"I don't have a Christmas Tree." This was the confession I made to friend and fellow-Word At Shaw member, Lynette Beeny a full eight weeks ago. She is an artist and helped me talk through some Christmas decor alternatives such as vases filled with ornaments, banks of lights hanging from the walls, garland framing windows on the inside of my home.
Friend Leeann Volle, whom I have known for 31 years, sent me a web-page of ideas for unconventional "Christmas -Trees" including a ladder wrapped in bright kitschy 50's style lights. You know those big colorful ones.
Still I had no tree.
December dawned and the corner of my living room was spare. Usually I had our 7 foot tree fully decorated in the silver, black and white ornaments by the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I had slowly built up my collection over the six years Keith and I had lived in Missouri until finally in 2010 I said confidently, "It's finished. There are no gaps in my tree-finally!"
Unfortunately, on December twenty sixth of 2010 I said, "It's finished." in reference to our tree. I was okay with eight branches held on by duct-tape-don't worry HGTV-ers, it was "Forest Green". But after taping the ninth branch back onto the tree halfway through last year's December, I knew it was time to let the tree go.
I didn't worry as I disposed of it on the twenty-sixth. I knew we would move to the city and have a completely different living room to fit a tree into in 2011.
That was our plan.
But selling a house at this time is tough and preparing a house to sell at this time even a little tougher.
So on December 5th, after test-confessing to two girlfriends, I let Keith in on my big oops.
"We have no tree. I got rid of it last year right after Christmas."
Keith smiled. He is patient, and used to his red-headed wife's ways.
I didn't want to go buy another big artificial tree as we would only have to move it when we moved in 2012-insert all your prayers for our home sale here-and we have enough to Craig's List outta here before then.
Jesus didn't have a Christmas tree and he did okay. Of course he was Jewish.
Aside thought for the day: What eight gifts could you give the Savior of the world for Hanukkah? This I can ask when I see Mary and Joseph someday in heaven.
Back to my own holiday issues.
I do not need a tree to observe Christmas. In fact, in years past I always felt more of a kinship with my Irish ancestors when I brought a live tree into my home in December and lit and decorated it. It was the Irish who brought all manner of items inside from the forests in order to brighten up their homes in bleak winter months.
In order to observe Christmas I need, what? A heart that has prepared for the celebration of Christ's birth? yes. An understanding that Christmas would not be so meaningful without Easter? yes.
A love for my savior? yes. But shouldn't I have that year round? yes.
So what makes Christmas Christmas to me? It isn't about the presents-they are a symbol of Christ's present to us, or maybe they stand in the gap of our inability to give him a birthday present?
It isn't about lights around my yard, or a six foot inflatable Santa on the lawn, or a tree.
I know for many "Christmas is about families being together..." &/or "...taking time to give to others."
These are nice sentiments. I am personally counting the days until daughter Jenna Scarborough arrives. Also, I have dumped quite a bit of change and bills into some red kettles this month.I am absolutely for giving to God's family in any way I can-especially those who truly need to feel the love of Christ this season.
But I know Christmas is about my acknowledging the immense gift God gave to the world in the form of a beautiful baby and trying to still myself enough to hear from God on how He would like me to glorify Him in this season.
If I get a small tree to commemorate this holiday, I will do so with the understanding that I didn't need to do so.Maybe I will wrap something else in lights or fill those vases with ornaments. Maybe I will do a combination of creative Christmas Season decor. Tree or not.
No matter what, I will celebrate the day Jesus came into our dark world to be Light.
And the fact that he is alive and fully light in our world to this day.
I hope this finds you well. That you have time to read some of the gospel accounts of his birth, and feel the peace that his life, death and resurrection brings all who believe.
Blessings-Lorilise
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Jesus Came to Save Christmas
I had intended to post a few days ago, but I've had a lot weighing on my mind in regards to this post, and I just didn't have a coherent message to relate. I knew I wanted to write something about Advent- the special time when we await the "advent" or coming of the day in which we celebrate the birth of Jesus- but I just didn't know exactly how to say what I really feel without sounding like the Mexican-American "Grinchita" Who Stole Christmas.
I generally have mixed feelings when the Christmas season rolls around in late October. On the one had I love the nostalgia; I love the snow; I love the ballet, the concerts, and the food (although, I'm not really sure you can call cookies and chocolate food in the truest sense of the word!); I love the lights. I think the lights have always been my favorite tradition of the holiday season... So what's not to love, right?
Well, let's see. Things I don't like:
~That feeling of coerced obligation to spend, spend, SPEND money I don't have on things people didn't know they wanted- or needed for that matter.
~The genuine sadness I feel when I witness millions of people every year celebrate a holiday they truly know nothing about.
~The envious green hue of disappointment my kid's faces take on when they inevitably feel entitled to WAY more things than I can afford.
And the list goes on. But not here. Because this post isn't about that.
As I was contemplating, I actually started to feel anxious. Questions and doubts swirled around my thoughts, and the worrying took over. I anxiously pondered the sins of the season-- overlooking the poor and the orphans, buying gifts made in sweat shops that exploit child labor, making a holiday about the birth of THE Redemption Story of humanity about materialism and greed... I decided to pray because my anxiety was making my stomach hurt. As I prayed, I had a thought.
This is why Jesus came.
