saintlewis

The saga continues…

Reading books…

completing book…

reviewing books…

This book was completed almost three months ago.

I think it has successfully made the procrastination list. You know, the list you check things off of, and carry over two to three items over to the next day’s list – continuing this episode for, oh say, three months? Ring a bell, anybody? Well, that’s the case here.

So, without further ado-let me introduce you to a book I completed three months ago.

The book: Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger. The subtitle reads

“The true story of how one woman’s faith resulted in the conversion of hundreds of drug addicts, prostitutes, and hardened criminals in Hong Kong’s infamous Walled City”.

Why did I read this book?

One might wonder how a busy mother of two would come to read such a book.

Here’s the scoop: I was introduced to the writing of James Goll, due in part to my brother marrying his daughter (in 10 days!) When Michel Ann Goll graduated to be with Jesus almost two years ago her husband combined parts of two of her books (A Call to the Secret Place and Women on the Frontlines) to create a 40 day devotional titled Empowered Woman. Each devotional summarizes the life of a famous Godly woman. These overviews of Great Women have been so fascinating to me that I can’t seem to complete this devotional! I find myself continually distracted by getting interested in books she references.

Such was the situation with Chasing the Dragon. Michel Ann’s thoughtful summary of Jackie’s impact on China was enthralling. I discovered that my husband owned this tattered yellow paperback – in fact, he claims that he’s suggested that I read it numerous times since we’ve been married, but NOW my interest was peaked! I promptly found it on the shelf and dove in. This book was not on the 2010 reading list, nonetheless I am convinced that God led me to read this treasure.

An honest review has to reveal my frustration with the overall delivery – it sometimes lacked a sense of sequence: the account seemed to jump around a bit. Even so, I have never been so stirred and challenged by the account of a missionary.

I cried.

I got mad at times.

I was shocked at the dangerous situations Jackie walked into daily.

I wondered how she had not been raped and/or battered by the dangerous men she was in constant contact with.

What did I receive from reading this book?

I was challenged to pray at all times in order to not miss the voice of the Lord. Every page records accounts of Jackie walking down the street and hearing the Lord say “Go here, turn down that road – you will meet a boy at such and such place.” – “You must go and witness to a prostitute on such and such street with the name_______.” The Lord seemed to speak to her in such detail. She also prayed continually and talks at length about her prayer life. I was encouraged to pray for daily wisdom and direction in all my daily doings.

I began to ask the Lord why I didn’t hear His voice as clearly and as often as she did.

It was as if God said, “Few spend their lives listening….when you listen and seek with all that you have, you’ll find that I am speaking.“

Spellbound, I am unable to articulate the full depth of this book. I was in awe of the goodness of God and reminded that we are vessels and the more availability we give Him the more useful we become. Jackie is a remarkable women who is credited with helping many opium and heroine addicts get clean, and turn their lives over to Jesus. She truly made a difference with gangs and prostitutes and addicts. I would call this book a thriller…. Really. The thrilling life of following the voice of the Lord in every situation… and trusting that every day would be filled with divine appointments to further advance the kingdom of God.

We have met and connected with some marvelous people this year.

Some such folks would be Aaron Keyes and his family.

Aaron wrote a song called “Not Guilty Anymore.” This tune truly resounds with my soul, echoing the heart of God our Father to us, his children.

I could describe it.

I could write the lyrics.

I could tell you the story behind the song.

I could further describe how the song has impacted me.

However, I think I will stop and persuade you to watch this.

Shannon recently completed this interview with Aaron regarding his song, “Not Guilty Anymore”. The story that inspired the song is dialogued.

It’s quite powerful.

Its short.

When your done, click over to his site and listen to ” Not Guilty Anymore” when your finished there hop on over to itunes and buy it……. it will be good for the IPOD this weekend!

Give it a view and/or stop on over at TheWorshipCommunity.com for more details.

Aaron Keyes Interview part 1 from Shannon Lewis on Vimeo.

