Somewhere there’s tea…

Tags

#whatsinmycup, Bible, faith, tea, tea addict, tea lover, tea photography, what's in my cup

I’m not really a “stick my head in the sand” kind of person, but it’s true. I don’t watch the news. I hear enough in general conversation, or something on Facebook will tweak my interest and I’ll investigate, but I don’t often seek it out. There are thing I’ve known a long time. I know there is evil in the world. There is hatred and discrimination, and a terribly long history of it.

It breaks my heart.

It makes me anxious.

And afraid.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

1 Timothy 1:7

So while I live in this world, I keep myself separated from it by not immersing myself in every thought that Kim Kardashian has (most of them are not golden!), or filling my head with images of death and destruction.

I am also not oblivious to the world. I mourn and pray. I teach my children to live with integrity and love. I endeavour daily to be an active minister of reconciliation for the past, a person of peace in the present, and a harbinger of hope for the future. It’s not enough, but it’s a place to start. And if we never start, we will never move forward.

There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea’s asleep and the rivers dream, people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there’s danger, somewhere there’s injustice and somewhere else the tea is getting cold.

Sylvester McCoy

Friday’s Tune: Better is One Day

Tags

Bible, faith, Friday's Tune

Matt Redman’s song, Better is One Day came out in 1995 and it remains in on the Christian Copyright Licensing International’s Top 20 list. It’s based on Psalm 84: 9-11:

Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

This week my amazing friend shared her experience with this song with honesty and vulnerability that made my heart both burst with joy, and bleed a little. Her testimony is amazing because her God (& mine) is amazing. Her joy is contagious and her desire to know and serve the Lord is tenacious. God has done great things, and He is doing and will continue to do great things in her life, and in the lives of all she touches. Her blog is called Blessed Beyond Measure – I encourage you to pop over and visit her post “Better is One Day“.

I made a connection to this song when I learned about the sons of Korah in Beth Moore’s A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place. It continues to be a reminder that I should be content where God has placed me to serve. His presence is all I need.

God had set apart the Levites as the tribe to serve in His holy dwelling place, and the Korhathites in particular (Lev. 4:4), to carry “the most holy things” used in the Tent of Meeting when the camp moved. (Lev. 4:15) BUT they were not to touch or look upon any of the most holy things or they would die. (Lev.4:15, 20)

But, as people are prone to do, a number of them, along with some other prominent  leaders, became insolent and accused Moses and Aaron of setting themselves above everyone else. Moses asked Korah, “Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? …now are you trying to get the priesthood too?” (Num 16:9-10) Moses interceded so that God graciously spared the innocent members of the rebellious tribe, but God’s judgment on the others was severe. The earth opened and swallowed them so that the whole nation would know that God distributed justice.  As a reminder that God was sovereign, He directed the censors used in the rebellion to be hammered down and used as an overlay or shield on the altar.

The descendants of Korah became temple musicians in the days of King David and King Solomon, and they never forgot the sins of their forefathers. They sing a new song of praise and gratitude, recognizing that being present with God’s is the greatest blessing.

Happy Friday!

Youtube                 Lyrics

Better is One Day  Matt Redman © 1995 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Scarlet Cord

Tags

Bible, faith, Rahab, redemption

I love what God is willing to do for a damsel in distress, and I fall in love with Him over and over when I see that Prince Charming side of Him. I have been wandering the portraits of Biblical characters in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews during my Bible study. There one portrait there that could seem like a misfit…next to larger-than-life figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Joshua, you’ll find Rahab the Prostitute…and that is no mistake!

Rahab was working in the oldest profession in the world, in the City of Jericho when Joshua and the Israelite army arrived on the scene. Joshua sent spies into the city ahead of that big battle, and those spies were hidden by Rahab, the Prostitute before she struck a deal with them. After she lied to the officials and they headed off on a wild goose chase, Rahab begged the spies to show kindness to her family. They agreed provided her family stayed in her home when the walls fell…and that she hang a scarlet cord from the window, the same window from which she later lowered the spies to safety outside the walls of the city.

