"suck it up and worship God anyway"...?!?

yep, that's a comment i heard tonight... i can't exactly remember the context, but it was hilarious at the time.

but think about it... no matter what you're going through, no matter what's happening, God's already proven his love for us because he sent his son for us, to forgive us, to make a way to have a relationship with us... no matter what life brings, he's more than enough for us, to get us through it, to carry us when necessary, to lift us back up and to give us hope and peace...

a couple of things that stood out to me as we were singing and i was worshipping with friends...

you are my supply, my breath of life, still more awesome than i know
you are my reward, worth living for, still more awesome than i know

you’re my sacrifice, of greatest price, still more awesome than i know
you’re the coming king, you are everything, still more awesome than i know

all of you is more than enough for all of me, for every thirst and every need
you satisfy me with your love and all i have in you is more than enough

and...

blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful
where your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name

blessed be your name when i'm found in the desert place
though i walk through the wilderness, blessed be your name

blessed be your name when the sun's shining down on me
when the world's 'all as it should be', blessed be Your name

blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering
though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name

so yeah, suck it up and worship God anyway...you'll be glad you did.

amazing grace...

"amazing because it is"....so true! that's the title to a song by the almost but it's what comes to mind when i think of my church too. grace community amazes me more and more the longer i'm there. the love and understanding that's shown to everyone who needs it from almost everyone else....it is truly amazing! i'm so glad we're there and can't think of a better place to be "exploring grace, experiencing growth, and extending God's love" while "building a better community by God's grace". worship this morning was amazing (at least from my viewpoint on the worship team--both experienced by me, and observed in others), and the message was even more so.

i'll leave you with a video and the lyrics of our closing song (by matthew west), which brought me to tears at the end of both services....



only grace

there is no guilt here
there is no shame
no pointing fingers
there is no blame
what happened yesterday
has disappeared
the dirt has washed away
and now it's clear

there's only grace
there's only love
there's only mercy and believe me it's enough
your sins are gone
without a trace
there's nothing left now
there's only grace

you're starting over now
under the sun
you're stepping forward now
a new life has begun
your new life has begun

there's only grace
there's only love
there's only mercy and believe me it's enough
your sins are gone
without a trace
there's nothing left now
there's only grace

and if you should fall again
get back up, get back up
reach out and take my hand
get back up, get back up
get back up again
get back up again

there's only grace
there's only love
there's only mercy and believe me it's enough
your sins are gone
without a trace
there's nothing left now
there's only grace

i will lift my eyes...

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it
together, God

this song is by bebo norman. i heard it for the first time at camp this past summer and it was just so eye opening to hear the words and feel them at the same time. i haven't heard the song in awhile and i was singing it today...just wanted to post it here to help me remember...

Homesick...

As sick and twisted as it sounds, every year when I hear about a tornado hitting somehwere in Kansas, I get homesick. I guess it's mostly because it's on the news and in my face and yet I can't get there, I dunno. Anyway, it's been 4 years since I've been home and seen most of my family, 2 since I saw my mom, and nothing in sight showing me when I can get there again in the next year. So yeah, I'm a little homesick (a lot right now, acutally) and it does happen because of hearing about tornadoes hitting. I don't know that I will ever live there again, I do love living in Florida, but going home for a visit more often would be nice.

Here's a song that reminds me of home:

Burning The Fields

words and music by Mitch McVicker


Well, they're burning the fields in Kansas
The Flint Hills are all ablaze
It's a beautiful sight to watch the flames rise
And watch the smoke drift away
And my memories run thick like that smoke
And like the love that's here when I come back
And I'm thankful for what I had, I'm thankful for what I have now
So like the fields I want to come to life again

Chorus
Yeah, renew my soul like that green grass on the prairies
Rekindle my heart with a passion for You
Restore my mind, take my anxious thoughts away
And, Lord, make me new like only You can do

And it's that time of year once again
When new life begins to stir
The light of the world is loose on the grasslands
So, Lord, make me the salt of the earth

Chorus

Bridge
And now I'm thinkin' about Bennett Drive
And I think about the Smith's living room
And how life only comes from You

Chorus

Ah, renew my soul and rekindle my heart
Restore my mind, make me new, yeah
Renew my soul, rekindle my heart
Restore my mind, make me new, make me new, make me new
Make me new

They're burnin' the fields, yes, they are burning the fields
Oh, they're burning the fields in Kansas, so make me new like only You can do


Copyright © 1999 White Plastic Bag Music (SESAC)
All rights reserved. Lyrics reprinted by permission.

