I don’t know about you but i’m starting to feel so alive again! Whether you see this on Shabbat or any other day of the week I pray it inspires you to set aside time to make space for the peace of Yah in your life. Take a little nature walk and meditate on the word of Yah.
In fact, that’s what i’m doing in the video below… would you like to join me? Click the video to watch.
‘And the Elohim of expectation fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you overflow with expectation by the power of the Set-apart Spirit.’ Romiyim (Romans) 15:13
Do you like going on nature walks? Leave a comment if you could use a little more time outside.
And if you have any praises or prayer requests on your heart, feel free to leave them in the comments below as well. We can all read the comments and pray for one another. Let’s all keep on trusting in Yah. His timing is perfect through it all đ
Much love and Shalom! I’ll see you in the comments.
Shalom Shalom Family. Do you ever wish you had more time to bask in the presence of Yah? Sometimes we spend more time debating intellectual Hebrew interpretations than we do just spending time in the presence of our most awesome heavenly Father… I just wanted to drop in and give you a little word of encouragement on your spiritual journey today.
I know it’s been quite a while since we’ve connected here on the blog, but I want you to know you’re still in my thoughts and prayers. The time I spent away has been wonderful – much needed. I’ve been focusing more and more on authenticity, and allowing Abba Yah to really come inside and fill me up. I want to encourage you all to do the same.
The passage that was on my heart to share with you today is taken from Psalms 51. When I was reading it to myself late last night/early this morning, it reminded me of an old song that I wrote long ago called Words to Say… that song is about Yahuah dwelling inside of us and the feeling of being speechless just basking in His presence and running out of words to say. I don’t know about you, but I need more moments like that in my life. And so I added a new part to the song spontaneously that says, “Abba come in Inside … ” and I hope that as you watch the video, that you will allow Abba Yah to come inside of your heart and fill you up.
‘Create in me a clean heart, O Elohim, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Set-apart Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your deliverance, And uphold me, Noble Spirit!’ Tehillim (Psalms) 51:10-12
Leave a comment below if you’d like to spend more time allowing Yah to come inside. We can all pray for one another to continue growing in Him. I pray the word of Yahuah lives on in our hearts as we continue to press in close and seek His face! Let’s all continue to shine His light in our four corners of the world. Never look back, Yahuah has a plan for your life.
I hate to admit this, but I tend to spend a little too much time thinking about the past, and dreaming about the future. Anyone else out there ever struggle with that? Itâs a huge challenge for me to just stay right here in the present moment where everything is peaceful.
As much as I would like to deny it, I struggle with feeling overwhelmed when there is no real pressing or apparent reason for it. Shifting my thoughts out of overly emotional places is a consistent battle for me. Sometimes tears just take over my eyes without my permission, and I start to feel like Iâve lost the battle. Other times it feels like Iâm winning and I feel calmness and peace of mind.Â
On the days when Iâm winning, itâs usually because I chose to stay focused on the Word of Yah. This morning I noticed that I changed my pattern, and I didn’t like the results. Instead of reading The Word first thing and posting a scripture pic on social media, I started consuming social media. I was watching cute little babies giggle on Instagram, and happy smiling family pics. The pics brought me joy cause they were beautiful, innocent, inspiring moments, and yet seemingly out of no where – tears – not the happy ones – crept up and took over my face without my permission again. A downward spiral of thoughts followed suit.
What happens between the joy and the tears often remains subconscious and difficult to understand. But praise Yah cause Heâs healing me day by day. I refuse to let go of the stability and peace that is found in His Word.
Iâm also learning to notice my thoughts, take them captive (as it says in 2 Corinthians 10:5), and turn them over to Yahuah. I’m learning how to stop judging myself for my feelings when I have them, and learning to accept myself so that I can be more authentic in life.
Part of letting go of fear, which we discussed in the last blog post, is learning to see your reality for what it is – instead of what you imagine it to be. It’s staying in the present moment and doing what needs to be done because there is value in doing it, regardless of the excuses. We have to learn to recognize what really matters to us the most, moment by moment, and not judge ourselves for that. We have to start addressing the core issues lurking around at our deepest levels, and prioritize the things that keep us in balance – whatever those things may be.
I want you to be honest with yourself. If you sometimes struggle to feel like everything is in balance, maybe it’s because things have shifted away from what really matters the most for you. That’s what often happens for me. So i’m learning to be more authentic.
The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines authenticity as : real or genuine : not copied or false. : true and accurate.
If you want to spend more time focusing on the things that matter most, leave a comment below and type,
“I wanna be more authentic.”