God not only delivered Rahab and her family, He also redeemed her. Before Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Rahab might have felt destined to leave a legacy of shame. How could one woman among Jericho’s large population believe she could be delivered from death? Strictly by faith. The day she believed God, everything began to change. Rahab and her family were delivered; she got married and raised a family, her reputation was restored…and in the genealogy of Jesus, you will find her. God gave this painted lady dignity and honour for her faith, and hung her portrait in the Hall of Faith.

In a long list of heroes, God chose a heroine after my own heart. I’m not a prostitute, nor have I ever been employed as one (thank you very much), but I have at times felt the stigma of one. It wasn’t like I was the only teenager in my small town that had sex way too young, but I was the one that got “caught” and everyone knew it. In some people’s minds, I still have a “bad reputation”.

Rahab is not the only prostitute mentioned in the Bible…there was also the Samaritan woman at the well, and the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair…Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. We can never go so far that Jesus cannot rescue us. He does not expect us to clean up our lives before we begin to trust Him. Jesus is the Scarlet Cord that hung on a cross to demonstrate His love for all sinners and misfits, including prostitutes. It’s not a new revelation, but for me this Easter, it has been a breathtaking reminder of God’s redemption and love.

Book Summary: What God Really Thinks About Women

Tags

Bible, faith, humour, laugh, women of the Bible

Our ladies’ outreach ministry (the one I ended up in charge of and don’t know how) ended yesterday, and along with my superior team, we made our last morning a blast! In addition to sole-mate cookies, we had housecleaning jokes, old lady jokes….and an impromptu strip tease (ok, that was me and I was having a hot flash at the front!) Maybe you just had to be there! Seriously though, anyone who pictures a bunch of women gathered in a church basement, frowning and disapproving of every little move, has never spent time at Morning Break! Give me a microphone and I transform into a comedienne – and we laugh. Sometimes we laugh so hard, the tears are running down our cheeks (hopefully that’s all that running)!

The ladies had the misfortune pleasure of listening to me again (slight shortage of speakers) and I tried to summarize  7 chapters of the book What God Really Thinks About Women by Sharon Jayne, in 10 minutes. And since I was exhausted last night and I’m about to step way out of my comfort zone today to attend a conference, you have the  misfortune pleasure of reading it here. Happy Thursday!

***

In the beginning, God created man and woman. He created woman to be a partner to man; to love Him, work with him, to rule with Him, to live with Him, to procreate with him, and to fight alongside him. Notice the word “with” – not “under” him or “for” him, but with him. After the fall in the Garden of Eden, our world went horribly wrong. Throughout history, women have been abused and misused, and often expected to live in the shadows of society.

Jesus was born in a culture where women could not talk to men in public, testify in court, or mingle at social gatherings. She remained the property of her father until she married, to become the property of her husband, who could treat her contemptuously and toss her on a whim.

Jesus wanted to restore God’s original design and purpose for men and women – to make disciples and to glorify Him – together! Over the last few weeks we have looked at some of Jesus’ radical relationships with the women whose paths He crossed before His death and resurrection.  We saw that Jesus crossed the man-made social, political, racial and gender boundaries to address women with the respect of a co-image bearer, and a co-heir to the inheritance of God.

Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the “exact representation of [God’s] being”. So when we see Jesus, we see God and if we want to see what God thinks about women, we need only look to the actions and affirmations of Jesus. From Jesus’ birth, it was time for women to leave the shadows and move back into the light. These encounters and their recording are not coincidental. Jesus chose to pull each of the women we met, front and centre in the spotlight of His divine love and calling.

