The kids came ‘home’. . .

Two weekends ago marked an amazing weekend for Pointe North Community Church and the ministries within. God blessed us so that we were able to ‘bring the kids home’ to the main campus. For the first time in PNCC history, we have every ministry under the same roof!

The facility looks amazing. The buzz surrounding this first weekend has gone before us! The second weekend was amazing as we hosted the Alive Praise Band [APB] to lead worship!

We are growing and are in desperate need of your help! If you have a heart for new generations becoming passionate about Jesus, call the church or email me and I’ll get you the information you need!

Forever Changed. . .

This is the blog that I have posted about our Live Recording for Pointe North Community Church! I’m excited but filled with anticipation for HOW and WHEN the Lord is going to move that night! I’m trying to get ready, but, ‘You better brace yourseeeelllllfffffff”!

 

I can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it is for me to be a part of this! I miss playing with these guys more that I can begin to describe. I am certain that God has led me to assist our children at PNCC in learning how to worship – and raising that generation of worshipers.  It has been a very emotional road though – mostly because I don’t get much time to hang with these guys [the adults]! I keep hearing of how these intense moments of worship, restoration, and deliverance have been happening! That thought makes me energized and excited about this experience. I know the Lord has been prepping your hearts as much as He has been prepping mine!

I have begun to understand the enormity of what He has called me to be a part of. May I be so bold to speak this to you? You must be dead if you expect to attend this worship experience and continue on as the same person that you came in as. The changes have already begun for me! My heart has been forever changed. From the first meeting I sat in after being invited to be a part of this experience, I knew with certainty that God was going to change me – from the inside out!

Matt and I have journeyed through some difficult terrain in the past couple of months. He left active duty Air Force life without having a permanent job. While we attempted to save money for the transition, God ever-so-gently removed almost all of the padding – reminding us that, “In the end, we would know He was God!”  I began to have blood pressure troubles and didn’t have insurance to see a doctor. My enemy has ONE purpose; that purpose is to steal from me, kill and destroy me! I refuse to go down like that! I have one word for him! CAPTIVATED! I am captivated! I am so captive to the Lord that I desire to draw as close as I possibly can to Him!

I know that I will never be the same again. The Lord has shown me that He desires to draw me closer – I just have to let Him seize my attention and capture my heart! As we near this live recording, my heart and soul cry out for Him to awaken every sense I have that I may be so aware of His presence! I’m praying for you and hope you find that you’re captivated too – even if you didn’t mean to be!

Just to be able to give you a glimpse that He IS God, Matt found a job that makes NO sense at all! Our insurance started August 1^st and we didn’t have to wait for it to become effective. We paid every bill [including our mortgage] on time and still have a little buffer. That’s right! He fed 5000 with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread – at the Carman house! YES! He loves us and desires for us to become ‘CAPTIVATED’!

Blessed beyond measure!

Matt and I are in a very precarious position right now, but I have never looked at him with such admiration – EVER before! I am so blessed that I have a husband that loves me and desires to take care of me and my girls so much!  

I can’t even measure that on a stick because there is someone near me that is struggling through a relationship that has been built upon distrust. I am so grateful that I don’t have to worry about explaining where I’ve been or who I’ve been talking to. 

Matt just loves me because he loves me. Today, he drew so much attention to our driveway because of his crazy actions!!! I cooked up a roast for a family in our small group that suffered a loss of someone in their family. On the way to deliver it, the juices spilled EVERYWHERE in my car. The carpet was trashed anyway, but today Matt decided he had time to do it – and do it right! ;D He was going to clean it. He took out every seat in the car. He removed the carpet completely out of the vehicle. YES! He pressure washed my carpets and cleaned the floor mats. I couldn’t believe it. 

I am blessed; blessed beyond measure that my husband love his wife – and he’s choosing to show me! Oh how he loves me – and I love him!

Giving blood

So, I had a lunch date with Baylee’s first grade teacher. We met for lunch and chatted to catch up with things and she invited me over to the location where she had an appointment to give blood. I thought to myself, “You’re 33 years old and you’ve NEVER given blood. Maybe you should give it a shot. It’s such a great gift!” So, I gave in and went to give blood.

I need to say here, that in high school, I was trying to think of everything that I could to avoid giving blood – because I was freaked out by them pricking my finger. WEENY! If I remember correctly, that day, I immediately ‘got a headache’. Whew, I got out of it! . . .back to the present day. . .

I’m sitting there, waiting for the tech to check me in. He shoves a glove at me and says, ‘Gum’. I looked at him as if he were crazy and said, ‘Seriously?’ He replied, “Yes, gum causes your temp to go up.” At that point, I began wondering what I had gotten myself into. I managed to get through the finger stick and the ridiculous questions I had to answer. I finally decided that I didn’t have ‘said problem’ if I didn’t know what it was or how to pronounce it. I got tickled at myself trying to read those things. 

