No More Life on Hold

Do you ever feel like you are keeping your life on hold?  

I often do!  I feel like I'm always waiting on someone - my husband, my kids.  I'm always waiting to do something until DH (darling husband) gets home or if he is traveling, until he calls.  I'm always waiting for the older kids to get here before we can do something or at least waiting until I hear whether or not they are coming.  I'm always waiting on DD (darling daughter) to come home from dance or from hanging out with friends before I can go here or do this.  I'm always waiting and yesterday, I felt as if my life had been put on hold indefinitely.

Yesterday, I was wanting to go see DS (darling son) at his apartment and spend a little time with him as he is on spring break and has a new puppy (BIG puppy) but DD wanted to go hang with friends first so I waited... and I did a few things around the house that needed doing and I waited some more but then I just wanted to go and that's when it hit me!  

I don't have to put my life on hold all the time!

So I texted DD and let her know I was leaving and you know what she said?  "Have Fun!"  What??  

As I was running out the door DH called and I told him I was going to see DS and you know what he said?  "Have Fun!"

Yay!  They were all for me going out and doing what I wanted to do even if I did it without them.  

DD missed me and called me and texted me throughout the time I was there but it was good.  

DH called me after a bit too but no one rushed me home and everyone thought it was great that I did what I was wanting to do.  No one's feelings were hurt AND I had a great time!

Sometimes I think Moms give more than they really have to, especially when the kids are older.  I think sometimes that we start to lose ourselves, if we aren't careful, and that's not very healthy.  It's taken me forever to learn this.  I mean my kids are 21 and 16 and I'm just now learning it but better late than never!  Right?

Do you ever feel this way?

Trying something new...

So I'm trying to write more and am looking for ways to be inspired and so I have decided to try something new.  I'm going to try my  hand at praying the scriptures and maybe throwing a little art into the mix as well.  I'm definitely not an artist, I don't even have nice handwriting!  But I thought it might be fun to try.  So here is my first attempt at praying the scriptures with a touch of art thrown in as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~

John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  ESV

God, you are so gracious.  
You love us all so much.  
Thank you.   
Help me to remember this love throughout the day.  
Let it fill me, comfort me, encourage me, and lead me.
Help me today to find ways to share your love with those around me.
Remind me how important that is- 
it's above everything else!
When I feel frustrated with others- 
remind me of the love you show to us in spite of your frustrations with us,
and help me follow you in this - 
to imitate you, 
so that I can be a better disciple 
and live a richer, fuller life.
I love you, Lord.

