http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:59:13 GMT http://bandzoogle.com http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=46744 Journey Home in Worship Leader Magazine Hello Friends! The Lord has continued to pour out His blessing upon this ministry, and we wanted to share exciting news as well as some major changes.&nbsp; First of all, you may remember that we recorded &quot;Relentless&quot; in Nashville at the end of March.&nbsp; I was recently contacted by the nationally known publication, Worship Leader Magazine / Song Discovery, and informed that they would be including our version of &quot;Relentless&quot; in their July/August issue which is distributed to between 19,000 and 20,000 churches nationwide.&nbsp; It's a magazine that includes a CD of new music.&nbsp; This issue includes songs by Hillsong United, Aaron Shust, Mac Powell, Journey Home (that's us, hehe), Pastor Chuck Smith, Christ For The Nations, Graham Kendrick, and more.&nbsp; We serve a really big, amazing God!&nbsp; For more info, you can visit the home page of <a href="http://www.songdiscovery.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.songdiscovery.com.&nbsp; To hear the new recording of &quot;Relentless&quot; visit our website at <a href="http://www.journeyhomemusic.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.journeyhomemusic.com. Change On a different note... the band recently received a few very big opportunities, including traveling with a nationally known ministry on a consistent basis and increased bookings at large churches.&nbsp; All of this spurred an ongoing conversation between Tommy and I.&nbsp; Reality for us right now is that we have a 6 year-old in school, a 3 year-old, and a baby on the way.&nbsp; Our 3 year-old daughter, Lizzie, has mild cerebral palsy which has effected only her legs thankfully, but she is unable to walk without a special walker.&nbsp; As you can probably imagine, she requires a lot of extra care and multiple therapies.&nbsp; We just recently found out about a spinal surgery that she may be a candidate for that would give her the chance to walk on her own eventually.&nbsp; Not only would it be a major commitment financially, but it would require physical therapy 5 days a week for the first 6 months after the surgery followed by more therapy, etc.&nbsp; So we appreciate your prayers as we are diligently seeking the Lord for His wisdom in what is best for her. &nbsp; With so much on our plates already, we began really praying and asking the Lord what His desire for us is at this time.&nbsp; In a nutshell we came to the very difficult decision of laying down the band at this time.&nbsp; Our desire has always been to be faithful with whatever God has put in front of us.&nbsp; With Tommy working full-time and me working part-time from home, we were finding ourselves spread very thin and our family getting the &quot;left-overs&quot;. Though we are sad that this chapter is closing, we are all very excited about a new one beginning because the Father's intentions toward His children are ALWAYS for good.&nbsp; If this season has been great, I can't imagine what lies ahead!&nbsp; The band members will still be leading worship in our respective churches and pursuing music through various avenues, and I will be continuing to write as well.&nbsp; After a year or so of rest, we plan on leading worship together sporadically in the future as opportunities present themselves.&nbsp; Some of us have led worship together for 10 years (though a shorter period of time as a band) and have built something we all cherish, something that's very rare.&nbsp; Journey Home's Last Event We want to invite you to join us for our last event as a band which will be at FBC Bogata on Thursday, July 9th at 7:00 pm.&nbsp; We are looking forward to an awesome night of worship with the youth, and Nicole will be sharing her testimony as well.&nbsp; We'd love to see you there!&nbsp; So... on behalf of myself, Tommy, Caleb, James, Nicole, Craig, and David thank you for your support and your prayers.&nbsp; As you know, our desire has always been to use Journey Home as a vehicle to minister and spread His fame.&nbsp; Nothing is more important or more valuable than building His kingdom and letting people know about the unchangeable, unshakable love of Christ! MANY blessings to you! Journey Home &nbsp; Journey Home in Worship Leader Magazine

Hello Friends!

