Adriel's Music Notes

This site is dedicated to chronicling my music writing journey. Posts include personal thoughts, stories behind songs with links to listen and download these songs for free.

  • About
    • Bio
    • My Songwriting Philosophy
  • Listen
    • I Exist for You
    • Miscellaneous
  • Videos
  • Contact

Goodbye, Old Woman!

December 7, 2015 by Adriel 1 Comment

Retreat Snow 02I had the privilege of going away, up to the beautiful mountains, for our church’s women’s retreat early November. I wasn’t even sure I would be able to go, but through the prayers of faithful saints and by God’s grace, I was able to attend. I’m so
thankful that I did!! I will treasure that time for as long as I can remember. It was one of the most special and significant events in my life. And yes, there was SNOW!!!!

As I shared early this year with you all, the word God gave me for 2014 was “hope”, but to beRetreat Snow 01 quite honest, 2014 has been a very difficult year for me emotionally and spiritually, and I had not felt very hopeful. I’d been looking for it, searching for that hope, but as November approached, I wondered where the “hope” I was supposed to have found was. With just two months left in the year, I wondered if I would even find this “hope” before the year was over … I began to think perhaps it wouldn’t happen.

The theme for retreat was “Shine”, which, more specifically, related to our identity in Christ. God anointed each of the speakers and the message that each one had to share. It was a truly transforming time and God moved in mighty ways in the hearts of the ladies there.

During our very first night’s session, God spoke very clearly to me as I searched my heart in response to what had been shared. He told me that I was to leave the “old woman” behind and not take her home with me. It was one of those crystal clear moments between me and the Lord and the moment He spoke to my heart, my heart was pierced through, because I knew exactly what He was talking about.

You may remember THIS POST where I shared about “The Other Woman”. As much as I had grown in the Lord and found some freedom from the oppression of living in her shadow, I was still comparing myself to how I used to be, still wishing I was better, that I was different. I wasn’t content with how I was. Throughout the year, I’ve struggled with giving up the ideal that I had in my mind for myself. I hadn’t completely let go of the “old woman” and I knew it.

Retreat Lake 04So when God said that I had to leave her up there on that mountain and not take her back home with me, I knew I had some serious business to do with Him, because this decision was so wrapped around my emotions and feelings. I began praying for the strength and grace to say “goodbye” to her, because part of that was hard. I felt like by saying “goodbye” to her, I was losing part of myself.

Retreat Lake 01

The next day, during our free time in the afternoon, I spent that hour at a picnic bench by a pond, praying and journaling. I wrote a farewell letter to the “old woman” and officially said “goodbye” and ended our relationship. I took pictures of that spot, wanting to remember where I left her and the fact that I did. I like to say that I left her at the bottom of the pond.

Retreat Lake 02

Retreat Lake 03

The freedom that came with completely letting her go has been incredible! The burden that was keeping me down is gone. My heart was filled with HOPE as I came away more aware of who I was in Christ, how God saw me, how He was using all my circumstances to create the woman He wants me to be. There is joy in surrender. There is freedom in letting go and fully embracing God’s will for my life, whatever it looks like. In my letter, I told the “old woman” to not come looking for me, because I didn’t want to be her anymore. I want to be who God wants me to be. That is the most important identity I need to focus on. Any other identity is settling for less than God’s best and I’m not willing to settle for less anymore.

Fall Leaves Col 3 11

HOPEful,
Adriel

Share

Seasons in My Life

October 2, 2015 by Adriel 2 Comments

Tree Branches Sky Seasons of Life Song Quote Adriel HongI have been consumed by life at home in the recent months, so much so that I have shut out working on music almost entirely. Perhaps I will explore this more in depth with you on a future post. For now, I will simply say that I found myself with a very rare moment of having an empty, quiet house yesterday evening for about an hour and was reminded of a promise I’d made to a friend to find a song about changes in life.

This was the song that popped into my mind when they first made their request … it’s a song I wrote many, many years ago in my teens when our family was going through a hard season in regard to my grandma’s battle with cancer. The songwriting is a bit redundant in some places and is not the best piece, but as I sang it all the way through for the first time in I-don’t-know-how-many-years, I was struck with just how much the message ministered to my soul and spirit: God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, and He is unchanging. Such a simple message, really, but it was such a blessing to be reminded of that!

