tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30208595926675675242024-03-13T13:49:10.922-04:00WORSHIP IN FAITH...Meeting God along the wayMark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-8269526656008956652017-07-08T09:36:00.000-04:002017-07-08T09:36:53.602-04:00We made it!<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We made it to Tennessee! After an amazing year in NYC, my family and I have finally made it to our next adventure in Nashville. In many ways, we're coming full circle back to our roots. We are so excited to begin putting down some DEEP roots here in TN with family, old friends, and new friends on the horizon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I want to redirect you to a blog post that I did yesterday in my new position as the Connections Pastor at New Hope Community Church. I will be writing on the church site often, so check it out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click <a href="http://newhopechurchtn.org/click-ahhhh/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to be redirected to NewHopeChurchTN.org.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep on keepin' on!</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1Franklin, TN, USA35.9250637 -86.868889935.7192797 -87.1916134 36.130847700000004 -86.5461664tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-2258289525308569342017-05-26T09:27:00.002-04:002017-05-26T09:27:32.390-04:00Why Justin Bieber makes me love Jesus more.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In these last few months my family has been attending church at <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://hillsong.com/nyc" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HillsongNYC</span></a>.</span> As a Worship Pastor, I have led so many songs over the years from this influential community of believers. As a songwriter, the argument could be made that a little bit of Hillsong can be heard in every worship song penned in the last two decades. So, before attending, I honestly wondered if I would be able to focus on worshipping Jesus rather than Hillsong. Then...it happened!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a few weeks into our time at the church (sitting up close of course), my two teenage girls leaned over to me before the service started with a visible sense of wonder on their faces. They could hardly get it out, but I finally heard..."Dad, Justin Bieber is on the front row"! Now, if you know my girls, they don't much care about the Biebs (maybe Emily does a bit). At any rate, it's still pretty cool for a teenage girl to see Justin Bieber that close without a swarm of people around him. Heck, it was pretty cool for me! Of course, right then, my mind begins to think of everything that I thought I knew about Justin.<span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4532050/Justin-Bieber-hangs-pastor-Carl-Lentz-wife.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">I had heard that Pastor Carl Lentz was his Pastor.</span></a></span> I had heard that his poor decisions sent him packing back to Canada. I had heard, basically what the media had told me. But here we were, worshipping our Savior in the same room with arguably one of the most famous persons on the planet. Not only that, but he appears to be worshipping as well. Not accepting praise, but giving it. My head is spinning! And here's the shocker, from the very first time I saw him worshipping at a service, I found myself crying. Yeah, I felt like a teenage girl at a Beatles concert. What was going on? The normal intensity that I feel during worship was amped up...way up! But it wasn't directed at Justin. For some reason, him being there was helping my worship be more laser focused on my creator and Savior.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Needless to say, after that first sighting, my family & I had a lot to talk about. Why was he there? Is he a Christian? What about his suggestive song lyrics? Why...what...how...where! Then it dawned on us. All of these questions (such important questions) are between him & God. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit starstruck. It was then that I was reminded of that famous verse in the book of John...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><b>"</b></span><span style="background-color: white;">For God so loved</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26137A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> the world that he gave</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26137B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> his one and only Son,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26137C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> that whoever believes</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26137D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26137D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i> in him shall not perish but have eternal life."</i> - John 3:16</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This verse has been so engrained in the heads of us churched folks that sometimes we forget what it really means. God didn't send his son to die <u>just</u> for me. It says <i>"whoever believes".</i> Yes, he died for <u>EVERYONE</u>, even Justin Bieber! So, in that moment of corporate worship, I was suddenly...we were suddenly on the same level as Justin Bieber. I don't mean this to say that my "natural" mind was now feeling the celebrity of the Biebs. NO...I was feeling the magnificent heaviness of coming together as one Body, worshipping the King of kings and Lord of lords! I was reminded of the vision of worshipping around His throne...</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Rev-4-10" id="en-NIV-30779" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"the twenty-four elders<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30779A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30779A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> fall down before him<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30779B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30779B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> who sits on the throne<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30779C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30779C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: italic;">'You are worthy, our Lord and God </span><span style="font-style: italic;">to receive glory and honor and power, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">for you created all things, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">and by your will they were created </span><i>and have their being.' "</i> - Revelation 4:10-11</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Together, we were acknowledging His worth, while setting ours aside. Sunday after Sunday, I see thousands of people come together to <i>lay down our crowns</i> before the one true King Jesus Christ. Yes, even Justin Bieber, for this moment in time, comes down off the stage, lays down his crowns, and worships. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica neue, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>And that makes me love Jesus more!</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">"...he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28893A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28893A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"> but for him who died for them</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28893B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28893B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i> and was raised again." </i>- 2 corinthians 5:15</span></span></div>
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<br />Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-76415597560371392522017-04-20T11:11:00.001-04:002017-04-20T11:11:13.967-04:00A New Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://newhopechurchtn.org/what-does-that-logo-mean-pastor-josh/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsTIe0WZ4utRkhVXfJ8ChLycdwQn6NDj18qzGD3PH2X4MaNpC0uhYxDZp2LUK_7XkN8Ir6O92RZ2KXQJZxx0OKmxDjMLT_KLyhVrZMqQsG0sW8TJiq6NnngJ2lSr7eQuGkMRBBIKCJUc/s200/nhcc14_symbol.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God's timing is perfect! At some point, I'm sure you've all heard this said before. I know, I know, it sounds cliché and chances are, it was probably said by someone that may have unknowingly rubbed their "perfect" life in your face, causing your blood pressure to quickly rise. Rest assured that's not where I'm coming from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Though my family has had some incredible opportunities and memories this past year (check out my <a href="http://medington.vsco.co/" target="_blank">pics</a>), our year in the city started off with our youngest daughter in the hospital for almost a week, and it seemed to be one challenge after another for the months to follow. Hang with me. I promise this isn't a Debby Downer post. But have you ever been there? Of course you have! You're human, and sometimes life is hard. Sometimes life is really hard! Just know that you're in good company with the rest of humanity.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's the deal...God knows what he's doing! Imagine that. The creator of the universe knows what's best for us. Sure, I could look back on this past year and wonder, what in the world was going on! Or, I could look back on it seeing God's providential, sovereign hand in every part of it. I love NYC! There, I said it. It is truly the greatest city on the planet! I have dreamt of living here since I was in high school, and I will forever be grateful that God granted me this dream. With all its challenges, it has been an incredible experience! However, it didn't quite turn out the same as I had envisoned it when I was 15 years old. Things rarely do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For those of you that know me well, you know that I never shy away from an adventure, and these last 20 years have been just that. Now, we are once again following God's lead back to where our adventures all began in Nashville, TN. With this "full circle" in mind, I want to go back to this idea of </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God's timing being perfect". I can honestly say that my life has been a huge testament to this truth. By making this statement, I'm inferring that our timing can be a bit more anxious than His. Patience is generally tested in multiple ways during these times of waiting. But in the end, God always comes through (even if it doesn't look just like we thought it would). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At this point, you may be asking yourself, what's the deal with the mysterious yellow circle and lines at the top of this post? No, it's not the symbol for the illuminati. It is a logo though...and one that I am very excited about! In fact, if you want to know more about it's meaning, just click <a href="http://newhopechurchtn.org/what-does-that-logo-mean-pastor-josh/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. It's the logo for <a href="http://newhopechurchtn.org/" target="_blank">New Hope Community Church</a> in Brentwood TN, and I can <i>finally</i> say that I have taken a new pastoral position at this amazing church! I find it very comforting, and no coincidence at all that the name of the church is "New Hope". I'm feeling very connected with Luke Skywalker right now! We're still solidifying all that I will be responsible for, but in a nutshell, I'll be fostering community in the church, leading worship, and teaching. More to come on that later. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If there's one thing I want you to hear today it's this...<u>do not be discouraged! </u>Know that God has your back. Not only that, but he has your front, your sides, above you and beneath you. I love this verse from the Old Testament...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">"The <span style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> himself goes before you and will be with you;</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5737A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5737A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> he will never leave you nor forsake you.</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5737B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5737B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i> Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”</i> - Deuteronomy 31:8</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again...<b>Do Not Be Discouraged!</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; text-align: start; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> "</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30378A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30378A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; text-align: start; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> In his great mercy</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30378B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30378B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; text-align: start; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> he has given us <b><u>new</u></b> birth</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30378C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30378C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; text-align: start; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"> into a living <b><u>hope</u></b></span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30378D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30378D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; text-align: start; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><i> through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," </i>- 1 Peter 1:3</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Be Blessed friends.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://newhopechurchtn.org/what-does-that-logo-mean-pastor-josh/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXduiBW3NUlc6-CYDMiFXjL-8sVoC95BIB5OPCOGFeH-mFPzLA37-WfrAl6I98tCzuP3OJcSElDh7QZtW9mc4P8-py0zxJIECU5iD6LICi_Y6aLIQr3PILTYz2SilgxtSzYg_Rkc4U8h0/s320/nhc_logo_11x17.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127837 -74.00594130000001839.942317700000004 -75.296834800000013 41.4832497 -72.715047800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-33864765166406166422017-04-03T08:45:00.001-04:002017-04-03T08:45:04.135-04:00Encourage the timid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWw6OR_1yMEU81i0ZBLm7yC4mr46x7uMSVaoJC1WLRbJ5X8b5Ig_duw85ZNRi_JaC8Tznb8R0MLmfGrY1IC9WrlB3vbN9ChKQvQ1yJzXgtHGLc26Gy84iMuqscOkCT802PcJjgnAOXz0/s1600/Man+on+street.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWw6OR_1yMEU81i0ZBLm7yC4mr46x7uMSVaoJC1WLRbJ5X8b5Ig_duw85ZNRi_JaC8Tznb8R0MLmfGrY1IC9WrlB3vbN9ChKQvQ1yJzXgtHGLc26Gy84iMuqscOkCT802PcJjgnAOXz0/s400/Man+on+street.JPG" title="Copyright 2017 markusalanedington" width="398" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good morning friends. The family & I just got back from Nashville working out some of the details of our move there this Summer. More to come on that soon. Until then, check out some of my new pics at <a href="http://medington.vsco.co/">medington.vsco.co</a>...or, just click the "Photos" logo right over there -----></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before hitting the streets today I wanted to quickly remind you of the importance of an encouraging word. This morning I was reading in 1 Thessalonians and came across what is really a very short verse. Actually, it's just a part of verse 14. You could miss it if you weren't really paying attention...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"...encourage the timid, help the week, be patient with everyone." </i>- <i>1 Thessalonians 5:14b</i> (NIV 1984)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The timid? Eugene Peterson's Message Bible calls the timid <i>"stragglers"</i>. It then goes on to say <i>"reach out for the exhausted". </i>Living in NYC, no matter what you want to call it, these people are all around us! And let's be honest, that person may be you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday, while out on a Postmates run, I ran into a good friend. We gave each other a hug & she took the time to encourage me in my writing, specifically regarding this blog. You know what..I needed that. I didn't know I needed her encouraging words, but God used her to reach deep inside of me to any insecurities that may have been lurking in the dark corners of who I am. To my friend...Thank You!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The bottom line is simple (or is it?). Keep your eyes open for the timid, the stragglers, or possibly in my case yesterday...the exhausted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I challenge you today to get outside of yourself. Look for opportunities to be an encouragement to someone...<u>anyone</u>. You may not know how much that person needs it, but trust me, they do.</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-64675915213699122092017-03-18T10:00:00.000-04:002017-03-18T10:00:31.602-04:00Feeling Nostalgic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPngGKhYwUhz9C9Olfw1UKIRr-1kvvJ3wLqXIL3i9NY8d0_c4sHiE8b2KGxEuIEY5YVurN2-v9HUy-k2vk1iLZt-vMhWO9pugomqVWMpNFiPpWpGMGQ1aoFph54hOYwD9rh77EfUZRdw/s1600/Film+Projector.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTPngGKhYwUhz9C9Olfw1UKIRr-1kvvJ3wLqXIL3i9NY8d0_c4sHiE8b2KGxEuIEY5YVurN2-v9HUy-k2vk1iLZt-vMhWO9pugomqVWMpNFiPpWpGMGQ1aoFph54hOYwD9rh77EfUZRdw/s400/Film+Projector.JPG" title="Copyright 2016 markusalanedington" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some reason, I woke up feeling nostalgic this morning. It could have something to do with the fact that I woke up at 6:30, then laid in bed like a lazy butt for two more hours. But as I laid there, I couldn't stop thinking about Saturday morning cartoons. Depending on your age, you may or may not remember those glorious carefree Saturday mornings in front of the television. Sure, these days, you can turn on your 75 inch UHDTV & tune in to just about anything you want to stream & blast through your thumpin' surround sound system. BUT...it's just not the same as making sure that you got up at a specific time so you didn't miss out on He-Man...Inspector Gadget...Thundercats...Voltron...Dungeons & Dragons (yep, I had to sneak that one)...or, insert your <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-saturday-morning-cartoons-for-mid-80_s-90_s-kids" target="_blank">favorite 80's cartoon </a>here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was magical!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of you know that my brother Stephen passed away just a few weeks ago. He was 5 years older, & with my other siblings being 14 & 16 years older than me, by the sheer math of it...Stephen was my closest sibling. This could have something to with why my brain is playing through my life's film reel (remember those?) this morning. I remember, often times, we would spend the night in his room. His was the only bedroom downstairs & right next to the family room with the BIG T.V.. It was about 30 inches, but bigger than any flatscreen TV's today. Back in the day, televisions were a piece of furniture! I don't know how we would get up on time without Siri waking us up, but somehow we would make it out to the family room just in time to spend the next 3-5 hours glued to our favorite shows. What a great memory!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As life goes, there's always a going to be tough times, but this morning I'm so thankful that my mind chose to go towards the good times. Those times that put a smile on my face. Those times of just being a kid, laying out in front of the T.V. watching cartoons with my brother. Those times of complete innocence without a care in the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ahhhh, Good Times!</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127837 -74.00594130000001839.942317700000004 -75.296834800000013 41.4832497 -72.715047800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-55999083096988438752017-03-17T11:15:00.001-04:002017-03-17T11:15:33.233-04:00Everybody's Hustlin'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxydveKy39a7U6DrU9oICDF-NhgR_SM6IHgOQOHsBDlV3ERZUhllQbMNWu0F-Wcw30CZY__CS5GO0wfne4RdqUbU9iMzuKkXabcMbmWn1dSFO-T_06DcUPlULZEeUgyVLb1kBn_FQmCE/s1600/Oculus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxydveKy39a7U6DrU9oICDF-NhgR_SM6IHgOQOHsBDlV3ERZUhllQbMNWu0F-Wcw30CZY__CS5GO0wfne4RdqUbU9iMzuKkXabcMbmWn1dSFO-T_06DcUPlULZEeUgyVLb1kBn_FQmCE/s400/Oculus.JPG" title="Copyright 2016 Mark Edington" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In NYC, everyone has, as my good friend Justin over at <a href="http://www.super-tangent.com/">Super-Tangent</a> says...a hustle. Everyone's running around trying to make a buck. I actually heard a little kid (I mean little...5 years old, maybe) talking about how "you got to diversify...you gotta get that money and make it work for you". Really? This has gotten out of hand! Look, I feel the need for money just like the next guy! We're currently wrapping up the school year here in NYC before heading to Nashville where we don't yet have jobs. Oh & did I mention that my eldest daughter is going to college in the fall. I get the need for money. But, as a follower of Christ, I also understand that our current situation is right where God wants us to be. There are so many verses to hold tight to during times like these. Sure, I could mention the obvious ones like...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white;">Trust in the </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i> with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." </i>- Proverbs 3:5</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."</i> - Philippians 4:19</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I'm not going to mention those. Instead, I'd like to point you towards a story in the book of Jeremiah, a story of idolatry. Yeah, I know...what's the big deal right! In our culture, we've somehow held this word in high esteem. Let me set the stage...In the book of Jeremiah, the Jewish people have begun to make idols of one form or another. Some blatant, & some (like money) not so obvious. But eventually, God just gets fed up & in the beginning of chapter 17 he lays down the gauntlet...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” -</i>Jeremiah 17:1-4</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WOW...that sets a tone! My God is loving, compassionate, caring & oh yeah, at times...Angry! Look, as I said before, I get the need for money, but have we taken it so far as to make it an idol?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YES!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In many ways, we've made it THE most important thing in our lives. As that little boy said..."You gotta get that money". The problem is that in our attempt to "get that money, we've taken God out of the equation. We've become our own God. "I" can do all things, but we forget that it goes on to say...through "HIM" who strengthens me. Verses 5-9 says this.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">"Thus says the </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;">: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;">. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;">, whose trust is the </span><span class="sc" style="font-variant-caps: small-caps;">Lord</span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><i>. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"</i> - Jeremiah 17:5-9</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Corbel, Verdana, sans-serif;">There it is right there. Our heart is deceitful! But did you catch the part about the tree? Daily I strive to be that tree that bears fruit. I want this tree to be weighed down with so much fruit that people can't help but stop to see what's going on. I understand that you gotta do what you gotta do to put food on the table & a roof over your head, especially if you have a family to support. Look, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRTKWBOhD4U/?taken-by=markusalanedington">I was a Pastor a month ago & now I'm a Postmate</a> (actually, I'm still a Pastor, it just looks different now). I certainly didn't see that coming, but you gotta do what you gotta do. The difference is that my hustle is for His Glory & not my own. And man, I hustle about 10-20 miles a day now.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Corbel, Verdana, sans-serif;">So...get out there and hustle! Just know who you're hustlin' for. Make that money...just don't worship it. It all came from God in the first place. It would be good for us all to remember that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Corbel, Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Corbel, Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127837 -74.00594130000001839.942317700000004 -75.296834800000013 41.4832497 -72.715047800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-30997255477625908932017-03-15T12:26:00.000-04:002017-03-15T13:37:24.237-04:00Welcome Back!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Welcome to the brand new <a href="http://www.worshipinfaith.com/">worshipinfaith.com</a>! The site has been completely revamped with even more exciting features to come. In addition to posts on worship & worship leading, the church, the Christian walk, photography, entertainment & more...you can now find links to connect, check out my photography portfolio, discover great books to read, tunes to listen to & more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, go ahead & subscribe today, as you won't want to miss out on what's to come.</span></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127837 -74.00594130000001840.7127837 -74.005941300000018 40.7127837 -74.005941300000018tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-79144915478660156252017-03-15T09:44:00.000-04:002017-03-15T12:34:25.026-04:00What does worship look like?<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What does real life worship look like? What is transformation? Does it really matter what I'm doing each day? Can worship be like this old gentleman reading his scriptures on the evening commute? Can it look like these guys getting in a quick poker game on the way home? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo8HHClFMKNx0Grwvwh4AN7daiSIOT-EnP62EFx32mr1PV4n1em5O9wgVFq8IDfDNeEV-GpjNPNUvAkHLG1v2OFhKFKF9-EXRdRLRu1OstWMz5egvjRd-rOmne4LgDscC5JwL-4J1b0A/s1600/Poker___Prayer.__lifeonthetrain__ridingtherails__nyc__mta.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo8HHClFMKNx0Grwvwh4AN7daiSIOT-EnP62EFx32mr1PV4n1em5O9wgVFq8IDfDNeEV-GpjNPNUvAkHLG1v2OFhKFKF9-EXRdRLRu1OstWMz5egvjRd-rOmne4LgDscC5JwL-4J1b0A/s320/Poker___Prayer.__lifeonthetrain__ridingtherails__nyc__mta.jpg" title="Copyright 2017 markusalanedington" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The answer is YES!</span><br />
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To me my biggest issue is not how well I "succeed" at something. It’s not what others think of me, or even how many times I stumble or fall in my journey to be who I was created to be. The ultimate issue in my life is who, what or even how I choose to worship! And this process, this divine change, seems to be taking place in my life currently. As a result, I’m recognizing that it's causing my heart to become more wholly devoted to Christ. Unfortunately, for my fleshly nature, I’m also having to accept that this is not a quick fix, or fast transformation, as I often find myself longing for when my heart is feeling battle worn & weary from this "walk, stumble, repent, renew, begin again" routine I seem to be mastering. However, as I've been responding to the leadings of His spirit & receive His word, I begin to realize that true transformation IS a lengthy process. And that's just the way it must be for it to be effectual in my life.<br />
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Now I am a very visual person and as I type my mind is drawn to an image of a Waterfall. Over much time, the constant washing & rubbing of the waters powerful pressure begins to shape the rough, jagged rocks that have fallen from the surface of their source. And in time, as long as these stones haven’t been removed from the pressure, they're eventually transformed into something beautiful. As I think on this visual, I cannot help but think to myself that this is much like a part of the process we go through when walking in faith.<br />
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Recently I read that a victorious life (a life of worship in my mind) is taking one step at a time while leaning on God as your source & compass along the way. It's asking for the Holy Spirit to plant in my mind & heart the things that God desires & longs for. A victorious life comes with asking the Holy Spirit to fill me with right desires and EXPECTING Him to move. After all, God is not limited by my limitations. However, this path of transformation to a victorious life of worship isn't a path of continual successes as I normally thought it to be. There ARE successes, but they don’t always look like what I thought they would. More times than not it seems this transformative life comes as a result of multiple stumbles & failures. After all, this is how we learn, stretch and grow. However, thankfully, these failures (or pressures) are usually followed by a beautiful growth spurt, nourished by my increasing reliance on my creator & Savior. And because I’m not one to simply just take things at face value most of the time, I asked myself why this would be so? And I believe it is a result of making a personal choice, in the cold & warm seasons of life, to keep my heart's eyes, my spirit's song, focused on the only one/thing worthy of Worship...Christ! It’s a result from making the willful choice that even when I stumble, I will get back up, dust off my knees and take another step in His direction. I refuse to give up. And I willfully choose, despite how I feel, to NOT focus on MY weaknesses but focus on HIS GREATNESS.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />In all this, eventually, I believe I will become a clearer reflection of His character and who He is to those that need His hope & salvation just as much as I do. In this world where I've become too emotionally or physically tired to carry on at times, I find Great encouragement in the truth that HE never leaves my side. Each day He walks this walk with me every step of the way encouraging, correcting and loving me because He NEVER loses sight of what I’m created to be...whole & His. I’m made to grow & shine His gracious, selfless love to a hurting and selfish world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">So, even in the stumbles, times of pressure and abundant joy...choose to Rejoice in Him! Choose to worship Him & not the situations. Choose </span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">to bring Him Glory regardless of the cost. After all, the cost paid for us to even be ABLE to walk this amazing life of transformation was SO much greater than anything we could ever pay.<br /><br />This is the process of transformation. To me...bottom line...this process is a life of TRUE WORSHIP.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">So, whether a Pastor, a Photographer or a Postmate...I will choose to Worship!</span></div>
Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1New York, NY, USA40.7127837 -74.00594130000001839.942317700000004 -75.296834800000013 41.4832497 -72.715047800000022tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-63751639037622168602014-05-05T02:16:00.000-04:002017-03-11T09:24:35.971-05:00Humbled in the Philippines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Whew! My daughter & I just returned from a whirlwind week in the Philippines. As always, I was blown away by the overwhelming love poured out from these amazing people. God is moving so mightily on the island of Mindanao! I can't even begin to fully express the joy in my heart seeing so many attributes of our Creator & Savior throughout His people on this trip. My specific purpose was to join D'Ette Owen in teaching the Character curriculum from the School of Worship.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> I find it quite ironic that while teaching on pride & humility, I was completely humbled. Though I was going to teach on behalf of the School of Worship, God obviously had so much in store for us. This picture is from our last session. It ended with a foot washing of over 150 people. AWESOME!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As a father, seeing my daughter grow in faith & maturity was worth the trip alone. She truly came out of her shell. I was so proud! I look forward to many more missional opportunities with her & her younger sister in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Some of you may know that I've been working on writing a book for a while now. I always find that a 12 hour plane ride usually affords me some extra time to work on it. I thought I'd give you a little snippet from a chapter entitled "Humble Pi". It's a good example of what was taught throughout our week in Jasaan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Though I miss our family in the Philippines, I'm glad to be back with my families both at home & at Faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Blessings!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In my office, just in sight of my peripheral vision, lies what seems to be a basic bowl and pitcher. Inside that bowl lies a small white towel. To the average office guest it would appear to be one of many “decorations” that make up the feng shui of my office. I’m very much into symbolism. Within my office you can find anything from a dead plant (yes, it means something) to a statue of Gollum, some of my kids artwork and even a sketch drawn by my mother. She is an interior designer, and I too am cursed with the affliction of orderly chaos. So what does this simple bowl, pitcher and towel mean? I defer to these words…<br /><br /><br />“So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” -John 13:4-5<br /><br /><br />This speaks to me in a profound way. There’s something very powerful when people in authority step down from their post to attend to those seemingly beneath them. Obviously, due to my faith, this speaks to me in an even stronger manner. What I see, is the God of the universe stepping down out of heaven to clean his dirty children. Why would he do that? Why would he do something that he obviously didn’t have to do? Why should this speak to me so much?