AMEN.

~~~~~~~~~

Do you pray the scriptures?

Catching Up

Happy Saturday, my friends.  I know I haven't really been writing here much lately and so I'm sure the few of you who did check in every now and then may not be here anymore but I thought I'd share a catch up post. So pull up a rocking chair and let's sit and chat for a spell.

I've been busy, busy preaching.  I love it but it is getting ready to slow a bit and I think I'm good with that for a while. I think I'll take some time to write a bit again.

Things are really hopping here at our home.  My son (DS) is getting ready to graduate from college, commission into the US Army and get married to a sweet young lady all in a two week time period in May!  It's going to be crazy!

My daughter (DD) is busy dancing and cooking and living life.  We took her on her first real college visit Friday and it was GREAT!  She really liked the school and they seemed to like her as well.  We'll make a few other visits but this may be a good fit for her.  We'll see.

Now, I've not really talked a lot on this blog about homeschooling but we do homeschool and honestly I love it.  I do want to say that we do NOT homeschool for religious reasons, or political reasons, or anything weird.  We homeschool because it works for us.  We don't use a particular curriculum.  We are a little interest led but we also study stuff we don't like too.  You know, because you just have too...  

Right now, my DD's interests lie in the 1940's.  She and I are having a blast!  We've been rationing as they did midwar in Great Britain as best we can and we are discovering that we don't need as meat as we thought and that we actually enjoy eating veggies (with lots of potatoes) more than we thought we did.  I'm loving the extra money in my pocketbook!  This could help pay with the expenses coming up due to graduation, commissioning, and wedding!  My husband (DH) on the other hand is not enjoying it as much... He's first response was where's the meat?  Then, do you really hate me?  LOL  Poor guy but he's getting used to it.  He only has to ration at dinner.  He still gets his regular breakfast and lunch. 

We've really enjoyed it and are learning lots.  Plus!  I've been in my kitchen cooking lots more which I love!!  I love to cook and for some reason I don't always and this is forcing me to and I'm enjoying it immensely.  I love baking bread and eating it is my FAVORITE!!  Though, I love it slathered in butter and since butter was rationed... it's barely buttered but it's still supper yummy.  I've been staying on top of my housework better which is amazing!

This was the beginning of my
garden several years ago.

I'm looking forward to getting back to gardening too.  We've been reading so much about the Victory Gardens and well, I used to have a lovely garden but I've not been very successful since we moved here, plus my allergies have kept me away from it.  This year, though, I'm hoping to keep them under control and be able to grow more our own fresh veggies and do some canning and freezing so we have them all year and can save some money for our pocket book! 

I was all set and ready this morning  to get out and start cleaning up the garden area, but when I got downstairs, it was raining... Maybe tomorrow, or one day next week.  IT WILL HAPPEN!  I just have to be patient.  The rain is good for the earth.

Anyway, you are now all caught up on me, so what's happening with you?  I'd to hear from you!

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

This is the message I shared yesterday with the lovely people at Grinter Chapel UMC.  Not sure it reads the same as I shared it but thought I'd share.  The scripture references are Joshua 5:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:26-21 and Luke 15:1-3, 16-32.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

A couple of weeks ago, when I last spoke here, we talked about being imitators of Christ and I have to say that is not always easy.  There is one of his actions that I find incredibly hard to imitate… it’s the first thing I thought when I read the scriptures for this morning and that is Forgiveness.  It is a hard one for me and yet every Sunday as we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say that we will forgive.  In fact we ask God to forgive us as we forgive…  That can be pretty scary for those of us who have a hard time with forgiveness.  I want God to WAY better than I do, because sometimes I fail at it!

Our reading today from Joshua is really quite interesting.  When I first read it, “today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt”, I immediately thought of forgiveness.  Then I read it several days later and couldn’t find forgiveness anywhere in it and had to wonder if I was losing my mind!  Then I read it again a few days later and found forgiveness again but then I was kind of worried about my mental state so I started reading different translations and looking for commentary.  The first commentary I read didn’t mention forgiveness.  It talked about the disgrace of being slaves and leaving that behind.  At this point I really think I’ve lost it and am wondering how in the world, I found the topic of forgiveness here!  You may be thinking the same thing by now.  But stick with me a moment.  I did finally figure out what I was thinking and where the thoughts were but now, I’m really thinking I need some back up here!  I need some confirmation that I’m not the only person to see this in these scriptures.  