The Introduction to Essentially Cathy

OK, so I've been watching this worshiptraining.com thing evolve over the past three years since I met Dan Wilt at a Southeast Vineyard worship leaders conference I helped to plan and execute. In July 2008, I thought I was on my way to St. Stephen to do the official "Masters in Ministry" program. Just days after a conversation with Dan in the green room at a pastor's conference where we had just led worship, my world fell apart. I don't mean that I hit a bump or two. I mean my entire world, everything that I knew, everything I used to identify myself… was completely wiped out.

I spent the next year just trying to survive, regroup and heal.

Out of His sweet mercy, God placed me in a new church family, one that had nothing to gain, lose or protect by taking me in and embracing me. They had no frame of reference for who I was, what I did, or what I could do for them. I was just a broken woman in desperate need of some hope.

I found it.

Here I am a year and a half later standing face to face with my destiny. I'm still not back at 100% after those devastating losses. Nor does my life look anything like it did the summer of 2008. Nor would I trade what God has done through the losses, pain and brokenness for anything. But I know that my heart beats faster and stronger when I talk about developing worship leaders, when I dream of mentoring up the generation behind me to do what I've done for 20 years.

On the eve of 2010, I opened up yet another email from Dan advertising one of the Essentials courses and I felt God say, "It's time". It's time for me to jump into the pool and get equipped for the job that is before me - so here I am! Let's roll.