I feel like a broken record, in that I always start out my journal entries with a "where in the world has this month gone?"  kind of question!  But here I go again...how can it be October already?  How is this possible?  Well, at any rate, it IS October and Happy Fall 2007 to you!  I'm loving the chill in the air at night in beautiful Colorado - windows open to sleep by every night.  Ah, yes...it is my favorite time of year.  And, alas, Starbuck's reintroduces its Pumpkin Spice Latte this time of year, as well.  Life can't get much better!  (oh brother, I know...)

Since I last wrote, someone in our family had a birthday!  I'll give you a hint.  It wasn't Mark and it wasn't me!  Yeppers!  It was Christian, who turned THREE in September!  Can't hardly believe it.  He is talking up a storm and becoming more and more grown up every day.  We are enjoying him so much, as his little personality blossoms.  He is precious, a barrell of laughs and a ball of energy all rolled up into one cute boy! 

Aside from life as wife and mom - which is a full time job in and of itself, I've had some neat things going on in the area of ministry and worship.  What an absolute blessing it has been to spend time leading worship with the team from Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs.  They are like a second family to me!  I've led down there several times in the last couple of months - going down for rehearsals and their four weekend services - and it's been an absolute joy.  In fact, I'm leading down there again in a week or so.  In September, I had the privilege of leading for their Fall Kick-Off/Vision services.  They not only had a wonderful ministry "expo" after each service, where everyone could go and explore and discover new places of ministry within the church walls and beyond, but it was also the weekend of the final message in a series they were doing called "iServe - Living Beyond Yourself."  Though I was scheduled months before to lead worship for that weekend, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God orchestrated that fact!  Cindy, their Director of Worship Arts, emailed me the week prior, sharing the fact that Pastor Matt was focusing on Ephesians 2 "we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works..." that weekend and that they planned to have painters, sculptors and all different types of artists on stage "creating" during worship.  She was emailing about worship preparation and asked if I had any specific songs for the weekend.  Well, instantly the Holy Spirit prompted me with my song "Work of Art," and the rest is history.  I was deeply moved that weekend as we worshipped and as I had the chance to minister that song at the close of P. Matt's message, while all around me artists worshipped as they sculpted...painted...created.  I could feel God smile.  I sensed the "fullness" of Christ that day, as if He was at home in that place.  I can't explain it, but you know how you feel when you know that God accomplished something and you got to witness it and sense it?  So many times God does do things when we step out and minister, but we may not see or sense the fruit.  This weekend was different....I felt alive and I felt Christ alive in me.  I thank God for a heart like Cindy's, and a church like Woodmen, where the Creator is set free to create through His creation. 

Ah, yes...last weekend was a blessing too!  I spent the weekend in Denton, TX at Denton Bible Church for a Revive Our Hearts conference, leading worship.  Nancy Leigh DeMoss is the speaker/author featured at these events and she is a tremendous blessing - so full of the Word and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.  I was blessed myself by getting to lead such a wonderful group of about 2000 women to the throne all weekend!  One highlight was when a gal named Stacey shared her testimony, via video, of her prison sentence and subsequent salvation!  It was amazing to see the story of her life transformed before our very eyes.  Following her testimony, she came up and did sign language to my song "Whole Heart," which I sang from the grand piano.  What a testimony of God's grace and redemption.  I'm so thankful to have shared in that moment of worship with her! 

Lastly, on a personal note, I've been doing the Beth Moore Bible Study on the Tabernacle called "A Woman's Heart" with a group of ladies at Resurrection Fellowship.  Oh MY!  I am being blown away and absolutely floored by it.  I'm still processing so much right now that it's hard to put in words all that the Lord is showing me right now.  But let's just say that I feel the nearness of God and His desire to be near me more than ever before as a result of the revelation in this study!  I see now, more than ever, His pursuit of me! His word is so rich and full of treasures!  If you get a chance to go through this study, don't hesitate.  It will be worth every moment.

Well, I better close for now.  I've been writing during Christian's nap time and I have laundry that needs to be folded, along with some other home stuff that needs tending to before Mr. Three Year Old gets up!  For those of you that might make it to the "Better Than Life" tour in November, I will look forward to meeting you face to face.  I do believe it's going to be a powerful time of testimony and song.

May the Lord reveal Himself to each of you in fresh ways in this season of your journey.  As the Fall weather starts to settle in and the leaves change color and slip to the ground, may you remember that He makes all things new. Yes, indeed....He makes all things beautiful in His time...