Jesus’ mission was about restoring all of humanity. His mission was about freeing women from a culture of oppression that bound them and kept them from fulfilling God’s original intent as His image-bearers. He came to restore women to a rightful position of dignity as one half of a whole, as co-heirs and co-workers to their male counterparts. Jesus was a radical reformer. He accepted women as they were, and then challenged them to become more. He purposely taught men and women and used illustrations from the lives of both genders. And He risked His reputation to save theirs – to liberate them from pious tradition, to heal them physically, and to set them free from spiritual darkness. He took the fearful and the forgotten, and transformed them into the faithful and forever remembered. It was often the “least of them that received the best of Him”.

Jesus made no distinction between male and female. In fact, He regarded people with respect to their relationship with God, or the lack of one. Jesus died on the cross in our place so we might live a free and abundant life with purpose and with value. I believe when Jesus was dying on the cross, He looked down at the men and women throughout history…and saw you. Do you feel abused, misused, neglected, or forgotten? Look to the Samaritan Woman at the well and remember how Jesus filled her empty heart to overflowing with Himself. Do you feel haunted by your past? Look to the worshipper who anointed Jesus’ feet; she was transformed from an Adulteress to one whom He Adores. Jesus healed the body of the bent woman, and well as the self-doubt and insecurities she carried. He can heal us too so we may walk with confidence. Jesus’ own mother was an ordinary girl who said “yes” to God, and was freed to do extraordinary things throughout her lifetime. He freed Mary from others’ expectations and Martha from worrisome ways.

All of these women were bolstered by Jesus to leave the shadows and to take their place with Him to change their world. He is calling us as well, to be the “leading ladies” in our own world. Some of us are called to be workers, while others are called to be warriors. Some are called to be encouragers, healers, or teachers. We are called to share Jesus! Through every story – theirs and ours, Jesus is always our focus – He is the hero who takes our breath away with His love. He takes mine away every day…

Bruce Marchiano paints a beautiful picture. I’m going to read it in the first person, and ask that you close your eyes and just listen to what God thinks of you…

He shapes your frame and shades your skin. He molds your mind and measures your structure. He sculpts the contour of your face, the almonds of your eyes, and the graceful stretch of your limbs. Long you ever spoke a word, he held your voice in His heart, and so He ever gently tunes its timbre. Cell by cell, tenderness by tenderness, and with care beyond care, in all creation He quite simply loves you.

***

Gracious Heavenly Father,

I ask that you restore dignity to the women who are here this morning. However it has been taken from them, or by whomever it was taken, Lord, bind those wounds. Replace in them a sense of just how much You love them, You value them. You have a plan and a purpose for each one of us and it is good. Strengthen our frames and give us the skill to meet each challenge that you bring into our lives. Teach us to be “leading ladies” and give us the courage to step out in faith. Amen.

 

The Great House of God

Tags

Bible, faith

I survived speaking at the church yesterday, as if there was any doubt. However, I had serious doubts that I would speaking with the notes I so carefully prepared. Between power outages, a thunder storm, a server crash, a network crash…and finally, discovering that my printer was out of ink around 10:30 at night, I was beginning to wonder. I finally managed to email it to work and save it on a memory stick. The next morning, traffic was crawling – I haven’t seen it that heavy in months, and I never did find out why. But it gave me time to pray and to listen to the words of a few songs, and I came to accept that even if my notes were unaccessible, God was not and He would provide the message. I just had to trust Him…Thankfully my memory stick didn’t fail me, nor did the power or the printer.  The author, Max Lucado, in his book, The Great House of God, compares living our lives in God’s presence to living in God’s house…and he took us on a journey through the Lord’s Prayer – each portion represented by a different room in the house. This is the summary of the book that I shared yesterday.

 ***

When it comes to resting the body, there’s no place like home. When it comes to resting the soul, or finding direction, there is no place like the Great House of God. I’m not talking about a building or a structure. I’m talking about lifestyle…living daily in the presence of God by faith. Moses prayed “Lord you have been our home since the beginning” (Ps. 90:1). Imagine God as your home, the place where you can exchange your shoes for your slippers (put on kitty slippers), eat a chocolate bar (break off a piece), and not worry about being seen in your bathrobe (put on bathrobe).

