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June 2002 Table of Contents
A View From The Front Lines
Showers (of Blessings) We Need
By Kirk Lyons
 Greetings from the land rain forgot. That is for the last 27 days anyway. In contrast to our dying landscape things here at the compound have been out of control, or 'remote control' if you were my three year old son.
Since returning from my first MusiCalifornia things have been completely upside down. What an incredible event. In comparison to other years it was our biggest in sales ever. Thanks to all of you that faithfully depend on this little company in Chicken-saw to meet your needs. Trying to keep up with the response to MusiCal, a huge need for Patriotic musicals and the release of More Songs for Praise and Worship II has brought new meaning to our off season.
Speaking of Patriotic musicals, what an incredible opportunity we have to reach out to our communities this year as we quickly approach the anniversary of the 9/11 tragedies. In response to Jerry’s last communicator article Reaching an MTV World With an AM Radio, there is an item I think every church should have in their library. We have available for sale a DVD project for the song His Truth Still Marches On, from Alicia Williamson’s Integrity collection We Win. Together with news footage from 9/11 and scenes from The Jesus Video this creates an outstanding moment in your services that will move, encourage and uplift your people. You will be able to use this DVD as a stand alone, as a track featuring your own soloists or just the video footage with your choir and soloists. For $75.00 you can own this incredible tool and use it for years to come. We will have clips of this item at www.jjonline.com by the end of May for your review. Take a look and be blessed.
With Mothers Day behind us I guess it would be safe to start talking about summer conferences and Christmas. What an incredible line up of seasonal and non-seasonal projects we have for you at these events. Hope Has Come from Geron Davis and Integrity Music, Midnight Clear from Randy Vader and Praise Gathering and When Love Came Down from Genevox Music are our top picks for Christmas. More Songs for Praise and Worship II from Word Music, Be Glad from the Brooklyn Tabernacle and Lift up your Eyes also from Word Music lead
the way for non-seasonal picks. Please make sure to read Jerry’s article on Lift up Your Eyes and a new book from Nancy Guthrie Holding On To Hope.(we are pre-selling this for $9.00) What incredible, incredible tools of ministry. All of these plus a host of others will be available for your viewing and listening pleasure at our summer events. Be sure to contact your favorite J&J partner and register today. For those of you interested in our New York event, I wanted to remind you the Tabernacle will be in their new
sanctuary and they need our help breaking in the new seats and choir loft. We are also running a registration special on our Branson conference through June 7th 2002, so be sure to call today!
Let me close this article as I do all of my articles with a lesson learned from the Kirk Files. It all started in March
while preparing for my trip to San Diego for MusiCalifornia. I am one of those nervous at best flyers and the usual pre flight jitters had begun to creep into my daily thought pattern. I was also in the middle of the Experiencing God course at my Church so my time with God had expanded greatly. As I was studying one of my weekly lessons I began to pray and ask God why I had this fear of flying. I can’t tell you that I am any closer to understanding that particular request (although I did have a pilot tell me I am a control freak and that I would be fine if he would let me fly the plane!) but God did reveal an incredible lesson about each day I am here on this planet.
Every time I prepare for one of these trips I find myself spending increased amounts of time with Shanda and our children. Sometimes I just sit and watch them without saying a word. It seems I try to absorb every waking moment of everyday. We laugh harder, we play harder, we sit at the dinner table longer and hold each other longer before bed time. I have even found myself going home from work early to surprise them all.
One morning while studying I felt impressed that God was asking why I was making this incredible effort to spend time with my family only before I left on trips. I had to confess my intentions were driven by the fear of possibly never seeing them again and wanting their memories etched into my mind. While fumbling for words to explain this to God I realized He was teaching me the true meaning of living each day as my last. God made it clear that only He decided when I would leave this planet and He did not need an airplane to do it! He continued, everyday should be like a day before I fly. I should play harder with my kids, laugh more with my
wife and love everybody more! I need to become that man the day before a plane ride. Not because of fear but because that’s the way God made me to be. You know what else He revealed to me? That man is a really cool Dad, a better than average husband and a pretty good witness to a lost and dying world.
Well I think I am out of space. Thanks for listening! Ya’ll bless our lives more than we could ever express. Know that when your world is upside down there’s a bunch of crazy folks from Chicken-saw praying like there’s no tomorrow, just for you!
Until He shouts from a clouds,
Kirk
PS: Did I mention the Lyon’s Den is expanding again? Seems the Lord has decided to trust us with another bundle of joy. Shanda is at 19 weeks and counting. Please pray for her and our precious new addition. Pray also for Luke, Aubri and myself as we endure the Artic cooler our home has become. It’s gonna be a long frigid summer!!!!
email Kirk
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