What I've Been Up To

I realize it's been a while since my last post, just need to get in the habit of posting I guess. We have had a great summer, it was definitely a great year for swimming! I'm always glad when the pool gets used, and it was used quite a bit. The kids realized that they enjoy swimming at night with the pool light on, it is neat to see the water refections on everything.

One thing I have been able to do this summer is to begin volunteering. I've been looking for ways to get to plugged into the community around me and so I thought a volunteer position would be a great way to get outside of my comfort zone a bit and meet new people. In June, I began volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House here in Columbus. Right now, it is the 2nd largest house in the world! It is a beautiful facility and it is maintained very well. I really enjoy working there, and there is something different to do every day. My duties range from preparing lunch to doing laundry to basic housekeeping of rooms to answering phones and guests questions. It is so cool to know that you are being a blessing to people who are going threw a tough time in their lives--a sick child. I did not realize how much goes into running such a place. They have different groups come in every night to serve dinner and everything they use in the house has been donated (they put out a "wish list" every month of their needs)--amazing how generous people are! They collect pop tabs that they turn in to be recycled and use the money from that as well to manage the house--feel free to collect those and I will gladly take them in! There are so many ways to volunteer, I had no idea!

We have also started school again, I have all high schoolers this year. High school is way easier than the lower grades in my opinion. This year, I have one less due to graduation--still hard to believe! We are doing a worldview class with others this year, actually, we have 10 students in the class. I am looking forward to some great conversations! If you know anything about me, I am passionate about teaching worldview and making sure our kids know how to think! We are doing drama again this year as well. A friend and I wrote the play for this fall, it is a funny who dunnit--is that possible!? We have not given out the ending yet and there is much speculation about who is guilty--so much fun having that knowledge!!!

We are still plugging away at church. There are some new things on the horizon that are looking very exciting, I'll keep you posted as they come about.

So that was the past three months for me in a nutshell. Sorry if I bored you too much!

What's the Church's Responsibility?

My husband and I have had more than one conversation about this topic. I guess when you set out to start a church, you start to evaluate everything--style, atmosphere, core values, etc. Our church is different, for goodness sake, we watch a preacher on-line 500+ miles away! And yet, it works! It's the way we do church, we realize it's not for everyone, and that's ok. But where does the church stand in area of responsibility of the spiritual growth of a believer?

It seems like we have been programed to run to the church for our growth, or perhaps blame the church for lack thereof. For some reason, probably culture, we have ceased to take responsibility for the things we should being doing on our own--raising our children, reaching out to the unsaved, helping the poor, growing in our walk with Christ. The church is to equip the believers to serve the body, it doesn't say spoon feed and coddle for years on end.

Most of us can read, so why aren't more of us digging into God's Word and following His leadings. Why is it assumed that people just can't possibly understand the Bible and therefore we must talk down to them instead of expecting them to do it on their own? One of my favorite quotes is, "Children will live up to your expectations." Why do we expect so little out of "church people"?

I'm not saying that we leave people out to dry--it is hard to know where to get started with Bible reading, but instead of referring them to an easy to understand book of the Bible to start with, we refer them to a book about the Bible, and so there's no immersing them in the Word. We have so many studies and step-by-step plans that we often forget that all we truly need is the Bible!

I think one way to grow is to get outside of our warm little comfort zone and meet others outside our world. Why do we wait on the church to do that for us as well. It's great when there are organized church functions, but why will we only participate in that? How often do we get so involved in those opportunities that it truly changes us, not just make us feel like we did a good thing and mark that off our list. I realize it is hard to figure out where to get started--but I believe we must.

So that is what I have been sitting on lately. I have an opportunity to serve in a capacity that is out of my comfort zone, and they are asking for a commitment on how long I will serve, scary but something I know I need to do--and I truly want to do as well!

Control or Influence?

Have you ever thought about how your role as a mom changes as your children get older? When they are young, you control their entire world--what they eat, what they wear, when they go to bed, even how their bedroom is decorated, and the toys they play with. But what happens when they get older and have opinions of their own? How do we go about giving up that control and let them make the choices?

This is a hard one. I remember when my daughter was in first grade and she told me she wanted to get her hair cut, now that should be not be a hard thing to let her do, however, her hair was beautiful and it was long enough for her to sit on. I realized that I needed to help her make decisions and getting her hair cut was not something that would hurt her but it could be a lesson on making good choices. I had explained that you could not put the hair back on if she didn't like it cut, and that it would take a really long time for it to grow back. She still wanted to do it, so I let her, I think it hurt me more than her! She loved it! It looked so cute. It was, in the end, a good decision, but I allowed it to be hers, she took ownership of it.

