Stretching

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience-Colossians 1:9-11

At Book Club last night, we strayed a little from the subject matter... not exactly unusual for a women's book club :) .  Anyway, we got to talking about stretching.  Joan has been doing simple stretching exercises for years and recently I've been dabbling in some beginner's yoga.  We talked about how good stretching is for overall health.  I have been amazed at the energy it releases.  Try it... right now.  If you're sitting down, simply extend one leg straight out and stretch from the hip to the tip of your toes, flexing and pointing, flexing and pointing.... ahhhh... the muscles you stretch feel great, but you also feel it deeper, don't you?  Don't you feel a little wave of energy?  Now imagine stretching most of your muscles like that every morning.  What a great way to start the day!


Now imagine giving your spiritual muscles a little stretch every morning.  Reflect on some scripture and spend some time in prayer... speaking AND listening.  Finish up with your favorite hymn or song of praise.  Wow... doesn't that feel great?  You've connected with God and as you begin your day, you don't leave Him behind, but feel His presence with you.  You've stretched those spiritual muscles and feel it deeper than the effort seems to ask for.


Like physical exercise, we know good spiritual habits are good for us and make us feel great.  And yet we find excuse after excuse not to do it.  


During Advent this daily stretching is more important than every.  Our spiritual muscles are being assaulted with commercialism and stress and being way, way, way too busy trying to have the "fun" we are supposed to be having this time of year.


Let's make a daily spiritual stretch our Advent gift to ourselves!


Lord,
When we do it, we are so glad we have spent time with you and in your word.  It makes us feel so much better and gives a that lift we need to start the day.  Help us to look forward to our time with you rather than make excuses to skip it.  Amen.


Joys:  Fun at Book Club; a day off; stretching

The New Homeless

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.-Luke 12:48b


The face of the homeless has changed.  We once equated homelessness with the chronically unemployed, alcoholics, drug addicts. 15-20 years ago, experts started warning us that most of us were only a paycheck or two away from losing our homes.  It has come to pass.  People are losing their homes and with this terrible economy, their families are at a loss to help them.  Sunday night "60 Minutes" did a story on the plight of the homeless in Florida.  It was a real eye-opener.  I hope you will take the time to watch it.   It shows the face of the "new homeless."  http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389750n&tag=contentBody%3BstoryMediaBox


Most of us really have no idea how things have gotten for even people who have worked hard all their lives to provide for themselves and their families.  Most of us really have no idea how incredibly blessed we are to have a warm place to sleep at night and a roof over our heads.


One of the members of Holy Cross has been very busy over the last couple of months making "Jesus stockings."  She sells them and gives a portion of the proceeds to charity.  The idea behind them is to hang the stocking during Advent and have your family add money to it all season long.  After Christmas, decide on a charity to give the money to and send it to them.


The need this year in the world, in our own country and even in our very own backyards is greater than I've ever known it to be.  And it's not just people who are chronically unemployed or people with addictions or those who have learned to "work the system"  (although we need to help all these as well).  There are young families out there that had dreams of a nice home and a good education for their kids and those dreams have been dashed by a sudden turn of events.


Whether or not the homeless is your choice, I hope you will give the idea of a Jesus stocking a try this year.  You don't have to have one especially made (though Cathy's are beautiful)... it can even be a jar or a bowl.  The need is so great... and remember... to those to whom much has been given, much is expected.


Lord Jesus,
Give us compassionate, loving hearts that make us desire to share our abundance with those who have so little.  Amen.

Joys:  my home; my warm bed; Hesed House and other homeless shelters that make a difference

Do You See a Tree in This House?

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.-Philippians 4:13

A month or two ago I told Cecelia that when it was Christmas time we would make Christmas cookies together.  The day after Halloween, Cecelia (with a memory like a steel trap) said it was time to make Christmas cookies.  I told her it wasn't Christmas time yet and she said yes it was.  We argued back and forth (don't you love arguing with a 3-year-old?) and then I playfully admonished her by asking, "Do you see a tree in this house?"


