RockTheDesert

Rwanda - Part 5

Every morning we woke up at 5:30am. Dan had a leader's meeting at 6:30am. Then we had worship and devotions in the gazebo with the entire team at 7:15. Pretty cool times. Once I thought I had missed the worship time because I heard all this singing. So I raced out of the room with wet hair, no bug spray on, praying no one would mind my tardiness. When I got to the gazebo, I realized that I wasn't late, I was actually early and walked into the middle of a pre-worship/devotion time. Our Ministry Partners were in the middle of praying for the North American team. Now, when I say praying, I mean all of them pouring out their hearts before God at the same time. It was really beautiful, almost like a song. It started out medium loud, then escalated to gut-wrenching intercession - really loud, then started to decresendo back down to quiet then they were done. It was almost like a conductor led them through a beautiful symphony of prayer, praise, intercession, imploring, surrender, and peace. Amazing. I felt like I was standing on holy ground. Then they broke into praise and worship again.

Every morning our breakfast was the same - plain omelettes, toast, honey, and "margarine." Oh yeah, there was also a platter of tiny bananas, fresh pineapple, and some mysterious fruits, possibly a type of passion fruit. Then we loaded into the vans and headed off to our villages. We had 8 teams - 4 vans with 2 teams on each. Pretty crowded. Every morning I tried to mentally prepare myself for my day. But it was nearly impossible. Every day was similar yet different. We shared the Gospel using the Evangecube from 9am to 1:30pm daily. Then we broke for lunch. Then discipleship lessons at the church plant site from 2-4. Then our afternoon meeting from 4-5:30. Every day was long but fruitful.

The kids turned out to be very challenging. By the end of the week we had hundreds of kids at our site. The loved to come up behind me when I was sitting on a bench and pull down on my curly hair and watch it spring up when they let go. Some of them tried to communicate with me in French. So, now I know 2 phrases in French. We told them Bible stories and used a gospel glove to share a simple story of salvation with them. Gold = heaven. Black = sin. Red = Jesus died on the cross. White = forgiveness. Green = new life. We had them memorize John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except thru Me." We also had a device called The Proclaimer. It's like an audio player that plays the New Testament in Kinyaranda which is their language. It has a solar battery which will last up to 600 times through the New Testament. The battery can also be hand-cranked to re-charge. It is waterproof and virtually indestructible. It can reach an audience of up to 300 people. When we ran out of things to do with the kids, we just turned on The Proclaimer and let it play the Word of God. Most of them sat and listened pretty intently. Adults also listened. We ran across quite a few adults who couldn't read or write so this was the perfect tool for them to hear the Bible probably for the first time.

Every day we shared the Gospel with anyone who would listen. We went to homes, huts, fields, banana groves, over rivers, into places most people haven't ever seen or imagined. God was definitely at work in a big way throughout the time we were there. Every day we returned to the Guest House, sunburned, exhausted, tired of talking, overwhelmed by kids, and thirsty. But God's strength was all we needed to accomplish what He had for us. By dinner time, we were revived and ready to celebrate with the other teams.

Every night, Michelle Parker and I made sack lunches for the entire team to take with them. I believe Nabisco donated a ton of pre-pack snacks so we just had to make 30 PBJs/PBHs and assemble the bags. A lot of us ended up giving our lunches away to those who worked with us during the day. I guess most Rwandans only eat 2 meals per day. So, we'd sometimes have nationals with us all day and they never ate or drank anything that I could see. They were very loving, kind people. A pleasure to work with.

More tomorrow.

