sharon.wilbur

i'm over hereeeeeee!

2010-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!!!

So I have DEFINITELY been neglecting my blog for many reasons, but mostly because things are so crazy/hectic that I don't have time to write write write. For now... you can ALWAYS find me on twitter:

www.twitter.com/sharonwilbur

and, as always

www.sharonwilbur.com

a political interlude....

2009-05-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU!

Israel President Refuses to Apologize for Gaza War:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519201,00.html

Jacksonville Magazine!!

2009-05-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a bazillion years since my last blog. I know this. I've been finding it particularly difficult to keep up with the MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Blog. Please forgive me (and add me on twitter if you haven't already: twitter.com/sharonwilbur)! :)

Anyway, I want to let all my Florida friends know to pick up a copy of the May issue of Jacksonville Magazine! :) There's a story in there on me and my good buddy AJ and our experience on American Idol! Here's a little preview:

If you don't live in the FL area, you can go directly to the Jacksonville Magazine website by clicking the following link:
http://jacksonvillemag.epubxpress.com/link/jm/2009/may/90?s=0

yay! :)

i know it's a month and a half away...

2009-04-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

but i'm super excited...

Update

2009-04-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the past month has consisted of:
a week in virginia
a week in nashville
a week in chicago
two days home.
Yeah... I'm pretty tired right about now....

Things have been moving so fast it seems! My time in virginia was awesome - I got to connect with some friends I hadn't seen in a while,including one you may recognize as "the girl who SHOULD HAVE made it to the top 12 on Idol" - Felicia Barton.

Not to worry though - she is already working on putting an album together which will hopefully be out soon! You can visit her on MySpace by going to: www.myspace.com/feliciabarton.

My Nashville trip went even better than I could have expected! I got to record another 4 *brand new* songs, which means that we now have a total of 8 ready for the new project!!!! Just 2 or 3 more to go!!! I can not WAIT to share them with you. I have posted a little preview of one called Mercy Calling up on myspace (www.myspace.com/sharonwilbur), so be sure to check that out if you haven't already!

We were also able to squeeze in a photo shoot while I was there. Michael Gomez (who shot my previous album cover) really blessed us with some incredible shots! I can't share them with you quite yet, BUT I do have a few snippets that my husband Joel took while the shoot was going on.

Okay, well MUCH more to come.... Stay tuned into my twitter: www.twitter.com/sharonwilbur - for more "play by play" updates. :)

a "must read", "must bookmark" blog! :)

2009-03-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends!

OK so i'm definitely gonna be posting some updates very soon... but before i do - PLEASE take note of this...

http://joelchernoff.wordpress.com

My dad has finally started a blog and i'm SO excited! He is honestly one of the most prophetically "tuned in" people I have ever known, and I always enjoy reading his updates on Israel, the world, and even our government and the prophetic significance of what's going on here in the US.

I hope you all read it, comment it, bookmark it! -whatever! :)

the funny thing about blogs....

2009-03-10T07:52:00.001-07:00

it's strange. sometimes i feel like i could write 5 blogs in one day. other times it's hard for me to even pull out one a week! what's the deal? ...maybe it has to do with being busy.... or not busy. either way, i feel like i've had a bit of writers block lately. i've chosen to stay away from the politics thing for a little while - simply because... well... because it really frustrates/upsets/annoys me and yeah... i don't wanna disrespect. lets just put it that way. :)

my husband and i have been writing songs a lot lately, so maybe all of my creativity is being poured into that area... while my blog is left lacking. hmmmm...

welp...
...
.....
.......

i got nothin. ha.

the bright side?

1) i leave on tuesday for Nashville!!!! I'll be recording vocals for about 5 songs in 5 days so i'm hoping my voice holds up! oy. pray for me!

2) IDOL TONIGHT! :) yayyyyyyy

New Video Blog!

2009-03-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

this video made me laugh so hard i cried...

2009-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

maybe it's just the day i was having...
maybe i was in desperate need of a good laugh...
either way, this video MADE my day... possibly my week.

watch, listen & love

2009-03-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ryan Edgar
------------
Love Lockdown (by Kanye):

We Become (one of Ryan's amazing originals):

for more, visit: http://www.myspace.com/ryanedgar

Hollywood/NewportBeach/Vegas

2009-02-20T12:03:00.001-08:00

Ahhhhh so I just got back from a whirlwind trip out west. I was gone for 10 incredibly busy days... took a ton of pictures, and thought I'd share a few of them on here! :)

First of all... the day we left I had to get up at 2am - NOT FUN... but it was totally worth it because I flew to Cali with my hubby, Joel, and my brother and law and just as we came off the plane, my brother in law dropped to one knee and proposed to his beautiful girlfriend, Malki!

