So Long Summer!

On this first day of Fall, here's a little video my 12 year old daughter did to celebrate what God did this summer. I thought she did a great job!

Here WIth Us

Don't forget to save the date on your calendars for the first ever ZOE Christmas conference in October! October 25th-27th in Nashville at the Otter Creek Church. You can register online at www.zoegroup.org

We begin recording our first ever Christmas CD this Friday. We're excited and covet your prayers as we enter this process!

Save the Date! ZOE Worship Conference 2013

We are pleased to announce that the 2013 ZOE Worship Conference will be October 25-27 in Nashville, TN at the Otter Creek Church! This year we will be focusing on the season of Advent.

Christmas--the happiest time of the year? Often we feel pressure to feel that way based on the way the media and movies portray the holidays. However, Advent teaches us what "God with us" really means. Advent is about waiting...waiting on the Lord, watching for Him, believing in Him...even when He is silent. Advent celebrates the absolute truth that God is faithful and that His steadfast love is present, even in difficult times, to bring a deep peace unlike anything we've ever experienced. Come join us as we celebrate Emanuel, God with us.

More information on the conference will be released in the coming months. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email Kim at kim@zoegroup.org.

Never Once

Today is my 43rd birthday. This picture was taken at my birthday party when I turned 6 years old. Life was so simple. I had all my best friends there around that table. Kyle and Carl Dickson, Paul Phillips, Scott Rogers, Bo Sanford and Kim Lomax...who should get friend points for being the only girl at a boy's birthday party! My father made the cake...as he would do for several more birthdays. I literally remember the moment this picture was taken...like it was yesterday.

Those years were simple...full of love, full of mischief, full of laughter. I am an only child who always wanted siblings. The kids sitting at this table were like siblings to me...most still are. Kyle Dickson (in the ball cap) and I went through ACU together--pledging, Homecoming musicals, Sing Song, homemade movies, trips to Nashville and the Reynolds's house in Fort Worth. He was by my side as my dad laid dying from cancer. He was in my wedding and has been a brother to me for a long time. There are similar stories with other kids around this table.

I loved my childhood. I was blessed with great parents and great friends. But, I don't want to go back. How we all survive life is sometimes a mystery to me. The simple days fade. The laughter is sometimes exchanged for heart-wrenching tears. But, the older I get the more I see how God was with me every step of the way.

In the Old Testament, Joseph had it pretty rough...family deception, kidnapping, jealousy, slavery, prison...then things got better. But it is written through all of it that God was with him. Often, in our Americanized version of Christianity we think that God With Us means all is happy and well. It's the health-wealth gospel that wears me out. We don't often think about how "God With Us" could mean that we actually face trials and things DON'T work out. Cancer isn't healed...that relationship isn't restored...money runs out...a child dies...a job is lost...etc. Sometimes it can feel as if we judge God's presence based on how well things are working out for US.

It's a powerful thought to know that nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. No height, depth, struggle, failure, angel, demon....nothing. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

I praise Him for 43 amazing years full of laughter, tears, victories, defeats, struggles, freedom, my wife Sheryl, friends, loss, hope, arguments, music, Sheryl's singing, the sound of my children's voices, the squeals of joy at Christmas, the tears of my son as he said goodbye to his Paw-Paw (Sheryl's dad), ZOE, Nashville, Abilene, Cruise ships, studios....so much more.

This has become one of my anthems...Matt Redman's "Never Once"

Standing on this mountain top
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say...

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

ZOE in Malibu 2012

ZOE had our annual trek to Malibu recently. The Pepperdine lectureship is such a wonderful week for us. We have the honor of getting to minister to hundreds of people and also have fellowship with each other. This was our 15th year to go. What a blessing it is to us! We did three classes with Mike Cope plus 2 late night worship experiences. It was a very exhausting week but so worth it! The week culminated with a very sweet experience for me which you'll hear more about below...

Here are some pictures from our time there.

No trip to Malibu is complete for us without eating at Duke's!

The beauty all around the Pepperdine campus

Sheryl's sister Gail and her family were there too

Cousins! Maddie and Sierra

Mitch Fewell sang with us the first day-posing here with Peter and me

Amy and Sheryl

ZOE CD sales after each session

Part of the fun of Malibu is the beach!

