Tag Archives: dave powers

My Birthday Wishes for the Treasured & Deeply Beloved S-I-L, Dave

June 28, 20141 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 5 Songs I am Singing, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday blessing, birthday blessing for a son, birthday blessing for a son-in-law, dave and tara powers, dave powers, worship and the word movementJeanie

To celebrate the anniversary of your birth, I have words…

Of course, I do. Many words. Still, some 12 years since we met, I am so grateful you married our daughter and became a son to us. She wasn’t the only deliriously happy person about that, you know. You were an answer to prayers and a fulfillment of hope and Tara’s dream come true. :)

If for no other reason than that you chose my firstborn and love her so deeply (and have blessed us with two spectacular grandsons), I’d think you were extraordinarily smart and wonderful.

But there are many reasons I love and admire you and my heart is tender towards you.

There have been incredible times since you became one of us, since the early days when we could suddenly be in the room with you: you, so well-liked, so sought after and admired and we could know, beaming with pride, he’s one of ours. You married the beautiful Tara and got the bunch of us, foibles and frailties and all. As mother-in-laws go, too many times, I haven’t been the one I had planned I’d be and for that, I apologize. I hope for all the times I have failed to encourage and bless you and for all the times I may still let you down in this winding path called life, you can find it possible to forgive me.

But I hope you do realize that I love and admire you and my heart is tender towards you.

Thinking about you turning 33 has had me reminiscing {of course}.

Three sweet memories on your 33rd birthday

1// I remember years ago, when your hair was longer, some person(s) started referring to you as a surfer-dude, which was a totally erroneous label just because you have the ability to adapt immediately to culturally distinct people groups, one after the other, rather effortlessly. But was a silly summation.

Because, like Paul the Apostle, you can be Greek to the Greeks and a Roman to the Romans, skater to the skaters, or mighty man of prayer among the intercessors. You are fluent in joy-speak and compassion-mixed-with-mercy is a native tongue for you. Because you’re able to adapt and flow as easily among Christian-magazine-produced minister’s meetings as you are with well-known rockers-saved-by-grace backstage at festivals, an old-timer mistakes you for merely a surfer-dude, with no offense to surfer-dudes.

It may have never bothered you a bit, but it irked me that you might be boxed in.

Because the point was and is – the apostolic anointing, the call. You fit. You have what it takes to be part of many groups and streams and situations. I so very much admire your courage and ability in this.

2// I was also remembering a late summer night in 2006 in a barn east of Brighton. It was a night of ordination, really, doors open wide and the warmth of God’s smile permeating the atmosphere. The sun dropped slowly giving way to twinkling stars signifying God’s good pleasure as rich worship rose heavenward. I watched as you and Tara, in almost a second wedding ceremony of sorts, the sacredness so palpable, became wholly united (one voice, one heart, one mission), stepping out from the safe into the holy wild. Worship and the Word Movement revealed.

And those of us in that barn that night, the small group of us privileged to stand on that holy straw-strewn ground, were witnesses to divine oil poured out from heaven. We were the yes and amen as we watched this man and this woman courageously say YES with everything they had and we stood in agreement and echoed from our hearts, yes, so be it, Lord.

You had already gathered the familia around your table a month earlier and we’d spoken blessing and prayed over you, then, for this movement-to-be. But the barn night, it was a night of nights, as we all watched you emerge, your voices blended, such power pulled from deep places of humility. You could practically hear a thunderous “This is my beloved Dave and Tara, in whom I am well-pleased.”

It was one of the most amazing and powerful nights I’ll live, I guess. I was so honored to get to be there, watching, pondering, treasuring the beauty of God’s call on you both, as one. So grateful I got to witness the birth of something of this magnitude, so full of favor.

Philippians 1:3-6 – “I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers…I always pray with joy…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

3// Then there was this festival we did together.

Man, those years meant so very much to me. In case I ever forgot to tell you or if time and circumstance has obscured the telling, thank-you for letting me be a part. I mean – God gave me something to share there, but how many men would be brave enough to let their mother-in-law be that close, anyway?

I love how God prepared me ahead of time {I still love the memory of the surprise of it} and you had the discernment to recognize and receive that and welcome me there. I will ever be grateful for that. It was the time of my life.

A blessing for you as we celebrate your life and look ahead this year…

And now, let me bless you and pray over you a little and impart some things I want you to remember. Is that ok? Let me assure you: I have asked God to edit me and I promise to do my best on letting Him! ;)

“Dave, may the Lord bless and KEEP you. May He make His face SHINE upon you and BE GRACIOUS to you; may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you PEACE.” (Numbers 6:24-26).

