tis voting season…

well, yes i know its been awhile since we’ve blogged. so what better to do than to repost a video that a friend of mine made mocking the widely popular celebrity “Dont Vote” video that is circulating the internet right now. I don’t recommend you to watch the “Dont Vote” vid because there is some foul language…but Andy’s vid is pretty funny (and some of you may consider it pointless…but thats ok)

happy 2 months Emmaus…

today marks her 2 months with us!

updates…updates…updates…

well its been over a month since we last posted, here’s a bunch of tah-dah’s that have gone down in the past 45 days.

Emmaus rolled over on her 4 week birthday (thats not a typo)
our 1995 Toyota Camry with 208,000 miles finally brokedown
Zach & Whitney got married!
I started, manage, and play for a county men’s soccer team
Mike & Kim Baker moved back to Maryland :(
Emily (our housemate) moved back to Maryland :(
Emmaus projectile vomited about 4 feet with power
Amanda’s mom came for a weekend visit
I started a new position at IHOP working with Corey Russell and FSM
i bought my first pair of running shoes in about 9 or 10 years
i ran my first 4 miles in about 9 or 10 years
ran 4 miles in under 28 mins for first time in 9 or 10 years
Amanda has made 2 pairs of baby shoes (and they’re for real!)
our Brussel Sprouts are budding and growing
our soy beans and green bean plants died for the season
i was privileged to shoot photos of Allen Hood’s kids
we’re munching on a fresh supply Craisins (thanks Lynn!)
we both started Facebook accounts (oh geesh)
i lost my camera bag and found it again (thank you Lord!)
Amanda cleaned and organized the basement
we watched presidential and vp debates and actually cared
i switched to decaf only espresso at home (thanks Ben!)
amanda found the best children’s consignment shop in KC!
i got a haircut (it had been about 4 months…ouch)
amanda had mastitis but recovered well
we started morning prayer sessions with Emmaus

tornados…

i know Ike is pounding Galveston and the Texas coast…but we’ve got tornados all around us up here in KC. lots of sirens but so far so good!

2 weeks with Emmaus…

mom and Emmaus are good!
hopefully some fresh updates will be rolling out soon!
stay tuned…..

Emmaus Joy Offutt photo gallery…

click on the image above to view the stream of events before, during, and after Emmaus’ birth!

Emmaus Joy Offutt…

Friday Aug 22nd, 2008
before 2:00am was a normal night, no contractions…
2:00am Amanda’s water breaks with no warning
2:05am frantically wonder if we need to rush to hospital
2:07am call Debbie Perry (our doula!)
2:10am realize that it’ll be a few hrs before anything really happens
3:00am we finally get some sleep at home
6:00am Amanda is now feeling some contractions about 4-6 mins apart
10:00am Debbie Perry comes over to our house to jump into the labor
11:00am first vag exam – 95% effaced but only 2cm dialation (quite the contrast!!!)
12:30pm head to hospital b/c it had been 10hrs since water broke
1:30pm we get nicely settled into birthing room and meet our nurses
2:30pm we’re walking the halls and pausing for contractions
3:00pm Amanda starts feeling some active labor contractions
3:30pm using the birthing ball for contraction management
4:00pm baby is really really low and ready but we only got 5cm dialation
4:30pm Amanda heads into the huge whirlpool tub
5:30pm out of the tub and onto the floor for hands-n-knees laboring
6:00pm we got about 6cm and Sheila (midwife) joins us
7:00pm we got 8cm and head back into the tub
7:30pm jump out of the tub (not literally) and onto bed for a vag exam
7:40pm confirmed that we got 10cm and start pushing with each contraction
8:06pm baby Emmaus arrives!

Emmaus Joy Offutt
6 lbs 15oz
19.5 inches
completely all natural birth…no meds

we’d like to thank Emily Adomanis, Kim Baker, Melissa Steinhauer, Sarah Weeks (w/ Hez), Debbie Perry (midwife & doula), Carly Weimer (doula), and Sheila (official midwife), and all the nurses at Research Medical Hospital in Kansas City, MO for praying, attending, and laboring with us and baby Emmaus Joy Offutt!

Amanda at 39 weeks…

we had some fun at sunset a couple days ago. 39 weeks and her and Emmaus are looking great! click the picture to view the whole gallery!

The Call DC 2008….

today somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 are expected to gather on the National Mall in Washington, DC to cry out to God for a massive shift in history and a great awakening in our nation amongst the church and the lost. we are sticking back in Kansas City since we are expecting baby Emmaus in the next few days. we pray that grace falls upon the thousands gathering in DC to humblem themselves, fast, pray, repent, and seek the Lord for a great returning to God in our land! you can watch The Call LIVE all day from 10am-10pm ET via webstreaming video right here…

the below is a statement from www.TheCall.com…

TheCall is a divinely initiated, multi-racial, multi-generational, and cross-denominational gathering to corporate prayer and fasting. We believe that our nation is in desperate need of the mercy of God and a great Spiritual Awakening. TheCall is committed to mobilizing people from all across America to gather together to petition God for His undeserved mercy for our nation in 12-hour solemn assemblies. Just as in the days of Joel, we believe that now is the time to blow the trumpet across our land, to fast, to pray, and return to the Lord with all our hearts.

In the midst of an “entertainment” driven society, TheCall does not seek to entertain, but to encounter God. Unlike other mass gatherings which attract people through the rhythms of loud music, the glamour of flashing lights, or through the appeal of charismatic personalities, TheCall is a gathering centered around the affections of a loving God. There will be no advertised bands and no promoted speakers, as our purpose is not to promote any man or ministry.

TheCall is a FAST not a festival. TheCall is a SOLEMN ASSEMBLY not a conference. Whereas conferences focus primarily on training and discipleship, the 12 hours of TheCall are spent primarily before the Lord in the place of prayer and worship. We believe the hour is late and the times are urgent. Our nation is in desperate need of revival and it will be only through the corporate body of Christ uniting in the place of prayer that we will find any hope in this hour. We believe we can see our nation changed as the Lord pours out His Spirit and brings refreshing to the broken, destitute, and the weary across our land.

just a little baby update at 38 weeks…

so for all of you that are wondering how the baby and I are doing.  we are doing great.  Emmaus’ room is finally done, we’ve registered at the hospital, we are meeting with debbie perry, our doula (our birthing coach of sorts), and the bags are packed.  now we wait.  it feels like there is no more possible room for her in my belly and she’s takin a liking to the reclining posistion as she sticks her feet in my side while sticking her butt up towards my ribs.  she has also been getting cases of the hiccups right as i’m going to bed.  she also has been practicing her dance moves virtually everytime i walk into the prayer room or sit at the computer with it playing in the background.  this whole process has been amazing and while it’s been great fun having a person living in me and i’m truly going to miss that feeling, i’m ready for her to come. we both are, steve’s already planning matching dc united outfits for hometown soccer games:)  well…we’ll keep you posted on arrival status.- amanda

Video: in the studio w/ Luke Wood…

this week im in the studio with luke wood working on his second full length album set to be released this fall! enjoy a tour of the studio…

CD – “Holy” by Matt Gilman & Cory Asbury

Matt Gilman and Cory Asbury just released their debut CD on Forerunner Music (IHOP’s record label). I had the privilege of working with Matt and Cory under Josh Motlong’s creative direction on their photos for the liner notes. Matt & Cory are great, we often have sets back-to-back at IHOP. cory was one of the first musicians I noticed when i moved to Kansas City. at the time he was playing acoustic for Misty Edwards and had some crazy long pony-tail thing going on.

anyway, purchase their album in iTunes or right here if you’re interested!

blessings!

shaping history via the Song of the Lord…

Why do we do what we do? …so we’ve been in Kansas City for 2 years now and we believe that we are shaping history through worshipping the Lord, speaking and singing prayers to the Lord. this sounds silly, right? …what do I mean? well…the Biblical concept is this – God primarily establishes His purposes, His plans, His desires, and His Kingdom through men and women (young and old) singing worship unto the Lord and praying prayers to the Lord. Of course I would not submit that this is the only way God establishes His will, however I would submit that its the most significant and primary means by which His purposes, His plans, His desires, and His Kingdom come forth. (Gal 4:19, Col 4:12-13, Matt 9:37-38, 2 Chron 7:14, Rev 22:17, Luke 24:49-53, Rev 4:4-8, Rev 5:8-9, Psalm 27:4-6, 1 Chr 16:23, Psalm 2:7-8, Acts 1&2, Matt 7:9-10, Jer 33:3, Dan 10:12, the list could go on and on…)

how does this relate to singing songs? well, the common misconception is that “history shapes the songs of the day,” however the reality is that “the songs of the day are shaping history” …and this is becoming more and more apparent.

in both the Old Testament and New Testament you see examples of the people of God lifting up prayers, worship, and specifically songs which go forth to release the purposes of God in a various contexts.

Today, we live in a day where much of the secular industry is blatantly releasing songs to propagate certain values which directly impact the public. the unfortunate truth is that in most cases the secular industry is releasing songs in direct contradiction to Biblical values. This is strikingly apparent in today’s #1 song on iTunes and Billboard 100. Today’s #1 hit is a song performed by a female artist that expresses enjoying her experimentation with homosexuality. it is songs such as this which are emboldening and empowering my generation (and other generations) to embrace an un-Godly lifestyle …the more stunning fact behind this #1 song is that the artist who recorded and performs it was only a few years ago an up-and-coming Christian artist recording and performing songs glorifying God which goes to show the crisis that we face as a Church and also the seriousness of my next statements.

the point is this – there are two growing worship movements (both are based in the medium of song) that are shaping history as we know it and they are becoming more and more clearly identifiable in the mainstream. there are those emboldening and empowering a generation to pursue that which draws oneself away from God and then there are those who are emboldening and empowering ones to wholeheartedly pursue Jesus and partnering with Him in intercession to birth His Kingdom on the earth in fullness. make no mistake about it: there is a wholesale war going on for man’s worship and praise.

so, why am I doing what I do? because Jesus has invited me (and all born-again believers) to shape the course of history through worshipping Jesus and partnering with Him in prayer! When this occurs with a sincere heart and genuine repentance God breaks forth across the earth and changes the course of history!

testimony: we’re debt-free (well, almost)….

This July marks an amazing testimony of how the Lord has been meeting us and working in our lives. We can now say that we are totally debt-free in the realm of credit cards. We’ve been working on this area for several years now and through the Lord’s recent financial provisions (wedding photo jobs and selling a guitar) we are no longer tied into either of the 2 major credit cards that we have owned! …that’s right $0 balances on both statements! …no more balance transfer games :) …its such a great feeling to be free from credit cards…but its even a better feeling to know the Lord’s delight is over us as He has been faithful in the area of financial provision. Our prayer is that we’ll continue to diligently pursue His will with the finances that we receive!

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)

just wrapped at the Pursuit conference…

we’re hanging out here on a beautiful Sunday afternoon after a weekend of ministering in Albuquerque, New Mexico! we’ve shared our hearts, met new friends, and been blessed immensely by the wonderful church family at New Life City!

check out the poster that was made for the conference weekend. we’ve had the privilege of hanging with Kenny who co-founded SumAgency.com. He hooked up this poster for the weekend. very cool…