Friday, March 21, 2008
Paul Potts
This is Paul Potts. He was bullied and picked on tremendously when he was growing up and as a result ... he lacked self confidence. He had performed in four amateur productions singing opera before this audition on the British equivalent of American Idol ... however he never believed enough in himself to think that he could actually make a career as a singer. He simply said that growing up his voice was his only friend. He took three months of opera lessons because he loved it ... then summoned up the courage to audition on The X Factor.
Watch the judges faces when he comes out and announces that he is going to be singing opera ... then watch their reactions as he performs! I watched this clip at a church my family attended when on the road to my uncle's funeral in Florida. At my brother's suggestion my Mom, Daddy, brother and I went to a non-denominational church outside of Savannah Georgia.
The Pastor that day spoke about the gifts and talents that God puts inside of each of us ... that we must summon the FAITH and courage to express. He talked about how we may not LOOK like we have a great deal to offer based on the world's standards but that God puts amazing gifts inside each of us. You can't always judge a book by it's cover!
Please watch ... this is one amazing video!
C.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Twittering and other rambling ...
Ok I got this flipping Twitter thing turned on ... maybe it's late or I hooked it up wrong or something BUT ... I'm totally lost dudes! ~laughs~ Perhaps it will blossom in time to actually make some sense to me. Hopefully my cell bill won't blow up from all the txting!
Today was an exciting day ... RJ up at 4:45am to go to morning prayer with the Mens and we were back at the church tonight for Womens Warrior time and Praise and Worship practice of RJ. It was a great time all in all ... AND we got rid of two of our 6 kitties tonight. I was sad to see them go but it is TIME and necessary!
It's been great having the time to read blogs from Cubbie, Jan & Greg, and John and Helen lately! It's especially neat to read blogs about what is happening in other churches ... the sameness of the messages ... the confirmation of God's heart for our world. I've had a lot on my heart prayer wise lately ... so I can't wait to read the good reports from everyone concerning what God's doing in your parts of the world. Love you guys!
Caroline
Today was an exciting day ... RJ up at 4:45am to go to morning prayer with the Mens and we were back at the church tonight for Womens Warrior time and Praise and Worship practice of RJ. It was a great time all in all ... AND we got rid of two of our 6 kitties tonight. I was sad to see them go but it is TIME and necessary!
It's been great having the time to read blogs from Cubbie, Jan & Greg, and John and Helen lately! It's especially neat to read blogs about what is happening in other churches ... the sameness of the messages ... the confirmation of God's heart for our world. I've had a lot on my heart prayer wise lately ... so I can't wait to read the good reports from everyone concerning what God's doing in your parts of the world. Love you guys!
Caroline
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Okay Okay Okay ...
You high tech people have me completely comfabulated and I am feeling every bit of my 40 years as I try to figure out feedburners, feedreaders, and this flipping twitter thingie. I did some tweaks on my blog settings soooooo maybe that will allow this feedie thing ya'll want and if not ... please give me the Feeder for Dummies version of instructions so I can make you guys happy! ~grins~
As to the twitter thing ... I confess ... I just do NOT get it. I went to the site ... and joined with a name ... but I have NO idea what the purpose of it is and how it is something that seems even remotely more than a whole lot of effort. Maybe I am missing the point. Soooo for the Fullers who are so twitterpatted that you are true believers converts ... could you elaborate a bit on what's the point and how it works ... again ... the Twitter for Dummies version with examples would be great. Hoddie ... I watched the little blurb video on your blog for twitter and yep ... I still didn't get it ... doh! So can you work with me here? Just a little guys? I'm game but I'm missing the deal somehow.
Are these little twitter things on a specific site that you have to visit ... do they come to you as emails ... what's the deal?
C
As to the twitter thing ... I confess ... I just do NOT get it. I went to the site ... and joined with a name ... but I have NO idea what the purpose of it is and how it is something that seems even remotely more than a whole lot of effort. Maybe I am missing the point. Soooo for the Fullers who are so twitterpatted that you are true believers converts ... could you elaborate a bit on what's the point and how it works ... again ... the Twitter for Dummies version with examples would be great. Hoddie ... I watched the little blurb video on your blog for twitter and yep ... I still didn't get it ... doh! So can you work with me here? Just a little guys? I'm game but I'm missing the deal somehow.
Are these little twitter things on a specific site that you have to visit ... do they come to you as emails ... what's the deal?
C
Just can't do it justice ...
