(boulevard)

After several incidents and conversations this week, some questions have resounded in my mind: why is it that we let the negative opinions of one person weigh so heavily on our world view? And yet the more valid opinions of our loved ones seem to somehow lose their strength?

What is it about our minds that moves us so quickly to self-doubt and feelings of unworthiness at the simplest opinion of someone who really doesn’t even know us?

Why can one careless human lie trump the truth we find in God’s word?

I know that by posing these questions, I set it up as if I have some brilliant answer to write that will somehow change the course of how we view ourselves and how we respond to personal insult. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I can’t tell you why we respond that way, but I would like to try to be a small voice of truth on the matter. Here is what God says about you:

God knows and loves the details of you.

• Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
• Psalm 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

God created you with purposeful artistry.

• Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
• Psalm 40:5, “Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”

God is still working in, on, and through you.

• James 1: 2-5, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
• Psalm 25:8-9, “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.”

God has adopted you into His family.

• Romans 8:15, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’”
• Mark 3:33-35, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

God loves you unconditionally.

• Romans 8:38,39, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Psalm 36:7, “How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

There are so many things that God says about us, and that we are worthless is never one of them. Always keep the truths of God’s word close to your heart. There will be people in life who try to take your joy and who want to bring you down because they are unhappy and unfulfilled. But God has the final say. You are beautiful. You are His creation, and He wants you to experience fulfillment in the knowledge and understanding of that. And He wants you to be prepared to spread that message to those who are hurting, even to those who have hurt you.

Several years ago, I wrote a song dealing with this particular topic. I had forgotten about the song until this week, but I thought I would share it with you in hopes that it might connect with you. God will always say you are beautiful and wonderful. Trust His word.

To listen or download, just click here. Hope you like it.

I think I can honestly say that I’ve never had a summer that even begins to compare with the amount of events that were packed into these last few months. Let’s review:

In early June, I had the privilege of taking some of the (blvd) Live worship team members to lead worship at the South Texas Assemblies of God camp in Kerrville, TX. What an incredible week of learning, growing and worshiping with the students that I love so much. I will never forget some of the moments on that platform: allowing the Holy Spirit to change our plans, seeing the Holy Spirit move through our preparation, experiencing corporate worship services with hundreds of other students and leaders, and sensing the incredible energy and passion for the things of God that was birthed in that place in the lives of so many people. I am so grateful that our team had the opportunity to be moved out of our comfort zone and be used by God to enable others to encounter His presence in worship.

Later that month, (blvd) got to experience something new and exciting: SHIFT! What an amazing 3 days that was. I have a new-found respect for the organizers of large-scale events after having contributed to the development and formation of this conference. There were so many rewarding aspects of SHIFT that I’m not sure where to begin. We were blessed with incredible speakers, a gifted and anointed worship leader, and good quality relationship-building time between leaders and students alike. SHIFT created a beautiful momentum in our corporate worship services, and it has been amazing to watch the environment at (boulevard) continue to move and grow.

Following a busy June, I had the privilege of participating in a missions trip to Peru with 15 other members of Westover Hills Assembly of God from July 12-22. I’ve been on several missions trips over the last 8 years, but each trip is always different and challenging in it’s own way. I loved the trip to Peru because it was packed with experiences: manual labor and construction, street evangelism and relationship building, church services, school assemblies, team bonding, and culture learning. The experience in Peru taught me about what it means to love the Church. Not MY church. But THE Church. There is nothing like experiencing the presence of God in a service that is held in another language, or seeing scores of people line up in public because you are offering to pray for them, or hearing the testimonies of people just like you and me going through similar struggles and circumstances in a different part of the world. If you’ve never experienced your faith outside your comfort zone, do it. Find a way to push yourself, to grow, to share the love of God that he has freely given you.

