4 Worship Fridays: Update from Lifelight 2010

So one week ago I posted about my upcoming '4 Worship Weekend'. Actually, that whole 'weekend' idea is still cooking. Maybe it will turn into something soon...

But I digress. And oh so easily it seems these days.

Soooooo, our time out at Lifelight was A-W-E-S-O-M-E. And by awesome, I mean there are times I still get tears in my eyes when I think of some of the moments that touched my heart in its innermost parts. The delicate things that God used throughout the weekend to get right into my deepest parts; those spots that feel like they will burst if any more love is injected into them.

I'm not sure whether to give a play-by-play or an overall highlights kind of thing. Of course the play-by-play would be most meaningful to me and would make the most sense.  You'd be able to understand what, how and why I get to where I end up.  But, I also understand my readers would appreciate not having to read a super long post and would instead prefer the overall hightlights. So, ok readers.  You win.  Without much fight, might I say.

Actually, I've rewritten this a few times because I'm not sure what to include.  Not that I don't have anything to say.  But if I say too much, it feels like I'm breaking some sort of code of confidentiality.  Not that I'm a doctor or anything.  It just feels like there's a secret unspoken code for those who get to go backstage.  And that if I break the code, then I won't be allowed backstage anymore.  I'd get my license/pass taken away or something.  Hopefully that will not be the case.  Hopefully I'm just dreaming this up?

So the highlights...

It was interesting to see Remedy Drive backstage....their bus was parked right outside Hubby's 'cave'. Paul has an adorable little girl. Someone has a dog that sat quietly outside the bus most of the evening. I know they had a festival down in Kansas City the next day, but they didn't head out until after 12:30 to start their journey down there.  Got to visit with them here and there.  Like I said, their trailer was parked RIGHT OUTSIDE Hubby's hangout.

Not much else for highlights for Friday night...since we didn't have Little Man with us that night we decided to stay and watch some of Brian Head Welch's performance.  Alex told me later on Saturday that this ended up being a waste of time.  I guess he didn't like the "Head's" performance as much as he thought he would?  I told him it wasn't a waste of time because he had tried something new and had learned that he didn't care for that type of music.  And might I add a 'Woo Hoo' right here for the last little bit at the end of that sentence.  I obviously have my own opinions of his music, but I'll keep that quiet here. 

Saturday had an interesting start because I got a phone call from Hubby with a list of things to bring out for an artist with a sore shoulder.  She was very grateful Hubby knew what to do to help.  I wouldn't even mention all this except that if it hadn't been for her shoulder, we may not have gotten to meet her.  And, the only picture we have with her is right after Hubby showed her how to use the sling to help nurse it back to normal, so I suppose I should explain that it wasn't a serious injury.  We didn't see her in the sling again all weekend. 

But her gratitude showed up again later in the day...and this is one of my 'bursting heart' moments.  I had brought a few special people back for the Francesca Battistelli set and we were down in front of the stage.  The bass speakers are right down there and if you stand in front of them, well...you can't stand in front of them for long.  Not without being deafened.  Or causing your heart to beat irregularly.  My little sweetheart didn't want to stand in front of those and so she waited back in other spot for us.  For 4 songs she waited.  But, don't feel sorry for her just yet.  She was standing over by Kari Jobe. 

At one point I wanted to see if she did really want to come up by us but maybe thought there wasn't room or something.  I turned around and tried to catch her attention...I was looking into the sun and could hardly see.  But Kari was paying attention and nudged Bekah to show her I was motioning for her to come over.  When she didn't budge I walked over to ask her if she wanted to join us up close.  She didn't because it was too loud - well, and probably because she had a better spot where she was.  That image of the two of them standing 'together' with the blinding sun behind them is burned in my brain.  As Francesca's set came to a close we walked past Kari on our way out.  I stopped to tell her that her time of worship on Saturday afternoon turned me into puddles and as a response, I got a little hug from her.  Now the 'burning sun' image turns me into puddles too.  BTW, this wasn't the only time we ran into Kari during the weekend - I will just say she is as beautiful as her voice.  And I don't mean physically, though she is pretty for sure.  I mean soul-beauty.  She truly is a woman after God's own heart.  Uh oh, here come the puddles again.