Ughhh ... chruch this morning was fantastic ... Pastor Whitt's message was challenging and right on time. I find myself completely frustrated in this moment however because try as I might ... I can't seem to convey what I want to about what I -got- from it all. My perspective on many things is changing ... my entire perspective for even attending chruch is changing ... my expectation levels are changing and my purpose is changing and I can't figure out any good way to adequately convey that to the people I most want to share it with ... ya'll!
Admittedly ... for years I've attended to church on the basis of getting my needs met ... of getting FED myself. I wanted a church home that would meet all my needs and this morning ... Pastor Whitt dropped a bomb on that type of thinking for me ... again! ~laughs~ Slowly I am starting to see the church as not a place but a person ... the bride of Christ. I am starting to see meetings of our body as a time to join together ... to cry out to God, stand in the gap for our city and for those who don't know Him, to seek direction about our particular part of the body's assignment in the Body of Christ. I am seeing church as less of the place that is responsible for feeding me and more of a responsibilty I bear with everyone else in advancing God's Body in the neighborhood, city, region, state, country, world .... .
I am starting to view corporate worship as a time to praise God and push back the enemy with those praises on behalf of those who don't know Him yet and less as my little intimate dance with God where He speaks to me. My intimate time with my husband isn't in front of a group of people ... it's in the privacy of our bedroom (or other private location) ... yet for years I've seen corporate worship as a time of personal ministry to me specifically and if I didn't get that ministry -touch- then I was bummed. I am starting to see that my worship corporately helps set the tone for those who are lost or hurting within the service to experience a touch from God ... not as MY time ... but as something I do on behalf of others in our services. It's part of my warfare ... it's part of my responsibility to help beat back the darkness in the "atmosphere" so that others can have glimpses of the light of God.
I am starting to see my corporate worship as not only warfare but something we do on behalf of those who don't yet know how ... and when the liberty of the spirit comes and settles in the corporate setting ... people are touched by God in ways that startle me. My kids love coming to our church ... yet often the sermons are pretty intense and practical driven and they lack a real understanding of worship. As we take them time after time though ... they are learning how to worship God ... their lives are being transformed ... messages that on the surface would seem to have little relevance or effect on their lives SPEAK to them. I believe that comes in large measure because of the mantle those in our church have taken up to pray and worship on their behalf ... breaking through resistance and helping to create a spiritual atmosphere that ministers the Lord's touch to our kids and others who have previously had no connection to church.
I believe that the genuine heart praise that people in our church offer up ... not just after they FEEL God themselves but on behalf of others is a profound change rendering exercise. Entering in to worship with purpose ... to praise and touch the Lord ... to invite Him into our midst in glory ... so that He is free to move -- is a great shift in my thinking from the mindset of ... "Ok God ... He's the rocking worship (throw hands up) touch ME." The place normally for me to get a ministering touch from God is in my private time with Him ... not for me to be consumer greedy on Sunday mornings. It's not that God can't touch me AND everyone else that doesn't know how to seek Him on their own ... it's that the shift in perspective is crucial. Instead of getting up on Sunday mornings and heading to the corporate meeting of the body going ... "Ok God ... speak to me, motivate me, teach me, annoint me, give me give me gimmie ... " , it becomes about my responsibility ... my privilege ... my duy ... and my honor to serve IN the house of God WITH the Body of Christ.
To worship ... pray ... cry out to God on behalf of a people who are hurting ... lost ... dying ... IS the heart of God for those people. God loves those hurting, dying, lost people in our neighborhoods, cities, state, country and world that many of us don't even see as we go about our busy lives. Look at the old testiment prophets and leaders ... often they cried out to God on BEHALF of the people ... much less often are they quoted crying out to God on their own behalf. Don't get me wrong ... I'm thankful for David's psalms of crying out to God ... I need examples of those who know how to cry out to God in their own times of crisis! But my Christian life has been focused entirely too much on ME ... on my little things ... my feelings ... my emotions ... and it's really a season for me of ... -getting over myself- and realizing that there is work to do and a hurting world that needs Jesus and that I have a duty as a Warrior and part of the Body of Christ.
I could fill every single gathering with my own demands, needs, and perspective but I am seeing how having a Christ driven perspective for the heart of God's people changes lives ... brings about excitement, anticpation and responsibility that doesn't make us a fat and happy little congregation that hunkers down in the walls of the building praying to be taken on home to be with the Lord. It gives us purpose ... and it changes lives!
