Thursday, June 25, 2009

Get The Word Out.

Get the word out. Get this CD. Ask God to move. Believe Him that He has something to tell you through these songs.

AARONIVEYbutton

Between the Beauty and Chaos-Dance Moves

My nephew has come up with some sweet dance moves to Aaron Ivey's "Found". He's really on to something here. So cute!

The Browns Are Coming!

I get to see these sweet faces in Austin in 13 days!!!!! I can't wait!!!!
Sam is excited because he wants to jump in the pool with his clothes on. Not sure where he ever got that idea! haha! I have a feeling I will be going for jump #3 in my pool with my clothes on!

There's Just Something About Them part 2

Don't ask my why.
I downloaded a bunch of Bee Gees songs from itunes the other day. I called Laura to see which album we had growing up. She was no help. She just thought it was a greatest hits record. Well...I figured it out. It's the "Living Eyes" record. As soon as I started listening to these songs it all came back to me. I know them all. It's so good!
For some reason Laura wasn't all that impressed with my Barry Gibb impression. I thought it was amazing in all it's high pitched goodness.
Apparently I have an obsession with the Bee Gees and so does my family.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

#1!!!!

Between the Beauty and Chaos is now #1 on iTunes!!!! God is good! Crazy!

#3!

Just heard that Aaron's CD hit #3 on the itunes Christian artist section! YEAH!!!

Between the Beauty and Chaos-Available now!

Between the Beauty and Chaos is now available on itunes! You can download it here.
You can also download it from Amazon here. If you want a hard copy of it, they are available at the Austin Stone...if you don't live in Austin, let me know and I'll see what I can do. I believe that vinyl copies will be available in July or August!

Here is a post I did about recording. I feel so honored to have a very very small part on this record. Songs that I sang on: "Found"-BGV's; "Oh Love Divine"-Gang Vocals; "Pieces"-Gang Vocals; "The Name"-BGV's & Gang Vocals; "It is Well"-BGV's.

It's been really sweet seeing how some of these songs ("Let Your Kingdom Come" and "The Name") were birthed. As our church has grown in reaching the lost and broken people of Austin and the world, these songs have been a rock in our worship. God is all over these songs. As the Spirit has moved in people to live out love He has used these songs to give back to Him in worship. People go nuts! It's awesome!!!

God is all over it. Get it now. Sing these songs in your church, in your car, in your home. Let God change your heart, let Him change your life. Worship!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Between the Beauty and Chaos.

SO excited!
Aaron and the guys will be releasing their new CD on Tuesday the 23rd. You will be able to download it from itunes. DO IT.
If you go to his website... aaronivey.com you can listen to 4 of the songs that will be on the record.
I had the privilege to sing some background vocals and it was SO fun! You can listen to one of the songs "Found" right now on the website. "Oh Love Divine" has some gang vocals that I was also a part of at the end of the song. SO cool!
Check it out. Download on Tuesday or pick up a copy. We may even have a pre-release of it on Sunday at church! (it's what i hear!) These guys did an amazing job.
You'll want to be singing these songs at your church...so worship leaders get after it. God is all over these songs!

Friday, June 12, 2009

June 12--Heaven Day!

June 12. It's been 12 years. My dad has been with Jesus for 12 years and I'm sure that it still feels like the first minute.
Can you imagine?!
In some ways the grieving gets easier. In some ways it is still, real hard.
I miss him, I don't want to forget him, I wouldn't want him to be anywhere else...he's singing and dancing perfectly and worshiping in ways that we can't comprehend, I yearn for heaven.
It's weird, it seems like there is just something in me every year that gets into a "funk" or just a sadness around this time of year. It happens right after my birthday (May 27) and lasts through Father's day. Ugh. Father's day.
It just automatically happens. It's weird. Each year God does something through this time, whether He just lets me be in the funk, He shows Himself, comforts and gets me through it. Or He allows me to share my dad's story and I get to talk about him a lot. Or I will be able to comfort someone who is grieving.
This year seemed to be a little different and I can't help but believe that this is all part of this grieving process. There has been an amazing sweetness that has happened over the last few weeks. God bringing me to new depths with Him. SO good. I love that it is happening during this time that is usually in a "funk". There have still been times of sadness. Some days are good, some days are just sad. Today has been off and on. I miss him.
I love this picture of me and him when I was just little.
So sweet!
I'm praying today that God would reveal something to me that I have forgotten about him.
God show up and fill me with memories.
I have been filling my mind and thoughts with heaven today and it has been sweet. Tearful...but sweet!
God continually shows me His goodness as my perfect Father! Oh I love Him!
So thankful for the time that He gave me with my dad. So thankful that He grabbed hold of my dad's heart and gave him new life. So thankful that he is in heaven with his Creator. His smile has got to be REAL big. I like thinking about that.
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
C.S. Lewis

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Isaiah 35

Even the wilderness will rejoice in those days. The desert will blossom with flowers. yes there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel's pastures and the plain of Sharon. There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God.
With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those who are afraid, "Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you."
And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. The lame will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert.
The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived.
And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-hearted people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course, and there will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will follow it.
Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Imagine Art