It was quite an exciting morning! So after that, we spent the day in Newport Beach catching up with our friends there. The next day, Joel and I headed up to Hollywood. We had some people to meet there, but also, I wanted to take Joel to the Kodak theater and show him around where I stayed when I was out there for Idol.

Over the next few days we relaxed in Newport... shopped... sat in the sun... and did a whole lotta nothin'. It was great!

After a couple days, my family joined us as well...

THEN... we headed to Vegas for an evening! Our friends took us to see Jersey Boys which was the most incredible show I have EVER seen... I recommend it to ANYONE! AMAZING music, AMAZING acting... just incredible. However, on our drive UP to vegas, we encountered a bit of a traffic jam. For two straight hours we were PARKED on the highway. yep. PARKED. Apparently a truck had caught fire and they had to close everything down while they cleared the roads. It was nuts!

So, two hours late, we arrived in Vegas and had to rush to get ready for dinner and the show. I've got a few more pictures to show ya, but for some reason my internet is being weird and not letting me upload anymore... so that's all for now. I'll edit this post as soon as i'm able to and show you the rest!

Buy yeah, the trip was amazing. It was so great to be out there and to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in a while.... AND it looks like we'll be headed back there this summer for my brother in law's wedding! :) So exciting! Again, congrats Nathan & Malki! :)

heading home!

2009-02-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well tomorrow morning Joel and I are heading home! It's been an incredible trip and I have some exciting news to share but I want to wait until I'm able to post some pictures as well, so you will soon see! :)

Hope you're all watching American Idol!

twitter with me

2009-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

while i'm gone...

follow sharonwilbur at http://twitter.com

CALIFORNIA

2009-02-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, so i leave tomorrow morning {eeeeeeeeearly} for my most favorite place in the US: Orange County California!

I am SO excited! I haven't been out west since my wonderful American Idol experience, so I'm really looking forward to spending some time there. Not to mention I'll be hanging out with some friends that I haven't seen in far too long... so yeah - the next week may be a bit quiet in sharon wilbur blog land... i'm warning you ahead of time! :)

aaaaaaaaand if you live in the orange county area, Irvine to be exact, then you should DEFINITELY come out to the concert I'll be participating in. Friday (2/13 at 7:15pm) & Sunday (2/15, 6:30pm), @ the Hyatt Regency on Jamboree Rd. In Irvine. I'll be there with my father in law, Paul Wilbur, and will be showcasing some of my EP songs, along with possibly some *brand new ones*!!!!! So I hope to see you there! For more information visit:

http://www.mjaa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Spg_Conf_Reg_Southwest

Alrighty, have a great week!

i'm singing

2009-02-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

nothin' like a little testimony to brighten your morning! :)

Kari Jobe, I'm Singing - with testimonies

so blessed...

2009-02-05T13:29:00.001-08:00

I don't have much time to write at the moment, but i just wanted to say a few words. God is so good.

Seriously, this whole idol experience has been an incredible one. Maybe I didn't get as far as I would have hoped, but honestly, I don't have one complaint about it. I had the opportunity to be a part of my favorite television show, I've made some incredible friends, learned a TON about myself, and even gained a bit of confidence through it all!

It's funny how being told "you have no courage" actually causes that courage to rise up in you. I blogged about this revelation actually just after my trip to Hollywood (of course I wasn't able to talk about where I had just been, or what I was referring to... but if you want to read- it see my post from 11.21.08)

More than anything, I've learned how sometimes, it's stepping out in your fear that brings the most personal growth! Honestly, nothing compares to the nerves I felt throughout this whole process. American Idol was me stepping out in my fears... and looking back over my time there in Hollywood, I feel such a sense of peace and accomplishment. God is good.... and He ultimately is the one directing my path - whether is on Idol, or not! :)

That's all for now folks!

iTunes

2009-02-03T11:43:00.001-08:00

In case you hadn't heard...

