This is part of the Sunday Setlist bloggy carnival over at The WorshipCommunity.com - check it out!

It was a fun morning today - and one that I almost didn’t make it to.  Sick kids can make things more interesting from time to time!

I did make it in, however, and I am so glad I did!  We had a sweet time of worship this morning, and it was great to see so many really entering in.

Here’s the list:

• Come, Now Is The Time To Worship
• Not To Us
• Here I Am, Send Me
• All I Have
• kids storytime
• I Am Free
• announcements
• message
• Amazing Grace

We had a full crew this morning and it was great to have everyone there.  It was a little chilly since the boiler had gone out, but they got that working and it started warming up.  Hopefully we got a good recording this week (last week’s experiment didn’t, unfortunately) so I will get that posted as soon as it’s ready.

What happened at your church this weekend?

Ever have one of those days where you’re “on” but you just aren’t feeling it?  Let me clarify… feeling the worship, yes, feeling the Spirit, yes!  But physically… well, you just aren’t at 100% (or even 75% for that matter!)

Yeah, that was me today.

I’ve been dragging for about a week (I even took a 3 hour nap the other day and still felt tired).  And I had a headache for most of yesterday which was a big sign that something is UP.  Add that to the low-grade fever I’m sure I was running off-and-on all morning and I think it’s safe to say I’m coming down with something.

Oh fraptious day.

BUT - and that’s always a big one - God is strong when we are weak!  And (especially today) I’m so thankful for that truth!

Oh, and the other benefit today?  Chris was leading most of the songs - which was really helpful when my voice threatened to stop working!

So, the list…

• Glorious (Baloche/Brown)
• God Of Wonders
• Agnus Dei
• Sweetly Broken
• kids storytime - Miracles
• Everything To God
• announcements
• message
• Communion
• Come Just As You Are
• I Love You Lord

It was a great setlist!  All songs that our congregation really seem to connect with, and we had a sweet time of worship.  We were down by a few instruments today so a couple of the songs were missing the fill that is usually played by the 2nd electric (he was playing bass today) and I missed them, but overall it sounded great.  I think we are starting to get this sound thing figured out for the most part.

We changed up Sweetly Broken today just a bit, but wow, what a difference it made!  It’s one of those songs that we love, but it has always felt a little “off”.  With the changes that Chris made though, it really felt great.  All that was missing on that one was the other guitar… it was so nice to be able to just sing the background vocals and not worry about it falling apart (not that any of us ever worry about that happening, right?)

The other high point?  I Love You Lord.  We did it simply with 3 of us singing in 3-part harmony acapella, and it really finished out the service on a great note.  I love it when that happens!

So, what happened in your service? Or, if you were part of ours, what are your thoughts? I’d love to hear about it!

**This is part of the Sunday Setlist bloggy carnival over at TheWorshipCommunity.com - take a look at that songs are being sung at churches all over the world! **

I received this in an email from a friend this morning, and it is just too good not to share.  There are quite a few truths buried in here, if we just take the time to listen.

LIFE’S HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water.
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants & has to be killed, bled, cured, aged, smoked, fried, or frozen
4.       Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5.       Make time to pray.
6.       Play more games. Feed the birds. Plant flowers or vegetables- even in a pot.
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009.
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9.       Sleep for 7 hours.
10.       Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk daily. And while you walk, smile & notice your surroundings, changes in nature every day, & listen to the birds.

Personality:
11.    Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Each person has their place in the scheme of life.
12.    Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment - do what you can to make the world around you better.
13.    Don’t overdo. Keep your limits. Physically, spiritually, financially or emotionally.  Be humble.
14.    Don’t take yourself too seriously.  No one else does.
15.    Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake.
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past.  Don’t blame your parents for every problem you have. That will ruin your present. We choose actions & reactions when we become adults.

Happiness.

19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.  It’s easier to understand and move on.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present. Yesterday is gone and you have a limited number of tomorrows.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you. It’s your choice to feel happy or miserable, anger or joy, frustration or acceptance, jealousy or peace, shame or pride.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24.    You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25.    Call your family often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6
29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick.  Your friends will.  Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33.    Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.    God heals everything.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37.    The best is yet to come.
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
39.    Your inner most is always happy.  So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40.    Please forward this to everyone you care about - even if they receive it many times, it will be a reminder on how to have a happy, healthy spiritual life, to enjoy each moment we are granted, and how to live free of conflict in harmony with others.

We only share this earth for a short time - why waste it on hateful thoughts and deeds when there is so much joy and happiness to discover.

