Today was such a great day at church!
-The choir special went great, and I tried not to look like an idiot up there. But like I said in my post about worship recently, I felt really free to just lift my praise to the Lord! I really enjoyed singing and am so glad I'm in the swing of singing again.
-I got to see Kristal, her sweet husband, and their ADORABLE little boy Isaac! Kristal has a big following in the blog world, and it's fun that we know each other from way back when at church. :) Isaac is pretty much the most adorable thing EVER (along with my little Bitty).
-My mom's dad preached the sermon today, and it was so good, as always. One of my favorite moments was when he presented my brother with a book, since my brother is going into worship ministry. Poppy had written a dedication in the book, which read: "Love the Scripture. Love the Author. Live and die for both." It's my new life motto. Beautiful!
-One of the points in the sermon (among many!) was that every single person on this planet has problems. It's simply a matter of how you deal with your problems (that's a very poor paraphrase, but you get my point!). I was thinking during the service about this blog. I know I've said this before, but I want you to know that I am most DEFINITELY an imperfect, flawed person. I have issues, struggles, hangups, hurt, and so many more things that have the potential to hinder what God wants to do in my life. It's on my heart to make sure you know that naturally, you will never be able to get the full scope of who I am through simple blog posts.
I was talking with a girl recently about some issues she's having in a relationship, and it just reminded me that sometimes people--myself included--just need to be reminded that their struggles and pain are real. Their emotions have value. I might not discuss what I'm going through in the deep places of my heart and mind, but please know that NO ONE is exempt from living in a fallen world. I want you to come to this blog and leave encouraged; not leave thinking "Why can't I get it together?"
Nothing has happened to cause me to write this. No one has made any comments, written any emails, etc. It's just on my heart. I value each and every one of you, and think you're all so special. Do not think for one minute that what you're going through right now--happy or sad--goes unnoticed by God. If any of you ever need prayer or just need to have a safe place to talk, please feel the freedom to email me. This blog needs to be a place of community and encouragement!
-We're enjoying a good Labor Day weekend together as a family. We didn't have evening services so that people could spend time with family, so we've just been here at my parents' house hanging out. My dad recently got an iPhone, so we've been getting all of his music set up, finding apps, etc. Kurt also got an iPhone for the first time, and I got the new iPhone 4 (we were up for upgrades, which is the only reason we got them!). I am THAT person...I am old fashioned in a lot of ways, but I am in LOVE with my iPhone! :)
-Kurt and I recently registered for the course "Studying and Applying God's Word" in our church's new program, "The Midwest Center for Spiritual Transformation." This is part of our church's "Greater Things Vision," which is basically a comprehensive overhaul of how we do church. Basically, my dad wants our entire congregation to take intensive courses that teach all of us how to "self-disciple," which means that we're able to study Scripture, dissect passages, and apply them to our lives. Dad has a burden for our church to literally be transformed from the inside out, to impact our community. Ultimately, we'll be building a Midwest Ministry Center that will provide a shelter for men, women, and children, and that will provide a safe place (physically AND spiritually) for them to heal. It will also include a Midwest Care Clinic, where we can provide medical care for the underprivileged in our community. I'll write a much more detailed post soon, but as you can see, we are SO excited about what God is doing at Lynwood! For more information on the MCST, click HERE.
I love you all and am praying that God is doing great things in your lives! Remember, we're all going through the ups and downs of life. Be encouraged that you're not alone!
