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January 19, 2006
Katrina Lunceford
January 18, 2006 12:45 am (I am still at work here in the O.R.!)
Hello to those of you who read the journal on our site. (Hi Mom!) just kidding.
I'm sure more than just my Mom reads this. Anyway....
The band just came back from round two at Club 3 Degrees in Minneapolis. It was great! Like last time, the staff was
excellent, attentive, encouraging, and we genuinely felt the pleasure of the Lord with the operation of this great club.
Hats off to you at C3D for your minstry! We won't know until sometime in March if we proceed to round three. Pray for us.
We are focusing our prayers on these topics so please join with us in agreement:
1. That we would hear the voice of the Lord and follow Him and never compromise.
2. For complete unity amongst the band members.
3. For the tangible presence of God while we minister.
4. For the gospel to go forth with signs and wonders following. (we want the power of God changing lives and we want to see it!)
5. For a spirit of righteousness and purity in the band.
6. Favor
8. To know more of God's heart in this last hour
7. Souls, Souls, Souls....
Now for a Kat thought......
It is so cool to be in the presence of God. I mean when it's more than just head knowledge of His omni presence and you begin
to experience His tangible presence. Nothing on the planet is like it! In those moments, nothing can be wrong, nothing can
frighten or frustrate. There's intense and complete joy that keeps compounding on itself each time you realize that you are
in the presence of The Creator! When you begin walking in that, and the Lord becomes your life and revelation of who He is
and what He wants from you pours in...... Well, there is just nothing better than that!
So, you're walking along and things are great! Then, out of nowhere, something hits! It could be as small as just a dry
spell, to a major catastrophe like a sudden, unexpected death! And, as if that weren't enough, it seems that God took His
presence with Him! You try to pray all the usual prayers that used to get you right in to His presence but, no answers from
heaven's end. You go to the word for comfort and revelation as before but, it tastes like thick, flavor less, lumpy,
oatmeal! Friends have no answers, tears bring no relief, and everyone at church still seems to be enjoying the Lord except
you. The check list begins... Is there sin? Did I miss God? Maybe I didn't hear Him correctly because my life looks nothing
like what was promised! As a matter a fact, it couldn't be any further away from the dreams I thought were inspired by the
Lord. Major doubt begins to speak. For a few weeks you can take it, but then those weeks turn to months, a year.....
You fight discouragement and the temptation to become bitter at God for seemingly deserting you and turning a deaf ear to
you no matter how long you pray, fast, cry, read the word, or praise. What's the deal?
I am convinced that every believer on a true quest for God will go through this in some form or another. What should you
do? The pain can be horrible. This is what I've learned......
When you can't see what God is doing, rely on who He is not what you feel. This is so important. Search the scriptures for
the truth about God and how He feels about you. Write down key scriptures about God's faithfulness and love for you and who
you are to Him. Speak them out loud. This will help you fight the enemy and your flesh when they attempt to fill your mind
with negative thoughts about God's seeming abandonment. Also, hold on like a pit bull to the personal promises God has given
you. I don't care how dismal life seems, make yourself remember. A good way to do this is to keep a journal of prophecy
or, simply stated, a book of promises. If you haven't started one and you are in the midst of a trial or test, sit down and
make yourself remember every promise of God and write it down. Carry this around with you and get it out, speak the promises
aloud and thank God for bringing them to pass. You won't feel like doing this but, remember, we aren't paying attention to
what we feel we are paying attention to what is true.
Next, keep spending time in the word, prayer (fellowship with your Heavenly Daddy), church, and what ever activities you
were doing before this season began. You have to make yourself do some of these things because again, you may not feel
like it. Basically, God is after our complete trust in Him no matter what. That we can walk in peace, even in the midst
of a storm, confident in our Lord's control. When God seems to be silent I have found that He is never silent! What I
mean is this..... God never drops you like a project He's become bored with and will get back to at a later date. God is
in the constant business of maturing the saints. With me, being the sensitive, emotional person that I am, God has had to
make me walk by what I know to be real and true according to what is written in His word, and get away from being led by
what I feel all the time. Do I like it when God is doing this? No! I love sensing His tangible presence and hearing His
voice! I am one big pile of mush when it comes to God and I love it when He is hands on with me. But I know that I need
to be disciplined enough that, no matter what I see, I will not start believing a lie about who my God is and how He feels
for me simply because of what the circumstance of the day dictates. I know I need to trust Him enough to submit to Him
trusting that He is actively directing my footsteps.
I used to hate reading the book of Job. (Talk about a Greek tragedy!) OK, it's still not my favorite book. However,
I believe much can be seen about God's character and ultimate goal when it comes to a Believer's life. I pray that none
of us will ever go through the extremes that Job went through but.....
