New Books

Greg asked me to order a book for him last week called Found Faithful. It's about great Christian throughout history, that despite the huge obstacles in their lives, have been found faithful. It's a book that gives so much hope and encouragement. I can't wait to read it.

The I felt that I needed to read the book Oprah keeps promoting, A New Earth. I feel a need to know what it says, so I can accurately respond to it. Kind of like when the Da Vinci Code came out. Greg said okay, but as long as I read Hank Hanegraaff's book written in response to Eckhart Tolle's book called Paradise Still Lost in a New Earth at the same time. It can be ordered here.

Fun Summer Reading. I'm still reading Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. I'm learning more and more about the life of David. I was at our local Bible bookstore yesterday and there is even a yearly flip daybrightener (like a devotional) on the book with excerpts from the book. Cool.

Anyway, time to get ready for our prayer walk. We look forward to anticipation of what God will speak to us today! Have a blessed weekend!

Finding Your Voice

A friend of mine and I were talking recently about blogging and how I have tried blogging about different things, like personal stuff or spiritual stuff, or books that I liked. She used the term 'finding your voice'. That phrase has stuck with me for weeks and as I sat down to blog this morning, I had a few thoughts about how versatile phrase it is.

A voice is something that comes from within. It is the result of what is put into you, a conglomeration of experiences, thoughts, conversations, education, wisdom, etc. It is something you share. It's something natural and everyone needs an outlet to express themselves.

Regarding blogging, I think my voice prefers commenting on books and sharing remarkable insights I've read. I like to sprinkle in personal stuff for variety's sake or connecting with my readers on a personal levels sake, but I really feel I'm pouring my best when I share books and tie the theme to personal experiences.

In ministry, a voice is the result of what God has done in your life. It is the way you express grace, mercy, joy, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, and all the spiritual gifts God has given you. As you allow God to pour into you via prayer, reading the Bible, meeting with other believers, etc., you have built up a reservoir that must spill forth into the lives of others. How you share your voice will most likely change over time. For me, I had a season of pouring into single moms, then a season of teaching, then a season of leading leaders, now my season is blogging.

In the physical, my voice is health. Today I ran. My body's voice cried out, "No!" (just kidding). My legs felt like tree trunks but the louder voice said, "Keep going." I think for the first time I did better than my dog. "Yeah!"

It the mental, my voice encourages others to read more. The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it. I've been so encouraged, so challenged, so redeemed, so confirmed, so set straight that I crave spiritual books.

Where's your voice? Is it blogging? Is it discipling others? For all that is poured into you, where do you let it leak out? Who is benefiting from it? Are you hogging it, becoming a spiritual glutton? Or are you healthy, freely giving what you have freely received? Blessings this beautiful Friday!

Prayer Walk

We have our next prayer walk scheduled for this Saturday at 8:00 am and we covet your prayers for that time.

Here's a video that a brilliant man at our church put together showing pics from Servolution. Hope you enjoy it!



We are excited to be moving forward in several areas. One is our remodel. We have a friend who will be jackhammering the concrete slab of our patio out on Saturday. Yeah!

Today is Kristen's last day of 10th grade, so we will be following tradition and taking the family to Pizza Hut after school gets out at noon. We look forward to this every year. In years prior, before she became lactose intolerant, we would get a cake and continue the celebration at home. I love this day, I get to go over all her papers, report card, SAT scores, etc. Fun! Next, driver's training and a job (hopefully!, if not, volunteering a few days a week).

Have a wonderful Thursday and may it feel like Friday to you too!

More About Ministry

Some of our staff is going through a book by Wayne Cordiero called Doing Church as a Team. It's a great book, and easy read, and is full of common sense about doing church. I highlighted a lot in the last two chapters I've read and won't share it all here, but here's some of what I loved.

"The ministry belongs to you and me, and it requires both of us. Doing church is not the responsibility of the professional clergy and a few talented staff people; it is the privilege of all of us-together.

You don't find the strength of a church in the beauty of its building, the number of attendees or the size of its budget. A church is only as strong as the involvement of its members; and the more each person takes ownership in the ministry of the church, the stronger it becomes. Only when we realize that God has called every one of us with an equally divine imperative can the church at large and our individual congregations begin to reach their fullest potential."

I believe this with all of my heart. My prayer is that all churches believe it too and act on it. No one should be left out of ministry, since God created everyone to serve. Who can you tap on the shoulder and involve in your ministry? I'm sure there are lots of people in every church who aren't serving. Let's get them involved in discovering God's purpose for their lives. Anything less is robbing them. Have a blessed Wednesday!

Volunteering

My son handed me something he found in his room this weekend while cleaning it out. I don't know who wrote it but thought it was pretty good, so I'm passing it along.

The difference between volunteering and being called of God.

1. Volunteers see their involvement at church as community service, but people called of God see it as ministry.

2. Volunteers whine about what it's going to cost to serve, but people who are called are committed to serving.

3. Volunteers shrink back from resolving relational conflict, but people called of God seek to resolve relational conflict for the sake of unity in the church.

4. Volunteers look upon rehearsal as another commitment they're obligated to fulfill, but people called of God look forward to rehearsal as another opportunity to be used by God.

5. Volunteers do no outside practicing or preparation, but people who are called of God come o rehearsals and a performance as prepared as possible.

6. Volunteers are not open to constructive criticism; they get defensive about it. But people called of God are grateful for feedback because they want to be the best they can be.

7. Volunteers feel threatened by the talent of others, but people called of God praise Him for distributing gifts and talents as He chooses.