The Lord has continued to pour out His blessing upon this ministry, and we wanted to share exciting news as well as some major changes.  First of all, you may remember that we recorded "Relentless" in Nashville at the end of March.  I was recently contacted by the nationally known publication, Worship Leader Magazine / Song Discovery, and informed that they would be including our version of "Relentless" in their July/August issue which is distributed to between 19,000 and 20,000 churches nationwide.  It's a magazine that includes a CD of new music.  This issue includes songs by Hillsong United, Aaron Shust, Mac Powell, Journey Home (that's us, hehe), Pastor Chuck Smith, Christ For The Nations, Graham Kendrick, and more.  We serve a really big, amazing God!  For more info, you can visit the home page of www.songdiscovery.com.  To hear the new recording of "Relentless" visit our website at www.journeyhomemusic.com.


Change

On a different note... the band recently received a few very big opportunities, including traveling with a nationally known ministry on a consistent basis and increased bookings at large churches.  All of this spurred an ongoing conversation between Tommy and I.  Reality for us right now is that we have a 6 year-old in school, a 3 year-old, and a baby on the way.  Our 3 year-old daughter, Lizzie, has mild cerebral palsy which has effected only her legs thankfully, but she is unable to walk without a special walker.  As you can probably imagine, she requires a lot of extra care and multiple therapies.  We just recently found out about a spinal surgery that she may be a candidate for that would give her the chance to walk on her own eventually.  Not only would it be a major commitment financially, but it would require physical therapy 5 days a week for the first 6 months after the surgery followed by more therapy, etc.  So we appreciate your prayers as we are diligently seeking the Lord for His wisdom in what is best for her.  

With so much on our plates already, we began really praying and asking the Lord what His desire for us is at this time.  In a nutshell we came to the very difficult decision of laying down the band at this time.  Our desire has always been to be faithful with whatever God has put in front of us.  With Tommy working full-time and me working part-time from home, we were finding ourselves spread very thin and our family getting the "left-overs".

Though we are sad that this chapter is closing, we are all very excited about a new one beginning because the Father's intentions toward His children are ALWAYS for good.  If this season has been great, I can't imagine what lies ahead!  The band members will still be leading worship in our respective churches and pursuing music through various avenues, and I will be continuing to write as well.  After a year or so of rest, we plan on leading worship together sporadically in the future as opportunities present themselves.  Some of us have led worship together for 10 years (though a shorter period of time as a band) and have built something we all cherish, something that's very rare. 


Journey Home's Last Event

We want to invite you to join us for our last event as a band which will be at FBC Bogata on Thursday, July 9th at 7:00 pm.  We are looking forward to an awesome night of worship with the youth, and Nicole will be sharing her testimony as well.  We'd love to see you there! 

So... on behalf of myself, Tommy, Caleb, James, Nicole, Craig, and David thank you for your support and your prayers.  As you know, our desire has always been to use Journey Home as a vehicle to minister and spread His fame.  Nothing is more important or more valuable than building His kingdom and letting people know about the unchangeable, unshakable love of Christ!


MANY blessings to you!