<br /><br />Let’s get into this idea of authority. Each of us has authority in some area of our lives, be it at work, at home or even in our friendships. It is not a word of dogmatic pressure towards others, quite the opposite. It’s a word that speaks to how we care for those around us who need guidance. Let’s look at the verse just prior to the foot washing…<br /><br />“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God” -John 13:3<br /><br />With this knowledge, don’t you think that Jesus had every opportunity to get puffed up and “lord it over” his disciples? I mean really, what would you do if God handed his power to you? He could have made everyone bow at HIS feet! But no, he chose to bow at theirs instead, to humble himself. There it is! There’s the word we’ve been looking for…HUMBLE. Such a non-threatening word, yet incredibly powerful when put into practice. This can’t be just another in a string of mundane words in the English language. It must be something more!<br /><br />Let’s dissect it a bit. <a href="http://dictionary.com/" target="_blank">Dictionary.com</a>’s first definition states…<br /><br />humble<br />(huhm-buhl)<br />not proud or arrogant; modest.<br /><br />Folks, I’m a musician. By its very nature, pride is around every corner. Modesty does not come naturally. I’ll never forget, early on in my ministry when the drummer in our band came to me with a serious issue. He had lost the joy of serving. In the end, he left the band with these words that changed me forever. “It just feels like a job”. I know you’re thinking, what does this have to do with humility? I had been caring more about the “sound” than the person. Looking back on it, it’s clear that my pride had gotten in the way. From that point forward, people came first. Sometimes that means that tough decisions need to be made, but those decisions have always been worth it. And here’s the blessing...the “sound” has just gotten better and better!<br /><br />“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” -Luke 14:11<br /><br />Humility…It’s not all about me, or what I can offer. In my job, I serve on a team. What amazing blessings would be lost if I did the job alone!<br /><br />I learned a hard lesson from my drummer friend that thankfully got my attention. Had I continued down the path of “my way or the highway", I very likely wouldn’t be where I am today, an incredibly blessed individual.<br /><br />The definition of pride is…<br /><br />pride<br />(prahyd)<br />“A high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind, or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc…”<br /><br />Does any of that give you a warm fuzzy? Of course not! If anything, you have just thought about that one person in your life who fits those words. Is that who you want to be? Is that person you? We must always strive to be persons of humility, always willing to put others above our own selfish desires.<br /><br />Did you know that Pride began in the heavenly realms? Ezekiel 28 records The Lord paralleling the life of King Tyrus to that of a certain "covering" angel named Lucifer. In the King James Bible it describes this angel as covered in jewels and even instruments. Verse 15 says this...<br /><br />"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."<br /><br />It goes on to say "thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty". And of course we know the end of the story...<br /><br />"...thou hast sinned:therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God:and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub"<br /><br />To this day, Lucifer is the "father of lies", who "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.<br /><br />Seeing as it's the very sin that caused him to be cast out of heaven, it would stand to reason that pride will be one of the greatest weapons in his arsenal.<br /><br />We've now talked about humility, and it's antithesis, pride. Now onto something that seems to make no sense in this discussion...Pi. Pi? Yes, Pi! And no, even though I’m from Texas, I don’t mean Pie. As good as a warm peach pie is, my reference to Pi is much better in the long run (and running on the treadmill is not required). Hang with me for a moment while I seek to unwrap the connection. Once you’ve got your humble heart in check, the next step will come naturally. This is always a work in progress. Surround yourself with smart people, way smarter than you! Are you beginning to get the connection to Pi now? Let me explain.<br /><br />pi<br />(pahy)<br />Mathematical symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. 3.141592<br /><br />I don’t know about you, but mathematics has never been my strong suit. Therefore, Pi was one of those concepts that always seemed to epitomize higher thinking. A team of "higher thinking" people is what I always strive to surround myself with. It’s incredibly freeing!! Raising up a team of gifted people, empowering them to use their gifts to the best of their abilities, frees me up to do what I do best. In fact, it frees everyone up to do their best work. No egos, just a wonderful synergy that ultimately serves our God and His body better. Just this morning I was putting checks together for my staff. I was almost giddy as I thought about how far each of them had come. Giving them this small token of what they’re truly worth is way more exciting to me than any paycheck I could ever receive!<br /><br />“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous.”<br />-Proverbs 13:20-21<br /><br /> This verse speaks to me in several different ways. One such way is just what I've been saying, surround yourselves with “wise” people. Also, as the leader (you are a leader, you may just not know it yet), you are called to be a “wise” voice amidst the loud voices that were spoken of in the first chapter. I’m going to leave this topic for another chapter, but let’s just say that people are following you for a reason. How seriously are you taking that?<br /><br />Verse 21 is a reference to the blessings of God. Simply put, follow His Word & you will be blessed. I'm not trying to get all preachy here on what has often become a grossly manipulated idea of prosperity. It's just that each of us, if you haven’t already, will go through a series of tough, extremely painful times in our lives. All I’m saying is that the Word of God is very clear that His blessings are richly poured out on those that LOVE Him & share that love with others.<br /><br />Let's wrap this one up with one final definition. This one just happens to be my own. I hope you will embrace it as yours.<br /><br />Humble Pi<br />(Huhm-buhl Pahy)<br />Humilty that brings forth the circle of life.<br /><br />You're all singing Lion King now aren't you?</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-38698270865169938632014-02-26T13:47:00.000-05:002014-02-26T13:47:31.104-05:00Guest Speaker - Aaron Crider - CORE, CHARACTER & CRAFT.<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago we had the privilege of hosting Aaron & Holly Crider from Gateway Church in Southlake Texas. As a part of our "Weekend of Worship", Aaron led a mini-conference on Saturday morning on the topic of "Core, Character & Craft", the 3 C's of a healthy worship ministry. Here are the three sessions with an added Q&A at the end. I trust you will be as blessed as we were.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="309" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/86568703?title=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="550"></iframe>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-33947176688079132182013-05-01T23:40:00.001-04:002013-05-02T00:00:04.709-04:00Who is This Man?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This Easter we started a new series that we are presently in called "Who is This Man?" In the process of answering that question, the School of Worship students picked up their instruments & began to write. Here's the series theme song that came out of those sessions.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the sidebar of this blog, in the box labeled "FCC SONGS, you can also download the live recording from our Easter services led by SOW student and co-writer Andrea Fustolo.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #5c1101; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">Matthew 16:13-16</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-16-14" id="en-NIV-23687"><sup class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;">14 </sup>They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23687B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup> others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”<sup class="crossreference" style="font-size: 0.65em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23687C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Matt-16-15" id="en-NIV-23688"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; vertical-align: top;">15 </sup>“But what about you?”</span> he asked. <span class="woj">“Who do you say I am?”</span></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-39805006791094828342012-12-04T17:16:00.000-05:002012-12-04T17:16:40.165-05:00Special Guest for February Night of Worship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Greetings friends. My apologies on taking so long to post. I'm working towards adding more contributors to help with posting more often. Between weekend services & wrapping up our first semester of the school of worship, things have been quite busy around here. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I am excited to finally announce that we will be hosting a very special guest at our next Night of Worship on Feb. 2nd. <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/staff/sion-alford" target="_blank">Sion Alford</a> is the Executive Worship Pastor at <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/" target="_blank">Gateway Church</a> in Southlake Texas. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As stated in his bio..."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>I try to give oversight to the craziest and most insane worship department in the world."</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">In just short of 14 years, this influential church has grown from 180 people to over 20,000. Unlike many "mega-churches", Gateway has amazingly kept that small family feel. As they very proudly say...<i>"We're all about people".</i> </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Gateway Worship has been a strong influence on my leadership, The Community School of Worship & the Worship culture as a whole here at FCC. I am so excited about the opportunity to partner with Sion & his wife as they venture north to the "Last Frontier".</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">The details are still in the works, but what we do know is that Sion will be leading worship with our team at the N.O.W. on Feb. 2nd. He will also be teaching at our services on Feb. 3rd. Sion wrote the curriculum for the "Worshipper's Character" that we teach at the School of Worship. He will be teaching an excerpt from that class. We are also presently working on putting together a Saturday morning gathering for area Worship Pastors & their teams. More info to come as we get closer.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Now's when you come in. Help us get the word out!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Talk at ya soon.</span></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-79029447174623192452012-10-16T20:18:00.000-04:002012-10-16T20:18:02.175-04:00Gateway Conference - Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What a great day thus far! After a little Chik-fil-A breakfast, Ytamar & myself were off to Gateway. You should see the beautiful table that my brother put together. It's quite inviting!