Carson, Washington. . . yep, we’re in the beautiful state of Washington (well, at least the part we’re in is lovely. . . that eastern part of the state made North Dakota look like paradise!). We’re visiting Steve’s brother, Dave, and his wife, Laila, and their brand new baby daughter, Tove. We decided to extend our journey and “drop by” to see the new baby and visit with the rest of the Goldring clan who will be arriving tonight and tomorrow. Our journey is winding down. We are ready to get back to Utah and whatever awaits us there.

Before coming to Washington, though, we spent two lovely days in Sandpoint, Idaho, visiting good friends, Sharlene and Allen. I was graciously included in the Sunday services at their church – Cedar Hills Church – and was able to share one song at each of 2 services. Cedar Hills is full of passion for the lost and it shows in everything they do. We had a wonderful time worshiping with the folks there and we were so blessed by the message.

Visiting with Sharlene is always a high point for me. Our friendship began in the mid-1980’s while we were both involved with the youth group at Salt Lake Christian Center. We struck up a powerful friendship and became committed prayer partners. I still have fond memories of our early morning times of prayer and worship before heading off to work. Even though many miles separate us and we are involved with our own lives, there is a bond that will never be broken. There are two things that have always held Sharlene and me together – our love for God’s word and our partnership in prayer.

As I said, we are ready to get back to Utah. . . This trip in so many ways has been a celebration of renewal for our marriage, our family, our ministry. In some ways it has felt like the culmination of several years of struggles for us. Yet, in another way it feels like only the beginning of the next adventure God is calling us to. We’re not sure exactly what it is that God is calling us to do, but we know that there will be some changes. And as Sheryl Crow sings “a change will do you good”. We are excited about “the next thing” and are ready to see God work.

Like the very first Bible verse I ever memorized says –
“Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

We’re trusting him – all the way.

- posted by Mary @ 8:22 PM

 
Bozeman, Montana. . . We're at the public library using the computer. . . checking email and trying to keep this journal updated! No small task without a computer handy. . . what were we thinking!!! :-)

So much has happened (so many miles have been driven) since we last posted from Michigan. We left the Detroit area on the 30th of July and headed north through the beautiful state of Michigan. Our ultimate destination was Blaine, Minnesota, just north of Minneapolis so we decided to take the northern route and see the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. What an incredible place! We spent a day touring around Mackinac Island on our bikes (it's totally anarchy with all the bikes, pedestrians, horse drawn carriages going basically wherever they want!!)

After leaving the UP we headed through northern Wisconsin and much to our surprise, we found the most incredible state park to set up camp. Clear Lake will long be remembered as our favorite campsite on this journey. After our refreshing stay at Clear Lake we proceeded on to the Twin Cities area. We stayed in Ham Lake, MN, just a few miles away from Son Light Church of the Nazarene in Blaine.

On Sunday, Aug. 3rd, I participated in a big way in Son Light's morning service. The pastor, Jim Leston, is a friend from Utah. Jim used to be the chaplain at Dugway and was the first pastor to invite Traveling Mercies to perform. Several years ago, Jim was transferred to the MN area and always sent us messages saying "if you're ever in Minnesota. . ." So, here we were. . . in this little Nazarene church in Blaine. Not knowing what to expect. Only knowing that Jim invited us to come and God is faithful!

Once again, I was overwhelmed by the evidence of the Spirit's presence. The willingness of God's people to (once again) trust this total stranger to worship with them continues to amaze me! I was unaware of the challenges the church was going through -- sickness, death of family members, surgeries. I was very aware of God's ministering touch during the service -- both toward the people and toward me!

How do you measure success in this kind of venture? I'm not really sure. I didn't sell one CD at this little church. Hardly a person came up and chatted with me after the service. But did I feel "unsuccessful"? By no means!!! As I participated in the service -- watching people respond to the Spirit of God and open their hearts during the prayer time, hearing people share how they felt the presence of God in a powerful way during the worship, taking communion with my brothers and sisters and truly experiencing the blood of the Lamb as he once again delivered me from my sin -- I was so encouraged. But ultimately it was the Word of God as Jim preached it that morning. Focusing on Peter and his adventure of getting out of the boat and walking on the water. . . Was Peter successful? Some would say "No -- oh him of little faith! He sunk!"
I would say "absolutely!" Only Peter experienced the mighty hand of Jesus reaching out to him as he began to go under. . . only Peter got to feel the cold water on the bottoms of both of his feet at the same time (try that one!!). . . only Peter got out of the boat. Now, that's how I define success. (Thanks, Jim!!)