I was thinking to myself…”What have you managed to get yourself in to?” when they called me to sit in the [I'm going to call it this] ‘draining chair’. I sat there looking all around me at the folks that were already ‘draining’. As I was looking around for my friend, I realized that I had beat her to this location. She walked up with an expression that I was astonished to read! NO! They declined her! Her heart was beating irregularly and they wouldn’t take her. I’m not gonna lie…I was thinking, ‘SO IS MINE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!’

Mr. Blood Drainer came over and told me to get ready. Really? Like, how sir? As he was sticking that GINORMOUS needle into my vein, I realized that I could handle this. It wasn’t going to be as bad as I had envisioned. He told me to keep pumping my hand every 5 – 10 seconds. Sure. Uh, Sir, is my hand and arm supposed to feel cold? I feel funny Sir. All I know is that every person there was talking about how fast I had drained. As he capped my flow, removed the needle, he told me to hold my arm up. “My musc…” was my thought. I heard someone say, ‘She’s going’. I was wondering where I was going but considering the fact that I couldn’t even say, ‘my muscles aren’t working’ my mind immediately grasped the concept that I was getting ready to pass out. OH NO!!!!!! You took out too much blood for me to even stay awake?

So, I had to sit there and wait until I didn’t feel jelly legged anymore. I felt terrible that whole evening. Apparently, my blood drained too quickly leaving me feeling quite weak. It felt like labor to breathe. I asked myself, “How long until I feel like normal?” What is the recoup time? No one told me.

The next day, I rode to Myrtle Beach to Breakaway to be a helper for the youth. STUPID! In the very hot sun, I was intentional about drinking water. In fact, I consumed at least 15 bottles of water. I kept refilling the bottle. I had to sit down every second I could – I couldn’t shake that horrible WEAK feeling. Cathy O asked me, “Are you okay?” I’m not really sure where the courage for honesty came at that moment, but I shook my head, ‘No’. She immediately got me to her cabin to rest and recoup. I think I was about to pass out again. I was nauseated and feeling weak. Fortunately, I recouped quickly and felt like an idiot. I was there to help and ended up needing help.

The next day, I was still feeling poorly. I believe that I am not really going to try again – no more giving blood for me. It takes too much for me to get better. My friend Lee suggested I drink 2 Liters of Mountain Dew to replace the 2 Liters of blood they take. I giggled. I tried to do any and everything I could. NOTHING worked but sitting. Thank you to all of you that attempted to ease my situation. I just have to laugh at myself. It’s what I get for attempting something that I know nothing about! DORK!

Want Ad: Important

We are looking at trying to implement a FULL band over at KidsPointe so that folks can have a break and I need YOU! If you have a gift of music and want to pour it out in a very energetic environment, then you need to contact me. If you know someone that plays an instrument, have them contact me! I’m looking to get this thing rolling by the summer so that I can give rest to those playing currently.

Some positions we need are:

bassists, drummers, electric guitar, 1 acoustic [that is looking for a one week per month commitment]. 

Currently I do not need to add any vocalists unless you sing harmony without help and coaching.

B-I-G things stirring!

As I have stepped over to see KP worship come to life, I find myself in a different role than I have ever been in. I have lead worship many times before, but this time, my heart is in a different place. It isn’t just  about ‘singing well’, but ushering my audience into an experience ONE STEP CLOSER to Jesus!

On Easter, I was OVERWHELMED when I heard the kids singing and shouting in worship. They loved it and what ‘got’ me was when I began to ponder what God must be thinking watching those children. I stood there in awe! Tears began to flow down my cheeks. 

I KNOW that God has some HUGE things stirring and knowing a little of what’s to come, I’m absolutely amazed that I get to have a part in those things! KidsPointe is only one of the great things I have had a chance to participate in. When you volunteer, don’t simply just go through the motions. Open your heart to what the Holy Spirit is trying to do IN you as you give your time and energies for Him! You never know what your time/efforts do for someone watching. It doesn’t just matter if you help out in ‘your own ministry’ – just be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. If you feel prompted, I DARE YOU TO MOVE!

God is ready to meet us in a way that we’ve never been receptive to! I KNOW He is – I believe He is calling out to us – wanting to give us the ‘glory filled temple’ experiences!

Ask Him today, ‘What can I do to prepare myself for YOU?’ It may mean serving somewhere you claim you’d NEVER go. . .

I’m at KidsPointe! I love it! It’s different than anything I’ve ever experienced, but I’ve met Him on a deeper level – and I’m anticipating there will be others chasing Him like never before! Big things are stirring – are YOU going to be a part of the finished product?

Hit or miss. . .

GOAL is defined as:

1. The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective.
2. Sports a. The finish line of a race. b. A specified structure or zone into or over which players endeavor to advance a ball or puck. c. The score awarded for such an act.
3. Linguistics a. A noun or noun phrase referring to the place to which something moves.

What goals have you set for yourself? Have you ever wondered if your goal was a hit or a miss? I have often dreamed of goals being something that I would work HARD for, but didn’t often see the fruit of my labor. I have since decided that I would never have a goal because I didn’t want to fail.

