Songs From Sunday

Here is the setlist from this past Sunday

Spring of Life - Kristian Stanfill

At the Cross - Daniel Renstrom - please check out Daniel's stuff

Amazed - Jared Anderson (Desperation Band)

How Great is Our God - Chris Tomlin

Doxology - Thomas Ken

It is an honor worshipping with our church each week. I pray it moves us to realizing who God is, how he loves us, and compells us to become who we were created to be.

peace and love,

-Jason

The Plague of Beetles

Last night Treeline was playing at a church out in Knightdale and towards the end of the night we started noticing all these beetles everywhere. I guess they were more like June-Bugs... like Japanese beetles I think. Seriously.. they were flying around... you could see them in the lights, on the ground... really strange.

Later I was talking to their youth pastor and i referenced the bugs and he said... "yeah, someone left a side door open next to the stage. There is some kinda light out there that attracts all these bugs and they just came in."

I thought - man, someone should be responsible keeping that door shut.

Later still that evening Chapps (drums) and Stanton (sound) referenced propping a door open with an amp stand. Awesome.

"We're Treeline... we'll leave your doors propped open for the beetles to come in"

Sweet.

We're playing there again Saturday night and Sunday night. This time we'll keep the door closed.

-Jason

Am I on the wrong toilet?

So... this morning I was listening to the radio. I don't know the station or I would give them credit - my creative credibility apologies. Anyways, the DJ was reading a letter that someone sent in and it went something like this:

"We have a very independent 3 yr old and it has really been getting difficult for us to deal with. Then.. this happened. 2 weeks ago we were at an unnamed home improvement store looking at new washer and dryers. We all of a sudden noticed our 3 yr old missing. We looked up and down the next 2 ailes and then found our 3 yr old sitting on a model toilet with her pants at her ankles. When we found her she smiled and said, "mommy, where is the toilet paper?

As you can imagine we very embarrassed."

So - I am not sure why the guy was reading the letter, perhaps something like "send us your embarrassing moments" time or something.

BUT - I, for some reason, immediately thought to myself... I wonder how many times in life I'm sitting on the wrong toilet (figuratively ;). I mean to this girl, she thought she was in the right place. It looks like a potty... opens like a potty... sits like a potty... it's obviously a potty. The truth is though - her limited understanding lead her to "the wrong toilet."

I got to thinking how many times in my life does my own knowledge, expertise, or pride put me on the wrong toilet (outside of that 1 year in college ;) I mean, we walk into things all the time because we think we know best or have it all figured out. It just made me contemplate the importance of yielding my "independence and self-reliability" to our Father.

My heart tells me he closer than a couple of aisles away and desires nothing more than to offer wisdom as soon as we are willing to ask and accept.

Ever feel like you're on the wrong toilet?

Proud of our community

Last August Corey and I went to Kenya for a couple of weeks to experience some things that a friend of ours, Joseph Wamutitu, had going on there in hopes that we could find some ways to partner with him from here in the West. Joseph has started a children's home (Africa Hope Center) for children who have lost both of their parents to HIV/AIDS, started and oversees a number of churches, as well as a school just outside of Nairobi.

Well this weekend we brought Joseph into town and had him spend some time with us to further this process of working together. A team has been working for months now to plan for his time here to make sure it was valuable both for our community and for Joseph. Now that the weekend is past I have to say I am so proud of the work that went into it. Joseph was able to spend time with some key people from within and outside our community, we had a fund raiser kickball tourney, he got to teach on Sunday morning at our church, and we had this huge pot luck lunch on Sunday afternoon for folks to talk with him individually if they wanted. I know we will not know for a while if positive movement comes out of this time we spent together but I am so proud of how hard men and women worked to make it worth while now.

It is an honor to serve within our church. I dont use a lot of religious language in my day to day talking but I know God was glorified through this weekend. I know bodies were working because they are compelled by the love that Christ has for them and for the world. I know it's not a good idea to be proud or to boast but I will boast in how God seems to be working our community to serve those around us. I am proud. I pray this is only the beginning of a long and beneficial relationship with Joseph and The Africa Hope Center.

Peace and Love,

-Jason

ps - check out his website. He does have child sponsoring available through the site if you are interested. If you have questions you can email him from there.