May God bless you if you're thinking of stepping out at His invitation.
Wet suit not required :-)


- posted by Mary @ 11:33 AM

 
We're in beautiful Beverly Hills (Michigan, not California). . . where July 24th is just another summer day!!!

After leaving Ithaca, NY, we headed to the Cleveland area to visit the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. What an exciting place for music lovers such as we are! The next day we stopped in on my Aunt Jo for a short but lovely visit. She has such a great sense of humor, loves the Lord with all her heart, and is one of those "shoot it right from the hip" kinda gals. It's always a treat to spend some time with Aunt Jo!

We'll be in Michigan for a week. . . doing some sight seeing and visiting with our good friends, Greg and Julie, and their family. I'm looking forward to playing some music with Greg on the back patio.

It's always a gift to reconnect with true friends like these and others we have spent time with on this journey.
I am reminded of the Bible verse, Proverbs 18:24.
I love how it reads in The Message version --
"Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family."

ttfn

- posted by Mary @ 12:48 PM

 
This is our last night in Ithaca, New York. Our original plan of 4 or 5 days here was extended to nine! We just needed to spend more time with friends here. Also, Pastor Chuck Tompkins was so excited about last week's service that he invited me to Bethel Grove Bible church for more music and worship. This morning's service was a "smorgasbord" of missions and God's faithfulness "through the generations". Chuck wasn't quite sure how everything was going to flow so he asked if I could just be ready to do whatever the Spirit would lead me to do.

Before the service began, both Steve and I felt what we would call "spiritual opposition". There was a lot of anxiety, tension and disconnectedness. Steve reminded me that our Adversary was probably at work, trying to sabotage the work of the Spirit of God (fat chance!). After a VERY brief soundcheck, I unplugged my guitar and went downstairs to the basement of the church. In an empty classroom I surrendered my anxiety, tension and disconnectedness to the One who tells us "in this world you will have trouble. . . but I have overcome the world." I prayed that the Spirit of God would touch the church in worship in a way they'd never been touched before. I prayed for a wave of the Spirit to pour over the congregation and the worship team. I prayed for discernment to know what songs to do and what not to do!

How do you say "God is good. . . all the time!"???
From the moment the worship began it was evident that God was in control. Every song that was sung, every person who came up front and shared, pointed to the faithfulness of our awesome God. We commissioned a team of BG members as they left (during the service!!) for a two week mission trip to the Ukraine. . . we heard from missionaries to Bulgaria, missionaries working with Wycliffe in Australia. I shared "Fire in His Bones" hoping it would be a blessing, not only to the missionaries but to those who might be afraid to "go". Joining me on drums was Andrew Grimes -- a wild haired, Spirit filled young man who has a hardcore rock/reggae band in Australia and whose parents are Wycliffe Bible translators in Australia. It was an awesome arrangement, especially considering we couldn't get a complete run through of the song before the service! Most powerfully, we listened to several dozen men and women who had returned to BG for a 25th reunion -- all of them had come to Christ while they were college students at Cornell, most were baptized at BG and they all grew in their faith while attending BG in the 70's. It was incredible to see God's faithfulness in each of their lives and how all of them are involved in Christian ministry today!

I don't quite know how to put this into words. . . but there was such a powerful move of God's Spirit in the worship -- a most incredible and humbling move of His Spirit. With each song that we sang it was as if the volume of the congregation kept getting louder and louder -- so loud, in fact, that during "Shout to the Lord" you could not hear the praise team at all -- only the voices of the congregation. Then, at the end of "Shout to the Lord" the praise team moved into "You Are My All In All". Their intention was to play it through instrumentally with a lovely violin solo and piano. But as they began to play the Spirit of God moved the entire congregation (not led by the people up front, but by Him alone) to begin singing the song. The congregation kept singing until the praise team finally joined in!! What a switch that was! The Spirit reminded me (once again) that He is the one who leads us in worship and he'll do it however he pleases! It was an awesome moment. One that I will never forget.

Pastor Chuck never did preach a message today! He did ask me to close the service with a special song but I sensed that the congregation wanted to worship. So, I had the privilege of playing my guitar and singing while the Spirit led them in worship with "How Great Thou Art".

We are spending our final night with our friends, Greg and Stacy. It has been a wonderful visit and truly a great time of fellowship with each other and with the Lord. Tomorrow will be a sad day as we say goodbye "until next time". Then we are off to Ohio and Michigan. We continually sense the prayers of our friends for our safety on this journey and for God's blessings on us.