Throughout this week, pay attention to the moments when you might be shoving things under the rug emotionally. If you snap unexpectedly, or say something emotionally driven, if you shut down and go silent, or if you “randomly” burst into tears – try not to let the moment go too far without stopping to ask yourself:
Wait… where did that come from?
Why do I feel like this?
Is this emotion based on something that is actually real? Or is this based on a story that I’m telling myself …
Do I need to reevaluate and look at this differently?Â
I know it’s not always easy, but see if you can set aside a little time to address some of the things that often go unadressed this week. You may have things going on within your relationships with friends or loved ones, at your job, or something going on in your own heart. Whatever is happening, no matter how simple or complex it may feel, just breathe, keep it real, and be authentic. And when it starts getting hard, be more authenic still.
‘I have strength to do all, through Messiah who empowers me.’ Pilipiyim (Philippians) 4:13
As we all try to figure out this thing called life, and the place we have in it, letâs just take it one step at a time. Seek ye FIRST, the Kingdom of Yah. Not second – but first. (Matt 6:33)Â Even if it’s just a morning thought that comes to mind as you read a scripture, that thought will carry you through the ups and downs in your day if you let it. Then focus on your family and your contribution to this world. You donât have to be all things to all people everywhere at the same time, just focus on what really matters the most, right here and now.
Before I end this post I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting the latest single I just released called, âHealing Me.â After releasing that song, I realized how desperately I need to remain and be more authentic in life. That song could not have happened without the journey that came before it, and the journey that I’m still on to this very day.
Iâve decided to stop putting any kind of pressure on myself to perform or produce music in any particular time frame, and just allow Yah to continue healing me authentically. As badly as I want to be fully healed right now, and continue making a significant contribution to the world with my music, I need to take my time, stay focused not only on my mission and vision, for Set Apart Heart, but also for the big picture of life.
Iâll be in California for the next 5 weeks enjoying my family and spending lots of time with my wonderful hubby. I may not be blogging a whole lot during that time, you’ll still be in my heart and mind. I pray the healing continues to flow in all our lives. Enjoy the video below if you haven’t already seen it. And if you have, share the video with someone  who might need a little inspiration. I hope the song continues to make space for healing in our lives again and again.
If you’re ready to continue to focus on what really matters most in life, go ahead and say so down in the comment below. Let’s take off the masks and keep it real.
I wanna be more authentic… don’t you?
“Pray for one another, so that you are healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous one accomplishes much.” YaâaqoḠ(James) 5:16b
Let’s keep pushing forward my friend, you’re worth it.
Intense. The Last 3 blog posts here at Set Apart Heart have been a little bit intense. Honesty, I struggled with whether or not to even write them, much less share them with you.
After interacting with those who left comments on all the previous posts, and listening to the things that were on your mind, Iâm actually really glad that I did. Sharing what’s real and authentic in life brings us all closer together as a community, and allows the presence of Yah to keep moving through us all.
If youâre just joining in on the ongoing conversation we’ve been having at Set Apart Heart, let me quickly recap for you before moving forward. First, we talked about Yahâs Purpose and Plan for your life. We talked about the big picture ideas that stemmed from Jeremiah 29:11, and Isaiah 43:10. In light of the fact that we are Yah’s witnessess and His servants whom He has chosen, we also touched lightly on reconnecting with your spiritual gifts, and what you might want to spend more time doing in life.
After discussing the big picture, we focused in on some of your struggles. The things that were holding you back and getting in the way of your healing, so that you could move closer to embracing your purpose in life. We concluded that understanding the things you donât want in your life can often help you to get more clarity and redefine the things that you actually do want. Reading James 1:12 helped us to remember that our struggles are only for a time, and that if we press forward and endure, there will be a reward.
Then finally we discussed the little things that could be holding us back. The subconscious thoughts and the negative self talk that we may not even notice is having an affect our emotions and the decisions that we make. We touched briefly on renewing our minds so that we can move forward, and some of us made personal commitments to ourselves about wanting to make a change. We read Romans 12:2:
âAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.â
So now what?
You want to make a change. But how? Where do you begin?
