Insert Job Title Here________

So these are a few of the titles that I carry, Worship Leader/Singer Songwriter/Public Speaker, and honestly I have very little clue about how to do any of them except that I know God has called me to glorify Him through these means.

My husband and I had a wonderful night sharing our testimony of God's healing in our marriage. I loved leading worship with my Celebrate Recovery family. I loved sharing a song of encouragement that I wrote and I loved standing next to my husband and telling our story. It all went well....really well....And I am always in shock when that happens. Let me explain that.....

As my husband and I talked on the way home, we both marveled at how there is really nothing that special about us, there is nothing extraordinary about my worship leading or our presentation when we give our testimony. Nothing, but the fact that we ask God to strip ourselves away and help us to present what we have without expectation and sit back and watch God's spirit move among His people.

As a worship leader and speaker there is, at times, a pressure to be on, having to be so spectacular and dynamic that you move people into an amazing experience of worship. What I KNOW to be true is that I have none of that.... all I have, by God's grace, is the ability to simply go before the Lord (with a microphone in hand & people watching me) and present what I have, as simple as it is, and leave it at that. Worship leading, singing, writing and speaking is simply an offering of being present, being honest, being transparent before the Lord SO THAT He can do what He does so perfectly.....Move the hearts of his people.

John the baptist had nothing great to offer physically (in fact, I'm sure people thought he was insane...and coincidentally there are times when people think I'm crazy too, but that's a different story), but He was present, submitting to the Father, testifying of the promise to come and the Spirit moved through him to prepare hearts.

The apostle Paul  was spoken of like this.."For some say, 'His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.'" To which the apostles Paul says "such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present." II Corinthians 10:10

There was nothing spectacular about the Apostle Paul, yet I don't think anyone will argue the impact He had on the world and spreading the gospel.....so that had to be the power of God working through a humbled man present to be used by God.

This is what was said of Jesus..."He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire him." Isaiah 53:2. Jesus was simply present in the most powerful way. He, the perfect example of being present and submitting to the Father's will.

My encouragement from Christ is this. I don't have to be concerned with being spectacular, having the worlds best set, a full band, wearing just the right outfit to speak or worship lead in or a fog machine with amazing lighting (ok, the fog machine does hide wrinkles, just sayin...but, I'm not concerned). My concern is that I am humbly present before God, worshiping Him alone, speaking boldly the truth that He shares in His Word, trusting that as I put out my best and honest worship, that HE WILL show up and move the hearts of His people, because I am not the Holy Spirit, nor do I want to be.

Friends, I am NOTHING and I am happy with that. My prayer this night was that God would strip away everything that I am and the only thing left was only what resembled Christ.

God is faithful, God is amazing and He is amazing in and through us. That's the only reason people can look at us and say we are amazing, because of who is in us. "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" I John 4:4

May you be encouraged that God can and will use you no matter what. Come before Him and lay it all out and watch what He does with your offering and sacrifice. Sometimes you may be blessed to witness it, other times you may be blessed trusting that God is doing something EVEN IF you don't get to see it on this side of heaven.

Do Special

We live in an age of auto-correct. We type, we do not proof and then we hit post, just to find out the auto-correct genie has struck again (at least this is the story of my life.) The good thing is that we can normally figure out what people meant to say and simply blame it on the auto correct genie.

I find it funny that my phone changes God to good and good to god. The word Instagram got changed to undrafted on Facebook the other day, but I think Facebook did that one on purpose. I have to admit I have had some very embarrassing attacks from the AT-genie that I won't share here (hence, the word embarrassing.)

But, sometimes I find the irony of the AT-genie quite inspiring. She makes me look at things differently. One of my favorites was when I was emailing a friend of mine discussing the fact that someone threw the verse about women are to "remain silent" in church at me regarding me sharing and "teaching" (NOT going to go into that now, because that's not the point, so don't get me started.) However, it auto corrected/spell checked itself to: women are to "Remain SENT." When I replied to my friend about what I meant to type, he pointed out that the truth was that we ARE to remain SENT!  So thank you to the AT-genie for reminding me that I am to remain sent to do God's will, to answer His call. Hard to do that with my mouth shut and without the Word of God.

Now, what really got me rolling on this today was the latest AT-genie attack. My friend commented on Facebook about the fact that I was so excited to see her last night that I (literally) picked her up. She said it was "do special." I'm guessing what she meant was that it was "SO special." I like DO SPECIAL!