You can purchase my EP,
You're My Heart
on iTunes (just search "Sharon Wilbur"),

OR

directly from my MySpace site: www.myspace.com/SHARONWILBUR
(see the banner at the top of my page there).

AMERICAN IDOL!!!!

2009-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Okay... so i'm still in shock after last night... but if you missed it, i've got a couple links you can visit!

To see my audition, visit:

http://s79.photobucket.com/albums/j141/mjsbigblog/Jackson/?action=view¤t=sharon.flv

To see me on E! News visit:

http://vids.eonline.com/services/link/bcpid4037511001/bctid9299327001

To see me & my family on the Jacksonville local news shortly after my audition... visit:

http://www.fox30online.com/content/topstories/story/American-Idol-Auditions/63WVnnqys0KQQ8T-ikRhMA.cspx

(be sure to watch the video over on the right-hand side!!)

here are a few more shots i snapped while watching last night...

Be sure to tune into Hollywood Week!!!! :)

Tues. Night - Jan 26th - 8pm!

2009-01-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so in case I don't get a chance to blog while out of town... I just wanted to remind everyone to watch American Idol Tuesday night (8pm EST, on FOX) because they will be showing the Jacksonville Auditions! :) Who knows... you may see a familiar face!

what if....?

2009-01-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

A thought: When a drunk-driver kills a mother and her unborn baby, the person can get 2 counts of murder or manslaughter. However, when it comes to abortion... that same unborn baby is not considered person??? Can the courts have it both ways? I just don't get it.

someone you SHOULD know...

2009-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

yes yes i know the tone of my blog has been rather serious for the past week or so... but lets take a music break for a minute.

this is Rebekah LeBeau... and you'll love her:

seriously... visit her myspace... get to know her stuff... you won't be disappointed! :)

www.myspace.com/rebekahlebeaumusic

I Stand With Israel... Rally

2009-01-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

It's not every day I have an opportunity to take part in an event like this... so I was pretty excited when I found out that the local Chabad was sponsoring a "Stand with Israel Rally" last Sunday. We had a pretty good turn out... about 250-300 people were there showing their support for Israel's right to defend herself....

yay Israel!

myself leading in a round of Hava Nagila, ha.

me & my home-made shirt... can you tell? :)

Thankfully, America has spent the past 8 years under a President who has served as a great friend to the nation of Israel. It's my prayer that this friendship not only continues with our new President, but grows stronger.
------------
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
May those who love you be secure.
Ps.122:6

inauguration day. 2009.

2009-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day. Wow. I woke up with such mixed feelings this morning. Anyone who knows me, even in the slightest, knows that I'm quite a conservative... and a proud one. Since the election of Mr. Obama I have been careful to keep my mouth shut for the most part. Not because I am not feeling 94857349587349587 different emotions, but because now that he is in office I believe he deserves my utmost respect, and even more importantly - my prayers.

I came upon this article last night (thanks to a friend posting it) and it immediately caught my attention with this sentence:

"The incoming president is the man of the moment. He deserves good wishes and sincere prayers. But I’ve found myself thinking these last few days more about the man who has shouldered the burdens of office for the past eight years, George W. Bush."

So of course, I read on and was increasingly impressed by William Kristol's take on things. To read the full article, you can visit this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/opinion/19kristol.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=the%20next%20war%20president&st=Search

Here are a few excerpts that really struck me:

(Speaking of Bush)
"He has made mistakes as president... but he has exercised his just and rightful authority in a way — I believe — that deserves recognition and respect. It will probably be a while before he gets much of either."

"I couldn’t help but reflect that a distressingly small number of my fellow Jews seem to have given much thought at all to the fact that President Bush is one of the greatest friends the state of Israel — and, yes, the Jewish people — have had in quite a while. Bush stood with Israel when he had no political incentive to do so and received no political benefit from doing so. He was criticized by much of the world. He did it because he thought it the right thing to do."

"Many of Bush’s defenders have praised him for keeping the country safe since Sept. 11, 2001. He deserves that praise... But I don’t think keeping us safe has been Bush’s most impressive achievement. That was winning the war in Iraq, and in particular, his refusal to accept defeat when so many counseled him to do so in late 2006.... And the outcome in Iraq is a remarkable gift to the incoming president, who now only has to sustain success, rather than trying to deal with the consequences in the region and around the world of a humiliating withdrawal and a devastating defeat."

There's much more to this article, so please... take the time to read it. Mr. Kristol offers some wonderful perspective on a situation that really brings me such mixed feelings...

