A Christian Music Magazine MAY 2024
MMAADDEE IICC USS OOFFMMU
Christi Joy Cargil
GODLY WOMAN Finding Strength To Carry On
A Life Made For More
Written by KristeNicole
The other day I was observing a musician performing live. I was amazed at how they seemed to get so much more out of the instrument that they were playing than a lot of other people I had witnessed. Then I thought to myself how much time, effort, and energy had this musician poured into their craft and how much of it was their giftedness? What if I consistently tried to achieve such a level with my own talents throughout my own career…isn’t that something we should always do as followers of Jesus? Colossians 3:23-24 says “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord” That includes career, talents, hobbies, etc. How easily we forget that we were made for more. More than the social media hits that we do or don’t get with each post we make. More than the time we waste on things of lesser meaning or purpose. More than the egos that we wear as a badge of honor. Every person, regardless of their season of life, has God-given potential. There is someone the Heavenly Father has called all of us to be and something He has created us to do. He has created us for more holiness, fruitfulness, better relationships – He has called us to Kingdom living here on earth. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”
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Is the environment in which you currently find yourself limiting the gifts the Heavenly Father has given to you? Is it limiting what He wants to do in and through you? Have you settled for less in your job, relationships, etc.? Just getting by is not what the Heavenly Father wants for you - He wants abundantly more for you. He made you for more! He can do more in us and with us when we make ourselves fully available to Him. Most of us only use about 10% of our capabilities from day to day. However, the Heavenly Father has more in store for us. It’s time for us to stop procrastinating and making excuses! It’s time for us to pursue the gifts, dreams, callings, etc. He has a place in us and for us. What is on the other side of your more? You won’t know until you try. As you step into your gift, dream, or calling, before long you will think to yourself “Man, why didn’t I do this sooner?” How do I know? Because this is exactly what happened in my own life when I became serious with the Heavenly Father and stepped into the abundant life He wanted for me all along. Does it mean that life is a breeze, and everything is easy, and I don’t get frustrated? Not at all. Psalms 40:2 says, “He has my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked.” What has this meant for me? As a follower of Jesus, it is that above all the hard times, the difficult decisions, and constant distractions, and as I walk in the abundant life He has for me, that He works in and through me. He guides me with His discernment and wisdom. As long as I keep walking ahead with my eyes on Him, I experience what Kingdom living here on earth looks like. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We are right here and right now in training to learn how to live in His Kingdom in Heaven. Every one of us has potential to grow and to become more like Christ. As followers it is our responsibility to keep seeking, keep growing, and keep going. So, what do you need to do to step into the life you were made for – a life made for more.
WWW.GODLYWOMANMINISTRIES.COM 19
With Corey Lee Barker
WROTE A GOOD’N.……….. WHAT NOW? We talk a lot about writing songs and what happens in the room, but we rarely discuss what needs to happen AFTER the song is finished. It never hurts to have a checklist of questions to answer upon completion, so we don’t let our song get lost in the shuffle or expect things from our co-writers that they did not think about or agree upon. Here we go: 01 - Do we know our writers well enough that we don’t need to sign a split sheet? Almost every song written in Nashville is an equal split but some writers are very finicky about syllable counts or how much of the song they had finished before they brought it to the table, so you may want to discuss before registration. 02 - Did one of us make a work tape and share it with the group, so we don’t forget the melody and lyric cadence. 03 - Did we go back over the work tape with fresh ears and make sure we didn’t mis phrase anything? Too often the demo singer will copy how we did it and repeat our mistakes. This has made me pull my hair out more than once and kick myself for not doing my due diligence! 04 - Did I make sure one of us collected all the writer and publisher PRO info and entered it on our PRO website (BMI. ASCAP, SESAC, etc.?) This wasn’t a big issue until the song got cut in the past, but now that BMI live and Ascap onstage exist, we can register our live set list online after we play out and collect royalties on songs we wrote / co-wrote. If we have not registered the songs then there is nothing to track and we are leaving money on the table. 05 - Have we discussed a way to demo the song if necessary, and how to split the cost? Some writers may be very prideful and angry if you don’t want to invest in a demo because, naturally, it’s the best song ever, while other writers realize that they can’t possibly demo all the songs they write or their spouse would kick them out of the house for draining the bank account:) 06 - Have we discussed which recording artist the song is perfect for and how to get it to said person?
