My daughter’s uninhibited expressions in this short video helped me along the laughter path the other day. Life can get so ‘heavy’ and hard, that I’m once again reminded to make sure I take the time to breathe deep, rest, and laugh. Here’s something that might be able to help ya with that laughter part too.

Sure, we all have needs -very real ones at that …I am well aware. Gas prices are high. Groceries add up and aren’t always in abundance. And we may wonder how we are gonna pay that bill the mailman just delivered. As hard as it sometimes is in the day to day, can you imagine loosing your home and the contents therein??? I don’t know about you, but that really puts my grocery needs or minimal balance in the bank account in perspective.

My “home away from home” church family at Liberty Christian Fellowship, are seeking hard to meet the needs of so many who were devastated there in their own backyard on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If you would like to tangibly help, here’s a message from the dear leadership at Liberty:

Anyone who is willing to give can mail their check or money order to Liberty Christian Fellowship, 244 Williams Drive, Kill Devil Hills, NC, 27948, earmarked Hurricane Relief. We have a team of volunteers as well as Christ in Action helping us with hot showers, meals, tree removal, etc. One of the biggest and most widespread needs are for food replacement, cleaning products, and clothing. The funds will help us get some of things we need. Thanks so much. The encouragement and prayer alone are keeping our heads lifted so our hands and feet can keep going.

Rana Dillon
Executive Secretary
Liberty Christian Fellowship
(252) 441-6592

Please consider going above and beyond your means of service and love, friends …here’s a chance to truly be ‘Jesus with skin on’.

So …I showed up in my office today to do a BUNCH of work in my Online Ministry Office, only to find that my silly internet decided to to be temperamental and kick me off more times than it let me on it.  After a moment …okay, I’m being honest her …momentS of frustration, I was reminded of how the LORD is in control of each aspect of this life.  I’ve given my entire self over to Him, which includes ‘my plans’ of each moment working on this music ministry.  So with grace, a word I’m allowing myself to receive and live in more these days per the Lord’s instruction(!), I have decided to venture off to Plan B.  And you know what, God is most certainly orchestrating that and much is getting accomplished.  So whether you’re executing your Plan A or venturing off to Plan B today, know that God is God and He’s got your back.  Yeah, it’s sometimes disappointing to head elsewhere than where we ‘though’ He wanted us to be in our gift of the moment, yet He’s working out something beautiful in our day to day crazy moments too!  B days don’t have to stand for ‘Blah!’  I’m allowing the Lord to show me how mine is astonishingly ‘Beautiful.’  Wanna join me???

Another day, another long ‘to do’ list …a baby in tow that doesn’t always give you the luxury of brushing your hair, yet alone a shower …the morning ‘routine’ and nap time now conquered meanwhile some work accomplished while she’s off in dreamland …the afternoon zips by trying to squeeze in getting things done while taking care of the little toddler now into everything, and before you know it, Daddy’s home, dinner, bath time, bedtime stories, she’s out for the night and you are beyond exhausted, meanwhile beating yourself up because you had so much yet to do on that ‘to do’ list. The computer comes out to tackle the email and squeeze in a little more work before the head hits the pillow, yet alone trying to attempt some meaningful conversation with the other half, but it’s that ‘rather mad at yourself’ feeling that looms again. Tomorrow is full of it’s own ‘to do’s’, and the ones I didn’t get through today.  Oy, overwhelmed again.  Oh, sleep is a must …sigh. Does any of this sound familiar???  I don’t know about you, yet God has really been working on my heart big time lately with learning to view my life -my entire life and responsibilities- the way He sees them …not beating myself up, perfectionist tendencies all too natural and present. The word GRACE, a word so foreign today, if you honestly look at our culture, is something I am also learning to grasp better for myself.  My life is a ministry.  Your life is a ministry.  It’s not just our ‘day’ job; it’s our family, our friends, our day-to-day moments that the Lord is screaming through.  While in Oregon for the Summer Summit, one of the things the Lord reminded me of is, though I beat myself up with not being able to ‘keep up’ with my ‘before baby pace’ of work hours in songwriting, concerts, etc., His viewpoint here is what I need to be focusing on …not mine.  He has accomplished so much through this ministry (yes, since baby!), and is, in fact, making it stronger and giving me more means of impact and oodles of material to minister with because of it.  Did I need reminded of that?  Yes.  Will I need reminded of that on a day to day basis?  Most likely.  It’s one of those thing where my head has ‘known’ the truth all along, and that all this is His perfect plan for me, and yet so easily the enemy, disguised as my perfectionism, tires to cause me to doubt what God is doing and shame the child of God which I am.  Have you been there?  Are you there now?  Are you like me and need reminded that God has nothing but a GOOD plan that He is working in your life at this very moment?  He has done so much …and is doing so much, in every moment of our very life.  Join with me in seeking the Lord to forgive our wrong thinking and stop beating ourselves up.  Let’s take that urge and redirect it to hide His truth in our heart and fully embrace each part of His good plan which He’s given us to live out every moment of every day.  God, teach us more of Your grace so that we too can extend it to others in a new and profound way …help us smile while thanking You for this season of life.

