Butts to the wind

Today I am working at home while Iowa gets smacked with another winter storm. Win! This time I made it home without getting stuck in the road and having to call a friend like a damsel in distress.  As I look out my window, I see our horses standing with their heads facing south and their butts covered in ice and snow. They kind of serve as a substitute weather vane. Later, I will go out and put them in their stalls for the night. I just hope I don’t recreate an episode from “Little House on the Prairie”  by getting lost between the barn and the house.

But on a more serious note,  there are times in my life when I want to do just what they are doing. I want to turn my posterior to the wind, hunch my shoulders, put my head down and wait for the storm to pass. In a way that’s just what I am doing today and as long as I have electricity I won’t complain about some enforced solitude.

I hope to take advantage of the chance to slow down and spend some time reading and thinking about God and how He wants me to live this life He has given me.  One of the things I’ll think about is a question Henry Blackaby suggests we ask ourselves when in times of trial, “Is God simply working His completion in me?” In other words, is this time of difficulty a chance for me to learn something new, to become something more than I was before, to grow up in my faith?

My hunch is that God wants me to do more than turn my back on the storms of life. I imagine He wants me to face them head on, depending on Him to help me be victorious. Check out Joshua 1:2-9 for the pep talk God gave to Joshua and see if you agree with me. Survival mode serves it’s purposes at times. But I want to be more like Joshua and be strong and courageous instead of a damsel in distress. What about you?

 

Happy Hookers

Happy Hookers is the name of the knitting/crocheting group at our church that makes prayer shawls. (I don’t know if I should admit the fact that I’m the one who gave them that, um, “interesting” name.) Regardless, this group of women faithfully make beautiful prayer shawls and we have them available in our Prayer Chapel for anyone to pick up to take to those who need them.

I received this email from a young lady in our church and thought I’d share it with you as a testimony. It’s also an example of what it looks like to put hands and feet to the teachings of Jesus.

“I took a prayer shawl up to my friend Jennifer who is at (the) hospital with her 9 mo old baby, Lukas. He has been in there since last weekend with RSV and pneumonia/bronchitis which all started out as an ear infection but quickly escalated and he nearly died.  He has spent the week medically paralyzed, sedated, and intubated.  Jen shared with me that she has been unable to pray. She wrapped the prayer shawl around her and said it really felt good and she appreciated it so very much and said she thought it would help her concentrate enough to pray. Lukas woke up while we were there for the first time since they turned off the sedation and paralyzing drugs. They have also turned down the intubation so that he is able to at least try to take breaths on his own. Thus far he is trying but not finishing the breaths so the machine picks up where he can’t do it and does it for him. It was all at once amazing and terrifying to watch. But I was overcome with the feeling that Jesus is his strength and he is going to be OK. Jen cried for the first time tonight while we clung to each other. It was very hard watching him wake up and try to cough but not able to because of the tubes etc. And I am sure it is going to be a rough few days as he is awake and growing stronger. And there will be a long road ahead of him, but he is in good hands. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you and if you could pass it along to other “happy hookers” that the ministry you ladies do means so much to so many. Keep up the good work good and faithful servants!!!

Ps – this prayer shawl was just GORGEOUS!!! I walked in the prayer chapel to choose one and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was meant to be Jen’s. She’s a beautiful woman inside and out but doesn’t see herself as beautiful… when really she is model thin and long blonde hair and just stunningly beautiful. Anyways, the prayer shawl was amazing.  It was various jewel tones with a lot of turquoise and a pattern that went across the back and then a little section going down underneath that, almost like a ruffle but flat.  It was really REALLY quite exquisite! You ladies have talent beyond my comprehension!!! She was all about keeping the tag too. She said she couldn’t wait to be able to sit down and really read it. I told her it was made with love  by the happy hookers and has been prayed over. She was really touched.   This isn’t the first one I have given out and each one has really meant a lot to the person.  The prayers shawl ministry is really a very special part of GUMC.”

 

Long & short enough

In a conversation with John Meister the other day, he shared what his high school English teacher always told him about writing. “Writing should be like a woman’s dress, long enough to cover the subject and short enough to be interesting.” I love it!

From this point forward these will be the words I live by as I write this blog.  I need to have them printed up in a cool font and framed to hang over my desk. I need to have April see if she can find some cool picture as an illustration and make a poster. I may even need to have t-shirts made!

Seriously, it’s a great statement that gives a good picture of the tension between saying too much and leaving something important unsaid. It’s a tension that is present in many situations. John and I were actually talking about Wednesday night Bible studies and how long to continue a particular study. You want to get everything out of the material without it going on too long. Beth Moore seems to be a master at this. Each time I take one of her studies, I’m left wanting more but have learned so much.

So — have I gone on long enough but been short enough to keep it interesting? You will have to judge. Let me know.

 

Blogging but not

One problem I have with this idea of blogging is the fact that I’m not sure I have anything important to say. When I also consider the truth that I’m not the brightest bulb in the bunch,  I wonder if I really should have a blog.