My motto for this day is DO SPECIAL. Special is as special does. Special moments are created when we act, when we love, when we do. That, my friend, is pretty special. So as it says in James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Let's go DO Special! Do Love! Do what it says! God Bless!

A Healthy Moment

Today, I'm doing the public service portion of my blog. After I posted this picture on my FB page, my sweet friend commented that she didn't know what some of this stuff was. So Rachel, this is in honor of you!! Love you girl. And no worries, I only know about it because my Mom keeps me up to date.

I'm not a health nut, but there are a few things, especially with being on the road, that are essential in keeping me healthy. Being on airplanes, singing and sometimes licking other peoples microphones (which is why I carry my own most times), and sometimes not getting much sleep, I have found that these little things have been very helpful.

1. The Word of God. I can't live without it-LITERALLY. Having a great body (which I am NOT claiming) means absolutely nothing if the Word of God does not dwell in me richly. It is life and it is a non-negotiable. My husband and I were talking the other day about a time, maybe 13+ years ago, when I was 5'9' (I'm shrinking) and down to 125lbs. I was running twice a day (obsessively), not eating much, smoking, drinking and wearing a size 5 jeans. I looked really good (on the outside) but, inside my life was a mess until God intervened in a massive way. Speaking of which you can watch my testimony here. #1 The Word!

2. My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I have been reading this daily devotion for years. I always find something new in it. I have a few copies of it, but for some reason the torn up, paper clipped version remains my favorite travelling companion. You can read these online as well. 

3. TriVita Vital C Crystal Powder. It is a great powder form of pure Vitamin C and gets absorbed right into your body and does the job. I have not found a better form or more powerful form of Vitamin C. In my house we jokingly call it C-crack. It's that good (not that crack is good. Crack is BAD!) When my daughter feels a cold coming on she immediately asks for the C-crack. It is a little pricey, but coming from one of the worlds cheapest gals.."You get what you pay for"  This stuff is worth it. TriVita C Crysal Powder

4. HerbaSway All Natural Memory Support. I call it my Memory juice. Basically it's blueberry extract. A dropper full a day. For someone like me who has horrible memory and retention skills, which can be a problem when trying to sing and play songs (even the ones that I have written) at a concert. Once I began taking this, I noticed a huge improvement in my ability to memorize songs, chords and my children's names. HerbaSway

5. TriVita Nopelea juice. Again, this one is pricey, but well worth it. It's my miracle juice. It takes commitment as it is a natural anti-inflammatory. It's not a quick fix, but with time shows great results. I have arthritis throughout my body. Mornings are tough as I take my first steps out of bed. When I first began using this, I remember the day when I woke up got out of bed and the pain was gone. It was a miracle and if you have suffered from chronic pain, you know what I'm talking about. Unfortunately, some major life events happened that got me off my schedule and I stopped my routine and the pain all came back. So, I am now restarting the regimen, 60 days of a high dosing period, after that I cut my intake down. I am in my first month of re-combating the inflammation. Check in with me in a few months and I'll tell you how it goes. TriVita Nopelea

6. Greens..No brand plugs here. I don't know if they work except that It's good to get all your veggies and fruits in and if you are on the go a lot, using this as a supplement is great. 

7. Glucosamine Chondrotin because my doctor said I'm getting old. Bone health is important, so I take it. 

8. WATER...always!

9. Coffee, because God is good! The mug with a seal top because I spill everything, especially when I'm on the plane, train or in the automobile.

10. Underwear....Not pictured here, but kinda important. I can wear jeans twice, maybe even my tops, NOT my socks and especially NOT my panties. Is that too much information? If so, welcome to my world and enjoy the ride!

Maybe half of this was helpful #10, I'm sure not at all. But this is the first packing phase as I head to Chicago for the Tour!!

Coming Home Tour #chicago

Tour Dates For This Week

Coming Home Tour

Hope Fest 2013 RE-CAP

Hope Fest Arizona 2013! It happened, now the day is over, but the work continues. The work to bring hope, to serve, to love, to clothe our neighbors and so much more. I want to share just a few highlights of the day. I am going to skip over the part where I got extremely frustrated with the man who stood in a parking spot right where I wanted to unload my gear and wouldn't let me in because he had been standing there saving the spot for 15 minutes. Yes, God dealt with me on that by saying these words (which sounded a lot like my husbands voice) "Mia, do you want to be right or do you want to be righteous?" To be right would mean to argue over a parking spot to be righteous which my husband is, means to move on, forgive, love and find a different spot, even if it means a longer unloading trip.