I bless your life, David Michael Powers. I bless the days He has planned for you and I thank God we get to be included in your fascinating so-many-cool-things-to-come story. How very wonderful for us! I bless the days we have known you so far {of course I do!} and all the ones we have left! You were uniquely crafted and specifically designed for God’s great purposes in these particular days on the earth. And to be in our familia. Now that is the coolest part!

I know God rejoiced when He was fashioning you in the secret place, and could not wait to celebrate and boast when you were born. Your parents both beam with delight when they are around you. I know they are soaking in the love of God in you, on you and through you! So I bless you to know {really know} the height, depth and breadth of His intense love for you – not for what you do or have done {as fantastic as it all is and will be}, but for who you are, as a man in his image and after His heart.

I bless your marriage to my lovely Tara-girl. She is the best thing I could ever give you. And we did so gladly present her to you at the front of that church as the setting sunbeams blazed through stained-glass windows but couldn’t hope to match the bright light of love passing between the two of you! There was not hesitation on our part in seeing her be joined to you, become one with you.

We raised Tara to be your wife, to love you, to walk in covenant with you. And we stood as witnesses that day to your marriage union and so we continue now to bless and pray protection over your marriage. We recognize what God has joined together and we pray that you are ever increased in love and oneness and laughter and mystery and discovery and romance and passion and friendship and rest. I pray that the wife of your youth will bring you joy and delight all the days of your life.

I bless you as a dad to the two magnificent grandsons you brought into my life {and God bless Hunter and Malakai!}. I pray that if there is any special grace or anointing or gift or heavenly blessing on my family of origin or me, that it be poured out on you and Tara and that through you it would be generationally passed on to Hunter-Magoo and Kai-Kai. Just the good stuff, though! :)

May each of your beautiful boys provide the opportunity for you to impart and teach and discipline and love and advise and find understanding about God’s heart towards you. And I pray you’ll have the wisdom to know how to bring them up, individually, to become the men God created them to be and that your ministry in your household will remain foremost in your heart.

And is it ok to say I am praying for increase and another blessed bundle of sweetness for you, too? Well, I am. Please do not refuse the gift of God in this area, and in fact: work for it! ;)

Worship. I bless your song, your music, your worship. I bless the psalmist in you that brings pleasure to the Father and Peace into the room. Your song opens many doors to many rooms and the song of the Lord, well, it is enemy-defeating, battle-winning treasure.

Word. I bless your leadership and pray you’ll be bold and humble and settled. I pray you’ll complete the things God started in you and through you. You have influence through your words of understanding. I remember seeing a glimpse in February 2003 and saying, “One day I’ll say ‘I knew him when..'” These are those days and I bless the work of your hands, the words of your mouth, and I pray that all the things you do and say in His name will bring God all the glory.

Movement. I bless you as a man of God, a man’s man, strong enough to be gentle. You have everything you need for the next step, the next rooms, everything. Hebrews 13:20-21 – “May the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Finally ~ May you live securely and have full supply (full!). And may you be filled with the measure of all the fullness of God (can you even fathom what that will look like?). I pray your joy is full as you walk the steps God has ordered for you, that you are satisfied and content. But also challenged and surprised!

I pray these things with abandon, I bless you with all I have which is so limited, but also by all He is and all His promises, which are so limitless.

2 Timothy 2:1 – “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

And the birthday guy sings…

He’s one of my all-time favorites. Ever!

I started cautiously liking you from the time we met (May 2002, Could he be for real, I wondered?). Then, very quickly, my admiration grew and I loved you deeply. I still do and my heart is very tender towards you. Always will be. On the occasion of the celebration of your birth {Happy Birthday!}, just wanted to say so. {mom}

Happy Father’s Day, A. Ross Moslander

June 15, 20142 Mi Familia, Stuff I Actually Thinkdads, dave powers, dave rhoades, father's day, rocky rhoades, ross moslander, ryan faaland, tristan kelleyJeanie

I am not suppose to tell you

That his name is Alva Ross, pronounced “Al’ vee Ross” and now that I have let the cat out of the bag, I must ask for your total cooperation in never mentioning it to him.

I was almost 2. He was 22. Des Moines, 1961

My dad was named for a dad he never knew, a very young man tragically killed in a car accident when my dad’s mom was 6 months pregnant (and 2 little girls at home). He was born into adversity.

We struggled to know each other, understand each other during the years of his workaholism, perfectionism…then mine {we end up being what we judge, people} and I regret the time lost, but I truly treasure him as a close friend and mentor now. I admire him for being 75 and still crying out to God to transform him, lead him, guide him. I plan to be like him in that, too. And mostly, I am loving the restoration of the years the enemy tries to steal as I am learning to be his daughter, his little girl, and he is learning to be my daddy.