One week after Peru, Ursula (See blvdonline.net/ursula ) and I took 26 people to Detroit, Michigan for the Assemblies of God National Fine Arts Festival. What a week! Several different groups represented (boulevard) at the festival: our large human video, youth choir, sign language group, Christian band, and 2 soloists (vocal solo and sign language solo). For an “artsy” person, there is nothing like spending 5 days supporting your own friends and watching other brilliant (and less brilliant) entries in the various arts-related categories. Fine Arts is something that every teenager should experience at least once. The level of creativity that is showcased for the purpose of ministry is astounding and inspiring.  No earthly awards were taken home by (boulevard), but that was never our goal. New and lasting relationships, inspiration for using creative arts in ministry, and an excitement for what God is doing in our own part of the world are all things that we were able to take home from a great week of celebrating fine arts with thousands of other students and leaders.

Those were the major summer events of 2010, and I loved every single one of them. And now I am excited to enter a new phase. Here comes fall! School, busy-ness, new faces at (blvd), a chance to enjoy my new apartment, the weather changing (ok, maybe not for a few months in San Antonio! But a girl can dream!), changes and movement in Westover Hills as a whole… So many amazing things to look forward to, and in which to pursue the heart of God.

I’ll leave you with a song for thought: For Love of You

“You are the highway I travel.” Let God be the highway on which you travel. Embrace the new season!

… and all other human boundaries.

I am about to embark on a 10 day ministry trip with a team from my church. I’ve been on several overseas ministry-related trips in the last 8 years, and if I had to pinpoint one congruent theme that has written itself on my heart through these types of trips, it is this: the message of Christ transcends all human boundaries, ignorance, and inability to live it out perfectly.

Time and again, I have been blessed to see other people groups worshiping the same God I do in different languages, with different songs, in different traditions, even at different times of day than 11 AM on Sundays and 7 PM on Wednesdays There is an incredible beauty that comes from gaining a sense of belonging to THE church, not a church building, but the greater Body of Christ that reaches the far corners of this globe.

I am so blessed to have been able to travel to many beautiful countries and to see many beautiful worshipers worshiping Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. I am looking forward to what God is going to do not only through me, but in me on this trip.

Whether I am doing a silly skit for a group of school children in Honduras, or singing in front of a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral in Milan, Italy, building a church in Peru, or leading the students of San Antonio, Texas in worship, I am the church. We are the church. Let’s spread the message of Christ through our lives.

If you think of it, your prayers for our trip would be appreciated. We leave on Monday, July 12 and return on Thursday July, 22. Pray that God would fill our team with an abundant passion for spreading His love, that He would open our hearts to learn what He is prepared to teach us, and that the people we encounter in Peru would receive a refreshing renewal of their faith and an incredible empowerment of His Holy Spirit.

Thank you.

The year: 2004

The place: various locations in the midwest

The characters: an overly zealous high-school-turned-college cheerleader, a variety of other human beings, and the God of the Universe.

Plot: There was a time in my life that I thought competitive cheerleading was the best thing ever. I know a lot of people think of boy-crazy, ditzy teenage girls when they hear “cheerleader,” but I didn’t quite fit that mold. There was a deep streak of competitiveness that had been controlling my inner being for many years that was  unleashed in my cheerleading days. My involvement had nothing to do with the boys, the curly pony tails, the cute outfits… I worked hard, and I was in it to win! So, with plans to attend Iowa State University to study Art and Design, I drove my 18 year old self to Ames to try out for the cheerleading squad. (Don’t worry, this story is going somewhere. I won’t talk about cheerleading forever.) After umpteen hours of painful, physically draining, and torturous practices, a few new bruises, and images ingrained in my brain of girls flying through the air at lightning speeds promising to land an elbow on my face, I made the team.

Goal: accomplished.

Or so I thought.

Suddenly I was thrown into crazy schedules of driving across the country to collegiate cheerleading camps, learning scary new 3-high “stunts” as we call them in the cheerleading world, rigorous practice and work-out schedules, and Division I football games. I had no clue what I was doing! I had everything I ever thought I wanted at my fingertips, and all it left was a gaping awareness that I was not fulfilled.