Our God and God of our ancestors: We ask your blessings for our country — for its government, for its leaders and advisers, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority.

so, anything new?

2009-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

well not to suddenly change the tone of my blog, but some pretty amazing things have been going on for me personally, and i want to share a bit of them with you.

First of all, i'm continuing to write and compile music for my next album (not sure on a release date for that yet). This is one of my favorite parts of the whole "album making" process. Joel (my husband) and I really enjoy writing together so we've been doing much more of that lately, and we've also been blessed to work with some incredible writers as well. I'm sure I will be blogging like crazy once the project is set to release... but this could be a little while from now as we have to wait to see how some other things line up!

Second, one of my favorite TV shows premiered last night.... American Idol. YES I'm a confessed fan... but this year I've taken particular interest in seeing how things turn out....

...that being why. :)

Please keep me in your prayers over the next few months.

God is good and I know that ultimately His will will be done! I'm just here to be used in whatever way He wants to use me! ... My prayer has always been that God would open the doors He wants opened, and close those He wants closed.... so.... we'll see what happens!

Alrighty, that's it for now!

♥

what's going on in Israel?!?

2009-01-08T14:14:00.001-08:00

Ok... so I have received a bunch of emails from people asking me about what is going on in Israel at the moment. Since the news here is barely skimming the issue, and is extremely biased, let me just give my (reasonably short) take on things. The questions I've been asked all revolve around the same three things:

"who is Hamas?" "why are they attacking Israel" and "where is the gaza strip?"

Hamas is a terrorist organization.... an "Islamic resistance movement" and they have risen to power in an area of Israel called the Gaza Strip. This is land that belongs to Israel and is considered a part of Israel but has been sectioned off for the Palestinians to live in. Their "beef" with Israel boils down to the fact that they think it's their land and continue to try and take more and more of it. This conflict really dates back to Bible times when God gave the land to Abraham and his descendants, Israel... BUT for those who would rather me use another example, we can look at history. There have been NUMEROUS times when the boundaries of Israel were outlined. One example is the Balfour Declaration which was established in 1917. Over the course of time the boundaries of Israel have gotten smaller and smaller as she (Israel) has been urged, time and time again, to give up more land. Now... if you look at a map for just one second...

....You'll see little Israel over there on on the left bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Well notice how she is surrounded ON ALL SIDES by Arab nations.... and STILL, she is being told to give up more land. Not only that, but she's being told to give up land to a general people whose main goal is to "drive Israel into the sea." That's pretty scary...

[I want to be clear here, before I go on, that i'm in NO WAY saying that all Palestinians or Arabs are affiliated with this terrorist organization, however Hamas and those involved have not only risen to power in the communities, but actually hold majority in Palestinian government. A lot of people living under their authority want badly to be out from under it. As a quick example, when this recent fighting with Israel erupted up a couple weeks ago, Hamas actually captured many local leaders who they thought might aid Israel and shot them in the legs, chopped off their hands, THEN released them... Hoping that they'd be too scared or unwell enough to offer Israel any help.]

Anyway, back to the current situation. For the past couple years... the Hamas has been launching rockets from Gaza into the Israeli areas. To the small town of Sderot, this has pretty much become a way of life. Israel has done nothing.... under the encouragement from pretty much every other country (and the UN) in the world. This would be like Canada shooting rockets into America every day... killing people on a regular basis, and America just sitting back watching. Pretty crazy to think about, but this has been the growing situation over there.

Well... hundreds of rockets, and ignored "cease fires" later... Israel decides to stand up for herself. NO they are not just dropping bombs all over the Gaza strip trying to kill innocent civilians.... as many of the news stations would make it seem, but they are strategically planning every step. They are in an especially tough situation because the Hamas fighters don't all just "hang out" in the same area. They disperse into neighborhoods among families and children... As a result, it becomes extremely difficult to take them out while avoiding the innocent. One way Israel has tried to prevent as many civilian deaths as possible is by warning those living in these targeted neighborhoods of incoming attacks. They not only called many residents, but they followed those phone calls up with "sound bombs" as a second warning.... something that is pretty commendable in my opinion.

So, that's a semi-brief summary of things going on. I will be the first to admit that I have some pretty strong views on this stuff, but that's because I not only have history, but the Bible to back me up. There are many layers to what is happening in Gaza and the Middle East, and I honestly haven't even skimmed the surface here, but I wanted to share my thoughts. I hope this has been helpful!

