Our Youth...

I was supposed to sing with the worship team this morning, but it didn't happen because I've come down with some sort of throat/chest cold. But since I had to pick up Mili at 7 am for practice, I sat in on practice anyway. I found myself thanking the Lord that we have such amazing kids in our youth group. He's done some wonderful works in the hearts of SO MANY young people.

Then as I sat there watching this worship band, composed primarily of youth and led by a 17 year old (Mili), my eye happened to catch that one of the police men walked out into the middle of the street and was just standing there listening to them practice (the police station is right next to the the base). In that moment it struck me: so many of the young people around here are running off with their boyfriends/girlfriends because they can't control their passions, or they are getting involved with drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc., or they're staying out late and sleeping in. To those kids, Sunday is just another day. It doesn't mean anything. Those policemen deal with fights and crimes, and from time to time those issues involve youth. And what are our kids doing at 7 am on a Sunday morning? They show up WILLINGING to set up all the instruments and speakers and sound, then they practice the entire worship set for the second time this week. They aren't sleeping in, and they don't complain about it. Not only that, they ENJOY worshiping the Lord with their voices, instruments, hearts, and lives...even at 7 am in the morning!!! I watched that policeman out in the street and thought about what amazement might have been passing through his mind at that moment, about what kind of a testimony these kids are to the changing and life-giving power of Christ, and I prayed for them and thanked the Lord that the future of this area, this state, and this nation will be eternally different because he changed a few kids here and now. How incredible is that?!

So, I thought I'd post a video from Sunday's worship service. Mili is now taking voice lessons with Faye, one of our new staff members. She has come a long way as a worship leader and as a vocalist since I first started listening to her almost two years ago. She used to have a very hard time staying on pitch, but she has learned to hear the music and adjust herself. She really does have a beautiful, strong voice. Well, now she's taking voice lessons from Faye, and we're in the process of changing the songs into keys that she can actually sing (many of them are simply too high for her since Steve is usually the one leading). The rest of the band isn't too thrilled about having to learn all new chords, but they'll get it quickly enough. This was the first time she sang after her first voice lesson, in which she learned about supporting from her diaphragm. I was stunned in practice at the voice that came out of her when she sang the way she was supposed to...and she did a pretty great job staying on pitch even when her backup vocalist rarely did!

I'm just so proud I could bust!! Enjoy!