I can't encourage you enough to press play and love it.
or this one.. =)
I saw Francis Chan tonight, and the Rend Collective. and I am so ........
at a loss of words for how I'm feeling right now. I've never felt like this before. Where I can't describe myself in some sort of way and feel accurate about the words I was using.
Im gonna try and do what happened tonight some justice, but I know I won't even come close.
The music was phenomenal, seriously.SERIOUSLY. out of this world cosmic. The Rend Collective (and I can't think of anyone else to compare them to) is like the Christian, Jesus passionate, make me forget any and all of my inhibitions, throw my hands in the air and sing at the top of my lungs band that sounds like a cross of Mumford & Sons and Kings of Leon. They are an Irish band that made part of one of their songs "Yes, Jesus loves me" (yeah, remember that song from when you were a kid) into a rock/indie song... and their passion, the way they play their instruments and sing is just...... DRIPPING WITH LOVE. the energy, the drums, the passion (again) I could feel in my own pulse. I know sounds cliche and cheesy... but I really can't think of any other way to explain it. *see.. I told you*
and then that wasn't even the best part. The best part came when I saw a man stand before a church packed full of people and for-go his planned message that he had been sharing for the last several nights and pray in front of us and ask for God to lead his heart and words. In his prayer he said "use my mouth and fill them with your words". Maybe that's why I feel so transformed, so wrapped in love, and so purposeful. I used to struggle with "my purpose". I think everyone does at some point. You know, why I am here? what is my purpose? what am I meant to do here on earth? At some point in my life I resolved that my purpose were my kids. Of course, right? OF COURSE.
Until tonight. When I heard that my prayers are just like that of Elijah's. My prayers carrying the same power and weight as a man that stood on Mount Carmel and prayed for fire from the sky in 1 Kings 18. While my purpose of why Im at where I'm at today is to raise my beautiful babies I also felt a deeper purpose, a stronger pull, a feeling of almost like knowing the reason I was born. .... I understand that is a bold statement but I can't put any other words to it. My thoughts about this are running wild but my heart feels planted with deep roots and is at some sort of peace. ... and to be honest all I can do is smile. I listened tonight and figured out my most ultimate goal, my purpose. Not only am I called to be obedient to God's will but to lead by example to my husband, kids, family, friends, community by being a servant of God in such a way that it would harvest a bigger, deeper, and stronger love and impact in my children than I could ever fathom.. and in doing this my sweet babies would grow up to be Men of God and a God fearing woman that would leave a bigger spiritual footprint in the world that would surpass anything I ever did.
and in this, as said tonight, being disciples of God, moving out of our comfort zone, leaving the words and dangerous situations to God we bring fire from the sky.
by Stevie Marie Armstrong
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
the IMPACT of my boys... on me
raising kids isn't easy.
from the moment you find out your body is home for another tiny human being you are sacrificing, worrying, growing gray hair, crying, remembering, praying, looking towards the future, preparing, disciplining, wondering, planning, crying some more, wrinkles increasing, all this and the oldest kid I have is 11 years old.... or as he likes to, so often, remind me a spits mark from 12.
My two oldest boys are remarkable... and I still do all of the above. =/ But God gave me a glimpse of something tonight...
On Friday nights my Seth and Shane have been attending a church group called IMPACT, geared for Jr. High aged students. They have loved it so much that they have invited 5 friends to join them on Friday nights ( 1 friend that actually attended). They fellowship, worship, listen to the message, and break into small groups. (I don't try and cramp their style *or at least not on purpose* and go into their service. I let them be them and do what they do best during these two hours of IMPACT.
But at the end of service I do have to scoop my kids up. So tonight at the tail end I sat and waited for them in the foyer of the building and much to my suprise I saw the small group my two sons and their friend were in out in the foyer. It was a group of about 10 boys and 2 male group leaders, maybe somewhere in their 20's. (some kids and leaders with hats, some without, you'll find out why this is important in a sec.) ... and as I'm taking on super mom creeper status, you know, watching what their doing I see them go from a standing postion down to one knee, grab each others hands in a cirle and toss their hats into the middle as a sign of respect to their Heavenly Father and they begin to pray and lift each other up in prayer.
Super Mom creeper status just turned in to just a Mom trying to hold back the dam of tears trying to get out through my eyes. I felt my chest get heavy and my mouth turn upside down and the tears wouldn't stay back. I saw these boys, MY BOYS, with their heads bowed, and praying like a man of God in the making.
I know God allowed me to see that. I know it. And I felt him telling me "don't worry, I got this." In our own struggles to be the best parent we can be we sometimes forget or for-go that we have a Heavenly Father that wants the best for us as well, and He's got us.
from the moment you find out your body is home for another tiny human being you are sacrificing, worrying, growing gray hair, crying, remembering, praying, looking towards the future, preparing, disciplining, wondering, planning, crying some more, wrinkles increasing, all this and the oldest kid I have is 11 years old.... or as he likes to, so often, remind me a spits mark from 12.
My two oldest boys are remarkable... and I still do all of the above. =/ But God gave me a glimpse of something tonight...