On relationships: It s good to pursue the great gifts God intended because He is able to rewrite the whole story, even if it gets interrupted or broken by enemy tactics {or our own stupidity}. Dads and daughters (dads and sons, too) have much to share on the journey toward being whole and holy. Writing it off would have been such a loss.

I arrived for a visit so late my dad didn’t see me until breakfast, at which time his first words were, “Jeanie – why is your hair so dark?” Haha. Dads. Gotta love ’em.

I love my dad!

“God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.” Psalm 18.24 The Message

Then there is Dave {the father of my children}

Happy Father’s Day to the man I entrusted with our 5 incredible children. You were born to be a daddy and even though you’ll be the first to say you didn’t do everything right, I can attest that you tried. And I can vouch for the times you re-adjusted your sails and changed your mind and your tactics and that you are still looking for ways to bless and father our bunch.

And I hope the kids all know those morning blessings are not just idle words, they are deeply meant, spoken with the authority of a God-appointed and anointed dad and he means business. Please don’t ever take that lightly. You should say everyday, “I receive my dad’s blessing spoken over my life today.” You cannot go wrong receiving what he still has to offer, even though you are grown. And if you need to know how much he really loves you, let’s talk!

And Happy Father’s Day to Tristan, DP, Rocky and Ryan!

You are the daddies God chose to raise our grand-est loves, the 9 for whom our hearts pound with furious love and devotion.

But they are yours, these nine grandbebes, your heritage, the fruit of your love and marriage. And we are in 100% agreement that God has given these children good, really good daddies.

You are all men to be admired and I wish all children could be fathered through this life as well. Thank-you for being the courageous men you are and for carefully and intentionally raising, disciplining, teaching, playing, understanding and covering with love these granchildren we know and the ones to come.

My grandchildren are blessed, so blessed.

Happy Father’s Day to all the men who have loved a child enough to keep trying even when it wasn’t easy.

There aren’t enough good examples out there. Hope you had one or got to be one. And remember~

It’s never too late to be the family God meant for you to be.

So keep on fathering.

I have OPENING NIGHT Jitters…and I’m not even in the play!

December 20, 20132 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 7 Keep Christmas, Stuff I Actually Thinkcallback theater company, dave powers, dave rhoades, dave rhoades-author, jesus-mary-and-joseph! play, rhoades family, rocky rhoades, tristand and stephanie kelleyJeanie

TONIGHT! And Tomorrow Night at 7:00 pm..

I HAVE to thank Chantell Hinkle for taking the solo for me!

With a grandbebe’s birth and Christmas things to do, and working, well…I just thank her from the bottom of my heart! She’ll be singing a song I used to sing every Christmas at malls and airports and schools and churches from the early 1980s on, “Merry Christmas with Love,” by Sandi Patty. I KNOW she will be amazing!!!

The FIRST FIVE grandbebes are in the production, which is so cool.

They even got headshots done for the lobby board! Gavin and Hunter are both part of the principal cast. I cannot wait to see them!

or th

ALSO – an INTERMISSION band that is so crazy good and they also just so happen to be my kids, but they are REALLY good either way! :)

These peeps:

+ this one = GOOD STUFF!

Omygoodness!!!

So exciting! Several of my besties are in the cast! Music, dancing, laugh-out-loud funny, I’ve been told. I haven’t actually seen it yet, but the rumors are out there. :) Plus heartwarming and some Christmas magic – how can you lose? I am so proud of my talented husband, the infamous Dave Rhoades, who wrote it (he is a great character-writer!), and is directing and acting in it and all of the WONDERFUL cast and crew who make it all come together so I don’t have to, haha!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Merry Christmas and God bless America!

Happy 32nd Birthday to Dave~

June 23, 20132 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday blessing, birthday blessing for a son-in-law, dave powers, family birthdayJeanie

Thirty-two.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.” Psalms 91.14-16

You are smack-dab in the middle of the same age-years Jesus was /living/walking/defeating the kingdom of darkness (on His way to a cross) one miracle at a time. He was changing water to wine, chatting it up with children and healing the sick. And that is where you are, too, changing the spiritual landscape, fathering your boys and establishing the Kingdom.

I have called you a spiritual iconoclast, by which I meant

A person who is actively breaking down the religious traditions that suck the life from people and instead, is revealing a whole new landscape of the life and love of the Father towards His people. A Kingdom man. A creative visionary. A history-maker.

I think earlier spiritual iconoclasts were guys like Elijah and Elisha. Especially, though, maybe: Jeremiah. Before the building up, there is the matter of tearing down (see Jeremiah 1, The Message subtitles it: Demolish and Then Start Over).

