Before Covid, to help my own healing, I would walk into the nursing home and on occasion, the infusion room with the guitar and simply start to sing and recite scripture. There was nothing amazing about any of it, except the Lord would show up and His Spirit would revive us all.
This is for you, in need of comfort through the pain: (Cover The Joy of the Lord is my Strength by Twila Paris).
Music Therapy cover: The Joy of the Lord by Twila Paris
There is someone crying out to the Lord for mercy today.
Someone is hurting physically, feeling alone, and not sure about what to do next.
Someone has been harmed by others and is left in pain, isolated, and presently feels abandoned.
Are you far from home and feel displaced?
I share music therapy today with you in hopes the vibration of strings lifts your heart and mind to praise God and draw near to Him, as He then promises to be near to you (James 4:8).
Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father and has “put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, a guarantee” when we open our hearts to Him (2 Corinthian 1:22).
In this world of perfect sound and production, we don’t have the opportunity to experience the simplicity of six strings and a moment of therapy with raw vocals with the sole purpose to comfort and refresh.
May you experience the “joy of the Lord” as your strength today.
– Toni
If you have received comfort from the Lord today, let me or someone know. If today is the day you opened your heart to receive the love of Jesus and accept His free gift of salvation that He gave on the cross, tell your whole world. Tell everyone, the angels in heaven are celebrating today your new-birth-day!
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” Zephaniah 3:17.
It’s my desire to keep a song in the heart of children, young and old.
To pick up an instrument, must feel like a “can-do” experience.
“Keep it simple” is my motto.
Now, the young will challenge themselves greatly for a sticker or a fruit snack. And hand-drawn pages with colored pens go a long way, but easy-peasy chords, that’s the selling ticket.
I wrote a very simple song, “Multiply the Fruit” but it has proved to change kids from heavy-hearted to cheerful and happy. And they leave singing the fruits of the Spirit as they walk out with their fruit snack!
Today, I share Logan and Isaac recorded on my SoundCloud: Multiply the Fruit.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about multiplying children as at the beginning of time in the Book of Genesis, (and obviously, I believe there is a great blessing when we welcome little children into our homes, I could write a book on this topic),
but to multiply the fruit of the Spirit in our lives:
“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control;
“against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22,23, ESV.
Give Isaac and Logan 2 minutes of your time today and also spend time with the Lord in prayer. And then share this with the kids:
Thank you Logan and Isaac for singing, “Multiply the Fruit” Song!
The children speak of God’s Spirit and the fruit of love. If your heart breaks for lack of love, (which all of us do), we simply need to turn to God in truth,
– Agree with Him
–Believe in Jesus His Son, who washes us clean of sin when we receive.
–Call out to Him for His Holy Spirit to fill us give us new life!
-Draw near to Him with all our heart.
Profoundly simple. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you,” James 4:8, ESV.
“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” 1 Thessalonians 5:24, ESV.
Let’s go out and be “fruitful” today and multiply the fruit of the Spirit.
Only with the Lord’s help, oh yes!
Please help me get these songs out to families to be a blessing. Share my song! Thank you -Toni Rypkema
(This song is actually a partner hand-clap song with a simplified Ms. Mary Mack idea.) Look for it soon on YouTube!
Magic Kingdom can’t be entered without a ticket. The ticket will change in color and price daily, but everyone knows, you must acquire that day’s entrance pass, or you remain outside the gate.
The greatest and most magical kingdom of all is the heavenly kingdom of God. What’s the entrance pass to enter into our heavenly home?
How can we know? Does God leave us to figure it ourselves?
God makes it no mystery at all.
It’s not popular opinion.
It’s not intellectual discovery.
It can’t be acquired by earnings or points.
God’s ways are made plain. God’s plan unfolds. A look to the heavens brings awe and question, but is our faith complete through nature alone?
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ Romans 10:17.
The Bible proclaims that Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made John 1:3.
The heavens belong to Him. The seas of the earth are His possession. He is Almighty. We are awestruck with His creation.
But faith comes from hearing.
Not solely by the sounds of the morning birds or the fall of water. God speaks through the word about Christ.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind John 1:4.
Proclaimed by man are many roads to the Kingdom. But whose word can be trusted? How can we know.
