FREE TO LIVE AGAIN

Free to live again
Free from the lies again
To be a child again

Playing in a garden full of flowers
Away from the bitter taste of wasted time and the paranoid grind
Waiting for the next back stab or friendly jab that troubles your soul
but your to old to cry
So you unwind with artificial bliss, trying to get back this....


To be a child again
Free from the lies again
Free to live again


Inspired by a loved ones DUI, a friends crooked eye, and a project of wasted time.
SR

Broken is Beautiful Lyrics Shuree, Hayes, Lee, Oh Hush 2010

BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL- Shuree

Verse 1

A diamond with a flaw
Shines more than them all
A crack in the wall
Let’s the light in
A heart that is bruised
Is tender from the wound
But I know what love can do
If you let it heal
 
Pre Chorus:

All the possibilities
When you see it differently

Chorus-
           
BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL
THOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM
BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL
TAKE IT FROM ME
THAT BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL

Verse 2

Dirty city streets
Trees without their leaves
There hiding underneath
Is love and beauty
It feels like you’ve lost your way
Running from your mistakes
Well that’s just the place
Where grace will find you

Chorus

Bridge:

I’ve been where you are
I’ve fallen apart
I’ve had my heart torn to pieces
I’ve laid down and cried
I’ve wanted to hide
Wooo
But then I found out!

Chorus



RAP:
I used to walk around with my head down
Trying real hard to shut out the sound
Your not black enough
Your not white enough
Your not bold enough
Your not cold enough

It took awhile to shut out the voices
But baby gurl you know its all about your choices

So if you ever been down PUT YOUR HANDS UP
Pushed Around PUT YOUR HANDS UP
Misunderstood PUT YOUR HANDS UP
Called no good PUT YOUR HANDS UP
Overlooked PUT YOUR HANDS UP
Now If your feelin me lift your voice up

Chorus

Jesus was an entertainer.

Many times I have heard people say we don't want to entertain we just want to keep everything Christ centered and not get in the way. After hearing this several times I did a little research and found the definition of entertain to be VERY interesting, it means:

en·ter·tain (ntr-tn)
v. en·ter·tained, en·ter·tain·ing, en·ter·tains
v.tr.
1. To hold the attention of with something amusing or diverting.

When I see this definition I am convicted that leading people to worship (to give their whole selves to God for His purposes) does not need to be VOID of entertainment.

Jesus chose to do a miracle that entertained people at a wedding by providing them wine to drink for their pleasure but ultimately for His glory! He did not do this just to provide a trick but Jesus performed these miracles and wonder works in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory [by it He displayed His greatness and His power openly], and His disciples believed in Him [adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him]- JOHN 2

I desire to divert the attention of the people away from self away from all the distractions and internal roadblocks and CAPTURE their attention through art, beauty, creativity, story and once diverted, point them to CHRIST! Great painters have done this, Authors have done this, CREATION DOES THIS! I am amused by the handiwork of God and honestly nothing diverts my attention more towards God then a beautiful body of water.

Entertainment is not bad IF it is entertainment that conforms you to the mind of Christ.

As a worship leader and artist I walk in this tension and have concluded that entertainment is not bad IF the entertainment conforms you to the mind of Christ.


If turning water into wine could be used by God to divert the attention of people towards Him what more could He use?

What is Shuree's inner flame? Her fire?

So getting home tonight from opening for the Building 429/Royal Tailor/ Leeland Concert. First let me say thank you to all who came out and supported this event! I was blown away by how many of you showed your love and support!! Thank you!

Ok so in my song, "Nothing in This World" I talk about my inner flame and fire, and some people have asked what this means. My inner flame is what burns in my spirit, it's the same fire that empowered the saints of old to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to speak to evil and shut it down, to see the unseen and to slay giants.

You see, the light, or flame is in all Gods children and we all must rely on it for our strength. What would happen if we all let it burn brightly, so brightly it could be seen, felt, and used to change the world around us?

Ephesians 20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Why I write and sing....

