I want to Live a Verb

“I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.” (Psalm 18:1-2a)

 

I am a nerd. Actually, I am the nerd of my entire family. Being a nerd I like schedules, budgets, numbers, and routines. However, I don’t do so well with commands and rules because I am also defiant and a little mischievous (go figure). For example: I like to wake up in the morning to pray and read my Bible. I don’t read my Bible and pray because God commands it though. I do those things because I love the Lord and I want to know Him better. I love going to service on Sundays. I don’t go because it’s the law but I go because it’s incredible to worship the God of the universe and be surrounded by so many people who are in love with Him as well. I enjoy teaching and serving on Wednesday nights but it’s not because Jesus requires acts of service. I go in to my classroom on Wednesdays because I want to encourage a great group of awesome kids to be excited and in love with Jesus.

 

I want to live the verb of being in love with Jesus. I want my faith to be moving and living. I never want to sit down for a second.

 

+        I want to reach out into the community

+        I want to love the people in my life unconditionally

+        I want to give and then give some more

+        I want to trust and know that I am free

+        I want to be a good wife, mother, daughter, and friend

+        I want to live running and basking and all these things with God in the center of me because I love my Lord….because I love Jesus.

 

I want to bring God with me everywhere I go. Sometimes I leave Him here in this seat after I get done with devotions and for that I feel terrible. He doesn’t want just my mornings. Our Lord wants our everything and I want to give it to Him. I have let go of me and let God in and some days that is hard.  Walk with me, please, as I endure this challenge not because of some rule or ritual but because of  love and devotion to our Father.

 

“Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.” (Revelations 19:6a-7a)

We are the Circus

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20)

 

We saw the Cirque de la Symphonie on New Years Eve. It was an amazing night and a neat way to introduce a different genre of music to our kids. The music was beautiful, the acrobatics were shockingly amazing, and the talent was breath taking. I was torn between watching the faces of my family as new things flashed across the stage and watching the stage itself. How incredible that so much talent can be displayed in one night and on one stage.

 

Two women, in two completely different songs, demonstrated a strength and flexibility that had the crowd “oohing” and “awing” in sync. The juggler was amazing and my youngest happened to mention, at the exact moment I thought it, that it looked like that funny little clown had three arms whenever he was juggling because he moved so quickly. Another guy came out and had a hollow 3-D box that he twirled that may not sound too exiting but it had the effect of a laser show and I couldn’t keep my eyes off the box as it whirled around the guy. The “strongman” act was a true demonstration of strength as these two guys showcased a level of discipline and strength I have never seen before. And let’s not forget the music: it was fabulous! The Des Moines Symphony really out did themselves. Our youngest was quite impressed that they remembered to play a StarWars song for him. They also had a 13-year old come out and play a song on the piano and he will a rising star; I am sure of it. It was a night of beautiful talent and I am glad that we decided to go.

 

God gives everyone different abilities. If all the people in the Cirque de la Symphonie did the same thing, equally talented in exactly the same talents, the show would have sucked (honestly). We are the circus, my friends. God has given us beautiful talents and abilities and when we work together we can produce amazing things through our differences. Some of us are good at juggling, some of us are able to contort ourselves to make things work, some our strength and ability to work on teams gets mighty mountains of ministry moving, and still, some of us are that star that will move people and show them the beauty of life. We are the circus….we are the church and it’s time, everyday, to get the show on the road. Pray about what God is asking you to do and fix your eyes on it now. He’ll walk you through it and see you safely to the other side.

 

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and  strength belong to God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 7:12)

Standing Strong

“If you think you are standing strong be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are temped, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

 

I never want to be comfortable in my faith. I never want to feel as if I could find all the answers. I never want to think that I have done all I need to do in my faith and, therefore, I can sit back and wait for the day when Jesus brings me home. I am scared that if I were ever to get to the day when I was comfortable I would loose the joy in my faith and stop growing. A good pastor once said if you’re not growing, you’re dying. The only death I fear is a spiritual one so I will continue to pray and I will continue and read the Bible and I will continue to volunteer because I want to keep growing.

