UPDATE! The Fish announced that they are extending the video count date to August 30th! Keep watching, keep sharing the link with friends! Thank so much for the support!
========================================
So I'm entering a singing contest. This is definitely a first, and honestly quite humbling, but it's for a good cause, so I'm going to need your help! Here's the drill...
104.7 The Fish (Atlanta), and is hosting an "Opening Act" contest for their Celebrate Freedom concert on September 4th. They are asking solo artists to post a video on YouTube, and those videos will be judged 50% on how many views by August 22nd (not much time!!), and 50% by the Program Director at The Fish, based upon vocal quality, stage presence, and radio potential. Five finalists will be chosen to sing live the morning of Celebrate Freedom, and judged by 3 judges. The winner will perform live at the evening concert, and will not only win a $10,000 prize of their own, but can give $10,000 to their ministry/charity of choice. This is what finally motivated me to enter.
I have partnered with an organization called Love146 for a couple years now. Their mission is to end child sex slavery & exploitation. I was so moved when I first watched the video of how they got their name (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IJiWCHpFRs) that I wanted immediately to be a part of what they were doing to make a difference in the world. You can read more about them at http://love146.org/
Due to the nature of my life and circumstances this past year, I haven't been able to do much actively to raise awareness for Love146, but I feel like this is a great opportunity for me to use the gifts and talents God gave me to potentially raise $10,000 of financial support for their mission. Not only have I had a year of starting a new life myself after divorce (ironically September 4th would have been my sixth anniversary), but the chance to bless a ministry with additional means to help children start a new life free from slavery & exploitation seemed like a really practical way I could "dare to attempt something so great for the Kingdom of God that it is doomed to failure, lest Christ be in it," as my pastor, Randy Pope, regularly encourages us.
It's also a blessing to finally share with the world some of the "beauty" that I believe has come from the ashes of my life - one of these new songs that the Lord has birthed in my heart during this season. I chose a song called "In a Blink," which I co-wrote with my friend Duffy James.
If you'd like to be a part of this adventure, please pass this link on to all your friends, post the link on facebook, watch it 100 times a day yourself (LOL), and help me get as many views as possible by August 22nd!
It's because of many of you out there encouraging/supporting me that I continue to press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Thanks for being part of my life and journey.
"But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal." (I Corinthians 15:51-57)
Hey all! Hard to believe it’s been two months since my last blog. It’s been an eventful time. I started a new job at my church as a full-time Ministry Associate for the Women’s Ministry. I am so blessed to be surrounded by some AMAZING women, especially the other three on staff with me in the Women’s Ministry office. The Lord is has been so faithful to take such good care of me time and again, and placing me here in this season is another good thing for me, I think! I’m so thankful for God’s provision financially as well. Huge blessing.
So this morning at department meeting, we repeated an exercise that had been introduced at a recent women’s fellowship as a means of sharing “what’s up” in our world. A number of items were placed on the table – a wash rag, fly swatter, paper bag, salt shaker, hammer, computer charger, and measuring spoons – and we were told to pick whatever item we most identified with at that moment, and to share why.
"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:12-14)
===========================
A few weeks ago I moved out of my folks' place (after 5 months there) and into a new (for now, temporary) apartment while in this crazy season of life - with the help of family and friends from my church. It has been WONDERFUL (thanks Bill & Amy!). From the first night here, I have felt so at peace, so at home, and the presence of the Lord just seems to be so near.
It snowed here in Atlanta this afternoon and evening, "burying" us in four or five inches of white. For all of you in places where you have multiple FEET of snow right now, I know you might laugh, but around here you just don't go anywhere when that happens since all the roads become slushy ice rinks and people are not experienced enough to drive on them. I grew up in Michigan and Indiana, so I know snow, but we don't have snow plows and salt trucks enough to go around in the South, and so the city just shuts down when this happens. For years, they will likely talk about this as "The Blizzard of 2010."
