“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—.” Ephesians 2:15

This has been the passage I have been meditating on recently and those two words “But God” get me each time I read it. Those two words are a life changer. Those two words make a dead man or woman, alive. Those two words have the power to change the end of the story; to heal the broken and sick, to transform a life filled and saturated with and by darkness.

This is the passage that has inspired next song I am writing. I am so excited to experience the journey of this song.

“I find that when I think I am asking God to forgive me I am often in reality
(unless I watch myself very carefully) asking Him to do something quite
different. I am asking Him not to forgive me but to excuse me. But there is
all the difference in the world between forgiving and excusing. Forgiveness
says “Yes, you have done this thing, but I accept your apology, I will never
hold it against you and everything between us two will be exactly as it was
before.” But excusing says “I see that you couldn’t help it or didn’t mean it,
you weren’t really to blame.”. . .

Real forgiveness means looking steadily at the sin, the sin that is left over
without any excuse, after all allowances have been made, and seeing it in all
its horror, dirt, meanness and malice, and nevertheless being wholly
reconciled to the man who has done it.”

-C.S. Lewis

May 1st, 2016

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one
another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

To understand forgiveness we must realize what forgiveness is NOT:

· Forgiveness is not forgetting. Deep hurts can rarely be wiped out of one’s
awareness.

· Forgiveness is not reconciliation. Reconciliation takes two persons, but an
injured party can forgive an offender without reconciliation.

· Forgiveness is not condoning. Forgiveness does not necessarily excuse bad or
hurtful behavior.

· Forgiveness is not dismissing. It involves taking the offense seriously, not
passing it off as inconsequential or insignificant.

· Forgiveness is not a vague notion of ‘tolerance’. This is, at best, a
low-grade parody of forgiveness. At worst, it’s a way of sweeping the real
issues in life under the carpet.

· Forgiveness is not pardoning. A pardon is a legal transaction that releases
an offender from the consequences of an action, such as a penalty.

Throughout the Old Testament we read that only God can forgive sins. We hear
David exclaim, “He forgives all my sins…” (Psalm 103:3). We also see examples
of human forgiveness—even in pain—like Joseph forgiving his brothers for
selling him into slavery. Joseph gains true freedom. He then names his son
Manasseh, “one who causes to be forgotten.”

In the New Testament we see Jesus, the Lamb of God, come into to the world to
die for our sins. Through His shed blood we can once and for all receive
ultimate forgiveness. This is the pure “gospel of grace.” This forgiveness is
a gift. We do not deserve it but God, in His grace, reached out to provide
forgiveness to a dying world.

Then we read in the verse above the impact of this on those of us who have
received that forgiveness. Its ethical challenge parallels “love your enemies”
and “pray for your persecutors.”

In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I
am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I
release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to
work out. I leave in God’s hands the scales that must balance justice and
mercy. I simply forgive others and leave them to God.

Greetings friends,

With the release of “A Woman Like Me” there is only one single left to be released (more information on the release date coming soon! Check for updates on my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/gabriellearianamusic). Since beginning this musical journey back in October with the release of “When Christmas Hurts” there has been a lot of growth in my own life, both musically and personally. I have been asked when there will be a completed album and the honest answer is, I don’t know! Composing for me has always been associated with incredible spiritual lessons that God seems to place right in front of me, and usually I am able to turn those lessons into songs. However, I always find it fascinating because I never think of the songs I have “put down on paper” as songs I have written. Rather, I see them as God’s songs, containing lessons He has taught me/is teaching me throughout my daily walk with Him and He has given me the beautiful responsibility of sharing them with all of you.

I will go through periods where I am in the process of learning and comprehending all these tough lessons, and usually during this time, I am unable to write anything and it is a very “dry” spell. Other times, lessons, ideas, and melodies are flowing so fast and furiously, I have a hard time keeping on top of everything. It would be nice if one day I was able to find a balance, but at this point in my life, I am convinced that the Lord has a reason for the way in which He gives me songs. I always know a song is from Him when it is written without much of a struggle or strain. Lyrics seem to come to my mind without having to think twice and a melody falls into place alongside the words. When this happens, it is such a blessing because I get to “see” (or maybe I should say “hear”) the Lord’s hand in the creation of the song.

Oftentimes, a verse in Scripture or a Bible story will stand out to me in a fresh and new understanding. When this occurs, I will find myself meditating on it more than usual and it is usually during this time when God seems to open my eyes to the “nugget” that inspires a new song.

My prayer right now is that God would continue to be gracious and share new and precious insights with me from all the many lessons I have learned and am currently learning; and that, in His timing, He would give and inspire more songs that I can share with you all.

The music video for BOTH Home Again and “another” single will be released within the next few days! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter for the most current updates!

“Home Again” Music Video in final stages to be released within the next two weeks. Stay posted for the date! Like Gabrielle Ariana’s Facebook Page for updates!

Although we chose a particular theme for this song, its underlying message is God bringing each of us to an ultimate resting place after a journey through the wilderness.

It has been awhile since there has been any activity on the site as well as on my Facebook page, however, I still have several singles that have been mastered and will be released over the next few months.

During the past months, I had been working on earning my Certified Flight Instructor Certificate, which, I am thankful to say, I received on 2/2/16! It was a long journey but I am so grateful to the Lord for His provision and faithfulness throughout the long months of studying and training. I am also thankful for the aviation community that I am in and for the way they encouraged me along the journey. It is a huge weight of my shoulders and allows me to put more time into writing and recording again.

Stay posted for the release of “Home Again” as mentioned in the last post and please follow me on twitter and Facebook to get the most recent updates on my musical journey.

God bless you all!

Working on ideas for the “Home Again” music video

“Home Again” is more contemporary in nature but still incorporates Scripture! Based on Pslam 23 and 91, this song was written to remind us that God will bring all of His children out of the darkness of our present circumstances and bring us back into His glorious presence. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when”; His timing is perfect and we can trust His heart.

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” -Psalm 62:8

Prince of Peace:

In Messiah’s kingdom there are no conflicts because He is the Prince of Peace. He offers “peace from God” (Romans 1:7) to all who receive His grace. He makes “peace with God” (Romans 5:1) for those who surrender to Him in faith. And He brings the “peace of God” (Philippians 4:7) to those who walk with Him. As we hear so often at Christmas, the beginning of His earthly life was heralded by angels who pronounced peace on earth (Luke 2:14). There never really has been peace on earth in the sense we think of it. Wars and rumors of wars have characterized the entire two millennia since that first Christmas, as well as all the time before it. The announcement of peace on earth was a two-pronged proclamation. First, it declared the arrival of the only One who ultimately can bring lasting peace on earth (which He will do when He returns to bring about the establishment of His earthly kingdom).

But more importantly, it was a proclamation that God’s peace is available to men and women. Read the words of Luke 2:14 carefully and note this emphasis: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” God is pleased with the people who yield their lives to Him. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy” (Psalm 147:11 NKJV). When the angels proclaimed peace on earth, they were speaking primarily of a very personal, individual application of God’s peace that grows out of a firsthand knowledge of the Prince of Peace.