Letters from Lilongwe

There is going to be a wedding, that is the reason that I am living! I love when the Lord puts songs from past seasons back on your heart because they normally cycle back with exceeding power.  At SDP 2012 we sung many songs from a variety of musicians and networks.  Some lyrics that stuck with me the tightest, came from one liners of IHOP songs.  It takes me some time to track down the original artist and the context of the lyric but its so worth it.  This morning I kept singing to myself,  There is going to be a wedding, that is the reason that I am living , and I could not remember who sang it or where it came from.  Then google opened my eyes to its origin and I was blown away!   You simply have to take this song and sit with the Lord, this is not a song to sing along with but rather a song where you allow the Lord to break down walls to his love.  Sitting in the truth, my eyes slowly open to how he cares about us, how he loves us, why he loves us and how dearl

During these last few weeks I have returned to All Sons and Daughters, oh the power in the music!  Once again I have not much to write but I know the Lord uses music in a powerful way, so ill continue to post! Lord I find You in the seeking Lord I find You in the doubt And to know You is to love You And to know so little else I need You Oh how I need You Oh how I need You Oh how I need You Lord I find You in the morning Lord I seek You everyday Let my life be for Your glory Woven in your threads of grace I need You Oh how I need You Oh how I need You Oh how I need You Oh oh oh oh... Light, glorious light I will go where You shine Break the dawn, crack the skies Make the wave right before me In Your light I will find All I need, all I need is You All is Great in the Power of the Lord, Paul Shackelford

I have not much to write, but simply that I will trust you Jesus! Father of heavenly lights, Fount of wisdom and love All is laid bare in your sight, You know my ways I believe you will provide all I need in my life I will not fear anymore, For I will, ever... Trust You Jesus, Trust You Jesus, Trust You with my life V2 You hold the world in your hands, God of mercy and might Knew me before I was born, called me by Name How could I ever respond but to fall and adore I live to know You more, Lord I will, ever... Trust You Jesus, Trust You Jesus, Trust You with my life Let not the wise trust in their wisdom Let not the strong boast in their might Let not the rich glory in riches I will trust You All is Well in ATL, Paul Shackelford

Tonight, a good friend of mine is walking in the trials of the facts of Life and Death.  I will not expand on that events of tonight but I will attempt to express the thoughts, however confusing they are, in this writing.  I have been praying for hours and still I am confused but all I know is that Death is a very very real thing, the fact of death is overlooked almost every hour of my day.  If I actually believed that when people who do not know Christ die the are forever separated from him, then I think I would act differently.  If I actually understood the bible and the facts that are within then I would treat those around me differently.  I have a feeling I would not worry about school, relationships, my future, money, ect.  If I even partially understood the fact that billions of people who die that never even heard the saving name of Jesus.  How can I be so selfish to draw back from conversations with international students and refrain from expressing how much Jesus has made my

Today after a great conversation about relationships, I realized that I do not know myself as well as I once thought I did.  I am so glad that God created us to live in community, as a family to encourage, speak truth and identity into one another.  Ever since Megan and I broke up in December I have been in a state of having little to no desire to date.  Yes, I still find women attractive, and get caught up in the chase, but with minimal desire to pursue a relationship that resembles dating.  I have been wrestling with why dating leaves a bad taste in my mouth, because I know that pursuing relationships to the furtherance of the kingdom is amazing.  I have so many examples of how the Lord used dating relationships to transform communities, hearts, and advance the kingdom. I have been pressing in deeper to as to why I am dating averse.  A few weeks back we talked at midtown about being risk adverse and lacking faith, that is why we do not act in a manner that lines up with the words

After listening through this album by Jon Thurlow - Strong Love, I have fallen in love with this style of lyrical deployment.  This morning I was sitting out in Tech Green working through a study that I am progressing through and I put on this song, now I have heard it many times over the past few weeks.  Something this morning was simply different, the sun was soft as it rose above freshman hill and the CULC.  The soft delivery of brushes under a simplistic chord progression on the keys drew me into a place of sustained rest.  Then the lyrics were dropped and the pacing picks up, and oh how the power of these lyrics sends your mind back to exactly who God is and why his son is so lovely, why life has no meaning without the love of YHWH! I can not find the lyrics online,. therefore just listen to the song and allow the power of these words soak deep.   All in the Peace of the Father, Paul Shackelford

This morning I just decided to put together a lot of different versions of one of my favorite songs ever!  I love each of these recordings but my current favorite is the Ascend The Hill version. Enjoy one of the most powerful songs ever written, not because of the guitars, or piano, but rather because it speaks such powerful truth! All is Great in the House of my King Paul Shackelford

Jesus your beautiful!  Until this summer I had never been exposed to any IHOP worship, so when we started singing a lot of songs that were off my radar my ears perked up.  This song was by-far my favorite new song from the summer, if you even take a look through the lyrics you might understand why. I know that Your eyes are like flames of fire I know that Your head is white as wool I know that Your voice, it sounds like waters Jesus, You’re beautiful (There is none like You, Lord; Jesus, You’re beautiful) I left out a lot of the lyrics but this is the part that I latched onto because of the powerful imagery surround my powerful God.  Recently as I sit in the romance of our relationship with God I continually am getting lost in the unique power of each encounter with God!  My prayer for my Fraternity, this campus, and every believer and non-believer all around the world is that they would be able to encounter the God that I know and be romanced throughout life as they