ARCHIVE GALLERY

September 2009

September 2, 2009

After a few days of settling into the borrowed parsonage in Waterford, Michigan, we are finally getting caught up on emails, phone calls, journal entries and office work.  I had a panic attack last week when I realized that school is supposed to start next week…where did the summer go?  As KC put it so genuinely, “What happened to having four months off for summer vacation?”  Silly boy.  Kennedie, on the other hand, has wanted to start school for the past month.  I told her “no.”  Home school mothers everywhere are cringing!  A good home school mom would have that kid up and working at dawn!  Not me.  Don’t be impressed by this home school mother…I am like most others, just hanging onto the final seconds of summer!

We were at the First Congregational Church of New Haven, Michigan on Sunday.  Only an hour from Waterford, we got there early Sunday morning to set up in the cold!  It was COLD!  An outside service was planned, with tent and all.  The service went well and Randy shared a bit of testimony about God’s protection, plan and provision in our lives.  I was encouraged all over again.  Pastor Todd Evans shared his testimony as well.  It was great to hear how the Lord touched his life and led him into the ministry.  He has a lovely family and they serve so faithfully.  After the morning service, lunch was served outside as it was beginning to warm up!  We met some of the nicest people and talked and talked.   We then had a 45 minute concert that was just fun!  It wasn’t heavy, but more just celebrating the church family being together.  This congregation is a bit more reserved, but when they shared their prayer requests and praises, it was apparent that God is moving and working mightily among them.  We were honored to be with them. 

I was in Meijers getting groceries and an 83 year old lady began talking to me about the price of black pepper.  As she used every dirty word in the book, I knew she probably didn’t know Jesus, although she kept saying His name irreverently.  As she was talking a mile a minute about her miserable life, she stopped and looked me square in the eye and said, “I am so lonely…so, so lonely.”  Then she began to cry.  I told her about Jesus and she told me she goes to an area church.  It reminded me of the lost souls going to church but missing the Messiah.  I prayed with her in the spice aisle and told her how God made the hole in her heart so that HE and only HE can fill it.  We said goodbye with a hug and I thanked the Lord that He wants to use each one of us wherever we go... even the spice aisle.   

Thanks again for reading our journal and keeping up with what God is doing in our ministry.  Please continue to ask Him to use us on the platform and off!  Sometimes, we feel like the ministry that happens off the platform is greater than what happens during a concert.  Hopefully, our lives of faith are an encouragement and testimony to His faithfulness.

Blessings to you. 

September 18, 2009

Last weekend is now a blur…but it was great!  We sang at the Java House Café on Friday night.  We really enjoy coffee houses because we get to just sit and sing and enjoy the people there.  They request songs and we usually have to say “No…we don’t know that one anymore!”  But, it is really fun to interact with the people and the crowd usually stays until we are all kicked out! 

I had to speak at the First Congregational Church of New Haven on Saturday.  They were hosting a Ladies Tea and I was invited to be their guest speaker.  I took Kennedie with me and we enjoyed ourselves…she is turning into such a young lady!  So mature beyond her years.  I was able to share stories of God’s provision for us as we serve Him.  They wanted to hear what our life is like on the road and so I simply told the ladies what I have experienced in this very simple ministry.  After the tea was over, I was approached by one of the guests (who attends another area church) who invited me to come to her church that evening and speak for a group of people registered in the McCrest emergency shelter program.  The United Methodist Church of New Baltimore was hosting about 30 individuals looking for homes and jobs.  The people registered in the program were given shelter, food and transportation for 30 days.  It is a great ministry and I was invited to sing and share a little about my life with Christ.  It is not mandatory for the guests to listen, so it was a little chaotic…but the Holy Spirit is able to speak through the noise and activity!   It was a very good experience for me and I was told that as I sang and spoke the Lord made Himself known.  Mission accomplished!

Kennedie and I fell into bed as soon as we got home and tried not to think about getting up at 6 AM to get ready for the following day’s concerts.  Morning came early and I felt better than I’d expected.  We ministered at Highland Community Church with two morning services.  Both services were great, but the first service really stands out in my mind.  As I was getting ready to speak, the Lord told me that someone in the room was tired and discouraged and worn out.  They needed to be prayed over.  I gave the Lord a chance to change my mind and when He didn’t, I simply told them that He had spoken to me and I am to pray for somebody very specifically.  After a moment, a woman rose to her feet with tears streaming down her face.  Then another and another and another!  What a joy to me! God encouraged those people by letting me pray for them.  Have you ever experienced that kind of situation?  When God singles you out and lifts you up?   It changes you.

After lunch with Pastor Nick, his wife and dear friends, Dave and Kandy Kelley, we had just enough time to run home and lay down for 30 minutes.  What a blessing this “temporary home” is!  We even blessed the kids with letting them stay home for the evening while Randy and I went to Clarkston Free Methodist Church for our evening concert.  Only a few miles away, we were greeted warmly and prepared for the concert.  Several dear friends came and we enjoyed seeing all of them.  We are noticing a trend recently.  Because of the economy, many churches are reaching out to struggling people and helping to meet the practical day to day needs.  Very cool.  Clarkston Free Methodist is doing that as well.  They had saved some money for a building addition, but decided that with the current economical situation, it is wiser to use the money to help others.  Awesome!  We cannot wait to see how God blesses this body of believers for their sacrifice.  They have given much and lived their faith in a very real and tangible way.  That is an encouragement to us!

Well, now, after a long week of booking, working on music and homeschooling, we are off to see one of our favorite Christian comedians…Tim Hawkins!  I will tell you about that next week!  Blessings to you…