- posted by Mary @ 4:28 PM

 
Ithaca, New York. . . we've been staying with good friends, Greg and Stacy, here at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, one of the beautiful finger lakes of New York.

After our whirlwind tours of DC, Baltimore, and Gettysburg, it's nice to just "hang out" once again. Although we did a crash tour of Niagara Falls yesterday. Talk about feeling small and insignificant. I wonder if Jesus had those falls in mind when he told the Samaritan woman at the well that the water he could give her would be "gushing fountains of eternal life" (The Message)!!

Our time in Ithaca has been refreshing. We had a wonderful time last Sunday sharing the music with the folks at Bethel Grove Bible Church. The leadership there so graciously allowed me to share three songs during their service. I was joined by some members of BG's worship team who I affectionately call "the improvisational brothers" -- Tim (on electric guitar) and Dan (on drums) who played with great enthusiasm on two tunes. (Thanks again, guys!!! It was WONDERFUL!!)

It was evident to me that the Spirit of God was keeping us close every step of the way -- from the songs I selected (which fit perfectly with the tone of the service AND the message) to the execution of them with my new brothers (full of the Spirit). But I sensed the Spirit most of all in the faces of the congregation and the conversations with folks after the service. . .
. . . we met Lloyd, a father of nine who has recently returned to the states from the mission field in China and Mongolia. . .
. . . I chatted at great length with a new "kindred Spirit" sister -- so filled with God's Holy Spirit that we could almost complete each other's sentences. . .
. . . so many kind words, warm embraces, "thank you's" and "God bless you's" that even though I was so emotionally and physically spent, I went away spiritually full!

In the last few verses of Ephesians 2, Eugene Peterson's "Message" puts it like this --

"God is building a home. He's using us all -- irrespective of how we got here -- in what he is building. . .
We see it taking shape day after day -- a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home."

In the past month Steve, Andrew and I have worshiped in a Covenant church, a Lutheran church, a non-denominational "seeker" church, and a Bible church. People have asked how we are doing being gone from home for so long. We are doing great because all along the way, in very diverse places, we are experiencing God and in each of these churches he has been "quite at home" -- and home is where our hearts are. With him. . .


- posted by Mary @ 11:34 AM

 
We're looking forward to our experiences here in DC. We also are excited to visit with Jennifer & Craig Young in Columbia, MD later this week. We will be hanging out near Baltimore over the 4th weekend and we might even take in the aquarium.

Andrew, our 11-year-old son (as of TODAY), is having a blast swimming and playing with cousins. He loves the East, especially crabs.
- posted by Mary @ 6:40 AM

 
We have been away from a computer for a week or so (isn't that nice?) and finally have the chance to post again.

We're here in Edgewater, MD visiting relatives and doing the Washington, DC sightseeing thing. We took a boat ride on the South river and enjoyed picking crabs with friends - quite an experience.

We enjoyed the service at Bay Area Community Church yesterday. Worship leader Marshall Drake is a great guitar player and a sensitive worship leader who also happened to be preaching this weekend. Maybe next time we're in town, he'll want us to do some special music in the service.
- posted by Mary @ 6:36 AM

 
Sunday, June 22, 2003

We had an incredible day at Hillcrest Covenant Church in Prairie Village (Kansas City), KS. Pastor Mark Severson - a friend of Liz Mino's - invited us to play at their 3 services. What a wonderful group of people! We got to know several great folks from the Hillcrest worship team, including Mike the bass player, who drives a UPS truck in Carney, MO and Brian the drummer. Those two guys sat in on "In Your Presence" at the second and third services - they were great. We talked about Utah and what it's like with Carlene and Theresa. We met a wonderful couple - Linda & Bruce - who had been to the Olympics in SLC and had a great talk with them. Karl Bricker, the worship leader was very kind and helpful to us. We were thoroughly impressed with the commitment of the Hillcrest people.

Off to St Louis and points East Monday the 23rd.
- posted by Mary @ 6:32 AM

 
We played Homer's Coffee House last night in Kansas City, KS. Jim and Louise Mathis, the directors at Homer's, have taken us under their wings and have really shown us the town. We had a wonderful barbecue dinner with them before the concert last night and the cook's tour today. What a way to see this beautiful town. Looking forward to Hillcrest Covenant Church on Sunday. It's been great to get out and ride bikes on the lush green parkway next to the river.
- posted by Mary @ 12:47 PM