Thank you for all your prayers and support, folks; today’s the day …Cornerstone Worship LIVE (A Studio and Live Recording) is now available on iTunes. Click this link to check it out! It was quite an honor and blessing to be a part of, and I pray it’ll be helpful to your personal times of worship too!
I am blown away by the feedback from Cornerstone Worship LIVE’s debut CD which, released this past weekend at Cornerstone Ministries and is set to be available on iTunes November 15th. God has a way of using music to reach a place in our hearts that’s truly unexplainable. I was incredibly honored to be a part of this worship project.
A friend of mine purchased a copy the other day to listen to during her driving time in the car which her job demands. She texted me this message:
I am listening to the CD …OMG! Awesome! Didn’t know what I was expecting, but WOW! I actually cried when I heard your voice …do you know how hard it is to drive while you are crying? Yikes! I am soooooooooooooooo impressed. You will have to tell me more about the people behind those marvelous voices! There are no words to describe how the music made me feel.
Though I hope you’ll most certainly take advantage of this awesome worship tool for your own self, I even more so say all this because you never know how God is working behind the scenes in someone’s life and how He’ll use you to do something wonderful in a part of their story. Be faithful in what He’s created and given you the opportunity to do. You have the opportunity to make a powerful difference by being YOU and shining Jesus in what you do. I challenge that for you today!
Don’t you just love it when God does something unexpected just to make your heart smile …right when you need it? I have been having a crazy few months with things right and left going wrong, computers crashing, schedules bombarded; you know, things that I know are just the enemy trying to thwart what God is doing and doing his best to shake me up. Well, I had the opportunity to just step back from the day to day pressures for a couple days as I traveled with my hubby and sweet baby girl to visit my out of state in-laws. En route to their home a few states away, we broke up the trip by staying overnight with my sister, who happens to be an avid Chris Tomlin fan. I couldn’t have asked for a more fun girl to go to concerts with! Since Chris Tomlin was going to be near her home, my sister purchased nose bleed tickets for his concert and we were just tickled pink that it was the weekend I would be traveling to see my in-laws and we could spend some time enjoying music with great company.
My sister too, like any of us if we are being completely honest, has been through a lot of pain and difficulty in her past, and it’s been so sweet to see how, as she’s kept her focus and dependency on the Lord while working hard to do what was right, He has been more than faithful to bring her through the pain into a place of joy, hope, and has given her a beautiful life. She had such a great reason to worship Him, and at this worship concert, as we climbed to the highest section of the arena, she and I were focused on doing that indeed!
Four minutes before Chris was to come on the stage, I ran into a friend of Travis and mine (from back home of all places,) who surprised my sister and I with FRONT ROW CENTER tickets! We raced to get to the front of the arena and, as the lights dimmed and music began, we reached our seats. What an amazing gift and delight! We were as two little kids, giddy and snapping pictures right and left. The couple sitting beside us too, (whom the wife was expecting a few weeks from now!) were on the highest row in the arena and were surprised with front row seats too. Ha ha …we formed an instant bond with them.
The music played, the worship was sweet, Louie Giglio challenged us all, and as we literally touched the stage at the end of the concert, jumping and worshiping with everything in us, God reminded me that through the rough day to day that sometimes presents itself, HE is good and has such good things in store …as I focus on Him in the midst of trying times, and do what is right no matter the circumstance, He will continue to bring me joy and help me live with that faith as a child. And as if to bring that fact even more ‘home’, we were then surprised with passes to chat with Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio. God just kept delighting us!
I know they are people just as you and me …serving God in their brokenness and dependent on Him with every breath, but we felt so honored and blessed to thank them for the way they are obeying Him and faithfully living out their lives as His example. God unexpectedly delighted our hearts that night. Like He always manages to do …when our eyes are open to His leading, and our hearts are anticipating His best.
So thank you, sweet sister for being an example of a life dedicated to living Christ out. Thank you, dear friend who surprised us with tickets and passes to meet Chris and Louie. Thank you, Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio (and band!) for faithfully living a life of worship and dedication to Christ in front of us. May we all be challenged to look at the hardships we face as opportunities to rely on the One who never gave up in dire circumstances ..to worship Him amidst the pain and remember that we too can be victorious!
Click here to see some of my Facebook pics from this fun night!
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!
This season of life and ministry sure has had it’s surprises, challenges, extreme joy and frustrating pain all lumped into one! My head spinning is more of a ‘normal’ these days, as I learn to juggle what’s on my plate and try to stay on top of things. And as I’ve had my time in The Word lately, the Lord has really been working on my heart in the deep places where I need to work on my own ‘issues’. You see, the pain and frustration I face, could most certainly be blame shifted or ignored with the excuse of busyness, and yet I’ve learned that the way to live in God’s favor, blessing and to continually become more and more into His likeness is to take a deep look inside …on a daily basis. And you know, it’s so like God that, when we do honestly evaluate and seek Him, He brings His truth and encouragement to the seemingly mundane as well as the ‘deep’ places of our hearts.
This song, You Are For Me, is a worship song by one of my favorite worship artists, Kari Jobe. This live recording was from when I had the privilege of leading it at Cornerstone Ministries with the amazing worship team a few weekends back. God is so good …and as He tangibly reminded me how true it’s message is while enabling me to lead the services that morning after waking up with hardly any voice(!), the message most certainly rings true in the deepest and most challenging stuff I’m walking through right now too. He is for me …He will never forsake me.
