It’s been a while since I’ve written because of this little fella in the picture here …and all that encompasses transitioning with a new baby. Well, I wrote about overwhelment …the good kind, actually …in my last Ministry Update, but God brought this home to me in a whole new way today. You see, I have this horrible respiratory cold thing going on, which kept me from a worship leading engagement. I can’t tell you the last time that happened …I don’t miss engagements like this.  I’m a tough cookie that follows through with what I’ve committed to at 110%! But for some reason, God allowed this cold to flare up in the wee hours of the morning today, and I was left with no other option. But just like God, as I’ve tackled the crazy and seemingly overwhelming details of canceling appointments, finding a replacement for the worship engagement, finding help with the kids, a trip to MedExpress, etc. I have been reminded of how richly I am blessed. God removed me from the every day to show me how HE is at work and in control …and there is so much blessing going on because of it! If it wasn’t for this day, sweet friends and fellow worship leaders may not have seen His awesomeness in how He shows up because they responded to the challenge. If it wasn’t for this day, Nana and Papa wouldn’t have had the extended time with my almost 23 month old, and I wouldn’t have had the (extremely rare these days) opportunity to soak up precious one-on-one time with my 10 week old as he smiled, cuddled and cooed in the recliner with me most the day. And if it wasn’t for this day, I wouldn’t have been able to deeply rejoice via text and Facebook with a dear friend of mine who just had her baby! It’s like the Lord let time stand still for me …for one day …so I could sit back and recognize the way He has blessed me so, while I’m in pain, and the overwhelming aspects in my life need not be so. This begs the question, How have you been blessed in the overwhelment of this life? He’s blessing you even amidst that painful past …and you will see it someday. Maybe today’s the day. Do you need to take inventory? Stop for a minute. Look around at the ways HE is working in your midst, ask Him to overwhelm you with His peace, and thank Him for the way He has blessed!

Hey Picture Peeps! Here are a few pics (click on them if you’d like to view in larger form) from the Illuminate services held December 23rd and 24th at Cornerstone Ministries in Export, Pennsylvania. Thousands of people from the surrounding area attended for the six special services. I’ve gotta extend my deepest thanks for all your amazing love, encouragement and prayers for each service and rehearsal. Being 34 weeks pregnant, it sure was quite the experience (to say the least!) to participate in these services!

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!

This certainly was a weekend I”ll never forget.  Once a year, our church cancels it’s typical weekend services and decides to serve the community in an UNcommon way, above and beyond what we typically should be doing in our day to day as Christians. Click here to see some pics I put up on Facebook from the Children’s Hospital project I had a privileged of having a part in, and this video shared at a special evening service we had last night will give you an idea of some of the ways so many people became ‘Jesus with skin on’ right here in the very place we live; honestly, I don’t know who’s hearts were changed more …those served or ours!

I’ve been reminiscing about the time I had to share at New Derry United Methodist Church’s outdoor community event this past weekend, and the phrase “HUGE blessings in small packaging” is what rings true!

This church’s story in a nutshell: Mere months ago, the attendance was so low it looked as though the church as they knew it would be no more. And you know, church as they knew it was no more, as God had HUGE plans for these faithful folks! Attendance has jumped from it’s 5 attenders to 250 people coming to this community event …and I must tell you, the people I met and mingled with are the real deal! They are seeking God with their whole hearts, serving Him with all they’ve got, and the joy all over their countenance speaks volumes that God’s HUGE blessings abound, no matter how small the packaging might appear to be.

And this gets me thinking …if I honestly look deep enough, I dramatically see God’s HUGE blessings at work in the small packaging of little ol’ me. He is so faithful. How are you doing in noticing HIS blessings in your what may seem to be mundane packaging in the day to day??? He looooooooooooongs to bless you BIG, and already has in so many ways. I challenge ya …be real, seek God with your whole heart, and serve Him with all you’ve got. You won’t regret it. And I have a feeling that these folks at New Derry UMC have my back here too. (big smile)

God did so much this past July when I was at Incubator’s headquarters out west. If all you picture people would like to see some fun pics of crazy ol’ me with some of my dear Incubator Family, here’s a link to some of my favs posted on Facebook:

Judy’s Summer Summit 2011 Pics

Bless you!
Judy

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.

Well …she did it! Little Miss Evangelina kept the ear protective muffs ON at Creation East this past week, and loooooooooved the concerts to boot! (Tenth Avenue North and Skillet were her favorite …though she did end up falling asleep half way through Skillet.  All the pyro must’ve been stimulation overload, poor thing!)  We met Eric Allen from the K LOVE morning show and shared how she sings along with certain songs already …’Oh NO’ with Matt Redman in “You Never Let Go” and ‘Aaa-MEN!’ with City Harmonic, to name a few, and it also delighted my heart to hear her yell, ‘Amen’ from the tarp one evening too.  Ya can’t tell she’s the daughter of two ministry leaders, can  ya? Naaaaah, she’s just excited about Creation and can’t wait to go again next year.  Yeah, that’s it.  Ha ha, just had to share.

Why do we ever doubt His faithfulness?  Or maybe better put, why do we think something as silly as a cold could make His impact less effective?  That’s where I was this past week.  I had a cold …actually, still recovering from it, and though I seriously entertained postponing this visit and ministry program, the sweet pastor at Park Baptist Church told me to come and bring what I could regardless, so that I did!  And I kid you not, in the words of my husband, who has been part of just about every one of my concert engagements to date, it was the best yet!  God is so incredibly faithful regardless of the ‘junk’ we tend to carry, and when He’s called us to do something, He follows through in completing the work which He started in us.  He shows up when we are 1. real before Him, 2. dependent on Him, and 3. seek to bless Him by serving others.  What a reminder He gave me this week.  Thanks for being so faithful, God!

God is so faithful!  What a joy and privileged it’s been to be a part of the Cornerstone Worship LIVE cd recording this past month.  After many hours of preparation and numerous rehearsals, the evening came and the Lord’s presence was so incredibly sweet.  I can only imagine how His heart was filled with delight, as I was beside myself too in hearing the amazing sound coming from hearts and voices so passionately singing and worshiping Him. Thanks for the prayers and coming out to worship with us, click here to check out some pics from the Cornerstone Worship LIVE Recording on Facebook, and stay tuned as more details unfold for the Fall cd release.