Well, she thought that was the funniest thing ever and picked right up on it.  For the next few weeks, whenever I asked her to do something she didn't want to do, she would use it:


Me:  It's time for your nap
Cecelia:  Do you see a tree in this house?


Me:  Don't play with your food, finish eating.
Cecelia:  Do you see a tree in this house?


And so it became a "thing" with us.  She would ask me for a cookie before supper and I would counter with, "Do you see a tree in this house?"  Or she would ask to watch "The Grinch" for the 3rd time in a row and I would say, "Do you see a tree in this house?"  We had a lot of laughs with that phrase over the past few weeks.


Well, this weekend, Cecelia helped put up our Christmas tree.  After a while it dawned on her and she said, "Kaymee!  We have a tree in this house!  Now we can do everything!"


We put up a Christmas tree every year to celebrate the birth of Christ and St. Paul tells us in Philippians that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  So yes, Cecelia... We DO have a tree in this house... and it DOES mean we can do everything!


Thank you God for sending Jesus to strengthen and empower us as we live our lives for you.  Amen.


Joys:  Surprise visitors at worship today; Cecelia's excitement about going to the airport to see Opah off; Advent

Alphabet of Thanks

 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;
   come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the LORD is God.
   It is he who made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

   his faithfulness continues through all generations.-Psalm 100

For many years now, my devotion for Thanksgiving has been my Alphabet of Thanks.  I will continue the tradition.  I pray that each of you discover an abundance of blessings to be thankful for in the coming year.    May God bless you with all good things.

A - Angels that come in human form.  They are always there at just the right time.
B - All the Babies and small children in my life
C - Cecelia (granddaughter), Carson (baby nephew), Chelsea (Kevin's girlfriend)
D - Daniel
E - Eyes and Ears with which to fully experience the wonders of this Earth
F- Family, Friends and all the Fun we've had together over the past year
G - being a Grandmother.  Only another grandparent can understand just how thankful I am.  Also, Kevin's Graduation coming up in May.
H - Hiking in the mountains and my improved Health because of it
I - Ice cream.  I can't have it often, but that makes it even more wonderful when I do.
J - Jesus.  God in human form.
K - Kevin
L - Love, Laughter, Living Life out Loud
M - Memories; Music
N - Trying New things.  Keeps me young!
O - the Ocean... the sight, the sound and the smell
P - Playing Princess with Cecelia
Q - Quiet times... for prayer, for meditation, for creativity, or just for recharging
R - Richard and 30 years of marriage.  Who'd have thought it gets so much better?
S - Sunshine
T - Tracy (Daniel's girlfriend)
U - Umbrellas... literal and figurative
V - Variety. So many wonderful choices in life!
W - Wild flowers.  God's beauty blossoming sometimes in the most unlikely places
X - eXtra.  More than I need to live
Y - Yo-yos... symbolic of the playful and fun side of life; Yoga
Z - Zebras... symbolic of the uniqueness of God's creation.  So much diversity!  So much individuality!

Happy Holy Days!

¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”-Nehemiah 8:11

Here we come holiday season!  And with it come the two biggest annual complaints:

1.  The Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year.
2.  It's not "Happy HOLIDAYS" or "HOLIDAY trees,"  it's "Merry CHRISTMAS" and CHRISTMAS trees

So let's tackle these complaints and see if we can see them in a new light and stop our whining before it starts.

1.  It's easy to assume that it is the retailers that have Christmas starting about the same time as Halloween these days, and perhaps they are.  But if we REALLY hated it, the retailers would quickly get the message and would not want to anger the consumer.  I think a big part of us (even those who dread the commercial part of Christmas) look forward to the deeper message.  I think the world has gotten so tough, that we are ready for the messages of "Peace on Earth" and "Good Will Toward All" earlier and earlier.  I think we are so stressed these days that we crave the retelling of the amazing story of God Made Flesh.  Maybe starting Christmas right after Halloween isn't such a bad idea.