Journey Home  ]]> Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:59:13 GMT 301009D9641DCB39105D1146BC875136 http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=39013 Well, if you read the previous post about our return trip from Missouri, this totally tops it or at least runs a close second.&nbsp; I'll let you decide.&nbsp; On Wednesday, March 25th we leave for Nashville for several days of recording and leading worship.&nbsp; Some time well after midnight we arrive at the hotel which is part of a nationally known chain.&nbsp; We immediately notice that it's not in the best part of town, but hey, the reservations were made upon the recommendation of a highly trusted friend (who we found out later just happened to be having an &quot;off day&quot; when he suggested it).&nbsp; Our first clue should have been when I (Shelley) emerge from the van to check-in, and the gentleman in the car next to me rolls his window down and says, &quot;Uh... you don't walk around out here at night!&quot;&nbsp; Yikes!!&nbsp; Second clue, the guys at the front desk ask me for no ID, no credit card, nothing.&nbsp; They just hand me the keys, and I'm thinking, &quot;Wow, they're efficient!&quot;&nbsp; (I find out the next day they had already charged my credit card for both rooms for all four nights!)&nbsp; So, we drive around the building to our rooms where we conveniently notice our third clue:&nbsp; Paradise Bar next door and Sensations Lounge next to that.&nbsp; OK... this is not getting any better.&nbsp; Taking note of the scary characters at the gas station across the street, I silently say a prayer of protection over our trailer which of course is carrying my keyboard and all of the guys' most prized earthly possessions.&nbsp; Utterly exhausted and determined to make the most of it, Tommy and I decide to let Nicole have the bed that appears to be the flattest --she doesn't know that part, and we take the one with the 18-inch deep trench running down the center.&nbsp; I'm trying to sleep now... tossing, turning, wondering if sleeping pills are okay when you're pregnant, noticing Nicole's phone keeps going off.&nbsp; It's now 1:45am... knock, knock, knock.&nbsp; I awake from my foggy-minded, &quot;almost asleep&quot; state only to discover Caleb, Craig, and James peering in at us and explaining that they just got yelled at in Arabic for asking for clean sheets!&nbsp; Little did I know Nicole had pulled back her covers only to discover lots of hair.&nbsp; Upon phoning the guys and asking them to get clean linens at the front desk on her behalf, she learns that Craig had the same experience with his bed in his room!&nbsp; Alrighty then!&nbsp; Time to seek accomodations elsewhere!&nbsp; So, we pack up our stuff, and off we go to... somewhere, anywhere.&nbsp; It doesn't really matter at this point.&nbsp; With the help of smart phones and the gps, we finally land in Brentwood at Best Western at 2:30am where we explain our plight to the lady at the front desk who graciously checks us in and offers us great rates for the duration of our stay.&nbsp; We arrive at our rooms to find comfortable beds with clean linens and awake in just a few precious hours to a HOT continental breakfast with great coffee.&nbsp; I'm pleased to tell you that our trip only got better from here... much, much better!&nbsp; In fact it was probably the best trip we've taken yet.&nbsp; We head off to the producer's house where we work on pre-production for the recording most of the day.&nbsp; Then it's off to the artist showcase where we play a 20-minute set and make some new friends.&nbsp; We leave and go to J Alexander's for one of the best steaks in the south!&nbsp; We have pictures to prove it.&nbsp; Then it's back to the hotel to chill for an hour and then off to the venue where we sound check until 11:00pm.&nbsp; The next morning we lead worship at the CIA Summit for about 200 other independent artists... awesome time of worship!&nbsp; We leave there and drive to the studio where we record until 11:00pm that evening. &nbsp;The next morning we drive to the producer's house and record vocals all day.&nbsp; It rained that day... hard... very hard.&nbsp; Upon arriving back at the hotel we discover Caleb's truck window has been down... all day!&nbsp; We have 10 minutes to change, sop up the mess, and drive back to the Summit for the 2009 Momentum Awards Show.&nbsp; We rush in to the awards.&nbsp; No one's there because there had been a tornado warning, and everyone had to leave.&nbsp; So it was delayed half an hour.&nbsp; Ahhh... no complaints here, time to breathe!&nbsp; Things finally get hopping around 7:45 pm, and we hear some great songs, see some great artists, and are blessed to receive Worship Artist Of The Year!&nbsp; God is so good.&nbsp; We finally get in bed at a decent hour and pull out before 6am the next morning to head home. Despite the trouble at first, the mishaps along the way, and lots and lots of wrong turns (drivers remain nameless in order to preserve their egos), it was by far the best trip.&nbsp; We are blessed with great opportunites and more importantly great friendships with each other and those we meet along the way.&nbsp; We serve an amazing God who never ceases to bless His kids! &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; - Shelley
Our first clue should have been when I (Shelley) emerge from the van to check-in, and the gentleman in the car next to me rolls his window down and says, "Uh... you don't walk around out here at night!"  Yikes!!  Second clue, the guys at the front desk ask me for no ID, no credit card, nothing.  They just hand me the keys, and I'm thinking, "Wow, they're efficient!"  (I find out the next day they had already charged my credit card for both rooms for all four nights!)  So, we drive around the building to our rooms where we conveniently notice our third clue:  Paradise Bar next door and Sensations Lounge next to that.  OK... this is not getting any better.  Taking note of the scary characters at the gas station across the street, I silently say a prayer of protection over our trailer which of course is carrying my keyboard and all of the guys' most prized earthly possessions. 

