Throne Thursday | Top 3 Most Powerful Worship Songs

Welcome to another Throne Thursday! Today I will be telling you about three songs that I think are really powerful and moving. Worship is something that I look forward to in church. Music is meant to move you and to cause certain emotions in you. Worship does that to me. I have said in previous posts that I feel the Holy Spirit when I am in worship. This post is purely my opinion so it does not have to be agreed with. I hope you enjoy!

1. We Believe 

This song is all about proclaiming that you believe in the One True God. It is talking about that we believe in the death, burial and resurrection. Ultimately we believe that He is coming back again because he died for our sins. God is our only salvation. He has given us new life. God is the only foundation for our life. He helps us get back up when we fall into temptations. The power of God is greater than the gates of Hell. God's unconditional love will never fade. All of these things we proclaim when singing this song!

2. The King is Here

The King is Here is about our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is here, inside of us! His love will never fail us. Jesus has overcome death for us so we worship and praise His name.We can never be the same if Jesus never died on the cross for us. Therefore, we will give all the glory to Him. We are here on earth to praise God. He is our purpose. This song is all about rejoicing that our God reigns and he is here; he is present in our lives.

3. The Great I Am

This song speaks about how great God is and how He is the only worthy one. The name King of Majesty is so powerful that it makes demons flee. The power of the Great I am is so immense that no one can stand before Him. God is the only Holy one. God is THE great I Am. God is everything. When singing this song in worship I think about how big God is and how powerful he is. I also think about how He is in control of everything. God is the Way and the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)


"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6

Much Love,

Angela Paige

Busy Bees

In today's society, everyone is so busy with work or school or whatever, that I feel like we don't often stop and reflect on what's going on around us and what our priorities are. We just go through the motions. I know that I, for one, am guilty of this. Last semester I took one less class than I did the semester before so I had more free time. It led me to think, "What do I do now that I have so much free time?" I proceeded to try and get a job but I didn't get any call backs.

However, I realized that I am not living my life the way that I should be. My priorities were not straight. I felt like I NEEDED a job or something else that would keep me busy. My grandmother told me that she didn't think I needed a job because I am a full time college student and that I have the rest of my life to work. She was right.

But there is one thing that I should have been putting more time into and it was not getting a job. I should have been putting more time into prayer, meditating and reading the Bible. This is something that I struggle with. In my Management class last semester, we had a guest speaker. He talked about how he took an hour out of every day to be with the Lord. I got to thinking about this and I thought, "Can I do that?" The answer is yes! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, right?

This semester has been crazy busy already. I am taking harder classes and more of them. I am pledging a social club. And in between all of that I am praying and reading the Bible every night. A lot of times I get lazy and I think I can skip reading the Bible tonight but I quickly snap myself out of it and think, "I can take just a few minutes out of my day today to read God's Word." With all of that said, I am not trying to brag and say that I am doing everything right as a busy college student because that is NOT the case. All I am saying is that here IS enough time in the day for God. You can never be too busy for God.

Ask yourself this,"What am I doing here? What is my purpose?" Is it an earthly thing? Maybe you need to rethink things. I sure do. For a while I thought that my purpose was to get a job and earn money to help pay for college. That's an earthly thing that I was trying to make my purpose. But I only have one purpose. I believe that my purpose is to GLORIFY God in all that I do. We can't satisfy our purpose without Him.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2

Much Love, 

Angela Paige

Worry Less, Pray More

"Worry less, Pray more."

This saying is found on many products, such as mugs or T-shirts, and also social media platforms. But what does it really mean? And are we actually doing as it says or are we just saying it? Are we actually giving our cares to God?

To me this saying means to call out to God when you start to worry about something, even if it is something minuscule. God wants you to talk to him about all your worries because He will take care of it. I don't believe that I am actually worrying less and praying more or giving my cares to God, but I want to.

I am probably one of the biggest worriers known to man. Telling me not to worry is like telling me not to breathe. I worry about things I have no control over whatsoever and things I have some control over. So when I see this saying, my stomach drops and I think to myself "How can I possibly not worry?"

A few weeks ago at church the preacher was preaching about worrying less. I thought I would share some of the points he made because I know I am not the only person out there who worries! He was reading out of Matthew 6:25-34. This passage basically says that worrying is unnatural The verse that stuck out to me the most was verse 27 that says, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"(NIV) This verse really brought things into perspective for me because the truth is that we can't add an hour (or even a minute) to our life.

My biggest struggle is turning things over to God and letting Him be in complete control. I think a lot of people struggle with letting God be in total control with all areas of our lives. This passage in Matthew also says that when you worry you are of little faith because you aren't letting God take care of it.

