"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe," Hebrews 12:28
I have been running around a lot lately. We've been busy, and my van is getting a bit of a workout. Yesterday Zander and I hopped into the van to run to the store and discovered a flat tire. I was so grateful for the timing! Earlier in the day we'd gone to the strawberry patch with my sister in law and niece. It would have been horrible to be stuck several miles from home in the hot blazing son. It also would have been horrible to have that tire go flat during one of the many excursions with the kids last week- and we didn't have the time to have the tire repaired.
Instead, the tire flattened when I didn't really need the van. Zander and I were able to walk to the store together and get what we needed. Andy has off work today so he can do what he can to get the van to our mechanic. The timing just couldn't have been better, and I am so thankful for that!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Passing It On
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3-5
Well, I'm hardly an older woman. And my sister in law is hardly from a different generation. Nevertheless, I'm a little excited about today's activities. Today I am going to teach my sister in law the fine art of jam-making. I love making jam. It's one of those activities that continuously rewards you all year long with the taste of summer. Picking the strawberries and making jam also happens to be another way I honor God with my hands, and I'm thrilled to be able to share that with someone else as well.
"She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
"In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23
"I love you, LORD, my strength." Psalm 18:1
Well, I'm hardly an older woman. And my sister in law is hardly from a different generation. Nevertheless, I'm a little excited about today's activities. Today I am going to teach my sister in law the fine art of jam-making. I love making jam. It's one of those activities that continuously rewards you all year long with the taste of summer. Picking the strawberries and making jam also happens to be another way I honor God with my hands, and I'm thrilled to be able to share that with someone else as well.
"She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31:16-17
As with many things, it also sets a wonderful example for my daughter. She is excited about today's activities as well, and has already asked me at the age of six to teach her how to make jam. I'm looking forward to that as well.
This also happens to be a way to prepare for what lies ahead. It's a way to wisely spend a few of my husband's income now to get food in the pantry for later on. We have no idea when he could be laid off again, and this is just one way the Lord has blessed me in provision. By being able to make jam, come January with no paycheck, a simple stack of pancakes topped with strawberry jam can be a decadent meal. I am so thankful to be able to prepare for what may come. And if it doesn't come, then I have a pantry full of jam to share with family, friends, neighbors, and those who need it."In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty." Proverbs 14:23
"I love you, LORD, my strength." Psalm 18:1
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Delight Yourself!
"Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
Do you know what the desires of your heart are? I bet you think you do. I used to think I did too. The desires of my heart used to revolve around comfort. I wanted a house, I wanted financial security, and I wanted more stuff. I wanted my children to be happy above all, and I wanted to be able to provide them with their happiness. But allowing myself to really examine the desires of my heart over the last year or so, I've discovered that those desires are not real. Those were superficial desires, and I want so much more. I do still want my children to be happy, but more importantly, I want them to feel secure. I want them to know how much their father and I love them, and that we'll care for them, no matter what. And that we will take care of all their needs with help from God. And while I guess I do still want a house, I just want to be happy with my home, and right now I am. As to the financial security, part of me does want to not worry about money. But not in a sense that is beneficial to me. I want to be able to give. I want to be able to support missionaries out of our pocket, and I want to be able to provide when there is a need at church. Part of me wants to be able to sponsor a whole village in an undeveloped country, help get food ans supplies to them, that kind of thing.
I guess the whole point of today's rambling is that we don't always know the desires of our heart. We may think we do, but God is the one who truly knows what we want. He knows what is in our hearts and he is a Great God who wants to provide us with those desires. He wants us to delight in his presence, sing for joy, and simply ask him for those desires. By simply asking for the desires of your heart, he will provide. But the desires he provides may not be what you think they should be at the time. (If that makes any sense.) But be assured, they will be the desires of your heart through and through. He is a loving and kind God, who wants us to be happy.
"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me." Psalm 144:2
"O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Psalm 59:17
and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
Do you know what the desires of your heart are? I bet you think you do. I used to think I did too. The desires of my heart used to revolve around comfort. I wanted a house, I wanted financial security, and I wanted more stuff. I wanted my children to be happy above all, and I wanted to be able to provide them with their happiness. But allowing myself to really examine the desires of my heart over the last year or so, I've discovered that those desires are not real. Those were superficial desires, and I want so much more. I do still want my children to be happy, but more importantly, I want them to feel secure. I want them to know how much their father and I love them, and that we'll care for them, no matter what. And that we will take care of all their needs with help from God. And while I guess I do still want a house, I just want to be happy with my home, and right now I am. As to the financial security, part of me does want to not worry about money. But not in a sense that is beneficial to me. I want to be able to give. I want to be able to support missionaries out of our pocket, and I want to be able to provide when there is a need at church. Part of me wants to be able to sponsor a whole village in an undeveloped country, help get food ans supplies to them, that kind of thing.