Utterly exhausted and determined to make the most of it, Tommy and I decide to let Nicole have the bed that appears to be the flattest --she doesn't know that part, and we take the one with the 18-inch deep trench running down the center.  I'm trying to sleep now... tossing, turning, wondering if sleeping pills are okay when you're pregnant, noticing Nicole's phone keeps going off.  It's now 1:45am... knock, knock, knock.  I awake from my foggy-minded, "almost asleep" state only to discover Caleb, Craig, and James peering in at us and explaining that they just got yelled at in Arabic for asking for clean sheets! 

Little did I know Nicole had pulled back her covers only to discover lots of hair.  Upon phoning the guys and asking them to get clean linens at the front desk on her behalf, she learns that Craig had the same experience with his bed in his room!  Alrighty then!  Time to seek accomodations elsewhere!  So, we pack up our stuff, and off we go to... somewhere, anywhere.  It doesn't really matter at this point.  With the help of smart phones and the gps, we finally land in Brentwood at Best Western at 2:30am where we explain our plight to the lady at the front desk who graciously checks us in and offers us great rates for the duration of our stay.  We arrive at our rooms to find comfortable beds with clean linens and awake in just a few precious hours to a HOT continental breakfast with great coffee.  I'm pleased to tell you that our trip only got better from here... much, much better!  In fact it was probably the best trip we've taken yet. 

We head off to the producer's house where we work on pre-production for the recording most of the day.  Then it's off to the artist showcase where we play a 20-minute set and make some new friends.  We leave and go to J Alexander's for one of the best steaks in the south!  We have pictures to prove it.  Then it's back to the hotel to chill for an hour and then off to the venue where we sound check until 11:00pm.  The next morning we lead worship at the CIA Summit for about 200 other independent artists... awesome time of worship!  We leave there and drive to the studio where we record until 11:00pm that evening.

 The next morning we drive to the producer's house and record vocals all day.  It rained that day... hard... very hard.  Upon arriving back at the hotel we discover Caleb's truck window has been down... all day!  We have 10 minutes to change, sop up the mess, and drive back to the Summit for the 2009 Momentum Awards Show.  We rush in to the awards.  No one's there because there had been a tornado warning, and everyone had to leave.  So it was delayed half an hour.  Ahhh... no complaints here, time to breathe!  Things finally get hopping around 7:45 pm, and we hear some great songs, see some great artists, and are blessed to receive Worship Artist Of The Year!  God is so good.  We finally get in bed at a decent hour and pull out before 6am the next morning to head home.

Despite the trouble at first, the mishaps along the way, and lots and lots of wrong turns (drivers remain nameless in order to preserve their egos), it was by far the best trip.  We are blessed with great opportunites and more importantly great friendships with each other and those we meet along the way.  We serve an amazing God who never ceases to bless His kids!         

