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Recently one of the worship bands from Mars Hill Church, King’s Kaleidoscope, released a new EP, Asaph’s Arrows. These are the best, most creative arrangements of these classic hymns I have ever heard. They are seriously incredible and breathe new life into old gold in the most creative ways I’ve ever heard. I’m totally blown away and inspired and hope you will be too.
Check it out here!
xo,
Meg
Last weekend I ventured to eastern Oregon for a weekend at Washington Family Ranch (a Young Life camp) in Eastern Oregon with some truly wonderful friends. Every year this group of friends (about 200 of us?), some old, some new, some old, some young, drive all the way out to Washington Family Ranch for Labor Day weekend.
The weekend was such a gift, one I didn’t know I needed. Don’t you love it when that happens?
It wasn’t until we were approaching the camp property, until visual reminders of where I was going and why I was going became visible that I had a clear feeling that God had brought me out there for a reason. As I approached the property a feeling rose up in my chest that the Lord had called me to that place to call me to His heart. To remind me of His kindness and that He is my refuge and my strength.
The first evening session began and as I watched some of my very dearest friends lead our group of family and friends in genuine, heart-felt worship, the familiarity of their voices brought tears to my eyes, triggering the memory of emotions I had forgotten and an intimacy with The Lord I hadn’t realized I had been missing. The harshness of reality melted away as the words of new songs sung by familiar voices washed over me.
All of this, to share my favorite new song from the weekend with you. It’s called Hope’s Anthem and it’s by Jesus Culture:
He’s bringing hope to the hopeless,
Giving His heart to the broken,
Sharing His home with the orphan,
He is the joy, He is my joy.
Amen.
xo,
Meg
Guess what?! I get to go to the Hillsong United concert toniiight! Isn’t that great?
The worship ministry at Bethany bought a group of us tickets, so tonight we’ll pack in the ‘ol church van and head to Kent for the concert (Ha). I am so looking forward to the worship experience and to be inspired in my own worship leading.
Hillsong United just released their newest album, Aftermath. I’ll be honest that on the whole this isn’t my absolute favorite Hillsong album to date, but I am really enjoying Like an Avalanche. Take a listen.
xo,
Meg
I think it may be safe to say that every time Brooke Fraser (now Ligertwood) comes out with a new song I will be blogging about it. To me, her songs are infinitely inspirational and inspiration is in fact what this little blog is all about.
With that said, Brooke leads a new song on the latest Hillsong Live album entitled Like Incense. The chorus is taken from an old Rich Mullens song, Step-by-Step, but with original verses.
The story of how she wrote the song is quite cool:
Before I knew Christ, an uncle who knew I [sic] had begun dabbling in writing songs told me about a song he loved, which described Abraham’s descendants being like stars in the sky and one of those billions of stars being lit ‘just for me’. Even as a 12 year old girl I was captivated by this image and it’s [sic] implications.
A few years down the track as a new Christian, the simple and beautiful Rich Mullins chorus “God, You are my God and I will ever praise You” had become part of my worship.
A decade or so later, I was at home in Sydney, awake at a late hour and at my keyboard. I found myself singing words from Psalm 118 around Rich’s old chorus. I brought it to our team and congregation, who embraced it. Only months later, after googling the chorus lyrics to find out which Mullins song they were actually from, did I discover that this well-known chorus was from the very same song about Abraham and all of us that had first stirred something in my heart as a child all those years ago.
Rich Mullins is a man whose life and legacy have profoundly impacted me. My hope is that this song honours his obedience and encourages many toward making this old chorus their eternal one.
{quote found here}
I had the pleasure of singing this song in church a few weeks ago. The lyrics to the verses are so profoundly pertinent to my relationship with Christ right now. It was such a cool experience to sing the unfamiliar lyrics of the verses over the congregation and to hear them enthusiastically sing back the familiar lyrics of the chorus.
