There is a false narrative and a false hope and sense of direction being spoken in the land by church leaders. This is not the time to sugar-coat the Truth. We are in the midst of a shaking and a wake-up-call as the Lord stands at the door and knocks. "IF" we meet the condition we will indeed see and experience a mighty outpouring of God's Glory as His Spirit sweeps through our land with a revival as His people wake up. IF MY PEOPLE...
A 17-year-old snake hunter from Kansas impressed the judges with her country audition on American Idol.
MaKayla is a high school student from the country who has a thing for snakes. “Now, what do you do with the snakes?” Luke Bryan asks her after she says that she is a snake hunter.
“Oh, I just catch them, take pictures with them, and then throw them back,” says MaKayla.
“You just go out with a flashlight at night, go in the water, and catch a snake?” asks Lionel Richie. The judges seemed to be so surprised by this contestant’s hobby.
“Yeah!” says MaKayla. “Well we camp every weekend, so it gives me something to do.”
After sharing about her love of snakes, MaKayla charms the judges with her impressive audition. She sings “Traveling Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks.
“I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter says
A soldier's coming home”
Katy Perry is immediately stunned and impressed by MaKayla’s singing talent. “What a surprise! Like a snake in the water,” jokes Katy. “It’s so sweet and so sincere,” she says when talking about MaKayla’s voice.
“Let me tell you what I’m in love with,” says Lionel Richie. “You got this yodel cry. That’s a real magic trick you got. It’s a signature for you.”
After all three judges go around and share their comments about MaKayla’s audition, they all vote to send her to Hollywood and hand her a golden ticket.
She is extremely excited and heads outside of the audition room to celebrate with her family. “I’m so shocked,” shares MaKayla. “Everything that I’ve ever dreamed of is in my hands right now. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me by far.”
A husband and wife duo from Oregon sing a beautiful rendition of the classic Irish folk tune ‘Danny Boy’.
“Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide.”
Reilly and McKenzie Zamber make up this musical pair and they call themselves The Hound + The Fox. In this song, they fill the music with such lovely harmonies and the scenery that they shot the music video in is simply stunning.
Fans of The Hound + The Fox requested for them to cover this song and these two definitely delivered! “Hello lovely people!” writes Reilly and McKenzie. “Hopefully this highly requested Celtic classic can bring you some calm during this trying and uncertain time.”
This song and the way they perform it is definitely something that can put you in a more serene place, even amidst the stress of daily life.
“So sweet and beautiful. Very calming in this anxiety-filled time,” writes one YouTube user about their ‘Danny Boy’ video.
Another YouTube user comments, “The harmonies are spectacular in this, and the way you alternate between melody and harmony so seamlessly is stellar. Then you finish with a little unison that is spot on. I love this...goosebumps all over. Thanks so much!”
On The Hound + The Fox YouTube page, the musical couple write a little bit about themselves and what they are passionate about. “We love to create our own versions of songs that inspire us, and we love to write and share our own originals as well,” shares the couple. “We are passionate about the visuals and the stories that accompany our music and we hope that you can see that in our videos we have uploaded here.”
May this beautiful couple continue to use their gifts to bring joy to others!
While the people of Barcelona, Spain are either self-isolating or under quarantine because of the coronavirus crisis, one saxophone player serenades the residents in his community from his balcony. What a beautiful way to inspire hope and bring a smile to the faces of the people around him!
The saxophone player’s name is Alex Lebron, and he, like many other musicians, is using music to get through this difficult time. Since COVID-19 became a global pandemic, many countries have had to turn to social distancing and quarantine to stop the virus from spreading so quickly. And Spain, the country that this video was recorded in, happens to be one of the countries most deeply affected by the coronavirus crisis, reporting several thousand cases of COVID-19.
While Alex plays his saxophone, people on the streets below and around him in the surrounding balconies are clapping for him and cheering him on. They are enjoying the smooth, soulful sound that he is bringing to the neighborhood. A piano can also be heard in the distance, joining in on the music. The piano player is just a few balconies away, so these two musicians can still play together and share their beautiful music with their neighbors.
While listening to Alex play in this video, he creates such a beautiful and moving sound with his instrument. He plays with such passion, and it is clear that he deeply feels the music. His neighbors must feel so grateful that he is sharing his lovely gift with them.
