What Can I Bring?

I have had the opportunity to be involved in the greatest thing in our community. Our local small-town papers have been bought by a new company, and the publisher that they sent is a strong Christian. He has begun a Faith and Family section in the paper, and I am writing people profiles and devotions for that section.

Isn't that the coolest and most amazing thing? Every time I open our "secular" newspaper and see the articles about Jesus, it makes my heart rejoice! It is a tremendous blessing to share in this way, and I am inspired weekly as I get to interview people who share their God-stories with me.

I just wanted you to know that I'm going to post my devotions (and sometimes the profiles) that are going to the paper. Some of them will also be used as Proverbs 31 devotions. Many of you may have come to my blog through P31, but if you haven't, check us out and consider signing up for those daily email devotions.

Here's this week's. I was very passionate as I wrote this morning, so I hope it's contagious!

Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (NIV)

Now all good southern girls know that when you get an invitation to dinner at someone’s house, your affirmative response should be followed by “And what can I bring?” Even though your hostess may graciously provide all of the fare, it’s just the polite thing to do here in North Carolina.
So many times that’s not our approach to church attendance, though. Instead of contemplating what we can bring to the gathering, we are mostly focused on what we will get from the service. We arrive empty handed and often leave feeling disappointed if the music didn’t suit our tastes or the sermon didn’t move our souls.
Scripture tells us that we’ve got it all wrong. To adapt a famous quote, “My fellow Christians, ask not what your church can do for you; ask what you can do for your church.” I truly believe that by coming to church with our hands full of gifts for others, that we will leave more filled up than ever before. Let’s take a look at how we can contribute according to Colossians 3.

Teach—Teaching is always a challenge, because you have to be very well-versed in your subject. When I taught GED students, I had to go back and thoroughly study Algebra before I could teach it. I had scraped by in high school, but to teach the subject I had to really know it. What a challenge for us! To come to church with something to teach, I have to study God’s Word all week. When I’ve learned personal lessons from His Word, then I have something to share.

Admonish—The definition that I believe most closely fits this usage is “to give friendly earnest advice or encouragement”. How can we prepare to admonish? I think prayer is key here. Often as I pray for someone, God gives me ways to encourage them or places to direct them in His Word. When we spend time listening and conversing with God during the week, He prepares us to give the gift of admonishment at church.

Singing—Some of you may be thinking that your singing wouldn’t be considered a gift to the church. I think the key may be the last phrase—“with gratitude in your heart to God”. Gratitude and thanksgiving are definitely a gift in the body of Christ. If we come in with a heart that has been counting our blessings all week, we are ready to point others to Jesus. That is truly a gift. Plus, for all of us “joyful noise” folks, robust congregational singing really is a heart lifter.

I’m challenging myself this week to get over my “what have you done for me lately?” view of the church. Instead, I’m going to treat Sunday morning as a spiritual potluck, and I’m working on taking something tasty to share!



Respond:
Lord, help me to take something to share to church this week. Help me to focus on others instead of what I can get. I trust you to fill me up! In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Apply:
Spend time reading scripture and praying this week. Ask God to fill you.

Ask God in your prayer time for opportunities to teach, admonish or show gratitude.

Don't Give Up on Me!

I had the most interesting discussion in my Sunday school class about blogs. I had gone to read a post at Beth Moore's site and was astounded by the number of comments that she receives to her posts. Even though the post that I commented on already had 351 comments, I just couldn't resist leaving my own. What is it about Beth that makes each one of us sure that she would be our best friend if she only lived next door to us? I told her that we all just want to go to lunch and shoe shopping with her. Oh...and have her lead our neighborhood Bible study!

Anyway, my friend Dawn assured me that more people were reading my posts than commenting. I was sceptical, but she encouraged me to add a free site meter from sitemeter.com. I did it yesterday (and I have to say that I'm very proud that I did it all by myself even though I'm pretty dense about this techie stuff--it's more of a testimony to the ease of using the site than my brainy-ness!), and I'm so surprised! There really are more people living life on the pathway with me than I thought! For all of you that are very well versed at this, stop laughing at me! I'm like a kid in a candy shop.

It's really lighting a fire under me to post more often. I don't want any of you to give up on new posts in the future!

Here's the thing I'm most curious about....I LOVE to travel. My grandmother says I have wanderlust. Anytime anyone asks me to go anyplace, I'm up for it. If I have to use my passport, that's even better. I saw that I had one post from Canada. For any of you looking today, I'd love to know where you're from...even in the US. Would you take a second and leave a comment to let me know?

Soon I'm doing a post about my dachshund, Hilde. Any other weiner-dog lovers out there?

She Speaks

I'm so excited to announce that She Speaks, Proverbs 31's summer conference, is ready for registration. This is the way that I got involved initially with Proverbs 31 Ministries. It's a truly amazing conference that has tracks for speakers, writers, women's ministry leaders and teen girls.

