Longmont is a beautiful city with an amazing view of the Rocky Mountains. We have been in a most incredible location and it has been “home” (on the Northern Hills Church property www.northernhills.cc). What a blessing that has been. The drawback has been the 2-lane highway which makes for crazy long car lanes in every direction. Traffic flowed very smoothly…just very slowly this past year when we had 22,800 people there all at once!
This new property is a beautiful park and reservoir with lots of farmland, which is going to allow for “raw” camping. It is just west of I-25 on the north side of the 4-lane highway 119. 70+ bands on 7 stages, interactive worship, a Petra reunion…come on. Start making plans! WE GOT OUR PERMIT TODAY!
A partial look at what you’ll see.
Remember 2008 – our first year? We did this the day we got our Adams County Permit LESS THAN A MONTH out from the festival!
We’re still together. Still going strong and doing the happy dance. Still love each other! The GREATEST miracle of all!
Candi is this graceful, elegant, highly intellectual, runs-marathons kind-of-woman She is an extremely organized, highly-respected and amazing early-thirty-something woman. She can crunch numbers and run a business, plus has 2 totally cute and caring children. I mean she is grace. She is poised and thoughtful and admirable on so many levels I can’t even tell you. But she is also a major prankster who gets away with it because it is so unexpected of her. And really, when a camera comes out? She is never straight. She is always being silly.
That is why I am giggling nervously here and my tongue is hanging out. Because I am expecting Candi to do something outrageous any second and make me look ridiculous. {TRICKED AGAIN!} She didn’t. But I am always wary around her – that sly Candi!
See? Here is proof. She can be ornery!
Pictured: Mexi-can or Mexi-can’t? Mexi-CAN! Candi’s {first} plate of food at the HF Leadership Mexican Food Extravaganza Sunday night! This is what you are missing if you are not joining the Heaven Fest leadership team. You know resistance is futile, don’t you?
We hug and eat and laugh and eat and pray and hear what God is doing and eat some more and visit and get caught up and our vision is renewed and we get ready to run with the plans and the Heaven Fest people? This is family! Wanna join?? Let me know!
Jon Powers (drums) with Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris on the Hope for Haiti telethon Friday night. Jon is my son-in-law, Dave Powers’ 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. For obvious reasons (some of which Justin left out on his version here).
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.
I am working from home. I take a break to get something to eat. I am walking back in toward the coffee table which is pulled up to the couch (where I have been sitting cross-legged as I plug away on the minutia), carrying my 12 Kalamata olives (only for the very brave because they pack a powerful flavor sensation) and my 1/2 avocado which has been sprinkled with torn cilantro leaves, crushed-between-my-fingers Kosher salt and had lime juice squeezed over the top (I mean, seriously – your mouth should be watering right now!).
I smile when I see this:
Because ~ this is what Luke sees across the table when we are in meetings. What a happy (and pretty darn well-coordinated) pile of stuff!
My theory?
Oh yeah, baby. Luke doesn’t just get his color and design inspiration out of the air! He sees my computer, my pen bag and pens, my Sea & Ski lip stuff, my meeting notebooks, my coffee mug and my planner. And we all see the finished product! I truly don’t TRY to make this happen…these colors just show up in my life these days.
By the way: The planner is opened to July and there is only one thing on it: Heaven Fest on July 31st!
Do you know why?
Because Heaven Fest is all there is in July!
No, seriously. Luke is a genius designer/marketing/festival-producing kid and we just happen to be in sync on retro-modern, flower-child colors right now. Plus he loves that Colorado-blue sky and I love spring-green grass and those things just cause an exuberantly colorful explosion inside…which then appears! Here are some of the promotional designs you can get from the Heaven Fest website (www.heavenfest.com). Click here for more.
We just announced the official Heaven Fest ‘10 date today in a middle-of-the-night e-blast. Because that is when Luke does his best work. Luke, btw, is a genius! www.heavenfest.com
We were on the front page of the Longmont Times-Call for the 2nd time in less than 2 weeks (small city, readership maybe 80,000 – but the website comments going on—yowzers!). I did an interview for that paper last summer and somehow me talking about “God’s Presence” got turned into “God’s presents.” But it was nice overall (and the Presence is such a gift).
image swiped from Joe Vasquez’s Facebook. Thanks, Joe.
Misc. information
The artist line-up is looking good. I’ll let you in on a little secret: Casting Crowns has already confirmed and there is going to be a PETRA reunion! Yes! Can you believe it?? The Lord is opening really interesting doors in some intriguing places.
We are dreaming of huge, creative, generous ways we can give – give - give to orphans and ministries and God’s work around the world. And listening for how and what God is calling us to…
New Look
Luke has unveiled the new groovy and much greener look (affectionately referred to by my sweet friends as “Jeanie green”) and things are unfolding in a beautiful God-loves-Colorado fashion! Woo-hoo! And the countdown clock is ticking away at the website. YIKES!
That was An Evie song that I solo’ed on in the early 80’s and later our three little girls, Tara, Stephie and Dessa would sing together in matching Christmas dresses with red ribbons in their long hair, delighting congregations and their parents!
Everytime a bell rings, and angel gets its wings.
Famous folklore from the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.
Sleigh Bells, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Church bells.
There are a lot of bells ringing, it seems, around this time of year. It is a bit daunting and I am tempted to yell, like Uncle Leo on Seinfeld, “Would somebody answer that [@#$%] phone?!?
But through crazy-loud-manic-silly-overdone-ear-piercing noise, I am listening. I am listening for that one clear note, that beautifully and perfectly played note away from the fray. I depend upon the tintinnabulation to bring things back into order, to make the world right again, to center my focus and bring some calm.
And while Christmas, the worship of the Savior who came, can get lost amid the piles of wrapping paper and receipts, and can be hard to find after too many parties and rooms full of people, that crystal-clear note is really the sound of the angels on high while a baby takes His first breath in a manger amid the animal dung and feed. The tintinnabulation that rings so clear and true even still is the glorious song those angels sang so joyously and raucously over two-thousand years ago:
“Glory to God in the highest; and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men [on whom His favor rests].”
I am always so pleased to hear the radio stations play, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, for lyrically (written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), they are releasing into the air each Christmas season, the solid truth of that particular angelic declaration that rings through the ages and is louder still, even now:
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
God is not dead, nor does He sleep! That is the true and reliable tintinnabulation for which I am listening, and endlessly, whether I listen for it or not, it rings on, unbroken by time or space or world condition.
Casting Crowns recorded the lyrics with a haunting new melody last Christmas, a version they are even playing on Kosi 101 this year. Enjoy a live rendition below, and be thrilled again by God’s goodwill toward you! (And, by the way, shhhhh, Casting Crowns has confirmed for Heaven Fest 2010)…
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day ~ Casting Crowns
And wild and sweet the words repeat of Peace on earth, goodwill to men!
She was amazed and perplexed when He asked her for a drink. And today, we still wonder, What on earth do I have to offer Him? He sees, He knows and He loves…me (?!?)…
Sometimes one old hymn can say in very few words what an almost-three-year-old blog has been trying to say in over 700 posts.
A hymn of A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.
Once ’twas painful trying, Now ’tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once ’twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once ’twas constant drifting, Now my anchor’s cast.
Once ’twas busy planning, Now ’tis trustful prayer;
Once ’twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once ’twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once ’twas constant asking, Now ’tis ceaseless praise.
Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.
Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He’s mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.
Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919) wrote many poems and hymns and founded the Christian and Missionary Alliance
NOTE: I discovered this hymn at the end of Frank Viola’s amazing book,From Eternity to Here
