November Puddles vs June Puddles

November 29th...Thanksgiving is over and our bellies are full.  Christmas is in high gear from the Black Friday crazies (of which I have taken part) to the millions of twinkle lights creating magic in the hearts of children (or the childlike).  Cooler temperatures have arrived in my little corner of Texas and I am ready for winter...ready for the extra blankets that have been freshly laundered and brought down to a lower shelf in the closet...ready for the snuggly sweaters and scarfs with matching mittens...ready for boots that keep my toes toasty and outfits trendy...ready for...rain?!  No...that doesn't fit the puzzle I am putting together.  However, that is what we woke up to this morning.  Pouring down, cold, no-fun-to-be-had rain!

The kids and I headed to the car quickly this morning to avoid getting drenched and forged on to school.  When we arrived the parking lot was full of puddles...no way to avoid them as we headed in on our first day back from a fun-filled break.  Typically, a vivacious five year old would jump right in those puddles and watch the water fly!  You know you've done the very same thing...in June!  or to be poetically correct, April!  April showers bring May flowers (which brought the pilgrims!  One of my son's favorite jokes!).  In June, or April, the water is cool and refreshing.  In November, it is cold and miserable.  It makes you wish for a fireplace to lay in front of and warm up with a steaming mug of hot cocoa...don't forget the marshmallows, please!

Today, Chloe stood at the edge of a puddle that was clearly too wide for her to step across.  She looked up and down and realized she would have to step in it to get to the building.  Her eyes gazed up at me and before she uttered the words I knew I would have to rearrange everything in my arms to scoop her up and save her from the...save her from the rain puddle?!  I think not!  I reminded her how much fun it is to splash in puddles...how I can't keep her out of them in the summer...how she loves to walk out of her way to find the largest puddle to jump in.  She wasn't convinced and tiptoed her way across.

The fact is cold water feels good when you are hot but it is miserable when you are cold.  The same is true of our words.  Words can encourage someone in the right circumstance but could also discourage in the wrong moment.  My favorite book says, "Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in the right circumstances." Proverbs 25:11.

May wisdom guide our words to be spoken well at the right time.  Splashes of rain in June...

where everybody knows your name

It may have been a bar that was referred to as the place where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came.  But...it should be the church.  Noone should walk through the doors of a church and feel unwanted or unwelcome.  Each individual should be touched and spoken to.  And, I mean spoken to in a conversation sort of way...not in a "Good Morning" now I'm done fashion.

I have recently returned to the church that is home in my heart.  Throughout my many years of life I have only been a member of this congregation for perhaps 3 years and not consecutive.  Yet, I feel as though I belong...I am one of them.  The people who make up this church never cease to amaze me with their warmth and friendship.

Yesterday, I was in a meeting at the church where I only knew the minister and yet I felt as if I was with friends.  It is all because people chose to open their mouths and hearts and welcome me.  I was spoken to and touched.  Oh, how my heart has needed this body of believers and I know God is going to continue showering them with blessings as they lift His name and love others.

Learning Something New

I am confident that one day I will be a published author.  I just know it.  Call me an optimist, a dreamer or crazy, but I am confident of the dream God has given me and know that He will give me an avenue to share the burden on my heart.

Because of this dream book ideas and book titles are always around me.  They pop up in the craziest of times and silliest of ways.  A few years ago I grew weary of hearing my boys say to one another, "I know."  They used this phrase to everyone about everything.  I was one of these teenagers...always thinking I was right, knowing that I knew the right thing and at the right time.  I did not want my boys to become what I once was, so we decided to change the "I know" to "You're right."  Because if someone tells us what we already know to be true, aren't they right?! 

Also the attitude behind the two phrases is different.  The attitude of "I know" is one of superiority.  It's the I'm better than you...I'm smarter than you...Who do you think you are to try and teach me.  Definitely not the mind of Christ. 

Now the attitude of the second phrase is one of encouragement, praise and support.  It says, "Good job!"  The words build up the spirit of the speaker as having been acknowledged with success.  Because really, don't you just love being right?  Isn't it a wonderful feeling knowing you have the right information and knowledge?  Trust me, I have been wrong often enough in my "25" years that being right is an AMAZING feeling.  And to have someone else acknowledge my "rightness" creates a pause in the moment as I savor the euphoria.  lol!

Recently, teenagers in our youth group acknowledged that they have stopped coming to the youth service because they already know everything being taught.  They already know that God desires His children to be in church inviting their unsaved friends to join them.  They already know that Christians should spend consistent, quality time in Bible study and prayer.  The importance of memorizing Scripture has already been taught to them.  They know the value of accountability. 

I could go on and on because we teach the basics of the Christian faith so that when teenagers graduate high school and go on to college we desire them to not graduate from their faith.  We have a passion about instilling the disciplines of the faith so deep in the souls of the students entrusted to us that we will not stop teaching them what they may already know.  This passion extends to the deep-seeded desire to watch them reproduce themselves in others.  To take the knowledge they have gained and instill it in another is something that produces a high no drug created can compete with.

Seeing former youth now involved in full-time ministry, hearing about the salvations of students on a dorm floor because of the leadership of one who graduated from our ministry but not his faith...these are the reasons we struggle for what we hold dear.

Our new pastor said in his first sermon at our church, "Doctrine that does not lead to practice is wasted knowledge."  Knowing God desires you to come to church and grow with other believers is wasted if you do not show up.  Knowing God wants you to share His love with those around you is wasted if you never open your mouth.  Knowing God hopes to see you lead others to grow in Him is wasted if you choose to take yourself out of church instead of stepping up to leadership positions.

There comes a time in every Christian's life where the phrase "Actions speak louder than words," is evident.  Knowledge is wasted if actions of that knowledge are not displayed.

