WORSHIP WITH 'OTHER' CHRISTIANS

I recently traveled to Panama City, Florida to house and dog sit for my son and daughter-in-love.  Before I went I had decided that I wanted to go to church while I was there.  In past visits I had seen a church which was not too far from where they lived which meant easy for me to get to. So before I left home I looked up this church and was able to find their very complete web site, with all the information that I needed to know.  So armed with lots of information and my Bible I set out, on Sunday morning.

It is so refreshing to know that there are Christians all over our country and world that worship together, like we do in our home churches. Perhaps not with the same music, bulletins, preaching styles, hymn books (some yes-some no), organ, piano, instruments, choir, worship music, all hymns or blended and the list goes on.  Just knowing that right there in that place we worshiped the same God, same Jesus, same Holy Spirit brought my soul joy.  How wonderful to be a part of a different congregation, to see how other Christians worship each week.  It was refreshing and I loved it.  I loved it so much I returned the next Sunday as well, and know that if I am there in Panama City I will worship with them again.

 

This experience just reinforced what I already knew that as a Christian we have a large family. A family of differing peoples, life styles, ages, education, and ethnic backgrounds all standing equal at the foot of the cross. Heaven is going to be filled with, joy, worship, honoring and praising the Lamb slain for us. It will be humbling for us, for we don’t even deserve to enter the gates, let alone walk on streets of gold, were it not for Christ we deserve death. And just when we think that the worship is ending, it will just be the beginning of worship together with our Lord and Savior that will go on and on forever.

 

The Lord impressed on me this past week that I need to climb down from my lofty perch and get serious about my worship of Him. Serious about my obedience of the things he has told me to do, the things I procrastinate about.  Sometimes I talk a good talk, but more often than not I do not walk worthy. 

My prayer is that wherever I find myself at worship, I will worship with my whole being, not just part of me.  That I will walk worthy of the calling the Lord has given me.

May the Lord encourage you this week, may you know His love, understanding & peace.  Walk worthy of your calling.

Serving Him.

Debbie

Lazarus Saturday

 As I was preparing for Palm Sunday and Holy week, I wondered what Jesus was doing before His triumphal entrance to Jerusalem celebrated as Palm Sunday. My search led  me to the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church commemorates this Saturday as Lazarus Saturday. They remember "the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days." The following is a reading that might be done today:

"O Christ our God, before Your Passion, 

You raised Lazarus from the dead 

to confirm the common Resurrection for all. 

Therefore, we carry the symbols of victory as did the youths, 

and we cry out to you, the victor over death, 

"Hosanna in the highest.

 Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

As this Holy week approaches I pray you find yourself in a place of praise & adoration as we think about our Lord and all that transpires this coming week. But today this Saturday, Jesus was with friends. He restored one to life who had died. He was still about His Father's work.  May we too be about what God the Father has given us to do.

 When he had said this, 

Jesus called in a loud voice, 

"Lazarus, come out!"

John 11:43

FALL & CHANGE ARE HERE!!!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year,
I love the cooler temps and all the color of the changing foliage.
It is a time before nature sleeps. A change from the long hot days of summer to the cool mornings and evenings of fall.  A time of slowing down, harvesting done, leaves falling covering the ground in hues of red, orange, gold and yellow. A time to reflect, to prepare for winter.  And so change is here once again in nature and in my life
.
My mom spent a week in the hospital recently with the exit diagnosis of COPD, chronic bronchitis, and advanced asthma and I almost forgot emphysema too.  She left the hospital on 4 liters of O2 - 24/7. A change - a big change for sure.  She walked into the hospital and was discharged with the knowledge of never being without the O2, never driving again, never doing a lot of simple everyday things she was used to doing. At 80 mom is still good, able to care for herself and do the driving for her and her husband as well as all her paperwork etc...  One trip to the ER and subsequent hospital stay has changed all that.  No more caring for herself, driving, shopping, visiting etc.  She and her husband have been moved in with my daughter and her family for the near future. Until we can find them a assisted facility to live in. We are in the process of packing  up their life and putting it in storage. I am trying to go through and sort what needs to be packed and what needs to go. Mom wants everything packed but I know that she will never be able to be on her own again and so some things must go.
Packing up a life - two life's really. What to save - what to let go of??? So my heart is saddened and heavy.
                                        History put in a box.  
                                                           To be tucked away.
                                                                             It all seems so final.

As I look back and ponder over all this, I know that this process has been happening for generations and generations - what is left of a life??? Is it only the "things" or "possession's" or the memories and influences of that life?  Of course it is far more than the " things" it is the" life imprint" that is left.

This situation has made me look inside, to pause, to ponder, to think, to pray, to listen, to be grateful, to be sad, and to acknowledge the hurt. Many days ahead that I will not know which way is right, I pray that God will guide my every decision during this time of - change -.

