Like It Was Yesterday...

It was cold outside. You know where it's cold enough to almost freeze the inside of your nostrils. It was November 2003. I had graduated college earlier that year in the spring and moved to AV from Montana to teach 8th grade/11th grade world history. Life was in a state of transition. I was in a state of transition. Everything had and was changing around me. It was a little scary since I was so far away from home. I really didn't know what the future had in store so I was focusing on the present. The point where God got my attention...I remember like yesterday.

My relationship with Christ was becoming real again. I was attending a very small church in Ironton at the time...Crystal grew up in the church. The experiences I had in college saw me drift away from God, but as I look back I see that He didn't go anywhere...it was me. It was a rough time...where I almost regret some of the stuff I did...but at the same time I'm glad I went through them. All of those things have added to the person I am now...today in 2008...the recent 28 year old.

I was going through a time of questions and doubt. What was I doing? Was I doing what I was supposed to be doing? It seemed so since I was the only hire that year (there were other hires but I was the only classroom teacher). I had been getting better at playing the guitar and had been put in the position of leading worship since the church was in a time of transition too...in between pastors. Crystal and I designed the services and did just about everything but preach. We even spent our Saturday nights cleaning for the next morning. Wow...what a time. I haven't thought about that for a long time. Okay, back to what I was saying.

I was in a state of confusion. It seemed like I was doing what God was wanting...but things didn't seem to work out. I had gotten into a little bit of a "disagreement" with the new pastor concerning music and my guitar. I was told something about my guitar that had me not wanting to play anymore...something along the lines of "sounds like you're beating on a drum." Also, there was a reinstitution of the Doxology every Sunday. Now, the Doxology isn't bad...the way it was being forced upon us though had me in disagreement. If felt like religion was taking over...as opposed to Christ.

It was the last Sunday in November...2003. Crystal and I were very hurt by conversations had with the pastor and were leading worship that morning. As we sang the Doxology...I felt like we were finished.... This was a huge revelation since Crystal had gone to this church since her childhood and I attended since I moved to AV. We had great times there...great people...great memories. We had an opportunity to do some awesome stuff while we were there. Now what God? Now what...is pretty much all I thought about that day.

The night before we had talked about checking out the David Crowder Band. At that point in time I really didn't know who they were. I had purchased the cd Illuminate by chance earlier in the fall and had fallen in love with it. At that point I thought...wow...worshipping God can sound like this? The song I fell in love with...and still love all these years later was...is O Praise Him. God got my attention through that song. So, Crystal and I decided to look on the internet and see if the DCB was playing anywhere near. We found out that they were playing...along with Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio speaking...the next night up in STL. We bought our tickets on-line and printed them out...ready to go after church Sunday.

It was a Passion event that had worship open with Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio then spoke, then the DCB closed it out. God was there. It was the first time that I can honestly say that I've felt in the presence of God...worshipping with 4,000 other people...everyone singing their heart out...and listening to an incredible message from Louie that felt like a punch in the face. I was awakened...this is what life could be like...my relationship with Christ?! The thing that capped it all of was that the DCB played the Doxology during a call to worship unlike anything I had experienced. Louie told a story about 1st century Christians and how they had a call to worship that involved reciting this prayer together and the keeping of a candle lit in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. We left that place on fire...and have been ever since.

The video at the top of this post is accompanied by the song O Praise Him by the DCB. I love it.... This is how we, as Christ-followers, should roll! The experiences of life are a result of God's planning. I've gotten a lot better about keeping this in mind. I've been a part of two churches before I become involved with the place I currently call home...Meadow Heights. I played music at both...lead worship at both. Those experiences molded me into who I am today and the type of musician I am today. I also lead in other capacities...including youth leadership...working with high school kids. Even though I don't do that currently...it helped mold me into who I am today. I say this because at the time I didn't agree with God as to why it was time to move on. The smaller church showed me a lot. It was time to move on though...grow...God had other plans. This lead me to another church in AV. Again...the experiences there grew me spiritually and as a person.

Again it was time to move on...which leads me to today...getting to play a part musically at Meadow Heights. I've grown spiritually and musically...as well as personally. I'm thankful for all of these experiences...as painful and confusing as they were at times. I spent a lot time praying...looking to God. I currently try to stay in the midst of what God is doing...asking to play an active role. I have to admit it's hard to think that way...pray that way...because it doesn't always make sense. It'd be awesome to be able to continue with MH until I die...but that may not happen. I'm not going to worry about that though. Thank you God for everything! Here are some passages that remind me of how important our time is:

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.
1 Corinthians 7:29-31

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
Galatians 6:9-10

Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
1 Thessalonians 5:13-18

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money." You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."
James 4:13-15

Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
James 5:10