It was the first time I had attended a wedding in my home church. Hubby and I slipped into a back row seat, immediately we began to notice old, familiar faces we were eager to reconnect with. I took note of all the details while the usual events played out- processional, vows, kiss etc. It was nearing reception time, I glanced up and was suddenly frozen in thought. In front of me was an usher and the grooms mother. She had just wiped the fresh tears from her face. It appeared that tears had been falling on this womens face for quite some time. My mind raced through years as I imagined myself playing the role of the Grooms Mother. Future visions of tears falling in fresh abundance on my face flashed before my eyes.

My mental images then turn to the present. Why, this very morning we ran a typical family errand to Lowes. We were going to look for a toilet bowl lid to replace the one that had broken. Broken? yes, this tragedy occurred when Tucker was playing Curious George about the toilet top. He attemped to take it off while shattering it all over the floor and cutting his leg. Why do boys care what goes on under the toilet bowl?

Back to the point, the boys are in a stage where it is of utmost importance to hold mommy’s hand EVERYWHERE we go. Daddy’s hand will not do. We have often tried taking turns.

My plan: one boys walks with momma and the other with daddy, then we switch off after a few minutes. Sounds good, right? NOPE as of late, this plan ensures that one boy will relentlessly wail, ” I wanna hold mammas hand” while the other boy proudly walks with mamma. I always give in. I can’t stand it. This stage of the boys insisting on holding my hands is quite sweet, so sweet in fact that mommy usually ends up handing merchandise over to daddy and relinquishing buggy duties so that I can hold their hands. When the crying boy comes and grabs my other hand- he usually wipes away the tears, sniffs one last time and smiles real big.

AND ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.

We prance around Target, Lowes, Harris Teeter, or wherever, but there is peace in our little world because mommy has two hands and there is one for each of them. As I relive the details of the morning, My heart fills with warmth, not the kind that comes from a fire in winter- this warmth will live on through the years by way of trusted memories.

Back to wedding, I am still locked on the weepy mother of the groom, my mind is lingering on this contemplation: one day I’le be locking arms with a handsome usher walking out of my sons wedding. I pinched myself and said “ don’t forget how the boys would fight and cry over who held mamas hand at the store”. I determined to never forget the warmth that those sticky, sweaty, precious hands brought to my heart.

Lord, please help me to live in the present. Please arrest my thoughts when I get caught up in looking to the future. Remind me to treasure the moments of the NOW. Thank you Jesus!

Can anybody relate?

Yesterday was a most favorite day in my book. Why?

 

Shannon was leading at SSCC and I was singing harmonies and playing keys for him.

 

I Love: Sunday Morning when we get up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus – when the kids eat their toast in the car – when I am slap wore out on Sunday afternoons and the whole house is hushed with nappingness…

 

The day looks something like this:

We lay everything out the night before (and I do mean everything).

We get up really early and head over to the bus stop to catch the bus to SSCC.

SSCC staff ride the bus to church to eliminate parking issues.  The boys think this is so fun. Their backpacks are ready with snacks drinks games ipod etc.

We arrive at the church and I have someone set up to watch kids while we sound check/rehearse. The main rehearsal is on Thursday nights so this is really just to spot check and review levels. This past Sunday the sitter was a younger sister of a girl who was singing on our team. The boys had a blast sitting in the lobby: Kenimer loves Sunday rehearsals since that is one of the rare times he gets to play games on the IPOD. Tucker put together a mini puzzle.

After practice they go to breakfast club which is set up for children of volunteers or staff who serve one and attend one. This keeps the kids from having to attend their tiny town class twice.They eat breakfast and play games. After first service I get the boys and we hang out in the Rush Hour room (middle school service) while Shannon is usually practicing. This week Kim Dixon  was leading for Rush Hour. We enjoyed listening to her rehearsal.

The kids always eat their snack and play some more… often stopping to run laps around the room or wrestle with middle school youth pastor Justin. Then it’s time for 2^nd service and I take them to their Tiny Town classes. On Sundays we only go to one service Keminer often cries because he does’nt get to ride the bus to church or attend breakfast club.

 

This week as I sat backstage I realized how blessed I am to be able to do this with my life partner. There are things I have been praying about for a while regarding my personal life heart for worship attitude and so on. I realized that Jesus indeed is changing me from the inside out.