Hope you enjoy…
xo,
M
1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! {Luke 24:1-6}
Ah! You guys, I LOVE Easter! Love wins, our Savior is risen, he has defeated death so that we might live because our Heavenly Father loves us so much we can’t even fathom or comprehend it. Can you believe it?! Our God is so good. I hope you are feeling His goodness and love today. Through your family or through the tulips or through your friends or jelly beans, but I hope that however He speaks to you, you can feel what a great day this is. This day makes all the difference.
I wasn’t planning on posting today, but I’ve felt so overwhelmed today by this particular song and wanted to share. I got to lead worship this morning and we sang this song after the sermon, as our pastor introduced the Spilling Hope initiative. Spilling Hope is a 50 day challenge to live simply and then to donate the money you save to our fund to build wells in Uganda. You can learn more here at: www.spillinghope.org. This song sums up the morning so perfectly.
Again, Happy Easter! He is Risen!
xo,
Megan
Merry Christmas! I hope you had a blessed Christmas with those you hold dearest. I am still reeling from this great reminder of how much God loves us that he sent us his son as The Greatest Gift, a light into our darkness, a mighty healer to our brokenness. I pray your heart is open to receive this gift.
This years’ Christmas was defined by this meal, watching this movie, seeing this show, and lots of time with this brother.
Maybe one of the most meaningful parts of this Christmas- besides spending time with family, of course- was hearing this song at the Christmas Eve service at church:
I’m looking forward to a week off work (as SPU at least), taking advantage of mid-day errand running, more time with family (Beatles Monopoly, anyone?), crafting and baking as usual, and hopefully a New Years Eve worth blogging about?
Happy Holidays!
xo,
M
I heard this song for the first time last fall and was moved to tears at it’s powerful message of assurance and love.
I have since re-encountered it as we have started doing it at Bethany, and can’t get it out of my head.
God is so good…
There are a million things I’m dreaming about this morning… a new Brooke Fraser song, workspace inspiration posted on Decor8 earlier this week, Julie & Julia, what is this Obamacare stuff really all about and what do I think?, the 13 frozen bananas currently in my freezer and what I’m going to do with them this weekend…, whether or not I should splurge on Wicked tickets, Myra and Oudelina in Honduras, is it too early to be thinking about a new winter coat purchase?, a gorgeous wedding photographer out of Toronto, soft lace totes from Paris with free shipping this weekend, the Seattle Skate Film Fest tonight (and what am I going to wear to it?!), and did Ed really cheat on Jillian?!
So much to ponder…
Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
{photo from gingerlillytea}
I am new to blogging and am having some technical difficulties with uploading pictures. In the meantime, I am HAPPY to write about my latest musical inspiration. SPU’s Worship Arts Ensemble recently released a live CD of their concert The Kingdom and the Gospel and I CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO IT. These students are AMAZING! These songs are incredible! I wish I could somehow share these songs with you audibly, but unfortunately the album is not available to listen to on-line. You can however order the CD on-line and learn more about the project here.
Currently being inspired and moved by the last track on the CD by Taylor Neal:
I Am Claimed
Your love’s not safe with me Lord, so take it back.
Everything you gave me I burned to ash as a sacrifice to a different light.
Lord, I choose to cause you pain but you hold me close to say,
That I am yours, I am claimed,
and you still love me the same,
No more scars, no more shame,
No mark except your name.
Lord, I’m so afraid that I’ll loose it all.
Your presence goes beyond what is beautiful,
And I need it most, where I go.
Cause I crawl through all that’s wrong,
And you’ve written on your palms,
That I am yours, I am claimed,
And you still love me the same.
No more scars, no more shame,
No mark except your name.
I am yours I am claimed.
I am yours I am claimed.
Tell Him all your grief, tell him all your sin,
He’ll give half his robe, just to wrap you in.
Give Him both your hands, give Him all you heart,
He’ll give all His robe to hold off the dark.
If you’re scared to pray and your fast in bed,
He will pull you out to anoint your head.
If your hope is gone, and your thoughts aren’t yours
He will touch your face, He will make you pure.
He who make your hair, He who make your feet,
He has made you whole, He has made your sheets.
He will take your arm, He will strip you bare,
He will take your hand, He will dress you fair.
(You are holy, You are holy)
I am yours, I am claimed.