Ultimately, this section in Matthew is saying that if you seek God, your worries will be taken care of. Worrying is like playing God, trying to control things you cannot control. There is only one God and He is the one that needs to be playing. Give Him a turn and "worry less, pray more!"

"Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

Much Love,

Angela Paige

Throne Thursday- #Blessed

I have decided to start this series called "Throne Thursday." In these posts I will talk about all things King Jesus! I will talk about the different places that I see Jesus in my life. I hope you stick around!

This school year has already been amazing and it has only been a month so far! I have definitely seen Jesus throughout this month. Rewind to about a year and a half ago. I was thinking about going to Abilene Christian University so I decided I should give it a visit. Somewhere in the middle of our tour on campus something turned inside of me. We went to Chapel on the Hill and they have a beautiful stained glass window all around it. That's when I decided I really wanted to go here. I didn't get my hopes up because I knew it costs an arm and a leg for private school. That spring I got a letter telling me I was accepted and granted a huge scholarship! I told my mom, "Can I please just go for one year?" She said okay and I got ready for college.

Okay, now fast forwarding to spring of last year. I signed up for classes for the next fall because I honestly couldn't see myself anywhere else. I also decided that I would try and apply to study abroad in Oxford, England for the next spring (2016), even though I didn't now if we could make up the funds. I slacked off and applied too late and went on the waiting list. I was bummed at first but then soon realized there would be things to look forward to in the spring. One of my good friends is getting married and I would be able to go to her wedding. Eventually I became less and less excited about the idea of studying abroad in Oxford. During the summer I got a letter saying I have been granted more money to pay for school. After that I knew that I had to continue going to school here.

Two weeks ago I got an email saying there was space in the study abroad program and that I could be moved into acceptance. I immediately felt conflicted. I didn't know what to choose. I honestly felt like my life had been flipped upside down. I thought about it for a while and decided to take the opportunity and go to Oxford next spring.

Another amazing thing about this semester is that I got to serve the incoming freshmen during Wildcat Week. (It's basically freshmen orientation.) Although I was only doing behind the scenes work I still felt like I was making a difference in their lives. I would set up tables and chairs for different events, serve them food and clean up after each event. It was truly a cool experience seeing how everything works and how much work went into my own experience as a freshman a year ago.

This year I have also met so many new people who have blessed me! I was a little nervous because I got a new roommate due to my old one transferring in the middle of the summer. Little did I know that there was nothing to be nervous about! I have starting rushing to pledge a social club. It was been so fun dressing up in different outfits and meeting so many sweet girls. There is still so much more fun to be had.

I truly feel blessed since I have been here at Abilene Christian University and I feel like God has taken care of every worry that I have and turned it into a blessing. There were many times where I would worry about things like money and God has just blessed me with everything I could possibly want. The King is so great and He carries His children in His hands. We are living in His kingdom and He is in charge of our lives.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Much Love,

Angela Paige

Thank you!

I have come to realize that being a mom is a full time job. My mom works her butt off for all of the people she cares about. She is a teacher at a middle school (YIKES!) and she takes on new opportunities at any chance she can get. She is always busy and she puts every one before herself. Mom, I can't thank you enough for all you have done for me but I will try!

First of all, thank you for giving birth to me. I don't know how you managed to do that but maybe it's just because you're amazing! I literally would not be here if it weren't for you!

Thank you for doing all you could for me (and David) when we were kids and thank you for making sure we had everything we wanted and needed. No matter the circumstances you always put us first and you still do!

Thank you for supporting me and rooting for me in everything I do and being there for me whenever I need you even if I am hours away from you!

But most of all, thank you for being the greatest mom EVER and being unbelievably amazing! I have no idea where I would be if you weren't my mom. You are the best mom a girl could ask for. Thank you for being the best friend I could ever want. You are so beautiful and an amazing woman of God. You have taught me so much through out the years. You are such a great, positive influence on me and I pray that one day I become half the woman that you are! I am so lucky to have you as my mother. I love you so much Mom and I hope you had an enjoyable Mother's Day!

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. " Proverbs: 22:6


Much love,
Angela Paige

What Has Society Come To?

On Friday nights at midnight I attend a little something called Midnight Worship. This is where Christians come together at an unusual time and worship our loving Father. Along with worship, there is usually someone who does a sermon. I look forward to it every Friday because I like seeing how everyone worships in a different way and is so free spirited. No one cares how another is worshiping because we are all worshiping the same one true God.