Here is a short worship confessional from the perspective of a keyboardist and back up singer:

Happy Day (Hughes)- walk in music- I love how Shannon started this song- Acapella and then built it. I especially love the keyboard riff.

Glory to God Forever (Fee)- Such a solid worship song- we had done it three weeks before congregation responded well and I love the harmonies.

Wandering Heart (Saint Lewis original)- a song about returning to your first love. I am so humbled and blessed to have been part in writing it.  Check out tomorrow’s blog for a bit more about this song.

Not Guilty Anymore (Aaron Keyes) This was a communion song about being set free from the bondage of our sins. Shannon and I are getting to know Aaron and his family and have already been so blessed and encouraged by them. This is a short excerpt from Sunday…take a listen…

“Not Guilty Anymore” (Aaron Keyes) led by Shannon Lewis @ SSCC by  SaintLewis

The heartache tragedy and pain that this world brings can render questions anger and doubt. I see that the only way to remain Well in the midst of crisis is to surrender. To give up. To relinquish. – To trust to love and to hope.

 

It’s been a gut-wrenching tear–jerking composure-wrecking Wednesday.  Yet it’s also been a blessing in some small ways as well.

 

Shannon and I sang Chris Tomlin’s “I will Rise” in a funeral today: a six year old who had developed Leukemia a little less than two years ago.  His mommy was a MOPS mate of mine.  I wish that I could say that we were close and that I knew her well – I can’t – but I can say that there have been a number of occasions that she’s blessed my socks off.

 

I was at “Open Gym” at Golden Isles Gymnastics. I had an almost-two-year-old and was pregnant – it had been a tough week and I was feeling very discouraged. She walked up to me and said “I don’t think you know me but I have been attending Saint Simons Community Church and I wanted to tell you that I am really blessed when your husband leads worship.”  That brightened my day.

 

Later in my pregnancy I began double-stroller shopping at yard sales.  One Saturday morning I happened upon her yard sale and she was selling the exact stroller I had been hoping for.  When I tried to pay for it – if my memory serves me right – I think she gave it to me or I paid about nothing for it. She even carried it to my car because I was prego.

 

Her oldest son was diagnosed with Cancer and her difficult journey began: we saw her less and less and kept up via updates – fundraisers and such.

 

Then Summer of 2008 – I will never forget – I was at a Doctor’s office with Kenimer. It had been – for me – a very stressful day. I had been waiting a very long time only to find that I had to go to the car to retrieve some documentation I had left. It was one of those unprepared mommy days where I had left home with no sippies snacks etc. I was trying to figure out how to grab my child – {who was having a total melt-down} – walk outside in the heat and return with required papers. Right then she walked in with her 2^nd son in a bathing suit and cover up having just come from swimming lessons – her older son in Jacksonville getting a chemo treatment with a family member while she was taking the day to spend with her little guy. Just then Kenimer started screaming and the front desk lady rudely reprimanded me.

 

This girl reached out her hands offering me help “Here – let me put him in the  stroller and I’ll stroll them around while you go out to your car” reaching ino her basket to produce a brand-new box of teddy grahams. Kenimer was overjoyed. I walked outside retrieved my papers and headed back in – but feelings of being frazzled stressed and pregnant evoked tears on the way back in the building. I tried to gain my composure but she still noticed. She said “I have plenty of these days myself – trust me.” I felt that an  angel had come to my assistance but as I left the building it hit me that her other child was in a hospital in another town with cancer and she had just offered ME help comfort and encouragement!

 

When I received word that he had passed away on March 5^th I could not stop thinking of his sweet mother and what a blessing she had been to me.  She had touched my heart and my heart was moved at the funeral today.

 

Strangely enough I remember almost nothing about singing/playing the song – I just felt God’s presence so intensely that it was like an out-of-body experience – as though I was watching me do it from a distance.  Strange how moments filled with such sadness can also be powerful and revelatory. I am so aware that when tragedy and crisis come knocking we find comfort in sweet surrender and the realization of God’s sovereignty.

 

The words Job 1:21 come to mind “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”