This morning during our church service we went out on a limb (for us, anyway) and invited people to join our praise team in sharing 'white board testimonies'. If you haven't seen Cardboard Testimonies then you really need to check out the awesome witness of how God works in people's lives.
I have seen several of these videos and they bring me to tears every time, but there is something even more moving when these are people that I know. These people are my family. Over the years I've worshipped with them, cried with them and rejoiced with them. I know some of the heartaches behind their testimonies. Seeing the evidence of God in their lives affirms that the Spirit of God is alive and working in our church and the Body of Christ.
What a fabulous, beautiful way to start the week. Praise Jesus!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hope
It's been WAY too long since I posted at this blog. So I thought I would share the devotion that I gave at our homeless shelter last weekend when it was our church's turn to supply a meal. We feed them lasagna and applesauce, but my prayer is that they come away filled with more than that :)
Hope has been on my mind a lot lately. At First Church this year our theme is 'Suprised by Hope'. The motto of this very mission is 'Homeless, not Hopeles'. Hope is all around.
How often, though, do we use the word 'hope' in our conversation. I HOPE I make it to the store before it closes. I HOPE I don't say something stupid while I'm standing up here! I HOPE the Vikings win a game soon (which they did this afternoon)!
We toss that word off sometimes like it doesn't mean anything more than something we wish would happen but don't think it really will. I would propose that when that was is used in the Bible it means something a whole lot different.
Jeremiah 29:11 was written while the Hebrew people were held in captivity. But in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, the prophet Jeremiah was given a word from God to tell the people: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Because I belive that God never changes, those promises from the Old Testament still hold true for us in the New Testament church. I belive that God knows my future. And not only that He knows, but that He CARES what happens to me. I have HOPE that my life will be better, yes, someday in Heaven, but I can have a better life right now here today.
Remember that HOPE is not just a wish or a dream, but a real desire and an EXPECTATION that God is at work in your life and the life of everyone here in this room.
Hope has been on my mind a lot lately. At First Church this year our theme is 'Suprised by Hope'. The motto of this very mission is 'Homeless, not Hopeles'. Hope is all around.
How often, though, do we use the word 'hope' in our conversation. I HOPE I make it to the store before it closes. I HOPE I don't say something stupid while I'm standing up here! I HOPE the Vikings win a game soon (which they did this afternoon)!
We toss that word off sometimes like it doesn't mean anything more than something we wish would happen but don't think it really will. I would propose that when that was is used in the Bible it means something a whole lot different.
Jeremiah 29:11 was written while the Hebrew people were held in captivity. But in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation, the prophet Jeremiah was given a word from God to tell the people: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Because I belive that God never changes, those promises from the Old Testament still hold true for us in the New Testament church. I belive that God knows my future. And not only that He knows, but that He CARES what happens to me. I have HOPE that my life will be better, yes, someday in Heaven, but I can have a better life right now here today.
Remember that HOPE is not just a wish or a dream, but a real desire and an EXPECTATION that God is at work in your life and the life of everyone here in this room.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
First Praise Video
Here is one of the small ensembles that leads praise singing at our church. I'm in the middle, and my dad is next to me! Be blessed!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Faithbook page
I haven't done a faithbook page in several months. I just can't seem to find the time to do everything I want to do in life. *sigh* But here goes: I used The Luckiest Girl kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow and Jennilyn Designs.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Bookmarks
Here's the freebie, even though I put the link in yesterday, I didn't do a preview. So if you want to know what they look like before you download...here they are!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Writing and Scrapping
One of my goals this year was to work on my writing. I joined a great website community called FaithWriters. They have a weekly writing challenge and a LOT of support from other Christians, all of whom are trying to serve God with their gifts and talents. It's been so much fun. I entered my first challenge 2 weeks ago and won third place in the Beginner's category...it was a pleasant surprise. If you're interested in reading the other beginner-level entries, go to Entries. Otherwise, here is the entry (with better formatting than the one I submitted :)
I squinted to get a better look, but no matter how I turned my head, the paper still contained only a string of letters, which held little meaning for me. I looked down at the yarn in my lap and crochet hook in my hand. A frustrated noise escaped my mouth and I threw the contents of my hands on the floor.
“I don’t get it! It’s too hard!” I bit my lip to keep from crying, but my chin shook and the tears just wouldn’t be stopped.
Oma frowned slightly and looked at me over the rims of her reading glasses. “Come here, Liebchen.” She removed her glasses, letting them dangle from the silver chain she always wore around her neck. I snuggled into her and she ran her hands over my hair. My eight-year-old ego was fragile and she was better suited to soothe it, in my eyes, than anyone else in the world.
In a moment, my burst of tears slowed and she wiped my eyes, saying, “Well, then. Now you are ready for the secret, yes?” I sniffed loudly, and nodded.
