Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Life in the FAST Lane

Can you believe that it is already August 1st, 2007?! The year is going by so fast!

The bride started her 1st day of School today. It was just "Teachers In-Service." They had meetings, etc. to get taken care of before the children start back on the 9th. Again, I am really proud of her.

For those of you who didn't know, I have a street bicycle; the one with the skinny wheels. Lately I have really gotten into riding more. It is a great form of exercise. This is good for me because I like food and food likes me so I have to do something to keep me in shape and keep my pants waist size to a 32. There is a group that meets every Saturday morning about 10 minutes from my house. We meet and ride between 30-40 miles around a couple of towns. I enjoy it alot. I like riding with others because it keeps me motivated.

I will have to pick up a few more days in the evenings to get some riding in because I am doing a Team Ride in Tennessee in September for Multiple Sclerosis. Follow the link below to read more about it.

http://biketns.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_TNS_Details

I am looking forward to it. It is a total of 150 miles. 2 days, 75 miles each day. This is why I am having to put in alot more riding time so I will be ready.

On another note: My bride and I are the "Wedding Coordinators" for our Church. And yes, believe it or not, I can coordinate a wedding. When someone wants to use our church to get married we, or atleast one of us, has to be there and oversee all that takes place as well as run the sound system, power-point, etc. Then we will be the ones to clean up and get the church ready for service on Sundays.

I asked a few weeks back and they said they did not have anyone to coordinate them and they would be happy for us to do it. We already have a wedding in a couple of weeks and one good thing...it pays! Then we have another one in September.

Talking about church reminds me that this past Sunday I lead Praise and Worship. One reason the wife and I changed churches was because I reached a place at our previous church where I knew I would be until my death if I stayed there. I had voiced many times, to the right people, what I know God was calling me to. Music ministry such as choir director or music leader. (I always thought more of choir director) Year after year I stayed in the same place and saw no change. If there was ever a need in the music department at our previous church they would call someone new from the outside and bring them in. After MUCH prayer between myself and my wife, we decided that it was time to leave.

At our new church that we have been at since Feburary of this year we have really been used. There was a need in the music department as well as help with this and that. Our current music leader is also the youth pastor. He plays the keyboard during service. He was on vacation this week and therefore he asked me to lead praise and worship. NOW, I am learing to play "cord music" so I did not play the keyboard but we did have the guitar player and drummer so that worked. If anyone knows any info about how to catch on to playing cord music faster PLEASE let me know.

Leading P&W this past Sunday was honestly a "dream come true." It was a little rough but the presence of the Lord was there. I know that music is my calling. I am not the bestest singer in the world but I can carry a tune or two in a bucket. Below is a dream that I had a couple of years back that let me know that I would and will have music as part of my life. Maybe not full time at a church because I know that lots of churches cannot pay a full time music leader, but it will be part of my life and I am seeing it come to pass more and more every Sunday. The dream is very simple and short. The dream is this:

"I saw the backside of my body with my arms raised out on each side as if directing a choir and lost in worship"

The interpretation:

I had been praying for a while about God's calling on my life and what it is he was wanting me to do. During the month of September, a couple of years ago, we were having a "choir retreat" at our previous church. It was the morning of our last meeting that I had the dream. After the meeting the guy that came in to lead our retreat was talking about when he started doing what he was doing and how he knew that we would know that what we were doing was what we were called to do. He said, and I quote, "Sometimes God will show you the end result to let you know that all that you have to go through to get there will be worth it all."

After he said that I automatically thought back to that morning, right before I woke up, and the dream that I had.

Again, I am starting to see all this come to pass. It may be a few more years but I know that "God does not call the qualified...He qualifies the called."

He is calling each of us...What is he calling you to...What is that "thing" that you have been putting off that will lead you to what he is calling you to? What is that "thing" you need to let go of so you can press toward what he is calling you to? I had to let go of the church I previously went to and move toward a place where my talents and abilities can be used and where there is a need. People and things can hinder what God is calling you to. In prayer, ask God, who is ready to give you an answer to anything, what it is that you need to do.

Thank you Father for your loving kindnesses that are new EVERY morning and for hearing our hearts.

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