A Worshipful Heart

What's Your Love Language?

 I'm sure many of you have read the great book "The Five Love Languages". It uses a simple test to see the way that you give and receive love. There are five different languages:

1) Words of Affirmation

2) Touch

3) Acts of Service

4) Gifts

5) Quality Time

I was thinking today how many times when we don't receive love in "our" language, we begin to believe a lie - that we are not loved. This is something I've struggled with lately as I've spent FAR too much time alone! My primary love languages are words of affirmation and touch followed by quality time. So when I feel loneliest, it's a sure bet I'm not hearing my love language spoken. Yet that does not mean I am not loved! It just means I am being loved in another language! And perhaps I need to look harder to see how friends and family are expressing that love to me.

What do you think? Are you sometimes blind to the love others express for you because they don't speak your language? 

What are your primary love languages?

And what is the primary way you speak love to others? 

Anybody else out there married to someone whose love languages are not at all like your own? 

To My Precious Daughter

Happy Birthday Maria! And yes, if you're counting, all of my children have birthdays in a 7 day time span!  (I had the same due date with both Maria and Daniel - June 27. How's that for irony?)

So this is birthday week. Every year June is like one long trip down memory lane. We have our anniversary in June as well so it's an important month. 

And Thursday was Maria's birthday. My oldest child. My only daughter. And she is 25 years old today. Now THAT is hard for me to believe! 25 years ago  Maria and I almost didn't make it. It was a day full of surprises and my labor and delivery with her went nothing like the examples in any book I had read or in any class we had taken. At the end of the day, she ended up in ICU and I stayed in the hospital nine days for kidney and uterine infections. Yet here we are - 25 years later. It was a rough start for us both but we're fairly healthy people and God in His great grace spared us to glorify Him on this earth. Every year I stop and am thankful. Thankful that we survived and thankful that Maria survived us as such young, inexperienced parents! Phil and I were only 19 and 20 when she was born! Thanks for being patient with us Maria! 

Maria is my perfectionist child. She has always wanted things to be just right. She is kind of shy and always has been. She loves to read and she is terrifically creative. She makes the most amazing things. And she loves her cats. In many ways, she is alot like Phil, preferring small groups to large crowds. And she is very loving.

Maria, I know we'll celebrate this weekend but I wanted to tell you publicly what I appreciate about you. 

I love that you have a heart for the helpless - from animals to people, you care for those who cannot care for themselves. 

I love that you are a little bit sentimental like me. With three guys in the house sometimes it's been nice to have another girl who "gets it"!

And I appreciate that you have always worked hard at school, making good grades and giving it your best.

I love that you love to read. I hope that I played a small part in passing this love along to you.

I love that you sometimes still call me "Mommy" and that you still need some hugs and understand that I do too.

I love how you've worked hard to become independent in the midst of some great challenges. I love how you've not quit but have worked hard to keep moving forward. 

I appreciate your creativity. You make beautiful things. You see beauty in the world around us. And you are so generous with the creative gift God has given you. 

I just love being with you, because I love you very much. You are a blessing.

In the year ahead I pray that you will hear the voice of God clearly as you make choices about the next phase of your life. I pray that you will finish strong and allow every single circumstance to draw you nearer to Jesus, who loves you so dearly. I pray that you will gain confidence in what God is calling you to do with the one life you have been given.

I pray you will always remember that we love you. And Jesus loves you. 

And we're always right here for you. 

We love you Maria. You are our blessing. 

The Middle Child

Today is Philip's birthday. He is 23 years old as of 8:09 am this morning. My middle child. (below, he's the one in the middle!)  The one that never needed my help or wanted to be tucked in. The one that always insisted, "I can do it". The one that - from the womb - was different. He was never demanding, but also just seemed to live in his own little world, happy as a clam most of the time. 

I would say that Philip is my most fiercely independent child. Determined to handle each and every challenge on his own without the help of anyone else. And as a parent this sometimes is a blessing. On other days it kind of hurts. Because we want our children to need us just a little! 

