Just a couple more hours and I am outta here for 4 days! Can I tell you that I need a break from my job!! This week has been better but to be honest....I havent had much quiet time and connecting time with God. I have been so busy and that is not gonna work anymore. Life can sure run past me if I dont pay attention. I have to be more "aware" of my schedule, my time, and my moments with God. So this morning God and I chatted about that. And I tell you I felt so much lighter after that. I just miss Him so much. There are things in my life that I dont like and sometimes that pulls me away from God....but I need to not allow that. I had a great conversation with a coworker today....and it totally added to my morning with God. She was saying things that she is learning at her church that I was totoally thinking over. I think what God really spoke to me today was how un-Aware the body of Christ is. How easy it is to just have habits and reactions to things that we dont even think about. So many examples. We live in a free country and that is so great....but do we remember that people have died for that freedom? We celebrate the days we have off with a BBQ but do we remember to honor the soldiers? When I was in Australia, there were young adults in McDonalds saving money to come to America. Still in 2006, people want to come here at any cost....but we as Americans talk bad about this country and our leadership. Hmmm.....and then as Christians.....we have so many ways that we act that we just play off as not that big a deal (swearing, sex out of marriage, little lies, lack of integrity) that we just do and dont think about. Some at higher levels than others but we all have things that we compromise in one way or another. Even if it is just our negative thoughts about ourselves that we allow ourselves to meditate on. If we dont become more aware of our lives and the things in our lives....we will never be more like Jesus. We will stay the same. Everything matters in our lives....not one action does not have a reaction. Who will run us.....our flesh or our Spirit? The choice is yours. Whether you are "aware" of it or not.

Happy 4th of July! Thank you to all who have fought for and served this country. Thank you to those who fight now. Thank you for your sacrifice. We honor you. May we lift everyone of you up in prayer. Please God....BLESS AMERICA. And Jesus thank you again and again for your Ultimate Sacrifice.....you are where TRUE freedom exists. May my life honor you.

I cant believe it is already Monday. Wow....I am pretty tired. I think I need to have Mondays off. After a busy ministry weekend....I am beat. Well, I did get to sleep in on Saturday and the headed off to Rustproof. Things went cool in RP. My cousin Nick who will be a 6th grader in the fall was there yesterday.....that was sweet! I am excited to have some family there! Last night I had the privilege to teach at Elements. The music went great (Rob and Brian are so talented) and I think the talk went ,all in all, good. I basically shared my testimony and then had some teaching points off that. I showed some old videos....one from high school when I was the Glinda the good witch in the Wizard of Oz....and then the other from GOC 1999 when I was Mary for the first time. Wow....what a life-changing time that was. It was neat to have some great people come out to see me from NRC. Thanks to Lori, Becky, Stacey and Steve, Julie and Val....and my mommy, Auntie Janet and Mimi. That was really special. I was pretty nervous as it got closer to the time to start.....and while I was sharing....I was hoping that people were connecting to it.....it was so much more than a story about me....but about God's plan and unfailing, consistent love in my life. Again...Elements thanks for letting me share and those that were there....thanks for showing up! :) Rob's mom got me the prettiest butterfly box. That was so nice. Well, today I am just working hard...hopefully getting a pedicure....and then going to Jordan's show. I am excited to see that. Long day ahead of me....but I guess that is just the way it goes.
***You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious, You make everything glorious....what does that make me?***
(Thank you Lord for making everything glorious....it is all for YOUR GLORY!....Amen)

Friday morning thoughts......
-I am so looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow
-I had a blast with Nancy and Stacey last night....Nothing like a night with great friends
-Getting ready to teach for the first time at Elements this weekend....(if you dont have plans come out to Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak @ 7:00 this Sunday night....June 25th)
-Search the City was great Monday night.....yum
-Jordan played great on Wednesday....love to watch him worhsip.....God luck on your show Monday
-Aaron's b-day party tonight!
-Was supposed to be at the Tigers today....but it was SOLD OUT! Go Tigers!
-Kurt is in San Francisco with a missions team.....I want to be in San Francisco....I love it there
-My water tastes good.....
-So glad it is the weekend.....I will be in Rustproof all weekend....fun
-So thankful for God's grace and forgiveness
-I love that special people in my life are reading my journal....thank you and I love you
-I love the people at my church....wow....I am blessed with them
-I ordered my shirt for Israel today.....I cant believe I am going!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-I get to be baptised in the Jordan river!!! I get to be baptised in the JORDAN RIVER!! AHHH!!