Good gravy what a babble ... I pray that it makes some little bit of sense ... this is probably a better 3 hour conversation at Starbucks than blog post kinda thing ... but ... maybe you guys can -get- me in there somewhere.
Admittedly ... for years I've attended to church on the basis of getting my needs met ... of getting FED myself. I wanted a church home that would meet all my needs and this morning ... Pastor Whitt dropped a bomb on that type of thinking for me ... again! ~laughs~ Slowly I am starting to see the church as not a place but a person ... the bride of Christ. I am starting to see meetings of our body as a time to join together ... to cry out to God, stand in the gap for our city and for those who don't know Him, to seek direction about our particular part of the body's assignment in the Body of Christ. I am seeing church as less of the place that is responsible for feeding me and more of a responsibilty I bear with everyone else in advancing God's Body in the neighborhood, city, region, state, country, world .... .
I am starting to view corporate worship as a time to praise God and push back the enemy with those praises on behalf of those who don't know Him yet and less as my little intimate dance with God where He speaks to me. My intimate time with my husband isn't in front of a group of people ... it's in the privacy of our bedroom (or other private location) ... yet for years I've seen corporate worship as a time of personal ministry to me specifically and if I didn't get that ministry -touch- then I was bummed. I am starting to see that my worship corporately helps set the tone for those who are lost or hurting within the service to experience a touch from God ... not as MY time ... but as something I do on behalf of others in our services. It's part of my warfare ... it's part of my responsibility to help beat back the darkness in the "atmosphere" so that others can have glimpses of the light of God.
I am starting to see my corporate worship as not only warfare but something we do on behalf of those who don't yet know how ... and when the liberty of the spirit comes and settles in the corporate setting ... people are touched by God in ways that startle me. My kids love coming to our church ... yet often the sermons are pretty intense and practical driven and they lack a real understanding of worship. As we take them time after time though ... they are learning how to worship God ... their lives are being transformed ... messages that on the surface would seem to have little relevance or effect on their lives SPEAK to them. I believe that comes in large measure because of the mantle those in our church have taken up to pray and worship on their behalf ... breaking through resistance and helping to create a spiritual atmosphere that ministers the Lord's touch to our kids and others who have previously had no connection to church.
I believe that the genuine heart praise that people in our church offer up ... not just after they FEEL God themselves but on behalf of others is a profound change rendering exercise. Entering in to worship with purpose ... to praise and touch the Lord ... to invite Him into our midst in glory ... so that He is free to move -- is a great shift in my thinking from the mindset of ... "Ok God ... He's the rocking worship (throw hands up) touch ME." The place normally for me to get a ministering touch from God is in my private time with Him ... not for me to be consumer greedy on Sunday mornings. It's not that God can't touch me AND everyone else that doesn't know how to seek Him on their own ... it's that the shift in perspective is crucial. Instead of getting up on Sunday mornings and heading to the corporate meeting of the body going ... "Ok God ... speak to me, motivate me, teach me, annoint me, give me give me gimmie ... " , it becomes about my responsibility ... my privilege ... my duy ... and my honor to serve IN the house of God WITH the Body of Christ.
To worship ... pray ... cry out to God on behalf of a people who are hurting ... lost ... dying ... IS the heart of God for those people. God loves those hurting, dying, lost people in our neighborhoods, cities, state, country and world that many of us don't even see as we go about our busy lives. Look at the old testiment prophets and leaders ... often they cried out to God on BEHALF of the people ... much less often are they quoted crying out to God on their own behalf. Don't get me wrong ... I'm thankful for David's psalms of crying out to God ... I need examples of those who know how to cry out to God in their own times of crisis! But my Christian life has been focused entirely too much on ME ... on my little things ... my feelings ... my emotions ... and it's really a season for me of ... -getting over myself- and realizing that there is work to do and a hurting world that needs Jesus and that I have a duty as a Warrior and part of the Body of Christ.
I could fill every single gathering with my own demands, needs, and perspective but I am seeing how having a Christ driven perspective for the heart of God's people changes lives ... brings about excitement, anticpation and responsibility that doesn't make us a fat and happy little congregation that hunkers down in the walls of the building praying to be taken on home to be with the Lord. It gives us purpose ... and it changes lives!
Good gravy what a babble ... I pray that it makes some little bit of sense ... this is probably a better 3 hour conversation at Starbucks than blog post kinda thing ... but ... maybe you guys can -get- me in there somewhere.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros
Thought someone might enjoy this one as well ... gangster/folk rap battle ...