I am always amazed how sneaky my sin is when it creeps in my mind and I don't even recognize it until I've opened my mouth. Can I remind you, I am a work in progress!! After the Lord dealt with me on that issue and forgave my repentant heart, I was off and able to experience an amazing day! 

Walking among all the vendors, I had a great chance to talk with them and hear their hearts through their stories of faith, strength and hope. I re-connected with Monnie, who I first met when I was arranging vendors for a festival that I was involved in and she was just getting re-started and had not acquired all the supplies she needed. By God's design, my husband and I had the canopy, table and chairs that she needed and she re-launched her business. Now I got to see her at Hope Fest with an amazing booth, non stop traffic and a huge smile. She is such a great encouragement to me. I admit, I kinda felt like a Mamma who had birthed a baby and watched her grow into an amazing women! Check her out at faithwearforever.com

I met up with a facebook friend (now an in face friend), Deni, who embraced me with tears as I walked by. As she shared her heart we both rejoiced that God is a God of restoration and healing. Now she sells jewelry with Compelling Creations! The jewelry was so powerful that just reading the descriptions of the designs made my heart full. Here is her website and you can also find her on Facebook. Another awesome gal!  

There were so many other amazing vendors, it is hard to name them all. I guess you will just have to come to Prescott, AZ next year and visit them all with me again!

Throughout the day, there were baptisms, prayer tents, testimonies, outreach to the homeless, free hugs and music. Lots of music.

It was a blessing to see bands, that I now call friends, like Faith by Fire, Covenant 31 and Brian Weaver. A big thank you goes out to Brian for letting me bum a ride up the mountain with him, his 2 dogs, Chris the guitar player and all the gear. He wasn't kidding when he said there might not be room. So I sat in the front seat with my two bags packed between my feet and legs and a dog on my lap. Just like that, we made the trek. I have to admit it was fun cuddling with his sweet doggy! 

FLASHBACK MOMENT 

Hope Fest Eve. The night before Hope Fest, Brian Weaver played at the Celebrate Recovery @ The Heights in Prescott. Always a joy to watch him and even be able to help him out with his merch table.

FLASH FORWARD

Not only is it great connecting with bands I know, it is a blessing to meet new musicians. My merch table was right next to a young couple that travels full time in music ministry. It was fun to talk with them, but to watch them do what God has called them to blew my mind. Dusty is a Hip Hop artist (AND A GOOD ONE) and his wife Krystal is a singer and paint artist. They incorporate it all in their ministry and set. LOVED IT!! My greatest compliment (at least I think it is) when I meet a hip hop artist is this "I'm not really a hip hop fan, but I LOVED that." Dusty is so kind to see my heart through that ridiculous comment as I haven't yet mastered the art of political correctness or tact. They are so gifted, called by the Lord, sent to share their testimony and lift up the name of Christ! They are "Irregular4Christ" and ready to travel! 

Check them out!

With all the independent artists that were there, many of us rely on help. We can't do it alone. When someone says that they are willing to drive up to Prescott, get a hotel and volunteer at your booth to watch and run your table so that you are free to sing and meet with people, there is only one answer...YES!!!

I'm not sure if there are words that can adequately express how grateful I am to these two ladies. I kept saying "I don't know what I would do with out you." It was true, they were amazing, selfless and willing. They really are not volunteers, they are partners in the ministry. They are friends!

Thank you Deby! Thank you Lisa! As you can see by the photo, they didn't just help me, but also Brain Weaver, Faith By Fire...all of us!

With my table in good hands, I was able to go and do the main thing I came to do...SING!

This is where I get blown away (again). First off, I was blessed to have Jerry sit in with me on base. He was so great. It takes great skill to play with me. A midst the wrong chords (played by me),  playing the song in a different key (me again) adding or subtracting a bridge here or there (give you one guess who did that), Jerry was a pro and able to follow my every crazy move and mishap.