As I read the definition of GOAL, I get freaked out because the definition actually said, “the purpose to which an endeavor is directed”. OOOHhhh my toes, just got crunched. What is MY purpose for living this life? To “Go and make disciples of ALL men” – how am I going to do that if I can’t even get off my tale to complete one single goal.

The finish line . . . mmmm, is this something that I have ever seen? I haven’t done EVERYTHING that I can to tell folks about how to grow. Philippians 3: 14 says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Are any of you seeing that I haven’t really been pressing too hard if I choose not to even have a goal because I am too stinking afraid to fail at something?

So, today, I choose to make a goal and stick to it. *if I fail, if I succeed, at least I lived as I believed, no matter what they take from me, they can’t take away my dignity. . .* ok, so I couldn’t resist singing that song. . . If I fail, so what – that really just means that God has another plan for me. He will make that failure into something that glorifies Him and in the end, that is all I really want. So, what are your goals? Long term or short term, lets hear them – at least I can pray for you guys!

Surrounded. . .

I find myself exhilarated by the evidence of God being on the move. Times may seem tough; He is in control! One of the things that I have ‘feared’ throughout my life is being alone. I am pretty certain the root of that cause – but to keep from disrespecting anyone – I’ll just refrain from that ‘exposure’. 

I have stepped into a new place recently, doing new things, but as I stop and watch what has happened, I realize that God has surrounded me with an incredible group of people. The people that are sharing my life with me are so much more than I ever dreamed possible. He’s given me a group [that I consult] that cherish the ‘nuggets I give them’. Those guys have responded to me and have risen to the challenges I present to them. They are thriving, but what God has done in me through them. . . I don’t have words!

There is a new couple that have come into my life that want to pour into us and our three children. THAT is what blows me away. Normally children are an afterthought to others. These guys said to me last week, ” I want you to feel comfortable if you need a weekend to yourselves to just ask us to take the kids for you. We need to make them comfortable to do that!” My teeth almost fell out my head… NO ONE takes THREE girls [ages 7, 6, and 4] because they WANT to? 

My KP team has been incredible – Michele doesn’t get the credit she deserves on a regular basis. She works her tale off and most people don’t know how much she actually does. That aside, she has worked very hard alongside me to get these kids worked up and ready to chase Jesus. The whole environment at KP has been incredible. I know that Hope has stepped up ready to make necessary changes to get these kids excited and make their relationship one that daily grows closer to Jesus. Her vision for KP has been out of this world. I don’t know what it was like over there before because I never participated, but what I have witnessed so far now is that the people there – are like family. THAT’S cool for me – since I don’t have physical family here.

Thank You God for surrounding me with the most incredible people for this chapter. I’m so honored to have them all a part of my life!

“Snake handler’s”. . .

YES! It’s true! We had a REAL, LIVE snake at KidsPointe today! Hope’s illustration was incredible and the kids responded with EXTREME approval and participation. 

Wait, let me start the day off. . .we had an air-guitar contest to see WHO played the best air-guitar! We had an array of people that I never dreamed would actually participate that did [Bryson Doty - yes, he and his brother CHOSE to get on the stage in front  of LOTS of people]. It was awesome. 

The kids are responding more and more to the worship. They were so exciting to watch when we sang familiar tunes they could remember or keep up with. Watching them go deeper in worship is something I could NEVER get tired of.

Hope came up to illustrate that God has promised us that He will protect us. She had a bucket of Cool Whip, a snake, and a bucket of candy. One ‘lucky’ contestant was blind-folded and based on the reaction of the ‘crowd’ chose to reach in and touch the object in the container. Of course, she was too afraid of the snake to ever let the kids touch it [cause it might get loose and she'd never go back until the thing was 'caught']. The point was to see if they would reach into the bucket of candy after being shown the snake. . . after all, it might be something WORSE than a snake, and could I trust God to protect me even if I found myself in a dangerous situation?

This is such an honor to be a part of! I have had lots of fun watching things take place. If you think you wanna check out KidsPointe, email us or call the office – we need your help raising up this new generation of worshipers!

Kick off at KidsPointe. . .

Well, the first Sunday with live worship at KidsPointe was so much fun! We had to re-assess everything after the first service, but the second and third services of the day were incredible. When I explained that the ‘girls in the front’ [my asst worship leaders] were raising their hands in worship as a sign of surrender something seemed to click in some of them. I asked the kids to raise their hands too – I cannot tell you how incredible it was looking at these children CHASING God! I almost started crying standing there. If THIS is any indication of what is to come – look out Alive, we’re going to raise a NEW generation of worshipers that will blow you away!

One thing I noticed was that Hope needs HELP! If you are looking for a place to plug in or you know someone looking to plug – shoot an email over to Michele  [you can email me/comment for the address] to let them know you’re interested! Again, the kids are what Jesus described as the ‘greatest in the kingdom of heaven’. They were awesome, but they need more adults willing to pour into their sweet spirits!

I’d LOVE to hear stories of what the kids thought of worship! Feel free to share!!!!!