God knows what He is doing in the business of carefully, masterfully, crafting a life. He is a GOOD God and loves us
deeply. He does not wish us harm but has a future and a hope for us and He wants to raise up balanced, strong, saints
that stand true to Him no matter what is thrown at them.
So, whatever the test or trial, know this... Everything is Father filtered and He can be trusted with our lives.
In Christ -Kat
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December 11, 2005
Katrina Lunceford
Well, it's considerably earlier than most of the times I write but I felt the urge to post my thoughts so here I am.
I have been moved by many aspects of God's view of us but this thought catches my heart more than any other ...
God's passionate desire for us. Some never think about God as being passionate for people; longing for them. The
word yearn means, "to long for intensely." To long for. On my side of things I know what it is to long for
something or someone. Selah. When I was a little girl, about, I don't know, eight or nine, my mom used to take
these trips with the choir from our church. They would only be gone for a few days and most of the time my sister
and I were left with my grandma. I so loved my mom that I HATED being out of her presence. I loathed being away from
her even for a day. I remember one night I was so beside myself that I cried until the dawn, literally! My grandma
wanted to kill me! I couldn't help it. I was so depressed and nothing made me feel better until I was with her again.
Now, I know that God feels everything on a much more intense level but, that thought comes to me when I think of Him
yearning to be with me.
James 4:5 says,"The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously." Now, I also know what it means to be jealous.
I wish I could say that I have always been spiritually mature and have never experienced the green eyed monster,
(insert intense laughter) but ... my thoughts go back to my first boyfriend. Wow was I nuts over him! Well,
one night, I came back from shopping with my mom and I could see him down the street, riding on the back of a
bike with another girl. Gasp here! My heart felt as if it would never beat again. Now, although that was a purely
juvenile experience, the feelings were not. I still remember how painful that felt. God is nuts about us! He longs
to spend time with us exclusively. Yes, He is always with us but, it's different to be in a room with someone and
your attention be elsewhere as opposed to being focused on that person and being engaged in conversation and
fellowship. God wants to spend time with us; with me!
I am blown away when I read books as passionate as "Song of Solomon." I remind you, God wrote it. Of all the things
He could have written in just 66 books of Self revelation, He made sure to include this intimate portrayal of passion
between a man and a woman or God and His creation. You and I. Read and hear the passion of God's heart in this excerpt ...
"You have stolen my heart, my sister my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel
of your necklace. How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and
the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!" Song of Solomon, 4:9-10. Now, for a hopeless romantic like me, that just
warms me right to my toes (mushy moment). God feels deeply for us! Listen to His heart in Jerimiah 29:11, "For I know
the thoughts that I have toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a
hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me,
when you search for Me with all your heart." In Psalm 139:17-18, "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand ..." I love this part ...
"When I awake, I am still with You." Picture Him, lovingly watching you while you sleep, waiting for you to wake so
that you can consciously be with Him again. Dosen't that just steal your heart?! I know that I want to be thought of
that way! To be wanted, pursued, treasured and to think, God wants us like that! He thinks about us that way!
My favorite scripture is Psalm 91. All of it. During a time in my life when I struggled with deep fear, God used this
passage alone to get me out of it. It still remains my favorite today, especially God's response in verses 14-16, "Because
he has set his love on Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall
call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I
will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." Talk about a true lover of the soul! How can you not feel the value God
puts on loving and being loved! "Because He has loved Me." When I ponder that passage I feel enveloped in Him and so
safe and completely adored!
My prayer is that we come to the realization that God is not just an outsider looking on at our affairs but that He earnestly,
passionately, intimately, wants to walk with us and be IN love with us. Jesus prayed in John 17:20-26 (read it all! It is
great!) that we would be one with Him even as He and the Father are one. One. No division. So close that you can't
tell where one stops and the other starts. I know this kind of fellowship is possible and I want it and I have it and I want
more of it. How's that for a riddle? :>) Complete knowing and being known. This is so my heart's greatest desire! To truly walk
with God in the tangible, revelatory, manifest sense of the word. Let us be a people in extravagant pursuit of a God that
loves us this deeply and completely. In Him, -Kat
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November 16, 2005
Katrina Lunceford
Once again, a late night. I am up listening to Jason Upton in my prayer room and
was going through some old journal entries. Some of them made me laugh and then
there was one that came out and grabbed me. I would like to share it with you ...
July 3, 1996 6:23pm
I just had a thought from God about His church ...
We have become complacent in our services on Sunday, our church gatherings and
parties. We are caught up in our "Christian" lives and friends. This in itself
is not bad if it is not all consuming ...