We are spiritual beings, so let’s begin with spiritual things. Moving forward with intention and purpose in life is deeply connected to the connection we have with our Creator. Yahuah is in control of our lives, and as chaotic as things may seem in the world around us, the more we submit to the will of Yah, the more things will re-allign, and the easier it will be for us to hear His direction so that we can know what steps to take in order to move forward.Â
[PERSONAL STORY]
Earlier this week, on Tuesday night, I was awake for most of the night. Rarely does that ever happen to me anymore – and this time it was different. In the past I’ve struggled with sleeping peacefully, but on Tuesday night, strangely enough – being awake was a really good thing. Yahuah was working with me. He was filling me and directing me clearly on how to make my next steps with music. You see, all my life Iâve been holding back from fully walking in my purpose. You may be surprised to hear that from someone who has been releasing Set Apart Music since 2014, and shared so much content on youtube. But it’s true, I’ve been holding back. A lot. And regardless of the singing and songwriting Yahâs given me the grace to do in the past, the truth is there is so much more music and motivation that Yah wants me to share.
I struggle with perfectionism – big time. I always want everything to be exactly right. I say I want to do the will of Yah, but I get distracted and make up a lot of excuses. Anyone else ever been there? I often let âlifeâ get in the way of me doing the things I really need to do. I say things like âIâm too busy with thisâ or âIâm too tired because of thatâ or âI just don’t feel like it right now.â I have to have the exact perfect conditions in order to be creative. But the reality is this: Those excuses are a symptom of a MUCH deeper problem. And Praise Yah, this week that became very clear to me.
Standing in between ourselves and the desire to submit to Yahâs will, we often find this little tiny thing called fear. This tiny thing called fear can make a big huge impact. It can be disguised as a whole number of other excuses like the ones I shared in my personal story.
A wise person once told me that FEAR is actually False Evidence Appearing Real. We know the spirit of fear is not from Yah. At the root of it all, if we can allow the Spirit of Yah to help us look at our excuses for what they really are, more often than not – what we will find is fear.
Fear of failure… Fear of judgment… Fear of excellence…. Fear of being filled with pride, which we KNOW goes before the fall. (Prov 16:18) Fear is whatâs holding us back from healing, from our purpose, from giving and recieving love… Â Fear holds us back from living our true authentic lives.
I want you to take a look at your life, and ask yourself this question:
What am IÂ really afraid of?
What do I really have to lose?
What do I actually have to gain?
If fear were not in my way, what would I do today?
If on some level, you know you need to make a change, and some shifts need to happen in your life – perhaps examining your heart on a deeper level with the questions above would be a good place to start. Look inside and ask Yah to show you what fears are lying around in disguise at the root of your struggles and pain.
If this concept resonates with you, and youâre ready to move forward, I want you to leave a comment and say âIâm ready to let go of fear.â
You donât have to type anything else.Â
Just write, âIâm ready to let go of fear.âÂ
And throughout this week, be intentional about making space to hear what Yahuah is asking you to do in your life. Even if it’s in the middle of the night. When you wake up in the morning you can say to your Abba…
âYah, what do you want me to do today?â
âWho do you want me to connect with?â
âWhat do you want me to say?â
Remember – You are here for a reason. Your life has a purpose, and the healing that will flow when you choose to let go of fear will guide you to the place Yah wants you to be.
I love you, and Iâm praying for you, and I know youâre praying for me. I can’t wait to share the new music Yah’s given me with you… so you might get a surprise next week if it’s ready đ Letâs keep on growing together in the truth of Yahuah. For Yah has not given us a spirit of fear. But of power, of love, and a sound mind.
‘For Elohim has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of self-control. So do not be ashamed of the witness of our Master, nor of me His prisoner, but suffer hardship with me for the Good News according to the power of Elohim, who has saved us and called us with a set-apart calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and favour which was given to us in Messiah ×××׊ע before times of old,’
Timotiyos BÄt (2 Timothy) 1:7-9
Now go ahead and leave that comment. If youâre ready to let go of fear – say so. Do it for yourself, and do it for the kingdom. We need you. Letâs keep moving forward together.
I’ll see you in the comments below. Let the healing flow.
A wise person once said, “You can not heal in the same environment where you got sick.”
That’s a heavy thought to consider. Most of us have everyday habits and people in our lives that impact us on such a regular basis that we don’t even realize the depth or impact. Â Many of us are struggling with pain, and we don’t understand why the struggle is so hard, but the people, places, and environments we live in or create for ourselves are the exact same people and environments that caused us the pain to begin with.
Last week here at Set Apart Heart we started to discuss the big, obvious things we don’t want in our lives. We discussed situations we are tired of struggling with, things that are holding us back from our healing – things that could be keeping us from walking in our purpose. A lot of us left comments with very real and tangible struggles. And I read all the emails that came through my inbox as well.
This week I invite you to consider the things that are a little less tangible – the little things that may be hiding in the background… things that could be slowly chipping away at your ability to heal and have peace of mind.
Consider things like self-talk. What thoughts are you subconsciously speaking over yourself?
