Travis and I are currently visiting his family in North Carolina, and I had a few moments to spare, so I wanted to share some pics we took from the Christmas Eve Snapshots Services at Cornerstone Ministries as well as some fun ones from the weeee hours of the morning Christmas Eve/Christmas Day at my parent’s house.  What a special season this is!  I pray you’re soaking in the joy and love with family and friends too!  Click on this link to see the pics I posted on Facebook:  Christmas Eve Snapshots 2008

Here’s a short video of Keith, Joy, Jeff and myself from the Christmas Eve ‘Snapshots’ Service at Cornerstone Ministries.  Merry Christmas!

May your week be spectacular with special times to worship and spend with loved ones.  Take time to soak in the magnificence of this season, being refreshed by the Lord’s amazing love and peace.  We love you and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

That’s right!  Travis and I have been blessed with a new car!  It’s this cashmere metallic exterior and taupe leather (with sweeeet CD player!) interior 2004 Buick Century.  I’ve got to tell ya, we’re like two little kids on Christmas morning in excitement.  The way God’s provided it absolutely blows our minds.  We feel like royalty in something so nice!

Our former, almost to antique status yet amazing car ‘Mighty Blue’, died (click here to read more: Our Car Died March 2008 Blog) earlier this year when Travis was in a car accident.  With all the ministry travels and significant miles Travis and I both have between two ministries, my manager with Incubator Records strongly encouraged us to be looking into a newer and more dependable car, meanwhile praying about this for us.  We too began eagerly praying God would show us what to do since, as missionaries, our funds are limited and it’d have to be His divine provision.  Amongst praying and looking into ways we could be ’saving up’ in the meantime, we’ve been coordinating our schedules day by day with my little 1996 Ford Aspire (Little Vi or Purple Thunder as my nephew’s named it!) so we aren’t missing any important engagements between ministry demands!

Shortly after Mighty Blue was totaled, dear husband and wife friends and ministry supporters of ours approached us after a church service, letting us know that they have been praying about some money which the Lord has given them and that very evening God showd them that they were to give it to us in help of getting a new vehicle!  That was late March, and each month as we received their financial donation, we’ve been reminded that God is in control and has something great for us!  We kept praying, waiting, and depositing this financial gift into it’s separate account.  God seemed to be telling us to wait a bit longer, so that we did.

Then, one evening after church again, another dear couple friends of ours told us of a car their son had for sale.  Their family was expanding and it was time for them to sell it and get a minivan in it’s place!  It was a very dependable, in excellent condition car – a 2003 Dodge Intrepid.  Although our ears perked up at this mention and we were very much so interested in checking it out, we still were in the ‘God told us to wait’ stage, so we didn’t persue it terribly fast or too much at that time.  I emailed them and said something like, ‘Wow, we’re interested in it … just need a little more time.’  That was okay, as they shared with us that the owner of this car wasn’t completely ready yet and wanted to get it inspected in the meantime, so that he did.  Well, a long story shorter, we were on our way to purchase this car this past Friday morning when Travis said, “Let’s pray one more time.”  We did, and asked God to show us if we needed to say no, and not purchase this vehicle.  Travis had some hesitation because of the cost as it was a little more than this couple had given us and we weren’t going to be able to take a pay check this month.  Not even five minutes later, Travis received a phone call from a friend who told us that a local woman had passed away and her car was for sale.  We called the owner and found out that this vehicle was $1,000 less than the Dodge Intrepid, a year newer, and 30,000 less miles on it!  Although it pulled on our heart strings to have to turn the Dodge Intrepid owner down, we believed that God was speaking very clearly here to our needs.  We made arrangements to see the car this past Sunday, and when we did were blown away by how nice it was, and what we learned about the owner too.  Here, she used to support Teens For Christ and supported Travis specifically for his college ministry Internship to Nigeria as well!  I can only imagine, if she is looking down on us from heaven, what she must be thinking! ) 

We became the official owners of this car at 5pm yesterday, and have been wound up like two little kids on Christmas morning! This event certainly calls for celebration!  So thank you, dear couple whose gift provided this needed vehicle … and just before Christmas too.  Can I tell you how amazing our God is?!!  And MANY thanks to those of you who have been praying for our ministries and transportation needs too! I cannot tell you how thankful we are and how much we love you!  God is good and you’ve been an amazing part in that!  I hope you are smiling. 

