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Church Destroyed During Choir Practice

I really don't have the words....

CD Review "Heaven and Earth" Phil Wickham

This CD...what can I say about this CD that is one of the best ones I have laid my hands on in a LONG TIME!

With rich layered sounds, smoothe vocals, and most importantly, stirring lyrical content, God is all over these 12 tunes.

From the opening track, "Eden," in which Wickham identifies with every human's innate desire to be back in intimate communion with God, our Father, whether we know it or not, to the mellow closing track, "Heaven Song," which, when I listen and then sing it to God, takes me to His feet, this album just has it!

Get a copy. You won't regret it.

Events I'm Excited About!!!

I thought it might be fun to start sharing on my blog some of the stuff coming up in the next few months that I am very excited about.

The first event I want to share is that Tim Hawkins will be performing two shows at Lynn Haven United Methodist Church on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 7:00 and 9:00 pm. This is such an awesome opportunity to come out and have a great time together laughing and enjoying clean, yet uproariously funny comedy. Check him out in the video here:





If you want to see more clips, or purchase tickets to either of these showtimes, please visit http://timhawkins.net/

From the Mouths of Babes

I should not be amazed at this point by the things kids can teach adults, if we are willing to accept their instruction....

Tuesday morning, I was brushing my daughter Taylor's hair, getting her ready to go to school for the day. For anyone who does not know, she is 7 years old. (This will add to the way God humbled me through this incident seeing as I am almost five times her age.)

I was discussing something on the phone while brushing her hair, trying to make a decision on how I should handle a situation in my life. The right thing to do in this situation was obvious. But, since I was struggling up to this point, it was not as obvious to me.

As I was stating what I wanted to do, and what I knew I should do, my daughter said, "Mommy, wisdom is knowing the right thing to do, and doing it."

God, speaking through my child, and some other very trust-worthy friends, set into motion a course of events that freed me that day from something I had been burdened with for years.

Just know that it's awesome.

Thomas' video

This is a video that my friend Thomas made for Senior Sunday at our church. I think that it is well-made and especially relevant at a time when age groups in our society are increasingly more segmented.

God bless the church that worships together! In heaven, we will not worship in demographic groups.

we're all members from Thomas Irby on Vimeo.

Very cool

A friend of mine shared this with me....

Sunday 6/7/09

Set List Sunday 6/07/09

Pre-Service-This might change-"How To Save A Life" - The Fray

"Blessed Is The One" Bb - Julie

Welcome

Beautiful One G - Julie

Sweetly Broken B - Marc

Came to My Rescue C - Julie / Marc

Offering - Forever Holy G - Julie

Message

Closing

Thanks guys! Playlist for everything but "Blessed Is the One is at the bottom of the page. You can hear "Blessed Is the One"

Here: http://www.last.fm/music/Daniel+Doss+Band/_/Blessed+Is+The+One?autostart

Appearances Can be Deceiving

Check out this video! It is proof that appearances can be deceiving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KiGva9dV4

The old addage, "You should never judge a book by its cover," could not be made more clear than it is by this video. This warmed my heart and made my day!

Found this on Bob Kauflin's blog-Cool!

This is fun to watch. What a sense of rhythm and timing.
Enjoy!

Camping Readiness

Ok, so everytime we come up a few weeks from the Kingdom Kampers' church camping trip, I promise myself that I am going to have it all together by Thursday evening so that when Friday rolls around, all I will have to do is load the car, get Taylor from school and off we go!

Well, yet again, it is not so. What is it with me and this aversion to camping readiness?!?

Here I am, blogging, when I should be packing, shopping for camping rations, and making sure that our camping supplies are stocked and ready to go.

It reminds me of how many of us, myself included, approach our relationship to God sometimes. We promise ourselves that we will spend time in prayer and study of God's word, and in listening to His will for us, yet when it comes down to it, we are "blogging,'or whatever distraction you may insert for blogging at that particular moment.