Jesus came to redeem a sinful world from the grasp of its own self destruction. He came to make a way out of the envy, the greed, the materialism, the neglect, the overindulgence, the slavery, the evil, the meaningless pursuit of ourselves.
So, Jesus saves Christmas.
Truth is, I don't really know exactly how we at the Walls' house are gonna celebrate Jesus differently this year. But maybe that's it. We aren't celebrating the holidays, we're celebrating Jesus. We aren't observing festivals, feasts and traditions. We are remembering the life whose divinity changed the course of human history, worshipping the God who paved the lighted path to our salvation.
This year let's strip away whatever distracts and detracts from the best celebration we can make of one of the greatest events in the Redemption Story- Jesus' birth. And please, hear me clearly. I'm not telling you what it is that distracts and detracts, because I don't know what that is for you. I'm simply suggesting that we all strip away the excesses in our own lives until we can see HIM clearly.
Ladies, I pray that you all have a wonderful, heart-transforming Christmas season, and may Jesus be the center of it all!
I generally have mixed feelings when the Christmas season rolls around in late October. On the one had I love the nostalgia; I love the snow; I love the ballet, the concerts, and the food (although, I'm not really sure you can call cookies and chocolate food in the truest sense of the word!); I love the lights. I think the lights have always been my favorite tradition of the holiday season... So what's not to love, right?
Well, let's see. Things I don't like:
~That feeling of coerced obligation to spend, spend, SPEND money I don't have on things people didn't know they wanted- or needed for that matter.
~The genuine sadness I feel when I witness millions of people every year celebrate a holiday they truly know nothing about.
~The envious green hue of disappointment my kid's faces take on when they inevitably feel entitled to WAY more things than I can afford.
And the list goes on. But not here. Because this post isn't about that.
As I was contemplating, I actually started to feel anxious. Questions and doubts swirled around my thoughts, and the worrying took over. I anxiously pondered the sins of the season-- overlooking the poor and the orphans, buying gifts made in sweat shops that exploit child labor, making a holiday about the birth of THE Redemption Story of humanity about materialism and greed... I decided to pray because my anxiety was making my stomach hurt. As I prayed, I had a thought.
This is why Jesus came.
Jesus came to redeem a sinful world from the grasp of its own self destruction. He came to make a way out of the envy, the greed, the materialism, the neglect, the overindulgence, the slavery, the evil, the meaningless pursuit of ourselves.
So, Jesus saves Christmas.
Truth is, I don't really know exactly how we at the Walls' house are gonna celebrate Jesus differently this year. But maybe that's it. We aren't celebrating the holidays, we're celebrating Jesus. We aren't observing festivals, feasts and traditions. We are remembering the life whose divinity changed the course of human history, worshipping the God who paved the lighted path to our salvation.
This year let's strip away whatever distracts and detracts from the best celebration we can make of one of the greatest events in the Redemption Story- Jesus' birth. And please, hear me clearly. I'm not telling you what it is that distracts and detracts, because I don't know what that is for you. I'm simply suggesting that we all strip away the excesses in our own lives until we can see HIM clearly.
Ladies, I pray that you all have a wonderful, heart-transforming Christmas season, and may Jesus be the center of it all!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Using Your God-Gifted Tools
The tangibles:Starbucks. French pedicures. Flowers on my bedside table. A glass of wine and a good book.
These objects downright delight me. All crashing together into one positive fantastic day? In the words of the always articulate Kevin Bacon..."Jump back!" I mean, throw in a block of Butterkase and some crackers and you've got yourself a perfect day! Let's say for the purpose of argument, that one of these "perfect days' was unfolding.
What can destroy it?
A series of tedious, "no-big-deal-until-the-third-person-cuts-in-front-of-you--narrowly-missing-your-newly-
pedicured-foot-with-their-cart-only-to-come-to-a-complete-stop-and-block-your-view-of-the-ENTIRE-
imported-cheese-section" events. And why? Why do we constantly allow things that, if we had a little more patience and a little less of a "NOW-NOW-NOW" attitude, wouldn't bother us?
OK. All of that was misleading. You thought I was going somewhere with all of this; especially after creating a mental picture of something that strikes a little close to home.
Clearly, I don't have an answer. I'm a hot mess just like the rest of you most of the time. All I know is that we CAN make ourselves happy if we try and we CAN put a little more faith in The Big Guy to provide clarity, sort everything out and lead us down a path of iced white mochas and sweet smooth dairy products. I think it at least starts there. We need to use the tools He gives us though.
Perhaps you've heard the story/joke of the man who wouldn't leave his house during the flood of '93? Authorities drove to his house and said, "Sir, the rain's not stopping. You need to evacuate."
The man said, "No. God will save me."
They came back in a boat and pulled up to his second-story window saying, "Sir you are going to drown if you don't come with us. This flood is not stopping!"
The man said, "God will save me."
They finally came by helicopter and said, "This is your last chance Sir. You need to come with us!"
Again, the man said, "God will save me."
When the man drowned and went to heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you save me? I put all my faith in you and I still died. How could you do that?!"
God replied, "I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter. What else was I supposed to do?"
This is meant to be a silly story but it is BURSTING with truth. God gives us what we need in order to handle every situation that we come across...even the little sassafras that cuts in front of you at the cheese counter. We just need to listen and use the tools provided. It's cliche but He doesn't give us any trauma or drama that we can't handle.