I found that the conference was so much more than a chance to gain the "nuts and bolts" needed. Our team does a fantastic job of supplying a whole hardware store of nuts and bolts, but I have also experienced deep spiritual renewal both times I've attended. Just when I thought my life couldn't be changed any more....

It is also the most nurturing conference I've ever been a part of. I went by myself the first time, and I was simply scared silly. I just knew that I'd never measure up to all the other women, and I was afraid of being harshly judged. What I found was so different. Proverbs 31 is truly made up of the most extraordinary group of women that I've ever been around. The ministry is committed to giving it all away. Whereas most organizations in the business world would never give all their trade secrets away at a conference, P31 delights in sharing everything we know. These women know the kingdom secret of the power of sharing... and it's all about the kingdom.

If you've never attended, I urge you to pray about coming this summer. If you've attended in the past, I urge you to pray, too! I really didn't expect to have such a deep experience with God like I did the first year, but God defied my expectations! Plus, it's an added benefit for me that I might get to spend time with my girlfriends like you!

Rate My Space

My friend Marybeth is redoing a bathroom in her house to get it ready to sell. I'm an HGTV junkie (true confessions!), and I love their "Rate My Space" section on their website. I'd give Marybeth's redo a very good rating. Marybeth, we're praying for that house to sell!

I've included a photo of part of our bathroom redo. We're not so much tearing stuff out as hanging stuff up after 4 years of living here. In all the houses we've owned, we've done our bed and bath last. I think that if I ever move again, I'm going to do it first. I'll definitely end up decorating the public space faster, so I might as well start with my bedroom! Anyway, my friend Pam, who owns a beautiful shop, suggested these floating shelves. What do you think? Any ideas about how to move the accessories around?

(By the way, any of my girlfriends in HS, Apex or FV that haven't visited Pam at Arrange Your Home have really missed out. Make a beeline there tomorrow!)

Loving the Bride

Revelation 19:7, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

Years ago during the midst of a really trying time in our church, I cried out to the Lord in frustration one morning. I had a bargain that I thought sounded like a great idea. “Lord,” I said. “I would really like to have You without the church. I mean, wouldn’t that be ok? I’m not giving up my faith in You. I just don’t want to have anything to do with the church anymore.” I was worn out from strife, bickering, and factions. I was confused about the purpose of church and why God would want me to be part of something that was causing so much stress and sleeplessness.
The next thought that I had clearly was not my own, because it was definitely not the answer for which I was longing. “Amy, if someone wanted to be your friend and love you without loving Barry (my husband), how would you feel about that?”
Even though I was starting to have an inkling about where this was going, I answered honestly. “Lord, you know that I couldn’t have a close relationship with anyone who didn’t love my husband, too. Barry is too much a part of me. Anyone who loves me gets Barry as part of the package.”
That still, small voice continued, “Amy, the church is my bride. You cannot have me without my bride.”
I was stunned. I had never before thought of my relationship with the church in that way. Not only was I to love the church because of God’s love for it, but I am also part of the church which God calls as His bride.
Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” It’s not always easy being a member of a church. There are people there, you know? I always laugh that if I found the perfect church that it wouldn’t be perfect anymore the minute I joined!
The truth remains, however, that the church is God’s chosen vessel to spread His Good News throughout the earth. The verse from Hebrews reminds us that our gatherings are to be for the encouragement of those attending. Many times, though, church involves the messiness of humanity more than the encouragement of divinity. As I mature, I’m seeing some of that messiness as God’s way of growing me up. It forces me to choose between offense or grace, between bitterness or forgiveness and between selfishness or service. When I make the right choices, I become a little more like Him and help to create a more radiant bride. That makes being part of a church worth it.

Who Is Jesus to You?

Even though I've had the neck post rattling around in my brain today, I want to pray for the people who read the devotion sent out by P31 today. If you read this blog, would you pray with me?

Jesus, I pray that you bless the devotion sent out today. It asks the question that must be settled in every heart. "Who do you say that I am?" I pray that your Holy Spirit would reach into the heart of every reader. I know that I don't have the power to change hearts, but you do. Would you take my little act of pointing to You and fill it with the power of Your Spirit? I pray that you would draw people to yourself today and that people would give themselves completely to You. In Your precious name, Jesus, Amen.

Turtle Neckin'

"There comes a moment when you know that your face has changed; when that effortless glow you always had going for you suddenly requires serious effort. For me, that moment came on the first of August at 4:13 pm, Eastern Daylight Time, while buying a pound and a half of chicken breasts at Simchyk and Sons."

At first I laughed hysterically when I read those lines from an article by Lisa Kogan, but pretty soon I realized that the laugh was just hysteria that had a real note of panic in it. I had my own well-defined realization recently. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflection of my car window, and I almost turned to see who was standing behind me.