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This morning we met a lot of new people. A group from Taiwan, that we met yesterday, Asked me to come teach at their school. God only knows, but I'm always open. I'm telling you, there's nothing more exciting than following the will of God. You never know where He's going to send you. Get on board!!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After lunch I had an impromptu meeting with a long time ministry superhero of mine, <a href="http://www.lamarboschman.com/" target="_blank">Lamar Boschman</a>. He was the founder of the <a href="http://www.worshipinstitute.com/" target="_blank">International Worship Institute</a>. The Institute played a HUGE role in my earlier years of ministry. Lamar, a member of <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/" target="_blank">Gateway Church</a>, invited me to join him in the worship green room. This was totally a God ordained meeting! I spent an hour making connections with many of the Worship Pastors here at Gateway...<a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/staff/walker-beach" target="_blank">Walker Beach</a>, <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/staff/zach-neese" target="_blank">Zach Neese</a>, <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/staff/sion-alford" target="_blank">Sion Alford</a>, <a href="http://gatewaypeople.com/staff/david-moore" target="_blank">David Moore</a>, etc...They were so gracious to help me in any way possible with our school of worship. Anything from curriculum, Video Conference teaching, or even coming to Alaska to partner with us. God is SOOOOOOO Good!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This has been a trip full of connections. I've connected with old friends, I've connected with new ones & I've made connections that will prove to come to fruition in the future. It's not a coincidence that this conference was formerly called "Connect". </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tomorrow, I'm off to connect with my family. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">God, direct our path into the future. May our steps be yours!!</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-51150484499666999682012-10-15T20:56:00.000-04:002012-10-15T20:56:33.913-04:00We Made It!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Though I look soooo very corny, I am TRULY excited to finally be in Texas, the land of my birth. The road to Texas was interesting to say the least. Let's recap the last week shall we...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...almost missed a production deadline to get our flyers shipped to Gateway (THANK YOU KIM)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Started getting a cold & I never get sick</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Birthday party with 6 screaming girls. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EM!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Bomb threat at the airport that put us 6 hours behind & pretty stinkin' cold!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...Little to no sleep on the airplane due to unforeseen seat changes. 'Nuf said.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">...And to top it all off, Lisa gets shingles right before I head out.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Okay Okay. Believe it or not, I am not whining! Actually, it's just the opposite. I'm declaring that God must have something HUGE in store, for the enemy to make it so difficult to get here. We are almost finished with our first day here at the <a href="http://gatewayconference.com/" target="_blank">Gateway Conference</a> & have made many wonderful connections throughout the day. It is evident that our way has been paved before us. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So...join me in declaring victory this week! God, use us to raise up the next generation of Worship Leaders in "the Last Frontier".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Talk at ya tomorrow.</span><br />
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<br />Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-59857480940966945342012-09-24T18:50:00.000-04:002012-09-24T18:50:13.085-04:00LIVE@FAITH Releases "Breathless"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiQmU8BungBsGJzW5pp3MeJGb3u1LDj7cePKyWbthCLy7Kuj9QYtArLKA-IRAnvuFQtd17cN9dabDU20wmmOR9zqsGdglaAE-ta88FqhMyReC3kx7HQgCYsdVJJ9mTePjGh68i_RUsxw/s1600/Mark+Burcell+Cover+Art+-+Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiQmU8BungBsGJzW5pp3MeJGb3u1LDj7cePKyWbthCLy7Kuj9QYtArLKA-IRAnvuFQtd17cN9dabDU20wmmOR9zqsGdglaAE-ta88FqhMyReC3kx7HQgCYsdVJJ9mTePjGh68i_RUsxw/s320/Mark+Burcell+Cover+Art+-+Final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On Oct. 2nd LIVE@FAITH Records will be releasing our second project, a 6 song EP studio release...Breathless. Our first project, simply called "LIVE@FAITH" (still available <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/faithchristian" target="_blank">here</a>) was released back in 2009 as a decidedly "raw" live worship album. Since those early days, the Worship Arts Ministry here at FCC has continually moved forward in our simple goal to minister to God and bless His people. In that process, our second project is a studio effort by one of FCC's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">uniquely talented servants. His name is Mark Burcell. If you know Mark, you may think of him as one of the many talented drummers on our worship team. If you don't know him, here's a bit of the bio that you'll find online soon... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Born in Dunoon, a resort town situated on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll Scotland, Mark Burcell has come a long way from his proud Scottish roots. Now, hailing from Anchorage Alaska, Mark is one of the most gifted musicians in this town of ragamuffin bands. As a drummer in the worship band at Faith Christian Community, the rhythms on Breathless are quite unique to his eclectic musical background. Though a great drummer, this project truly reveals what an amazing musician he is. With the help of fellow band mate Merrik Brown on vocals, Mark sings, plays & produces everything you hear on Breathless. As a worshipper of the one true God & Savior Jesus Christ, you will be drawn to His thrown room. As a musician you will be in awe of the creation of His servant Mark. As a lover of music, you will be taken to new heights. Sit back and enjoy...Breathless. </i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Come back here on Oct. 2nd, or, on that date, go straight to <a href="http://cdbaby.com/" target="_blank">CDBaby</a>, <a href="http://itunes.com/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/b/ref=sa_menu_mp3_str1?ie=UTF8&node=163856011" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Also, we will have download cards for sale at the information booth at FCC starting the weekend of Oct. 6 & 7. Whichever way you prefer, make sure you add this new studio project to your playlist. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're excited to see how God moves!</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-76860859158726527042012-08-27T20:23:00.000-04:002012-08-27T20:24:58.265-04:00Back To School Fun Facts<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With my kids starting to hit the books again & The Community School of Worship's Fall season starting next week, I have begun to reminisce on days gone by. I wasn't the best student, but for the most part, have great memories from the many schools I've attended. Ask me sometime about the fireworks incident...it was epic! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Starting next Tuesday, we begin our first full year of the school of worship here at Faith. We have graduated (pun definitely intended) from four classes last year, to ten this year. There will be five each semester. Monday through Thursday will be our theology classes with Thursday dedicated to music. It's certainly not to late to sign up. You can always grab an application <a href="http://faithak.com/thecommunitysow" target="_blank">here</a> at our website. With my thoughts ever gravitating towards this new school year, I wanted to give you a few random stats just for fun. ENJOY & have a GREAT year!!</span><br />
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Enrollment</u></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The number of students enrolled in American schools from kindergarten through college now totals approximately 78.8 million.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><u>Crayons</u></span></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 1em;">According to a study done by Yale University, the smell of a crayon ranks #18 on the list of most recognizable scents for adults. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Since 1903, more than 120 billion Crayola crayons have been sold. Stack those end to end and they would circle the Earth 200 times.</span></span></div>
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<strong style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Pencils</u></strong></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pencils can write just about anywhere - in zero gravity, upside down, and under water. The average pencil can write 45,000 words and draw a line 35 miles long. More than 2 billion pencils are used in the United States every year.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: bold;"><u>Back-to-school clothes</u></strong></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-style: inherit;">In August 2010, families spent $7.4 billion at family clothing stores.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In 1995, approximately 50 percent of American schools had Internet access. Today, that number is 100 percent.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Trebuchet, Helvetica, Arial, Jamrul, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>“The first day of school is always special to me. It’s the only day of the year when I’m not behind in my homework.” ~ Unknown</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.429em; margin-bottom: 0.714em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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</span></span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-53837900712865031642012-08-13T18:53:00.000-04:002012-08-13T19:00:06.101-04:00Leadership Summit Quotes<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Every year at about this time I get re-energized at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. This was our third year of hosting the simulcast at Faith. As always, it was incredibly humbling, motivating, energizing & the list goes on. As in years past, I wanted to share a few memorable quotes with you. Here goes...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);">"Be an 'incessant tinkerer'. Do what you do BETTER! Transformed lives are worth it!" </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-1" target="_blank">- Bill Hybels</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-2-with-Condoleezza-Rice-(1)" target="_blank">- Condoleezza Rice</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><i>"It is what you do before the difficult times come. It's how you manage things in the tough times, so that you can be strong when people need you."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-2-with-Jim-Collins" target="_blank">- Jim Collins</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);">"Gift + Issue = Better World"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Mark-Kielburger,-Session-3-Against-Apathy" target="_blank">- Marc Kielburger</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><i>"Don't just delegate tasks to the next generation, delegate authority so you will develop leaders."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-4-with-Craig-Groeschel" target="_blank">- Craig Groeschel</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><i>"A core value is something you're willing to get punished for"</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-5-with-Patrick-Lencioni" target="_blank">-Patrick Lencioni</a></span></div>
