She's baaaack - Tasha Cobb's drops new singles

Tasha Cobbs released 3 new singles from her latest project and I couldn't be more ecstatic. All three songs are live recordings and are receiving good reviews from listeners. (Pastor Tasha is retweeting comments from followers on Twitter.)

Check out iTunes and do a search for Tasha Cobbs. Look under the "Songs" category, otherwise you'll probably miss it.

Check out this snippet to the new song "Jesus Saves" here.

Tasha Cobbs "Smile"

If you've been paying attention to this blog you know that I'm a huge Tasha Cobbs fan. Here's my favorite worship song from her album Grace. Can't wait for the second album to drop.

Recap of tonight's iLead escape with Pastor William Murphy

I am too pumped up that I remembered the iLead escape frontliners call 2 months in a row!

Tonight, Pastor William Murphy was the guest speaker and dropped so much knowledge it was crazy. Here's a recap of what was discussed in case you missed it.

P.S. - Pastor Tasha, you really need to record these calls so people can listen after the initial run. Please and thank you! :)

Acts 3:19

• God is sending a refreshing! (Glorayyyy! - my words, not his.)
• God wants us to update or refresh our old "pages." He wants to do something new, but we need to be open to the new and not continue in the old thing that he established for a previous time or season.
• I have the grace on me to create a tangible, living, abiding presence of God. (#putapraiseonit right there! - my words again.)

Exodus 25:10-22 (the meat of the call)
If you're going to create a tangible, living, abiding presence of God...

• you must be pure inside and out (v. 11)
• this doesn't mean sinless, but rather your spirit has to be pure
• everyone in leadership has great struggles or challenges, but that doesn't mean your spirit subcumbs to every sin.
• you cannot be one-sided (v. 12)
• your worship has to be well rounded, multicultural - not just gospel, not just top 40
• you cannot get in front of God (v.14)
• you going to have to carry it (v. 14)
• Don't be lazy! You have to invest time. (spend time researching new songs, artists, etc.)
• It's going to be inconvenient, it will challenge you.
• you have to be tested because you have to have a real testimony (v. 16)
• you need a personal experience
• you're going to have to be shaped by God (v.18)
• shaped meaning hammered or beaten by God to form you
• you have to guard your ministry relationship (v.19)
• you cannot separate the worshipers from the mercy seat
• you have to be able to face one another
• you have to make the mercy seat a priority (v.21)
• being "right" or "wrong" isn't what's most important
• the visuals or the uniforms are not what's most important
• you have to have God's mind (v.22)

OMGoodness y'all this really encouraged me tonight! Even the Q&A was good!

The points that resonated with me were about having a multicultural sound, investing time to better our P&W, and having a personal testimony. More posts about the latter to come.

I'm truly looking forward to the iLead escape in 2015!

Blessings

The sound

You know, I'm always amazed when I remember to dial into the iLead Escape Frontliners call. As a full time working mom and wife, my schedule is crazy busy sometimes. Last night Tasha Cobbs's guest led us in prayer.

The call really struck a cord with me for 2 reasons. First, I have become more intentional in praying over the last year or so. I am definitely praying more frequently through out the day and am drawn to various prayer outlets. Have you ever seen so many prayer conference calls and services?! We surely need it as the body of Christ! Second, one of the things she prayed for was that us worship leaders would usher in the sound from heaven. Since I am personally in a season of creating and writing, this was a good prayer for me.

I have been a musical person probably all of my life. I remember playing the tonette (yes, reading music). I unsuccessfully took up piano. (My brothers stole all of the piano genes.) I played the flute and piccolo from fourth grade into college. I love musicals and enjoy attending live opera. I hum and whistle a lot. I'm singing to myself even when the radio is on. But how do you turn this into what we should be doing in P&W?

It seems that the tunes I'm creating are coming to me so fast. (Not a bad problem to have, but it can definitely be distracting.) In creating new music, I feel like there IS a sound from heaven and I know when I've got it right. Parts of the song click right away and when I try to get fancy and all musically interesting I seem to be drifting from the pull of the song. I think the sound of heaven is not a particular genre or trying to create the next "big song." It's the anointing, it's the lyrics, it's the sounds that will lead people into worship or praise. It doesn't matter if the song is a chart topper or a home-brew. It's the heart beat of the song that shifts us closer to God's presence.

Tasha definitely has the sound of heaven, but God is no respector of person. I am trusting and believing that as I continue to pray and create, that my sound will have a similar effect.

Blessings