I see this clearly about you, but am not always able to express it openly or well. So on the occasion of your birthday [note: oops-now a few days past], your very own proverbial mother-in-law (frightening title, to be sure), shall attempt to communicate the true and deep to one son-in-love. Please receive them from my heart

On your birthday, I wanted to say {I want you to always know}…

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him…”

So, it turns out I have known you for like, 33% of your life. And you have known me for almost 19% of mine. For a girl who was raised moving from city to city and church to church and leaving behind everyone I knew and starting over sooooooooooooo many times that even a 2-year friendship felt like a lifetime, that puts you and I in the 98.987-percentile of my longest-ever-running relationships. Kind of kidding. I just made up that last statistic, but it’s pretty true. You probably couldn’t have known that you would hold a place that high in my life, my stats/personal data, or my heart for so long. I didn’t know it. But here it is.

You are sort of stuck with me.

And I know so many times it would be so much easier not to be. But I can say at least for me, God knew what He was doing and He still has a plan and His glory will be seen, right?

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name…”

I think I mention this in every single birthday post I ever write to you (and this is #7, I believe), but I just love to hear you play and sing and worship the Lord. Last month as we were re-painting the living room and had moved most everything out, save a few items in the middle covered with drop cloths, sound, once again had the ability to reverberate off the walls and ceilings and it took me back to when we first knew you, first moved into this house – before it had been “properly” appointed with lots of furniture and accessories. You would come every weekend, guitar in hand and sing in that room and worship would resound and hit the walls and ascend to the ceiling and go on to heaven and come back and change the atmosphere. Your worship in this house set a desired precedent for my heart and this place and when the acoustics are just so, I remember it. And I miss that as life has gotten louder and busier and fuller. I love being in a meeting with hundreds as you lead in worship, hearing your most amazing voice. I enjoy watching the Rez Live-Stream when you and Tara are leading. But you with your guitar and just a few of us right here: overwhelming goodness. Way better! You’re one of my all-time fav singers. And always will be.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will be with him in trouble…”

When you chose my amazing firstborn daughter to be your wife, and then the two of you blessed us with these cherished boys – oh, be still my heart. You are such a wonderful husband to Tara and an incredible daddy to Hunter and Malakai. I also love you for the sacrifices you have made to perpetuate the legacy of adoption in our family. Because dad, who was adopted knew he was born to adopt Tara. And when the two of you opened your heart to do the same with Baby-Kai, well, all of us are beginning to understand in a way we maybe hadn’t before, this whole spirit of adoption, of truly becoming sons of God, crying out to Him, ‘Abba, Father.” The spiritual treasure of this in-the-natural adoption is changing our family. Thank-you for paying the cost and being obedient to welcoming this son into your family, into ours. Our family DNA-chain is being forged unbreakable – what blessing it is going to be for so many through the generations…

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will deliver him and honor him…”

When you share your heart and the secrets of the Lord and reveal vision, it is life-giving. Many times I have stood in the back of a room and as you spoke with such crystal clarity something I had already heard many times before, I would still be left breathless with the strength, the perspicuity of the message. I always wondered, looking around, do the rest of you understand the power of what is happening here? That is a gift of God in your life. You have been given a strong gift of revealing, communicating. Your words, falling like rain, will have the ability to change people and situations and lives and nations.

So I pray that all the God-given dreams of your heart will come to pass and that the Lord will send you mighty warriors to run with you, those who are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. And I pray that hopeless people will hear the vision and be energized to pick it up and take it to new levels you never dreamed possible (beyond all you could ask or imagine) and finally understand why they were born. And I pray He sends you the weakest ones, too, for they are indispensable to the Body of Christ. So may you be surrounded by those who will bring you all the help you need {to be all He has called you to be, and to do all He has called you to do} from the sanctuary. There is great help available from the sanctuary.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “With long life I will satisfy him…”

I deeply respect the strong call and anointing of God on your life. That God is opening doors to big rooms and your gift is bringing you before great men, that you have been set forth to shake nations and declare the Kingdom of God over regions is not in question. But I maintain that you are never stronger in your anointing than the times you are releasing the light of the joy of the Lord over people. For seriousness and heaviness need not be cultivated, as a rule. Jesus didn’t say, “I have come that your worry, care, concern and apprehension would be appropriately full,” but rather that our JOY would be full. And you have made me laugh so many times. Your humor and ability to see the silly side of life have been a perfect foil to my desolation, as the enemy himself wishes to keep us from our very strength (the joy of the Lord) by causing us consternation, super-responsible trepidation, woe and worry. So let the TV preachers work on bringing everybody down about the terrible times in which we live (as if the Word didn’t promise greater grace in these troubling times, and greater is He that is in us, for crying out loud) and you keep dispensing garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness and releasing the light and life of the love of the Father and be full of joy through the Holy Spirit (like Jesus was) and dispense it, too. You are hilarious. That is an anointing.

