Killing me softly (Gogyohka)

Gogyohka: A 5 line Japanese micro-poetry form

I love the song “Killing me softly”, originally composed by Charles Fox. I came to know the song by the version Lauren Hill did, and it had a huge impact on my life. A very special blogger friend, Sibella, from Arts & Rhymes, recently posted a You tube video of the song, and it made me remember an experience I had 10 years ago. My husband and I had recently left an arts team we were working with. We were on our way to Argentina for my husband to do a course in journalism. Before leaving Brazil, I had some questions about my life and future. I prayed and asked God about it and this song came to mind. I didn’t remember the lyrics at the time, but the next day I heard a friend humming the same tune while listening to her mp3 player. I asked to listen to it so I could hear the lyrics.

Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his songs
Killing me softly with his songs
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his songs

Now, 10 years later, after hearing that song again, I had a type of revelation. I really feel like that is exactly what these last 10 years have been for me. Losing pride, discovering myself, finding my identity, firming my faith, dying to ego and the need to be known for what I can do. Shaping and establishing my world-view on a much deeper level.

Killing isn’t something we associate with good. Dying isn’t something that anyone wishes to experience. The funny thing though, is that in all of this killing and dying, I’ve never felt so alive and content. As if the opposite has happened.

Have you ever had a song profoundly affect you? If so, share your story 🙂

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I would just like to share a photo of my cute new little puppy, Benny. He gives me heck when I sit down to work, so I’ve succumbed to putting an old cushion next to my computer for him to be close to me. Hahahahaha. I love him to pieces.

Music and Stars

I have taken the plunge and decided to do a mixed media art course online. This is the first art piece, which is actually the warm-up, where there was an introduction to colors and the color wheel. It’s just meant to be an intuitive piece and the words I came up with as my message to this piece are written within the hearts, “My heart is hidden away with you. You rejoice over me with singing.” Part of this comes from the Bible verse, “He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” I love this verse. It makes me think about how God’s love for me is not far off and based on religious rituals, but He feels for me as an Earthly parent would feel for their young child.

Coram Deo

 

 

Coram Deo is a latin expression and means, “before the face of God”.  It implies that my entire life is constantly lived before Him. It takes away the idea of the separation of the secular and the sacred.

The word secular refers to a state that is worldly rather than spiritual and is not related either to religion, spiritual matters or to a religious body, for instance secular music or secular buildings (source).  I would like to add that secular activities would include education, work, taking a shower, eating a meal with my family, chores around the house, etc.   

Sacred means to be devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated (source).  In other words, church attendance, worship services, prayer, outward religious acts, etc.

I don’t consider myself to be religious, but someone who has a relationship with her creator that is intimate, vibrant and real.  As a Christian, I believe that the way to God is through relationship, and that we were created with that purpose – Relationship.

No one wants to have a relationship that is forced, fake, dishonest or uncommitted.  True Christianity is exactly the opposite of that.  It’s not hypocritical, nor is it a following of a set of rules.

It is living in freedom to be all that one was created to be.  It is having a way to be forgiven and restored.  It is Coram Deo.

How do you see God?  Do you believe that He values relationship or rules?  And if you like, please let me know of what you think of the song.   How does it speak to you?

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The above artwork is the result of week four of the class “Kingdom Come” that I’ve been doing. I decided to embed my song, Coram Deo in it, because I believe the two fuse together nicely.

Music of my Heart (Gogyohka)

My heart beats

to the rhythm of your drum

and sings

to the tune of your spirit

as I submit my all to you

————-

I fell in love with the various poetry forms a number of months ago, thanks to this girl. I started following her blog and was smitten by all the different poetry forms she used to write her own creations. Thanks to her, I have been challenging myself to push myself just that tad bit further with writing poems under the constraints of rules and order.

Is there something that your heart beats too? Would love to know….. 🙂

Poetry form: Gogyohka

Coram Deo – 1st in the song series

 

I was made to know you
to breathe you
to need you
to live you

Coram Deo, Coram Deo
I am always before your face
I want to live reality
Coram Deo

You live in my being
the core of me
possess me
consume me

Coram Deo, Coram Deo
I am always before your face
I want to live reality
Coram Deo

You are my satisfaction
my joy
delight
my life

Coram Deo, Coram Deo
I am always before your face
I want to live reality
Coram Deo

(This song is the first song in the blog series I am doing on the CD, Coram Deo.)

Coram Deo is a latin expression and it means, “before the face of God”.  It implies that my entire life is constantly lived before Him. It takes away the idea of the separation of the secular and the sacred.

The word secular refers to a state that is worldly rather than spiritual and is not related either to religion, spiritual matters or to a religious body, for instance, secular music or secular buildings (http://www.ask.com/question/what-does-secular-mean).  I would like to add that secular activities would include education, work, taking a shower, eating a meal with my family, chores around the house, etc.   

Sacred means to be devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose; consecrated (http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=1&o=0&l=dir&q=meaning+of+sacred).  In other words, church attendance, worship services, prayer, outward religious acts, etc.

I don’t consider myself to be religious, but someone who has a relationship with her creator that is intimate, vibrant and real.  As a Christian, I believe that the way to God is through relationship, and that we were created with that purpose – Relationship.

No one wants to have a relationship that is forced, fake, dishonest or uncommitted.  True Christianity is exactly the opposite of that.  It’s not hypocritical, nor is it a following of a set of rules.  It is being intertwined in an intimacy that involves every fibre of one’s being (Sarah Young-Jesus Calling).  It is living in freedom to be all that one was created to be.  It is having a way to be forgiven and restored.  It is Coram Deo.

How do you see God?  Do you believe that He values relationship or rules?  And if you like, please let me know of what you think of the song.   How does it speak to you?  How does it make you feel?