Whatever and Whenever.

A week ago I was recording new music with some great musicians in a recording studio. Today I am serving in our church office answering phone calls. But more on that later…The past few weeks have been both full and fulfilling. From precious time with family (including a family game night and lots of fun activities with our grandkids) to time in the recording studio finishing up work on the new album, the days have flown by like a blur.It has been an honor and privilege recording with some of the best musicians I have ever met. God’s hand has been clearly evident in all facets of this project, as he brought us all together at a legendary studio that was sold a few weeks after our sessions and soon will be history. I thank God for each musician on this album, as well as my friend Bryan, a gifted engineer who made everything sound great. This project feels particularly special because people throughout the country have covered it in prayer. All of us involved had “holy moments” during the making of this project as we sensed God’s presence in the music we offered to Him. This entire project has been total ‘God surprise’ to me as I thought my recording days were behind me when we moved to Florida. God had other plans, however, and I am exceedingly humbled and grateful to God for the gift of this project. I pray that God will use it to draw people to Himself and His Kingdom. I look forward to sharing it with you soon!I have sensed that God called me to do this project as part of the ministry He entrusted to me. However, God continues to remind me that I am not defined by what I do, but only by who I am in and because of Jesus Christ. It’s easy to let pride sneak into our minds and hearts and then there is the danger that we will allow our accomplishments or failures to define us. We also can quickly fall into the cultural trap of comparing ourselves to others on the basis of the so-called ‘importance’ of our work.A few hundred years ago there was a man named Brother Lawrence who served as a worker in a monastery. His primary work was in the kitchen and fixing other people’s sandals. Does that sound like simple and even demeaning work? Not for him. Brother Lawrence’s journaling throughout the decades of his service revealed that he grew in ‘practicing the presence of God’ as he served. He saw every task—big or small—as an opportunity to serve and worship God. Over time he became known as one who displayed the peace of Christ, and many people came to him for advice. After his death, his writings were compiled in the book “The Practice of the Presence of God” which has been read by countless people through the decades, including me.A week ago I was in a recording studio. Today I am serving in our church’s office answering phone calls while our secretary gets some well-deserved time off. I know that serving God here is as important as the work I did in the recording studio. During the day I had some serendipitous conversations with people who dropped by, including a gentleman from Greece who came by to bring new rugs to our building.One of the lessons that Brother Lawrence learned and shared was this:

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”Brother Lawrence “The Practice of the Presence of God”The Apostle Paul put it this way:“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” Colossians 3:23

Wherever God places us and whatever He calls us to do, Christ-followers are called to faithfully and obediently serve. Like Brother Lawrence, we can experience God in more profound ways as we serve Christ. It is a vital part of living a life of worship to the Lord God.God bless you!Chris Atkins