2.  So what is wrong with the word "Holiday?"  Do you know the etymology behind that word?  It comes from the words "holy" and "day"... holy day, meaning "religious festival."  If you prefer to SAY "Merry Christmas" there is certainly nothing wrong with that, but why should we take offense if someone wishes us "Happy Holy Days?"  As Christians we should be happy to accept others wishing us a good anything!

Let's not start advent with a defensive attitude this year.  Let's enjoy the season for everything it is. And everything it should be.

Father,
Prepare our hearts for advent.  Help us to enjoy the season but take time to focus on the reason.  Amen.

Joys:  Last day of the work week; Richard and Cecelia getting to spend today together; fun shoppping and dinner date with Richard last night

Truly Thankful

 ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.-Colossians 3:15-17

Wow... "thankfulness," "gratitude," "giving thanks"... all in one short paragraph.  It must be important!

I have known people who have dwelt in their need.  Those who mourn all the things they don't have.  They hoard what little they do have.  They are negative and bitter.  They don't attract many people into their lives.  Not for long anyway.

I have known people who have very little who count every little thing as a blessing.  They feel as rich as royalty.  They love.  And they are generous.  They give from the little they have.  They are a joy to be around and family and friends gravitate toward them.

I have known very rich people who live as if they have nothing.  They might as well not have anything for all the joy it brings them.  They are like the poor person who dwells in his need.

And then there is the very rich person who is humbly grateful for every penny... for every thing... and for every person in his/her life.  This type is harder to find, but they are a wonder to behold.  They are exceedingly generous and live their life in gratitude.  They not only attract friends, but unfortunately they attract those who only pretend to be friends that they might con this person out of whatever they can.

In my youth, I worked at a grocery store.  I remember a very small event that made a very large impression on me.  I was standing in the office when the bookkeeper got a call from another near-by store in the same chain.  Supplies were late coming in and they asked Cathy if she had any extra return forms because they were out.  Cathy replied that she did not have many, but they were welcome to half of what she had.

Isn't that they way we should be with all of our "stuff"?  If someone is in need, shouldn't we be grateful enough for what we have... even if it is very little... that we would share without hesitation?  Isn't half of what we have exceedingly more than the "nothing" someone else has?

We can only be this generous if we have true gratitude in our hearts.  And we can only be this generous if we truly see others as our brothers and sisters and love them as such.

Lord Jesus,

Help us to have true gratitude... the kind of gratitude that leads to spontaneously generous actions.  I pray that our Thanksgiving this year will be about so much more that eating too much.  Amen.

Joys:  Having Richard at home for a few days; just me and my guys together at dinner last night; being thankful for the little things

Friends Helping Friends

 ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’-Matthew 25:35-39


It was very fitting that yesterday's gospel contained the theme verse for Project Matthew.  If you don't know, our church collects food and money from our members each week for about 8 weeks and then distributes turkeys with groceries to prepare all the trimmings for those in our community that can't afford a Thanksgiving feast.  


Saturday was our distribution day and it was so gratifying to see it all work out so well.  The atmosphere as we distribute the boxes isn't one of "poor people" coming to get something from "rich people," but an atmosphere of friends who have sharing with friends who don't have.


That is the key to giving.  Giving is not ab out feeling superior or "lording it over" someone else.  It is not about racking up "brownie points."  It is about people loving others enough to not want them to go without.


I am very proud of the outreach of Holy Cross.  Project Matthew is our favorite outreach, but it is far from our only one.  And all of it is done with an attitude of love.  In his sermon today, Pastor Chad shared a poem written by a teenager about how people pray for those in need and even talk about the need to help them, but rarely really DO anything about it.  Thank you, Holy Cross for feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked and visiting the sick and imprisoned.  You have indeed done these things to Jesus himself.


