will present to himself a bride without spot or blemish, and the picture of the marriage of the Lamb in Revelation is just stunning!!  I think if we truly understood the love that Christ has for His church, we'd think twice about despising her (including ourselves!!)  Are you willing to slander the one that the creator of the universe is in love with????  No sir, not me!!!

About "Isn't She Lovely"

No - it's not a cover of that Stevie Wonder classic, as much as I dig it! Rather this is a simple meditation on what Jesus says about His bride.  Drawing on sections of Song of Songs, it's an invitation to understand the heart of Jesus towards his bride. Be blessed oh Bride!  He is ravished by you (even when you're at you're worst!)

Who May Ascend??

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord??  Who may draw near to him??  What a good question to ask!  All week, I've been feeling like I'm just on the edge of breakthrough... just on the edge of seeing and experiencing so much more of God than I ever imagined was possible... just on the edge of my desire to be near Him being so big it's all i can think about!!  So this seems like a great question to be asking!!!

Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart...  (Psalm 24:3-4a)

Psalm 24 tells us that it's he who has clean hands!!  He who has a pure heart!  Of course, this leads on to the next logical thing to ask of God: If my heart is not pure and my hands are not clean, then come search out show me what those things are so I can be rid of them!

Search me, O God, and know my heart;Test me and know my anxious thoughts.Point out anything in me that offends you,and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  (Psalm 139:23-24)

Well, those verses pretty much sum up this weeks song "Search Me, Know Me" (actually recorded a few weeks ago now!.. yeah it's been one of those weeks where i haven't been able to get any recording done!!).  Enjoy!  And don't forget you can download and own it for free if you love it!  Oh - and a big shout out to those of you who have been buying my stuff.  You guys are legends!!

A New Day

Don't forget , you can download (for free!) and own forever most the songs featured here.  Just click on "download" in the player below, set the price as $0 and it's yours!

Today is the day!

I love that every day is a new day!  I love that it's layed out so plainly in Psalms that we're meant to rejoice and revel in every day God gives us, like it's a fresh start!  To soak in the joy of each day.  To look for the blessings that God has set out in that day.  To actively set our hearts up at the beginning of each day so we're searching out all the good that God has planned for that day:

This is the day the Lord has made
Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)

In Hebrews, there's this fantastic verse talking about rest - and it uses a phrase that I love: "God set a certain day, calling it 'Today'"(Hebrews 4:7).  I love that God called the day to inherit that promise "today" - so it is always available!!  There's no "oh that promise expired because it was for yesterday, I'm too late", because even though it was valid yesterday, God called the day 'Today', so it's for today too!!  Genius!!

So ask the question. What's your 'today' got in store for you?  Here's one to get you started:

"Surely, Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life (Psalm 23:6).  

Sometimes I try to catch a glimpse of them following me... I think if i turn around fast enough, I'll see them there.  The two of them side by side, tailing me like my own personal security detail.  I can't out run them, I can't hide from them, I can't shake them.  They chase me down whether i like it or not...  my own personal stalkers!!!  

I challenge you to seek out and search out the good things God has for you in this new day, because I guarantee you, it'll be awesome...

My Soul Longs

What a week!  I've been healed from 2 different ailments in the last few days!  Woohoo!!   In Him there is no sickness - My body itself *craves* God.  My flesh cries out for Him!

I've also seen (more than usual this week) how spending time with Him makes me happy!  My heart and my emotions actually cry out for Him - they need Him.  They're happy when they have Him.

In fact, every part of me cries out for Him - not just my spirit.  It seems fitting that this weeks song should be based on some of the verses from the well known Psalm 84:

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:selected verses)

About "My Soul Longs"

I had actually sat down to record a different kind of song this week, but after hearing the loop used here, the chorus to this song just formed itself in my head.  So i sat down and recorded it right then!  A spontaneous song to express my longing for God!  To express my dependence on Him.  I later went back and added some backing vocals and extra drums - and here it is! "my soul longs".  Play it loud with the bass turned up!

Ooh, and don't forget you can download this track for free if you'd like to own it.  Simply click "buy" and then enter price $0 and it's yours forever!!!