I guess the whole point of today's rambling is that we don't always know the desires of our heart. We may think we do, but God is the one who truly knows what we want. He knows what is in our hearts and he is a Great God who wants to provide us with those desires. He wants us to delight in his presence, sing for joy, and simply ask him for those desires. By simply asking for the desires of your heart, he will provide. But the desires he provides may not be what you think they should be at the time. (If that makes any sense.) But be assured, they will be the desires of your heart through and through. He is a loving and kind God, who wants us to be happy.
"He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me." Psalm 144:2
"O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." Psalm 59:17
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Never To Old To Learn
" Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning." Ecclesiastes 4:13
I truly hope I always feel the way I feel right now. I am so open to new ideas and instruction. It can be incredibly rewarding to learn something new. Often times I hear about people talking about going back to school to learn something. And while that is certainly an option, I'm more or less talking about the practical learning. I am constantly learning when it comes to my children, and to cooking, and to working in the yard. Just yesterday I learned that when you plant a tomato plant in the dirt, you can cover half of it's stem and leaves to make the plant more sturdy and able to withstand high winds. I never knew that! I just assumed that if there were leaves, they needed to be exposed to sun.
Yesterday I also learned how much my son loves cherries. Last year he didn't want to eat them because they were too much work to remove the stem. Yesterday I bought some cherries, and my son could not stop eating them and spitting out the pits. His face was bright red from cherry juice before he stopped stuffing himself. I am also constantly reminded how much my children value time with me. :-) Last night before bedtime, they both came up to me smiling asking if we could play a game together. Fifteen precious minutes left in their day, and we spent it playing a silly board game together.
I can't imagine what life would be like if I wasn't open to learning new things. I am constantly learning about the person God wants me to be, and realizing that I can do more if I just try. I thank God for the desire to learn! Whether it be learning something from a book or learning something by doing. I pray that I am always willing to learn, and always open to new ideas and new suggestions.
I truly hope I always feel the way I feel right now. I am so open to new ideas and instruction. It can be incredibly rewarding to learn something new. Often times I hear about people talking about going back to school to learn something. And while that is certainly an option, I'm more or less talking about the practical learning. I am constantly learning when it comes to my children, and to cooking, and to working in the yard. Just yesterday I learned that when you plant a tomato plant in the dirt, you can cover half of it's stem and leaves to make the plant more sturdy and able to withstand high winds. I never knew that! I just assumed that if there were leaves, they needed to be exposed to sun.
Yesterday I also learned how much my son loves cherries. Last year he didn't want to eat them because they were too much work to remove the stem. Yesterday I bought some cherries, and my son could not stop eating them and spitting out the pits. His face was bright red from cherry juice before he stopped stuffing himself. I am also constantly reminded how much my children value time with me. :-) Last night before bedtime, they both came up to me smiling asking if we could play a game together. Fifteen precious minutes left in their day, and we spent it playing a silly board game together.
I can't imagine what life would be like if I wasn't open to learning new things. I am constantly learning about the person God wants me to be, and realizing that I can do more if I just try. I thank God for the desire to learn! Whether it be learning something from a book or learning something by doing. I pray that I am always willing to learn, and always open to new ideas and new suggestions.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Change Is Good
I have a pair of pants that button on the wrong side.
This drives me batty to no end. They are new pants to me, I ordered them from a catalog that I usually do, but the button is on the wrong side. Since I didn't realize this before I washed them and hung them up, I can't return the pants. So I have two choices. One, I can get rid of them. The button is on the wrong side and is really presenting a challenge to me all day long. Or Two, I can get used to it and adjust, they are cute pants, I do like them, and they certainly weren't free, so getting rid of them would be wasteful- but then there's that darn button! Every time I use the bathroom I have to stop and think and really concentrate to get that button fastened.
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person." 1 Samuel 10:6
Change can be a good thing, according to the Bible. It may not be as simple as changing mindset about a pair of pants, but a change in mindset can be necessary to accomplish God's work.
"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—" 1 Corinthians 15:51
I'm afraid it's not much of a secret that Andy and I have been a little "disgruntled" lately. We've really been conflicted as to whether or not we were at the church we should be. And this really bothered us. But we've realized that the things that we may want to see changed can't be changed overnight. And maybe they aren't meant to be changed, but in the meantime, we can pray and ask God to change our minds, and he has. Quite effectively, I might add. We have decided that we are where we should be, and while we may not agree with a lot of things, we can keep those disagreements to ourselves. Our role is not to spread discourse, but to prepare for something great. We've actually gotten a little more involved instead of backing away. And it's amazing how change can affect other change.
This week Zander went to Sunday School class. For some people, that may not be significant, but Zander has never been interested in class. Up to now, I have been perfectly content with him sitting with me at church. In fact, I welcome it, because it does teach him how to behave in a public setting. He knows that when at church sitting that he is to be as silent as possible, and it's been a good lesson for him. This summer though, they are doing a special fun program for the kids where they are all together, and Zander could go with his older sister to class. This past week he was at church with me helping decorate the classrooms for the kids, and I think he caught onto that excitement. I think that simply changing my attitude towards church has caught onto my kids, and he was very excited to go to class this week. Apparently he had a blast and wants to go again next week. That is huge!
Allowing God to change our kinds towards church has had a profound impact on our children, and for that we are certainly grateful. It's also had an impact on other ministries, and hopefully it will make a difference. Hopefully by us allowing change, we can show others that change is a great thing when it's done according to God's Will.
So what about those pants? I still don't know...but in the end, they're just pants.
This drives me batty to no end. They are new pants to me, I ordered them from a catalog that I usually do, but the button is on the wrong side. Since I didn't realize this before I washed them and hung them up, I can't return the pants. So I have two choices. One, I can get rid of them. The button is on the wrong side and is really presenting a challenge to me all day long. Or Two, I can get used to it and adjust, they are cute pants, I do like them, and they certainly weren't free, so getting rid of them would be wasteful- but then there's that darn button! Every time I use the bathroom I have to stop and think and really concentrate to get that button fastened.
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person." 1 Samuel 10:6
Change can be a good thing, according to the Bible. It may not be as simple as changing mindset about a pair of pants, but a change in mindset can be necessary to accomplish God's work.
"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—" 1 Corinthians 15:51
I'm afraid it's not much of a secret that Andy and I have been a little "disgruntled" lately. We've really been conflicted as to whether or not we were at the church we should be. And this really bothered us. But we've realized that the things that we may want to see changed can't be changed overnight. And maybe they aren't meant to be changed, but in the meantime, we can pray and ask God to change our minds, and he has. Quite effectively, I might add. We have decided that we are where we should be, and while we may not agree with a lot of things, we can keep those disagreements to ourselves. Our role is not to spread discourse, but to prepare for something great. We've actually gotten a little more involved instead of backing away. And it's amazing how change can affect other change.
This week Zander went to Sunday School class. For some people, that may not be significant, but Zander has never been interested in class. Up to now, I have been perfectly content with him sitting with me at church. In fact, I welcome it, because it does teach him how to behave in a public setting. He knows that when at church sitting that he is to be as silent as possible, and it's been a good lesson for him. This summer though, they are doing a special fun program for the kids where they are all together, and Zander could go with his older sister to class. This past week he was at church with me helping decorate the classrooms for the kids, and I think he caught onto that excitement. I think that simply changing my attitude towards church has caught onto my kids, and he was very excited to go to class this week. Apparently he had a blast and wants to go again next week. That is huge!
Allowing God to change our kinds towards church has had a profound impact on our children, and for that we are certainly grateful. It's also had an impact on other ministries, and hopefully it will make a difference. Hopefully by us allowing change, we can show others that change is a great thing when it's done according to God's Will.
So what about those pants? I still don't know...but in the end, they're just pants.
Friday, June 08, 2007
The Lord Is My Strength
"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." Habbakuk 3:19
Some days you just need to read a verse in the Bible that helps you along. Something to remind you that your crazy busy day is not going to be accomplished alone. The Lord IS my strength and as today is probably the busiest day this week for me, I can rely on him to help keep me going. To help keep me on the path moving from one task to the next, and not giving up halfway through my day. I thank God for this crazy busy day because the end results are going to be wonderful.
Some days you just need to read a verse in the Bible that helps you along. Something to remind you that your crazy busy day is not going to be accomplished alone. The Lord IS my strength and as today is probably the busiest day this week for me, I can rely on him to help keep me going. To help keep me on the path moving from one task to the next, and not giving up halfway through my day. I thank God for this crazy busy day because the end results are going to be wonderful.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Amazing God
"Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2
Just think about that for a minute. Really. Before there was this earth, there was God. That's just one of those mind-boggling things to me.
"For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4
And think about that one. A thousand years are to us are as one day to God. God is timeless. That is amazing to me. We live in a world today that runs by time. Even just thinking about my day ahead of me I wonder where I will find the time to fit everything in that needs to be fit in. Then again, how much of it really matters? Will it really matter if I don't get the laundry done today? Not really, but it will leave me more for tomorrow. Will it matter if I don't get to go grocery shopping? Not really, we have plenty of food in the house, we'll hardly starve if I don't go today. Some days it can be really easy to let time take over and control my day. I have to get this done, and this done, and then this too. And it's also very easy to let that take over and control everything- like my devotional time. It would be very easy to say that I don't have time for it, and I don't have time to blog about it. And I wholeheartedly confess that today was one of those days. But by golly, here I am blogging.