Lord Jesus,
Bless my brothers and sisters at Holy Cross.  I am privileged to know them and worship with them and serve with them.  Amen.


Joys:  Project Matthew; Richard coming home today; very tiring but fun weekend with Cecelia

Slow to Speak, Quick to Listen

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger -James 1:19


Have you ever had the opportunity to really listen to a conversation between two people who really love to talk?  It's almost humorous to watch them pretending to listen patiently while they are only waiting for their chance to jump in with their own story.  They both talk, but neither of them hear... and all those words do nothing but float out to space.


We are all sometimes a part of that kind of "conversation."  We are so focused on what we want to say that we don't even hear the person we are conversing with.  Lots of words, but no communication.


Listening, like anything worthwhile, takes practice.  We need to take control of our egos.  We must be fully in the moment and really aware of those with whom we are sharing words.  It's about being humble enough to let the other person have the stage.  And it's about being loving enough to really care about what the other person has to say.


When we really learn to listen, we discover the art of bonding with other human beings.  We find that we have more in common than we have differences... no matter who we are listening to.  And we make relationships.  And that's really what life is all about.


Father,
You gave us two ears and only one mouth so that we would be quick to listen and slow to speak.  Help us to practice.  Amen.


Joys:  A warm home on a cold night; sunshine finally breaking through, even if it is cold sunshine; the weekend

Turning the World Right-Side Up

¹⁰ your kingdom come, 
your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven.-Matthew 6:10


In a blog on Livinglutheran.com (A Dangerous Prayer by Brian Beckstrom on November 14) , 2011) a seminary professor is quoted as saying:

If we had any idea what we were really asking when we pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, we would never actually utter these words.

 Our human tendency is to think that God's will is the same as our own will.  But when we look at the evidence and when we look at what Jesus taught, we know better.  Die in order to live; humble ourselves in order to be exalted; turn the other cheek; walk the extra mile; love those who hate you; give sacrificially; think of others as better than ourselves.


These are all pretty word, to be sure.  But what kind of *change* would it take for all of us to practice them on a regular basis?  Ah, yes... I said "change."  And this kind of "change" isn't a simple matter of accepting drums in worship or projecting the service on screens.  No, we are talking about changing the way we think and act and changing even what we desire and need. It's changing from living for "me" to living for "everyone else."


What would this look like?  It would turn the world as we know it upside down.  Or maybe the fact is, our world is already upside down... this would finally turn it right-side up.  Can you imagine giving a thief MORE than what he took from you?  Can you imagine going without in order to make sure a stranger has enough?


"Your kingdom come"... are your REALLY ready for it?


Father,
Prepare our hearts for your kingdom that will someday come to earth exactly as you will it.  Amen.


Joys:  Roadside assistance services; chatting with Donna at Walmart; no tornado in my community last night (prayers for those affected in Rock Hill)

Though Your Gift is Small

¹⁴ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. ¹⁶ Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. ¹⁷ And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. ¹⁸ But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
²⁹ ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.-Matthew 25:14-17, 29 

When serving on retreat weekends we are often told, "Every job is as important as the next.  The person who cleans the potties are as necessary to a successful retreat as are the people who give the talks."  But we all know that the more humble jobs don't SEEM quite as important.  And when we don't feel important, we might not think our contribution matters.  And because we think it doesn't matter, we might not try as hard as we should to do a really excellent job.


That seems to be the problem in the parable of the talents.  The servant who only got one talent didn't feel like it really mattered what he did with it.  So he did nothing.  And so when we compare what we have to others and find we fall short, we sometimes just don't bother at all.


It's really not just about what others can gain from what we give.  That's part of it for sure.  But the spiritual and emotional growth we experience when we give what ever little bit we have is everything.  And when we give of the little bit, we are soon entrusted with more and more and more.


