My daughter is a rock star in training…

…AND…she dances!!!

At Starbucks:

At Home….non-stop spinning:

CASE

I need a plumber…No for real…I do….I need a plumber…like that Joe the plumber guy.

My garage ceiling is botched…

Thanks to faulty craftsmanship when this house was built!

My wife noticed a stain New Year’s eve…so up into the attic I went and discovered these beautiful pics below!

To many times MAJOR home problems begin with some contractor trying to “Rig” a mistake they made, that they then HIDE behind drywall…and no one is the wiser.  Mainly, because they tried to cover it up in a few gallons of paint, and now 2 yrs & a few thousand dollars later…you have paid for their mistake.  

Fortunately, we are blessed that Anisa’s father and brother are skilled in the arts of home repair and renovation.

They are kind of a “catch all” of things pertaining to EXCELLENCE in home Everything-ness… (that’s as good as i know how to say it)

So, I was thinking, if I wanted to, I could draw some serious connections to how this relates to everyday life.

But i do feel it’s fairly obvious - in that - little moments along the way, “leaks” if you will in your judgement and decisions…can lead to much greater problems.  You don’t just arrive at a “BAD” place one day, suddenly on the other side of a horrible decision…rather, it’s little “leaks” along the way, that you try to cover up with some insulation as if it will just go away, or NO ONE will notice and discover this secret sin….

I’m not a preacher….but I feel like unpacking this for a second…

January 1, 2009 will be just another day closer towards BIGGER home problems if you don’t fix the leak…and no amount of paint or insulation can cover it up…and in time…it will find you out!   

In short…Someone needs to turn off the faucet.  Can’t fix the leak if the water is still running.

Were trying to fix the issue and maybe START OVER…But the same junk is still pouring into us…and were thinking maybe we’ll get a different outcome this time?  

Were telling ourselves 2009 will be different.  

And yet…it won’t….not if we don’t make adjustments…and to quote Andy Stanley “Direction equals Destination”…amazing message on this stuff.  So enough said i think.

Even as I type this, I feel fully aware of the enemies desire to make me EAT these words…but their true nonetheless.  And the reality is, just like I will have to pay this time for the builder’s mistake…often our “stuff” can take others we love down with us…and allow them to pay as well.  

Whew!!!  Tough to type I’m telling ya…

So meanwhile, the leak has been fixed…and the integrity of our home has been restored…makes me feel like searching around some more in this house to see what i find?!?!

PSALM 139: 23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.

 See if there is any offensive way in me, 
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

CASE

We are the Potato Heads!

Hope everyone is having an amazing start to their new year with a renewed sense of self worth and purpose as we can only find in Jesus…realizing without Him….were not much more than these here potatos!

love to you all,

Casey, Anisa & Ava

Goodbye 2008…Hello 2009.

I’ve been thinking a lot about many things, some of which I thought it would be good to do a post for the public eye…maybe speak these into existence a little more…

So Here goes: (remember this is NOT me currently…but it’s my RESOLVE!)

I will not let career come before family.

I will not love my job more than my home.

I will not Choose to spend more time on “my” ministry…whilst forgetting my number ONE ministry at home.

(starting to see a trend here)

I will not give my laptop more face time then my family…NO MATTER WHAT cool Apps come out that demand my attention.

I will not let fear or selfish ambition drive my decisions…nor seek to make my name great…under the cover of “ministry”

However….

I WILL spend more time in God’s word as an answer to our World’s “economy” issues, as an answer to fear of the future, as an answer on how to be the best dad i can, the best husband i can be, the best servant i can be, and as the guide for living the life He has called me to.

I WILL give My Saviour the glory in all things that He entrusts to me this year.

I WILL lead worship as a lead worshiper and out of the overflow of what He is doing in my heart and in my life as person of humility that realizes I am FIRST in line for making mistakes and falling short…as well as realizing I am not exempt from the things I say from the stage and continue to remember…WORSHIP is “so much more than a song!”

…But, I WILL write songs, more songs…about everything…remembering the parable of the talents and wanting to be faithful with what He is putting in me to do.  

I WILL love my family, guard my heart, Laugh as much as possible, Hug and kiss my girls every day, Call my parents no less than twice a week. (i confess i call my dad every other day…i figure he knows more)

I WILL Make a HUGE deal of my 5th year anniversary to my wife and best friend Anisa!

I WILL sing and shout His fame with every opportunity I’m given…both on and off the stage…in how I conduct myself at the grocery store, in traffic, at home….as well as in front of thousands of people when it’s convenient.

I WILL boast in Jesus, even when my flesh and shortcomings, and strait up male stupidness make this list another failure to add to my already growing list in the years gone by!

EPHESIANS 3:14-21

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

All of the above… is my hope and prayer for this year.

CASE

We were gettin ready to walk out the door to go “after Christmas day shopping” and for some random reason i felt the need to sing this to my daughter.

(terrible quality…sorry…did it in 5 minutes!)

Another serious Darnell moment brought to you in part by Casey and Ava!

CASE

Yelling “Baby Doll” in the back seat…

Kissing a bird christmas ornament…

Ava shakin it at the doctors…next time she’s dancing she will have more clothes on…I promise you that!!!

This will be the most unique Christmas we’ve ever had here in the Darnell house.

There’s a little one in the family that brings a new sense of awe and wonder to the season for us.  My parents are up stairs asleep…my sister and her new husband downstairs in the basement/apartment…my brother in the spare room (studio)…me and my wife…and Ava!!!

For the first time EVER in my life i wont be going to my parents house or waking up there.  They are here in my house now.  However, this will be the first year since I’ve known Anisa that we won’t get to spend Christmas with her family, and it saddens us a bit.  The first year for her without them.  

So it’s one of those times where some things are shifting and “season’s” are changing for us in our family.  Some are new and wonderful….and others….harder to accept.

It’s different this year.  

And before I head up to bed…I’m just briefly writing this down as I have been processing it all night…cause though it may be different…I mostly am filled with gratefulness.

So grateful to God for how He has so blessed my family.  And blessed me WITH this family.

And as things change in the next years more and more…I’m taking a moment to remember what once was in the Darnell home…seeing & remembering how FAITHFUL He has been to us…and excited about how He will show Himself faithful and loving to us in the future!

Jesus, I pray you will continue to be magnified in our home.  That we would remember you in every season of life…and in every moment that is to come we would remember to let you be glorified in us and seek to serve and love each other as you have so loved us.  Your birth and life and love for us is so much more than a season to be remembered…You are our hope…You are our Saviour…and You are a constant reminder of the reason we are here…so above all…thank you for bringing us life when you gave us your’s…and may we see ourselves giving our lives away more and more for the sake of Your Kingdom!  - Amen

Merry Christmas everyone!

CASE

So here’s a brief disclaimer:

You may have heard this before, and you may NOT like it one bit.  But bare with me.

I heard this recording on the radio the following Christmas after 9/11, of a popular Manheim Steamroller tune, “Stille Nacht.”

I was already a huge fan of this particular version of Silent Night, with its emotionally charged piano hook and the mood it would put me in…very poignant and thoughtful…
However, about 18 seconds into it this voice comes out of know where describing the 9/11 events from God’s perspective….the voice being God.

SILENT NIGHT 9/11

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I’m sure it’s not all theologically sound or whatever…

…but it moved me and parts of it have stuck with me.

So i heard the original “stille nacht” on the radio tonight and it made me think of this voiceover recording I forgot I had.  So here it is re-released as a means to remember.

Actually, I just remembered that when I was a youth pastor in 2001, i used this recording put to video.  The main direction being that we ALL will have a 9/11.  That eternity waits for us all, maybe not via a horrific moment or by terroist attack, but we will all have a final moment…as the recording describes….and Jesus will be on the other end of that if we have reached out to Him and know Him as our Saviour!

This recording has the potential to bring on some sadness, but above the obvious sadness, hear the message of hope and go hug somebody you love that you are blessed to still have around!
Let me know what you think? I mostly think it’s powerful!  

CASE

The live performance of the song at Married Life Live on Sunday Night.

It’s a simple LIVE mix from the front of house console, so please be forgiving on the rough vocals and shakiness, as it was hard to sing after Ted Lowe told the story that had the tears flowing!  

Was an incredible night to be a part of!

So many plans we had for tomorrow

All them replaced by what happened today

How can it be, that you are here with me

when all our dreams, have been changed?

It feels like a weight, I never could carry

And so I pray you’ll give me the strength

Is it real that now we must leave and go away

from everything?

CHORUS:

Glorious, Interruption by the Son of God

the Messiah, Jesus

How precious is the life You will give up

To be part of us

Looking at you,  how could we’ve imagined

the love you’d bring that we had not planned for

and though it seems, you needed us

now we know that we needed you more

Become all that we know

Become all that we need

You are our only hope

You are our everything

So draw us ever close

And show us Who You are

the Saviour of the World

Were holding in our arms

CASE

We didn’t get our act together in time to send our Christmas card out.

So in place of that this year, I’m just going to put up this picture of my daughter that we HAD PLANNED to send out…My brother in law, Jacob took this of Ava kissing the bird ornament on our tree.

I think this says it all!

So Merry Christmas to you and yours and hope you are making the most of the days you have been given and enjoying the time with family and friends!

CASE