On Friday nights my Seth and Shane have been attending a church group called IMPACT, geared for Jr. High aged students. They have loved it so much that they have invited 5 friends to join them on Friday nights ( 1 friend that actually attended). They fellowship, worship, listen to the message, and break into small groups. (I don't try and cramp their style *or at least not on purpose* and go into their service. I let them be them and do what they do best during these two hours of IMPACT.
But at the end of service I do have to scoop my kids up. So tonight at the tail end I sat and waited for them in the foyer of the building and much to my suprise I saw the small group my two sons and their friend were in out in the foyer. It was a group of about 10 boys and 2 male group leaders, maybe somewhere in their 20's. (some kids and leaders with hats, some without, you'll find out why this is important in a sec.) ... and as I'm taking on super mom creeper status, you know, watching what their doing I see them go from a standing postion down to one knee, grab each others hands in a cirle and toss their hats into the middle as a sign of respect to their Heavenly Father and they begin to pray and lift each other up in prayer.
Super Mom creeper status just turned in to just a Mom trying to hold back the dam of tears trying to get out through my eyes. I felt my chest get heavy and my mouth turn upside down and the tears wouldn't stay back. I saw these boys, MY BOYS, with their heads bowed, and praying like a man of God in the making.
I know God allowed me to see that. I know it. And I felt him telling me "don't worry, I got this." In our own struggles to be the best parent we can be we sometimes forget or for-go that we have a Heavenly Father that wants the best for us as well, and He's got us.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
oranges, hair cuts, and chicken face bird
I appreciate normalcy.
Everyone has a different definition of what their "normal" is.
My normal is a typical day like this.
We picked oranges from our backyard yesterday, after school.
I gave hair cuts to a couple kids (the two with the *least amount of hair).
and we sat and watched a big fat white chicken faced bird trying to figure out if it was really a bird bird or a chicken bird.. ?? .. ? I know. weird.
After seeing our chicken face bird here and there for the last couple of days we saw that it had a friend, which to our surprise was *another chicken faced bird, white as well. (getting weirder.)
Then while eating dinner (thank goodness we weren't having chicken for dinner because if the chicken bird really was a chicken it could have been offended *pointed out my 10 year old Shane*) we saw it nestled on the ledge of the window/top of our backyard patio cover. At first we thought it was a white grocery bag of some sort, but when I got the chair to climb up and have a look through the window, it turned it's white chicken face at me with its beady eyes, which also looked red, and pecked the window.
I got down from the chair, somewhat offended and afraid, and told the kids to leave it alone. (so weird)
This morning we woke up and my oldest son and I are the first ones up. Seth noticed the chicken bird still in the same place nestled in the same position. I looked (didn't dare climb up again) and thought "OMGOSH, chicken face is dead. It got so cold last night, and he was in the same position,no nest, no family, no friends, he must have died." So almost sure that he was dead, I got the chair, climbed up to take a peek and start planning how I was gonna get this dead chicken bird off my window seal/patio cover before the rest of the kids got up to look for him and I'll be danged if he didn't look around with his red, beady eyes and start pecking the window. I almost fell off the chair. I was almost positive he snickered at me and flew off. (weird to the 3rd power)
Now we have a big plump white chicken faced bird with red beady eyes as a stalker.
and there it is. My normal.
Everyone has a different definition of what their "normal" is.
My normal is a typical day like this.
We picked oranges from our backyard yesterday, after school.
I gave hair cuts to a couple kids (the two with the *least amount of hair).
and we sat and watched a big fat white chicken faced bird trying to figure out if it was really a bird bird or a chicken bird.. ?? .. ? I know. weird.
After seeing our chicken face bird here and there for the last couple of days we saw that it had a friend, which to our surprise was *another chicken faced bird, white as well. (getting weirder.)
Then while eating dinner (thank goodness we weren't having chicken for dinner because if the chicken bird really was a chicken it could have been offended *pointed out my 10 year old Shane*) we saw it nestled on the ledge of the window/top of our backyard patio cover. At first we thought it was a white grocery bag of some sort, but when I got the chair to climb up and have a look through the window, it turned it's white chicken face at me with its beady eyes, which also looked red, and pecked the window.
I got down from the chair, somewhat offended and afraid, and told the kids to leave it alone. (so weird)
This morning we woke up and my oldest son and I are the first ones up. Seth noticed the chicken bird still in the same place nestled in the same position. I looked (didn't dare climb up again) and thought "OMGOSH, chicken face is dead. It got so cold last night, and he was in the same position,no nest, no family, no friends, he must have died." So almost sure that he was dead, I got the chair, climbed up to take a peek and start planning how I was gonna get this dead chicken bird off my window seal/patio cover before the rest of the kids got up to look for him and I'll be danged if he didn't look around with his red, beady eyes and start pecking the window. I almost fell off the chair. I was almost positive he snickered at me and flew off. (weird to the 3rd power)
Now we have a big plump white chicken faced bird with red beady eyes as a stalker.
and there it is. My normal.
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