Holy Week

This weekend was great. The Sundays I sing in church are so tiring, but what a blessing it has been to be a part of the worship team and to get to see our church from a new perspective! My Sundays these days have been looking something like this... 7am get to church for sound check, sing for 3 services, head to lunch with friends, go home and if I'm lucky sleep for 30 min, then back to the church by 5 to hangout with high school students, and then I cap the night off with some time with my small group. It's tiring, but the good kind of tired.

Yesterday, with it being Palm Sunday, we sang "Hosanna" and Becca read the scripture of Jesus riding into Jerusalem the week before His death, and the people cried out "Hosanna in the highest!" "Hosanna" is an offering of highest praise, and yet the people didn't even know Him. They knew He had come to save them, to be their Messiah, but they had their own ideas of what that would look like, and they felt so strongly about those ideas, that when Christ died, they flat out abandoned and rejected Him. They had no idea...

Am I crying out "Hosanna" yet really having no idea the depths of His mercy?

When I saw Hillsong United at Passion, Brooke Fraser prayed that Hosanna passage over us, and she prayed that our lives would be Hosanna, that our lives would be an offering of highest praise. Yesterday, when I sang the second verse, I sang it over my church... "I see a generation, rising up to take their place with selfless faith. I see a near revival stirring as we pray and seek, we're on our knees." As I sang, I prayed that we would be the Church we were meant to be.. that we would move out of the way and allow God to work. We put up such a fight, willing for things to go our way, completely forgetting that He is sovereign.

May our lives be an offering of Hosanna.

Lazarus Come Forth!

"Lazarus come forth!"
"The man who had died, came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them (those watching), 'Unbind him, and let him go.'" John 11:43-44

The story of Lazarus' resurrection is one of my favorites. We talked about it a little bit in my Sunday school class this past week, but we talked mostly about all that happened before Lazarus was even risen from the dead; why Jesus waited to come to Bethany, why Jesus wept, etc, etc. I just get so excited when I picture the scene at Lazarus' tomb, as the mourners return to a place where they wept just days before, a place that reminded them of their feelings of hopelessness.. "If only Jesus had been there..." Jesus wasn't there, and they thought, that was the end of that... Little did they know that God had so much more in mind for Lazarus and his story!

I love that Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead-dead, like smelly dead, before He came into town. He wanted there to be no denial, that Lazarus was in fact as dead as a person can be, and that in the end (or new beginning) he was risen by God Himself. No coincidence or medicine could claim that victory! I know that it must have been so difficult for Mary and Martha and for others who loved him so, to mourn the death of their friend, to picture life without their beloved Lazarus, and begin to move on. Those must have been some of the saddest days of their lives.... yet, it's hard for me to read it, knowing that what it really came down to was their limited view of Jesus. They knew He was God, but they had no idea the power that held. They knew He could heal the sick, but surely not the dead?! They came to Him, telling the Son of God that He was too late! Imagine that!

Lazarus' story teaches me so many things about life, faith, and God's sovereignty. Lazarus was sick before he died. He didn't just keel over one day. No, there was pain and discomfort involved, a time of questions, "Will I make it through this? Does God know what I'm going through? What's His plan in all this? Where is He?!" Lazarus' sickness, and eventual death reminds me that there are times when we're called to go through things that are difficult, things that hurt, things that are scary and uncertain. There are times when the control is taken from our hands, and all we've got left is faith. How will I endure it? Will I go kicking and screaming, thinking God has abandoned me in my time of need? Or will I face it with courage and supernatural peace, knowing that regardless of what happens, I can trust that God has a plan and a purpose for the things I'm facing...ultimately it's not my discomfort that matters but His glory.

Mary and Martha, bless them, they were mourning. They had spent days holding out hope that Jesus would come... and then they spent the 4 days after Lazarus had died accepting their new reality. Their brother was dead. The one person who could have healed his sickness hadn't come. That was the reality. It wasn't necessarily accusatory. They weren't mad at Jesus.. it was what it was. Lazarus was dead. Jesus was too late.