From Mitch:
I made this up as I was driving through the Flinthills on my way to do a concert in Wichita, KS. The fields were being burned, as they are every spring, to get rid of the dead grass so that new grass can grow. I started thinking about how God does the same thing for us that God does for those fields. It hurts to be burned, but we are being redone into what God wants us to become. We are being renewed.
... Mitch

Leaving a Legacy...

I've been thinking a lot about life and how it's really so fleeting. Over the past couple of years I haven't been the most "spiritual" of people. I had sought God out, trying to figure out where He was right in the midst of the worst moments, not feeling His presence when I was crying out to Him. To even aspire to figure out the mind of the Almighty is not something I could even fathom. His ways and His thoughts are far too complicated for me to even grasp the tiniest glimpse of most of the time.

I know He's been with me through the bad times, because His presence is very real and He's pouring out his blessings on my family. I strayed from Him, I gave up at times, but He was always there, watching out for me. I think it's like a parent and a child. Something bad happens, and you try to console your son or daughter, but they are beside themselves with emotion about what's going on and they clam up, push you aside, and no matter what you say or do, you can't make them feel better at that moment. So, being the loving parent you are, you back off a bit though you never leave. You don't push yourself on them, when they're ready to talk, to listen to your advice, to feel your love....when they're ready, they'll seek you out and you'll be there for them...just like you always have been and always will be. That's God. That's my take on it anyway, and that's what I see as happening over the past bit of time.

So, let's fast forward from then to "now". My life is busy and I don't take the time to seek out God as I should, as much I need, or as much as I desire to. But then, something happens to make you think again and re-examine where your priorities lie. Something happens to give you a whole new perspective...

My pastor recently challenged us to write some "thank yous" to a few people who have truly impacted your life and you want them to know. I wrote a
post about an amazing lady who has had a MAJOR impact on my life. (Please read it before continuing.) When I wrote that, I had heard months ago that she had cancer and only had a few months to live. I hadn't heard anything else since I was first told that. I'd asked for an email address, but didn't get one for whatever reason, so I never knew anything else. I wrote that "thank you" not sure if she'd ever know how much I appreciated her or not, but hoping at least that her husband would know. This past week, I was asked for my email address because her husband, my pastor from when I was in high school and college, wanted to contact me. I braced myself for the worst, but hoped for the best.

Here's what he said: ...forwarded a posting you placed on "My Space". Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words!! Lynn was taking chemo as I read them. I brought them over to her while she was still taking chemo. She said "obviously she was told about my condition", to which I replied, I don't think so. She said "Wow!"

Whether you know it or not, she has Ovarian Cancer and has about an 8% chance of surviving 5 years. She goes in tomorrow for a blood transfusion. Your kind words are valued and appreciated.

When you get a moment, drop us a line.

"The Cookie Monster and Diet Pepsi freak!". :-)

Every time I read that, tears come to my eyes. I'm overwhelmed by the blessing that God allowed me to experience, by letting me have the chance to let her know how much she has impacted my life. I'm also overwhelmed at being given the opportunity to hopefully help her experience a small blessing of knowing the appreciation that I have for her. And by her example, I hope to have just a small impact on the world I leave behind. As a youth pastor's wife, those are some big shoes to fill, to always be positive and leave behind a legacy of faithfulness on impressionable youth with whom I come into contact. Life hasn't been easy, and I don't want to hide that fact from anyone. The life of one who chooses to follow Christ is filled with challenges and hard times, but the triumphs outweigh those 1,000,000:1 and I'd never give up the life I've been given to do anything else. Pursuit of a high-paying career could be do-able, but I choose to work with children in an educational field. Pursuit of acquiring "stuff" could be attained, but I would never have the chance to impact others, and be the blessing that Lynn is. I'd just have a house full of stuff that will eventually be outdated or destroyed, and nothing to show for my life when it comes to eternity. So far, Lynn's impact on the world (as well as her husband's) has helped to influence me into making the choice to become (and stay) a pastor's wife. In turn, the last we heard, two of our former youth have themselves become youth pastors, one has committed to becoming a missionary or doing something of that nature for Christ, and numerous others have decided to follow Him with their lives in whatever career they choose to do, even if it's not full-time ministry.

You may never know the impact you have on those around you, but if you're lucky you'll find out just a glimpse of the possible impact your faithfulness to the Lord has made on this world. I choose to leave a legacy of following Christ, to impact young people, and to put my treasure up in Heaven. I haven't always done that in the past, but this is my desire from this point forward. With that, I'm ending with the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs (from my high school years), and oldie, but a goodie...

"FIND US FAITHFUL
sung by Steve Green

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful