There is a great Shane and Shane song....I can't remember the title but somewhere in the verses it says, "You are better". I love it because it is so true... He is better.
We just got back from serving at a family camp at our church. Usually when I serve at camps I get a little something out of it for myself through the messages or bible studies. This week, however, was pure service. Most of us never got to sit in a message and barely had time to spend with God. I will have to admit it was kind of crazy and stressful. To be honest, I don't think I had the best of attitude the whole time. But as I rested and have allowed my brain and body to slow down and catch a breath, I have realized that it is better. Serving the Lord is better!
I have learned this many times and God shows it to me again and again...but doing His work is better! I have been to many conferences and camps where I have been able to sit under what seems like a waterfall of teaching. And then there are many weeks like this last one where it felt as if I were trying to squeeze a drop of water from a damp rag. Regardless, being in the Presence of God is BETTER!
Nothing can compare, not new clothes, a new car, a new house, new a new hair-do, full bank account, day at the beach, dinner out, all day shopping trips, fancy cruises, movie nights, or whatever momentary "happy" moments arise. Unless He is in those things, there is nothing in this world that can compare to the satisfaction of being with Him!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
spotlight...
I think it is pretty official...Mark and I have started a ministry/buisness! It has been exciting but very trying! In short we provide dance curriculum, training and materials to churches so that they can start a community outreach program! Basically very similar to Upward Basetball but with dance.
I have been struggling with the vision of this program. I know from the start it has been one of those things that only God could have done! He has established every step this far. However, to be honest, my heart's passion is not dance (and you may find this hard to believe...neither is Mark's) our passion is the church! We love the church! My question was how did all of this fit? I love dance. It has been a big part of my life but why is it that God called me to this postition? I think he finally put the last puzzle piece in place... We can serve the church through Spotlight.
It is my heart's desire and the vision for our program to enable churches to take steps toward outreach! To help churches extend their arms past the front door of their building. Yes, it is just dance classes...but I hope we can provide another step toward the Church...God's People...truely becoming the hands, feet, and body of Christ!
I have been struggling with the vision of this program. I know from the start it has been one of those things that only God could have done! He has established every step this far. However, to be honest, my heart's passion is not dance (and you may find this hard to believe...neither is Mark's) our passion is the church! We love the church! My question was how did all of this fit? I love dance. It has been a big part of my life but why is it that God called me to this postition? I think he finally put the last puzzle piece in place... We can serve the church through Spotlight.
It is my heart's desire and the vision for our program to enable churches to take steps toward outreach! To help churches extend their arms past the front door of their building. Yes, it is just dance classes...but I hope we can provide another step toward the Church...God's People...truely becoming the hands, feet, and body of Christ!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Missing the Target...
So I have been reading "Blue like Jazz" by Donald Miller. I have wanted to read this book for a while. I heard him speak at a confrence recently and he paralled the gospel with Romeo and Juliet...the human brain...and art. I love when people see that the gospel is not only written in the Bible! So I decided to buy the book. In short, it will mess you up, make you mad and totally transform you perspective. Just when I am so mad I am about to put the book down, I will read a revolutionary truth taught by this guy.
One thing he cntinually points back to is Jesus heart for people. (I can't explain. Just read the book.) Jesus loved people. He hung out with them. He laughed. He cried. He had genuine relationships with people. Not just pretty people but the dirty, unpopular, religious, sick, needy, and law breaking people. What fasinates me is that he did not just "hang out" with them but He deeply loved them!
I am not like Jesus. I desire to be. I want to love people, not just the pretty ones who can do something for me. You know, I think so many times "the world" has become the enemy of my heart instead of the target. I don't want to become like them, look like them, talk like them, listen to music like them, or be with them. "They" don't do things the right way. "They" cuse, drink, lie, etc... But why are we surprised? We would do the same if we didn't know Jesus. If we are honest we still do the same at times and we have no excuse.
"The world" was Jesus' target. He was after them. Of coarse the ruler of "the world" is the enemy but not the people! The people are the point otherwise I would, all Christians, would be dead and in heaven with the Lord!
Mark and I offically took our house of the market today. Turns out the whole reason we were moving is happening right here in our neighborhood. We wanted to move closer to CATR to be involved in what God is doing. We wanted to build community and relationships with neighbors. However, why did we expect God to give us a new mission field when we have done a pretty slack job with the first one he gave us? Truth be told I think we realized we were failing to reach out to our neighbors and we wanted a fresh start or "clean slate". We were talking to a couple of Christian neighbors the other day and found out God is starting to move here. It is pretty exciting. We were too busy looking for houses, making plans and hanging out with our good clean Christian friends (no offense we love you) to notice the work God is doing right out side our front door.
We want to know God's will often....but do we want to know His heart? I think if we will quiet down and listen we can hear it... it is beating for the world, the people right next to us!
One thing he cntinually points back to is Jesus heart for people. (I can't explain. Just read the book.) Jesus loved people. He hung out with them. He laughed. He cried. He had genuine relationships with people. Not just pretty people but the dirty, unpopular, religious, sick, needy, and law breaking people. What fasinates me is that he did not just "hang out" with them but He deeply loved them!
I am not like Jesus. I desire to be. I want to love people, not just the pretty ones who can do something for me. You know, I think so many times "the world" has become the enemy of my heart instead of the target. I don't want to become like them, look like them, talk like them, listen to music like them, or be with them. "They" don't do things the right way. "They" cuse, drink, lie, etc... But why are we surprised? We would do the same if we didn't know Jesus. If we are honest we still do the same at times and we have no excuse.
"The world" was Jesus' target. He was after them. Of coarse the ruler of "the world" is the enemy but not the people! The people are the point otherwise I would, all Christians, would be dead and in heaven with the Lord!
Mark and I offically took our house of the market today. Turns out the whole reason we were moving is happening right here in our neighborhood. We wanted to move closer to CATR to be involved in what God is doing. We wanted to build community and relationships with neighbors. However, why did we expect God to give us a new mission field when we have done a pretty slack job with the first one he gave us? Truth be told I think we realized we were failing to reach out to our neighbors and we wanted a fresh start or "clean slate". We were talking to a couple of Christian neighbors the other day and found out God is starting to move here. It is pretty exciting. We were too busy looking for houses, making plans and hanging out with our good clean Christian friends (no offense we love you) to notice the work God is doing right out side our front door.
We want to know God's will often....but do we want to know His heart? I think if we will quiet down and listen we can hear it... it is beating for the world, the people right next to us!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Cooking....
I am not a very good cook. I enjoy it somewhat. When I cook it is very methodical. I follow recipes, make hamburger helper or a fool proof meal...Totinos pizza! When I cook it is for a purpose: feed people. period. I get it done.
Now Mark on the other hand loves cooking. He is passionate about it. He rarely uses a recipe and always tries new things. His recent luxury has been BBQ ribs...they are awesome! Now, I am not kidding. I used to live in Memphis TN and have tasted some pretty good BBQ including ribs from BB King's Randveaus. No kidding these things are good! He thinks I just say that because I am his wife.
Listen to this...this is crazy to me but I swear he made this decision! One night I completely messed up a meal. I mean this one was a tough one...one that took hours to make...Hamburger Helper: Philly Cheesesteak...we used two of our ever so wonderful Chick-fil-a coupons that night... I asked him after dinner if he wanted to cook more. At that point he was cooking maybe once a week. He said he would love to! I thought he was nuts...who wants to work all day and then come home and cook? He then told me he would rather cook most of the meals and I instead would cook only a couple times a week when we were in a rush or something. So this is how great my husband is and how much he actually does love cooking. He works Mon-Fri 7-6 and chooses to then come home and cook! That's working double time in my book! He's amazing!
Either my cooking is that bad or he just really loves it! Hoping it is the later, I got thinking about passions and love. We just finished a series at our church about serving in your sweet spot. Serving where you are passionate. I have been thinking and comparing the difference in serving out of purpose and serving out of love and passion. Although obviously you can see the correlation in the story above God has been showing me something more... Besides just serving where we are passionate...Are we passionately serving our God? Are we so full and so in love with Him that our service is just the beating of our heart expressing our continual love for Him? Are we just that in love with Him?
For years I was a rhythmic "quiet timer". I would wake up 1-2 hours early, plop open a Bible Study and have scheduled time with God. Although God taught me a lot during those times with Him, I would say half the time I read that thing and said a prayer just out of habit and duty. Not consciously, but with good intentions, I would have my "God time" and feel pretty good about myself. And heaven forbid I miss it because there would be nagging guilt that followed me that day...I could be wrong but I don't believe that is the kind of system God wants us to follow. A wise woman who counseled Mark and I before marriage taught me about the truth of practicing God's Presence. Not to throw that alone time in God's Word to the wind but rather invite God into my day, my routine, my life. I have found in Him in my car, I have found Him through the kids I used to work with, I have found Him through my lost professors in college, I found him in music, I found Him anywhere I had the heart to look. Through this I have fallen in a deeper love with Him. I mean really just in love with Jesus. All methods and procedures aside.
Now to me Christianity always kind of confused me in that it is relational but yet there are many procedures and disciplines. However, I have found that there is a beautiful blend when all of the disciplines and procedures are aligned out of a passionate love for Jesus.
You can't just love cooking a miraculously produce food. There is work, time and effort that go along with it. However, it is not a task when it is your passion. Sure there is work... hard work, time and effort that is apart of living and serving God. But it is not work when it is for the one you love. There is no need to complain when you are working and serving the one you have a relationship with and are in love with!
Father meet with us! Reveal yourself to us in a way that we have no choice but to fall head over heals in love with you! Then help us to show our love through serving you!
Now Mark on the other hand loves cooking. He is passionate about it. He rarely uses a recipe and always tries new things. His recent luxury has been BBQ ribs...they are awesome! Now, I am not kidding. I used to live in Memphis TN and have tasted some pretty good BBQ including ribs from BB King's Randveaus. No kidding these things are good! He thinks I just say that because I am his wife.
Listen to this...this is crazy to me but I swear he made this decision! One night I completely messed up a meal. I mean this one was a tough one...one that took hours to make...Hamburger Helper: Philly Cheesesteak...we used two of our ever so wonderful Chick-fil-a coupons that night... I asked him after dinner if he wanted to cook more. At that point he was cooking maybe once a week. He said he would love to! I thought he was nuts...who wants to work all day and then come home and cook? He then told me he would rather cook most of the meals and I instead would cook only a couple times a week when we were in a rush or something. So this is how great my husband is and how much he actually does love cooking. He works Mon-Fri 7-6 and chooses to then come home and cook! That's working double time in my book! He's amazing!
Either my cooking is that bad or he just really loves it! Hoping it is the later, I got thinking about passions and love. We just finished a series at our church about serving in your sweet spot. Serving where you are passionate. I have been thinking and comparing the difference in serving out of purpose and serving out of love and passion. Although obviously you can see the correlation in the story above God has been showing me something more... Besides just serving where we are passionate...Are we passionately serving our God? Are we so full and so in love with Him that our service is just the beating of our heart expressing our continual love for Him? Are we just that in love with Him?
For years I was a rhythmic "quiet timer". I would wake up 1-2 hours early, plop open a Bible Study and have scheduled time with God. Although God taught me a lot during those times with Him, I would say half the time I read that thing and said a prayer just out of habit and duty. Not consciously, but with good intentions, I would have my "God time" and feel pretty good about myself. And heaven forbid I miss it because there would be nagging guilt that followed me that day...I could be wrong but I don't believe that is the kind of system God wants us to follow. A wise woman who counseled Mark and I before marriage taught me about the truth of practicing God's Presence. Not to throw that alone time in God's Word to the wind but rather invite God into my day, my routine, my life. I have found in Him in my car, I have found Him through the kids I used to work with, I have found Him through my lost professors in college, I found him in music, I found Him anywhere I had the heart to look. Through this I have fallen in a deeper love with Him. I mean really just in love with Jesus. All methods and procedures aside.
Now to me Christianity always kind of confused me in that it is relational but yet there are many procedures and disciplines. However, I have found that there is a beautiful blend when all of the disciplines and procedures are aligned out of a passionate love for Jesus.
You can't just love cooking a miraculously produce food. There is work, time and effort that go along with it. However, it is not a task when it is your passion. Sure there is work... hard work, time and effort that is apart of living and serving God. But it is not work when it is for the one you love. There is no need to complain when you are working and serving the one you have a relationship with and are in love with!
Father meet with us! Reveal yourself to us in a way that we have no choice but to fall head over heals in love with you! Then help us to show our love through serving you!
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