And with that, I do have a lot to do today, and I pray that God will help me use my time wisely. To his benefit, and to the benefit of my family, not for my benefit. May my time today be productive in his eyes.
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God." Psalm 90:2
Just think about that for a minute. Really. Before there was this earth, there was God. That's just one of those mind-boggling things to me.
"For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4
And think about that one. A thousand years are to us are as one day to God. God is timeless. That is amazing to me. We live in a world today that runs by time. Even just thinking about my day ahead of me I wonder where I will find the time to fit everything in that needs to be fit in. Then again, how much of it really matters? Will it really matter if I don't get the laundry done today? Not really, but it will leave me more for tomorrow. Will it matter if I don't get to go grocery shopping? Not really, we have plenty of food in the house, we'll hardly starve if I don't go today. Some days it can be really easy to let time take over and control my day. I have to get this done, and this done, and then this too. And it's also very easy to let that take over and control everything- like my devotional time. It would be very easy to say that I don't have time for it, and I don't have time to blog about it. And I wholeheartedly confess that today was one of those days. But by golly, here I am blogging.
And with that, I do have a lot to do today, and I pray that God will help me use my time wisely. To his benefit, and to the benefit of my family, not for my benefit. May my time today be productive in his eyes.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
A Different Sort Of Post
Sometimes in our desire to serve we end up serving in an area not meant for us. That is okay, of course, because it's still serving. But often you will find someone who doesn't enjoy teaching being a Sunday School teacher because they think they should. Or you find someone who doesn't enjoy babies in the role of nursery worker. Every single person has their own talents that can be used to serve God in their own way. For myself, my gifts are in the area of service and writing. Obviously the writing is going on here, and in something yet to be shared. And in the areas of service, I'm happily serving my church in the area of custodian, as well as whatever else is needed.
Where to serve? This is a big question for some, and for many people it can be years before they figure out where they can give most. Fortunately for us, in the age of technology, there are tools to assist us in our search. Doing a Spiritual Gifts Assessment can help someone determine at least what type of ministry they should be involved in. Someone who is creeped out by sick people should not be serving in a hospital ministry, so a test can help identify better for someone where they can serve. So here is a link to a spiritual gifts assessment which I found to be spot on for me. I also had Andy do it, and he said it was accurate for him as well, so I feel comfortable sharing it here. There are many others, and if you feel this one isn't right for you, or you're looking for something more in-depth, do a simple Google search for Spiritual Gifts and you'll find several to choose from.
Where to serve? This is a big question for some, and for many people it can be years before they figure out where they can give most. Fortunately for us, in the age of technology, there are tools to assist us in our search. Doing a Spiritual Gifts Assessment can help someone determine at least what type of ministry they should be involved in. Someone who is creeped out by sick people should not be serving in a hospital ministry, so a test can help identify better for someone where they can serve. So here is a link to a spiritual gifts assessment which I found to be spot on for me. I also had Andy do it, and he said it was accurate for him as well, so I feel comfortable sharing it here. There are many others, and if you feel this one isn't right for you, or you're looking for something more in-depth, do a simple Google search for Spiritual Gifts and you'll find several to choose from.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Nothing Is In Vain
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
I saw this verse today and it made me smile. Especially the second half. Always give yourself fully...it doesn't say give yourself sometimes, or give yourself halfway. It says always, and it says fully. I recently committed myself to the worship team at church. It was so hard for me to make this commitment! As a Mom, that means I'm not just committing myself, but my children as well. When I go to church for practice, they need to go to practice as well. They already accompany me when I do my cleaning, so to commit to worship practice time was a big deal for me. Part of the problem has always been the mid-week practice time. That's insanely hard for us to get to, as it's during the kids wind-down time at night, and it interferes with bedtime.
A few weeks ago though when I decided that the time was right for me to be a part of the worship team, it meant fully. It meant that I needed to commit to mid week practices and early Sunday morning- and not just when I feel like it. As hard as it's going to be some weeks, I will have to keep this verse in mind. It will be good to be reminded that my diligence is not in vain sometimes. "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord." What a great verse to start off with today. I just love how God brings scripture to the forefront at the right time.
I saw this verse today and it made me smile. Especially the second half. Always give yourself fully...it doesn't say give yourself sometimes, or give yourself halfway. It says always, and it says fully. I recently committed myself to the worship team at church. It was so hard for me to make this commitment! As a Mom, that means I'm not just committing myself, but my children as well. When I go to church for practice, they need to go to practice as well. They already accompany me when I do my cleaning, so to commit to worship practice time was a big deal for me. Part of the problem has always been the mid-week practice time. That's insanely hard for us to get to, as it's during the kids wind-down time at night, and it interferes with bedtime.
A few weeks ago though when I decided that the time was right for me to be a part of the worship team, it meant fully. It meant that I needed to commit to mid week practices and early Sunday morning- and not just when I feel like it. As hard as it's going to be some weeks, I will have to keep this verse in mind. It will be good to be reminded that my diligence is not in vain sometimes. "Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord." What a great verse to start off with today. I just love how God brings scripture to the forefront at the right time.
Monday, June 04, 2007
To God be the Glory
"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11
Everything we do is for God's Glory. Everything. Yesterday I stepped out of my comfort zone for the first time in a long time, and it was definitely for no other reason than to glorify God. When I return to thinking about the movie I shared last week, Facing The Giants, that was another important part of the movie. My husband was just talking about it yesterday, and one of the lines from the movie is "We win and we give God the glory. We lose and we give God the glory." Win or Lose. Succeed or Fail, we can praise God either way. And we should praise God either way, especially when we fail at something. We can thank God for the opportunity we had and also for the opportunity to share his love with our loss. Our God is such a great God, he deserves the glory no matter what the outcome is of our task at hand. He is our God, and we are his, and everything we do because of him can be used for his glory somehow. Sometimes it just takes a little reflection on our part to find the glory.
Everything we do is for God's Glory. Everything. Yesterday I stepped out of my comfort zone for the first time in a long time, and it was definitely for no other reason than to glorify God. When I return to thinking about the movie I shared last week, Facing The Giants, that was another important part of the movie. My husband was just talking about it yesterday, and one of the lines from the movie is "We win and we give God the glory. We lose and we give God the glory." Win or Lose. Succeed or Fail, we can praise God either way. And we should praise God either way, especially when we fail at something. We can thank God for the opportunity we had and also for the opportunity to share his love with our loss. Our God is such a great God, he deserves the glory no matter what the outcome is of our task at hand. He is our God, and we are his, and everything we do because of him can be used for his glory somehow. Sometimes it just takes a little reflection on our part to find the glory.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Romans 12:2- Again
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
It seems I keep running into this verse.
Way back before I started this blog, and during my 40 Days of Purpose blog, I posted about feeling a prompting to play the drums for church. I used to play the drums for church during my teen years, and really haven't thought much about it until recently. Last summer something very unusual prompted me to think on it, and I decided that I needed to offer to play the drums at church. It took a very long time for everything to work out so that I could get to church and practice with the group, but I've been going and playing. Last night though, there was something "different" about practice that I couldn't quite put my finger on while at practice.
See, drums are something that get played by feel and sound. You do what sounds right at the time for that spot in the music, and I would literally hear something that I thought should be going on for a particular song and no way for me to do it because we lack the equipment. It was so weird I tell you! I kind of limped through practice I think because this was a really surreal experience- think along the lines of you have a drum and a stick in front of you and that's all. But what you clearly hear the song needs is a set of maracas. You clearly hear the maracas in your head. It totally threw me off. Then at the end of practice, our Pastor took over for the last song so I could hear how he does it, and the whole weird night sort of clicked for me.
I wasn't at the set anymore, I was sitting in the audience listening and paying attention, and once again I clearly heard something that wasn't there. Except that my hands weren't busy with the drum set at the time so I had the opportunity to reflect on what I was hearing and attempt to figure it out. And I think I did. I do think I made the right decision to offer to play the drums. Our Pastor is the drummer, and I am sure there are some weeks where he would just like to focus on the sermon and what-not, and not the drums. And that's what I'm there for- to give him a break. But I really, really think that God put me in the position to be on the Worship Team to ADD to it, not just replace someone on occasion. And all those weird things I was hearing in my head last night? Yep. I think I'm being led to do auxiliary percussion- something we don't have at church yet. Things like maracas, casaba, bongos, conga, wood block, etc. Every once in a while a singer will pick up a tambourine, but nothing consistent. And as soon as I thought of that it dawned on me that while I can play the drums- and I can keep a darn good beat and am consistent, it is not my forte. But the auxiliary stuff... that is truly where I always excelled. I swear the second it occurred to me what I was thinking last night it was as if I had a choir of angels in my head singing "aha!" like a bizarre light bulb moment.
So the point of Romans 12:2 today is that when you follow what you think is God's Will for you, sometimes His Will ends up being not quite what you think. Sometimes it is right on, but sometimes he leads you down a particular path to show you a different path further up ahead. And for the first time since I offered to play the drums I'm excited! I couldn't sleep last night because I wanted to build my kit, and I wanted to tell everyone what I am thinking! And this is the first I've mentioned it to anyone because I did want to sleep on it.
And when I think on it, I feel like I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed. It's like all the sudden all of my ducks are falling in line and one after another I'm figuring out what I am supposed to be doing in different areas of my life. I am so thankful to God for his promptings and for showing me His Path for me, I just pray that I am ready for what has been placed before me.
It seems I keep running into this verse.