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will…show him my salvation.”

I love you most, maybe, because you love the LORD. That fact alone brings me peace no matter what happens – for His promises towards you will be true, and somehow we’ll all figure everything out and get lined back up.

We have been to heaven and back a few times in 10 years. Being your m-i-l, believe it or not, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Seasons come and go. The way we interact or the actual time we’ll spend together has and will probably continue to change between us, but I will always thank God for you. I will always believe the best of you. I will never write you off or write you out of my story. I will always be proud to say you are my son-in-love and the father of my grandsons and the beautiful man of my daughter’s dreams.

And with the exception of a few horrendous meetings and the bloody attack of the enemy against our unity last year, I would do it all again, with gratefulness for your love and openness for what I had to bring {and I was honored to give anything/everything I could} – in spite of me being your “m-i-l.” *faint smile

Have another wonderful, blessed year of favor. So many more to come, I just know it. Don’t be afraid – because you love Him (you are covered)… {me}

But p.s…I am voting against a duck-dynasty beard, puleeeeeeezzzzzze…

Happy Birthday, Dave Powers!

June 16, 20122 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Eventsdave powers, heaven fest, worship and the word movementJeanie

The firstborn married so well. Tara got Dave Powers! So we got him, too.

Only I still love to remind her that I knew before she did…kind of. There was this early morning God-speaking-to-me kind of dream that involved Tara’s wedding day and all of dancing joyfully – just head-over-heels happy with the man she’d married. I can still hear God saying, “You’ll love him like you birthed him yourself.” I could not comprehend that, but it turned out to be true.

That night, after this vivid and beautiful dream from the Lord, quite serendiptiously, I actually met Dave Powers for the first time. Coincidence? No way. And just for another fun fact: he was born the day my husband proposed to me 31 years ago. Like God was getting Tara and me both set up! *Ahem!

Happy Birthday, David Michael Powers.

Thanks for hanging in there and hanging on. Thanks for bringing things to this family we didn’t even know we needed. Mostly thank you for marrying, for covenanting with my baby girl. Thank-you for fathering Hunter so extraordinarily. It is a blessed sight to behold.

This year, I have been taking a look back and re-reading the things I have written about each of you, mi familia, on your birthdays. It has been cool to see all God is doing, how He is moving in and through you each. So, for you, here is what I was reminded of today:

2011, the word-picture-DP. Man on Fire.

I crammed as many things onto a jpg as I could. Each one: true and heartfelt. I especially still love “spiritual iconoclast.” And “received.” You are. Both!

2010, true confessions

“For I am of the persuasion that the children we get are as much used by God to form us and train us as we are in their lives, And you, son-of-my-heart, are a shining example of it. You are courageous and bold and have invited to me to go places I never would have gone, didn’t even think I wanted to go and sometimes have been crazy-uncomfortable. Most of it, I wouldn’t trade. Some of it I am waiting for the day I can say, ‘Oh we can laugh about that now…’ Haha”

Will you ever quit challenging me???

2009, 28-things I LOVE about DP

And I could add 31 more at the drop of a hat. #28, still, really one of the main ones!

2008 and the Indiana Jones movie clip

Because Psalm 121 told me what to expect…for you.

Happy Birthday, Dave, son-of-my-heart. Happy birthday to a man who is both steady, worthy of trust and wildly abandoned and pliable and in the hands of God. Happy day to some one who is youthful and adventurous, with ears to hear the Spirit of God and eyes to see what God is up to on the earth. Happy and blessed days to an unassuming guy who holds the keys to the very heart of God, as well as to our own hearts. I don’t think people can know just by looking, perhaps not until they have been in a room with you – the depth of character and the strength in spirit you carry…

And on your birthday, I want to tell you what a good son you are. I want you to know that we see the spirit of sonship in you toward your earthly fathers, spiritual fathers. And we see that you have submitted your heart to the Father as a son who welcomes the training and discipline that comes with that. That is why, today and all your days, you will walk in the inheritance of the Father. All He has is yours. And I wonder if your anointing might not pull some earthly fathers back from the brink, out of bondage?

2007 – reflecting on what you brought

You walked in and re-ignited some lost passions and time-weakened dreams and became one of us, as if we’d never known a time before you. You consecrated our new home with worship and your voice from those early days continues to echo in my memory – the many weekends you’d spend here, your time off from the ministerial internship, guitar in hand…We could see God’s hand and blessing on you so clearly, we felt honored to offer this man of God our couch and a blanket. You did drive me a little crazy with all the questions and inquisitiveness, but you drew me back out of a self-imposed exile and honored me by receiving what little I had to offer.