 

The only expected blessing I have is an eternity with Jesus, everything else is icing. There has only been one time when I wanted to shout to God and scream at Him and ask Him why. Many of the trials we go through are almost always self-inflected and if they aren’t self-inflected I can see the way God is working through everything. We had some upsets to our income this past fall, which is in addition to three years of ups and downs. However, right around this time we did a service on financial giving, which I do so gladly. But this time I was upset because it was said that if you are not giving to God you are stealing from Him. Well, we were giving! We were giving gladly and things still got tough! I was so angry and for one brief moment I wanted to give up, which is so much worse than being comfortable. For one brief moment I wanted to throw in the towel because we are passionate servants of Christ and we constantly go through these trials that grind down my energy and keep me from sleeping well at night.  

 

Then I remembered what I have always known: our trials shape up, Jesus provides all our needs, Jesus will guide us, and there is a plan. Okay, I can handle that. I can’t say that I always like it because I don’t like walking around in the dark. But I can say that as long as the Lord continues to mold me and put me through the fire that I will let Him shape me with His Words, His plan, and His love. Sometimes I think he pokes me too hard but, again, I suppose the Creator of the universe knows how much it’s going to take to bring me wherever it is that He is taking me. How could I ever get comfortable? God’s always shaking things up. I don’t sit down long enough to be comfy and I don’t plan to either.

 

“I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zechariah 13:9)

Be Courageous

“Be strong and courageous, for you are one who will lead these people to posses all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave to you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command–be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

 

God is not going to waste words. God is not going to tell us something and it not mean something, let alone three times!

 

Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

Be strong and courageous.

 

This first part of Joshua is beautiful because God is giving us that comfort that He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He has given us the instruction that we need to live life fully–the BIBLE. And He promises that we will prosper and succeed in all that we do if we take the time to learn His Word and meditate on it.

 

Now, we have to be careful and not put our own definitions on what it means to prosper and what it means to succeed. If you think reading the Bible will bring you that big fat check you are waiting for you may find yourself highly disappointed. However, your spiritual life—your very soul—will prosper and you will succeed in living the life God intended for you and your treasure in Heaven will be massive!

 

So, be strong and courageous. Follow the path that God has laid before you. Turn to God’s Word for guidance in all things and you will find that He lights your path along the way (Psalm 119:105). Love the Lord with everything you have and spend time with Him daily and you will find that the days when it is harder to be strong and courageous that He will step in with His might and put the muscle in for you.

 

“For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:19)

He Can Be Just Like Me

“She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?” (1 Timothy 5:10)

 

I am experiencing a slight occurrence of attention deficit this morning. I had thought of something to write about as I lay in bed this morning waiting for the alarm to go off. By the time I got downstairs the thought had totally eluded me. As I was reading Ezekiel a little while ago I came across an amazing verse that I thought would make a great story but I put down my Bible, walked my cold feet to the hot coffee and my writing subject plagued me every step of the way: a 12 year old young man.

 

So far this morning, in a matter of approximately 5-10 minutes we have talked about homework, hot lunch, cleaning the house, graded school work, movies, dinner, tomorrow’s breakfast, hygiene, and Saturday night. Any of my closest friends will know that covering that much subject matter in a small space of time is of little challenge to me. It’s no wonder that my son and I can pace each other so well and at such an early hour in the morning. We are extremely similar to one another and sometimes that is good and sometimes it makes me cringe.

 

Sometimes my 12 year old will say something or do something that gives me flashbacks to when I was younger and I was not a very good little girl. I was spoiled, did what ever I wanted no matter whom it may hurt, and I thought the world revolved around me. So, when I see the similarities I get a little scared. However, this young man has something that I didn’t have: faith.

 

If you were to ask Him the way to Heaven, he would tell you: only through Jesus. If you were to ask him if liked church he would look at you funny and say, “yeah, why” (like you were an idiot).  If there is an occasion that he may miss youth group there is a panicked look on his face and he bravely fights back tears. Through Greg and I, our friends, our immediate family, our family of faith, great leaders, strong youth programs, and a lot of prayers has been given a strong foundation that will hopefully guide him on his journey through life.

 

Yes, my son is just like me. My parents remind me often of that fact. But I can honestly say, with my big-grown-up voice, that it’s okay. We enjoy each other a lot, we understand each other, and we can read each other pretty well. Even when my son makes his mistakes in life I will continue to love him and pray for him. At the end of a bad day, when my son reaches out for my hand and asks if I want him to pray with me, I can still smile and thank God for sending him to me because I am pretty sure that when a little seven pound 1/2 ounce baby boy was given to me the rest of my life was changed forever. (oh, and he was born at 4:42 am….maybe we are just morning people)

 

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

What Do We Know?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understaning.” (Proverbs 3:5)

 

There are going to be times in our lives when we feel anger. There are going to be times in our lives when we even feel that the anger we are feeling is righteous anger. There are going to be times in our lives when we feel so adamantly about something and, at the same time, we struggle because it will not go that way. Shut your mouth, open your heart, and then maybe God will move. Otherwise we may just need to practice that patience the Bible keeps telling us we have and wait for God’s wisdom to shine through.