On his own, Philip has traveled to California twice. He has paid for half of his college expenses. He's live in L.A. for six months working for free as an intern. He's found apartments, and gotten jobs, and rarely have I seen him rattled by anything at all. He's determined to be his own person and that is something I've grown to appreciate. It's what we raise our children for - to be independent. But sometimes letting go is more difficult than we can imagine! 

 And today is his birthday. And he is far away in California, all alone. And as his mom, I feel just saddened by that and I am very ready to see my "baby" again. All 6'5" of him! 

So Philip, as we celebrate YOU today and as I thank God for the gift of you, here are some of the things I love and appreciate about you......

I love how you give me really big hugs because you know that I need that. As your mom, there's nothing I love more! 

I love that you always make me laugh. And that you love my cookies. And that you call just to chat and share your life with me. That makes me feel close to you. 

I love that you are such a big Bama fan and get even more excited about Alabama football than I do! And I love that you text or call me or Dad during games to talk. We love football season even more now because we love sharing it with YOU. Roll Tide Roll! 

I love how you have such a great sense of adventure and wonder as you long to see the world around you. And yes, although I worried about you, I loved how you took the initiative to go all the way to California to see if this was an opportunity for your future. Keep on exploring. Never stop learning. And never stop growing. 

And now I love that you are coming back home to live in Alabama once again. (a Mom can be happy about that can't she?) I love that you have gained a new appreciation for your roots and heritage and you can see the positive things about "home" that we take for granted when it's all we know. I can't wait to see you again. 

I love that you are undemanding, and content with what you have. Sometimes I'd love it if you wanted a new pair of pants :) but all in all it makes me happy that you are easily content with what you have - and that you are completely unimpressed by outward appearances. Keep looking at the heart, Philip. That's what truly matters. 

I love how you've taken the initiative to finish school on your own, learning to make sacrifices for the future. I know you've done much of that to lift a burden from your Dad and I and we are thankful that you care about us. 

I pray that in the days ahead you find a job that you truly love and feel fulfilled in doing. I pray that you have deep and faithful relationships that fill your heart with joy. I pray that every experience in your life will draw you closer to the heart of God Almighty. And I pray that you will grow in His love, kindness, compassion and mercy. For knowledge without these is empty. 

You are a talented man, Philip, full of gifts and abilities that others can only dream of. Use them wisely. As Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to see." 

As I told Daniel, our prayer is that you remain in the love of Jesus Christ. And that you remain in our love as well. We love you very, very much. More than words can ever express. May God bless you Philip, on your 23rd birthday. We pray that the year ahead is one of great beauty and joy. 

I share with you what the Apostle Paul also wrote to Timothy..."Guard what God has entrusted to you." (1 Timothy 6: 20) Use your one life and your God-given gifts and abilities for the glory of God and the good of others. The world is waiting. 

I love you Philip, my precious middle child. 

June Prayer Update

 Once a month I send out a letter to my prayer partners sharing the needs of the Give Worship Project.  

I thought you'd like to read it as well. Here's what we're up to. Please pray for us and if you'd like to be added to our prayer list, please leave a comment with your email address or email me at janowen@knology.net.

Hi Friends!

Thank you so much for praying for this ministry and me as well. The last few weeks have been quiet but we’re hard at work now preparing for the next two ministry trips. We’ll be heading to Guatemala in July and Rwanda in September. I’m also immersed in writing worship discipleship materials for leaders in Rwanda to use with their worship teams to help them grow and develop as personal worshipers. 

