Don’t Miss this amazing night of worship for college and young adult singles here in the Tyler area. Come Connect, Unite and Worship together at this city-wide event. Feel free to copy the picture and post it, pass it out, help get the word out!
Staring Up,
KP
So, I have decided to take up running. I know!! I think it’s pretty crazy too, but I need to do something healthy and I really like the challenge that this seems to have for me. So, I thought I would record my progress, thoughts, etc while I am going through this process for you to read. You’ll either laugh at me (with me??) or find inspiration from this I hope. The reality is…I’m just a normal chubby gal who really doesn’t like to run. I enjoy lifting weights but the cardio…well…we have a love/hate relationship. About the same as I do with food. I have put a mission, or a challenge, in front of me and I am out to crush it. A half-marathon. Does it seem crazy to you too? Some friends of mine, who are runners, are going in October to do a marathon in New Braunfels. All proceeds go towards orphans and adoption. My goal is to run the half-marathon there. October. It seems so far away but there can be no procrastination for this task. So, I will keep you updated on how it goes and maybe how my life changes while I run. I’m hoping that it changes physically yes, but that there is something more that happens while I do it too. You can keep track on the running page attached to this blog. You’ll find it on the right hand side. Anyway, wish me luck!
Staring up,
KP
We have been living in Tyler for 6 months now. We are settled into the house, Michael is settled into his new job, the boys are settled into their new school, and I am becoming settled here as well. We are starting to get involved with ministry here-I helped lead worship last Sunday and we are working with two groups of college students, 1 with YoungLife and then our new college group at church called Connect. Most people know how much I love the college age group. They are real and honest for the most part and refreshing to me. I wouldn’t say in Phoenix that working with the college was easy, but it was easier. I mean, it was already established at our church there. I was burdened for the college students that were in our lives and came into our lives through the Element community, but if I’m honest, I really didn’t think about those college students outside of the community. Since moving here, my heart has been burdened with the idea of ALL of the college students here in Tyler, and beyond really. My heart is heavy with the idea of how many walk away from church, and ultimately their faith in God, while in college. I am trying to focus on here in Tyler, where God has placed me right now, and what I can be doing to reach this age group that is so often forgotten or left on their own, but there are times (right now in fact) where my heart is so heavy with the desire for them to know and love God more that I become overwhelmed. Did you know that current statistics tell us that approximately 65-70% of students drop out of church when they graduate from high school? I’ve been doing some research about college students and Tyler, Texas. I am definitely a research girl. I like to know things. One of the things I found out is that there are 19,000 enrolled college students here in Tyler. That’s just the enrolled. You know there have got to be more that are college aged that aren’t enrolled in school right now that live here. And I am very aware that some of those are adult students or are not college aged. That number does not, however, include continuing education students so those are not included in the 19,000. Wow. That number may not seem daunting to you if you live in a major city like Phoenix or Dallas or Los Angeles, but this number seems huge to me when you think about it being in a city of 100,000. That’s right. The population of Tyler is 100,000 and most of that 19,000 is probably not included in the 100,000 since their parents are claiming them somewhere else. Need another way of saying it? 1 in 6 people in this town are college students. And yet, it is on the whole, an unreached group here so to say. At least that is how it seems to me, as the new girl looking in. The largest church in town has a college group of about 200 I think. There are christian organizations here in Tyler for the college students but it seems like they are all divided, or working on their own so to say. I don’t see a huge sense of community here. One of the things we learned while working with the college in Phoenix was the importance of community. It hurts my heart to think of this huge group of college students out there in my new town either feeling lost like they have no real since of a community of their own, or finding that sense of community in something or somewhere else that could cause pain in their life. I know what it’s like to seek after everything else but the Lord. I know the pain that comes with that and I know the joy that comes when you seek after Him. I want the joy for this age group! So…my burden is heavy for the college students right now. So heavy that it is difficult for me to breathe at times.
Second, I am passionate about wanting to get the church involved with reaching this age group. We have key groups within our church to meet the needs of children, youth, and adults-but we tend to forget about the college age group, or do nothing because we don’t know what to do for them. We think they are a different kind of beast, right? How long can we let this group go ignored? Rise up church! Realize the need out there and go out and make disciples! You are commanded to do it. Not just to those that are in 3rd world countries, but to those outside your front door. I pray that more people are ignited to reach out to the college age group in their communities. If you’re in the Tyler area and want to get involved, feel led to get involved, let me know. There is a huge need here to reach out to the college students here and to unite those that already know the Lord and to introduce Jesus to the ones that don’t. What’s holding you back? I don’t know how exactly to do it all. But I worship, follow and serve the God of Ages, and HE knows what the college students here need. I will not be afraid of the unknown because I know HE-the same God that guided the Israelites, the same God that sent His Son to die on the cross for us-knows. He will guide our steps in reaching the college students. Can you ignore the facts? Can you stand by and watch an entire generation fall to the wayside? What will you do? Step up and step out with me. Please.
