•July 5, 2009 •
3 Comments
Some of you may remember last year that we went and led worship for a camp in California……well it’s that time again! In 2 1/2 weeks we will be packing a trailer with all of our equipment and making the 15 hour drive south.
Last year was absolutely amazing. I’m not sure if God had it more for the kids of for me! I walked away with a new passion for kids and especially leading worship for youth. God did do some amazing things with the group. This, in many ways, is not your typical youth camp. Over half of the kids that came to the camp do not go to church. They all choose to be there. Many of them live in broken homes. Some had criminal records. Some of them make choices to change their lives and follow Jesus. I look at this as much more of a expedition than just a fun camp. We are headed to place and a people who need the hands and feet of Jesus and we are going just to plug into what God is already doing. We’re going to use the music and abilities we’ve been blessed with. We’re going to just be with some kids that need to know they are loved and there are people willing to walk their story with them.
The coolest thing last year is that we got to be there with them and speak into their lives. We got to step down off that stage and walk along side them for a long weekend and we will be forever changed. So we’re headed back to do it again. This time with a bigger team and even more kids. Last year we had about 25 kids. This year – Already 40 kids signed up and possibly even 50. Last year a 3 piece band – this year a 4 piece band and one VERY loud sound system! But no matter how much growth we are seeing one thing still remains the truth – we are headed into an encounter with the hurt, needy, burdened and those needing to hear a new message – one that can change lives. One that can change their world!
We need your help | one thing really: prayer. We found last year that the more we prayed the more change we saw. There is a war being waged and those kids are right in the midst of it. This year, I think even more prayer is necessary. Would you be willing to commit to pray throughout a day for the band, for the leaders, FOR THE KIDS!? If this is something you want to be a part of please email me so I can send you specifics and even times. Email me at inkedindreams@gmail.com and I will put you on the schedule.
More to come so look for the updates!
Posted in Just Plain Life
•May 17, 2009 •
2 Comments
So Leif had his first sleep over this weekend. It was a weird feeling for me because you spend so much time taking care of and protecting your children and it seems with every step forward for them is a step away from us. So I dropped him off and had to hope that everything we had talked about and all of the protecting that I’ve done would be impact enough to guide his decisions. And I guess really it’s just Leif heading off to a friends house to play but the overnight part was where I realized that I was having a bit of a hard time with him being gone because for some reason night time seems like a time where my protection instinct kicks in. Maybe it’s where a lot of direction happens: making sure that they brush their teeth, making sure they are getting to bed at a decent hour, making sure that the doors are locked……..I was here and Leif was not where I could protect him.
Bottom line – my little boy is growing up and he really isn’t all that little anymore. It was just a glimpse of just how fast it all goes and how important every day is.
The day ended with this great quote from my other growing boy: “DAAAAAD – Leif just kicked me in the nuts!”
Posted in Just Plain Life
•May 3, 2009 •
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I recently wrote a song called “Shine”. The song is really just me asking God to show me who needs His light – I’ll post the song a little later. I wrote this song knowing that God could answer but for some reason I didn’t expect him to. I don’t know why I was surprised when I found families with children that were dying and God said “here are my people”. Two kids specifically – Armstrong and Blake. They both had brain tumors that were taking over and the doctors couldn’t do anything more for them. So as I followed their stories my heart broke more an more. It’s come to the point that I can’t even think about them without being overtaken with emotion.
In the last couple weeks both Armstrong and Blake have passed away – both of them in their parents arms. Can you imagine holding your 3 or 4 year old in your arms as they pass from this world? The pain – no matter what you believe about God and what’s next after life here the pain of loosing a child has got to be out of control. I don’t know what this means for me exactly except that I’m excited that God answered and now I know I need to respond. I’m still praying about how that could look but thought I should share. If your reading this – pray with me for the families of Armstrong and Blake.
Armstrong
Blake
Posted in Just Plain Life
•January 11, 2009 •
1 Comment
I’m not sure I can explain why but I feel such an incredible joy. Just got finished leading worship and the whole night was just joyful and incredible for me. I walked in to the house and the kids were still singing “Oh Praise Him”. That’s amazing! I am more convinced than ever that this is a time to celebrate!
I shared this at Ethnos tonight but felt that I should let everyone hear it. We as a “new generation” of Christians have made it very OK to shout at or to God when we’re angry. We’ve allowed ourselves to take out our frustration on Him. One thing in all of this that we have missed is shouting to Him in praise. It’s not fair – It’s not right to leave this part out. I am not saying it isn’t OK to bring Him your frustration – He wants that too but he desires our praise and our worship. There is a time for lament. I’m good at that. The time is now to SHOUT to him with a voice of praise. I am certain that this will complete my own healing process. I am certain that as I lift my voice He will lift His as well. I am even more convinced of all of this tonight as I watched just how contagious it is. To hear your kids sing songs of praise and articulating their own worship to God with their tongues is simply amazing. To watch them dance with reckless abandon regardless of what people around them think is a vision into what is ahead. I am excited about stepping forward into this. It seems strange that this should be a new journey for me but it is. Charlie Hall says it well: “This is a new year, This is a new day, to rise shine, lift up your eyes. This is a new year, this is a new day to rise shine, and point the way to God’s great life.”