SIN!
People are dying out there in the dark while we are gettng drunk from the very medicine that can save their lives!
SIN!
"Church" and the "Christian life" is not our home! Church is the gas station where
we go to get refueled; equipped. How many of us have all our energy, homes and lives,
hidden safely behind the walls of the local gas station? Look at this scene in your head:
"Beds and dishes, people living in the gas station!"
SIN!
It is as ridiculous as it sounds. If we are only caught up in our churches and our
"personal, Christian lives" then we look just as ridiculous to God. He did not equip,
(save us), just to go back week after week to get spiritually fat! If the thought of
going out to where ever God wants us to go makes us uncomfortable, anxious, or full
of fear at the hint of the subject, then I challenge you to see yourself before God,
(me included in this), and while you are standing there making excuses as to why you
don't want to leave your comfort zone, look up at His face and notice the pain and
the tears as He thinks of all the people who will suffer for "eternity" just because
you didn't want to be uncomfortable for one lifetime. God weeps.
Our home is in heaven. Right now we should concern ourselves with "driving", (not parking),
our spiritual cars through this life, stopping only to get tuned up and refueled, i.e.,
through church and Christian fellowship. We should only be concerned, not anxious,
about where God wants us to go, to whom, and what He wants us to do when we get there.
We must be about our Father's business. Let us not be so selfish and self-serving that
we end up having two homes ... one that we created down here just so we can live in luxury,
all the while knowing that we have a mansion for eternity in Heaven. If we could only just
step in to God's hands and lay down our fear for a moment ... what wondrous things God
would do through us for His world, His people, His precious creation.
Satan is winning souls every day simply because we have stopped fighting. We have stepped
back from the front lines of battle, battle that is fought through earnest prayer and bold
steps in to the willingness of allowing God to use us.
Don't think these words are easy for me to write. They sting with conviction as more of
God's heart is revealed. These words make me cry out to God, "change me for Your glory!
I want to do what you would have of me! Take all my fear away and make Your voice and
Your plans plain to me. And, by Your grace and Your strength, may I please just do it!"
My prayer is that we would allow God to radically change us so that He may live radically
through us. I am convinced that when we lay everything down like this, we shall see the
wonders of a living God! "May everything be destroyed in me that keeps You from what You
want to accomplish in this, Your life." I don't know how He will do it, but, all that I am,
the good and the bad, my hopes and dreams, I give to Him. In short, I throw myself fully in
to His hands though I tremble in my flight. I willingly give Him this life knowing that He
has already blessed me for eternity. Our lives are but a tiny spec on the horizon of God's
time, but look at what God can do through just one life in submission to Him. I'm sure we
can all conjure up some great man or woman of God and see the impact they had on those around them.
I guess I'll end this letter saying this ...
Let us seek the face of God with an insatiable hunger until the day we stand before Him in the reality of eternity.
That was written about nine years ago. I praise God that the passion of this letter
still rings true today and even more so. I am excited and alarmed at the same time
seeing what is on the immediate horizon for the world and the church. For me, there
is nothing else to do but lay every thing down and give it all for the gospel. What
else is there? What else will matter in eternity? I pray that your passion for the
Father's heart would so increase that you too would bear His burden for the lost and
allow the Lord to use you in this most desperate hour in our history.
God has been moving in the hearts of all the members of Coram Deo. We are ready and
anticipating the work ahead as we follow the Lord in to the harvest. Pray for us.
Everything in the ministry is shifting. It's definitely for the better, but change
is never easy. God, however, is always good and faithful. We will be sure to keep
you updated.
I pray that you are blessed and on fire for the Lord in all you do! -Kat
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October 15, 2005
Paul Gratton
I was updating our much anticipated photos page on the website the other day and I realized
that we’ve been through a lot together. Not just the band, but all those who have supported
us for the past few years. It’s amazing to have such support, both from family, friends, fans,
and of course our ultimate support, God. A big thank you is in order for everyone who helps
Coram Deo run like the well-oiled machine that it is!
Things have been extremely exciting for us lately as we’re working on our first full length
studio album, writing plenty of new songs to debut this winter, and are in the midst of a
multi-month music tournament put on by Club 3 Degrees in Minneapolis. Even though we’re
staying busy right now, we are looking forward to booking heavily as we move into the winter
and early spring. If you’re interested in bringing Coram Deo to a venue near you, contact us soon.
Upcoming dates are going to be filling up quickly and we don’t want you to be left out!
While you’re looking around our site be sure to peruse our newly updated photos page and take a
little walk down memory lane with Coram Deo, then amble over to our schedule page for the latest
listing of shows and tour dates.
