(For those of you who might be a little late on the news (no pun intended) Grammy Award winning artist Steven Curtis Chapman, lost his just-turned-5, adoptive daughter, Maria Sue Chapman, to a tragic car accident last week. To read more on the accident click here, here, or here. To visit Steven Curtis Chapman’s site click here. To visit the page written in memorial of Maria Sue Chapman click here.) 

Steven and family,

Chances are you may never read this, but in case you do, know that you have my deepest sympathies and condolences and I share and carry your pain and grief with you.

A little after I heard about the news, I decided to pull up my iTunes and listen to your album Declaration. As I came to the song God is God and began listening intently to it I began to weep as my heart filled with sadness, once more. Yet, as the song came alive in my head the answer to the question I had been asking all along came to me. The answer to the why? Why so early? Why the pain? Why so young? Why her brother? Why did God allow it? Why to this family? Why to the righteous? The answers to these questions did not come, but this became clear to me= although we may never know the answer to the why we do know one thing— God is God. He knows why it happened and He’s aware of your pain. Remember that He has full control of the situation. Can we even take a breath without God giving it to us?

In Christ, 

Pablo

PS Dear friends, please take heart and remember life is short, don’t take it for granted.

Come out to Calvary Christian Center on Friday, May 16, 2008 @ 7pm and join us and Trent Cory in this Live Recording for his new album entitled “Freedom Is”. Guests will include Grammy Award winning producer Aaron Lindsey and Ricardo Sanchez.

Also check out this link from the be:good foundation.

Click on the link below for maps and directions from Google. Google

Guest musicians will include:

Organ/Aux Keys- Derrieux Edgecombe- has played with Bishop Eddie L. Long, Donnie McClurkin, Kurt Carr, Jonathan Butler, and many others

Drums- Calvin Rodgers- has played for Fred Hammond, Martha Munizzi, R. Kelly, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Smokie Norful, Mary Mary, Hezekiah Walker, Byron Cage, John P. Kee, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Richard Smallwood, Vicki Yohe, The Clark Sisters, Donald Lawrence, Marvin Sapp, The Singletons and just about anyone else in gospel music

Bass- Darrell Freeman- has played for Donnie McClurkin, Kim Burrell, Myron Butler & Levi, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Yolanda Adams, Darwin Hobbs, Alvin Slaughter, Bishop Eddie L. Long, and many more

Guitar- Akil Thompson (sorry couldn’t find a link)- has played for Martha Munizzi, Mandisa, and many more

From our own, musicians will include:

Aux Keys- Jon Carey

Guitar- Matthew Fehrmann

And of Course Trent Cory himself and his wife Keisha Cory.

Also check out this link from the be:good foundation.

Click on the link below for maps and directions from Google.

Google

Come out to Calvary Christian Center on Friday, May 16, 2008 @ 7pm and join us and Trent Cory in this Live Recording for his new album entitled “Freedom Is”. 

The album is being produced by Grammy-Award winning producer Aaron Lindsey. Aaron has produced for music artists such as “Israel & New Breed”, CeCe Winans, Israel Houghton, Mary Alessi, Marvin Sapp, Micah Stampley, Lakewood Church (featuring the Houston Symphony Orchestra), Dewayne Woods and new artists Dayna Caddell and Daphne Rice (sorry found no link for her).

Guest Artist will be Ricardo Sanchez. Ricardo is the worship leader at Free Chapel Worship Center (pastored by Jentezen Franklin). He has performed with artist such as, Israel and New Breed, Darlene Zschech, Martha Munizzi, Mac Powell, Salvador, New Song, Jaci Velasquez, and many more.

Also check out this link from the be:good foundation.

 
Click on the link below for maps and directions from Google.

Google

“Freedom Is” Live Recording with Trent Cory and Aaron Lindsey

@ calvary christian center
Friday, May 16, 2008 at 7pm

Click on the link below for maps and directions from Google.

Google

— Alice Walker

Just wanted to take time to remind everyone to remember to thank their mothers in this very special day. For many of us, if it weren’t for our moms we wouldn’t be where we are today without them. Love them, respect them, pray for them. Remember, they are a blessing and they are there for a purpose. Thank you, Mom.

For those of you out there that don’t have any moms, take time to thank God today because He takes the place of a mother (and everything else) in everyone’s life. He makes the red roses seem more beautiful, life much sweeter, people more pleasant, and well, just about everything is better with God. Remember, God has a purpose for everything in your life… even those things that you don’t like. And if it weren’t for Him where would you be? 

