10/31/10 worship set

My Savior Lives
All Because of Jesus
Jesus Messiah
Jesus Paid It All
Broken and Beautiful
*special

Water...

As a family of five, dining out can be a little pricey; so on the occasions that we do eat out it is a great treat for the family.  With the cost of everything going up, Matt and I made a new rule that when dining out (since I am the master at “penny-pinching”) everyone would drink water.  That, in itself, saves us about $10 and you know how I just love a bargain!  Well, after one of Ben’s basketball games, we decided to take the family to Wendy’s for dinner.  Yes, I know, fine dining, huh?  Well, the kids were so excited not to be eating at home so Wendy’s was perfect for them. On the way there, they were going over the menu trying to decide exactly what they were going to eat.  During all the buzz in the car, Caleb raised his hands in the air to get our attention and spoke up very seriously and matter-of-factly and said “Everybody drink water”.  We all started laughing, but the mom that I am was very proud that he remembered the family rule!  

A few days later, the words that my young son so boldly proclaimed that night kept going through my head, “Everybody drink water.”  Have you ever been so thirsty that all you could think about was getting just a sip of water?  Nothing could satisfy your thirst like a drink of water.  It is clear, cool, and refreshing, and it just soothes the body.  We all know the benefits of drinking water.  It is necessary for keeping the body hydrated, and maintaining your body’s metabolism. It is so important for brain function, and of course there are many more benefits.  

I then began to think about the “Living Water”.  This is what my soul thirsts for!  Just as my body needs water to function, my soul longs for the Water that flows freely from the fountain of life. 

Psalm 36:9  “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.”

I love the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4.  Jesus, tired and weary from his journey, asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. She was confused that he, a Jew, would be talking to her.  As he began to share with her about the living water, she began to think the water that he was speaking of could make her life easier.  But you see, she was missing it.  The water that Jesus was speaking of would be the drink that would satisfy the thirst of her soul, the water that would provide eternal life. This was Messiah!

John 4:13-14  “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This is the water that will change the very foundation of her life!  When I think about the times I get thirsty, physically thirsty, water is what I reach for to satisfy, but the times when my soul is dry and longing to be quenched, I go to the Living Water!  He replenishes and rehydrates the depths of my soul and is necessary for me to function!  What sweet, refreshing times with my Lord!  

I encourage you this week to rehydrate your souls and drink from the springs of Living Water!  I leave you with one last thought out of the mouth of my precious son,  “Everybody drink water!”

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Allison Jordan

SHBC Praise Team

10/24/10 worship set

Better Than Life
You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)
Holy, Holy, Holy
Revelation Song
*tag after message

Waste Removal...

I know you are all looking at this title and thinking, “What in the world is she talking about this for?”  Well, I always pray that God will use every opportunity around me to show me something in his Word, something that I need to see at that very moment.  I like to call these “teachable moments from my Savior”.  That very thing happened one day outside of one of my favorite places…Starbucks!  I was off work this particular day so I tried to schedule as many things and errands as I could since “free” time is hard to come by. I had my “to do” list in hand and was successfully hopping from errand to errand and found that I had about 45 minutes till my next appointment.  It was such a beautiful day that I decided to take those minutes and sit outside of my little coffee house with a cup of delicious coffee and bask in the beautiful sunlight that my Lord had placed in the sky!  I picked out a table that was placed where I could see all the beauty around me and enjoy the warm sunshine.  It was perfect!  As I sat there a few minutes, I began to notice a very unpleasant odor.  How could this be?  This was my time to enjoy the sunshine and drink my wonderfully brewed cup of coffee. How could I do this with that pungent odor?  

About that time I saw a lady pull up in a little golf cart and came over to a trash can nearby.  The trash can was overflowing.  Ah, the source of the stench!  She pulled the bag out and began sorting through it (she did have gloves on!).  I thought to myself, “How can she do this?”  I was starting to feel nauseous for her, but she, with a stronger stomach than me, pulled out all the newspapers and put them in a separate bag and then tied up the rest of the trash.  She took the nasty trash out to the cart and came back with a fresh, clean bag.  It was already starting to smell better out there, but she didn’t stop with a clean bag.  She came back over with a cloth and cleaned the outside of the garbage can, emptied the cigarettes out of the top ashtray and when she was done the whole thing sparkled.  Yes, it sure did!  She took something so smelly and disgusting and made it look like a masterpiece, and she did it without flinching.  She had pride in what she had done, even knowing that tomorrow she would have to do it all over again.

My Lord showed me again, just how much he loves me.  “From a dirty old trash can, he showed you all that?”, you ask?  Well, He reminded me that I am that dirty old trash can and he loves me so much that he removed that stinky filth and sin from my life and made me clean again.  But he doesn’t stop there; everyday he wipes all the smudges off and makes me shine for him and he does so with great pride evening knowing that he will have to do it all again tomorrow.  Why?  Because I am His child, His masterpiece.  A masterpiece, ready to live for him!  He takes great pride in me, in all of us, his children!

Psalm 51:7  “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

Psalm 32:1  “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

May we all be thankful for “waste removal” this week!  Were it not for that great sacrifice, we would live a hopeless life.  Now we are free to live that beautiful, fragrant life that can bring honor and glory to our Master!  My prayer is to share that great sacrifice this week to those in need of a Savior.

Have a blessed week!

Allison Jordan

 SHBC Praise Team

Worship set 10/17/10

Days Of Elijah (special by Katie Furr)

Your Grace Is Enough
Mighty To Save

The Wonderful Cross  
   *tag after message

Each Day...

What a beautiful service this past Sunday! Praise God that he is our Jesus Messiah and it is he that makes me glad! As I got up this morning just soaking in the beautiful day that God has given us, I was reminded again of how wonderful he is.  Each day is held in his hands and he gives them to us to do what we choose.  My thought was, “What am I going to do with this day that God has blessed me with?”  Do I choose to focus on the negative things that will come my way, because just getting 3 kids up and ready for school, my husband prepared for a long, busy week and myself ready for the many jobs and meetings ahead, is enough to start the frustration, or do I choose to look for the positive in each of those situations?  I have 3 beautiful kids that go to a great school, my husband has a wonderful job and provides for our family, I have a job where I get to see people changing their lifestyles to be more healthy, I have a job where I can freely talk about God, and throw about 180 kids in the mix, how great is that?  Well, today, I choose to look for the blessing!  Today, I choose to throw off the negative thoughts and complaining spirit that wants to creep up and proclaim that God is so good!  That outweighs any and every negative that will come my way.  I came across an email that someone sent me a few years ago and I wanted to pass it along to you.  It puts things in perspective and really brightened my day.  I hope you enjoy it!

Approaching Each Day

By:  Author Unknown

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.  My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage
me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new job relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to go to!

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with knowledge and adventure.

Today I can dejectedly murmur because I have housework to do or I can feel grateful for shelter for my mind, body, and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.  What today will be like is up to me.  And I shall decide what kind of day I shall have!

How will you live THIS DAY?

I hope you all have a wonderful week and remember Who makes each day!

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24

Blessings,

Allison Jordan

 SHBC Praise Team

10/10/10 worship set

For All You've Done
Made Me Glad (choir special)
Jesus Messiah
It's Your Love
   *tag after message (praise team w/band accompanying)