We hope to see you soon! -Paul
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October 10, 2005
Nate Womacks
Hello, I just wanted to post a journal entry for those who read it! :-)
Coram Deo had an awesome summer. We were blessed to play at two of the biggest festivals in the United States. We
met many new people, and continued to expand this ministry.
As fall is now upon us, we look toward the future. We are all jazzed with excitement at what
God has in store for us as He continues to bring all the aspects of what we do into focus. We're now in
a mode to which we're devoting a lot of time and energy to our live show. Just as important as
ministry is the way we interact with those who come and see us. Playing a pivotal role in this is
the annual Club 3 Degrees band tournament in Minneapolis, MN, where we played our first round on October 1st.
Last year, there were 60 some bands who participated in the tournament, and about 75 this year. There are three
categories of music - hard rock, rock, and pop. We fell into the "rock" category. This is a funny thing
for us, as we've been told by some people our style is hard rock and by others, pop. Who knows.
We love to rock out. We'll leave it at that.
Anyway, of the four bands that played we placed first that night. This doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand
scheme of things, however. There are four rounds of this tournament. Each band is guaranteed two rounds
of play, then you get chosen based on your point total if you move to the semifinals, round 3.
If you do well in round 3 you advance to round 4, where the club flys in recording industry executives to
judge. The whole tournament lasts about 9 months (if you make it all four rounds!). We're looking forward
to round two in December or January. More details on that as we know.
The great thing about this process is that Club 3 Degrees handles everything they're doing with incredible
EXCELLENCE. Coram Deo has been very impressed. There is just not a Christian club like this in the United States,
at least that we've seen or heard of. If you are ever in the Minneapolis area, you have to check this place out.
As they strive for excellence in everything they do, they encourage every artist who particpates in the band
tournament to do the same. The judging criteria is excellent, as have been the comments we have received.
We've received some great constructive feedback. We're excited to focus on these things and continue to strive
for excellence in this ministry. In doing so we glorify His name and show good stewardship over what God has given us.
On to other things ... the studio recording. We continue to work on this, although the process has been very slow.
Please continue to pray for this recording and the timeline. At this point, a Spring 2006 release seems likely.
God has been truly faithful. We had a large amount of money we owed for the studio recording, and truth be told, we
didn't have it! The time for the due date of the bill was looming, and we still didn't have the money. Out of the blue,
we received a check in the mail for exactly the amount we needed! Isn't that just so the Lord?! We praise Him for
taking care of us and for those who sow into this ministry. We continue to move forward with confidence that He will
provide every need as we stay before the Lord in obedience and prayer.
Well, that's all for now - more later. God's blessings to you all ... -Nate
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June 24, 2005
Katrina Lunceford
Well, Coram Deo has been taking a sort of family break this month, but
we are ready to get back in the swing of things. We are still recording
our first full length CD with Tiller Productions so keep us in prayer
about that. Also, keep checking our site for upcoming shows, we'd love
to see you there.
Now, for a personal thought....
It's almost 2 a.m. and for various reasons, I'm still awake. The thought
on my mind is the question that I have been asked from other believers
and a question that I have even pondered in my own mind during times of
distress, uncertainty, confusion, or dry spells in my walk with God.
The question? How do I absolutely know that God is real?
I mean, how do I absolutely know that this faith that I profess, this Bible
that I believe in, (which many say was just written by plain men and full of
contradictions), or the relevance of one man dying on a cross, (common death
by the hands of the Romans to many dissidents in that day), this Jesus, on
whom the whole Christian faith is based..... I mean He is a God I have never
seen, never physically touched with my hands, never sat down with face to face
and had a conversation over a cup of Joe with..... Yet, everything is affected
by belief in Him.
I have faced this type of question in many forms, many times.... The answer?
I would like to share with you something that I just received in prayer.....
Let me pose this question back to you and to myself....
Would you die for what you believe?
Now, before you start thinking of how horrible it would be to face death
of any kind, don't. This is a straight forward question that takes a straight
forward answer. Let me ask it in another way....Would you deny that Jesus is Lord?
For myself.....No.
There is so much proof in that one word....I absolutely can not deny Him or
His existence. This is not based on all the historical facts that I know and
don't know, my grand or small knowledge of theological data, or how well I have
memorized scripture or not :>) ......
As I sat there in prayer pondering the answer to that question, I realized again
as I have hundreds of times that the very real person, the Holy Spirit Himself,
lives in me. I remember all the times He has proven Himself to me whether
through His presence, what He has done personally in my life, or the way I have
witnessed His power and presence transform others. I know He exists as sure as
I know I exist, and He literally testifies to my spirit the realities of God and
His word and the absolute fact of who and what Jesus did. This reality, this
real person, is the window through which I have been able to see and know the
depths and tangibility of who God is. Well, that was my thought for the night.
