WORSHIP REVISITED

Last week, as I was listening to the CD of our choir's Christmas cantata, I heard something the narrator said about the ones who traveled far to worship the Christ child.  Now this was nothing new to me, but it struck my heart like it had at no other time in my life.  I began to think of the miles those people traveled, the inconveniences they went thru, the nights they couldn't sleep with their own families in their own homes, the weariness they must have suffered because of the travelling conditions, the fear they may have felt as they made their way past wild creatures and those who desired to rob them, and the list goes on.  You can use your imagination, can't you?  I just pictured them determined to keep on because the end result would be to bow down at the feet of the Promised One, the Messiah, the King of Kings, the Christ child born in a manger.  And then my heart sank as I thought about how sometimes I am not willing to turn off the TV, or the computer, or my phone, or walk in the other room to a quiet place, all to kneel at the "feet" of my Savior.  Crushed, I wept before the Lord.  "Yes; I will make time for You!  Yes; I will sacrifice for You!  Yes; I will give You everything!  Yes; I will worship You, for You are WORTH IT!!!!"  After all, that is the BEST gift I can give Him, not just at this time of year, but every day of the year.  I hope you'll do the same.

SUMMER

I've not dropped off the face of the earth, been attacked by wild hogs & hospitalized for the injuries, or had a heart attack & died ... I'm simply a youth pastor's wife in the summer.  If you are one yourself, or are the family member of one, you know what I'm talking about:

• Church Camp
• Mission Trip
• Bible Boot Camp
• Leadership Conference(s)
• Youth Conference(s)
• Regular summer activities

When I think I can't get any busier, someone or something piles more on top of the stack.  Do I love the busy-ness?  No.  Do I love being gone from home so much?  No.  Do I love being away from my family & church family?  No.  But, I love the benefits -  growing closer to our students, growing in the Lord myself, learning more about students and student ministry, pouring myself into the lives of those who are willing to learn & grow, and serving God wherever He leads me.  Yep; I'd say it's a win/win situation!

So, until the summer "rush" is over ... "THAT'S ALL FOLKS!"

Marathon

This past weekend I had the privilege of watching my daughter run her first half-marathon.  She and a friend ran, side by side, the entire race.  I saw them and cheered for them first at mile 6.

Casey (my daughter) is in the red shirt and looks like she's about to bawl.  That's because she was!  She was so overcome with emotion when she saw her husband, young son, and her mom there for her, cheering her on.  She had 7.1 more miles to go and needed all the encouragement she could get.

Isn't that the way it is in life?  We all start out on this journey with a goal, a plan for what we want to accomplish or be.  Along the way we get side-tracked with things that weigh us down or others that slow us down.  We allow the enemy to tell us that we should just quit ... and we listen to that.  Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to lay aside the weights and the things that entangle us.  We are to run the race with endurance, fixing our eyes on the One who is at the finish line cheering us on -- Jesus.  Paul said (Philippians 3:14), "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

This is my encouragement to you -- Keep pressing on, my friends.  Although it won't be easy, the run can be so exciting and fulfilling.  Don't let anyone tell you it's not worth it.  I want to finish this course of life with excellence, doing what God has called me to do, and I want you to be there beside me.  And when we cross that finish line, we WILL receive the prize. 

 

The Blessing of Family

The past few weeks I've been blessed to spend a lot of time with my family.  I flew to North Carolina to be with my siblings for a weekend two weeks ago.  It was the first time we had all been together since our dad passed away 2 1/2 years ago.  Long overdue, I know.  

While I was there, my younger brother's church (he pastors C3 Church in Clayton, NC) hosted Hillsong London in concert.  I got to spend the day with these talented and godly musicians.  God really used them to speak to my heart and challenge me.  It didn't hurt, either, that I got to hear them in concert that night.  And the staff at C3 treated me like a queen, waiting on me hand and foot.  I even had my own armor bearer.  :)

On Saturday, my older brother and I were able to visit my sister in the rest home in which she lives and help her settle into her new room.  I was so glad we were able to help and get to spend more time with her.  We rode in his sports car with the top down and my hair blowing in the wind.  It was a gorgeous day and, although I looked quite the sight when we arrived at my nephew's soccer game, I loved the ride!  That night we attended my niece's performance in Hello Dolly ... and Gloria was a superstar!!!