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<i>"Listen more than you talk"</i></div>
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- <a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-5-with-William-Ury-(1)" target="_blank">William Ury</a></div>
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<i>"We are called to serve with God where He is already at work"</i></div>
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<a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Reflections-on-Session-6-with-Pranitha-Timothy" target="_blank">- Pranitha Timothy</a></div>
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<i>"The question we should be asking is not who was this man, but who is this man"</i></div>
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<a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/John-Ortberg,-Session-7-A-Leader-of-Unimaginable-I" target="_blank">- John Ortberg</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><i>"the institution belongs to the people it serves, not to the person leading it."</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);"><a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Geoffrey-Canada,-Session-7-Changing-the-Odds" target="_blank">- Geoffrey Canada</a></span></div>
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<i>"Everyone wins when a leader gets better!"</i></div>
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<a href="http://lp.willowcreek.com/WCA-Blog/August-2012/Bill-Hybels,-Session-8-The-Hope-of-the-World" target="_blank">-Bill Hybels</a></div>
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What are some of your favorite quotes from this year's Summit? How will you be quoted? Better yet, what does your <u>life</u> speak to others?</div>
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<u><b>Lord, may we all lead better as we serve You & Your church!</b></u></div>
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Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-48159725956814042692012-08-06T19:24:00.000-04:002012-08-06T19:31:50.469-04:00New Series...New Song<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Good Monday afternoon! This week is already turning out to be very promising. Depending on how you look at it, last week either ended great with the weekend services, or this week started great. Since I've been gone for the past three weeks and was longing to worship with my family at Faith, I'm going to go with it was a GREAT start to this very promising week. Every time I've been on the mission field I have been blessed beyond words. Our recent time in the Philippines was absolutely no exception. However, I am more thankful than ever for our family here in Alaska. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Speaking of last weekend's services, we started a new series simply called "Read The Red". Pastors Steve, Mike and others will be taking us through the "Red letter" teachings of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew. I personally can't wait to dive a bit deeper! To help us in this journey I have written a new song called "Your Words". We did a really simple acoustic version over the weekend. The bonus for me was doing it with my amazing wife Lisa! Here's the video...</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="275" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/47049901" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Along with this video, I've added an audio version in the sidebar of this blog. Feel free to download & use any of those songs. I look forward to journeying with each you as we "Read the Red" together.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Blessings!</span>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-46059661440648562792012-07-27T17:14:00.001-04:002012-07-27T17:14:42.927-04:00Philippines Trip - Compassion Sponsor Child Visit in CebuRaise your hand mommy! And so began the journey with Compassion International back in 2005. From the mouth of babes...after hearing a presentation from our long time friend & Compassion International spokesperson, our youngest, Emily, emphatically made the decision for us. Looking back on it, we know that it was God's plan all along to use little Emily to move our hearts towards action. So, our journey began with Piper. After several years sponsoring Piper & corresponding back & forth with her, they discovered that she was gifted in science & mathematics, thus moving her out of the Compassion program. I hope that our little bit of help to her & her family helped to propel her towards excellence in school.<br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"><div><br></div>After Piper, Compassion placed another little girl under our sponsorship, her name is Ramiryl. We began sponsoring her right as she entered into school & she is now going into 5th grade. Following our time in Jasaan, we traveled to Cebu for what would be yet another "God meeting" in a long week of divine encounters. You see, we were simply going to Cebu to let Nic show us a little bit of the Filipino history. It didn't take us long to discover that Ramiryl lives in Cebu. We were actually going to get to meet her! This is something that most sponsors never get the pleasure of doing. What a privilege, what an honor!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>We flew to Cebu City on Monday & were scheduled to meet with Compassion International the next day on Tuesday. Until then, it was time to find a guitar. We actually laned in Lapu Lapu City, which as it turns out, is famous for their Filipino crafted guitars. After a few visits, I found one that I really liked. It's a bit smaller than most average guitars & is made out of a mix of Philippine & Canadian woods with a pickup to boot. Now, to bargain. Thank goodness Nic's wife Cecilia was with us. After she took over, it came down from 9,000 to 7,000 pesos (roughly $175 dollars). Not bad, & it even came with a hard shell case for traveling. I was also able to get it signed by the local luthier. Anyway, I digress. I just wanted to let you in on a little of my joy!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>On Tuesday morning, we could hardly stand the anticipation. Nic's driver took all of us over to Bethel Temple to meet Ramiryl & her family. We were greeted by the two women working with Compassion & they promptly took us up to meet Ramiryl, her sister Rochell & her mother Sheryl. As soon as we walked into the upstairs room, Ramiryl immediately stoop up to greet us in the proper fashion. She took my hand, as if to shake it, & brought it to her forehead. Of course, I then couldn't help but to hug her. Over the course of the next 30 minutes or so, we gave Ramiryl & her family all of the gifts we had brought. Thank the Lord that everything made it! She was, of course, very excited. One of the things that struck me the most is that from the moment we entered the room to the moment when we parted ways that afternoon, she constantly had Lisa in her grip, either hand in hand or arm in arm. It wasn't that she didn't have good parents, she was just simply overjoyed that we were there to visit her. After our initial visit & a quick look at her school records, we were off on a short walk to visit the Talledo home. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>I can't stress to you enough what an emotionally gut wrenching & eye opening experience this short visit to her home would be. We walked about a 1/2 mile jaunt down the street, around the corner, across the busy street (terrifying) & into what would be a winding maze through one of the many hidden back alley slums in Cebu City. Seriously, I don't think I could get there again if I were on my own. All along the winding, narrow path, we were literally walking on stones that just barely covered the trickling sewage water just inches below. Finally, we were there. The entrance to their home was no more than a 3 foot squared hole in the wall. Upon entering this "hobbit hole" we walked a few steps on the rotting wooden floor covered in scraps of linoleum piled up. Right before the base of the tree (yes, in the house), we started the steep ascension up the rotten stairs to the 3rd floor that would be the Talledo home. Their "home" is no more than maybe 6'x10'. Keep in mind, this is half the size of Emily's bedroom, & four of them live here. You hear that these types of places exist, but it doesn't compare to actually seeing & walking around in one of these communities. Though I'm trying, there are truly no words to fully describe the level of poverty. They are poor, but the beautiful thing is that this lovely family absolutely does the best they can with what they have. They gave us the royal treatment! While Ramiryl & her sister began to pull out all of the gifts we brought, there father arrived. He was just arriving from work at, get this, Alaska Boy Milk. We couldn't help but laugh. Next, the mall!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>When asked what she wanted to do next, Ramiryl said one word...PLAY! We were off to the SM mall, the 11th largest in the world. It's huge!! We spent the next couple of hours playing in the arcade, eating lunch at Jollibee (Asian equivalent to McDonald's) & going shopping. Out of respect, we asked her parents if we could buy her a few needed items. They had no problem with this. Now, Ramiryl is 10 years old, but it's obvious that she is well on her way to being a teenager. What does every teenager want? You guessed it, a cell phone! We promptly told her what we would have told our girls...you're too young. She laughed as we went on to get her a watch and a couple of pairs of shoes. As Ramiryl was looking at the watches, I noticed that Rochell was eyeing the Barbies. I asked the Compassion folks & her mother if it would be okay to get her one. They agreed & she began to pick out her very first doll. My heart both broke & leapt for joy at the same time. As it turns out, I asked if it would be possible for us to sponsor Rochelle as well. They thought it would be possible, but told me to contact the main office to make sure. Please pray that this all works out.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Well, it was time to say goodbye. After a quick photo with the whole family, we walked them out to their taxi, hugged them & waved goodbye. Friends, if there's anything I hope you get from reading this, it's simply this. Sponsor a child. It costs $38.00 dollars a month & I can promise you, it is some of the best money spent in our family's budget. You may never be able to meet your child, but you will be able to meet their needs, both physically, mentally & spiritually.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>What a day!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>1 Corinthians 13:4-8<br/><br/>"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.<br/><br/>8 Love never fails..."<br/><br/></font><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-37339620464788560302012-07-22T19:10:00.001-04:002012-07-22T19:10:43.718-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 7<font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">It's Sunday morning. We've been here a full week now & what an amazing week it has been! This morning we would be attending the celebration service at New Hope.