Staring up,
KP
Following are just a few articles (there are SOOO many more) and a few statistics for you. Enjoy!
For more on college students and the unchurched, see http://www.times-herald.com/religion/Unevangelized-college-students–859604
Taken from http://tnjn.com/2008/jan/25/to-attend-church-or-not-that-i/
In the transition from high school to college, 65 percent of students stop practicing their faith.
Taken from http://churchrelevance.com/college-students-becoming-more-spiritual-but-less-religious/
Religious Attendance
Measures of Spirituality
I think by now we’ve all had to have been hiding under a rock to not know what has been going on in Haiti and the devastation from the earthquake and all of its aftershocks. I feel like my heart is bleeding watching the news and all of the updates, and I feel so helpless. I was completely taken aback today when I was watching 2 of my friends on CNN this morning and heard the statistic of 1.2 million orphans in Haiti-and that was before the earthquake ever happened. What will it be now? As I started thinking about it, I realized I don’t even know what the orphan statistic is for here in the States. The only number I could find was approximately 100,000, but I’m not sure if that’s right or not.
Anyway, I am desperately searching and asking, “What can I do to help?” What I have found out is that the biggest need is funding so that they can get food, water, and start to rebuild in Haiti. There are different ways you can do this.
1. Go to www.helphaitishirt.com and buy a shirt (or more than 1) for $25. 100 % of the funds from the shirts go towards a few organizations. One of them is Heartline Ministries. You can check them out at http://heartlineministries.org. Another way to support just Heartline Ministries is to go to http://haiti-relief.com.
2. If you are in the Austin area, there is a benefit concert taking place on January 18th. It’s $10 to get in and doors open at 6. The concert starts at 7pm. It’s at The Parish. All proceeds benefit Real Hope for Haiti. You can check them out at www.realhopeforhaiti.org. It should be a great concert and an easy way to help make a difference.
3. The Red Cross says you can do 3 things to help: * Donate now (see a theme?), *Volunteer, and *Give blood. You can check them out at www.redcross.org.
4. Perhaps the biggest thing you can be doing is praying. Pray for the relief efforts and supplies to get into Haiti with no difficulties. Pray for a huge response from those of us not in Haiti. Heartline ministries says financial support is already starting to slow down and they still need over $100,000 to achieve the rebuilding they need to do. Pray for protection from more aftershocks, and for peace to reign on those in Haiti trying to deal with the aftermath, and for those here who are waiting for news on their loved ones.
If you are interested in the CNN interview from this morning, check out http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/15/am.intv.adopted.son.in.haiti.cnn
My heart is heavy right now as I said before, but I rejoice because I know my Lord and Savior still sits on the throne! He is and was and continues to be the great I AM.
Staring Up,
KP
A while ago, I posted about broken bones and how Psalm 51 was really speaking to me. Specifically the line, “let the bones that you have broken rejoice.” I told you I was working on a new worship piece called “Clean Heart” based off of this Psalm. Well, I am just a few steps away from having the song complete. It seems appropriate that at this time the song would almost be finished since I feel as if I am coming to an end of a specific broken bones time. I have done my best to rejoice in each circumstance of this period. Not been perfect for sure. But doing my best. 
I’m looking forward to sharing the song with you soon so be on the lookout for that. I’ve started 2 more worship songs now and am just happy to be writing.
Getting close to the end of this piece and this time in my life has had me wondering and thinking though. What does it sound like when you rejoice in the midst of pain? What does it sound like when your broken bones rejoice? Sometimes I find there are just no words. Sometimes, for me, there is only the word Hallelujah. Sometimes there are only tears. I wonder if you are in the midst of a broken bone period of time…are you rejoicing?
Staring up,
KP
Well, believe it or not…it hasn’t been a long time!!! Last time I wrote, I put my thoughts down on how I felt ready for our new life to begin here in Tyler. I felt ready. Finally. Have you been thinking about what you are ready to do?
So, it seems the Lord was just waiting for me to get on board with His plan. After making the decision to not fight moving and living here, and then putting it down in writing on here, doors have started opening for me and our family to serve the community here. Worship opportunities and loving on college kids are all sitting on my doorstep now. I don’t think anything is a coincidence. It’s just one more confirmation that I am where He wants me to be. Is my house teeming with college students yet? Not yet, but opportunities are arising for me to get to love on those college students here in the area. I have decided I will be content with whatever and whoever God puts in my path. It’s really exhausting to try to do things in my own power or to fight what God is trying to do in my life. Yes, I know you’re thinking I should already have known that, and I did in my head. And in my heart too really. But I don’t think I realized how much I was holding on to the past and not letting go.
