here goes.
Don't blow your nose when you're going pee
Or something might happen
That no one should see
For the next time you blow
When you don't want to go
You just might find that you can't stop the flow
It's Another Day in Montgomery and obviously I'm functioning on too little sleep!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
By the Way
Jude 1 :2
It's Another Day in Montgomery (ok - so the same day as the last post, but) I say:
always.
It's Another Day in Montgomery (ok - so the same day as the last post, but) I say:
always.
Everything is ok
Everything's ok. God is Good and everything has been completed. We're all just walking step-by-step through the the path set before us - seeing it play out around us and moving as we're asked to move. There's no need to fret. HE tells us so - and it is true. Every little thing is finished.
I live by this right now. When viewing the multitude of challenges, when asked all the how-to's and where-to-for's, when confronted with doubt. It's done. I only receive the information when it's necessary for me to know. (Same thing happens for you - if you'll recognize it.)
A twinkling of a vision comes and says, "Wait for the appointed time". A quiet peacefulness in the heart says, "Move now".
Whether it's logging off the computer, unloading the dishwasher, working over the curriculum, writing a letter, planning a dinner, getting to church on time...it all has it's appointed time and if we listen - only listen - everything will come off without a hitch.
How many times have I listened and found myself in perfect syncronicity with the movement of others in my life? How many times have I refused to listen and found myself not only out of sync with everyone, but frustrated too? How many times have I tried to throw my vision out there before the time and found it not only the wrong time, but ill-received, as well. How many times have I kept the vision hidden beyond it's appointed time and found there was no longer a place for it? How many times have I released the vision at it's own special moment and watched His Awesome Power come alive?
How many times have you?
It's Another Day in Montgomery and I say:
Thanks for all your prayers. Keep them coming and (please) don't ever stop. For it is by the power of your prayers, I am able to affirm this tenet of life, "Everything is ok. God is good and everything has been completed. There is no need to fret. Every little thing is finished."
I live by this right now. When viewing the multitude of challenges, when asked all the how-to's and where-to-for's, when confronted with doubt. It's done. I only receive the information when it's necessary for me to know. (Same thing happens for you - if you'll recognize it.)
A twinkling of a vision comes and says, "Wait for the appointed time". A quiet peacefulness in the heart says, "Move now".
Whether it's logging off the computer, unloading the dishwasher, working over the curriculum, writing a letter, planning a dinner, getting to church on time...it all has it's appointed time and if we listen - only listen - everything will come off without a hitch.
How many times have I listened and found myself in perfect syncronicity with the movement of others in my life? How many times have I refused to listen and found myself not only out of sync with everyone, but frustrated too? How many times have I tried to throw my vision out there before the time and found it not only the wrong time, but ill-received, as well. How many times have I kept the vision hidden beyond it's appointed time and found there was no longer a place for it? How many times have I released the vision at it's own special moment and watched His Awesome Power come alive?
How many times have you?
It's Another Day in Montgomery and I say:
Thanks for all your prayers. Keep them coming and (please) don't ever stop. For it is by the power of your prayers, I am able to affirm this tenet of life, "Everything is ok. God is good and everything has been completed. There is no need to fret. Every little thing is finished."
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Matter at Hand (And OH is it a mighty big hand)
I've heard a lot of talk and read a lot of words lately about relevance - as pertaining to Christ. You know, making sure our teachings are relevant to the children or the congregation. To this I say HOO-HAH!! Seriously.
Perhaps it's best if if we breakdown the definition of RELEVANT.
American Heritage Dictionary defines relevant as:
Having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand.
Merriam Webster defines it like this:
1.(a) having significant and demonstratable bearing on the matter at hand. (b) affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion(c) having social relevance
2. proportional; relative
Synonyms for both indicate being "pertinent": which is defined as having a clear, decisive relevance to the matter at hand.
Now. Here's what I think of when I hear the word(s) relevant, relevance and pertinent:
Three dairy farmers are sitting around talking about Jersey cows (big ol' black-n-white, cud-chewing Jersey cows). They are discussing all it takes to raise the Jersey's. Where they let them pasture, how they keep them healthy and how they all believe they have found their own special mixture of feed they provide their stock to produce the best quality of milk. Then another farmer walks up and says (and I quote), "I like mayonaise on my bologna sandwich."
That last farmer offered up some interesting information (to be sure), but that is NOT relevant to the matter at hand.
Ok, so. Maybe the way I make relevance most clear in my mind is to define what it is not. But I think that knowing what something is NOT, can sometimes just a beneficial as knowing what it IS.