River Rushing Down

An entire week in bed.  I think i managed to be out of my PJs for a total of 10 hours in the last 7 days...  Needless to say, I wasn't up to any recording!  Luckily, I did some extra recording a few weeks ago... so here's something different for you.  This week, I'm sharing one of my worship songs "River Rushing Down".  We sing it quite often at our church Hope of Glory - Prahran Christian Church, and it never fails to take us somewhere special!  

Chord Charts

Ooooh exciting!!  I've added another feature to the plog! It's a page that makes available the chord charts for any of the pre-written songs that I share here.  I've just posted the lyrics/chords to "River Rushing Down", so if it takes your fancy, you can print it out and use it in your own worship time, or even at your church.

About 'River Rushing Down'

The chorus of "River Rushing Down" was born from a time of corporate spontaneous worship, where the spirit was moving in wonderful ways!  It's a song of declaration, but also a song of adoration.  A song that proclaimed just what the Spirit was pouring out in our church.  This rendition is a lot slower and more gentle than our usual rockin' Sunday morning version, but I've found it very soothing laying in bed and letting it wash over me today. I hope you'll enjoy it too!

Sally

I love the lord - he heard my cry!!

Free Dowloads

Did you know that you can download and own most of the songs featured on The Spontaneous Sessions for free?? That's right - FREE!!  You could make your own mix CD of all your favourties.  You could make a CD for a friend or relative.  You could even make a personalised CD for someone who needs a breakthrough, or needs to hear a particular prophetic word that has been featured here. Just head to my bandcamp website and click on any of the tracks that take your fancy, then hit the blue link "buy now", enter $0, and download your track!!   Isn't technology fabulous??  (Of course, if you'd really like to pay, you can enter any amount you want!)

I love the Lord.  He heard my cry!

This week has just been one of those amazing weeks.  I had a serious need.  I cried out to God.  It was miraculously provided for!!  Too cool!

Provision came from so many different sources, and none of those sources even knew.  I told only God what i needed (oh - and my flatmate... but she is honour bound to listen to my whinging... it's part of the flatmate code of ethics...) and within 48hrs, he provided exactly what i needed.  Actually, in true God style, it ended up being more than i needed.

I love seeing Gods hand working so obviously.  It's amazing.  What i don't like is being in a position where i'm in need of such miracles.  Where i have to admit I don't have it all worked out.  Pride much??  But the reality is, we are all wretchedly poor, sick, naked and blind, and in desperate need of Him.  But few of us like to admit it. That pride again??  Probably... But perhaps that's the secret of seeing God move: humbling ourselves and being desperate for Him.  Revelation 3:17-18 certainly seems to tell us that!

About Psalm 138 - thanksgiving for the lords favour

But I digress!!  The last 24hrs, i've had all the Psalms that state "i love the lord, he heard my cry" running through my head.  It seemed fitting that this weeks song should be a song of thanksgiving (thanks for the idea, Brad Misso)!  And it definitely required a beat :)  Based mainly on Psalm 138 (with touches of Psalm 34 in there too - just because i love the line "my soul will boast in the lord"!).  Enjoy!

Psalm 138:    1 I will give You thanks with all my heart;  I will sing praises to You before the gods.
2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple  And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;  For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.
3 On the day I called, You answered me;  You made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD,  When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD,  For great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is exalted,  Yet He regards the lowly,  But the haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;  You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,  And Your right hand will save me.

Why are you downcast?

Psalm 42

There is just so much goodness in this Psalm. Again, it's one of those Psalms where David, in the midst of worries, speaks to his own soul.  As though his head knows something that his soul hasn't quite caught on to... (I know the feeling!!)


Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.
 My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you... (Psalm 42:5-6)


The solution to heaviness? Praise!  Remembering the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord.  Lifting up our gaze to look on the one who is our salvation. Placing our hope in Him.

Oh, clever head!  Come on soul, time to catch up.

About "why are you downcast?"

Some songs have the power to release hope and break bondages.  It is my prayer as you listen to "why are you downcast?" that you will experience God doing just that.  Right in the midst of your situation.