What is truth? Can we know it?
Darkness is present. We feel it. We see it. Our lives are pained greatly by the evils in this world.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it John 1:5.
Who will cry out for truth?
Who is crying for light?
When the Bible is opened, God’s Word speaks,
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him John 1:9,10.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him John 1:11.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God John 1: 12, 13.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. What is truth? What is life? What way do we go?
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth John 1: 14.
Where’s the light that reveals the solid rock path so we may cross the rough rivers of this life? Where’s the hope in this dark world?
He’s a Person. The Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the ticket! Have we received Him? Do we believe in His name? He gives us right to become children of God.
Have you read His invitation?
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David Isaiah 55: 1-3.
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon Isaiah 55: 6,7.
Will we open the pages of God’s Book? Will we receive His word above man?
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55:8,9.
Who will hear? Who will believe God above man?
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it Isaiah 55: 10,11.
Oh how we need truth to set us free. We can have the ticket, even now:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me John 14:6.
Today, today . . . who will believe?
Do we ask, “What’s in it for me?”
Jesus speaks,
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” Isaiah 55:12, 13.
“Come into my life Light and Truth. Come into my life and show me Your way. Come into my life, Lord Jesus.”
The gatekeeper says,
Enter into His gates . . . (Psalm 100:4),
and we will,
with thanksgiving, . . . into His courts with praise Psalm 100:4.
A young college graduate on graduation day spoke to a crowd about the eye:
“I would like to say that now that we have our degree, we will not run into problems that we can’t handle, but truthfully no matter the type of degree, the number of years of experience, no matter the location, the support groups, the family, or the friendships, there will always come a time when we just don’t know the answer. It’s inevitable, so I want to encourage you with a little anatomy lesson:
Did you know that there are 47 different structures that make up the human eye that all have a unique function?
Did you know that there are 6 extra-ocular muscles, 4 cranial nerves, and 1.2 million nerve fibers in each optic nerve?
Did you know that when light waves touch my eye, without even thinking about it I blink to protect them from too much exposure? And when the amount of light changes, my pupillary -light response reacts without a thought so that only the right amount of light is let into my eye.
Did you know that there are four out of twelve cranial nerves that work specifically for the eye so that they can not only allow me to focus on a object and read it but also so that they can move in different directions.
There are 9 different structures that all play a specific role in receiving light messages before they even get to the brain! And it is not until those messages get to the occipital lobe of the brain that I can interpret what I am actually seeing.
The eyes receive millions of light waves and messages everyday, but my brain has a specific area that let’s only the important and significant messages through so that the brain doesn’t get over-stimulated.
And did you know that the God who told me to cast all my cares upon Him, and that He will never leave me nor forsake me, that I should be anxious for nothing, was the very One who designed this whole system and hundreds like it so that we can live and move and breathe every second.
And did you know that He didn’t have to lift a finger and didn’t sweat a drop to think of it, He just breathed on one man and He said that He knit us together and formed us in our mother’s womb before you were even a thought in her mind.
And now you tell me, what are you worried about?
What will you be worried about when you come up to those hurdles that are bound to cross you path?
I want you to think of your eye and tell me, that your situation, your problem, your worry is TOO big for the GOD who created you and the world you live in to handle.”
( Carolyn Rypkema at Lamplighting Ceremony at PBAU May 3,2012).
So today, I confess, I am much like a sheep that tends to forget these wonderful thoughts.
So, I take a moment, to think of my eye. What a marvelous creation of God.
My anxious heart is put to rest, and my thoughts are tested now to trust and let go.
Let go of worry, strife, pain, and fear and to think of my eye, and the Creator who knows all that I need. Oh, yes, He knows . . . much more than I.
Stop being offended by every gnat, and mosquito, and “baa” from every other sheep in your path. Run to the Good Shepherd. He has anointing Oil to allow you to have peace, wisdom, direction, and rest.
We are as sheep just as the Chief Shepherd has proclaimed. Oh, the pests that swarm around our heads and irritate us sheep greatly. But the Good Shepherd, He is calling, “Today.” “Today.”
And the sheep that hear His voice come for His anointing oil to be poured out on our heads.
Oh, the peace.
He speaks in gentleness. He is faithful. He is love and help. He is life. His way is true.
