What is Honoring?

I came across an old book the other day, well actually it was a while back. It was an old devotional book that a friend of mine had. I love old books and felt that perhaps this old book had something to say to me regarding things that I had been pondering. The first page that I turned to, the page that was for the date of that day was very interesting. I loved what it had to say. It was straight forward, to the point and didn't call crap anything but what it truly was. Basically it said that as Christians we are called to live our lives to certain standards. And that as long as we are doing what Christ is asking us to do, our lives will never dishonor him. No matter where He leads us or what He asks us to do, it may seem silly to us, or scary, or in some cases wrong, it will never dishonor Him when we come back and look at it hindsight.  Jesus, Christ, will always be cast in a beautiful glow of light. If the light our lives is casting is not so beautiful, or maybe as bright as we think it could be, it's because we may not be listening correctly to what He is asking us to do. Or, perhaps, it's the people that we choose to fellowship with. Friends and family can be making bad choices in their lives as well. Choices that reflect back on us because of our connections, choices that cast drab color or shadows upon our own lives and lights. If these friends or family are "Christians" being born again through Christ, they are supposed to be held accountable to the exact standards that we hold ourselves to. If they are not believers, the case is completely different. But if they are believers, sometimes Christ asks us to release them from our lives and let Satan have them for a while. They have a lesson to learn that we cannot teach them, or in their current state of mind are unable to understand. They need Christ to work in their lives through circumstances in their lives so that they can come back and repent for what they have been doing wrong. As their friends or family, however, we are still asked to pray for them. Prayer is what saves people. Prayer is the only way that we can help "save" someone without affecting their God given right to free will. Regardless, I am abashed by the people in my life that fall to the tempting roll of crutch. I loose respect when it seems that they cannot possibly be doing what Christ would want them to do for fear of the results. God is in control. What He wants to happen will happen regardless of what we want! One way or another, and often we choose the harder path, God will effect what His will is for all of our lives. He will bring us through it kicking and screaming, thinking that we know what is best, and we will be better Christians for it. I may look back, understanding now not how things could possible reflect anything less than a horrible image of Christ, and find that yes, even what appeared to be a pile of poo in the room was actually not poo but compost to use in my garden. But all I can say for now is it looks like poo, smells like poo and has flies buzzing all around it......just like poo!  LOL!

A beautiful Day with beautiful music.....

Today was a busy day.  To begin, I got up and ready for church by 8:20 so that I could be there by 8:30 to set up for Sunday School. Jason and I have taken on the challenge of teaching the 1-6 graders through the summer; 12 weeks of planning ahead of me!  I thought for a sec a few months ago that maybe I wouldn't be lesson planning for a few months this summer! LOL Anyways, so I headed off, set up practiced with the worship team for a while then when that finished up went in and finished getting ready for the kids to arrive. Jason arrived in there somewhere with our kids that he got ready and to church by 9:25 all by himself, no easy feat let me tell you! We then proceeded to teach the kids, we had 15 on our opening day! After that and a quick breath of relief we hurried off to the service. Worship, share prayer, sermon wrap up and then a rush to get people their eggs and kids a few pages for the new prayer journals that we decided to begin as part of the Summer curric. for Sunday School. Then, home to make dinner for our first Host Ministries dinner with Bob and Mary Eytzen. The dinner turned out great (for what they all said, I didn't try it) albeit a half hour after our original ete- estimated time of eattage. We had a lovely visit with them both and I am so happy that they were able to make it over. I had hoped for a sunny day like yesterday so that we could host partly in the yard, but the weather didn't agree. The weather wins that that competition every time! It turned out nice regardless, though, and Mary even brought in her harp so that she could play us a few tunes. I played a long, kind of.  Then the kids each had a turn at a mineature recitle of sorts. Cayleb on the clarinet, Charity Ann on recorder, Sarah Rose on the shaker egg and a harmonica and Noah on the piano. They all were very proud of their accompaniment and the chance to share with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Mary. Mary is an amazing musician. She can play ANYTHING that she touches, by EAR, without hardly a bad note! She plays the organ at church as well as the piano for special numbers here and there. She brings out her accordion for special occasions like church potlucks and BBQ's at the beach, and now the harp :)  She makes me smile, and gives me a life long goal. I respect, so very much, the ability to play by ear but the equal ability to play with music. So much these days you have a musician that can do one or the other but cannot both. The present garage band craze has developed musicians that cannot support their skill with technical knowledge. I am not saying that as a generalization, because there are a lot of talented musicians that have the technical know how to back up their skills!!  I just really respect the people that can do both. I also have encountered "musicians" that have the technical ability ingrained into their brains, but have no heart for improv. They can play any sheet of music you put in front of them, well, but without the ability to venture off on their own here and there, or they just plain lack the desire or courage to do it regardless. They stomp the piano keys or breathe steadily into their mouthpiece, but cannot master the beautiful tones avaliable to their instrument.

I so very much admire Mrs. Vivian and her wonderful talent as well. She is so versatile and willing to teach my kids!! What an asset she has been to my family the past several months! I also think that she is a great musician, I just wish that we had more opportunity to play together! Actually, our entire worship team at church has so much heart and ability and passion for music that I relish every time that I am able to play with them. A good group of musicians is one that you feel challenges you to better your own skills. If you feel like they are holding you back, or are smothering your ability to play what God is placing in your heart to play, it is not so enjoyable. I love that I feel challenged!!

All this spurred by getting to hear Mrs. Mary play her harp :)  Thank you Mrs. Mary!! We love and hold dear all the hugs that we get to share with you both!!

Our Beautiful Ladies

 

These are our pretty ladies :)  Tammy with baby Angel, and next to Charity Ann are Zolma and Abby is the one sniffing her hand.