I will never forget how I trembled at the thought of teaching my first Sunday school class.  I know the kids learned that year... I could see it.  But what I took away from that experience was far, far more than I ever could have given.  And then I was entrusted with more and more and more until one day I found myself in charge of the Christian Education committee and organizing about 5 or 6 years of some really fun Vacation Bible Schools.  The growth showed up in my personal life too as I tried new things and found that I could do them.  I was so blessed by offering what little I had to give in that first Sunday school class.


One of my favorite songs from Hillsong is So You Would Come.  The best line in that song is:  Come to the Father, though your gift is small..."  Wait until you see what God can do with your gift... whether it is your gift of time, talent or treasure.  He will multiply it to feed the thousands, and he will also use it to grow you to brand new heights that you never knew you could reach.


Father,
Help us to use even our smallest gifts for your glory.  Thank you for what you do with our meager offerings of time, talent and treasure!  Amen.


Joys:  When I asked Cecelia what was special about her friend Noah (a friend at day care) she told me, "He built an ark!" remembering what I had taught her in Sunday school last week; getting a lot done at work yesterday; lunch with Daniel, Cecelia, Kevin and Chelsea

Pet Peeves

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.-Ephesians 2:10


Everyone has pet peeves.  Some of mine are:

• Drivers who don't use turn signals
• Grammatical errors in professional media
• Inappropriate cell phone use:  driving, in restaurants, letting them interrupt face-to-face conversations
• People who want me to "share" their extreme political or religious positions on Facebook
• And my number one pet peeve *drum roll*..... Those who believe everything "forwarded" in an e-mail or "shared" on Facebook

I suppose I could go on, and I also suppose that you all could come up with your own pet peeves that I may be guilty of.  Maybe your pet peeve is people who list their pet peeves!

I mention this subject because in his sermon yesterday, Pastor Chad talked about something that seemed to be one of Jesus' pet peeves and it got me to thinking about what other pet peeves Jesus had and how they could be backed up with scripture.

Pastor Chad said that one of Jesus' biggest pet peeves were when people were not fruitful... when we don't do the things we were created to do.

Some of Jesus' other pet peeves:

• Justifying unloving actions by quoting scripture (Law over grace) - healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-12); the woman caught in adultery (John 8:2-5)
• Obstructing anyone from worship or coming to him - bringing the children to Jesus (Matthew 19:13-15); Jesus cleanses the temple (Luke 19:45-46)
• Judging others, especially when we haven't examined our own sin - the woman caught in adultery (John 8:7-8); judging others (Matthew 7:1)

We all probably unintentionally do things that peeve other people and other people are going to unintentionally offend our own pet peeves.  Hopefully we will all just forgive one another.  But we might want to work a little harder at staying off Jesus' pet peeve list.  Of course, he too will forgive us when we inevitably end up there.

Lord Jesus,

Help us to chose grace over law, always welcome all who seek you, and leave the judging to you.  And help us to live our lives more fruitfully.  Amen.

Joys:  Sitting between my two handsome boys at worship yesterday; touching and thought-provoking stewardship video; back to work

Give Me a Sign

Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe." -John 4:48

How many times have I said it... "Just give me a sign, Lord."  We occasionally get them too, but mostly God knows that signs and wonders will not really increase our faith.  If we don't have that faith already, signs and wonders can be explained away with science or coincidence.  Even when we have faith, we often ignore those prayed-for signs... simply because it is not the answer we were hoping for.

Creation itself should be the only signs and wonders we need.  How can we study the world around us... learn of its intricacies, depths and complicated structures... discover the amazingly consistent cycles and rhythms of the universe... see a baby grow and develop over the first 5 years and not exclaim at the holiness and power of God?

Signs and wonders will not make us believe.  Experience and an on-going relationship with our God is what strengthens our faith.  Discovering God's faithfulness and love in the midst of our most difficult times is what gives us faith.  God can wave his hand to cure us or He can speak with us and live in us and guide us to the cure.  The latter approach is the approach of a loving God who wants the very best for us.