To finish off this here blog, let me tell you about the many tools in my life...no pun intended. (Spoiler alert...I get gushy here and you might want to avert your eyes, but I want to prompt you to take inventory of your own toolbox whether you read this last part or not.)
My husband is my rock. When I feel I am at my weakest he's there to pick me up, throw me over his shoulder and carry me through the gauntlet. My daughter is my sunlight. She doesn't even realize it, but Natjobla can make me laugh when I feel like breaking everything made of glass in any given room of the house. My Lauren is my mirror. She sees everything beautiful in me and everything ugly and reflects herself right back to me without embarrassment, ridicule or judgement. She gets me...because in most ways, she is me. My family is the string tied around my finger. They remind me who I am and where I came from...of the values and morals that shaped me. My friends are my glue. My Elmer's. The good stuff. They hold me together. Every.Single.Day.
My challenge to those who read this: realize and understand the tools God has given you. Use them. Never neglect them. Hold onto them for dear life...because that is exactly what they are.
These objects downright delight me. All crashing together into one positive fantastic day? In the words of the always articulate Kevin Bacon..."Jump back!" I mean, throw in a block of Butterkase and some crackers and you've got yourself a perfect day! Let's say for the purpose of argument, that one of these "perfect days' was unfolding.
What can destroy it?
A series of tedious, "no-big-deal-until-the-third-person-cuts-in-front-of-you--narrowly-missing-your-newly-
pedicured-foot-with-their-cart-only-to-come-to-a-complete-stop-and-block-your-view-of-the-ENTIRE-
imported-cheese-section" events. And why? Why do we constantly allow things that, if we had a little more patience and a little less of a "NOW-NOW-NOW" attitude, wouldn't bother us?
OK. All of that was misleading. You thought I was going somewhere with all of this; especially after creating a mental picture of something that strikes a little close to home.
Clearly, I don't have an answer. I'm a hot mess just like the rest of you most of the time. All I know is that we CAN make ourselves happy if we try and we CAN put a little more faith in The Big Guy to provide clarity, sort everything out and lead us down a path of iced white mochas and sweet smooth dairy products. I think it at least starts there. We need to use the tools He gives us though.
Perhaps you've heard the story/joke of the man who wouldn't leave his house during the flood of '93? Authorities drove to his house and said, "Sir, the rain's not stopping. You need to evacuate."
The man said, "No. God will save me."
They came back in a boat and pulled up to his second-story window saying, "Sir you are going to drown if you don't come with us. This flood is not stopping!"
The man said, "God will save me."
They finally came by helicopter and said, "This is your last chance Sir. You need to come with us!"
Again, the man said, "God will save me."
When the man drowned and went to heaven, he asked God, "Why didn't you save me? I put all my faith in you and I still died. How could you do that?!"
God replied, "I sent you a car, a boat, and a helicopter. What else was I supposed to do?"
This is meant to be a silly story but it is BURSTING with truth. God gives us what we need in order to handle every situation that we come across...even the little sassafras that cuts in front of you at the cheese counter. We just need to listen and use the tools provided. It's cliche but He doesn't give us any trauma or drama that we can't handle.
To finish off this here blog, let me tell you about the many tools in my life...no pun intended. (Spoiler alert...I get gushy here and you might want to avert your eyes, but I want to prompt you to take inventory of your own toolbox whether you read this last part or not.)
My husband is my rock. When I feel I am at my weakest he's there to pick me up, throw me over his shoulder and carry me through the gauntlet. My daughter is my sunlight. She doesn't even realize it, but Natjobla can make me laugh when I feel like breaking everything made of glass in any given room of the house. My Lauren is my mirror. She sees everything beautiful in me and everything ugly and reflects herself right back to me without embarrassment, ridicule or judgement. She gets me...because in most ways, she is me. My family is the string tied around my finger. They remind me who I am and where I came from...of the values and morals that shaped me. My friends are my glue. My Elmer's. The good stuff. They hold me together. Every.Single.Day.
My challenge to those who read this: realize and understand the tools God has given you. Use them. Never neglect them. Hold onto them for dear life...because that is exactly what they are.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Here's my Complaint
Staples.
That's it. My complaint about my new job in a building that generates lots and lots of paperwork. Staples are everywhere! Embedded in the carpet are staples. Lying at the edge of every desk are spent staples. Easy enough to sweep those laying on desks into the trash. However those staples which have become one with the carpet must be pried, loosed, cajoled out.
And that's it. That is my complaint.
Here are five things I love about my new job. Five things for which I am thankful.
1. Viewpoint: From my parking spot I have a beautiful view of the river. It is the first and last thing I see at work each week day. Pretty awesome view, thanks to The Creator.
2. Pay: Enough said.
3. People: The people I work with are friendly, intelligent, and genuinely appreciative of what I do. Dare I say in this season of gratitude, they are thankful? In fact many have thanked me for my work. My supervisor thanks me at the end of each day. What a guy!
4. Satisfaction: I find satisfaction each day making the building I work in look nice and smell good. Don't you love when you walk into an establishment and the first thing that hits you is the scent of clean?
5. Believers: I have already located several fellow-Christ-followers at my job. I look forward to their encouragement each day, and try to provide them with the same.