Way back before I started this blog, and during my 40 Days of Purpose blog, I posted about feeling a prompting to play the drums for church. I used to play the drums for church during my teen years, and really haven't thought much about it until recently. Last summer something very unusual prompted me to think on it, and I decided that I needed to offer to play the drums at church. It took a very long time for everything to work out so that I could get to church and practice with the group, but I've been going and playing. Last night though, there was something "different" about practice that I couldn't quite put my finger on while at practice.
See, drums are something that get played by feel and sound. You do what sounds right at the time for that spot in the music, and I would literally hear something that I thought should be going on for a particular song and no way for me to do it because we lack the equipment. It was so weird I tell you! I kind of limped through practice I think because this was a really surreal experience- think along the lines of you have a drum and a stick in front of you and that's all. But what you clearly hear the song needs is a set of maracas. You clearly hear the maracas in your head. It totally threw me off. Then at the end of practice, our Pastor took over for the last song so I could hear how he does it, and the whole weird night sort of clicked for me.
I wasn't at the set anymore, I was sitting in the audience listening and paying attention, and once again I clearly heard something that wasn't there. Except that my hands weren't busy with the drum set at the time so I had the opportunity to reflect on what I was hearing and attempt to figure it out. And I think I did. I do think I made the right decision to offer to play the drums. Our Pastor is the drummer, and I am sure there are some weeks where he would just like to focus on the sermon and what-not, and not the drums. And that's what I'm there for- to give him a break. But I really, really think that God put me in the position to be on the Worship Team to ADD to it, not just replace someone on occasion. And all those weird things I was hearing in my head last night? Yep. I think I'm being led to do auxiliary percussion- something we don't have at church yet. Things like maracas, casaba, bongos, conga, wood block, etc. Every once in a while a singer will pick up a tambourine, but nothing consistent. And as soon as I thought of that it dawned on me that while I can play the drums- and I can keep a darn good beat and am consistent, it is not my forte. But the auxiliary stuff... that is truly where I always excelled. I swear the second it occurred to me what I was thinking last night it was as if I had a choir of angels in my head singing "aha!" like a bizarre light bulb moment.
So the point of Romans 12:2 today is that when you follow what you think is God's Will for you, sometimes His Will ends up being not quite what you think. Sometimes it is right on, but sometimes he leads you down a particular path to show you a different path further up ahead. And for the first time since I offered to play the drums I'm excited! I couldn't sleep last night because I wanted to build my kit, and I wanted to tell everyone what I am thinking! And this is the first I've mentioned it to anyone because I did want to sleep on it.
And when I think on it, I feel like I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed. It's like all the sudden all of my ducks are falling in line and one after another I'm figuring out what I am supposed to be doing in different areas of my life. I am so thankful to God for his promptings and for showing me His Path for me, I just pray that I am ready for what has been placed before me.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Super Fast Post Today!
Today I just wanted to share how grateful I am for my change in mindset. I really had to pray about that, and the fact that I have allowed it to change is amazing to me. I feel like we are on the right track financially and spiritually and I just pray that we can stay the course. I am so appreciative of my desire to not spend and be more frugal. It's paying off in many ways, and it's setting a fantastic example for my children. Together we are all learning that more is less and to be appreciative of what the Lord has seen fit to bless us with. And we are truly blessed in every way.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
In God I Trust
"In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:4
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7
Trust: a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed
Sometimes that trust is tested. This past winter we put all our trust in God to get us through, and there were certainly times where I found that trust wavering. But we did get through, and for me it was the perfect example of what that trust can do. Now I find myself in a point of trust again. Two weeks ago I was cleaning the church and randomly thinking about this and that. Mostly I was thinking about how I was serving by cleaning, and trying to think about how I could use my talent of writing more for God. I do this blog every day, but certainly there could be more. So right there, vacuum in hand, I prayed that God would show me how to use my writing talent to his benefit. Well, in a really bizarre turn of events, and just a few days after praying that prayer, I may have an opportunity to use my writing talent for God.
I won't get into the details just yet because it's not set in stone, but I really feel that this is something that God placed in my path for a reason. There's no other excuse for it actually, and just thinking about it makes me a little nervous. I don't know if I'm up to the challenge, and that's when I remember to pray. God placed this before me for a reason, he will give me the strength and the endurance to meet the challenge placed before me. And it will be beneficial and will be used for his purpose. It's just a little scary to me think about being a mouthpiece for God. I am trusting in God completely that he has given me this opportunity and I trust that he will help me. Trust can be scary in itself, like I'm putting all my eggs in one basket, and I very well might be. But I trust that it is His Will and he will see me to the goal line.