Rwanda - Part 4

First a long story in order to tell some more of the story - - I feel like I've been a Christian my whole life. I'm pretty sure my mom never missed a church service while she was pregnant with me. And I'm pretty sure I was in church from 2 weeks on. I remember missing 1 Sunday when I was 11 yrs old due to extreme illness. Other than that, I was there. We even managed to find a suitable church service to attend when we were on vacation. So, when I share my testimony, I focus not so much on the terrible life I used to live but more on how important it is to share Christ with your children from when they are young and to be involved in church in order to learn how to live a life that pleases God. My conversion experience was when I was ten years old and my dad prayed with me to receive Christ. I remember the exact place and the feeling I had after I prayed. When I was 12 years old, our family switched churches. We started attending a non-Nazarene (gasp!) church called Emmanuel Faith Community Church. It was at this church that I started hearing the Bible taught in an expository manner. Wow! What a huge difference that made! - - Sitting at this church service in Rwanda, we attempted to worship with them. Tried (unsuccessfully) to keep up with the clapping and dancing. Then the pastor introduced Dan and I and pretty much turned the service over to us. Not exactly what I expected would happen. We each had a chance to share our testimonies. Then they sang some more songs. Than a short encouragement from the pastor. Then he said we would be sharing messages out of the Bible for them. Really??? That was definitely news to me. So, Dan went first. I started scrolling through all my sermons in my mind. I realized that all of them had to do with manners, etiquette, proper behavior, not fighting with your brother, etc. Not exactly spiritually deep, although I can be pretty eloquent on these topics. So, I got out my Bible. Turned to Psalm 34. Asked God to speak through me. Realized that all the years of incredible teaching at Emmanuel Faith would finally come to great use here in the middle of Rwanda. I thank God for the gift of spiritual formation that my parents gave to me. What I thought I had to say to the people wasn't nearly as important as what God allowed me to say to the people. Maybe lives were impacted and changed. I don't know. But I do know that my life was impacted and changed. I was starting to realize that this trip would be just as much for me and my faith journey as it was for the people we would be sharing the Gospel with. Awesome God! Awesome time of revelation, refining, and restoration!

This is taking a lot longer than I thought it would! 

Rwanda - Part 3

Sunday morning we woke up out of a dead sleep and experienced our shower for the first time. It wasn't nearly as primitive as I had been prepared for. Last year in Rwanda, Dan had a tub and a bucket - no shower nozzle. We at least had a hand-held shower nozzle. It is so difficult to rinse your head and face without getting water in your nose or mouth. I kept blowing water droplets off my lips hoping I wouldn't accidently swallow the tiniest drop. After showers, we poisoned ourselves with DEET spray. Although I faithfully swallowed a malaria tablet (malarone) every day, Dan chose to not go with the medicine. He claims (yet to be substantiated) that we were above the malaria line. And I'll admit we didn't meet or hear of anyone that had malaria where we were, but just to be on the safe side...we did see lots of mosquitoes due to the tropical climate, but they pretty much kept their distance. I wore my long black skirt, a long-sleeved shirt, white tennis shoes and black socks. Nice combination. We met the Mother Church pastor, Japhet and the Mission Point pastor, John D'Amour at the EER Guest House. They rode with us over to the Mother Church. The Mother Church was about a mile up a very rocky, rutted out dirt/mud road. All the way there, people stared at us. Not just because cars rarely are seen on that road, but because we were white. We were quite the novelty. All the people - women & children included, had either totally shaved heads or very, extremely close to the scalp, hair.  Since they expected a larger crowd and also wanted to attract people walking by, we met outside the building. The people sat on benches or on the ground or just stood under umbrellas (shade from the sun). The first sounds we heard were those of people enthusiastically worshipping. There was a woman keeping rhythm on a giant drum which she beat with a mallet. She was also the worship leader. Each song seemed to be very long. Our Ministry Partners explained that a lot of the songs they sing tell stories of God and what He has done. Some songs had motions and dancing. It was very cool. All a capella with people clapping along and adding harmonies. We sat at the front facing the people. As the crowd grew, I started to get sort of nervous. I felt every thought leave my head. Great. Totally blank. I realized that anything I had to say would come from God because all my earthly knowledge, "wisdom", and experience had vanished. I was left completely vulnerable and utterly dependent on God's mercy for Him to be able to use me to share His message. It was unreal. This was the feeling that I carried with me everyday. Absolute brokenness and surrender. A deep sense of belonging totally to God and knowing I was in the right place at the right time for the right purpose and the results were out of my control. It was all about divine appointments, the outpouring of God's favor and the Holy Spirit, and my obedience to share God's message. The pressure was off. The results were up to Him. If He could use me, I was willing.

More later.