As the music from the saxophone and piano carry through the nearly empty streets below, I hope those that hear it will be reminded that we must all continue to lift each other up during this hard time. May we all spread kindness and encouragement where we can and hold onto our faith to get us through.
While the people of Barcelona, Spain are either self-isolating or under quarantine because of the coronavirus crisis, one saxophone player serenades the residents in his community from his balcony. What a beautiful way to inspire hope and bring a smile to the faces of the people around him!
The saxophone player’s name is Alex Lebron, and he, like many other musicians, is using music to get through this difficult time. Since COVID-19 became a global pandemic, many countries have had to turn to social distancing and quarantine to stop the virus from spreading so quickly. And Spain, the country that this video was recorded in, happens to be one of the countries most deeply affected by the coronavirus crisis, reporting several thousand cases of COVID-19.
While Alex plays his saxophone, people on the streets below and around him in the surrounding balconies are clapping for him and cheering him on. They are enjoying the smooth, soulful sound that he is bringing to the neighborhood. A piano can also be heard in the distance, joining in on the music. The piano player is just a few balconies away, so these two musicians can still play together and share their beautiful music with their neighbors.
While listening to Alex play in this video, he creates such a beautiful and moving sound with his instrument. He plays with such passion, and it is clear that he deeply feels the music. His neighbors must feel so grateful that he is sharing his lovely gift with them.
As the music from the saxophone and piano carry through the nearly empty streets below, I hope those that hear it will be reminded that we must all continue to lift each other up during this hard time. May we all spread kindness and encouragement where we can and hold onto our faith to get us through.
With all the precautions going into place because of the Coronavirus, one high school’s choir show was canceled. But that didn’t stop the students from performing their music online!
After the annual Chino Valley Unified School District Choral Festival was canceled, students banded together to record their individual a cappella portion of “Over the Rainbow” in their separate homes. Then they took the multiple video recordings, compiled them together, and shared the collective song online! What a beautiful reminder of how music continues to bring us together during this tough time.
“Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dream of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dream of
Dreams really do come true”
The students demonstrated resilience and innovation by thinking outside of the box and not letting a canceled show stop them from sharing their talents. Because of their hard work and quick thinking, they were able to share a beautiful video with them all singing their respective parts. And all the harmonies coming together sounded so wonderful in the recording. I’m sure that they were able to spread some hope and cheer by sharing this inspiring performance.
With school closures happening all across the country, many important events such as concerts, proms, and graduations are being canceled. This has to be such a huge disappointment to parents and students. But just like these students showed us, there are sometimes other ways that we can come together.
Even though these students couldn’t be physically next to each other to sing at their school concert, they were still able to perform and share their talents creatively online. May we all continue to come together in creative ways to keep spreading hope and cheer to those around us.
American Idol hopeful Grace Leer impresses the judges with her take on ‘Crazy’ by Patsy Cline.
This iconic song was written by Willie Nelson and thrust into popularity after Patsy released her recording in 1961.
“Crazy, I'm crazy for feeling so lonely
I'm crazy, crazy for feeling so blue
I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted
And then someday you'd leave me for somebody new”
Today, Grace Leer is hoping that her interpretation is enough to earn a ticket to Hollywood. For years, Grace has dreamed of making it big in Nashville, but competition is stiff. But her bold performance received rave reviews from the judges.
Lionel Ritchie said, “I like the way you interpret. Your voice is cutting through. And you do well with on-the-spot.” Fellow country singer Luke Bryan called the performance ‘classic’ and said, “It’s not forced. And it’s great and it’s easy to listen to.”
As they went to vote, Grace couldn’t help but give in to her emotions. As tears filled up her ears, Grace explained that, “It just means a lot to hear that from people like you.” She went on to say that, “To hear that that classic sound that we’re trying do and that it came through, just means a lot. Thank you.”
After three ‘yes’ votes, Grace easily earned her golden ticket to Hollywood where she will compete with other competitors from all over the country. Do you think that Grace Leer has what it takes to be the next American Idol?
Trinity-Leigh Cooper caught the judge’s attention with her incredible rendition of ‘You Say’ on The Voice UK.
