Instruments of Worship

SERIOUS THOUGHT

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:51:00 +0000

NOW FOLKS THIS DEMANDS SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT

An interesting response from a Christian to a Muslim Imam in response to the differences of faith.
This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry. The man who walks with God always gets to his destination. If you have a pulse you have a purpose.

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!!

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance.

During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: 'Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, 'Non-believers!'

I responded, 'So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.'

He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'

I then stated, 'Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'

The Imam was speechless!

I continued, 'I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question: Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?'

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with my way of dealing with the Islamic Imam, and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President!

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us send it on! This is your chance to make a difference...

The King is Coming SOON!

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:59:00 +0000

This morning I had the priviledge of doing a couple of hours in the Prayer Furnace. This year will mark our 5th year of 24/7 prayer and worship in our local house of prayer, and apparantly the only one in Canada that has actually been going 24/7. It is always a joy to participate, whether it is praying, painting and praying/worshiping, dancing or what have you!

Revival

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:17:00 +0000

I recently heard that they are experienceing revival at the IHOP (International House of Prayer NOT Pancake :) in Kansas. This is a link to see Live or archived video. Click on "Watch Live"...Misty Edwards is leading Worship sometimes aswell!

Enjoy!

Baptised

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:05:00 +0000

A favorite author of mine, Nancy Campbell, and Editoress of the Above Rubies Magazine said this in a recent email devotional - It was a helpful and inspiring reminder - something to meditate on.

"Jesus said He would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The Greek word for baptize means "to drench, to plunge." When someone comes out of the waters of baptism, they drip with water. In the same way, we should be dripping with the anointing of the Holy Spirit--in our home and our daily lives.

Theadore Robinson comments on this Scripture: "As John had immersed men in physical water, the Christ would plunge them into the very Spirit of God--the Holy Spirit--the source of all inspiration and the energy behind all goodness. This would fill them, overwhelm them, control them, transform them."

Long time no see

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:54:00 +0000

So - it has been too long! But Fall is here - and so our family schedule starts to fall into place, with that I hope to have more of a commitment to this blog! My primary focus originally was dance in Christian worship, and that may fuel many posts, but I think I will include our spiritual journey as well. Our journey in encouraging our children to Love the Lord with All their hearts.

The most recent creative project has been the pregnancy and birth of our third child, Elousia, born May 20/2009 at home. My husband found the name in the novel, The Shack. It means "God - being that which is truly real". In this day in age, we pray that our children will know the Truth and be living examples of this Truth!

One of my daily prayers for my children is for them to hear from God themselves - to know His voice. Recently Selah, 4, asked who was the enemy - we had just finished prayers and tucking children into bed. I really did not want to engage in a conversation like this before bed! So I tossed the responsibility off and told Selah - "ask the Lord, He can explain it better than I could ever!" Five minutes later, she called to me, and to my surprise she said, "He said the enemy is the snake that was in the garden!" I was pretty floored! I believe that God can speak to my "littles", but when it happens it still surprises me.

Blessings to you today!

p.s. sorry there are no photos - blogger is acting up today! I will republish with photos when it's working again!

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 20:05:00 +0000

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." John 4 :23

..."offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." Rom 6:13

Speechless

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:02:00 +0000

Misty Edwards - You Won't Relent @ Passion for Jesus Conf.

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:58:00 +0000

The sound is not the best on this. I chose this "you won't relent", because there are some dancers in the front. I'm assuming it is improv/spontaneous, with the unison parts either oranized just prior, or a kind of "shadowing". Too bad it's hard to see.

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:04:00 +0000

Well, it seems to be a new season for me and teaching. For the past 5 years I have been teaching on a very relaxed basis. Meaning, teaching consisted of the occasional workshops and short contracts while being a stay home mama. This year I'm dedicated to the new Masterworks Studio, now under the Great direction of Youth for Christ, and a local Christian School. Although after my day-to-day main focus is my husband and our 2 'littles', and now a 3rd on the way, it is nice to reconnect and be apart of something that requires a little more commitment than short workshops.