You can pray for us in these specific ways:

• Book Drive for Leaders - we are presently asking for help in providing Spanish language worship books for leaders in Guatemala. You can see the wish list here: http://www.amazon.com/wishlist/297JJ70EZDYT2  My goal is to take 16 books to the worship ministry teams at Los Olivos Christian Church. We’d love to have your help.
• Ministry trip to Guatemala, July 16-24. Fourteen people will be traveling to Guatemala to work in El Yalu, a village in the mountains. We’ll be building latrines, installing chimney stoves and doing camps for children. I’ll also be conducting training for the worship ministry teams at Los Olivos Christian Church. Our desire is to have an ongoing ministry in Yalu and in partnership with Los Olivos. I’m excited to have a fellow worship leader, Sheila Pierce, with me for the training!
• Worship Discipleship Planning and Training - Please pray for guidance, wisdom, discernment and a true word from God as we write. these materials. Pray that the work we do will be easily communicated, easily translated and ultimately life changing and God-glorifying! Pray that the doors will open for us to use this material in many countries. We believe God transforms lives as we worship!
• Ministry trip to Rwanda, September 15-26. I’m traveling and ministering again with e3 Partners. (www.e3partners.org) Pray for many to come to know Christ as we work in the Huye District near Butare planting ten new churches. I’ll also be teaching another worship conference at the end of the week. Pray that as I continue to work in Rwanda doors will open, and God’s will for the future use of worship discipleship would be made plain to all involved. I want to make sure I am doing the work God has planned for me. **If your church would like to donate money for Bibles for new churches or the costs associated with the production of these discipleship materials let me know.**
• Plans for 2011. With opportunities to return to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Rwanda,  and new opportunities to minister in South Africa open to me we have much to pray about and consider. Pray that we will hear a clear word from God.
• Opportunities to share and teach here - Please pray that I will have more opportunities to share about the Give Worship Project here in the U.S. Sharing what God is doing will help us spread the word and continue to raise supporters. 
• Pray for doors to open with pastors, worship leaders and churches for me to speak, lead retreats and worship, and even consult so that I can make a little money to help with college expenses. 
• Pray for workers to go to the fields! As I go to Rwanda in September or in 2011 YOU can go with me. Pray that God will touch hearts to go share the gospel with the beautiful people of Rwanda.
• Continued financial provision! We are thankful for our monthly partners. We have six now! We rejoice that God has faithfully met every single need we’ve had and much ministry has been made possible. We are still in need of $4000 in one time gifts or $550 more in monthly gifts to meet our budgeted expenses for the remainder of 2010. Without your help we cannot go!

To give to the Give Worship Project go to www.giveworship.com

For my son Daniel

Nineteen years ago tomorrow a dream came true. Our son Daniel came into this world and we held him for the first time and looked at this sweet little face. Daniel has always had a spark, a joy, a special something about him that just catches your heart. And I miss him. It's just not the same around here without him.....

So, Daniel, as you turn nineteen I wanted you to know what I appreciate about you.

I love how you make me laugh. Your witty observations about life always lift my spirits. 

I love hearing you try to play a riff on the guitar to a metronome....again and again and again. And I love hearing the beautiful songs you create.

I love how you always tell me you love me. And call me just to talk. I love your curiosity. And how you are eager for new experiences. I love how you care about others and how you are always willing to help. I love that you are always sure there is a new solution, even when I'm sure there is not. And I love how you stop and help people even when I am just a litttle bit afraid that it's dangerous. 

I love seeing you with your grandmothers. And hearing you laugh with your dad. And seeing your excitement when we travel and discover something really great together. Or when I make cookies. And I love seeing you cuddle with the kitties.

I love that you are a dreamer. That you see beauty all around you. And that you capture that for all of us to   see too. 

I love that you are alot like me. And alot like your dad. 

I love that you don't ask for much and are always thankful for what we give you.

I love that you are you and that you are okay with that. And that you can laugh at yourself. That will stand you in good stead as you go through life! 

And I appreciate that you appreciate me. Some days I need that alot. 