(so thankful to Karmen for the photos, always the last thing I think about when playing)

One of my favorite parts of the set, especially because this was sponsored by Celebrate Recovery, was being able to share bits of my testimony, what God has done in my life, how awesome our Lord is and the song I wrote for the Celebrate Recovery inspired Home Run Movie CD ~ "You Are Not Alone" (looking forward to recording my own version soon)

I also sang a new song I wrote with Mark Snyder called 

Jesus Loves Me (ok, actually I haven't named it, but lets just go with that for now)

I Choose To Praise You

Rags

Shelter In The Wind

Oh Lord You're Beautiful

It's what happened after the set that blew my mind. The rush of people who were there waiting and had beaten me to my merchandise booth and the fact that they all waited after they bought CD's to talk and share their hearts was overwhelming. 

To talk with a man who received hope through the songs because he was just diagnosed with cancer that week, to hear from a man who is praying for a marriage restoration, a woman who even 20 minutes after I was done was still weeping because of what the Holy Spirit moved in her through listening to the music and words I shared on stage..... to have people come up to me in tears because the Spirit spoke to them through the songs.....a lady who was telling her friend on the way there, "I just wish some one would sing a Keith Green song" and then to hear it at the end of my set and worship to the words of that amazing man, blessed her heart and blessed my rejoicing heart as well. It overwhelms me.

Story after story, hug after hug, prayer after prayer, I stand amazed at what God does when we simply obey. Amazed at what God does through broken, imperfect people who stumble and fall, but people that know the voice that lifts them back up.

It is my joy to sing, to share my testimony, to be used by God as He has gifted me, but more than that it is a responsibility. When God has done an amazing thing, my response and responsibility is to go and tell.

Yes, it is a joy. Yes it is a responsibility and Yes it is also an Honor.

An honor that I do not take for granted or take lightly. 

Whatever vocation we are given, we have a story to tell. It's the beautiful story of the redemption of mankind, the story of redemption in our lives. We all have different ways of doing it, but we all are called to do it.

Hope Fest Arizona answered the call. They just did it and they will continue to do it, even when the music stops playing. Hope Fest is more than a festival it is the hands and feet of Jesus serving God through broken people who celebrate all that God has done and will continue to do.

It is because of the hearts of the Hope Fest team, that I count it a joy and honor to have partnered with them to share the story.

~Hope Serves~

Hopefully you made it to the end of this post, because I am saving the best for last. None of this would have happened without the Lord. The few stories and miracles that I heard of and the countless ones I did not get to hear are testimony to God's hand and providence for this event. He really was there EVERY step of the way, providing it all. 

A huge blessing and thanks go to these two who heard the call and gathered God's people to action. Thank you Jaye Lene and thank you David. May God's blessings continue to flow over your lives!

(and thank you Monika for this beautiful picture I snagged off of FB)

"But, I don't want to pray"

It is sometimes easy and always a joy for me to write blog entries of what God is doing in my life, the joys I see in others and the encouraging truths He reveals.

Today is not one of those days. Today is the day that I typically don't write about because it doesn't make me look very good, but today I think I need to.

I always tell people how imperfect I am. We all are right? But sometimes we (and by we, I mean, I) don't showcase our real imperfections, our secret struggles because people might really know who we are and who wants to do that...to really do that. But I have learned repeatedly that it takes to much energy to pretend to be something that I am not, so here goes!

There is a sweet lady that I knew growing up, her name is Mary. She really is "perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). OK, obviously she is not and she would probably give you a list of her sinful flaws, none of which I would believe except for the fact that no one is perfect on this side of heaven.

Enough of me avoiding the point of my sin. As I was reading in Matthew 5 today, the heading for verses 43-48 said "Love Your Enemies." I read it as I have read it before saying of course I will pray for my enemies, for those who are against me (Yes, I have a few.) Yes, Lord I will pray for those that don't like me, I will pray for them, my enemies, that's easy! Maybe I'll just pray that they like me and we'll all be good, right?

God did not let me slide through these verses today. He stopped me and said, "No, YOUR enemies, the ones that YOU are against, the ones that you dislike, the ones that make your stomach turn, the ones that slander rolls so easily off your tongue about....THOSE enemies!" To which I quickly replied "I don't want to pray for THEM!" (There are so many times that my birth order reveals itself in my conversations with the Lord. Yes, I am the baby of seven.)

As I sat there with my Bible and my pouty lip, knowing what the Word said, knowing what God revealed to me, I had a choice. I could refuse to pray for them, I could pretend pray, or I could ask the Spirit of God to guide my words.