Now I am going to bed.... :>) -Kat
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May 15, 2005
Katrina Lunceford
Hello again. Just wanted to share some thoughts about this past weekend.
We were able to play at a couple of new places; Cafe Diem in Ames and
Wellspring Christian Books in Urbandale.
Friday was great. Cafe Diem has a very casual atmosphere and a relaxed
environment that makes one feel pretty comfortable. One thing that struck me is
that it seemed to be a place where all ages just hang out and enjoy good
coffee and conversation.
On a more personal note, it was not the best of nights for me. I really
struggled with the balance of a long, hard day, family life, and then getting
ready to go and minister to anyone who would listen. Because of the stress
of the day, my voice was a bit strained, so, for me, I was already tense.
Also, for the first time in a long time, I didn't sense the presence of God so, I
really had to try hard to stay focused. It's funny, God is constantly molding
and teaching us through every situation. While I was on a little break, I
was talking to Jodi, Doug's wife. She reminded me of something I already knew but forgot. She said
that when we don't feel God, we still have to know He is there. Simple truth
but it was profound to me, in that moment, when all I wanted to do was go
home. Sigh. I thought about that a lot as I got back on stage. So, I forgot about
the fear of not being able hit notes with a strained voice or how tired I was
and I remembered again why we do what we do. (I also realized that I had been
singing with my shoes on which is something I never do! I took them off
before I got back up there). I would love to say that everything was great and
that people were touched and God moved. No, there really wasn't any outward
difference but, I began to sing from my heart and forgot about myself. Funny how
things flow better when you get your focus on the right thing.
So, I came away from Cafe Diem with a nugget of wisdom that I will always
carry with me on this long journey into ministry. No matter what you are
feeling, God is always there and we should always be ready and willing to
minister.
The next night was better. At first, I was a little tired and I didn't
think anyone was going to show up. After Doug shared his
heart about playing anywhere even for the sake of just one person hearing, I fell
under conviction and corrected my attitude. I had allowed myself to again
become distracted from our purpose but, I can say that it didn't take me nearly
as long to snap out of an impending bad mood. After I took a little drive and
repented, :>) I was ready to play. LOL!
Two things excited me. First, I sensed the presence of the Lord and that
brought a big 'ole smile to my face! Second, some of our friends from
Jefferson and Earlham showed up! From the first song, I could tell we were going
to have fun. I love playing with my band mates. My brothers! They truly are my
best friends. Plus, they put up with me and that's just plain amazing. :>)
The night was awesome and we really got to minister. It is always so
exciting to see God capture the audience and watch as He begins to touch hearts.
It's truly an honor to play for Him. Thanks Wellspring and Cafe Diem for giving
us the chance to play!
We have much to look forward to in the coming months. We are still working on
our full length recording with Tiller Productions, so please keep us in your
prayers as we strive to finally get it finished. A specific prayer request would
be first and foremost to know the will of God and do it and second for continued
unity in the band as we grow. June will be a pretty slow month for us because
we are all going to be doing family stuff through out, but we do plan to hit
things hard in July and on through the summer. So continue to check out the web
site for listings of where we play next.
May God bless you for your prayer support of this ministry. It really
means a lot to us. We also want to thank you for continuing to come and see us
play and for also bringing people with you! Your encouragement is greatly
appreciated.
His for good, -Kat
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April 25, 2005
Katrina Lunceford
This is my first journal entry for the band.
We have been pretty busy this month and it's been great. We've played some new
places and have made some new friends. Most of the shows have been coffee shops,
churches, and pretty safe crowds. But there are two shows that I want to talk about.
The first one was earlier this month at "Peoples" in Ames, Iowa. I must
say that I didn't know what the reaction to our music would be. When we got there,
the atmosphere was typical of other bars; people drinking, dark decor, spiked
hair, 'musicians'. Almost at once I could feel the presence of the Lord
brooding. I began to wonder what the night would bring. This was our first real
time playing in this kind of atmosphere and I was really curious. Strangely, I
didn't get nervous until I hit the stage. It wasn't a fear of "sounding good"
but just wondering how we would be received. Well, those thoughts were soon to
be addressed by two guys in the crowd watching us set up. First, one of them
began shouting at us. "Don't preach at us! Don't shove your Bible music down our
throats!" I didn't even know that we were announced as a "Christian" band. No matter.