Father,
Forgive us when our faith is so weak that we ask for signs and wonders.  Help us to accept with joy the lessons you bring us that do grow our faith. 


Joys:  a good glass of wine at the end of a long day; a good cup of coffee at the beginning of the day; reunion group

The Bible Belt

³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.-John 13:35


I was reading comments under a FaceBook post this morning.  The original post was about politics, but it didn't take long for the comments to turn religious.  One commenter said that he was new to the "Bible belt" and is amazed at the bigotry and hate that come from an area known for its Christian beliefs.


Being know as the "Bible Belt" leaves a really big responsibility on the Christians that live in that area.  People watch... and judge.  Because it is the Bible belt, more than just our churches are being judged... it's our politics, our social programs, our schools, our crime level... everything.  And Christianity is judged on the basis of how our community runs under a predominately Christian faith.


Unfortunately, as a whole, Christians are failing to make our faith attractive.  The term "Bible Belt" has become almost synonymous with "bigotry," and "intolerance" when it ought to be synonymous with "love," "forgiveness," "grace," and "mercy."


Most of the Christians I hang with are not part of this problem.  It's just that those who are the problem are the loudest.  So now the problem becomes:  what can we do about it?  How can we make the label "Bible Belt" bring positive images instead of negative ones? How can we make the rest of the country see that a society living under Christian ideals is a good thing?


It is time for the mainstream Christian to speak up.  It is time to let the world know Jesus' true message of "love one another."  It is time to change people's perspective of who Christians of the Bible Belt are. We need to live our faith a little more loudly by loving without apology.  We should not have to defend loving others unconditionally by arguing theology... our theology IS unconditional love!


Maybe one day we will have people flocking to live in the Bible Belt, not because we have great weather or a lower cost of living... but because "those Christians just know how to live!"


Father,
Help us to be people who draw others to you rather than repel them.  I pray for all your children who find ways to use your word to defend their own hate.  Amen.


Joys:  Finding something I lost and getting the house clean in the process :); hike day!; Awesome response for Project Matthew this year

Who Do You Serve?

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15

This is one of those verses you can spend a lot of time thinking about.  It's a lot like the verse where Jesus asks Peter, James and John, "Who do you say I am?"  So, then, who - or what - do you and your household serve?  It's easy to just say, "Why of course we serve Christ."  But do you?  Really? 


In one of the talks at Via de Cristo we are asked about our ideals.  What are they?  How do we recognize what the most important thing or things in our life really are.  There are three questions whose answers really say it all.  Answer these honestly, and you will know who - or what - you really serve.


1.  What do you spend most of your time thinking about?
2.  What do you do with most of your free time?
3.  What do you spend most of your money that is not spent on daily necessities?


So, how many of us actually serve television or video games or sporting events or our jobs or our families?  Family is the tricky one, isn't it?  We know it is good to make family high priority... but have we placed them even above God?


It's not bad to enjoy any of these things.  God wants us to love our families!  And he wants us to provide for them through jobs we enjoy.  And he wants us to enjoy our lives by doing things that are fun.  But it is all about balance and priorities.


We can easily keep our families an important priority while giving God first place if we worship and serve God AS a family.  We can give all the necessary attention to our jobs if we keep our focus on serving God as we work.


Most of you know the sermon demonstration that Pastor John loves to use with the rice and golf ball.  If you fill a jar with rice and then try to put the ball in  the jar it just won't work.  But if you put the ball in the jar first and then pour in the rice, it all fits!  It is the same with our faith lives.  If we put God first and in the center of our lives, all the rest will fit exactly the way it should.


Our faith life is not merely a slice of the pie... it is the pie from which everything else is taken.


Father,
Teach us to ask ourselves each and every day, "Who do I serve?"  And then let us see the answer in all of our thoughts and actions of that day.  Amen.