Between late-night talks with my sister-in-law, lots of eating out (twice at one of my favs - Cracker Barrel) paid for by my brother, games with the nieces and nephew, fantastic services at C3 church, powerful messages by my brother (so good I went to two identical services Sunday morning), and heart-to-heart sharing, I would say the weekend was "just what the doctor ordered."  I had needed a break, a time to just soak up all God wanted me to hear, a time to worship freely, and a good time of sharing.  It really was a blessing I won't soon forget.

This past week my younger brother and his family came to MY house.  Matt (younger brother) spoke at GUTS church in Tulsa Wednesday night, and at a super-large conference at the ORU's Mabee Center on Friday.  Since they arrived on Monday, we got to spend tons of time together and experienced a lot of the same things -- late-night talks, heart-to-heart sharing, games, lots of family favorite foods, and even horseback riding.    

Probably the most special blessing for me in all of this was that I felt like I belonged.  I was accepted for who I am, I was loved just like I am, and I was wanted because I was ME.  My nieces, Caroline and Gloria, fought over who got to sit by me in the car, at meals, or during a game.  My nephew Caleb was constantly wanting me to do something with him, even if it was just to sit and talk or play a game.  I love them so very much and am so thankful for the wonderful gift they gave me -- their love.

I'm ending this post with a huge smile.  I'm smiling because I feel like I've just received a two-week-long hug ... and I needed that!!!!!

A DIFFERENT ME

Do you ever look at someone else, or watch their life, and wish you could be more like them? I do! Maybe it's because I'm a perfectionist, or maybe because I just see something in them that I know needs to be in my life. I have always wanted to be one of those people that pleases everyone. In my past, that got me into trouble. In my present, maybe it just makes me dissatisfied with who I am. It's like I have this vision of this perfect person - always loving, always positive, always smiling, always friendly, always helpful, always saying and doing the right things - but does this person really exist? Or, is it a dream of mine? I do know that God places people in my life that challenge me to be a better person and to be a Christlike figure in this world. But why do I fall so short of that lofty goal? What is it that others have that I don't have?

Now, I have studied the personalities and I have studied about the strengths God has given different people. I know He has SHAPE-d us (S-spiritual gifts, H-heart/passions, A-abilities, P-personality, E-experiences) and wired us in a way that we can be used by Him and for Him. I seriously wish I was wired differently! I'm a lion, bold and courageous. I am choleric - a natural leader, administrator, and boss. If there's a job to be done, give it to a choleric. They will make sure it's done. I am also a beaver, very carefully doing a job and doing it RIGHT. I am melancholy - organized, efficient, and precise. Yuck! If you put those two together, that makes me a pretty "tight" and bossy person. I don't want to be that! Is it right to argue with God about the way He made me? Or, should I accept the way that I am and try to be the best lion/beaver or choleric/melancholy I can be?

What happened to that dream of being June Cleaver? You know, the mom at home with a smile and a hug for everyone that passes thru her doorway? What happened to the woman I envisioned, always whistling a tune and smiling about everything that took place in her life, good or bad? Was she a figment of my imagination? Or, was she a vision of what I could/should be?

Instead of comparing myself to others ... or to that picture-perfect woman in my head ... maybe I'll just get up every day and dedicate myself to being what God wants me to be. Surely, then, I can't complain. Oh, wait ... I am a ...

The Power of One

My husband and I watched a movie tonight at a theater in Oklahoma City. I can guarantee this new release will not be a block-buster or win any awards! The story was super sweet, the message challenging, but the acting … well, let’s just keep things positive.

In this movie, an elderly man asked a young boy to mow his yard. After the task was completed, the senior saint invited the pre-teen in for a glass of lemonade. That small gesture began a friendship between the two of them that opened the door for one-on-one mentoring.

For what seemed like months, the young boy and his friends met with this man for refreshments – physically and spiritually. They learned, through his teaching and example, simple lessons about life, God’s Word, and relationships with others. Their lives were changed, as were the lives of their friends and families. Neighbors noticed their newfound faith, generosity, and attitude. Family members noticed their hunger for God’s Word and their desire to be more like Christ. Friends began searching for the source that brought change to their lives. These “new creations” (1 Cor. 5:17) impacted their part of the world with the Gospel message.

