Deeper Level

This week our worship team (all 20 of us!) are beginning a study together from the book "Deeper Level," by Israel Houghton. I am excited about this study and how we are going to be challenged to dive deeper in our relationship with the Lord and focused as a leadership team.

I think about how this team has come together over the past year and 1/2 and I praise God for how His timinig is perfect and how each person has come to serve and brought their own unique style and personality to this family of believers.
Looking back on the start of Healing Waters, I had no idea how God was going to put this team together and who would be a part.

TRUST.

I learn a little bit more about that word daily. OH how I am thankful he doesn't let us see the big picture like He does. God knows exactly how much we can handle at a time. Stepping out in faith meant saying goodbye to all that was familiar and comfortable. In return He has blessed my life beyond compare and the freedom that comes with obedience is indescribable.

So as a team, we begin this season by setting ourselves apart and fasting from certain things in our daily lives to go deeper with God and consecrate ourselves for His purpose in our lives and in our church.

"I will search for You and I will find You with all my heart . . ."

Yes . . .he said it.

Tonight Billy, Brice and I went out for dinner after church and there was only one other couple in the restaurant besides us - at a table across from us.

So we are sitting at the table and looking at the menus. The other couple were finishing their meal. Both of them were older and the lady had long black hair and a patch over her eye. I didn't see it coming. I should have . . .but I didn't.

All of a sudden . . .Brice yells, "LOOK MOMMY -- A PIRATE!" "A PIRATE!" "RIGHT THERE - - A PIRATE!" Now, Billy and I both have a warped sense of humor and as soon as Brice said it I wanted to burst into laughter because he was so innnocent, and yet correct in his observation. That poor lady did look like a pirate to him and he wasn't meaning anything bad. He likes pirates. Argh.

Billy and I were completely embarrased and tried to calm him down and get him to understand that she was not a pirate and he shouldn't say those things. He didn't understand and began to point out even louder "BUT SHE IS A PIRATE, MOMMY!
LOOK!"

Billy then escorted Brice from the table and took him for a walk, so that Mrs. Pirate could finish her meal in peace and not be hounded by a 3 year old who was next going to start yelling "ARGH, MATEY!"
So, we have now reached a new phase in our family. There is no mute button. Brice is going to see things that we don't and he has no problem sharing them with the world. Oh the things we will hear...

There's a bully amongst us . . .

We recently added 3 new members to our family. Nighty, Spidey and Idey. 3 Tiger Barb goldfish and a cute little Sesame Street Aquarium water house for their enjoyment. Everything was going fine until we started noticing the smallest of the fish, who is the only one that is orange (the other 2 were tiger stripes) was taking most of the food. On Sunday morning, Billy came and let me know that "we had a floater." I was really sad because it was about that time of the morning where Brice would feed them and we were going to have to address this before we left for church. One of the tiger stripes, Nighty, had died.

We did the best we could and Brice did not see the removal or "flush." But he sure did have lots of questions. And he's only 3 so he doesn't understand what happened. He says that "Nighty" is swimming with Nemo (from the movie) in the big pool in heaven. Ofcourse, Billy and I concur.

Tonight as we were finishing dinner, Billy says, "I think we have a problem - - -Spidey's not acting right and I think Idey might be a bully." This made me think back to several times when I walked by the tank over the past couple of days and saw Idey chasing Spidey and "pushing" him a couple of times. Is it possible we have a hitman goldfish amongst us?!

I could not watch Spidey suffer and so later this evening, when Billy came in, he sent Spidey to his final resting place (ofcourse the big pool in heaven with Nemo and Nighty.) Brice does not know yet and I don't look forward to the sad face he will have in the morning when he wakes up to go and feed his fish.

Billy mentioned that maybe I should go to the pet store and get another fish, but I am hesitant if we have a hitman still in the tank. No fish may be safe in this house with "Idey" still around. This gives a whole new meaning to "swimmin' with the fishes . . ."

Starting Early

It's been too long since I have blogged. We just weathered "Fay" 2 days ago and thank goodness we had no damage. We lost power for a while and started our new generator.

1. Kudos to a very dear friend of ours who came and wired us up for that generator in the heat of the day prior to Fay.
2. Kudos to my husband for not blowing up the house!

Thing about using a generator is - - - you just don't know when the power comes back on during the daylight hours. Fortunately, a neighbor called our cell and let us know. Thanks, neighbor!

Now to this pic below. Brice is at Billy's office and he is sitting at Mrs. "Lymm's" desk. I thought this was so cute until I realized there is no telling what files she lost or what he did to her computer. Anyway, he's a beginning drummer/blogger. Gotta give him some props. Thanks Lymm :)

Thanks, Bob

I finally got the part for the camera to download my pictures from the National Worship Leader Conference (July 21-25, in Austin, TX) and unfortunately, none of them turned out very well. This could be due in part to the fact that I was jumping, singing and raising my hands while trying to take the pictures. Not a good thing.

So, in my search for pics, I ran across a blog from an old seminary friend and he had great pics of the conference, so I want to give kudos to BOB for his pics and now you can see a little bit of the worship concerts that took place each evening.


This pic was of Don Moen, Lincoln Brewster and Chris Tomlin (on piano) after a little dispute as to whether or not you could sing "How Great is Our God" in the key of C. Don Moen said it shouldn't be done and Chris Tomlin came out on stage to prove Don wrong. Sorry Chris, I agree with Don.


This pic was of Tommy Walker and the Riverbend Choir (host church).


This was the first night and Matt Redman led worship - it was an amazing time.


My girl Cece!


This was the first time I had heard Lincoln Brewster live - love the pedal.


And after waiting ALL WEEK, finally Israel wrapped up the conference with a shout for the Lord!

I did have a couple of other pics that turned out okay and I will post them next time. One is of a dear friend that I have considered my first mentor in contemporary worship style and leadership. Until then . . ."Let the redeemed of the Lord SAY SO!"

Tears and Breadcrumbs

I just finished watching the Chapman family on Larry King Live and I am overwhelmed by the testimony of God's grace that just came through that one hour interview all over the world. There are no words to describe the sorrow, pain and grief that the Chapmans must be dealing with and yet they are still proclaiming the goodness and faithfulness of God. What a testimony . . .

If you click on Jim Houser's link on the side of my blog, I am sure the entire interview will be posted tomorrow.

I will have pics of the conference coming hopefully next week, since I ordered a replacement for the camera and also new videos of Brice :)