Please continue to pray for God's protection on His people... Arab or Israeli. My heart really goes out to all of the Christian Arabs who are caught in the middle of this horrible mess...

♥

Is. 62:1-2a
For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory.

this is a MUST SEE.

2009-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

Escape from Hamas:
The Testimony of Mosab Hassan

****be sure to watch all 6 parts if you can!!!****

think about it:

2008-12-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Small people talk about people,

Average people talk about things,

And great people talk about ideas.

cute song

2008-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

alright... so i feel guilty for not posting on here in a while... and things are CRAZY at work today as i get ready to leave again for the weekend... so i'm gonna leave you with a song i've had on "repeat" for a while now:

ingrid michaelson: the way i am

trip home...

2008-12-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

This year's Thanksgiving was spent in PHILLLLLLLY... freeeeeezing Philly. It marked the first time that my parents, cousins, grandparents, and IN-LAWS all spend the holiday together. Somehow we managed to squeeze into one dining room:

Anyway... yeah... we did a TON of eating... and even more picture taking - which usually happens when my sister and i get together:

AAAAAAAND, I was blessed to be a part of one of my very best friends' wedding:

(the beautiful bride, SarahBeth)

(worship during the ceremony)

(SarahBeth and her sisters)

(The "crew" rating the couple's first kiss)

Alright, alright, alright.... enough with the pictures.

Actually... i'll just stop here and update you all on music stuff later.

Much Love!

turkey time

2008-11-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

well in honor of thanksgiving,

and my trip up north to see

the family, I thought I'd leave

you with a bit of adorableness...

my baby, Sasha:

and a song that makes me happy...

*warning... this song WILL stick in your head for days*

(Lenka, "The Show")

:)

2008-11-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

So... i'm feeling particularly happy today. Not sure why...

I've been thinking about life a lot lately - how things happen the way they do, why things happen the way they do... I wonder how differently I'd live my life if I could REALLY get a glimpse of the big picture. I mean... I know that the world is so much bigger than what I see on a day to day basis. I know that God has an ultimate plan for this earth and that I play a part in that... but wow... if I could be zoomed up into heaven for a few minutes and have a little meeting with God, I'd love to see what's in store for me. I know He's given me BIG dreams, HUGE ones. He's given me a passion for music, for people, for the world around me... and I know He's going to use it for His glory... I just don't know how exactly.

I blogged this quote just a few days ago, but it's still speaking to me:

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." -Unknown

Courage is what those words above are talking about.

Courage= to act in accordance with one's beliefs, ESPECIALLY in spite of hardships, pain, danger, etc. .

Courage is one's actions matching one's spirit. It's actually LIVING what you know in your heart to be true.... and it can be quite a scary thing sometimes. It's is not just dreaming dreams, it's running after them. What a great quality to have.

Gosh... that word, "courage," has really been ministering to me a lot recently.... If you can't tell by the over-use of it in this post :). I was told by a woman I greatly admire that I lacked this bigtime. Yes, it may sound a bit harsh, but it resonated with me so deeply that I fought to hold back tears. Sometimes it takes someone really calling you out on your weaknesses to step up and rise above them, and that's what I plan on doing!

God has given me EVERYTHING I need to fulfill my calling in Him - my destiny. There is nothing that I lack. All I have to do is show up and have the courage to pursue the desires of my heart.

things that make me cry

2008-11-19T07:02:00.000-08:00

Leona Lewis, Run.

Incredible.

stolen words

2008-11-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

ok... i totally took this quote from a friend of mine... but i read it this morning and it really stuck with me.

We do not exist for ourselves alone, and it is only when we are fully convinced of this fact that we begin to love ourselves properly and thus also love others. What do I mean by loving ourselves properly? I mean, first of all, desiring to live, accepting life as a very great gift and a great good, not because of what it gives us, but because of what it enables us to give to others.