So I googled some more and found a lot of really interesting commentary that is way too deep for me but I did find other people who backed up my thinking a bit.  You may think I’m crazy for needing for the back up but… I still do.  Anyway, in my way of the thinking about the Israelites at this time, they were kind of whiners.  Remember they were rescued out of slavery in Egypt and they seemed to rejoice and praise God in one moment only to whine and complain about the trip in the next.  Now, I’m not saying that I wouldn’t complain too but since I’m not the there and I know the whole story, I can say that they seemed a bit ungrateful at times on this journey, which took 40 years!  Why did it take so long?  Well, because they were so ungrateful.  With each hardship, they would whine, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”  What??  Really??  They would turn to other Gods and Idols even though they knew it was the One True God who saved them!  So to me these verses in Joshua are about God saying, “Ok, I’m letting go of that and we are starting anew.  I forgive you and now you have a new life, a new place, and new food.”  They experience God’s grace and get a new fresh start.

Then we read our scriptures from 2 Corinthians and it talks all about how with Christ we are a new creation and tells us that the old has passed away.  It talks about reconciliation, another word for forgiveness.  It says we are reconciled to God and that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.  What?  That’s not looking too good for someone like me who struggles with reconciliation, with forgiveness.

This week as I started really thinking on these scriptures, I found myself angry with Shannon.  I know it’s hard to believe but sometimes that guy makes me crazy mad and I found myself putting off working on this sermon because well, I couldn’t really write a sermon on forgiveness when I was still mad at him and to be honest, I didn’t really want to let go of it but by Thursday, I knew I had to get started writing.  I sat down at the computer and started writing.  Actually, I started it Wednesday morning but stopped because I was still angry and not letting go.  So Thursday, I sat down to get it done and it was going ok, except Shannon kept coming to my mind.  I kept telling myself, “Oh I forgive him but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be a little upset.  That doesn’t mean I have to be nice to him yet.”  Yes, well, with those thoughts going through my mind, this sermon was not happening!  So I finally picked up the phone and called him at work.  I told him to just listen and that it was going to weird but to let me have my say.  I said, “I’m still not over the other day but I forgive you.  I’m writing a sermon on forgiveness and I can’t until I forgive you and so I forgive but I’m still not totally over it.”  He said.  “OK” and I said bye.

I got back to writing and well, he still kept interrupting my thoughts, by now, I realize that it’s probably God and the Holy spirit convicting me so I call him back.  This time I say, “Ok, so I guess that’s not good enough.  I have to be over it so, I forgive you.”  This time he says, “Ok, I love you.”  And I said, “I love you too.”  To which he replied, “it’s doesn’t sound like it!”  and so I laughed and said, “I love you.”  And he said, “ok bye.”

See this reading from Corinthians, was just getting to me!  I kept thinking on the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…”  Through Christ we are reconciled with God and our ministry, our ministry according to Paul, is that of reconciliation!  See why I couldn’t get on with writing this sermon until I reconciled with Shannon?  Until I forgave him, and did so wholeheartedly? 

Reconciliation is our ministry.  We are called to forgive.  We are called to reconcile.  Now, as I wrote that, I started thinking about those two words, reconciliation and forgiveness.  At first glance I thought they were synonyms but I decided I needed to look to them up.    To forgive in simple terms means to stop feeling anger towards someone or something.  One site I read said, that forgiveness is an internal discipline, it’s private.  But to reconcile… well, that one is a little more complicated.  Reconciliation happens between two or more people.  The simple definition of reconcile to me isn’t so simple but here it is…  to find a way of making two different ideas, facts or whatever exist or be true at the same time…  to cause people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement.  Hmmm…  The full definition is to restore to friendship or harmony, this one made me laugh… to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant.

Suddenly the politics of today came to mind.  The division in congress, the division we as a church, the big church, have been feeling, honestly, there is too much division in the world to list it all!  But as we read the verses from 2 Corinthians we are told that we need to reconcile our differences.  We need to reconcile.  It’s our ministry.  Can you imagine a world where everyone made reconciliation their ministry?  Wow!