Joys:  Getting a BIG start on Christmas shopping; homemade soup; time spent with Daniel yesterday

Well-Balanced Faith

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.-Matthew 22:37-39

I read a wonderful devotion this morning on the spiritual vs. religious debate.  Many assume you are to be one or the other.  The author of this devotion says no... you must be both. 


If we are spiritual but not religious, we are too self-centered.  We are concerned only about what we can get out of our relationship with God.  We feed on the emotional experiences of faith and our "spirituality" suffers if we don't feel it.


On the other hand, if we are religious, but not spiritual, we aren't getting the whole picture either.  We become overly concerned about theology and running of the church.  We become too institution-minded and we lack any real relationship with God.


Well-balanced faith must include our relationship with God as well as our relationship with one another... Jesus even refers to it as the greatest commandment:  Love God with all your heart, mind and soul *AND* love  your neighbor as yourself.


It's the church that provides us opportunities to love our neighbor in more practical ways... worshiping together, praying together and giving and receiving forgiveness from one another form the basis of that love for all humanity.  And then we can unite that love to reach out to the rest of the world in love.


The author of the devotion put it this way:  The source of the action (religion) is the awe (spirituality)


Lord,
Help us to pursue being both spiritual and religious as we practice our faith.  Amen.


Joys: Fun weekend with Cecelia; Daniel making supper;  writing my devotion with Cecelia on my lap and cartoons on in the background.

Looking Back

⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.-Philippians 5:6

I've been absolutely loving my hikes in this astoundingly beautiful Autumn we've been having.  Yesterday was awesome.   But the back loop of the trail is very steep and I have to really watch each step I take because it is very rocky and the leaves can be slippery and there are a lot of leaves on the trail right now!  So I really don't get to enjoy the scenery on that part of the walk because I am focused on what is right in front of me... too close.  But occasionally, I stop and look back up at where I came from and I see the beauty.

Isn't life the same way?  When we are too close to what's going on in our lives, we often miss the beauty.  And sometimes it even just looks ugly.  But after a while, we can turn and look back and see the beauty.  We can see the work God was doing in our life.  We can see the "angels" that God sent to help us through a tough time.  

Sometimes the pain follows us so far that we are afraid to look back.  But if we look back, not to relive the hurt, but to look for the beauty, we WILL find it.  It's always there.  Because God was always there. 

Take a look back at a part of your life when you were too focused on what you were going through to see the beauty and look for it.  Not only will find beauty, but you may just find healing as well.


Father,
Help us to see the beauty in our past; the past that helped to create the people we are today.  Amen.


Joys:  Great hike; a new gadget!; looking back

Evangelizing the Church

 ²⁶ “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know."-John 1:26

How many will be at church this  Sunday who, though Jesus stands among us, they still do not know him? How many will be at church only out of obligation or habit? How many will sit in the pew only to count mistakes, look for offenses, complain at being slighted? How many will be carrying heavy burdens even as Jesus stands beside them with outstretched arms aching to take them and bear them? 


We tend to think that evangelism is bringing the un-churched into church, and indeed we should.  But there is also much evangelizing to be done within the church.  There are so many sitting in our pews for all the wrong reasons.  And they are not always easy to recognize.  After all, only God knows our hearts.


So we must teach one another to recognize Jesus in our midst.  With many, we only have an hour a week in which to do so.  So on Sunday mornings we should welcome one another a bit more warmly.  We should hold our criticisms of one another for a more appropriate time.  We should invite those we don't often see outside of worship into Sunday school with us, or to any special up-coming church events.  If you are involved in a specific ministry at church keep inviting new people to help.  


It's through being an active church member that we are more likely to recognize Jesus standing among us, so we need to encourage one another to be active.  It is through serving one another that we see Christ, so encourage one another to serve.  It is through giving and sharing that we notice Jesus, so encourage one another to give and share.


Lord Jesus,
You are always standing among us.  Help us to see you and know you.  Help us to teach those around us to see you and know you as well.  Amen.