I read some interesting thoughts that a friend sent me ...check them out....
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. Youll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast and you'll eventually loose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll NEVER get back.

End with Praise that......My times are in Your hands (Psalm 31:15) Amen!

Have a great weekend! XOXO

Just some thoughts I had on Freedom in Christ......

We are free in Christ as soon as we accept Christ (If the Son sets you free you are free indeed) but we function in our habits. We don’t live free because we do the same things that we did before we were saved (and after) to cope with the strongholds in our lives. When our “stuff” comes up…or stress builds….we run to the formed habit instead of running to the Father and waiting….we give in cause it “seems” easier….but in the end it leads to more feelings of “uncleaness” and guilt. We don’t fully know who we are in Christ so we listen to our “previously recorded tape” and to satan. This causes us to not live in the freedom Christ purchased on the cross. God calls us saints and holy ones. Freedom lies in Believing and knowing God….and then knowing that we are Who God says We are.

Satan wants the clean to feel unclean in hopes that we act unclean. (Beth Moore)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON DANIEL LOVELACE!! It is my sweet baby cousins (I call him nephew) birthday. He is 2 years old today. I still remember the day he was born.....I was,of course, singing at church that night....so I didnt see him till the next day. But when I got to the hospital, I fell in love with him instantly. I have seen him every week for the past 2 years. Actually, after his mom (Staci) came back to work...(we work together and we had a daycare here at work) I was able to see him from the time he was 6 weeks till 9 months. I would go down on my break and lunch to see him everyday. Unfortunately they closed the daycare (BUMMER) and he is now in a home day care. Which is good....they work with him and teach him all kinds of things. Those times when he was at work are precious memories to me. I would change him and feed him and make sure he was ok. I so looked forward to my days with him. He is my sweet air-bear (as I call him) and I am head over heels in love with this little boy. His mom surprised me the other day and brought him (and his baby sister Adrian) up to see me and I was SO GEEKED and touched.....my eyes started to water and he ran to me. I love how he says my name....I love how he runs....I love how he colors....and I love his hugs and kisses. My life is so much more full with him in it. My cousin and her fiance are so good to me in that they let me keep him over night and come over whenever I want to. I am picking him up to keep him overnight tomorrow! :) In this boy....God is teaching me so much about unconditional love. I see how I look at him....and God whispers sweetly to me....that He loves me like that. No matter what. What an amazing love. Thank you God for that. And Abba....I pray for baby Aaron to know you as his heavenly Daddy at a young age....that would be a privilege to be a part of. Again, Happy birthday baby.....Auntie Kristi loves you so much. XOXO

T-H-O-U-G-H-T-S

-I feel good this morning
-I have to work overtime today :(
-I will make more money working overtime today :)
-I am excited for praise team practice tonight/LEADING TOMORROW!
-I had a rough day yesterday.....SUPER tired from the weekend
-Kurt was home last week.....it was good to see him and hang with him ALL week
-Search the City was awesome Sunday night
-Johnny, Jordan, Kelly and Olivia were fun to be around...and the HOT band of STC!! Yum.
-The music went well this weekend.....the special was FUN!
-Tomorrow is the last night with my girls from RustProof small group. Sad and weird. I will miss them. I have been with them so long. I have come to truly love them and be blessed by them the past 3 years. I am proud of myself for completing the time with this group. Another thing I followed-through on. The chain keeps breaking.....Praise God. God Luck in Velocity. You girls are my joy.
-Loving students is hard....cause they grow up and move on from you...and I MISS them.
-Loving students is one of the greatest honors in my life.
-God is good all the time.
-God is healing my wounded heart.
-I miss Stacey.
-Aaron is 2 on Friday. He is the LOVE of my life.
-Yesterday was hard.....
-God sent me a butterfly yesterday....landed an inch from my hand on the cup I was holding....AMAZING message from God....what a DELIGHT. I am butterfly girl. :)
-I am speaking on June 25th at Elements. Gotta get that talk done.
-I took a nap yesterday. Havent done that in awhile. It was nice.
-I think I am addicted to MTV
-I miss Grey's Anatomy
-love you all

Ever have one of those day where you feel like a million feelings are going through you at one time? I am feeling so many things today. Just tons of thoughts.....so as one of my friends does in his journal.....I will list them below.
-I am worried about my finances. I just got paid and I dont know how to make it for 2 weeks.
-Israel....should be excited but worried about paying for it and how not to get in mega-debt cause of it.
-Tired....wish I had summer vacation.
-Lonely.....and needy. I have great people in my life.....but I feel distant from them. My issue, not theirs. Makes my heart hurt.
-I feel old.
-Thinking about my recording stuff....waiting......?? Ready to start.
-Dont feel good about me.....the special I am singing this weekend is my story.

