We were downstate, grandma was watching the peanut, and we were thoroughly enjoying a nice dinner at Olive Garden. We talked about being parents, things we were excited about (funny how it seems like months can fly by without a good "talk" with your spouse. Kids keep you busy!), and we also talked about buying a house. We'd been looking on and off for a while, but we were really itching to finally own our living situation. Our dinner (and Tiramisu) was finished, and the waiter brought us our bill and these after dinner mints. I grabbed them, and on a fidgety, slightly wine-influenced whim, I built a little house and made a prophetic declaration that this was going to be the year we bought a house. Now "prophetic declaration" sounds pretty cool, but all it means is, basically, this is going to happen. God spoke everything into being, and He made us in His likeness, so we can speak things into being, too. The prophetic part is just speaking what God says. Pretty deep subject, but it's just another facet of our being in relationship with the creator of the universe, and how He wants us to be a part of things. Maybe I'll blog on that more, later, but back to the story. I wish I could say that the heavens parted and I felt this rush of...whatever it is that the super christians get...but it was, as I said above, a fidgety, slightly wine-influenced whim. Kind of like "alright, I'm just sayin' here." But it was honest, and heart-felt. Of course, like any important moment, I promptly forgot about it.
Fast forward to today. This time next week, my family and I will be spending the first night in our first house. Get this: it will be exactly one year since that night at Olive Garden. Even more, I built the little house out of four dinner mints. We were only a family of three at the time, but we will be moving in as a family of four (one still in utero). Crazy, eh? Needless to say, we're really excited, blown away, and very thankful. The takeaway for you: God is faithful. Even a fidgety, slightly wine-influenced (they have really good chianti at Olive Garden) whim, when it is mixed with a grain of faith and lines up with His heart, can move mountains.
And now for the aforementioned ramblings. I haven't posted much on Victorious Eschatology, mostly just because I'm still where I was at the time of the last one. I'm in Matthew right now, but as soon as that's done I want to get some serious study on, because this is something that's burning in my heart that I need to get to the bottom of. More to come!
Also, my good friend Jason wrote on the role of excellence in worship music. Really good stuff! I've heard people say they didn't want the music to get "emotional" in the sense of trying to get an emotional response from the congregation. That's good in the sense of playing for their emotions, but, as musicians we are supposed to lead them with our emotions. The worship set is supposed to take people somewhere. It's supposed to move people. It's not about how good you play in and of itself, but it's about giving your all, doing your best, playing your heart out. If that means you keep tempo, great. If that means it totally, absolutely, incredibly rocked, that's great, too! Psalm 33 says to play "skillfully, and shout for joy." Doesn't sound ho-hum to me. There's a great balance and tension to being totally awesome but not in the spotlight, not caring if anybody notices. Jason does this really well, and by the way, he is the only drummer I've ever heard use a cowbell and make it sound amazing.
That's all for now!
PB
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