It is easy to complain. Often we have every right to do so. We may be completely justified in a full blown rant on occasion. But complaining pulls energy from our spirits. It can lower our mood, rather than lifting it up. Complaining can lower the moods of those we complain to in those perfectly justified rants.
It feels good to have dear friends whom we can "unload on" when life gets really, really tough. It is important to have loved ones to share our walk with. People we can share the ups and downs of our daily life with, be it in the form of a diatribe, tears, laughter, or even all three.
Unfortunately it is also easy to get stuck in the muck and mire of a complaining pit. As preventative medicine in our Thanksgiving week, I want to challenge all of us to try to find five positives for every one negative.
So if I have one negative about my job (staples), then I need to share five positives. (viewpoint, pay, people, satisfaction, believers).
Lets see how our days are changed in the coming week as we play this 1:5 game in our heads. Please, please, share your most profound, most amusing, most insightful 1:5 negative:positives with all of us in the comments section of this post.
I leave you with these words from God's Word:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 136:1
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
I'm thankful for each and every one of you!
Blessings-Lorilise
That's it. My complaint about my new job in a building that generates lots and lots of paperwork. Staples are everywhere! Embedded in the carpet are staples. Lying at the edge of every desk are spent staples. Easy enough to sweep those laying on desks into the trash. However those staples which have become one with the carpet must be pried, loosed, cajoled out.
And that's it. That is my complaint.
Here are five things I love about my new job. Five things for which I am thankful.
1. Viewpoint: From my parking spot I have a beautiful view of the river. It is the first and last thing I see at work each week day. Pretty awesome view, thanks to The Creator.
2. Pay: Enough said.
3. People: The people I work with are friendly, intelligent, and genuinely appreciative of what I do. Dare I say in this season of gratitude, they are thankful? In fact many have thanked me for my work. My supervisor thanks me at the end of each day. What a guy!
4. Satisfaction: I find satisfaction each day making the building I work in look nice and smell good. Don't you love when you walk into an establishment and the first thing that hits you is the scent of clean?
5. Believers: I have already located several fellow-Christ-followers at my job. I look forward to their encouragement each day, and try to provide them with the same.
It is easy to complain. Often we have every right to do so. We may be completely justified in a full blown rant on occasion. But complaining pulls energy from our spirits. It can lower our mood, rather than lifting it up. Complaining can lower the moods of those we complain to in those perfectly justified rants.
It feels good to have dear friends whom we can "unload on" when life gets really, really tough. It is important to have loved ones to share our walk with. People we can share the ups and downs of our daily life with, be it in the form of a diatribe, tears, laughter, or even all three.
Unfortunately it is also easy to get stuck in the muck and mire of a complaining pit. As preventative medicine in our Thanksgiving week, I want to challenge all of us to try to find five positives for every one negative.
So if I have one negative about my job (staples), then I need to share five positives. (viewpoint, pay, people, satisfaction, believers).
Lets see how our days are changed in the coming week as we play this 1:5 game in our heads. Please, please, share your most profound, most amusing, most insightful 1:5 negative:positives with all of us in the comments section of this post.
I leave you with these words from God's Word:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psalm 136:1
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
I'm thankful for each and every one of you!
Blessings-Lorilise
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Feeling Thankful
HI!
How's that for enthusiasm?! Despite the fact that I have a nasty head cold that I have been battling for over a week, I am actually feeling really great inside. Would you like to know who is responsible for this? (I think you would.) Becky Nichols. Well, she's sort of indirectly responsible. A catalyst, if you will, of my feeling really great inside. And Becky, if you're reading this, you may be surprised to hear this!
So here's the story. Last year during the month of November I noticed that Becky was posting a daily Facebook status about why she was thankful. I thought this was pretty fantastic even then, but couldn't really bring myself to do it because I had already missed the first week of posts. Admittedly, it is ridiculous not to participate in "thankfulness" because you are latecomer (especially when you really want to and you think it's fantastic), but that is what I thought. And since this is the women's ministry blog, the least I can do is tell the truth. :-) So I decided to do it the following year. This year, my memory of last year's promise resurfaced when I saw Becky's and others' Facebook posts. This time I got in on the action right away- on exactly November 1st. Every day, even on the two days I've missed posting, I've found myself thinking about which of my blessings I would like to share with my friends. And every day my blessings have to compete for a mention. I have so many reasons for which to be thankful that I couldn't possibly share them all! The funny thing is that the more I think about why I'm thankful, the more I discover reasons to be grateful. It's like driving toward a mountain that seems to get bigger and bigger the closer you get to it. Until at last, when you arrive at it's foot, it's larger than life! And when you are faced with such monumentally undeserved blessings, you simply must fall down in worship to the Unreserved Giver of such treasure!
This is what I would like you to take to heart:
When we think about all our blessings, it causes us to reflect on the greatness and the goodness of God!
And when we share our thanksgiving with others, we never know who we will inspire! (Thanks, Becky!)
P.S. It's never too late to start!
How's that for enthusiasm?! Despite the fact that I have a nasty head cold that I have been battling for over a week, I am actually feeling really great inside. Would you like to know who is responsible for this? (I think you would.) Becky Nichols. Well, she's sort of indirectly responsible. A catalyst, if you will, of my feeling really great inside. And Becky, if you're reading this, you may be surprised to hear this!
