another day almost done

I cannot believe once again it's almost evening - seems like I'm always evaluating, looking back instead of making forward progress!

Eternal things today?

Served another ministries' worship team.
Took food and medicine to someone sick.
Encouraged a friend.

Non-eternal things?

Bought large cafe latte - when I stopped to get vitamins and left it in car, Vern drank it. 

Guilty face

Looked at Facebook.
Took pictures of friends.
Dusted furniture.
Ate candy.

Now off to see if I can fill my evening with eternal things instead of trivial non-important nonsense!

What filled your day?

I'm often distracted

I probably get the most frustrated with myself when I get distracted.  Facebook, Twitter etc I can turn off.

My distractions are often things that cross my path that are none of my business, but I make them my business by trying to solve problems or asking dumb questions when I have PLENTY to do right in front of me.  It's often shocking to remember the world can survive without me managing everything…

recently I've had to confess to the Lord that I'm dwelling on things that feel unfair.

Like how our kids are working like crazy to pay baby bills and to secure a future for themselves while others we know similar in age choose not to marry, not to work and let the government pay for baby, send them to college free and put food on their tables, food that they are physically more then capable of working for.

Now with my mom's illness I can go down that path again.  She's loved the Lord and served Him faithfully her entire life - why cancer - feels unfair.  Then I realize how that line of thought must cause the Lord to be so disappointed in me.  Because if I had His Words hidden in my heart I would remember that the greatest reward for a life well lived is to be in His presence.  To be spared from evil here on earth.

To stand in front of Him and hear "well down my good and faithful servant" coming out of his mouth should make it the deepest desire of my heart, to get out of here, to be present with Him.

But the distractions of my life here on earth tantalize my attention away from Him - away from a deep understanding of how pale all of this is in comparison to Him.

My prayer today is for singular focus, and that I'll have an unquenchable desire for Him that deadlines, and gossip, and problems can't cause me to be distracted.

dis·trac·tion

1. extreme agitation of the mind or emotions.

   synonyms:

   frenzy, hysteria, mental distress, madness, insanity, mania;

can I say - it is well with my soul

A ministry contact from out West wrote yesterday about our 'calling'.  The article was very timely for me and much appreciated! 

Within his writing he named a book about the 'soul' of leadership.  I now own the book and cannot wait to read it.  It sounds like the exact study I need right now.  Finding his post was not just random timing yesterday - when I opened Facebook just as his blog post went up -  God timing indeed.

This quote is one of the first I found as I quickly looked over the book, "...the best thing I can be for the people I work with is to be able to say, 'It is well with my soul."  

So I asked myself point blank - can I say that?

I'm not sure...  

I don't feel that a book exists that can reveal or solve all the problems of the soul, but this question feels important, so I'll combine reading with prayer and study of the ultimate instruction manuel God's Word and we'll see if this strengthens my soul!

Today I pray that you too will take a look deep within to the depths of your soul...

-is it well with your soul?

I like to create

I was challenged by a fellow ministry blogger to answer the following questions, so I'll give it my best shot!

What ignites that flame inside you to create? Honestly, it can be anything. Some of my friends laugh at me as we talk and I start say "we should do this, or we should try this ..." So although it sounds terribly simple - any new idea, any problem that needs to be solved, any creative challenge that needs to be tackled gets me going!

What sparks that passion inside you? This is easy to answer, the thought that something I help to create might be the element that finally makes it click for a non-believer is all the spark I need to get me all fired up! I say almost weekly to someone nearby - I still can't believe I get to do this every week!

How do you channel your creativity into a finished product? I brainstorm when given an assignment or when I decide to create something new, and then I move into the creation process quickly. I set a time line, contact the other people I need to pull off the creative assignment, I stay involved in the project especially in the early stages. I feel it is very important to make sure early on that things are on course so people don't spend time going the wrong direction.

What do you do when you struggle to create? I pray a lot! I create a new team, quickly! When I discover that I am short handed, or don't have the right group of creative talent that I need, I create a new small group/team. It's much easier than it sounds.

I never hesitate to ask for help, but honestly we have so many creative people in our ministry I usually can find someone that can help me get over the hurdle pretty quickly. My senior pastor and my husband are both very creative and can usually make suggestions that get me moving again. My biggest problem is waiting longer than I should to ask for help!

How do you celebrate your wins? I celebrate with everyone that helps in the process. I write tons of thank you cards weekly expressing my thanks and telling any stories that I hear from people whose lives have been changed due in part to their work.

Do you enjoy your creative process? Love it, even when it is difficult.

How do you share your creative elements with others? On our church website, YouTube, GodTube, facebook, and my blog.

It is with awe week after week that I come to God thanking Him for the privilege of creating!