A new song will be coming this week!!!

Over the summer, God has really brought my attention to Job 38 and 39. I’ve always loved this chapter but it really captivated my heart in a new way. In these passages God is basically putting Job in his place by asking questions like “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” and “Do you give the horse his strength

or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?”

I don’t know about you, but these are not the kinds of questions that I want God asking me. The thing is though, I feel like I’m asked these questions a lot in different ways. I wish I could say that I that I never question God, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I wondered what it would be like to hear God audibly asking me these questions. The only thing that flowed from my heart was “Hosanna, O my God.” One of the things that I adore most about God is the fact that He made the earth and all in it and yet...

He’s still interested in me.

He knows my name.

My failures.

The terrible things that go on in my mind.

And yet...

He still loves me.

This is what this song is about.

Watch it at...

http://www.youtube.com/user/ryanroksflipflop

Job’s Song

Who directs the great waters

and guides them with His hands?

Who can tilt the jars of heaven

to quench this parched land?

Who makes earth’s floor tremble

and sends light from the clouds?

Who commands the sun to rise

and calls forth brilliant stars?

There will be children dancing and

drummers drumming tonight

And all the people kneel

and bow their heads and cry

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Who has loved me in the midst

of my eleventh hour?

Who has kept my feet from stumbling

and been my Strong Tower?

There will be children dancing and

drummers drumming tonight

And all the people stand

and lift their heads and cry

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Who keeps me from all harm

and watches over my life?

Who hears my faintest prayers

and stand by my side?

There will be children dancing and

drummers drumming tonight

And all the people clap

and lift their hands and cry

And all the glory of out King

appears before eyes

Then all the doubts and fears

they will roll out of sight

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Hosanna Hosanna O our God

Music by Ryan Nosay

Lyrics by Ryan Nosay and Beth Fields

Over the summer God has been working on my heart like never before. He’s been showing me so much about loving and caring for people as well as many other things. More than anything though, He’s been showing me the weak points in my life. Like I’ve said before, this is the whole reason why I wanted to go to Hawaii in the first place... to draw closer to God.

I feel like my eyes are opening up and I’m really seeing the world for the first time.

Throughout the summer, whenever I would be going through something I would pick up my guitar or ukulele and start playing.... just to relieve some stress. Well, God used those moments and turned them into prayers of worship to Him. Before I left this summer, I had written a couple of songs, but this summer God has placed song after song after song in my lap. Some weeks I couldn’t even keep up with what chords went to what song.

I feel that God has placed it on my heart to start putting these songs on the internet. So, from now on this blog will be dedicated to the stories behind the songs with a link to the videos on YouTube. It will be about the things that God has been teaching me and the things that I’ve seen. Some of the songs are bright “cheery” praise and worship songs, while others are raw and darker... but all of them come from the depths of my soul.

My purpose is not to be famous or anything even close to that. My purpose is this: to help others through the music and stories/experiences that God has been showing and teaching me. If I help someone somewhere then I’ve reached this goal.

Hopefully, I’ll have the first video up with in the next two weeks. Bear with me though, for I am technologically impaired!

Also, if you have any advice please feel free to give it! You can Facebook me or email me at rnosay@gmail.com.

Mahalo!

A new post will be coming soon!!! (Within the next week) Yeah!

Aloha! Well, my time in Hawaii is coming to an rapid end. It’s hard to put into words all of the experiences that I’ve had here. One thing’s for sure... it has been an exhilarating, fun, and exhausting roller coaster ride! I came here with the hopes that God would open my eyes and to also, twist and mold me into who He wants me to be. That was my prayer from the very beginning. I wanted to love people with His love and draw closer to Him. I knew that I would be leaving my comfort zone and be placed into a completely new environment with different situations. I was excited about this because, with all of these elements combined, I knew it would help me rely on God even more.

I came here to learn and serve, in every way I possibly could. The biggest thing that I have learned this summer is that our lives are pointless if we aren’t using them to serve others with the love of Christ. I’m completely baffled by the level of commitment, service, and love that comes from Waianae Coast Christian Women's Job Corp (WCCWJC) and Waianae Baptist Church. Both of them truly exist to reach the lost. They don’t just talk about reaching the lost. They do it! Not only that, but they reach out in every way that they can think of. I was astonished my this. I still am. However, more than my astonishment, I’m inspired. I want to take this heart that I’ve seen in these people and reflect it in Elizabeth City, NC and beyond. And I want to inspire others to do the same.