A couple of my classes are working on a peice for "You won't relent". I posted a youtube video of the song just above or below (depending on how long it takes to load). I'm totally a sucker for anything Misty Edwards and forerunner music stuff these days. No, I'm not worshipping 'man', just appreciating some worship written by a true worshipper, who does not care about getting signed on by a major record company - but cares only about the fame of her Savior. Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to be signed on with a major record company.

The small list of subscribers to this modest blog is slowly steadily increasing - thank-you - and it is a good encouragement for me to post "a little More Often!" Some of you are experienced dancers subscribing, some have a new desire to dance, passion for worship, and etc. I'd love to hear about thoughts about dance and worship endevors! You can email me at ticvaah@gmail.com or leave a comment!

God, the Great Artist, Bless you with overabounding creativity for the fame of Jesus!

How He Loves Us - Kim Walker / Jesus Culture

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

I love this song.

Ballet Magnificat solo dance

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:15:00 +0000

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:57:00 +0000

This fall I have a couple of small teaching contracts. And as I've started to dig through past teaching material I came across one of my all time favorite quotes:

"Art in it's pure for is a reflection of the Lord's nature as the Master Creator. The universe is the Lord's canvas and He delights in the diversity and beauty of His creation. He delights in making every snowflake different, every person different, every day different." (Yet today many churches are) "generally one of the most confined, predictable, boring and void of spontaneity of any institution on earth. This is because of our departure from true worship...

Art, by it's creative nature, must always seek the new, the fresh, and push back the outer limits. Therefore, the artist is often in danger of crossing the line into error...But without the freddom of the artist, we are already captured by the dead form that has no life. When the church has returned to true worship, true art will have also been recovered and promoted as one form of that worship. This is an art that transcends glorifying the creation to that which imparts awe and wonder of the blessed Creator that is reflected through the wonders of His Creation.
The Lord jesus said that ther publicans and harlots would enter the kingdom of God before the Pharisees and other most righteous men in Israel. The demonic religious spirit that worked in the prebailing religion of that day was farther from the heart of God than many of the great sinners of the land. In the same way, homosexuals and radical artists who have fallen to some of the lowest forms of perversion are still in fact much closer to the ture worship of God than many chruches.

It is because of this that Satan will increasingly try to put...art..communities at enmity with the church in order to made the chasm between them much greater. But the Lord is going to raise up Christian leaders with the vision to recapture true art for the church, which is the rightful property of the church. These will have to brave brutal assaults from religious paranoids, but the domain that is retaken is retaken will be worth the price.

...Art..is in a sense, a barometer in society that measures how bright and pute the light of the church that is shining...The true worship of God is fueled by a creativity that will make all perverted art forms pale and uninteresting by comparison." Rick Joyner, The Harvest, pgs. 75-77

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:00:00 +0000

I've really enjoyed the Worship led by Catherine recently, her freedom and passion is so contagious - I guess that's part of the anointing on her - contagious Worship and freedom in adoration....for years I've wondered why there were so few (if any) worship leaders who moved (danced) - well here's one! We're going to see more, and more, and more. If we are really not of this earth, if we are really of another Kingdom should we not look different, act different. There is art that is arising...there is worship that is arising that will bring such a wave of creativity the world has yet seen.
p.s. it's not for our own renown...it is for the renown and honor of His Name, Yeshua (His Jewish name) - the Creator about to be revealed through humble servants, humble vessels!
Emmanuel - come Lord Jesus.

It's time to Dance

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:34:00 +0000

On the Elijah List, Julie Meyer had this Prophetic Word last year:

"The Lord came to me and said, "I want you to meet My friends." I was really excited thinking I was on a journey to meet Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Zechariah, Moses. He took me by the hand, and we started flying around in the sky, kind of like a cartoon loop to loop. I was not scared even though I was extremely high above the ground and the earth. We were just flying around, and I could feel the breeze on my face. I could feel His hand holding my hand, and I was so high off of the ground and loved feeling the wind on my face. I was so aware that I was not afraid, just holding onto His hand.

All of a sudden, I saw His face change. He set His face intently to the earth and we started to head directly to the ground. I looked at Him, I looked at His face and I could see in His eyes and in His face a determination.

"...Therefore I have set My face like a flint..." (Isaiah 50:7).

I kept thinking we would surely not hit the ground, but I looked at His face and it was set. I felt this horrible dread come upon me, even though I was holding His hand. We were flying very fast in a head dive toward the ground and He did not look like He was going to turn around.

