the "talk"

okay... so i've tried & tried to figure out a way to post the podcast of sunday's service onto this blog, but i can't figure it out. So, if you'd like to hear it, you can go to our church's website and click in the bottom left-hand corner where it says "new life podcast." That will bring up an itunes window w/a few podcasts from our church. ours is "road trip #4." you can click on the play button in the top left corner to listen, or if you want to keep it forever, because you think we're so wonderful ;~), you can click on "get episode," & it will upload to your itunes account (assuming you have one).

There was a couple who shared before us, so our interview doesn't start until about 33 min. into it. you can skip them if you want (though they had a great story, too). FYI, we shared for about 30 min, so if you're going to listen, you'll wanna make sure you have enough time. :)

if any of you computer geniuses who read my blog, know how to post the podcast, let me know, & i'll do that instead. :) Thanks!

Let me know if you listen, i'd like to know your thoughts. :)

Last Sunday

Over the past month or so, our church as been doing a series called "road trips," where the pastor interviews a person or two, and they share their testimonies. This has been a really powerful time, because not only do we get to know the people in our church in a little deeper way, but God is really using these testimonies to touch everyone's hearts.

Last Wednesday our pastor asked, Chris & me to share *our* testimony on Sunday. Most of you know, to some degree, that Chris & I have had a pretty difficult marriage over the years, but this last year, God has really changed Chris' heart, which in turn, has really changed our marriage. After giving up on ever serving God together it felt like such a privilege to be able to stand up share this story! It felt like such a gift from God. :)

Through the week, Chris & I prayed & prayed, & were very excited to see what God would do on Sunday. It went wonderfully! I felt like we were both able to articulate the things we wanted to say, and we got to speak about how God reached into our hopeless situation & bring life. Lots of people talked to us afterward & thanked us for sharing. it was great!

This was a very special time to me, especially, because it was the first time for me & chris to minister together publicly - it kind of felt like an initiation. :) The fact that we would ever be able to do that, after where we've come from is truly a miracle!! Yay, God!

I can't wait to do it again! ;~)

The Dance!

okay... i know you've all been sitting on the edge of your seats, wondering how my little dance went. So I'm here to ease your troubled minds. In the unlikely event that you actually have your own life, and don't keep track of every little thing that's happening in mine, I'll remind you: Sunday was the big day for the dance that i was teaching the kids! eek!

after three short practices with some not-so-thrilled kids, we had an awesome dance on Sunday morning!! YAY! i got to really connect with some of the kids that i worked with, & was able to pray with them about their fears, etc. And through the weeks, i prayed for them that God would break any pride or fear in their lives; that they would worship from sincere, joyful hearts; and that when they did, they would have breakthrough-- so that when they're grown, they would be able to look back on that day & remember it as a day that God touched their lives & changed their hearts, & gave them victory where they needed it. And it's so cool, because i actually saw that happen in some of the kids! one of the boys had terrible stage fright, but went through the whole dance without any fear. And one of the more troublesome boys came away saying that he wanted to be a pastor when he grows up.

It was just *so* cool to see God work in these kids lives, because they were willing to push through & worship Him. And it was so fun to see the adults touched because of their dance, too. And I'm so glad to have a relationship w/these kids that i didn't even know before. Now i remember why i love working with children so much!!

isn't it just like Satan to try to discourage you & make you feel hopeless & frustrated when you're trying to do something good? And isn't it just like our Father to take all those bad thoughts & feelings & turn them into something wonderful!?

And now the children's leader has asked me to consider teaching another dance in January... EEEK!

the biggest tattletale

Yesterday morning, when the kids & I were praying, Gideon said, "And satan, stop making those people do those bad things, 'else I'm telling God." :)

Your Papa is Especially Fond of You

okay... here are some of my favorite quotes from The Shack. Most (if not all) are God speaking. Let me know if any of these touch you, too. :)

• "The real underlying flaw in your life...is that you don't think that I am good. If you knew I was good and that everything -- the means, the ends, and all the processes of individual lives-- is all covered by my goodness, then while you might not always understand what I am doing, you would trust me. But you don't...Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not now that I love you, you cannot trust me."
  
• "When all you can see is your pain, perhaps then you lose sight of me?"



• "Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them..."



• "That is the wonder and adventure of exploration, a piece of what you call science -- to discern and discover what we have hidden for you to find....The choice to hide so many wonders from you is an act of love that is a gift inside the process of life."



• "But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel task master...do you realize that your imagination of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures me there with you?...To the degree that those fears have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you.



• "So many believe that it is love that grows, but it is the knowing that grows and love simply expands to contain it. Love is just the skin of knowing."



• "He chose the way of the cross where mercy triumphs over justice because of love."



• "Guilt'll never help you find freedom in me. The best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside. I'm about the inside."



• "Faith does not grow in the house of certainty."



• "...religion is about having the right answers, and some of their answers are right. But I am about the process that takes you to the living answer."



• "To the degree that you resort to expectations and responsibilities, to that degree you neither know me nor trust me...to that degree you will live in fear."

I am an Archer

I've been thinking about my job, as a parent, recently, and it's led me to ponder Psalm 127 --especially verses four and five:

"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are thie children in one's youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;

They will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."

I am a warrior with four powerful arrows in my quiver. And if I am careless, and don't aim, my arrows could go anywhere: into the sky, into the ground, into a friend, or even into my own heart. But if I learn the art of archery, and if I take careful aim, my arrows can make a powerful impact, and even deal a death-blow to the enemy.

I pray that I may be a strong and skillful archer, and that God will stretch out my bow, and aim my arrows for me, and that they will soar straight to heart of the enemy.

