October - November Newsletter

Last week a man called and said he needed an accompaniment track right away of "Bow the Knee". He actually drove from another city just so he could come get it. When he arrived he shared such a wonderful testimony of how this song had impacted his life more than other song. When Chris and I hear a testimony like that we are reminded of how we are just the instruments, but God is the author, the originator and inspiration of every song. And He has purposes for each song. I continue to be amazed at how God has used "Bow the Knee" in people's lives - and even in our own life. I can't tell you how many times we have said in a difficult situation, "we are getting to live the truth of our own song, and we need to bow the knee in this situation." There are many things in our lives that do not make sense, but our choice is to trust or despair. When given that choice, I think I will choose to trust! I was reminded of this as I was doing a Bible Study on Worship this week. I was studying worship in the Old Testament. I discovered that the Hebrew word for worship is "shachah", and it is a picture of someone bowing, kneeling, stooping or prostrating on the ground before God. The authors, Henry Blackaby and Ron Owens made this point, " In Old Testament days, this was something that those who worshiped God did physically (bowing, kneeling). But the true meaning of this word goes way beyond any outward expression of worship; it has to do preeminently with the heart. It is an inward attitude. It is not so much something we do as much as it is someone we are." They then asked, "Do you have a 'shachah' heart?" That made me stop and think. While I know that I do not always trust the Lord as I should in every circumstance, it is my prayer that God will see that my heart's desire is to submit to His Sovereignty and authority - to BOW THE KNEE and believe Him and trust Him. Have you ever heard the story of the little boy who had disobeyed his mother and she made him sit in the corner? Well, as soon as he reluctantly sat on his chair he yelled out, "I'm sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside"! That's a good reminder that as we bow and kneel before the Lord on the outside, our heart should be doing the same!

I have to share with you one other "Bow the Knee" story. It actually just happened today as I was in the process of writing this newsletter to you. We just returned from attending the funeral of one of our dearest friends. His name is DR. PAUL WARREN, and he impacted our life and the lives of thousands of others more than just about anyone we've ever known. We would often have lunch with Paul, and we also had the privilege of singing for quite a few of his conferences for children with learning challenges. Paul gave hope, wise counsel and love to scores of children and their parents. Chris and I affectionately called him "the Grace Man" because he demonstrated the grace of God to everyone he came in contact with. This past Friday night, Paul went to sleep in his earthly home and awoke in his Heavenly Home. He was only 57. It was a shock to all of us. As we arrived at the funeral today, the church was packed with family and friends like us, looking to find comfort in the Scriptures that were to be read and the songs that were to be sung. And as we opened our program we wept, for there listed as one of the songs was "Bow the Knee."

Have you ever walked into a High School gym and sensed that you were walking on holy ground? Have you ever sat on bleachers and felt that the Lord Jesus Himself was sitting right next to you? Have you ever cheered and applauded, not for a winning score but for the wonderful Spirit of God? This is our experience every Sunday morning as we worship the Lord in the gym at Prosper High School. As we shared with you in our last newsletter, our home church, Prestonwood Baptist has launched a new North Campus in Prosper, Texas, and Chris has the wonderful blessing of being the worship pastor. It has been so exciting to see how God is moving! The church is growing, and people are finding Christ. A few weeks ago a teenage boy came forward to accept Christ, and was met at the front by his weeping father. Soon we were all crying, so moved by how Jesus can change a life and a family. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as Chris leads this new ministry each week. We would also appreciate your prayers for these other ministry opportunities that the Lord has provided for us:

Oct. 28 - "Forever Praise" Concert in conjunction with LifeWay Christian Resources - FBC, Carrollton, TX
Nov. 9-11 - "Texas Life Connections" Summit in conjunction with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention - Great Hills
                  Baptist Church, Austin, TX
Nov. 13 - Ministers' Wives Brunch in conjunction with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention -Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX
Dec. 17 - Machen Family Christmas Concert - Prestonwood North Campus, Prosper, TX

Thank you so much for your prayers and support of this ministry. We appreciate you so much!

Diane

PRESTONWOOD NORTH WORSHIP