All of a sudden, we exploded right through the ground! I felt the pound on my head. It was like watching an action movie. I could hear the sound of the earth exploding around us, like the sound of standing right beside a rocket ship as it blasts off into space. It was deafening. We were traveling right through the earth, and the Lord's face never turned to the left or the right; it was set--straight ahead.

I could see with my eyes every moment--coming near the earth, hitting the ground, and blasting right through it. I could see the earth, the rock, the water, a burning fire, and I could feel the very tearing and burning of my skin. I was really feeling the rock and earth tear into my skin, as if it was really happening to me. I could feel horrible pain in my dream.

We suddenly came to the other side and burst out through the earth. I stood there, and I looked down at my body--it was all torn, my skin was torn, and I could feel the pain of it--but it was not about me.

Jesus looked at me, right up in my face, eye to eye, and He said, "I want you to meet My friends." I was crying because all of my body hurt. I was thinking that surely He would notice how badly I was hurt, and how badly my skin was wounded and torn, but He did not. I looked around and saw that we were in a very crowded place. I had never been there before, but I knew it was India. It had a horrible smell, there were so many people everywhere, and I was following the Lord. He was not even looking at me. It was like He wanted me to feel the pain of the tear of my skin.

There were little children everywhere. There were beautiful young girls in cages, and Jesus was with each one of them. He would just stand there with them. The seemingly forgotten of the earth were those whom the Lord called His friends. I saw children lying on the ground with flies on their skin, and I saw them pass from this horrible life to the next and the minute they awakened in eternity, He was there, for each one, He was there. NOT ONE of them is forgotten in His eyes, not one of them.

The sadness of what I was seeing, along with the agonizing pain my body felt, left me crying and crying. The Lord came over to me and got right up in my face and I thought it would be about me, I thought He would notice my pain at that moment, but He said, "Until your heart is torn and ripped like your flesh is now, you do not know My friends." It was absolutely more then I could take in. I was right there watching children die, mothers taking their last breath, disease spreading, and young girls being sold, and He kept saying, "Until your heart is torn and ripped like your flesh is now, you do not know My friends. You do not know Me." Then when I sunk into a heap of tears, to my surprise, He got right into my face, eye to eye, and said in a low whisper, "It is time to dance." He said it like it was His secret weapon, the dance...

He started doing this dance with His feet, like a stomping. Those perfect feet that revealed the very scars of death and life were dancing this rhythmic, tribal stomp--the feet of the Lord who stomps out injustice. It was the most powerful dance and stomp I have ever witnessed. To watch the Lord himself, with the scars of passion dance upon the injustice of His friends. He said it again, "Until your heart is torn and ripped in two, you do not know My friends. You do not know Me."

Then Jesus grabbed my hand, and we headed straight through the center of the earth and again, I felt the horrible pain of my skin and flesh ripping and tearing right off my bones and that thunderous sound as we were blasting right through the earth. Suddenly, we were standing in a doctor's office, like a clinic. My first thought was of myself and how much pain I was in. I felt as if I had no skin on my bones, like it had all been ripped off. He said again, "I want you to meet My friends."

I looked around, and I saw a trash can filled with babies. I could see heads and hands and tiny feet. Babies filled trash can after trash can. Some were still alive and moving, their skin was burned, some of their heads were crushed, some were completely whole, their eyes wide open and starring. I felt as if I was in shock. The Lord looked right up into my eyes with His eyes and He said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn like your flesh, you do not know My friends. These are My friends." I was standing there as another baby was thrown by his leg into the trash can, a whole baby. I could feel the very thoughts of the Lord.

"Oh the silent of the earth, the seemingly forgotten ones. YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!"

The babies were silent in that room on earth, but they had a voice that has the ear of the Father, God Almighty!

Their screams never cease throughout the corridors of eternity. They are crying out, day and night and night and day , and they HAVE THE ATTENTION OF HEAVEN. THEY HAVE THE ATTENTION, THE EAR, OF GOD ALMIGHTY. I started screaming out, "YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU! YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU ENGLE! YOU DO THIS NOT IN VAIN, LOU!"