Global Day of Prayer

is this Sunday, May 27, 2007. Please join with me and thousands (millions?) of others across the globe, who are crying out to God, to heal our land, to touch His people, and pour out his power and glory on every nation.

The following is an article about the Global Day of Prayer. If you're in a hurry, I would recommend that you come back & watch the 13 min. video when you have time, because it's POWERFUL.

In July 2000 God captured the heart of a South African Christian businessman, Graham Power, with a vision based on 2 Chron. 7:14. The vision had three clear instructions:

1. To call Christians from all denominations in Cape Town for a Day of Repentance and Prayer at Newlands Rugby Stadium.
2. To challenge Christians across the rest of South Africa to unite in a Day of Repentance and Prayer.
3. To challenge Christians in Southern Africa to unite in a Day of Repentance and Prayer.

In March of 2001 more than 45 000 Christians united for a Day of Repentance and Prayer at Newlands Rugby Stadium in Cape Town. It was a day of intense intercession that transformed lives and was reflected in a changing city in the months to come. Testimonies of transformation caused the vision to be spread into the rest of South Africa and planning immediately started for similar prayer gatherings in 8 provinces of South Africa for 2002.

In February 2002 Graham Power had a second vision. This vision had an even bigger challenge: The whole of Africa was to gather in a Day of Repentance and Prayer, changing Africa to become a "light to the world".
Eventually, Africa was to invite all the nations of the globe to unite in this move of transformational prayer.

In May of 2002 Christians in South Africa gathered in 8 different venues for a Day of Repentance and Prayer. Again, the testimonies of church unity and the healing of communities inspired leaders to expand the vision into the rest of Africa. At a Summit in September 2002 leaders of 9 African countries agreed on the vision "Africa for Christ".

At the same time, it was clear that different prayer streams from across the globe were flowing in the same direction with a similar vision of community transformation through prayer. God was busy raising up a church of intercession in order to prepare communities for the revelation of His glory.

Across the African continent millions of Christians were inspired to participate in the process of transforming Africa. 77 South African regions and 27 African countries (66 cities) committed to a Day of Repentance and Prayer for Africa on the 1st of May 2003.

On 2 May 2004 history was made when Christians from all 56 nations of Africa participated in the first ever continental Day of Repentance and Prayer for Africa.
Numerous communities, villages, towns and cities united in non-denominational prayer gatherings at different venues. In South Africa 277 communities participated. A flame of prayer was burning in Africa!

At a meeting of the International Prayer Council in Malaysia in November 2004, the invitation from Africa went out to the nations of the world to join in a five year Global Day of Prayer process up to 2010. On Pentecost Sunday, 15 May 2005, Christians from 156 of the 220 nations of the world united across denominational and cultural borders for the first Global Day of Prayer. In the months following this day, Christians were overwhelmed by the testimonies of God's powerful work in answer to these prayers.

This move of prayer again miraculously expanded in 2006, when on Pentecost Sunday (4 June 2006) millions of Christians from 199 of the 220 nations of the world united in prayer.

But, this is just the beginning of a process to saturate all the nations of the globe in prayer: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14). May every Pentecost until 2010 see a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit!

Each little flower that opens...

Here is my 2nd photo for the challenge...

All Things Bright and Beautiful

by Cecil F. Alexander

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful:

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,

He made their glowing colors,

He made their tiny wings.

(Refrain)

The rich man in his castle,

The poor man at his gate,

He made them, high or lowly,

And ordered their estate.

(Refrain)

The purple headed mountains,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky.

(Refrain)

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden,

He made them every one.

(Refrain)

The tall trees in the greenwood,

The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

To gather every day.

(Refrain)

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.

I just LOVE that song...the first and last verses are my favorites.

Teach Me to Dance

Chris' dad gave us a new cd by the African Children's Choir. It has a new song that I just love. Thanks to much help from Erik, you can click the play button above and listen to it. :)

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart,

Teach me to move to the pow'r of your Spirit,

Teach me to walk in the light of your presence,

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

Teach me to love with your heart of compassion,

Teach me to trust in the word of your promise

Teach me to hope in the day of your coming

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart.

You wrote the rhythm of life,

created heaven and earth,

in you is joy without measure.

So, like a child in your sight,

I dance to see your delight,

For I was made for your pleasure, pleasure.

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart...

Teach me to love with your heart of compassion...

Let all my movements express

A heart that loves to say 'yes',

A will that leaps to obey you.

Let all my energy blaze to see the joy in your face;

Let my whole being praise you, praise you.

Teach me to dance to the beat of your heart...

Teach me to love with your heart of compassion...

~by Graham Kendrick and Steve Thompson

You can download this song if you like it, too. Look on the right side of this page & scroll down til you see a box titled, "My Music." Click on the icon, and it will give you the option to download. :)

Grace

Awhile back, chloe got in trouble for something, but i wasn't able to discipline her right away. So i told her that she would be disciplined when we got home. Once we got home, i was really busy with other things, and, to be honest, just didn't feel like going through the ordeal of disciplining. so i decided that this would be a perfect time to teach Chloe about grace. :)

I took her aside, and reminded her of what she had done, an that she should be getting in trouble for it. She was very sober, and i could tell that she was dreading the consequences of her actions. I said, "but today, you're not going to get in trouble for what you did. Today, I'm going to show you grace." And I continuted to explain what grace was. What a beautiful thing it was, to watch her eyes light up, and fill with joy and relief. She gave me a HUGE hug, and thanked me profusely for showing her grace. And then she left.

A short while later, she returned with a gift for me:

This is one of the most beautiful pictures i have ever seen, because it's a picture of grace. Me & chloe, smiling together, surrounded by her favorite colors.

i love what she wrote on the back, too. on the left, in pencil, it says, "Thank you mom for giving grace." And at the top, it says, "i love you. YES"