With that said, this past Friday something different happened. I was singing and I noticed a guy with a deep voice is talking to his friend behind me. At first, I didn't think much of it, I just hoped that he didn't talk for long. But that's exactly what he did. He eventually stopped talking and I thought he was done, but then he started talking again.

These people not only were talking during the worship but also when the speaker was sharing what he had to say. I feel like at this moment God was testing my patience. I kept looking back at them hoping to get the message through that they were talking kind of loud and I could hear them. They didn't stop. I was tempted to say something or "shhhh" them but something inside of me said I shouldn't do that.

Eventually the guy behind me (the same one that was talking throughout worship) decided to pull out his phone during the service. What has this world come to that we can't go an hour without our phone? I didn't understand why he was being so distracting (talking and going on his phone) when Midnight Worship is something totally optional.

Then I thought to myself that he is not the only one who does this. At Abilene Christian University, it is required to get a certain number of chapel credits. Some people use this thirty minutes to do homework or to go on social media on their phones. Why can't we put away every care and worry and just praise God wholeheartedly? Why do we idolize our phone?

I want to live for God and I want to give him all my attention when attending things like chapel, Midnight Worship, and even church. I CAN give my cares, worries and concerns to God for just one hour, and so can you. We should be a people that puts meaning into what being a Christian actually is. What does it mean to be a Christian to you?

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30 (NIV)

Much Love,
Angela Paige

The Scary Thought of Fear

Everyone has experienced fear in some way, but the way in which we experience fear is unique to each person. My fears might be trivial compared to your fears. That doesn't mean, however, that what I fear doesn't matter. Fear can be a good thing and a bad thing. Now, I know what you're thinking, "How can fear possibly be a good thing?" I think it can be a good thing to tell people about your fears so they can help you get over the fears. It can be hard for some people to say out loud what they fear. I think the first step in overcoming a fear is admitting you have that fear.

Here are some things that I fear:

1. Losing people I care about
I fear losing people that I love and care about. I have lost some loved ones in my life and it is not an easy thing to go through, however, the reality of this is that it's a part of life and it is inevitable. We can't stay here on this earth forever. This is not our home!

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2. The unknown of the future
I fear the unknown of the future. I have mentioned this fear in a previous post but I don't like that I don't know what the future holds for me. I don't know what my life is going to be like a year from now (or even a month from now) and that kind of scares me. In my post, I Don't Know What I'm Doing!, I talked about how I am giving this fear to God and letting him be in control of my future.

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3. Ending up alone 
I fear ending up alone. I really shouldn't have this fear yet because I am only 18 years old and I have my whole life ahead of me. I have no reason to fear this but it is just a scary thought in the back of my head. I like to be alone sometimes but I don't want to live my elderly years alone. I believe that no one should have to grow old alone and I certainly don't want to.

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All of these fears have something in common with each other: I can't control the outcome. I can't control how long people stay on earth, the future, or if I will end up alone or not. That is a little scary but I know that God is in control and fear is not. We can't let fear be the thing that controls our life. I also know that He won't put me through anything that I won't be able to deal with.

While it's a good thing to know what you fear and communicate it to others, I think we shouldn't dwell on what we are afraid of. We can't let Satan take over and possibly ruin our lives because we fear something. You can't let fear cause you to give up on something. If I think one of my fears is causing too much stress and anxiety in my life, I give that worry to God and I pray that He will take care of my worries,

What are your fears?

Much Love,

Angela Paige

A Letter to My Younger Self

Dear my younger self,

Your whole time in high school is going to be one heck of a roller coaster ride. You will have some extreme highs and some extreme lows. Things change, people change and plans change, so don't focus too much on how you expect things to be. Don't expect too much from people because they might let you down.

You're going to experience heartbreak. It will feel like it's going to be the end of the world. But here's the good news, you WILL get over him! He will soon be out of your life and you will have no way of contacting him whatsoever, which is a good thing. Believe me! That jerk is not worth your time or your tears. You can't control other people's feelings and ambitions. So don't worry about him.

Take life one day at a time. You will feel overwhelmed when thinking about what to major in and where to go to college. Spoiler alert: you end up going to a great school and meeting some great people. However, you will still be unsure about what you want your career to be, so quit worrying about it because you don't have to worry just yet.

The summer before you go off to college you will experience the most amazing mission trip to Jamaica. You will learn a lot about yourself and definitely grow spiritually. You will be nervous at first because you won't have any family with you, and you will be challenged physically, emotionally and spiritually. You will do things- like chop bamboo with a machete- that you would have never thought you would do. It will be quite the journey for you, so get ready for it!