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s already January 2010!

This weekend was a bit different in that Pastor Chris was home sick with the flu… not fun for him, but we made do without him.  Wayne did a great job on the message yesterday, and Ross went through the 8 principles from Celebrate Recovery to celebrate his 12th anniversary of being born again.  It was pretty cool.

As for the music, we mixed it up a touch by putting the slower stuff in the middle of more upbeat songs… and other than having a couple of different words in a key place it worked pretty well.

Da List:

• Hosanna (Praise Is Rising)
• How He Loves
• How Can I Keep From Singing
• Forever
• kids story
• Glorious
• Celebrating Recovery Principles
• Message
• You Gave your Life Away
• communion
• Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

How was your service this weekend?

The Sunday Setlist Blog Carnival has moved!  It’s now located on TheWorshipCommunity.com - check it out!

Today is December 29, 2009… that means that there are only two days left in the first decade of the 21st century.

The decade in which I was a mommy for all but 9.5 months.

The decade that saw me move from Arizona to Washington, (back) to Colorado and back to Washington.

The decade in which Eric & I finished school and turned the page into “real adult-hood” - and into parenthood.

A decade where I was unemployed… a lot

…and a decade where I became a small business owner.

It is a decade where I stepped into a leadership role that God called me to.

It was a decade in which I lost my earthly father, and held my daughter for the first time on the same day.

It was a decade of hope, despair, faith, trial, fear, peace, birth, loss and so very much more.

When I look back on the past 10 years I see so many things that have helped to mold and shape me in to the person that I am today - and the person that God is (slowly) making me into tomorrow.  And I wouldn’t trade very much of it.

New friendships were made, old friends were lost, and through it all God has been leading and guiding us.  Moving us from one place to the next - keeping us in this world but not allowing roots to sink in too deeply in any one place.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see what the next 10 years will bring about!  Our girls will grow up and begin their life journey’s.  They will move toward what they want to do with their lives and hopefully will listen to that still, small voice inside of them for guidance.  They may even fall in love somewhere in there (although I hope that waits until the next 10 years!)  We may move again, we may not.  We may actually put down some temporary roots, who knows.  One thing is certain - life will be very different 10 years from now, just as life now is very different from 10 years ago - and I am curious to see what God will do.

I recently received a book in the mail to read.  It’s called Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.

Wow.

If you are looking for something that will help pull you out of that spiritual funk that you have found yourself in, check it out.  While Primal may not be the answer, it will point you back to the answer.

What does that mean?  It means that Mark Batterson has written a book about getting back into that relationship with God that we need to have.  He has included ideas and personal anecdotes that will help spur you onto good things and remind you of many of the ways you can build - or re-build - your relationship with Jesus Christ.  He focuses on compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power in our relationship with God, and reminds us of why these are important.

It’s that time of year when we have been going, going, going with a slow-down that hits right after Christmas and a time for looking at our lives and re-evaluating things.  Is there a better time for a refresher course on getting in touch with our Creator?

If you are floundering out there somewhere feeling like you need to draw closer to God, I recommend picking up Primal - it will show you a way back into that relationship.  It will remind you why we need a Savior and how to take part in that Great Commandment that Jesus gave us - to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind & strength, and to love others.  After all, is there a better way to share God with others than through relationships?  Our lives should proclaim Him, but if we aren’t strengthening our relationship with Him, our lives won’t be talking very loudly.

So, where can you pick up your copy of Primal?

It is available at booksellers nationwide on Dec 22, 2009, just in time to be the first book you read in 2010 - or perhaps that quieter week after Christmas.

Personally, I like to get books through Amazon.com.  Other places that I often shop for books are CBD,  Borders.com and BarnesandNoble.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, and the legal stuff - I received this book for free to read and review.

Wow - I knew I had missed a couple of weeks, but I didn’t realize how many!  Sorry about that!

We are all moved over to the old Arlington High School, and are getting settled in.  The biggest issue we have had since moving is the heat - it’s either not on in the auditorium, or it’s not on in the classrooms!  Hopefully we will get it figured out with the school district soon though.

As for the space we now have… it’s been soooooo wonderful!  The kids have room to run around and scream and play dodge ball and we can’t hear a peep of it in the auditorium.  The preschoolers have their own room where they can play and learn a bible lesson, and we finally have space for a cry room!  Yay!  And that cry room has been used every week since we moved over, which is great.

