Friday, April 30, 2010

Arms Open Wide

I have been listening to this song over and over.
I went to the Hillsong United concert last weekend and they played this song. It was my first time hearing it and I was moved to surrender. I LOVE it!
Here are the lyrics:

Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You oh God

Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

Oh here I stand
Arms open wide
Oh I am Yours
And You are mine

Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You oh God

My whole life is Yours
I give it all
Surrendered to Your name
And forever I will pray
Have Your way
Have Your way

Internship


I've been eager to write this and share with the blog world for awhile now...it has been in the works and it's getting more and more official!

I have accepted a full time internship at my church (The Austin Stone Community Church) and I am extremely excited about this. Excited and scared all at the same time.
It has all happened so quick and is something that I have felt the Lord's hand on, undoubtedly. When I think of this opportunity, I am amazed that it is happening. I get to do music. I get to do ministry. I get to love on people. I get to be creative. This will be my job. WHAT?!?!?!

For the last 9 years of my life I have done office work. I go to work at 8, I sit at a desk and answer phones, make copies, three hole punch papers and I leave at 5. It starts all over again the next day.
God has done AMAZING things in those 9 years. He has stretched and challenged me in so many ways. I have not arrived at any of it...but I'm thankful for those years of pushing through and butting heads with what I don't feel I'm created to do well. I am NOT good at organization and administration! (funny right?!) But it hasn't stopped God from doing amazing things over the years.

I'm thankful that God opened the door to be able to sing and lead worship at the Stone. God's hand was all over that opportunity and it was nothing that I did. It was completely HIM. I have been humbled, stretched, affirmed & challenged in these last two years. I can only imagine what He is about to do this next year.
To be completely honest it scares me.
I'm leaving a lot of comfort zones.
My job, my financial security, a mundane structure & knowing what each day will look like (to a degree), the "normal".

The day that I gave my life to Jesus, on April 7, 1997 at a Steven Curtis Chapman concert, I prayed that God would give me a story. That He would use me how He wanted to use me and that He would give me a story that was all about HIM. Knowing that He had it already planned out, I was confident that what He wanted to do in my life was bring Him much glory.
He is faithful and He answers prayers. Prayers that are prayed BIG and BOLDLY and in HIS name. He has taken me through a lot. He answers in ways that I would not expect, but He knows best and I'm thankful.

This next step for me is part of this story. I'm humbled that He has chosen me, that He has called me and that He has opened this door and said, "Follow Me". I have NO clue what is through those doors, but I'm starting to get a taste and it's GOOD and it's HARD.
My mom wrote this in a note she sent me and it said simply, "Hard is good."
Ok. yeah. Help my unbelief God!
1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The One who has called you is faithful and He will do it."
I'm trusting Him, some days better than others. But He is asking me daily, "Do you trust me?"

One thing that I am trusting Him with is fundraising.
I have to raise support financially to be able to work full time for a year.
I found out last week that I have to have 80% of my funds in before I can start the internship.
That is a whole lot of money in not a lot of time.
My last day of work is May 14.
My orientation is June 2nd.
Deep...breath...
I have a ways to go.
God can do this. It may mean that I don't start exactly when I had planned to start. Our plans are quite different than His plans sometimes.
Job 10:5 (Job to God) "Unlike us, You are not working against a deadline, You have all eternity to work things out."

It's crazy. Last week was a horrible week. I spent a lot of time in tears and in doubt. BUT God at the same time had His hand on me and I could feel a calm and a peace. I was still a mess...but there was a peace.
This week has been so much better...I have my moments. But God is revealing more of my heart and more of His heart. I so badly want to beat the same.
I have seriously been going non-stop for the last two weeks and I don't see an end until next week sometime. I'm exhausted. But full.

