How much more is my heavenly Father wanting to dispense my inheritance? He paid the way so that I could fully enjoy all the good things He has for me. A good father looks out for his children and foresees the future. How much more does the Lord do that for me? Choices are mine. Experiences are mine. But the reach is so much bigger because the inheritance that I am able to walk in on the earth is far bigger than my mind can contain. It doesn’t just add up to God giving me money. When you’re well-connected things just happen for you. In the last two years I have seen a well-connected Father work out some amazing things for me. I want to continue to live like I have a well-connected Dad walking ahead of me, providing me opportunities to enjoy this life to the fullest in whatever way that takes shape. In the end, I’m a rich, happy girl.

Suzy and Paulette

I’m excited to tell you guys about an event we’re having on September 25th! Suzy Yaraei and her friend and co-writer Paulette Wooten will be here to instruct and encourage in the areas of songwriting, vocal techniques, and flowing in the Spirit.

When Suzy and her husband Kamran were here recently, Grae spoke about how much Suzy has influenced the generation of worship leaders that are currently making waves all across the Body and the world. I meant to share that day that it was the same for me – Suzy has inspired me as a worshiper more than anyone else has, and witnessing her unbridled worship years ago at a MorningStar conference played a big part in setting me free from self-focused reservation.

Suzy, along with Paulette, has written some of our favorite worship songs, including one of my all-time favorite Resurrection songs (“He’s Alive”). So I’m excited about them talking to us about songwriting. Also, being that Suzy is an accomplished vocalist (and not just in Christian circles), I look forward to the insights she will share with the singers among us. Paulette will have a lot to share as well. Not only did she pen much of the music in Suzy’s songs, she’s a worship leader and recording artist and a successful music producer.

This event will be great for worship leaders, vocalists and musicians, and songwriters who want to go further in their worship artistry. The cost is $40 in advance, or $50 day of (if there’s space still available). You can register by following this link:

There will also be an open worship event Friday the 24th with a full band (including yours truly), and Kamran, Suzy, and Paulette will be at DaySpring on the following Sunday, as well.

Here’s some other links of interest:
Holy Spirit Adventures (Kamran and Suzy’s ministry)
Suzy’s MySpace page
Paulette’s MySpace page

 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)  

The message of Galatians is that Christ and the promised Holy Spirit have set us free from slavery to the law (tyranny) and the indulgence of our sinful nature (anarchy). Our freedom came at great cost, the blood of our Father’s precious Son. And it has a great purpose. We’ve now been set free and empowered to love as He loves.    

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)

The Holy Spirit taught me years ago that Satan’s counterfeit of liberty is independence. Independence may seem like liberty, but it’s not. Why? Independence often expresses itself in indifference which is the opposite of love. Love demands interdependency. We must first and foremost depend on the Holy Spirit who produces the nature and the power of love in us. The fruit of the Spirit is love… (Galatians 5:22) True love is not possible without the Holy Spirit.

Then we must do what we are equipped and empowered by Him to do, love our neighbor as our self. The love of God is not an emotion. It’s a power expressed though action. As such, it cannot find expression in independence. Love demands a giver and a beneficiary. Every soul that we encounter needs to be touched by the love of God in us. They are created to receive His love, and we are recreated to impart it.   

Creation’s Founding Father has given us the perfect dominion in which we can be free to do what he desires most of us: to experience His love for us, to love Him back, and to love others. For this purpose He has given us the Holy Spirit who has poured God’s own love into our hearts. And it is for the freedom to love and be loved that Christ has set us free. That’s true liberty!

The other thing you’ll need is a desire to love others and to have your life changed. Being a blessing of compassion to those around you changes their lives but transforms your own life. To allow the Holy Spirit to work through you and see the result in someone else’s life becomes addictive. No wonder Paul couldn’t stop praying or going on more mission trips!

We’d love to have you, or at the very least, your prayers. If the Lord shares anything with you let us know.

On our way!
Lathan and Sara Carey

If you’re interested in participating, please email Lathan at kingslight@bellsouth.net.

As it turns out, they have a really cool web-based version, as well. In addition to being significantly more pleasing in appearance than other online Bible resources, the interface is really slick and interactive, and allows you to view two versions side-by-side (common for desktop Bible apps, but pretty special for an online resource).

Side-by-side translations.

You can also sign up for an account, which allows you to track your reading progress, follow one or more of the numerous provided reading plans, journal about what you’re reading, and share your thoughts about passages with other users of YouVersion. These features all sync between the online and mobile versions, so you can keep track of everything no matter where you are. Oh, did I mention it’s free?

I have yet to dive completely in, but plan on taking much more advantage of this very cool resource.

After being spiritually walloped all week by Amber Brooks’s song “Heavenly Places”, it was really neat to find that it specifically addressed much of what Grae had prepared to speak on. (Obviously we hadn’t spoken about it previously, or else I wouldn’t think it so remarkable.) Grae even mentioned Sunday that he had never heard the song.

In her song, Amber says:
“You above, seated in the heavenlies, who am I? Who am I to You?”

Then asks in the second verse:
“You above, seated in the heavenlies, who are You? Who do I say You are?”

In his notes for Sunday, Grae has written:

Two most important questions in life:

1. What do I think about God?
2. What do I think that God thinks about me?

That’s pretty neat.

That being the case, it’s not too often that a worship album really grabs me and holds me for long periods of time. Of course,  I could cite some examples to the contrary, like John Mark McMillan’s The Medicine or Delirious’s Glo, both of which I would rank among the very best creative works ever in the worship genre. Now, I am pleased to have developed a similar affection for Amber Brooks’s new(ish) album Still I Rise.

The album is organic and diverse, showing a lot of influence from classic rock and country. The hint of country is more of the “musicians on a porch” feel than modern pop-country (think Alison Krauss or Patty Griffin, not “Redneck Yacht Club” or “Man, I Feel Like A Woman”). “He Found Me” is infectiously joyous, and “To Whom it May Concern” has a hauntingly rapturous sound. “Vagabonds” even nods at progressive rock, with an odd time signature and a verse melody that sounds a whole lot like a song by the band Yes. To sum up the sound of the album: it is very well produced and is richly styled.

Obviously the sound is not the most significant aspect of a worship album, and Still I Rise is beautiful in its exaltation (“He Found Me”, “Make Way”), in its desperation (“Mighty Rushing Wind”, “Like You Promised”), and in its confidence in the Lord (“Heavenly Places”, “To Whom It May Concern”). We have been doing many of these songs recently at DaySpring, and there’s no doubt they have helped raise the bar in our pursuit of the Lord. Just this morning I got really messed up listening to “Heavenly Places” (so much so that I keep tearing up just at the sight of the song’s title).

Here’s some lines from “Heavenly Places”:
Self-focus is way overrated, I’m so quick to point out my flaws, But when You look at me, When you look my way

You call me worthy, You see beauty, You see purity, You see purpose, You see value, You see who I’ll be

Amber’s MySpace: myspace.com/ambernbrooks

Purchase links:
For MP3 download purchase, I highly recommend Amazon.