Blessings,

Sally

Worth it all

One of the most arresting verses I remember reading as a child was Mark 8:36:

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)

Bam - straight to the point.  The point of this life is not pleasure, money, posessions: that is simply "chasing after the wind".  We're on a deeper journey.  To the one who IS life.

I always thought as a Christian that it would be easy to keep my heart fixed on what truly matters.  But the reality is my heart is fickle and it wanders so easily!  It gives in to fears.  Believes lies.  Looses sight of the most beautiful One in the world.

About "Worth it All"

In life and in worship, I often find myself turning to David as my example.  I love that when things were tricky, he'd talk to his soul... reason with it... speak truth to it... encourage it:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:2)

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 43:5)

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.(Psalm 62:5)

"Worth it All" is MY song to my soul. For this week!

Here In This Place

Wow!  What a week...

The whole idea of 'the spontaneous sessions' was to encourage me to actually record some worship.  Stands to reason that the heart of this project is to just sit down at the piano and do it.  But no!  There are a million other things that need attending to in order for this to happen: sound proofing, rearranging furniture, mic placement tests, learning about recording technique, choosing MIDI plugins, .wav uploads... and the list goes on!

So, the recording process is a lot like life...  All I want to do is seek God, listen out for His voice.  But so many other things crowd into my time.  Things that need to be done.  Things that are important.   Things that distract...

But I want to be like Mary (Martha's sister) who understood what was needed: to sit at Jesus' feet. I want to be like King David who, in the midst of overwhelming times, still had his heart focused on intimacy. Even in the midst of a battlefield, right in front of his enemies, he still took the time for communion with the Lord:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Psalm 23:5)

About "here in this place":

So it seems fitting that this week as I sat at the piano, I found myself affirming that in His presence is indeed where I belong.   Something in us yearns for that place... "one thing i ask, one thing i seek..." (Psalm 27:4). All our life story begins and ends in that place... there is no place like it....

Water of Life

As I haven't actually recorded anything for the spontaneous sessions yet (whoops!), the track I'm sharing today is not quite so raw as the next ones will be.  It's from a spontaneous worship session from 2011 which was then taken and overlaid with a beat and additional instruments.  It's one of the tracks included on the eponymous album by Lion&I (an RnB duo comprised of myself and fellow worshiper, James Bough).  

Ok, so I get that using a track from last year is totally cheating - but in the interests of getting this project started, I'm prepared to bend the rules a little, just this once... 

About "water of life"
This spontaneous song came out of a time when I was mulling over God's  invitation to come and eat and drink and be satisfied:

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1)

 And of course, the reality is that He is the water of life... 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Rev 22:1)

I sat down at the piano to digest this incredible invitation: the enormity of what God is calling us into, and the incomprehensible reality that we so often choose to stand outside the fullness that is found in Him.

But the invitation resounds: 'come and drink your fill.  come and drink from the river of life...'

lyrics

The Spontaneous Sessions Are Here!

My very first spontaneous session plog-post, and I'm already so excited!

What is the "Spontaneous Sessions" about?

The purpose of this plog (explained in "about this plog") is not only to encourage myself and others with an invitation into worship, but to provide the much needed motivation to actually sit down and record some of this worship.  The plan is to post one 'spontaneous session' a week for the next year.  Oh yes, peoples.  That's 52 sessions I'll be posting in the next 12 months... Eeeeek!!   For this reason, much of the worship featured here will be (necessarily!) raw and unedited.  But that's no worries, right??  After all, my plan is to cultivate intimacy and anointing  which won't always equate to perfect production values!

Weekly Worship 

These weekly sessions will be between 5-15 minutes and would be perfect to use for quiet time, or for resting in Him.  The sessions will be available to listen to right here on the plog - but they'll also be available to download from bandcamp.  So by the end of the year, there'll be a nice little collection of spontaneous worship songs that can be used for all sorts of devotional and soaking times!  Well, that's the plan anyway!

It's my hope that you'll be blessed by this project.  But better than that, I hope you'll come to know the extravagant love of Jesus more and more as you spend time in His presence.