Message from a fan below that reminded me of why I am making this album Broken is Beautiful:

You had a huge impact on my life, you're music and your story as well touched my heart in a very special way. I just wanted to thank you for sharing it with me and my family. I just recently lost a friend to suicide...And I remembered your story and "Broken is Beautiful" I don't think I would have taken it as well without the experience I had in Dekalb at Praisapolooza!! I love you

Through the ups and downs you'll stay

You know those ladies in the church that make you feel so loved and so convicted at the same time? I have a few of those in my life. Recently one came up to me and after a big hug said "why haven't you told us you were sick?" I responded, "I don't want you to worry or think I am unable to do what I need to do." She then went on to say showing my human side only would inspire her and others to realize we all have limitations.

The last 2 weeks have really been hard health wise. I missed 2 weeks in the studio, which has put me behind, and I have had to say no to some very special things to me. All this to say I am learning more and more to

1. Ask for help
2. Focus on what's important.(Prioritize)
3. Be true to my body, heart and Spirit when it is speaking to me about limitations.
4. Seek God direction for even small decisions.
5. Slow down

I have had no control over so many things lately but that which I do have control over is how I manage my time and respond to adversity.

Today I was supposed to head to the studio but my keys were locked inside the car...I rode my bike to get them for my husband and found him in a meeting with his Music Business club. They were planning one of my upcoming events and they invited me in. I felt at that moment to talk with the kids and thank them for there work and asked them if they had any questions for me. It turned into a time of me helping them process relationships with boyfriends and how to keep working hard for there dreams. After some girls shed some tears it was clear that moment was divine.
So no I did not get to the studio but I got to my purpose that lies behind the music touching lives and building relationship. That is how it all works we are to be there for one another in the ups and downs, we must be telling of our struggles so that others can enter into our lives with comfort wisdom and love.

One Girl (Can Change the World) Lyrics by Shuree Music Copyright 2010

ONE GIRL CAN CHANGE THE WORLD


VERSE 1:

I’m not the kind of girl who’s just a pretty face

Stilettos, fancy clothes, no I gotta brain

I’m not the kind of girl who’s backin’ off

I’m moving forward, steppin’ up, ain’t playin’ around


PRE:

Ready to put up a fight

To make a difference in life

Don’t let em push you around no


Do it one girl at a time

Put your sign in the sky

So let your colors fly


HOOK/CH:

One girl can change the world

We gonna turn this place out

One girl can change the world

Yeah we’re livin’ it loud

So turn it upppp – if you know who you are

So turn it upppp – girl you shine like a star

One girl can change the world

So hit me up if you’re down


VERSE 2:

I’m the kind of girl I be up in your face

Speak my mind, lay it down, ready to play

I’m the kind of girl who’s keepin’ it real

Got no disguise, I just wear my heart on my sleeve


PRE:

Ready to put up a fight

To make a difference in life

Don’t let em push you around no


Do it one girl at a time

Put your sign in the sky

So let your colors fly


HOOK/CH:

One girl can change the world

We gonna turn this place out

One girl can change the world

Yeah we’re livin’ it loud

So turn it upppp – if you know who you are

So turn it upppp – girl you shine like a star

One girl can change the world

So hit me up if you’re down


BRIDGE:

Look up in the sky-sky

Flyin’ up so high-high

You’ll hear them say “Who’s that girl, who’s that girl”


Look up in the sky-sky

Flyin’ up so high-high

You’ll hear them say “Who’s that girl, who’s that girl”

One girl

Ya'll ready?
Let's go!
I'm gonna
Your gonna
Were gonna
Change the world!