- Shelley

]]> Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:15:00 GMT DC6DA3D80222B9BB726EEEF7212BC002 http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=27272 We left the church to head home around 1:45 PM for what should have been a leisurely 6 hour drive.&nbsp; We rolled into Mount Pleasant close to midnight making it a 10 hour trip. What did we do for the other 4 hours you may ask??? Leaving the church we were a little low on fuel though not sure how low since I was in the back seat. Needless to say the fuel light came on, and the driver (who will remain nameless) starts looking for a gas station. SHE (hint, hint) pulls onto the off ramp supposing to see a gas station.&nbsp; When we get there it is in fact an adult novelty store with a gas pump out front. Realizing it would not be a good idea for us to be seen at a porn store getting gas we head back out on the interstate only to make it a 1/4 mile further until... (well you know what happened), putter... putter... putt!!!! We are out of gas in the middle of I-44. It only took 6 miles from the time the light came on until we were dry (pulling a trailer of course).&nbsp; We try calling the pastor but can't reach him right away, so Craig and I decide to WALK and see if there is a gas station at the next exit JUST over the hill 2 miles away.&nbsp; We take off walking, and we get a mile down the road when Shelley calls me and says they got in touch with the pastor; and he is sending someone our way. PTL!&nbsp; So we walk back to the car and wait for the very nice benevolent soul from their church to bring us some gas. We fill up.&nbsp; Ready to go... Turn the key and click click click the battery is dead!&nbsp; We left an ac/dc converter plugged in, and it drained the battery. Neither us nor the guy who brought us gas had jumper cables.&nbsp; So I jump in his truck, and off we go 7 miles down the road (glad we stopped walking) to the first truck stop. We finally get the car started, and we're back on the road again.&nbsp; Thirty-five miles from where we ran out of gas we see what looks like a mother and daughter broke down on the side of the road. As we pass by conviction starts banging at our heart, and we all agree we should turn around and help them.&nbsp; We keep looking for a place to turn around for the next 18 miles (not joking).&nbsp; The road had turned into some kind of turnpike, and there were NO exits. Finally we pull off and had to go through a toll booth and pay a dollar to turn around.&nbsp; We are just making a u-turn so we pay the toll, make our u-turn and have to stop on the other side of the toll booth and pay another dollar to get back off.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We head back the other direction, and not 3 miles into our journey to rescue mom and daughter we see their car on a tow truck headed in the opposite direction. We have to drive another 17 miles to find a place to turn around again to head back home. I think to myself, &quot;Finally I can put on my i-pod and rest.&quot;&nbsp; An hour later I look up only to discover the skyline of Tulsa.&nbsp; We're not suppose to be anywhere near Tulsa! Somehow we missed our turn-off some 30 miles back.&nbsp; So we re-route and head home from there.&nbsp; I have to admit though, there was never really a tense moment between any of us; and it definitely makes for some great memories.&nbsp; -Tommy &nbsp;
Leaving the church we were a little low on fuel though not sure how low since I was in the back seat. Needless to say the fuel light came on, and the driver (who will remain nameless) starts looking for a gas station. SHE (hint, hint) pulls onto the off ramp supposing to see a gas station.  When we get there it is in fact an adult novelty store with a gas pump out front. Realizing it would not be a good idea for us to be seen at a porn store getting gas we head back out on the interstate only to make it a 1/4 mile further until... (well you know what happened), putter... putter... putt!!!! We are out of gas in the middle of I-44. It only took 6 miles from the time the light came on until we were dry (pulling a trailer of course). 

We try calling the pastor but can't reach him right away, so Craig and I decide to WALK and see if there is a gas station at the next exit JUST over the hill 2 miles away.  We take off walking, and we get a mile down the road when Shelley calls me and says they got in touch with the pastor; and he is sending someone our way. PTL!  So we walk back to the car and wait for the very nice benevolent soul from their church to bring us some gas. We fill up.  Ready to go... Turn the key and click click click the battery is dead!  We left an ac/dc converter plugged in, and it drained the battery. Neither us nor the guy who brought us gas had jumper cables.  So I jump in his truck, and off we go 7 miles down the road (glad we stopped walking) to the first truck stop.

We finally get the car started, and we're back on the road again.  Thirty-five miles from where we ran out of gas we see what looks like a mother and daughter broke down on the side of the road. As we pass by conviction starts banging at our heart, and we all agree we should turn around and help them.  We keep looking for a place to turn around for the next 18 miles (not joking).  The road had turned into some kind of turnpike, and there were NO exits. Finally we pull off and had to go through a toll booth and pay a dollar to turn around.  We are just making a u-turn so we pay the toll, make our u-turn and have to stop on the other side of the toll booth and pay another dollar to get back off.    We head back the other direction, and not 3 miles into our journey to rescue mom and daughter we see their car on a tow truck headed in the opposite direction. We have to drive another 17 miles to find a place to turn around again to head back home.