“I let you choose the pattern. You picked it for its beauty. It is beautiful, no?” She smiled. “It is a flower made from a simple strand of yarn. But the pattern is harder than anything you’ve ever done. The stitches that work together to make this flower must be learned first, otherwise…” Her voice drifted off and she picked up the “flower” that I had made. With affection in her laugh, she said, “It just makes a mess.” I laughed too.
“Do what you know how to do, Liebchen. That is the secret. If you do it well and keep doing it, soon you will be surprised at the flowers you can make. “ She glanced at the Bible that lay open on the coffee table. “God knows this secret too. He lets us in on just what we need to know, when we need it and not a moment before.”
She leaned over and picked the yarn and hook from off of the floor. My eyes got large as I watched her begin to unravel my creation. When I started to protest, she held up her hand. “Liebchen, if you want to learn, we must do it again. And again if we have to. And each time it will be better.”
When she finished only a pile of yarn was left, puddled in her lap. My Oma reached out and took my hand. Her strong wrinkled hand closed over mine and as we sat together, she began to teach me the pattern—stitch by stitch.
Thanks for reading !
**On another note, I've been posting some quotes and thoughts about prayer on my Faith Forum at DragonFlaire Studios, a scrapping website I frequent. I took a bunch of those quotes and made bookmarks out of them and would like to share them with you. Click here to download. Please enjoy!
I squinted to get a better look, but no matter how I turned my head, the paper still contained only a string of letters, which held little meaning for me. I looked down at the yarn in my lap and crochet hook in my hand. A frustrated noise escaped my mouth and I threw the contents of my hands on the floor.
“I don’t get it! It’s too hard!” I bit my lip to keep from crying, but my chin shook and the tears just wouldn’t be stopped.
Oma frowned slightly and looked at me over the rims of her reading glasses. “Come here, Liebchen.” She removed her glasses, letting them dangle from the silver chain she always wore around her neck. I snuggled into her and she ran her hands over my hair. My eight-year-old ego was fragile and she was better suited to soothe it, in my eyes, than anyone else in the world.
In a moment, my burst of tears slowed and she wiped my eyes, saying, “Well, then. Now you are ready for the secret, yes?” I sniffed loudly, and nodded.
“I let you choose the pattern. You picked it for its beauty. It is beautiful, no?” She smiled. “It is a flower made from a simple strand of yarn. But the pattern is harder than anything you’ve ever done. The stitches that work together to make this flower must be learned first, otherwise…” Her voice drifted off and she picked up the “flower” that I had made. With affection in her laugh, she said, “It just makes a mess.” I laughed too.
“Do what you know how to do, Liebchen. That is the secret. If you do it well and keep doing it, soon you will be surprised at the flowers you can make. “ She glanced at the Bible that lay open on the coffee table. “God knows this secret too. He lets us in on just what we need to know, when we need it and not a moment before.”
She leaned over and picked the yarn and hook from off of the floor. My eyes got large as I watched her begin to unravel my creation. When I started to protest, she held up her hand. “Liebchen, if you want to learn, we must do it again. And again if we have to. And each time it will be better.”
When she finished only a pile of yarn was left, puddled in her lap. My Oma reached out and took my hand. Her strong wrinkled hand closed over mine and as we sat together, she began to teach me the pattern—stitch by stitch.
Thanks for reading !
**On another note, I've been posting some quotes and thoughts about prayer on my Faith Forum at DragonFlaire Studios, a scrapping website I frequent. I took a bunch of those quotes and made bookmarks out of them and would like to share them with you. Click here to download. Please enjoy!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Isaiah 9:2-7
Here is a set of verses that we hear often at Christmastime, from Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
I know that many times I read these verses half-heartedly, thinking 'I already know this!' But to read them with intention to me means to put myself in the shoes of the people for whom this was originally given and it reminds me again what a word of HOPE this passage embodies.
Remember that Israel had been oppressed, embattled, enslaved and for generations had led very difficult lives. And now to be told that that oppression would not last forever, but would be lifted by a saviour in the form of a child.
This is where all the famliar attributes of the Messiah are listed: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God...Prince of Peace. Read those words slowly. Let them sink into your heart, because they are the heart of the Gospel. Jesus is all of those things to those who love Him.
In the midst of the crazy, hectic season of Christmas let us remember to rejoice for our salvation is at hand!
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
3You shall multiply the nation,
You shall increase their gladness;
They will be glad in Your presence
As with the gladness of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,
The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.
5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,
And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.
6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
I know that many times I read these verses half-heartedly, thinking 'I already know this!' But to read them with intention to me means to put myself in the shoes of the people for whom this was originally given and it reminds me again what a word of HOPE this passage embodies.
Remember that Israel had been oppressed, embattled, enslaved and for generations had led very difficult lives. And now to be told that that oppression would not last forever, but would be lifted by a saviour in the form of a child.
This is where all the famliar attributes of the Messiah are listed: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God...Prince of Peace. Read those words slowly. Let them sink into your heart, because they are the heart of the Gospel. Jesus is all of those things to those who love Him.
In the midst of the crazy, hectic season of Christmas let us remember to rejoice for our salvation is at hand!
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