I picked up my guitar and began tuning and warming up while these guys kept
shouting off and on. I began to sense the presence of the Lord. The only thing
I felt impressed to do was sing and not speak or speak very little. So, that's
what we did. We began to play. The first thing I noticed was the silence of the
two that had been shouting at us. Not only were they quiet, but their eyes were
glued to the stage. They didn't speak or move the whole time we played. They
clapped vigorously after every song. As we played, I noticed a similar reaction
through out the place.....
The people's attention was fixed on the stage. I could feel God moving hearts
and touching people. It was such a great night. When we finished, the two guys
that were shouting at us came over to me and began talking about how much they
dug the music. One of them apologized for his actions earlier and started gently
talking about his life. I was truly blessed by it. The reaction was the same from
others I talked to.... Genuine excitement.
When we were loading our gear in the van, I stayed outside to watch it and bask
in the presence of God. The words He spoke next made the whole night worth it....
The Lord said that we represent Him well. I knew that this was just a taste of
what we would be doing in the future and I was so excited!
The other show was on that following Monday at the Vaudeville Mews. We were the
first band to play that night, and the sound check would prove to be very
interesting. We were warming up when this girl came off the street and headed straight
for the stage. She was yelling at us about letting her do our sound check. I
was caught completely off guard. She then came up on the stage talking about
how good she was and spewing obscenities. She looked at me and at my guitar
still demanding to do our sound check and I just gripped my instrument. I was
thinking to myself there is no way she's going to put her hands on the Lord's
instrument. She kept on talking and spewing and then she focused on Paul.
Paul gave her two minutes on his guitar and I went behind the stage and got on
my knees. I couldn't believe how intimidated I felt! I began to plead dominion in
the name of Jesus over that place. I heard her playing out front and I just
started praying harder. One thing the Lord spoke to me was that I was to "not"
be intimidated. I got a hold of myself and started to worship..... Then I
began to feel the presence of the Lord.
I went back out there and the girl was walking up to the balcony above
the stage. When we started playing and I began singing, she started singing
too. At first I thought to stop but the Lord sternly told me to keep singing so I
did. Then I asked Doug to start playing "You Are Holy". The Lord told me to focus on
Him. I could feel the tension in the air. I looked up at the girl on the
balcony and she was doing some funky, crude, hip gyrations to our music. By the
time we got to the middle of the song, she had come down and was standing in
the middle of the bar just screaming at the top of her lungs at us! She was
full of cursing as she told us how much she hated our !&^$@!^!#$ music and how
she was !%^(&@#%!@! leaving! (I can't repeat what she said!) :-)
During our set, I noticed the same thing that I saw at People's; everyone
was intently listening and afterward the response was the same.
All and all it's been very exciting!
We really covet your prayers as we go forward with a message about the love of
God and His holiness that is not watered down. Please pray first and foremost
that we would hear and follow the leading of the Lord as to where this ministry
is going. Secondly, that God's tangible presence would go before us and manifest
when we play. We desire to see people encounter the living God with lives
changed as a result. Third, finances; we already know God will provide but He
tells us to pray. And fourth, unity and protection amongst all family members
involved in this ministry. I feel that exciting times are ahead for us! Praise God!
We look forward to seeing you guys when we play!
Thank you so much for your prayers and support of this ministry. -Kat
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March 18, 2005
Nate Womacks
Hello! It's been awhile and we wanted to get something up here. We've had a great last couple of months.
First and foremost, we thank God for all that He's doing in the ministry of Coram Deo. We would be useless without Him.
In late February, we finished mixing and mastering the Live at Cup-A Joe CD, just in time for the CD release party on March 5.
What an awesome night it was. You could feel the energy in the room.
We want to say a big "THANK YOU" to those who helped spread the word for the show
through fliers, posters, or just word of mouth. We really appreciate you (you know
who you are!). There will be more opportunities for this as well, as we now have an
official "street team". A street team is a group of people that go out and help
promote events. In our case, it will be our shows (mainly). You will partner along
side of us to promote everything that is Coram Deo. Those of you who did not sign
up at the party (or who were not there) and would like to be part of the Coram Deo
street team, please use the "Contact Us" section of the web site to send us an email.
We'd love to partner up with you in this way. At this point, the perks are that you
get into any Coram Deo show you help promote for FREE.
As always, keep your eyes on the web site for our show updates. We've added
more in the last week. Also, check out the newly revamped "Music" section of our
site. We've added information about the new CD, and more. We've posted audio clips
of a couple songs off the new CD, so check them out! If you like what you hear,
and haven't purchased a copy of the CD yet, let us know. They're $10 with shipping
($8 at our shows), and we can mail them anywhere.