I think this is what the father in the Prodigal Son parable was trying to teach his older son.  It’s what Jesus wanted to us learn, about him and also about ourselves.  We don’t all do the same things, we don’t all make the same decisions, the same choices but we can live together in harmony.  We can forgive each other, we can adjust to our differences.  We can learn from each other and we can try to walk each others shoes.  I’m not saying we all have to agree, I’ll be honest, Shannon and I will never agree on a lot of things but we can choose to adjust, to forgive, to love each other through and in spite of our differences.  What a world this would be if we could all do that as a church, as a society to adjust, to forgive, to love each other through and in spite of difference.  To reconcile with one another so that we fully participate in the reconciliation with God that is offered to us through Jesus Christ and given to us as our ministry in the world.

Mornings

I've just been horrible about posting lately.  I don't really even have a very good excuse, but today I'm feeling great more on track than I have in a while.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm so very behind on a few things but I'm feeling good and that's a start!

This morning I decided I need to focus my mornings more.  I decided to get up as soon as I woke up and start moving.  I decided to start working on some more positive habits for me. 

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I took time to drink some water and even had some hot lemon water to get things going this morning.  I read The Upper Room Daily Devotional followed by another daily reading I really enjoy, that I haven't read in awhile called "Simple Abundance" and then I spent time in quiet prayer.  

Now I pray all the time but this morning's prayer seemed much more focused and well, it just made me feel so good, like I'd just had a long chat with an old friend and isn't that the way it should always feel?  

Anyway, I just feel much more centered today.  I started my day out right, movement, meditation, prayer and a healthy breakfast.  I have a lot more movement that I need to get into my day but I feel sure it will happen!

I'm wondering, how do you start your day?  What healthy habits do you have in your morning routine?  Do you have a morning routine?  How do you focus your day and center your life?  I'd love hear about it!  Please share!

Catching up...

So, I've been so very lax lately on my blogging.  It's not that I don't have anything to say or share, I've just been... blah and busy I guess.

Let's see if I can catch you up in just a few short paragraphs.

First, my DD was accepted as an apprentice in a dance company nearby which is very exciting!  It will be a lot driving and sitting for me for a bit while I make sure she is ready to drive on the interstate and in downtown traffic but it's worth it for her to get the experience.  I did find a little coffee shop near the studio so I maybe spending some time there for a few weeks.  Hey!  Maybe it will get me writing again.  :)

Last weekend we took her to St. Louis to audition for some 'regional' summer intensives.  It was a nice quiet weekend for DH and I.  Sometimes it's just nice to be away from everything and just be.  Anyway, she should hear back about those soon.  She is so excited!

I started a new Advanced Lay Servant class on Monday to keep my certification current.  It's Biblical

Storytelling.  I find it very interesting and could see myself possibly doing this outside of the course.

I was busy busy preaching the last couple of months which was wonderful!  It's slowing down now.  I preach this Sunday and have a couple of Sundays off and then two in a row but I think it's going to go back to just once a month soon...  it's kind of sad as I enjoy it so very much.  So if you know of anyone needing a speaker in my vicinity, give them my name!!  

Well, there you have it.  Me in a nutshell.  I'm really going to try to write more and blog more.  It's good for me and I have few new ideas too, soooo.... don't give up on me!  I'll be back!  Now... to go write this week's sermon... wish me luck!  Better yet, pray for me!

Sunday, January 10, 2016 'Connected'

This was yesterday's sermon.  I left all of it even the parts that were more just for that particular congregation.  Also, I tend go ad-lib a lot so it's missing a little here and there and probably has some that I chose to leave out when the time came.  The scriptures were  Isaiah 43:1-7, Acts 8:14-17 and Luke 3:15-17, 21-22.

Connected

So, I was thinking this week, we finished our service last week almost 30 minutes early, so…  How about I just add that time on this week?  I don’t want you all to feel cheated. 

Just kidding.  You have no worries.  I’ve never had a sermon last longer than 20 minutes and honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever had one last that long.  Besides, this week’s message has really had me stumped.  I think it’s because this is my third January preaching and so I’ve written a sermon on the topic for today, the Baptism of our Lord Sunday.  The scriptures are a little different of course but I’ve really struggled this week in preparing for today but hopefully, this is it, hopefully, this is the message I’ve been praying for God to give me to share with you.

Would you please pray with me?  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts and minds be acceptable you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

Our reading from Luke this morning tells us of John the Baptist telling the people of the one who would come and be mightier than him, the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  And then we get to hear about Jesus’ baptism.  I want to read that part to you again if you don’t mind. 

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,

