Sunday Night Brain Dump

• I went out to the grocery store tonight with Rylee – made a quick stop at Starbucks first and then headed over to Fresh Market. I was dressed in Sunday afternoon nap attire and had crazy afro nap hair and then Rylee spit up all over me right before we walked into the store. Of course, I walked right by this little skinny 20 something year old with her skinny jeans, ah-may-zing boots and Louis Vuitton handbag. Her hair was perfect and I just wanted to go crawl in a hole somewhere. 🙂
• I need some girl time
• I love my church. It was a great day today – a great crowd, good worship and an awesome word from dad.
• We went to the fair again last night. It was cooooold.
• GAFA danced at the Latino festival yesterday. The group before us was a really bad religious drama that included the devil (in a red cape, devil horns, a pitch fork and bad stage makeup), a hooker, drug dealer, a pimp and Jesus (with flowing robe, bad brown wig and fake beard). The drug dealer actually used real cigarettes that he was really smoking (that was the only awesome part)… it was the epitome of bad church drama.
• There will be a really cool blog post tomorrow morning – so be sure to come by and check it out! I can’t wait!

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Dear Church Volunteer Part 2

Dear Church Volunteer…

There are so many things I could say to you – to encourage you in your ministry…

• BE ENCOURAGED! What you do matters. Sometimes we get tired or we allow ourselves to think that the contribution we are making is insignificant. The truth is, the church can not do anything without its people setting their hands to the work. Do you think that the pastors and paid office staff could get it all done on their own – that they could make an impact in your city without you? Not a chance…your church’s success depends on you giving your gift of time and talent.
• ENCOURAGE OUR LEADERS! Your pastors, office staff, small group leaders, etc NEED to hear that you are with them. Don’t just assume that they automatically know this. Tell them often that you believe in the vision and that you are committed to supporting that vision. (even when you may go through a season of questioning that vision…you still must be supportive where God has planted you… Hello!) Just like you – your leaders need to have positive feedback from those they labor with in ministry.
• DIRECT QUESTIONS/CONCERN DIRECTLY TO YOUR LEADER! This used to be my biggest frustration when I worked in full time ministry. I would find out that someone had an issue with me and they would have talked to everyone BUT ME about it. Let me just tell you that your leader wants to hear from you – the good and the bad. This doesn’t mean that you should unload all of your junk on them – but when there is a real concern about something, go and sit down with them and share your heart. You won’t solve a darn thing by calling your best friend and talking to them about it. Your leader can not make adjustments if they do not know there is a problem. They are not mind-readers, people!
• SHARE OUR IDEAS! God made us all as creative beings. After all – we are made in His image and He is the most amazingly creative being ever so it makes sense that we are innately creative, too. If you have an idea that could be be beneficial to your team then share it with your leader! Who knows, they just may use your idea and wouldn’t that be so cool?

More to come – but for now, go out there and be the most resourceful, committed, passionate volunteer your team has!

Dear Church Volunteer

OK – so I’ve lived most of my adult life in full time, paid ministry positions. When my second child came along three months ago, that all changed. While I still work part time (from home) directing GAFA, any involvement I have in a weekend worship service is strictly volunteer. And I just have a few things to say to all of you volunteers out there who give so much of your precious time to the work of the ministry…

• Thank you – The church could NOT function without you! Family time, personal time, work time – it’s all precious and limited and so your gift to the work of the ministry is a valuable one. Thank you for giving what you have and understanding the our amazing God is worth every second that we surrender to Him as an offering of worship.
• Tell someone else how amazing it is to serve! You are the church’s best advertisement for volunteer service. You’ve all heard the annoying and never-ending pleas from the pulpit for more help in the nursery or more singers in the choir. But the truth is, most of us tune out the announcements and they have never given the church great results. (I know, because I’ve made SO many of those desperate announcements!) If you are excited about serving the church – and have found fulfillment in giving your time and talents back to God – then tell someone! Bring someone to serve with you and see them find joy in their service, too!
• Be faithful. A few weeks ago, Don and I had to hire a babysitter to come and watch my babies during pre-service rehearsals because he had to work and I was scheduled to play and sing for the service. Because I have seen both sides of this situation – as the leader of the team and now as a volunteer – I ask you to remember your commitment and do what it takes to fulfill that commitment! It’s not fair to ask your leader to make do with less than the service needs because your schedule has a glitch! Don and I didn’t want to spend $25 on a sitter that morning, but we did because we saw it as another seed that we were planting in the amazing soil of the local church. Basically – if you agree to do something – then just do it! 🙂
• Do more than is expected. We could all “get by” with doing the minimum that is required. Some of us can “fake it” enough so that no one knows you haven’t spent the time to prepare your music or learn your children’s class lesson – but doesn’t God deserve more than that from us? Let me tell you that lack of preparation makes it hard on everyone and I believe that the lost in our cities deserve to be presented only things that are excellent and a whole hearted sacrifice of worship.
• Have a good attitude. I don’t know how many times I presented a new piece of music to my team only to see some in the crowd roll their eyes halfway back into their brains because they didn’t like the new song or thought we should be doing something else. Or how about the team member who gets their underwear all up their crack for being chastised about being late or unprepared. Ummmm – excuse me, but we are called to a higher level of excellence and we are only going to get there with pure hearts and genuine desire give all we have….so do it with a smile, please!
• Respect your leader – God put them there so don’t give them a hard time….
• Serve with passion – the weekend is THE DEAL, people! If we can’t get up on that stage and look like we are excited about our God, then we should find something else to do that will ignite a fire under our butts. Passion inspires passion in other people

There’s more – but I’ll save some for later. Do you volunteer in your church? Leave me a comment and tell us what you’ve learned about serving in the church.

