The Splendid Adventures of The Amazing Penny

Who has an amazing boss?! I do! Thanks @isaiahfranco!...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:15:43 -0700

Who has an amazing boss?! I do! Thanks @isaiahfranco! #assistantsday (Taken with instagram)

I like tour buses…. A lot! (Taken with instagram)

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:58:05 -0700

I like tour buses…. A lot! (Taken with instagram)

7 PM. Tears in eyes. So loud. To witness people worship the...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 21:16:51 -0700

7 PM. Tears in eyes. So loud. To witness people worship the King. So great! (Taken with instagram)

The friendship I experience with all these people present in...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:06:59 -0700

The friendship I experience with all these people present in this picture is amazing! (Taken with instagram)

New addition to the family! Thanks esbestest! He’s so...

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:34:42 -0700

New addition to the family! Thanks esbestest! He’s so cute! Sooo cute! Name in progress! (Taken with instagram)

@needtobreathe @bearrinehart3 @drsethbolt So freaking amazing!!!...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:17:01 -0700

@needtobreathe @bearrinehart3 @drsethbolt So freaking amazing!!! (Taken with instagram)

He’s so awesome! And so is this picture! #legit #tdwp...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:12:18 -0700

He’s so awesome! And so is this picture! #legit #tdwp (Taken with instagram)

I just really like tour buses! (Taken with instagram)

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:06:34 -0700

I just really like tour buses! (Taken with instagram)

This just slapped me in the face.

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:39:09 -0700

This just slapped me in the face.

Inspiration.

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:39:30 -0800

It’s not anything new that the people I get to serve with are amazing…

But last night, they inspired me even further.

I am truly grateful and joyful that I get to serve with such real and God-seeking people.

I have one of the greatest “jobs” in the world…

And these people make me want to be better at my job and how I serve God, and how we have to take complex ideas and make it happen for the greater good of this church’s vision.

Thank you Sandals Church for impacting my life so greatly!

Amazing!

No fake-ness granted here.

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 00:45:21 -0800

As a “Production Director” for a “Mega Church”… There are specific things you pray for. The prayer that has been on my heart for the past year has been for Sandals Church to get the concept of worship.

I’ve posted past blogs about it… And a lot of heartache has taken place on Sunday as my bands have gotten on stage, given it their all… And the congregation has barely responded.

It’s pretty apparent that people show up for the message, and stand it through the worship part of the service.

Often, I stand in the back and wonder if they are playing to a bunch of zombies. No one seems alive… Except for a few people, like “Hallelujah Guy” or the random “choir members” that are spread out throughout our sanctuary that sometimes sings back-up for our worship leader from their seats.

From a production stand point, we try to make our service as legit as possible… Because our church is built on being real in various aspects of our lives.

So with this statement in mind, “Being real with ourselves, others, and God”, why are people so afraid to worship…. To sing… To move… To get on your knees… To fall flat on their faces…. To cry out to a very real God who desires us??

But.

Just when my pleads for Sandals Church to show up were growing weary… Something happened.

Sunday was an overwhelming day. A very educational day. A very emotional day.

Not only did the people of Sandals Church show up… But The Holy Spirit did too… And He responded to us.

Not in a creepy, cult like way… We don’t do that. I’m not down for that. But in the real sense… The way we should worship God with our entire lives.

It was like we caught His attention because we took our worship to another level.

God taught me that if I show up… He will too. In fact, He’s been waiting for me most of the time cause He’s always there.

I feel like Sunday, God was like, “Pen, I’m gonna challenge you on everything you’ve learned this year… And you need to let me move.”

Umm. Ok.

(On another note, I don’t know if God really calls me Pen… I just like to think we are close like that! lol I’ll just go with it…)

As a leader, you need to be sensitive to how God wants to run His church. And if our pastor or worship leader feels something needs to be changed- something taken out, rearranged, or added- that’s when I have to put the new plan in place, update everyone on the change(s), pray everything turns out ok, then step back and let God do what He wants.