CH:

Singer at Compass Church releases first album - Naperville Sun

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN THE NAPERVILLE SUN ABOUT MY NEW UPCOMING ALBUM: BROKEN IS BEAUTIFUL. READ THIS TO GET TO KNOW THE STORY BEHIND THE ALBUM!:)

Shuree Rivera, a worship leader at Compass Church in Naperville, will be sharing her message with a larger audience when she releases her album "Broken is Beautiful." Photo by Sarah Barlow Photography
On the web
To learn more about Shuree Rivera, visit www.shureemusic.com

Updated: September 23, 2011 2:55PM

Shuree Rivera believes that one girl can change the world, and she just might be the person for the job.
Rivera, a music leader at Compass Church in Naperville, is taking her message beyond the house of worship with the release of her first album, “Broken is Beautiful.”
“Through my music, I want to reach people at a place that encourages them to live with a purpose,” Rivera said. “I want to write lyrics you can live by and not just sing to.”
The singer-songwriter speaks from experience. Rivera said that, while growing up, drug and alcohol abuse was prevalent in her home. Domestic violence was a common occurrence.
She said many of the stories she tells through songs such as “One Girl (Can Change the World)” and “Broken is Beautiful” come from her childhood experiences.
“My mom is a recovering crack addict, and I lost my 21-year-old sister to a drug overdose,” Rivera said. “I grew up in a home where I loved to sing, and it was my escape from the realities that were happening. I would write lyrics and sing to soothe my soul.”
It wasn’t until she left home and got involved in urban ministry that she found her true calling.
“I was first exposed to urban ministry — a nonprofit outreach to young people — while a student at College of New York,” Rivera said. “That is where I realized that a lot of young people shared my story, and I found a place where I was able to relate to the world.”
She went on to graduate with a degree in music business in 2001, and began pursuing her dream as a recording artist. Her first album, “Broken is Beautiful,” will be released in November.
“I wanted to become a recording artist and write some of the things that were on my heart,” Rivera said. “My hope is that in this album, the lyrics will be alternative anthems people can sing when they are feeling down, that will give them hope and courage.”
Shelley Bacote would say she is succeeding. She first heard Rivera’s music while attending a service at Compass Church, and said Rivera’s “soulful voice” makes her “songs and their messages stick in your mind.”
“Shuree’s songs minister to young and mature women alike, particularly those who may have gone through difficult times or personal struggles,” Bacote said. “Her music has a way of offering the hope that their future will be better than their past.”
Bacote said Rivera’s personal struggles serve as inspiration for all who hear her music.
“To a person who is currently going through something that is causing them stress or worry, her story can remind them that, even if their situation doesn’t immediately change, they should not give up on life.”

Click here to go to the Sun Times website and read the article there!

Singer at Compass Church releases first album - Naperville Sun

Reaching Your Dreams.

Reaching your dreams..

Why are so many people doing what they hate and wishing to do what they love? On my journey I have had those seasons. Those seasons are mostly inevitable. We can't always have what we want when we want it but we can always hope for and work towards what we want.

Dreams take a heck of a lot of work, patience and relentless pursuit. Many dreamers lack these qualities and therefore never awake to the ultimate fulfillment of their dreams. I invite you to go on a journey with me towards your dreams. Dreams are attainable but will need to be nurtured. We must pray in faith and take one strategic step at a time, until what we want is fully captured.

Come along with me...

Burning....

We all have the capacity to set our minds and energy towards many goals and dreams through out our lives. Many dreams and goals you will fail at, some you will win, but if you never try you will never taste success.

What's burning in your heart? Do it. What have you failed at? Learn from it.
What are you hoping for? Work towards it.

It's worth it.

Shuree

I used to fear evil but now I seek to know what's behind the dark curtain...

"We must seek to understand if we want to make a change" S.R.

Darkness used to haunt me, casting shadows in my windows and monsters in my dreams
My mamma would say "Call out to the Light and the darkness will flee," so every night I would scream...

Fear used to grip my soul when I was blind to the unknown, the source, the root.

It's the Truth that sets us free but we live in mystery wondering
when the hammer will fall and dreams be withdrawn
by a hidden enemy seeking to destroy our destines
BUT NOW I SEE...

This blog post is based on Matt 10:26 "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known." NIV

By His cuts we are healed....

THIS STORY IS FROM OF ONE OF THE GIRLS I MET AFTER ONE OF MY CONCERTS, AND IS BEING SHARED WITH HER PERMISSION:

"As a 6 yr old child I was raped for 3 years by a couple of neighborhood teenage boys. I realized at age 11 what had happened to me and I then had to attend counseling which didn't go well because I was too afraid to talk to anyone about it. I grew up in church and received Jesus as my Savior when I was 13. I got baptized a week later. I attended church camp throughout my teen years and enjoyed it very much. When I was 16 I began cutting. I don't really remember why though."


