I AM - Instrument of Wonders

Wow, I sure did forget about this Bible study. Finally decided to do the final lesson in part two (God’s timing is right though, isn’t it?) There is more yet though! See Lisa’s I AM So You Don’t Have To Be Bible Study

An excerpt:

Too often our identity is found in a material possession or social status. When asking ourselves, ‘Who am I?’, be certain the answer is bound in the heart of Christ. He is everything we cannot be and sufficient to fill every needy place. He is beautiful, all-knowing, strong, self-assured, and so much more so we do not have to be! When our lives are intertwined with His Spirit, we will never have to long to be more than we are, for HE IS. Praise Him!

…God stopped him and said, ‘Take that snake by the tail, Moses.’ Girls, there is only so much time we need to spend dwelling on our past failures, shames, and heartaches. The God who allows despair has also ordained a deliverance.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to ‘go back’ to a place of shame or ridicule? How did that make you feel?

Nothing “big” that I can think of, though there have been little things before. The usual feeling in such things is that of being humbled & having to let go of caring about how I appear to others (or maybe just to myself!)

2. Is there any circumstance in your life that still has you running for cover? Share if you feel comfortable.

Yes, somewhat. Definitely past that I’m not comfortable even thinking about, much less sharing.

3. When is the last time you felt like an overcomer?

Fully? I take the fullness away from myself because of lack of letting go, that is, of being too hard on myself about getting in the Word for enough time, etc. (that’s such rubbish, too! It’s about relationship & getting in the Word will help but being hard on myself when I miss a day just hurts that!) So, I am ashamed to say that I STILL struggle with being overly legalistic toward myself, but this has gone from 95% down to probably 1-2%! I feel I’ve come a long way, but the enemy still tries to get me down & I need God’s continual help to ignore the enemy’s lies in trying to make me feel unworthy of God’s affections. I seriously want to take the enemy’s tail & throw him into the fiery abyss!!

4. If you have not yet taken the serpent by the tail, are you willing to stop running, take hold and trust God to transform it into a tool for wonders?

In regard to #3, yes yes yes! As for #2, I’m still fight (the enemy or is it trusting God?) I know who I am in Christ & yet worry God will ask me to do things I’m fearful of. It’s about just not worrying about a thing & trusting Him with all things of course. & so this probably isn’t something I should worry about at all, along with all else we humans deal with day-to-day. Maybe that’s the problem — there’s no reason to have worry at all because, YES — I know who I am in Christ! I want God to use me as a vessel through which to show His love to them!

5. I would like for you to write down this statement based on 1 John 2:14 somewhere you will see it often this week: “I am strong, the Word of God abides in me, and I have overcome the evil one.” Memorize it. Say it over and over until you believe it. Will you do this?? Most of the time, there are no right or wrong answers, but on this one, I’m expecting a ‘yes’!

Done. That’s definitely something I’ve got to do!!

Compassion Friday

EDIT: Gressamie has been sponsored! Click here to see other children in need of sponsors.

Meet Gressamie, a four year old girl in the Philippines who has been waiting for over six months for a sponsor. In about a week, Gressamie will turn five years old! Become a caring friend to this child through your letters & monthly $32 contributions through Compassion. Is God calling you to make a difference in this young girl’s life?

In her home, Gressamie helps by running errands. She lives with her stepfather and her mother. Her stepfather is sometimes employed and her mother maintains the home. There are 3 children in the family.

Gressamie is not presently attending school. Walking, running and playing group games are her favorite activities. She also attends church activities regularly.

Your prayers are especially appreciated for Gressamie because she has asthma and is receiving regular medical treatment. Your sponsorship helps provide the care and love she needs.

This child has been waiting for a sponsor for more than six months. (from Compassion.com)

Sponsor Gressamie now, or click here to see more children in need if she has already been sponsored.

Compassion Friday

EDIT: Yordy has been sponsored! Thanks!

