Album Release

I'm so excited about the upcoming new release of my worship album "Redemption" sometime this next week.  All the songs on the album are original & from my heart.  I was so blessed to have such a great group of musicians & worshipers help me out on this project.  The time & effort put in was incredible.  I can't wait for you all to get a chance to listen & worship to this album.  My prayer is that the anointing & presence of the Lord will fill your hearts, lives & homes as you engage God in worship. 

I want to thank everyone who helped me & supported me in doing this project.  They are an amazing group of people.
Here's a list of everyone part of this project & what they did:
Band:
- Electric Guitar:
*Brett Jones (Tracks 1-4, 7, 9)
*Dan Leonhardt (Tracks 5, 8, 10)
*Alex Peek (Track 3- lead electric)
- Acoustic Guitar: Dan Leonhardt
-Bass: Tico Tanguma
-Drums: Taylor Urban
-Keys: Caleb Wilson
-Vocals: Shawn Skaggs, Vincencia Willamowski and Caleb Wilson

Producer: Caleb Wilson
Co-Producer: Brett Jones (track 1, 2, 4, 7, 9)

Translation: Carolina Torres Wilson & Caleb Wilson

Album Artwork: Jon Jones
Recording Studio: Peak Audio (http://peak-audio.com)  Jason Allison & Kipp Koonce

The album is now available on CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/calebwilson) & Facebook (Caleb Wilson Worship)
It should be available on iTunes this week + a variety of other online distributors. 
Enjoy & may the Lord bless you!

The Wilson Family Adventure

Dear Family & Friends,
We’re so excited to share with you our upcoming adventure we have before us this year.  It has been such a difficult, yet growing season in our lives these past few months.  Just this week we received word that we have been accepted to the Bible institute “IBRP” in Buenos Aires, Argentina starting this coming March.  There, we will both be studying bible classes.  I will be in 4th year since I already have a ministry degree & plan to get a master’s in worship leading as well; Carolina will be a first year Bible student since they require both spouses to study while at the institute.  We strongly believe God has opened these doors & is leading us in this direction for this next season of our lives.  From the moment I knew I would no longer be at the church, I began to dream about what God had for our future.  I felt strongly that the first step was for us to go away...like the Apostle Paul did when he went to Asia Minor after his conversion.  I know God desires to reveal Himself to us in a greater way & to download something new into our hearts & lives.  So, why Argentina?  It’s simple, for us it’s not about the “schooling”...it’s about the environment.  We felt God calling us away & we wanted to be in a “spiritually hot environment” and Argentina definitely has that.  By the end of our time there, we really feel & believe God will have done a great work in us spiritually and that we will have a better idea of what He has for our future.  All I can definitively say, is that this is the first step He has called us to take. 

2012 will look something like this:  We leave December 31 to Quito, Ecuador for my sister-in-law’s wedding and will spend some time with Carolina’s family before heading to Argentina in March.  School begins March 19 and goes until November 30th, with a short break in July & August.  From there our plan is to return to Ecuador for Christmas before returning to South Bend. 

As we launch into this new chapter, we do so with great faith & expectation.  We know that this is not going to be easy & there’s much sacrifice involved (leaving our home, friends & family, country with no income, not to mention the uncertainties of life in another country).  We know that God has us in the palm of His hands, but we ask that you keep us in your prayers. 

A few specific areas you can pray for are A.) our stay in Ecuador and B.) our time in Argentina.  I sense two very different challenges for us while we are in these places.
A.) Ecuador: Spiritual attack & warfare!  We will be staying with Carolina’s parents.  Her family is going through a very difficult time due to the divorce of Carolina’s brother.  His wife had an affair & is being very ugly & nasty with him...to the point of not allowing him to see his son for over 3 months.  It’s a very long story, but as you can imagine the environment is full of hurt, anger & resentment...as is normal in any divorce situation.  Thus, we are entering into a spiritual war zone!  Our desire is to help calm the fire that rages, not add to it!  We are praying that we would carry the love, joy, peace and light of Christ into the home, but we need lots of prayer, protection & strength...especially for our children.  They are very vulnerable & sensitive to their environment & we don’t want the enemy to have any access into their little souls!  Also pray for our marriage.  Even when things are good, it’s a definite challenge to our marriage staying with family for that long a time.  Pray that Carolina & I will stay strongly connected to one another & the Lord. 
B.) Argentina: Venturing into the jungle!  A friend shared a dream the Lord gave her after asking, “Where is Caleb going & what is he going to do?”  The Lord said, “I’m taking him to the jungle and there he’s going to discover a new ivy.”  What a cool dream.  The jungle is full of life, full of new discovery & full of unknowns.  New things are literally discovered there every day, but the road to that discovery is not easy.  Things have to be cut away to navigate & find what you’re looking for.  Though we are thankfully not heading into a real jungle, I sense we are entering a spiritual jungle.  This time in Argentina will be a time of breaking, growing & new discovery!  Pray that God will give us the strength to endure & embrace the breaking, a deep desire to grow deeper in Him  & the patience to discover what He has for all of us.  

