Praise & Worship

This morning (11/11/12) I had the honor and privilege to lead the congregation at New Hope Christian Church in the Praise and Worship service.  If you know me, you also know that this is something I do on a pretty regular basis.

Nineteen years ago I would have never imagined leading roughly 500+ people in a Worship service.  I was a car and shower singer what was God thinking!! He certainly had, and has, other plans. 

There have been many times in the worship services where Gods presence is felt, but today's time of worship was deeper and His presence was more palpable then ever before.  I was moved to tears (in the middle of a song which makes it kind of difficult to lead) but Gods presence and the movement of the Holy Spirit was just so overwhelming, it stopped me in my tracks and His love more me and I for Him just flooded my soul.

Why am I writing this down and telling the world?  I am doing it more for myself then anything because I want to remember how it felt and remember that we have been created to Worship and these are the encounters that He wants to have with us.

 My desire is that as I continue to grow as His child, in this calling,  that my life brings glory and honor to Him. Selah!

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deut. 6:5)

Word Lesson (just for fun) - Hebrew words for Praise = Yadah

It's Tuesday....

After returning from vacation I am finally getting back into the swing of things.  I have caught up with all my email (personal and work), have returned all calls and have started planning our next adventure with another set of good friends.  Where did Monday go??

Tonight we start rehearsals with my peeps from LCDTheater group http://lcdtheatre.webs.com/.  We will be performing in a fundraiser for the Somerset Inclusion Playground Group November 9, 2012 at Whites of Westport.  http://www.somersetinclusionplayground.com/   The Somerset Inclusion Playground Alliance  (SIPA) desires to network with the community on building an Inclusive Accessible Playground that will be enjoyed by ALL children in the town of Somerset and our surrounding communities.

Tomorrow I return to the praise team rehearsal schedule rotation.  It feels like forever that I have not been leading worship.  But I must say I have not stopped praising and worshipping God for all that He has done for me and for the many blessing He has placed in my life.  My vacation reminded me of how majestic is the work of His hands, just read Genesis 1 and you will know exactly what I am talking about. (below is text from "The Message" version)

~*~*~*~*~*~~*

First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.

 ^3-5 God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared.
   God saw that light was good and separated light from dark.
   God named the light Day, he named the dark Night.
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day One.

 ^6-8 God spoke: "Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!"
   God made sky.
   He separated the water under sky from the water above sky.
   And there it was:  he named sky the Heavens;
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Two.

 ^9-10 God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place;
   Land, appear!" And there it was. God named the land Earth.
   He named the pooled water Ocean.
   God saw that it was good.

 ^11-13 God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties  of seed-bearing plants,
   Every sort of fruit-bearing tree."  And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants,
      all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good.
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Three.

 ^14-15 God spoke: "Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven's sky!
   Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years,
   Lights in Heaven's sky to give light to Earth." And there it was.

 ^16-19 God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day,
   The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars.
   God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth

   And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark.
   God saw that it was good.  It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Four.

 ^20-23 God spoke: "Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
   Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!"
   God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters,
   And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good.
   God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!"
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Five.

 ^24-25 God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."
   And there it was: wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
   God saw that it was good.

 ^26-28 God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature
   So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle,
   And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
   God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature.
   He created them male and female.
   God blessed them:  "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
   Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
   for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

 ^29-30 Then God said, "I've given you every sort of seed-bearing plant on Earth
   And every kind of fruit-bearing tree, given them to you for food.
   To all animals and all birds, everything that moves and breathes,
   I give whatever grows out of the ground for food." And there it was.

 ³¹ God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!
   It was evening, it was morning—
   Day Six.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He did this all in 6 days then he took the 7th day to rest.

Hmmm....

Just random questions that sometime cross my mind that I thought I would share with you all.

1. If "Pro" is the opposite of "Con", what is the opposite of Progress? Congress???

2. Why do you pay extra to get something put on your sandwich but don't get a discount when something is taken off?

3. When people say "PIN number" do they know they're saying "Personal Identification Number Number"?
 
4. What's the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny?
 
5. Why is the name for fear of long words Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia?
 
6. Why do drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?
 
7. How can bottled water go out of date?
 
8. If the professor on Giligan's Island can make a radio out of coconut, why couldn't he fix a hole in a boat?
 
9. Why do grocery stores have so many checkout line registers but only keep 3 or 4 open?
 
10. Isn't the 13th floor still chronologically the 13th even if it's named the 14th?

11. Evlotionists believe we evolved from monkies correct?  If that is true (which it aint) where are there still monkies?

Women of Faith

Whoever know me knows that I attend Women of Faith conferences every year.  I have been going since 1999 and this year is no different.  For the past 7 years I have been serving as a group leader.  Basically I sign a contract for a certain amount of tickets every year and then sell them and help ladies find hotel rooms for the event.

In the past years I had only committed to 25 tickets.  In 2011 I committed myself to 50 then God reminded me that He was bigger than that and I increased my contract to 75.  This year I signed a contract for 75 and He reminded me again that He was bigger then that and I now have (gulp) 90 tickets!!  God in all His wisdom made me increase the boarders and I have 8 left.

If you have never been to a WOF conference, it is an event where women of all ages and faiths come together in a non judgemental environment to worship, hear fantastic music from artists like Mandisa, Amy Grant, Selah (just to name a few of the artist who have graced the stage), laugh, learn and more than one occasion cry.  We listen to inspiration speakers like Sheila Walsh, Sandi Patty, Brenda Warner, Lisa Harper, Pat Smith, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg and Luci Swindoll.

I encourage any lady who reads this post to check out http://www.womenoffaith.com/ to learn more about them.

I also want to ask you to come to Celebrate Event in Hartford CT, November 2 & 3.  If you are not from my area (MA/RI/CT) check the WOF site for an event in your area.

Most women who come to a WOF event come because they were asked...so I am asking you to purchase a ticket and come.  Your life will never be the same.

PAID IN FULL

My husband and I will be going on a cruise this summer with a wonderful couple. We met Paul and Denise at church and God has turned a casual relationship into a bonafied friendship.  Today, I made my final payment on the vacation invoice so now we look forward to waiting for vacation to come where the 4 of us will be spending time (7 days) laughing, relaxing, exploring and feasting together.

Then I thought about how Jesus paid another type of invoice. 

Because He loves us, Jesus paid for the sins of the world, for you and me, with his life (John 3:16)so we can spend eternity with Him.  When we leave this world and arrive in Heaven we will all be together again with Him in heaven enjoying the company of good friends worshiping God, laughing, relaxing, and enjoying the wedding supper of the Lamb (Rev 19:7).  Now THAT is going to a destination and a meal I am going to love!!