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7
Trust: a : assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b : one in which confidence is placed
Sometimes that trust is tested. This past winter we put all our trust in God to get us through, and there were certainly times where I found that trust wavering. But we did get through, and for me it was the perfect example of what that trust can do. Now I find myself in a point of trust again. Two weeks ago I was cleaning the church and randomly thinking about this and that. Mostly I was thinking about how I was serving by cleaning, and trying to think about how I could use my talent of writing more for God. I do this blog every day, but certainly there could be more. So right there, vacuum in hand, I prayed that God would show me how to use my writing talent to his benefit. Well, in a really bizarre turn of events, and just a few days after praying that prayer, I may have an opportunity to use my writing talent for God.
I won't get into the details just yet because it's not set in stone, but I really feel that this is something that God placed in my path for a reason. There's no other excuse for it actually, and just thinking about it makes me a little nervous. I don't know if I'm up to the challenge, and that's when I remember to pray. God placed this before me for a reason, he will give me the strength and the endurance to meet the challenge placed before me. And it will be beneficial and will be used for his purpose. It's just a little scary to me think about being a mouthpiece for God. I am trusting in God completely that he has given me this opportunity and I trust that he will help me. Trust can be scary in itself, like I'm putting all my eggs in one basket, and I very well might be. But I trust that it is His Will and he will see me to the goal line.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
An Excellent Movie
"These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." Revelation 3:7,8
Have you seen the movie Facing The Giants? Let me tell you, if you have not seen it, you need to. And then you need to show it to other people. People in your church, your community, your friends. It's really a powerful movie, and completely a lesson on faith. Finding faith for some, and keeping faith for others.
The passage above was used in the movie, and was my lesson from the movie. The time it was used, the football coach was at his end. Everything was going wrong, and he just felt like he was wasting his time. He'd spent seven years as coach at this school and didn't feel like he was making a difference in the lives of the kids he worked with. One man felt led by God to share the above verse with the coach and basically told him to stay the course, because God was about to do great things. It was a pivotal point in the movie, and the analogy used was that there were two farmers who were praying for rain. One farmer took the time to go out and prepare his fields for the rain that he was praying for, and the other did not. And of course, the one who got the rain from the Lord was the one who'd prepared his fields. The man left after that and the coach determined he was going to "prepare the fields for rain" and turned to God in prayer and scripture.
I won't spoil the movie, but that point really stuck with me, it was such an important message. How many times do we look around and feel like what we are doing is useless? How often do we serve at church week after week and think that we're not making a difference. I can tell you I feel like that a lot. I know I've mentioned here more than once that Andy and I have been struggling with whether we're in the right place for church, sometimes we just feel useless, like our hearts are not meshing with everyone else's. And this movie really spoke to me. Maybe we are meant to prepare the fields for rain. Maybe our church is on the verge of something, and it's our job to help get ready for it. I'm not saying that we're all that and change is dependant on us, but one thing is certain, we don't pray for our church near enough. I do think that as a church we are capable of so much more, and maybe Andy and I are capable of so much more as well. Maybe my frustration with some of the church things needs to be turned inward so I can see better what else I can be doing.
Definitely something to pray on and something to think on and seek God's Will on this. Regardless though, see the movie. Have a movie night, it's really good.
Have you seen the movie Facing The Giants? Let me tell you, if you have not seen it, you need to. And then you need to show it to other people. People in your church, your community, your friends. It's really a powerful movie, and completely a lesson on faith. Finding faith for some, and keeping faith for others.
The passage above was used in the movie, and was my lesson from the movie. The time it was used, the football coach was at his end. Everything was going wrong, and he just felt like he was wasting his time. He'd spent seven years as coach at this school and didn't feel like he was making a difference in the lives of the kids he worked with. One man felt led by God to share the above verse with the coach and basically told him to stay the course, because God was about to do great things. It was a pivotal point in the movie, and the analogy used was that there were two farmers who were praying for rain. One farmer took the time to go out and prepare his fields for the rain that he was praying for, and the other did not. And of course, the one who got the rain from the Lord was the one who'd prepared his fields. The man left after that and the coach determined he was going to "prepare the fields for rain" and turned to God in prayer and scripture.
I won't spoil the movie, but that point really stuck with me, it was such an important message. How many times do we look around and feel like what we are doing is useless? How often do we serve at church week after week and think that we're not making a difference. I can tell you I feel like that a lot. I know I've mentioned here more than once that Andy and I have been struggling with whether we're in the right place for church, sometimes we just feel useless, like our hearts are not meshing with everyone else's. And this movie really spoke to me. Maybe we are meant to prepare the fields for rain. Maybe our church is on the verge of something, and it's our job to help get ready for it. I'm not saying that we're all that and change is dependant on us, but one thing is certain, we don't pray for our church near enough. I do think that as a church we are capable of so much more, and maybe Andy and I are capable of so much more as well. Maybe my frustration with some of the church things needs to be turned inward so I can see better what else I can be doing.