Posted in Just Plain Life
•January 10, 2009 •
2 Comments
So like so many times before I have meant to come and write and share but…….well there is a lot of blank pages so obviously it didn’t happen. So we’re starting fresh here and we’ll see what happens!
So if anyone is still reading – We have started leading worship again which has been great. Playing with a great group of guys and it’s been fun. Starting to work towards the camp that we did last year down in California with my brother. I think that has quickly become a thing we will do every year and I’m looking forward to it even already. Colleen is working downtown at Beau Monde Cosmetology school. She is loving that. I’m still working for Bank of America and making it through this very crazy economy. The kids are loving school and they are all becoming rock stars on Rock Band.
So 2008 was hard and crazy at times but one thing was persistent: God is in the business of restoration and rescue. Those words are full of stories and of comfort for us as we head into this new year which holds so many uncertainties. I feel like I can head in knowing that no matter what God loves me and will rescue me. This is why He sent His Son. I count myself fortunate to have felt His touch – to have seen His hands. Without this last year and all of it’s trials I would not be able to see what I see now. What a beautiful King we have – What an amazing love He has sent :: THIS IS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE!
Posted in Just Plain Life
•July 12, 2008 •
1 Comment
On Wednesday morning we’ll pack up the car with all of our gear and head down to California to lead worship for a Youth Camp. Looking forward to it! We’ve been planning and practicing for the last month and it has all come together. My brother has been doing this camp for 5 years now. Last year we were supposed to go and lead but things like work got in the way. I think if I had made it a priority I could have made it but……I didn’t. I did end up recording music that we sent up – you can check it out here: http://www.myspace.com/worshipinbeat. I’m really excited to be there this year and meet the kids and get to know them. It looks like this will be something we do every year so I’m really excited about that. Pray for us and our travels and for these kids. Here is an excerpt from what I wrote for the leader’s handbook regarding this years worship:
PSALM 63:1-8
“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me…………”
I love these verses because it embodies the kind of worship God desires from us. Worship is seeking God, It’s thirsting for Him. It’s acknowledging His love and meditating on Him. It’s listening for His voice, It’s waiting for Him. Worship is a place of protection and love and mercy.
Musical worship is just one way to do these things but it is a great place to start. My desire for the kids this year is that worship can be modeled and we as leaders can help open the doors for them to see God’s glory both through worship times and in our sharpen times together. I desire that it can be a safe place, a place to shout or to kneel or to cry out or to be quiet but a place that it can happen under the shadow of God’s wings. I don’t want the worship that starts here to be where it stops. I don’t want worship to be something that happens behind the doors of a church. This has been my prayer as I have been planning our worship (P63) times.
Posted in Just Plain Life
•May 17, 2008 •
3 Comments
Sorry I’ve been gone awhile. I’ve still been writing just not posting. Anyway I thought it important to post something so that everyone knows that I’m still alive. It’s been busy so I haven’t had a lot of time to process all of the stuff swirling in my head. I’m happy though and that is amazing! A lot of my life has been spent angry. I’m not sure when that creeped in but probably sometime in high school I started to feel the injustice of everything around me. The truth is that I had a great childhood. My parents were and are amazing! I had little reason for angst at that age but I think I needed it to feel alive. And that’s something I’m realizing now too as I’m feeling ok and I’m not waging any major wars. I feel like I need to find something to get fired up about. I’m sure it’s just around the corner because if your looking it’s really not that hard to find something to make you angry. But what is it about anger or frustration that makes me feel alive? It’s like pain is the only thing that really makes me feel like I have a cause. It’s a force that drives me and to be honest I love it.
But the holding pattern here for the moment is good. We have great friends, great family, a great home………..Thank you God for a bit of rest!
Posted in Just Plain Life
•March 31, 2008 •
2 Comments
Outside these doors is a lamp trying to shed it’s light. And I’m standing here trying to step outside. But I’m afraid of the groaning of this city. The moaning of painful memories laying waste to the truth of love and forgiveness. Could this roar be lament? Could the tongues of angels sing peace into this? Could worship leak from my skin even as I hide in this darkness? Could healing hold me if I step out these doors and down the steps to the street. Oh this promise of light. – PLEASE Promise me light in-spite of this nights darkness.
NOTE: I usually don’t include this but thought it important this time. Often I will draw as I write. Last night I drew the picture above and the rest followed. Thought I would share the whole thing this time!
Posted in Just Plain Life, Lyrics
