Tag Archives: Worship

Music for a Hurting World

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Photo: bigoneep on Flickr

Photo: bigoneep on Flickr

Music is slowly taking over a larger and larger portion of my life… and I couldn’t be happier. It does leave me less time to blog and share my thoughts, but it’s helping me to put things in a more natural order in my life.

I’ve shared before about my thoughts on music – the serenity it brings – so I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of a new R&B/Soul Gospel band that is going to be doing some super fun music. I’ll share more about it once it’s a little more public I think, but it is an absolute pleasure to be able to spend 3+ hours once a week making music with this talented bunch… this in addition to my time spent with the Lynn Valley Black Bear Band and my monthly weekend for leading worship at my church.

I’m also really excited to be going to some great events in the near future:

Third Day – May 9th

Multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning Third Day will be at the Abbotsford Centre at 7pm on May 9th.

Here’s the video from their latest release “Revelation”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPniMv6te64

I have been a fan for almost as long as I’ve been a fan of Jesus.

Unite In Worship Conference – May 22/23

On May 22nd and 23rd, I’ll be at Willingdon Church for the Unite In Worship Vancouver 2009 conference to hear some amazing speakers and worship leaders and learn more about worship ministry. Brian Doerksen and Bluetree will be highlights for me, but sessions I plan to attend include:

  • Vocal Skills – Speaker TBA
  • Creating a Culture of Invitation – Ian Campbell
  • Corporate Worship: God and Us – Donna Dinsmore
  • Becoming a Songwriter who Serves the Church – Brian Doerksen
  • Eggshells No More – Paddy Ducklow

The conference opens up with Bluetree – a band that came to my attention thanks to my friend Andrew. Here, Aaron Boyd of Bluetree explains the story behind their hit song God of This City:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw

This song is touching, but the story of how it came about is even more so.

Creation Northwest – July 22-25

Creation Northwest ’09 takes place July 22nd to 25th at The Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington. I have wanted to go to Creation Fest since I became a Christian 4 years ago. It’s a multi-day outdoor music festival featuring the best Christian artists in the world plus speaker sessions and, of course, camping.

I’m still waiting to hear back from some friends about who may wish to join me, but I’ll be going regardless.

Music for a Hurting World

I’ve had a lot of really deep conversations with people lately. I guess that’s another reason I haven’t taken much time to blog. The truth of the matter is there are people out there who are hurting… I have been hurting. Things are not always easy. In fact, they’re usually NOT easy. People have such misconceptions about what it is to have faith in Jesus Christ… to be a Christian. It doesn’t make you perfect and it doesn’t make things easy. Sometimes, it actually makes things harder.

I have friends – Christian and non-Christian – who suffer or have suffered through some horrible situations: addictions, infidelity, suicidal thoughts, divorce, depression, abuse, even coming out as gay to a wave of condemnation from those who claim to love them… to all my friends who have ever put their faith in God. Here’s a song that hits right to the heart of it:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BkN-4NYQj0

I hope you have a listen; the message is for you.

A Vision From God

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Today I received a vision from God. I think it might well have been my first one. I’ve never felt God showing me something so clearly before.

I’ve had a really interesting week and think that I’m on the verge of something exciting that God wants to use me for… don’t ask me why. I was driving downtown yesterday and praying in my car. I found myself shocked and amazed and forever grateful that God could actually use a dirty, hopelessly broken vessel like me for anything. I mean, I sin all the time! Not a day goes by that I don’t feel the need to repent multiple times. There are plenty of days I don’t even think people would be able to tell I’m a Christian, yet I profess to be a spirit-filled disciple of Jesus. If Jesus is in me, what have I done with him?!

This morning as we were praying in preparation for worship, I received a very clear vision from God: It was a clay pot. A dirty, broken, old clay pot that looked like it might have been through an earthquake and a fire. It was full of holes and cracks, chipped around the edges and scratched all over. But out of those holes and cracks was a light. The whole area outside the pot was illuminated only because of the many cracks and holes. If that clay pot had not been broken at all, there would be no way for the light to shine through… and better, it was beat up beyond recognition allowing the entire area around it to receive that light rather than even just a ray or two.

I think God was trying to tell me that no matter my shortcomings, my sin, my weaknesses, my lack of skill or preparation for something… if it’s something He wants to do through me, He’s going to do it regardless. All I have to do is let His light shine. I think sometimes in this life we try and cover up all those cracks and holes with a veil. We don’t want people to see that we have weaknesses and sins and shortcomings. We don’t want people to know that we aren’t perfect. But in covering up all the holes and cracks we shut in the light in so it can’t be used to light the way for anyone else. Just a thought…

Long Weekend

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Well, it’s a long weekend for me, anyway. I’m taking tomorrow off. I feel like it’s been too long since I last blogged, but honestly I typed on my mobile for half an hour the other night only to have the “publish post” button not do a single thing on my iris. I was so angry. I almost decided to give up on this blog altogether lol.

Anyway… now I find myself with far too much stuff in my head to even pick something to write coherently about. It’s all just ramblings of a crazy woman at this point. What’s the use? Tomorrow is a very exciting day. I can’t share the details with the world, but it’s something very interesting and maybe I’ll be blessed with a fantastic story to share when all is said and done.

This weekend I’m in the team leading worship at my church. I absolutely love it. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing than singing with this team of people. I absolutely love them, and I love singing praises to God. I am so grateful for everything I have in my life… my family and my home, my friends and my church, my job and some disposable income for extras… that is golden. Absolutely golden. Sometimes I think we can have a tendency to forget that not everyone has that. In the rat race to the top of the corporate ladder it’s really special when you find something you love doing with people around you that you love hanging out with every day. I’m really blessed to have that.

Anyway… life may be just about to take a very interesting turn. On that note, I’ll just share one of my favourite songs these days – “Remember Me” by Mark Schultz. Someone put a little slide show video to it… it’s nice.