So here's the story. Last year during the month of November I noticed that Becky was posting a daily Facebook status about why she was thankful. I thought this was pretty fantastic even then, but couldn't really bring myself to do it because I had already missed the first week of posts. Admittedly, it is ridiculous not to participate in "thankfulness" because you are latecomer (especially when you really want to and you think it's fantastic), but that is what I thought. And since this is the women's ministry blog, the least I can do is tell the truth. :-) So I decided to do it the following year. This year, my memory of last year's promise resurfaced when I saw Becky's and others' Facebook posts. This time I got in on the action right away- on exactly November 1st. Every day, even on the two days I've missed posting, I've found myself thinking about which of my blessings I would like to share with my friends. And every day my blessings have to compete for a mention. I have so many reasons for which to be thankful that I couldn't possibly share them all! The funny thing is that the more I think about why I'm thankful, the more I discover reasons to be grateful. It's like driving toward a mountain that seems to get bigger and bigger the closer you get to it. Until at last, when you arrive at it's foot, it's larger than life! And when you are faced with such monumentally undeserved blessings, you simply must fall down in worship to the Unreserved Giver of such treasure!
This is what I would like you to take to heart:
When we think about all our blessings, it causes us to reflect on the greatness and the goodness of God!
And when we share our thanksgiving with others, we never know who we will inspire! (Thanks, Becky!)
P.S. It's never too late to start!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thrive from a mom's perspective...
Hello Ladies!
It has been a while since I've posted! Lorilise has been doing a really wonderful job, hasn't she? I've been getting some much needed encouragement from her posts, as I'm sure you have as well.
So, as you all know, we at The Word at Shaw have been collecting diapers, wipes, and cash for Thrive St. Louis. Obviously anything that you have that is useful, and in gently used to new condition would also be accepted! I mostly only mention this because I'm in that category! : ) I will be donating some of Quint's gently used (stain-free of course!) clothes and bibs, and whatever else I can find that might be useful.
I just wanted to take a moment to share a little bit about my personal experience with Thrive. When I found out I was pregnant with Quint, both Harry and I were unemployed. If any of you have ever been in this stressful position, you know that here in Missouri in order to get prenatal care through Medicaid you must obtain a form from a medical professional stating that you are in fact pregnant. Now this posed a problem for me because I couldn't afford to go to my doctor to confirm my pregnancy. So I did a little research online and found Thrive. It was really great to get help from an organization that really, genuinely cared about me and my baby. The volunteer who worked with me prayed with me and was very encouraging. They even scheduled me for a free ultrasound. Since I had been unable to get prenatal care, it was such a relief to get to see my little man flipping around on the screen! All this to say, I was truly impressed with Thrive's care and concern for more than just my physical needs. It was obvious that they were also interested in my emotional and spiritual needs as well.
Thrive is a Christian, non-profit organization, so I know they depend on people and churches to support them in various ways in order to serve their clients. It is so exciting to see how we can be a part of this effort! Thank you so much, ladies, for all you do!
Eva
It has been a while since I've posted! Lorilise has been doing a really wonderful job, hasn't she? I've been getting some much needed encouragement from her posts, as I'm sure you have as well.
So, as you all know, we at The Word at Shaw have been collecting diapers, wipes, and cash for Thrive St. Louis. Obviously anything that you have that is useful, and in gently used to new condition would also be accepted! I mostly only mention this because I'm in that category! : ) I will be donating some of Quint's gently used (stain-free of course!) clothes and bibs, and whatever else I can find that might be useful.
I just wanted to take a moment to share a little bit about my personal experience with Thrive. When I found out I was pregnant with Quint, both Harry and I were unemployed. If any of you have ever been in this stressful position, you know that here in Missouri in order to get prenatal care through Medicaid you must obtain a form from a medical professional stating that you are in fact pregnant. Now this posed a problem for me because I couldn't afford to go to my doctor to confirm my pregnancy. So I did a little research online and found Thrive. It was really great to get help from an organization that really, genuinely cared about me and my baby. The volunteer who worked with me prayed with me and was very encouraging. They even scheduled me for a free ultrasound. Since I had been unable to get prenatal care, it was such a relief to get to see my little man flipping around on the screen! All this to say, I was truly impressed with Thrive's care and concern for more than just my physical needs. It was obvious that they were also interested in my emotional and spiritual needs as well.
Thrive is a Christian, non-profit organization, so I know they depend on people and churches to support them in various ways in order to serve their clients. It is so exciting to see how we can be a part of this effort! Thank you so much, ladies, for all you do!
Eva
Monday, October 10, 2011
Soul Sisters: 3 Things
Soul Sisters: 3 Things: We are Doing Three things. Thing 1 is trying to spread the word about this devotional blog to all our Word At Shaw Women. If you are readin...
3 Things
We are Doing Three things.
Thing 1 is trying to spread the word about this devotional blog to all our Word At Shaw Women. If you are reading this we have your email address or you already subscribe. Or both. If you are tight with any of our soul sisters at The Word, and are unsure if they read this, please email it to them-or email the link, or Facebook message it, Or tweet it, or Google Plus it...you get the idea.