Rwanda - Part 2

We had a 3 hour journey to Ruhengeri. We piled into several Toyota vans that had seen better days. But, surprisingly the brakes were pretty good. This was important because we had an uphill, curvy road to navigate. Now, I'm not normally a backseat driver, but I definitely had my braking foot ready to go. These cars had the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle. However, we drove in the right hand lane. Interesting. I don't think I ever saw a road bigger than a 2-lane. We shared that 2-lane with traffic heading in the opposite direction, goats, children, and people. Every woman was carrying a bundle of some sort on her head. Some had giant flat bowls overflowing with produce like bananas, lettuce, passion fruit, avocados. Others had overflowing backpacks on their heads. Still others had huge 8 ft. long bunches of branches tied together and on their heads. Others had between 10-20 liter containers of water somehow balanced on their heads. Unbelievable. Most people had plastic sandals on or were barefoot. Dan took a double dose of dramamine and pretty much looked green and dozed and drooled the whole way there. The altitude didn't help his condition very much. Of course, on the way up the mountain, it started to rain. Our van had to pull over to try to roll up the windows. This was a complicated process since none of the windows were on their track. So it was pretty much a lost cause. The rain wasn't terribly cold because of the tropical climate, but our stuff got pretty wet. The windshield kept fogging up because of no defroster. But the view was absolutely beautiful. Waterfalls pouring down the mountain. Green everything. Tons of banana trees. Rows and rows of plowed fields. Steep mountainsides planted with flourishing crops. We finally arrived in Ruhengeri and found our new home for the next week. The EER Guest House. Similar to a hostel. Very simple. The grounds were pretty. Giant mosquito netting over the bed. Tiny restaurant. Smiling, helpful staff. We had a few minutes to rest and recover from the ride before dinner. At dinner we discovered an all new meaning to a high carb diet. Rice. Roasted potatoes. French fries. Sweet Potatoes (white flesh, not as sweet). Boiled bananas. Peas. Sauce with little pieces of meat swimming in it. Little pieces of fried fish. Chicken bones with very little meat. Bananas for dessert. Coca Cola & Fanta. A feast for most Rwandans. Every day we found ourselves to be very thankful for the feast after working in the villages. The time we spent around the tables was enjoyable and encouraging and enlightening. We went to bed early because Sunday was a-comin'. The day when we would meet our Mother Church pastor and Mission Point pastor. The day when the hard work would begin. While Dan prayed for relief from his motion sickness, I prayed for no mosquitoes.

More to come...

Rwanda - Part 1

Well, we made it back from Rwanda. It was an unbelievable journey. Our team of North Americans was incredible to work with. Mike & Mary Wagner are two amazing servants of God who shepherded us before, during and after the trip and imparted vision, wisdom and passion for the lost souls in Rwanda. It was a privilege to work with them. I've uploaded several photos that we took on the trip. It's hard to capture in photos what it was really like there. Our senses were assaulted from the minute we stepped off the plane in Kigali, Rwanda. We were greeted by our Ministry Partners, aka our translators. Meeting these young men & women of God was overwhelming. Their humility and their knowledge of the Bible as well as their gift for languages and the ability to translate scripture, the salvation message, and make it come alive for the people we encountered was very humbling for me. A lot of them have experienced genocide, civil war, abandonment and violence so horrific that it can't be adequately expressed in words. I could see such depth of faith in their eyes, feel it in their handshake, hear it in their voices. They were different than any people I've ever met. I almost wanted to weep every time I talked to them. They knew God and had walked with Him more intimately than I've ever imagined I could. I was so inspired to live and breathe and talk and think and be more like the Christ I saw in them.

More to follow...

Ready to Roll

Well, it took slightly longer than I thought it would to pack. Of course we had plenty of interruptions and detours along the way. But we got everything to fit and managed to distribute the weight of the items fairly evenly so hopefully we won't be paying extra shipping charges. I'm really starting to get nervous now. There's pretty much no way to back out now. So, it looks like I'm leaving for Africa in about 5 hours. That means I've got at least 3 hours to scrub the showers, change the sheets and get some much needed rest. While we're gone, Michael and Steven will be well taken care of by Dan's mom, Judy. She might even help Michael paint his room a sort of orange-y red - combining two of Michael's favorite colors - Coca Cola red because he loves everything Coke. And orange. Not sure why he likes orange except that I LOVE orange and maybe that's rubbed off just a little. Steven's room will have the ultra cool sports bar feel. Mini pool table. TV. XBox. Sports equipment. Fatheads lining the walls (in his dreams). Steven went to football practice and worked out with the team as much as he could to try to stay in shape while his arm is in the cast.

24

I've only seen the 24 show once. I really liked it. But I don't watch TV enough to be a regular viewer of any show. I know, I know, I could buy each season and do a weekend marathon and be comatose by Sunday. Maybe someday I'll do that. For now, I feel like I'm living out the next 24 hours with a similar amount of detail packed into each hour. Still packing for Rwanda. Still printing lyric sheets for both Sundays I'm gone. Still burning CDs for the band to refer to. Still doing laundry. Making a list of schedules and routes and routines in order to set up my mother-in-law, Judy, for success. Picking up prescriptions. Verifying Sunday scheduling. Praying through devotionals, memorizing the Evangecube script. Small group at 7. Teach at Ventana all day. Pick up Alyssa & Joshua at the airport. Spend quality time with Mike & Steve. Pick out paint colors for their bedrooms. Scrub the showers. Change the sheets. Gather addresses for postcards and email addresses for updates. Assemble all my airplane reading/entertainment. Blogging one last time. This actually may be the last time for a while. 24 hours seems like a small amount of time but if I work it out just right, I might be able to eat dinner with the family tonight and actually get some sleep. Maybe.

