On Time God

Hello Everyone,
I can't thank you enough for your encouraging emails and prayers over the past few weeks. Everyday seemed to bring more bad news for my family, but yesterday we actually got some good news!
With Dad's battle against prostate cancer, we had tried every natural product we knew of. The doctors had said that the only way we would know if the cancer was shrinking, was that the PSA level would come down. It continued to climb. (Between 0-4 is considered good...8 being high.) Dad's last test result was a 42! So you can see why we were worried enough to agree to do the Radiation treatments.
Yesterday Dad called me at work and said he had news. I told him I really didn't want to hear it, but I would anyway. Then he asked if I was ready to praise God with him. His PSA had went from a 42.6 to a 3.9!! Our doctor said he's never seen anything like it.
Dad was scheduled to start his Radiation next week. He was to live in Cleveland for 5 weeks, his treatments being 5 days a week. God had other plans. The doctor said with the PSA being that low, he didn't think he would need to do it. We are currently setting up an appointment to see if the cancer is even there anymore. I'll keep you posted!
Again, thank you for your prayers and I would ask that you continue to do so. Dad goes into surgery Monday for his face cancer and I am due to have gallbladder surgery soon.
I confess that I had become bitter...didn't have any tears left to cry. Today tears of joy fill my eyes and a renewed hope, my being.
Thanks again...He's still a Healer!

~sheri lafontaine

Meet Our Newest Co-Writer!

Benjamin James Braselton was welcomed into the world on Monday, June 18th at 1:30 in the afternoon! He was 8 pounds, 2 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. We came home yesterday and we're both doing great! Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement over the past month or so. We really appreciate it!

I shall now attempt to post a picture...

-Kristie

She Speaks!

Hello everyone!! I just want to thank you again so much for your prayers and encouragement and for those of you who have been emailing me to check in and see how I'm doing.
I have finally completed my two weeks of total voice rest. I had my first follow up appt. with the surgeon yesterday and he was so pleased with how everything looks and sounds. I'm very excited and so grateful!
I am on a very strict speaking schedule for the next week as to how many minutes per day i can talk and I still am not allowed to talk on the phone until next week, but it's so nice to just BE ABLE to talk...and it's so effortless to talk now, and sounds so clear.
Praise the Lord. :)
Love and blessings,
kim

If I'm Willing

This is going to sound dramatic. But it is. It's come up on the WAJ board and in conversations with Sue about how interesting it is that some songs we write are for what we are about to experience. A 15 year old boy in our town drowned two weeks ago. He had just accepted the Lord a couple of weeks before that. His parents and a lot of his friends didn't know the Lord. While we were ministering to the family, I unconciously began to hum the song that Donna, Joel, and I wrote. Jay (who was with me) asked what the song was. I started telling him about it. It hit me in that moment how it fit the context of this situation. Last weekend His parents and a friend gave their lives to Christ. They are dealing with this tremendous loss from a different perspective now...in Christ. Jay shared the song with the family and they want me to sing it at the memoial service. Here is the lyric

Every struggle, every pain,
Days with tears that poured like rain
Every bitter disappointment I have tasted
Every trial, every care,
Days I'm lost and unaware,
If I give it to the Lord he will take it

(Chorus)
It's not wasted if I'm willing
To surrender to His healing
I know that there's a purpose and a plan
He's fulfilling if I'm willing

It's amazing that he would
Turn my story into good
After all the many times I've kept him waiting
So I'll bring my heavy trial
With a faith just like a child
When I lay it at His feet he will take it

(Bridge)
To be held by the hands that took the nails
Oh the anguish and the pain He must have felt...It's not wasted

Even if the song never gets cut, it is already fullfiling the ultimate purpose.
That's what it's all about!
Phil Mehrens

Sister Saints

This past Sunday morning I was back at the Country Lake Retreat Center leading worship for the "Faces of Christ" retreat. I was there with a group of about 40 men. I'm typically there for the Sunday morning of this retreat whether it is the all men, all women, or co-ed version(about 6 or 7 times a year). God's presence is always experienced powerfully and this was no exception. However, in yet another way it was exceptional . . .

We were in the same room where I had had the privilege of hearing so many newly written and wonderfully annointed songs together with my co-writing Brothers and Sisters. The same room where we had prayed the Songwriter's Prayer (thanks Joel) a number of times.

In addition to the joy of worshipping our Holy Creator with these men who had been experiencing life change all weekend, I was able to replay many of the events of the Co-Write-A-Thon in my mind. What a joy!