 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Now, a couple of things stood out for me.  One was that he wasn’t baptized alone.  Others were baptized there with him.  Another was that Luke’s version of the story says, “and he was praying…”  In both and Matthew and Mark, it says as Jesus came out of the water the Holy Spirit came upon him.  But here in Luke, he says after he was baptized and was praying the Holy Spirit came down. I think that is interesting.  Now, many people think that his baptism marks the beginning of his ministry so I have to wonder, if in his knowing that if he wasn’t praying for his Father’s help, for God’s guidance, his blessing, even his approval as he was starting out on his journey of ministry.  Then at that moment, the heavens open and the Holy Spirit descended on him as a dove and a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Could that be an answer to his prayer?  The Holy Spirit comes upon him so that he would not be alone on this journey, so the he would have guidance and help on his way and then he receives his father’s blessing and approval.  You are precious to me son, I believe in you.  You’ve got this.

This actually kind of reminded me our reading from Acts.  If we go back a few chapters to chapter 2, we read of the Holy Spirit coming and filling the disciples as they begin their ministries.  Then in our reading from today, we read of Philip preaching in Samaria and they were receiving the Word of God.  So John and Peter go and pray for them and come and lay their hands on them and the Holy Spirit comes to them.  They are not alone.  They are loved.

Now in our Baptism and Confirmation services it says that Baptism is the starting point of our a life of discipleship.  It could be said it’s the starting point of our ministries.  I know, some of you are probably thinking you aren’t in ministry but if you have heard me preach before you know that we are all ministers, we all have the ministry of loving each other, of nurturing each other, of sharing God’s love and message to everyone we meet.  So, yes, we can think of our Baptism and confirmation as the starting point of our ministry just as it was for Jesus.  This can all be pretty scary at times. 

Our reading in Isaiah today tells us some really comforting things.  It says that God has called us by name and that we are his, just as he called Jesus son, he calls us sons and daughters.  It says that he will be with us and that he IS with us.  It says that we are precious in his sight and that he loves us.  Again, just like he told Jesus he was beloved, we too are loved and precious to him.  And just like Jesus, through baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit so that we are not alone, so that we have guidance, and help in our lives and ministries.  Which, well, as Christians, our lives are ministries. 

I think this is a great time for us to remember and focus again on our Baptism or Confirmation.  Our baptism or confirmation is the starting point of a life of discipleship, a life of ministry.  It’s a reminder of the connectedness of all Christians.  It is by water and the spirit. We are connected to Jesus, to the apostles, and to all those who have gone before us.

Now, at our baptism or at our confirmation we renounce evilness, we reject evil and repent. We promise to put our whole trust in him, and we profess faith in Christ. We promise to be faithful and to represent Christ in the world. There’s our ministry.  We promise to nurture one another in Christian faith and life and we receive the Holy Spirit.. 

I think we often think on these promises when we are witnessing a baptism or someone joining the church but we don’t really think on them on a regular basis and I really think we should.

We should take time to think on these promises to reflect on how we are doing in keeping them and then work on doing just that.  Let’s take a moment and close our eyes and think back on your baptism, or if you were an infant or can’t remember your baptism, think of your confirmation or a baptism you have witnessed.  Be present there, remember the water, can you hear it as it was poured into the font?  Or as it dripped from the hand of the minister as he scooped some up?   Feel the water and the hands of the minister on your head or your shoulder.  Think of the words that were said.  Hear them.  I must mentioned some of them.   Feel the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God wash over, and fill you.  Now think about how Jesus experienced this very same thing, as did all the saints before us.   (PAUSE)  Honestly, until I was writing this, I had never thought about it like that.  We are all connected through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is God with us, and in us.  Take time often to listen carefully and you’ll hear quiet whispers of love and guidance every day of your lives.  You’ll feel his tiny nudges to spend time with a sick friend or a grieving neighbor instead of worrying about the messy house or the work that needs to be done.  You’ll hear him in the voice of a child begging for one more story.  When you are fearful of the unknown, of the world and all it’s confusion, know that he is with you and that he loves you, remember that he said, Do Not Be Afraid.  Do Not Fear.  Remember to put your whole trust in him, to rely fully on him in all things.  Remember that you are not alone and that we are all connected in ministry through baptism and the Holy Spirit.