End of Harvest!

We had an amazing garden this year! Seriously we want chickens. Farmers in the Burbs! 

Romping at 11,200 feet!

Love Colorado life! 

Worship

 

 

 

For several years I have had the blessing to sing on the Worship Team at Radiant Church. Besides intimately praying with some of my favorite Sisters in Christ worship is my very favorite time at Radiant. We have been blessed with an amazing Worship and Media department, our Worship Pastor and the associates in that office have such a heart to serve and praise The Lord. There is something so powerful when the right combination of leaders work together in Christ, and we have been blessed at Radiant for sure.

I could go on and on about corporate worship and how powerful it is to sing with the congregation at Radiant, however my thoughts are a little different today. 

 

During the last several weeks, Gary and I have been participating in a church wide fast. We have been focusing on making more time for God in our lives. Gary and I have been fasting our lunch hours and dinner time several times a week to feel a more profound hunger for God. During my prayer time and fasting time I have learned to journal and write things down. I don’t know if it is a change or shift in world events but I have had this powerful heaviness on me and somehow it always leads back to corporate worship. I feel like we are missing it. I’m not talking about my church I’m talking about churches in general. I love to check out other churches web sites and watch services from local community churches and even nationally known services. I saw something really strange the other day, I was watching a service from one of the local churches here in the Springs area and these two worship leaders were singing and it was great but there was no glory to God, no praying no scripture just two people singing very well, not to mention no praise to The Lord. I thought this was so strange where was the worship of our King? I actually watched the entire service to just see if I missed the praise, but I didn’t. That worship set did not even involve Christ it did however involve two great singers and a fantastic band.  Just this past weekend we did something fun and played with the lighting in our own service, I did not think anything of it but afterwards I realized it was a possible distraction for those who had pressed into Christ and were in that moment with Him and here we are taking the focus off of Him and placing it back on us. Not our intention at all and thankfully my Worship Pastor addressed just that very moment in our rehearsal meeting. It was one of those moments that felt really good and we wanted to creatively honor God with playing with lighting, however those moments of well-intentioned creativity can be misinterpreted. I have also see a growing trend of a vocalist singing a well-known song and changing it up a bit. Is there anything wrong with this, absolutely not. But when you are leading a thousand people to sing a song and we the vocalist do our own rendition it’s a distraction, how can the congregation follow and sing themselves?  I myself am a huge lover of singing and dancing and shouting to the Lord but maybe I, with all my good intention of praising Jesus have also become a distraction. This is weighing heavily on me. I don’t ever want to be a distraction. I want my posture, my voice and my actions to exude Christ. I want the people at Radiant to feel as excited as I do when I get the opportunity to enter into his presence and worship him. With all my energy and excitement of the moment of exalting Christ, have I myself taken away from the Glory and Praise of Him and placed the focus on me?

 

I sing several times in this next month and I am going to change the way I worship a bit. I don’t ever want to be a distraction but I want to exalt Christ with every sound and movement I make. I am going to pray for focus and intention in worship, by following my leaders and not showcasing in any way. I want to be seen and heard by The One Who matters and not in any other form.  This does not mean I will not be having fun in worship, but I am going to be very intentional in listening to Christ, listening to the lyrics of the song and following His leading and not my own emotion with the music. I believe as a worship leader we walk a very fine line and in no way shape or form do we ever, ever want to be caught in a performance. As leaders in our church we will be judged on our actions, leading and teachings.  I am also going to make an intended plan to pray weekly for our corporate worship time,  my Worship Pastor and all other leaders and bandmates. This is so important and I have slacked off in this department over the last year. I am going to pray for our friendships to turn into family, our rehearsals to be Spirit led and for everyone to be over and above prepared for the moment of spontaneity. Above all my focus on prayer is for our Holy Spirit to lead us where He wants us to go, if that means ignore the clock then we will be prepared to do so, if it means for us all to bow and pray then we will follow His leading, I will pray for my heart and other leaders hearts to be God focused and that His words will be placed on the tip of our tongs. I’m also going to pray for a boldness to come from unexpected places, it’s time for my heart to be brave and opportunity to arise for me to lead again. I’m excited for this season at Radiant. We have an amazing Worship Pastor and team that are focused on honoring God, it’s exciting to see where The Lord is going to take us during this time of worshipping in Spirit and Truth.