Then, this very worshipful moment almost ended when I caught a vision in my mind's eye of some lovely old Sister Saints sitting on the back row waving their makeshift handkerchiefs as Joel, Terry, and I performed "2nd Opinion".

Don't tell the men, but I didn't stop singing because I was choking back worshipful tears of blessing -- I was trying to supress an outloud burst of laughter as a result of the memory. In any case, the blessing was overwhelming.

- Ed

BTW, just kidding ladies about the "old" part.

Well I finally figured it out! Yes, it takes me a while sometimes, but once I get it . . . .

I miss the retreat so much. On the way home, Tricia and I went through a ten minute rainstorm that felt like a portal back to reality. Even though it seems like a dream, I can't even begin to say what the retreat did for me personally and as a writer. Thanks again, Joel, for putting it together. Now that I'm back in reality, I have more drive to write than ever (as evidenced by a cowrite last night- thanks Brian and Ed!)

Hope everyone is well!
Melissa B.

Update on "Second Opinion"!

After work yesterday, I was able to drop by the studio to hear the Perrys do vocals on "Second Opinion" (written by Ed Stivers, Joel Lindsey, and Tery Wilkins) . . . WOW! This song is going to be huge! Each clever verse worked beautifully with a different soloist (Nick Trammell, then Joseph Habedank, and Libbi Perry Stuffle), and the chorus is slamming . . . talk about a funky bass guitar groove for SG! Even though the power in the area crashed right after they finished recording for the day (!) we all breathed a sigh of relief that the system had an automatic battery backup. (But it was a little odd driving through town with no stoplights.) I can't wait to hear the finished project! Congrats, guys! . . . LR ;-)

Surgery went well

Hi Everybody. Not sure what this is gonna look like as I'm still undert he influence of anasthesia, but thank you all so much for your prayers and e-mals adn my spacemessages you sent me. they mean so much to me. the surgery couldn't have gone better according to the dr., althought the worst part was getting taht dumb IV in. I thought that was the end for me righ tthen and there! Anyway, the dr. is happy with how well it went, so now I hsould be on the way to recovery. I've been sleeping most of the day but wanted to let you all know how much i appreciate you and thank you for your concern.
Blessings and thanks,
kim walling

PRAY FOR KIM

Just wanted to remind everyone that Kim Walling had surgery this morning on her vocal cords. Please pray for her. I'll keep you posted as I find out how she is doing.

Sue

Take Me Back!

Amazed, Overwhelmed, Humbled, Blessed, Encouraged, Stunned, Embraced, Challenged, Rejuvenated, and Reminded. That is a good start to describe my experience of this past weekend. WoW! It is hard for me to take all that in. I won’t go into the details but just know that me being apart of this charter co-write-a-thon weekend was a total God Thing! I only knew a few people prior to this past weekend; however I look back and realize that it felt like I had known all of you for years! The co-writes were awesome! I miss it! I miss hearing the laughing, the hall chats, watching Joel try and use the letters I, I, I, I, U and L in scrabble. I miss hearing Allie’s voice and the beautiful modern hymn. I miss hearing Lee sing… I miss watching Melissa’s eyes the moment something clicked during our co-write with Ed. I miss Nick playing a really nice guitar lick while Tricia rocked her head from side to side, singing in her mind. I miss the chat with Sue and Lee during our co-write and then laughing with Lee as Sue later read a verse and asked us if it was “ok”, and all we could do is look at each other and just drop our jaws! I miss Ericka being herself and her drive/passion to write at 11pm! I miss the time around the circle, the late night 2am talks with Tery and the Song Writers Prayer. I miss that awesome white cake and the heath-bar cookies! You know I could go on and on and on..…..

Joel – Thank you for the dream and all you did to pull this past weekend together! It did make a difference and it means more to me that you’ll ever realize.

Brian

What a Weekend! What a week!

Well, I've finally had time to breathe and reflect on the retreat. I am SO grateful to have been able to meet new friends, new co-writing partners, and hear some incredible songs. There was such a spirit of comraderie, not a hint of pride or competitiveness (except during scrabble!), and some amazing writing. And look what one week has produced! Two cuts! WOW. I came home more committed than ever to writing my heart, writing more than ever, and to nurturing the wonderful relationships that I now have with people all over the country. Thanks to everyone for making this such a special weekend.

Gina Boe