So I enjoyed staying home on this quiet Friday night and watching the snow fall. Then I snuggled under a blanket to watch TV, played a little guitar, and went to bed early. It's the first night in weeks (maybe months?) when I actually went to bed fairly early AND could have slept in late, and I was so excited! However, at 4am, even with the world so quiet and peaceful and covered in white, for some reason I am wide awake again.
So thanks to a friend's recent encouragement (and kick in the butt, thanks friend!), I sat down yesterday on an Atlanta "snow day" with my guitar, a keyboard, and my notebook...and the whole afternoon free. I didn't know what to sing or say after a long dry spell, but as my friend encouraged me, "Well, just write about that." I want to share the lyrics with you all (and it doesn't have a title yet, so I'm open to suggestions!), but first I wanted to talk about what led me here. Grab a cup of coffee, cause this might be a long one.
This has been a different season for me, and after a friend shared this prayer on facebook, I found it touching and helpful. For those of you out there for who find it's been hard to find the "joy" in Christmas this year, may you be reminded you're not alone. Let's join together to pray for many others who are also grieving or find themselves in difficult circumstances right now. This is certainly a hurting world, but we have a redemptive Savior, who is Christ the Lord!
I am thankful for so many of you who have helped bring joy back in to my life over these past few months. The Lord is near, that I know.
Praying you have a Blessed Christmas,
Sheri
=======
Christmas Prayer For Those Who Struggle During Christmas
by Katherine Walden
=======
Father God, I ask you to come to those whose hearts ache on your Son's birthday. Although they sincerely thank you for your greatest gift of all -- they are hurting and lonely. Father, let them know it's ok to express to you the pain and loneliness and frustration in their hearts. Let them know you are listening -- and care.
I pray for those who are single and who have no family -- who spend much of the holidays alone. Be with them in the lonely hours, help them not to feel marginalized during this season that places so much emphasis on 'family'.
I pray for those who are housebound and infirm and are unable to leave their homes or hospital rooms due to illness. I pray for those with loved ones that are separated due to work, weather, duty or other circumstances.
I pray for families who are struggling this year, financially and emotionally. I pray for desperate spouses who worry over their marriage. I pray for those children who are frightened and alone, who are in abusive situations or who sense the worry and frustration that their parents try to hide. . I pray for parents who have children who are ill in body; ill in mind or who are addicted to drugs.
Jesus, please come as Immanuel -- God with us, Jesus, please enter into each place, each home, each hospital room, each homeless shelter, each hotel, each jail cell, each place of business - let them know they are not alone. Holy Spirit, come as the Comforter, let your gentle, healing warmth sooth and bring solace to aching hearts. God the Father, come to those without family and remind them that you are their family. Show them your heavenly, attentive, fatherly love for them in a way that they can understand. I pray this in the name of Jesus -- who knows our sorrows and understands our hearts.
So out of the blue yesterday, a new friend of my husband gifted tickets to us he was unable to use for last night's U2 concert in Atlanta. I found out at 5pm that we were jumping in the car to head downtown! In the midst of a rough few months and weeks...what a gift from the Lord. My husband is not a *huge* U2 fan - though he can appreciate their music - but I am! I had never seen them in person before. What a treat!
So its been quite a while since Ive blogged. Its probably my first real case of true bloggers block. Every time I thought about blogging these last eight weeks, it just seemed like there was an emptiness, a void of any thoughts to blog whatsoever. Maybe its the pressure I put on myself to come up with something deep and meaningful in every blog - my inner perfectionist rearing its ugly head.
Have you ever had one of those days? Maybe you've had a few bad days this month, this week, or maybe you're having one today?
I know I've had just a few bad days myself recently, and on one of those days when I was trying to find some encouragement by reading my Bible, I found myself reading in the book of Acts. Maybe youre familiar with the story of Saul of Tarsus (who was later re-named Paul). He was certainly a guy who saw his fair share of bad days! First to give you some background
I ran out of room on my camera the last day so am sad to have missed getting pics of my Aunt & Uncle and the Wilson family. :( It was great to see you all, though!
