I Learn To Praise God In My Storms, Even For My Storms - Summer 2005 To Summer 2006
My appreciation for lyrics also increased, as I gradually discovered songs whose lyrics, I can relate somehow to my life, or discovered that some already familiar songs are relevant to me. In the summer, however, I began paying much more attention to songs' lyrics than their sound, and that's a trend that remains even now. But the period when I'd cling most onto certain songs, for their lyrics, would start in September, at the same time as the onslaught of a spiritual low. Hurricane Katrina had just recently wreaked horrific havoc on the USA Gulf Coast, eeriely close to the 13th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, which tore through South Florida, destroying my family's home with us in it, on August 24, 1992. Until Katrina, Andrew had been the costliest hurricane to have struck the United States, and for anything to have been able to surpass Andrew in terms of damage, simply astounded me. However, though Katrina didn't directly impact my area except for a little rain and wind, I feel it still, perhaps quite ironically, indirectly blessed me. During the first few days in September, I heard this special Katrina tribute version of Casting Crowns' Praise You In This Storm on radio station WAY-FM. I heard that version only once, but that was enough, for I have never forgotten the song at all since then, in that version or its original version.
Downpour
I never forgot the song, because on September 10, the start of one my most significant tests of faith so far, fell on my lap. Figuratively, a storm suddenly began pouring rain in my life. Of course, it never was as bad as the pains that Katrina survivors have experienced, and I don't intend to try to directly compare any pain I've experienced, to the pain that Katrina has caused. I just enjoy the hurricane/storm metaphor, because, I've had a fascination for storms and weather in general, ever since my early elementary school years. Also, I don't want to minimize my own painful experience too much, either, because it really was a painfully trying time for me...the confusing, potential loss of my only true friend in this world. I expect even that little description to confuse. There is no quick way to explain adequately, this trial I endured. But I try my best to do so, in my Christian background.
Songs Important To My Spiritual Survival
I think at the outset of this trial, Satan wanted to see me fall flat on my face, to break down completely. That's happened to me before, during comparatively less significant trials. But not this time. I didn't want that to happen again, and it didn't need to happen again, anyway, because this time, I had God on my side, and knew that I can trust Him through anything. That knowledge didn't exactly make this any easier for me to bear—it was still the hardest trial I've ever had so far. But knowing that God had a reason for letting it happen, helped pull me through. And music helped pull me through, as well, specifically the songs Praise You In This Storm, Jeremy Camp's Walk By Faith, and Natalie Grant's Held, all Top 10 songs for 2005 on my chart. In fact, Praise You In This Storm helped me right from the beginning, keeping me going strong even when I felt like collapsing under the weight of sadness, confusion, suspense, and at times, fearful shock. And in another fact, Praise You In This Storm and Walk By Faith ranked in my Top 5 of 2006, as well, due primarily to the help they gave me during the first 7 months that year.
Aftermath And Blessings
The stormy trial in my life would carry over into 2006 and not finally begin ebbing, until the springtime. In its aftermath, I've faced a bitter-tasting experience, a substantially declined friendship with the girl who helped me find Christ. How seemingly ironic... However, born from that dimming friendship were new friendships, a new desire for community with others, and a new desire to love, serve and bless others somehow, even encourage them somehow in whatever trials they're enduring. In the present, I have no idea what is to become of my friendship with Lauren—she and I still talk very occasionally, but we're nowhere near as close as before. I pray for God's will to be done in her and her family's lives, though, whatever it is. I'll never forget her, and how as a blessing from God, her journey in life merged with mine for a time, helped me focus mine on the right direction. I'll always be grateful for her, and will always be grateful for the stormy trial that arose. Noticing this may be so difficult while in the midst of a storm, but a storm is a blessing from God, worthy of praise. He never allows us to endure something we're not able to handle, something that won't help us in the end. But we'd have to diligently seek Him and His will and strength, not just sit idly and let the wind and rain toss us around.
Site Changes And Redesign - Summer 2006 To The Present
Enduring my storm and arising from it spiritually stronger, inspired me in Summer 2006 to make my site a bit more openly Christian, by mentioning a little about my faith. I figured to do that would make sense anyway, since Christian music had already dominated on my weekly chart for about a year already. However, toward the end of 2006, I conceived an even bigger idea for my site.
Site Redesign
I wanted to redesign my site, in time for the start of 2007. However,
as a late Christmas "present", if I could consider it, I sprained my ankle,
which cost me about a month of recovery time, during which I had to
postpone my site redesign. Finally, however, at the end of January, I began
work on the redesign, not knowing what I'd really be getting myself into,
an over 7-month journey of learning more in-depth about HTML (HyperText
Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading StyleSheets), cleaning up bloated code
that Microsoft Word would leave in my files, dumping Word as my chart maker
(in favor of Notepad replacement EditPad Lite), and then learning in-depth
about XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and XSL (eXtensible Stylesheet
Language), at the same time I began rebuilding my site from scratch for
launch on another Web host, since working within Geocities' limitations
proved unfeasible for me. I originally wanted to be done with my new site
by the start of April 2007, but I ended up finishing many months after.
Well, better late than never :-) (smile), I say. I
believe it is through the grace and power of God, that I had the patience
and persistence to work on the site all the way to completion, for about a
whole year. My prayer is that it helps at least somebody, in some way.
Thank you for visiting, whoever's reading, and thanks for taking time to
read through here all the way to the end, for I appreciate that. May God
bless you.
In Christ,
Anthony
December 29, 2007