This year, the idea of leaving on fall break made me feel a few different things: 1. I felt really excited to experience touring again and to meet new people, 2. I felt a little worried because I knew I was already pretty tired from the semester so far, and I could really use a few days of rest and relaxation at home (not to mention needing time to devote to my senior research project!), and 3. I felt nervous jitters while at the same time felt myself looking forward to seeing how our team would interact with each other (as well as being able to get a good insight into personalities, etc). You see, for the first time since I’ve traveled, I’ve been placed on a team with a majority of people I’ve traveled with before. In my three previous years of traveling, I had only once been on a team again with a person I’ve traveled with before. This year, I’m with five! DJ, Caleb, Tim, Kurtis, Sam, and I traveled together last year, and we’re on a team together this year! Dani and Zac are the other two members, and it’s crazy to see how two new people add so much new flavor and bring variety to the team already.
My freshman year on HeartSong, we didn’t travel on fall break. Fall break tour was something that the HeartSong staff incorporated my second year, mainly to give the teams good insight into what it would be like to tour during our 10 week summer tour. I guess it’s kind of like a “mini tour.” From early Thursday morning to late Sunday night, the three teams go to different areas of the Midwest and visit Christian schools and churches. Each team is accompanied with a HeartSong staff member—Jim, Justin, or Matt—who help direct the teams on our first weekend out. My team got the chance to tour with Matt, and it was a lot of fun to have him around! Not only is Matt one of our directors, but he also traveled on HeartSong for three years when he went to Cedarville, so it was helpful to have him around and have his input and advice.
We went to various parts of Indiana—Bloomington, Lafayette, and Indianapolis. Looking back on the weekend, the main thing that stands out to me is the way our team was able to experience seeing God’s perfect timing and how it played out during our trip. I’m sure that God’s timing in circumstances can be seen often in life, but it can be easy for me personally to miss because I’m so busy or stubborn. It was neat for me to plainly see God’s hand and the way He chose to work. Let me give one instance from the weekend in which we were able to see this…
On Thursday morning, our team went to Lighthouse Christian Academy in Bloomington. On Saturday, we would be going to Faith Baptist Church and Faith Christian School in Lafayette, which is over 3 hours away. While we were with the students at Lighthouse, we found out that their girls’ volleyball team was playing in a big volleyball tournament at Faith on Saturday. It just so happened that we were able to attend Lighthouse’s volleyball game on Saturday! While we were at Lighthouse Christian Academy, we were able to get to know Eugene, the volleyball coach, as well as the girls on the team. These girls came to the tournament with the motivation to win the state championship, but a really sad series of events occurred in which they had to forfeit because some of the girls were stuck in traffic on the way. They were still able to play their final match (even though it wouldn’t count), and they ended up playing hard and won, even though rules and regulations prevented them from advancing! God knew way before we even left on tour what the events of the weekend would be and the places we would go, and He allowed our team to be there to cheer on those girls! It is so neat to see how the Lord works, even in tough situations.
Something that God showed our team over fall break, and something He keeps showing me time and time again is Isaiah 55:8-9, which says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” God’s timing is more perfect than mine, and His ways, as He says, are higher or better than mine. He knows what is best, and His desire for us as a team is to seek what His ways are. I am so grateful to look back and see how the Lord worked during our weekend through His perfect timing. Please pray for us in that we would ask for God’s wisdom as we do His work and that we would not neglect to see His timing and His direction as we meet new people and go different places.
–Aubrey
Hello everyone,
While all other Cedarville students are heading home for a long fall break weekend, the HeartSong touring teams are getting ready for our first weekend out touring. I could not wait to get out on the road again, and get back into the swing of touring on the weekends. Fall break tour is a little different type of weekend for teams because each team has a member of HeartSong staff with them for the weekend. Jim Cato, the director of all the teams, was with my team all weekend.We had such an awesome weekend together playing in Xenia, Defiance, Toledo, and Marion Ohio. My team played in many different types of venues… from schools, to YMCA’s, to bonfire’s, to churches. It was an awesome first weekend to get into the swing of touring, and just meeting new people. It was very evident to me after this weekend that my team, is going to have an awesome year filled with a lot of fun and memories, but more importantly I think it will be so awesome to see how God is going to use us in different ways this year.
The biggest thing that I learned this weekend is that things change and God has a reason for these changes. I am in a completely different position this year with my team. Last year I was the freshman whose job was to do whatever I was told, this year it is so different because I am one of 3 returning members on my team. Myself, Taylor Valarik, and Tommy Hutchinson are the members on my team that all traveled with HeartSong last year as well. As returners, we are looked to for advice and guidance. This is so opposite from last year, because I was the one who needed to be taught everything. I probably annoyed everyone with all the questions I asked about everything. As a team it is important that we have a direction where we know we are going, and as a returning member, I realized that I need to lead by example. I, along with Taylor and Tommy, have been through this before, and it is our duty to make sure our first time team members know what they are to do, and how to do it correctly. Something that I learned that stemmed off from this new position is how prepared I need to be to worship before a service. It is so tough while leading music to remember all the small details, and order of songs, and etc. But there is so much more to leading worship than just making sure you remember the lyrics, and the order… It is about your heart being right before God. We need to surrender to the Holy Spirit and let him lead our worship. If I try to take control, my worship is in vain. So a huge thing that I learned this weekend was that although this year I am in the “worship leader” position, I need to remember why I am doing what I am doing, and that is to give God my whole self in worship, I need to surrender my life to Him every day.
My life verse is found in Galatians, it says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” This verse has continually been reminding me that this life is not mine. I owe God my whole life, God deserves my best. So yes, I do need to do my best to remember the words to our songs, and remember the order of our songs, and when to say what, etc. But, the most important thing is that I am right before God in my worship, and that I am surrendering myself to His will every time I sing or open my mouth.
-Hayden
Hey everyone!