You will lose a dear friend who is now with the Lord. You will question why God did this to her because she was the definition of good. When she is in the hospital, you will tell your mom that you would still be her friend no matter the outcome. You will grieve very much from her death. And the truth is, I don't think you will ever get over this struggle, but you will be okay. You and Mrs. Dally will visit her every year on her birthday and bring along a bouquet of flowers.

The friends that you make freshman year are different than the ones you have now. You will realize who your true friends are by the time you are starting college. Some people you become friends with won't be good influences for you. Stay away from them. There will be better friends in the future.

You will face all sorts of troubles, but the good thing is that God IS present in your life. God is on your side. There might be times where that's hard to believe but BELIEVE ME! He has an amazing plan for you. When your life gets hard, just know that it WILL get better.

Much Love,

Angela Paige

I Am So Vulnerable

I admit it, sometimes I am so set in my own ways that I overlook what God is telling me to do. That NEEDS to change. I need to make God my first priority, to make more time to talk to Him everyday. I am going to start now!

I went to the Quiet Place in the Biblical Studies Building a week ago. This is a place where you can come to do homework, study or to pray and seek God. Each room has a journal or two where you can write down prayers. I don't really know my reason for coming in here but as soon as I started reading some of the prayers, I realized I, too, was having some of the same struggles as my classmates.

Tears formed in my eyes and I had no idea why. I felt so overwhelmed with His LOVE. I am so vulnerable. It's okay to be vulnerable sometimes. I get emotional when worshiping and I feel the Holy Spirit every time. However, I have some confessions to make.

Dear God,

I cannot remember the last time I just sat down and talked to you. In my busy life at college, I have not put You first and that is NOT okay. I want to change that. I think the reason that I feel overwhelmed with school is because I don't spend enough time with You, God. Afterall, this is not my home.

In chapel a few days ago, the lead singer talked about how You spoke through him. The speaker spoke about how there are people in the audience that are wanting more alone time with God. I thought this was amazing how You, God, spoke through him to me and probably other people in the audience as well.

I don't know what I want to do with my life but I know that you brought me here for a specific reason. You have a plan for me. If You reveal to me Your plan, I will follow. I need to take my faith and You more seriously.

I need your guidance Lord.

Much Love,

Angela Paige

Worship Is POWERFUL

Sometimes I hear people say that God called them to do something or go somewhere. I don't feel like I often get that feeling. In my management class, we talked about Locus of Control which is a person's desire to grow and learn. There are two types of this: 1. External- A person thinks their behavior is guided by fate, luck or in this case God. 2. Internal-A person thinks their behavior is guided by their own personal efforts.

I lean more towards the Internal Locus of Control, therefore, when I make decisions it is sometimes hard for me to see that it is actually God's plan for me because I think that I got myself somewhere. God works in my life and deep down I know that, but sometimes it is hard for me to see that THAT is God doing something great in my life.

You're probably wondering where it is that I DO see God. Well, it's funny you should ask that because that is the point I was trying to get at. I see God when I worship, wherever I am, from my bedroom all the way to Jamaica! (I took a mission trip there.) I don't know how common this is but there is something so special and powerful when worshiping the Lord.

I feel Him physically, spiritually and emotionally. I get chills and visible goose bumps that run throughout my body and I KNOW that that is the Holy Spirit filling me. When I am singing I feel his presence and it is like no other feeling in the world. I also get tears in my eyes or a lump in my throat sometimes, even when I am not sad. I think that I get the sad feeling not because I'm hurting, but because I will never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross. But also because God's love is so great and unending.

I went on a mission trip to Jamaica this past summer and it was the most amazing experience! Even though the Jamaicans worshiped differently than I do, I still felt the same feeling as when I worship in America. It is amazing to me that we all worship the SAME God and He is unchanging. Worship is powerful. God is powerful.

I don't know if any of that made sense but I hope that you can understand what I am saying. God is amazing and I feel him speak to me through music and worship. That is how I know God.

Much Love,

Angela Paige

I Don't Know What I'm Doing!

Yes I am at a four year university, and I am majoring in Management, but when people ask me what I want to do with my degree I freeze up and don't know how to answer so I just tell them, "I don't know yet." But the thing is, I want to know what my passion is, and I want to know what my job is going to be after I graduate. As a kid I tried many sports and musical instruments but I never stuck with one of them. That's how I am with choosing a career.

I guess you could say that I am somewhat jealous of the people who have their life planned out during their first year in college. I have thought of a lot of things I could do from making my own business all the way to being an American Sign Language Interpreter. I know I can't see myself doing a boring Average Joe job. I want to make a difference in at least one person's life while pursuing my career.