He brings relief.
The anointing oil, His Holy Spirit, changes us. This is the Good Shepherd’s remedy.
Now we can see and focus on Him and be filled with thankfulness.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all,” Isaiah 53:6.
Oh, that we sheep who hear the Shepherd’s voice, never tire to tell others of His remedy and love. He sends us out, that we might bring others to Him.
And, perhaps they can see with their very own eyes, Goodness and Mercy that seem to follow us along. That we might multiply the sheep that seek to knock on God’s Door.
That the sheep will see Him as He is and not from their own thoughts anymore:
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth,” Isaiah 53:7-9.
We suddenly see “Who” is the “He.” And we realize He has faced every evil thing.
The anointing Oil changes us. The focus, now shifts from other sheep, to Him.
We realize, He does love us.
His anointing brings wisdom. And we continually discover, growing knowledge, understanding, patience and self-control.
He becomes Chief Shepherd by our own, personal invitation.
He is all that we need.
We are no longer irritated by the pests and the rest, as, together we follow and are led to green pastures. He brings restoration by refreshing Living waters.
He has a plan.
He gives us understanding to know Him more and more. His anointing heals the “annoying,” and our hearts see ever clearly:
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors, Isaiah 53:10-12.
And together, we follow Him closely, listening to His voice. We don’t hardly notice the mistakes and messes and irritating stresses. We’re changed. We’re better. As we simply allow the Shepherd to fill us and anoint us again and again.
And step by step, He’ll lead us,
until He calls us home to His house of Love. And we go on forever, rejoicing. Rejoicing in glorious praise, fully unified. All because Christ died.
And rose.
And sealed and anointed us with His Spirit of Hope.
“Dear world, STOP. Look. Listen and hear the Father God, Creator of all natural beauty we see and enjoy,
the One Who is holy and just, truth, and all righteousness,
the One Who knows everyone by name.
The One Whose nature is unconditional Love.
STOP and look at the cross. Not the one around your neck, but the one that Jesus’ died.
Listen to Almighty God’s Voice:
‘My children, turn at once from running toward the lying thief that I sent my Son Jesus to rescue you from. Turn from believing lies that you can do it all on your own without Me.
I sent My Son. He is the the promised One.
His blood was shed, to cover each and all of your shame.
Admit your sins. Believe on Him. And Celebrate a new-born life, abundant and free.
And go and tell others. Be a witness for Me.'”
Oh, that the world would listen to the Father at this time.
This is what’s on my mind.
Jesus found me when I was lost.
He gave His life . . . for my sin.
He offers hope and His Spirit that we might each day walk in the power of His resurrection. He didn’t hold back, so neither will I.
Take time to ask yourself this question, “What is my direction?”
Stop. Look. Listen, these are words Jesus prayed. Will you turn and trust in Him today? “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them,” John 17:20-25.
It’s hard to stop. It’s a challenge to look. But God’s glory is revealed and our broken hearts are healed when we finally listen. He is the very definition of commitment!
It’s time to run with Jesus, and never again be deceived by the thief. This Passion Week, will you choose to believe? If so, make sure you let someone know. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity—Jesus
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him,” John 3:17.
Choose Jesus? His passion is outstanding. In heaven is great celebration.
God holds the Umbrella that I come out of the rain.
Why the struggle? Why the delay?
God holds the Umbrella. He cares about me.
Did I forget? Or did I simply leave?
Do I find contentment in lies that bring strife? Am I choosing to destroy my very own life?
Can I make the choice to step out of the comforts of despair?
Or do I keep my head down on the puddles, believing lies of being victim. Staying, pitifully there.
He bids me with thunder and lightning to fear and to look. In the Light, through the flash,
I see the hand of His Son.
It’s reached out towards me.
Then I see His face.
His eyes, . . .
are grace.
He calls my name. I hear the words,”Come.”
Directly in my heart, I feel Him look.
Burning.
Revelation comes, Truth is alive.
He waits.
Immediately, there’s strength that wasn’t there. Hope to lay down the shame. To cast off the pain.
God is offering me to come out of the rain.
Again, He calls my name.
Do I receive Him and take hold of His hand?
Why is it so hard? Why would I choose to stay out in the cold? To reject the dance. To stay wet in distress?