I think to myself, "Finally I can put on my i-pod and rest."  An hour later I look up only to discover the skyline of Tulsa.  We're not suppose to be anywhere near Tulsa! Somehow we missed our turn-off some 30 miles back.  So we re-route and head home from there.  I have to admit though, there was never really a tense moment between any of us; and it definitely makes for some great memories. 

-Tommy
 ]]> Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:15:00 GMT 9856F89C6E156E9D0AF967439AA2B0BE http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=24821 We have all heard Satan referred to as &ldquo;the accuser of the brethren&rdquo; throughout scripture.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s a master at bombarding our minds with thoughts intended to wear us down, isolate us from others, exploit our weaknesses, and cause us to lose confidence in the call of God upon our lives.&nbsp; I recently became more aware of the enemy&rsquo;s tactics in this area and God&rsquo;s desire for us to overcome. &nbsp; As I stepped back and watched this at work in my life, the Lord revealed some things to me.&nbsp; Many times the purpose of the accusing thought is to get us to fear (for me it&rsquo;s often fearing what others will think) causing us to doubt who God says we are and what He says we can do.&nbsp; Let me share an example.&nbsp; &nbsp; During my time with the Lord the other day I began praying for a friend and felt compelled to text her a word of encouragement.&nbsp; I typed the message with sheer joy and excitement at the thought of being a blessing.&nbsp; At the last moment before hitting send, I froze.&nbsp; My heart started pounding, and I had this thought, &ldquo;She&rsquo;s going to think you are way over the top and that you&rsquo;re trying to be super-spiritual.&rdquo;&nbsp; As I began second guessing what I knew God had put in my heart to do, He spoke clearly and precisely, &ldquo;Perfect love casts out fear&hellip;&rdquo;&nbsp; (1 John 4:18).&nbsp; I repeated the scripture aloud and hit send.&nbsp; &nbsp; The Lord interrupted my thoughts on another occasion last week as I was pondering several instances where I had allowed condemnation to come in.&nbsp; He spoke to my heart again, &ldquo;There is a difference between humility and shame.&nbsp; Humility is acknowledging Me and My work in you.&nbsp; Shame is acknowledging how your flesh feels about it.&rdquo;&nbsp; Proverbs 3:6 came to mind:&nbsp; &ldquo;In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.&rdquo;&nbsp; Every accusation sent our way is meant to bring destruction, but if we seize the opportunity to look past the circumstance and how we feel about it, we find an amazing God turning the tide and taking what was meant for our harm to sharpen us and draw us deeper into His love.&nbsp; When we become aware of the Lord at work in our lives incredible things happen, and we even become less judgmental of others.&nbsp; I read this statement the other day:&nbsp; &quot;Realize that every person you meet is fighting a battle.&quot;&nbsp; How can I judge you for something I think I see in your life when I am unable to see everything that's going on inside your heart? &nbsp;We desperately need Him to renew our minds and break off old patterns of thinking.&nbsp; Jesus came to give us life abundantly, and anything that tries to rob us of that is not worth our time or energy&mdash; something I have to remind myself daily.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;One last thought:&nbsp; &ldquo;For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.&nbsp; Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.&nbsp; And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.&rdquo;&nbsp; (1 John 3:20-22).&nbsp; If we have confidence toward God we walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for.&nbsp; We pray boldly believing that He will answer.&nbsp; We love without fear.&nbsp; We reach our full potential in Christ because of who He is and because of what He&rsquo;s done.&nbsp; - Shelley We have all heard Satan referred to as “the accuser of the brethren” throughout scripture.  He’s a master at bombarding our minds with thoughts intended to wear us down, isolate us from others, exploit our weaknesses, and cause us to lose confidence in the call of God upon our lives.  I recently became more aware of the enemy’s tactics in this area and God’s desire for us to overcome.

 
As I stepped back and watched this at work in my life, the Lord revealed some things to me.  Many times the purpose of the accusing thought is to get us to fear (for me it’s often fearing what others will think) causing us to doubt who God says we are and what He says we can do.  Let me share an example. 