8. Volunteers want to quit at the first sign of adversity or discouragement, but people called of God dig in and persevere.

9. Volunteers find their main source of fulfillment in their talents and abilities, but people called of God know that being used of God is the most fulfilling thing you can do with your life.

10. Volunteers can't handle being put in situations in which they're going to be stretched, but people called of God respond to God's call with humble dependence on Him.

Now for some fun. Here's a great musical skit on volunteering. Enjoy and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Feelings Follow Actions

This phrase has been said to me a few times this week. The first time was at the doctor's office. He's got me on an exercise plan and when I whined about running not being my favorite form of exercise, he encouraged me to give it a good litmus test and get up to 2-3 miles and I might find I actually like doing it. When I ran 2 miles a year ago, I still didn't like it. I doubt if that has changed.

The second time was yesterday when my Pastor said it. He said it wasn't enough to just make a decision to change something in your life, you actually have to act on it. Then he referred to New Year's Resolutions. I turned to my husband and said, "That's me with diet and exercise." My sweet husband said, "Maybe, but you have great discipline when it comes to the really important decisions. Those things you change." Aaaawwwwweeeee.

So, yesterday I sat down at the computer and whipped out a document to help keep me accountable. It has the names of the days of the week going across, and Date, Exercise, Total Fruit/Veggies, and each meal and snack with Calories, Carbs, Fat, Sugar and Fiber. Those are the things I want to track. My doctor said I could email the document to him then meet with him in 2 months. So far this month, I've increased my exercise, but not every day. The pizza, root beer and apple pie has also thrown me this week, three things I rarely eat.

I'm off to a good start, grape nuts, non-fat milk and 2 small peaches for breakfast. The pizza and pie are gone, so I'm safe there. If I can stay away from the cookies in the drawer I'll be good. Why do I keep thinking of making brownies? I go through times of sugar addiction. It usually lasts a week or two, then I suck it up and swear it off for at least a month. Today is suck it up day. :-(

I covet your prayers for self-discipline. Does taking down wallpaper count as exercise? Or shopping? Maybe baking brownies? Just kidding. Have a blessed holiday!

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

Okay, so the walls didn't actually tumble, but they are crumbling! After a couple of appointments yesterday morning and a few hours of work, Greg continued cutting the walls of our stucco patio. As he did that, I helped Kristen clean out her room. Now the drums and all the stuff from her bedroom are in our living room. Then I started scoring the wallpaper in her room, spraying it with a chemical, and peeling off the wallpaper. I still have a lot of work to do today and tomorrow. Then we'll see what it will cost to have a texture guy come out and make her walls look normal again. Pretty fun!

I think I promised to have a picture of our church ready to serve on May 10th and I don't think I actually posted one. Here it is as we gathered in our sanctuary before hitting the streets. It was a great day, despite the hangover from a migraine I had that day. You can read the article that appeared in the local newspaper here.

I graduated from college 23 years ago today!

What's on tap for today? I'll continue setting up my new phone. We had to wait until Greg's contract ran out so he could have my phone, and I got a new one. It's cool. It's a PDA phone with Internet, MP3, GPS, and email. Then, it's wallpaper. If I'm lucky, some reading. For Greg, stucco, and other odd jobs. Have a beautiful Sunday!

Runts of the Litter

I was reading my Facing Your Giants book by Max Lucado yesterday and it was talking about David being chosen to face Goliath. David was the youngest of all his brothers, eight in all. He wasn't big and he was a shepherd, tending sheep when he was called. Just doin' his thang. He had slain a few wild animals in his short life though I don't think the Bible makes mention of it until we get to hear this story.

"What caused God to pick him? We want to know. We really want to know.

After all, we've walked David's pasture, the pasture of exclusion.

We are weary of society's surface-level system, of being graded according to the inches of our waist, the square footage of our house, the color of our skin, the make of our car, the label of our clothes, the size of our office, the presence of diplomas, the absence of pimples. Don't we weary of such games?

Hard work ignored. Devotion unrewarded. the boss chooses cleavage over character. The teacher picks pet students instead of prepared ones. Parents show off their favorite sons and leave their runts out in the field. Oh, the Goliath of exclusion.

"The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7)

Those words were written for the haqqatons of society, for misfits and outcasts. God uses them all.

Moses ran from justice, but God used him.

Jonah ran from God but God used him.

Rahab ran a brothel, Samson ran to the wrong woman, Jacob ran in circles, Elijah ran into the mountains, Sarah ran out of hope, Lot ran with the wrong crowd, but god used them all.

And David? God saw a teenage boy serving him in the backwoods of Bethlehem, at the intersection of boredom and anonymity, and through the voice of a brother, God called, "David! Come in. Someone wants to see you." Human eyes saw a gangly teenager enter the house, smelling like sheep and looking like he needed a bath. Yet, "the Lord said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!'"(16:12)

God saw what no one else saw: a God-seeking heart. David, for all his foibles, sought God like a lark seeks sunrise. He took after God's heart, because he stayed after God's heart. In the end, that's all God wanted or needed . . . wants or needs. Others measure your waist or wallet. Not God. He examines hearts. When he finds one set on Him, he calls it and claims it.

The story of young David assures us of this: your Father knows your heart, and because he does, he has a place reserved just for you."

Don't you just love stories where the underdog comes out ahead? Saves the girl, wins the game, kills the giant, and becomes king?