I’m reading a great book now about moving called “After the Boxes are Unpacked” by Susan Miller. If you’ve just moved somewhere, it’s fantastic for helping you move on and I highly recommend it. Anyway, there’s a whole chapter on cherishing and not clinging to things. Because I realized I was clinging to what I had known and loved and not just cherishing it, it made me realize that I can’t be the only one out there doing that. It doesn’t just have to be a place that you use to live. You can cling to relationships, jobs, homes, anything that you loved and just didn’t want to give up. I’m wondering if there’s ever been a time in your life, maybe it’s now, where you clung to something instead of cherished it. Have you ever thought about it? How has that affected you? For me, I realized that clinging to Phoenix was keeping me from moving on here, from making new friendships, from having new ministry opportunities, from learning to like my new home and town, from wanting to even learn about the city of Tyler. It’s kept me from being excited about life, and that is something I usually love to be excited about! In short, clinging caused me to lose a part of myself and my zeal for life. That zeal is back because I have embraced the newness of what He is doing in my life. Thank the Lord there are New Mercies Every Morning!
Cherish, not cling. Let go and move on. No more living in the past. Hit the play button and quit hitting the rewind button. All those sayings… haha
Staring up,
KP
So I feel like I say this every time I post something. I know it’s been a long time. If I’m honest, I just haven’t felt like writing or anything and sharing my feelings in the past few months. The silence was definitely planned as my heart was not ready to acknowledge the changes that have now taken place in my life and our family. I never thought as a Texas I would ever say that home felt like somewhere else, but Phoenix truly did become that for us. The idea of leaving it stripped away something from me and then the actual act of moving put me in a spiral of emotions I didn’t know how to articulate or really even acknowledge fully to myself.
But this weekend I came back to Phoenix by myself hoping to leave with a lighter heart and some idea of why, some answers to that dreaded why question that all of us seem to ask at times. I am leaving with my heart full but also much lighter-and ready. Ready to face this next phase of our lives. Ready to put down some roots again in Texas, and ready to be a light to the college students of Tyler, Texas.
Thank you my sweet Element community for welcoming me back with wide open arms. We miss you and we love you every day, but we are ready to pass your legacy of love on to others who need to hear it and know it. You are an amazing community and totally rock! I am so happy to see what god is doing in you and through you. Keep His light shining, and somebody throw a party every once in a while at their home for me!!! I will teach Settlers and Nertz to every one I can while speaking truth into them. I promise!
So, now, I am sitting in the airport pondering the past 6 days and praising God for how He has changed my heart. For the first time since April, I am looking ahead with anticipation and great joy for what is ahead. He has brought us to Tyler for a reason, and as much as I hate to admit that it has taken me this long to start to get on board, I feel ready. I guess ready might be the key word for this posting. I am thankful for Phoenix and how we learned as a family what our niche in ministry is while there (COLLEGE!!) and how we learned to be vulnerable, real, loving, and speakers of truth. I urge you to evaluate your role in your community and take inventory. Then get out there and go. Don’t be like me. Don’t wait. Don’t waffle. Don’t delay or grumble or be anxious..you get the idea. I love you friends. Now…
Ready…Set…GO!!!
Staring Up,
KP
So, what do you know about Miriam? I only knew that she was Aaron’s sister. Then, as I was going through Numbers, I reached Numbers 12, and Miriam became so much more to me. She put a heart attitude issue right smack in front of my face, and I know (at least I greatly hope) that I am not the only one who struggles with it. Here’s what Numbers 12 says from the ESV translation-
1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed only spoken through MOses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4 And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5 And the Lord came down in a pillar of could and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed. 10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her-please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
So the first thing we see is Miriam and Aaron speaking out against Moses. Miriam is listed first here because she was most likely doing the most grumbling. That is why we see her punished with the leprousy. At first reading, I was put off towards Miriam. I mean, here’s Moses working to get this nation to their promised land and his 2 closest people are griping about him. But then, I started thinking about myself. Listen again to what Miriam said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” Maybe I’m the only one, although I really don’t think so, that has seen someone doing something and thought, “I could do that. Why won’t the Lord use me to do that?” We might even go so far as to think we could do it better. Probably not, though, right? I mean, what kind of person would do that? 
Our egos get in the way so many times, don’t they? We want to be important. If you’re made like me, and not all of us are I know…you really enjoy being in the spotlight. For me, I have to fight the urge when it comes to my music, especially now that I’ve moved to doing worship instead of just performing. I want it to be all about the Lord and glorifying Him, but so often…my ego moves into the picture. I listen to some amazing worship leader and think, “Why not me Lord? When’s it my turn?” All of a sudden, my purpose has moved to elevating myself instead of elevating the Lord and what He wants. It’s my heart attitude. A battle playing out inside me.