That was Sunday.

Some people are usually engaged. And some people stand around, not paying attention, looking pissed off. If you are a follower of Christ, why?! Why is this ok?! And of all things, why sit so close to the stage if you are going to disengage?!

“We worship because worship is war for your soul.” - Pastor Matt Brown

Reverence. Respect.

Psalm 95:6

We have the audacity to stand and try to look God face to face. US! People that can’t even save themselves… We are saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ… And we think we can stand emotionless to a song that was written for the purpose of praising the Creator of the Universe!

After the message on Sunday… Sandals Church was like a whole new place! As the day went on… Every service brought it! Especially 7 o’clock.

I was speechless.

I had tears in my eyes.

I leaned over so I could catch a breathe because I was that overwhelmed.

That response… was incredible! That is one of the reasons why I love what I do!

And that is forever in Sandals Church history.

This week doesn’t have to trump last week… There should be no comparison. I would just like people to show up and have a real encounter with their Creator…

And to live out our vision… Please don’t come to church being fake. Thanks!

Random Thought about the Future.

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:32:44 -0800

This was a random thought…

I don’t have real siblings… But I have a best friend that I call Sister because it’s like she’s really my sister. I can go to her with anything and everything… And she always has my back.

I often ask God, “God, why isn’t Cari my real sister? It’s like you made us to really be sisters…” It’s kinda weird… Because sometimes I really, truly wonder how we aren’t blood related.

Back to my random thought…

Part of me can and can not wait for her to have kids…

Cause that means I get to really be an aunt. I have no doubt that my children will call her Auntie and that they will know that’s their true Aunt. But to be an aunt… It’s so exciting to me!

It’s not going to happen for a while… So I hear… And they’ve been married for a few years now… So they are keeping up to their word… Which is good because I still think as far as her and I go, we still got a couple more years in us to still be “sisters” and go on sisterly adventures. But…

One day… Especially that first child… I think I’m gonna spoil the crap outta that kid.

For the future… I just hope I’m a good aunt…

Hmm.

spiritualinspiration: www.facebook.com/naeemcallaway

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:12:02 -0800

spiritualinspiration:

www.facebook.com/naeemcallaway

Sometimes. Part 45903.

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:57:00 -0800

Sometimes you try really hard…

Sometimes the situation you are in is difficult…

Sometimes… You loose it… Don’t have it all together… Don’t have any answers… Get irritated and take it out on other people…

And sometimes you fail.

Today kinda felt like that.

It’s tough being a leader…

But there’s always that small part of me that goes back and forth because I wonder what would have happened instead if I wasn’t pushed off that leadership cliff.

All I can hope for is that the people on my team still love and attempt to understand me through my rough moments.

It’s… A lot on a person.

I guess that’s what grace is about.

Plus… It’s learning to pick yourself up, move on, and make yourself stronger.

I pray that He makes me more equipped.

As ladies we fall in love with earthly men through love letters and romance but we tend to forget our heavenly father has been romancing us since day one. His word is a love letter to us and he plants flowers all over the world for us. He's wanting you to fall in love with him like he is in love with you. Let him pursue you and catch you and spend the rest of your life chasing him. His love is unconditional and deeper than any love you'll ever know. He's the author of love, trust him to be able to satisfy your every longing.<3

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:22:12 -0800

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:26:21 -0800

Mad to Love: Moving On

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:24:25 -0800

Mad to Love: Moving On:

Sometimes… This man totally explains some of the thoughts and emotions that circulate my mind and heart. It’s so good to know when you aren’t alone in feeling a certain way…

corycopeland:

Have you ever seen that magazine ad the Marines use? It has this guy trying to complete a pull-up while his face is contorted into this really gruesome look and sweat pours from every inch of his body. Beneath the sweating Marine, in supremely bold letters, is the tagline, “PAIN IS WEAKNESS…

Photo

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:35:29 -0800

I NEED this shirt!

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:30:15 -0800

I NEED this shirt!

This band.

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:38:47 -0800

This band.