A friend of ours prayed for us last week, and in his prayer, quoted the verse 1 Cor. 1:27 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." I'm sure most of us easily think of the things about us that don't quite measure up to those around us, or those in our society as a whole. This verse should speak volumes to all of us, giving us hope and encouragement that God can, does, and will use us irregardless of our inadequacies. Take joy in all that God designed in us! Have a blessed 3-day weekend!

Sovereignty of God

I was watching Deal or No Deal last night with my family. We all commented on how emotional people get when money is at stake. It's funny how it seems they pin all their hopes on winning the money, when the alternative is to go home and have everything you had when you went to the show. Your life doesn't get worse, you don't lose anything, life continues, and that's not bad.

My son tried to give me an analogy to help me see their perspective. He said, "What if you worked for a company for 30 years and you had a chance to win a lot of money, which meant you could buy a lot of things, do things, and quit your job? The alternative would be you would have to keep working at the same place."

I said, "Well, since I'm not in control, I would figure if God wanted me to have the money, I would, and if not, I wouldn't. Either way would be fine because God is in control and his will for me is always best, no matter what."

He said, "What if you made decisions that affected God's will for you? What if you chose to do things, that made you not have the money for 10 years?"

Greg said, "It wouldn't matter. God, in the end, would work everything out the way he wants. If our choices make it so that we don't see his will now, eventually it will happen, it will just take longer."

This reminded me of Greg's life. God had a call on his life 20 years ago, but through choices he made, he didn't see that happen as soon as it could have. But God is sovereign, and His will eventually will come to pass. In the meantime, God continues to give life lessons, training, testimonies, and good works to take place in his life. God works everything out for good.

Part of understanding the sovereignty of God is letting go of control. There is great peace in knowing God has his best in mind for you and His will will prevail. We don't need to try and control anything in our life or in others' lives. We just need to let go, let God, and enjoy the ride. Blessings this Friday and throughout your holiday weekend!

The Blessing

I don't remember if I ever blogged about this or not, but if not, here goes.

Years ago, when the kids were small, I had a friend who told me about a book called The Blessing. I don't remember a lot of detail about the book, just a general idea that a parent can give a verbal blessing to a child each day and that if a parent is mean to their child, they're taking it away.

So, many years ago as I drove my kids to elementary school I started giving my kids a blessing. I do it to this day. It goes like this:

I say, "I love you guys." (Now it's just Kristen, as Mark is in college and drives himself).

They say, "I love you too."

Then I say, "Have a wonderful, glorious, beautiful, joyful, warm (or cool depending on the weather), fun, educational day."

And they say, "You too, Mom."

Then I pray for each family member's day after they get out of the car.

Greg had to learn to do this after we got married as he sometimes drives them to school. It's funny how I feel guilty on those rare instances when my mind is preoccupied with other things and I forget their blessing. That's when my prayer for them is extra-super-duper strong.

Do you give your kids a blessing each day? It's kind of like a covering for their day. Blessings on this Thursday.

Skewed View of God

Tying in to my post last week about Giants and Ants, Greg shared with me Sunday an illustration he did in his class for new believers.

He was talking about a person's view of God. Sometimes when we have a big problem in our life and we concentrate on that problem, instead of the greatness of God to see us through it, God looks very small compared to our problem. But if we concentrate on God our problem looks much smaller. Kind of like looking at giants or ants. Greg demonstrated this by asking a student to look at the TV on the wall across the room. It looked big to the student. Then Greg held up a pad of paper in front of her eyes. Suddenly she couldn't hardly see the TV (God) but just the pad of paper (the problem). This really hit home and it hit home with me when he explained it. Try it, it really works.

I finished my Chasing Daylight book yesterday and looked at 4 choices for my next book. They included Uprising by Edwin McManus, Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels, and Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. I chose Facing Your Giants. Max takes us through the story of David, who killed Goliath, the giant. I've never read Max Lucado, but find his style interesting and frustrating at the same time. While reading, I got some great nuggets.

"For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, the Philistine giant strutted in front of the Israelite army (1 Sam. 17:16). Yours does he same. First thought of the morning, last worry of the night-your Goliath dominates your day and infiltrates your joy."

"More than 'David versus Goliath,' this is 'God-focus versus giant-focus."

Talking about David cutting off Goliath's head: "You might say that David knew how to get a head of his giant. When was the last time you did the same? How long since you rant toward your challenge?"

"Rush your giant with a God-saturated soul."

"Focus on giants-you stumble. Focus on God-your giants tumble."

Many times David talks about God when facing his giant, not the size or power of the giant. "Do you ponder God's grace four times as much as you ponder your guilt? Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Is your mental file of hope four times as thick as your mental file on dread? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day?"

Makes you think! Let's concentrate on the good God is doing in our lives, not the piddly things the enemy is doing to thwart us! Have a blessed hump day!

Obedience

I was reading this morning a little table in my study Bible that showed the different times God gave specific instructions to people and what happened to them when they didn't follow them. Yikes! Everything from not being allowed to lead his people into the promised land, to becoming a leper, to instant death. If that doesn't put the fear of God into you, I don't know what will.

Have you ever been in a situation where God told you to do something specific? Maybe it made no sense at all. Did you do it, or not do it?

I remember praying about a simple car purchase. I had wanted a Honda Pilot for about 3 years total. But during the first year of my desire for this particular car, I felt God impress upon me to wait until I had $10,000 saved up as a down payment. As a single mom, I knew this was going to be a long wait. So I waited. I saved, but progress was very slow. I continued to research the car in Consumer Reports each year when they did their reviews. I still wanted this car. Then something amazing happened. I gave notice at my job and was given a great severance package, that I neither deserved or ever thought I would get. I continued to receive my salary for the next 34 weeks that I wasn't even working there and while I worked at my current job. I had the down payment saved in 4 months and bought the car I had wanted for years.