Today, this was a tough one to swallow. I have learned my lessons the hard way about disobeying the Lord, especially when He speaks to me and makes it crystal clear. So, I asked the Spirit to guide my words and I began to pray blessings on my enemies, those two people that I just don't like. God gave the words as my stomach literally turned to the point that I wanted to throw up. I guess I felt a little like Noah, not even wanting these people to be blessed. At the end of it, God showed me that it's gonna be difficult, it's not always fun, but as I release these people from the wrong I "feel" that have done to me, He will bless them and He will bless my heart with a peace that I will not even be able to understand.

So, now, I sit hear...heavy hearted and a little bit teary, because I know the battle that rages in my heart as I learn to forgive people who probably have very little clue the bitterness I have towards them.

While I may not be outright mean to these people, I may not even cross paths that often with them, for me, the danger is deeper, because it's a bitter-root in my heart and it pops up at the most unpredictable times.

Yesterday, God laid two beautiful women on my heart to pray for...that was easy, THAT was a joy. Today, God called me to pray again, but for my enemies, That's NOT easy, But God's strength is perfect and I know that as I pray His will, He WILL change my heart. That's a JOY.

I am humbled. I surrender. LOVE WINS!

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Living the Life......in Christ!

What vocation are you in? 

Jesus at His baptism entered the vocation of "Bearing away the sins of the World." 

May we be encouraged in our calling knowing that Christ has equipped us with all that we need because of the vocation that He filled flawlessly. 

Live the Life~Live it Loud

Share what God has called you to do and how He is equipping you.

I would love to hear!

The Buzzings in My Head

I don't have the answers, but I always have a lot of questions. So if you are curious about what's rumbling around in my head and heart today, here goes!

I have, for years, struggled with Trust. Then, when I think I have it curbed, I go through the 12 steps and see how far I have to go. God is always working to grow me in this area, particularly in the area of trusting others.

So, if my heart cry is to trust God more, how does that translate into trusting other people? Is it a cop out to say I trust God, just not people.... probably!

How do I learn when to trust others after having confidentialities broken repeatedly and simply want to trust God alone with my secrets and heart cries?

What does TRUST really look like in my life? Where is that line when I lack trust in God and put more trust in my own abilities. My prayer there is that God would reveal those areas in my life quickly.

Well, that's just what is swimming around today. What I do know is that God if faithful in all areas of my life and the lives of those who TRUST in Him.

So I trust the Lord and at the same time ask Him to help me with my lack of it.  

One day I will strive no more, but until then, I count it all joy to be refined through the fire.

What area does God repeatedly refine in you? 

S.L.U.T. Whaaaaat?

As I was driving to a women's event tonight that I was singing and speaking at, I spent time praying, going over my set list in my head and talking through my testimony. Thinking about my testimony and all the patterns of living that God had redeemed me from, I said to the Lord "Man, I used to be such a whore, such a slut. If people really knew how bad and lost I was would they really want to listen to anything I had to say?"......to which God always replies "Yes, it is in your weakness that I am strong. I have redeemed it all, now go and tell people how forgiving and strong I AM!"

It was a short conversation. But then He said to me "You know, Mia, you really WERE a slut." Through that whisper He showed me what a slut really was.... what I really was....and what I am no more. It wasn't about the guys or the partying; the drinking or the sneaking around behind my families back, no, it was about one thing. Then he gave me this acronym and opened my eyes to the truth. He said you were Someone Longing to Understand the Treasure that you were.

It all made sense. Because of my misconceptions of who I was, the lack of believing the truth that I was dearly loved and forgiven, I went on a search for anything to fill the hole that I felt was in my life as I longed to understand the treasure. Little did I know, so many years ago, that the answer was found in Jesus and Jesus alone!

I am no longer a bad S.L.U.T but a good S.L.U.T
I am now Someone Living in the Understanding of the Treasure

PS. There's nothing like worship leading, sharing your testimony and coming right out to a group of women that you don't know and telling them I used to be a SLUT!  Come to find out there were a lot of us there who now stand redeemed living under a new understanding. Thank Be To God!!


II Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

**Please pray as I dig deeper into the S.L.U.T theme and share and teach from God's Word on this subject.

Hanging in the Hallway

This picture reminds me of a period in my life about three years ago.

God told me to prepare my music, assemble a band and practice. That meant a lot of practicing in the "hallway" until he opened the door. At times it got frustrating, at times it caused others to not want to hang in for the long haul.

