Monday, September 30, 2013

Sunday Thoughts

Well,  I didn't have time to write yesterday, so I will throw out some thoughts from yesterday for today's post.  We had a great morning worshipping the Lord at our church.  I'm really enjoying singing in the choir.  I missed that during my "fog" years of raising babies.  I still feel like I miss way too many Sundays and way too much of practice to be considered a part of the choir, but they seem to be willing to take me as I am.  I don't like being late or leaving early or missing altogether when I'm committed to something.  However, I have 3 little fellas that just make all three of those things more frequent than I'd like.  My only dislike about choir is that we went back to robes after Labor Day.  I really have no strong opinion in the robes vs no robes debate that goes on in churches.  I just wish they would crank down the A/C if we're gonna wear them!  lol  I am looking to find a strap on cold pack like you would use for an injury to see if that will help.  My sweet friend at church last night suggested maybe a portable fan.  I have a clip on stroller fan, so I may try putting it under my choir chair to blow up my robe.  It doesn't make too much noise, but I just wonder if it would seem like it during the sermon.  I may have to do a test run in practice one night.

Our pastor is preaching through the Ten Commandments, and he was talking about the modern day "idols" we put before God.  He gave a wonderful sermon on making sure symbols and blessings don't become a substitute for God Himself.  As he was talking, God brought to my mind a saying Eric used frequently back when we taught youth.  "How much hell are we willing to allow into our lives and still think we are OK as a Christian?"  You can ask a person, especially youth, all day long about how much they love the Lord and are committed to Him, and you will get an answer similar to Peter's in the "breakfast by the sea" scene.  "Of course I love You Lord!  Of course I'm committed to You Lord!"  Probably everyone that reads this post would respond the same way.  However, if you ask the other question, our defenses go up.  Certainly that is NOT a question you're asking me!  We all have things in our lives that have most likely crept in, although some may have swung the front door wide open for, that are not glorifying to God.  A favorite song with just a "few" questionable lyrics...a TV show that overall is OK but sometimes go past the edge...an indulgence of shopping, eating, or something worse.  Maybe there are secret sins you struggle with that would make your neighbor at church blush.  Maybe these are things that aren't necessarily idols in your life yet, but they are in the works.  You're on that slippery slope that looks more like hell than heaven.  Instead of striving each day to live each moment for Jesus, we are really trying to see how much we can get away with and still feel OK.  So, I ask you, how much hell are you letting in your life?  We obviously are gonna be tempted and tried as the Bible tells us that the devil is like a lion seeking whom he may devour.  We do not have to invite him in though...not through the front door nor the doggy gate nor the mail slot.  It is hard enough to walk in the Spirit, but we can do ourselves a favor by taking inventory of what may need to get the boot in our lives.  I know that I want to strive to grow closer to the Lord each day.

We had a special missions service last night at church, and the President of the NAMB, Dr. Ezell, was our guest speaker.  He told a great story of adopting his son from a foreign country and the conversations that happened in the first few days.  As he tucked his son in the first night in the hotel, the boy got his face and looked him in the eye and said, "Daddy, I want to be a good son for you."  He said it upon waking each morning and at night going to bed for days.  He finally realized and reassured his son that he was a part of their forever family, and they would love him whether he was good or bad (but preferred good...the guy was a really funny story teller).  I love the message of grace here...the picture of the way God loves us.  He loves us even when we mess up...which is every single day.  He does prefer the good though!  I'm thankful that we don't have to work to "be good" all the time because that won't get us saved anyway.  Jesus saves us, and that is that.  We serve him and do good works because we love Him.  We can't earn salvation.  I do think though that we can get stuck in a spiritual rut  from having let a little hell into our lives...maybe simply because we are too busy otherwise to notice.  Maybe it would do us some good to wake up each day and tell God we want to be a good son or daughter that day for Him.  Maybe we thank Him that we don't have to be perfect, but we tell Him we desire to be more like Christ that day.  Maybe if we mindfully said these prayers every single day it would naturally start weeding out the hell in our lives allowing more room for God's blessings.

Our SS teacher encouraged us for months and months about grace.  He said that before our feet hit the ground in the morning, just think "grace."  You may have noticed my Facebook posts for a long time that just said, "Grace."  I tell you, that had a huge impact on me.  That may have been the preparation I needed for that fog of raising babies to lift.  If you contemplate grace, especially God's grace, you can feel God telling you who you are in Him.  I was called upon to show grace to my children too.  I found that that simple word was transforming my mind, heart, and actions.  When you start to see things in the light of grace, you can't help but be changed.

G od's
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C hrist's
E xpense

Grace is getting what we don't deserve.  Mercy is not getting what we do deserve.  We deserve hell, and by God's mercy, we can accept Jesus' free gift of salvation.  We also get grace by getting the blessings of God that we don't deserve.  I loved when friends would posts comments on my "Grace." posts.  I loved seeing how God brought things to their minds and led them to share.  Definitely a practice I want to continue....pondering grace.

Today's family mission project involves taking food to two families tonight.  I better get off here and get to cooking so that I have something to take.  I have been involved for a long time with our church's Feed the Flock ministry started by "The Chicken Lady" aka Theresa Wilson.  God put a burden on her heart to minister to people through food, one chicken at a time.  It has grown and expanded into so many different facets.  I love being a part of a hands on mission project.  I love that my boys know that once every two weeks or so (sometimes more often), we pile in the van with hot food and deliver it to some incredibly sweet and grateful people.  Shut ins, surgery recovery, even just blessed but stressed folk that need loving on and encouraging are stops we make.  One older couple we take to pulls out the toy basket and wants my boys to come play awhile when we visit.  Even during the fog of raising babies years, this was one ministry I was able to do.  I'm so thankful.  I get WAY more of a blessing by giving than they get from receiving.

My oldest was singing a song he's working on for the Christmas play at church this morning before school.  It's a jazzed up version of Matthew 25, and he was shocked to realize I "knew the words."  ha ha  He was happily surprised to know that he was singing straight Scripture (well, modernized a bit).  It made me think about taking food tonight.  "When did we see you hungry?"  Jesus replied, "What you did for the least of these you did unto Me."  Yes, Lord.  May we always be ministering to You by loving on others!  Have a blessed day folks.  Be a blessing!


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