-Thomas Merton

my to-do list for today?
live life.
be love.
find good in
EVERY situation.

what i have learned from John McCain

2008-11-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

alright, well i started out this blog by drawing up two lists... what i have learned from obama's campaign and what i have learned from John McCain's campaign. As you can imagine those lists are in STARK contrast to one another. I've decided to not post my thoughts on obama for a few reasons... but primarily because I want draw on the positive here, and focus on how we can work in the future to follow the incredible model that John McCain has laid out for us. Now... the obama list does exist, so just let me know if you're interested in viewing it... and i'll send it to ya! :)

There is much to be learned from John McCain. He has proven to be a man of great integrity among many other things:

He is an example of unwavering standards
He is an example of a straight talker - one who doesn't see the need to dance around issues
He is an example of one's actions matching their words
He is an example of what it means to fight for America
He is an example of what it means to uphold the morals that this nation was built upon
He is an example of strong character
He is an example of a truly remarkable man
He is an example of HUMILITY
He is an example of what it looks like to have a servants heart
He is an example of what it means to be AMERICAN.

Although he did not win, I'm honored to have supported him throughout this entire election...

Thank you John McCain for the example you have proven to be. Americans are sure going to need it in these coming years.

something to think about....

2008-11-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." (Unknown)

Are you allowing your fears to hold you back?
Are you allowing your insecurities to hold you back?

What we do here on this earth is not dependent on our own abilities... they're dependent on Gods.

It's time to refocus our thinking. Who cares what we believe we're capable of? God's sees no boundaries when it comes to our destiny. All we have to do is surrender to His ultimate plan, and trust.

Trust.

a broken heart, a broken nation

2008-10-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

For the first time, my heart is truly broken for our great nation.

This upcoming election has me feeling so many things:
awe
hope
dread
doubt
disgust
uncertainty
anticipation

Are we one nation under God - or are we one nation ignoring God?

Since Roe v. Wade came into effect 50 MILLION lives were not even given the chance...

It's easy to see that our country has come to a very important point in time. Things are failing, our way of doing things isn't getting us anywhere. It makes me wonder... we have taken God out of schools, we have degraded the sanctity of human life, we have walked so far away from the foundations that this country was built on... and now we find ourselves in a bit of a "rut"... I wonder why?

It is evident that this country was FOUNDED on certain laws. It's purpose was to indeed be ONE NATION UNDER GOD. No, that does not mean we should force God on those around us who may think otherwise... but it does mean that the laws that govern this wonderful country were set up to be in accordance with God and His way of doing things. We were not merely created to roam about Earth completely lawless... with no outline of how we are to live. We were created in an order. There is a right and wrong, and our culture has tried to desensatize us to this. It's TIME that we turn that around!

There are so many areas I'd love to really focus on with regards to these issues... but today I want to look at perhaps the most primary issue: life. There are many injustices in America, much prejudice, we can not ignore this. We have to speak out about it! But primarily we need to return to the foundation of God's order and fix things from the bottom up. It's time to mend the cracks that we were built upon.

Psalm 11:3
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can righteousness do?

What was the first thing God did after creating this gorgeous world that we live in? He created life. The preservation of life needs to be of uttermost importance to us. It's not a matter of choice.... there shouldn't even be a choice to make! Life is life. We are not to give and take it. We are not God. God uses us as vehicles, Man and Woman together, to create life. By upholding laws that allow abortion to take place, we are feeding the animal of self indulgence that runs rampant in America today. 43% of women have an abortion by age 45.... 43%!!!!!! And 93% of all abortions are due to "social reasons" (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient). THIS is a great tragedy. Can you Imagine how many lives that adds up to be?!?!?! By allowing this to take place, we are turning our back on God's way of doing things, and we are in essence declaring ourselves as "god" and taking the issue of life into our own hands.

As a follower of Yeshua(Jesus), it's my responsibility is to stand up for Biblical righteousness. Political preference must be second to Gods call for us to be one nation under Him. -God must be first. And His ways must be first. No there is not a perfect candidate on that ballot. No there is not a perfect political party - by ANY MEANS... but there is a candidate that seeks to uphold some of these foundational issues that America was built on... and that candidate is without a doubt, John McCain.

www.bornalivetruth.org

Watch this:

loves

2008-10-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

don't forget to vote! :)

19 questions:

2008-10-21T07:35:00.001-07:00

what will be my legacy?
what do others see when they look at me?
what is my true destiny?
what are my innermost desires?
what is my passion?
what is it driven by?
what kind of songs should i be singing?
what kind of music do i write?
where do i draw my inspiration from?
who am i?
what characterizes me?
am i pleasing God?
am i seeking after His best?
am i being selfish?
am i acting out of fear?
am i acting out of comfort?
how do i know if i am making the right decision?
which door should i walk through?
what's the bottom line?