 
During my time with the Lord the other day I began praying for a friend and felt compelled to text her a word of encouragement.  I typed the message with sheer joy and excitement at the thought of being a blessing.  At the last moment before hitting send, I froze.  My heart started pounding, and I had this thought, “She’s going to think you are way over the top and that you’re trying to be super-spiritual.”  As I began second guessing what I knew God had put in my heart to do, He spoke clearly and precisely, “Perfect love casts out fear…”  (1 John 4:18).  I repeated the scripture aloud and hit send. 

 
The Lord interrupted my thoughts on another occasion last week as I was pondering several instances where I had allowed condemnation to come in.  He spoke to my heart again, “There is a difference between humility and shame.  Humility is acknowledging Me and My work in you.  Shame is acknowledging how your flesh feels about it.”  Proverbs 3:6 came to mind:  “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”  Every accusation sent our way is meant to bring destruction, but if we seize the opportunity to look past the circumstance and how we feel about it, we find an amazing God turning the tide and taking what was meant for our harm to sharpen us and draw us deeper into His love. 

When we become aware of the Lord at work in our lives incredible things happen, and we even become less judgmental of others.  I read this statement the other day:  "Realize that every person you meet is fighting a battle."  How can I judge you for something I think I see in your life when I am unable to see everything that's going on inside your heart?  We desperately need Him to renew our minds and break off old patterns of thinking.  Jesus came to give us life abundantly, and anything that tries to rob us of that is not worth our time or energy— something I have to remind myself daily.  

 One last thought:  “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”  (1 John 3:20-22).  If we have confidence toward God we walk in the freedom that Jesus paid for.  We pray boldly believing that He will answer.  We love without fear.  We reach our full potential in Christ because of who He is and because of what He’s done. 

- Shelley
]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:45:00 GMT 9E7A0EA8BAFA95A7B20691E6DA5F6EB2 http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=23068 Hello Friends!&nbsp; The Lord is amazing us once again with His blessings and favor, and we wanted to share the news with you!&nbsp; Journey Home has the privilege of opening in concert for The Katinas this Saturday, April 26, at New Life Worship Center in Tyler, Texas at 7:00pm.&nbsp; If you can come that night it would mean so much to us to have your support.&nbsp; Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and can be purchased at The Scroll Christian Bookstore in Tyler, Lifeway in Tyler, www.evangelismtickets.com, or by calling the church at (903) 871-8700.&nbsp;&nbsp; Mike Harper at KVNE has extended an invitation for me to come by the studio next week for an interview on the air Friday, April 25, at 9:00am.&nbsp; He wants to talk about the song, the upcoming concert, and our ministry.&nbsp; You can listen in at 89.5 FM or online through their website at www.encouragementfm.com.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Tyler Morning Telegraph ran an article in Saturday's paper on April 12, in the religion section about the band and also about Because.&nbsp; It's archived on their website:&nbsp; http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080412/RELIGION/804110362 We have new pictures up on the website of everything we did in March, and we have some new dates on the calendar as well.&nbsp; Once again we couldn't do what we do without your prayers and support.&nbsp; Thank you so much.&nbsp; &quot;Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory . . . .&quot;&nbsp; (Eph. 3:20-21)&nbsp; HE is so good! Blessings, Shelley
The Lord is amazing us once again with His blessings and favor, and we wanted to share the news with you!  Journey Home has the privilege of opening in concert for The Katinas this Saturday, April 26, at New Life Worship Center in Tyler, Texas at 7:00pm.  If you can come that night it would mean so much to us to have your support.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door and can be purchased at The Scroll Christian Bookstore in Tyler, Lifeway in Tyler, www.evangelismtickets.com, or by calling the church at (903) 871-8700.  

Mike Harper at KVNE has extended an invitation for me to come by the studio next week for an interview on the air Friday, April 25, at 9:00am.  He wants to talk about the song, the upcoming concert, and our ministry.  You can listen in at 89.5 FM or online through their website at www.encouragementfm.com.       

