I want to start by saying THANK YOU to you all for your continued support and investment into God's kingdom through my ministry work with Consumed.
This month has been 10 years since I joined the Consumed Ministries staff team. I've been spending some time reflecting on all the opportunities God has opened doors to these last 10 years and the work He has done. It has included being a part of the Urbana worship team, helping the Celebrate Recovery ministry to grow inside the Waseca Federal Women's Prison, gathering to worship and share the love of Jesus inside an eclectic coffee shop where many New Agers would meet, teaching Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class out of our home with Jake, leading worship at retreats and conferences for college students, coming alongside families to lead them in prayer and singing worship songs as they've grieved an unexpected loss of a family member, leading worship at various churches, bringing groups with me into the Women's Shakopee Prison to worship with the women inside and pray for them, worshiping together via Zoom during the heart of the pandemic, mentoring young worship leaders, leading worship for MN Adult & Teen Challenge, and most recently getting to connect with women who were formerly incarcerated inside the Women's Shakopee Prison on both a weekly basis (our weekly check-in support group) and monthly (Prison Fellowship alumni breakfasts). It is truly humbling to remember all the ways that God has moved and has touched my heart and others' through these experiences in the last 10 years. I'm just so grateful. Thank you dear family and friends for your continued love, support, and investment into God's kingdom. Your prayers, giving, and support are intertwined in these experiences and stories shared. Much love, Jackie
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On Sunday Feb. 7, we received a text that a friend of ours from our small group Bible study at church was likely going to be going home to Jesus that day, after her two-year, long fought battle with cancer. I was on the worship team as a guest at another church that morning and was asked to lead this song. I sang this shortly after seeing the text, and it was one of those moments where God completely filled my heart as I sang it on behalf of Sarena's life. I wanted to share it with Sarena's family that day, but hesitated because I didn't know if it would be insensitive to share a song about God's goodness in the midst of such pain. Later that night at just 35 years old, Sarena went home into the loving arms of Jesus. Tonight, Jake and I attended the memorial service for our friend, Sarena. What stood out the most to me from tonight was the theme of God's goodness. I was so blessed to hear that in her final days, Sarena was proclaiming God's goodness. And her husband, who loved her so deeply and in the midst of his and their children's pain, also spoke of how good God is and that He is faithful. And so, I want to share this song that was sung on the day Sarena went to be with Jesus as we proclaimed that God is always good and He is faithful. Even in the midst of her battle, this song reminds us that God’s goodness pursued her every day of her life. “Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 I was honored to be a part of a Prison Fellowship Zoom call this weekend. On the call were women who were a part of this ministry as inmates inside the Shakopee prison and have since been released, as well as mentors and staff. We worshiped to this song together as we remembered that no matter what is happening around us or trials that come, we can say "It is well with my soul" because Jesus is our hope and peace. I've been hearing from so many friends of mine about how much they miss getting to join others in singing praise and worship songs at their churches. And I include myself in those feelings as well. We are so looking forward to being able to go on a regular basis again. Being in some of these conversations prompted me to share something I've been working on for MN Adult & Teen Challenge. I recorded a 3-song worship set for this ministry to use, since they are not meeting for their daily chapel meetings in large groups right now. So my greeting at the beginning of the video is to the Teen Challenge clients, but if you'd like to worship and sing along with the songs that follow, I've shared the link to it below. There are lyrics within the video to make it easy to sing along to. I have something exciting to share with you that I've been working on! This is in response to the special video update from my last post. If you didn't get a chance to watch it, I shared how because it will still be awhile before I can return to my normal places of doing large group ministry (Shakopee women's prison, MN Adult & Teen Challenge, etc), I am feeling God lead me to a new thing in this season-- and that is recording times of worship. My purpose in doing this is to connect with and worship God and to invite others to worship with me from my little corner in our basement:) I hope these songs can be an encouragement to you..
The first song I've recorded is "Spirit Pour Out". I discovered this song when it was led at our church and thought it was very relevant for this time we're in, in light of recent happenings in Minneapolis. This song is a prayer for our nation- for healing, for justice, and for God's kingdom to come. Here are the lyrics: SPIRIT POUR OUT Spirit pour out and flood this city Heaven come down and shake the walls Fill us Lord the world is waiting Father let Your kingdom come Come restore generations of desolation Bind up the poor and broken heart Plant and sow, till and grow what time has ravaged Break down the walls of race and war Spirit pour out and flood this city Heaven come down and shake the walls Fill us Lord the world is waiting Father let Your kingdom come God we seek peace and welfare for our city Prosper redeem her as Your own That all would see Your glory here in greater measure Through us Your church, Your kingdom come Spirit pour out and flood this city Heaven come down and shake the walls Fill us Lord the world is waiting Father let Your kingdom come You are the God who builds You are the One who saves You are the God who prospers Evil has no claim You are the God who builds You are the One who saves You are the God who prospers Fervently we pray Spirit pour out and flood this city Heaven come down and shake the walls Fill us Lord the world is waiting Father let Your kingdom come "Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning." -Lamentations 3:23. I love this verse and it is the one I woke up reciting to myself as I woke up this morning. Wanted to share, as I think it is a great reminder for us all that God's mercies are new for us each morning. As I type this, I am praying you will be encouraged today in a special way by our great and powerful God. Here is a quick update that also includes an invitation to a virtual event this Friday night. MN Adult & Teen Challenge: I was thankfully able to be a part of leading worship for two events here right before social distancing went in place as part of Covid-19. One event was for a monthly gathering consisting of the program's alumni and the other was for a family worship ministry night for all current clients in the program. I always leave so encouraged by seeing the ways that God is at work among these men and women who are recovering from their addictions and desiring to live in the abundant life Jesus offers them! I would like to inform and invite you to be a part of the Gala that MN Adult & Teen Challenge hosts every year. It will be online this year and is FREE to anyone who registers. It will be this Friday, May 1 from 7-7:30pm. You can register and also browse through the silent auction items at this link: www.mntc.org/gala Singing Hope: I also wanted to share a recording I did with a friend of mine, David Vicchiollo, called "Eye of the Storm". We recorded this a few years ago, but I thought it was fitting to share again. I hope it can bring you some encouragement for today. Hebrews 6:19- Jesus is the anchor of our souls. |
Jackie Dixon
I love Jesus. I love my husband & family. I like dark chocolate. And hats. Traveling. Slippers. Hand written notes. And thrifting. These are a few of my favorite things! Categories
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