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07 - Did we research the track record of said person above and make sure they don’t co-write all their songs, as many artists do? Otherwise we may be paddling up creek with a wet bread stick as an orr:) 08 - If one or more of us is an artist, have we discussed who gets the right to release it first, if that’s something we care about. (More versions mean more money, typically, but if we are both releasing at the same time and competing in the same genre for chart position, it may be wise to re-think our plan.) 09 - If we wrote the song for a tv show, did we check out the show on tunefind.com and listen to the songs they’ve used in previous seasons to make sure our production vibe will match what they are accustomed to? Note: you can’t pitch a work tape or demo to a tv show. They don’t re-record anything, so what you send is either perfect to go into the show or it doesn’t work. 10 - If the song was recorded, assuming it was already registered, did we send an email to revisewroks@bmi.com or the appropriate email for our PRO if we are not with BMI, to let them know the name of the artist that cut it, the release date, label, time, ISRC code, etc.? They don’t magically know who has recorded our song. 11 - If we own our own publishing, did we also register the song at themlc.com so that we can collect our money for digital plays (Spotify, apple, amazon, deezer, pandora, Youtube, Qobuz, Tidal, etc.) This has nothing to do with sales, strictly streams (within the United States). Creation is only a small part of being a successful songwriter. Cataloging, marketing, researching and organizational skills also play a big part in getting you where you want to go. Don’t be afraid to google, youtube, or ask a more experienced writer/publisher questions if there’s something you need to better understand. By the time we almost figure it out, it all changes anyway:) Best of luck my friends - Corey Lee Barker
www.CoreyLeeBarker.com
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The greatest gift you can give someone is your TIME! Mother's Mother's Day Day is is a a cherished cherished holiday holiday that that honors honors and and celebrates celebrates the the women women who who have have made made an an indelible indelible impact impact on on our our lives. lives. It It is is a a time time to to recognize recognize the the importance importance of of the the maternal maternal figure figure and and all all that that she she embodies. embodies. Let Let us us honor honor and and celebrate celebrate our our mothers, mothers, grandmothers, grandmothers, and all the mother figures who have made a difference in our lives. and all the mother figures who have made a difference in our lives. Happy Happy Mother's Mother's Day Day to to all all the the amazing amazing moms moms out out there! there! 66
Mother's Day celebrations don't need to be in a fancy restaurant. You can share a meal with mom that's decidedly less work and more relaxed. Head to a local park or meet up in the backyard to treat Mom to a good old-fashioned picnic. You can even do it inside - on a porch, in a living room, or dining room...plus inside you can do it anytime. Pick up food at your favorite restaurant, prepare a brunch, lunch or dinner and make your plans personal. Here are a few tips for planning your time with Mom! 1. Send a personal invitation - Make this picnic extra special by sending her an invitation to join you. 2. Bring a basket - might hold a gift, flowers or the yummy food - just make sure to include a picnic basket. 3. Plan an activity - reading, music, movies, game or take a walk. 4. Create the food around the place or time of your picnic - sandwiches for the park or quiche for the living room. 5. Make it personal - her favorite colors, foods, memories.\ 6. Bring a Blanket - make sure no matter the location, the tradition of the blanket is included. 7. ENJOY! Just in case anyone in your family might be confused, Mother’s Day should be a “day off” from a mom’s usual routine. Decide if your picnic should include your immediate family only, or if you should expand your Mother’s Day celebration to include other family and friends. Just the simple and personal picnic event makes the best of all gifts as it is your time and giving time is the most precious gift of all. Add a little music to it, in fact add a LOT OF MUSIC - tap your feet, clap, sing and embrace the memories being made, the laughter being shared and the time being captured. If you’re missing your mom on Mother’s Day, create an indoor picnic in her memory. Gather those who loved her most, serve her favorite foods and share the good memories you had with her. Conversely, if you’re a parent who’s lost a child, honor your love for them with a cozy spread filled with all the things that made them happy.
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