Contagious Worship

22Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
23Shout Hallelujah, you God--worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.
24He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.
25Here in this great gathering for worship
I have discovered this praise--life.
And I'll do what I promised right here
in front of the God--worshipers.
26Down-and-outers sit at GOD's table
and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God
is here, praising him.
"Live it up, from head to toe.
Don't ever quit!"
27From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses,
are running back to GOD.
Long-lost families
are falling on their faces before him.
28GOD has taken charge;
from now on he has the last word.
29All the power-mongers are before him
-worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
-worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
-worshiping!
30Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
31Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news--
that God does what he says.
Psalm 22

I haven't blogged in ages and ages but when I read this today I knew I had to share it. I love worship. It's one of my favorite things in the world. I love worshiping through music which is probably why I love the Psalms so much. So, when I read this passage this afternoon, I was struck by simply this: This is contagious. Contagious worship.
One of my favorite worship bands just put out a new album with a song called "For the sake of the world." The chorus says "for the sake of the world, burn like a fire in me. Light a flame in my soul for every eye to see." That is what true worship is about. It's about being so consumed with what God is doing that it is catching. It's sparks catch other people on fire too. If we exhibited that kind of worship in our lives this is what we would see.. "people are coming to their senses, are running back to GOD. Long-lost families are falling on their faces before him. GOD has taken charge." I want to live a life filled with a contagious worship.

The Big Give Event

Over a year ago, my husband and I sat in a room of a few people that were dreaming. They were dreaming about reaching Davidson County for the Lord. We dreamed about being part of something that was different. We wanted to be part of a movement that really loved people right where they are at. We wanted to make a difference.
Not quite a year ago, Connection Church launched in Thomasville, NC, meeting at Ledford Middle School. Since then, small groups have worked at drug rehab houses, battered women's shelters, homeless shelters, etc. New believers have been made. People have been baptized. Over and over again, I have seen God do big things and bless our church.
But nothing could have prepared me for the feelings I got today during our "Big Give Event". The feeling of pride for my church. The feeling of gratitude for God just absolutely blessing us. The feeling that God was looking down and thinking, "These people have got it right. They are loving with no strings attached".
Today our church threw this event that included free bookbags with school supplies, free clothing, free health screenings, free haircuts, free non-perishable food, free hot dogs, etc. According to what I have heard, about 1200-1500 people showed up. We had about 100 volunteers (which is over a third of our entire church).
It was an incredible time and incredibly special to see the dreaming that started a year and a half ago become a reality.
Here are some pictures...

Christian Tolerance

I am not exactly sure where to start this blog, but I feel like I have alot to say. Lately, Facebook has been bombarded with statuses about this ammendment that is being voted on. It has been turned into an argument of discrimination vs. tolerance. This whole thing has led to some deep thinking on my part and some discussions with friends about being a Christian and the topic of "tolerance".
In our society these days, it is very difficult as a Christian to stand up for what you believe (that being what the Bible says) and not be viewed as "intolerant". Christians voice their beliefs and are labeled as hateful. My problem with this is , when did disagreeing on something make you intolerant? I don't call someone intolerant for disagreeing with me about my beliefs in God and my faith. That is their choice. They can speak out against my God if they choose. I don't call them hateful because they don't believe just like me.
In the dictionary, Tolerance is defined as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own."
You can respect someone's opinions and practices and allow them to make their own choices without stifling your own beliefs and values. Tolerance means we listen to what the other person is saying. It doesn't mean we have to agree. What it does mean is that we are supposed to be "non-judgemental". Only God is the judge of every man. But He has given us His Word to judge our own lives by.
As Christians, we should be modeling our lives by Christ. Christ was love embodied. But He did not tolerate sin. He loves us and accepts us as we are, but he doesn't tolerate the sin in our lives. As Christians, we are supposed to follow his example. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, but that doesn't mean that he accepted all of the decisions they made in their lives.
I speak out on this because I'm tired of the word "tolerance" in the capacity it is being used now. Frankly, I don't think the world is very "tolerant" of Christians.
All I know is that Christians are called to love, to meet people where they are, to embrace all people, to take care of the poor, but we are not called to compromise our values and morals. We are no better than anyone else. We all fall short of God's standards.
I have many, many friends that believe differently from me. But I love them, dearly. Just because I don't agree with them on every aspect on their lives doesn't mean I can't be friends with them or be part of their lives.
I read this really great quote about the difference between tolerance and love.
"Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive. Love takes risks. Tolerance costs nothing. Love costs everything." -Josh McDowell

If you are reading this and are offended, please know that wasn't the purpose of this. This wasn't to start a long argumentative conversation about the ammendment. Frankly, I'm sick of the arguing about it. This post is to simply let loose my inner musings on the difference between what the world says tolerance is and what it really is.

Investing in the Important

In my short life of 29 (almost 30) years, I have had to make some difficult decisions. None of them were easy to make and every single one of them came down to priorities. Priorities rule our lives. We make choices every day, some of them big, some of them small, but they are centered around our priorities, what is really important to us. We spend our time, our precious time, on what is important to us.
Since I've started working night shift, and I have very little time, my priorities have become clearer to me, and they have changed dramatically. I've realized more and more what is really important. It's not facebook, or words with friends, or my favorite tv shows. It's time with my husband. It's a good night's sleep (or should I say day's sleep). It's time for a phone call with my family or with a dear friend.
The biggest change in my priorities has been in the value of money. After several years of being unemployed and in school, Corey and I accumulated some debt. So naturally, when I graduated and got a real job, I took the night shift because it paid more. We needed the money to get out of debt and get our finances back on track. Sounds like a good choice right?
Well after a few months of working night shift, it came time to make a difficult decision. A decision that was made by my priorities. My changing priorities. I decided that money was not more important than my marriage. Money was not more important than my friends. Money was not more important than my health. Money was not more important than my having the time and energy to serve in my church. What I was doing was simply not working anymore. So, I made the decision to take less money to work day shift. I know that may not sound like a big deal to you, but it was a big decision for us. For so long, Corey and I haven't had any money. We struggled to pay our bills every single month and money became a very big deal.
The point of all of this is that there comes a point in our lives where we have to choose what is really important to us and sometimes it may take some sort of sacrifice on our part to do what is right and what is best for us and for our families, but I have seen how God blesses people when there priorities line up with His.
I remember when I was younger, my parents were trying to decide if Mom should quit work to stay home with me and be a housewife. Her income was important to our family but Mom and Dad made a decision that time with the family was more important than money and God blessed them for making that decision. When we put God first, when we put our families before other things, God blesses that.
I want to spend my life making decisions based on priorities that are in the right place.I don't want to look back on my life and see that I had plenty of money but not enough memories with my family and friends. I can't take the money with me but the memories and investments I made in relationships last forever. I want to invest in what's important.
What are your priorities? Are you investing your time and energy in things that will last?

Spring Cleaning

This week's weather is bringing highs in the 70's!! It feels like spring has sprung and I am feeling excited about that! Every year around this time,I start to get the urge to spring clean. This week I attacked our closet. It had been about a year since it had been cleaned out and to say it was a disaster is probably an understatement. I am one of the messiest people you will ever meet, besides my husband, and when you put the two of us together, you get an gigantic disaster! Our closet was in a horrible state between crap thrown all over the floor and being full of clothes that we absolutely never wear. Yesterday, I dove in and halfway through was having chest pains from the anxiety of being overwhelmed with mess. But, several hours later, with 3 trash bags full of clothes and shoes that Corey and I never wear or that don't fit anymore, I stood back and looked at the organization that had come to be. It had taken a lot of effort but the end result was so incredibly worth it.
I think our lives can be so similar to this. We allow junk to pile up and before we know it, our lives are full of mess. We want to clean it up, but we also know the effort it is going to take to even get started. Or maybe, we get halfway through cleaning our lives up but get so overwhelmed that we just give up right then and there.
This month, our church is doing a study called One Month To Live. The messages are on this and our small groups are doing group studies on this as well. It talks a lot about priorities and what is really important. And one of the ways we can get down to what is really important in our lives and in our walk with the Lord is to start to simplify our lives, to re-prioritize, to de-clutter. It's time to start some spring cleaning in our lives. The good news is, we don't have to do it all by ourselves. If we pray and ask God for help, He will help us. He has promised us that in His Word.

Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

It may be painful and overwhelming to evaluate our lives and to make changes, but the end result is always worth it and it brings peace that is beyond imagination.

February 24

5 years ago this very day on February 24, 2007, I said "I do" to Corey Allen Dalton. Funny how just typing that sentence brought tears to my eyes.
I could spend this blog talking about marriage and love and happiness, but I would rather spend it talking about the wonderful man I married.
Corey is kind. He is endlessly patient with me. He is always gentle. He never raises his voice. He knows when I need a hug and he knows when I need to be left alone. He sees the good in me when I can't even see it in myself. He tells me that I am beautiful when I look like a mess. He has stayed up with me all night when I have been sick knowing that he had to go to work the next day. He is a hard worker. He knows what it takes to provide for me and he does it without complaining. He has been my absolute rock over the past couple of years while I was in school. He allows me to be myself and doesn't make me feel bad about it. And he has blue eyes with the prettiest eyelashes I have ever seen in my life.
5 years ago I married a boy that I loved with my whole heart. Today I am married to a man that I love and respect with my whole heart and soul. I will never deserve this gift that God has given me and I absolutely cannot wait to see what is in store for us over the next 50 or 60 years..........

Happy Anniversary to my very best friend! I look forward to many, many more!

Reckless Abandon

As you know if you read my blog frequently enough, I adore worship music. It is one of my passions. I think you can experience God on another level through the worshipping of him through music.
What sparked this blog was some worship I was watching this week from Bethel Music. I was fascinated with the way they worship. They are so open and free. I had one of my friends watch the video too and they didn't quite get it. But while I watched, I was envious. I want to be able to worship that open and free. They worship with "reckless abandon". By reckless abandon, I mean, they worship free from any constraints. They plunge in head first and don't think about what anyone else is thinking or feeling. They just want to bask in the presence of the Holy Spirit. I think that is what we are missing. We think that worship should be this "reverent, subdued" time. Don't get me wrong, there is a time for that. But I think we miss so much of experiencing his presence because we are too worried about making someone uncomfortable or someone thinking we are weird. There is freedom when we lift our hands, freedom when allow ourselves to express our worship in our own way.
Here is the link to one of the videos of this worship


After I watched this video, it just made me wonder what I might be missing in my worship experience by holding back. If I really let myself go, if I really worshipped with total reckless abandon, what would it feel like? What might God be able to do in me and through me?
Just a thought... Hope you enjoy the video!

The Community of Christ

"8Let me say first of all that your faith in God is becoming known throughout the world. How I thank God through Jesus Christ for each one of you. 9God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart F2 by telling others the Good News about his Son.
10One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11For I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other." Romans 1: 8-12

I was reading this passage in Romans tonight and I was struck with a familiarity of the feelings Paul was expressing in this passage when he wrote it. He was talking about longing for an opportunity to go visit this group of people because he wanted to be able to encourage them and in return be encouraged by them spiritually.
A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog about the power of community. When I wrote that blog, I talked about how people desire to be known and to know each other. But I think another great benefit of community is the encouragement it provides. To get together with a group of people that share things in common, to share goals, to share beliefs and to be able to spur one another on in life... well that is a great thing.
I am incredibly fortunate to be part of an amazing small group based out of my church. Every Sunday night we get together and hang out and discuss our faith in God and what God is doing in our lives, what He is teaching us. And every Sunday night when I leave, I leave energized and pumped up because of the things I hear my friends telling me. It excites me to hear what God is doing in their lives. It makes me look forward to seeing what God has in store for me too. It encourages me to dig deeper in the Word of God and to hear what He wants to say to me.
I think that is exactly what Paul was talking about in this passage of scripture. Even a great man of faith like Paul needed encouragement from other believers. The things that we go through from day to day can really weigh us down and to be able to get together with people who want to see God move in your life is like a breath of fresh air. We need that. We desperately need encouragement in our lives.
If you are reading this and you aren't experiencing this in your life, ask God to send you a group of people to encourage you spiritually, whether it is through a small group or something else. We need to spur each other on, to rally around each other, to hold each other's arms up when we get tired. That is the beauty of the community of Christ.

Creativity at its Finest

I have been wanting to write this blog for weeks. I saw the most beautiful sky the other night while I was driving and was struck by the vivid colors and the designs in the clouds. It actually brought tears to my eyes and I thought "how on earth could anyone think something so incredibly magnificent could have come to be by chance". I believe with all my heart that I serve a creative God. One that can speak beauty into existence by whispering a single word. One that sits on his throne and laughs with delight when he watches his creation do what they were created to do.
I went in search of some beautiful things, some really creative things that capture a glimpse of God's creativity.

His creativity in a brilliant sky


The inspiration of a baby


the originality of a weird creature



We get glimpses of His genius every day.




His creativity completely takes my breath away.

Joy from Obedience

Obedience. I hate that word. Because it requires me to do something that someone tells me to do. Ever since I was a child, I hated being told what to do. My mother could tell you some shocking stories (only they might not shock you if you know me well) about how I hated being told what to do. I hated being told what to wear. I hated being told to be quiet...the list goes on. I remember my mom telling me not to touch something because it was hot. What did I do? I put a finger on it just to show her that I would do what I wanted. As I have aged, this flaw of mine has only gotten worse. When Corey, my husband, tells me what I should do or what I shouldn't do, my answer is usually "Ok, dad" and then I usually do what I want anyway. Not my shining moments I assure you.
Today I came across an article that was about worship. It said that obedience is a requirement to worship.
John 14:15 says "If you love me, you will obey what I command." NIV and then in verse 21 "whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by the Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

He's saying that obedience is how we show Him that we love Him. I don't think I do a very good job of showing Christ that I love Him. Instead, I fight what He asks me to do because I think I know what is best for me. Or I say I will do what He asks but then I really end up doing what I want instead. And it always ends up in a mess. Just like the time when I burned my finger trying to show my mom that she wasn't the boss of me. Isn't that ridiculous that at almost 30 years old I am still doing that? I would hope that I would have learned something by now. God has told me that he has plans for me. Big plans. Plans to give me a great future. Yet I still think I can do things my own way and that it will turn out perfectly.

I really want this year to be a year where I learn the joy that comes from obedience.
I want to learn from my mistakes. I want to follow God's plan for my life and not my own. I want to choose His ways. This is painful for me, but growing hurts sometimes and I know it's going to be worth it.

A Worshipper's Prayer

I am scheduled to lead worship at my church this coming Sunday, and as I was preparing for that today, I stumbled across a song called "A Worshipper's Prayer". The words really spoke to my heart so I thought I would share the chorus here.

"'Cause here I am
And like a thousand times before, I sing again
And when all my simple words have found their end

Once again I'm even more amazed
By the beauty and the mystery of Your ways
Oh, how marvelous to hear You call my name

So when there's nothing left to bring
And there's no song left to sing
Here I am"- A Pocket Full Of Rocks


This new year I am looking forward to several things. One of them is not being a student anymore. Another one is getting to spend more time with my husband and family and friends. But the thing I am looking forward to most is using my time to grow closer in my relationship with the Lord. Our small group has talked alot about how we want to see God move in big ways in our hearts and lives this year. I think that for me, I am going to see this through my worship of Him. And I don't mean through just music. As much as I love music, love to sing, love to play music, what I am really talking about is the worship of God simply through offering myself to him. Offering every part of my life. I think as Christians we tend to compartmentalize our lives. Church, school, work, etc. And God may be in some of the compartments, but He isn't in all of them. This year, I want to tear down the walls, the compartments. I want him to consume every part of me and my life. I want Him to be evident in every part of my life. In the way I talk to people. In my attitudes. In my work ethic. In everything.
I think that is what real worship is. It is simply offering ourselves, all of us to Him, allowing Him to use us in any way He chooses, even if it's uncomfortable for us.
I want to have a true worshipper's heart this year. I want to honor Him with my life. I want to be bold in my faith.


If you want to check out the song, here is a link...