ZOE girls jump for joy

Not to be outdone by the girls...we had to try too

Each morning we went down to the Malibu Country Mart for coffee and morning sunshine

Craig and Beth Ann were also on the trip this year. So fun being together!

Jason got to see his sister Rachel while we were there

Rachel helps prep Jason before we sing

These are the kinds of views you get at Pepperdine...the lovely Pacific Ocean

On Friday Melissa had to leave early because she and Michael were headed to NYC with the Nashville Symphony because the symphony was playing Carnegie Hall. So, I called my buddy Beverley who I used to perform with (who now sings weekly on Dancing With the Stars) and she came and joined us. It was such a special thing for us! We loved having Beverley. She sang a solo on "It Is Well" and I only wish I had recorded it. I got the other two days...but was so caught up in the moment that I missed it. It was truly incredible! You can hear clips of the other two days below...

This is in the stairwell where we go after soundcheck. I stopped recording right before Sheryl got choked on saliva. :)

After our afternoon class on Friday we all loaded up and went in to Santa Monica to the pier. In all the years we've been going out there we have never done this. It was such a blast!

Jason and Amy

Beverley and me

Maddie and Jesse

Jeremy, Beverley and Kelly Chitwood with Sheryl and me

This artist was amazing! Maddie had her do her name

Amy, Kent and Jason--oink

Kevin, Amy and Jason before riding the coaster

Ella rode with me! She loved it!

We had a great week out there and some pretty incredible moments of ministry in Mike's class and in our late night worship sessions. I always leave feeling the glory of God. It's a very special place. 

Here With Us

I'm not sure about you, but the last few weeks have been chaos in some ways for me...just very busy and I end up feeling like I need 5 more hours each day to get everything done. We're in the middle of intense rehearsals for our Christmas show at the Paramount on December 4th.

And, although it was INCREDIBLE, after the ZOE conference last weekend I really felt spent.

Also, my voice is struggling to overcome allergies...thank you, West Texas. So, last night was exciting for me but I was still feeling the crunch. The Spirit led Dava Lynn Sullivan to ask me how she could be praying for me (Thank you, DL!) It caused me to self examine...to stop and be still. So, during the elders meeting (sorry, Ed) I practiced praying in color like our children's minister, Suzetta, does. I decided to just sit right in the middle of the words "Here With Us". What I discovered was that a deep need was being met in that moment as the Spirit brought to mind every word, every phrase, every description that makes up Immanuel...God with us.

I wrote in big block letters in the middle "Here With Us" and began to just surround it with phrases and descriptions that came to mind. As I did, I felt bit by bit, my heart releasing to the Lord....relinquishing power, resting in Him, being quiet, receiving His fuel. Some of the words and phrases I wrote as I contemplated God's real presence with me were, "Peace, present, available, focus, able, Life, comfort, support, beside, around, under, over, in and through, in the dark, in the car, at rehearsal, at home, as I sleep, in the stillness, Guide, Companion, Friend, Guard, Shepherd, Healer, Father, Overcomer, Foundation, protection, cover, shield, FULL provision, green pastures, true life, true rest, Invader of loneliness, and "my worth is fully answered in Jesus".

This was a pretty personal exercise...there were some other things I wrote too, and I normally wouldn't share something like this but I felt prompted this morning to share with you. It's easy to allow our STRIVINGS to take over. But last night...as though He was almost pouring oil over my head...He quieted my heart to see the power once again of "Here With Us". The word "permeate" kept coming to mind. He will, if you'll allow Him, permeate your entire being today. He so wants that. He wants to be known by you. It's His greatest pleasure.

Consider these words from one of my favorite hymns--"Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

The imagery there is exactly what I felt last night...God dropping droplets of quietness upon my soul...until my heart was calmed to really see things for how they are. His peace is truly everlasting...invading.

I don't know where you are today, but I really pray this will encourage you. It's not always easy to make yourself vulnerable to a bunch of people and I resist that at times, but felt the Lord's prompting today. I pray that in some ways my own struggle to find peace this week can encourage you in your journey.