And I'm praying for you. I'm praying that God uses every circumstance to draw you to Himself. To teach you. To grow you. I'm praying that you will stay close to God and that you will continue to learn. To be compassionate. And kind. And to love all people, no matter what they look like or where they're from. I pray you'll continue to learn to celebrate where you come from and have a joyous anticipation about where you're going. I pray you'll keep working hard and learn that remaining faithful is one of the most important - and difficult - things in life. I pray that God will protect you - your mind, your heart, your body, your thoughts. I pray that He'll protect you even when you lack the discernment to protect yourself. I pray you'll choose wisely in all things and that God will give you a wisdom and insight beyond your years. And I pray that you will know with certainty what He has created and called you to do - and that you will say yes.

May you always remain in God's love. And in ours. 

We love you, Daniel.

"You are God's masterpiece. He has created you anew in Christ Jesus so you can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Eph. 2:10)

 

What do you want me to do for you?

"Later, as Jesus and his disciples left town, a great crowd was following. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus from Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "Be quiet!" some of the people yelled at him.But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!"  And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus down the road." Mark 10:46-52

Do you ever read stories in the Bible and think "what???". That's what happened when I read this account of Jesus healing Bartimaeus recently. I'd read it dozens of times, but some things struck me differently this time through. The first thing that struck as really odd is that Jesus asked an obviously blind man what he wanted him to do for him. I guess I figured that would be obvious! I wondered why Jesus asked him this question.....

But then I thought about it. How many times do we fail to articulate the deepest desires of our hearts to God because we think "well he knows that anyway?". Or perhaps it seems like a selfish desire. Or perhaps our soul is crying out to God but we're not quite sure what we actually need from him. Or maybe we feel unworthy to ask for anything at all. Or perhaps we think we can handle it all on our own. 

I think God longs to hear our hearts and voices humbly crying out to him. Bartimaeus yelled long and loudly for Jesus attention. He was desperate. He knew that Jesus was his only hope. This was his only chance. And so he cried out. And he made a scene. And he didn't shut up. And he asked unashamedly for what he needed. He recognized that he could not handle his problem on his own. At this moment he was the total opposite of self-sufficient. He was totally reliant on Jesus. And that is perhaps the best place of all to be. 

When I was in India I saw some hard things. I met people who were in desperate situations. And - unlike me in my comfortable, safe and well provided for world - they knew one thing for sure. They knew how much they needed Jesus for every need of their life. Jesus says in his famous sermon on the mountain, "God blesses those who recognize their need for Him. For the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them." (Matthew 5:3) James even says, "we have not because we ask not". 

Whatever we might like to think, we can't do it all on our own. There are needs only God can supernaturally fill. Our hearts need work that only He can do. The truth is.....we desperately need Jesus. When we cry out fervently to God we acknowledge that ONLY He is God! On our faces in humility before the God of the universe, the God who is mighty to save, is a good place to be.

And so today, I ask you to consider the same question Jesus asked the blind man....

"What do you want Jesus to do for you?"

Resource Drive for Guatemala

In mid-July a group of us will be heading to Guatemala to minister. We'll be working in the village of El Yalu working on building latrines, installing chimney stoves and also doing camps for children. I'm excited that I will also be spending four nights helping to train the worship ministry team at Los Olivos Christian Church. They are a larger church in the area that is overseeing long term ministry to the villages in the area, which includes El Yalu.  I'm very honored to be able to spend time learning together with this team. I love training worship leaders!

As always, I love to take resources with me to give out to the class members. I've found that books are treasured because they are much harder to get than here. Many cannot afford books or cannot find good resources in their language. Additionallly, if they can find these books they are much more expensive. (I picked up a paperback book in Rwanda to buy and it was $45. I came home and bought it from Amazon for $13.) **If you are a worship leader, worship ministry member, or pastor, I know you are like me and have a ton of books in your library. Please help another leader have that opportunity to learn as well!**

This is where YOU can help! You can go to the Give Worship Project Amazon Wish List and buy a book or books to be given to worship team members at Los Olivos. They'll be mailed to me and I'll take them with me. 

Thank you so much for caring about others and for helping us encourage church leaders around the world! At any time you can click on the blue square to the left on my blog and it will send you to the wish list.