...bottom line is...
i want to be someone who says "YES!" to God

- no matter what.
- no matter where it takes me.
- no matter how i feel about the decision.
- no matter how it makes me look.

my answer to God's call must always be "YES!"

an old favorite

2008-09-05T11:46:00.001-07:00

Shane Barnard: Psalm 145

kinda funny...

2008-09-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well.... after an extremely busy past few days, things have finally slowed down for me.

Looking back over my last post I realize (yet again) how incredible God is. It seems like when I feel like i've reached my "wits end" - God opens a door. Has that ever happened to you? It's crazy... but i love it. I love how God works. He moves in ways that cause us to continually depend on Him and HIS move, not our own. What a smart way to operate! I know if my destiny was based on myself and my own abilities I would have royally screwed it up by now.... but thank God, it's not! :)

So yeah... on another note, I find myself really getting into this upcoming election and it's kinda shocked me actually. I'm not usually one to be so passionate about politics, but I believe that this is probably one of the most crucial elections of our time... and it's exciting to be a part of it. I encourage you (if you haven't already) to really look at what's going on in the political world around you - ask yourself what issues matter most...

Israel?
Abortion?
The War on Terror?
Oil?

Those are just a few at the top of my list... Once I had this figured out, it was obvious who I should support.

I urge you to do the same.

In keeping with the political theme - my husband showed me this video today and I thought it was pretty clever... enjoy!

"So, you wanna boycott Israel?"

SOOOOOOOOO ready...

2008-08-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Ever gotten to the point where you feel like you're just "SO READY" for a new season to begin in your life? Well... that's where i'm at. In fact... I don't think it's possible to be MORE ready than I am right now... Really. It's not.

Anyone concur?

a SERIOUS blessing...

2008-08-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay... so... those of you who have been with me a while may have heard my excitement over a guitar that was being made for me.... a gentleman by the name of Dennis Kwasnycia (www.kwasnyciaguitars.com) allowed me to handpick all of the materials and basically design a guitar perfectly suited for me... His are unlike any i've ever seen and it's obvious when you take a look at them... I even requested a little Hebrew thrown into the design and he was able to accomplish it beautifully!

Here are a few shots my husband took just after we received it today....

a full length:

And a couple close ups on the front detail:

If you're wondering what the Hebrew stands for, it can be translated as "Shaddai" which is one of the many names for God. Now... in the Hebrew language you'll often find many meanings for one word - many different ways to translate just one phrase - and even some meaning hidden in the root of each word. "Shaddai" is an example of this. One of my favorite translations is simply "Almighty"... Another that really strikes a chord with my heart is "Guardian of the Doors of Israel". It's my desire to really posses the keys that open the doors to Israel, to the hearts of God's people... And to the hearts of the nations all around us. I believe that music is a HUGE aspect of this. It can reach people in ways that nothing else can, and my prayer for the future is that the Lord really uses me in a mighty way to impact not only those around me, but the world around me. I know i'm setting my goals a bit high - but hey... i serve an Almighty God! :)

sorrrrrrrrrry

2008-08-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

so... just wanted to stop in real quick and say i'm sorry for the lack of contact over the past week. My best girl friend in the ENTIRE WORLD - Tovah Rose - came down to visit me for the weekend and we were quite busy while she was here.

Anyway... things should be back to normal shortly... I'm headed down to Orlando for the evening and then back home to relax for the rest of the weekend. (THANK GOD... i DEFINITELY need a couple days of "down time")

Alrighty, much love!

SHARON.

2008-08-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

I really believe that there is a lot of significance to our names... The Bible is very clear on this. We can look back through history and see circumstances when God even changed the name of some, in order to "kick off" a new season in their life.

Not only do our names give some meaning and insight into who we are or who we may become, but often times they offer some prophetic insight into our own spiritual destiny. Ever since I was a child my father has told me that the Lord specifically gave him my name - Sharon Michelle. Now I've looked allllllllllllllllllll over the internet to find the literal meaning of my name, hoping to find out that it means something STRONG like Lioness of God... or anything along those lines. You can imagine my excitement to find out that my name meant "a flat plain". Great. Real cool. A FLAT PLAIN!