Happy Birthday, Dave. You have brought a lifetime of joy and love and adventure and vision to our lives – in just 10 years!! So many years to go. Soon, for a baby of {as yet}mysterious origin, you will be a daddy again. And for this child, known well by God, planned and protected by His hand, you will be the miracle so needed. And you will do it well. I know this, because you have done it for us. For me.

You make us happy. We think you are wonderful to watch, to know, to love. Happy, blessed day! Love you SO much.

Mom

Dave & Tara – tonight at Rez in Loveland (4 pm and 6 pm) and tomorrow at both services (8:30 am and 10:30 am. With Kim Walker. Dave is speaking. It will be amazing!

Song for a Sunday: Yes!

June 3, 20121 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 5 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Think"yes", dave powers, heaven fest, northern hills church, rocky rhoades, rocky rhoades leading worship, worship, worship and the word movementJeanie

Omygoodness. I LOVE this song!

Dave and Tara introduced me to this song the summer of 2006. I had just left a busy (crazy, heart-pounding, wreck-of-a) church position and I was in rough shape. They were about to embark on this new thing called Worship and the Word Movement, where they could travel and sing and lead worship and infuse local churches and ministries with much-needed resources for worship – all for just the invitation, no $$ required. Missionaries.

It was a summer night. In a barn east of Brighton and the Holy Spirit was pre~sent! O my. And they started singing it and every person in the place had their faces turned heavenward with their arms raised singing, “Yes, yes – yes, yes!”

And I was standing there begging God to show me what was next, to give me my next assignment – something to prove He wasn’t actually finished with my life in light of the loss and the pain of the months just passed.

And you know when you hear from heaven and know it is really God because you know you would never have heard those words from your own heart and mind – you know that kind of hearing? I heard like that and He told me, in spite of the fact that the words of this song are amazing, sweet, and about simple surrender (and have a decidedly early 70s R & B flavor, which is so me),

“Do not sing this song. There is nothing for you to say ‘yes’ to.”

And I am serious. Because He was serious. He absolutely would not allow me the honor of singing this song. I looked around that barn and just like the wounded heart I was, spewed out, with hot, stinging tears, “Why do they all get to say ‘yes?!'” He reiterated:

“There is NOTHING for you to say yes to.”

Settled. KILLED. Just broke my heart. I had thought He meant forever. I couldn’t comprehend He was looking out for me, making sure I was safe before we ventured further…

Many times since, I have asked Dave and Tara why they don’t do that song more because I love it and God lets me sing it now. **happy face** :)

Flash forward: A Sunday morning (today).

I try to slink unnoticed in to the church. I am immediately greeted by 2 of the HF familia who will not let me slink by. Oh no. I just want to come in, sit in the Whitewater dark and sing a little (along with my son, Rocky, who is leading), hear the sermon and leave like I came: over-worked, over-wrought, over-tired, all my own fault.

Rocky and Jovan are about to step out as missionaries themselves. 6 years later, we are here again…He has a dream to build a worship team that goes out into the highways and byways, even into bars. He wants to actually worship the Lord in the dark places. He and Jovan want to write and produce music that will bring healing where the wounded live. And today, omygoodness – it reminded me of that little white barn with Dave and Tara 6 years ago.

And he dusted off the too-little-used song, “Yes.” And I am tired. And I am a bit beaten down by working without resting, by fearing man rather than God, by all the things I should know better than to allow…But sitting there (in the Whitewater dark) I realized, the thing is, I can say yes now. God is asking me.

“Do you want to do this?” I hear Him ask…

Yes, yes. Yes, Lord, yes.

And I hear Rocky lead out with strong resolve:

From my heart I say Yes

From my soul I say yes

All my life I say yes, yes…..

So that is my song of the day. Maybe the month or the next 60 days, I don’t know. It just really washed over me.

GOTTA get a camera that can handle the sound and low-lights. The vid is low-quality. But I am sharing it anyway, because if you’re trying to decide something right now, see if these words and this melody will fit. And if it helps you say what you know you already want to say anyway…

Get your lyrics and chord chart here: Yes- E (CD)

Sing, sing, sing! A song (or a few) for a Saturday and a Sunday

January 28, 20121 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 5 Songs I am Singingandy garcia, dave beegle, dave powers, jon powers, resurrection fellowship of loveland, rez, rocky rhoades, worshipJeanie

01/08/12 – Worship from Resurrection Fellowship on Vimeo.

Rocky with the Rez team recently. Loveland, CO

LIVE Stream Sunday at www.rez.org, go to media, live webcast at 8:30 or 10:30 am.

Man on Fire, Happy Birthday!