And He is for you …be encouraged in that today.
Maybe it’s just the new momma in me, or perhaps because Evangelina spent her first week of life in the hospital. Or maybe it’s because I’m watching my sweetie with her little cold at the moment, but this had me crying up a storm! Truth is, your story, pain and all, is a remarkable story that God’s using to impact so many others each day, if you let it; that’s no small thing! This Christmas, thank Him for your many blessings …even your pain. Your story wouldn’t be as precious or important without it.
My husband surprised me good this past Tuesday! He arranged for a sitter and whisked me away to a special worship concert with renown songwriters/worship leaders Paul Baloche, Kathryn Scott and Brian Doerksen. Exactly what we needed, we worshiped together led by these amazingly talented and definitely God chosen individuals. Those of you who have been with me since back in ‘the day’ when I, then Judy Requarth, recorded a demo before I just about headed off to reside in Nashville, may recognize the name Kathryn Scott. The Lord’s really used this gal to help teach me much about worship leading; especially using her heart and piano/vocal way in leading others in worship. One of the songs recorded on my early demo was Child Of God, a Kathryn Scott original. WOW, did God really connect with me and encourage this heart last Tuesday evening with Kathryn leading …and talking with her thereafter, when this picture was taken. (And yes, that is Paul Baloche’s head between ours …ha ha!) A current song of Kathryn’s, which she led that is on replay in my mind the past several days, is entitled ‘You’re Good’, the chorus sings: “You’re good, You’re good. You’re the rescue that’s waiting, God, You are faithful. You’re good, You’re good. It’s you’re mercy that’s claimed us, Your grace that forgave us. You’re good.” Just what my heart needed to hear and what I’m going forward with, in these days ahead. He IS good, beyond what we can comprehend, and in living a life of worship, it’s our place to live focused on His goodness. It’s a way we worship Him when things around us are uncertain and the enemy throws a lot of discouragement our way. He’s good …cling to HIM and watch His goodness unfold even in the most difficult times of your life. It will. He’s full of love and goodness toward you. He can’t give you anything other!
These past few days were filled with special times for yours truly, with special artists who’ve impacted this gal’s life …two in particular: Natalie Grant and Darrell Evans. Natalie was appearing in concert at my church (along with Phil Stacey and Britt Nicole), and I had a special opportunity to see her before the show prior to taking in her ministry thereafter. I’ve sung Natalie’s music a big chunk of my life, two especially important times being a song of hers I rewrote the lyrics to and sang to my Dad at my wedding reception, “I’ll Always Be Your Baby,” and in many a concert program in the past few years with her song “Awaken”. And now, I’ll be joining Natalie in the aspect of having a baby girl …she was tickled as we talked about Miss Deans’ soon-to-come arrival and she took this picture with me on the day I was 34 weeks pregnant. Click here for more concert pics.
Another artist which God’s used in my past particularly, is Darrell Evans. Darrell is a worship leader/songwriter whom I had a chance to visit with this past Sunday at church. You have probably sung some of Darrell’s music at your church over the years …recognize Trading My Sorrows, Let The River Flow, and Your Love Is Extravagant? I recall playing (and singing!) Your Love Is Extravagant over and over and over and over my college days, had it sung at my wedding, and am still engaged in it’s lyr
ics especially and lead it in worship services to this day. And though his music is amazing, what I’ve experienced of Darrell’s heart is more than amazing too. While part of the worship team at church this weekend, it was a pleasure to chat with him, pick up his latest recording, and I’m looking forward to a special concentrated time myself and a couple other worship leaders at church will have with him early May when he comes to talk with us more in depth about worship, songwriting, etc.
Do you have people in your life that God’s used as role models and examples to nudge you closer to Him? Does he use other folks who are in a place of impact for God and ministry close to where He’s called you too, to encourage you when you’re having a hard day and just don’t ‘feel’ up to the task? I’d encourage you to think about it, thank God for that person (and let them know if you do indeed have that chance!), and ask Him to create His plan in you so powerfully as well that maybe even someday someone else may be writing a blog about how you have impacted their lives and encourage them too. Keep on following Him in His calling for your life!
Travis and I had the privilege of attending TobyMac and Skillet’s Awake Tonight Concert this past weekend. I’ll tell you what, the ministry focused artist in me loves seeing how God’s using these guys in profound ways in their energy, musical excellence, authenticity, and how powerfully they stay true to THE message they’ve been called to. How are we all doing in that area? If you have a chance to see them this concert tour, you won’t be disappointed. Here are some pics from the evening too: Awake Tonight Pics by Judy Deans
Hey there! Our focus this year as a church is growing spiritually, and I wanted to share this video from our February 21st ONE Worship Event. It’s a song entitled “Moving Forward”, made popular by Israel Houghton. It talks about how, in Christ, the OLD is gone and the NEW has come …we are NEW creations in Him, and although we need to ask the Lord to help show us how our pain from our past has effected who we are today, our past does NOT have to determine who we are from this moment forward! We can make that decision to move forward, as Christ heals us from that painful past more and more as each day progresses. But the decision is in fact up to us. It’s not just something that ‘happens’ or something God forces on us. He, like a gentleman, leaves the decision to us. Will you allow Him to take over, heal you from that pain that’s keeping you from all he’s created you to be, and day by day, move forward toward HIS best and awesome plan for you? I encourage you to say, ‘Yes!” It is MORE than worth it! =)