This is where my problem lies with making Christ relevant to our children and congregation at large. They way I see it, and correct me if I'm wrong, those speaking this brand of Christianese are trying to find creative ways to make Christ pertinent to the "world" we live in. I just don't see how that's possible. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He tanscends the "world" of yesterday, the "world" of today and the "world" of tomorrow. He is unchanging. He's always been the same as He is today and always will be the same as he was yesterday.
Now, please try to follow my logic, here. I COMPLETELY understand that there is a LOT of distraction from Christ. I COMPLETELY understand that a great multitude of us have to work VERY hard to find His still and gentle calling in the loud, hustle-n-bustle of this crazy world in which we live. I get it. I do.
What I don't get is how we try to dress Jesus up in parodies like:
Flava-Flav (yeah- I know) Finds a Virtuous Wife and Spongebob Squarepants goes to Bible-camp.
Why are we so busy trying to make Jesus relevant our lives? Where we can watch what we watched yesterday...where we can do the things we're doing today...where we can keep watching and doing the same things tomorrow.
Jesus is NOT relevant to the The Hills. So why try to make Him? Jesus is NOT relevant to Worlds of Warcraft. So, why try to fit Him in?
It's kind of like the last farmer coming in and saying, "Hey. I know you're talking about dairy cows, but did you know that ranchers feed their beef corn? And some of those ranchers sell their stock to makers of bologna? Have you ever eaten bologna made from beef parts of a cow fed with corn? I like to eat bologna from those cows. I make sandwiches out of it and when I eat them, I like to put mayonaise on 'em." (???) The last farmer able to make a connection between their discussion and his topic of importance. (That's pretty creative thinking by him.) But now, the dairy farmers will certainly talk about the guy who puts mayonaise on his bologna sandwich, but are they going to be compelled to try to find corn-fed beef bologna, stick it between to slices of mayonaise-coated bread and actually eat the sandwich?
It's Another Day in Montgomery and I ask:
Shouldn't we be more concerned with the importance of making OUR lives more relevant to who Jesus is and less concerned with trying to make Jesus more relevant to how we live?
Perhaps it's best if if we breakdown the definition of RELEVANT.
American Heritage Dictionary defines relevant as:
Having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand.
Merriam Webster defines it like this:
1.(a) having significant and demonstratable bearing on the matter at hand. (b) affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion
2. proportional; relative
Synonyms for both indicate being "pertinent": which is defined as having a clear, decisive relevance to the matter at hand.
Now. Here's what I think of when I hear the word(s) relevant, relevance and pertinent:
Three dairy farmers are sitting around talking about Jersey cows (big ol' black-n-white, cud-chewing Jersey cows). They are discussing all it takes to raise the Jersey's. Where they let them pasture, how they keep them healthy and how they all believe they have found their own special mixture of feed they provide their stock to produce the best quality of milk. Then another farmer walks up and says (and I quote), "I like mayonaise on my bologna sandwich."
That last farmer offered up some interesting information (to be sure), but that is NOT relevant to the matter at hand.
Ok, so. Maybe the way I make relevance most clear in my mind is to define what it is not. But I think that knowing what something is NOT, can sometimes just a beneficial as knowing what it IS.
This is where my problem lies with making Christ relevant to our children and congregation at large. They way I see it, and correct me if I'm wrong, those speaking this brand of Christianese are trying to find creative ways to make Christ pertinent to the "world" we live in. I just don't see how that's possible. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He tanscends the "world" of yesterday, the "world" of today and the "world" of tomorrow. He is unchanging. He's always been the same as He is today and always will be the same as he was yesterday.
Now, please try to follow my logic, here. I COMPLETELY understand that there is a LOT of distraction from Christ. I COMPLETELY understand that a great multitude of us have to work VERY hard to find His still and gentle calling in the loud, hustle-n-bustle of this crazy world in which we live. I get it. I do.
What I don't get is how we try to dress Jesus up in parodies like:
Flava-Flav (yeah- I know) Finds a Virtuous Wife and Spongebob Squarepants goes to Bible-camp.
Why are we so busy trying to make Jesus relevant our lives? Where we can watch what we watched yesterday...where we can do the things we're doing today...where we can keep watching and doing the same things tomorrow.
Jesus is NOT relevant to the The Hills. So why try to make Him? Jesus is NOT relevant to Worlds of Warcraft. So, why try to fit Him in?