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
What's in it for us?
Mostly Tuesday mornings are a massive pain at work ... we have copious amounts of paperwork to complete ... tons of i's to dot and t's to cross ... but yesturday something amazing happened ...
at 4:45am 5 of my boys got up ... showered, dressed, made their beds, cleaned their rooms, completed their chores, and walked out of the cottage with RJ at 5:15am to be a Men's Prayer by 6am. MY BOYS! The same ones who always want to know what's in it for them ... where are their interests served. The same boys who normally are so battered and conditioned by life to look out for themselves ... the same ones who often barely drag out of bed for the 7:25am school bus. The same ones who are just coming to know God in any way shape or form ... who consistently have made horrible decisions about their lives ... who have been in jail ... been regular drug users ... been in gangs ... have frequently had sex in the bathroom AT SCHOOL with their girlfriends ... who fight way way WAY more than they know how to walk away ... who have professed atheism ... one who was at one time practicing Satanic worship ... who have been abused ... abandoned ... been victimizers & victims ... . The same ones who were up late on Monday night after their opening Basketball team loss ... who in their minds have EVERY reason in the world to be selfish ...
they were up at 4:45am to go to intercessory prayer with the RealMen group at our church, C3Greensboro. They were downing coffee like seasoned veterans and they were praying and sharing what they felt God put on their hearts with 56 other grown men ... most of whom are phenominal prayer warriors. And they were happy and excited to be there ...
I remember those days of all night prayer in college ... the mornings at the Baptist church downtown Boone when we would drag in and pray ... and be happy to be there and praying ...
and then I look at myself now and i wonder ... what happened to that joy ... that excitement when we had a chance to meet with God ... that sense of expectation and wonder and awe that He would speak to us ... instruct us ... answer us ... hold us ... challenge us ...
and then I look at my boys ... and I am humbled ... and I wonder ...
When did growing up mean growing stale with God ... growing apathetic ... growing fat and lazy spiritually ... growing selfish ... sitting around wondering what I was going to get out of worship or church or the message. Looking for MY prophetic word or MY encouragement ... ?? When did it become ok to wallow ... to throw my own "it's just not fresh anymore" pity parties ... indulging my flesh when I wanted to and then having the audacity to turn around and whine because God just wasn't motivating me any more.
I look at my boys ... and I realize it's all a matter of choice. Would I fight harder if it was my life on the line or the lives of those I love. Yes of course I would ... so why don't I see the urgency in my life??? Why is it so easy to tell myself that it's just a day ... no big deal ... ? Why is it now ok in my life to be so casual with God that I refuse to let that sense of urgency and purpose rise up in me and roar? We used to live with it ... used to let it guide us ... used to let it push us to stay up late ... risk rejection ... deny ourselves ...
Now I feel like some old glory days athelete looking back and talking about "when we were on fire" ... and reliving those stories of exploits and daring as though it's all I have to my spiritual credit. When did risks just not become worth it ... ? When did I decide to just ... be grown, settled, and content with the status quo? When did I become so important to myself that my comfort and my -needs- and my feelings supercede my need to press INTO God and fight the good fight?
I wonder about it all ... then think about the looks on the faces of my ragtag boys as they get excited about the privledge of getting up at 4:45am to go pray ...
Caroline
at 4:45am 5 of my boys got up ... showered, dressed, made their beds, cleaned their rooms, completed their chores, and walked out of the cottage with RJ at 5:15am to be a Men's Prayer by 6am. MY BOYS! The same ones who always want to know what's in it for them ... where are their interests served. The same boys who normally are so battered and conditioned by life to look out for themselves ... the same ones who often barely drag out of bed for the 7:25am school bus. The same ones who are just coming to know God in any way shape or form ... who consistently have made horrible decisions about their lives ... who have been in jail ... been regular drug users ... been in gangs ... have frequently had sex in the bathroom AT SCHOOL with their girlfriends ... who fight way way WAY more than they know how to walk away ... who have professed atheism ... one who was at one time practicing Satanic worship ... who have been abused ... abandoned ... been victimizers & victims ... . The same ones who were up late on Monday night after their opening Basketball team loss ... who in their minds have EVERY reason in the world to be selfish ...
they were up at 4:45am to go to intercessory prayer with the RealMen group at our church, C3Greensboro. They were downing coffee like seasoned veterans and they were praying and sharing what they felt God put on their hearts with 56 other grown men ... most of whom are phenominal prayer warriors. And they were happy and excited to be there ...