 

There are going to be times in our lives when we don’t know which way is up and which way is down. We will experience such great pain that it is unimaginable. We will have to walk through obstacles that seem impossible. We are going to have faith that God is in control when we head out blinded by our grief. Our faith in God—our trust—is what we are going to need to see God’s plan in our lives.

 

There are going to be times when we experience such joy and love that we think we are going to explode. The blessings of those moments can seem incomprehendable to us. How can anyone feel that much love? How can so much joy be in one moment or within one experience? At these times we have to look up to Heaven and thank God for creating and sharing these incredible things with His children.

 

Do you see it? Do you understand? God is there through it all and there are going to be so many things that we do no understand, good and bad. Our goal should be that through it all we understand that there will be times we just don’t understand. We have to trust that God knows what He is doing and that, through His willing children, those plans will come to pass. We will raise up onto mountain tops and we will have to sludge through the valleys, but He is right there with us. When Jesus died on the cross He died for every sin, every hardship, every experience, and every day of the lives of His people….past, present, and future. He understands everything, which is why it is okay if we don’t.

 

“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

 

 

Give them a Gift

 

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

 

I had taken a huge step back from children’s ministries this past year or two. I had been a part of wonderful ministries for a long while but that was also while I was running a daycare and working on my Associate degree. I was tired, burned out, and, honestly, sick of it. I had gotten to the point where all the effort I put in to preparing was never rewarded because I left each session with these kids left me tired and annoyed. I was saturated in little ones and I was so exhausted. By my own mindset I needed to step back and take a break.

 

I had planned to see what our Christian Ed program needed next year after I finish up school in 2009. As I have moved into the core of my degree program I have found that it is hard for me to add to that load, especially with my husband being gone every weeknight and rushing our three children here and there. However, I have always encouraged my children to be a part of Sunday school and Wednesday night youth programs and they enjoy both very much. In fact, there is very little I would limit them from doing at church. I like that they want to be there because our church home is full of great leaders, role models, inspiration, and love.

 

For some reason, when there was a call out for brainstorming session for Wednesday nights for kids, I jumped on it. I had no idea why. During the meeting I felt as if my heals were dragging on cement. I loved the ideas and the passion flowing in that room that night and I had the greatest urge to jump up and say, “put me in a group. I’ll lead!” But then my brain would pipe in, “no, you can’t do that. You have school and what if Kyle can’t do it”. The urge did not dissipate and even the next day, when I woke up, I felt that I was going to be incredibly blessed by leading/teaching this year but I still didn’t want to do it.

 

Then this past weekend some of our church kids got confirmed. Pastor Craig said it’s not one class that will encourage our youth to follow Jesus, it’s all the opportunities for them to learn, grow, fellowship, and lead that will build a beautiful relationship with God. My heart’s desire is to grow Jesus loving kids, and not just my own, but all the kids. However, it’s hard to make that happen if we don’t have the leaders and teachers to pull that through. So, I am more confident than ever that God is walking me, and has talked me, into volunteering for our Christian Ed program this year.

 

Right now my almost desperate prayer every day has been that God will move the other adults in our church to find Jesus’ passion for our children to grow in light and love, to be surrounded by encouragement, and lead by good role models. God has great plans for our family of faith but we need hands and feet to put them into action.

 

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of services, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

The Stars in the Sky

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars that you have set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

 

For some reason, while I was driving yesterday, I had a vivid memory come to mind. I had remembered my love for stars. I remember looking up at the night sky and feeling like I could just reach out and touch all of them. If I could just get high enough on my tip toes then I would be able to hold them in my hand. I soon realized that the stars were out of my reach, which seemed to be a common theme with any dream I had ever had.

 

I spent a lot of time settling. I settled for mediocre grades, I settled for guys who treated me poorly, I settled for working only as much as necessary but never more….I settled a lot. For some reason I was stuck in a place where I didn’t think I could reach my dreams and so I stuck with what was safe and what was right in front of me. Like the stars, my own potential simply felt out of reach.