Fiji Water

I'm seriously head-over-in-heels in love with Fiji Water. It has this great taste with a slightly sweet, clean finish. Yum. They sell it at Barnes & Noble in the cafe which is where I first acquired a taste for it. Tonight a friend (thanks Debbie G.!) brought armloads of FW to rehearsal. Then she sent me home with the surplus. I'm going to try to pack at least 2 bottles in my luggage. If it explodes all over my clothes, oh well, at least I tried.

I recommend the Fiji Water website. Very informative and compelling. You can even subscribe to monthly FW deliveries as a Mother's Day gift. What a fabulous idea.

Less than 30 hours til we head to the airport and off to Africa. Pray that we don't sleep thru our alarm.

Blogging Lessons

OK, I've thoroughly exhausted my technical expertise - I'm ready to hire in a consultant to teach me the ins and outs of blogging. So far it has been pretty simple, but perusing through other blogs I totally get "blog envy" and wish for more and more. Could this become an addiction? At the very least an obsession? I'll let you know. For now, I'm thinking of reading Hugh Hewitt's "Blog" book. Check out my reading list for more info on the book. Thursday, March 15 is the last day I'll be able to blog before we leave for Africa. If we are fortunate enough to find a laptop with a satellite uplink while in Rwanda, I'm going to try to post an update. No promises.

Worship Planning

Randy Elrod, creative guru, wrote a great article called "Using Community To Help With Worship Planning". Read the full article here.

Packing for Rwanda

We're starting to pack tonight. We've got tons of stuff to pack, not including clothes, towels, shoes and toiletries. I'm talking about candy -- loads of it. We're taking it to share with kids that me might meet. And I have a feeling our teammates will share in the bounty as well. Ever try a triple chocolate Twix Bar? We've got some. How about a cherry Kit Kat? Not so great but the kids will love them. Actually, Ventana Academy had a huge donation of Valentine's Day candy from Albertson's and Mrs. Shoulders, the principal, was kind enough to share. We've also got about 30 pounds of various materials needed in the church planting process. Evangecubes, Proclaimers, Discipleship materials. Dan is taking his digital camera (where's my Kodak?) and a digital printer so that he can make instant prints for the people...they love having their picture taken. Some people have never even been in possession of a photograph of themselves (or anything/anyone).

I dropped off my prescription for Malaria medicine tonight. Also picked up some Liquid Silver which I've heard is a great natural antidote to Malaria. CVS Pharmacy didn't have any Typhoid medicine on hand (big surprise) but they're ordering it and it should be in by Wednesday. It's so sad to think of these countries that still have diseases that are practically non-existent in the USA. 

I'm finally starting to get excited about the trip. Probably due, in part, to the fact that I've got the music selected/printed for the next 2 Sundays along with a practice CD, backup lyric sheets for the audience (in case the projector bulb burns out), and rehearsals scheduled back to back tomorrow night. Still need to schedule the tech team, but that will happen tomorrow.  FNC has awesome volunteers who help make the worship service wonderful.

Few items for prayer: (1) I'm trying to memorize the script that goes with the Evangecube - that I would begin to grasp and deeply personalize the message of salvation and that I'd be useful in sharing God's story and my story in a life-changing way (2) Quick & full healing for Steven's broken arm (3) Wisdom and discernment for God's direction/re-direction in our lives (4) Hot water in our hotel (please) 

Urban Tribe

Dan and I are in this small group called Urban Tribe. It rocks. No really, it does. We're a group of worshippers, worship leaders, musicians, and friends. We've been together for quite some time now. There is a certain amount of comfort in our Wednesday night routine. We pull up to Jeff & Pam's house (usually late), scan the street for who's car is there, walk up to the door, knock on the door then walk in. We are greeted enthusiastically by the dogs, then warmly by the Tribe. We head straight to the snacks & coffee. Our conversations are usually pretty fast-paced and fun. If you close your eyes and let the voices and sounds swirl around you, it's like a big family, teasing, loving, urging, encouraging, loving, comforting, outrageous, and real. The Tribe is unlike any group I've ever been a part of. We've worked hard to develop and maintain a sense of identity and purpose. I'm really thankful for this community of believers, this family that we can spend holidays with and do life deeply together with. 

