Double Rainbows and Purple Carrots

It's been a while since I've written and after glancing at the last few posts - I felt like writing something a bit deeper tonight.  The amount of variety in my life has tripled, similar to my discovery of the existance of purple, yellow and white-ish carrots.

If you are new to my blog, this is how I do it. 

Sometimes I have a lot to say, and other times I haiku.  

Either way, I only write when I am inspired,

so if you are looking for a daily read, I may not be able to deliver. 

However, if inspiration and stimulation is what you seek,

look no further and subscribe right now. ;)

Life is fantastic. 

I look back one year and smile thinking of how grateful I am for the place I am in right now - mentally, physically, spiritually.  Last year was bumpy.  Change was not easy.  Choices were tough and tests were being dealt out like pop quizzes daily.  But I survived.  I may not have aced it all, but I am happy to report that today was a good day.

 

In fact, the last three weeks have been nothing short of incredible. 

Since I found my home at the Rock Church six months ago, my life has taken a turn for the better and I can not be thankful enough.  I say it everyday in my mind and under my breath, while covering my heart with my hand and breathing in slow, deep breaths.  I thank Him for being with me. 

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 

I've been reading the Bible, start to finish, and in the very first book - Genesis - I read about the meaning of a rainbow.

Seeing this picture, taken in downtown San Francisco today, I couldn't help but think of this: 

"When the (rain)bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:16

He's got our backs. Whether you believe in Him as a man in the clouds, the divine trinity, maybe a breeze blowing by, or a song that plays on repeat in your head, He is with us.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

I pray daily for my DJ ministry, and He continues to provide for me, kicking it off with a set of turntables, followed by a club quality mixer, a shnazzy program called Serato, which will surely work a little magic in my learning process BUT most of all - I have been blessed with a teacher who is His most faithful servant and continually leads me to be a better Christian by always accrediting everything to God's glory. 

I am so moved by the intensity of the progress happening in my life, that I can only offer myself to Him and give back everything equally to Him.  He is my rock.  Yet He is also my flower.  I must keep my flesh out of the way and let His spirit continue to lead me.  I am very passionate about what's happening in my life, but I am also keen on the pauses. 

He will lead me there - never early, never late - only right on time.

Just like the music of Miles Davis, pauses are just as important to the completeness of the song as are the individual notes.

Thank God for being within us, for always loving us by grace, and for giving us the language of music to communicate our gratefulness with Him.

Amen.

Hello DJ Ms. Panda!

After joining the Rock Church and getting "right" with God, the music that I had been listening to on the radio didn't have the same effect on me.  The beats and the tempos were still great, but the lyrics felt "empty."

I tried to get into Christian music and some songs got me pumped, because they were the same ones that we were singing in worship on Sunday mornings, and the same ones that could bring me to tears.

However, I started to feel a calling bubbling up inside of me - one to start making electronic Christian music.  I envisioned myself with two turntables and a microphone - beat matching and scratching downtown at 2am when all the clubs let out on a Friday night - inviting all the party people to come chill in my music space and come back down to earth, allowing me to minister to them with musical prayer.

I just needed one thing - to learn how to DJ and match up all those beats, create those mixes and write the meaningful prayers aka lyrics.

So I began seeking - and we all know what happens when we seek - we find.

It just so happened that my church, The Rock, offers a  DJ Ministry and I hopped on board just in time for the first class.  I recruited a couple of girlfriends and carpooled down to the awesome event space called the 1825 Ministry located at 705 16th St, San Diego, CA.  

Look at all the beautiful people who showed up that night!

Here I am learning to scratch and play with the cross fader...

That's DJ Ketchup next to me! He is pretty awesome for offering up his DJ equipment to amateurs like myself to come and stumble all over.  However, he said it best that first night,

"Once I turned my equipment over to God,
I received more blessings than I ever did when I was hoarding it all to myself."

Amen DJ Ketchup!  Thank you for feeding that calling :)  Now, it's feeding mine!  AWESOME!

Here is a video of me scratching on that first night. 

I had so much fun!  It's hard not to smile when you are learning how to do something fun!

***

Tonight was the second session and we worked more on timing. Here I am scratching on REAL records.  

SO FUN!!!!

 I just wish I had a set of turntables at home so I could just spend hours on end perfecting my craft.  For now, I will just have to stalk Guitar Centers and go to these types of workshops, but once it gets to the point where I can start making my own mixes - watch out Christian music - you are about to be changed forever :)

DJ MS. PANDA is set free!

xOx,
Ms. Panda