Little did they know that Jesus was right on time, and He had bigger plans than they could ever imagine. Isn't that just like Jesus? To take our tiny, simple plans and show us that though our plans are just fine and dandy, He's got something so much bigger. How do I limit God? When I pray, do I have expectations of how I think an outcome should be? Am I allowing God the freedom to work in me, through me, and around me, without a feeble attempt at imposing my will over His? Of course that never works, obviously God is God and my attempts at getting my way result in me getting swallowed by a fish, and thrown up onto a beach in a mush of seaweed and dead fish... but that sure as heck doesn't stop me from trying! What will it take to keep me from limiting Him and moving the heck out of the way so He can work?

I was Lazarus, we all were. Stinking, rotting, in the darkest tomb we've ever seen... dead. Jesus called us from the dark, to step into the light, and oh what a glorious light that was! Some of us may even be in that tomb right now. Things are dark, we're sick, crying out, wondering where Jesus is, what's taking Him so long to come and rescue us! Some of us are fighting this sickness,resisting death yet knowing full well that before we can really live, we must first die, die to ourselves, die to sin, let go. What am I holding on to? If I'm in that tomb, am I laying there, with a smile on my face, knowing that though I might be smelly, and it might be dark, that smell and that darkness are only temporary? As His servant, if I've been asked to wait, in a seemingly dark place, I absolutely must have the faith and trust to know He's equipped me to wait patiently on Him. I might have to wait, but I KNOW He's coming!

And lastly, how beautiful is it when Jesus tells Lazarus' loved ones to go and unbind their friend?! When we're in the midst of a struggle, we need others, we need community, we need help. What role am I playing in the story? I know I've been Lazarus, and I know I've been a waiting loved one.

Lord, make me a person that trusts You completely. As I'm facing certain "death" or fighting to find life and light, help me to trust in Your sovereign will and plan... as I wait for You to come, may I not lose the faith and hope to know that though it may not be in MY timeline, You, being all knowing and all powerful, are most assuredly coming! God, as I face discomforts and uncertainties, may I trust that You WILL be glorified, and may that knowledge be enough to ease my worry, and strengthen my faith. May Your glory be the most important thing in my life.

Lord, help me to be a person that allows my friends and loved ones to unbind the things that are holding me back. Allow me to let people into my life, to see my needs, and give me the humility to let others minister to me. AND with that, give me eyes to see when those around me are in need. Help me to be one of those who ran to Lazarus to unwrap their friend. May I be a person who has faith when my friends can't... may I be a person who helps them look toward the coming light, rather than allowing them to be resolved or comfortable in the darkness.

You are our Hope...

Everything went great this past weekend. The marriage conference was really good, and people seemed to enjoy the "concert" we put on. We had an awesome violinist who totally rocked each of the songs. And then Sunday morning went exceptionally well too. 5 people got saved at Mount Ararat during the 3 services, which is always exciting... and to see it all from up on stage was a beautiful moment.

A few bullet points (you know how i love them)
*my voice cannot hit high notes at 7am.
*losing an hour of sleep is a thumbs down when you have a really busy day planned.
*Chloe got dedicated on Sunday, and don't tell anyone, but she was the cutest baby there!
*Alice in Wonderland in 3D.. not such a good plan.
*I found out my tracks at camp are Volleyball (my track for the last 4 years) and digital photography.. uh, I don't know the slightest bit about photography. yikes. how did that happen?!


I leave you with some pictures from from this weekend..

Minus the squished cheeks, you know I look hardcore in Jenn's motorcycle stuff.


But definitely not as hardcore as Jenn looks in our 3D glasses!


Love these 2.. waiting for Chloe's baby dedication to start!

Ben, Becca, Noah, and Chloe






Noah is hilarious!

Sing sing sing and make music with the heavens..

