Takes one to know one

I have discovered it really does take one to know one. We all point the finger, not thinking about the other three pointing back at us. I had an app. on facebook where you asked a question and anyone could comment anonymously what they thought. I asked if people thought I was a good witness for Christ (Bad idea!) and the comment I got back was, no I am to judgmental. Lately I would agree, I am quick to judge and slow to love. Christ was the exact opposite. I have discovered what keeps me from judging, TEARS, lots of tears. They break down walls and barriers you never even knew you had up. Don't hold them back, let it all out. You will begin to love in ways you never knew you could, and have a much less judgmental life. :)

Sunday Set list

All creatures of our God and King (David Crowder)

~ Shout to the Lord (Darlene Zschech)

~ Better is one Day in your courts

~ Blessed be the name of the Lord

We can try so hard to have the best service ever, yet we never really ever get there.

This sunday I learned about the power of prayer and the power of God, how he can take our week attempts to pray and serve him and turn them into something only He can do. Rehearsal on Wednesday broke me down, I felt like such a failure. We spent 30 minutes on one song and struggled the whole way through it. I was very distraught afterwards, and really wondered how this morning would go. I began to read what I call the Christian Artist Bible, "The heart of the artist", it was partially for a class and partially for comfort. I decided to read a section to my band this morning about perfection. It was about how God still uses us even if we mess up and a song goes wrong. I explained that I am way more concerned with the fact that they are growing in Christ and using their talents as an expression of that then wether or not a song we play is perfect. Well, God not only uses bad song but also bad Bible studies. I was very tired from the night before and a bit irritable, so I am afraid my words came off a little to pointed and strong. Yet, I loved it when the band and I all went into the chapel and were able to pray together. Something that I started last week and I am very pleased with. Also, Worship went very well this morning, despite all of my short falls. God has truly blessed me with a talented band and a wonderful job!

A Beautiful Disaster

~ Praise to the Lord the Almighty
~ Amazing Grace/ My Chains are gone
~ Jesus Draw me Close
~ O for a Thousand Tongues to sing


This sunday I did something a little different with the band. I had been getting so focused on making the music sound really great that I had been neglecting the Worship side of things. Every sunday morning we have prayer in our chapel at 8:30 and this week in our staff meeting we were talking of ways to encourage people to attend. I decided the band would end rehearsal at 8:30 then head over to calm our minds and steady our spirits. I wanted them to know I value our Christianity more than our musicianship. So, during the time when I am usually running around double checking everything and making sure everyone knows what they are doing, I spent instead praying in the chapel. Well the prayer time was wonderful and I truly felt more prepared for sunday morning than I have ever before. I did not realize that I need to schedule my time a little different, because of our new addition.

When I walked back into the sanctuary everything began to fall apart, my new member of the media team was struggling with several issues, including having prepared different songs from what we were going to be playing this morning. Trying to resolve the issue, I gave her my music and scripture for the morning. Tried not to think much about it and continue on with things as normal. The sound guy was needed as a greeter this morning, so I had to pull from my two classes worth of knowledge on how to run an analogue sound board and convert that to a digital sound board. Then we were off. The Lay Leader began with the welcome and great your neighbor, followed by announcements then joys and concerns with offering ending her time. Most sundays we allow for special music during the offering but did not have any this morning. I did not remember to tell her that about that and that we needed to go straight into children's time during the offering. Well, there was a small time of panic as we tried to remedy the situation in the middle of the service, it's a good thing I sit on the front row. We got it all solved and I settled down with a snicker thinking, "well one thing has to go wrong every so often, right", little did I know this was only the beginning. When the band and I got up to begin our worship set I realized that I had never gotten my music and scripture back from my media team. So, I am now flying solo up on the stage, luckily I could kind of see my other vocalist music. But when it came time to read the scripture I had nothing, so I ad libbed a bit and went right into Amazing Grace / My chains are gone. I survived the second problem of the morning. When we finished the Pastor came up and read the scripture for me then began his sermon.

As the band and I began to do the closing for the service, I noticed I got a lot of puzzled looks from the congregation, our newest media team member did not get to fix the last two songs and apparently had some very different words on the screen from what we were singing. :) What else could end our service more perfectly!

We have only been in our renovated sanctuary for about 2 months and are still trying to figure out a lot of things. But through it all, I will place Christ over all. Of course this morning had some problems because Satan hates it when we change our routine to be more Christ centered. None the less, it was really great to see that the congregation was still entering into a great time of worshiping our Creator, and we had more people stay after to take communion than we have had in a long time. It was a beautiful sunday morning service.

The Prison

When it comes to the end of a semester, school feels like prison! All you want is the sweet smell of freedom and the wonderful after taste of accomplishment!
Its like Candy canes, they are really pretty and smell really refreshing. So you put it in your mouth and begin the long journey of continually using the muscles of your mouth and saliva to work your way through the candy cane. Every so often pulling it out our your mouth and checking your progress. The taste becomes overwhelming, but you already have it in your mouth. If you put it down you may never pick it back up, so you feel trapped by candy to finish it. It begins to get sharp and poke your mouth, you may even bleed. Yet you are a survivor and you are in it to finish.
Then finally, it dissolves in your mouth and each breath you take reminds you that finished the candy cane and now have really great smelling breath and a wonderfully sweet after taste in your mouth that will last for a long time.

I am trapped in a candy cane school of prison.

Happy Holidays!

Parable of the Talents

When you are smacked in the face with incredibly talented people you become inspired. Which is something that should not be waisted, because inspiration is the most fickle friend you could possibly ever have.

I was surrounded tonight by some incredibly smart and talented people, well two for that matter.They were analyzing one another's talent. I just sat in awe.

I am very crossed with this idea of talent.

I have never viewed myself as an incredibly talented person. But, (bare with me as I am digging very deep into my soul, and it is requiring a lot of narration within my head. I am truly perplexed by all of this.) why do we receive talents and yet as Christians never feel capable of using them, because we need to be "HUMBLE"? When we use them does that mean we are being prideful? We see countless stories in the Bible about people doing what they do because they are gifted in that area.

We all have talents according to Christ, we are all given at least one talent and if we do nothing with it, it is waisted. So, as any good sunday school teacher would say, what is your talent? Buddy the Elf was good at checking fire alarms, and placing the star on top of the Christmas tree, my neighbor is very good at starting up conversations with anyone and being friendly, my mom is very good at telling the truth.

Talent is one of those things that will always cause my mind to be unsettled and I am trying to be okay with that. What is talent and how do we use it? This is another gray area where God comes in and defines it for each of us individually.

If He blesses you with any thoughts into this matter please share, it is much needed!

Its Fall...

Coffee House

I have not written in a long time!

I have been learning a lot about life and what it takes to be a follower of christ. This is not that much fun, although very necessary.

Brief update of my life;

~ School is hard
~ Friends are fun
~ I love being a worship leader
~ I am knitting a scarf
~ I am on my way home for the first time since august and I stopped at Shades of Brown for a coffee

Well there it is my life since last time, hope you all have a great weekend!