I remember those days of all night prayer in college ... the mornings at the Baptist church downtown Boone when we would drag in and pray ... and be happy to be there and praying ...
and then I look at myself now and i wonder ... what happened to that joy ... that excitement when we had a chance to meet with God ... that sense of expectation and wonder and awe that He would speak to us ... instruct us ... answer us ... hold us ... challenge us ...
and then I look at my boys ... and I am humbled ... and I wonder ...
When did growing up mean growing stale with God ... growing apathetic ... growing fat and lazy spiritually ... growing selfish ... sitting around wondering what I was going to get out of worship or church or the message. Looking for MY prophetic word or MY encouragement ... ?? When did it become ok to wallow ... to throw my own "it's just not fresh anymore" pity parties ... indulging my flesh when I wanted to and then having the audacity to turn around and whine because God just wasn't motivating me any more.
I look at my boys ... and I realize it's all a matter of choice. Would I fight harder if it was my life on the line or the lives of those I love. Yes of course I would ... so why don't I see the urgency in my life??? Why is it so easy to tell myself that it's just a day ... no big deal ... ? Why is it now ok in my life to be so casual with God that I refuse to let that sense of urgency and purpose rise up in me and roar? We used to live with it ... used to let it guide us ... used to let it push us to stay up late ... risk rejection ... deny ourselves ...
Now I feel like some old glory days athelete looking back and talking about "when we were on fire" ... and reliving those stories of exploits and daring as though it's all I have to my spiritual credit. When did risks just not become worth it ... ? When did I decide to just ... be grown, settled, and content with the status quo? When did I become so important to myself that my comfort and my -needs- and my feelings supercede my need to press INTO God and fight the good fight?
I wonder about it all ... then think about the looks on the faces of my ragtag boys as they get excited about the privledge of getting up at 4:45am to go pray ...
Caroline
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Pressing in ...
Tonight we took all 8 of our boys to our church ... it was the most amazing experience I've ever had with young people. I'm almost too overwhelmed to talk about it ... one of my boys who has adamently said He doesn't believe in God at all got saved tonight. Another who has never openly made any positive comment about God make a declaration of faith as well. Our boys raised their hands ... praised God with all their hearts ... participated in deep prayer for each other and our city ... then came home and wanted to pray for each other again before we could get them to go to bed.
I'm humbled to see how AWESOME the hand of God is ... and to realize how profoundly important our responsibility in their lives is. For those of you who still pray for us ... for those of you who prayed for us today ... I can't thank you enough. Today there are blossoms on the vine ... and I pray that God will show us how to protect, nurture, encourage, and guide those blossoms into amazing fruit. I have this feeling in my heart that some of you are going to be meeting our boys soon ... I can hardly wait for that day!
I love you guys ... across miles ... and time ... and I'm so thankful that for God ... there IS NO time or distance! You are precious friends who have been points of inspiration to us when You've had no idea that you were ... and I am so grateful to be able to call you family ... in frequent contact and in times of separation. You guys are amazing!
Caroline
I'm humbled to see how AWESOME the hand of God is ... and to realize how profoundly important our responsibility in their lives is. For those of you who still pray for us ... for those of you who prayed for us today ... I can't thank you enough. Today there are blossoms on the vine ... and I pray that God will show us how to protect, nurture, encourage, and guide those blossoms into amazing fruit. I have this feeling in my heart that some of you are going to be meeting our boys soon ... I can hardly wait for that day!
I love you guys ... across miles ... and time ... and I'm so thankful that for God ... there IS NO time or distance! You are precious friends who have been points of inspiration to us when You've had no idea that you were ... and I am so grateful to be able to call you family ... in frequent contact and in times of separation. You guys are amazing!
Caroline
The Long Sleep ...
It's been an insane 6 months or so for RJ and I ... much much work ... some struggles ... some victories ... . I've missed you guys very much ... it's just been hard to find the energy to sit down and start sharing but last night on the way home from Women's prayer ... I basically realized it's spring again ... and a year ago I started this blog to keep myself focused ... I still need that focus. I still need your voices in my life! I'll write more soon and probably do some redesign ... and I'll try to rouse RJ from His slumber as well and get him back in the writing mode.
love,
Caroline
love,
Caroline
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