The space in the auditorium is great too - there is room on the stage for the band to spread out a bit and we can fit the choir without having to shuffle anyone over.  The auditorium is larger than we need right now, but it’s nice to have the extra space to spread out in.  Praise God!

We’ve now had a full month of services in the new place - including a Christmas Candlelight service last Sunday evening - and I think we are starting to get settled in.  There are still a few bugs to work out, but we are getting the set-up and tear-down time whittled down week by week.

This weekend was a little light since we had a couple of people out sick, but it all worked out.  HEre is the setlist from this morning:

• Everlasting God
• You’re Worthy Of My Praise
• My Jesus I Love Thee (Brading)
• Here Is Love
• kids story - Jesus as a boy
• Jesus Loves Me
• Message - Where Is Jesus?
• communion - You Never Let Go
• O Come All Ye Faithful - chorus only

We went with songs that we can practically play in our sleep since it was the week of Christmas and we didn’t have a mid-week rehearsal.  It worked out pretty well, even though we hadn’t done a couple of these songs in a few months.

My personal favorite song from this morning was My Jesus I Love Thee - if you haven’t heard the version by Brading, head over here to give it a listen.  We don’t do the background vocals that the recording has, but we keep pretty close to the instrumentation.  The way it builds verse by verse is amazing.

The low point this morning?  The fact that it’s the cold & flu season & my throat chose this morning to decide to act up again.  I’ve been fighting something off all week while we were at Eric’s mom’s and it just isn’t quite gone yet.  Ugh.  Well, that and the fact that my house was only 51*F when the alarm went off - but that is something for another post!

Now that Christmas is over and we are all moved in I should be posting more regularly again - sorry for the long break!  Life got just a wee bit hectic around here…

As always, this is part of Fred’s Sunday Setlist Bloggy Carnival - head over to see what songs were led at churches all over the world this weekend!

Yesterday was a day that people all over the USA took the time to slow down, spend time with loved ones and have at least a passing thought or two on gratitude.  It was a day that has been set aside for years, a day when (most of) the stores are closed, and you are practically forced to chill.

We took part in the festivities - having a relaxing morning (we cooked on Wednesday), headed over to my aunt’s house where the whole family was gathered for the feast, and then went to see a movie with the girls and the grandparents, as is tradition.  We talked about what we are thankful for as we were driving - A is thankful for family, friends, and Jesus. Oh, and the cat.  M was thankful for us & A, her grandparents, her teachers and her friends.  Oh, and Jesus.  Yes, they were both in that order!

Me?  I’m thankful for so many things.

First & foremost I am thankful for being created by a God who loved me enough not only to create this world and all of us on it (knowing that so many wouldn’t love Him back) but also loved me and you enough to sacrifice His Son - to allow Him to be born as a human, to live out a life, to be ridiculed and beaten, and torturously killed - so that I could be saved.

Second - I’m thankful for Eric.  I’m thankful for everything that he does each day for our family.  I’m thankful that he has a job that pays our bills, and that he loves his children deeply.  At the moment I’m especially thankful that he is stringing the lights on my mom’s Christmas tree - especially knowing how much he hates to string lights.

I’m also thankful for the two beautiful girls that God has blessed us with.  Yes they frustrate me from time to time, but over all they are truly great kids.  They are well behaved, they love each other and they love Jesus.  They have gentle and sensitive hearts and I know that God has something in mind for each of them - and I can’t wait to see what it is!

Thirdly I am thankful that we live in a country where we are free to live our lives how we want to.  We can worship God freely and without fear of persecution.  That we can gather together with other believers - both in the real world and online - and not have to hide away in a basement somewhere out of fear of being thrown in jail.  I am, however, saddened that while we have these freedoms we as a nation tend to squander them.  And yes, I’m talking to myself as much as anyone else with that one.

These are some of the things I have been reflecting on over the last coupe of days.

And then comes today.

It seems ironic to me that the day following our corporate day of thinking about all that we have is the day of corporate “get out there and get stuff before everyone else.”

Seriously.

What happened to being thankful for the things that we already have - both the tangible and the intangible?

Personally, I avoid the whole black friday thing, and have for years.  I think that the mad rush to go buy more stuff - stuff that we don’t really need and stuff that those we are buying for don’t really want - is kind of insane.  We spend so much money that we don’t have anyway on things that we don’t need and we seem to have lost the point.

Christmas is about the gift God gave the world, but we have perverted it into a season of “me, me, me!”

Today I am taking the time to be thankful for the blessings God has already given me, and leaving the insanity to the rest of the world.