Thing 2 is continuing to collect 3 things for Thrive:
If you are not on Facebook, don't think we don't want you to do the challenge. It is just a way of continuing to delve into God's Word every week day through Oct 28. We picked the 28th since it is the last weekday of the month. We all say we want to be in God's Word, we all confess to being busy-sometimes to the effect that we don't open our bibles for days at a time.
This challenge is just a simple start to changing that in our lives. For those of you who read your bibles daily, and more than two verses, this won't challenge you so much. But it is fun to share cool bible verses you come across with other women. So please share. You can also post bible verses you love in the comments section of this blog. Use the hashtag #bibleversereadingonadeadline there too, as it will call our attention to it sooner.
One more thing, Dear Ones, how are you doing with fear? We have been doing our message series on fear this month. Pastor Keith has been teaching us all a great bible verse on fear at the end of each sermon. Do you remember the first two he taught? I particlularly liked, "perfect love casts out fear." God is love, and love perfected at that, so His love is that perfect love. No surprise there, right?
We have talked about our big fears on Sundays, like fear of failure this past week. What are some small fears you have? Does God's perfect love cast that fear out too? Yes. Of Course. We know this.
Yet how many times have you been driving from school or work to home, and get so lost in worrying over little things, little fears, that you arrive home having no memory of the last 2-3 miles of that journey? I once worried all the way home because we had a birthday party planned for one of the children that night, and I was just positive I could not get everything done in time. I worried myself right up to 5 miles over the speed limit. The officer who stopped me was very sympathetic as he wrote my ticket. Then I had that to worry about. Worrying about something little-a birthday party-cost me some bucks. And worrying didn't help any, and my fear was unfounded. Because even after losing twenty minutes of precious time, my prayers to God to help me were answered. Everything that absolutely needed doing got done. And everything else was shoved into an upstairs closet for another day. I was far better off praying through my little worrisome fear, than actually worrying and fearing.
So my question is this: What are your small fears? will you try to pray your way out of that fear? That is my challenge.
Here's a great verse for us from Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Please share in the comments section of this blog. Because saying it out loud, typing it, is part of letting it go.
Blessings, Lorilise
Thing 1 is trying to spread the word about this devotional blog to all our Word At Shaw Women. If you are reading this we have your email address or you already subscribe. Or both. If you are tight with any of our soul sisters at The Word, and are unsure if they read this, please email it to them-or email the link, or Facebook message it, Or tweet it, or Google Plus it...you get the idea.
Thing 2 is continuing to collect 3 things for Thrive:
- Diapers in large sizes
- baby wipes
- actual cash for those of you who still pay that way out in the world, and therefore sometimes have actual change. We are asking that you save your change, to make change for Thrive. See what I did there?
If you are not on Facebook, don't think we don't want you to do the challenge. It is just a way of continuing to delve into God's Word every week day through Oct 28. We picked the 28th since it is the last weekday of the month. We all say we want to be in God's Word, we all confess to being busy-sometimes to the effect that we don't open our bibles for days at a time.
This challenge is just a simple start to changing that in our lives. For those of you who read your bibles daily, and more than two verses, this won't challenge you so much. But it is fun to share cool bible verses you come across with other women. So please share. You can also post bible verses you love in the comments section of this blog. Use the hashtag #bibleversereadingonadeadline there too, as it will call our attention to it sooner.
One more thing, Dear Ones, how are you doing with fear? We have been doing our message series on fear this month. Pastor Keith has been teaching us all a great bible verse on fear at the end of each sermon. Do you remember the first two he taught? I particlularly liked, "perfect love casts out fear." God is love, and love perfected at that, so His love is that perfect love. No surprise there, right?
We have talked about our big fears on Sundays, like fear of failure this past week. What are some small fears you have? Does God's perfect love cast that fear out too? Yes. Of Course. We know this.
Yet how many times have you been driving from school or work to home, and get so lost in worrying over little things, little fears, that you arrive home having no memory of the last 2-3 miles of that journey? I once worried all the way home because we had a birthday party planned for one of the children that night, and I was just positive I could not get everything done in time. I worried myself right up to 5 miles over the speed limit. The officer who stopped me was very sympathetic as he wrote my ticket. Then I had that to worry about. Worrying about something little-a birthday party-cost me some bucks. And worrying didn't help any, and my fear was unfounded. Because even after losing twenty minutes of precious time, my prayers to God to help me were answered. Everything that absolutely needed doing got done. And everything else was shoved into an upstairs closet for another day. I was far better off praying through my little worrisome fear, than actually worrying and fearing.
So my question is this: What are your small fears? will you try to pray your way out of that fear? That is my challenge.
Here's a great verse for us from Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Please share in the comments section of this blog. Because saying it out loud, typing it, is part of letting it go.
Blessings, Lorilise
Friday, September 30, 2011
Soul Sisters: 2 a Day Challenge and more
Soul Sisters: 2 a Day Challenge and more: Hello Women of the Word at Shaw. We are sort of at a half-way point on our 2 a Day Challenge, in which we all agree to read two bible verses...
2 a Day Challenge and more
Hello Women of the Word at Shaw. We are sort of at a half-way point on our 2 a Day Challenge, in which we all agree to read two bible verses per weekday, and post as time allows, those verses which are our favorites, that we want to share with our sisters in Christ.