If you could ask God for one thing, what would it be? A new car? A bigger house? A smaller rear end? Fabio?

In Psalm 27, David wrote “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling”. David’s one thing was to live in the house of God.

David also wrote in Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you…Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked”.

Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23: “I will live in the house of the Lord forever”. The author simply meant “I never want to be away from God”. He craved the ambience of God’s presence wherever he went, in whatever he was doing…

I email my Mom nearly every day and we usually talk on the phone once a week, but neither way of communicating compares to having a face-to-face conversation over a cup of tea. God wants that from us every day – not a quick chat over coffee, a family meal, or even an evening together. He wants us to move in permanently, to have our own room.

The Lord’s Prayer is meant to be a floor plan, a blueprint for our lives outlining everything that is found in a healthy home – security, protection, love, grace, forgiveness, instruction, belonging, and provision. Then why do so many of us not feel forgiven, safe, loved? The answer is simple…most have not learned to dwell in the great house of God. We enjoy the benefits of the Earth. We know God’s name, His habits, and His expectations. We may visit His presence and sometimes linger there, but we never know His passion – us! We see His face, but we never know His heart.

But we can…we cannot earn a place in His house, but if we confess our sins and ask God to be our Lord and Saviour, God will give us our own place in His house, not just for the rest of this life, but for our eternal life. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto me; that where I am, there you may be also”.

Jesus made it all possible when He took our place on the cross. The moment we ask Him to be ours, we become His children and He knows us by name. Jesus promised “If people love me, they will obey my teaching. My Father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23). God invites all to live in His house, but first He wants us to invite Him into our lives. God wants to be the one in whom “we live and move and have our being”. (Acts 17:38)

This is not a house of “dos and do-nots” – it is a house of freedom.

So when you are worried, step into God’s kitchen and He will provide for you.

When you make a mistake, look at the roof – God’s grace will cover you.

When Satan is tempting you, hide behind God’s walls – they will protect you.

When you need instruction, join God in the study and He will teach and direct you.

When you feel overwhelmed by the hurt in the world, or the hurt of a friend, fuel the furnace with your prayers.

When you feel unloved, snuggle with God in the Family Room.

God is a firm foundation you can trust. But if you ever begin to wonder if He would really do any of these things for you, slip into the Observatory and look at the detailed beauty all around you. God spoke that into being for your pleasure, but you – He fashioned you with His bare hands. He dances and sings over you. God wants to make your heart His home…

May you grow so at ease in the House of God that you never want to leave it. And if you should ever find yourself somewhere else, call on God, and He will welcome you back with open arms.

References:

The Great House of God by Max Lucado © 1997, Thomas Nelson Inc., pp. 171-175

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Unseen Essential

Tags

Bible, faith

Like an expectant mother nearing the end of her pregnancy, there are sometimes signs that something is about to happen  – something painful and joyous. Sometimes I get a song or a line of verse stuck in head, and I start to wonder if it’s preparation in advance of an adventure or a trial. But all too often, the hours slip into days and the days into weeks – and nothing happens. I have to laugh at my own ridiculousness.

It’s been a few months now since I’ve “officially unretired” and while we’re fairly settled as a family into the every day routines, I find I am without an essential part of my day and I am missing it terribly. I used to blessed with time, sometimes a large amount of time in a week, to simple be quiet. In that time I would read my Bible, pray, meditate, study, reflect, sing, worship…it was my time to spend with God and I guarded it jealously. My friends knew not to call first thing in the morning after Little Guy was at school because that was “my time” and I needed it.

If you don’t understand what I’m trying to convey, think of it in these terms: a scholar with no books, a painter with no canvas, a writer with no pen and paper. It feels stifling and wrong. And over time, I find I am more restless and less focused. I am dry and empty, hungry and longing to be satisfied.