Yet, God told me to continue to practice, to continue to prepare. I didn't understand it. As I talked with a good friend, she asked me, "What if God never opens the door, will you continue to prepare?"

My answer and what kept me going was my reply of "yes." 

Maybe what God wanted from me was to worship him in my "hallway", maybe He wanted to use the hallway as my final destination or maybe He wanted me to be still until things were prepared for me to exit.

Regardless, my answer was to remain in the hallway...in my living room until He told me to wait no more.

What I didn't see, what I could not have imagined was what was on the other side of that door. He did open the door, I did walk through and God blew my mind. 

Even if he never opens another door for me, I will remain in this hallway worshiping Him, praising Him and thanking Him for who He is regardless.

Don't Forget to Flush

There really are not enough words or exclamation points to adequately express how excited I am today!!!! As much as I want to break my Facebook addiction (everything in moderation), there is something awesome in the way it allows us to track down just about anybody from our past (sometimes that's a blessing...sometimes it's a curse.)

Today, it was a blessing!

I have not talked to this gal, Shannon (the white girl in the picture who played the black street smart girl way better than I did in this production, lol) since November of 1998 when we did the show "Little Shop of Horrors" together. I am so grateful and a bit overwhelmed with joy to have been able to talk and share with her the impact she made on my life.

During the run of this show, when I was living in complete disobedience, she was the only one who knew about my sin. She had the courage to tell me I was wrong, that I needed to repent and the decency to speak truth to me as an ambassador for Christ all while extending her love and friendship. A great example of speaking the truth in love!

In a day when so many are scared to speak truth, this spunky, lover of Jesus, showed no fear in confronting my sin. That seed, her voice, rang in my heart for YEARS. Every time I share my testimony, still to this day, I remember her voice of truth, her courage and lack of fear......Today, I got to thank her for being a light in my journey. I praise God for her and the courage she dared to show in my life.

And if I can quote her as she again encouraged me today and reminded me of the new creations we are and our need for daily renewal...our daily bread.....she so eloquently said........"We all have a floater, that one piece that just won't flush"  (I remember why I loved this gal so much.) Thank God that he flushes it away and makes us new!!

So, my friends, don't forget to flush daily. 

Remember we have the Master Plumber waiting to renew us and make us new!

You can check out Shannon's career and follow what she's up to these days. God continues to use her in the church, in her family, through her creativity and her gift of entertainment and more energy than I will ever have!

You can like her on Facebook
Shade 'N Shannon

The Tempo Players "Little Shop of Horrors Nov. 1998
Shannon~Allyssa~Mia

His Call~His Will

"God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken." ~Oswald Chambers

I don't know about you, but for what I have been going through this week, the conversations I have been having with my husband alongside my prayers and cries to Jesus, this hit the nail on the head.

God , through His son Christ Jesus, by the power of His Holy Spirit has again met me where I am at, reminded me of His grace, His perfect love and sacrifice and has once again encouraged me to abide in Him, to trust Him and to be all about His good and perfect will.

I am always amazed how He brings the right Bible passage at the right time. It's like He wrote it all down just for me...oh wait, He did! And He did it for you too, just for YOU!!

May you be encouraged by God's Word in Luke 18:31-34 today. And may the devotion by Oswald Chambers add a bit of insight for you as well. God Bless!~ Mia  

Luke 18:31-34 

Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time

31 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; 33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again. 34 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

The Bewildering Call of God~Oswald Chambers

08

05

2013

’. . . and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.’ . . . But they understood none of these things . . . —Luke 18:31, 34

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.

This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.

If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

~My Utmost For His Highest

Finishing That Thought....

So it has been a few weeks since I returned from my whirlwind weekend  which looked a little like this....Friday night concert in Pittsburgh, PA for the LWML National Convention, a Saturday noon set in Prescott Valley, AZ and then an evening concert opening for Casting Crowns, followed by a next day fly out to San Antonio TX to speak and sing to 27,000+ youth at the Alamodome for the National Youth Gathering. Wow, looking back, I think about all that God packed into that weekend and I am blown away.

Since then I have been on the road traveling with family and now I sit, finally processing all that God did. I stand amazed.

There is still so much inside my heart that I can't express, so I am going to get to the punch and tell you what blew me away the most. It pretty simple actually.

God answered my prayer!