I've got to tell you that obeying God in all circumstances has rewards we cannot even see from where we're standing. If I hadn't obeyed God, I would have gone into a great deal of debt. Now, three years later, the car is paid for and the only debt we have is our house, which should be paid off in less than 10 years. God has blessed our obedience in so many areas. Obey the Lord your God. Blessed Tuesday!

Comforting Psalm

I read this Psalm the other day and just loved it. May it bring you comfort.

Psalm 91
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
For e will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation."

Blessings this Monday and all week!

Remodel Update

This week our contractor came over and propped up our roof over our patio. This was needed so that when we remove the concrete slab and posts, the roof doesn't fall. Good insurance. Once that is done and we get our permit, we can pour the new concrete slab, which has to be thicker and reinforced with a re-bar grid. It's important to build a house on a firm foundation.

God's Word is our firm foundation for our life. Matthew 7:24-27 says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, ad the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly fond of things falling around me with a great crash. I can't tell you how many times in my daily devotions God has given me scripture that applies particularly to my current situations. Words of encouragement, promises for the future, comfort, peace, and wisdom. The Bible is rich with God's love for us. Read it daily, build your life on His firm foundation. Have a blessed Sunday!

Humble Pie

I was thinking this morning how often we (Christians) put ourselves down. So many times I think we talk about our weaknesses as though this is the only route to transparency. Being transparent means showing all of us to another person, the good and the bad. It seems showing the good is often viewed as prideful. I think what determines pride is the motive behind what we say. If we're trying to make someone change their view of us for our own personal gain, yes, that's prideful, and manipulative. If we're just being honest about the good things God has put into us, no, that's not prideful.

The Bible says, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you; do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Rom. 12:3) Sober judgement means a right estimation of who we are, the good and the bad. We all have 'bad stuff' so we're on an equal playing field with each other and really don't need to try and 'up one another' in this area. Is our motive sympathy? Are we just expressing sadness or depression?

Phil. 4:8-9 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." If I focused on my 'junk' all the time, I would be really sad and according to this verse, disobedient.

In light of Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.", Let's do our best to work on those shortcomings, so we have less 'bad stuff' to talk and think about . Let's encourage ourselves and others by focusing on the good in Christ and in all of us. We are in a race, the the bad stuff just weighs us down. We have eternal life, why focus on the negative? Have a blessed Saturday.

Dealing with Criticism

Last week I read Perry Noble's blog on the 5 Phases in Dealing with a Critic. I enjoyed his transparency. As I read it, I empathized with having to deal with people who come to you with criticism. I've never been in his position, nor do people come to me very often with criticism, but as I read it, I kept thinking of another phase that he didn't mention he ever went through. It ties into what we talked about yesterday.

"Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil." (1 Thes. 5:19-22)

The phase I'm referring to is the consideration that a person might have actually been sent by God with a message to correct that person. It could just be an observation of a person that something is wrong. Maybe there is something that person doesn't realize they do, or a heart attitude that needs changing. The Bible says to test everything. Just because someone comes with a criticism, doesn't' mean it is correct. We are to weigh it, hold it up to scripture, pray about it, and see if it is correct or not. If it is correct, we have a responsibility to change our behavior or attitude for the better.

We should always have a desire to learn and improve. Rather that being defensive, seeking revenge, or ignoring criticism, consider it an opportunity to grow. It's just as important to be correct in how we receive criticism as it is to change if it is determined to be valid. Test everything. Have a beautiful Friday.

Giftings in the Church

In my reading this morning I read the following passage: "Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil." (1 Thes. 5:19-22)

The notes below the passage in my study Bible said: "By warning us not to stifle the Holy Spirit," Paul means that we should not ignore or toss aside the gifts the Holy Spirit gives. Here, he mentions prophecy (5:20; in 1 Corinthians 14:39, he mentions speaking in tongues. Sometimes spiritual gifts are controversial, and they may cause division in a church. Rather than trying to solve the problems, some Christians prefer to smother the gifts. This impoverishes the church. We should not stifle the Holy Spirit's work in any one's life but encourage the full expression of these gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ. We shouldn't make fun of those who are called to speak for God ("scoff at prophecies"), but we should always "test everything that is said," checking their words against the Bible. We are on dangerous ground if we laugh at a person who speaks the truth. Instead, we should carefully check out what people say, accepting what is true and rejecting what is false."

All kinds of thoughts and examples filled my head when I read the passage and notes. From one extreme to the other, I imagined a church that doesn't allow the expression of these gifts to a church who's whole purpose is wrapped up in one constant expression of just one gift. As I journaled this morning I prayed for balance in the church. Just as God balances the gifts within the church, the exercising of all gifts should be balanced in the church as well. I was saddened by the sentence 'This impoverishes the church'. How much more effective could churches be if the fear of controversy took a back seat to living as the Holy Spirit directs? What would happen? How would the body of Christ be built up? Happy Thursday!

Potential

One of the things I've loved doing over the years is finding the potential in others. I used to teach a class created by Saddleback Church called Discovering Your Ministry. It took people through a self-discovery process. In 90 minutes and about an hour's homework time, people discovered their spiritual gifts, passions, skills, personality type, and catalogued their experiences. Then I had the privilege of meeting with them and walking them through finding out how all these things worked together to make them unique. God has a purpose for everyone, and helping them discover what that purpose was or at least where they would fit in ministry was a great joy.

But you don't need a class, or forms, or even an interview to find out your potential or someone else's (though it helps). All you really need is some time to reflect on these areas and ask God to reveal his purpose for you. In discovering someone else's, spend time with them. Ask them questions. Dig deep and it will come to the surface.

I remember going through this process myself the first time. I had the class and the interview. I was placed in the 3-4 year olds room. Unfortunately, this was a 3 month commitment that was extremely stressful for me. I wasn't created to baby-sit other people's children. It wasn't a good fit. I prayed and prayed about what God wanted me to do. I looked at all the areas God had poured into me. Then it came. Single Mom Brigade. Over and over these words came into my head as I traveled to and from work. God showed me how I had grown as a single mom and that I should pass that knowledge on to other single moms who were struggling. After a few months of God bugging me about this, I talked to one of our Pastors and he gave me the green light to start the ministry. He didn't like the word Brigade so I came up with Heart to Heart. Though I haven't led the ministry for four years, it is going strong. I still have a heart for single moms and can see how God allowed that experience and ministry to mold who I am today. He also made something good out of what the enemy intended for evil.

Do you see the potential in others? Look past the awkwardness, the mistakes, the immaturity, the selfishness, and the pride. These will go away or at least lessen with time as they grow spiritually. See what God has given them to work with and encourage them in that direction. Give them opportunities to serve and make mistakes. Yes, make mistakes. That's how we all learn. God is okay with mistakes, we're human after all. Use mistakes as learning opportunities. They're needed for the process. God bless you today and always.

Giants and Ants

Catchy title, huh? Last night Greg and I went up to Modesto for a prayer meeting. Unfortunately, we were given the wrong date. With both kids out, we were given the gift of a date night. We went through several options, pool, bowling, movie, snack, jogging (he quickly backed out of that one), shopping (also not of interest to Greg last night), so we both decided visiting Borders would be a good idea. Greg nestled himself in the spiritual section picking up a book and sticking with it for an hour. I browsed there and all over the store. I picked up a book for each of the kids and sat down with Greg, looking for something by Beth Moore on the life of David. No such luck. The book Greg found had a lot to do with David. It was called Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. I've never read Max Lucado, but Greg told me he was one of his favorite writers, narrowly beating Phillip Yancey. He found a few paragraphs that encouraged me, so I bought it. It is occupying a space on our mantle wit my other 'I can't wait to read this' books. He bought a book by Max also with three stories in one.

As we talked at Borders Greg made reference to my giants and asked me how I was feeling about them. I thought, then said, "Well, as I keep my eyes on God, they look like little, tiny ants right now." Isn't that the way it is. If we keep our eyes on the giants, they keep looking like giants. If we keep our eyes on God, they look like little, tiny ants. That must have been David's perspective as he went to slay Goliath. I don't plan to literally slay my giants, I'll leave that to God. I just have to do my part, doing the right thing, keeping my heart pure, and keeping my eyes on Him. Everything else is little. Blessings and joy this beautiful day.

Come what may Lord, there are lessons to be learned by each experience.

Fear and Challenge

I was encouraged this weekend as I found time to read more of Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. I'm on the last chapter, but here's what I found Friday:

Erwin talked of how his son began having nightmares that elves were jumping on his bed. He and Kim (his wife) racked their brains to find out what had caused them and tried to reason with him that these elves didn't exist. Then it occurred to them. There had been an earthquake that shook their house and their son had reinterpreted the earthquake. A short time later they went to Northridge to help those who had suffered the most from the earthquake. With their 4-year-old son, they provided food, prayer, and comfort. The nightmares stopped.

"In a very real sense we took him into the mouth of the dragon so that he could overcome his fears.

I am convinced that when we face our fears, we look straight into the eyes of opportunity, and the courage we often need to engage our greatest challenge can be found only in the midst of engaging that challenge. There is a point as we seize our divine moments that a battle begins. It is in this point of impact where we experience conflict, opposition, and resistance. But it is also at this point of impact where we have the greatest opportunity. It is on the battlefield that we reflect what's on God's heart, and we stand in that place where God longs to make Himself known.

When re run from His purpose, we run from His presence. He will send you back to face your fears. There are times when we are called to go forward, and the worst thing we can do is to retreat from the challenge before us to the safety behind us.

It is a privilege to be called to go first even when it means you are the first to suffer and the only one at risk. It means you must bear the weight of responsibility and accept the consequences that will come with the privilege."

So, what is God calling you to do that scares you? He is with you and He will not leave you. Go for it! Blessings this week.

Sacrifice

Whew! What a day we had yesterday. Our church did a church-wide service to the community. Greg and I had been asked to be team leaders over 10 teams of volunteers. We were one of 10 team leaders. This had the potential of 1000 volunteers to hit our community with the love of Christ. We had about 600. It started with a sign-in at 7:00 and a rally at 7:30am with a few great worship songs, pictures, pep talk, and prayer. We hit the streets at 8:00, with us in our yellow/orange shirts.

Some teams finished at lunch-time and came back to the church for hot dogs and beans. Others kept working. One of our teams doing a remodel of a house on the west-side went until 5:45. Some teams cleaned up trash in the neighborhoods, visited the elderly, repaired fences, did yard clean-up on foreclosed homes, worked at group homes, havens, retirement centers, and motels. I beautiful warm day complemented our efforts. There is so much to say about yesterday. As I find pictures to link to, I will.