June 16, 20112 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 5 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Thinkdave powersJeanie

A 2004 movie, Man on Fire: Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony. In Mexico City, a former assassin swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.

Happy Birthday to Dave Powers, a son of my heart, my daughter’s God-sent love, and extraordinary daddy to my grandson

I love you, Dave. I thank God for the day He sent you our way. I will never forget the spiritual dream given to me in the early morning hours of the hope you were bringing, or of meeting you later that day, not even recognizing you as that dream fulfiller. I still laugh knowing that the day dad proposed to me almost 30 years ago, He was putting all the shattered pieces together and you were being born into the world. There God was, unbeknownst to us, putting all the pieces in place until the appointed time.

You were sent to us. I know this. Maybe like the guy in the movie. And I thank God for it.

You are a man on fire.

For the past few years, I have watched you as a contagious, youthful-zeal and passion guy whose love for Jesus invited people, just swept them in, to awe and worship of God; a preacher who could rain down the words of righteousness like life and bring hope and joy. You are always at your strongest when you release true joy in a room, btw. Always. But this season, as we have ventured into an unknown that is beyond anything any any of us have ever seen (and I mean: I have been around the block!), I am keenly aware of the size of the vision and the gift of communication God has entrusted to you. I have watched you become a voice that cannot be ignored, a spiritual stateman serving notice in enemy territory. I have told the interns: You are watching history unfold. You are hearing some of the most clear, visionary, faith-building, hope-infusing, revolutionary, enemy-diminishing, Kingdom-advancing words of our time. You are being exposed to something unbelievably powerful and earth-changing. Watch for how God plans to use that in your life, through your life, because this? This is an honor.

But if I say, “I will not mention his word

or speak anymore in his name,”

his word is in my heart like a fire,

a fire shut up in my bones.

Jeremiah 20.9a

I have told them that, these young interns (ww.heavenfest.com), because I am aware of its’ truth. I get to hear you speak often and every. single. time. I am BLOWN AWAY by the power of it. Especially because I also know the gentleness and purity of it. Because I am your mother-in-law and I know for a fact that what you speak to the crowds is absolutely as transparent and real as when you stop and take the time (so so so often) to speak to just one person, even me. I watch people walk away from listening to you, as you invite everyone to know and love Jesus like never before, and I understand their awe, I get that the anointing has begun the removal of some yokes and they are amazed at this Dave Powers. I listen as they try to express. And I can stand there knowing full well that who you are on stage or in front of a crowd is the tip of the iceberg of the man of character and faith, the husband, the father, the son and brother, the man you are outside of the spotlight (which you have never tried to find anyway), what they see, what impresses people – is never more true than when no one is looking. Yes, this is what I know.

If anyone could think differently, wouldn’t it be the mother-in-law? *smile

You were sent.

You belong to your parents. They birthed you and raised you and did a great job. I am grateful to their sacrifices and commitment to see you be all God had in mind. But God sent you to us. We got you as a gift. And I thank Him for that.

Here are some words from me to you

Happy Birthday, David Michael Powers. Son of my heart. I didn’t birth you, but I am as proud of you as if I did. xxxooo Mom

Jon on Hope for Haiti

January 23, 20105 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Thinkdave powers, elvis, hallelujah, jon powers, justin timberlake, leonard cohen, matt morrisJeanie

This is Jon Powers on the drums with Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris on the Hope for Haiti telethon Friday night. Jon is my son-in-law, Dave’s, brother.

Such a quiet, sweet, soulful performance of “Hallelujah,” the classic Leonard Cohen song. Tredessa says I simply cannot write the words to the song on this blog.

There is a family debate about whether or not Elvis once sang this song. Stormie is sure of it. And after she said so, I could sort of hear him singing it in my head, too.

But Tredessa says Elvis wouldn’t have touched this song with a 10-foot pole (due to risque themes)…and I guess it wasn’t even released until some years past his death. But, so, ok. Stormie and I think Elvis should sing it – if he is still alive, as sometimes purported

Nonetheless, Hallelujah!…Jeanie

The Convivial Occasions of October

October 12, 20092 Mi Familia, 3 Celebrations & Festive Events, 4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, 6 Looking Back // Memories!, 9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Thinkbirthday cake, birthdays, brighton CO, chocolate-cherry cake bites, cinzzetti's, dave powers, delirious, harvest fest at nhcc, hunter, jeanie rhoades, october, platte valley players, roy rogers, roy rogers museum, seek and soak, seekandsoak.com, swine flu, tom ewing, wheels-in-motion cake, worship and the word movementJeanie

Last year I said October is Orange. And it still is. My church turned orange last fall, too. I do love my house-of-worship-advertising sweatshirt with the bum logo (thank-you, sweet Katie!).