I can't wait to go and spend the weekend with my family in a tent, and I know that to make that time together all it can be, I need to have spent time preparing for it properly. It is quite difficult to show up for a weekend outside with no sunscreen and no bug repellent.

I anticipate with great excitement spending eternity with my God, my Father. But, I don't want to leave this earth knowing that I haven't spent all the time I possibly could knowing and serving Him more before I get there. Somehow I feel like that would be like going camping without the suncreen, the bug spray, the tent or, even worse, the marshmallows, Hershey Bars, Graham crackers and firewood.

So, happy camping! (Anyway, that's really all we're doing on this earth isn't it? Camping out, getting ready for the ultimate reunion!)

Impressive!

I had a lot of fun watching this. Thought you might enjoy it too!

Overflowing Thankfulness

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. - Colossians 2:6-7



As I studied this passage, I wondered how do we become "overflowing with thankfulness?" I have never thought of my generation as one that is described this way. In fact, I would use the word, "spoiled," as a more accurate adjective for my age group. I know I'm pretty spoiled. I mean, I am thankful for my husband, for my kids, parents, my house, my car, my job. (I don't really get to call what I do a job because I love my work.)

But, I would not describe myself as "overflowing with thankfulness."

So, I thought it incumbant upon me to find out how to become so. I looked for some other references in God's word about thankfulness that could maybe help me understand how to be overflowing with thankfulness. (I love that phrase)

Romans 1:21 says this: "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused."

If I am honest with myself, I can't tell you how many times I have tried to put God in a box and label it as I wanted Him to be, instead of being thankful for who He is and who He wants me to be.

1 Thes 5:18 says "Be thankful in all cirsumstances, for this is God's will for who you belong to Christ Jesus."

Umm, I think that really says it all. I heard a testimony a couple of weeks ago from a lady who is suffering with cancer. She made the statement that she had gone from the thinking ,"why me," to "why not me?" She is thankful for the opportunity to be a servant to God through her circumstances. Oh, to have that kind of faith! What a blessing to see it in action and to be a part of the family of God!

1 Tim 1:12 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him."

In all areas of my life, God has somehow counted me worthy to serve Him and to do His work. As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher, worshipper, follower, leader, whatever He calls me to do. Whether I feel equipped at the moment or not, He counts me worthy and has given me strength to serve Him. He counts us all worthy when we received Him. There is nothing special we have had to do to receive worth. We were worth enough to Him to give His life. From the knowledge of all of these things, I have "overflowing thankfulness."

Sweet Moment

Last night, my children and I read three books together at bedtime as we always do. I kissed them and told them to have a good night. I left the room to go to my own bed which was beckoning me as I have been ill.

As I crossed the house, I heard the quick pitter patter of little feet behind me and in a very excited and incredulous voice, my son said, "Mommy, you forgot to pray with us."

My heart was warmed and I was thankful for all of the people that teach my children about Jesus at church. I was thankful for how special it is for us to pray together at night.

Well, needless to say, I immediately went back into their rooms and we said our prayers, something I can't believe I forgot, but that I'm glad my son didn't.

Pray for Each Other

This prayer is in Colossians 1:9-14 is a great example of something that we can pray for each other.

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

It is really an awesome thing when people begin to pray for one another. I don't mean just when there is tragedy or sickness. (Not that it is a bad thing to pray during those times.) But, praying for God to fill one another with the knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding daily. Praying that we may all live lives worthy of the Lord. Praying that we may be strengthened with all power by his glorious might so that we can have endurance and patience. And, giving thanks to God joyfully because we will partake in an inheritance that we did not earn.

Pray for each other! God bless

Panama City Pops

I attended the Panama City Pops concert last night at the civic center and let me tell you, it was pretty cool.

They played all kinds of music from familiar favorites to a couple of pieces especially commissioned for Panama City's Centennial year entitled, "Music for Panama City," and "Emerald Jubilee."