My freshman year of college was supposed to be the best year of my life! Instead, I was working harder than I ever had just to be part of a team with which I had nothing in common, and that ultimately had no greater purpose for it’s existence. On top of all this, my coursework wasn’t making me happy, my lack of new friends wasn’t making me happy, my “adventure” of having left home wasn’t making me happy. I was very frustrated.

After many teary phone calls home, I decided to quit cheerleading. I went home for Christmas break that year not knowing what would happen next. I spent a few weeks trying to convince my sister to transfer schools so I could have a friend. I savored every second I had at home and dreaded the soon-coming day when I would have to go back. My freshman year was not turning out how it was “supposed” to.

So, it was a Sunday morning in January of 2005. I went to church with my family. I hadn’t even begun to pack even though my classes started the next morning, and I had a 4 hour drive ahead of me that afternoon. We had a guest speaker in church that morning, one to whom I did not realize how much I would relate. He began to tell his story which consisted of attending the university he always wanted to attend, studying the thing he thought he was passionate about, and generally pursuing all the things he thought would make him happy. But none of it did. Was this guy reading my thoughts?

It was as if I had been sitting in a dark room right next to the light switch, but completely unable to flip it on by myself. When I heard his story, I think something inside me finally allowed the Holy Spirit to flip that light switch on, and it was so clear to me: I was created to worship and to lead others into the presence of God through worship.

It was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I told my parents I no longer wanted to be an interior designer, but instead, I wanted to be a worship leader. My incredible parents were completely supportive, my mom drove with me back to school, I withdrew from classes the next morning, packed up my dorm room, and headed back home. Things began to fall in place after that.

Now, it’s 2 schools, 5 years, 150 credit hours, and 1200 miles later, and I know I’m living in the calling God has placed on my life. It was an incredible journey to find that place of surrender where I was finally able to hear God speaking to me about the plans he has for my life. I’ve never looked back on that decision I made on that cold January morning. I know not everything in life will be that clear, but I am so grateful for the way He led me to the place I am now.

I know that God has plans for each of you, too. The way we discover those plans may look different, and I know the paths of our lives will be as diverse as the faces we see on a crowded city street, but the stories God is writing in and through and on each of us will be breath-taking and adventurous as long as we allow Him to keep the pen.

I look forward to hearing your stories, and even perhaps to being part of some of them.

Can I just tell you how much I love a good book? I know not everyone connects with the literary world, and I would not describe myself as a well-read person (at least when it comes to the best-sellers and the classics), but I am so thankful for the men and women God has gifted to teach through the written word.

So what book prompted this particular blog? The Empowered Leader by Calvin Miller. We are currently reading this as a staff here at (boulevard), and already it is changing, challenging, solidifying and renewing all kinds of ideas I have about leadership. I just want to take a moment to examine the quote that is the title of this blog post.

“Beautiful people are others-centered.”

Think about the people in your life that you consider to be a leader, a friend, a confidant, a loved one. What is the common thread? It is this trait of being “others-centered.” What is it about a person that makes them appealing for the long haul? I’m not talking about the life of the party, the intriguing glance across the room, the person you call when you want to take a random road trip… I’m talking the people you never want to let go. They are others-centered. They give of themselves with no consideration of what they’ll receive in return. The look for opportunities small and large to pour into someone else. They are generous in love, in time, in finances, in listening.

Our culture is defined by selfishness. What is the “American Dream?” Is it not to live comfortably, own a large house, have successful children, and retire rich? It seems as though the heart of our society has become completely inward-focused. Selfish decisions come in all shapes and sizes: running a red light so one can get home just a little faster, cheating on a test, getting the best seat on the bus, tipping poorly, avoiding the truth, choosing not to tithe, being a “fair-weather” friend.