A beautiful video done by Lee Rothenflue, a partner at the Austin Stone using his gift of filmmaking to tell the stories of others living for Christ. Imagine Art.
(HT Anne Smith)

The German Macarena

So last Saturday I went to visit Jen at work. I love visiting her at work because she works at probably the coolest place ever. The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.
This would also be the place where I got roped in to being a nun (a white nun) in a "black" Christmas Carol, which we affectionately called "The Cracked Out Christmas Carol". This was pretty much one of the most memorable events of my life.
FYI-The instant nun kits do make an appearance every so often.
Anyway, on Saturday they were celebrating Germany. I don't know. It must have been national Germany day.
They invited some old ladies to come and do some German dancing. So there were these two old ladies, as cute as can be, dressed up in their little German dresses kinda like this...Well, maybe not that intense. Just thought that was an amazing picture.
I was sad that I didn't have my camera with me.
One lady played the accordion and the other lady just danced. Jen had to go down to the stage to get some things figured out and I stayed backstage. The dancing old lady asked Jen if she wanted to dance with her and this was her response:
"Um...no but I have a friend that would....Emily get over here."
Nice. So she leaves me.
Thankfully, no one had shown up for the performance yet.
She taught me a simple dance that was basically the German version of the Macarena. Please picture this in your head...because it was quite funny.
We then start talking and I was asking her all sorts of questions and she was sharing about all of the different places she's traveled and the different types of dances that she has learned over the years. It was quite informative.
Here was the next part of the conversation...

Me: "So when did you start dancing?"
Old Lady: "Well, in college, you know...you have to take college credits."
Me, shaking my head in agreement: "mm hmm"
Old Lady: "I don't like balls..." silence... more silence.
Me: "mm, hmmm" more awkward silence, wondering what was coming next.
Old Lady: "When balls are involved, I get hit."
Me: "Yeah, me too."
Old Lady: "So I took ball-room dancing instead and then folk dancing, and the rest is history. I've been dancing ever since."

She was precious.
Jen and I then got out of there as fast as we could for fear that she would make us (me) dance with her for their performance.
It was great. Anytime I go to the Carver, something crazy happens. I love it. This is Jen's life. I love it.
If anyone needs an instant nun kit or if anyone needs to know how to do the German Macarena, let me know.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Sweetness!

I'm rejoicing and rejoicing with my friends Dan and Shadley! They are in Ethiopia right now picking up their new son Esias! They have been in this adoption process for so long and have gone through so much to get where they are. God is so faithful and so good!Isn't he precious!?!? Oh my word! So sweet! Pray for his continued health, he has a cough and some cold stuff going on. Also pray for Shadley that God would take away her sickness.
My heart is also with my friends the Ivey's (Jamie and Aaron)who are in the waiting period with their kiddos Story and Amos. They are in Haiti. I can't imagine what that feels like to be so far away from your kids. Pray for them too, that everything would come together that needs to so that they can bring them home SOON.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

By Our Love

I got the new Christy Nockels CD today and it's great!
The song that has hit me and I can't stop listening to is "By Our Love". It's amazing.
Here are the lyrics...
Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done...
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love...

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us...
We will come reaching, with a song of healing...
And they will know us by our love!

The time is now
Come Church arise...
Love with His hands
See with His eyes...
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love...

Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone,
And they will know you by your love!

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Choosing Beauty

I was just introduced to this website last night. It's called True Campaign.
Here is a little blurb on their website:
"The True Campaign exists to end the crisis of distorted self image by challenging cultural ideals about identity and beauty, so we can be free to impact our world as God intended.

Let’s face it: too many of us dislike our bodies and struggle with eating issues. It’s time to start talking. It’s time to change and take action. For the sake of our future, its time to be True."

I'll be honest. This is something that I struggle with DAILY. My mind can easily go in a million different directions except for truth about how God sees me.
It's a daily battle to speak truth against the lies that satan LOVES to attack me with.
I have been walking through an amazing program that has opened my eyes to more and more freedom from this, and from a lot of areas of my life.
God is SO good.
I wanted to share with you the True Campaign Pact that I am going to read daily from now on. By the strength of Jesus, I have faith that He can help me live this out.

I choose to:
--Believe what God says about who I am--body, mind, heart and spirit.

--Think and speak positively about my body.

--Stop analyzing and critiquing other peoples' physical appearance.

--Seek balance with eating, exercise and how I care for myself.

--Infuse truth into negative conversations about eating, weight and body shape.

--Develop inner qualities like kindness, compassion and integrity.

--Break free from being self-focused, so I can impact the world as God intended.

--Trust in God's love for me and communicate that love to others.

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made. So stop being so fearful and express some wonder at how incredible God made you." Psalm 139:14--I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (taken from True Campaign)

My precious roommate put up signs in my room for my b-day and this was one of them.

I love this picture because when I look in the mirror I am covered by this beautiful truth, that I am beautiful and precious and HIS sight!