Well last night I had the desire to look into this a bit more and search out the verses that mentioned "Sharon". I found that 7 out of 8 times my name was used to describe a location (i'm assuming "a flat plain") in the middle east. Okay so at least now I have a bit of background on where this wonderful flat plain is located. While reading through these scriptures, I found that I was drawn to one particular verse in Isaiah (no shocker to those who know me - as this happens to be one of my favorite books in the Bible!).

Isaiah 65:10~
Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek me.

FINALLY my search yields some depth! :)

Of course my next step is to expand the chapter and read it in it's entirety... and the more I read, the more my spirit is stirred. The beginning of the chapter focuses on God's grace to His people. How he had revealed Himself even to those who had not searched for Him... How he continued to hold His hands out those who have turned their hearts away from him - a people who shamelessly mock Him. He goes on to speak of another group... those who will "possess His mountains". These people make up a remnant of faithful servants to the Lord.... and NOW is where Sharon comes in! During this time that Sharon will become a pasture for flocks. I LOVE THAT!!!! So this plain, that once was thought of as flat and desolate will bloom into a pasture... a place where flocks will come and receive nourishment and food in order to sustain themselves.

All this to say that after reading that passage I felt like the Lord gave me an even more targeted mission. THAT is how I want my life... my music... to be:

-a pasture
-a resting place
-nourishment to others

And I know it's only through God's grace that I can accomplish this.

So what does your name mean? :)

sometimes

2008-08-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

sometimes i need a little pick-me-up during the day:

thank God for adorable animals.

i love my sasha!

dreaming big...

2008-07-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sooooo.... things have been CRAZY busy this summer... and I mean completely hectic. I guess that's a good thing because it means that life is moving forward.

Over the past few days I've taken some time to reflect... to pray.... and to dream BIG. Part of me is scared to really allow myself to do this, to run with the thoughts swirling in my head - I guess it's the natural "fear of failure" that tries to jump on us at any moment... however, when I really let myself "go there" and think about all the incredible things God could have in store for me, I get SO EXCITED.... because it's not about ME... but what God can do WITH me...

Carpe Diem my friends! :)

so close to my heart....

2008-07-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to see what God can do with us - what can come from God birthing a vision in just one. My father is an INCREDIBLE example of this. Because of his faithfulness to the Lord, the imprint he has already put on this earth is larger than he could have ever dreamed. I'm so excited to watch where the Lord leads him... and it's truly an honor to be raised under such an anointing. Here is just ONE of the many tremendous works that God is using my Dad and the MJAA to fulfill...

for more information on the MJAA visit: www.mjaa.org

ok so hi

2008-07-24T07:31:00.001-07:00

well... i've finally given in and started an official blog page... i had tried before but encountered a few complications so i just decided to start over. so here it is!

much love.

fear...thanksgiving... life

2008-07-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Calm in the midst of the storm? I'd like to say that is a quality I posses, however two nights ago that was not the case.

On our flight from Atlanta to Jacksonville we encountered a terrible lightening storm. I've flown a lot in my life and never have I experienced weather like this.. or fear like this... I was sitting in my seat next to Joel (my wonderful husband) and looking out the window thinking: "There's no way that's lightening... could it be?" It was so intense that if on the ground I'd probably be hiding in a closer or something - but to be right in the midste of it - IN THE AIR - wow. I just can't even explain the feeling... just a complete lack of control. My life - ultimately in God's hands - was at the mercy of the small aircraft and the violent storm around me.

I'd love to look back over those twenty minutes (thought they seemed like hours), and say that I displayed the peace of God, I'd love to say that fear did not seemingly overtake me in the moment, I mean... I know where I'm going, I know that life absent from earth means to be present with God... but I could not help but think that my work here on earth is not yet finished - and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue in it.

I don't really have anything profound to say in this blog, I guess this is just me being transparent with all of you. I look back over that flight with disappointment in myself... I wish I could have been a model of peace and strength - as Joel was to me. I wish i could have been like the man sitting one row over, quietly meditating on the Bible in front of him. I wish I could have been as Yeshua was - the quiet in the midst of the storm. But this time... that was not me.

We all have weaknesses, and two nights ago mine was definitely made evident. I'm so blessed that the Lord has given me a husband who not only hears the Word of the Lord and follows - but one is characterized by the peace and strength of God. I can learn so much from him.... So, thank you Joel, for being an amazing role model for me, and thank you Yeshua for the blessing of life.