Monday, February 25, 2008

Being stretched and stretched again

Well, I have arrived at my fourth week of class and thus the end of my first course. I have read more this month than I ever have, but that's good.

I have typed more in my online course than I have in a long time, but that's good.

I have learned more in the past month about learning than I ever have, but that's good. I am sleep deprived, swimming in information that I hope I can retain. I am getting to know 15 other class mates that I have never met in person and never seen, and I am starting to understand myself a lot more, and it's all good.

I still have my worries about school , about how I will do, about being a good classmate and not holding anyone back. About spending enough time with my family and on my school work and on my responsibilities at the church. But I also know, God led me here, and He will sustain me.

I am learning this in a variety of ways, God is pushing me out of my box and calling me to expansive horizons, and that is an awesome feeling. As I am stretched, I know it is God that is doing the stretching, and so I pray for patients as He teaches me and as I learn to be mold-able.

Be mold-able today and let God expand your horizons!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Render unto Caesar

Today I had the pleasure of going and getting my taxes done. I watched as my accountant sorted through all the appropriate paper work and filled out all the right forms. It took about and hour to sort through it all and I sure am glad I didn't have to do it myself.

The bible tells us to "render unto Caesars what is Caesars and unto God what is God's", (Matthew 22:21) I have only one thing to say;

The government requires a multitude of forms and paperwork for us to square up with them. Fortunately God only requires one thing, our whole heart. I sure am glad God isn't into politics.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Priorities of Worship

As we think about Worship, most people think about music. However, Worship is a verb, an action word, not something to be obtained but rather something to be given. How we live our lives can be an act of Worship. This can be done by placing God first in everything we do, and allowing Him to direct our decisions and actions. We honor God when we choose to follow His direction for our lives and submit to His authority and not our own.

Psalm 86:11-12
Says:

“Teach me your ways O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; grant me purity of heart, and I will honor you. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.”

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

National Conference '09

Today we had a meeting for the United Brethren In Christ National Conference for 2009. I am excited as I think about what we talked about and how we will once again watch God move within this denomination. I cannot discuss details but I can tell you that it will be good!! For those of you that know how well last year went, I want to encourage you to start praying about this conference. I know it is a year or so off, but prayer is a vital for any good event and a requirement for the church.

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Week Two

Life has just gotten busier. Thus starts week two of my college journey. The first week was prety interesting, with lots of reading, and I don't mean text books. With online learning, I have to post my discussion's in an online forum. I then have to watch for my classmates posts and respond to them. there were 5 forums in all this week and we have roughly 12-14 students. That makes for alot of reading and responding. I liken it to blogging on steroids. Anyway, I am looking forward to what I will be learning, and I am sure I will most lkely share some of it here.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A New Life Style

Well I started school this week. I am now an official student of Indiana Wesleyan University 16 years after graduating high school. Days filled with reading text books, writting papers, dreaming about homework, getting no sleep, AHH the good ol' days. Oh wait those are these days. Seriously, I am excited as I begin this new journey of my life. It will be challenging and stressful, but at the same time I know God has lead me here for such a time as this. My desire for returning to school is so that I can pursue my Pastoral Liscense through the United Brethren Denomination. I lead Worship and Arts at Union Chapel Church and want to have the discipline and knowledge to be able to teach people about it as well. I feel God's call on my life and want to do my best to honor Him with it.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Who Do You Look Like?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales
convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be
home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with
tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a
table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without
stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for
their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his
feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple
stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying,
tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time
helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her,
no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples,
put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did
this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he
set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,
"Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She
nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil
your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl
called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into
those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his
way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about
in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus?

That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love,
life and grace.

If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would.
Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church.
It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.


(Resourced from E-mail sent by Dave Ward)