Our Servant

Lilly has a beautiful servants heart. Today she was up at 5:30 AM willing and ready to serve others. She is an amazing little girl and we are so blessed she is ours! She had adventured into serving in Critter County with Radiants babies. This is on top of being a jr. Worship leader and jr helper in her own classes at church. 

Train a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it. 

Side note on my weightloss.

We are involved with a fifty day campaign at our church called Essentials. During this campaign Gary and I are fasting. I typically fast every day during my lunch hour and dinner several times a week. Although I'm also on a weightloss journey  and undoubtably this fasting will have an affect on my body, my purpose is to hunger for God in a way I have never felt before. I am a believer in what the bible says and we are taking this time to draw closer in prayer to God words. 

Weightloss

I'm still losing weight I'm up to 34 pounds lost. I'm eating very vegetarian during the week along with fasting Lunch and Dinner on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On the weekend I do eat pretty much what I want within reason. I'm still walking/running about five miles a day. It's working, I have a long way to go but I'm motivated and will continue this journey! I'm excited for the beach and being free! 

Shooting

Well we have created two little shooting monsters! Lilly and Owen totally enjoyed it. We were so proud how they handled themselves at the range. The Range guys  that I called Range Bouncers were so nice to the kids. It was a great day!!

Fravelts ok they are really Fravels!

Our friends Scott and Ruthie had the idea to meet at Fox Run Park for s'mores! It was such a fun night! I brought along some glow stick and kids had a blast! This is one of our favorite families, they have six kids all boys and one girl. Owen loves hanging out with Josh! 

Date Day

Gary and I had a whole day off together! It was wonderful. We went Christmas Shopping for the kids and to lunch. We are already planning our next day! 

Weight Loss Wednesday

30 POUNDS BAM! My brother was right. He told me to have a cheat day, I was terrified but I did it and the weight is starting to come off again! 

Fall....meh.

More than likely the last Radiant Word and devo outside this year. This was a great summer, we did so much and loved every second of it! 

 

Sleeping Pretty

This is the sweetest and prettiest little girl! I adore her. 

Apples

Some people drive miles and miles to pick apples. We walk to Grammies and Grampys! 

Weight Loss Wednesday YHOOO 1st Goal!

I hit my first goal! I started this journey on June 26^, 2014 and I have consistently lost about 2 pounds a week I've lost a little over 25 pounds! I’m up to walking about 5 miles a day and eating healthy. Gary and I are joining our church for a 50 day fast. We can fast anything we choose, media, sports, reading entertainment books anything that can take time away from The Lord and we have chosen to fast our lunch and dinner. There will be some days that we will have dinner but our lunches will be devoted to the Lord. I’m very thankful for this journey. I have never felt so close to God, I know who I’m hungry for and it is not food!  Who knew that doctors were right about exercise and eating right. Looking forward to the next 50 to hit my goal! I’m going to wear my wedding dress for weeks!

 

 

 

Weight Loss, Who Cares What Day It Is!

I lost another two pounds! I literally am two pounds away from my first goal! The Lord is speaking to me and I'm so motivated to lose this weight. I would love if it would come off faster but I'm excited non the less to be losing! On my way to being a healthy and cuter me! Lol!! 

Saturday Mornings

My favorite time of the week is Saturday morning at home. Love my little family. 

Homework

This is our after dinner activity every Monday-Thursday. 

Fox Run Park

We love this park! It was a beautiful day. 

Weight loss Thursday because it's a short week and I forgot what day it is! :)

I have official lost 21 pounds!! Only 44 more to go. It's going slow like turtles running through peanut butter but it's going! 😊

We Are Farmers!

We are farmers in the burbs! I just need chickens!