After reading this story here in my living room, I'm staring outside my window at the sun dancing through the tree's wondering how many girls are taking knives to their arms to medicate the pain of life. For me, I see the beauty all around me, but for many other girls, darkness is eating away at their souls and even the sun looks gray to them.

When we suffer abuse it haunts us, it causes an overwhelming feeling of fear and shame. The young woman in this story was not at fault for being raped at age 6, she's not at fault for not being able to tell anyone until she was 11. She was a victim and God's tears flowed down over her situation. God sent His son Jesus to this earth because He knew evil things would be done and many people would need a Savior and a healer. God knew this little girl would need to be healed from the pain caused by the sins of the boys who raped her.

My personal story is not one of rape but there were many painful abusive situations I faced as a child. I remember when the darkness tried to overtake my existence as young woman. I remember wishing that I was dead. What stopped me from hurting myself? The Word of God.

I had to believe with a ton of faith God had plans to prosper me and did not plan to harm me and that God would give me a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

I began to come to God, pray to Him, listen to Him and look to Him with ALL my heart and God came to me and healed me slowly day by day. Jeremiah 29:12-13

The young lady in the story above shared with me that she is now praying and calling out to God with all of her heart and reading the Word of God, and she is losing the desire to cut herself. She is listening to God's word and is trusting He has a good future for her. She is now finding JOY!

She is realizing that Christ already took on her pain and even suffered so she would not have to bring pain to herself. In the Bible Isaiah 53:5 says:

He was wounded(Cut, Pierced) for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.

The cutting, piercing, wounds and scars have already been taken on by Jesus so YOU and I can have peace and healing.

If you or someone you know is "cutting" please know God knows the pain you have inside and if you call on Jesus and trust Him He will be what you need to get through the darkness and start living in the light and in joy. He was cut for us, we don't have to bear those scars. FOR HELP VISIT: To Write Love on Her Arms website:

http://www.twloha.com/
I love you-
Shuree

To respond to this or to share you story, comment here or send me a personal email to shureerivera@gmail.com

I wanna be ready...

So I am NOT a big fan of fire and brimstone preaching I am more on the side of helping people discovering Gods love and falling deeply in love with their Father-God. I want to see people coming to Him with a heart that is not bitter but full of gratitude for what He has done for us through His Son Jesus.

With that said: I read a scripture today that moved me:
23 "If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. 24 Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.

This was a reminder to me that we live in a world where the pure gospel is being hidden and adjusted to fit what makes us humans more comfortable or looks more appealing rather then what the gospel really is: A call to lay down your life as Christ laid down His life. A call to love others as yourself and to love the Lord God with all our hearts and all our strength and all our minds. This is what the true God desires. The false Gods and preachers of this world will say " Do what you want as long as that's how your were born" or "Look out for self above all else" or "Give tons of money to the church and then God will love you." God is not out for your money or your fame or even your prefrences HE desires that His glory and Love would be seen on the earth and that His creation would worship Him and live in His presence doing the good He created each one of us to do. The bible talks about Jesus returning for His children, and to be ready. I want to be ready when Jesus comes and be found doing the good He has called me to and being true to the pure gospel of Jesus.

Words of David Wilkerson that have inpired me as I continue my journey

I thank God for family
I thank God for ministry
I thank God for for 50 years of ministry
But folks it’s boiled down to one issue
One desire

It’s more then wanting to be loved and appreciated or the cheers or praises of man
It’s more then wanting to be comfortable or secure in your old age and having some retirement plan
That means nothing
It comes down to this one issue

I want to be like Jesus
I want to see his face
I want to be a reflection of who He is

Lord when you said seek my face my heart said unto you thy face Lord your face will I seek

That’s the answer

Learn more about David Wilkerson's legacy. How he turned thugs into priests, cities into temple and a generation into God seekers.
Follow this link: http://vimeo.com/23002650

One Girl (Can Change the World)

