jon mark music

today has been an amazing and exhausting day!!! 7:45am - 12:00pm…rehearsing and playing for the Source service…then studying through my lesson for GPS in the afternoon…5:00pm - 8:15pm back to church for GPS. sooooooooo, i’m late in blogging tonight and i’m not sure that it will register under the right date…we’ll see. but as of 3/30/08 this blog has been up for one year.

i have to say that i never thought this would happen! there ahvebeen times when i just don’t have time to blog…other times i just don’t have a whole lot to say or a whole lot that i am learning…but we’re here.

a ton of things have happened in the last year!!! mollllllly was born!!! we’ve taken on more responsibilities at church…we’ve seen God do some pretty amazing things in the lives around us and seen some amazing answers to prayer!

here’s to a happy anniversary!!! the Source service went very well and i feel that God was glorified because i gave everything that i had…i was wiped out afterwards! then we get to GPS tonight, kicking off an 8 week series…yet again we have a record attendance, 66 people! and there were several GPS members that weren’t there!!! a lot of new faces…i had four new guys in my prayer group that were really liking the new study and wanting God to use it in their lives!!! go God!!!

it’s awesome to see how He is working in the lives of people around us and in our church…i’m can’t wait to see what God is going to do in the coming year…i hope that you are along for the ride!!!

we are starting a new series at church called days of vision. each week there are daily readings monday - friday…in the four services there will be a short video with a live message given…and then in the journey communities there will be an even more in-depth study and discussion time…i am soooooo excited about the impact that this is going to have on our church. and what do you know, i get to teach the first week of this study…so for the last two weeks i’ve studying through matthew 16:13-26 as well as romans 12:1-2.

the series is eight weeks long, focusing on our “worldview”…the way we see and understand God, ourselves, others, and the world around us…the church is going with the idea of the “windows” we look out of. for me it is easier to think of as glasses…each day i have to remember to put on my glasses or headaches will follow. if i grab an old pair, i’ll still be able to see, but it won’t be clear…the dr has changed my prescription over the years so that i can see clearly.

this is what i have to do spiritually as well…i have to remember to put on God’s glasses and see things the way He does…if not there will definitely be headaches to follow…the problem is i do tend to grab my “old” pair of glasses and look at things the way i used to…it’s convenient, if we’re being honest, to look at some things our own way…but check out what paul says…

romans 12:2…”Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (NLT)

i have to let God change my prescription…the way i think or see things…only then can i know His perfect will for my life…just like getting new glasses, it might take some time for my “eyes” to adjust…but once they do i will be able to see so clearly…

so…how’s it look???

it is so amazing to me to see the ways that molly changes each and every day. she always learning something new…growing…getting faster as she moves about. i love seeing the new faces that she makes and how she can make me forget about all the cruddddd that i’ve dealt with all day at work!!! being a father is absolutely amazing…

at the same time it can be absolutely frustrating…let me explain…molly has this basket in the living room where we store all of her toys (NONE of which we have purchased!!!) there are stuffed animals, books, rings to chew on or stack or hit together, and several things that make lots of noise…most of them are made of bright colors to catch her eye…others are real soft so she can squeeze them all the more… but never are they enough. she inevitably makes her way up to the entertainment center to open all drawers and pull out vhs tapes and dvds to spread them around on the floor.

even that doesn’t cut it…she continues to move about and usually makes her way to the kitchen…the home of more drawers and even doors that she can open up and search through…but as her father i know that there are some great potential dangers behind some of those doors and i keep her from opening them up…this goes over real well??? usually there is a blood curdling scream that follows and little molly is taken back into the living room to play with all of her colorful, soft, noise-making toys…

within seconds those little arms and legs are scootin out to the kitchen to find those doors all over again…and dad says no…molly screams…back to the living room…and so the cycle goes…

one night i let her get in one of the doors…this was where all of the pots and pans are located and there is nothing that could hurt her in any way…she proceeded to look at me while she reached for those bright, shiny pots…CRASH, BANG, BOOM!!! they came crashing to the tile floor right next to her…the screams began and carried on for quite some time…she wasn’t hurt, but definitely scared!!!

here dad knew better and tried to look out for molly’s best interest…but molly did things her way…and things didn’t go so good…

how often do i make my Father in heaven feel the same way…He gives me sooooo much…He tries to prevent me from great pain, due to being outside of His will…and my response is like molly’s…but i want…then comes the CRASH, BANG, BOOM!!!

oh the lessons i’m learning from being a father!!!

but i want… WHO CARES WHAT I WANT!!!

so this morning i do my usual blog surfing…after visiting the new Starbucks that opened in lima!!!…i was checking out churchrelevance…and i see a link for a free video feed from a recent conference called unleash. right off the top in session one this female vocalist just rocked my face off!!! great tune and great vocals. after their time of worship you can list to perry noble speak boldly and bluntly to the church…both sessions are amazing!

great resource to listen to…notes available from the conference break out sessions…CHECK IT OUT!

so today i would like to share a study tool that i am learning more about and using more…youversion…this is brought to you and me by lifechurch…you can journal, make notes, vue different translations…all your computer. then it’s there for you when you return…great little tool if you enjoy using computers like it do…check it out!!!