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"><div><br></div>Soon after we woke up, our air conditioner shut off. This could only mean one thing...the power was off. What we didn't know, but soon discovered, was that the power had gone off at the main source in Jasaan. The whole town was without power. No worries though. Basamanggas soon had a generator going & soon after we arrived at New Hope, they did as well. One thing I've learned about these people is that they are quite resourceful & do the absolute best with what they have.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>After the worship team led us (Marlix on drums & his trainee on guitar), Pastor Nic preached a sermon entitled "Let Us". He went through scripture and talked about the many instances that the Word declares "let us". In a nutshell, we were not created to do life alone..."let us love one another". I love the way that Nic talks to & teaches his flock. They are a family & he is the father. He truly loves them & it shows.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Following the service, they pushed back all the chairs & served us a final meal together as our send off celebration. They brought in the Filipino delicacy that I had been waiting for...Lechon. Yes, the whole pig! The head with fruit in its mouth & everything. They also had Lisa's favorite, fried chicken. I have to admit, it does taste a bit like grandma's. They know how to fry chicken here. Even McDonald's has it on their menu...along with spaghetti. I digress. During the meal they showed a slide show of pics taken throughout the week. We have made some great memories in partnership with these beautiful people. Lord willing, we will return soon to continue that partnership. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>After a short rest at the hotel, we left around 2:30 for the 3rd church site in San Isidro. This may have been the most gorgeous ride thus far & it was definitely the bumpiest. You could say this was a bit off the beaten path. Actually, i think it may have been right on it! Once we arrived, it seemed as though our feet hadn't even touched the ground & a local of the town was shimmying up the coconut tree to get us some fresh milk. This is truly amazing! We don't realize, when eating our coconut cream pies, the risk these guys go through for our pleasure & their livelihood. We would partake of the fresh coconut milk & bananas later. Just like at Natubo, Lisa & Mercy led the children in some songs, a lesson & this time...finger paints. We would have sworn that this was going to be a mess. In fact, we waited until San Isidro because it is right by the river & the kids could wash off there. Boy were we wrong. Just like everywhere we've been, the kids have been super respectful. I'm not even sure they got any on their clothes. I haven't yet figured out if it's cultural or simply that they were in awe of the white folks. Either way, they were a blessing. After some fresh coconut milk (not a huge fan), & fresh bananas (loved 'em...much sweeter), we were off to town where we would spend the rest of the evening swimming at the resort with the worship team.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>All week, I had felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to give Marlix my guitar. Just to make sure, I spent all week praying about it before jumping in impulsively. Sure enough though, that's what I had to do. They only have one very beat up old acoustic for the worship team. So, right when Marlix arrived to go swimming, I took him up to our room & presented it to him. You would have thought I handed him a solid gold brick. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. They way he fathers & trains up his team, I know he will do great things with it for the Kingdom of God.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>After swimming, we had a quick dinner & were off to pack before hitting the hay. Tomorrow we're off to Cebu to see our compassion child & do a little shopping for pasalubong (souvenirs). I'm going to sign off now for a few days until we meet with Ramiryl with Compasion International. I definitely want you to hear about that.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Until then...PRAISE GOD!!!<br/><br/></font><p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-47393775398695079722012-07-21T20:13:00.000-04:002012-07-21T20:33:30.018-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 6<font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> This morning we were off to a breakfast fellowship with some of the folks from New Hope Christian Community. After breakfast together, Fred & I met with Pastor Nic & the men of New Hope. Lisa & D'Ette went upstairs with the ladies. </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3" face="'Trebuchet MS'"><div><br></div>One of the things that really struck me was the testimony from the leader of this ministry. You see, we were meeting at the time when they normally have their "Fathers & Sons" meeting. This was a gentleman in his early fifties whom up until the last few years had led a hard life. It wasn't his testimony that moved me necessarily (though it was incredible), but his sincere humbleness in asking the other men to correct him when he was doing wrong in the eyes of God. You need to know that most of the men there were young 20 something students from the Bible school. This older uneducated man was humbling himself & asking these young, more educated men to help him in his walk & in his leadership. One of these young men was his son. What a testimony to young Jun-Jun (junior). It was an awesome moment! Following his testimony, Nic passed the mantle around the room for everyone to share. These are great fearless men of God, knowing that they are being trained up to be sent out to some very dangerous places. I almost lost it when Marlix shared about meeting his mother (see day 1). There was no anger in him at all for being abandoned at the age of 7, just overwhelming, overflowing LOVE. I can't wait for he & Michael to come to Anchorage. Since they have both graduated from the Bible College at the Nehemiah Center, the School of Worship is their next step before sending them out in the Philippines. I am so excited for them!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Following the morning's meetings we headed back to the hotel for a quick lunch & some rest. On a somewhat funny note, when we arrived we were told that Fred & D'Ette's room key had been taken to Cagayan de Oro to be duplicated & they wouldn't be back until at least 5. It was no big deal, except for the candy for the kids at Natubo was in that room. I wish you caould have seen us crawling from balcony to balcony trying to break into the room. After a very humerous 30 minutes or so, we were unsuccessful & had to go. It was okay, we had bubbles for the kiddos.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>At 1:30 we headed out to the 2nd New Hope campus at Natubo. It was only 3 miles up the road, but the emphasis needs to clearly be on "UP". We were headed into the jungle only 3 miles outside of Jasaan. WOW, what a beautiful drive! Upon arrival, as we had been all week, we were met with a resounding "welcome home"! Lisa & Mercy then began an hour of fun with the kiddos. They sang, colored, played with bubbles & had a snack (hamburgers). You should have seen Lisa & D'Ette sneaking the poor dogs some food. One dog in specific looked like it maybe had one day left in its life. Just like this poor dog, I'm sure that many of these children had not eaten that day until we fed them. Thank you Lord for your provision!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>After our time at Natubo, we were off to do a little touring around the town. Nic took us to another resort that was right along the beach. The crashing waves on the sea wall was quite a refreshing sound. Maybe we will stay here next time. As we got closer to dinner time, I thought...wow, wouldn't a pizza sound great right now! Nic knew just the place. Once we got back to the hotel, we settled in for what was going to be an amazing dinner...so we thought. Upon opening the pizza box, we first noticed the beautiful swirls of ketchup all over the top. Other than that, it looked okay. It had ham, mushrooms, olives, pineapple & something that looked like cheese. Okay, it was time to go in for the first bite. With a smile (grimace) on his face, Fred exclaimed...CHEESE WHIZ! We then kindly gave our pizzas to the hotel staff & sat down for a wonderful dinner of crab & corn soup, & pancit. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Thank you Lord for your sense of humor & a wonderful day of service!<br/><br/></font><p> </p> <br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-4449584766981330922012-07-20T19:52:00.001-04:002012-07-20T19:56:03.237-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 5<font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> </font>BEST DAY EVER! I met my personal record of 4 showers in a 24 hour period.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">Following shower #1 we all met for breakfast. You guessed it...rice. While waiting for our ride to the Nehemiah center we all desperately tried to get in touch with our kids back home. Viber is a great app for doing so over wifi. Unfortunately, the already sketchy wifi was out of service. Oh well, we would try again later that night. Our ride arrived & we were off to the final day of the conference at the Nehemiah Center.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">Character was on the agenda for the day. D'Ette & I had 4 sessions on the Character of a Worshipper. We did the last four sessions from the second semester course dealing with Pride & Humility. Us musicians really need these lessons, but lets be honest, we all deal with it. Every sin in our lives really comes down to one thing...Pride. Of course, the "house" worship band led us masterfully again at the beginning & end of the sessions. They are so gifted & so humble in using their gifts. May God continue to bless them to be a blessing!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">After a wonderful lunch of pork, calamari, & yup...rice, we put together a quick rehearsal for the evening's Night of Worship. Before starting to practice, we put together the song list with who was going to lead which song. Marlix, who is obviously the band leader, had never sung a song as a leader in corporate worship. However, I notice (& heard) him singing on several occasions throughout the week. You know how that goes. When you're in the presence of the Lord with His people singing praises to Him, I don't care if you sound like a squawking chicken, you're going to sing! So, I told Marlix that I wanted him to sing "Blessed Be Your Name". After a few laughs (good natured) from his team, he led the song. Not only does he have a good voice, but he led well too. He just needed a little push. At the end of the rehearsal, we began tearing down their gear to be taken to the Night of Worship venue. For those of you on our worship team, you can appreciate this, especially Sed & Kory. We tore EVERYTHING down. The whole system, speakers & all, were going with us. I was so struck by the amount of respect that this worship team has for the equipment & for each other. The drummer polished all of the cymbals & stands (with actual polish). Michael, the bass player, put new strings on. They really want to give God their best & it showed in everything they did!