In 2018, this song became a smash hit for Christian artist Lauren Daigle. It climbed to the top of the charts and has become a favorite cover song for artists all over the globe. The inspirational lyrics remind us all that God is with us each step of the way.
“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I'm not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know”
Today, contestant Trinty-Leigh Cooper is putting her own spin on this beautiful tune as she competes in the knockout rounds on The Voice UK. The show starts with a blind audition where the coaches must listen to a voice and decide whether or not to turn around.
Trinity easily sailed through that process and now she is vying to keep her spot with this heartfelt rendition of ‘You Say.’ Just listen as she stands on stage and belts out these incredible lyrics.
“You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours”
Coach Meghan Trainor was on her feet as Trinty put her all into this song. And I’m clapping right along with her!
With the unprecedented nature and threat of the coronavirus, many countries have imposed quarantines and “social distancing” to help slow the rate of infection. To bring hope to those around them, quarantined Italians came out on their balconies to sing together.
The song that the people in this video are singing is the Italian national anthem called ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’. It was written in 1847 by a 20-year-old student named Goffredo Mameli, and the theme throughout the lyrics is unity. How appropriate since this is what we see happening in this video.
When Felice Bologna, a teacher and musician, started to play this song on his keyboard, over 300 people in the surrounding area stepped out onto their balconies to sing it together. And many of them recorded the song on their phones while they were in awe of what was happening.
“It was an amazing moment,” said Felice. It must feel amazing that he can use his gift of music during this time to bring people together.
The way that the music and voices fill the air in this moment is so beautiful. And many other videos have come out of Italy of people doing the same thing, using music to bring people together, despite distance. It is incredibly inspiring and is filling the world with hope.
During times of stress and illness, being deprived of social connection can make people feel even worse. And such radical changes to everyday life can come with consequences to people’s mental health and immune system. But these Italians show us that despite not being able to leave their homes, there are ways to still reach out to one another when you are seeking human connection. Whether it be through song or music, or through a video call or written letter, we can still show up for one another during these hard times.
Teen singer Ayn stuns the crowd with her beautiful rendition of ‘At Last’ on Little Big Shots.
This classic song was originally written in 1941 for a musical, but it wasn’t until 1960 that it became the iconic tune it is today. Etta James recorded her own arrangement and the song went straight to number one.
Even decades later, ‘At Last’ continues to be regularly played and covered by other artists all over the world. And whenever you hear those famous lyrics, it truly transports you back to another time and place.
“At last my love has come along
My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah
At last the skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you”
Today, Ayn is putting her own spin on this tune as she appears on Little Big Shots. This children’s talent program showcases incredible kids from all over the world. And once you hear Ayn’s voice, you’ll understand why she is on the show.
From the very first note, I knew that this was going to be an incredible performance. She may be young but this girl has such a big voice.
Every single note is absolute perfection and Ayn never wavers as she proudly stands on stage. I am so excited to see what the future holds for this young talent and her powerhouse vocals.
Who else was in awe of Ayn and her incredible Little Big Shots performance?
23-year-old Amber Fiedler pulled on all the heartstrings during her recent American Idol audition.
As she stood before the judges, Amber shared that she was currently 38 weeks pregnant. She also revealed that she had made the tough decision to put her daughter up for adoption. “I've had time to sit and think, and looking at the big picture of life, there's days where I don't even have $20 in my pocket. If I'm not ready to be a mom, why would I put her through that, you know?”
It truly takes a courageous and selfless woman to make this decision and everyone commended Amber for sharing her story. That’s when she belted out the words to ‘Trust In Me’ by Etta James and truly won over the judges.
“Trust in me in all you do
Have the faith I have in you
Love will see us through, if only you trust in me
Why don't you, you trust me?”
Her smooth sound instantly struck a chord with the room. Luke Bryan said, “Very very timeless sound. Very easy to listen to. It was just timeless, in my opinion.” After an unanimous ‘yes’ vote, Katy Perry had these kind words for Amber. “We’re here to support you through this process. You’re not alone.”
Now, Amber is on her way to Hollywood for a chance to follow her dream. And she’ll serve as great example for the daughter that you can achieve anything that you set your mind to.
Who else is looking forward to her next performance?
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