Plans Change

There are times when you plan, prepare, pray and look forward to something just to find that life changes and your plans must also. I will not be working the Emmaus Walk this weekend. Instead I will be making plans to celebrate the life of my Aunt Judy. After a long battle with cancer she is now with our Lord. I look forward to the time I will be spending with my family and all the stories of how Judy touched our lives with her humor and her tremendous love for Jesus. I am grateful to know that the battle is over and that she is now in heaven. This reassurance is great and I am thankful to know that my precious Aunt Judy is enjoying the streets of gold. I am sure she is singing harmony with the angels.

These are a few of my favorite things...

The ocean

Spring time

Flowers any time

Deep talks with friends

Good leather purses

Dirt (soil)

Pottery

Art work by people I know

Fishing

Flying kites

Dinner at a really nice restaurant

Pretty stationary

Notes from friends in the mail

Time Away

There is nothing like planning on being away for a few days to motivate you to get things done. This has been a very productive day and it feels so good to get the to do list crossed off. It also makes you realize just what you do when you have to get others to cover your tasks. This makes for a good time to evaluate what you spend your time doing. I think that maybe I should plan more time away just to boost my productivity. I am not really taking a vacation but I will be working an Emmaus Walk. The Emmaus movement is about creating church leaders and every time I get the privilege to work one I come away amazed at the way God changes people (and me) through this experience.

Tears, songs, hugs and words.

I am sure that I am not alone in this. You know the times in your life when you are facing something, a project, a new direction or a big change and you become totally overwhelmed with life? Well this is where I have been this week. So I have shed tears. I have been comforted by a song. The words to the chorus are " I am here , I 'm with you always, even to the end of the age. I am here, I'm with always. There's no need to fear I am here" followed by a big hug from the friend who sang the song for me. I then came across this quote in an e-mail. "It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time."-Winston Churchill. So now I am not quite so overwhelmed. I know that God is with me. I have friends to comfort me and the quote reminds me that I do not have to worry about tomorrow, I only have to thank God for His provision of all I need today.

Enough and More than Enough

This week has been a long week with many meetings and many very long days. When I face a week like this one. Which has contained facing many tough subjects and looking at changes that I don't have a concrete grasp on. It helps me to remember that God is more than enough.
During the passover the Jews would sing a song that recounts the Exodus from Egypt and all that God took them through during that time and it speaks of Him being more than enough.
My thought are these:
It would have been more than Enough if you had just kept me from death by the blood of the lamb. But you have done so much more you have given me everlasting, abundant life.
It would have been more than Enough if you had just delivered me from the bondage of slavery. But you have done so much more, you have healed my emotions from the effects of the bondage.
It would have been more than Enough if you had only provided for me manna and water. But you have done so much more. You have given me life in a country where I can purchase any food I want at any time.
It would have been more than Enough if you had only lead me by the cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night. But you have done so much more, you came to live inside of me and guide me continually.

Feel free to add to the more than enough list. Tell me how God is more than enough in your life.

Cleaning out the Gunk

I often check out blogs as I eat lunch. Several days ago I read Tony Morgans blog titled Stop Gunky build up. It always interests me how our Reticular Activating Systems work. In case your don't know a reticular activating system is what gets our attention. It works something like this. You start thinking about purchasing a new vehicle and you are leaning toward a lime green SUV. Because you are thinking about purchasing a lime green SUV you begin to notice every lime green SUV on the road. So because I am reading the book titled Simple Church I am noticing every sentence about programs and keeping the church simple. Hope you enjoy Tony's blog post and if you get the chance read Simple Church. It might help you to clean out some gunky build up in your life or church.

What if?

What if life could be simple?
What if we only attended worship services and growth groups, nothing else?
What if we concentrated all our energy on making these two areas of our church the very best they can be?
What if?
Would be grow closer to Jesus Christ?
Would we draw the lost to the church?
Would more people come to know Jesus Christ and His salvation?
What if?

Mowing the Grass

As I was mowing the grass on my day off yesterday I was thinking. Mowing is always a good time to do some alone uninterrupted thinking. I am a perfectionist. Not the type of perfectionist that gets all worked up when something is not perfect but the type that truly enjoys when things look really good. I simply enjoy a fresh cut lawn. If I take this and apply it to the church this is the way I want the church to look to those who don't go to church. I want our building to always look fresh cut. I want our services to always come off as perfect as imperfect people can make them. I thank God that it is up to Him to take our imperfection and make it a reflection of His perfection.