what I learned today

I haven't written for a while...it's funny how I get busy and stop writing, even though that's when I need to write the most.  I've talked before about how much getting details 'out' helps.  So I am trying to get up just a little early to write more purposefully.  (I'm a big-time night owl, so we will see...)

I slept little last night.  Even though our son's wedding reception is out of my head it's still way too full of details concerning Christmas and other things I dream of doing...so I gave up and got up, even though my day will be a long one.

Now snuggled on my couch beside my Christmas tree with Kenny G quietly playing Christmas tunes in the background - I started the day by reading 3 John.  Beth Moore asks, "if one sentence were written about your life, what would it be?"  Not what I had hoped to be confronted with first thing this morning.

In 3 John he writes about a guy named Diotrephes, and about the fact that 'he liked to be first and excludes others'.  Can you imagine if your name was written in a letter as Dotrephes was, and this letter ended up being read by millions and millions of people?  I find that terrifying!  Looking back on my last few weeks, I have been very edgy and found myself in a somewhat ugly place.  I don't usually need encouragement, but I realized yesterday I've been searching for some.  It really looked ugly when a friend was talking about some accomplishment they had done and I blurted out some ridiculous sounding accomplishment of my own.  OH MY WORD!!  Talk about pathetic! I should have been celebrating with them, but instead looked for appreciation for something I had a part in.   I confessed this arrogance to the Lord and asked Him to remove that attitude immediately. In that moment my life sentence would have read, "she was very busy working and drew her satisfaction in recognition that she received from others."  UGLY!

Beth Moore goes on to say in this study that she is so thankful that as long as we 'are kicking' we have the privilege of changing our testimony.  So as I pray my way into another God given day, my prayer will be that my testimony glorifies the King of Kings and that I won't exclude others.

Here is a challenge for all of us this week - let's all very purposefully write our testimony sentence each day this week.  We can join together to live each day as if we actually believe in His promises, instead of worrying about everything and rushing around with insignificant details.  We will live as if today was the only day we have to 'write our life sentence'.  Can you imagine how life changing that could be?

I want my life sentence to say, "She lived and loved as if she believed with all of her heart that she was the daughter of the almighty King, not in her own power or in her own interest, but in His."

Abide in Him and re-write the sentence of your life.

we gave thanks

Seems like the minute the 'amen' is out of our mouths giving thanks on Thanksgiving, Christmas takes over.  Heaven forbid we remain in thankfulness too long!  After-all we are Americans - we basically have what we have because we work so hard and we deserve it!

That's how I act sometimes.

I tried to remember as I celebrated that God is the only reason I have anything...even life itself, therefore remaining in my thanksgiving just a little longer.

Even though for the first time ever we didn't have our kids with us - we invited others to join us for Thanksgiving and focused on catching up, telling stories and laughing a whole lot (my favorite thing in the world).  Thanksgiving night ended watching a movie in Ashland at my parents home, with a make-shift 'sheet screen' and huge sound system broadcasting Cars II.  Laughter again and then goodnight.

....ok, so not goodnight, as Michelle and I stood in line at Target at 11:30 p.m. and finally home at 8:00 a.m. - but we were still thankful that we found all of the Christmas 'must haves' on our list, and so Christmas began.

can end result be honored

Yesterday as I grew more and more agitated with my schedule and the lack of hours remaining in what already felt like the longest day of my life a thought occurred to me.  Can God be honored in the end result of my work if the process is not God honoring?

When I end up successfully pulling off creative support for a service, or take a meal to a sick friend or master a new program I've been struggling with but the process to get there is UGLY - does it count so to speak...or does God see it as filthy rags?

I had a brain drop last evening and purchased not a small - but Venti sized Starbucks as I rushed from store to store couponing and picking up a couple of things for the ministry.  I paid for it later, and later and later still...by 2:00 a.m. I remembered why I was having so much trouble sleeping - caffeine!

However, I know now, that was no coffee fix - it was time God wanted my attention.  He brought the most random things to my mind - some things that required that I ask His forgiveness, somethings that required praising Him and just prayer for those that filled my mind.

One thing He revealed was my attitude regarding the process of some of my work recently.  My attitude STUNK as I worked on a home project recently.  Ultimately I did complete it and even managed to complete it well - but I wondered, can the end result really be honored or celebrated since the process was ugly?

I understand He uses even the lost to accomplish His will - so I know the answer and yet as it applies to me personally I think I forfeit any right of celebration when I squander the journey.