Maybe these songs, these lines, these verses aren’t meant for preparation, but rather a way for God to draw me near to Him in the midst of the commonness of every day. It is a way to be fed in the midst of busyness. These words and songs aren’t a call to action, but a call to my heart.

“But all who are hunting for you- oh, let them sing and be happy” Ps. 40:16a (MSG)

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

The Power of Yes

Tags

Bible, faith, Queen Esther

I’m speaking at  Morning Break today from the book, I Love Being a Woman by Patsy Clairmont. If you are going to be there in person – stop reading!  (sorry – it’s kinda long…) Wish me luck!

***

I think we can all agree that words can be powerful. Christina Aguilera sings, “I am beautiful, no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down” but we know, they do! A misunderstood comment can damage a relationship; the words “I’m sorry” can sometimes repair it. An inappropriate comment or joke can leave a “bad taste in your mouth”. Even the Bible talks about words – a “gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1), or “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:15b). God spoke to create the world; Jesus spoke to teach, to heal, to cast out demons. Words are powerful.

Today I’m going to talk about a little word – “yes” – it can be powerful all on its own…but when it is said in response to God’s call, its power grows exponentially.

Queen Vashti put her crown and her life in jeopardy when she refused the king’s command to come to the palace and show off her beauty, au naturel, before his drunk guests. She kept her head and her dignity, but not her crown. And so a national beauty pageant was held to find a young, beautiful virgin (shocking!) to replace her as queen. Esther, a young Jewish girl, was among the finalists. Her uncle and guardian, Mordecai, warned her not to reveal that she was Jewish. After 52 weeks of spa living, with 7 maids at her command, the king fell in love with her (or lust) and in time, he made Esther his queen.

The plot thickens. Haman was a high-ranking official who hated Mordecai because Mordecai had refused to bow down to him. He was so proud and self-absorbed, that he devised an evil scheme to annihilate all the Jews in the kingdom. Haman convinced the king to sign an irreversible law that the citizens of the kingdom could kill all the Jews on a set date. Mordecai heard the law, and sent a message to Esther that she must plead the peoples’ cause before the king. Problem: no one could enter the king’s presence without an invitation. If she went, and he did not extend his golden scepter to her, she would be killed immediately. And Esther had not been invited in 30 days.

Esther had been raised as Modecai’s daughter after her parents’ death, in a culture that did not value girls. When she was in the “spa” (or harem), Mordecai positioned himself outside the gate so he could inquire after her. Obviously he loved her very much. Still, it took awhile to nudge her from her hesitancy to her knees. He wrote: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

Esther fasted and prayed, along with Mordecai and her maids, for 3 days…before she said “yes”. She risked her life to approach the king, and he accepted her. At this point, I would have vomited the whole story right there…but Esther chose to invite him and Haman to dinner instead.  He was pleased after the first dinner, so she invited them to dinner again. After the second dinner, the king was pleased, so she made her petition – that he spare her life and the life of her people. To make the story short: when he heard what had happened, he had Haman executed and his estate seized and given to Esther. And another law was passed so that the Jews could defend themselves against any who would harm them. Esther and her people were saved!

We can be like Esther:

Maybe Esther once thought, “God isn’t going to call me to do anything important”…

God calls each of us to say “yes” to Him every day. You may sense God is calling you to something big or scary, like accepting a leadership position or standing before a king. Or it could be something small and easy, like speaking words of love to a friend. God doesn’t need us, but we desperately need Him. God can choose to use or to raise someone else up, but instead He chooses to involve you in His divine plans, every day. We are always offered the choice to say “yes” or “no”… But when we say yes, this kind of obedience invites us to embrace a bigger picture of our life. When you see everyday situations through God’s perspective, you come to realize that every situation, every person who crosses your path, every encounter with God is a divine appointment. Each day counts, every action, every reaction, every word. God loves to take ordinary people and do extraordinary things in and through them. But who knows but that you have come to a person or a situation for such a time as this?