And I must say. this has been exciting. So many women signed up on that first weekend-a holiday weekend no less- and have been going strong since. We have over 80 participants-because we opened up the challenge to all women within each of our networks. Some of you got very busy inviting. As a result I have commented on verse posts of women I have never met-and THAT is exciting.
My friend Lisa Boyer pointed out that we are all getting more than our two verses a day, as we read the verse posts of fellow-bible-verse-readers. THAT is exciting.
Here is something I found very exciting as I read in my bible earlier today. It wasn't a new verse to me. In fact I associate it with a worship song from the church in AZ Pastor Keith and I went to until moving to Missouri.
But it felt like a confirmation of what we have been striving for at The Word at Shaw. Not only on Sundays, but at all times. Reading it renewed my energy as I thought of all the service opportunities we had accomplished, and even more-so, those that are on the calendar for the Fall and Winter.
The verse is from Romans chapter 12:1 "I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."
I looked at that verse today, and smiled a huge smile thinking of you all. How many of you were a part of our Serve 2011 day! Thank you for your spiritual service on that day. I have seen the joyous way Julie and Dennis Biggs lead servants at the dinners at Shalom House each month.That leadership, and all the time they spend coordinating and preparing extra activities for the women of Shalom House is spiritual service on Julie and Dennis' part.
Such a smile on my face as I consider those who have stepped up to make leading a small group their act of spiritual service. I truly enjoyed and was blessed by the women's small group meeting this past Sunday. Brenda is a wonderful leader.
I search my mind's memory bank and don't have to go too far back to recall a time when one of you have stepped up and stepped in to service. Teaching our children, holding babies in the nursery, serving the servants on Serve 2011 by getting all that yummy food ready, checking in all those children downstairs so we can maintain Safe Sanctuary standards, coordinating fellow-volunteers to go forth and serve, leading us worker bees with no skill and teaching us some of your hard-learned skills in the process, welcoming newcomers to God's House on Sunday mornings, coordinating all that behind the scenes stuff so our pastoral staff can preach,teach,lead worship, counsel and pray, and oh-I could never forget-those of you who have stepped up to be our prayer warrriors, praying for those requests that come in during the week, and prayer partners on Sundays, thank you one and all!
For me it is exciting knowing how so often the servant is blessed beyond any blessing they give in the act of serving. I don't say this to devalue anyone's service. Your service has great weight in this world. It is just that I know from experience, and from the front row seat that ministry gives me, the greater weight is the blessing you take away after having served.
And God grows us in our service. When we serve others, we serve Him. I know he sees that service as an extension of our love for Him, and therefor as an act of worship. One that we can perform within the church building or out in our community; on any day that ends in "y", morning, noon and night.
Now THAT is exciting. I'm excited for the portion of the body of Christ that is made up by those of The Word at Shaw. I am excited by all the possibility for spiritual growth that exists for each of us every time we serve and receive the blessing that goes with it. Can't wait to serve some more with all of you for the remainder of 2011. It will bless the community, bless us more, and I pray God will feel our love for Him as we show the love of Christ to those we encounter.
Blessings, Lorilise Scarborough
By way of announcement: We are collecting a few things for a great organization called Thrive. They help expectant parents with everything from parenting classes to locating resources to physical needs during pregnancy and afterwards. We are focusing on three things for Thrive in the month of October:
If stopping at the ATM before church, you can place that donation in an offering envelope writing, "Thrive"
on the envelope.
Women's Ministries identified Thrive as a vital part of the Shaw Community early on-let's show them some baby-love and gift them with a large donation at month's end.
Thank you for your sacrifices both of money and body. It is not for ourselves, but for Him..
And I must say. this has been exciting. So many women signed up on that first weekend-a holiday weekend no less- and have been going strong since. We have over 80 participants-because we opened up the challenge to all women within each of our networks. Some of you got very busy inviting. As a result I have commented on verse posts of women I have never met-and THAT is exciting.
My friend Lisa Boyer pointed out that we are all getting more than our two verses a day, as we read the verse posts of fellow-bible-verse-readers. THAT is exciting.
Here is something I found very exciting as I read in my bible earlier today. It wasn't a new verse to me. In fact I associate it with a worship song from the church in AZ Pastor Keith and I went to until moving to Missouri.
But it felt like a confirmation of what we have been striving for at The Word at Shaw. Not only on Sundays, but at all times. Reading it renewed my energy as I thought of all the service opportunities we had accomplished, and even more-so, those that are on the calendar for the Fall and Winter.
The verse is from Romans chapter 12:1 "I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."
I looked at that verse today, and smiled a huge smile thinking of you all. How many of you were a part of our Serve 2011 day! Thank you for your spiritual service on that day. I have seen the joyous way Julie and Dennis Biggs lead servants at the dinners at Shalom House each month.That leadership, and all the time they spend coordinating and preparing extra activities for the women of Shalom House is spiritual service on Julie and Dennis' part.
Such a smile on my face as I consider those who have stepped up to make leading a small group their act of spiritual service. I truly enjoyed and was blessed by the women's small group meeting this past Sunday. Brenda is a wonderful leader.
