Wednesday, May 1, 2013

My first blog GIVEAWAY!! New Post: God is having a dinner party...


My first GIVEAWAY!  I’m so excited! You’ll see the giveaway items and more details at the end of the post.  Random computer generator will pick the winner – one entry for SUBSCRIBING to this blog (see right column for signup), one for leaving a COMMENT, and one for sharing on FACEBOOK.  So, you can enter up to THREE times!


As long as I can remember, I’ve loved throwing parties. 


My parents’ door certainly was swingin’ with kids from youth group, New Year’s Eve parties, random ol’ friends dropping in, bonfires, and birthday “slumber” (a.k.a. staying up all night) parties of 20 kids or more (praise the Lord for my fun-loving parents... more on them and the adventures they took us on HERE) among other events.  Even as I write this, my own 5-year-old McBaby #1 is upstairs taping streamers to her walls and ribbons across her closet.  She plans a party nearly nightly for dinnertime.  Everyone has a gift awaiting as each person prepares to take a seat at the supper table and sees handmade bracelets or necklaces she’s crocheted, pictures she’s drawn, designs she’s beaded and glued, and love letters she’s written.  With surprising assertion good management skills, she makes her demands loving requests and tells everyone where to sit and when to talk.


(Above pic of McBaby #1... my kids are with me in the kitchen constantly... more on that HERE.)

In between my parents and my daughter, of course, there I am.  (Lovable, huggable, me… as Elmo would say, right??…) I don’t know that I could even begin to count the number of baby showers, baby sprinkles, bridal showers, bachelorette nights, birthday parties, half-birthday parties, Pampered Chef-Arbonne-Thirty-One parties, welcome-home parties, going-away parties, tea parties, parties because it’s snowing, parties because it’s sunny, parties because someone is getting baptized/sprinkled/Christened/dedicated, or just-because parties that I’ve hosted.  (I know somewhere around halfway through that list, many of you would say “just-because” parties kind of covered the titles I gave the rest.)  The apple does not fall far from the tree.

(Above pic from "The Giving Tree" themed baby shower.)

And, nine times out of ten, I like to do it the “right” way: get out the china (that’s what it’s for, after all), real napkins, ball jars full of lemonade and sweet tea, from-scratch-everything, etc.


(Above pic from "Hello Kitty"-themed bday party... or at least our vintage-inspired-non-boxed version of it.)

So, perhaps it’s natural that I have begun to think of worship leading in these terms.  Someone recently asked me what I feel the role of the worship leader is versus the role of the worshipper.  It suddenly dawned on me - a new perspective. It feels that my role is to help God host a dinner party.  It’s His house, it’s His guest list; I’m simply the hostess for the evening.  My role is to help create an environment where no one is confused about what fork to use or when to use it.  No one wonders if they’ve taken the right amount of food – they are ensured that the feast is plentiful and satisfying.  Everyone has someone to help refill his or her cup. No one questions if he's truly welcome, but is assured by his individual, customized invitation to the community - his rightful place.  This table is a place of freedom, of candor.  This is a place of safety and ease.  This is a place of rest and of renewal.  This is a place to both toast wine glasses and cry over beers.

It has been and continues to be my immense honor and joy to serve various places in this capacity; to cry around the table with folks - some of whom I've only met hours prior; to help encourage and be encouraged; to share about our bright spaces, dark places, and, even, blind spots; to remind that nothing is too small or too big to bring up in the conversations. 

Friends, cheers!



(Above from a baby shower... see post HERE)



(The above pic is from McBaby #1 & McBaby #2 joint "Tangled" bday party.  See post HERE.)


 (Above pic from an annual half-birthday celebration... I know, I know, I'm crazy... below pics from various other parties.)











Being that today is a post about worship leading and I am, in fact, a worship leader myself, I am going to make this first giveaway a bundle of all of my projects and a shirt. Not a huge surprise there, eh??  That’s 4 CDs, a live DVD, and a "Sarah t-shirt" bundle for you or as a gift for someone!  Thanks so much for reading/posting/sharing!

 (Ends Friday, May 3 @11:59 pm.)

32 comments:

  1. Great blog Sarah,
    Look forward to the next entry

    ReplyDelete
  2. God bless you and your ministry, Sarah!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah, thanks for the visuals, through your words, I imaged a table full of fun and laughter...I can't wait to sketch it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, that's awesome!! I hope I can be privileged to see it!!

      Delete
  4. Hey how did I not know you blog? Love it!!! I've obviously seen/heard your creative side in the music realm but look at those mad Martha Stewart skills and amazing parties!! Wow....you just got uninvited to any of my parties....I would end up just mortified!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! It's just one glimpse into a whole party... anybody can make something good at the right angle, right? ;) Thanks for reading and posting!!

      Delete
  5. As someone who considers hospitality to be pretty far down on my list of spiritual gifts, I am extra impressed with you. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, well don't be too impressed... a few pics can make anyone look great, right? It's all just a metaphor! :0 Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Delete
  6. love how you connected worship leading to hosting a meal. what a beautiful metaphor

    ReplyDelete
  7. Elmo has always been a big hit in our home, love the cupcakes!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sarah, God has gifted you in so many ways! Thank you for sharing your written words here as well as sharing your music.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you sooo much Tasha! Thanks for reading and writing!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you so much! Appreciate you reading! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ok... My first try... Wish I would've given you all a specific question to which to respond on comments, but thanks for the kind words!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Sarah! Love the blog. You are just too crafty cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Julia! Thanks for reading and for the comment! In my book, every occasion is a big one, I guess. :)

      Delete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Sarah! I love the way you share your heart in your writing and in your music. Thanks for being willing and brave enough to do so. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Rachael for your sweet words!

      Delete
    2. You are the WINNER! Thanks for reading and commenting! Would you drop me a line (via FB would be ideal) and let me know what size shirt you'd like? Thanks!!!

      Delete
  15. Your post makes me want to throw more parties and have more dinners...and to try to remember this analogy as I worship. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The ultimate compliment then! Thanks for reading!!

      Delete
  16. Thank you ALL for reading, commenting, sharing, etc.! Congrats to Rachael K. who was randomly selected (through random.org computer generator) as the winner!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Just a stranger looking on Pinterst to be inspired to dream again..starting with the idea of shelving for my tiny kitchen. Saw your blog photo of the wall with a long counter and shelves above it and fell in love! I tried to move on but had to look again and saw the setup on that side of the kitchen as far as the wall, door, dishwasher, was so much like mine that I knew this was a call to not just wish and dream but to really imagine making my kitchen space I love. That led me to your blog or I found this post about God throwing a dinner party. There are truly no words yet, but I had to at least honor, for myself and for you, how God used your post to reach out to a dry, barren, God created part of me, whispered His love, began to revalidate, remind and stir up parts of me long burried and now even painful, kind of scary to even try to recall, passions, desires, ideas....ways He created me to reach out to my family and others, to celebrate and encourage them and life. This little window I had while my son slept next to me was powerful and touched my spirit and soul. Thank you for being obedient to begin this blig whenever you did, to write this post, share your thoughts and journey. I thought I was peeking aroubd at some shelving ideas for fun but God had an appointment set for me, way back when you first created this. I wanted to share that so you would have a tiny taste of how BIG God can make the tiniest of your steps. Thank you stranger.

    ReplyDelete