Stronger Than Hell!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night I finally got to see one of - if not my favotite - bands...finally. It was amazing. Being over-anxious, Connor and I got theire earlier than we needed to so we went and hung out at Virgin Megastore. Much to our surprise most of the bands were in there wandering around the aisles looking for some more music to listen to on the bus. Respecting their right to be normal people we decided not to be star struck. (We would save that for later.) We decided it was time to get in line. This is a well-planned maneuver. You can't be the first gut in line because you are labeled a dork, nor do you want to be too far back and not make it through the first group let in. (Who wants to stand in the heat longer than you have to?) Then the skies let loose. We ran for cover. After a short storm we went to reclaim our position in line. We planned it perfectly. We were the last people in the first wave to be allowed in. The same rules do not apply to the merch tables. (They probably do ,but I don't care. I was getting a shirt whether I would be labeled a dork or not.)



I was exposed to a new band, The Advent. Their set was clean but what impressed me most was their willingness to share their faith from the stage. If you know me, you know that I am a sucker for lyrics. Their lyrics are solid and his testimony was amazing. I found this refreshing when there are so many bands who would rather sell albums than share their faith. Connor wanted to meet the band so we went to their merch table and the lead singer took the time to talk to him and talk about the songs on their album and share his faith more. I was so impressed I bought their album and a t-shirt for Connor. He signed the album for Connor, wrote a verse on it and encouraged Connor to look it up.

I will skip the other bands except for the mention that Living Sacrifice was amazing. I anticipate their new album coming out in early 09.

Demon Hunter was amazing. Their set was flawless. They opened with Storm The Gates of Hell. The pit was intense and grew feverishly as they belted out song after song. My son decided to make dad proud and shoved his way through the crowd to make his way into the pit. As they separated getting ready for the "wall of death" I pulled him away. They sound as good live as they do on their album. Bruce from Living Sacrifice came out for the song Sixteen. AMAZING!!! In an attempt to keep this post from dragging on I will wrap this up by saying after show the band came out to hang with fans. They posed for pictures, signed autographs and just hung out. I had an amazing time.

Enjoy life's Garbage!

I have been having to deal with things that have cost me a lot of sleep and headaches. These have been some of the biggest decisions in my life so far. They have not been easy. They have been quite painful. Sometimes doing the right thing can be very costly. Sometimes monetarily, sometimes emotionally, sometimes both. Sometimes life's garbage affect a lot of people differently.

I was doing some studying of the book of James and God taught me something HUGE. We have all heard we grow through the tough times. We all have seen this within our own lives. But in verse two it says to consider it joy when this garbage is dumped in our lives. Webster defines joy as: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. So we are supposed to delight in lifes trials. WOW!!!

Stepping back and looking at this from a new perspective I can thank God for the oppurtunity to go through this. To be able to have the opportunity to help someone if they are willing to reach out. To draw close to God and pray. To have been given the chance to be in this experience that will have a positive outcome in His timing. To surround myself with Godly people to encourage me. I still can't say I will be able to embrace trials when they arrive, but I will try to meet them with a knowledge that God is using them to His glory.

When life gives you lemons dont just make lemonade. Enjoy the sweet smell of fresh juice as you squeeze the lemon. Allow yourself to enjoy the moment!

Bittersweet Memories

VBS is finally over! This is a bittersweet time for me. I was exhausted from the countless hours that have been put in, but I am going to miss the time with the children. I have nightmares of Jeff Slaughter leading worship at my church, but miss seeing the kids enjoying worship. I am tired of wearing tacky shirts, but enjoyed the shorts and flip-flops. Won't miss the six foot tall pineapple staring at me, but the atmosphere and the excitement cannot be manufactured. So, yes, I am enjoying the breath of fresh air, but miss the refreshing sound of kids praising God.

What a job God did with VBS! I cannot take any of the credit. I had no idea what I was doing or even what I would say to the kids some nights until it was coming out. I was fortunate to have the most awesome helpers ever. Not too many, not too few. God gave us every piece to the puzzle and they fit together to paint the most beautiful picture. Kids made decisions, parents were reminded of our responsibilities and workers grew through their own studies.

On a roll!

Three nights in a row! Tonight was yes another VBS night. I thank God for using me and giving me the ability to connect with these precious children. So many of us look back at our childhoods as a very formative time in our life. I am blessed to know that I am playing a part in forming some principles in the children's lives that will always be dear to them.

Most of us made our decisions early on in life about our direction to accept the idea of God or reject it. So many times we made these decisions at a camp or a VBS or some other function at a church. Sure our theology has changed but we hold onto the early truths we were taught. I am in a small church who doesn't have all the bright lights and fancy sets but we have done good. Realize the kids put a lot less stock in those items than we do. The kids want to be loved on and know it.

As I strive to be more Christlike I find myself falling more in love with the children of our church. You know the ones who climb over the pews or talk in the prayer. Yes they need to learn things but when they do they are so authentic. They don't sing loud so the lady two rows in front of them will admire their voice. They don't look around to see who is watching them place the money in the offering plate when it is passed. They do it because they are being obedient to Scripture. They are obeying Scripture out of a love for God. Not a distorted love of God but because they truly understand what it means to love God.

Day Two!

Two days in a row! This hasn't happened forever. I had a blast tonight. Everything clicked. I found out this morning I was taking over Children's church! BIG changes are in store. I am so excited and I hope the kids are ready for a change. After finding this out it made the evening that much sweeter. I absolutely love working with the children. There are always those couple of kids that try your patience but tonight my goal was to get them to connect. They did. The cool kid who normally refuses to participate actually did. I was able to have time to sit down and share with these guys. My teachers have been amazing. I hate that we are already halfway through.

More tomorrow..............

VBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I figured once I was done with school I would be on here a lot more. I was gravely mistaken. This summer has been ridiculously busy. From falling off ladders to running a VBS (never having worked one before) I have had no time to breathe much less compose anything worth reading.

The first night is over and we may not have set any attendance records but we had two families who were new to the area. With the lack of advertising we did I am pleased with the turnout. There is something so refreshing seeing innocent children worship. They know nothing of the politics of the church (nor do they care). They aren't concerned about the version of Bible read to them or what denomination they are. They want to worship God for who He is not because of who they are or who is watching. They truly want there friends to enjoy this with them and will invite whomever to experience Christ with them. Then unfortunately some of them will grow content and remain in the same church never to share Christ with a soul.