So, tonight was my first rehearsal for the worship team at my church. I'll be singing with the band on Sunday morning. Let me tell you, it was super fun! This last week I've gotten to sing more than I ever have been asked to sing, and I'm having a blast. This weekend, I'm singing with some friends for a marriage conference... which should be good. We're doing more of a concert type thing, so we're singing some random songs, like John Mayer, and Leona Lewis stuff. The Leona Lewis song is mushy gushy.. but hey maybe couples struggling in their marriage need a little more mushy gushy, so we'll just go with it.

Then this weekend we're doing some awesome Steve Fee songs, which I love. I'm really excited, and feel really blessed to have been asked to start singing at Mt. Ararat. If you don't have Fee Band's CD or the new Passion CD "Awakening," then you're totally missing out. Go to itunes right now, and make it happen. You wont be disappointed!

How He Loves Us...

As I looked out over the crowd, students and adults with their arms outstretched singing to a God that they confidently believe loves them, I was humbled and in awe that the Lord would allow me to be a part of that moment. I hate being up in front of people. I hate not feeling confident. and I hate trying new things. Singing with the Seth Medley Band was such a lesson in faith and humility this weekend. I mean, seriously, I shouldn't have been as scared as I was... I was singing harmony on songs I've heard a million times, and the songs I sing lead on, I've heard a bunch too. But, scared is definitely what I was... until I saw the people out in the audience.. until I realized that hello, they're not focused on me, but instead raising their hands in praise to the only One who is worthy.

It's intimidating to be on the stage, not knowing what I'm doing, and then being surrounded by a bunch of really talented musicians. The best thing about these dear friends of mine though is that their hearts really set them apart. They're not just incredible musicians but they're worship leaders who love the Lord and desire for others to know Him. So as I'm standing in a circle, talking, about to pray before we go on stage, they know how scared I am, and even though they don't get why I'm scared, they're not only encouraging me... but also reminding me of the big picture: It's not about us. Friday night, my friend Drew who plays the drums, powerfully reminded me as he prayed, of the awesomeness of our God.. He's bigger than my fears.

Saturday night, after an incredible night of worship, the guys played a concert of all their new stuff that's going to be on their soon to be released EP. I sat on the stage as they rehearsed, but nothing really prepared me for the joy I would feel, watching them play their songs, really for one of the first times, for an audience of teenagers. Their lyrics are powerful. It brought me close to tears to see my friends, not only doing something they love, but to see their hearts in the music they wrote. And look people, this isn't just me being a friend, if you know me well, you know I LOVE music, and their music is good! It's going to be on Itunes soon, and I think you should check it out. Seth Medley Band.

Drew, John, Alex, Michael (who came and ran sound for us), me, Seth, and Steve

I am so grateful that the guys allowed me to come to Lynchburg, to be a part of this weekend. I can't wait for camp! The Lord really has shown me so much this weekend. 1. He's reminded me of just how focused on my self I can be, and how if I'm really going to be in the story of God, I must concede my role as the main character and allow God his rightful place. 2. As He opens doors for me to work and be involved in the lives of others, especially on stage or in leadership, with that comes great responsibility. I know it's an obvious thing, but I just needed to be reminded of the great cloud of witness surrounding me. 3. Sometimes God calls us to do difficult things, but He never sends us alone. This weekend I've been grateful for His presence, His peace... and also Christian sisters in Christ that I could text when I was feeling anxious and ask for prayer. I am so blessed!

I also got to see two of my college roommates and their husbands. It was great catching up and meeting Nick and Liz's baby Sophie (who is still snug in her moms tummy for the time being). I also stayed with two of my sweet friends, Meghan and Kelly. Meghan always introduces me as, "This is Molly, my first mentor." :) I love that girl. She and Kelly live in a cute old house near Lynchburg College, and it really seems like such a fun place. Lots of laughter. Even though I left super early in the mornings, and got home late at night and was super tired, I enjoyed the time I did get to spend with them. I love those girls, and I'm always so humbled to see how they're maturing in their faith. They're 2 beautiful women of God, and I'm blessed to call them friends.