What A Day

Last Sunday, Rock Church celebrated it’s 20th year in ministry and also the passing of the baton of leadership from my father, Pastor Ron McGee, to my brother, Bryan. The day was just so incredible – one we had looked forward to with excitement and a little nervousness for quite some time. The people of our church are so amazing and have shown such love and support throughout this process.

I just want to say how grateful I am to my dad for 20 years of wonderful leadership in this church and in this city. I didn’t know 20 years ago that it could be this good – but it has blown away all of my expectations. You are such a strong leader and I can’t wait to see how God continues to use you for the next 20 years.

And to my amazing big brother – I am so proud of you. Sometimes it’s hard to see the true potential of someone when you are so close to them but I have been so blessed to see how God has matured you and taught you some hard lessons to get you ready for such a time as this. I KNOW you can handle this and I KNOW that what we are stepping into is going to be a wild ride. We’re with you and have strapped ourselves in for the adventure!

I stole this video from Matthew – it kind of sums up the day…

I Did Something Really Stupid

I went to the mall Friday afternoon with mom, Reagan and Rylee. We were just going to eat lunch but I ended up shopping in Dillards for shoes to wear with my new dress for the 20th anniversary service next weekend. I found the perfect pair! Black and Pink Stilettos that cost way too much but I couldn’t resist them. I also picked up a cute pair of yellow wedges that were on clearance.

Anyway…I paid for the shoes and then gathered up the kids to go to the car. As I was trying to get Rylee situated in her car seat without waking her up, I set the bag of shoes on the ground next to the car. When I got home and went to take everything inside, the shoes were nowhere to be found. Oh, crap! I left them on the ground in the mall parking lot! Crap, crap, crap, crap! (the may have been other words that went through my head but I’ll never admit it…)

I went in and called the mall and Dillards to see if anyone had turned them in but no luck. I wanted to throw up – there was no way I was telling Don. We were going on a date last night and I didn’t want to ruin the mood by telling my “Mr. Budget Man” husband I had lost two pairs of expensive shoes. (breathe, Abbye, breathe!)

So, late this afternoon my cell phone rang and it was my credit card company calling. A very polite lady told me she had the manager from Dillard’s on the line and he had found my shoes! After she turned the phone call over to him, I learned that two young teenage girls had found my shoes and tried to return them to the store and get the money for them. Their story was that their aunt had purchased them as a gift for them and said they could return them and get the money on a gift card. But – the sales clerk remembered the shoes and that I had specifically purchased them for myself for a church event. She called the manager and they confiscated my shoes for me! The manager looked up the purchase information in their computers and then called my credit card company in order to find me.

Thank you, Dillard’s customer service! You guys are amazing and I am so relieved to have my shoes back! Now I don’t have to go barefoot next Sunday! 🙂

I’m Nervous (and some other Wednesday morning thoughts)

So tomorrow night I join the team again…

I told David several weeks ago that I was ready to get back on the team – I’ve been stir crazy. So, tomorrow night at 6:30 I will leave the kids with Don and head to the church for my first rehearsal not as the leader. That part excites me…I am ready to give myself to this ministry again and be a support to David and the vision of the house. But…I have to admit that I’m a little nervous, too. Is that weird? I’m NOT the kind of person that gets nervous – but here I am a little on edge about being on the stage Sunday morning. But even so – I’m committed and ready to get started again. What we are doing in this city is so exciting and I want to be a part of it.

Now for some randomness:

• Don had the day off on Monday. It was his first day off in weeks and we had a wonderful time together.
• We took Reagan to Learning Express to pick out some things he wanted for his birthday. All he was interested in was a $50 dump truck. <sigh> Then we took him to the Party Store and he picked out Kung Fu Panda stuff for his party. He such a great little kid and I’m so glad I get to be his mommy.
• Last night, we had Mom and Dad, Gabriel and Uncle Milton to our house for dinner. It was great to see them all. Mom and Dad have been in Florida for two weeks after my Aunt Kristy passed away. You can read her story at Uncle Milton’s site.
• Carolyn and I went walking last night. Monday Don and I took the kids to Boombalatties for ice cream. Reagan and I went in while Don stayed in the car with Rylee. While we were ordering, an old guy yelled over at me from his table in the corner, “You won’t lose any weight eating that stuff!”. Ohhhhh…those of you who know me can probably guess what came next. The death rays shot out of my eyes and burned holes all through that old geezer – but I kept my mouth shut. Reagan was standing next to me so I couldn’t blurt out what I was really thinking. I got to the car and told Don what had happened and, well….you can probably guess again how he responded. Anyway – that’s what prompted the walking session with Carolyn last night. It was a little bit of motivation to do something about this baby weight. 🙂
• I talked with Reba Monday. They’ve been going through so much – please keep them in your prayers. Most of you know that Reba’s mother, Dottie Rambo, passed away in a tragic bus accident while she was traveling in Missouri. Also, Dony has been having some major health issues and they need a miracle. I appreciate your prayers for them.
• I don’t have a piano anymore and that makes me sad! I’ve always used the keyboards at the church and now that I am not working there anymore I haven’t played the keys in about two months. 😦
• Rylee is almost six weeks old already. She is a great little baby and is growing and changing so fast! I’ll post some new pics later today.