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">At about 2:30, we were off for shower #2 & a quick nap. At 4:45 we all packed back into the van & headed over to the venue. The town of Jasaan is truly blessed to have this. It's called the "Radiant Shell" & it's right in the middle of town. This plaza area not only has this large stage area, but tennis courts & a myriad of other open air meeting places. It really does promote fellowship. After a quick sound check, we started the Night of Worship at around 5:15 with a prayer from Pastor Nic, then..."God of This City". It's important that you remember that Jasaan is on the island of Mindanao. On this island is one of the fastest growing Al-Qaida training grounds in the world. We were boldly professing Christ through song & spoken word in a very public place. I can't stress enough how powerful the presence of the Lord was in the midst of His praises. For 2 hours we worshipped hard for our God, His people & the many lost that were watching from the fringes. We did songs both in English & the native dialect of Vasai. Because of where this plaza is, I guarantee that the whole town heard us as we sang out the praises of the God of gods & King of kings. It was an AMAZING night, & let me tell you, the Filipino people know how to worship with every ounce of their bodies. I'm pretty sure I lost about 5 pounds in sweat. After the first song, I had to get Fred's attention to get us some towels. Us white folks were sweating buckets & loving every minute of it!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">After tear down, we were off to get a late night meal of Pancit (noodles), shower #3 & sleep. Oh, beautiful sleep (with live music & karaoke music in the background).</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">2 Corinthians 10:3-4</font>"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3">Talk at ya tomorrow! </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"> </font><br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-62196902745348572252012-07-20T04:46:00.001-04:002012-07-20T04:46:05.736-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 4<font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> Woke early, hot shower (yes hot), hot breakfast )ham, eggs & of course...rice). This was going to be a GREAT day!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"><div><br></div>Upon Nic's arrival at the hotel, we heard of some sad news regarding the delegates that were staying at the Nehemiah center. Sometime late in the night, they were stolen from while they were sleeping. The thieves took only money, but what they left was a sense of fear and anger among those precious people. But guess what, it was still to be a GREAT day. We really sensed that we needed to begin the conference that day with an extended time of prayer & worship. The devil was not going to win! Later that day we also took up an offering for them during an exuberant time of praise. These folks are like FCC in many ways, & one is definitely giving. It seemed as though every single person came forward to meet these people's needs. This was a GREAT day!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>D'ette & I led 5 more sessions interspersed with some wonderful times of praise and worship. I had asked Nic if we could have as many worship leaders that had attended the conference to lead us. Because this is a conference meant to empower & encourage local leaders, I wanted to give them the chance to lead us. So throughout the day, we had 5 different worship leaders lead us. Most of them were backed up by the amazing "house" band from New Hope Christian Community at the Nehemiah Center. However, there was one group of guys that really stood out to me. They were a trio on electric guitar/vocals, bass guitar & drums. They had come as delegates with Pastor Lolita. After being led by them I discovered that these guys take the love of the Lord && all their instruments) deep into the jungles of southern Mindanao. This is the most dangerous part of the island as it is inhabited by radical muslim terrorist groups. Wow! I can't imagine what they go through on a daily basis. I was truly blown away & blessed! There were great musicians too.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>After a wonderful day of sessions, we wrapped up our Foundations class & are ready to start on The Character of a Worshipper tomorrow.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>At 4:00 Lisa & Mercy (translator) began the children's portion of the conference. What an absolute joy it was to see all of these little kiddos worshipping together. They sang songs, heard a Bible story (very well behaved), colored & had a snack. Lisa & Mercy did a great job of laying out the plan of salvation using the Evangicubes that we brought. Remember, this is how my daughter Emily recently accepted Christ. This was quite the emotional experience for myself & Lisa. Emily will always be connected in our hearts to these precious children here in Jasaan. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Just following the children's session, we had a quick rehearsal for tomorrow evening's Night of Worship. I am continually blown away by the skill & diligence to practice that this band has. They truly want to serve God with excellence & do so through their actions.<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Exhausted & ironically refreshed, we were off to dinner at a local cafe (run by Nic's cousin). When in the Philippines, you must have the Halo Halo. It's basically cold fresh fruit mixed with ice shavings & some other unknown tasty stuff. It was very refreshing after a long hot day. Back at the hotel, we settled in with an episode of White collar on my laptop & soon went to sleep with the sounds of Karaoke in the distance (not so far actually).<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Ahhhhh, GOD IS GOOD!<br/><br/></font><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-43407346682830257922012-07-18T08:51:00.001-04:002012-07-18T08:51:04.441-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 3<font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">Our alarms were set bright & early for 5:30. However, with the building excitement rattling around in my brain, I was up a bit earlier. After seeking the Lord for what scripture he had for that day & those attending the conference...</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">Colossians 2:2-3</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">2 "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">...It was time to hit the showers. Before leaving, Merrik & Pastor Steve had told me that there would be no hot water. Although this is true, in every room but ours & D'ette & Fred's, we had the special rooms with a water heater. Oh, but it does get better! As I went to turn it on I quickly discovered that not only was that machine not functioning, but there was no water to be had at all. That's right, we were suffering for Jesus! Well, at least for a few minutes before they had it working again. We did in fact get water. God is good...all the time!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> After a wonderful breakfast, we were off to the Nehemiah Center. Church, you need to know what an absolute blessing this training center/church is for the community of Jasaan. It is a towering beacon of hope with its bright yellow paint & large sign simply stating "Jesus.". I need you to know this, because those of you at FCC, helped to build this facility from the ground up. Just know that it is being used well! </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> As soon as we arrived, I noticed a truck parked out front with a covered area in back that had two rows of benches on the sides of the bed. Nic told us that one group from another church traveled 13 hours to be here for the conference. Can you believe that...13 hours! These people deserved for us to be on our "A" game. Thankfully, our great God strengthens us in our weakness. It was to be an amazing day! We started the day with some musical worship. No one person was to be the Worship Leader. Throughout the day, we passed this privilege around. I led, D'Ette led, Lisa led, Marlix led, Michael Led, Mercy Led, Nice led. What an honor it was to lead & be led into the presence of God. This is what this whole conference is about...raising up & empowering leaders. These times of corporate worship throughout the day were incredibly rejuvenating to my soul!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> D'Ette & I led 7 sessions between the hours of 8 & 4. Lisa & Fred taught the little kiddos in the morning at Nic's house just down the street. We had been doing so good on not blowing any fuses, but we did have one casualty. Lisa's cd player for vbs didn't quite like the surge of power it was getting. It kinda blew up! Note to self, Apple products automatically convert for the Philippines 220 power, everything else, does not. Just one more reason to love Apple. I digress. The teaching sessions went really well. The wonderful filipino people have been so receptive & are a complete joy to minister to & with. Though we are exhausted (& a bit stinky), we are so looking forward to tomorrow. </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> After getting some fresh mangos & bananas from the local street market (Boy, did us white folks get the looks), we are now back at the resort for a quick rest before dinner, & fresh mango banana smoothies.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> Talk at ya tomorrow.</font><br/><br/> <br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020859592667567524.post-10300886172507648622012-07-18T08:43:00.001-04:002012-07-18T08:43:52.503-04:00Philippines Trip - Day 2<font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> Today's agenda...travel to Cagayan de Oro & then on to Jasaan. In fact, I'm typing this on the flight. It was delayed a few hours, but our conference doesn't begin until tomorrow, so we're good.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">After a great night's sleep, our team met for breakfast at the hotel restaurant. Did you know tofu actually works well in an omelet? It was quite good. Lisa had the pancakes. I'm pretty confident that the somewhat "Americanized" food will be going away over the next few days. Bring on the balut!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">As we waited in the Manila airport for our delayed flight, we went ahead & got a head start on our schedule meeting for tomorrow's kick off of the conference. Please pray that we will not feel forced to follow our man-made plans, but instead follow the lead of our God & His plans for the people of Jasaan. </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">We are also really getting excited for the Night of Worship that will be held on Friday evening at the town pavilion. Marlix, Michael & their team have already been working on the music for a few weeks. Rehearsals should start tomorrow evening for that. Once again...God's plans, not ours!</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">Because of our delayed flight, we arrived a little after 9:00 at Jasaan's Basamangas Resort. The Bible College students from the church surprised us with a "welcome Home" banner, homemade necklaces & a song. Think Hawaii, but with the sincere LOVE of the Lord. It was truly incredible! </font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'">Soon after, we were off to bed. Nighty-Night.</font><br/><br/><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Trebuchet MS'"> </font><br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Edingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09273059043036270048noreply@blogger.com2