My prayer was this.."Lord, may your Spirit pierce the hearts of your people the way that YOU desire and not the way that I may want to. Will you change them, will you change me and speak to us with what you want us to hear and not the points that I want to get across"

He did it! The stories that I heard in response to my words and songs that weekend confirmed that only God could have spoken to their hearts in such a way, only God through His Spirit can sink that deep.

Only God could have set me on stage during the worst migraine of my life (and I have had many) and taken the pain for away that moment so that I could sing with all my heart to share His message through song. Only God! Only God!

As I said to a crowd of 27,000 as they cheered when I told them of the victory Christ had in my life,  I exclaimed "THAT'S OUR GOD!"

That is our God, That is what He does.... Our God, Our God!!

Amen and Amen!

Now, if you like pictures and fake hashtags..#ENJOY!

Speaking at the Alamodome, San Antonio TX

Yes, that's me in the background. Not embarrassing at all...NOT!

LOL

Walking through the Convention Center meeting so many wonderful people

Singing "How He Loves" at the NYG Post Mass Event

One of my favorite things...Talking to people!
#NYG #San Antonio

This lady surprised me and made my day. One hug from Terry Kieschnick, former First Lady of the LCMS and your smile grows a little bit bigger!
#NYG #San Antonio

Met some youth from our alma mater, Walther Lutheran High School, Melrose Park, IL
#San Antonio #NYG

 An amazing women of God, Jessica Stevens, shared with the gathering the  miracle that God did in her life
#NYG #San Antonio

 Ran into a group from #Chicago~ My hometown
#NYG #San Antonio

Great time meeting so many people

#NYG #San Antonio

Even met a cousin that I had never met before
#NYG #San Antonio

Getting to see my long time friend, Kim
#NYG #San Antonio

 Jason Gray amazing artist who sang that night as well with Casting Crowns
#ELEVATE Music Fest AZ

 Waiting to sound check with Jonny Diaz in Prescott Valley, AZ

Performing at the ELEVATE Music Fest, AZ opening for Casting Crowns

Got to eat lunch with hundreds of women that came to hear our story of grace

#LWML PA

 My husband and I share our testimony in Pittsburgh, PA LWML Convention

 Debbie, who I first met in Nashville, drives in to be my roadie extraordinaire for the night in PA

#lifesaver

Thought #1

I have a feeling that it is going to take me a few days to finish this post. It has been a whirlwind of a week and I have so much in my heart to share that I'm not even sure how to get it all out. I am going to write a few thoughts just to get them down and I have no idea what this will look like after I process my thoughts, rewrite what I have written and hear more from the Lord.

The one thing that is pressed so heavy on me, especially after spending four days with 25,000 youth and hearing so many stories of brokenness and pain, is this.... Ultimately, our youth (and all of us) don't want us to fix them or give them all the answers..... they just want to be heard, to know that they matter, to know that their feelings matter.... simply put, they just want someone to listen and to know that they are loved regardless.

Maybe that's enough for this post, maybe I don't even need to write anymore, maybe I just need to stop talking and simply listen.

End of an Era

Sometimes, I just like reading what my husband writes. I love him so....Enjoy reading a bit from his heart as he shares a note after his last game of the season.

 KOEHNE'S CORNER WEEKLY NOTE

As many of you know, coaching is one of my true joys in life. On Saturday, another season came to an end as our boys basketball team was eliminated from the playoffs. Just like every year, it is tough to walk into the locker room after the last game and say thank you to the seniors as it is the last time I will get to coach them. This year’s senior class has special meaning as they were the first group to start with me at Valley.

On an even more personal level, it was difficult as it was the last game in which I coached my own son. In fact, after 13 straight years of coaching one of my 3 children in some sport, that era came to an end on Saturday. When I think about the countless hours spent at little league practice, in the gym, on the football field or at the tumbling gym, it is hard for me to imagine that part of my life has passed by. Thankfully, what hasn't passed by are the memories or the lessons taught and learned during those experiences.

I don't think I could ever coach at a place where I couldn't share my faith and the truth about Jesus Christ. As I talked Saturday with the players, I could honestly tell them that while it hurts to lose and fall short of our team goal, in the end that doesn't really matter. The only truly important thing in life is their relationship with Jesus. 

Through the season we had I hope that the players’ faith was able to grow and they trust in Him more now than they did 4 months ago. As a coach I have learned that while wins are nice, the only true victories are the hearts won over for Christ. 
~BOB KOEHNE~