This October is craaaaaazy-busy-fun and occasion-filled!

Like, we have three family birthdays in October (mine, Hunter’s and still-to-come: Jovan’s!). I turned 50 (shhh…there is no need to think about this, nor mention it aloud) with dinner at Cinzzetti’s~

Cinzzetti’s

Pictured: Me and my baby, Stormie; Patrice is telling me right at this very second that she is pregnant with their 3rd child! Me, Pearl and Marilyn. I screamed immediately following…

DP nearly ate Cinzzetti’s out of mussels; me and the 5 grandbebes who were well-contained in our private room.

I have sweet friends (almost every single one of whom is younger than me, I noticed), and a lovely family. Thank-you, everybody for celebrating my life even if I could have gone without noticing the new decade. I am blessed.

Hunter and the wheels-in-motion cake and fun-on-wheels party for himself and 25 of his closest friends:

Hunter turned “The Garage” into a speedway. There were trikes and bikes and skateboards and more. Kids zoomed one way and then the next. It was crazy loud and speedy. Hunter got the chocolate fudge cake he wanted in the shape of a “5” and when, the other day, he reminded he really, really, really wanted some lightening bolts, too, in honor of his current favorite movie, Bolt, I whipped up a strawberry cake at the last second to cut out and ice some lightening bolt shapes for flanking the main cake.

But, oh my goodness, it is what I did with the cut-off-cake crumbs that needs to be mentioned. Into a bowl: leftover chocolate-fudge cake, the rest of the fudge filling, a block of cream cheese, a can of cherry pie filling. Mixed well. Cookie-scooped onto baking sheets and thrown into the freezer until they were just firm enough to coat with melted white chocolate. Chocolate-Cherry Cake Bites, o yeah! To. die. for. Yum. Seriously!

Poor Magoo ended up very, very sick at his own party. He conked out, but the fun held up.

There was a Worship and the Word Movement PSTeam (prayer-support team) potluck at the MadCap Theater (a great improv place-you should totally go!)

http://www.madcapimprov.com/

Last night there was a Seek and Soak with TOM EWING (a man DP called a general in worship ministry). Here is the kick-off song featuring Tom, Sing to the King

In the video, left to right: Rocky Rhoades on guitar, Tom Ewing, Tristan on drums, Stormie on bass, DP on lead guitar (and leading the whole Seek and Soak), Lewis Brown (a.k.a. Proxy), and Lewis Brown, Sr. on sax. It was an amazing night. Musical worship, the Word of God, 3+ hours of encounter-worship, about 100 people entering the Presence, even Baptists! :) Smile, Emily! That was for you!

Let’s see…what else?

Jovan and Rocky will find out if it is a boy or a girl at their next appointment. Goody!

There is the celebration of Amy Jo’s baby-to-be this Thursday night.

And Saturday night I get to go see the final Delirious concert in Colorado ever as they are on their farewell tour. This band changed everything in the 90s and they are still such a class act, men of integrity who love Jesus and are soooo talented. They changed the sound of worship and people around the world go deeper worship via the songs of the Lord they introduced. Got to see them at Ichthus and now here. I love them and how they have influenced my own children to become History Makers.

Also ~ Dave will play the lead in the Platte Valley Player’s community theaters’ presentation of “Suspenders,” a musical comedy, as part of the grand opening celebration of Brighton’s newly restored/renovated armory as a community arts center/theater in Brighton’s “downtown.” He’ll be performing in it over the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. I’ll be attending the very first performance on Monday the 19th (an event for which I bought a dress!!). I am somewhat divided in my joy about the fact that Dave is also painting the backdrop for the show and there are 6 giant 8′ x 4′ canvases in my living room at this time.

Family Time!

I will be going to spend a week with my mama et papa in Springfield, MO, where they wrongfully and stubbornly retired a year and a half ago and now wish to leave to be closer to any of us that they know (do you know of anyone house-hunting in Springfield?? Help!). They will spoil me rotten and my brother Joe is meeting me there, too. We will visit Branson, about a half hour from them, for the express purpose of giving my mother her dream-come-true in visiting the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans Museum before it closes its’ doors for good this December.

I am already working on church Christmas decor. In October!

Upon my return, I will enjoy the grandbebes playing dress-up for the church’s annual Harvest Fest and then, as they have all requested (informing me that it is a tradition, one I must have started unknowingly), all will gather at our home for broccoli-cheese soup (because I make incredible zuppa).

Life. It can wear you out!

Dave is sick and they are checking him for H1N1 tomorrow morning, though they have already started him on antibiotics. What in the world?? Who has time for this?

Just trying to keep up…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Loosen up some time in November and December. Right.