The Rivers Edge

"There you found me on the bottom the forgotten and there the Angels came and surrounded all my problems, crying "Holy!" and singing "Jesus Reigns!"

I was going to visit my friend Richard Andrew at his church in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Ironically, its the same city where my dad grew up. It was a great way to sucker....um, talk my parents into going! Come to find out, it was closer to my dad's childhod home than we thought. We had talked about visiting for weeks, maybe even months I dunno, but something always happened....one of us was getting hurt and/or having surgery.
He sends me a message over FB about visiting his church as he is leading worship and sdoing all songs that he had written. I message him back saying I would work on it. His reply ~ "Cool! I'm gonna pray you guys in!" I decide to do the same.
A week ago we were finally able to fit it into our schedule, not the week we originally wanted, but a visit none-the-less. I sent him a message letting him know. The week was not going by fast enough! By Wednesday I wrote on his FB wall-"Is it Sunday yet?", he doing the same by Saturday afternoon, making me laugh. I wanted Saturday to be over in a hurry, but feared Sunday just might do the same if I wished it by too fast. I went to bed early (9PM) because with the 1 1/2 hour drive, I had to get up eaerly to be at service by 10AM, and with these headaches and nausea I have been waking up with for quite some time, I desperately wanted to avoid that Sunday morning as much as I could. Alas, try as I might I just couldn't sleep. I was too excited! I slept, but not that deep sleep that makes it seem like its been five minutes and it's really been a few hours. I felt like I slept for hours and it had only been about fifteen minutes! ARGH! I did this three or four times. Six-thirty came...Finally, Up-An'-At-'Em, I did NOT want to be late! U nfortunately it took me some time to get motivated, as I feared it would. THe headache attacked, btu I was determined it would not keep me from my mission.....worship with Richard Andrew and the folks at The Rivers Edge.
The drive up there took FOR-EV-ER! (my dad even joked about changing his mind about us going....I didn't laugh. THAT was cruel!) I musta looked at my watch every five to fifteen minutes on the drive up("Are we there yet?!") , and I did NOT want to be late!!! I was hoping to catch him before service started, letting him know I was here. I had wanted to sneak up on him and start singing the first line to his song 'Wave A Hand' ~ "Pardon me have we met before? You look familiar but I still can't tell for sure. Can't explain the similarities of what it is that makes ya look like me well....", but I swear he must have told people in his church I was coming because someone had spilled the beans as soon as I got in the door. Uh, well, as soon as I saw him my mind went blank, dang! I guess I was excited? lol! And so was he once he saw me! Ohmygoodness the whole time we talked before and after service he was like a little kid in a candy shop, all excited and animated!
Two things I regret not doing that night. I did not get a picture with MY camera phone (THANKYOU JODY for the picture!!!) and not sitting next to him in the service (but then again i DID tell him I was going to sit front row when he led worship.
He led three or four songs for worship at the very beginning....and I thought that was the end of worship! "WHAT?! Thats IT?! NOOOOOOOO, I didn't comne all this way for three songs!" Haha, my bad. After a few announcements and such, he was back on stage for the second set. Whew! And the second set was nothing short of annointed!
~'Take My Will'
~"None Compare'
~'Cry'n Holy'
Worship got done and I secretly hoped it would have lasted the entire service. I am a worshipper, what can I say?! \o/ I must have had my arms raised in worship the entire time. \o/ My arms are still feeling it!
The messsage. I thought I heard Pastor Debbie Hornsby say something near the end of announcements about preaching on tithing. My first thought was "Oh, great." A touchy subject for me being that I am on public assistance (SSI). Well, at least the worship was good, even if that was all God brought me up here for. Hahahaha, boy was I SO wrong! As it turns out that her husband, pastor Gary Hornsby, spoke on God's promises. I was abundantly blessed by that message. God was speaking to me SO much, I am sure I missed a lot of what was preached because my hand could not write fast enough. It was a bummer they didn't have sermon notes in their bulletin, so I improvised and used the back of an announcement sheet, and then ran out of room so I had to go searching for another piece of paper to write on....found a piece of paper in my Bible and ran out of room on that one too! LOL!!! As soon as the message is posted on their church website I will listen again and post here.
Richard came back on stage and picked up his guitar, started playing only to have a bit of background music for the pastor to close out the service. Dang! I was SO hoping he was going close us out in worship. :'( I couldn't leave without seeing Richard after service. When he asked me what I thought, I couldn't help a huge grin wiping across my face. This day was exactly what the Doctor ordered, and Richard said that he could sense it even during pastors message. Whoa, talk about a huge confirmation to what God was speaking...(I am almost crying while writing this sentence)!
At the end of the service I had another wonderful opportunity waiting for me. I had the pleasure of meeting one of Richards friends in person. See, he introduced us online. And there was a funny story behind the post that started our friendship. The three of us had our picture taken together (YES, I FINALLY have a picture with Richard!).
Mom and dad had a difficult tinme getting me out the door. I coulda hung out with Richard all day! Why couldn't God have put us closer together geographically?! Before I even left the building I got the brilliant idea (or was it God-given) to start praying about when the next time God would give us the opportunity to fellowship together again. As I was getting ready for bed that night, mom mentioned I might ask as a Christmas present to go back and se him at his church again. Uh, Lord????????

As far as that whole vening goes, dad says he cannot remember the last time he sasw me so happy..