Today I present to you four-year-old Yordy in Bolivia. He just turned four last week. Make a difference in his life through monthly $32 contributions & letters to him, reminding him of God’s love. Is God calling you to make a difference in this boy’s life?

Yordy makes his home with his father and his mother. Running errands is his household duty. His father is sometimes employed as a teacher and his mother maintains the home. There are 4 children in the family.

Yordy is not presently attending school. Playing with cars is his favorite activity. He also attends church activities regularly.

Please remember Yordy in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop. (from Compassion.com)

Sponsor Yordy now, or click here to see more children in need if he has already been sponsored.

Worship Planning: Be Organized

I’ve only been leading worship for a short time, but I’ve already learned that being organized makes worship planning much easier! Some things that have worked for me that fellow worship leaders may find useful:

#1. Use dry-erase boards.

A good way to keep post-its & such from cluttering your workspace! Use it to write down song ideas for upcoming worship services & even use magnets to hold chord charts for quick review. When ideas for services other than the one being planned come to mind, this is where they can be written them down for your next planning session.

#2. Keep your sheets organized.

Keep chord & lead sheets in a filing cabinet or binder sorted alphabetically for quicker access. This can also save printing from CCLI (or other services) when you can access sheets printed for prior use.

#3. Utilize spreadsheets.

Our previous worship leader had a great system for keeping track of songs by title, hymn # (if applicable), key, dates used, & CCLI number. You can even color-code for things such as tempo, seasonal, song prospects, or to note which instrument you play on certain songs. (Be sure to make a color key though!)

#4. Make use of document templates.

Another idea I’ve inherited from our previous worship leader: Make a layout for the service or services you plan, then save as templates in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice. When planning services, you can simply open the template & enter the song or hymn titles for that worship service. Copy/paste into email for your worship team & you’re ready to go!

#5. Stackable documents trays = less clutter.

Many already use these for filing papers & such, & they are great to prevent paper clutter on your desk. You can use more or less depending on your need. I use 3-4 stackable trays in this way:

• 1: Current week’s music on top (for both Sunday & Wednesday choir rehearsal)
• 2: Music for future rehearsals/Sundays
• 3: Song prospects for review
• 4: Miscellaneous (upcoming conference/festival literature, music to purchase, etc.)

Did this help you to become more organized or give you other ideas? Share some tips of your own in the comments!

Must-Have Mac Freeware

Where are the other Mac users out there? I know you are out there!

Share your favorite/must-have freeware programs, utilities & such for Mac!

My picks:

Audio Recorder: Loads fast when I have a melody in my head & want to record on the go. (Tiger / Leopard)

iBackup: GREAT hard drive backup program!

TigerLaunch: Quick access to your applications. (Tiger only)

Sidenote: Great stickies alternative. Hides when not in use, shows when you move your mouse to the left or right of the screen.

Now it’s your turn!

Compassion Friday

EDIT: Justene has been sponsored! See other children in need of sponsors here.

Today I present to you Justene, a four year old in Haiti who has been waiting over six months for a sponsor. Begin making a difference in his life through monthly $32 contributions & also letters to him, reminding him of God’s love for him. Justene turns FIVE at the end of THIS month! What a birthday wish he must have! Are you the one God’s calling to make a difference in this young boy’s life?

Justene lives with his father and his mother. His father is sometimes employed as a farmer and his mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. Justene works at home carrying water and gathering firewood. There are 3 children in the family.

As part of Compassion’s ministry, Justene participates in church activities. He is also in pre-school where his performance is average. Playing with cars, hide-and-seek and playing group games are his favorite activities.

Please remember Justene in your prayers. Your love and support will help him to receive the assistance he needs to grow and develop.

This child has been waiting for a sponsor for more than six months. (from Compassion.com)

Sponsor Justene now, or click here to see more children in need if he has already been sponsored.

Questions for Guitarists!