Consider your music playlist. What messages are in the songs being played over and over again in your mind?
Consider the books you are reading or movies you are watching. Do they build or edify?
Consider your closest family and friends. Do they encourage you to live a life that is pleasing to the Most High Yah?
Consider your emotional state. Are you in a space where you can think clearly and make decisions that will help you move forward?
Yesterday on FB and Instagram I was contemplating how the mind is SUCH a powerful thing. What goes in the mind always comes out – in one form or another. If we find ourselves struggling in certain areas, it is SO important to stop & consider what’s going on beneath the surface. What is really happening in our hearts and minds? And who or what are we allowing to have so much power over us?
[PERSONAL STORY]
This week I gained some much needed clarity in my life. I’m sharing this story in the hopes that it will encourage you as well.
Most of you know that I’m making music here at Set Apart Heart full time now. I just recorded my latest single, Healing Me, which will be available on December 4, 2018. And while waiting for the tracks to be mixed and mastered, I decided to start working on recording other songs for the album that will be released in the Spring of 2019.
While trying to record the music at home, I kept hitting roadblocks. For two whole days, for one reason or another, things just weren’t going as planned. I started to get frustrated, I even shed a few silent tears as I cried. For a moment I questioned whether I had bitten off more than I could chew, and even though I have my husband’s full support in every way, I wondered if I had made a mistake in leaving my full time job. I stopped and I said to myself – Hadarah, is this what you really want?
Because I know that Yahuah gave me the gift of singing and songwriting, I said to myself ‘Yes, this is what I want.’
What I don’t want is to be fiddling around with the technical aspects of recording. So instead of filling my mind with doubt and negative self-talk, I dried my tears, took a break, and listened to an audio version of the Bible. Doing this always comforts me when I get stressed out. After taking my break, I tried to record again, but by then my fingers were tired and I just didn’t have the strength to play the guitar again. So I decided to be done for the day.
That night my husband and I were talking about something totally unrelated to music, and it hit me – the solution came to me clear as day. I love making music, but I don’t like doing my own recording and wearing all the hats. Literally being the singer, songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, cameraman, video editor, blog post writer and social media manager is just way too many hats to wear consistently. So I simply made the decision that in 2019 when I’m finished writing all the songs, I’ll just go back to the same professional recording studio where I recorded “Peace of Mind“, and “Yahuah Acoustics Vol.1 & 2“. This may seem like a very simple and basic decision to you, but isn’t it funny how when we get emotional and frustrated, even the most basic of decisions just don’t even come to mind?
Clarity can only come from shalom and peace of mind. We can’t make sound decisions that will help us to heal and continue to move forward if we are talking negatively to ourselves about how “we aren’t good enough.” Most of us are so disconnected from our thoughts that we don’t even notice all the little things that we are saying.
This little story may be super simplistic. Your life may feel or actually be way more complicated right now. But no matter what’s going on let’s learn how to recognize when there’s an opportunity for change. Opportunity for us to slow down, so we can calm down, seek Yah, get clarity, be realistic, find healing and move forward with peace of mind.
‘Commit your works to ××××, And your plans shall be established. ×××× has made all for His purpose, And also the wrong for the day of evil.’ MishlÄ (Proverbs) 16:3-4
So now I invite you to tell me – besides the big obvious things that are holding you back, like the job that you hate, the dysfunctional relationship you’re dealing with, or the lack of financial stability in your life – Â what are the little tiny things that might be affecting you on a deeper level that you may not even realize?
If you can’t name them right now, but you know there are areas where you can make some positive changes, whether that be reading more scripture, listening to more positive set apart music, doing away with negative self-talk, or choosing to love certain friends or family members from a distance, leave a comment below and say, “I’d like to make a change.”
That’s all you have to type. Just scroll down in the comments and say
“I’d like to make a change.”
Do it as a committment to yourself. Then take some time to seriously consider what the change might need to be throughout this week.
Below you’ll find the video with the sneak peek of my new single that’s coming out December 4, 2018 “Healing Me.” I posted it on youtube last week, but if you haven’t had a chance to take a peek at it yet, or if you just want to watch it again as you meditate, I pray you’ll enjoy the 2 min clip below. Prayerfully the song will inspire you as you consider the places in your heart and mind that may need to heal.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.”
Romiyim (Romans) 12:2
May the little things we choose to change make a big impact in our lives. I’ll see you in the comments below, my friend. Don’t forget to leave a comment of commitment for yourself if you’d like to make a change.