Some of the children of El Yalu, a Mayan village in the mountains of Guatemala. We're going back in a month!  

Your Favorite Place

 I just got off a teleconference with the team I am going back to Rwanda with in September. Talking about the trip made me remember once again how much I absolutely love to travel and see new places.  

I am so blessed to have traveled extensively within the United States while growing up. We went to many states in nothing more than a shell on the back of my Dad's old pick up truck. Even though I didn't realize it then, I learned alot from this childhood travel. 

As an adult, my love of discovering new places has only grown. I've had the wonderful opportunity to not only spend time in the U.S. but to also travel to other countries as well. I've spent time in Israel, Canada, the Bahamas, Germany, France, India, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, and Rwanda. (I've briefly been in other countries but I didn't really see them so I didn't list them!) All the trips were different - some were for vacations and some were for mission trips. There were things I loved about all of them. And in every single place God revealed Himself to me in special ways. 

This picture shows one of those moments. I was going through a difficult time in my life when it was taken. I was actually on sabbatical from my position as worship pastor. During that time away I was blessed to be able to go spend a week with my friends Lana and Keith in Germany. Lana and I had such a fun time going down into Bavaria and exploring. We took a boat down Lake Konigsee and got out and hiked through this alpine meadow. I remember thinking, "This is what I want my life to be like! A sunny, flower filled meadow with unbelievably beautiful scenery." Yet the reality was that I felt like I was hiking through a swamp, struggling to put one foot in front of the other. My one day in this beautiful place was therapeutic, and it gave me hope. As we walked through this meadow I wanted to twirl around in circles and sing "The hills are alive with the sound of muuuuusic!!!" Yea, I would have looked silly. But it was a moment I will never forget. Even though I'm sitting here calmly in this picture I believe I will remember this moment and this day forever. It was that magical. A serendipity. An unexpected blessing.

From sitting in Notre Dame surrounded by hushed and heartfelt prayers, to cruising the Na Pali coast in a catamaran, to looking over the rim of the Grand Canyon and wondering if it was real, to standing on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught, to singing worship songs on a mountaintop in the DR, to sitting by the ocean in the Bahamas with my best friend, to strolling the historical streets of Antigua hand in hand with my husband, to swinging over icy glaciers in the Alps with Daniel, to standing in a field in Rwanda worshiping with new friends, to walking in the Gulf with the waves lapping around my legs  - God has always touched my heart in deep ways as I've traveled. I think every time I travel I discover a new way that God has communicated Himself to the world. Another brushstroke of His creativity and love. It's one of the reasons I love to travel. New places. New people. A fresh view of God's creation. It always amazes me. 

So what about you? Do you like to travel? What's the most beautiful place you've ever been to? What is one place you'd love to see in your lifetime? 

This is an all play so make sure you leave a comment!

 

It's All About Relationships

I'm a people person. Certifiable. My motto is "Whatever it is we're doing, it's more fun if we do it TOGETHER!" So the knowledge that church is all about relationships is something I knew when I served on staff. But sometimes in the excitement of planning another service,  the never ending task of making sure musicians were happy, prepared and available, and wondering if we were doing the right things to help the church grow, and the ever increasing worries about doing ministry with no money I would forget it. Sometimes in the midst of my dreams and visions of what I wanted to see happen in our creative arts program, I would do what I believe many leaders do. I would get caught up in the world of ministry, the world of "leadership", and I would lose sight of the fact that for most people that attend, relationships become the glue that hold things together.  

I've been sitting in church for the past seven months doing something I haven't done since I was 19 years old. Nothing. I don't lead a ministry. I'm not on staff or leading worship. I'm not even singing much. Every week I wake up when I want to on Sunday morning and I go to whichever service is coming up next. (we have three to choose from) I just go to church. 

And while this is very hard in some ways, I do believe God is showing me some important things about ministry as I simply sit. I'm getting a view of church through the eyes of those that attend every single week and don't wear the label of pastor or leader. I'm able to see church and ministry from a 360 degree perspective, which is something I've lacked for most of my adult life. I think this perspective is from God and I look forward to how He's going to use that in my life. 

