How Will God Use You?

I was just reading the latest Worship Leader Magazine and saw an article from Paul Baloche. In the article, he shares how 20 years ago, he had no desire to ever sing any lead vocals, much less be the voice for God he is today. No, instead - Paul's take on life was "I'm just a band guy." Paul goes on to share how all that changed one day when the band was playing softly, and the worship leader asked in the microphone if Paul would come forward and lead the congregation in song while the worship leader prayed with some people up front. He was never the same after that.

The point is...Paul was someone content to sit on the sidelines and do nothing more than be "a guy in the band." God, however, had different plans for him. What kind of plans does God have for you? Paul's "sideline" was just blending in the back with the band. Perhaps your "sideline" is sitting around knowing that you have a desire to serve...but are too afraid to take a step of faith with Him guiding you.

This next weekend, we will have the chance to audition several people who have decided that they want to step out of the sidelines and audition for our worship team. Maybe you are a wiz with the camcorder...couldn't God use you running a camera at your church? Perhaps you have a green thumb. Could God use you to create beautiful floral creations for the sanctuary?

But how can these small things do anything for God? Yes, Paul was a musician and came forth to be a worship leader...but I can assure you, the job he was doing before is an important one. Without the guys in our band backing us...the whole worship experience would not be the same. You see, God uses us to help let His light shine. A couple of months ago, we had the pleasure of having an out-of-state woman fly in to our church in order to be baptized. Why, you ask? Because she watched our services online and felt God's calling into obedience in baptism. She wanted to fly to the place that ministered to her. Thanks be to the folks who ran the cameras, produced, directed, the audio folks, lighting folks, and the website director who made it all possible for the woman to come to her decision. Now, I ask you...would you consider what all of these folks did trivial in comparison to the end result for one out-of-state woman?

So I ask....how will God use you?

Jesus Jedi

Enough said.

:SONG SEARCH: "Glorious One" by Steve Fee

Steve Fee has created some awesome worship songs. His song "Glorious One" is no different. It's lyrics paint a picture of what it will be like to stand in God's present and be able to do nothing more...than worship the "Glorious One".

Our hands are lifted high
our hearts are bowing reverence
and we're surrounded by
the glory of Your presence

with every creature every tongue
we're lifting our voice to the Glorious One

Glorious One
Glorious One
Light of the world
You outshine the sun
King of all Kings
eternity sings
Glorious One

God of infinite worth
with hands that carve out the ocean
You hold the universe
and still You run to the broken

with every heart that's been redeemed
we're lifting our song to the Glorious King

there is none more beautiful
there is none more wonderful (repeat)

URGENT Re-post on behalf of a friend

You know I don't post anything unless it is significant....and saving children to me is pretty important. It is why I passed along the information from my friends, the Bynums. Together, you helped her raise the money needed to adopt another child away from a bad situation. Now, I ask another favor on behalf of the sister of a good friend of mine, Micah Huebner. PLEASE take a moment to read and pray about the re-posted email below.

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We are finishing up our home study and dossier and getting geared up to send it to our agency and then off to Ethiopia. It has been three months since we accepted the referral for our next sibling set of three, and we are reaching the deadline to have everything turned in and ready.

BUT, we still need over $19,000 within 3 weeks to be able to do this. Our three kids in Ethiopia can't wait much longer, so we are desperate to get the funds in ASAP. Not only will this mean that our three will have a family THAT MUCH SOONER, but it will also allow for three more children to move into the orphanage and begin their own journey to a family. Three lives are hanging in the balance here.

We are asking everyone who reads this to prayerfully consider giving to this adoption journey. Your gift of even $25 goes a long way in the end. Or perhaps you might be able to give a great deal more. Maybe you own a business that could make a substantial tax-deductible donation. Or perhaps your church would consider contributing to this cause.

Please forward this email your friends and family and refer them to our blog site at www.blessingsfromethiopia.blogspot.com.

We are trusting God to provide, but He does it through people, so we earnestly need the village to come together for this one...one more time!

If you feel led to be part of this journey, either again or for the first time ever, we (and all of our children) would be eternally grateful. We know that in this crazy economic era, giving is more difficult. Trust us, though, that this is an investment that will lend you eternal rewards.

