Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The Deeper Project!

Last year I found myself in a place where I was so desperate to discover God’s perfect will for my life that I determined that the only way to find it was to get so close to Him that we were face to face. It seemed to me that if I could get that close to the Lord I could actually get past all my fears, frustrations and issues and live in the center of His will.  And if I could live in the center of His will, I could accomplish anything and everything He had created me to do.  I wanted to get past the surface and get as deep into the Lord as I could. And in the midst of that moment I started to sing the song that became, Deeper (Center of Your Will) the title track of my new EP releasing winter 2014.

As a songwriter I express myself best through lyrics and music.  In the melody, meter and rhyme I craft the things I want to say but often don’t, share the secret desires of my heart and present it to the world in hopes that they will understand.  I want to sing to the world in hopes that they will see that in the middle of all the messiness of life, there is a God who can heal, restore, give hope, love and keep them.  I want them to meet the beautiful Savior who died on a cross so we could have a true relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Jon and I decided to start recording this project two years ago, as artists and ministers we don’t often have extra money, and although sometimes it’s difficult, we would not trade the life we live for anything.  We found things came to a standstill as we transitioned back to Nashville and had to find a new producer.  But the scripture that tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8 Verse 28) is so true.  In what first seemed like a delay, I wrote new songs that were much more suited to the current place I was in – a place where I was learning joy, to overcome fear, to see the Lord work his marvelous wonders in my life.

I now have a collection of songs I humbly ask for your assistance in recording.  Although we’d love to do a full length album at this time, we are starting with an EP of 5 or 6 songs that both Jon and I truly believe will encourage all who hear them. We’ve tried to come up with some fun gifts to give back to you for believing in us so much that you would donate to this new project and any donation of any amount you make is more then appreciated.

We face some possible challenges, anytime you set off on a journey; you can do nothing but your best to get to where you are trying to go.  And I promise to do my best.  There may be delays in the recording process and other administrative hold ups and life moments we may need to pause for.  But we go forward trusting the Lord and relying on Him to get this new project into your hands.

I’m working with a dynamic producer, Evan Sieling who has seen past my insecurities and musically pulled out the best in me.  Between Evan and the constant encouragement from Jon, I am facing my fears head on, singing with a new found freedom and from a perspective that truly understands who I am and whose I am.  Before I sang because I was compelled to, now I sing for joy!

Our plan is use the money raised to record 5 to 6 songs, duplicate the project, shoot a video and do some basic promotions.  If we exceed our goal we will record more music then we originally planned.  I always have more songs then I have resources to record.


Thank you for taking the time to consider donating to the Deeper EP.  Words can’t express my excitement about sharing these new songs with the world.  I hope that you will partner with Jesus, Jon and I so that we can encourage the world to go deeper and explore the riches of our matchless God.  And together we will live fearlessly, singing for joy, in the center of His will.www.gofundme.com/Naima

Thursday, September 19, 2013

What I Learned Waiting For Boaz, Part II

Lesson 3:
Don’t Pass a Counterfeit Bill

I’ve heard 99% of the time the counterfeit comes before the real thing.  Do not get caught up with a brother (or sister) you know is not the one for you.  Unless you’re Haggai, (if you don’t know the story read it) run quickly from those who don’t met the standards that the Lord ordains for your life.  I wasted precious time running after, praying for, mourning and desiring several men who were not ordained for me. 

If they are married to someone else, they are not the one.  If your statement of faith does not agree they are not the one. If you think you can change them, they are not the one. If they told you that you are not the one for them, believe them.  People who use counterfeit money can get in a lot of trouble. When I think of what would have happened and where I would be if I had married several other men I thought was the one I would have wound up in prison for passing bad bills.

Lesson 4: What’s Up With Your List?

Women often share with me their lists of what they are looking for in a mate.  They go over details telling me that Mr. Right has to have all of these attributes. Many of them are still waiting.  I had a list once, it included the obvious: saved, on fire, in ministry and supportive of the call on my life.  Real things that should never be compromised.  Then there was the superficial: great cook, frat boy so we could do ”Greek” stuff together, similarly educated, love to read, dress nice, be a musician/producer! And Lord don’t let him have no thug life past. And red hair, yes you read that right, red hair!