Maybe Esther thought: “I’m not equipped for the job”…

Lysa Terkeurst wrote: “I am a wife and busy mom of five who can often be found rushing from one carpool to the next. My to-do list rarely gets fully accomplished. My emotions have been known to run wild, and my patience can easily run thin. I get pushed to the limit by everyday aggravations, such as a summer’s worth of pictures getting erased from my digital camera by a child who wasn’t even supposed to be handling the camera…and some important paperwork that should be in a file has mysteriously sprouted wings and flown the coop! Can you relate? Great! You are a woman perfectly equipped to say yes to God. Notice that I did not say you are a perfect woman. But if you are in the thick of living with all that life throws at you and you simply whisper yes, you are equipped”.

Maybe Esther thought: “I don’t know how to do this”…

Before Esther said “yes” and went before the king, she went before The King, in prayer and fasting. She trusted the King of the Universe to show her – when to go, when to be still, when to speak, and what to say. She trusted God even when she couldn’t understand why He required her to act in this way. God is always trustworthy. We can also enter His presence any time and without fear, because He is always ready to accept us. In fact, our King loves to dine with us.

When the time came, Esther approached the throne boldly. She spoke clearly and eloquently. Her well-chosen words saved a nation. Bur first, she said “yes” to God.

Now before you start saying “yes” to everything, spend time in prayer with the King. Keep in mind that saying “Yes” to God sometimes means saying “no” to someone or something else – it might even be a great opportunity, a ministry, or a chance to shine in the limelight. God may agree, “This is good, but I know what is better and what is best for you. Say yes to me instead. You won’t be disappointed”.

Women who say yes to God will see life and experience love like no other. You will sense God’s presence all around you, all through your day. Instead of going through the motions, you will pursue adventures of moment-by-moment divine lessons and appointments that God has planned for you. You will see God, hear from Him, and be filled by His peace and joy.

When we are tempted to say “I am not…”, God says “I AM. Say yes to me”. Yes is a powerful word.

References:

I Love Being a Woman by Patsy Clairmont

What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa Terkeurst

H A P P Y

Tags

Bible, faith, happy

Happy. H-A-double P-Y. Why? Because God gave me this little, funny, juvenile, freeing word. He made it personal…intimate…restorative…It makes me smile. It makes me feel like singing – something joyful or silly. It conjures up images of Kindergartners finger painting with delight and abandonment. They aren’t worrying about the mess or striving for perfection. They are simply living in the moment.

Somewhere along the way, I lost that childlike innocence. I “accepted” that my life was always going to be…well…hard, a series of unfortunate events filled with more tears than laughter. I felt old and burdened, and undeserving of happiness. I would be faithful, stay the course, and endure!

A couple of years ago, our Bible study group did a study that required a lot of self-reflection on our past. One morning, as I sat alone at home with my book, I laid it all (again) before the Lord – the pain, the fears, the discouragement, the disappointments…I also boldly asked God to speak to me clearly, like He seemed to with the author…if not today, then one day. And as I prayed, I was struck by an overwhelming need to play my piano. It seemed strange, but I decided that even if this wasn’t from God, it wouldn’t hurt anything either.

So I headed to the piano, planning to play one song, but singing another. So I dug out the other song and started to play and sing. Halfway through the first verse, I heard someone say, “stop and read that again”. Not even thinking, I stopped and read the line again…

“Happy are they who will stay in Your city, and be near the Living God. I want, above all else, to follow Your footsteps and seek only Thy perfect way”.

It was one of those rare moments – God’s presence was strong, I held my breath. And then I wept. It affirmed what I already knew to be true, that happiness and joy don’t have anything to do with circumstances, people, power, positions, or possessions. My growing, deep desire to walk closely with God, to be wholly His = happy. “But all who are hunting for you— oh, let them sing and be happy! (MSG*)” –Ps. 40:16a And I have spent the last two years growing young and letting myself be happy.

