...little notes made in Jacksonville....

This is so neat that I’ve got this little time and a possibility to grab my computer and started shaping out my thoughts. Guess where I am and what I do. This is a little church on University Boulevard in Jacksonville, FL. The friend of mine, Randy, shared the idea of coming to his little church and lead worship together.

While they are checking lights I’m taking my little spot on the middle of the stage. I was waiting so long for this trip and, here we go, I’m here and just in few days I will lead these wonderful people in worship on my heart language. Oh they will probably not get what I’ll be singing about, but I’m pretty sure they would join my heart’s singing. Guess what I sing, - some stuff of mine that I wrote a couple of years before, – “Tak blyz’ko”(which means “so close”), and then, - “Heart of worship”.

I still remember 2002 when I firstly heard “Heart of worship” song in my weird dream. I still have in my ears the sweet sound of that guy singing and playing his acoustic guitar - “I’m coming back to the heart of worship, it’s all about You, it’s all about You…”, and it took place somewhere where abandoned kids find a little shelter that serves their home.

Since that dream the song has stuck in my heart and considered to be my favorite one. In few years later it had

happened to me to read the song story described in one of the Matt Redman’s book and it finally got to me why it became my lifetime song.

I so wish you experienced what I did and were changed by the powerful meaning of the message that this song brings itself.

I’m praying that while you are reading it over there and I’m singing it over here God would unite our hearts in one melody that brings the most wonderful glory to Him who is the Beautiful Creator of you and me. He is the One who deserves you and me wholeheartedly.

Heart of Worship

by Matt Redman

When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You, It's all about you, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You, It's all about you, Jesus

King of endless worth, no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor all I have is Yours,
Every single breath

…I’m sitting in my green American room ..I did some re-arranging today putting frog-toys into a box; I sticked pictures of my Ukrainian-American-Canadian friends on the glass hanging-on board, and walls. I cooked some buckwheat soup (grechnovyi

) and together with my hosting family we had very nice and funny dinner.

Honestly it feels like a Christmas…maybe because I have these Christmas lights turned on….I’m in Florida, it’s never getting cold here. We have 91 by F° in the middle of October. I’ve heard and even seen some pictures of unexpected winter in my hometown – Lviv. The realization that it’s snowing there and I’m still here and so far from my family and friends make me a little bit homesick…

Generally I thank God for every moment I spent here in U.S. Many of you may remember of my broken heart with the idea to leave Ukraine for one year (for those who are not aware: on August 12^th I arrived to Orlando, FL for internship at Northland, A Church Distributed http://www.northlandchurch.net/ by the way you can check the video for 10^th October and see what I’m doing at this church). I didn’t want it with all my soul. Ukraine is very close to my heart even though it makes my life a big trouble =). I’ve never had the slightest dream of going to United States. Not by accident I believe God gifted me with 3 wonderful opportunities to go there. Each of my friends and all my family told me that I would have been silly if I didn’t accept that gift. Speaking generally this is my third time in States and each time it becomes longer =)

God have worked on my heart a lot so I could finally arrived at a conclusion that in all things He works for the good (as it said in Romans 8:28). Since I left Ukraine He has been giving me good lessons and teaching me of many things. First of all I appreciate it because I was brought back to the heart of worship. You may agree with me that often we stick to something in our life and become dependent on it. So He starts moving us into hardships or taking us away from what we are so in a love with. All that is about me. Honestly I fought with God every another day. It didn’t get to me that He removed me from what I had in order to hand fresh and new things and fill my life with a sweet restoration and pour out an abundance of His love again on me…

……..He is Loving Father. Finally you and me will be grateful to all the work He does in

our lives even though we can hardly get it now.

I’ll tell you about it later…Take care!