UPDATE: 3:25 PM
Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.....
It is so great how God can take a gloomy day and return it to a Blue Sky. Amen! I just went to a meeting for my department at work and was asked while at the meeting to share about my Australia trip. Even though I was nervous to get up in front of everyone...I did. And it was a blast. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. I started it by saying how amazing it even was that my friend Jim would bless me with this trip! And was able to share about Hillsong Church and the blessing that God and Darlene have had on my life and ministry. It was so fun. Afterward, people came up to me and said how great it was and that I have a gift to speak. That was so sweet and I felt like God used these words in my life. My good friend Tina came up to me and said people were raving to her about it and that they didnt want it to end. To top it all off.....my manager said that she wants me to share again and her boss wants me to come share that story with his group. God is good. Even when I have a hard day.....he is good. And even if none of this happened HE IS GOOD. I love Him with my WHOLE life. Thank you Lord for loving me. Well, I am off to go love some junior highers from Rustproof at church tonight. Pray for students to come to know JESUS! He is where true life begins.

You know what is on my mind this morning. Two things. The first is that I cant believe how much gas is costing me. I have a credit card that I use only for gas and I pay it off monthly so that makes it convienient and helps to not have to have the cash ALL the time for it. Anyway....so I got the bill in the mail yesterday....and WOW! I didnt think I had been driving so much more....but yikes. Seriously.....this is like another complete bill. It was never cheap for me before but this is like stressing. I know God provides....so I will trust him as I am faithful to give him my firstfruits....but it just seems like everything is coming at once. I am excited to go to Israel with NorthRidge in August....but it is not cheap. And of course this is the month I was gonna try to pay the rest of it cash....so I was gonna save as much as I could and then I get that bill in the mail! HELP ME GOD!
The second thing I am thinking about is how excited I am to sing tonight at Alpha Baptist Church. I lead there when I can with Jordan and Mike and Luke and Anthony. (Anthony wont be there today....bummer) But I love to hang and sing with these guys. Jordan and I will get some dinner and meet them up there. I love hanging with Jordan. Such a fun guy to be with.....cracks me up. It truly is my joy and privilege to be a friend to these young men. I just love them. God has blessed me with them. Everyone needs good friends to serve with!

I love church. And what I mean by that is I love the "body" of Christ....the real meaning of church. I love Jesus and I am ever thankful for his sacrifice of love for me. Out of that love...there is an overflow of love in my heart for God's people. There is nothing like walking the halls of church and having a million people to talk with, laugh with, hug, and just be around. I am so blessed when it comes to that. Anyway...I do have one gripe with the "body". I know none of us would claim perfection and we would be crazy to think we are....but I am tired of the church not respecting each other by talking about each other instead of confronting one another when necessary. I just heard a story yesterday that made me mad. If you hear or read something someone says and you disagree...or if someone offends you.....or just plain hurts you....talk to THAT person. Jesus is not honored in gossip. (see Matthew 18:15-17) I know it isnt easy to do (some may say I dont have a problem with this but at times I do) but we must if we ever want to have church be love. I think a book I am reading says it best. The book is Jesus in the Margins. I quote: In John 14, Jesus tells us to love one another as he has loved us. If God's family really took this seriously and loved one another as Jesus has loved us, we would see a group of people who forgive each other, people who are devoted to each other, people who respect and care for one another. This would be a family of people who dont judge one another but, rather, encourage one another to live life as Jesus defined for us." Does the love you have for God's family look like the love Jesus has for you? Does the love we say we have for the "church" mean we should gossip about each other and play nice on Sunday's or should we decide to be real, even when it will cost us for a moment? Jesus is honored in the REAL places of life. That is when the love we are all looking for shows up. Dont be afraid to be real. And stop talking about each other...that is why we left the world and went to live in the church, right?