This was a good day for me to be a part of. I think I had a migraine the night before, so getting up at 5:00am with a head that felt drugged was a challenge. Nausea accompanied me whenever I ate anything. It was a very difficult day, traveling to 45 minutes away to help one of our teams with sprinkler repair, taking someone shopping in the afternoon, and doing church clean-up at the end of the day. But, it was worth it. I'm glad today is Mother's Day. I just want peace, quiet, and rest. Maybe reading and a nap. Maybe a walk. All my favorite things. Happy Mother's Day!

Windows, Doors, & Walls

God ministered to me yesterday while reading Chasing Daylight. I really needed to hear this and it confirmed what Greg had said to me earlier. I hope you enjoy it.

Most divine moments need to be seized, not simply walked through. In the midst of our discouragement we find God creating a new opportunity we never imagined-that would be the window. Yet many times what we find are closed doors, locked windows, long corridors, endless hallways-in other words, lots of walls. It's pretty easy to see the doors of opportunity, and it is always exhilarating when windows of opportunity open before us. What can be missed are the endless divine opportunities hidden behind the walls that can be discovered only if we go through the walls.

Some of life's greatest opportunities are not behind doors or windows, but behind walls.

I've become convinced over the years that the most important moments to seize, the most significant God opportunities, are the ones that do not come easily. Even when they begin easy enough, oftentimes they become far more complex and difficult in the later phases. It shouldn't surprise us that giving ourselves to great things comes with a cost.

Have a blessed Saturday.

Second-Dimention Faith

Erwin McManus in Chasing Daylight describes second-dimension faith as a place you must go to experience the fullness of God in your life. It's a journey we are called to where things become more uncertain before they become clear, where our need for faith in God increases with every step rather than diminishes. This journey requires absolute certainty in the goodness of God while at the same time we relinquish our demand to know the details.

To me, this is the line between an adolescent Christian and a mature Christian. A baby Christian is either new in their faith, or haven't yet developed their relationship with Christ to enter into a place of repentance and obedience. Once someone turns away from the things in their life they know are not pleasing to God, and obeys Him, the enter into the adolescent phase. This is where first-dimension faith lives. This phase is years long and sometimes a life-long place for most believers. But to enter the second-dimension faith means living on the risky side. You lean more on God than your own understanding. You walk away from the logical with the Spirit leads you into radical territory. You don't worry about what other people think, say, or do because you are following the Spirit, not your flesh. God is faithful to carry you through what He has called you to do. This is the mark of a mature believer.

So, where are you? If God called you to do something radical, would you? God bless!

First and Second Dimension Faith

In reading my Chasing Daylight book by Erwin McManus, I find I do a lot of highlighting. This guy really speaks to my heart, and Greg's too. We are well aligned with what he thinks and feels and I get so much out of his books.

One of the things he talks about is first and second dimension faith. I had never heard these terms before. It makes sense. Here's what he writes about first dimension faith:

First-dimension faith is not only about trusting the character of God, but also about transforming your character. Much of first-dimension faith is about doing the right thing regardless of the circumstance or consequence. It is about having the faith that God will be with you when you do what's right. All too often we compromise character to avoid unwanted consequences. We all have to start here, and so much about seizing divine moments is worked out in this realm.

Like he says, this is where we all start on our faith journey. Often we are able to easily do the right thing, except when there is a consequence we don't want to face. There are innumerable opportunities for this.

Have you ever compromised your integrity by taking the easy way out, instead of facing the consequences of doing the right thing? God is faithful, and our righteous behavior is honored by him. God never promised us comfortability in dealing with other people, but he did promise his blessings for obeying his Word. Do the right thing, every time. If you're waffling on what to do, do nothing, pray about it, and God will direct your steps.

Tomorrow we'll talk about second-dimension faith. This is the step after we learn to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. This is where risk and faith come in to play.

Blessings!

Faith, Hope, and Patience

Have you ever been in a position of waiting for something and there was nothing you could do about it? Feeling trapped, like being under a glass ceiling, you wait, knowing your future is in someone else's hands?

You may feel this in you job, you can't move ahead until those above you are sufficiently impressed. Maybe you feel this in ministry, you have a great idea, but are waiting on approval. Maybe you're waiting for approval on a loan, a federal tax rebate, or some other financial improvement to help you move to the next level or buy that thing that you desperately need. Maybe you're waiting for God to answer a prayer, maybe to heal you or someone you care about, but you're not seeing any improvement. And so you wait . . . patiently?

I was thinking this morning about waiting and what constitutes patience. Is it an attitude deep within our heart? Is it having a sense of peace about a situation? I've found that when I've had the most patience waiting, I've also got a good dose of faith and hope. Faith that God will provide in His perfect timing. He cares for me and wants his best for me. If what I'm waiting for is within His will, then it will all work out. Hope is that thing I look to in the future, that thing my eyes are fixed on, that thing I'm waiting for. I imagine what it will be like when the waiting is over. Flood gates will open up, tension will leave my body, and the river of my life will flow freely again. If I don't have that horizon to look at, I get frustrated instead of patient.

My prayer for you is that faith, hope, and patience become your mode of operation when you have to wait for someone else to act. Blessings today and always.

An Old Friend

I really don't know if I can classify him as a friend. What makes a friend? Frequency of visits? Length of time spent? Depth of intimacy of conversation? Trust level? Feelings of benevolence toward someone?