I could see through the Hall of eternity that Heaven knows the very name of Lou Engle. Lou knows the friends of the Lord. I could hear the continual cry of the babies throughout the corridors of Heaven, the seemingly silent of the earth, the forgotten of the earth, but they have the ear of the Father, and they are day and night and night and day, crying out for justice on the strong of the earth, crying out for justice on the very ones that took their lives.

But...in eternity THEY HAVE A VOICE!!! Day and night and night and day...crying out for justice on the seemingly strong of the earth...and THEY have their FATHER'S EAR! And again, the Lord looked straight into my eyes and said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn like your flesh is now, you do not know my friends, you do not know Me."

I stood there sobbing and sobbing, and then He got right in my face again, right up close to my eyes, and said in a low whisper, "It's time to dance." He started that "New Dance" with those perfect feet that tread the high places of the earth, now those feet were dancing and stomping, right in the middle of this abortion clinic.

It was so powerful. It was always at the time when I was the most broken and the most undone that He would say, "It is time to dance. It's time to war, to dance is to war." He would stomp, with this new rhythm, this stomp with His feet. It was not the two-step, it was the Judge stomping out injustice, with His very own feet! He said, "Just wait until the earth joins Me in this dance. Few have joined Me, and I am extending the invitation, but you can only dance when your heart is the most torn and broken."

Then He came up to me again and said,"I want you to meet some of My friends." And right through the earth we went, yet again. I could barely stand. My heart was broken. My skin was torn. I looked down and it looked as if a bomb had exploded right next to me. We were walking down a very, very busy street. He was ahead of me and I was in so much pain, I wanted Him to walk slower, but it was not about me. He wanted me to feel the pain, because He wanted my heart to KNOW the pain, embrace it, and take it as my own.

He waited for me to walk right beside him. This place I knew was Israel. At different times I would see Him tip His head at someone, as if to say,"Hello" or "Shalom." He did not speak, He only tipped His head. He would catch their eye, and then tip His head back, and I would look at the person He was tipping His head to, and I saw their eyes bulge. I looked inside of them and I could see a light go on. I could see Jesus, with just a glance, open the eyes of their heart, and they could literally SEE Him as Jesus, the Messiah. I could see on the inside of them, as we walked down this path in Jerusalem, that all of a sudden the eyes of their heart were opened, and a small flame started to burn on the inside of them.

Some of the people He tipped his head to I knew had great authority, heads in the Jewish community--rabbis. I could literally see in a glance the Lord opening up their eyes; I could see the Lord appearing. He was appearing to some of the top rabbis in the land, and just with a glance and a nod, a flame of revelation started to burn on the depths of the inside, in a second the eyes of their hearts were opened.

"For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in His glory" (Psalm 102:16).

We followed these Rabbis up to their rooms, as they went up into the upper rooms of their houses. I watched these Rabbis fall on their knees and cry out, "This Changes EVERYTHING. This changes EVERYTHING!" I saw the Lord go over and blow on that tiny ember of revelation on the inside, and little by little, it started to burn like an unquenchable fire. I could see this small flame of revelation become like "fire shut up in their bones." I saw that this fire would continue to burn until the appointed day would come when these Rabbi's could hold it in no longer and they would shout it from the top of the mountains, "Yeshua is Messiah...YESHUA IS MESSIAH!" I thought about how we pray for this in our little prayer meetings from Kansas City, that Jesus would appear in His Glory. He really, really is.

I looked over, and this was the first time I saw the face of Jesus. He had tears running down His cheeks, and I could hear Him saying, "Oh Jerusalem, Oh Jerusalem." I could feel in my heart the passion and the love that He had for Israel. And I could feel the hurt of a lover when no love is given in return. He looked at me, yet again, and said, "Until your heart is ripped and torn, just like your skin is now, you do not know My friends. You do not know Me."

I could feel deep in my being the depths of love that He had for Israel--like Jacob loved Rachel, like Elkanah loved Hannah, yet His passion extended far beyond natural love. I was yet again crying and crying, and the salt of my tears stung the wounds of my flesh, yet I could not stop crying. Right when I thought I could take no more, and I had fallen to a crumpled heap on the floor, He said in a low whisper, "It is time to dance."

