Blog Spotlight (Sunday): “Home Sanctuary”

Tonight, we are taking a family night.  The kids are all there out jumping on the trampoline (happy sounds at the moment), a breeze is blowing through open windows–I need some simple REST. 

I’m so proud of our church…usually it is TOTALLY REFRESHING no matter how tired I am.  But, I will not look good on Monday unless I take a break from all activity.

Tonight, I did surf a blog Dori referred me to lately.  It’s Home Sanctuary.  It does have music if you are a night surfer…funny music on her topics…cracks me up.  But, you can subscribe in an RSS feeder if you can’t read and listen at the same time (or just turn down the music…it’s so entertaining, it’s hard!).  I have that trouble on occasion.

Here is an excerpt from one of her posts this week:

 

I often use the Blame Card to come up with plausible reasons for my own shortcomings:

My house doesn’t look nice because I can’t afford new furniture.

I can’t get a “real” job because I don’t have a college degree.

I can’t be a good mom because my kids are too needy.

I’m not a good cook because I don’t have nice pots and pans.

I don’t have many friends because I have to work so much.

I don’t manage money well because I wasn’t taught how to.

I can’t fix that because it’s not my job.

All this stress is making me short-tempered and irritable.

My house is messy because no one helps me.

The only problem with playing the Blame Game is that it leaves me in a state of inertia.  It blocks my mind from thinking big thoughts.  It binds me to the past.  It makes me bitter.  It affects my home sanctuary negatively.

But I don’t want to be like that.

Today’s Small Thing is to think about something in your life that you’re blaming someone or something for – that’s keeping you from taking responsibility and moving on. 

She gives a challenge every time she posts…it helps motivate me to know another mom needs to challenge herself each day, just to get the floor swept.  That’s me! 

Enjoy the rest of the blog entry at Home Sanctuary.

I love to be challenged by new directions and thoughts.

 

Easter Family Photos

My camera’s timer feature is my friend.   Thanks EM, for sharing the new shirt for my boy last year, worked great with Goldilock’s green dress.  Red was able to wear last year’s clothes, as well.  So easy this year.  Leftover shoes worked for everyone, so I’m glad I didn’t fight the war of new ones. 

A new dress for Goldilocks this year.  She’s outgrown last year’s, or more probably worn it to death!  She loved it. 

Grace and simplicity in all this year.  God knew my heart. 

The forsythia outside my bedroom window is exploding in bloom!  Wow!

Before photoshop:

A dreary day.  So, Photoshop is also my friend.  It was grey, windy, Red’s sweater wasn’t pulled down, and his eyes were nearly shut. Stealing eyes is a great trick.

. 

Cold outside, but lots of fun inside. We finally got that quiet, down time I needed with the kids.

One loved pink and flowers…

One can make football out of anything! 

 

Loved seeing her dressed up at the sink, offering to help peel potatoes!  She picked out her own dress this year.

A treasured baby afgan in silky yarns brought out for a much needed shawl–I’m wearing it myself this Spring with knitting and crochet all the rage.  A treasure we are enjoying again.

“The Three Amigos”

Before church…COLD!  We made it fast!

We tucked Red’s shirt in 15 times if we did once!

I stayed up ironing, finding socks for the boys–we were still tighter on time than we wanted to be the next morning.  But, the turkey was roasting and it was great to have The Hub home to help us get ready.

The peripherals, though not the important thing, help give the honor, celebration, and focus to the special-ness of the day, I hope.  (About the only time I get all three children in a decent photo, too!  Not sure I got one last year due to the cantata costumes.)

AND…{drumroll}…I am technically 25 years old today.  I prefer this birthday!  :D  What a GREAT way to celebrate my “birthday” in Christ!

My “ONEs” for the Year

One word for the year…that’s what I’ve been thinking toward the last few years.  One phrase.  One scripture.  One thing. 

I can do that.

Today Sunday School, I forgot my short story book…where prayers are made: ”Lord, help!”

The early AM services helped move us into the direction of resolutions–where I wanted to go.  I’d made stars for the kids to write their “one word”, but I needed a story to tie it together before class.

We talked about a short word or phrase goal for the year.  Some of mine have been:  “Smile.”  “Joy.”  “Shine”.  “Seek peace”. 

When class started, I said, “Does anyone know what ‘resolution’ means?”

By the time we finished, I was teaching them about pictures and clarity and computer screen resolution and pixels…and we decided that “resolutions” lead to “higher resolution”…a clearer picture in our lives of Christ.  Now, how cool is that?

We put our one word on a star and decorated it with sequins, putting thoughts around the one wor that gave us some direction as to how to attain the one word goal.  Finally, I helped them find scriptures that spoke to that goal.  Everytime I shared a key word I’d focused on, one of them would pipe in spontaneously with a song to go with that keyword.  Eli was the first, then Keely, then others.  I told them they were like the funny  little mice on the movie “Babe”. 

After they shared their words:  “health, active, attitude…(great thoughts)”, I shared mine:

Ta-Da!  It always feels like magic of some sort when I get my “new word” for the next year.  It usually comes from repeat exposure, a sense of awe and inspiration that comes–something that I can’t get out of my head.  Usually something that surprised me or caught me as “new” or relevant or needful.  Not necessarily divinely inspired in any spiritual moment…just something I can focus on as a whole and be walking in the right direction in seasons where things may feel “fuzzy”.

This year’s came from a scripture Bro. Ray brought out about a month ago, 2 Timothy 2:22.  All three of these have similar and basic elements that describe an effective walk with Christ:  turning, seeking, and pursuing. 

1. Psalm 34:14 (Support verse, OT)
   Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
    
2. 2 Timothy 2:22 (My One VERSE)
   Flee the evil desires of youth {[note to self:  think about what those are]}, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
    
3. 1 Peter 3:11 (Support verse, NT re-quoted))
   He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

I’d like to add this year to teach them to my kids.  Key verses.  I can do that.

“How Do I Give If I’m In Debt Myself?”– Financial Quandries

A few questions have come up.  If you are interested, and need some help or freedom in this area:  read on.  If not, skip it!  Isn’t blogging a joy?    

There are two things to differentiate:  the tithe, and then the offering.  Two very different things. 

The titheis to be a “first-fruit”.  What’s a first-fruit?  It’s not Juicy Fruit.  It’s not an apple.  Don’t put either of those in the offering plate unless God tells you to specifically.

In the Old Testament, God asked the people to give the first of their crops and harvests to him, the best of what they had.  It was to be given as an offering before they ate any of the restof the harvest.  The firstfruit was given to help establish priority of thanksgiving, the priority of obedience, and to remember God first.  

The tithe today is intended to represent “first-fruit”.  That is why you don’t want to wait until there is a surplus to tithe.  Test God in that.  He will meet the rest.  Some adjustments and priority may need to be made, but that’s where the rule of 90 comes in. 

The Rule of 90:  (I coined that term myself…I love it.  I sounds so official).  I didn’t coin the idea.  The other 90% has to be given to God for the 10% rule to work with grace.   God wants our all in everything.  And the very cool thing is:  He does more with it than we ever could!

Tithing seems to work to align our lives in greater wisdom and less attachment to things.  He teaches us to rely on creativity, ingenuity, and thanksgiving to fill our hearts rather than the pleasure of “stuff”. 

The baseline for the tithe, what God expects from us, is generally defined as 10% of the check (gross or net is up to you to decide.  One person said, “Do you want a gross or a net blessing?“)   Most financial books only consider income.  However, there are also I’ve been compelled to give a tithe on other blessings or provisions God provides me out of the ordinary.  There is a Biblical basis for this.  In the Old Testament, they tithed any provision…even spices. 

We have the children tithe their birthday cash.  This is a personal decision not dictated by scripture, but a tool we’ve chosen to use to teach our kids the priority of giving.  They enjoy it and are sad when they leave it at home.  I’ve seen them cry and ask us to go back home for it.  They like to take part and give something “adult”, giving something of their very own.  It’s amazed us to watch.   

The Offering:

The offering is given above the tithe.  While the tithe is considered the monthly commitment to help support the budget of the local body where we are involved, we think of offerings as other gifts we may give to support special causes inside or outside the church.  It’s “a love offering”…something to help others “just because”.

You might ask, “How do you get ahead enough to do both, I can’t even get my act together enough to tithe yet?”

Start.  I recommend starting with the tithe rather than with the offering because the tithe is what God asks.  Give what you can.  Give an offering if you absolutely cannot tithe, but if God asks us to do it, his requests of us are not burdensome.  He only asks us to do what is good for us.   

Show genuine and long-term interest and discipline in giving and managing income, and he will help you learn more and more until you see the joy in it.  It’s like anything else we learn, it takes time, some stumbling, some falling, and eventually learning to walk with a solid gait so that you don’t even remember the “learning to walk”.  You just know that you walk.  I have to tell you that it’s great to not have to feel convicted or defensive every time the subject comes up.  Try.  

I had jury duty this week and several people had VERY legitimate excuses to not serve where they were asked.  The judge said, “But, can you try?  Do it one time for me and we’ll see how it goes before we excuse you, okay?  Try, and then we’ll make arrangements”.  Perhaps the same applies here.  Before you make excuses, try.  Then make needed adjustments if you have to. 

But, we’re WAY in debt.  Sometimes the ends don’t meet! 

I’d like to suggest that in 90% of the cases, debt is due to extravagance, not need.  It is due to credit card abuse and use, overspending, and frivolity.  That’s the bottom line.  Yes, we pay for mistakes.  One way to keep from doing it again is to begin tithing.  A monthly reminder that we are working toward a goal of managing our money as God intended will help the next time you want to upgrade a car or get more than is necessary.

Let me insert a personal note here.  I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than a family committed to becoming debt free.  They learn to be creative with their time.  They learn to not keep up with the Joneses, they develop an inner beauty that radiates because they are trying to honor the Lord with what they have.  They learn to be content where they are and share out of that, rather than trying to impress.  They are a joy to be around.  I had one friend who regularly invited us over for simple meals of homemade waffles or spaghetti.  To this day it was the best food I’ve ever eaten, and the best company we’ve ever kept.

I’ve had friends who wanted to be out of debt so that they could be even better givers.  They tithed what they could in that process, but they wanted to be freed up– to lose their focus on money and “stuff”.  They may have started at a lower percentage, with the goal of increasing it every quarter until they got to 10%.  Personally, I’d rather know I’m blessing the Lord and give the full 10%, trusting Him, but you start where you are, and it’s easier to do 10 when you’ve begun there.  Start where you are, and get there.  You may have a heart to increase it as the Lord increases you, as some I know.  Giving becomes a surpasses joy, I do know that.

Examples:  I’ve seen four families go through a debt free process.  One family had 3 kids, one 4, one 5, and one was a couple without kids.   There are many ways to start, but a budget is usually involved.  If you a person who struggles with management and numbers, a simple envelop system may work.  You take budget areas and label an envelope with each area according to records of past expenses, or how much you think the family could make it on that area.  (Don’t forget to include long- term expenses like insurance and taxes).  Also, try to build several hundred dollars for a start on an “emergency fund” envelope.  

If the grocery envelop goes empty, you have to pull from another area that month: entertainment, eating out, or clothing.  After a few months, you begin to see where spending problems are, or where adjustments need to be made:  there is motivation to get creative or do better in some areas so that there is some left in other areas.

Larry Burkett’s “How to Manage Your Money” is a great resource for money.  Ron Blue offers good suggestions as well.  Read what you can, try it, and find what works best for you.  Keeping the idea fresh in your mind by reading books helps with restraint, especially in high expenditure times like the holidays where people want to “love” people to death and then stay mad the rest of the year trying to pay off the debt!  Agh!  Break that cycle this year!

Gifts:  How Do I Give and Make the Holidays Work? 

We are not hurting financially at this time.  But, we still try to set up the kids for their future.  How?  We regularly give our kids gently used gifts for Christmas if it’s something they might enjoy.  Things I’ve found along the way and saved for a rainy day.  I’ve always wrapped some “necessities” like warm winter clothing or church clothes so that they know the value of those things and remember to have joy and thanks over them.  They are the priority, why not learn to celebrate that together in a tangible way?  Plus, it makes the tree pretty and helps extend gift giving time without buying so many toys they don’t need.   We all make homemade gifts for each other and buy useful things.  We might defer the purchase of an appliance until the holidays so that we have something new and useful to enjoy at that time. 

It doesn’t have to be something sparkly and new, meant to impress all our friends for us to remember to feel valued and take joy.  Provoking jealousy is a problem…don’t do it.  Guard yourselves if being around those types of people causes you to feel “less than” in your approach during the holidays.  Rejoice for them!  But, don’t let it question your family’s approach if the goal is debt reduction.  Make sure you and your spouse are on the same page.   Don’t surprise a spouse with a “big gift” if you agreed to minimize.  That is a killer of joy.  Rejoice in simplicity. 

Reduce the amount spent on baking.  You’ll live without it.  Most of us won’t miss it a year.  Simplify.  Create other traditions like covered pretzels or working puzzles that don’t cost an arm and a leg.

Rejoice in traditional ornaments and family heirlooms instead of having the latest fad decorations.  An occasional new item is alright, try to find it post season for next year. 

Well, that’s all for today!  I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas or that they’ve been useful in some way.  If you have questions, feel free to email me.  I’ll try to get to all the questions here and there.  Thanks for asking!

Slowly Getting There

I have felt so odd today.  Everything a bit out of place.  A few notes missed, out of character.  Feeling sort of pulled together.  Perhaps the lack of routine is getting to me, the change of seasons, the change of family situations, new tasks to learn, meals to cook.  Oh, yes, lots to be thankful for, but an overall lack of normalcy.   A family member in Iraq, one facing surgery this week, another with cancer.  Just a lot of “new”. 

I so needed the sermon today: the holidays are not about perfection, perfect situations and people and hot cocoa moments (I just made that up “hot cocoa moments”.  That’s a good one)…it is about our need for a Saviour–through it all.  And I’m thankful for that. 

I’ve come to realize that this whole day has been a decision for me to continue the disciplines of Thanksgiving into the Christmas season, with the priority of thanks now simply shifting to my thanks for Christ, through whom all good things flow.  Jesus makes Thanksgiving possible. 

Rather than “transitioning to the Christmas season”, I want to continue the discipline of joy, thankfulness, observation, service, celebration…these are my comfort and joy.

You know what?  At the hanging of the greens service, there were many “carolers”…people looking crisp and holiday.  But, there were many like me, watching, just showing up, enjoying in jeans and a sweatshirt.  At first, I was self conscious.  I usually find something red and festive for the occasion to take part.   Tonight, I decided to recover, and just ”be”. 

While I was “being”, Boy Wonder gave me wonderful hugs and a neck massage.  I rubbed his curly mass of hair for a while as he reclined on my shoulder.  I was afraid I might make him self conscious, so I stopped.  He took me hand, twice, put it back, willing it to keep moving through his locks.   

Down the pew, my Goldilocks curled her lengthening legs up in her handsome Daddy’s lap, hugging his neck tight for a very long time, smiling up at him adoringly as only a daughter in her sweetest moments can do.  The Hub and I locked gazes,  reaching across three children to clasp fingers, if only for a few moments.  We smiled at each other, drinking it in. 

Red?  Oh, he was there…sprawled across all of us most of the time, fighting for more space, as in…the whole pew, not giving me place to land OR room to stand.  The pester-wort of the evening, he saved all his hugs for Mamaw.  I got tickled as he read “CANDY” in the program, and they grew excited together about it.  Mamaw acting as if she didn’t have a clue. 

Add The Hallelujah Chorus, Wonderful, Merciful Saviour (and a healing baby as Jesus), a quartet and various solos to chill you, Christmas carols (ending in my favorite, Silent Night), and I began to soften to the gentle, healing lull and simple joys of Christmas.  Not the work of it…but the spirit…giving: glowing lights to replace fallen leaves.  Joy to replace the cold of winter.  Smiles and cheer to soothe hurt, pain, sickness.

I might just be able to celebrate beyond Thanksgiving.  I might.

Comments have been turned off for the evening.  Thanks for the grace of your presence.

Flowers from God: Volume 2, Autumn Video 2007

Well, here it is.  I had to upload it to youtube in a smaller file to fit all the pics in, but it’s still decent.

Nobody expected this after the drought!  Creater God, Lord of all Creation, “woo-ing” us all over again.

This was the song on the radio while I was driving around looking at nature the other day.  Loved snapping photos as it played.

Photos/Video: Maggie

Music:  Phillips, Craig, and Dean “Open the Eyes of My Heart”,  Album:  “Let My Words Be Few”

Sunday Thoughts, Potted Meat, etc…I know, that’s a bad title

Sunday nights are generally a bit of a downer.  I go to church, get my heart all softened and opened up, and there are the needs of children pressing, the needs of a spouse pressing, the needs of Monday pressing, and my energy is low.

And I hate that. 

I dreamed about potted meat on the way home.  I’m not sure why.  And then I started thinking about pickled bologna, which I have in the extra fridge.  It’s expensive, and lasts a very long time around here, because I’m the only one who eats it.  I also started thinking about Humus, but the last few times I ate that, I got heartburn, so I veered from that back to the bologna, but that sounded too strong, so I started thinking of Ham in the fridge, but that sounded too boring, not to mention, I had it yesterday.

Ya’ll are riveted by now.   Yeah.  Ya’ll are needing some fellowship, too, or you wouldn’t be reading this, so I don’t want to hear about it.

So, I dreamed up a pickled bologna spread with either the mini chopper or cheese grater from Pampered Chef.  I opted for the latter as I could not see the mini chopper in the cabinet, though it was my weapon of choice.  I add some real Mayo and crackers, and had a nice Sunday night snack.  It hit the spot, and left me a bit on the “ugh” side, but mainly from the real Mayo I’m not used to.  Overall, a more mild taste.  A girl needs her Nitrates now and then.

Today, I also created an apple popover with the sandwich maker with some cut-up Gala apples, applesauce (remnants of this weeks disaster on the floor by daughter, as you, the faithful, recall).  I sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar, and Mmmm.  It was pretty tasty.  I recommend the bread ENDS for this, as they taste even more crunchy than the normal bread (on every thing in the sandwich maker), but especially for this recipe, because the applesause has a tendancy to seep through the regular light bread and keep it somewhat soggy.  One end piece saved it from being too “wet” to transport and enjoy.

In other news, I did notes on the book of “Numbers” today over at Level Path.  Whew.  The notes were fun…I think it’s probably been my most fun book this far…lots of hidden jewels and “synapses firing” with things going on in my mind.  Sharing my study notes seems as exciting for others to read, as say, flossing our teeth together together, but hey, for those of you reading along who want to know what I’m gaining, here is my faithful note collection link:  Numbers:  A Surprisingly Good Feast.  I didn’t call it anything so entertaining as “Suprisingly Good Feast”, though.   I just made that up.  Anyway…

Worship was a totally awesome thing all day for one reason or another.  If you missed it…why yes, you did miss out!  All of you at the beach and on vacation in exciting places…I have no pity for you whatsoever.  We had a blast throwing beach balls around the room, doing Shackles together, and otherwise, listening to a couple big hunks of meat already challenging me on patience and intimacy with God.  So… there!