          Happy                                                   HAPPY                         H-A-double P-Y!

*The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Mass chaos, Uber wiggles, and Gnat-Like attention spans

Tags

Bible, children, faith, humour, music, youth

Three descriptions of what I experienced this past rainy Saturday morning. The children and youth were gathered at the church to rehearse for the church service they were leading Sunday morning. Little Guy and I were running late and didn’t have time to stop at my favourite place, Tim Horton’s, for that 7 1/2″ extra-large steeped tea, black (chocolate milk for Little Guy). Therefore, my body was craving a big caffeine-fix…and within minutes of arriving, my head was too! There were no more than a dozen kids, but it certainly seemed like more. While groups of adults huddled in packs discussing the last minute details, children crawled on the pews and skipped up and down the aisles, voices at top volume. They got started with the practice just in time; I was just starting to black out from Christmas pageant rehearsal flashbacks.

First, a mini pep talk from one of the leaders, while the kids wiggled incessantly, before we filed to the back of the sanctuary to practice greeting (e.g., firm handshake, eye contact, etc.) Then I watched the kids learn how to tackle the complexities of taking the offering – 4 sections 8 kids. Next came the scripture reading and prayer reading practice. Nearly every child, when handed the microphone, immediately tapped it several times, “bang-bang-bang” through the house speakers, before blowing into it with a juicy sounding pffttt…and then asked, “is it on?” It didn’t seem to matter that it was on less than 10 seconds before it was passed to them, or the fact that the poor sound guy at the back had responded for the 10-millionth time in a bored voice, “Yes, it’s on”! As the story was read, different kids took turns putting up flannel figures on the new flannelgraph board. Yes, you read that right! Flannelgraph boards have been a tool long used circles for the purpose of illustraing stories. They’ve been used for close to a century – long before instagram and pinterest – and they are still loved by sticky-fingered kids everywhere. After every segment, the Junior Highs, being a little too “cool” thought it was fun to do the long, slow clap.

I patiently sat through it all, watching these enthusiastic kids bouncing and chattering excitedly with each other, or in some cases, just chattering for the sake of adding to the confusion. The volume of voices inside were nearly swallowed the sound of the torrential rain outside. We never heard thunder, but the lights flashed on and off only once during the music practice. It caused the microphones to “pop” loudly and a few of the younger kids squealed. But the Pickleheads, our music team, played like pros and never missed a beat. I don’t know how they got that name, but the group consisted of two singers, 1 drummer, and 1 guitarist…and this time, me. Little Guy was very excited to be singing songs that he knew during the service. All the kids got to stand on the steps to the platform and lead the congregation both in singing and in the actions. Even the “na na hey!” He thought it was pretty cool that I got to join the Pickleheads, and called me the “old pickle”.

Well, this Old Pickle was excited to part of this Sunday service, excited to sing their songs, excited to encourage them to use their gifts. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”[1]. I was blessed to have a few adults in my life who encouraged me to use my gifts when I was younger. They made me feel like I had a place in the community, and not just to grace the back pew until I was older. Or worse, that I was to be shuffled downstairs and kept out of sight, except on special occasions when I was paraded up to the front for a special appearance. It is so important to come alongside them, as well as to listen to them. I don`t know how much I taught the Pickleheads this weekend, but I learned a few things, including the fact that even though I’m getting older, I still very much have a place in the community. They did an amazing job and a number of people took the time to tell them so! I got high-fives! How cool is that?

1 New International Version Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Solomon’s Seal

Tags

Bible, faith, flowers, photography

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy[a] as enduring as the grave.
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame.
Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can rivers drown it.
If a man tried to buy love
with all his wealth,
his offer would be utterly scorned.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved