reflections, ruminations, rants and reveries

I came across an article called 10 Tips for Worship Leaders that I definitely think is worth the read if you are someone who leads or aspires to lead worship. It talks about stage presence: why it’s important for a worship leader, and how to improve it.

I got some gift cards for my birthdy. I can’t decide what to get with them, so I want to do a little poll among the, oh, 3 or 4 of you that read this blog!

1. What are you listening to these days? Any recommendations for what music I should buy?
2. Read any good books lately? If so, what?

Leave a comment & let me know what you think!

I am wrapping up a 4 week hiatus from some of my ministry committments. For the last few weeks, I haven’t been singing with the worship team or leading or singing on any sets at IHOP. I felt like I was running myself ragged trying to do too much and never quite succeeding. In the back of my mind, I was wondering how I was going to be able going back to active duty after my hiatus with the same schedule I had before. If it was too much to handle before, wouldn’t it still be too much to handle four weeks later?

The only logical answer seemed to be that I needed to trim some things from my schedule. The problem with that was that everything I’m committed to is something I feel God has called me to do in this season. So where does that leave me?

My working theory is this: Busy is a state of mind. It’s all in your head.

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Continuing my thoughts on Mark Batterson’s In A Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.

We’re all generally familiar with the notion that nothing is too big or too hard for our God. I passages like Psalm 29 that talk about the power and majesty of God. When I think that the God that created the universe loves me and genuinely enjoys my company, it produces a security that is unmatched. But I also like to think of the truth that just as nothing is too big for God, nothing is too small for Him.

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I’m reading this great book called In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. Lots of people have recommended it to me, but I just never got around to reading it. Last Sunday afternoon, I was killing some time after church waiting on my friend Maci and her family because they were stopping in Tallahassee for lunch. As I was wandering through the store, I spotted a table of Christian books. Most were ones I’d already read, or ones I’d heard of but didn’t care to read. But there was one copy of this book there, so I snagged it. I’m not normally one for impulse buys, but this proved to be a good one. Because I think this book is so great, I’m going to be sharing some of the stuff that really stands out to me.

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I found this on Sam’s blog, but it was too good not to share:

How to Write a Mediocre Worship Song

Enjoy.

Psalm 77 is currently my favorite Psalm. I love how David is not afraid to be honest not only with God, but also with himself about how he is feeling. He takes time to acknoledge and then articulate the emotional turmoil he is in the midst of, but he doesn’t dwell there having a pity party. He refocuses his thoughts from his distress to God’s glory by remembering God’s goodness and faithfulness towards Israel, and reflecting on the greatness of God.

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My friend Jon told me this morning that we should celebrate just because it’s Tuesday. So what am I celebrating this Tuesday? Well…

• It’s payday! And not just any payday: it’s the payday where the raise I got 2 months ago FINALLY went into effect, including retro pay back to February 11.
• Because of the extra money from the retro pay, I was able to pay off another credit card. 2 down, 4 to go! Take THAT credit card debt!
• It’s Tax Day! Maybe kind of a funny thing to celebrate, but what I’m actually celebrating is the fact that I did my taxes and got my refund over 2 months ago instead of scrambling at the last minute like I usually do.
• After 6 weeks of Weight Watchers, I’m happy to report that I’ve lost a little more than 14 pounds. It’s amazing the difference it’s made in my energy level. (But not so much today, since I only slept about 4 hours last night)
• We have P&W practice at church tonight. It’s one of the highlights of my week! I kind of think our worship team consists of some of the best people in the world. I may be a little biased.
• We’re 14 days into the 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting for Tallahassee. I’ve slipped up a couple times due to moments of forgetfulness, but overall it’s going really well. I’m loving this fast because God is so faithful.
• It is BEAUTIFUL outside this morning! 44 degrees, blue skies, no clouds!

So those are some of the things I’m celebrating this beautiful Tuesday morning.

What are you celebrating?