The Tyler Morning Telegraph ran an article in Saturday's paper on April 12, in the religion section about the band and also about Because.  It's archived on their website:  http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080412/RELIGION/804110362

We have new pictures up on the website of everything we did in March, and we have some new dates on the calendar as well. 

Once again we couldn't do what we do without your prayers and support.  Thank you so much.  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory . . . ."  (Eph. 3:20-21)  HE is so good!


Blessings,

Shelley]]> Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:27:01 GMT 4865F4C715A7EA2D5B051D573C1D94AF http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=21923 Well, we just returned from an amazing weekend in Van Buren, Arkansas playing for Disciple Now at First Baptist Church and then leading worship for their congregation on Sunday morning.&nbsp; It was a great line up including chalk artist, Richard Height, and Christian illusionist, B J Harris.&nbsp; When we left home it was actually snowing, and if you know anything about Texas weather, that's unusual because it rarely snows in Texas.&nbsp; Needless to say the drive up there was beautiful.&nbsp; A few of the band members got pelted with snowballs when we stopped for lunch.&nbsp; Frankie surprised Nicole at the end of the trip by driving up to support us which meant I had to ride back with the guys by myself.&nbsp; Let's just say this section of the trip will forever be ingrained in my memory.&nbsp; Ha! Ha! &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; FBC's camera crew filmed all the services, and Tommy's been working hard to get them edited; so check back because we should have a video up on all the websites soon.&nbsp; The Lord's presence was so strong that last night, and it was evident that He was working in all of our hearts.&nbsp; He's so faithful!&nbsp; It was a great trip, and we look forward to hanging with our new friends in Van Buren again soon. - Shelley &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
FBC's camera crew filmed all the services, and Tommy's been working hard to get them edited; so check back because we should have a video up on all the websites soon.  The Lord's presence was so strong that last night, and it was evident that He was working in all of our hearts.  He's so faithful!  It was a great trip, and we look forward to hanging with our new friends in Van Buren again soon.

- Shelley        ]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:21:07 GMT DEF5D7EDCE786FABF5D57F5061C90F4B http://journeyhomemusic.com/blog.cfm?feature=66080&postid=19591 I believe musicians, songwriters, and all creative people are entrepreneurs by nature, and sometimes I think we're so focused on where we are going (the destination, the end result, the promise) that we overlook the most significant part. The longer I live the more aware I become that few things in life matter more than the journey. Everyday we are faced with choices (to love or to reject, to serve or to be served, to understand or to be understood, to forgive or to take offense), and it is these choices that determine who we really are--not just who others see on the surface. Don't get me wrong . . . where we go is important, but how we get there is just as important. The Lord showed me recently that He is just as concerned about how I treat those that He puts in my path as He is about how many people my songs reach. Rob Hotchkin and Patricia King say it best in a recent article, &quot;God is just as interested in the process as He is the destination, and maybe even more so, because the process shapes and defines us to be able to handle the promise as God intended.&quot; I want to be found faithful with what He's given me. He's able to keep His promises. He's got the connections, &quot;the hook up,&quot; but He's looking for vessels that want to take what they've been given and build HIS kingdom. He's looking for those who are trustworthy. So whether I'm changing my daughter's diaper or leading worship before thousands someday, I want to be found faithful in the journey. Luke 16:10 - He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. - Shelley
Don't get me wrong . . . where we go is important, but how we get there is just as important. The Lord showed me recently that He is just as concerned about how I treat those that He puts in my path as He is about how many people my songs reach. Rob Hotchkin and Patricia King say it best in a recent article, "God is just as interested in the process as He is the destination, and maybe even more so, because the process shapes and defines us to be able to handle the promise as God intended."

I want to be found faithful with what He's given me. He's able to keep His promises. He's got the connections, "the hook up," but He's looking for vessels that want to take what they've been given and build HIS kingdom. He's looking for those who are trustworthy. So whether I'm changing my daughter's diaper or leading worship before thousands someday, I want to be found faithful in the journey. Luke 16:10 - He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

- Shelley]]> Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:55:27 GMT 23A4668EBE4037970875833EEDCB09CD