Chains

ok, i am finally taking a second to blog a bit more about the incredible weekend we had at Trout Lake/Timber Ridge Camp.

we were asked, as ALIVE, to put together a few "creative elements" for the different sessions.

so in between {em-pou-er}, St. Joe's, and Give Me Your Eyes for Edinbrook - we worked on stuff for that. haha...i could lie and tell you it was super easy and not at all stressful...but i wont. it was absolute craziness...but God put it together!!! and i am beginning to think that we will never have any REAL time to prepare for things...God is just helping us to rely on Him for it all!

one of the things we worked on was taking a section from our first Project - the drama we did to the song Slow Fade by Casting Crowns. its a picture of how taking little steps away from God, making little compromises all add up faster than they think they will and all of a sudden everything is crumbling...in the drama the main character starts out saying no - but ends up giving in more and more. and as she gives in - chains are added to her shoulders. until she falls and all of a sudden she is surrounded by people holding her down and making sure the chains stay on her.

and we tried something different...

we had them do that part of the drama, and then end it - on a sad note...

and then Mark got up and gave his message on the chains we hold so tightly to and let weigh us down - whether its chains of selfishness or laziness or complacency or whatever...we just let them weigh us down. but God wants to take them away! He wants to break them so badly and let us live free...we just need to get rid of the chains.

and then after he was done, sam herrlin (bless her heart...she was willing to step up and learn this dance on SUCH short notice, and just let God use her...such a blessing) went up, wrapped up in chains and danced to a cut version of the song Lift Up Your Face by Third Day. amazing. just SUCH a cool visual of holding so tightly to our chains - but God tells us to look up at Him and trust Him to take care of us. and then we let go...and we're free! the chains just fall off...and as much as i dont love the sound of chains normally - there is something so powerful about hearing those chains just fall to the ground.

freedom.

if you want to see a version of the chains dance - you can go to the dance category to the right and the video is called "Freedom".

let go of the chains...you were never meant to live with all that weight. God wants you to be free - once and for all. so be free! get rid of those chains...

-ALIVE