No…I’m not bitter.  Not much.  Okay, so maybe a little.  Or a lot.  But, we are going rock wall climbing and doing one overnight at a hotel, as is our tradition, and it’s about all we can normally handle.  Hard to believe it’s been a year since our own DISNEY trip.  It was the most fun we’ve ever had as a family.  I love the memories!

Oh…I’m hosting an open house here from 10-2 on Monday and possibly on Tuesday, depending on your schedules and mine (we’re on a flex schedule right now, which means I’ll entertain as long as my kids are holding out).  Let me know when you are free and want to hang out for a while doing Fall stuff.  Bring something to feed me or show me of interest:  that is your admission.  If it is only yourself, well, you’d better dress well.  HA!  It’s easy:  a magazine I’ve not seen (I’ve not seen most),  something to drink, something leftover, something you are working on…it doesn’t have to be fancy, just conversational.  

On to Kroger for me.  We are out of Q-tips and paper towels…have been for several days.  It’s pretty rough living out here in the wild. 

~Maggie

This is Awesome–A Must See!

How the Church Should Respond When the Enemy Prowls: 

Thanks, Cous!  I teared up watching this!  Blessings to you and your family as you get settled into Mexico ministry!  Son muy bueno!

You’ll Want to See the Father Hold Me Close

Oh, Kim, baby…how this did my heart good tonight!

“But I know you’ll want to see my Father hold me through these trials”

…were the words you were looking for at the moment this frame was inserted.

Yes, very fitting!  PraiseGod!  Fast forward exactly one week past this heart felt moment (me, just below these arms, wreaked in stomach pain with a virus!) and she gets a cancer diagnosis. Okay, so I still got the better end of that deal, perhaps. And, yes, I was jealous at the time.

One week later…she is still a worshipper in the same posture, leading hundreds herself as a vocalist in worship. 

Oh, how good He is!!!

View video in it’s entirety at this link.  (Yes, it’s worth it!)

Yup, Kim…that’s certainly worth autographing!  (What do you think, a white, or pink gel pen?  Hmmm…)  I want one!  Hang in there, siesta!  I love you!

Photos:  Deeper Still blog

Mid-day Prayer

Meaningful…

give me something heaped with meaning!

Suprise me…

surprise me with REAL LIFE!

Beautiful…

amaze me with Your beauty!

Stun me…

stun me with delight!

Invite me…

seat me at your banquet table

Feast with me…

finest of foods that satisfy

Look at me…

though I am weary

Energize me…

with YOUR LIFE!

Song of Solomon 2:4
He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.

Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Father Prayer

Lord,

You are.

You are blessing and honoring and moving.

I see it.

Help me to trust you more.

Not melt down when I don’t have to; or be afraid to melt down when I need to; 

Oh, if I knew the fine line between the two!

Help me to keep loving and trusting and praying

Not fearing and dreading and losing hope 

Able to cry; not crying too much

Laughing, savoring, preparing…

Not freezing up–despairing.

Reveal yourself to me

Every hug, every song over me

Every butterfly, drop of rain,

Everything!

Pointing to You

Provision, trust, hope, help,

Meeting needs,

“Keeping”; Not abandoning

 Never!

Father.  Father.  Father!  Father.  FATHER.

Father, you are to me.

I am  your child

Trusting.

Help me to trust you, and depend on you

You hear me when I beg you to!

Bless and keep us all.

Amen. 

Sunday–Thank You for your timely words…

The fruit of righteousness will be PEACE the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence FOREVER.

Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)

Lord, thank you for a nap.  Thank you for Tylenol.  Thank you for fresh and delicious [!!!!!! WOW] corn from the garden, first time today…you should be very jealous (even if you don’t like corn on the cob). 

Lord, thank you for the challenge of your word. 

Peace. 

Quiet… inside and out. 

Confidence….forever.

Again….17And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever. (Isa. 32:17 AMP)

Lord, thank you for different versions of your word, and for verses that hit my mind “at just the right time” to re-minister and bring focus to me.  Thank you for note cards from days past read and re-read that spring to mind when I’m needy. 