“No Air”
by: Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks
Featuring: Chris Brown Chris Brown

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air 

(Verse)

If I should die before I wake 
It’s ’cause you took my breath away 
Losing you is like living in a world with no air, Oh

I’m here alone, didn’t wanna leave 
My heart won’t move, it’s incomplete 
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand

But how do you expect me 
To live alone with just me 
‘Cause my world revolves around you 
It’s so hard for me to breathe

(Chorus)

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air 
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air 
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there 
It’s no air, no air

Got me out here in the water so deep 
Tell me how you gonna be without me 
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe

It’s no air, no air

No air, air

No air, air

No air, air

No air, air 

(Verse)

I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew 
Right off the ground to float to you 
There’s no gravity to hold me down for real

But somehow I’m still alive inside 
You took my breath, but I survived 
I don’t know how, but I don’t even care

So how do you expect me 
to live alone with just me 
‘Cause my world revolves around you 
It’s so hard for me to breathe

(Chorus)

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air 
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air 
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there 
It’s no air, no air 

Got me out here in the water so deep 
Tell me how you gonna be without me 
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe 

It’s no air, no air

No air, air

No air, air

No air, air

No more (Baby)
It’s no air, no air Oh

(Chorus)

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air 
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air 
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there 
It’s no air, no air

Got me out here in the water so deep

Tell me how you gonna be without me (Can’t be without you baby)

If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe It’s no air, no air

 No air, air

No air, air

No air, air (So hard, So hard for me to breathe)

(Chorus)

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air

Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air

It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there (not there)

It’s no air, no air 

Got me out here in the water so deep 
Tell me how you gonna be without me

If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe 

No air, air

No air, air

No air, air

No air

this is how it feels.

“No Air” Music Video By Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown

i love Him i really do

But what about our spiritual man? Where do you really, really live? What is your real hiding place? What is your real address? Where do you really run? Where do you really escape? Where do you really go to find comfort?

Many of us go and run to many different places to find comfort. Sadly, these places only comfort us for a while, but at the end we just turn and run to something else because each time we go there we find no hope, no comfort, no touch that heals us, no place that we can run to alleviate all- if not just a little- of our distresses. Some of us run to people like family members, psychiatrists, doctors, preachers, pastors, mentors, teachers, friends, etcetera. I am not saying that they are bad or that we should not go to them or that they might not help us, what I am really saying is is that sometimes, just sometimes, they just won’t cut it. They can not (although they try as hard as they can) to soothe and touch what really needs to be healed. Still, some of us submerge ourselves in pornography, drugs, sex, money, violence, manipulation, “religions”, theology, etcetera, to find a little bit of comfort. Unfortunately, we desperately run to and live in these things to seek help only to find ourselves sinking into a web of deceit and more helplessness.

Yet, the question remains-so, what should we do? Simple, let’s move out of that residence of deceit that we are living in. Let’s get a change of address. But, where should we move to? The answer lies in Psalm 91. 

Here it is:

Psalm 91 (New Life Version)

1. He who lives in the safe place of the Most High will be in the shadow of the All-Powerful. 

2. I will say to the Lord, “You are my safe and strong place, my God, in Whom I trust.”

3. For it is He Who takes you away from the trap, and from the killing sickness.

4. He will cover you with His wings. And under His wings you will be safe. He is faithful like a safe-covering and a strong wall.

5. You will not be afraid of trouble at night, or of the arrow that flies by day. 

6. You will not be afraid of the sickness that walks in darkness, or of the trouble that destroys at noon. 

7. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand. But it will not come near you. 

8. You will only look on with your eyes, and see how the sinful are punished. 

9. Because you have made the Lord your safe place, and the Most High the place where you live, 

10. nothing will hurt you. No trouble will come near your tent.

11. For He will tell His angels to care for you and keep you in all your ways. 

12. They will hold you up in their hands. So your foot will not hit against a stone. 

13. You will walk upon the lion and the snake. You will crush under your feet the young lion and the snake.

14. Because he has loved Me, I will bring him out of trouble. I will set him in a safe place on high, because he has known My name. 

15. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will take him out of trouble and honor him. 

16. I will please him with a long life. And I will show him My saving power. 

Wow. What a wonderful Psalm… but for all these promises to be accomplished in our lives and for God’s saving power to be manifested in our lives we have to meet God at His place of residency and meet Him on His terms. In other words, we have to move out of our sinful life and move in with Christ… with Christ living in our hearts and having Him as a roommate. Look closely at verses 1 and 9 of this Psalm, ”1. He who lives in the safe place of the Most High will be in the shadow of the All-Powerful; 9. Because you have made the Lord your safe place, and the Most High the place where you live.” God wants us to live with Him. Let’s make God our habitation. Let’s make Christ our Secret Place. Let’s make Christ our address.

He Loves Us 

Thanks to my friend Brewster for discovering this song.