Because really...can't we all learn something new when we already knew everything?

future book title..."Learning Something New When I Already Knew Everything." :)

Teacher's Pet

I realize that it is not a wise thing to have a teacher's pet.  It could cause problems in the classroom and with other student's parents. 

But what am I to do when one of my students brings in an incredibly delectable treat after hearing me describe the tantalizing effects of one? 

And in such a clever way?!!

She even remembered a bottle opener!!  Tell me...what was I to do?!  extra credit?  :)

Freedom or Chains

Jackson and Cameron competed in the ACSI regional Speech Meet today in Tyler, Texas.  Cameron recited the fable, "The Honest Woodman."  Jackson gave an original speech about our nation entitled, "Freedom or Chains."  I am proud of them for their courage to stand before students, parents and judges and speak.  It is a skill that many of us do not possess and I love them for their willingness to strive to become better.  I know God has great things in store for them.

I wanted to share Jackson's speech with you.  Several parents who heard him said he had their vote.  His are powerful words that we should take to heart.  Let's keep our nation free and commit to doing our part to make her into a strong Christian nation who honors the Lord.

Freedom or Chains

by Jackson Bates, age 10

As Americans we claim to be free, but are we? We can move about freely, own private property and bear arms, but will the government one day try to change this?

In church we can worship in our own way, teach our children to believe as we do and we can believe in God as we wish, but will the government one day try to shut down all the churches we have built? Will they one day try to take away our religious freedoms?

Based on recent events, such as, government takeovers of the auto industry, bank bailouts and the White House leaving out Fox News from important press conferences because of the way they were reporting about them leads you to believe that the government is on its way to replacing our freedoms for their chains.

It appears that our taxes are going up on a daily basis. We should learn from the example of the Congo and their former leader General Joseph Mobutu. He took away what should have been their enormous wealth and made himself one of the richest men in the world as he allowed them to spiral down to the depths of the poor. The Congolese are still suffering from the effects of his leadership. America could very well be on her way if our citizens don’t keep an eye on the leaders of this country.

The one guarantee we have in maintaining freedom over chains is democracy which means “people rule.” Democracy is the idea that people have the right to take an active part in their government. We have the right to vote. We have the right to run for office. We have the right to make sure our voices are heard. We should do our best to keep our freedoms free and take back those things the government has placed in chains.

Love and War

 "...Mostly what God does is love you...His love was not cautious but extravagant...Love like that."

Ephesians 5:1-2 (msg)

Kelly and I have been married for almost 19 years and our relationship is at its best when we are spending time together talking, laughing, eating (Mexican food preferably) and focusing on the other.  Extravagant love does not require a sacrifice of money...simply a sacrifice of time and selfish desires.  God does not spend money.  God gave His Son.  Jesus gave His energy, His tears, His very life.  These are the marks of extravagance.

"What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic. They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement: Marriage is fabulously hard. They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own."

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.  You can purchase your copy at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780385529808

More Than Enough

A friend mentioned in her status update recently that "God always chooses the right person for the job... we're the ones who have our doubts..."  I had just finished reading the portion of Scripture describing the construction of the Tabernacle for the children of Israel to construct when I read her words.  God detailed a place for Him to dwell among them.  I love the details that God gives for each item, including the hooks.  He shows concern for the little things that will bring Him honor.

Even more than that, I am humbled by the use of the phrase "a skilled craftsman" should do the work.  Several times as God is describing how things should be built and the types of material to use, He says a "skilled craftsman" is to do the work.  Then, in Exodus 31: 1-5, God says,

"See what I've done; I've personally chosen Bezalel...I've filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know how and expertise in every kind of craft to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood - he's an all-around craftsman."

LOVE IT!  God commanded a temple to be built and He gifted someone with the skills necessary to do an exceptional job...by the Spirit of God! Normally, we all think of the spiritual gifts listed in I Corinthians to be the only things God gifts us for in ministry.  But, right here in the Old Testament, we are shown that God gives us ALL of our abilities, ALL of our knowledge, ALL of our passions to be used for His glory!

When Moses tells the children of Israel what God has commanded in regards to building this place of worship some of them are touched by the Spirit to give.

Exodus 35:20-29  "...then they came back, everyone whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, bringing offerings to God...  They came...all the willing spirits among them...women skilled at weaving brought their weavings...women who were gifted in spinning, spun... Every man and woman in Israel whose heart moved freely to bring something for the work that God through Moses had commanded them to make, brought it, a voluntary offering for God."

How awesome would this sight be?  God gives a church a job to do.  He moves among them and they give through obedience.  And, without the mention of the blessing they will receive through their obedient giving. What a concept!  Give because God says to, not because of what we could get.  His Spirit moves in us and causes to care.  He causes us to become emotionally involved and moves us to act by giving what He has ALREADY blessed us with.

But, wait!  It gets better!  In Exodus 36, a picture is painted that I have yet to see with my own eyes or experience in my lifetime. 

"The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning.  All the artisans who were at work making everything...came...to Moses, saying, 'The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!'...The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings!"

Can you imagine a preacher getting up before his congregation and telling them that the offering plates would not be passed that day because the church had more than enough to do the work God had given them?  How often has this happened?  Exodus 36:7 says, "There was plenty...enough and more than enough."

God instills in each of us exactly what we need to obey.  He has gifted us, shaped us for His service from our dreams to our knowledge to our skills to our pocketbooks.  He wants us to be involved in His Kingdom work and has graciously provided us with everything we need to obey Him just as He commands us.

What is it that your church has been called to do?  What are the pastors at your church looking for?  How has God gifted you to meet those needs?  How is the Spirit rousing your heart?  Jump in!  Day after day volunteer.  Be the one to provide more than enough, because YOU are the one He has gited!  YOU are the one God has chosen. 

YOU are the one!