Not everyone knows what they want in life… Understandably so. At a young age, we graduate from high school and rush off to college and university. There, with little to no real-world experiences, we are expected to choose the direction that we will take for the rest of our lives. I don’t know about you, but I changed my major 5 times in university, and finally settled on doing a BA in Journalism – just because I liked writing and I had to pick something. The truth is that all I really wanted in life was to be a good wife and a mother some day.
We may think we don’t know what we want in life because society often tells us that what we want “isn’t enough.” Well-meaning parents and loved ones will often steer us away from choosing a career focus based on anything that isn’t predictable. So we are often guided to follow paths that are not authentic to our true selves.
But let’s be real – we are not children anymore. What do you really want?
In the last blog post, we started talking about your life purpose and reconnecting, at least on a surface level, to the spiritual gifts that Yahuah has blessed you with. Let’s go a little deeper today. If you don’t know what you want in life, or what Yah’s calling you to do, let’s try the reverse. What is it that you don’t want. If you’re in a job that you despise – I’m sure you can list all the things that you don’t like about your job. If you’re in a relationship that was never right to begin with – I’m sure you can list all the problems with your relationship. So why not take some time to consider what you don’t want? What are the things you are really tired of… What are the things you wish that you could change… And what do those things say about your values? What do they say about who you are?
Understanding the things you don’t want in life can help you figure out what you actually do.
Last weekend I asked people on my Instagram and FB page if they had any prayer requests. The responses people shared got me thinking⌠although making music is powerful and prayer changes things, there are specific needs in our community that need to be addressed; needs that often simply just go ignored. Itâs almost like, as a community, we want to believe that if we are spiritual enough, all of lifeâs problems will go away on their own. Yes, Yahuah still works miracles – but there isn’t enough discussion around the practical steps that we can take as individuals in order to reach the place where we can find healing. When we find healing, it’s then that we will find ourselves ready to fulfill our purpose in life.
So many of us are struggling with relationship problems, family dysfunction, financial issues, depression, anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem, emotional, and even physical pain⌠Leave a comment below if you’re going through any of the above. I’m just coming out of a season of depression myself, and the healing began when I started to get real about what was really going on, and taking practical steps to change my situation. Although we may not be able to fix every problem in a single blog post, or heal every wound with a set apart song, the least we can do is start talking about whatâs really going on. I’ll be sharing more about this topic in the future, but let’s all start by being open and authentic about our problems. That is where true healing beings.
Sharing the struggles that we go through in life not only brings us closer as a community, but it helps us to wake up and realize that itâs time for change. If we want more meaning and purpose in life, if we want to be a light in our local communities, how can we do so if we are overwhelmed, stressed out, burdened with past problems, and struggling with present pain?
“Blessed is the man who does endure trial, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him.”
YaâaqoḠ(James) 1:12
I invite you to leave a comment below and share whatâs on your mind. Maybe you’ve had some really tough experiences that taught you more about what you don’t want in life. Let’s discuss and share together in the comments below.  If you do know what you want in life but something is holding you back from getting it – you can leave a comment about that too. And if youâd rather just send me an email or a DM instead, that’s cool. I may not be able to reply to every email, but I will always read them privately and pray for you. Let’s stay connected as a community of believers and be authentic so we can lift one another up.
You are here on purpose, and Yahuah has a plan for your life. I keep saying that again and again because we need to remember that itâs true. Life can be overwhelming when youâre swimming in problems and pain, but believe it or not, those very same problems, once youâve overcome them, could be the very things that fuel your purpose and direction in life.Â
So tell me in the comments, in one or two words, or twenty-five lol – What is getting in the way of you pursuing your purpose in life? What problems are pushing up against you right now? What is it that you’re tired of dealing with? What do you wish you could change about your life, your community, or your walk with Yah? What is blocking your healing and causing you pain?
Hi there, Iâm Hadarah Batyah. I sincerely believe that in order to have a spiritual walk that is authentic and true, the Word of Yahuah must be written on the inside of our hearts. That's why I write scripture songs and set apart music. Although I donât have everything in my spiritual life all figured out, I know that Yahuah gave me the gift of music to serve Him and encourage your heart. I pray you'll be inspired by what you see on this blog. If you're curious and wanna know more- I tell it all on the About Page.
Spring is FINALLY here.
Hi there, Iâm Hadarah Batyah. I sincerely believe that in order to have a spiritual walk that is authentic and true, the Word of Yahuah must be written on the inside of our hearts. That's why I write scripture songs and set apart music. Although I donât have everything in my spiritual life all figured out, I know that Yahuah gave me the gift of music to serve Him and encourage your heart. I pray you'll be inspired by what you see on this blog. If you're curious and wanna know more- I tell it all on the