Today I hope to remain in Him - stay attentive to His leading and watch for opportunities to serve Him and encourage others.  If you are His - no detail in your life is a mistake.  Yes, wrong decisions can cause problems but walk right back into Him and abide in Him.  That's my goal today - to ABIDE in Him!

ingredients

As I chopped the ingredients needed to make my hubby and I homemade chicken rice soup and a salad, it dawned on me that is what goes into everything I do.  Not celery, carrots and onion, but ingredients.

Right now, I still feel as if I'm missing an ingredient or two required to make the Christmas services at Crossroads what they should be.  Because of that, I searched most of last night for just the right thing. Determined to finish this morning I awoke to find out that our servers were down at church so I couldn't access any of my files.  This was extremely discouraging but no ones fault.  Should be back up this evening.

A couple of creative leaders from across the country shot me a few links to musical groups I do not know - this will help tremendously if not for Christmas, then for additional planning in the future.

Still - ingredients missing.  So I went back to my knees and poured out my concern to the ultimate creative.  As always, a peace filled my mind and soul.  And as I cook I know it will all come together.  We have such amazing volunteers and talented staff, all will be well.

My hunch is the Lord just wants us to marvel at His gift to us, join together in worshipping Him and forget the fancy-smancey stuff I long to find.

Maybe the aaahhh of realizing who God really is, will fill our auditorium, families will join hands and celebrate His birth and we will all praise the Lord for giving us brothers and sisters in Christ to do life with at Crossroads.  Maybe the ingredients are already there...and that's enough...

weekend report

A stage full of new vocalists...this makes me very happy and very excited!  So thankful that God is moving people into serving here at Crossroads!!

Our setlist:

Opening announcement video/Jesse Rider 'goes' out in support of the iGO series.
Praise:  Rising - Paul Baloche
Praise: All My Fountains - Chris Tomlin
Worship: Hosanna - Hillsong
Worship: God of This City - Chris Tomlin
Message:  iGO Pt. 1
Exit Song:  God of This City - Chris Tomlin

To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their worship services across the world go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

to create you must begin

We began with a roll of plastic and ended with a set design.

After several hours of measuring and cutting and connecting we completed our set design.  As we began it looked like absolutely nothing more than a piece of plastic that you would use to cover a wood pile or a carpeted floor before painting.  Even after I connected each piece together with zip ties and carried it to the stage it looked pathetic - for a moment I thought it was hopeless.  Then as my hubby began to hang it and the colored lights began to hit the squares, it became a design.  It became the backdrop for the message to go out for the next four weekends!

Sometimes to create all you need to do is begin.

When I create I am in my most vulnerable place. Every time I begin, I risk failure.   But when God takes a simple plan or thought and helps it become a completed project it is more fulfilling than I can possibly describe.

Whatever area you are talented or gifted in, is where you should serve the body of Christ.  That is the very reason why God gifted you, to serve his church and others.  If you aren't using your talents and gifts, you are dead wrong!  And if I can be so brave, if you aren't serving in the church and only attending I think it could actually be a sin.  You are robbing others from being blessed by the area God gifted you in.  It's that simple.  Think for a minute, what in the world are you saving your talents for?  Yourself?  Your work place?  Why??

I encourage you today to step out of your comfort zone - volunteer in an area that you know God gifted you in!  Join me in risking failure - nothing matters in this life except to live for Him!  So what if we goof up sometimes - it's better than keeping all He has given us for ourselves.

in the presence of Almighty God

Today consisted largely of two things.

A great time with the Directors of Crossroads.

And a privileged time ministering to attendees of Crossroads.

Early today the Directors met to do what we always do, evaluate what we've done recently, to look ahead at the dreams and goals that we will be holding before the staff and congregation in weeks to come and finally, to hear updates on each area of the ministry that we oversee.  New things and old things, good things and bad things, problems and solutions, never settling for where we are.

The second half of our day was ministering to 3 families that are suffering great loss this week.

One dear friend lost her father and the second lost a brother.  While we were on our way to deliver food for the first funeral service meal, a 3rd dear Crossroads gentleman passed away, so I dropped my husband off to care for that family and went on myself to deliver food to the first friend.

As I drove away from the home of the man who had passed just minutes before we arrived, I became completely overwhelmed with the realization that literally moments before we pulled in that drive, that dear man walked into the very presence of Almighty God.  I have never felt that way before.  I didn't see anything, didn't hear anything - and yet that realization washed over me in an almost physical way.   I felt a longing to know what he knows and for my faith to be made site as his is.  It was almost a jealousy I felt that George was with the King of Kings and I was still here.

Ministering to those who have experienced loss is one of the most amazing opportunities we get in this life.  My husband is teaching me that with his quiet, servant's heart.  And as I follow him into one family's loss after another, I feel I see the heart of God more and more clearly with each stop we make.

Each stop just minutes, or hours or days away from the throne of God...