Joys:  Some time off of work; continued gorgeous weather (I know it has to end some time... :/ ); sleeping late

Trust

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. -Philippians 4:13


There's been some interesting things going on between big business and customers.  A couple of months ago, Netflix announced a large price increase as they reorganized their DVD rent-by-mail business.  Customers showed their displeasure by cancelling their membership by the thousands.  Netflix kept the price increase but responded by cancelling the confusing reorganization.


Bank of America was one of many banks that have recently announced a plan to charge a monthly $5 service charge for using debit cards.  Their customers responded by closing their accounts and moving to credit unions and small town banks.  BoA lost thousands of customers in the Charlotte area in the last few weeks.  The bankers have since decided that maybe the $5 charge isn't such a good idea after all.


I don't think it's the $5 or the added charges for movies or the confusing reorganization at Netflix that had people upset.  I think the consumer is just tired of being taken advantage of and I think it's a bigger issue of distrust.   There is probably a little displaced anger that should really be aimed at oil companies, but we need gas.  So we take our frustrations out where we can.  And the people have gotten a sense of empowerment.  They see that they can make a difference.


It is a matter of trust.  As Christians we know there is only One who is worthy of our complete trust.  God will never let us down.  He won't "change the contract" mid-stream.  No added fees... no fines.  What's more incredible is that we know he won't drop us even if we fail to live up to our own end of the contract.  


It's this kind of trust that gives us real empowerment.  We can do ALL THINGS through Christ who give us strength!  


Father,
Thank you for your unchanging faithfulness.  Thank you that you will never change the rules on us.  Thank you that you will never take your love from us.  Amen.


Joys:  Last day of my work week this week; Project Matthew and the love that is poured into this ministry of providing Thanksgiving meals for those in need; the gorgeous Fall colors that have made it from the mountains, to the foothills to finally right in my own backyard

ALL Saints

¹⁶ ‘Never again will they hunger;
   never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,’
   nor any scorching heat.
¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne
   will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’    ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’-Revelation 7:16-17


A pastor that I've heard preach on several occasions likes to open his sermons with this greeting:


"Good morning saints!" (Everyone responds:  Good morning!)
"Good morning sinners!" (Everyone again responds:  Good morning!)


It is one of the paradoxes of our faith.  We are both saint and sinner at the same time.  A saint is someone who has direct access to God, and because of the work Jesus did on the cross, we all have direct access to God.  Therefore, we are all saints.  But we are not consistently able to act on that access... to reflect God's nature and do his will... therefore, we are all sinners.  St. Paul says it best when he confesses: I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. (Romans 7:15)


We often reflect on our status as sinners.  We have our weekly confession at church.  Hopefully, we have our own more personal confession times with God in our daily prayers.  Some of our small groups periodically go through an Examination of Conscience.  During Lent, we are continually reminded of our status as sinners.


But today is All Saints Day!  So let us reflect upon our status as saints.  We tend to remember our loved ones who have joined the Church Triumphant on this day.  And that is good.  I love that part of All Saint's Sunday when we pray through the list of loved ones we want remembered.  I can just picture them all with their crowns of glory!... no more pain... no more tears.


But All Saints is also about you and me.  We are a part of that Kingdom to come.  We are still at work on the growing, shaping, learning part... but we are a part of it nonetheless.  We do not look FORWARD to eternal life... eternal is ETERNAL (no beginning, no end)... so we are already living our eternal life.


You are a saint.  Celebrate All Saints Day today by living like a saint.  Celebrate your direct access to God.


Lord God,
Thank you for all the saints in our lives, both here on earth and those who are now by your side.  Help us to act more like the saints we are.  Amen.


Joys:  the saints in my life that have gone on... especially my mother Joyce, my father Keith, my brother Jim; the many saints in my life that are still here with me working for God's kingdom; a little time to spend with Cecelia yesterday