Just Call Me A Little Crazy

I sat on the front row Sunday – in my usual spot…the spot I’ve sat in for years…and realized that I was already going a little stir crazy. I am so excited about what God is doing at The ROCK – more excited than I have been in a while – and I’m not the kind of person that can just be a pew warmer. I honestly don’t understand the people who can be content just showing up from 10-11:30 on most Sunday mornings without ever getting involved in the work of the ministry. I would go absolutely nuts.

And I have to just take a moment to say how proud I am of the creative arts team – you guys are killing it every Sunday morning! You are giving your time and talents to see God glorified in this city and you make it easy for God’s people to come together in worship. I am beyond proud of you all and I am itching to join you again.

I am honored beyond words to be a part of what God is doing in Wilmington. God is up to some amazing things – not just at The ROCK – He’s doing incredible new things in churches all over this city. After a few more weeks of baby time I will most assuredly be ready to get back to work. (if they want me back, that is…:)

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts

This morning we woke up early so we could go have father’s day breakfast at Causeway Cafe – yummy! I stuffed myself on pancakes, bacon, cheese grits and fresh orange juice! We had a great time but it was really strange to be out with all the regular people on Sunday morning instead of at church for rehearsals. I felt like a heathen… 🙂

We pulled up to the church at 9:45…..9:45! That was just weird….but exciting at the same time. I am barreling ahead into a brand new season of my life and have such total peace about where God is leading me. I know that He has me and my family right where He wants us – and He has such amazing provision in place for our church. As we walked in the back door (I still have a parking space!), I could hear my team in the studio praying – I could hear all of them lifting up their voices together as they prepared their hearts to lead His people in worship. It was an amazing sound….

As I sat on the front row before church, I was so happy when they opened up the backstage door and they all came out with such contagious excitement on their faces! I knew it was going to be a great service…and it was.

From the very first note, there was a new sound in the building and I was almost taken back. I know that God has greater levels of skill and anointing for us in this new season – and I am grateful that we are not in “coast” mode. David is such an amazing man of God – his wife Karen is such an incredibly anointed woman of God – and they are here to facilitate growth in the creative arts’ department. It’s not just about how great of a musician and artist he is, or how talented Karen is – it’s about worshiping our God and leading His people into greater levels of relationship with Him. I am honored to have them on board with us as we move forward and can’t wait what all God has in store for us.

I have to admit that I am anxious to have this baby, take a little time to recover and then get back on the team as a volunteer! Excitement for the purpose of God is building around our church and I am glad to be a part of it! Let’s all welcome David and Karen to the family!

I Feel Weird

Last night Don, Reagan and I were sitting at the dinner table finishing up when I realized that my team was assembling right at that moment over at the church….without me. They had their first rehearsal sans PA and it really hit me last night that a long season of my life is drawing to a close and I have to admit that I feel weird about that.

They are being left in very capable hands (you’ll find out who’s hands this coming Sunday morning) and I am excited about handing things over to a new creative leader – it’s going to be an amazing time at The ROCK as we see how God is lining everything up just the way He wants them. These decisions are never easy and are never up to us – He know so much better than we do what we really need and it’s when we learn to trust Him, even in the difficult decisions, that we truly begin to walk in freedom and joy in our lives.

When I finish typing this post, I will go back to packing up my office and loading up my car. (I LOVE my office, by the way, and will miss it terribly when I have to go pile all of my GAFA stuff up in my tiny house) Monday morning, PB will take over my corner office and I think there will be a massive session of musical offices for a few days as staff members jockey for their spot. Despite all the pleas – the couch is going down to the GAFA office for a while. (sorry, everyone!)

I love my job and will miss it terribly. But – I love my family enough to take a break for a while and try to be a better mommy to Reagan and Rylee and a better leader of Glory Academy. I can’t wait to see how my team takes off into this new season – it’s going to be incredible! I love you all –

Abbye

Go See…

Carolyn has been posting like a crazy woman today. Geez – you would think there was something to be excited about around here.

Go check it out and see what all the fuss is about.

And if I haven’t mentioned it in a while – she is amazing and we couldn’t do any of this around here without her. Ya’ll give her some lovin’ – K?