     There is a time for everything,
         and a season for every activity under the heavens:
      a time to be born and a time to die,
         a time to plant and a time to uproot,
      a time to kill and a time to heal,
         a time to tear down and a time to build,
       a time to weep and a time to laugh,
         a time to mourn and a time to dance,
       a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
          a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
       a time to search and a time to give up,
           a time to keep and a time to throw away,
        a time to tear and a time to mend,
            a time to be silent and a time to speak,
        a time to love and a time to hate,
             a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I pray that my 'life imprint' will be more about the memories and influences I have been rather than the "things' that are left.

WHO IS THERE LIKE YOU??????

In choir we have been working on a song which I have just fallen in love with. It has wonderful melody and even better lyrics.  Many of you know that I love music and I believe that music can move us in ways that nothing else can.  I am moved by the lyrics of this song and pray that as I sing them they are really true in my life.

Who is there like You?

Who is there like you, 

and who else would give their life for me,

even suffering in my place? 

And who could repay You?

All of creation looks to You

 and You provide for all You have made.

So I'm lifting up my hands, lifting up my voice,

lifting up You name and in Your grace I rest,

for Your love has come to me and set me free.

And I'm trusting in Your Word, trusting in Your cross,

trusting in Your blood and all Your faithfulness,

for Your pow'r at work in me is changing me.

I always want to be lifting up my voice to lift up His name.  To be resting in His grace basking in His love because it has set me free.  To be trusting in His word, cross, blood & faithfulness always. And to be a continual work in progress.

May His power always be changing me.

Streaming Tree

In Sunday's sermon our pastor used a an example which caused me to start thinking. I had a visual in my mind but an actual picture is even better.  The reference was to being planted by the stream. Are we where we can get spiritual food? Are we self feeders? As I was thinking on this Jeremiah 17:7-8 came to mind.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him, he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

I want my spiritual roots to grow strong and deep so that when the heat and drought come to my life - my  leaves will always be green and I will bear fruit. "A Streaming Tree" is what I want to be with my roots deep in my Savior.

Jesus is my Savior, I shall not be moved;
In His love and favor, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

In my Christ abiding, I shall not be moved;
In His love I'm hiding, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

If I trust Him ever, I shall not be moved;
He will fail me never, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved. 

On His word I'm feeding, I shall not be moved;
He's the One that's leading, I shall not be moved,
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved. 

Chorus
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
I shall not be, I shall not be moved;
Just like a tree that's planted by the waters,
Lord, I shall not be moved.

Meeting Needs and Moving Out of Our Comfort Zones

"Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you."
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungreatful and wicked. Be merciful, just are your Father is merciful." 
 Luke 6:30-36

I have been very troubled today as I have pondered our reactions or lack of reactions as Christians, when we are presented with a need.  We start by analyzing the need - we dissect the need - we make excuses for why the need - we explore why do they need - we spend  unnecessary time and energy trying to JUDGE the need.  Tell me where in scripture does it tell us to do anything to the need except to fulfill it to the best of our abilities.


As stated in Luke 6 it is easy to love those that love us, to do good to those who are good to you, but the scripture also asks us "What credit is that to you?' It says that even sinners lend to sinners, and sinners love those who love them. It is easy to live out your faith when you are doing so with family and friends - but the rubber hits the road when God directs us to live out our faith beyond our self-imposed boundaries. As a believer we are not asked to pass 'judgement' or rate the needs of others, we are commanded to answer the need.  Who are we to "decide".  God is God and we are not.


I am sure that I have not always done what I should have done when God has given me the opportunity to meet a need.  I too, have been the one who dissected the need to death and then in the end ignored it all together.  Shame on me and I have asked the Lord to forgive me for those actions.  It is time as Christians that we grow up and quit only serving and loving each other and reach out to those who need what we can only give them - the Love of Christ. 
 It is an everyday calling to look outside our comfort zones to dare to step over or around that comfort zone.  We have a higher calling - let us begin today to strive towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

Seven year old - Charlotte

What a special day for us as grand parents, Charlotte celebrated her seventh birthday with us.  We had a delightful day honoring this day of her birth.  She had most of her favorite foods and the cake she wanted was a cookie cake which her Aunt Tiffany ordered and Uncle Brett picked up.  So she was quite the center of attention.  I love birthdays.  I love the fact that of all the days in the year God chose this day for you to be born.   I remember a lot of birthdays and a lot I have forgotten but none the less they remain special to me.  I am blessed to be a mother and now more than blessed to be a Nonnie.  Thank you Lord for this blessing in my life.  Thank you for my husband, children and grands and yes even the grand dogs.

I pray God will bless Charlotte as she grows and matures. I pray she will always seek the Lord in all her ways. I pray for her parents as they raise their family.  I pray for Nonnie & G'daddy as we watch. Love you my purple Charlotte.  Many many blessings to you this day and every day.

Nonnie