How to play hymns that change chord on almost every beat:

Don’t think in patterns, like octave-chord or rolling motion. Think about octave connectors— how to connect one chord to another, using octave motion in a wide variety of rhythms.

“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”- William Williams and John Hughes

Our thought lives are so powerful. You can think about something so often, that you’ll believe it’s true, even if it’s not. That’s why Paul wrote that we should vigilantly “[Cast] down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

Do you have thought patterns that need to be brought into alignment with God’s Word?

Thoughts of fear— submit them to God and choose to rest in Him.
Thoughts of anger and resentment— submit them to God and choose to forgive.
Thoughts of lust and sexual impurity— submit them to God and choose to be pure.
Thoughts of negativity and gloom— submit them to God and choose to rejoice.

Carefully control what you allow into your mind, through conversations, images, shows, social media… if it doesn’t line up with the standard of Phil. 4:8, then don’t think about it. Ingesting constant negativity online, watching shows that glorify or depict impurity, and going down rabbit holes of dark information lead to a poor thought life. And that will affect your behavior and decisions.

Anchor your thoughts in the Word of God! That is the source of truth! If you’re battling your thought life, spend some time in Philippians and Psalms today. Write out Scripture. Memorize a verse you can keep in your mind throughout the day.

The battle of the mind will be won with the Sword of the Spirit, your Bible.

Here’s your next church potluck or family dinner recipe. 😎 Easiest way to do mashed potatoes EVER!

Author: Civilla Martin (1905)

I’ve had this song on my heart all week, so I’m sharing it! 💙 Rest in the loving kindness of the Lord today!

“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.” Isaiah 63:7

I’m super excited to do a side-by-side review video of these two models from Donner- the DDP-80 Sound Upgrade and the OURA S100. They’re very different, but both are great instruments. And they’re only about $100 different in price. You can save 12% by using the coupon code PianoMusic on Donner’s website. You’ll see the full review in just a few days on my YouTube channel, Natalie Raynes Music.

We had a crazy couple days of travel getting home from vacation— some weather delays, mechanical issues, and even an issue with a malfunctioning seat on a plane that caused a delay, but these @americanair pilots made this flight super fun for Raylen and Asher. When the flight attendants greeted the kids as we got on board, both kids said hello, and the pilot immediately turned around and invited them into the cockpit to give them a little tour, a collector card, and their own “wings.” ✈️ This was a majorly delayed flight, and they could have been grumpy about it, but they chose to just make it fun anyway, and it made our day!

Attitude is everything. Inconveniences are a part of life. If you look for the “happy,” you’ll find it, even on a crazy day.

Fresh air isn’t just good for your body. It’s good for your heart and spirit too. 💕 When my friend Jen, who owns Buck Gap Blooms said, “You should bring the kids up for the day,” I said, “Let’s do it,” and brought a few friends along too. Jen is a wealth of knowledge about flowers, but her sweet testimony of coming to Jesus and her heart for missions blessed me SO much, as we got to spend time just fellowshipping and enjoying God’s beauty on her farm. What a sweet day… Thank you, God, for this life!

Heard our friends @thecollingsworthfamily sing this Monday night, and it’s been in my head since then, so I figured I’d share it. I LOVE these words. 💙 The music is beautiful too, so that combo makes a great song. 🙂

When you woke up this morning, no matter what happened yesterday, you had new mercies from a loving, faithful God who cares so much for you! Such an amazing (and true!) thought…

Happy Wednesday 💙

Some Saturday encouragement from Asher 💙 We are doing the Deep Roots Bible study from @notconsumed with the kids right now, and today’s lesson was God’s Love is Faithful— such a sweet reminder that He never changes, and He’s always good!

(This is not an ad— just sharing what we use for our family to bless other families. 💕 We really love these studies for family Bible time. They’re easy-to-understand for the kids, and always have a fun (and simple) activity page for each lesson. There are so many to choose from. We just finished one on how to treat your brothers and sisters, and we’re doing The Fruit of the Tongue next. I highly recommend them!)

(Also, Asher is recovering from a little trip in the woods:) he’s fine, and his little lip is looking much better! This kid plays VERY hard. He is all boy!)