So now, the challenge before us is to come up with a name for this gift.  Any suggestions, folks? )

Travis and I had the privilege of attending the Love Came Down Tour – Jars of Clay, Sara Groves, Sixpence None The Richer and Leeland last night.  Cornerstone hosted it, and Travis worked with Kevin, the promoter who brought the bands in.  Kevin surprised us with two free tickets to the concert (thank you, Kevin!), and Travis and I set up a Teens For Christ table in the lobby with the artist tables, etc.  It was sweet to help Travis with his TFC ministry stuff.  During intermission especially, several area youth pastors and youth workers who hadn’t previously heard of the Youth Ministry Network connected with Travis so he could help them with their youth groups and schools.  I enjoyed simply being able to rest and take in all the artists had to offer at the concert.  Kim got us great seats, and after chit-chatting with several church friends the concert began.  One friend in particular, Joy, gave me an official Meet and Greet pass to do exactly that after the concert with the artists performing.  I was especially thrilled to meet Sara Groves.  As many of you know, her music and ministry has touched me so that I even play/sing one of her songs in my current concert program, ‘Generations’.  It was fun (and I felt like a giddy school girl!) as I thanked Sara and snapped a quick picture with her.  It’s those little things …

To view some pictures I snapped on my cell phone throughout the evening, click this link on my Facebook page: album.php?aid=191668&l=431e3&id=668255034

Are life situations clouding your vision? Look at Christmas from a new perspective. Jesus is still the best gift any of us will ever receive. He was born so He could include you and me in His family portrait. So, bring your own mental snapshots as we join together to see Christmas from God’s perspective.

Experience this Christmas Celebration Service for all ages – featuring music, dance, multimedia, engaging narrative…and including traditional carols, a candlelight ceremony, and a short message.

Arrive Early
To enhance your SNAPSHOTS experience, plan to arrive 30 minutes early. This will provide plenty of time to park, and find your seats (there will be a family friendly, pre-show that starts 15 minutes before the program).

Plan Ahead
Services last approximately 90 minutes.

Bring the Kids
Childcare is provided at all services for infants through age 5.

Sign Language Interpretation Available
When arriving, please see an usher so you may have the best seats possible.

Need Directions?
Click here: http://www.cornerstonelive.net/contact/directions

Would you please pray for Jaliza, her mom (Maria) and her two brothers (Isaiah and Jeremiah)?  Maria was just robbed at gunpoint and her car was stolen too.  Read about what happened here  As I’m sure you can imagine, her nerves are through the roof and she is really needing God’s help and our prayers.  Thanks, Team!

I had the joy of going out to lunch with Jaliza (pronounced ‘Ja-liss-a’), the soon-to-be 12 year old who wants to be a Christian Singer when she grows up (or a vet, or a surgeon to help people with tubes in their ears.)  I met Jaliza at a concert this past November, and when she asked me what she needed to do to become a Christian singer, I knew a get together would be a neat thing.  So off to Pizza Hut we went this past Sunday afternoon.  Over Siera Mist and Diet Pepsi, we begun talking about her upcoming Tinkerbell themed birthday party, some favorite songs, school and family stuff. 

The pizza and thereafter the desert came, and Jaliza had lots to say.  As I listened, I saw lots of ’similarities’ between she and I.  I remember, when I was Jaliza’s age, I just knew that I wanted to be a Christian singer too.  God used an adult Christian singer to inspire and awaken those dreams in my heart.  I couldn’t listen to her music enough.  My heart smiled as I read an email Jaliza’s mom sent me Saturday night saying, ‘She won’t stop talking about you, or playing your CD.  She asks 50 hundred questions, and is just soooooo excited to actually go to lunch with “a Christian famous singer.”  She says she wants to be just like you.’ 