Greg and I went for our almost nightly walk last night but decided to walk to the park, which is a totally different direction and usually results in an 'incident'. I wrote months ago about the time we walked to the park and ended up with our names on a police report after witnessing a neighborhood display of anger with the throwing of a bicycle multiple times in the street. It was then that we met these folks. I honestly can't be sure of their names and I should have asked last night, but it was enough to see how warmly we were welcomed by this young man. His friend had just whizzed by us on a forked motorcycle/street bike concoction. No helmet, which caused me alarm considering how fast he went down the street. This young man, we'll call him Juan, saw us, recognized us from a couple of walks before, stretched out his tattooed arm, and with a sweet, sheepish grin, shook our hands with a "Hi, how are you guys doing? I just got out, 34 days." I saw his sister, Vanessa with their little sister slip into the house. I really want to know more of this guy's story. It seems like there is a deep pool there, even though he can't be more than 20 years old. Skinny as a rail and dressed in a white t-shirt down to his shins, I look forward to having a long conversation with him. He's a sweet spirit for sure.

I've always had trouble figuring out what makes someone a friend. If you had to invite people to your wedding, is the line of who gets invited and who doesn't the determining factor of who friends are and who they aren't? Is it the people who's names you know and say hi to when you see them? Or is a deeper commitment required? Funk & Wagnalls defines a friend as 1. One who is personally well known by oneself and for whom one has warm regard or affection; intimate. 2. One with whom one is on speaking terms; as associate or acquaintance. 3. One who belongs to the same nation, party, etc., as oneself; also, one with whom one is united in some purpose, cause, etc. 4. A patron or supporter.

Let's try to expand our circle of friends today. Who around you can you develop a warm regard and affection for?

Blessings to you, my friend, this Tuesday.

The Demolition Has Begun!

Greg worked hard Sunday to take down the stucco on the patio. A lot ended up inside the house, as my throat and tonsils are rebelling against the dust particles. Time for me to get a mask.

This morning I read Matthew 22 for my devotions. In verses 1-14, Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast. A king prepared a great feast and people were invited but no one came. The king was angry and opened up the feast to anyone on the street. Many people refused to come, saying they were too busy, had other things to do. Some of the servants doing the inviting were hurt or killed. The king was furious and destroyed those who killed his servants. When the king entered the feast and saw the guests, he noticed one wasn't dressed appropriately. Back then if someone didn't have appropriate clothing, some were given to them to wear. The king had this man thrown out into the darkness.

When I've read this in the past, my 21st century American-cultured brain thought, why did he get thrown out for not wearing appropriate clothing? Was it a cultural thing back then? Aren't we supposed to love and accept everyone no matter how they're dressed? Then it occurred to me. This is a parable. So the parallel is that though everyone is invited into the kingdom of heaven, many reject the invitation. Then there are those who accept the invitation, but some choose to wear their own clothes rather than Christ's clothes. In other words, some choose to try and get to heaven under their own righteousness, rather than Chrst's.

I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of darkness. I'm wearing the fancy clothes!

Have a great Monday and a great week!

Shopped Till We Dropped

Yesterday Greg and I drove up to Lodi to Ben's Appliances. We hadn't planned on buying anything, since they're so far away we thought the deliver would be outrageous and difficult. We were met by Shawna. An amazingly bright, hard-working, knowledgeable young lady who answered every question, demoed products, called other stores for pricing and beat every price by a lot of money. Then she cancelled the delivery charge! Needless to say, we bought our refrigerator, cooktop, and dishwasher. She saved me from a mistake too. I had planned to get a Whirlpool dishwasher and Whirlpool told me they had a trim kit so it would accept a cabinet face. The trim kit would have shown all the way around the front, making it look hokey. We got a Kitchen Aid, which has the ability to totally look like our cabinets.

Next we went to Escalon to take Greg's mom out for a Mother's Day/Birthday lunch. She told us today was the year anniversary from her heart attack which resulted in a 7-bypass operation and a week in the hospital. She's doing great now.

Next it was off to Modesto to order our sectional. First we stopped to look at dining room tables, but didn't find anything even close to what we wanted. Then we bought the sectional, saving about $300-400 from what it would have cost if we ordered it 6 weeks ago when we found it. We also got $300 in free merchandise to buy during May.

We came home very exhausted. We were blessed by a friend who came over to pick up some items and he gave us grout and paint advise for our living room. The kids left to go see the high school drama, Greg gave me a back rub, and by 6:45 we were falling asleep. I didn't wake up until 4 hours later and talked with Mark about the play. We didn't even hear them come home! We kept sleeping all night. Boy, did we need it!

We're donating our sofa, loveseat, and table next weekend, so we'll be without living room furniture for about a month. Kristen offered us her bean bag ottomans in her room to sit on. Should be fun!

Today Greg will be destroying our patio. He didn't get to it yesterday. Me, I'll be ironing, reading, exercising, and resting. It's good to be home.

New Book

Well, it didn't take long, did it? I'm halfway through Chasing Daylight and I get another book. This one is called Releasing the Power of Rubber Bands, Lessons in Non-linear leadership by Nancy Ortberg. Nancy was one of my favorite speakers at the Awaken 2008 conference last month.

The book hasn't been published yet, I have an unedited edition. So far I love it. It talks about how leadership is like rubber bands. When you're leading someone, you want to stretch them taught, challenging them. Too much stretching and they could break, or become un-useful. Too little stretching, keeping them limp, really doesn't allow them to be used for the purposes for which they were created. Basically, we need to challenge those under our care. Exercise them to make them strong and growing toward maturity. Basically, discipleship. I think her analogy is a good one, and the title will attract those in the secular world who wouldn't pick up a "Christian" book on discipleship, but are looking for leadership principles. It's the same in either realm. Good leaders know how to develop those under them and around them. It's like parenting, only you have the time to have a strategy before it's needed, where in parenting you're making decisions on how to handle behaviors by the seat of your pants.