All of a sudden, we were right in front of the Wailing Wall, and He started again, this stomping, this rhythm, this dance with those perfect feet, like none I have ever seen. It was always at the point where I felt the most brokenness and grief that He would say, "It is time to dance." I could feel the presence of power, and I could feel the power of this dance, dancing upon injustice. Oh, what a sight to see when the Son of God and His perfect feet come spinning around and dancing on injustice! Jesus kept saying, "It's time to dance. It's time to dance."

There is a new dance coming, that will simply come out of our worship and our hearts breaking for the poor of the earth, for the seemingly forgotten, for the ones the Lord calls His friends. Just when our hearts are the most broken, THAT is when it is time to dance. Oh, what a sight to see when the King of Kings, the Judge of the earth and His perfect feet that show the scars of passion, begin to dance and stomp out injustice. It is a literal dance. It is a literal stomp!

It is time to dance. I knew this in my dream as we were walking down the streets of Jerusalem, right up to the wall where He started His dance. I knew that He was revealing Himself to very key people in the Jewish community, very high rabbis in the Jewish community even in the middle of the dance. I saw their eyes bulge. I could look inside of them and see their hearts begin to pound. I could see the Lord put inside of them "a knowing" that He and He alone was the Messiah. The day is coming, in the timing of the Lord, when He will stir up the hearts of the top appointed rabbis, and they will explode on the inside and run to the highest places in Jerusalem, shouting to all Jerusalem, "Yeshua is the Messiah. Yeshua IS MESSIAH!"

Blessed Is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Right now, they are hiding it and asking themselves if it really happenened. An appointed time has already been set, and in these days ahead, He is appearing and opening up the eyes of men's hearts, and then He will come and set their very bones on fire. I could see these rabbis exploding with the word of the Lord, proclaiming His appearing. It is happening. It is set for an appointed time. It is happening today.

"But if I say, 'I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,' His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones" (Jeremiah 20:9).

Then yet again, He said, "Until your heart is torn and ripped in two, just like your flesh is, you do not know My friends."

It is time to dance!"

Julie Meyer
Worship Leader, International House of Prayer
Kansas City, MO

The Paintings are by Lyn Packer

MorningStar WW3 - Bless the Lord - Leonard Jones

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:20:00 +0000

Revival

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Sun, 25 May 2008 01:49:00 +0000

I've been glued to GodTV lately! ....it's breaking out all over....Florida w/ Todd Bently, South Carolina, w/ Rick Joyner...I'm speechless. This post has little to do with dance...except that Isaiah 61 comes to mind.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[a]

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.

8 "For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed."

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations."

If Isaiah 61 is not about revival, I don't know what is!....It is about time! Thank-you God! A number of years ago, when much of my identity was in dance, and I was at the end of my rope in many ways...I cried out to God, asking Him what was His Dance...I clearly felt Him say Isaiah 61. I can't really unpack that right now, because I'm still learning what that means.

...something about humility...

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:11:00 +0000

"False humility is running rampant in the body of Christ! We hear it after a person sings a great song in church. When we tell them what an awesome job they did, it is common for them to say something like, "It wasn't me; it was Jesus." I often want to say to them, "It wasn't that good!" This mentality is killing us because we don't want people to think there is any thing good in us. This leads to the same bondage Gideon experienced.....True humility is born out of an awareness of God's greatness, grows in a heart full of gratitude and matures in the awe of His passionate love for us. Prayer is an act of humility because the person who prays acknowledges the need for Heaven's help and fellowship with the Creator. Prayerlessness is the ultimate pride. True humility understands its need for the Father. Humility also has eyes to see the awesome work our God has accomplished in the lives of others. We humble ourselves by helping others "have their day in the Son" while loving them with the same love we have for ourselves. Somebody once said, "The grace of God humbles a man without degrading him and exalts a man without inflating him!"....practical humility (has to do with) honor."