It was really pretty cool to see a few of my friends playing in the PC Pops as well.

All in all, a great night out!

2008 measurements

2 1/2 Inches = the amount my children have grown collectively this year

Leaps and Bounds = the standard by which you can measure their changing look everyday.

Three = the number of teeth Taylor has lost this year!

Ten = the number of pounds they have gained collectively this year.

One = the number of clothing sizes Taylor and Christopher have increased this year.

Three = the number of clothing sizes Samantha has increased this year.

Three = the number of clothing sizes Mommy has dropped this year! (had to throw that one in there-worked hard on that)

One in a million = how I feel that my husband rates in greatness!

Immeasurable = the blessings God has given our family in 2008!

Here is wishing you and yours a Happy New Year! All the best in 2009 and beyond!

Where Oh Where Has the Little Time Gone?

Ok, so we've all heard the saying time flies when you are having fun many times. But, I sit here today, about to go and purchase a birthday gift for my youngest daughter who will turn 2 this coming Monday.

This is flooring me.

I savored each kick and hiccup during every one of my pregnancies.

From the first ultrasound to the moment the baby was born, and the doctor pronounced, "It's a girl," to now, when I am looking at my youngest, my little Sammie-P, running and talking and laughing and making new discoveries each moment as I type this, I can truly say time flies when you are having fun. Each bittersweet moment of this ride has been fun. I am also fully aware that we have only just begun this journey. Since our oldest, Taylor is only seven, I know that there are many joys, trials, ups and downs yet to come. But, as I ask where has the little time gone, I can truly say that I have savored each moment. I can say that I will savor each moment to come. Every hug, every kiss, every afternoon in the back yard playing hide-n-seek, they are all fleeting. They are all precious. As I look backward and forward, I am thankful. I am thankful for each beautiful moment that Earle, Taylor, Christopher and Samantha have brought into my life. I thank God for blessing me with you guys, and I could never ask for anything more.

Pumpkin Carving Fun and Halloween Adventures!

I love carving pumpkins with the family! Taylor is now old enough to punch out the pattern on her pumpkin and she really gets into it, which is really a lot of fun to watch. She likes to see how the pumpkin goes from just a pumpkin to something with a design on it, whether it be a face or a spider, or whatever! See the slide show in this post...

It has been an interesting journey as I think back to my first Halloween as a mom to this latest Halloween. My first Halloween as a mom was spent in the hospital with a one day old, four pound baby in the NICU. I remember my niece, Grace and nephews Jacob and Pierce(They were so young then) coming up to the hospital to visit. They saw Taylor through the NICU window and then came to my room in their costumes. It was very sweet. But, I remember at the time only being able to think about my child in the NICU and my doctor's orders that I was not to get out of the bed. It seemed like I was never going to get to see my baby!

That was seven years ago, but it seems like yesterday. I guess I said all this to say that all suffering is temporary. I look back on that, and while I was going through it, it felt like it would last forever, but two more babies and seven years later, I realize how short a time I really went through any difficulty, and how in spite of my physical and emotional trauma, I could feel the joy of having my first child. God blessed our family with a beautiful baby. She is happy and healthy, and, along with our other two children, is the joy of our life.

Album Review-Resurrection Letters, Vol. 2

File this album under "haven't found one like it in a long time," in my worship music library!

With richly layered acoustic sounds and mellow vocals, Andrew Peterson's newly released Resurrection Letters, Vol. 2 will not let you down musically.

But, where this album really excels is in its rich lyrical content. There is beautiful imagery used in every song. Theologically, this album does not disappoint. From the first chord strummed in "All Things New," to the Celtic hymn feel of "Have Your Way," Andrew Peterson takes you on a journey and allows you to sense the depth of his relationship with God through his music, which blesses and inspires.

I would recommend this album for anyone looking for a lyrically and theologically deep worship experience. Sit back, and enjoy the tears and the blessings as they come flowing, and they will.