I came to understand that it was fine to have preferences, but what if those preferences were keeping me from meeting my Boaz?  So I threw the list out and prayed, Lord send me what I need, not what I think I want.  Because if you send me what I need it will be a million times better then what I think I want!  My hubby showed up not in the package I was expecting, he’s got a testimony, a serious past (but that’s his story to tell) he does cook, but he sure ain’t no red head.  But the Lord sent me the man I needed and the man I needed is the only man I’ll ever want. 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Lessons I Learned While Waiting on Boaz

Lessons I Learned While Waiting on Boaz…

I was single for a long, long, long time!  And I learned many lessons while waiting for Mr. Right to appear.  I often get to minister and share with single women waiting on their husbands.  So I thought I would share with you the Life Lessons I learned while waiting to be found by my husband.

Lesson One - Tell Jesus the Truth

I often heard when I was content being single my husband would show up – just appear out of thin air.  I spent years trying to be content and feeling extremely guilty that even after much prayer, reading every singles book out there and fasting, I couldn’t find this elusive contentment.  So I decided that I would just tell Jesus this truth.  I knew that the Lord knew what was best for me and I came to understand that if I never got married then somehow that was what was best for me, even if I didn’t like it and I sure wasn’t content. 

Finally I surrendered and shared that with the Lord.  “Father”, I said, “You know I don’t want to be single, I don’t like it, I’ve been single a long time, but if I truly trust you, I know you will do what’s best for me.  And if that’s being single, then You will sustain, comfort and walk with me. True Story, I met Jon within the next year.

Lesson Two: Be About Your Father’s Business


Don’t wait to do the things that you desire to do for the Lord because you are single.  Pursue your passion, live your purpose, walk in the calling the Lord has placed on your life.  Spend your time doing two things, being about the business the Lord has called you to and becoming the best wife (or husband) you can be.  Be focused in the Lord, get your finances together, learn to communicate, clarify your needs, fast and pray – become that Proverbs 31 woman or that wise man of integrity like Boaz.   Jon and I met because I was I was doing the Lord’s work.  He booked me for a concert after finding me online while he was researching artists he wanted to book for a church event.  If I had never stepped out on faith and left my GOOD paying job at Wright State University to obey the call of God to sing His praises, I’d still be in Ohio, single…

Saturday, September 7, 2013

What I've Learned Being Sombody's Wife!

On our anniversary we had a great night doing on of our favorite things - $2.00 movies! Pacific Rim was so funny - one of the best "bad" movies I've seen in a while. We've been quoting the movie all morning. Although my anniversary is over I still have two more lessons I wanted to share about marriage:

Lesson Three: Submission is not always an easy thing. But a godly man makes it easier to submit. A great godly man will take into account what you have to say, allow you to make decisions as a team and then pray about it if you two can just not come into agreement. And a smart wife understands that her husband will have to give an account to the Lord over the stewardship of the home so sometimes he has to have the last say. There is no fear in this if he truly is a man after God's own heart. You won’t always agree and sometimes you’ll know your husband’s dead wrong. Submit anyway and then pray, and if you are right get out of the way and let the Lord do the work.

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” Ephesians 5:2



The last lesson and what I think it's the most important marriage lesson I learned:

Lesson Four:  Being married is a choice, a choice to live up to the commitment I made before God and before man.  In our lives, divorce is not an option that is the expectation we’ve set for ourselves and before the Lord.  I’ve learned that sometimes love is super “hot and passionate” and sometimes it is “quiet and gentle”.  But as Christ chose to die on the cross for me, I choose daily to love the husband that I have been blessed with.  And thankfully it is not a hard choice to make.

Hanging out with my husband, having date night, long talks, clarifying our communication and planning meetings are of the utmost importance.  When I’m hurt, confused, upset, joyful, I talk to my husband, I make sure he knows that he is my priority. I’ve learned to make my husband my best friend.  We don’t share our business or our tiffs with the world.  Because what I’ve learned is that true intimacy must occur physically, emotionally and spiritually.  In order for my marriage to work I have to be a reflection of Christ’s love for Jon Bush on the earth and he has been the same for me. We put Jesus first and each other second - always.   

Ecclesiastes 4 verse 12
A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

3 Years and Counting - Lesson Two on Marriage

It's my 3 year Anniversary!  And I think it's no secret that I prefer Jon Bush above all others.  I love him, but most importantly I pray daily for him and for our marriage.  So here is the 2nd thing I've learned since I've gotten married:

Lesson Two: Although you can’t change anyone, you should always pray that your spouse becomes the man or woman of God they are destined to be.  Cover their weaknesses, fears, hopes and dreams in prayer with the Lord.  Show your love through your actions and try to do the things that bring joy to your spouse’s life. If you are faithful and build up your spouse with your words, your actions and with your prayers, the Lord will do a great work in your spouse’s life.  Speak life, speak truth in love, confirm and affirm your desire for your mate, forgive quickly and let go of the past.

