✨ SHINE like a STAR ✨

 

I wanted to go a little deeper behind the name Shine! I briefly gave the background in the last post as to why I decided to go with that theme for this blog, but I wanted to dedicate a whole post to it. 

There is a certain couple and song that became very dear to me this year that inspired this theme of Shine! The couple may come as a shock; they are Roy and Dale (Evans) Rogers. You may know them from their famous westerns, which is where I first learned about them. I quickly fell in love with their shows and as I love learning facts about favorite actors, I began to delve more into their story and it changed my life. I want to dedicate some later posts on reviewing their autobiography/books, but for now, let me just say that they were two amazing people whom God brought together and then ultimately brought them to Himself to use for His glory. Roy and Dale loved Jesus with all their heart and they loved people too, especially children. Even in their busy life of making movies and traveling for shows (and not to mention they were world wide famous), they never let an opportunity slip to go into an orphanage/children's hospital to cheer the little ones up. Their touching example of using their musical talents to love and serve these children impacted me to think of ways I could be using my musical abilities to serve people. I immediately thought of nursing homes and now I go every month to sing at the two nursing homes in our local area. The smiles I get from the dear older folks is a treasure money can't buy.❤️🥲

Dale recorded a religious album and my favorite song on there is "Where You Are". The lyrics say this:

"Fill the place where you are with the Lord

  Be you king or king maker you can be a world shaker

In the place where you are with the Lord

Where you are, where you are,

 You can shine like a star where you are

Be you king or king maker you can be a world shaker 

In the place where you are with the Lord

 Jesus said "Occupy till I come 

Don’t you let old Satan get you on the run"

Take the armor of God which is His holy word 

And stand in the place where you are

Don’t put yourself down with a wrong attitude

There’s folks out there for Jesus we must win 

Lift up your heads O ye gates, ye everlasting doors

And let the King of glory come in

Never mind the criticism stand your ground He is risen 

And He’s there in the place where you are 

Let the light of love shine through you draw the needy to you 

In the place where you are with the Lord."

One of my favorite lines from this song is: "Be you king or king maker, you can be a world shaker" I love the picture this makes...whether you're the king or the lowly servant who make others king, you are doing just as important work. And sometimes the small places to serve in speak more loudly, if not in this life then certainly in the next. The Bible never calls for us to do some great deed to be known by everyone. The Bible rather indicates that the secret things have greater honor(Matthew 6). Big or small, what God takes pleasure in most is a faithful heart willing to do His service. Moses was a nobody tending a flock in Midian when God called him to serve Him. And because he was "faithful in all His house", as Hebrews says, Moses is now someone known by every Christian. He was someone who God spoke with "face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of God." "So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." God blessed him because he had a faithful, obedient heart. 

Let me use this time to challenge you...is there an area God is calling you to serve in, big or small? Can you be thinking of more ways to "shine like a star where you are"? 

So there's a little more backstory to the theme Shine! and how the Lord used Roy and Dale Rogers testimony of faith and songs to inspire me in this great truth of serving the Lord where you are. I'm praying we can learn to be His bright lights!✨

P.S. My sister, Sarah, said that your homework is to go and listen to Dale sing "Where You Are." 😉😂 Now I know her style might not be everybody's cup of tea - that's okay! Those who don't listen will just get an E minus grade on their homework...JUST kidding!😉 But seriously, though, if you want you can listen to the song with this link on Youtube(or it's on Apple music for my fellow Apple friends😁).

Blessings in Christ!

~Grace