That time last night was so refreshing to my spirit … <sigh> … the bridge was originally a verse, but as I looked at the lyrics, something different came to me suddenly for that part and so that is the only change I made to this old song. The words in the bridge are actually taken from a passage of scripture that meant so much to me when I originally wrote this song:

“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come…” Song of Solomon 2:11-12

This passage speaks of a new season … one full of hope, life, and song. It was something of a promise to me during our season in life full of sadness, death, and pain. This life we live has many different seasons in it, each one bringing new dimensions of emotions, challenges, joys, etc. What a reassurance to belong to a God Who is unchanging and always faithful. He is and always will be forever constant.

Nothing fancy here … simply recorded with my phone playing the good ol’ piano and a rusty, out of practice voice (which I plan on remedying soon). As usual, lyrics and song are posted below for your convenience. I hope you have a wonderful day resting in the Lord’s unconditional and unchanging love for you today!

Singing in this season of life,
Adriel

“Seasons in My Life”
Words & Music by Adriel Hong

(vs. 1)
Seasons in my life
And with them comes change
But in all of them I know
That You will be the same
The seasons may bring laughter
The seasons may bring pain
But in all of them I know
That You will never change

(chorus)
This season in my life
Is not here to stay
It is not forever
It will end someday
But You, God, are eternal
And Your love will never end
Mercy never changing
On You I can depend

(vs. 2)
The leaves wither and fall
The flowers fade away
The wind blows cold and strong
The sky is dark and gray
But in the midst of it all
My heart is full of peace
Resting in Your love
Knowing You are there for me

(bridge)
The winter is past
See! The rain is gone
The flowers bloom with hope
The time for song has come

© 2015 Adriel Hong Music

Share
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Subscribe!

Enter your email address below to be notified when new content is added to Adriel's Music Notes

I'm Adriel Hong and I am a child of God and believer in Jesus Christ. I'm also a wife, a homeschool mom, and a Christian singer/songwriter.

I'd like to welcome you to my music notes, a little corner of cyberspace where I share my songwriting journey, which includes free music, stories behind the songs, personal testimonies, music videos, and my musings. I pray that God would bless you and encourage you through this site and the songs that I am privileged to write down for Him. Check out my blog posts, listen to music, watch a video, or just poke around to make your own discoveries! Thanks for visiting and have a very blessed day! =)

Follow me on

This Week’s Featured Posts

The 4 Year Mark

The 4 Year Mark

4 years ago my life changed overnight. I went to bed normal. I woke up in the middle of the night and I was never the same. As I reflect on the desperate months following in which my health would plummet to a critical point, I can finally face the memories, the losses, the guilt, […]

Share

Recent Comments

  • Adriel on 2016 Word of the Year
  • Adriel on The 4 Year Mark
  • Brandi Raae on The 4 Year Mark
  • Josef Sefton on 2016 Word of the Year
  • Josef Sefton on 2016 Word of the Year

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Categories

  • Christian Living
  • Encouragement
  • Family
  • God
  • Happy Music Friday
  • Keeping It Real Monday
  • Music
  • Shout Out
  • Story Behind the Song
  • Throwback Thursday
  • What's New
  • When I Look Back: The Journey

Archives

  • October 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014

Here’s What’s New!

  • The 4 Year Mark
  • 2016 Word of the Year
  • “God With Us” – A Christmas Song
  • Goodbye, Old Woman!

Popular Tags

Christ Christian Christmas communication download Emmanuel encouragement encouraging faith free download fruit of the Spirit God healing hope Inspiration inspirational Jesus journey Keeping It Real Monday learning Lo I Am With You loss love miscarriage music Music Friday online bullying pain patience peace praise promise scripture song suffering testimony testing Throwback Thursday trial trust truth updates video Word of the Year worship

Looking for Something?

February 2019
S M T W T F S
« Oct    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
2425262728  

Copyright © 2019 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in