So that is my life lately. Just thought I would fill you in on the craziness...for those who even read this thing!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Things that Make Me Smile

Walking with Whitney:
**Whit came with me to Breakaway & we walked around the George Bush Library**

Pretty Flowers:**Our walk was beautiful!**

Bridges:
**Reminds me of God's faithfulness**

BedHead:
**Not sure how my hair does this in the mornings.**

the Scorcher:
**random carnie rides w Ginger**

Giving the Thumbs Up:**the scorcher definitely deserved a thumbs up.**

Frightened/Excited/What are we doing...we're old faces:**Our response to the Scorcher**

My Quiet Time Place:
**peaceful, solitude, Jesus**

Chocolate:**My nephew Max up on the counter getting chocolate from on top of the fridge. STINKER!**

Beat Boxing:

**My Goal in life is to learn how to beat box.**

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Well...I Made The News

Well. I made the news. I'm not proud.
Here's the video. My car makes it's appearance around 1:53

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Two More Things about Getting Pulled Over

I would like to add to my previous post 2 things...

1. when I realized that I was getting pulled over I panicked and said, "mom...i'm gonna let you go I'm getting pulled over" and then just hung up on her.
I should probably call her back.

2. When the motorcycle cop came up to my window I remembered thinking about how huge his helmet was & how ridiculous it looked. Then visions of "Grandma Cop" came in my mind. For those of you who are not familiar with "Grandma Cop" let me fill you in...there was a certain incident with my mom and a toy motorcycle helmet. Let me just show you a little video...


Thank you.

So...I just Got Pulled Over

So this really happened.
I just got pulled over for talking to my mama on the phone in a school zone. During the prime time of everyone picking up their kids from school. And to top it all off...there was a whole news crew there documenting the entire thing. Not gonna lie...there were some words that came out of my mouth that probably made all the kids around me cry.
When the cop went back to his motorcycle to write down all of my information...the news team, camera included, ran across the street towards me...are you kidding me?!....no.
This was our conversation:

News Lady: "I realize that this isn't the most opportune time..."
Me: "I don't want to be on the news."
News Lady: "...but can we ask you a few questions."
Me: "I don't want to be on the news."
News Lady: "Are you sure? We just..."
Me: "I don't want to be on the news."
News Lady: "...want to ask you if you knew about the law."
Me: "I don't want to be on the news."

Then they left and then the cop came back and gave me a ticket for talking on my cell phone and two warnings...one for a brake light out and one for still have my old address on my license.

Can this day be over?

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Let Hope Rise

What a beautiful Easter Sunday! I can't even begin to describe how powerful and good God is.
My day started out leading worship in the PAC (performing arts center). We usually have a PAC service during our 11:15 since that is our most crowded service. We have a live band, and a video feed of the message. Since it was Easter, we did the PAC for both of our morning services. And cause things get crazy.
I had the privilege to lead with Mr. Todd Agnew and the guys from Andy Melvin's band. SO fun!
Then I came back in the evening to lead with the Aaron Ivey band and the choir for the last two services. Oh.my.Word. Amazing. It was seriously a party. When the choir joins us...it's just a whole new level.
The thing is...when you strip away all of that...the bands...the choir...the preacher...you still have Amazingness. You still have Power. You still have Jesus. A man who lived a perfect life & who loved perfectly, who took on my sin and the mess of the entire world so that we didn't have to take the punishment that we so deserved, so that we could have a relationship with Him and so that we could spend eternity with Him. One day I will rise to be with Christ. I will rise because He has risen.
This prayer was read during the service from Valley of Vision:
My Father,
Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips,
supply words that proclaim "Love lustres at Calvary'.
There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son,
made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me;
There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow;
There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made;
There infinite punishment was endured.
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy,
cast off that I might be brought in,
trodden down as an enemy
that I might be welcomed as a friend,
surrendered to hell's worst
that I might attain heaven's best,
stripped that I might be clothed,
wounded that I might be healed,
athirst that I might drink,
tormented that I might be comforted,
made a shame that I might inherit glory,
entered darkness that I might have eternal light.
My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes,
groaned that I might have endless song,
endured all pain that I might have unfading health,
bore a thorned crown that I might have a glory-diadem,
bowed his head that I might uplift mine,
experienced reproach that I might receive welcome,
closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness,
expired that I might for ever live.
BEAUTIFUL JESUS.
Here is an amazing video that was also played at the end of the message. We then went into the song "with everything". LET HOPE RISE!!

Let Hope Rise from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.