for i know the plans i have for you...

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.  "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Thy beauty fills my soul...

Starting this week John and I have taken on the responsibility of leading worship at our church. We've been helping out with the transition over the last month or so, but always with the guiding hand of our worship leader, Kyle. Now we're on our own and we have his notes and tips, but it still seems like a daunting task. It's exciting, but it still just seems like so much to take care of. Everyday we need to be doing something in preparation for the following Sunday whether it be e-mailing people to remind them that they're playing, picking songs that deal with the topic or meeting with Pastor Paul or whoever is teaching to see how our songs fit into the overall order of the service. It really isn't that bad although it does add to a bit more of what I have to do throughout the week and I'm sure I'll feel the strain of it more next semester when I start taking classes again. Kyle did give me some helpful advice though. He said not to let responsibilities to the church overwhelm my time with my family. There needs to be a balance between the two or else I'll only be giving pieces of myself to them both and that's not fair to either of them.

So, that's what I'm doing this week. Preparing to lead worship and trying to coordinate things with everyone else who is a part of it so we can welcome the congregation into God's presence. It's an awesome responsibility, and it will definitely bring with it much joy, but again it's a lot of work. Pray for John and myself that we will not get burned out during this experience and that it will only bring with it a lot of joy, and that will it will carry with it more positive memories than negative ones.