Romans 12 Verse 10
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Random Life Lessons On Marriage - Lesson One

Tomorrow Jon Bush and I celebrate 3 years of marriage! I can hardly believe it. In honor of our 3 years I have compiled a list of 4 life lessons I've learned about marriage. I'll be sharing them over the next four days.

Lesson One: You can’t change anyone. Don’t ever marry someone thinking you can. And don’t spend too much time asking the Lord to change them into what you think or want them to be. (I thank the Lord I knew that coming in!) Ask the Lord to change you instead, so you can be the wife or husband you’ve been called to be. Praying together daily as a couple makes all the difference in the world. Making Christ the head of your marriage is the most important thing you can do.

Matthew 19:4-6
"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh' ? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

6th Annual Spirit of Deborah Conference on Women, Ministry and Leadership.

It's that time of year again! If you are in the greater Miami Valley area of Ohio we'd love to see you at the 6th Annual Spirit of Deborah Conference on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 9am!  We'll be gathering at this free conference at The Bridge Worship Community Worship Center at 302 State Street in Fairborn, Ohio.  If you are not in the area, do not despair! You'll be able to order copies of the entire conference.  Also we're launching out so look for a Spirit of Deborah Conference coming your way sometime in 2013/2014! New York, Nashville, Orlando, Texas, we're coming to see you!
Please keep us in prayer and we grow and develop, Broken Box Ministries is on the move for the Lord!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

I Think I Shot Somebody or Have I Been Shot?


In response to all of the clamor about Gun Control I have to say I have once again been appalled by what is coming out of people's mouths.  I have a whole thought on the issue, but that's another blog...  Imagine my disgust when I heard that one of the parents of the Sandy Hook Newtown victims was heckled while giving testimony because it didn't line up with the heckler's beliefs.  Are you serious!? When did it become ok to heckle parents whose children were murdered? Or what about the several law enforcement officers seeon on TV saying they won't enforce the law if we have stricter gun control... or my favorite, the one dude who said he was going to start killing people if Obama tried to take away his guns... he found himself under investigation real quick. Point of clarification, this is not about gun control, this is about MOUTH CONTROL.

Our nation is on a rampage, we personally may not slay with a gun, but we sure will slay folks with the words of our mouths.  Recently I was reviewing some old blogs I had written on Myspace in 2008 and came across this one.  It was written in relation to the 2008 elections, but I think it bears repeating here and now it was entitled, I Think I Shot Someone or Have I Been Shot?

From Oct. 2008 Myspace Blog...

I've been amazed at the things that are coming out of people's mouths over the last few months.  Between the election, personal attacks on friends and a few not so nice words directed towards me because some don't agree with several choices I've made lately, I now know why the Lord had me study the book of James so intensely!   I've spoken out of turn more times then I can count, but I'm thankful for the grace of God and the word of God, which is constantly correcting me and training me.

Some of you know I keep a list of what I like to call; Dr. Nay's Random Life Lessons and I love to share them with the world.  Now please don't respond if your temper gets tweaked, the Lord teaches me these life lessons usually because I've been guilty of them at one time or another in my own life.  So I'm pointing the finger at me first – hey, then I have three more pointing back at me again cause you can't count your thumb – LOL!

So here is Random Life Lesson 438…

Words can be used as weapons.  Be careful how you use them.  You might shoot yourself in the foot.  Ha, you might even kill yourself or someone you care about by playing around with a loaded "word."  So the next time you go to speak remember, "Words don't kill people, people who use them incorrectly kill people."   

 
James 3:2
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
The New Living Translation


There's always a time or place to speak, to stand up boldly for the Lord.  But that is not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about gossip masked as prayer requests, attacks hidden under personal opinion, statements that simply don't need to be stated and fact finding that is grounded in falsehood.

Let's not make our brother and sisters victims of "friendly fire." We're in a war – we're in the army of the Most High God.  Let's aim our weapons in the spirit realm and take the enemy out.  As Christians let's pray more and talk less.  I'm praying daily that the Lord would cover my emotions and help me guard my own tongue. Heck, I don't want the guilt of shooting anybody; I've got enough stuff to repent of already. And I don't want to be shot, seems to me that being shot could be pretty be painful…

So, that's His word, and I'm sticking to it.  Until Next Time!  Blessings!