Six Sunday Stories

Six Sunday stories brewing...
bear with me on the details---this is for my kids whom I can't get through to right now...no skype, no cell, no text, no IM for way too long...funny feeling for this mom...brooke & barrett are together in Thailand again for a week and I'm so glad... and Blair's train arrives in FW in a couple of hours...

Story #1...

Denver Airport...Security Checkpoint...taking off my tennis shoes...the adorable young girl behind me has on an Aggie t-shirt...I refrain from asking her if she knows my Brookie, the A&M graduate, out of 48,000 current Aggies...but I turned to look in her sweet face one more time and she gasps and squeals at me---"Are you Brookie's mom???" It was one of my daughter's dear Aggie friends---Lisa Merriman! We shared a precious moment together.

I told Lisa I was on my way to Austin with my husband who was preaching at Southwest Hills on Sunday. Lisa told me that her church named The Austin Stone was close to that area in Austin and invited me to their service. I dismissed it and tucked the thought away cause you don't find anything in Austin easily---hard city for a novice to navigate around...

Lisa is one of those few who call themselves the seventh chick from the Six Chicks household. Out of all the thousands of people in Denver at the airport, I run into Lisa from College Station, one of my daughter's cherished friends. God orchestrated that one. Lisa touched me! So grateful to God to meet this seventh chick in a security line.

Story #2...why was I in the Denver Airport? I had just left Larry Crabb's School of Spiritual Direction for one unbelievable week in Colorado Springs at Glen Eyrie! Oh my! Truly was one of the most life-changing weeks for me. I don't think I can ever be the same person again...ask me in one year what's different. "Have mercy on me, my God!" I believe He is, He will. Came back home not for the better life but to be broken before my Lord. And how does that happen? Ask me in one year if anything happened...

3rd Story...

Pine Cove Christian Camp...Britt got into Pine Cove last week at the very last minute...so grateful to God for the privilege...God orchestrated that one! Bob & I attended his closing ceremony. Britt brought me to meet one of his friends and told me to close my eyes...Britt ducked...she screamed...I screamed...it was Jessica Schmale, A Six Chick...then I cried. Jessica's hug so touched my inner parts cause she is part of my Brooke's life. Special moment for us. I'm crying right now thinking about it. We looked for "Scrabble Andy" but he was already gone home for good. We did find Bunga! What did Pine Cove mean to my young son? Britt said he has never been as close to God as He is right now and my heart melts. That's God. God's heart melts over his kids coming home every day when we look at Him and get unstucked from living in two worlds, two moments.

4th Story...

We informed Britt we were all heading to Austin, TEXAS upon which Britt replied---can I spend the night with my brand new friend Thomas---you bet! Britt wants to move to Austin now as he connected with Thomas and his circle of friends. Now wouldn't you just love to live in Austin, Barrett??? What do you think Brooke and Blair? Okay Bob!

5th Story...Thomas and his family told me how to find the Austin Stone which was right down the street in Austin from where Bob was preaching. So I walked into Austin Stone and it was SRO and every young person in Austin must have been in the sea of audience. I wondered if it was about entertainment or worship...I recognized the familiar voice leading the music right away. It was Chris Tomlin. Kind of looks like Barrett to me---maybe I just haven't seen you in a while, Bear! And I thought to myself---I can't believe I get to sing with this guy....I thought I would be looking him up in heaven to tell him how much his music meant to me---especially last year when I went through a deep depression. His music so brought God to me! And I didn't have a clue who the kid was last year. I just kept downloading his music off of I-Tunes. And yesterday, there I was, singing to my precious Lord "Holy is the Lord God Almighty" with Chris Tomlin. He did a couple of songs off "See The Morning": "Glory in the Highest" and "Rejoice", and then he led us in "Hosanna"---and we did that one twice...I think God was smiling on all of us. Nope. I know He was. I told Chris how I had no idea who he was and just kept downloading his tunes and singing them to my God. Never thought I would ever meet him in this life when I found out he was famous in the singing world but I knew I would look him up in the next world. Bob and Britt and I went back again for the evening service---I enjoyed singing to my God with this very familiar voice so much. And the young kid who was preaching...oh my...he delivered a sermon on Jesus inviting us for breakfast from the Gospel of John and this one I won't forget for a long time. So, Lisa, I did make it to your church and was so touched......................................................................................................................................................................................

Meanwhile...

back at Southwest Hills Story #6....your dad did an awesome job Brooke! And Blair & Barrett! He spoke on the Emmaus Road passage about how our hearts burn within when God is walking beside us and we may not even realize it is Him until He opens our eyes to see....I loved it when he shared about God giving us an undivided heart---God takes our heart of stone and makes it a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11: 19,20 He promises to be God to His people. And you know what? This guy named James led the music at Southwest Hills and James & his band were just as good as Chris Tomlin! There weren't thousands in the audience at SHCC like the Stone, around 150. But God was right there in the midst. It's not about numbers or noses or nickels, as they say. It's all about God and what He orchestrates. For His Pleasure! I was so touched by James and the Christ in him!