You Will Be Healed

The last two weeks at the Stone have been unbelievable. Matt has been doing a series on confession called "You Will Be Healed".
For some reason the church has set off a tone that to the believer makes you feel as if we have to be put together and that it is not ok to be not ok and then we find ourselves living double lives, covering up sin and putting on fake Christian smiles.
To the unbeliever it completely turns them off from God, Jesus, & the church.
All of that makes me want to vomit.
It's completely opposite from what God calls us to do. He is very clear about confessing our sins not only to Him but to each other, walking in the light and receiving His healing and freedom that comes from that.
The first week of the series I had the honor of being interviewed for a video on my experience with confession. It was humbling...especially with it being shown in front of 5,000 people! There were a couple of other people they interviewed as well and their stories are incredible!
We decided to keep the video private so that we had control over who sees it since it's pretty sensitive material. If you want to see it let me know and I can send it to you.

I would STRONGLY suggest listening to these sermons online. You can listen to them on our website here.

I absolutely love and am SO thankful that God has given me the amazing gift of leading worship at the Stone. These last two weeks have been amazing. I can't even fully explain what I get to experience in leading these people.
God has been breaking hearts over sin, as He has called people to walk in the light, as He has shown His grace, mercy and forgiveness I have sensed an amazing difference in worship.
When God reveals Himself in our brokenness and when we get to the depths of our sin and we start to taste the freedom from that, there comes a new level of worship. I have been sensing that in the worship of God's people at the Stone.
It is truly incredible!

Yesterday we sang the song Healer. A song that drew up controversy awhile back when the writer of the song claimed to have written it while battling cancer. He led worship with an oxygen mask...made a video with Hillsong about all of this...then it came out that it was all a lie. He actually wrote the song out of a desperate cry for God to heal him of his pornography addiction.
Matt shared this story yesterday and it was powerful. This is basically what he said at the end of the story...
"We are going to sing this song. Some of you are probably thinking...why would we sing a song that was written by a pornography addicted sinner? Just like we can read from a sinner like Paul. Like you can listen to a sermon by a sinner like me. Like you can be led in worship by a sinner like Aaron."
God redeems and He uses broken, messed up sinners.
It was a powerful night.
Please, just listen to this series.

"I trust in You
I trust in You
I believe You're my Healer, I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion, I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need, You're more than enough for me."

I Feel Helpless

Again, Katie from Uganda, has moved me to tears with her newest post.
I'm praying for her and for her heart...for God's strength and for these kids. Especially Michael and Patricia. Read this post and be moved by the stats. Be moved by her willingness to love and serve. Be moved to DO something. I don't know what...but something.
I feel helpless. I feel like I want to go over there right now and just be another pair of hands for her.

My Soul Sister

I'm going to brag on my friend, Jen, for just a second.
Not only does she share my love of Africa and black babies, but she has blessed my life over and over again. She makes me laugh...HARD. Like...peeing my pants laugh.
One of the things I appreciate most about her is how she speaks truth into my life. She is quick to be there for me when I need to just be told, "It's going to be ok". Or if I just need her to make me laugh...or talk black to me...by saying...."Gurrl you is ghetto."
I can count on her to just show up if I need a hug.
The other day when I was getting real frustrated with all my ghetto health stuff and starting to get anxious, she sent me this email that made me get on my face before my Maker.
I wanted to share it with y'all cause I think some of you may need to hear this too.

"Somehow, you've got to consider it pure joy, evidence that you are doing great work for God's kingdom. Know that you are worthy of these kinds of struggles. Satan goes to God and seeks permission to burden you with pain and exhaustion and God says, "go ahead and test her because I know her heart and she's mine. She will not stop praising my name." God doesn't need your body, friend, He needs your heart. that's all. Keep praying. Don't let fear in. Don't let it reside in any part of your being. He's got this."

yeah. take that in.
Love you Miss Jen.

I Think I Need Africa

My friend Kristin told me about this amazing woman. She is 20, single, living in Uganda and has adopted 13 girls and completely trusting in Jesus. Her life is amazing.
Kristin got the opportunity to go over the recently and got to photograph her life there.
She has 13 kids, and has over 400 kids that depend on her for care.
She writes the story of how she got to this place in life on her blog here.
Here is a post of pics of her girls and asking for prayer for each of them by name. AHH they are beautiful!!!
I'm pretty sure I might just name my daughter Zuula someday.
Kristin did a beautiful job taking photos. She put together a slideshow that you can see here.
Katie will be posting it on her blog in the next few days too.
God is stirring in my heart something crazy about Africa and it's not just cause I want black babies. Yeah...I said it.
I went to an Africa meeting on Tuesday night with Jen. I pretty much cried through the entire thing. Ok...not the entire thing, but for sure during the slideshow of pictures.
I'm not sure what all of this is, going on in my heart. But I think I should go. For a couple of weeks at least. I don't know. I need to be daily on my face about it.
My heart is drawn to the beautiful people there. Particularly the poor, orphans and widows. I just want to love on them like crazy.
I can't shake it and I get messed up every time I hear about it or see pictures.
Seriously. I need Africa.

Quotes of Sweetness

Lily quote that my sister just posted about:
"Wouldn't it be fun to grab a cloud and make a sheep out of it?"
OH my heart!

Jill posted about this sweetness she overheard from Will and Sam:
Will is buttoning Sam's shirt for him and Sam says, "Do you think I have talent?"
Will: "EVERYbody's got talent. Yours is being...cute."
Sam: "I think my talent is eating fast."