Thank you for opportunities to serve and love you to the fullest.  Over and over…that is the joy! 

Thank you for your deep pleasure and abiding joy over us…and in us. 

Thank you for the indwelling love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlness, and self control that are the fruit of the Spirit…YOU!!!

You reign.  You reign.  You REIGN!  Keep reigning, and reign me in!

How good it is when you do! 

Continue to reign!  As you will. 

YOU REIGN.

Willow Creek Worship Arts Conference–Personal Notes

David Crowder above 

Click Post title to view photos and entire post 

Personal Reflections from Willow Creek’s Arts and Worship Conference 2007:

• Point of HOPE:  The theme was around celebrating “What Is Right With the World”.  As I said in an earlier blog, my “hope tank” needed some enlargement.  I’ve known that for some time.  God met me there.  I was beginning to wonder what “hope” really meant.  And I started to remember.  That’s about all I can say about that.   With hope, that’s about all you need.  I was just thinking that hope isn’t a deep, tangible, easily expressed idea–it is more of–say,  a butterfly you aren’t sure you saw, but think you did, were quickly captivated by it, and felt an urge to chase it to see it again– even though you know that if you touch it, you’ll likely kill it.  If you are fortunate enough to have a camera, there is no way to capture the beauty of the moment…and it will likely flight again before you can even focus, and the light will not seem as true, nor the colors on the wing completely captured enough to describe to someone else.  The magic just can’t be shred.  But, only if you smile, if for that brief and unreasonable chase…that’s hope.   I don’t know how, but it just keeps you going in hard times.  It comes and it goes, we never know when it will come, that flitter of hope we need, but we need hope.
• Point on CYNICISM:  It would behoove us to keep in mind that when Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun”…he was having a really bad day.  Later, we also read the God’s “mercies are new every morning”.  That’s the heart of the artist…capturing it, looking for it, knowing it.  Not getting caught up in cynicism and fatigue too long, even when we have a really bad day that brings some really sobering and wise- sounding, perhaps even truly wise thoughts.
• Point of Wonder:  God, who WAS Creator, is STILL creator.  We have gotten old.  He hasn’t.  So, He’s STILL creator.  That is who he is.  So, creation and art are very important to him.  They ARE Him.  So…what if, every day, He says to the shining sun…”DO IT AGAIN!”, with a big smile on his face, still creating works of wonder for our pleasure?  The point?  Facts alone don’t do God justice…we need the arts to awaken our hearts to God.  Creation does that.  Art does that.  Stories do that.  Relationships do that.  We are wired for, not just agreements of theological concepts, but romance, mystery, beauty, creation, newness, freshness, moments of inspiration.    
• Point of Challenge:   Decisions are not always made based on a rational set of bulletted points.  We are influenced to decisions by irrational processes often.  We often justify those decisions as rational when they were mysterious and anything but rational at the time.  This should direct the way we try to reach people. 
• Point of Learning:   When God tells a story in the Bible, He does not then often say, “Here is the point of the the story”, or “Here is the moral to the story”, or “Here is your take home message”.  The stories speak for themselves.  Often, we look for “the point” too much in our own lives.  So, in the same way:  God is telling a story with our life’s ups and downs…put there for creative interest and contrast.  Movies with no tension, nobody is watching.  Take heart.  Let him be a great producer and writer…just cooperate.  Stop looking for the point quite so often.  (God has said this to me so many times this year… it is quite scarey).
• Point of Encouragement:  God wants us to be filled up each day with him…each and every morning, for our tasks, trusting we’ll be refilled for the next day.  Personally speaking, often lately, I start to doubt if He can keep up with the pace of my life!   If I can keep up!  I need to learn to pace and trust more and more and more and more.
• Point of Disagreement:  I did not agree with the way dealing with long term sin was handled from the “emergent” standpoint.  I don’t know if this is inherent to their thinking or not.  I did enjoy some awesome speakers and enlarged my mind.  I am reading a couple books with more of an emergent slant.  However, I do not applaud those who clap to every idea a popular author says.  We need to sift.  More on that at another time.  Tough love is very tough, but it works.  I know that personally. 
• Point of Ministry:  The last day of the conference, a worship leading couple from Australia shared their life pain and how it is a contradiction leading in worship when your faith and strength are spent.  People need hope and energy and you feel “busted up”.  I wept.  I mean, really wept at their whole thing.  I needed it.   I can’t say that there was a take home point, no filling or healing or great wave of understanding, or even any new feeling of favor or love of God…I have that.  Just reality–a need to see it.  Face it in terms of faith.  Cry it out.  I did.   God was reassuring me that He’d just give me the time I needed to cry…, and He did.  I appreciated it royally.  I appreciate time for a good healthy and relevant cry.   It’s a gift.   (An older man in the back of the room pressed his hankie into the palm of my hand and asked me to keep it as a souvenior as I tried to return it for washing, though I didn’t get it too dirty.  I thought it a rather odd word “souvenier”, the word he used.  But, the more I pondered his eyes and words, the more I realized the precious difference in a tissue and a hankie.  Tissues are dispensable, hygenic, and cleaned, hankies are recycled, washes, and personal.  He asked that I just remember him.  We’ve shared tears on the same hankie…I doubt I could forget him if I tried.  
• Point of Tears:  I pray I’m more like a Hanky than a Kleenex.  See ”Point of Ministry” above.  
• Photos:  Click here for my photos

