Praying

I was 16 the first time I heard Steven Curtis Chapman sing.
Over the years S.C.C.'s God/Life inspired songs have stirred my heart, expanded my faith, and helped me to hold fast to my Father.

And now, I pray for the Chapman family with the loss of their youngest daughter. I pray that God would magnify His mercy on them, comfort, speak truth, and pour His love deep, wide, long, and high into each one of them.


a few SCC God moments -

It was the summer of 92, I was the intern for my church youth group. I recall climbing into the "Frog" (green church van), off to downtown L.A. (just after the riots), San Diego, and Mexico for a missions trip... The Great Adventure lead the way... "Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown, this is life like no other..this is the great adventure."

Fall of 92, Still Called Today... "There's a girl whose waited day after day, to hear her daddy say 'I love you,' now the days have turned to years, she's holding back the tears, he's holding out on his fears, and while it's still called today, won't somebody make it right, before the day slips into night, and the moments waste away..."
After listening to these lyrics, I decided to write my dad a letter. God filled my heart with love for him, even after years of emotional and verbal abuse, and I needed to tell him that. I included the lyrics to the song in the letter, prayed over it, placed a 20 cent stamp on it, and mailed it. 2 weeks later we had a conversation (at that time we averaged 2 horrible conversations a year, and I was always reminded that I wasn't his daughter). My dad received the letter, and for the first time, he told me he loved me.

In July of 1999 Michael and I stood by Emilie, 7 weeks premature. The nurses told us they were concerned because her heart-rate/breathing was too fast. We returned to our room and prayed. The song Be Still was stirring in my heart that week, and I prayed these lyrics "come lay your head upon His chest, listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love." I prayed that Emilie would lay her head on God's chest, hear His heart beat, His rhythm. After we prayed we returned to the nicu, and the nurse said, "Emilie's heart rate and breathing is at normal." We responded. "We know."

September 2000, after 14 weeks of pregnancy, I miscarried. As I held our tiny baby boy in my hand. I cried, prayed, and then I sang, "as I look back on this road I've traveled, I see so many times He's carried me through, and if there's one thing that I've learned in my life, my Redeemer is faithful and true... My Redeemer is faithful and true, and everything He's said He will do, and every morning His mercies are new, My Redeemer is faithful and true, Jesus is faithful and true."

Summer of 07, listening to the Great Adventure again, but this time with the V.B.S. c.d. as my 3 kiddos sang in their loud, cheery voices "saddle up your horses..." While I smiled because the adventure continues.