The Empowered Leader likens selfishness to the Dead Sea.

“It welcomes freshness but grows stagnant because it will not give… Stagnation comes from the receiving life. Personal growth comes from the giving life.”

As a follower of Christ, I must be beautiful. Not beautiful as this world defines it. But beautiful as scripture defines it: 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” The “heart” is the center of human motivation. What motivates us? Is it Christ-like love for others? Or is it self-centered ugliness?

Let’s be beautiful people.

Lately, I have had this concept on my mind. Glance, Gaze, Glimpse. Now, before I get all philosophical, let’s get technical.

Glance: v. to look quickly or briefly. to allude briefly to a topic or subject in passing (usually fol. by at).

Gaze: v. to look steadily and intently, as with great curiosity, interest, pleasure, or wonder.

Glimpse: n. a momentary or slight appearance. a vague idea; inkling.

Ok, so why all the “g” words that refer to seeing or vision or something along those lines?

Glance.  Examine briefly or allude to the subject of your past. The things that have shaped you. The experiences that taught you important lessons. The people who showed you what it means to love. The pain you’ve experienced that revealed a deeper understanding of the love God has for you. The overwhelming joy you experienced in an encounter with God’s Holy Spirit. Why glance? The past is part of you, but it does not define your future. To “glance” at the past means to remember it in perspective while not continuing to live in it. This concept can be looked at from both a negative and a positive perspective. The bad things in your past have contributed to the person you are today. But if you’ve committed to a life of serving Christ, and believe in Him as your Savior, you are no longer bound to the things that held you back. You’re not trapped by burden and sin and sorrow. And the good things in your past once fueled a joy and passion for Christ within you, but you cannot depend on the spiritual “highs” of yesterday to carry you through the reality of today. That brings me to my next point.

Gaze. Look steadily, intensely and with wonder on the opportunities of today. Today is the day that the Lord has made. Right now is the moment you have the privilege of living. Being committed to Christ means living a lifestyle of worship. It means recognizing everyday moments to live out the Gospel and to show the love of Jesus right where you are. Focus on what God is calling you to do and who He is calling you to be right now. Right now is what you have. It is a gift. It is a responsibility.

Glimpse. Pray for a dream. A vague idea. An inkling of the plans God has for your future. Your todays are steadily becoming your yesterdays, and with each new step on this journey with God, He will begin to open your eyes to the possibilities that lie ahead for the life that is committed to Him. God is the God of the impossible. He is the creator of the universe, the giver of dreams. One of my favorite things I’ve heard preachers often say is, “God doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.” He has a plan for you, and you may only see a glimpse of it now, but tomorrow will be today soon enough.

There is a chapter in Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, called “Serving Leftovers to God.” As I read it, each word really cut deep at some of the ways I see a lack of love for God and others displayed in my own life. As I discussed this chapter with a friend, she said, “Isn’t it great how God allows us to feel conviction without shame?”

Wow. Conviction without shame. A beautiful thing. The difference is love. The conviction that comes from God’s Holy Spirit is a knowing that while we are still loved, there is a higher level of relationship we can be functioning in if we just allow God to change certain areas of our lives. There is no love in shame. God does not shame. God is love.

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter. Verses 6 and 7 say, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Here is the challenge Francis Chan gives: Replace the word “love” with your own name.

_____ is patient and kind; _____ does not envy or boast; _____ is not arrogant or rude. _____ does not insist on his/her own way; _____ is not irritable or resentful; _____ does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. _____ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Does it feel like a lie? Probably. We are not perfect. But it sure puts it into perspective that there is an incredible amount of growth to look forward to. God is love. If you replace the word “love” with “God,” the statements lose no potency or truth. With God, nothing is impossible. With God, we can all be better at showing this thing called love.

1 Corinthians 13:13, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

This weekend, I had the privilege of being reminded why friendship is such a beautiful thing. If you’re anything like me, you may have spent some time marveling over how different each of your friends is. Every person that I am able to call “friend” adds a little something different to my life that wouldn’t be there without them.