It's kind of like the last farmer coming in and saying, "Hey. I know you're talking about dairy cows, but did you know that ranchers feed their beef corn? And some of those ranchers sell their stock to makers of bologna? Have you ever eaten bologna made from beef parts of a cow fed with corn? I like to eat bologna from those cows. I make sandwiches out of it and when I eat them, I like to put mayonaise on 'em." (???) The last farmer able to make a connection between their discussion and his topic of importance. (That's pretty creative thinking by him.) But now, the dairy farmers will certainly talk about the guy who puts mayonaise on his bologna sandwich, but are they going to be compelled to try to find corn-fed beef bologna, stick it between to slices of mayonaise-coated bread and actually eat the sandwich?
It's Another Day in Montgomery and I ask:
Shouldn't we be more concerned with the importance of making OUR lives more relevant to who Jesus is and less concerned with trying to make Jesus more relevant to how we live?
Friday, May 2, 2008
Orange you glad I'm back?
Ok, so I just got back from The Orange Conference in Atlanta, Ga. (I thought of making some comment about flying in and my arms being tired, but ultimately figured that just writing I'd thought about it made clear enough my thought process.)
If you don't know, The Orange Conference is a HUGE pre-school/children/youth ministry conference. It provided excellent speakers and wonderful break-out sessions where we learned everything from dance moves to how to diplomatically share your vision for your particular area of ministry. I, for one, have recently inherited the Children's Ministry at our church. This includes planning and entertainment for children ages birth through 6th grade - and - directing the weekly pre-school program.
I am still freaking a little that this is actually what I'm doing now. I'm still baffled that God would use me in this way. I'm still amazed at the way He spoke to me -directly, clearly and concisely- throughout the conference.
If I had doubts before that He was serious about calling me to this ministry, they are gone. If I had doubts that I was the right person for the job, they are gone. If I had doubts about my sanity, they are still here...BUT...I'm more ok with it because I know God knows that I know I'm half-crazy. And - He chose me anyway. So if it works for Him, who am I to argue?
Put me and my ministry on your prayer-list. And don't EVER take it off! (Please-oh-please-oh-please) I've got a lot coming up that is ending in the next month and a lot that has to begin in the next month and beyond.
Right now, I need God-hearted staff and volunteers who want what God wants for His children. (Lord, just let them hear Your calling and come right to me! And if it be Your will, please can at least one of them be a MAN?!?)
Right now, I want BIG comfy pillows for the pre-school rooms and did I mention before a MAN?? (He can be a volunteer or a pre-school teacher but I want a fun-loving, God-fearing man with a calling for children - so the children can know a different perspective. (BONUS FACTOR: I would have someone nearby to get the heavy box off the top shelf!)
Right now, it's Another Day in Montgomery and I'm freaked out, baffled, awe-struck and hungry for God's people to come my way (not to mention honey-barbecue chicken tenders with mac-n-cheese)!!
If you don't know, The Orange Conference is a HUGE pre-school/children/youth ministry conference. It provided excellent speakers and wonderful break-out sessions where we learned everything from dance moves to how to diplomatically share your vision for your particular area of ministry. I, for one, have recently inherited the Children's Ministry at our church. This includes planning and entertainment for children ages birth through 6th grade - and - directing the weekly pre-school program.
I am still freaking a little that this is actually what I'm doing now. I'm still baffled that God would use me in this way. I'm still amazed at the way He spoke to me -directly, clearly and concisely- throughout the conference.
If I had doubts before that He was serious about calling me to this ministry, they are gone. If I had doubts that I was the right person for the job, they are gone. If I had doubts about my sanity, they are still here...BUT...I'm more ok with it because I know God knows that I know I'm half-crazy. And - He chose me anyway. So if it works for Him, who am I to argue?
Put me and my ministry on your prayer-list. And don't EVER take it off! (Please-oh-please-oh-please) I've got a lot coming up that is ending in the next month and a lot that has to begin in the next month and beyond.
Right now, I need God-hearted staff and volunteers who want what God wants for His children. (Lord, just let them hear Your calling and come right to me! And if it be Your will, please can at least one of them be a MAN?!?)
Right now, I want BIG comfy pillows for the pre-school rooms and did I mention before a MAN?? (He can be a volunteer or a pre-school teacher but I want a fun-loving, God-fearing man with a calling for children - so the children can know a different perspective. (BONUS FACTOR: I would have someone nearby to get the heavy box off the top shelf!)
Right now, it's Another Day in Montgomery and I'm freaked out, baffled, awe-struck and hungry for God's people to come my way (not to mention honey-barbecue chicken tenders with mac-n-cheese)!!
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