A friend I serve in worship ministry with posted this video on Facebook this morning and it’s so true …God is nothing short of amazing and, in light of the ‘disaster’ in Japan, God is still God. As we pray and help those in need in tangible ways because of this tragedy, let’s not loos sight of this promise!

My sweetie turned nine months this past Valentine’s Day, and like any mother I’ve ever come in contact with would agree, time certainly fliiiiiiiiiiiiies; and it came to my attention this month too that she has now existed longer on this side of my belly than inside!  Just like the amazingly crazy miracle that took place in those nine months before we met her face to face, this seemingly short time since has been nothing short of amazing. And as I watch this little munchkin tune in to the exciting things unfolding around her, I catch beautiful glimpses of the impact others’ lives and love have had on her …and the impact her little life has already had on those surrounding her. And it all makes me think, what kind of impact does my day to day life have on others …how is my sometimes ’seemingly short’ time making a difference? Am I living upright, prioritizing, and making the most of each moment I’m given? Each moment passes so quickly, and I don’t want to overlook the incredible power I have been given and I have to make a difference with each moment. Care to explore this with me in this season of your life too???

My daughter cut her first tooth this past Saturday …at eight months eight days old, she didn’t want to eat much that day and I was beckoned from my cozy seat during the church service that evening to where she sat crying (and biting insanely on a teething toy, I might add!) in the nursery.  Poor sweetie, she hurt.  It was something good happening …a ‘milestone’ in her life, though she didn’t know it was a good thing, nor wouldn’t for many years to come.  She hurt, and I imagine a bit confused and wanting to cling to Momma.  When we returned home from church that evening, I learned of a special college friend who’s three year old son lay in the ICU from what begun as the flu but turned to severe brain complications, and it now looks to be taking his life.  My heart breaks …I can’t imagine what his Mom, Dad and brother of seven years is going though.  The pain they must feel is beyond what I can fathom, and beyond what anyone should have to go through.  As I think about my teething daughter …how her pain is very real, confusing to her, and yet planned by her Creator, and as I look at the sweet Bocox Family’s pain too …their pain is very real, deeply confusing, and though we don’t see why this has to happen, our Creator has a plan …a good plan.  I think, amidst the deeply difficult to understand times of pain in our lives, God is whispering to the depths of our hearts saying, “I love you.  I have a greater plan ahead.  This pain, though our enemy wants to mean it for evil, I mean it for GOOD …for your amazing future.”  What pain do you have in your life today that God wants you to trust Him, rest in Him, and cling to Him all the more?  As you embrace this season of your life, and as you deeply feel the intense pain and cry amounts of tears you never dreamed possible, I pray that you sense the Lord’s amazing love and passionate pursuit of you.  He is here …He has never left you.  He is faithful, trustworthy, and causes all things to work together for the good if you are His. He has so much good ahead in your story; good that couldn’t otherwise be accomplished if it wasn’t for this pain.  As I pray for the painful things in my life, and cry prayers during the painful things I know in yours too, I’m thanking Him that He is faithful, is here walking with you through it, and has promised good things ahead!  Yeah, good. The tooth hurts now as it’s comin’ through, but what it’ll enable you to do years from now faaaaaaaaaaar exceeds the pain on your plate today. =)

I’m continually amazed as I look back on this past year, how MUCH God did in this music ministry: direct personal impact through concert engagements and personal follow up, much stretching in growing in the craft of songwriting and this specific ministry focus, discipline and growth in time management, the beginning of my global ministry office (ooooh, exciting!!!), and more opportunities to grow and connect with the Lord and help others do the same through worship leading. And as I switched my office around a couple nights ago to make it more practical and ‘baby safe’, (like we’ve been doing with our entire abode, that is!), I am most certainly reminded that we’ve had quite the exciting year on the home front too! 2010 has overall been an exciting year! And as I really look back, it’s struggles tended to deal with resurfacing and ‘blows’ from our enemy who doesn’t want me to grow stronger from the pain in my past, but keep me stuck and caught up in it’s pain meanwhile repeating it …today. It’s 2011 now …a NEW year. And this new year is full of opportunity to celebrate, grow and give my fears and pain all afresh to Jesus as He writes HIS story with each month, week, day, hour and moment. As you begin this new year, be reminded that WE are the reason HE gave HIS life …to bring us hope, joy, freedom and peace. HE is the reason to live, and live victoriously. Here’s an audio clip of yours truly and my friend and worship pastor Alan Hannah with the song “We Are The Reason” which we and the team shared for the Christmas Eve services. I pray it encourages ya as you begin this new year and give your story to Him!