If you're interested in Discipleship, there are a couple of links on this page toward the bottom of my two favorite discipleship books, The Disciplemaker's Handbook and Disciples Are Made, Not Born. The links take you to Amazon.com so you can read more about the books.

I had an opportunity to inject a little discipleship into my daughter yesterday. We went to her school to sign her up for driver's ed. On our way out we ran into her English teacher who said she was an excellent writer and that she hadn't turned in her essay to take AP English next year. (She's getting it done this weekend) On the way out, she told me she didn't do it because she was afraid the essay would be too hard. It was on a punctuation mark. After she heard of other students who had written the essay, and after prodding from her teacher, she decided to o it. On the way to the car, the words, "Never let fear rob you of an opportunity" just popped out of my mouth. I know this was a little too wise for me to come up with and wording I wouldn't normally use, so I take no credit for it. But I repeated it to her to make sure she got it and she did. That just might be a phrase that gets repeated around here. I think of the things that fear could have robbed me of in my life, like going to college to get a degree, getting married, having kids, changing jobs, etc. Don't let fear rob you of an opportunity either. Blessings the beautiful day.

Kindred Spirit

Yesterday Greg and I had the privilege of going to the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast. We had never been before, and had never felt a desire to go. When our Pastor announced it last Sunday we both had a longing to attend. We didn't tell each other as we sat in service. It wasn't necessarily because of the speaker but we had a tug to go. Greg sat there thinking, "How can I rearrange my work schedule to be able to go?" I sat there thinking, "With our remodel, can we afford the $20 tickets to go?"

After service some dear friends approached us and said they had two tickets they couldn't use, and did we want to go? We still didn't know each other wanted to go, and we both said, "Yes!"

Josh McDowell was the guest speaker. He was funny, sentimental, intellectual and covered things like the probability of kids in single or double parent households getting into trouble based on the type of relationship they had with their father and their mother had with their father, his childhood, and his family. He talked about relationships molding our beliefs, which mold our values, which mold our behavior. It was a great talk.

I have to say my favorite part was sitting next to some friends we've had the pleasure of sharing meals with in the past. I truly feel a kindred spirit with this couple. I sat next to the wife and we talked and talked all during breakfast. We talked about marriages, and how it seemed when you have a wife who is emotional (likes to get with girlfriends and talk, shop, go to retreats with other ladies, cry, etc.) it seems she and her husband don't have the same close relationship as a couple where the wife is more task/logical. I was thinking this morning that women who are more emotional (probably not the best word, probably something like 'more female' or something) are also more dependent on their mothers even after they are married and united with their husbands as one. We concluded that this wife is more on the same wavelength as her husband and they can relate to each other better.

Greg popped in and out of our conversation. At one point he asked her, "Are you more likely to go to a retreat with other ladies, or stay home?" She said, "Stay home." It was then that I put my arm around her and announced her as my good friend, and realizing I was just like her, she said she loved me.

It's friendships like this that make life fun. Who is your kindred spirit? Someone with the same values and beliefs that you have? Someone who understands you and likes the things you do?

Blessings!

Influence

Yesterday I promised a story about someone who had influence in someones life, though he was reluctant to do so. Erwin McManus tells the story in Chasing Daylight.
It's a long story, so I'll paraphrase.

A UPS driver would make deliveries in L.A. and would have to stop at a particular intersection almost daily. He dreaded this location because whenever he would stop, a gas station attendant would come out and start talking to him, non-stop. Whether he was checking his packages, getting his hand truck, wheeling his delivery to local businesses, writing up paperwork, this guy would be talking to him, following him about and wouldn't stop until he drove away.

One day the gas station attendant was beaming. He handed the UPS driver an envelope and told him he was getting married and would he come to the wedding? The driver didn't commit, knowing at some point he would just have to say no. Weeks went by and every week the attendant would ask him, "Are you coming to my wedding?" The driver had checked his calendar and seen he had a leadership meeting for church that day. He was prepared to say he had a prior engagement, but the words came out, "Sure, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it." He sat there stunned, then had to figure out he wouldn't be attending the meeting with his wife.

The day of the wedding he got dressed up, and realized he had forgotten a gift or card. He decided to bring his video camera and tape the wedding and give that as a stand-in gift. He arrived at the chapel and was escorted to the groom's side. Five minutes before the wedding, he was still the only person on that side of the church, as the bride's side had almost filled. Twenty-five people got up and moved to the groom's side. He taped the wedding and the bride and groom were all smiles.

After the wedding, the groom came up to him and thanked him for being there. Then he asked if he was coming to the reception. Again, the words came out, "Sure, I'll be there. I just have to put my equipment away."

He drove to the parent's home for the reception and decided to tape that as well. Not knowing anyone it was better than making small talk. The toasts were given and he taped away. The groom stood and thanked everyone for coming. Then he said, "I want to especially thank my best friend, Dave." And he pointed to the UPS driver taping and everyone toasted him. Dave was floored. Best friend? Are you kidding?

The groom came up to Dave a few minutes later and hugged him, thanked him again for coming, and said, "I sent out 150 invitations to family and friends, and you were the only one who came to my wedding. That means a lot to me."

Dave realized that he had experienced a divine moment. It wasn't about what Dave wanted to do that day, he had an appointment from God. Dave and the groom later became discipleship partners after Dave led him to Christ. They go to the same church and have a great relationship.

You never know what one word, moment, hug, or conversation will lead to. It's not about you, it's about them. Be open and willing to seize divine moments.

Have a beautiful day.