the sun is rising

the sun is shining! i mean it! the SUN IS SHINING!!! thank you, Jesus. there is something inviting about a day that begins with a sunrise like we had this morning in seattle. the Lord has been waking me early for several days now...really grabbing my attention and speaking something to me and its been a precious experience. he has been waking me and every morning when i look at outside it has been gray and drizzling. but not this morning....this morning the clouds parted and i saw blue skys expanding far and wide beneath the billowy masses of white...and i saw the sun.

it felt like a kiss. it felt like a promise..like a foreshadowing.

the sun in rising in our lives too right now. thank you, Jesus.

the blind date began and i scanned the room with my eyes. it was about half full. we found the one person whose name we know, blaine. he almost ran up to us, 'i was just going to call you guys!' shawn calls blaine 'a few spirit' i thought about that as i watched him laugh and talk...nearly everyone who walked in him met with a hug or an inside joke. i leaned into shawn 'i think we are in, babe. we made friends with the most popular kid at school." shawn laughed and i just smiled. it felt good.

shawn was walking down the ave in the university district late this summer and someone called out his name. he looked and didn't recognize anyone and kept on his way. then a group of 5 college age people followed him into a store. blaine was the ringleader 'hey man, not be weird, but are you shawn mcdonald?' usually a story like this ends up with awkward pauses and weird questions, but the group asked shawn about his heart, new marriage, offered to help on the house, and invited him to church. blaine gave shawn his number. i remember him telling me about that months ago. i smiled.

blaine, who is a clothing designer, is introducing us to everyone and the question everyone asks 'how do you guys know blaine?' (apparently its like the 6 degrees to kevin bacon or something) and every time shawn would mutter something about 'oh, i met him on the street.' no one else recognized shawn (and that's the way he wants it) so i can just imagine the picture that's coming to their minds when shawn says he met him on the street... it was really amusing me and it helped with the jitters.

the music started and we took seats next to our new best friend. and of course, he sat in the front row. and i do mean the front row. somehow that didn't suprise me either. you know, it was the first night i have been to church (since i was in OH) that i didn't think about the music...like do i like it? or not? do i know the songs? or not? i didn't think about it at all. the worship got a hold of me and there was no thinking.

i felt the Presence of the Lord in that place. people were moved and singing loud with their eyes closed..some were dancing around and some were sitting and some were standing with their arms raised. a tried to sing the words but tears came. we sang one chorus for what seemed like 10 straight minutes and even then i was sad when the leader strummed his guitar for the final time.

"blessing and glory and honor and power forever. forever"

i felt like i was standing right before that great Throne of that great King, just chanting and espousing Him.

it was beautiful. it was home. it felt the sun rising.

we sat and judah got up to speak. i am notoriously hard on speakers, mostly because i was ruined by the best of them for years in my own church...its hard to find someone to measure up to the experiences i have already had. pastor jason, who sometimes posts on here, is hands down one of the most anointed speakers and teacher i have ever sat under. he never shrinked back from dealing with the real issues and speaking the truth boldly. pastor ricks had a way of looking at God and the Bible that always seemed fresh to me. i wanted judah to do that...to be that. i felt in me that i desperately wanted this to be it.

my nagging doubts were laid to rest. the man had something to say and he said it and with authority and power and the conviction made its way to my heart. we visited with several people who came up to say hello. on the way out judah was at the door. he recognized shawn. 'hey, man, i know you are out there on the front lines. what can we do to help?' i wanted to hug him. he gave us his email and said 'this can be your home. we will pray for you while you are out there. seriously contact me anytime.' i searched his eyes. he meant it.

the sun is rising... thank you Jesus. the clouds are parting and i can see the vast blue expanding beneath the billowy masses... and i can see the Son.

thanks for praying...