The reason why I haven't stuck to one idea of a career is because I haven't found one that will be so enjoyable that it's like I never have to work a day in my life. I haven't found my passion yet. Many people choose the job they want to do because of the high salary, but I just want to be happy in what I am going to be doing for the rest of my life.

Don't get me wrong! I love it here, but college is like a whole different stage in life. You are kind of an adult and kind of still a kid. You don't have a real world job, and you live in a dorm on campus. I don't really like this in-between type of stage. I always think about how I just can't wait til I have my life together, and I am finally living on my own and supporting myself. I, however, don't want to rush the time I do have in college because it is supposed to be the time of your life, right?

Sometimes I think to myself, "What am I doing here? Why am I going to this expensive school when I don't know what I want to do once I graduate?" These are probably not good thoughts to have, but I have an external locus of control outlook on this topic (which means I am relying on faith). I believe that God is going to bring me to whatever profession I am meant to be in. A wise bird once whispered in my ear and told me that I shouldn't worry about this but telling me not to worry is like telling me not to breathe. I am going to take that bird's advice and not worry about it as much.

All I am trying to say is that it scares me that I don't know what my life has to offer. I don't like the unknown, but what I do know is that God has my back, and He will lead me through any struggles that may come my way.

A New Me!

So I have spent some time thinking about what I want to change or accomplish in the year 2015. I made a list of ten things and showed them to my mom and she asked me which was most important to me. I couldn't pick just one because they are all important to me but for different reasons, therefore these are not in order of importance. Here is my list:  

1. Try to stay off social media. 

Most teenagers, like myself, tend to be glued to their phones looking at what other people are up to. I however, want to be different. I want to be present when I am spending time with people and give them all my attention. When I say I want to be off of social media I don't mean I never want to go on Instagram or Facebook ever again. I just mean I want to be present with the people I am around. 

2. Be healthier. 

This goal is probably the most common goal for the new year but to me that doesn't really matter. I believe that if you eat good then you feel good. I also made this goal because when I do eat bad or spend a day doing nothing instead of exercising, I instantly regret it. With all that said, I think it is important to be healthy but I also think you shouldn't be tortured by it and give yourself a treat every once in a while. 

3. Read more. 

I think that the more you read the more knowledge you gain. At home I have a whole shelf of books that have been sitting there since I was probably in intermediate school. (I am in college now.) That's a long time. With that said, I am making it a goal to finish those books by the end of this year. 

4. Write more. 

A few months ago I had a very small thought in my mind that I wanted to start a blog. A number of people I know personally have blogs and I read them and feel so inspired by their knowledge and writing skills. I think it is important to try new things so I made the decision to start a blog and post things about life or whatever I feel like writing about. 

5. Meet new people. 

I want to meet new people this year because I think it is important to build new relationships with people and learn about their story and become a part of it. I am not the best at this because I get attached to the friends I already have but I think now is the time to put myself out there and meet new people. 

6. No soda or caffeine. 

This might sound crazy to some people because many people depend on a caffeine fix in the morning to wake up. In August 2014 I made the choice not to drink soda or caffeine for health reasons. Now I think I am also going to stay away from it because I don't want to crave it. I want to be able to live without it and feel awake just because I got enough sleep the night before. 

7. Save money. 

This is a hard one for me because I absolutely love to shop. I want to save money because living on its own is expensive especially when you attend a private college. My youth minister talked to my youth group about living in a minimalist way and I quickly realized that I struggle with that. This year I am going to try to start living that way by spending less money on THINGS. 

8. Sing more. 

I am in NO way the best singer but recently I discovered, thanks to a friend of mine, that I really love music and I love to sing my heart out. I made this a goal of mine because it is something that makes me happy and I want to live the happiest life possible. 

9. Focus on school. 

Sometimes school can be hard and so I will do things other than schoolwork (like go on social media). Now that I am in college and spending money on it, it is important that I do my best to get my money's worth to prepare me for the future. 

10. Be with and take care of family. 

Family is always going to be important to me no matter what. This summer my mom is going to have surgery so it is going to be my job to take care of her during the recovery process. She has done so much for me and I have to repay her in some way. Furthermore, being away at college means I get less time with family so it is important for me to make the most out of the time I do have with them.

Some of you might be thinking "Wow that is a lot of things you want to change!" The way I look at it is even if I don't accomplish everything on this list, I at least I know that I worked hard and did my best. That's all I can do.  

Much love, 

Angela Paige