At the end of this journey, I still feel like God is calling me to Hawaii, not because it is amazingly beautiful, but because there is great need. You are ignorant if you think that Hawaii is only filled with beautiful people, hula dancers, aromatic leis, and crystal clear waters. If you come to Hawaii for a tropical get away, what you don’t see is that on the edges of the waters and behind the bushes are people who need a meal, a friend, and home, and most importantly, Jesus. I am proud to have been given the opportunity to serve WCCWJC and Waianae Baptist Church and hope to return at every opportunity that God allows.

Again, I am left with this thought: Our lives are pointless if we aren’t using them to serve others with the love of Christ.

Aloha Ke Akua

When I found out that I was going to be gone for 3 months, I was a little bummed that I was going to be missing camp with my church. So, I was super excited when I found out that I was still able to do camp this year, just in Hawaii. One thing that I really enjoyed about this camp is that not only was it geared toward the spiritual health of the campers but also the counselors. This week God has really exposed some dark places in my heart.

For those of you who know me best, you know I’m a very private person. I don’t easily open up or wear my heart on my sleeve. However, one of the biggest points of this blog is to stop hiding behind myself and the walls that I have created. I want to be transparent. The most miserable time in my life is when I put up these walls with paintings of perfection and self-righteousness. You know them. Unfortunately, we all do.

With that being said, I’m about to expose a small part of my heart through the letters on this page. I ask for you to keep this in mind.

This past week we went through several Old Testament stories. One of the days we talked about Jonah. (Yes, the guy who was swallowed by the big fish.) We talked about why he ran from God and that it was so much more than him simply not wanting to go to the Ninevites. What was really highlighted was the deep seeded hate that Jonah had for these people. Not the kind of hate that you have for getting up before the sun or for certain types of food, but the kind of hate that makes you not want to share God’s Word with someone because you don’t want them to accept it.

We were asked who (a person or a people group) we are prejudice of so much that we didn’t want them to come to God and we were asked to write them down on a piece of paper.

So I thought... and thought... and thought some more.

I honestly couldn’t think of any one person or any people group that I hated. Then she said, “We all have one.” and I wondered if I was the odd man out and didn’t have one. I wasn’t sure why this question stuck with me until this morning.

Switching gears...

I don’t even know how to gracefully segue into my next train of thought but to just come out and say it.

This past week I struggled so much with pride.

I’ve struggled with it off and on for years but NEVER like this. The bad thing is that I don’t even know where it came from. I don’t know what came over me. I know that everything that I have is from God but that simple thought didn’t ring as loudly this week as it usually does. This week of camp was super spiritually challenging, and yet, I found myself getting full on attacked. I just don’t understand. And I hate it. I hate it that I can’t control my mind better than this.

Switching back...

This morning when I woke up, I did my devotions and then it hit me.

I’m prejudice of prideful people.

The very people that I can’t stand is the person I became this week. Prideful. I’m still mulling over what God is teaching me through this situation. However, the question that I’m left with is, “Why am I doing such a great job at avoiding and (mentally) condemning these people?”

Last week was amazing! It was one of the best experiences that I've ever had and was hands down the best week since I've been here in Hawaii.

A group of us went on a missions trip to Kauai at Lihue Baptist Church. This whole summer Lihue Baptist Church has been holding a summer camp for about 4 hours everyday and this camp is completely free. Each week they have a different theme. Some of the themes are Art, Games, Drama, and Music. We came for music week and taught them a musical (which they had to memorize). My job was to audition the kids who wanted to try out for solos/duets, select them, work with them, and then direct them for the program. I’ve never really worked with children when it comes to music before and this past week I found out that I love it!

One of the things that really stuck in my mind from this trip was watching the kids, close to a 100 of them, sing to God. There is something so amazing about seeing them, so full of heart and purity, while singing to God. They sing as if He’s real!

(click here to see the video http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1478056241776)

One of my biggest focuses in life is music. It’s in my blood. I think about it ALL the time. Seeing those kids sing made me wonder “How often do I sing like them? How often do I come to Christ as a little child and believe and sing as if He’s real?” I often find myself getting caught up in the minutia of music instead of Who it’s all supposed to be for in the first place. When I saw these kids singing, it just melted my heart and I couldn’t help but be moved to tears.

I think we all need to step back and examine our abilities and talents to see if what we are doing is really glorifying God or are we (like myself) getting caught up in the tiny details and forgetting the main goal. What are we worried about? Perfection? The people who are watching us? Or life in general?

Plain and simple, our focus needs to be where our focus needs to be.

Please pray for Kauai. I was told that about 6 out of every 10 teenage girls get pregnant and only 2-3% out of all the people on Kauai are Christians.