Thanks again. We hope to see you at the shows soon, and pray God's awesome blessings
for you all. -Nate
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January 15, 2005
Nate Womacks
Wow! 2005! It's been awhile since we've posted. We've been busy, but more on the
home front than anything else.
First of all, we want to praise God for sustaining this ministry. We
have been around now as "Coram Deo" for almost three years! What an incredible ride
it has been so far.
In April we announced that MGO would manage Coram Deo. In June we felt the Lord's call
to take back that responsibility. We know God had a plan for our partnership with MGO,
and we are still partners in prayer with them.
In September we finished recording and mixing Paul's guitar parts on what was called,
"Beginnings", and what is now called "Electric Freedom". Our demo CD now sounds better
than ever.
Additionally, we've been hard at work recording and mixing TWO other different albums.
The first album we're working on is the LIVE at Cup-A Joe album, due out very soon.
We've been working with Tim Naberhaus of Cup-A Joe and Living Sound Studio to mix this
album. This was the one we recorded live back in August of 2004. Some of you who were there
may remember it was a magical night, and we've captured that magic (and you cheering us on)
on this recording! We just finished the CD art and the mastering is almost done. We are
very excited at what we are hearing and know you will be, too! We will have an official
CD release party for this, so be on the lookout for an email (for those on our email
distribution list).
The second album we're working on is with our longtime friend, engineer, and producer Steve
Hudspeth of Tiller Productions. He recorded, mixed and mastered our first demo, "Beginnings",
which we have been selling since May of 2003. Back in April we mentioned the possibility of
going into the studio to record a full length professional studio album with Steve but God's
perfect timing pushed us back to right now. We just weren't ready then and now we are!
The drums are finished and now we're working on laying down the acoustic guitar tracks.
We've felt it very important that this project be watered in prayer and we've had some
awesome prayer times as a result. We know that God is going to do something big with this
recording and trust Him to steer the rest of the way. Be on the lookout for further updates
on this front.
We will be re-vamping our "Music" section to include the various releases that are available
to purchase, and we are looking to get an online store going very soon.
Our photos section will also FINALLY be updated. Look for that in the next month or so. We have
A LOT to show you of the last couple years!!
Other than that, we have been playing here and there and it's been great to see some of you.
We'd like to see ALL of you, so keep an eye on our schedules page to see when we'll be near
you.
We hope you have a safe and blessed 2005 in Christ. -Nate
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August 10, 2004
Nate Womacks
Hello everyone! Just wanted to give you a quick update as to the goings-on
of Coram Deo in the next couple of months. We are going to be busy this month
as we are playing out around Iowa. Our next up coming show is in Colfax
August 14th at the Christian Rally 2004. This will be a great family event.
Look for more information on our other August shows on our Schedules page.
We're also taking our CD, "Beginnings", and we are adding some beef to it!
You will be able to hear Paul's guitar parts recorded and mixed down
professionally within a month or two. We continue to develop our sound with Paul on
board. It's been cool to see the music develop in the last four months.
You won't want to miss this new recording of our CD!
Hope to see you soon. -Nate
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July 27, 2004
Paul Gratton
The show Saturday at the Unity Center was a special treat for me. The first cool moment was when I realized the U.C. was housed in the exact same spot
where I went to church in 1996/97 while at UNI. The other joy was that my parents were able to visit from Dubuque and take in the show. Being the newest
member of Coram Deo it's still exciting for me to "show off" the band.
The pleasure of seeing Bob & Co. and drinking their generously endless bottles of Crystal Light was enough for me to consider
playing at the Unity Center a success. May God bless your work!
Oh, and to the kids playing barefoot hacky-sack with the chain mail ball.... you guys are tough.
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July 20, 2004
Paul Gratton
I learned at least three things in Jefferson last Sunday.
1. Two Tiered stages are fun (I like jumping).
2. Sista' melts like milk chocolate in the sun.
3. The people of First Assembly know how to party.
Thanks for the love and memories Jefferson!
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July 7, 2004
Paul Gratton
I wasn't able to make it to the Charles City 4th of July festival but I did get a report from the rest of the band.
According to Doug the fireworks were the best in the world and they "blew his mind".
Also, if you haven't heard the Coram Deo sound expanded with a saxaphone, you've got to make it to Charles City with us some time. What a treat!
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July 4, 2004
Paul Gratton
Hello everyone! If you didn't get the chance to make it to Wildwood ranch on July 3rd you missed a great time.
Not only was there great music, there was carpetball, swimming and pony rides! (Coram Deo enjoyed them all)
The day started out rainy and overcast, but the sun cut through the clouds around 3:30pm, allowing Christopher Ames
to play a short set of funkified acoustic soul. After Christopher, Coram Deo took the stage and rocked the stage. The set
list was:
Heaven
In Him
Dreamin'
Freedom
The Change
In His Son
Side note: Has anyone heard In His Son performed live? It's becoming a band favorite!