But more than wanting to be like that ‘famous Christian singer’ I knew as a kid, I remember how God shaped my heart with a passion and desire to know Him and worship Him.  Sure, that desire to ‘do what the famous singers do’ in having a career, etc. kept me working hard at developing and honing in on my craft, yet God grew me up and made singing something ‘deeper’.  He drew me to Himself through the hard times when I was picked on at school, when I felt abandoned or just plain, hard stuff happened in my life.  So as Jaliza told me of some painful stuff like how her Daddy isn’t around and can’t come to see her for her birthday, I quitely prayed that God would make Himself so real to her in the hardness.  And I encouraged her to journal that stuff and even write songs out of times as such.  Only God truly knows what He has in store for this little girl.

So would you pray for Jaliza too?  Maybe we’ll see her and I’ll be part of her Vision Team in the years to come! )

I got an email today from a sweet girl I met at a concert this past November.  She asks this question:  “What should I do to start off to be a famous singer like you? I know I want to be a Christian singer.”  Well, here’s some advice for those of you out there with the same kind of question.  These are three important things that come to my mind first:

1.  Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart!
Did you know that’s a bible verse?  It’s one that I clung to when things looked hard, bad, and especially with these music dreams.  What that bible verse really means is to put Jesus FIRST in your life above EVERYTHING – even singing!  Pray to Him, read your Bible, ask Jesus to show you how to live for Him in your everyday life, memorize Bible verses that really speak to you, and worship Him at church and at home too!  When you make Jesus your everything, everything seems to come together in the ways HE has created you to be and in HIS perfect timing.

2.  Trust in the Lord with ALL you heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In ALL your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will direct your path!
This is another bible verse that I think is important for EVERY singer especially.  It’s not always easy, and it’s really important that we have a real and personal relationship with Jesus and trust Him at all times, even when things are really hard and don’t make sense to us.  No matter what YOU are going through – good and bad! – pray to Him, thank Him, and ask Him what HE would like you to learn from it.  HE will make what HE has created you to do happen, but you’ve got to put Him first and trust him with all your heart.  What He has planned for you may look different in some ways than what you initially think, but He’ll make sure it’s the BEST and totally AWESOME for you!

3. Wait on the Lord.
This is a bible verse too!  It’s hard sometimes to be patient and wait for God to show us how to do this music thing, because it’s something deep within us that wants to come out.  As you wait for HIM to show you how to specifically follow your dreams to sing for Him, pray, keep a notebook to journal letters/prayers to God, and sing at home in your worship to Him.  One of the most important things too is to sing at church.  Of course, it’s good to sing any chance you get that would be something where you can sing about God or for God, but I think at your church is the most important place.  Make singing at church something VERY important … even more important than being famous and singing at a lot of other places.  Jesus really loves that, and when we worship HIM with all our heart and do it as a part of our church, He has a special way to make our dreams happen!  

Bottom line, Jesus shows us how our musical dreams will specifically look, in time, as we delight ourselves in Him, trust in Him with all our heart and acknowledge Him, and as we patiently wait on Him.  Run after Him with all your heart, first and foremost before tackling anything ‘musical’ … I promise He will not let you down!

Satan has really been trying to thwart God’s plans this past month, coming in the form of physical ailments to yours truly and even a terrible nightmare last night where I woke up unable to breathe.  I’m convinced all this crazy stuff is happening because of the amazing and tangible things God IS DOING … I’ve been hearing so much first hand feedback of how God’s ministering to people immensely through these concerts, worship leading engagements, etc. and have met personally with many folks to minister even more deeply in various ways.  I received a call last night from someone touched back in a concert from last September and the CD they took home with them thereafter.  Some super roller coaster highs and plummeting lows have been coming all at once … both the amazing work of God as well as the resistance from our enemy has been so intense, I take a moment to ask all reading this to pray today.  Please pray for my sweet hubby, Travis.  And please pray for yours truly.  Please pray for our home, relationship, and ministries.  Please pray for our health.  And please pray for our protection.  I know with this season unfolding, this will also be a ‘prime time’ target for Satan to do his thing.  Thank God our God is BIGGER and mighty to accomplish HIS plans.  I know He hears you all as you pray!  Please keep them up!!!