Sunday brought adventures of its own.  Hubby was busy almost all day.  He barely had time to eat or go to the bathroom.  He also kept running out of history forms and needing more copies, which we quickly fetched for him.  I wasn't expecting much from Sunday because I wasn't sure how long Little Man would last, if he'd get a nap, etc.  We did have to run home in the middle of the afternoon to potty the dog and give Little Man a nap in the van.  But Sunday did not disappoint.  Despite running late in the morning, I still got to see Kari Jobe sing 'Revelation Song' live.  That was the only song I'd wanted to see her do - though, 'Healer' on Saturday afternoon delivered plenty of puddles with it's new personalized meaning.  Watching her sing that while knowing she was struggling to lift her arm....wow.

A quick note in the middle to mention some of the other random people we got to meet - some members of the Peterson family, a few guys from Remedy Drive, a couple guys from Family Force 5, the Barlow family, various band members from other groups too numerous to list.  Alex got to deliver some water to the Family Force 5 bus and fist-pound the lead singer.  I thought he was going to burst when he came back to the 'cave'.  By the way, I'm too old to type fist-pound.  Is it all one word?  Is it hyphenated?  I really don't know nor do I really care.

And then there was the other heart-piercing moment of the weekend, brought by Becca of BarlowGirl.  She sat and visited with my sweetie for quite awhile.  And, Barlow Mom got her a free tshirt.  AND, the sisters all signed the tshirt (well, and some dude from Family Force 5, but we were quick to snatch that shirt up from the table before any of the other 'Family' dudes signed it haha).  Becca was even doting on my Little Man when she was over by the 'cave'.  Then, later after their set, when they were just hanging out backstage, they came over to say bye and thanks.  Yes, to say thanks to us.  To the frumpy mom and her 3 kids.  Well, the Hubby was busy of course so they couldn't talk to him.  But Bekah got a hug from Becca; there was more doting; and I visited with the other sisters a bit too.  Now, because of their kindness my Bekah thinks she's best buds with Becca. 

What do I say to that??  How did we get to this place?  How did we get to be able to have these experiences?  We didn't win a contest.  We aren't important in any way.  And yet, here we were talking to people we couldn't have imagined we'd get to talk to and were only talking to because of how a series of events played out that brought Hubby backstage to serve in this way a few years ago.  And I wondered too -  how can these acts of kindness, things so small yet so big at the same time, make my little girl feel so special?  Almost more than I can make her feel in a year? 

None of this had to happen.  There were plenty of worship artists running around backstage that didn't pay any attention to the frumpy mom and her 3 kids.  We barely got a 'hi' from most of them.  In their defense, they are pretty busy when they're here...interviews, Meet-N-Greets, eating, playing in front of hundreds of thousands of people. 

Which is what makes the few we did get to interact with even more special.  Because the few that did touch our hearts, they did it with big hearts. 

With humility. 

With love and kindness. 

And for that I am overflowing with gratitude. 

And turning into puddles once again.



Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt.


Who am I?
That the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done, but because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling, Lord, you catch me when I'm falling, and you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

(Who Am I? by Casting Crowns)


Pictures from our weekend:

Outside Hubby's 'cave'

W/David of Remedy Drive at about 12:15a.m.

W/Kari Jobe after Hubby dr'd her up.  She didn't wear the sling all weekend in public and I almost hate to post the pic, but that's the only one we were able to get with her.

Becca and Bekah

Bekah and BarlowGirl girls

Coloring outside the 'cave' as Little Man was too noisy and not condusive to a relaxing environment.  Like the blasting music coming from the Main Stage all weekend was.

Remedy Drive

Kari Jobe - Saturday afternoon

 Worshipper during Kari Jobe - I thought it pretty neat that the burly, cool guy could lift his arm in worship during Kari Jobe.

Even security felt the Spirit during Kari Jobe.

Bassist from Mikeschair

Hubby working hard in his 'cave'

Part of the crowd Sunday evening.  It got busier as the evening went on.