Unfortunately, the neck that was reflected was my own. I just couldn't understand where all those little crepe-y lines had come from. You know, I think I must even do the turtle neck in the mirror. Does anybody else do that? It's the stretch I do with my neck during pictures to try to eliminate any extra chins. I've been doing it in the mirror, too, and that's why I hadn't seen any of those wrinkles on my neck. Horrifying!!

I turned the big 4-0 this year, and there were almost instant changes in my face. I've enlisted my good friend Holly to be my dealer--I mean supplier of skin care products. I've always been a soap and water girl, but I'm slowly changing my evil ways as a means of battling the changes. I want to age gracefully but not suddenly!

I'm also embracing all the good stuff that comes with 40, though, and there's lots of it. I have gradually felt myself feeling more comfortable in my own skin. Although I don't want to become an old lady that everybody avoids because of her sharp tongue, I also feel bolder and more empowered to stand up and speak up.

Finally, I see the stretch in front of me as the stretch to truly begin looking more and more like Jesus. It's the stretch where if I do it right, the outside matters less and less. The world is less and less attractive. Heaven becomes more and more my home. My character is more and more submitted to Jesus, and my final destination is in sight. That's the good news about 40!

Prayer

There's a woman who works at our local grocery store that just makes my day. She is ALWAYS positive and cheerful. I know that it isn't easy working with the public and spending long hours on her feet, so today I asked her for her secret. "My secret for bagging?" she asked in surprise.

"No," I explained. "I want to know your secret for staying so positive." She just gave a big smile and explained that God is her secret. She followed by telling me that she had to be at work at 6:00 am today, so she got up at 3:30 am to spend time with Him.

Tears filled my eyes as I thought of this precious sister in the Lord rising in the dark to spend time with the Lord so that she could minister to all the people that will pass her at the cash register today. She shares her enthusiasm, energy and smile equally with each customer. She is a beautiful woman, but she doesn't have the advantage of youth that many of her co-workers have. This woman had gotten up in the middle of the night, spent time with Jesus, and worked an 8 hour shift. She said that it isn't always easy. "By the 40th hour of my work-week, I'm very tired," she said. "But He is my secret."

Our youth pastor sent out a quote this week that has followed me through my days.

"The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came...Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory." ~ R.A. Torrey

Lucia, the checker at the grocery store, is living proof of this quote. She prepares herself with prayer for the battle of each day. She's an ordinary woman just like me, but she has taken the ordinary and made it beautiful beyond measure.

I'm a "doer", and prayer does not come easily for me. I like to start attacking my checklist about the time I open my eyes in the morning. Lucia reminds me, though, of this truth that I've heard. Prayer isn't preparation for the work. It IS the work. One tool that I want to share with you that has helped me tremendously is a prayer journal. It focuses my thoughts, keeps me from distractions and gives me an awesome record of answered prayer. If you are interested in looking at the one that I use, visit my friend Tara's website. She has self-published an awesome prayer journal that has helped me to focus in on The Work!

Oh My Noonies!

I have to say that I'm having a little blogger angst. I'm shocked by how much I'm enjoying the writing and the interactiveness of blogging! This afternoon, however, I was hit hard by the thought that once I write something down and somebody actually reads it that I really should try to live it. Oh my noonies! (This is a phrase used by some much-loved former baby-sitters whose mother preferred it to "oh my gosh!")

I have to say that I am more than a little challenged and fairly horrified by the realization of the accountibility of this process. I think I like it, but it's pretty daunting. I was feeling like a real failure today after being pretty nasty to my sweet guys. They actually weren't entirely sweet either, but considering my current hormonal stage and the advantage of hind-sight, I'm realizing it was mostly my fault. Anyhoo...let's just say I wasn't acting on any of my deep ponderings and insightful resolutions.

I'm new at this, but I'm wondering if any of you experienced bloggers have had the same thoughts and feelings. Do you love it but want to erase all your posts for posterity after days like this?

On a last positive note, God has been ministering to me about His unconditional love for me this week. I exhale slowly when I think of it and say a prayer for thankfulness for grace.

Cleaning Up

It's funny, but I'm not so rushed about taking down the Christmas decorations this year. Usually by the 28th or so, I'm all about putting it all away. Just like everybody else, I don't particularly enjoy the task, but there is something I love. I love how spare and neat my house looks when all the decorations are tucked back in the attic. I'm not a neat freak, but I work and think best when my space is organized and straightened up. I easily get in a "snit" when the house gets messy.

In taking stock, my spiritual life is like that too. I get distracted easily and things loom large when I have too much "stuff". Stuff can include material things but also the events that fill my calendar. I don't usually make New Year's resolutions (failure is disheartening!), but I am aiming for more silence and a more minimilistic schedule this year. I want to do a spiritual housecleaning that leaves more room for God's voice and His direction. Even the "decorations" of all the good things that I let overtake my life tend to crowd Him out. Simplifying life will hopefully bring less of me and more of Him.

Amy