But Miriam and Aaron get called into God’s office. Can you imagine?? And you thought it was bad when you got called into the principal’s office! Haha… Here they go, with Moses, to the entrance of the tent and God calls them forward. This great pillar of cloud is all around. God boasts about Moses, which I think is really rich. I mean, if you’re Miriam and you’ve been griping about Moses, how bad is it to listen to God say there is noone like him? God departs, so the cloud lifts away, and there is Miriam. White as snow. Leprous. An outward symbol of her heart attitude. And don’t think of white as snow as pure. Aaron’s words put it vividly, “Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” So Moses, the guy they spoke out against, goes to God and cries out to Him on behalf of them. Wow…
Where is your heart attitude? Where and what are you focused on? Do you ever let your ego get in the way? We don’t normally speak out about these vulnerable things. We keep them quiet and let them stir inside us. I’m so glad we have a gracious God, aren’t you? Yes, the more I pondered Miriam, I realized I couldn’t be put out with her. I am her at times. We all are. We just aren’t covered with leprousy, white as snow. No…my white as snow came from being covered by the blood of Jesus. And that’s the kind of white as snow I want.
Staring up,
KP
So, I told you before that I’m in a new Bible study here in Tyler. We study a book of the Bible each week, going in order from the beginning to end. It’s a 3 year study to go through the whole Bible. I started 2 weeks into it, so I missed Genesis and Exodus. I will be going back to do them though eventually. A couple weeks ago was Leviticus. A book on holiness. You know, Leviticus gets a bad wrap. I think it’s because it repeats itself quite a bit and is all “you are clean” this and “you are unclean” that. It’s a little tedious to read at times, so I completely understand those that decide they are going to read through the whole Bible and start in Genesis and then quit halfway through Leviticus. I mean, who of us hasn’t done that?!? Am I the only one?? I felt a great accomplishment the other day when I was able to say I had finally read ALL of Leviticus! Haha But I will tell you there were a few things that totally struck me while I was reading. Actually, quite a few things (you know me!) but I wanted to point out a couple of them.
First, the theme to Leviticus is holiness. The Israelites had soo many rules and things they had to do in order to keep themselves clean. It makes me completely grateful that I don’t have to remember so many details or have to kill animals for a pleasing sacrifice to the Lord. It does make me ponder what sacrifices I do make to the Lord, and if they are pleasing to Him. Sacrifices were a part of their life. Are they a part of our’s? I don’t mean animal sacrifices of course. Jesus has taken that place. The ultimate Sacrifice-Praise Him! But what kind of sacrifices do we give to the Lord?
Second, I was struck with how quickly the Israelites forgot what the Lord had done for them. Here they were with these amazing signs and miracles and they praise Him one moment for them and then forget them and grumble the next! I think we do that too. I know I do anyway. I’ve been guilty of doing it for the past few weeks actually. I’ve seen the Lord working in my life and in my family’s life as He brought us here to Tyler. I see Him working on our behalf in Michael’s job and in starting to bless us with friendships and us finding a church home. And yet, I am just as guilty as the Israelites with grumbling. Grumbling about missing my husband due to him working long hours, grumbling about everything I miss in Phoenix/Scottsdale, both the big and the small, grumbling about the day to day things that I have to do here at the house. But one of the things I learned going through Numbers (yes, I just switched books on you) was that grumbling is an attack on God’s character. Wow, right??? I am fully aware that having that knowledge should have totally made me turn from the grumbling. I’m just being real here. I am not going to tell you that I heard that and then turned away from the grumbling. This is something the Lord has been working in me on and is continuing to work on me. I miss Phoenix. I miss my friends, the mountains, my church and leading worship, my Element community, and restaurants and everything else I left behind. But I have been so busy focusing on what I am missing that I think I am missing what the Lord is doing in my life right now. Just being honest here. But one of the things I am learning from the Israelites and their journey is that they grumbled. A lot. And the grumbling was just the beginning of their unbelief. It was the start, and it was the outward expression of their heart attitude. Their unbelief. I don’t want a heart attitude of unbelief. I’m trying to find the balance of missing those that I love, and being content in my present situation, even if it does feel like a wilderness at times. Are you in a wilderness situation in your life right now? Ever been in one? How was/is your reaction? Are you grumbling, or are you continually praising the Lord for His provision, His signs and wonders (no matter how big or small they are), and where He has you right now in your life? I’m not telling you it’s easy. I’m the first one to tell you just how hard it is, but I am coming to the realization that it all starts with my heart attitude. What’s your’s?
There will be more on heart attitudes coming I’m sure…:)
Staring up,
KP
