Sunday is Michelle's 23rd birthday! ;)
Unfortunately I won't get to spend any of it with her :(
Actually I haven't spent the last 3 birthdays (or is it 4?) with her either but I knew she was surrounded by a host of friends at Harding. (Yes, Michelle, I know you have friends in Amsterdam too.)
Anyway, for her birthday:
May she feel loved by family and friends (old and new).
May she have laughter to fill the day (Michelle: If you get them to play the game I sent in your birthday package - you're sure to have a few laughs - you may be laughing at your mother's silliness but hey, it's still laughing.)
May she feel God's presence and love surrounding her.
May she have one new experience to enjoy (We all know how much Michelle likes new adventures.)
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
complacent christianity
I bought a new CD last week (Casting Crowns -"The Altar and the Door") - and once again God has used music to get my attention.
I've been without Christ - with all the pain of sin, the guilt, the sorrow for my actions, the yearning to be clean again - yet I've really been struck by how complacent I often am in my christianity. I go to worship, teach the children, pray and move right along with the rest of my life. None of this really requires much sacrifice from me in the way of money, time, or talent. After all - I LOVE to sing, I enjoy working with children, I can fit prayer in during the little spaces of my day (driving, cooking, etc.) None of it requires any real risk.
So often I am without the passion of my faith. I want to be a christian but I don't want to be seen as too much of a christian. I don't want to be lost but I don't want to be radical either. The problem with that is - Jesus IS radical. God's plans are radical. He wants radical believers. He wants us to believe that he can and will do the impossible - and he'll do it with us.
The song "Somewhere in the Middle" has really stuck in my mind...the mental pictures I see as I listen to the words are so vivid.
So in case you haven't heard the song here it is:
"Somewhere between the hot and the cold. Somewhere between the new and the old. Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Somewhere between the wrong and the right. Somewhere between the darkness and the light. Somewhere between who I was and who you're making me. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense, deep water faith - in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle.
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is, But will we trade our dreams for his? Are we caught in the middle?
Somewhere between my heart and my hands. Somewhere between my faith and my plans. Somewhere between the safety of the boat and crashing waves. Somewhere between a whisper and a roar. Somewhere between the altar and the door. Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control. Lord, I feel You in this place and I know you're by my side. Loving me even on these nightswhen I'm caught in the middle."
I've been without Christ - with all the pain of sin, the guilt, the sorrow for my actions, the yearning to be clean again - yet I've really been struck by how complacent I often am in my christianity. I go to worship, teach the children, pray and move right along with the rest of my life. None of this really requires much sacrifice from me in the way of money, time, or talent. After all - I LOVE to sing, I enjoy working with children, I can fit prayer in during the little spaces of my day (driving, cooking, etc.) None of it requires any real risk.
So often I am without the passion of my faith. I want to be a christian but I don't want to be seen as too much of a christian. I don't want to be lost but I don't want to be radical either. The problem with that is - Jesus IS radical. God's plans are radical. He wants radical believers. He wants us to believe that he can and will do the impossible - and he'll do it with us.
The song "Somewhere in the Middle" has really stuck in my mind...the mental pictures I see as I listen to the words are so vivid.
So in case you haven't heard the song here it is:
"Somewhere between the hot and the cold. Somewhere between the new and the old. Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Somewhere between the wrong and the right. Somewhere between the darkness and the light. Somewhere between who I was and who you're making me. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense, deep water faith - in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle.
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is, But will we trade our dreams for his? Are we caught in the middle?
Somewhere between my heart and my hands. Somewhere between my faith and my plans. Somewhere between the safety of the boat and crashing waves. Somewhere between a whisper and a roar. Somewhere between the altar and the door. Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more. Somewhere in the middle you'll find me.
Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control. Lord, I feel You in this place and I know you're by my side. Loving me even on these nightswhen I'm caught in the middle."
Sunday, September 09, 2007
who we are is not necessarily how others see us
After attending worship and the inaugural meeting of the empty nester's club (All Right! -Jim, that's for you.) Ron and I spent the rest of the day as volunteers parking cars for a polo game. I know nothing about polo but in exchange for volunteers to handle the parking the agency I work for will get paid / donation to go towards our building fund. (Since we are at licensed capacity in the county with a LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG waiting list for services a new building is really needed. ) Anyway, here I am in shorts, t-shirt and a lovely orange vest directing people to the proper parking places. I shortly discovered that the way people addressed me - while friendly - was definitely not the way I am usually addressed. I was rather entertained by the number of times I was called Honey, Doll, Babe, etc. by people that in other circumstances would be calling me Mrs. Staggs, ma'am, etc. Their perception of who I was seemed to be very dependent on the role I was playing at the time. Don't get me wrong - no one was intentionally rude, people were pleasant/smiling/cooperative. It did make me think about how I see myself, how I see others and how they see me..I might need to be a little more careful about my assumptions about who people are in future interaction.
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