Sunday Morning

Alarm at 4:45. Up at 5:15. Why is Sunday the hardest day to get out of bed? Don't answer that, I already know. Today Michael is leaving early with me. He's going to run Easy Worship this morning for the first time on his own.  Michael has been trained to run the program and has also started helping others understand the program. So today he believes he is ready to go solo. I pray that he is. Since incorporating Easy Worship into our Sunday services, a lot of the Sunday AM powerpoint panic has been alleviated. I've been able to coach volunteers through the program literally from the stage. The program is that easy. The most difficult part about going solo is that you hold all the power to make or break the flow of worship. Since we run the same slides for both audience and confidence monitors, the EW volunteer needs to change to the next slide slightly ahead of the last phrase. Takes a lot of confidence and a good sense of timing. You can't ever tune out the singing or the message. That could prove to be disastrous. I'm really proud of Mike for wanting to serve in this way. It is a huge accomplishment for him. God is preparing him for a wonderful life. This is another big step along the path. Love you Mikey!

Kitchen

A kitchen has so much significance in a home. It's more than just a functional room with food-making equipment in it. It usually contains the heart and soul of the family living in the home. Now, of course, that can be positive or negative depending on your family dynamics. But for our family and our extended families, the kitchen has the power to draw us together, comfort us, feed us, love us, and inspire us to live and love in a better way. Sounds rather grandiose, don't you think? But if you think about it, the kitchen has all the ingredients needed for some high-powered nurturing and I think that a lot of the issues that tear us apart can be appeased or even resolved by sitting around with milk & cookies or even a perfectly peeled peach or a cold meatloaf sandwich. The kitchen in our new home is designed in such a way that even the best cook would be challenged to come up with a decent meal. Galley-style. One electrical circuit. That means if the refrigerator is sucking up electricity (which it always is) then no other big power appliances can run simultaneously. This means NO microwave. NO toaster. NO blender. While this has proved frustrating for me personally in my over-paced lifestyle, it has also forced me to slow down a bit. I've had to plan out not only meals but snacks. I've had to get creative with griddles and skillets and I've emptied my freezer of all those pesky microwavable items that take up so much room. I'm discovering a deep well of nurturing that needs to be activated in order to feed the physical needs of my boys and in doing so, I feel that my creativity is being challenged which is actually a welcome exercise. As I plan and scheme in my limited space, I'm feeling nurtured myself by the level of creativity necessary to pull off even the simplest of meals. Now, as I'm planning to expand and upgrade the kitchen, I might even be a little bit sad when all the appliances of convenience are restored to their rightful place in my kitchen arsenal. Hopefully I will remember to take time to plan and create and simplify and nurture from a grateful heart.

What Color is Easter?

While most people plan Easter in a rather linear way - which Easter Egg Hunt do I take my kids to -- what am I serving for dinner- ham or spring lamb -- which church has the most convenient Easter service times -- those of us in ministry are trying to see and present the Easter story in a not-so-linear, relevant, high-impact format. We focus with fierce precision on seamless transitions from countdown to opening jam to music/worship to video to testimony to message to closing song to brunch. Along the way we manage to drag a team of people down the road of chaos with us. Oh, and the family. Well, a spectacular brunch will make up for any lapses in temper that occur directly prior to and after the big event. I actually have a chance this year to thoughtfully plan and pray through simple elements that will infuse hope, conviction, and inspiration into the Easter message that many have memorized but few have let wash over them and change the way they live, breathe and think. This is a task that I take seriously. I, more than anyone, need this message to change my life. I want Easter this year to not be represented by the lovely pastel colors of our favorite candies (you know what I'm talking about) but by bold colors representing sin, death, agony on a cross, resurrection, forgiveness, life and celebration. 

