Sunday Mind Dump

What a day!! Started out a bit weird… I usually get to FunZone about 6:15 or so in the morning (after a quick stop by Starbucks) so that I can make some last minute tweeks to the message and do the final video setup (set up the computer and aim the projectors)… the weirdest thing happened… normally, I spend about 10 minutes aiming the projectors, but as soon as I turned them on, they were accidentally pointed and focused ALMOST PERFECTLY!  That was a great start to a great day!

Here are a few thoughts that come to mind from this morning:

• I love watching how God’s Spirit has been teaching our church to worship through music!  It’s so amazing to see how God has brought people from SO MANY different backgrounds – some from years of church from every imaginable perspective – and many others who either have never been a part of church or have been away from church for years.  It’s amazing to hear those voices begin to unite as we sing!!  It stinkin’ ROCKS – just sayin!
• Speaking of music, Regina McCormick did an AMAZING job leading us in worship this morning!  She and her husband Jeff have been an amazing blessing to Journey Church! 
• It was STINKIN COOL to hear the band really bring it together this morning!  Mark Hartley held the rhythm down while Nathan and Robert held the notes together!  It was awesome to hear the whole thing come together!! Great job, guys!
• Sometimes it’s easy for me to overlook the hard work that Chuck (our Family Pastor) and his team put into making our Elementz, Pre-School and Nursery an effective ministry to our kids!  I got a chance to work with JD and Lindsey Barnes for a second this morning and see what they had planned – - I kinda wanted to skip out on church and hang out over there!  Great job, guys!!
• I love preaching!  I don’t know if it shows, but I LOVE helping people take their “next step” – it’s a complete pleasure!!!
• After church we had our 1st “First Steps” class of 2012!  I think they just keep getting better!! I LOVE hearing the stories of all that God is doing in people’s lives… we had a nearly 70 year-old lady who is celebrating her FIRST spiritual birthday (she was saved here at Journey Church almost exactly a year ago… and for the record, she says she LOVES THE MUSIC!!)  There were stories of people’s renewed faith – stories of God saving people from their past and calling them to a NEW future with Him!!  Not to mention COUNTLESS stories of how WELCOMED people feel when they visit Journey Church!  These stories wouldn’t be told without everything that each one of you do to make this place a reality!!!
• I got a chance to spend the last few hours with many of the musicians that God has invested in Journey Church!! They and their families are some of the hardest working and sacrificial servants I have ever met!  Did you know that many of our musicians serve EVERY SINGLE WEEK – and that doesn’t just mean that they play their instrument!  If a musician plays on Sunday morning, they almost always also are there on Saturday night to tear down jumpers, set up the platform, sound equipment and their instrument before they practice together for Sunday morning (not to mention the 8 AM practice on Sunday morning!)  WOW!!!

So, now I’m up late monitoring the TV for the family watching to see if we’re going to spend a few minutes in the storm shelter with our neighbors!  Gonna be fun!

JB