The lil ones

Recently at church I was talking to a little girl who loves to sing. She showed me a YouTube video of herself singing a hit pop song that's out right now. I watched the video and waited to see if she would sing some of the lyrics that were clearly not biblically on point, she sang the lyrics all the way through. I asked her do you know what you are singing, she said yes and went on to explain. I asked her do you think what you just sang is Gods view? She said yes. The interesting thing is when I showed her scripture that revealed a different view she was shocked. I told her I love the song your singing but just because I love the way the song sounds it does not mean that what the song is saying is right. I told her I sing these songs in my wedding band and I re-write some lyrics that I know are not God honoring when I have to sing the songs and encouraged her to get creative and try to do the same.

This interaction got me thinking about how tweens and teens are getting their theology. In this case the artist was giving a very strong and compelling theological view of sexuality, in fact the artist was even stating that their view was Gods view. What I think is interesting is that a lot of parents have no idea what their kids are listening to/singing. The lyrics in a lot of songs that are out are hidden behind a lot of cool sounds but underneath the sound is a message that is teaching young ones a worldview. It made me think I want to keep making music that can sound amazing and stand with the top artists but give positive uplifting messages that align with scripture.

So should you empty your kids I pod of all pop music? I don't think so. I think you should teach them to discern what is right and what is not. Listen to the music they listen to. Talk about it. Help them discover Gods truth. It's not the musical sound that's going misguide your kid, but the message might.

We have seen strange things today.

What I find interesting about the passage below is when Jesus say's "What is easier to say your sins are forgiven or get up and walk?" He say's this after a man is brought to him for healing of Palsy but instead Jesus say's your sins are forgiven. The people then complain as if He did nothing...
He goes on to heal the Palsy as well, but makes a point that the greater need is the healing from sin.

I am now pondering thi in my own life, I ask God for a lot of things but do I really believe that sin is what I am desperately in need healing from?

Luke 5:17-26

17 And it came to pass on one of those days, that he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judaea and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, men bring on a bed a man that was palsied: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19 And not finding by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20 And seeing their faith, he said, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 22 But Jesus perceiving their reasonings, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? 24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins (he said unto him that was palsied), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thy house. 25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God. 26 And amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things today.

Download my new SINGLE NOW! One Girl (Can Change the World)

Let's not settle for less then AWEsome

If God is awesome and we are created by Him then shouldn't who we are and what we do through him be awesome.

As an artist I am processing this. Now I know this does not mean everyone will like what you are doing BUT most of the time great things cause people to stand in AWE.

My goal is to allow the Awesome factor flow into everything I do for the Awesome God I serve!

Mamma's Drug

Just got done watching a movie called P-star Rising. http://www.pstarrising.com/index.php
This was a PBS documentary following a lil girl and her family as they pursued a music dream. P-Star raised by her dad, is an amazingly talented lil girl who wonders where her strung out mother is. P-Star has a sister with a learning disability who often gets left behind and so desperately needs a mother.

My heart broke for the girls in this movie and fueled my passion to keep doing music and using it as a means to minister and inspire others with broken life stories and stolen dreams.

After watching this movie I was moved to write these words about MY life journey.

Mamma's Drug

I thought you were normal

till I became a teen 

and secretly read the pages of your diary

I had 3 brothers and sisters

that came before me

but their faces I would never see

It made me question

how did I survive 

Later I found out that I almost died

but you were brave enough 

to tell your mamma no

and gave  birth to me at 16 years old

You ran away from home 

only finished 8th grade

home was a place where you didn't feel safe

Childhood abuse screwed you mentally

making you a mom 

who couldn't see

a new day had begun

but the demons of your past

seemed to always come

You locked your self up 

when your bipolar hit

Daddy and you 

began to split

A past of pain, regrets, and no love 

tore up your soul

and made you turn to drugs

I never knew you were an addict before 

and this was how you coped 

before I was born

5 kids later

we all wait for the day

when we'll have our mother 

and her demons are slayed

Cause we're all waitin for a little love 

but all we keep gettin is our mamma's drug

* My mamma's still fighting her addiction to this day and I am SO proud of her for fighting...and I'm praying one day she will be free.

