I've been a slacker!

I have been slack in the blogging world latley, but exciting things have been happening!  Back on July 17th, Taylor Made Music recorded four new original songs written by Nathan and I.  Im so proud of the guys, they did so well in the studio.  I would love to post the songs here on my blog page, but I have NO CLUE how to do that...so.... visit our Myspace page to hear them!  I cant wait to record more of our songs until we have a full CD to send out.  All in HIS time though!

This weekend Nathan and I are going with some friends to the ATL to see the Braves Vs. The Dodgers!  Those crazy sales people who always come by work trying to sell packages finally came in with something I like!  So I got 4 free game tickets for 40.00 plus 6 buy 1 get 1 free tickets!  So I sent off for my tickets and we will be sitting in section 148...not too shabby for 10.00 a piece!  I hope we can get down there in time to eat at Jalepeno Charlies.  Last year I took Nate on a surprise trip to ATL to see the Braves and go to the aquarium.  We had such a good time we really wanted to go back this year!  Anyway, the Sunday we came back we stopped downtown to get an early lunch and we just stumbled across this mexican/spanish restraunt and it was DELISH!  So, Im really hoping we can go there again, it was so neat, you enter from the street into a lobby and go up an escalator to get into the restraunt, and they have a balcony patio you can eat out on above the street!  It was so nice!

Recently something happened to me, that has reinforced a lesson I learned a while back.  We were asked to play somewhere, but someone did not want us to be there.  So they went out of their way to keep us from playing!  Then lied about it to other people to make themselves look better....Yes, these are "christian" people too!  The person who did this to me used to be my role model.  I wanted to be like this person, I would sit in church and watch them sing, I wanted to be just like that when I grew up.  As fate would have it, in some ways I am very similar to this person in the career path I chose and of course this person did have an influence on the way I sing to this day.  But years ago I learned that sometimes people really just don't care if you look up to them or not.  So this is a two part sermonette...

Lesson #1:  We need role models to step up and CARE about those people around you who look up to you.  Whether it is in your church, your place of business, your family, sports team, wherever you are... people look to you.  They watch your life, they imitate things you do.  They watch your reactions, they hang onto every word YOU SAY!  You might be thinking right now, there is no one who looks up to me, but I PROMISE you SOMEONE is!  It might be your child, it might be a parent..yes...it might be someone older than you that looks up to you, it could be anyone.  Take time to pray today that God will let your life shine, and that you will not overlook those who need to be reached out to and raised up in your footsteps... you can make a difference in someones life, dont take that forgranted.  You are responsible whether you want to be or not!  So why not step up, be a man or woman of God and make a difference!

Lesson #2:  Lesson #1 was for the role model, Lesson #2 is for the protege.  DONT LOOK TO MAN!!!!!  IF the role models would step up, this lesson would not be so hurtful to learn, but the fact is... whether it is on purpose or not on purpose.... we are human and MAN WILL LET YOU DOWN!  Its a hard hard hard hurtful lesson to learn, but its one that needs to be learned early on in life.  Yes, its okay to look up to people, but never put them on a pedistal higher than yourself because if you do they will hurt you, fail you, and dissapoint you.  The ONLY person we can look to is GOD because HE will NEVER fail!  He is always there, he is always teaching us, he is ALWAYS mentoring us, he always listens, he always answers.  He always answers... that part is the best because we as humans will sometimes answer, but not answer honestly, and we dont always give the best advice.  But HIS answer is always perfect!  It might not be what you want the answer to be, but it is honest, true, and perfect in every way and when we follow HIS advice that he has given us in the Word of God, and when we follow the guidance (advice) of the Holy Spirit then we will NEVER go wrong! Notice I said ADVICE... just like taking human advice, the choice is still ours to follow it!  We are never forced to do what he says, but the outcome is so much better when we follow HIS lead!

This makes me so excited because when MAN fails you GOD ALMIGHTY will lift you up!  Can I just say since that person "banned" our ministry from performing that God has opened MANY doors of ministry for us since then!

So today, seek Gods will for your life, don't look to man to direct you, look to HIM!  This makes me so excited that its not up to us to find our way through life, but if we just pray and submit ourselves to him and follow his will, he will carry us through!!!  PRAISE GOD for that!  Be excited today that HE is in control if you just let him be!  You don't have to worry about the stresses of your life!  You don't have to wonder around worried and afraid of tomorrow... you just have to TRUST him that HE KNOWS BEST... and that he will GIVE YOU HIS BEST!  That is a PROMISE from him!  Even though it might not be the way you want, that is trusting him anyway... that is FAITH!  Have FAITH today that HE is in control if you have placed your life in his hands, and if you haven't then TODAY is the day!  Give your life to him, and let him lead!  It still might not be easy, but knowing you have someone else in control of this crazy life gives you peace beyond understanding, and knowing that in the end, all things work together for the good of those who trust HIM!