Kris Vallotton, from The Supernatural Ways of Royalty

fear of dancing

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:15:00 +0000

Fear and Faith...I read recently that fear was faith in the opposite kingdom. That is really scary! - I'll admit - that I struggle in this area. In some Worship gatherings, prearranged dance is acceptable, and in other Worship gatherings, spontaneous dance is welcome. In the later, the struggle is then, fear. Coralee named it, the feeling of being "bound by fear". I can't tell you how many times people have said that to me -that they have a desire to dance, but fears and insecurities stand in the way- I've heard this so often that I've almost come to believe, that everyone is called to dance in some capacity - even if it is just whaling on a drum or stomping a foot.....for many the desire is there, but the question maybe, "What should I do? How can I move?"

There have been times in my life where I did dance when my heart was burning...some of those times I wanted to dance, and some I did not want to dance...my friend Mary calls that a 'sacrifice of praise'...and a perfect example of that is the lyrics in the song, "Blessed be Your name" (Matt Redman), "when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say, Blessed be Your name..." well i don't know if the darkness was closing in - but I think fear was....faith is moving away from that fear. And yet I would not tell a person that wanted to dance, but were fearful, that they were in sin!!! Especially because I often struggle with the same thing!

God is Gracious.

But I would say - for everyone - Worship does not start on a sunday morning...It does not start at a Christian gathering.....Worship begins with an encounter with the Maker...It starts when our eyes have been opened a little more to see His Greatness - His Love for us - and so our heart responds in worship. So does the dance start - so the dance can start at home for an audience of One...and then as we continue in that, and doors open in the logistics of dance: space/improv in the corporate Worship setting - you have this garden that you have been cultivated behind closed doors.

Some great ones, men and women of God that I have strongly admired for their genuineness, and real God-anointing - spend much time before the King alone...getting to know His voice...Honestly I think this credential is greater than any time spent in a studio - ballet class - or what have you. God is the creator of anatomy and physiology - HA! He knew every movement that was ever choreographed before it was choreographed - not to diminish the importance of technique and studio classes - BUT - "Martha, Martha, you worry about many things! Mary has chosen the greater - to sit at my feet!"

DANCE QUOTES v2.0- Dance to Inspire, Inspire to Dance

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:00 +0000

...I found this on a Alexandra's Blog...Watch it twice, once to take in the movement, and a second time to take in the quotes...Something that comes to my mind when I watch this: the world preaches evolution...where each animal, each life being is one and the same in essence...and yet One incredible difference sets us a side from all others on this earth - We were created in His image - in the image of our Creator...who has endowed humanity with this astounding ability to create...out of nothing.

Mirror - Shadow - Flocking Movement Activity

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:25:00 +0000

Mirroring Movement activity: I realize this is kind of self explanatory. Face your partner, decide who leads and who will follow. The key is to move SLOWLY, and eventually you want to be able to interchange the roles without stopping or discussing it. The viewer should not be able to tell who is leading and who is following...The next step is turning this into shadowing or as some call it, flocking. I personally prefer the term shadow. So now you are not mirror images of each other where your right was your partner's left, now you are one behind the other - where your right is also your partners right. Be careful about small movements that are executed in front of yourself where those behind you can not see. BIG movements work best - or another way of saying it is, use your Full Range of Motion. I will often refer to the Bubble Painting activity, as it is a great example of using your full range of motion - push the movement to the limit - as far as you can reach - that movement translates so much more than small movements that are close to the body! With shadowing as a group activity, the same guidelines apply, Move Slow - so slow that it's hard to distinguish who is actually leading the group.

A full piece can be choreographed or improvised by a group by just giving each dancer a couple of measures, a line, or a verse to take and rotate the lead and followings. As you practice this, explore traveling across the floor and moving through high, medium and low spaces! ENJOY!

pondering fragrant oil

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:19:00 +0000

Pondering "the question" again...What is Worship?

We were discussing in our class recently Mary who washed Jesus' feet...and trying to put her in modern day context. A couple of things that we concluded:

she was a woman that respected religious leaders look down on
she had a dodgy background, probably she was acquainted with the ways of the world
and she had money, took about a years salary to buy some exquisite oil - only to pour it out empty on the feet of the Lord

I like to think of this Mary as a performance artist, and yet I will not pretend to even be able to scratch the surface in meanings of this act of worship - we do know that she was taking some big risks...risking her reputation - what important people thought of her...risking her future as she poured out her future financial security on His feet. I believe Mike Bickle, in his book,Passion for Jesus: Cultivating Extravagant Love for God really unpacks this much better than I can.