I think that's one of our jobs as parents, to teach them to make their own wise decisions. I don't believe that our job is ever "over", I think the job description just changes. For me and where I am in my life at this point, my perspective, it warms my heart to see decisions that my children are making. I love having conversations with them about what they will do in different situations, I try to be careful to give advice not instructions--not always easy, but I think very necessary.

Somewhere along the line we are no longer controllers but influencers. Where you are in the process?

Looking Up

I took a walk tonight--well, it's time for the "yikes, it's almost time to pull out the bathing suit and can't hide behind the bulky sweaters anymore," season, so I'm walking. I realize I need to do more than walk, but it's a start!

I took my iPod with me and listened to a new praise and worship album. As I was walking, I realized something, I rarely look up. I guess I look down just be sure I don't step on or in something. But I miss a lot! So, I decided that I would make myself look up and see what I was missing. I saw the setting sun through the leafless tree, squirrels climbing to their nests, the water of the swollen stream rushing over the rocks. I saw trees just starting to bud and some with a little green, there were flowers daring to bloom; I saw potential. Potential for what is to come, of the beauty beneath--all these long months of seemingly bareness will give way to beauty and fullness.

How often I feel like that--barren and empty. Does it come from not looking up enough? From not trusting? Perhaps. Have you ever questioned your potential? We all have it right? Sometimes during the "winter" it's hard to see that there's more--more lying beneath was is seen.

What season are you in? I think I know where I am...

Texting

So I have to be totally honest, I have not been a big fan of the texting revolution. As with any new technology, I am usually hesitant. I'm not a luddite, I just don't always see the need for it--it's probably more about change than anything. I think some of my issues with texting is the rudeness that surrounds it. And isn't really just easier to talk to the person?

Well, we recently had a change in our phone plan that now allows us to text. It took me a awhile to figure out how to do it--how do kids these days just know how to do these thing, are they born with that knowledge? I have to admit it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Far less impersonal than I realized too. While I still think it is much easier to call and actually speak to someone, I do see the advantages of texting. It is nice to send "thinking and praying for you", "how's your week?", "where are we going to meeting for coffee?", or other random thoughts that don't require a long conversation. I even have a couple of friends that the majority of my contact with them is only by text.

I do have to be completely honest now, yesterday I was in bed all day with a virus. My kids are at the age that they don't need me to function so there was no need for me to leave my bedroom or for them to come in and ask for anything. However, not feeling like I could safely walk around due to being crazy dizzy, I needed some medicine. What was I to do? Yes, I did it! I had my cell close and I texted my son who was in the other room and asked him to come in and see me! I know it was crazy and he did laugh a little when he came in, but hey, it worked! Later that day, he texted me to see if I wanted anything to eat! So it worked both ways.

While I still think that texting should not consume your life as it does, or seems to, for some, I do see the benefit of it. And I am getting much better at it, although, I'm still not 100% sure of what all the abbreviations mean, I'm still new at it and I'm sure that it will come with time.

Walking Worthy

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. Ephesians 4:1-4

Living a life worthy of my calling...have you ever thought about that? God has called me, do I live that way? Am I doing what He wants me to? The enormity of the fact that God has called me is overwhelming to me--it's huge! Why is it that we need to be reminded to walk worthy? Is it any wonder that those words are followed up with--get over yourselves and play nice with others (ok, so I put that in my own words, but you get the point!). We can get so inwardly focused that we forget Who we are living for. How is that possible?

Oh, to be so consumed with doing what God has equipped and called me to do and to turn away from my own comfort and preferences! Where would this world be! How the Gospel would be advanced, if only, we would lead a life worthy of our calling!

A Blog on Blogging

We had dinner with some friends tonight and started talking about blogging. The idea of what to blog about came up and the revelation that two of us at the table enjoy blogging but we feel that we need something glorious and wonderful to write and so in the in process we fail to blog as much as we truly would like. Why is that? Are we trying to paint a rosier picture than what is real? Or perhaps, do we feel like we need an angle to catch someone's attention?

I can only speak for me, but sometimes I'm afraid of offending someone with my words. The written word is so difficult to totally convey tone and at times can easily be misinterpreted. And the fear of "do I really have anything important to say?" Really? I guess if you are reading this then you feel that my opinion is somewhat important, after all, no one is forcing you to read this.

What would happen if we truly did see our every day as something glorious and wonderful? Our moments as memories that will last forever, not always having to "make" memories but enjoying the ones that just happen. That's what we should write about...our lives, our wonderful, one-of-a-kind lives and all of the incredible things that God is doing in them! What a neat Spiritual journey we would have recored!

James 4:14, Psalm 39:4-5, Psalm 139

Quote for the Day

Here is a quote that I found as I began to read Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick. I had heard him say it during a sermon he preached on the book--it blew me away then and it blew me away tonight. Thought I'd share it!

"If the size of your vision for your life isn't intimidating to you, there's a good chance it's insulting to God."