But for today, the one lesson that shines brighter than any other is this. Church is all about relationships. Our relationship with Jesus Christ to be sure. But also our relationships with one another. Jesus himself said it in his last hours here on earth in several different ways: "My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one..." (John 17:21) "Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:34-35) Not a social club, but a place to be deeply loved and cared for. Not frivolous encounters, but true community. Church is where we lead people to Jesus, but also to His Body. 

Sometimes we, as church leaders, get so enamored with our vision and fall so in love with being a "leader" that we forget that most people attending our churches don't really care about those things (leadership and vision) . They  - as the famous quote goes - simply want to love and be loved, know and be known, celebrate and be celebrated. People come to church many times because of relationships - a hunger for a deeper relationship with God, or the spiritual companionship of a friend. 

I think people will endure mediocre preaching and worship music if they know someone cares about them. If they are treated as individuals who's contributions are appreciated they are more likely to stick around. I've lived through incredible sorrow as people chose to leave the church I served at. There is no pain like it. As I look back at each of these situations I think that most of those "issues" weren't about policy or doctrine, they were really about hurt feelings and relationships that were perceived to be broken. Sometimes in the midst of arguing about stuff we can lose sight of what it's really all about. Our pride gets in the way and we fail to love as we should. I know I've done it!

Theology is important but every church has theology. Most people have an opinion about style as well. But it's my firm belief that what people are most looking for is a church that helps them deepen their relationship with Christ and where they can find a true friend. No matter how cool and relevant and wonderful a church may be, people will not stay if they do not feel they have a friend. They will not stay if they feel that they cannot grow in their faith.  

It's just like in a family. There are jobs to be done, tasks that must be accomplished. But those jobs and tasks can never become more important than the members of the family itself. 

Relationships are what it's all about. I hope I never forget this again.

Worship Around the World

Here is a video where you can see worship from India and Rwanda. Everything from students writing worship songs in conferences to worship out in a field is included. It's not long. Enjoy! You'll have a front row seat to seeing why I'm so passionate about what I do. I do believe that God moves when we worship Him!

Worship Around the World from Jan Owen on Vimeo.

What You're Seeing (by clip)

1) This group led us in worship quite a bit at the conference I helped with in India. We had about 75 attendees and we spent three todays together learning and worshiping.

2) We had them write their own worship songs and divided them up according to language group to do this. This was one group's offering. This is also in India.

3) Now you get a glimpse into the worship time in a small Indian church in the slums of Kolkata. I love their fervency and joy as they sing with simple instruments.The pastors from the Oressa region of India know what it means to count the cost to follow Jesus. The two scenes of them worshiping are indicative of their joy in spite of the hardships and persecutions they face as followers of Christ. 

4) The pastors from the Oressa region of India know what it means to count the cost to follow Jesus. The two scenes of them worshiping are indicative of their joy in spite of the hardships and persecutions they face as followers of Christ. 

5) Moving on to Rwanda, this clip is from the mother church that I worked with to help plant another church there. This was their Sunday morning "praise choir". I loved their joy! (I would have no doubt been fired for leading worship while doing these moves!)

6) Now we move to the mission point where we were working to plant a new church. There is no church building. Only a field. The first day we worshiped and praised God as we sanctified this place with His praises!

7) We worshiped every single morning before we shared the gospel or did any work at all. It was always the FIRST order of business in Rwanda - to praise God!

8) We taught the children to sing "Jesus Loves Me" at the mission point. (well, Sharon did!)

9) The remaining clips are from the worship conference I taught at in Rwanda. This is in a local church with 100 people attending that serve in worship ministry in some way.

"Shout joyful praises all the earth! Sing about the glory of His name! Tell the world how glorious He is. Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds.......Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs. Come and see what our God has done, what awesome miracles he does for his people."  - Psalm 66:1-5