Liz and baby Sophie (who is due any day now!!), me, and Beth
My college roommates.

It was an exceptionally great weekend... time with the Lord, worshipping Him, ministering to students, laughing with friends, meeting new people, and seeing people I don't get to see very often. God is good, for sure.

Well kids, we're 3 sessions (and a concert) down and 1 more to go. This weekend has been really great. I got to Lynchburg Friday around 2, helped (or watched) the guys set up and then got to practice a little bit before the opening session. I was soooo nervous during practice and before that first set. I was really frustrating, as I just kept telling myself that "this is so not about me, and what's the worst that could happen?!" My friends in the band were great, and so incredibly patient and encouraging. It really means a lot to me, the way they've welcomed me to sing with them. I really have no clue what I'm doing up there, and their patience and encouragement has been wonderful!

There are 3 or 4 churches here this weekend that we met at camp. I didn't get to know a lot of students too well at camp last summer, since I didn't have a Bible study, but its been great to reconnect with them this weekend. We have a little over 600 students here this weekend, and their hearts and passion for the Lord are incredible. I almost cried tonight as they sang David Crowder's "How He Loves" and there was a precious girl welcomed into the Family tonight, and a lot of people who surrendered to vocational ministry. Our speaker, Michael Kelly has been so challenging, and real. I've really really enjoyed listening to him speak.

I'll try and get some pictures up once I get home. We've got one more session in the morning and then I'll head back to Stafford. I'll post more about the weekend later too. Right now, I'm too pooped to party. I'm going to bed!

This weekend.

This weekend I'm heading to Lynchburg to lead worship with my friends, the Seth Medley Band. They were our band at camp last summer, and I'm singing with them at camp this summer. I'm super excited to see everyone! We're leading for the Virginia Baptist Convention's Senior High Weekend retreat, so Baptist churches from all over the state are bringing their high schoolers for the weekend. We know of a couple churches we met at camp last summer, who will be attending.. so that will be fun too.

The speaker at the retreat is Michael Kelly.. a lifeway guy. Its kind of strange... a few years ago I got a link to a blog from a camp friend, with a prayer request for a little boy fighting leukemia. That was like, 4 years ago at least, and I've been praying faithfully for this little guy named Josh ever since. I even cried when I read the post that his cancer was officially in remission and on his last day of chemo. Josh is Michael's son. We've also done a bunch of Michael's curriculum in my Sunday school class and he was an editor over the curriculum I wrote last year.

I'm going to try not to act like a goober, but Im looking forward to meeting him.

Pray for us this weekend and for the students attending the retreat. I'm excited to see how the Lord moves.

Well, its been awhile since I've blogged. There's been a lot going on these last few days, so I've been kind of busy. Elevation weekend was great. I had a wonderful time with the group of girls that I had. I was absolutely exhausted, the couple days that followed, but the lack of sleep in exchange for some great, intentional conversations was well worth it.

Last Thursday, I even went to one of the high schools here in Stafford and sat in on one of my girls' anthropology classes. A friend of mine is her teacher, and has invited me to come check out his class for awhile.. so it was great to see the girls at school, and go see my friend Nick in action. It was actually a lot of fun. It was a little strange to be back in a high school... and I walked quickly through the hallways for fear of running into any former teachers or classmates who may work at that school. haha.

And now I'm gearing up for a weekend in Lynchburg (where I went to school). I'm singing with my friends from camp, the Seth Medley Band at a weekend retreat for high schoolers put on by the Virginia Baptist something or other. I'm excited to see college friends, and to spend time with camp friends.. but definitely nervous about singing with the band. I hope no one yells at me if I mess up. haha. I guess I need to get used to it if I'm going to do this every night at camp this summer. It's going to be great, and I'm praying that the Lord really works in the lives of students this weekend.

Soooo that's some of whats been going on. :)