...lets just camp on the expensive oil part....many of us can't imagine an oil that would cost tens of thousands of dollars (remembering it cost about a years wage). We think, extra virgin olive oil from the supermarket is under $10. Now if there are any aromatherapists reading this, they are acquainted with expensive, exquisite oil....I will not pretend to be knowledgable in this area, I do know that a one oz bottle of some oils like real rose absolute can be as much as $100 or more...

In one translation it says that the "fragrance of the oil filled the house".....Oh Lord that the fragrance of worship would fill our homes, gatherings and lives...drawing a dieing world to the feet of the Lord.

Image from this artisan's website.

fabric

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:39:00 +0000

i took perhaps one or two years of rhythm gymnastics and felt very clumsy adding props to dance...Fabric can be a wonderful addition to a dance, whether it is choreographed, improvised, for the audience of One (the One), or for a gathering.

The exercise in the last post, bubble painting, can be done with fabric. Large or small chiffon or organza scarves work well. Carving or swirling while holding it in both hands or just one hand or alternate. Contrast is ALWAYS a good thing in choreography...for example, you want variety of levels in a dance - high, medium, and low...not just in one level.

Swirl....Wave....Throw it up high, and dance under it....Throw it up high and catch it with a different body part.

p.s. that is not me in the picture...it's beautiful to watch, but i have absolutely NO desire to put on point shoes!

Full Body Warm-Up

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:28:00 +0000

Bubble Painting Warm-up or Improv Exercise

Imagine you are in a bubble - it is as high as you can reach, and as wide as you can reach. Starting with using the top of your head, paint your bubble, covering high, medium, and low spaces. Paint with the back of your head...paint with your shoulder...now with an elbow...your forewarm...the back of your hand(s)...the palm of your hand...your pointer finger...your spine...your knee...alternating knees....your heel...toe...you get the idea! As you paint, explore all levels of space and vary your strokes...paint swirls, pokka-dots, zigzags, or lines....the possibilities are limitless. Paint with 2 body parts. Alternate body parts....a swirl leads into another stroke with another body part, which leads into a carve of another body part. The secret is not to get too analytical about it, or else you'll stop moving to think about what movement you are going to do next. If I can make one more suggestion in the execution of this activity, it would be to encourage you to eyetrack your strokes, rather than look outside of your bubble - it'll make a huge difference in how you feel, and how it appears. Some people like to do this choreographic exercise with their eyes closed - just becareful as that can effect your balance. Enjoy, have fun, and Worship Him as you do this!

"I've always wanted to dance in Worship, but never knew what to do. Now I just paint my bubble" - Cheryl

the importance of countenance

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:44:00 +0000

The focus and countenance of the dancers is wonderful in this. It is genuine, bright, and emotional. There is a fine line when it comes to stage presence, between 'over-emoting' (being overly emotional), and having no presence at all - the absence of genuine feeling or emotion. Both extremes are hard to watch and tend to make the observers uncomfortable. A good stage presence starts with the presence of one's heart in the peice. Facially, it can be as simple as opening the eyes, lifting the cheek bones, and making sure that there is a nice amount of space between the collar bones and chin (releasing the head towards the cieling as you lengthen the spine). A simple peice with good or striking stage presence puts a lifeless peice that is full of tricks and complicated moves to shame.

the Question

ticvaah@gmail.com (patty-jean) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Being pregnant four times in the last four years, resulting in two beautiful littles under 3 - makes time for teaching on the minimum side.

Recently I started a once a week class at a local private Christian school. The question or discussion I usually start a session with is, "What is Worship?" I've discussed this topic or question with probably 100's of children and youth throughout the last decade....and I'm always surprised at the majority of thought. 'worship is singing', 'worship is reading your bible, it's this, that and the other'.....so then over the course of the term or session, we come to the realization that those things are a manifestation of worship. Its kind of like when I teach in public schools, movement education (creative movement), I am always surprised at how many 12 year olds don't know where their heels or elbows are.

What is worship? Job, in the bible, is a great example, so is Mary who washed Jesus' feet - in both cases, I guess it started in the attitudes of their hearts. Starting with a genuine contriteness of heart, and a keen awareness of desperation and adoration of the Lord...