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June 18, 2004
Paul Gratton
Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Coram Deo at the KZZQ Battle of the Bands! All of the bands were awesome, which made winning the 3rd place prize a real honor.
Thanks to Keeper's, KZZQ and all of the other sponsors that are making Des Moines a better place to rock for Christ!
For official results see the KZZQ Battle of the Bands page.
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April 3, 2004
Nate Womacks
Last week at this time we were on the road to beautiful Memphis, Tennessee.
Friday night in Nashville we thought we had a sub par night but it turned out
that the judges' scores for us were a lot higher than we anticipated.
We ended up placing in the top 5 out of 10 bands. PTL! More importantly, though,
the ministry of all ten bands was absolutely amazing. Each band had it's own
unique way of getting the gospel message across and it was really neat to see that.
Every band was also very, very good. We felt a bit outclassed! It was great to be able
to network and make friends with the other bands and we know the Lord has
plans for all of them.
Saturday night we were in Memphis at the LIME competition. There were six bands there
and all of them were good. We felt the Lord wanted us to just get up there and be
ourselves and praise Him. We were much more energetic that night and much more at ease
with what we were doing. At the end of the night, the judges deliberated a long time
and when we got our score sheets back to us, some of our higher scores were crossed out
and lower scores were given! It must have been so close. We did not end up being chosen
to advance to the finals, but it's all in God's plan. We praise God for the great
feedback we received from both competitions and we will prayerfully use that to enhance
our ministry.
Another exciting thing that happened recently is that the Lord has made it clear to us that we
are to partner with Mighty Gospel Outreach
(MGO) in ministry. MGO is now our management company. This is a big step for us, as management
is needed to take us to the next level in all aspects of what we do. We are united in one
purpose - to spread the gospel for His glory.
And one more big piece of news ... we now have a new rhythm/lead guitar player!
Two weeks ago the Lord put us in contact with Paul Gratton and made it clear to
all of us that Paul was the one we had been praying for. Please pray for us as
we integrate this new sound into our music. We're very excited about the things
we're hearing already and know that you will be as well!
We are gearing up to go into the studio hopefully in the month of April. A lot of
that depends on when we're all up to speed with the new guitar sound. Hopefully by
the end of the summer (at the latest), we'll have our first full length professional
studio album.
Keep a close eye on our web site for updates to our schedule. Also, we're going
to try to get some pictures and video clips of some of our past shows up here, so check
back often!
Please continue to pray for us as the Lord is doing some really neat things in the ministry
of Coram Deo. We are very excited to see what He has in store in the next weeks and months. -Nate
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December 29, 2003
Nate Womacks
2003 is nearly gone! It's been an amazing year for us. We've grown in many ways, with the
addition of Doug in February, and management, and many things God has done in each of our
personal lives to prepare us for what lay ahead.
We are seeking God's guidance for the CD project. Please keep us in your prayers as
we go through this process.
We have scheduled a few shows for the month of January, so please come see us, and bring a
friend! We have a few new songs we've been working on that we'd like to "test the waters" with!
We're looking forward to seeing all of you soon. -Nate
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October 3, 2003
Nate Womacks
Well here we are, three weeks into the launch of the web site. Things have not changed
too much on the Coram Deo front as of late. We would like to share with you some upcoming
plans, however. We are currently in search of a guitar player to fill out our line up.
We're meeting with a few players and we covet your prayers as we go through this process.
We know that God has the right person in mind for the band.
We are moving into Steve's (our manager) studio in a week or so to start getting the feel
of the studio environment. We will rehearse there, with the eventual intent of recording
a full length, professional album. We are excited for this and looking forward to seeing
what God will do. We'll continue to keep you updated.
God continues to strengthen the band internally and externally as we move forward.
We are really looking forward to what lies ahead in the next few months. We are
excited at what God is doing an have an ever growing anticipation with what He will do
as we continue to seek His face.
We continue to play out regularly. Come and see us, we'd love to see you! -Nate
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September 14, 2003
Nate Womacks
Welcome to the official web site of the Christian rock band, Coram Deo! Here
you will find all information about Coram Deo, from concert updates, to
band biography’s, to sound clips, it’s all here! Take some
time to browse through and if you would like to reach us, use our “CONTACT
US” page. Visit back often, as we will be updating the site frequently
with concert updates, photos and possibly some video clips of our shows.
Thanks for visiting and we hope to see you as we continue to play in Des
Moines, the state of Iowa, and beyond. God bless … -Nate
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