One thing I do like about blogging is the chance to share what I others have to say about important stuff. John Piper is one person I follow on Twitter and I read his blog occasionally when I get a chance to look at my RSS feed on Google Reader. (Have I impressed you yet with my techie jargon?)

Anyway, as a member of the Presidential Prayer Team, I get emails from weekly and found the following on their site. Don’t be put off when you see the title. The premise deals with voting and politics but it goes much further and is the best thing I have read on keeping everything in perspective.

Guest Opinion

 

What Disability?

I received this from Susie Keller in an email.

You absolutely must take time to watch this video from beginning to end. I guarantee that this phenomenal young man will put you in a better frame of mind for this day!! It makes you know that there is a God who provides, but maybe not in the way everyone would like. This is probably the best 2010 video which says it all. Might make some of yours and my problems seem inconsequential.

What Disability

 

Contentment Snow & Ice

We are in the midst of one of the worst winters I’ve experienced in Iowa. This week we had our 3rd major snow storm and that doesn’t include the major ice storm we had last week. I believe our school district has missed 8 days due to snow or ice.

As I sit here at home unable to leave because of the snow drifts, I heard myself tell my neighbor, “At least we have electricity.” I can be pretty content not going anywhere for a day (or two) as long as I can use the internet, stay warm and have food in the fridge. But how long would that feeling of contentment last if I were in Haiti right now, with nothing of the comforts of the world?

I’m not sure I could say as Paul did, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philip. 4:12 (NIV) I’m afraid I’d be more like our horses who stand at the gate and paw until I come give them their hay and grain. I’m afraid that if I were living in a tent city right now, contentment is the last thing I’d be feeling.

I would probably be asking God lots of questions like- “Where are You?” “Why did this happen?” “How long is this going to last?” “When will I ever feel safe again?” I would be figuratively pawing at heaven’s gate wanting to be fed.

Paul tells us he has learned the secret of being content. He learned it. Maybe we can, too. I bet the lesson is tied to the verse that follows, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I may just go out and push snow to put that thought into action.

 

Not So Great Expectations

Expectations, preconceived ideas, what should happen, what God should do, assumptions. We all have them about just about everything in our lives. Almost unknowingly, we form expectations about the behavior of those around us, about what should happen next in our lives, about what God is going to do next.

I am finding out that I am a person who likes to figure out ahead of time what should happen. I usually don’t even realize it when I do it.  Usually  I base my assumptions on past history, my experiences, or some false pie in the sky kind of dream. Then when life doesn’t happen just the way I expected  I’m surprised, disappointed and often I get discouraged.

What I am learning slowly is that God wants me to let go of my expectations. Especially those expectations I have about Him, about other people, and just how life in general should be.  God wants me to trust Him and be open to new possibilities. Possibilities that allow for new experiences, new ideas, new ways of doing things. Possibilities for growth.

What God is showing me is that His way is bigger and better than I can envision.  My expectations limit me. So it’s time to let go of those not so great expectations. The question is how? I don’t have to figure it out, God will show me.

Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

 

A Very Dangerous Business

“Prayer is, after all, a very dangerous business.  For all the benefits it offers of growing closer to God, it carries with it one great element of risk: the possibility of change.

In prayer we open ourselves to the chance that God will do something with us that we had not intended… This possibility excites us, but at the same time there is a fluttering in the stomach that goes with any dangerous adventure.”  Emilie Griffin

 

One small change

Earlier this week I read the blog below and found it interesting to see how much difference one word makes.  At the time I thought maybe I should share this on my blog but I got busy and didn’t do it.

This morning, I heard another person share almost the same message so that clinched it, I needed to share this with you. It was almost like God said to me, “Hey wake up, you need to get this.” And I don’t know about you, but when I feel like God has pointed something out to me more than once, I want to pay attention. Life is much easier when I do.

This idea is simple, however it requires a change in our thought process. What surprises me is that small changes can make a big difference.  But I am learning that it’s the nuances, the slight adjustment in the way I look at circumstance, the opening myself up to other possibilities, that changes things for the better.

So read this blog about changing one word in your vocabulary. Then start putting this principle into practice. That’s  where the rubber will meet the road.

Amplifying Complaints

 

Annoying Meeting Behaviors

New idea for staff skit in 2010..oh, wait, I think we covered many of these behaviors in our first skit in 2008…

I’m not naming names but let’s see if you can guess which staff member most often exhibits the annoying behavior of:

1. Arriving late

2. Taking phone calls (actually this one is kind of tough to call but one person has a better excuse than the other)

3. Checking e-mail (yes, we know you have access to a Bible on your phone but I don’t think that’s what you were doing)

4. Not speaking up

5. Interrupting others

6. Chasing rabbits

Actually, we are all guilty of  at least one of these mildly irritating behaviors so we’ll just chalk it up to the need to give each other grace. If you want to see Michael Hyatt’s top 10 list and his comments, follow the link below.

Ten Annoying Meeting Behaviors