NeedtoBreathe - I love this pic cuz if you look close you can see he's smiling.  He was thoroughly enjoying himself at this point becuz the crowd was pretty worked up.  And this was the largest crowd they'd ever played for.

The whole reason - for everything.

For more posts in this series click here.

Prayer Journaling: So Easy a Kid Could Do It!

Is it bad to laugh at your own post title? Because, seriously, I will explain a way to do prayer journaling below that IS easy enough for a kid to do. I actually designed it for my 10 year old. But we all know that a spiritual discipline like prayer REALLY isn't that easy, is it? And I don't want you to be offended or think that I think you're a doof if it doesn't end up being easy for you all the time.

Because I can already tell you that it won't always be a piece of cake and that I most certainly won't think you're a doof.  Prayer, like any spiritual discipline, takes the help of the Spirit in order to be at all succesful.  And by successful, I don't mean you're winning the Nobel Prize or Pulitzer Prize because of your journaling expertise.  I mean that you're growing closer to God and better at knowing His will for you through the conversation and connectedness of prayer.

But, getting to the subject at hand. If you have never tried prayer journaling before, I have an easy way for you to get started with it. Or, if you have been journaling for awhile and need new ideas, scan below and use what you can. I love reading others' ideas about a topic and taking what I can, what works for me, and adapting it to fit my personality and my strengths. I encourage you to do that with these suggestions as well.  Fit them into YOU and who you are. 

So what has kept you from prayer journaling? Weren't sure where to start? Weren't sure what you should pray for? Didn't know how it should be different from a regular journal, or even a diary?  The idea in this post is for a basic prayer journal. Something that could be used for starting a junior high or high school student on journaling.  Or for someone who has been intimidated by prayer journaling.  Or even to refresh journaling for someone who has been walking with Christ for many years but has maybe grown a bit stale in their discipline.

Supplies needed:
3-ring binder (yeah, you binder-lovers just let out a shout of joy, didn't you??)
loose-leaf paper
page protectors (1, maybe 3)
binder pockets, tabbed (7-8)
Bible
pen
other prayer resources

1.  Prepare your prayer keeper.  Choose/purchase a 3-ring binder (at least 1" or 1-1/2" as it will eventually get pretty full) and label it as your prayer journal.  For those who are more creative, you can get one of those fancy binders that have the option of inserting a paper on the front of the binder...giving you the opportunity to add some flare to your journal by showcasing your artistic skills to inspire yourself each time you look at the binder.

2.  Prepare a prayer schedule.  Make a list of everyone you are going to pray for...you will organize them all in a bit.  Just get them written down.  Your immediate family, parents, siblings (& their families), cousins, work colleagues, church ministries, friends, political people, etc.  Once you have everyone listed, then start organizing them into days of the week.  Your immediate family should be listed every day.  Try to spread out people over all the days of the week so you don't have one night that has a bunch of people and other nights that don't hardly have anyone.  Or, if that is what would work for your schedule, then do that.  Whatever works best for you right now is what we're shooting for.  Not for perfection.  A perfect prayer list doesn't do anyone any good if it's not used because too much time was spent trying to get it perfect.
Here is the list for my 10 year old once we organized it into days (I removed names and generalized for anonymity on here, but on his list everyone is listed by name so he can pray for them by NAME):

Monday
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, myself
Grandparents (listed individually)
Uncle & Aunt 1, cousin 1, cousin 2, cousin 3
Uncle & Aunt 2, cousin 4, cousin 5, cousin 6, cousin 7
Uncle & Aunt 3, cousin 8, cousin 9
Tuesday
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, myself
teacher at school, principal at school
teacher for Sunday School, AWANA leader
pastors at church
Wednesday
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, myself
(Wednesday is a short night as we have AWANA and later bedtimes on that night)
Thursday
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, myself
President Obama
Senators John Thune & Tim Johnson
Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Mayor Mike Heuther
city council, police department, fire department, etc.
Friday
Mom, Dad, sister, brother, myself
friends
missionaries
world problems

An adult version of this could look like:

Monday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
Parents (listed individually)
Grandparents (listed individually)
Sibling 1 & Wife, neices and nephew
Sibling 2 & Wife, nephews and neice
Sibling 3 & Wife, nephews
Tuesday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
teachers at kids' school, principal at school
teachers for Sunday School, AWANA leaders
pastors at church (we pray for pastors on Tuesday, especially as Head Pastor starts preparations for Sunday's sermon)
Wednesday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
Business, employees, tenants
Church ministries involved in or that need prayer
Thursday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
President Obama
Senators John Thune & Tim Johnson
Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Mayor Mike Heuther
city council, police department, fire department, etc.
Friday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
friends
missionaries
world problems
Saturday
Husband, kid 1, kid 2, kid 3, myself
Worship service on Sunday
Anything else left from week


Now this is just a plan of who to pray for and when so you don't habitually miss someone every week.  This is not to say that you couldn't pray for things on different days if a situation arose that warranted prayer!  If we'd had this in place back in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit on Monday, August 29th we would NOT have waited until Friday to pray for those in New Orleans and the Gulf who were affected by the hurricane just because 'world problems' were scheduled for Fridays.  Flexibility is the key to this plan as it is to any plan.  The plan is supposed to help you be as consistent as you can be and to help you remember to pray for everyone who is important to you.  The plan is not there to make you feel guilty when you get behind or to be something you get held up on.  You are the one controlling who you're praying for!  So if you find yourself getting overwhelmed quite a bit, break your schedule down into a 2 week rotation.  Then you can eventually build up to the every week layout once you get the hang of it.

Once you have your prayer schedule determined, type it up on the computer, write it out in calligraphy.  Whatever you need to do to satisfy your Type A or creative personality - but make a copy of it, put it in a page protector and put it in the front of your binder.


3.  Prepare your resources.  Grab your binder pockets and label them for each day of your prayer schedule.  Also label one as 'Every Day'.  Then, gather various prayer resources to use as you pray for all these people on your list.  The Navigators (or Navpress) has many prayer cards for different topics that are useful.  Voice of the Martyrs is a good resource for praying for those being martyred for their beliefs around the world.  Does your church support missionaries?  They usually have letters from the missionaries - or, you can get email updates directly from the missionaries to be up-to-date on their prayer needs.  Above all, there are MANY prayer resources out there.  Use them.  And, when you grow tired of them, find new ones.

Or, you can create your own prayer resources by writing Scripture in a notebook, organized by subject to refer to.  For example, a friend of yours is struggling on being a godly wife to her husband who is not a believer.  If you had all the Scriptures on 'struggle' and 'wife' organized, you could refer to those and pray those for your friend.  Some people also call this a 'Concordance' and if you would like the immediate organization of all Scripture by topic, I would suggest getting one that corresponds with whatever version of the bible you have.  I have copies of my own Navigators cards in my son's binder for him to use as he prays. 

Once you have your prayer resources gathered, put them in the corresponding pocket so you can find them easily on the day you need them.


4.  Prepare your writing tools.  Add the loose-leaf paper sheets between your schedule and your pockets.  Put your journaling pen in the front pocket (or wherever else you want to).  I really don't care where you put the pen, as long as you know you have a pen to use when you journal.  You'd hate to spoil all this hard work with the excuse "I don't have a pen handy" now, would you?? 


Your prayer journal is almost ready...

Social Media Revolution

Think blogging is insignificant? Think Tweeting is a joke?  Aren't sure what Bebo, StumbleUpon, Furl, Digg, or or Mixx are? 

I saw this over at Seven Clown Circus, a blog I follow. Very intereting indeed.  I'll keep my words to a minimum and let the video do the talking. 

Tuesday Tunes: Jesus Saves

Do I really have to wait until next Tuesday to post one of these?  haha  I think I already have posts for this scheduled through the changing of the year!

Enjoy!

I have enjoyed listening to this song lately - I have been trying to find new 'upbeat' songs to add to our worship repetoire at church. We're lacking in those and have been recycling songs for too long now.

This is another good one by Tim Hughes that ALSO makes me want to dance.















For more posts in this series click here.