Some of you who read this blog are worship leaders & play guitar, or play guitar whether for church or elsewhere! Some of you also know I just purchased an acoustic guitar, & I would love for you to answer some or all of the questions posed here! I have experience with other instruments (my degree is in music), but guitar is fairly new to me, despite the few chords I know & being able to tune it thanks to my sister picking up the instrument during our childhood years. I’m hoping to learn guitar to expand my worship leading abilities, & also to enjoy worshiping the Lord & writing songs to God through another instrument in addition to the others I play!

So here ya go:

1. Since I’m focusing on worship music, could you recommend any particular instruction books/CDs/DVDs, easier worship songs to learn (& what keys), etc.? (If it helps–I have piano experience & theory training, & I’m especially curious about a guide or list of chords you see in worship chord charts, some of which I don’t always see listed in the usual chord “lists,” like those E/G# and D2s & what not, or alternative fingerings for any chords. I know what to do for some of them when it comes to piano, but guitar–I have no idea!
2. Are their any care & maintenance measures I need to be sure to take with the guitar, items to purchase, etc.?
3. I have small hands — any tips for playing, especially left hand? Any tips for getting the left fourth finger to be more useful? (seriously!) Anyone relate?

I look forward to your responses, & feel free to even just point me to a helpful web site or whatever else as well. Thanks!

Compassion Friday

EDIT: Tasya has been sponsored! To see other children in need, click here.

Today, I present to you eight year old Tasya in Indonesia, who has been waiting for over six months for a sponsor. For less than a tank of gas costs, you can end her wait & help her to receive health care, education, & also love through knowing God & through your letters & sponsorship.

Tasya lives with her father and her mother. Her duties at home include making beds and running errands. There are 4 children in the family. Her father is employed as a farmer and her mother maintains the home.

As part of Compassion’s ministry, Tasya participates in church activities. She is also in primary school where her performance is average. Playing group games is her favorite activity.

Please remember Tasya in your prayers. Your love and support will help her to receive the assistance she needs to grow and develop. This child has been waiting for a sponsor for more than six months. (from Compassion.com)

Sponsor Tasya now! Or, if Tasya has already been sponsored, click here to see more children in need.

Reflecting After Emmaus

I wrote the following a while ago, but haven’t been able to share it yet. God used my Walk to Emmaus to teach me & remind me of things already taught, things I struggle with living the relationship with Him moment-to-moment. Just a few days after the retreat, I read Jan’s blog post here which brought even more to my mind. I hope that if others out there have struggled similarly, or are struggling, that they will feel free to comment as well!

I found out over the Emmaus weekend that I anticipate God & life too often, instead of living in the moment, trusting God with everything & just relaxing in Him. As Psalm 46:10 commands, Cease striving & know that I am God or in another translation, Be still, & know that I am God.

I strive far too much, & it’s something I am still struggling with. I worry, I doubt, I anticipate. Some of it is mixed with good things — hope, desire to know & experience God more, & to improve as a Christian — but I need to trust God more, & that these will come with that trust & faith in Him, not in over-thinking & over-wanting to grow or experience things that He may not have planned for me or not right now.

In that, I need to focus on GOD ALONE, not the extras that come along with that relationship. This is something I discovered before going to Emmaus, seemingly by accident, though I know it was God rescuing me & teaching me not to trust just any teaching, person or ministry.

Now my desire is to make it about Him & His Word, growing in Him & in discernment & trusting Him with the rest. And that it is about agape love, the unconditional love He has for me, & that I am learning to have for Him.

My relationship with God is such a roller coaster, but that roller coaster is because of my fears, my worries, my condemnation of myself - not something He’s doing! (This realization actually came two weeks after Emmaus.) All in all, I’m tired of the jagged ride of not trusting & resting in God. I need just trust in Him, even when I fear I’m not doing my best in spending time with Him or in His Word. If I keep letting my fears & condemnation get in the way, I’ll never get through the motion sickness of this Christian ride!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
- Proverbs 3:5-6