KELLY LOFLIN

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be posting to this particular blog. Because we have changed up our blogging structure at the church you can now follow me and the other worship leaders on the "Worship Arts" blog which can be found here... http://highrock-worship.blogspot.com/

Worship this past Sunday morning was incrediablly powerful. For me, I had struggled with some attacks from the enemy earlier in the morning and so standing on the platform and allowing God's spirit to speak to me through the songs were really challenging. As we began with We Cry Out . . . the words just flowed from me; "You have delivered us . . .great is Your Glory Lord . . .we will bow down to You." The other songs Our God and You Never Let Go just reminded me that we need only to be still; that you will fight the battle for us. Praise be to God!!!!! Here is to an awesome start to the new year . . . God is up to something good.

Well . . . I cannot believe that two months have passed since I last blogged. It's amazing how time just gets away from us. As I sit here quietly watching the Panthers win the game . . . okay . . . maybe not so quietly . . . the days events are replaying in my mind like a movie scene. With the twenty-four hours that God has given me today; what have I done for Him? Before we know it . . . months have passed and our Bible is collecting dust . . . the note cards we had planned to send to that someone have somehow managed to find their way to the back of the list of things to do, the phone calls that need to be made . . . well, they never get made . . . and then there is our family. What are we doing for Him? There is a popular song that was recently recorded by Point Of Grace called "How You Live." There is a lot of truth to that song. I have enclosed the lyrics for your reading pleasure in hopes that this Christmas will be different. That we will slow down and see what is really important . . . Have a very, Merry Christmas!!!!

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress, use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
And have what you want, but want what you have
And don't spend your life looking back

Turn up the music Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children, dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth 'cause you can't get away, no Face it and you'll be okay

Oh, wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end, there's nobody else

Turn up the music Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew And it's not what you did
It's how you live

I wish I was more of a man (woman)
Have you ever felt that way
And if I had to tell you the truth
I'm afraid I'd have to say
That after all I've done and failed to do
I feel like less than I was meant to be
What if I could fix myself
Maybe then I could get free
I could try to be somebody else
Who's much better off than me
But I need to remember this
That it's when I'm at my weakest
I can clearly see
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
And He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
What if you could see yourself thru another pair of eyes
What if you could hear the truth
Instead of old familiar lies
What if you could feel inside
The power of the hand that made the universe
You'd realize
That He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
And He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
All our hearts they burn within us
All our lives we've longed for more
So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
Let Him live through you and me

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Love the ones who don't just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Hug tightly. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy. He just promised it would be worth it.

Well it's that time of year . . . the morning air has taken a turn to a lighter, much cooler breeze. It's amazing how the seasons bring a since of change not only in nature, but in life as well. For me, the fall is always a season to reflect. As the air around us unfolds and the green leaves fade into vibrant colors the world seems to slow down. It was 13 years ago this Tuesday that I left a hospital room in Greensboro, NC. Taking one step out into the morning air the world seemed different. Life had changed for me and would never be the same. My father had taken his last breath in this world. The unsettling part of it all is not knowing where he is spending eternity. I hope heaven, but I really do not know. Because of this and many more moments to reflect upon during this season of change, I am reminded of the scripture 2 Corth. 5:17 "Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." (The Message)
I had tried to settle my relationship with my father . . . to tie up loose ends, especially the one about Jesus. My father did not respond out loud so I do not know what was settled in his heart before he left this world to to go to the other. I am left with only a wish; "If I could have one more moment with him."

I am curious?!? Who needs a fresh start with someone? Who needs to start fresh with God? A new beginning? As we go into our third year at HRCC-Denton . . . there will be some new fresh starts, there will be new beginnings. Seasons come and seasons go, we all have big hopes for what God will do with High Rock, but the truth is we have no idea what His plans are. The exciting part is that we don't know! Our job is to stay humble and on our knees before the Lord and trust that He will guide every step we take. I do know for sure that He desires for everyone to know Him. Everybody needs Jesus; as you hear us say a lot and it's true. As I reflect on where my dad is . . . I wonder how many more people do I know that if they were to leave this world today would I have to wonder where they are spending eternity. God has a purpose and a plan . . . we may not know exactly what that plan and purpose is in detail word for word, but I do know that He wants us to be busy doing His work. As we start a new season, I pray that we make a new change . . . the old passing away and really getting series for those that need to know Christ. What does this season hold for you?

It's late again . . . can't sleep. My mind playing out day to day things. Once again, I am drawn to thoughts of you guys. How our lives will never be the same since God allowed our paths to cross. Interesting about the phrase"paths to cross." I guess every path of life leads to 'The Cross.' A point in time where we all need to make a decission to follow Him. It could be a decission regarding a job, marriage, children . . . . at some point it all comes back to 'The Cross' and the path that lead us there. What path are you own today? Where do you see it taking you . . . . fame, success, failure or regret? Either way it always ends up at 'The Cross.' This is where you see yourself for who you are and what you could be with Christ . . . this is where all your sins, mistakes, ugliness, failures, regrets, should haves are laid bear. This is wh ere the blood of Christ washes away all of that . . . He speaks peace to your weary soul . . . lifts up your head . . . calls you His own . . . makes you new. My heart is full . . . it longs for the people of Denton to know Christ. Not just the guy we do Sunday for . . . but really know Him. The One who completely knows us for who we are and loves us anyway. I pray for each and every one of you today. That God would reveal Himself to you in a very real and personal way. He is closer than you think . . . those words are so comforting to me. When you think you are all alone . . . He is closer than you think. Jesus . . . Jesus . . . please fill our hearts . . . give us joy unspeakable . . . help us Lord to see You . . . help us Lord to know You. Thank You for 'The Cross'. Thank You that You loved us with an everlasting love . . . thank You that You gave Your life for us so that we may know You . . .and all our short comings, sins and ugliness are forgiven. We are beautiful in Your eyes. Thank You Lord. In Jesus Name. A-men.

High Rock Community Denton, NC was birthed from the Bringle Ferry Campus of High Rock Community Church in Salisbury, NC the summer of 2006. It has been a challenging year and a half, but God has proved His faithfulness to us. With hard work and prayers, the campus has grown form 30 to 100 people on any given Sunday. The praise band has evolved from a keyboardist and a soprano with a tamborne to a full fledge band. These are some of only a dozen or so answers to prayers. We have seen lives transformed, marriages restored and people coming to know Christ as their personal Savior following in baptism. Glory be to God!!!! This past weekend was especially sweet . . . our praise team had had a retreat over the weekend and the spirit of God was moving as we were all in one accord. The same sweet spirit swept over us on Sunday as we welcomed Him into our warm up time and service. Over the past week and a half, we have been learning that worship is not an event, emotion, place or thing . . . it is a lifestyle. As we learned about what worhsip was, I beleive that we opened ourselves up to allow God's presences be known in our own lives which came out in our act of worhsip. God is doing some great things in Denton at High Rock Community. We are excited about what the year 2008 holds for us as individuals and as a church. As our lifestyle reflects God's glory and we praise Him for that, we pray that lives will be changed through the power of the Holy Spirit . . .

I am sure you are familiar with the background of this moment in scripture Luke 10: 41-42. Jesus had come to dinner at Mary and Martha’s house. They were sisters. And, like many siblings, they had very different personalities. In fact, it is easy to see some of the difference in this passage alone. Martha was type “A” all the way. She was extremely concerned with making sure all the arrangements were just right and that the food was prepared properly. She had probably cleaned the house four times over and whipped up her most popular culinary delight. She was busy bustling around the home, yet she was bothered. While Martha was working hard, she noticed her sister was hardly working. Mary was busy too, but in a much different way. She was sitting at Jesus’ feet. (vs. 39) This bothered Martha greatly. It bothered her so much that she even appeals to Jesus to get Mary to help her! Look at vs. 40: “But Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached Him and said ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Please tell her to help me.’”That is when Jesus responds with “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” How many times have you and I been guilty of getting so wrapped up in many things, that we don’t do the one thing that is most important? I don’t know about you, but “the most wonderful time of year” to me is also the craziest and busiest time of year. And, if we are not careful, we will get so wrapped up in preparing and doing the "many things", that we don’t do the ONE THING…sit at Jesus’ feet and worship Him! Were the many things Martha was doing, bad things? Absolutely not. They were important. They had to get done and no one would have had anything to eat had Martha not prepared it. But Jesus can look deep into our soul and see who we really are. As for Martha, she was worried and troubled over many things and was consumed by it. Sound familiar to you this holiday season? We get so caught up in the needs of our Christmas productions, the rehearsals, family situations, job stress, shopping crowds, etc. that if we are not careful, it will consume us. We will wake up to realize that we were wrapped up in business, and missed out on holiness. We could potentially worship our work instead of working at our worship. What good was it doing Martha to have Jesus Himself in her living room, if she wasn’t going to spend any time with Him? Could it be she was more concerned with His perception of her cooking than she was with the condition of her soul? Maybe she wanted to impress her friends and the community with the fact that Jesus had come to her house and she had prepared a meal for the Messiah. Unfortunately, the Messiah wasn’t impressed by her preparation and production. What He wanted was her attention and her affection. I don’t know what Martha’s motives were. But all the while, Mary sat at His feet and worshiped him. Psalm 27:4 says “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord…”This I do know. The one thing will simplify and purify the many things! As we move into this crazy time of shopping, hauling, traveling, singing, partying, and everything else-ing, let us remember the one thing…worship Him! That is why our worship services should take precedence far above any other activity or program in the church. The worship of our Lord must remain the primary focus of what we do and who we are! Everything else, "important stuff", falls under the category of many things. So as we go about this season, remember that the many things are about doing. The one thing is about being. God is more concerned with our being than He is with our doing. Have a Merry Christmas . . .

Why does God seem to take so long when we want Him to answer RIGHT NOW? We've all had tough times in our lives - times of discouragement and pain. Maybe you are going through one of those times right now. Maybe your marriage isn't all you dreamed and prayed it would be. Maybe your spouse isn't the perfect man or woman you had hoped for, and your children are angelic only when they are sound asleep. Or perhaps you are facing a serious health challenge. You cry out, "Lord, fix him...change her...help me...TODAY." And then you wait. .Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha knew exactly how you feel. They sent for Jesus to come and heal their brother, and then they waited. No answer. They waited some more. Lazarus died. They waited four more days. Finally, Jesus showed up. They thought He was four days late, but actually He was right on time! He didn't answer their plea to heal their brother. He had something much bigger in mind. He raised Lazarus from the dead...four days dead! If He's not answering you quickly, you can be sure He has something much bigger in mind than what you are praying for. It might seem to you that He's late, perhaps too late...but actually He's right on time. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. (Galatians 6:9)

God is up to something good . . . we will soon have our one year anniversary for the Denton Campus. I wish I had enough space to share all the stories from this past year of how God has been faithful to us. We are so excited about our first baptism coming up Septemeber 2nd. There will be at least 5 -6 people that we know of that will follow the Lord in baptism that Sunday at High Rock Lake . . . we hope to have many more. Our one year anniversary party is coming up Saturday August 25th from 1 pm - 4pm. For your enjoyment, we will have ice cream, balloons, clown, music, inflatables . . . everything is free.

Now what really is important . . . the lives that have been changed. People who haven't been in church for years, people looking for a place to belong, people lookin for grace, people looking for Jesus . . . they have found it here at High Rock Community - Denton. As I look back at this past year, I am overwhelmed at how God has used me and my family . . . only because we made our self available for whatever He wanted. This time last year, my husband and I had been praying for a confirmation on whether we were to be a part of Denton . . . as I sat in a service in Greensboro during a missionary presentation . . . God was speaking. On this missionary's power point flashed a verse that jumped off the screen and into my spirit . . . John 15:16 "For you have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you to go and bear much fruit, fruit that will last." God has a plan for each and every one of us if we would just seek Him and listen when He speaks. You'll never know how He will get your attention . . . just be ready to hear Him speak . . . God is always up to something good.

There are so many people out there today looking for happiness. We know as Christians that true happiness only comes from a personal relationship with our Creator. The One who made us knows us best. Here, I want to encourage you in your journey with a few simple rules for happiness.

1. Free your heart from hatred . . . forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries . . . pray.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have . . . grateful attitude.
4. Give more ... extend grace.
5. Expect less . . . humble yourself.

Be encouraged as you try to live more like Christ.

Today, I awoke to a beautiful sunny day. Although I knew had to attend a memorial service, there was something positive in the air this morning. Maybe it was just the fact that God allowed me another breath to breathe. To enjoy His goodness. As I started to Winston-Salem for the service, my thoughts went back to a time where I had known this young lady (Chrystel) as a child. Her life was full of hopes and dreams . . . kind of like what was in the the air this morning . . . "God's mercies are new every morning . . . Great is His faithfulness." Tragically, this young girls life was cut too short by terrible circumstances that were some what beyond her control. I often think . . could I have done more? Was I truly there for her. I know that you cannot live your life for what could or should have been, but today . . . His mercies are knew . . . I am challenging you to find someone this week that needs the love of Christ. This means getting involved in their life and pointing them to Christ. This takes time and effort. To put it mildly . . . it may cost you some comfort . . . it will cost you something . . . but the rewards out weigh the cost. Are you making a difference in the world around you . . . one child at a time? The question was . . how are you living the dash? May 1967 - 20? Are you living it vainly for yourself . . . or are you making a difference in some one's life who needs Christ. I challenge you to find a Chrystel . . . before one more child has to loose out on their hopes and dreams. Deuteronomy 6:7, Eccl. 11:8, Proverbs 14:26.

Well, here we go. Another step of faith. Today is my first official day . . . full time with High Rock Community Church. It has been an interesting journey to get here. God has had this planned for me long before I existed. Jeremiah 29:11-13 is my family's life verse. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord.
My journey started the day I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I was a 12yr. old girl full of hopes and dreams. When I heard the story of Christ and what He had done for me . . . I immediately was drawn to this man who loved me so much. I was not raised in a christian home, so to hear of something so wonderful was more than I could ever imagine. Through the years, my love for music and for God took me places that only came from making myself available for His service. Through ministries such as "S.A.L.T.", "World Help/Mission", "Tapestry", and solo venues, I have been able to share my personal experience with God. Recently, my husband and I, along with our daughter moved to Salisbury, North Carolina. My husband is originally from this area and felt the Lord was directing us to "come home." Through a series of events we moved the spring of 2004. It was several months afterwards that we became affiliated with High Rock Community Church. After much involvement, our love for the church and the people grew. As plans went under-way for the Denton Campus, my husband and I were approached to take on the new campus. Through much prayer, we decided that this is what the Lord had in store for us. And so the journey continues . . . as of August 2006, I am leading worship at the Denton campus along with a host of a million other tasks. But I wouldn't have it any other way. There is a certain contentment . . . a peace . . . if you will . . . when you are in the center of God's will. I look forward to keeping you up to date on the journey.
How Great Is Our God,
Kelly Loflin
Acts. 20 :24