What began this revolution? One elderly man willing to reach out and mentor someone God placed in his path. He could have used the excuse that they didn’t have much in common, or that the generation gap was too large, or that his illustrations would be out-of-date. This gentleman could have thought of a number of excuses that would have been valid to many of us. Instead, he used what he had – time and a love for God – to influence young lives. For generations to come, people will hear the gospel message and lives will be changed because of one life. That young lawn-mowing boy became a pastor, some of his friends (also influenced by the elderly man) are in full-time ministry, and all those portrayed in the boys’ “Bible study group” are serving the Lord where God has placed them.

An elderly gentleman with a love for the Lord and a willingness to invest in young lives made an eternal difference in the Kingdom. It didn’t take much talent or skill to do what he did. It didn’t require seminary training to pass on what God had taught him. It took a willing heart and a little bit of time.

We all can be that ONE … that reaches ONE, that reaches ONE, that reaches ONE. Whether it be thru a lecture in a classroom, a lesson in a Sunday school class, a casual conversation in the donut shop, or a heart-to-heart on a living room couch, ministry takes place when one person is simply willing to pass on what God has taught them and/or done in their life. I want to be that ONE! Do you?

Each One Reach One
(words and music by Babbie Mason)

Today a man is somewhere proclaiming the Good News,
Winning families to Jesus all around his neighborhood.
He tells them that God is able to make their house a home.
He wants to win his world for Christ,

But he can’t do it alone.

But each one can reach one.
As we follow after Christ, we all can lead one.
We can lead one to the Savior,
And together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way
If we each one reach one.

The message is unchanging – “Go ye into all the world”
And share the love of Jesus far away or door to door.
You see, just like somebody told you

That Jesus loves you so,
You must tell someone who will tell someone
Until the whole world knows that

Each one can reach one.
As we follow after Christ, we all can lead one.
We can lead one to the Savior,
And together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way
If we each one reach one.

So will you go and labor?

Will you hold high your light?
One by one and two by two

We can win our world for Jesus Christ!

Each one can reach one.
As we follow after Christ, we all can lead one.
We can lead one to the Savior,
And together we can tell the world that Jesus is the way
If we each one reach one.

Scrapping the List

I am a very organized person. I am a list maker, and I am so diligent about this that if I do something that is NOT on my list, I add it to my list so I can mark it off. Seemingly insane, I know. I know how long it will take me to accomplish each task, and I thrive on a schedule. I can’t seem to rest until every “t” is crossed and every “i” is dotted. Seriously, I can’t. I will lay in bed at night and think of all the things I didn’t accomplish that were on my list and how I can cram them into the next day’s schedule. A curse for sure.

Yesterday, I had my entire day planned out and list made – laundry, changing the sheets, bathing the dog before his hair cut, cleaning the bathrooms, running errands in town, and other various “important” tasks, all to be done before I could fix supper and take my Sunday school class of 7th grade girls to a new animated movie at a nearby theater. I was a woman on a mission and nothing would stop me … or so I thought. Then the phone rang. It was Melanie (name changed), a former youth group member from years gone by. She and her husband live many miles away and work with the youth in their church. They have been ministering with students since they were college age, and are now in their 40s. My youth pastor husband and I have been their “sounding board” off and on for years, the ones they call when they need advice on youth ministry or life changes. The first of many calls yesterday was a cry for help, filled with heart-wrenching sobs on the other end of the phone. Melanie’s marriage is in shambles. Her world is falling apart.

For hours I counseled Melanie. I cried with her, prayed with her, agonized with her, and loved on her over the phone. I wished she was in my living room having a heart to heart over a cup of hot tea, but she was miles away and needed a friend, a confidant, a mentor. And for this, I scrapped my list. I sat aside those things that were once so important to me, and focused on a friend in need.

We all need to do that when “duty” calls. We need to scrap the list of our personal desires when we hear of a financial need so we can give sacrificially, we need to scrap the list of our scheduled time when our child needs our attention or a friend drops by for a visit, we need to scrap our list of planned thoughts when a student reveals a need in the middle of a lesson or Bible study, we need to scrap our list of activities off our calendar when there is a greater need, we need to scrap our list of “needed sleep” when the phone rings in the middle of the night, and we need to scrap our list of “BFFs” when God brings someone else into our lives that needs a friend. We all need to be flexible and be willing to put our life on hold so we can truly minister to those whom God places in our path. John 15:13 (NIV) gives us the same message: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. I’m not even challenging you to lay down your life … just be willing to adjust your schedule or scrap your list.