 Love you mom.

Why P!nk is becoming one of my FAV artists.

O.K so Pink has been around for a while but she has just caught my attention with her last few songs. One thing I love about her is she is herself. I feel she is 110 percent PINK. She is creative, fun and entertaining. She is also crazy talented. Her Grammy performance Glitter in the Air showcased her great voice and her TRUE Artistry. Check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3stsDXki__U
As a female artists I am looking for woman who hold their own and say forget you to the peeps who just don't get it. Art is something you must open your mind and heart too. She is in my opinion a true artist. I like how she not only sings her songs but she OWNS her songs! She sings them like she's all up in your face! I love it. She 's not just regurgitating something a hot Dr LUKE producer gave her:)

It takes a lot for an artist, especially a woman to get to the place where they have the freedom to be 110 percent them! To turn themselves up!
I like the lyrics in PINKS recent song Perfect:

The whole world's scared so I swallow the fear
So cool in line, and we try try try, but we try too hard and it's a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cause they're everywhere
They don't like my jeans, they don't get my hair
Exchange ourselves, and we do it all the time
Why do we do that? Why do I do that?

Why do I do that?

Yeah, oh, oh baby, pretty baby!
Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Like you're less than, less than perfect
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel
Like you're nothing, you are perfect to me
You're perfect, you're perfect to me!
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing
You are perfect to me

Peace is my desire

This journey to the new album has been amazing. I have met a lot of great peeps, and produced some great music. There have been some bumpy paths along the way and as I am retooling my team, I am asking God to lead me by giving me peace about moving forward in certain directions. As I read today's study in Isa 59:8 this jumped out to me and reminded me to stay where the peaces lies and then peace and blessings on my side.

8  The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace. 

Are you on a path that is disrupting your peace? You  might want to consider if that's the path you should be on....if so, be brave and & gracefully get off and start trekking to a better road. 

Believe me it's worth it.

Wherever I go, will You come with me?

Today's devotion was found in Exodus 33:15 Moses replied, “If you do not go with us, don't make us leave this place. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with your people and with me if you do not go with us? Your presence with us will distinguish us from any other people on earth.”

As a singer I find myself at parties, bars, etc...but a worship leader I lead people in church on Sundays to meet with their God. My prayer is that  no matter where I am, God's presence is  with me. He gives me a voice to sing and work, but my job is to make the most of every opportunity and give him the opportunity to use me wherever I am to bring glory to Him. This is my prayer.


Will you pray this with me and for me?

Here is a link to Brooke Frasier interview that shines some light on this topic. Brooke is a worship leader (singer of popular Hillsong tune Hosanna) and Pop/Alternative singer who walks this line as well and with much power, grace and success.

http://www.aboutchristianmusic.com.au/brooke_fraser_interview.html

How some music relates to the loss of innocence which leads to death...

Genisis3:4 The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. 5 God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."

Rihanna, AKA Good girl gone bad, a famous pop artist especially among woman and young girls has a song out now called S&M which stands for: Sadimasochism

Sadism is pleasure in the infliction of pain or humiliation upon another person, while masochism is pleasure in receiving the pain.^[1] These terms may be used clinically, in psychotherapy, to describe mental illnesses, psychopathology or counterproductive coping mechanisms. 

How music relates to the loss of innocence which leads to death... Rhianna's song S&M deeply disturbs me. A few years ago Rhianna was brutally beaten by her then famous pop star boyfriend Chris Brown. Her black& blue bleeding face was all over the news, tabloids and Internet. I think it's odd that a few years later Rhianna releases a song about how being beat during sex brings pleasure. Here are some of the lyrics:

Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me.

Could it be she lost her innocence? Could it be because of the evil she unfortunately experienced she has now turned to something harmful as a coping mechanism instead of yearning for a tender, safe, loving, relationship God intended her to have.

