In the meantime here is a short summary of the last year and a half:

Steve: plays on Ryan Kondo’s worship team at IHOP-KC, works for the marketing department also.  Still does photography and is traveling quite a bit with it for weddings and family shoots.

Me: home with 2 kids in our new house.  painting, organizing, reading, and doing endless loads of laundry

Emmaus Joy is now 20 months old: she talks, walks, and is quite the character. she loves to read, play with blocks, go outside. her favorite things in the world is stickers and baths.

Nehemiah Wesley is now about 3 months old: he laughs, holds his head up, and is becoming a great sleeper.  he is VERY loved by his sister-and us of course.

Emmaus rolled over on her 4 week birthday (thats not a typo)
our 1995 Toyota Camry with 208,000 miles finally brokedown
Zach & Whitney got married!
I started, manage, and play for a county men’s soccer team
Mike & Kim Baker moved back to Maryland :(
Emily (our housemate) moved back to Maryland :(
Emmaus projectile vomited about 4 feet with power
Amanda’s mom came for a weekend visit
I started a new position at IHOP working with Corey Russell and FSM
i bought my first pair of running shoes in about 9 or 10 years
i ran my first 4 miles in about 9 or 10 years
ran 4 miles in under 28 mins for first time in 9 or 10 years
Amanda has made 2 pairs of baby shoes (and they’re for real!)
our Brussel Sprouts are budding and growing
our soy beans and green bean plants died for the season
i was privileged to shoot photos of Allen Hood’s kids
we’re munching on a fresh supply Craisins (thanks Lynn!)
we both started Facebook accounts (oh geesh)
i lost my camera bag and found it again (thank you Lord!)
Amanda cleaned and organized the basement
we watched presidential and vp debates and actually cared
i switched to decaf only espresso at home (thanks Ben!)
amanda found the best children’s consignment shop in KC!
i got a haircut (it had been about 4 months…ouch)
amanda had mastitis but recovered well
we started morning prayer sessions with Emmaus

Emmaus Joy Offutt
6 lbs 15oz
19.5 inches
completely all natural birth…no meds

we’d like to thank Emily Adomanis, Kim Baker, Melissa Steinhauer, Sarah Weeks (w/ Hez), Debbie Perry (midwife & doula), Carly Weimer (doula), and Sheila (official midwife), and all the nurses at Research Medical Hospital in Kansas City, MO for praying, attending, and laboring with us and baby Emmaus Joy Offutt!

TheCall is a divinely initiated, multi-racial, multi-generational, and cross-denominational gathering to corporate prayer and fasting. We believe that our nation is in desperate need of the mercy of God and a great Spiritual Awakening. TheCall is committed to mobilizing people from all across America to gather together to petition God for His undeserved mercy for our nation in 12-hour solemn assemblies. Just as in the days of Joel, we believe that now is the time to blow the trumpet across our land, to fast, to pray, and return to the Lord with all our hearts.

In the midst of an “entertainment” driven society, TheCall does not seek to entertain, but to encounter God. Unlike other mass gatherings which attract people through the rhythms of loud music, the glamour of flashing lights, or through the appeal of charismatic personalities, TheCall is a gathering centered around the affections of a loving God. There will be no advertised bands and no promoted speakers, as our purpose is not to promote any man or ministry.

TheCall is a FAST not a festival. TheCall is a SOLEMN ASSEMBLY not a conference. Whereas conferences focus primarily on training and discipleship, the 12 hours of TheCall are spent primarily before the Lord in the place of prayer and worship. We believe the hour is late and the times are urgent. Our nation is in desperate need of revival and it will be only through the corporate body of Christ uniting in the place of prayer that we will find any hope in this hour. We believe we can see our nation changed as the Lord pours out His Spirit and brings refreshing to the broken, destitute, and the weary across our land.

anyway, purchase their album in iTunes or right here if you’re interested!

blessings!

how does this relate to singing songs? well, the common misconception is that “history shapes the songs of the day,” however the reality is that “the songs of the day are shaping history” …and this is becoming more and more apparent.

in both the Old Testament and New Testament you see examples of the people of God lifting up prayers, worship, and specifically songs which go forth to release the purposes of God in a various contexts.

Today, we live in a day where much of the secular industry is blatantly releasing songs to propagate certain values which directly impact the public. the unfortunate truth is that in most cases the secular industry is releasing songs in direct contradiction to Biblical values. This is strikingly apparent in today’s #1 song on iTunes and Billboard 100. Today’s #1 hit is a song performed by a female artist that expresses enjoying her experimentation with homosexuality. it is songs such as this which are emboldening and empowering my generation (and other generations) to embrace an un-Godly lifestyle …the more stunning fact behind this #1 song is that the artist who recorded and performs it was only a few years ago an up-and-coming Christian artist recording and performing songs glorifying God which goes to show the crisis that we face as a Church and also the seriousness of my next statements.

the point is this – there are two growing worship movements (both are based in the medium of song) that are shaping history as we know it and they are becoming more and more clearly identifiable in the mainstream. there are those emboldening and empowering a generation to pursue that which draws oneself away from God and then there are those who are emboldening and empowering ones to wholeheartedly pursue Jesus and partnering with Him in intercession to birth His Kingdom on the earth in fullness. make no mistake about it: there is a wholesale war going on for man’s worship and praise.

so, why am I doing what I do? because Jesus has invited me (and all born-again believers) to shape the course of history through worshipping Jesus and partnering with Him in prayer! When this occurs with a sincere heart and genuine repentance God breaks forth across the earth and changes the course of history!

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)