I feel fine

I have a collection of books. They take up 5 bookcases in my living room. Not to mention the stacks on tabletops, nightstands, and the fully loaded shelves in the office.  Some are favorites from childhood. Nancy Drew, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Trixie Belden. Some are favorites that I read to my kids. The Big Hungry Bear, The Little Red Caboose, Quick As A Cricket. Some are favorites that I read when I was first a homemaker/mom like pretty much everything by Emilie Barnes & Liz Curtis Higgs.  Of course I've got an entire bookcase devoted to Readers Digest condensed books. They are beautiful and I've read every one of them. Some of them multiple times. Then there are all the books on creativity and leadership. Loads of those. Then the occasional random purchase at Barnes & Noble - some how-to books among those. Then of course the big beautiful cookbooks authored by the Food Network chefs. And then there's books-on-CD from christianaudio.com. But lately, I've been trying to find something to read that's different. True, inspiring stories of courage and hope. These are few and far between on my shelves because I've always tended to be a little (maybe a lot) cynical about these "feel good" "everyone's a winner" type of stories. Now it seems like I'm discovering new emotions I never knew existed. Just last week I watched a whole Oprah special and actually cried. Several times. While these feelings are uncomfortable, I feel like I'm being softened from the inside out for a purpose greater than I can understand right now. Part of this is a conspiracy on the part of Randy Shoulders and the ultra-huggy Fellowship North members. It's getting easier to feel and share authentic feelings and to give and receive hugs. Quite a different season of life but one that I'm realizing is a necessary part of my growth as a person. So to all you sentimental huggers out there, thanks for letting me join you. And just know that if you see me reading a book and crying I'm feeling fine, just fine. 

The House

This house of ours is quite a challenge. We've got 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Sounds simple, right? Well, 1 bathroom is pretty much in the dining room. Not so cool. The other bathroom is tiny and has dry rotted walls, pink tile, and flowered wallpaper. Two of the bedrooms are great. Spacious. Closets aren't walk-ins but they have built-ins that make maximum use of the space. 3rd bedroom is really a hallway through the middle of the house. We've made it into an office/storage room for now. Our bedroom is in..."THE LODGE"...oh yes, it's as lovely as you might think. Brown paneled walls. Fireplace with John Wayne's picture on the mantle. Camping supplies. More camping supplies. Few more camping supplies. The Lodge is actually an add-on. Low ceiling, leftover parts piecing it together. We have a grand vision of remodeling the lodge and creating a master bedroom masterpiece. More on the kitchen tomorrow. I'm just starting to dream of what can be.

Rwanda

We leave for Rwanda on March 15. Yes -- Rwanda, Africa. Dan and I are going with e3 partners. Dan, Alyssa & Joshua went to Rwanda in June 2006. Fell in love with the people and the country. That trip is what has set in motion a full life-change for Dan. He is seriously considering becoming a full-time church planter with e3 partners. I am preparing for the trip sort of hesitantly. Dan's mom, Judy will stay with Michael and Steven while we're away. Alyssa and Joshua will help with the shuttling around. Life is so complicated right now. Too many activities crammed into a small amount of time. Of course, Mike & Steve have spring break at different times. And neither break is during the time we're gone. I have a feeling Judy will keep herself busy with little projects around the house, a.k.a., "the money pit." Hopefully we'll have a chance to send some photos and quick greetings while we're in Africa. Just found out today we have a layover in Amsterdam and might be able to get a quick tour of the city before we head for home. Might be kind of fun.

2 Great New Worship Songs

As a Worship Experience Designer, I find myself floundering at times in the staggering amount of new worship material available. A lot of the songs are really wonderful - God-breathed, inspiring, full of hope, praise, commitment, etc. But finding my "heart's cry" among all these songs is difficult. And then taking into account where our church is at spiritually and bringing songs together that reflect who we are and what we are able to authentically sing. Add to that the "groove" that I love and the "groove" that we as a church are willing to experience...add to that the thematic element of each service and then throw in communion 1x per month. Whew.  Yesterday at church we introduced 2 new songs - "1000 Hallelujahs" and "The Least I Can Do" by Mark Roach. Great new songs. Singable, great progressions and melodies, love the words. Great response. Just 2 of many songs I picked up in my Recreate swag. And to think that I almost didn't make it to Recreate ...

A Silent Auction

Last night we attended a silent auction at Christ Lutheran School (Steven's school). We "won" several great items. An 80 gig ipod (welcome to the 21st century Dan), an autographed jersey, a signed football helmet, 12 deluxe car washes (maybe my car will be green again). All in all a nice time. CLS is a really wonderful school. They will have a rock climbing wall installed over spring break along with brand new bleachers. Steven and I were talking today and he pretty much considers the Wednesday "Hang Time" with Brett to be his youth group. The people at this school/church are incredibly nice.

RockTheDesert goes live!

I've switched to TypePad. Hopefully I'll be up and running by the end of the day. Thanks to Randy Elrod, I'm ready to rock the desert with this new and improved blog. Stay tuned for thoughts on creativity, life and worship.