The sad thing about this is many girls have heard Rhianna's song S&M and I am sure it has sparked a curiosity to know what a relationship full of "pleasurable violence" might be like. Woman all over may be thinking. "She was beat and is fine, so I can be too." The secret in all of this is Rhianna is not fine but just a few steps closer to death, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Rhianna had an opportunity to be a role model that could help woman avoid relationships that  were harmful but instead she is sharing forbidden fruit, songs that advocate harmful relationships God never intended.

As I read today's study in on the garden of eden and how Eve was deceived by evil to basically do and desire that which God never intended for her, I was struck by how the evil one got her in his trap. He basically played on her curiosity and made her not trust the one who loved her enough to keep her pure, safe, carefree, innocent. Eve wanted to know what it would be like to know it all. Eve wanted to experiment with the forbidden, and at the moment she did she lost her innocence and began her journey toward death.

Do you wonder how many girls will be led away into abusive relationships, lose their innocence and experience pain that no father or mother would ever want their daughter to face because of this song?


Do you ever wonder how many good girls will "go bad" or go for the bad boy(forbidden fruit) out of curiosity or because they believe the deceit this songs feeds?



 

Live with integrity. Put up with crap

1 Peter 2:20 
For one is regarded favorably (is approved, acceptable, and thankworthy) if, as in the sight of God, he endures the pain of unjust suffering. 20  [After all] what kind of glory [is there in it] if, when you do wrong and are punished for it, you take it patiently? But if you bear patiently with suffering [which results] when you do right and that is undeserved, it is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Love vs: Depravity

Hebrews 1:3 He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. 

Deep thought...Gods Word is propelling, upholding, maintaining, and guiding the universe. The earth is subject to Christ,  and because of free will we have a choice to submit to His propelling power or fight it. Now I understand why destruction comes upon those who reject the Word. To try and fight a power that great (which at the core of it's power is love) will lead to a place of depravity.

Collosians 1:19 -20 So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. 20 Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe-people and things, animals and atoms-get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.

I just got home form voice lessons and my teacher was talking to me about resonance. 
• the condition in which a voice produces the largest possible oscillating sound, esp. when the chakra is connected to the Spirit and is balanced. 

This may seem weird to you unless you are an actor, you know exactly what I am talking about. But this verse reminds me that we are all lives that are oscillating and being drawn to the Spirit and He is putting all things in their proper order. The bible says in Him we live move and have our being, but sometimes we are drawn away from Him and things become broken, confusing, etc...but the core (Spirit) is always there calling your life and spirit back to order. If we stop resisting and allow all the pieces of our lives to be put into Gods order and flow, we will find that perfect harmony stated in Collosians 1:20  

Day 2 of Essential Jesus thoughts..

Phil 2:12-13
Redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. 13 That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure. 

This is interesting because it says the energy(Spirit) is God within me working at what will bring Him the most pleasure. So this leads me to think my pleasure is a byproduct of HIS pleasure. My pleasure should not be the goal, it apparently is not God's ultimately.
John Piper renown theologian and preacher says, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in HIM." So my pleasure is in knowing God, communing with God, loving God....and then God is glorified or is full of pleasure.

Thoughts?
Shuree

The Essential Jesus-Take this journey with me...

I am so excited about this season of Shuree Music!! In fact one thing I'm most pumped about is connecting with friends and fans through music and scripture. The album is still in process and I am now in the Studio YEAH!!!

Another big part of my life as an artist is scripture and the health of my soul and Spirit. I am embarking on a reading plan called-

The Essential Jesus-http://m.youversion.com/reading-plans/the-essential-jesus

The Essential Jesus is 100 carefully selected passages from the Bible that will help us discover who Jesus is and why he is so significant -- even life transforming. Through both Old and New Testament readings we will discover why God sent Jesus, what Jesus taught, how he treated people, why he did miracles, and the meaning of his death, the significance of his resurrection, and what the Bible says about his second coming. Louie Giglio of the Passion movement suggested this plan to a group of worship leaders at Willow.  

I would love if YOU would read with me The Essential Jesus and via social media, this blog, facebook, twitter we share the truths God speaks to our hearts. 

No need to post comments everyday, but PLEASE post insights that you feel could build up other believers and I will do the same.  


Let me know if your down!!???!!


Love-
Shuree