 

This is Angel :)  What a sweetheart!!

 

Me and the ladies, from Left to Right Zolma, Tammy, Abby and Angel.....

 

Abby, front and Zolma  at the back......

There you go :)

Sarah Rose lost in Thought

 

Sarah Rose is so beautiful when she is lost in her thoughts. She is one of my quiet ones, who can sit looking very carefully at something for quite some time. I love watching her, without distracting her, imagining what she could be thinking about. I imagine that she is pondering some amazing thoughts, things that will change the world some day. She is so smart, and kind and considerate and very passionate and strong willed. She is very sensitive and gets her feelings hurt easily and wants adults to take her seriously. She knows what she is talking about and if she says that something is true, most likely it is. Unless of course, she is creating a story or game about something or someone. She is my babiest one, my pinky-pie, my turkey. The tender golden curls that adorn her face make my heart ache of her beauty. They are not strong curls, but fragile ones, that are easily brushed out if we are not careful. We scrunch them back into place after combing her hair when it's freshly washed. Her eyes are ever changing hazel, mostly green but sometimes shades of brown and yellow. They are enchanting, causing one to gaze in wonder at their marvelous beauty and their captivating stare. God has blessed us with such amazing and beautiful children, and each have such different elements of beauty.

She has Daddy wrapped around her finger, whether he is willing to admit that or not, but not in a horrible way, just a charming old fashioned way. She likes to dance, sing and be silly, but sometimes is so serious you can hardly believe that she is only 4. She has been talking since she was one, using words way beyond her years. She dazzles me. I wait, captivated, through time, as she grows more and more each day. I can't imagine not having this little person around me each and every day, but I know that the young woman that she will grow into will amaze me even more.

I love this picture!!

 

I Love this picture!!
 I just wanted to think about it when I saw my blog :) That's all.....

I Want To Deserve You

Like a stone tumbled
In the ocean waves,
A canyons canvass
Painted in the flood,
And a diamonds pure
Brilliance in a dark crevice,
Refine me,
Define me,
Consume me,
And use me Lord.

I am your creation
Make me ready to serve you
Make me worthy,
I want to deserve you.

Like a stars pure and
everlasting beam,
A mountains enchanting
majesty
And a childs laughter,
heard not seen.
Refine me,
Define me,
Consume me,
and use me Lord.

I am your creation,
Make me ready to serve you.
Make me worthy,
I want to deserve you.

Just a snapshot of life

I was thinking on the way home today, that our lives, speaking of oneself, are like a moving picture, but the lives of others around us are more like photographs. If you think about it, what we see of the lives of others is just little snapshots of what they are really going through. You might see someone walking down the street or entering a restaurant. You may think to yourself, "Wow I am so glad that they are getting to go on a walk," or whatever. You would walk away or continue driving on thinking to yourself, "I bet that person must go on walks a lot." But really, that is just an impression that our brains paint together based on a few seconds of information. What their lives are really like is still a complete mystery. We encounter our own lives with every minute detail. Every second that we are conscious we are recording memories and judging our paths and choices. But the lives of others can be so unfairly judged based on just these small glimpses. We see people walking into a fancy restaurant or walking down the street with a Juicy purse and make certain calls about that persons life. But in reality, we have no idea what their circumstances are. Sure, they might actually be able to go to fancy restaurants when they want to, or buy a new purse on a whim, but the reality could also be the opposite. Maybe they have come across these circumstances by other means, through gifts from others, careful planning or personal sacrifice. I look at my own life, and then try to look at it from the snap shot perspective. What do the choices that I make every day regarding outfits, what my kids are wearing, what I drive, my attitude, how I spend my money (when I actually have some,)how my kids act towards others, or my interaction with humanity say about my circumstances and priorities in life. Do they reflect careful planning, the knowledge that God will provide for my family and I, frugality, a love for Christ and wise choices? Or do they say something else?

As a Christian, I am charging myself with the task of reflecting on these things more carefully. It is so important to me that people see the important things about my life, and not judge me based on what I have. I am so blesses in so many ways. May family blesses me. I get the most beautiful clothes from my Mom and Sister for myself and my youngest Sarah Rose. Jason and I were blessed by the investment in real estate in California, before the market tanked. God has blessed us with vehicles that are nice, run and get good gas mileage. He also lead us through the purchase and organization of the property that we call home now. I look at families trying to buy now and know that if God had not had his hand in the process 6 years ago, we would not have been able to get what we got then, much less now. He continues to bless our property, allowing us to stay above water in a financially soaked market. He lead us to a church full of beautiful people, with beautiful hearts and a passion for Christ. Above all, He protects and feeds my family each and every day, and continues to bless us even when we can't imagine where the blessing could come from next. I also know what He asked us to sacrifice in order to be where we are now. We were asked to move 900 miles from everything and everyone we ever knew. He asked me to not see my Mom and Dad and Grandparents, for months and years at a time. He asked me to not be involved in the day to day lives of my brothers and sisters. These things can break my heart, and do if I am not careful. But these things also make me truly treasure every moment that I get to spend with them. I know that even these times, though they always seem too short, are also a gift from God.

So, the next time you find yourself judging someone based on just a snapshot of their life, back up a second, and think about it from a different perspective. You do not know the choices that they had to make or the sacrifices that it took to get them to where they are. You don't know how God impacts their lives. You don't know how they are feeling or how they are reacting to the world around them. It's going to be hard, but we can do it.

Then there are the people in your life that say one thing but are clearly not really truly living what they say they are living. And then, I feel like I have a little more ability to see the full picture. These people are the hypocrites of the world, the charlatans.... And they will be judged by the true judge, the only judge that really matters.