To close, we know the Lord is our provider & He will take care of our every need, but we also know that He uses people to help sow into the lives of others.  We would like to ask that you prayerfully consider sowing into our future financially.  The approximate cost of everything (travel, schooling, food, housing, etc) will cost us between $10K-12K for the 9 months in Argentina.  You all have sown into our lives in so many ways over the years and we are so appreciative for all the love & support you’ve given us.  Above all, we need & appreciate all your prayers, and if you feel led to give financially it will be an extra blessing.  We will miss you so much, but will carry you all in our hearts no matter where we go & no matter what we do. 

If you desire to give, you can do so by giving online to Southgate Church (click on "give online" on the homepage and specify that it's for us) or mail: 3717 S. Michigan St; South Bend, IN 46614

If you'd like to contact us, our emails are: calebwilson1980@gmail.com & carolinatl78@hotmail.com

Blessings to you all!

Love,

Caleb, Carolina, Joaquin & Milena

Jumbled Frequencies

Do you ever feel stuck or confused about your life, like your antennas are picking up multiple signals and the sound is total chaos?  This is something I've been feeling for a while and I know I'm not alone in this.  I want to get dialed in and be able to hear clearly, but that is easier said than done, especially when things are uncertain.  Some questions I've been asking God are, "what do you have for my future?", "how long do you want me to do what I'm doing?", "do you want me to do something else?", "is this where I'll be and what I'll be doing the rest of my life?", etc.  I wrestle with all this because there are so many frequencies to decipher and I'm not sure which one is God's voice.  Am I to wait for God to open a door or try to open one myself and step out in faith?  Has God already spoken to me and I can't hear Him or have I heard Him and am being disobedient?  Am I walking & living in faith or is fear, doubt & skepticism ruling my life in this area?  All these things jumble up the signal in my life.  Though I still don't have the answer to all of this, I know one thing, God has a plan for my life, a plan to prosper me and not to harm me, a plan to give me a hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  So, I hold on to this truth and trust that God will speak to me clearly, lead me in the right direction and use me however He desires.  "God, help me not be anxious, but to trust in You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.  Help me not lose heart, but to remain steadfast.  Let your peace & patience reign in my life and let Your thoughts be my thoughts, Your ways be my ways.  Let my ears be tuned in to Your voice and let fear & doubt be silenced so that I may walk in obedience before You and so that my life will be pleasing to You.  Amen."

Anxious?

"Be anxious for nothing..."  Wow, what a challenge that is.  Is that even possible?  Well, like most, I have not mastered this directive.  I mean, seriously, with everything coming at us in our lives and in our world, how can we live this out?  There's just so many things we have to carry.  Just think, gas prices are rising, bills are do, jobs & future plans are uncertain, raising kids is difficult and scary, relationships are struggling, and the list goes on.  So, how am I to live an anxiety-free life?  Paul responds by saying this, "...but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7)  This directive is all about our heart condition and response.  Do we trust God more than our circumstances & issues?  Are we holding on to our fears & anxiety or are we surrendering & entrusting them into God's hands?  Are we full of thanksgiving & gratefulness, or are we whiners & complainers?  God is promising us His peace, which is far beyond our understanding, if we will live out this challenge.  If we don't, our hearts & minds will be consumed & overwhelmed by things contrary to what God has for us.  So, if you want to live a joyous life, Philippians 4:8 has this to say: "Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things."

"WWYD"

I watched an episode of "What Would You Do" on Dateline tonight.  I always find the situations quite interesting and challenging.  I always wonder if I would do or say anything in those situations.  One of the situations was particularly interesting.  They had a mixed couple (white girl, black guy) meeting with their parents in a restaurant to tell them they were getting married (all of which are actors).  The parents on both sides were not happy at all and were publicly opposed to their decision.  It was interesting to see the different approaches and comments from people in the restaurant who were bothered by the parents comments.  My favorite comment by one of the parents was: "You're too young and you're too young.  And not to state the obvious elephant in the room, but you're too white and you're too black for you to be together."  I know those thoughts & feelings still exist today, which is a bit sad, but I understand it.  One of the men who stepped in actually said he would react the same if it were his child, but at the same time told the couple they should be together if they truly loved each other.  It is a challenging thought.  So many people take a stand on issues that don't directly affect them, but the real test is when they must confront the issue personally.  Even though I'm in a inter-racial, cross cultural marriage, I ask myself how I'd feel if faced with this issue.  I'm sure that sounds crazy, but until faced with that situation, I can only ponder what I would do. 

The Two Pillars

Over the past few years there are 2 key ingredients that have come to transform the way I approach worship ministry and my life.  I view these things as the "pillars" of living lives of worship.  They are the "Presence" of God and "Excellence" in whatever we do.
I emphasize these two things with the worship team (band & vocals) frequently.  My stance is this: "If all we have is excellence and no presence, we're just another skilled band.  And if all we have is presence and no excellence, we're a group of people who pursue God and make noise for Him.  As Christ followers, 'Presence & Excellence' are inseparable.  We're ineffective for the Kingdom if these aren't active in our lives at home, work place, in worship, etc."  (Just to be clear, Excellence is not perfection, but Excellence is perfected by Presence.  We are not perfect, but we can be excellent in whatever we do and when accompanied by the presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit it is made perfect.) 
A really great example of all this is David (read 1 Samuel 16:14-23; 17:32-50).  I made a few observations from these passages.
1. David, an excellent musician carried the presence of God and was used to bless the king.
2. King Saul said David was too young and inexperienced to fight Goliath, but David was an experienced, excellent shepherd who had killed lions & bears.  David knew that God would make him victorious.
3. David didn't use the armor & sword of the king, but used his staff & slingshot to defeat Goliath.  God used him where he was most proficient.
4. When David fought Goliath, his faith & assurance was not in his own skill/proficiency, but in the Lord.  But God was able to use David because he was proficient/excellent with a sling.  God's presence perfected his excellent skills.
Father, help us all to live in Your presence and live lives of excellence for Your glory and honor.  Amen

Discipline

Wow, could this be any harder?  I find that this has to be one of the most difficult areas in my life to master.  Whether it is praying, reading my Bible, practicing guitar or working out, the art of discipline can be frustrating.  They say "you do want you want to do", but that is easier said than done.  Recently though, I started working out with some guys doing "Insanity" (it is truly INSANE, check it out) and have found that the accountability has helped me stay disciplined.  Though our group has dwindled from 5 to 2, it helps me to know someone is waiting on me, someone is depending on me.  I want to encourage you, if you struggle with being disciplined in any area of your life, partner with someone who can help you stay accountable.  It is working for me, maybe it will work for you.

Who's In Your Network?

 

While in prayer one day I was dealing with some fear issues and I felt God ask me "who's in your network?"  Huh, what's Verizon have to do with anything?  Pretty much immediately God reminded me of a great story in the Old Testament (2 Kings 6:8-23).  

Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army when his servant began to fear and asked, "What are we going to do?"  Elisha said, "Do not fear, those that are with us are more than those who are with them."  He had to have been thinking, "what is this guy (Elisha) on?  There's 2 of us and thousands of them."  Elisha then prayed that God would open the servants eyes to see what he could see.  In that moment, the servant saw an army of fire in the heavens surrounding Elisha.  

God wants us to know that He's in our network!  He's got our back and we don't need to fear. Remember, "If God is for us, then who can be against us". 

The Volcano Within

While praying one day I saw both a dormant & erupting volcano. I began to ponder what it meant. Dormant volcanoes have great potential deep inside, but it usually takes a shift in the atmosphere, a great shaking to wake it up. Unless that "shaking" happens, it will not be able to release the power that exists within.
We as Christians have that power & potential inside us through the Holy Spirit, but unless something shifts in the atmosphere that power/potential will not be released. What is the key? Prayer. When we pray, the atmosphere begins to change and a great shaking begins to happen in the Spirit causing the volcano in us to wake up. The pressure builds & builds until finally "KABOOM". When that happens, nothing can stop it. Spiritually speaking, the enemy has to evacuate if it doesn't want to be destroyed. If we will pray, I mean really pray, the Spirit of God will burst forth through our lives like nothing we've ever seen or imagined and when that happens, watch out. So, start to pray and wake up the volcano within!

Communication In Worship

Leading worship can be somewhat tricky. It carries a lot of responsibility.  I have been in multiple venues of worship and have made some observations regarding how we communicate and the misconceptions many have. Many think, "Well, since I'm a worship leader and I have a mic, I should share what I'm feeling and help motivate the people to worship." Though there are times for this, this couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm not saying we don't ever share anything, but more often than not, our good intentions become a hindrance and distraction to peoples worship experience, especially when we over do it. The goal is to facilitate a worship experience with God.  The most powerful experiences that I've had in worship had a few notable similarities. 1. The presence of the Holy Spirit; 2. Excellence in musicianship; 3. Minimal (if any) talking/sharing during the worship set.  Be careful to not take liberties because you have a mic. If you are going to share, prepare ahead of time (if it's worth saying, it's worth preparing for), discern the moment and let your words be few.
Suggestions: A short passage of scripture (on screen); a quick thought (in transition or in the midst of a song); a simple direction (lift you hands to God, give a shout, etc).