I LOVE these kids. I'm needing them...all of them. All 6 of them please.

My Love

Here is my lovely. I miss her terribly. We need to have some girl time...STAT.I love you sweet Lily Margaret!

Nothing Compares To You

Here is a video of one of our worship leaders Andy Melvin and his band. I get to lead with them every once in awhile and it's always such an honor. They are all amazing guys who love Jesus and love to worship. This song is one of Andy's originals. Nothing Compares to You. SO good!
Enjoy...and get a glimpse into what worship is like at the Austin Stone!

Waiting

I read this on Andrea's blog today.

"The Lord longs to be gracious to you. God says, 'I know the timing here, I'm longing too. When your prayer request waits, you're longing...and so is He! If He's longing and waiting, there is something the wait is for. There will be a wait and a wait and a wait, and suddenly there will be a whirlwind answer with such velocity, it nearly blows your wig off! He'll come swiftly. You can wait and long, but do not fret." -Beth Moore

Guess Who Turns 2 Today!

Someone very special is 2 today!
My sweet nephew Max. Happy Birthday sweet boy!

The McRae's-Pray for them!

The McRae's need your prayers.
Here is a little paragraph of what this story is about:

Monday June 29th, 2009 began like every other day, and ended like one we could have never imagined. Our daughter Kate was taken to the Dr. for tremors in her right hand. We proceeded to Phoenix Childrens Hospital for a stat CT of her head. At 5:30 I, Holly, Kate’s mom, was taken into a room alone and told Kate had a massive tumor on the basil ganglia portion of her brain. I called her dad and our journey has begun. It’s a journey we never would have chose to be a part of, but was chosen for us, and our sweet Kate.
This is the first video they did:

Here is an update:

Here is a video of pictures put to a song that Audrey Assad wrote for this sweet little girl called "Little Light"

Little Light

Audrey Assad

Look at all the angels watching you
They’re singing songs that we have never heard
Their voices ring like bells over the mountains
Oh, if only we could hear their words
God is near, little girl.

Your eyes are brilliant,deep sky blue.
Your quiet wisdom is an evening song.
The angels must be breathless at your beauty
Like the world catches its breath before the dawn.
God is near, little one.

And Jesus bends to hear you breathe;
His tender hands are holding you tonight.
His heart is ravished when you look at Him,
and oh, the endless mercy in His eyes;
God is here, little light.

For current updates visit their Caring Bridge website.
PRAY!

***if you can't see the videos go here.***

I'm a Winner!

I just found out I won a free giveaway! I never win anything! It just made my day!

This new blog will make your day. It's done by two of my fabulously creative friends K & J. They started this blog to share their fun ideas about home decorating and anything else fun and fabulous. They are dear friends of mine and I miss them terribly! I'm so glad that they have this blog. They are beautiful and their homes and ideas are beautiful. Go and check it out and give them some love!
www.homageblog.com

He Is the Physician, He is the Master, He is the Head

I read this, this morning. I love it. I think God has a sense of humor, and I just had to smile!
I've been dealing with some weird headaches and I went to a neurologist yesterday. Next step...MRI of the brain and neck. We are expecting to see nothing crazy...it's just something that needs to be done to make sure there are no "surprises". But it still kinda freaks me out.
So...I loved reading this, it's from Charles Spurgeon:

"I know their sorrows."-Exodus 3:7
The child is cheered as he sings, "This my father knows"; and shall not we be comforted as we discern that our dear Friend and tender soul-Husband knows all about us?
1. He is the Physician, and if He knows all, there is no need that the patient should know. Hush, thou silly, fluttering heart, prying, peeping, and suspecting! What thou knowest not now, thou shalt know hereafter, and meanwhile Jesus, the beloved Physician, knows thy soul in adversities. Why need the patient analyze all the medicine, or estimate all the symptoms? This is the Physician's work, not mine; it is my business to trust, and His to prescribe. If He shall write His prescription in uncouth characters which I cannot read, I will not be uneasy on that account, but rely upon His unfailing skill to make all plain in the result, however mysterious in the working.
2. He is the Master, and His knowledge is to serve us instead of our own; we are to obey, not to judge: "The servant knoweth not what his lord doeth." Shall the architect explain his plans to every hodman on the works? If he knows his own intent, is it not enough? The vessel on the wheel cannot guess to what pattern it shall be conformed, but if the potter understands his art, what matters the ignorance of the clay? My Lord must not be cross-questioned any more by one so ignorant as I am.
3. He is the Head. All understanding centres there. What judgement has the arm? What comprehension has the foot? All the power to know lies in the head. Why should the member have a brain of its own when the head fulfills for it every intellectual office? Here, then, must the believer rest his comfort in sickness, not that he himself can see the end, but that Jesus knows all. Sweet Lord, be thou for ever eye, and soul, and head for us, and let us be content to know only what Thou choosest to reveal.

The Blind Side

I'm gonna need to see this movie...

Here is the story behind the story...

Lots of New-ness

Ok. Ok. Ok. I've been HORRIBLE with my blog. I'm sorry!
LOTS of stuff goin' on. Lots of new-ness.
To celebrate that, I have a whole new look with my blog. Hope you love it!
So...I have a new roommate and about to have a new apartment.
It makes me very sad...but very happy.
Hilary moved out :(
Dana moved in!:)
We are moving this weekend into a new apartment that I'm really excited about.
So my life has consisted of lots of packing, sorting, getting rid of stuff and stressing out.
Lots of other crazy life stuff going on too.
I'll try and be better about posting...I keep sayin' that....but seriously.