Some friends listen. Some talk.

Some friends laugh. Some cry.

Some friends wear me out. Some energize me.

Some friends preach. Some pray. Some pry.

Some friends miss me. Some friends, I miss.

Some friends sing. Some dance. Some read. Some blog. Some play. Some win. Some lose.

Most friends are not limited to one of the aforementioned traits.

All my friends are a significant part of me.

I hope you take the time to appreciate each of your friends for their uniqueness. God created every person to live a unique life, and I count it a privilege to be surrounded by His living creation. There is so much to learn in and from relationships. In Genesis, God recognized Adam’s solitary condition and noted that “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). God is a relational God. He made people in his likeness. Therefore people are relational beings. Value others! Be intentional about getting to know people. Make sure you tell the people you love just what they mean to you. That is how we are meant to function.

So, to my friends, past, present and future: I love you! I am so thankful for you.

A year ago this month, I was sitting in a friend’s apartment laughing and having a great time when I got a very unexpected phone call. It was my parents. My dad had received word that his position at work had been eliminated effective the following April. Let me give you a little background. I grew up in Peoria, IL which is (oddly enough) the world headquarters for the Caterpillar corporation. My dad had taken an engineering job there right out of college over 30 years ago. I knew the economy had seen a major downturn, but I have to admit, I never fathomed it would effect a man who had been working at the same major corporation for 30+ years. The phone call was a teary one, but my incredible parents were full of faith that God had a plan.

I hung up the phone and cried with my friend for a while before heading back to my own apartment where I took out my journal and wrote the lyrics to what became the title track on the EP I recorded last spring:

You give and take away
But still a faith remains
That proves itself worth more
Than wealth this world will claim

And so my song to You
Asks not what You can do
But here my faith resolves
To worship You in truth

In every circumstance, our God is God.

Like most people in a time of material loss, I thought of Job. In chapter one verse twenty-one, Job’s response to losing all his earthly wealth and family was, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” So I had two choices: I could stay angry, sad and bitter or I could acknowledge that everything I have is the Lord’s and it is within his sovereignty to give and take away. The next scripture the Lord reminded me of was I Peter 1:7, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

My family was blessed by an enormous amount of encouragement poured out by those around us, and within a month, my dad’s bosses had found a similar position for him within the same company. God provided and proved himself faithful once again.

I am so thankful for the Word of God and its living power to affect us. It is incredible to have words written thousands of years ago that speak directly to our situations today. Ecclesiastes makes it clear that there is nothing new under the sun, and I suppose circumstances like these are a good reminder of that. God cares for his creation, He knows what we feel, and He desires that our faith be proved strong.

Maybe you’re going through a hard time right now, or maybe things are going great in your life. Either way, I want to encourage you to remember that our God is God… with a capital G.

Our God is God

What are the top ten songs played in your itunes right now? I’ve only had this computer a few months, so my results are a little different that they would have been on the computer I used for the previous 4 years. Here are my top ten!

1. “School Bell” (This is a sound effect we used for our Christmas production. Don’t ask me how it possibly achieved #1 play status in my itunes.)

2. “After The World Came Undone” (Shout out to my Into the Ocean friends! Look them up if you haven’t heard of them.)

3. “Nothing Is Impossible” (Planetshakers)

4. “Love is Waiting” (Brooke Fraser… if you don’t have her Albertine album, you really need to purchase it.)

5. “12 Days Of Christmas” (Another Christmas production element. The relient K version I definitely played this a million times in rehearsal!)

6. “Beautiful” (Gateway Worship)

7. “To Know Your Name” (Hillsong)

8. “Hear The Sound” (Planetshakers)

9. “Clinging To The Cross” (Tim Hughes feat. Brooke Fraser… gorgeous song)

10. “What Do I Know of Holy?” (Addison Road)