I’d love to hear about what “spoke to you” and discussions from your group.  Link here for me to follow your writings and posts.

The Altar

 Brushes: beautiful cloud 7491, JS Sculley & Japenese [sic] Foliage

   Layout:  SkEtCh IT Lines to Design

Did God Make Anything On the Seventh Day?

Today, our Sunday School class was on creation. I was trying to think of a few “new things” to add to the general material.  I think it’s a shame with all the jewels in God’s word, for kids to get bored hearing the same ‘ole, same ‘ole.  There are riches to be gained every time we “dig” in God’s word.

So, we talked about the seven days and all God made.

Then, we talked about how God planned his work…a bit at a time, not “leaving it all to the last minute.”

God is a God of order.  I was convicted myself.

Next, we talked about God’s response to His work, “And God saw what He had made and it was good.”  I explained why we don’t need to look at our own “best” and be critical.  We need to enjoy our own work, even if it isn’t as “perfect” as God’s was.  I’m sure he had room to think, “I could have done that differently”.  Yet, he took pride in His work.  We can, too! 

Finally, we talked about the seventh Day, when God rested.  In a bolt of inspiration, I was reminded of  yesterday when my little red head needed a nap before a family gathering.  His Dad needed a nap, too, so it was a perfect combo…only I couldn’t get his Dad to go “in the window of opportunity”.  I didn’t need a nap.  But, I took one.  Why?  I needed the little guy to take one that badly.

I remembered a verse I had read earlier this week, “The Sabbath was made for man…” (Mark 2:27).

So, did God make anything on the Seventh Day?  What many of us call, the Sabbath?  The day of rest?  I think so after today.  He made a day of rest for US.  He made an example for US.  He laid down, and rested so that we could get to sleep.

 For we know that  

 He will not let your foot slip—
       he who watches over you will not slumber;

 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
       will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:3-4

and

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

Isn’t that something to praise God for on this Sabbath today?  In my “rest” today God is already speaking to me about the activities that are to be priority for me this week.  I thank God for my second grade Sunday School class!

Some strictly observe Sunday as the Sabbath, some observe Saturday.  What is important in it all is to remember is that we are not bound to the letter of the law, but are to obey the spirit of the law…God’s heart for us.  Hebrews 4 talks about us finding God’s rest through obedience.  It says that the children of Israel never entered God’s rest, but that it’s still available to us.  Following God in work and rest…not pushing ahead of Him in our own strength.  This is the provision of Sabbath rest he offers us.