Definitely something to pray on and something to think on and seek God's Will on this. Regardless though, see the movie. Have a movie night, it's really good.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Lessons from Life
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" James 1:19
I had an issue earlier this week. I won't go into details, but it really made me angry. In fact, I was quite livid to be honest, and I was ready to take action and take matters into my own hands. I was all set to take care of the situation myself when I felt a prompting to not deal with it. I was angry. Attempting to fix it myself would only result in words of anger, and while I wanted the situation resolved, I didn't want to come across as an angry and nasty person. So instead I tabled my anger and frustration and gave it to my husband when he came home from work. He was able to listen to my issue and orchestrate a resolution that was peaceful and fixed the problem completely without angering or offending anyone. Thank God for my husband.
I can be a hot-head at times. I always say that's because of my Irish heritage, that I am feisty. But feisty and anger are not the same thing, and every single time I see this verse it speaks to me and I do feel a bit chastised. It is a real struggle for me sometimes to not allow myself to be angry. Thankfully, God has seen fit to give me two wonderful children to help me with my anger issue. :-)
It would be so easy to be the angry mommy. It really would. It would be simple to raise my voice to get my point across and be angry and stern with my children. It takes a whole lot more work to be patient and resolve situations with love and kind words, but it sure is effective. Just last night, I was sitting at the dinner table with the kids and Zander carelessly plunked down his very full cup of milk and of course, spilled it. Without saying a word, I very quickly threw a handful of napkins onto the milk and ran to get a towel. Zander had such a look of horror on his face and I think was on the verge of tears with his "sorry Mommy." He so wants to please Mommy these days. I simply picked up his cup, filled it back up, and when I gave it back to him I showed him the best place to put his milk cup. And of course, before I sat back down he got a kiss to show him there were no hard feelings.
You know, honey is really much more effective. When my children follow directions and behave, I want them to do it out of love, not out of fear of punishment. I want them to be the best kids they can be because they want to, and because they're proud of themselves for being such good kids. It's very much the same relationship we have with God. I choose to follow God's Word out of love, not out of fear. (Although healthy fear is good, and a subject for another post someday.) If I made decisions based out of fear, we'd never get anywhere. If I was afraid to offend people and didn't share Jesus with them because of that fear, no one would get saved. Love is what drives me, love is what moves me to share my heart with complete strangers. God is love. Can I not show the same love and mercy to my children?
I don't think I've taken a break here since I've started this blog. Have no worries, we're taking a short holiday, and I'll be back on Tuesday.
I had an issue earlier this week. I won't go into details, but it really made me angry. In fact, I was quite livid to be honest, and I was ready to take action and take matters into my own hands. I was all set to take care of the situation myself when I felt a prompting to not deal with it. I was angry. Attempting to fix it myself would only result in words of anger, and while I wanted the situation resolved, I didn't want to come across as an angry and nasty person. So instead I tabled my anger and frustration and gave it to my husband when he came home from work. He was able to listen to my issue and orchestrate a resolution that was peaceful and fixed the problem completely without angering or offending anyone. Thank God for my husband.
I can be a hot-head at times. I always say that's because of my Irish heritage, that I am feisty. But feisty and anger are not the same thing, and every single time I see this verse it speaks to me and I do feel a bit chastised. It is a real struggle for me sometimes to not allow myself to be angry. Thankfully, God has seen fit to give me two wonderful children to help me with my anger issue. :-)
It would be so easy to be the angry mommy. It really would. It would be simple to raise my voice to get my point across and be angry and stern with my children. It takes a whole lot more work to be patient and resolve situations with love and kind words, but it sure is effective. Just last night, I was sitting at the dinner table with the kids and Zander carelessly plunked down his very full cup of milk and of course, spilled it. Without saying a word, I very quickly threw a handful of napkins onto the milk and ran to get a towel. Zander had such a look of horror on his face and I think was on the verge of tears with his "sorry Mommy." He so wants to please Mommy these days. I simply picked up his cup, filled it back up, and when I gave it back to him I showed him the best place to put his milk cup. And of course, before I sat back down he got a kiss to show him there were no hard feelings.
You know, honey is really much more effective. When my children follow directions and behave, I want them to do it out of love, not out of fear of punishment. I want them to be the best kids they can be because they want to, and because they're proud of themselves for being such good kids. It's very much the same relationship we have with God. I choose to follow God's Word out of love, not out of fear. (Although healthy fear is good, and a subject for another post someday.) If I made decisions based out of fear, we'd never get anywhere. If I was afraid to offend people and didn't share Jesus with them because of that fear, no one would get saved. Love is what drives me, love is what moves me to share my heart with complete strangers. God is love. Can I not show the same love and mercy to my children?
I don't think I've taken a break here since I've started this blog. Have no worries, we're taking a short holiday, and I'll be back on Tuesday.
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