If you feel led, you can donate in one of the following ways:

First, you can donate directly to us via the link on our blog site. It will take you directly to our paypal account where you can donate securely. Every penny will go straight to our adoption fund.

Or, you can donate directly to our agency and receive a tax-deductible receipt for your gift. To do so, follow these instructions:

To send a check, make it payable to CWF and put Kirk and Heidi Weimer in the memo line.

Mail checks to:
CWF (christian world fund)
Attn: Tracy Froidcoeur
777 South Allen Road
Flat Rock, NC 28731

OR

o give an instant, secure donation online, go to the Christian World Foundation website.

IMPORTANT: Select CWA/CWF General Fund. Then click next to CWA Family and fill in the information for us: Kirk and Heidi Weimer.

EVERY PENNY OF YOUR GIFT WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO AN ACCOUNT SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR ADOPTION EXPENSES.

Thanks so much to all of you who are coming alongside us in this miraculous endeavor. We are eternally grateful for every single cent that comes our way to bring these three precious ones home to their family. We are awaiting miraculous provision and praying for every penny of this process.

Many blessings to you forever,
the weimers

PS- Please email with any questions you might have.

"Worship Storytellers"

A few years ago, I had a group of friends who had one passion in life - songwriting. We all had a profound love for assembling verses and choruses along with the sensations we got writing the "perfect bridge"...and life was great. We called ourselves "Storytellers". As a songwriter, you get the ability to craft words in such a form - such imagery that it can make people laugh, make them cry, recall a certain time in their life, or reflect on the future. It is powerful stuff.

Somewhere along the way, I decided to simply sing songs. My love for singing turned into a game and gamble for a recording contract, a label deal, and a road down the best-paved path of "good intentions". Now, I'll be honest, it was a fun ride and I made a lot of good friends. It isn't uncommon to hear a new song by an artist on the radio these days and say "I know - hung out with - performed with - recorded with - wrote with - or am friends with him or her." (Take your pick) And while I miss those days to a certain extent...the truth is - I longed for something different.

I had a long heart to heart years after those "hay-days" with my now good friend Ron Alley. We were sitting eating lunch one day and I told him about how I wanted to give up on everything secular because I felt the Lord pulling me to doing only works that glorified God. Ron smiled and reminded me of one very important lesson - he reminded me that everything we do should be to glorify God and that we can do it in the strangest of places. Ron went on to give the scenario of taking any given popular secular artist - and hearing someone from a church saying "you know, you should use your talents for God. Why not sing contemporary Christian instead?" His point was this - imagine for a moment if that secular artist did just that? Yes, it would be awesome to me (here goes my emo side) if John Mayer became a contemporary Christian artist...or a worship leader, for that matter - but what if John ended up taking his life in a different direction instead? What if John Mayer did the music he did today - but led his life as a Christian and...even for a brief moment...let it be known of his faith and God and spoke - even briefly - about what his faith meant to him.

Now, what if I did the same? What if I didn't give up on my secular music? It was a point well taken........


....but I don't think for a moment that Ron was saying "this is what you need to do - definitively!" You see, I've thought very seriously since that day about breaking back in to that world again. I just cant shake a stirring inside of me for music, singing, and songwriting. Tonight, thou, everything in my being came clear - I want to sing, write, lead, and live for God.

I just recently finished a song called "Masterpiece". It is a song that contains the spirit of what Ron and I talked about - letting God's light shine in all that we do...even if it isn't "Christian". After finally finishing a much-needed second verse, I played it for my wife and asked for her thoughts. We talked for a bit and then I told her "you know what I want from this song? I want just one person to hear it despite the number of times God may allow it to be heard and say "I want to give my life to the Creator!" I can't think of any greater joy than this!

