"Spiritually Speaking" by Rev. Carla Golden

One Prayer

I am a big fan of Karl Anthony and his music. He shines a light into the world with his music and that light is so important today with the divisiveness, racism, and religious prejudice that is being expressed in this country and around the world. Karl did a powerful video that I want to share with you called "One Prayer". I hope that you will take a few minutes from your busy day and watch it.

Music: The Universal Language

Music is a universal language. You don't have to understand the words of a song in order for it to touch your heart and reverberate in your soul. There are millions of songs with no words. Think of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or the Moonlight Sonata. This music has endured because it does reach us on a level that mere words cannot.

Have you ever heard a song and then it continued to play in your mind throughout the day? You couldn't seem to get rid of it, no matter what you tried.

My husband and I went to a dinner theatre last night and saw The Sound of Music. I love the songs in that musical, and it was hard for me to keep from singing along with the actors. And, driving home afterwards, the song, "I Am Sixteen Going on Seventeen" started playing over and over in my head. In fact, I went to sleep hearing it. I have no idea why that particular song stuck with me, and that's part of the mystery of music and its effect on us.

Watch this very short video about a project, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music". It only takes a moment, but it shows the universality of music and it's ability to touch people around the world. Maybe music is a way to bring peace to the world. If everyone would just put down their guns and listen for awhile....

http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/13/

Just For The Joy of It...The JK Wedding Dance Video

You've probably at least heard about this, if not seen it yourself, as it has been a hit on YouTube as well as mentioned on the news. Why is it that this video of people dancing down the aisle at a wedding has been watched time and time again by millions of people (myself included)?

To me, it's about JOY. Watching these people dancing down the aisle to the song, "Forever" by Chris Brown, can't help but make you smile. So let yourself feel the joy and watch the video. It's a great way to start the week, don't you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

A World Without Hate

Can you imagine a world without hate? I can. In my mind, it would be a place where we focus on our similarities rather than our differences. We would focus on our oneness as brothers and sisters of humanity. We would see that there is only one race--the human race.

I see us all as cells in the body of God. Each of us is important to the whole--a piece of the divine jigsaw puzzle, you might say. When we do our part to reflect the love of God into the world and the universe, our cell is active and alive. When we come from fear, prejudice hatred and disharmony, we are not functioning to the greatest good of the whole--we are like a dysfunctional cell, working against the natural order of life.

I invite you to view the short music video that I have linked below. It is by a wonderful couple, Karl and Jeanne Anthony, who travel the world with their songs of peace, love and oneness.  This video has been on Utube and has gotten rave reviews. Their song is called, "If I Had One Prayer." After you watch it, please send it on to your friends and family. I'd like to see us spread this message around the world. We need it now, more than ever.

http://www.mayyoubeblessedmovie.com/1p.html

And, if you'd like more information on Karl and Jeanne, and a chance to hear more of Karl's songs, here is a link to Karl's site on myspace.

http://myspace.com/karlanthonyLIVE

The Theme Song for Your Life

I enjoy music. There are songs that remind me of relationships, places that I have lived, and even challenges that I've experienced.

After I injured my knee snow skiing, I had surgery followed by five months of physical therapy. Every day, as I did the painful and arduous work of rebuilding my muscles and getting my knee to bend again, I listened to a music tape at the physical therapy center. They would play the same songs over and over and I started to associate certain songs with this therapy. After I "graduated" from therapy, when one of those songs would come on the radio I would cringe. These songs had become the background music for my life during this difficult time and every time I heard one of them I had flashbacks.

What is the background music or theme song for your life? If you could pick something that reflects your attitude about life, your experiences, and your goals, what would it be? Would it be the theme song from "Rocky"? How about the song, "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends"?

There are recurring patterns and themes in our life, if we look back over the years and reflect on our experiences. Would your's be a rock song, rap song, gospel or ballad? Would your song be something from Madonna, Nirvana, Sheryl Crow, or the Beatles? Or perhaps it would be the theme song from one of the great classic movies, like "Casablanca" or "Gone With the Wind"?

I recently took a fun little quiz (designed for teens, I might add) to find my theme song and this is what the result was:

Your Song: "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jone" Like Norah Jones, you're totally chill, and people love that about you. You are in touch with yourself and the earth around you. Laid back and easy going, you go with the flow. You avoid rude and obnoxious people—they throw your universe off kilter. You're a thinker—big time. You're constantly trying to interpret people's actions and words—as Norah sings, "I waited 'til I saw the sun, I don't know why you didn't come." It's essential for you to express your thoughts—whether it's poetry, interpretive dance, or sculpting. You gotta have your outlet. To take this quiz yourself, here is the link: http://www.studio2b.org/pulse/quizzes/quiz_theme_song.asp So what would the background music or theme song be for your life? If you feel like sharing it, email me at [email protected] .