Smalltowns Top 10

Bri; My hands are Lifted Up/ Make me Over 

Dermont Kennedy; Boston 

God is an Astronaut, Fragile

David Leonard, Share this Burden 

Judah and the Lion; Our Love

Josh Sherman; Psalm 23 

Bon Iver; I Can't Make You Love Me 

Explosions in the Sky; Postcards 

Ben Howard; Depths over Distance 

Josh Baldwin, The War is Over 

Smalltowns Top 10

    Hammock; "In the Middle of this Nowhere"

Red Rocks; " You will be my Song"

David Leonard; " I Will Wait"

Dermont; " Lost"

Judah and the Lion; "100 miles"

Riley Clemmons; " Broken Prayers"

Chris Renzema; "Before the Throne"

Jonathan Ogden; "Trust"

River and Robots; " Fall Down"

Chris Renzema; " You're the Only One"

Top 10 Smalltowns

Ben Howard, "Depth Over Distance"

Hillsong United, "Another in the Fire"

Ben Abraham, "This is On Me"

Bryan and Katie Torwalt, "Prophesy Your Promise"

Jacob Banks, "Unknown"

Pat Barrett, "Canvas and Clay"

Leon Bridges, "River"

Housefires, "Jesus What a Savior"

Dermont Kennedy, "Power Over Me"

Jacob Banks, "Say Something"

Sweet Essence

Isaiah 62: 1,2

" I will not keep silent because of Zion, and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem, until her righteousness shines like a bright light and her salvation, like a flaming torch. Nations will see your righteousness and all kings, your glory.  You will be called by a new name that the Lord's mouth will announce. "

Have you ever been in a place where you are in the midst of worshiping and just a word draws you back to a moment when God spoke?   That happened this morning with "Ever Be," By Kalley Heiligenthal. I was in my kitchen cooking breakfast and worshiping the Lord while water boiled and sausage cooked.  It brought me back to a time when many things were happening, such beautiful and confusing things.  I am sad to say that sometimes I miss those times when I was new and so on fire for God that I felt Him ever near me.  I am still trying to find that place again.  I want to be who this scripture is talking about- righteousness that shines so brightly that people can see Jesus's flaming torch burning brightly from within me.   You see, I know He has given me a new name I have heard it audibly.  During this time a lady started coming to our congregation and she kept calling me "Rachel".  I kept correcting her but every time she talked to me, and said my name, she called me "Rachel".  It didn't stop there every time I opened up my bible Rachel was in the scriptures my eyes fell to.  One day I was so confused in all this I started praying about it and fell asleep during this prayer.  I woke with hearing softly, Rachel three times.  I knew that it had to do with my name.   It was confirmed when the lady from church called me "Rachel" again and I reminded her of my name.  She said, "It must be your heavenly name."  She called me that off and on.   So when all these things happened of course being who I am, I looked up the meaning of Rachel and it means "ewe; a female lamb." God gave me something that I hold close to my heart no matter what I go through;  I hold this close because it reminds me that I am His.  How can I ever let go when I am given such a name as this; one set forth from His. I do pray often that He ever draws me back if I stray to far and that I would hear my Good Shepherd's voice.   It is such a beautiful thing to be loved by the Lord, only He can give what your heart truly desires.  

Smalltowns

Sweet Essence

The evening of the meteor shower I woke up my children at 2:00 A.M. to watch the stars.  At this moment in time we were witnessing something that speaks millions to many, to the believer and non believer alike.  Quoting the great poet King David in Psalm 19, 

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.  

No doubt,  like many people around the world, we were searching for shooting stars. We were spread about looking and straining for just a glimpse of one.  We live in the suburbs, always showered by the haze of the city.  As we lay waiting for the glimpse our eyes become adjusted to the darkness.   While we lay their searching the skies, there are several different moods going on among us; exhaustion, amusement, and just the aw of it all.  Then within a moment it all changed as a bright light drove past and our neighbors beam of light shined upon us.  The sudden shock of  being thrust into the  light was hard to adjust to.  At the moment we were just wanting the lights to leave so the pain might stop.    Sometimes these moments catch us unaware physically and spiritually speaking.  We catch ourselves in the darkness of sin, and when we are brought into the light of  the word  of God it hurts.    That's why David says to the Lord , Your staff and rod comfort me.  We know physically if someone hit you with a rod  the blow would hurt but if it directs you to a safer path you would be as David thankful to be awakened.  Christianity as a whole is dimming it's lights more which allows people to be comfortable in their darkness, allowing them to think they see when they are actually blind.  I could put it no more plainly then this: we are to be those bright, bright painful lights in the world.  As Jesus perfectly says in Matthew 5:14,16
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
A glimpse into the heart of smalltown