I find more and more each day that I have that longing to help foster a spirit of Worship in others. As I do...it allows me to worship in every area of my life. Just today, when the final shoe fell, I was contacted by an A&R consultant about the possibility of using one of my secular songs in a movie. (Where were the A&R's back in the day when I would have begged for them to call?) I told Crystal about it - but couldn't find joy in it. Why? Perhaps its the fact that I have always been around some for or fashion of leading others in worship. I was probably nine or ten years old when I led my first church in worship. I grew up - did "my own thing" despite God only to return years later to be a Worship Pastor. Then, another hiatus and a few months of saying "No, God...I can't" only to have God tug at my heart to join my current church's worship team. I couldn't have been happier to return to that love.

A little later, I thought - "I really need to write more songs. I haven't done that in who knows how long" and the reality started sinking in that I wanted to stop with all secular writing - and write the music that means most to me - the music that led, in part, to my finding Salvation. It wasn't long after I had pretty much decided to give up all that was secular in my music offering that I got an invitation to join my church's songwriter's group. We have an amazing wealth of talent in our church - and I count it an honor to be a part of them...but I don't think it is a mistake. God knows where my heart is. I want to tell God's story. I want to be a "Worship Storyteller". I want to start "warming up" now for the day that I get to sing like the angels in Revelation who couldn't seem to stop singing for God.

Who knows where this may take me. I may write commercial or I may write just for personal worship. I may write worship songs for our church or I may write songs worthy for play on a Christian station. All I know is that I long again...and it feels GREAT! I'd return, at this point, to being a Worship Leader/Pastor in a heartbeat...or I'd be just as content to write a song for others to Worship Him with. Regardless of the path I walk as I find where God is leading...a few things are sure:

I want to sing, write, lead, live for God - and tell God's story.

"Go Tell It" .... He saved your life! An Awesome thought!

I think this is the greatest written line in a song...plain and simple..."HE SAVED YOUR LIFE!" I loved singing it...and I love how folks even here at work have talked to me on a level they have never done before. Its making some ripples for God!

Just Watch...

Forget "More Cowbell" ... Fee gets "More Cymbal"!

How NOT to get in the church band...

True Love

Yet another video fromthe same church....


True Love from FC Post on Vimeo.

New Creation

Wow! That's all I can say. You talk about bringing a different level to Worship! Thanks to Kyle Campos at Our Rising Sound for frist showing this!


New Creation from FC Post on Vimeo.

Just want to see where this lands.

I'm saying "goodbye" to my old secular country days and, instead, focusing on writing Christian songs and worship songs.

I had an 8 year old secular song at a site called "OurStage" last month and it ranked 186 by the time it was done. I didn't go out and solicit votes - instead - I wanted to see how the song handled on its own merits.

For this last go-round...I want to give my friends and family the opportunity to listen and vote this time. so........ click here:



My myspace page and Reverbnation page will soon be taken down. You can view them here:

http://www.myspace.com/jasonwhitehorn
http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonwhitehorn

PLEASE Pray and Help My Friends - the Bynums

Friends, I wanted to pass along a blog entry from an awesome couple that go to church with my family. They have an exciting opportunity to adopt their already adopted daughter's full sister who is just about to be born. The problem is, they need to collect $12,000 in 48 hours.

PLEASE do not let the dollar amount shock you - there are so many intimate details that I don't feel the need to share in this blog - but let us say that you will be helping in a HUGE way to make SO many differences in this world. PLEASE pray that God will reveal to you how you may be able to help the Bynums...and then click the link below to learn more.

http://adoptionphotoblog.com/

Accoustic Live Version of "Praise The Father, Praise The Son"

Who Is Your Audience?

I have set on my cellphone a ringtone of "Audience of One". This is the song that I try to let my worship in song attest to. If you've never heard it before...or if you've heard it amillion times before but never taken the time to just sit a moment, close your eyes, and let it minister to you - take a moment to do so now.

We recently had an opportunity as songwriters to talk with EMI CMG Vice President Casey McGinty at on of our meetings. He discussed the number of times that he wrote songs and became frustrated that there was no one there to hear them...and then the satisfaction and joy he got to realize that there was, in fact, someone of utmost importance there to hear them...his Audience of One.

Thank GOD that we have Him to hear us - and that it is HIM that we serve and sing to!

"Take My Life" - From "New Song Cafe"

This song is great for both private and congregational worship. The words are simple yet powerful. Enjoy!