In an instant I choose.
I lift my eyes to meet His.
In an instant my garments are made new. Gloriously cleansed. I take hold of His hands. With all of my being, I know at last, I have found Love. He loved me first.
He desires me.
The rain is still falling, but I don’t even care. Because Love has captured all of my being. Love has called me. He has lifted me up.
I turn to kiss His cheek. He smiles.
He is pleased.
Everything new, everything possible, we dance, and we dance under the grand Umbrella. The canopy of protection, with a symphony of grace. As it rains, Love and I look face to face.
With a long-lost song that returns in my heart, I will sing as I dance, and make day of the night.
The Author of life. An eye for design, has gained pleasure with color,sound, shape, and line.
But His greatest joy, I believe I have learned, is when we choose to believe, receive and love Him back in return.
Then a song develops deep in our heart, and abiding in Him, strengthened by Him, joy returns with each day’s new start.
He’s a gift giver, our Father in heaven, reaches out His great hand. He sees, He knows, He is able … and He waits … ’till we reach out to Him.
If we don’t, we won’t see – that our Father in heaven sent Jesus to save us and the Holy Spirit of promise to keep, comfort, and help us.
The gift of God is gloriously expressed in heavenly sunsets, and sunrises. He is the Master Artist, the Author of life, and patient as He waits … for us to call Him beside us.
He’s the Creator of all that we see. He is Great. He is God. And we all have a choice. To live in the Spirit in fellowship with Him, or walk away from Him and follow the lead of our own voice.
Freedom to choose. God, the greatest gift giver. Freedom to love. When we choose Jesus, we bring God complete pleasure.
Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
John 1:12, Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
There are times when I wake, that I wake up feeling very ‘little’, very ‘small’. There are mornings when I wake up feeling, even in those first moments of the day, like I dwell in the energy and the franetic-ness of Times Square in NYC.
And each morning I need to have God ‘make me lie down’ and He brings me to ‘green pastures’, but today to a river… He illuminated a verse I have always loved, Ps. 46:4. “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God…”
Do you ever wake up feeling that your life is like a bustling city? “There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God is in the midst of her;”
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High God was in the midst of the children of Israel, and THAT is where God dwelt THEN, and today the Bible says that those who believe on Him that the Father has sent, (yes, that ‘Him’ is Jesus), that WE are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. (1Cor. 3:16.)
Jesus declared,”If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink and out of his innermost being shall gush forth torrents of living water.” (John 7:37,38) But wait, why are we so thirsty Lord? Fill me Lord, Fill us Lord with Your Holy Spirit! How we need a filling of the ‘river whose streams make glad the city of God. ”God is in the midst of her; She shall not be moved.” There is a hymn that moves my feet right to the river: “Shall we gather at the river, where bright angel feet have trod; With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?”“Yes, we’ll gather at the river.The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Shall We Gather at the River? Hymn by Robert Lowry, 1864).
Shall we gather at the river, even though we just got out of bed? Yes, in our minds, let Him take us, Oh Lord, transport us from the chaos of our thoughts and cause us to hear Your lovingkindness , to hear You speak, “Come to the waters and drink, for there is a river…God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
“On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray, We will walk and worship ever, All the happy golden day, “ (well, I think there are times when I would like to change the wording, so the verse actually reads, “We will walk and worship ever, even in the ‘hectic’ frantic day!)
Can you hear the voice of Jesus speaking to you personally, even today, calling out your name, calling out my name, “Come to the rivers of water and drink… ‘there is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, (and that) God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
Yes, we’ll gather at the river – sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, sinners young and sinners old-“Ere we reach the sining river, Lay we every burden down. Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown. Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river. Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” “Soon we’ll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease, Soon our happy heart will quiver With the melody of peace. Yes, we’ll gather at the river…”“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” (Ps. 46:4-6). “The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah, (pause and think calmly of that!)“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”(Ps. 46:10,11). (pause and think calmly of that).
Shall we gather at the river? Oh, yes, Oh yes, we find our peace in the midst of ‘hectic’ there – because ‘God is in the midst of her’,“Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river, Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.” (Robert Lowry, 1864).
I don’t need to worry. Plain and simple. Why? 
Sheep! Stop!