 

I went a long time not believing I was good for anything and then God had shown me how special I truly was. But I have learned that I can be devoted to God, be the best wife and mother I can, go to work everyday, attempt to keep my house in order, and do so many other things right and I will still feel like I am grabbing for stars that are not there. However, I have also learned that these trials and hardships only make me stronger and bring me closer to Jesus.

 

I have learned that God has beautiful plans for my life. I have learned that He will equip me with all the tools I need to walk His path. I have learned that I do not need to settle for anything. I have learned that even though I look up at the night sky and I am overwhelmed with its beauty, God loves me more than that.  God loves us more than the universe that He created. God had put everything into motion yet still has taken the time to craft me and prepare a plan for me!

 

No matter the hill or the valley that I walk I can keep my eyes facing forward and my arms stretched out. I will keep reaching and working toward my goals with no fear of failing because my goals are not about me, they are about God and living to bring Him glory. When I finally come to that point in my life when I have reached God I will be assured that I have done so much better than simply holding a star in my hand.

 

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

I wonder what it is like

 

“In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all—the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills and people from all over the world wills stream thee to worship. People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths’” (Isaiah 2:1-3a)

 

I envision Heaven being the most beautiful place my mind could possibly conceive. I picture brightness, peace, and joy where no one suffers, is ill, can hate, can harm, or can be sad. I imagine that every question I could have ever wanted to know will be answered or seem insignificant in the presence of Jesus. I can picture myself before Him, getting as low to the ground as possible, crying tears of joy, and basking in the joy of being with my Lord for the rest of time.

 

I am going to Heaven. I am sure of this. There are times I want to doubt but deep down in my heart I know that I Jesus is with me. I have done the only thing that brought me salvation: going before God, accepting Jesus as Lord of my life, and asking for forgiveness. No ministry I am involved in, nothing I do, no amount of good deeds has bought this ticket for me. The ticket was paid long ago through the blood and love of Jesus Christ.

 

Is there anything put before me, in serving Him that I cannot do? If it means one more person gets to spend an eternity with Jesus could I give of my time, by skills, and my blessings? There is so much to be done and not enough hands to do it. We have filled our lives so much that we have to work God into our spare time. If I am going to serve my Lord for all eternity maybe I should go ahead and start now and see how much more of Heaven I can peek into before I actually get there.

 

As fall approaches and the busyness of life picks up again please be in prayer of how God wants you to serve. Pray that God will guide you and equip you for everything you need to serve. Pray that you are finding a balance between getting fed by God and giving back to Him. Pray for your church staff, family of faith, and community as planning and organizing for the new year begin, as well as finding the right leaders and teachers. And pray that God will lead you to where He wants you to be and pray that He will give you the strength you need to step out of your comfort box and closer to His Kingdom.

 

“I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them now. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

Get Some Rest

 

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.  For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.” (Hebrews 4:9-10)

 

I wasn’t getting up this morning. I did not get up to workout at five. I did keep hitting the snooze when the alarm was going off again an hour later and even now I look out my kitchen window at the gloomy sky wanting to go back to bed. Part of me feels guilty at the laziness and part of me is thinking about what a busy and long week it was; it’s okay to be tired.

 

Even as I got back into bed after hitting the snooze I tried to make myself feel better about my laziness by starting a conversation up with God but I kept falling back asleep. Then, as I walk down the stairs and start my coffee machine up I felt bad that I wouldn’t have time to sit down and read my Bible this morning or really get my morning prayer time in. AND THEN, I felt even worse because flashes of friends who are going through tough times and illness, or who have family members far away and sick, who need prayers and here I am hitting the snooze over and over again and doing my zombie walk to the caffeine.

 

It’s days like this when I am so grateful that Jesus knows my heart. There are always those days when things move in slow motion, you don’t do everything you know you need to do, you loose your temper, your kids aren’t behaving, your boss upsets you, your spouse is making that one vein in your neck pulse, or, even worse, you loose somebody….someone gets sick. These days don’t have to be bad days but they aren’t the days when your best foot is put forward. However, it’s your heart that Jesus sees. Just as Jesus can see when someone is faking their faith walk, He can also see when His children are simply having a bad day.

 

In the heart of your day, where ever you may be, know that you are loved and that God is with you. If we had the ability to be perfect Jesus would not have needed to hang on a cross for you and for me.  Today may be good or it may be tough but either way He will walk that path with you.

 

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 20b)