greatness.

My heart still feels so full from this morning I'm not totally sure how to write about it.  Our morning at Seeds of Greatness Bible Church was filled.  

Filled with some fantastic people, from Pastor Jerome and Lisa, the couple who baptized Matt as a child, to the friends we've made the last seven years, all the way down to other parents I met in the nursery.  

Filled with some fantastic Spirit-filled moments, from Matt's preaching all the way down to (I am not exaggerating) the announcements.  

Filled with a lot of different emotions, from awe at the reminder of who He is to heartbreak over the extreme pain in this world back to awe at the Creator who promises to make all things new.

Filled with a lot of gratefulness, from Seeds of Greatness and their huge role in faithfully supporting us in Haiti to Uncle Don and Aunt Brenda, sitting through at least Don's hundredth Ayars presentation, letting Sofie sticker them to death.  

One of the simple truths the Lord reminded me of this morning was that we've gotta be active in the Holy Spirit's work.  As Jerome put it, "You can't sit on the couch and ask the Holy Spirit to help you rake.  You gotta be raking for him to come alongside you and help you rake.  If you want the Holy Spirit to move, you gotta be moving." 

I've been praying and praying that the Lord will work in my heart and life on a certain issue, but for all the times I've asked Him to change my heart and been waiting for Him to do so, I sure haven't gotten started on it.  What a heart-changing truth for me today...

And that was in Jerome's office before the service started.  

Add in an incredible testimony of Mercy Ministries that had us all in tears (twice), the powerful photos and story of Jerome and Lisa's son's should-have-been death experience in May, an announcement-turned-devotional about SoG's ministry to teens with parents going through divorce, a powerful display of a church's commitment to every.single.person participating in the worship of tithing, some great musical worship, a totally-unexpected powerful dance/drama, some sincere and in-His-presence prayer times, a staggering altar call for active participation in missions and this handsome young man preaching (see it here), plus being surrounded by so many faithful friends?  Plus a time of being surrounded by all these people below to pray for rest, wisdom and renewed energy and protection for our family?

Yikes.  We were all so blessed and challenged we could hardly talk about anything else over lunch.

This is also why I got almost NO pictures.  Sorry.  

It was a Sunday we won't soon forget...one of those "make a milestone" moments you want to remember when the nights are inky black and sweaty hot and your heart is burdened and you can hear the voodoo drums pounding and I pray to the Lord, "Meet me, Lord, Come.  I am alone." 

He did, today, and I am NOT.