I search my mind's memory bank and don't have to go too far back to recall a time when one of you have stepped up and stepped in to service. Teaching our children, holding babies in the nursery, serving the servants on Serve 2011 by getting all that yummy food ready, checking in all those children downstairs so we can maintain Safe Sanctuary standards, coordinating fellow-volunteers to go forth and serve, leading us worker bees with no skill and teaching us some of your hard-learned skills in the process, welcoming newcomers to God's House on Sunday mornings, coordinating all that behind the scenes stuff so our pastoral staff can preach,teach,lead worship, counsel and pray, and oh-I could never forget-those of you who have stepped up to be our prayer warrriors, praying for those requests that come in during the week, and prayer partners on Sundays, thank you one and all!
For me it is exciting knowing how so often the servant is blessed beyond any blessing they give in the act of serving. I don't say this to devalue anyone's service. Your service has great weight in this world. It is just that I know from experience, and from the front row seat that ministry gives me, the greater weight is the blessing you take away after having served.
And God grows us in our service. When we serve others, we serve Him. I know he sees that service as an extension of our love for Him, and therefor as an act of worship. One that we can perform within the church building or out in our community; on any day that ends in "y", morning, noon and night.
Now THAT is exciting. I'm excited for the portion of the body of Christ that is made up by those of The Word at Shaw. I am excited by all the possibility for spiritual growth that exists for each of us every time we serve and receive the blessing that goes with it. Can't wait to serve some more with all of you for the remainder of 2011. It will bless the community, bless us more, and I pray God will feel our love for Him as we show the love of Christ to those we encounter.
Blessings, Lorilise Scarborough
By way of announcement: We are collecting a few things for a great organization called Thrive. They help expectant parents with everything from parenting classes to locating resources to physical needs during pregnancy and afterwards. We are focusing on three things for Thrive in the month of October:
- diapers in larger sizes-most donations are for newborn or small size-
- diaper wipes
- money
If stopping at the ATM before church, you can place that donation in an offering envelope writing, "Thrive"
on the envelope.
Women's Ministries identified Thrive as a vital part of the Shaw Community early on-let's show them some baby-love and gift them with a large donation at month's end.
Thank you for your sacrifices both of money and body. It is not for ourselves, but for Him..
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Soul Sisters: A Bouquet of Sharpened Pencils
1. read blog
2.accept challenge
#bibleversereadingonadeadline
Sunday, August 28, 2011
A Bouquet of Sharpened Pencils
In the classic chick-flick, You've Got Mail, Joe Fox writes to Kathleen Kelly sharing that he would love to give her a bouquet of sharpened pencils in celebration of the arrival of fall. It seems the perfect sentiment for the season which bridges the warmth, humidity, gardening glories and BBQ's of summer to the grey-white, crisp, cold of winter.
Fall is a great time of year. Mild weather, beautiful foliage in pale yellow, vibrant russet and jack-o-lantern orange soon followed by the crunch of leaves underfoot ; the first taste of hot apple cider, and Pumpkin Lattes; a trip to pick apples and baking apple pies immediately thereafter; the joy of picking and decorating pumpkins, a great Trunk-Or-Treat event on our church lot; Football season and bonfires-it's all so magical to me.
Autumn is also the time when many families settle into more structured routines as school begins again. Be you a student or the parent of a student, it is a time for letting go of the relaxed schedules of summer. If you have no students in your home, and the need for buying school supplies for your household has long passed, the idea of the new school year can still old something tied to our childhoods, in the renewed desire to learn and grow. It just seems like the right time, doesn't it?
As I type this I have a learning goal in mind for the women of The Word At Shaw. So many of us learn better on a deadline. I think it hearkens back to when we were in school and a bouquet of sharpened pencils would have been a perfect gift. As an adult I've noticed that If I sign up for a fitness event, the looming deadline does more for the consistency of my workout than purely wanting to be more physically fit. I've talked with many girlfriends who agree. One such friend has a hash-tag entitled, "running on a deadline"" because signing up for a half-marathon this fall has her feeling the workout consistency.
That said, I would love it if each of us could commit to reading two verses per week-day in our bibles, beginning on Monday, September fifth and ending on Friday, October twenty-eighth.
That is forty days of reading two verses per each Monday-Friday (weekends off), for a total of eighty verses.
I'm not asking you to memorize; just read. Make a note of verses you read which speak to you, or are most pertinent in your life. In fact, feel free to post some of your favorite verses into the comments section of this blog. Also, please post in comments that you plan to do the verse challenge.
I will be doing the verse challenge too, and am looking forward to sharing what I find in my reading, and even more so, learning what you find in yours.
Blessings, Lorilise Scarborough
Friday, July 22, 2011
Update on Hope
It gives me great joy to give you a little update on my last post. Hope, my friend Amy's three year old daughter, had a fantastically successful surgery! She was released Friday and is doing very well. She is on lot's of antibiotics and has to take it easy for six weeks, but so far it is looking very good!
Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers!
Thank you so much for all your thoughts and prayers!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Hope for Hope
Hi Ladies!
It has been quite a while since I last shared anything with you on our illustrious (however unknown) blog. As most of you know, I defeated the odds and drove an ancient car--a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue--halfway across the country with a 7 year old, a 6 year old, and an infant without major incident. Yep, that was me! Crazy but Triumphant! As I'm sure you can imagine, my days were long and my adventures many. So for the next few weeks I will be sharing just a little bit about my trip.
I've decided not to share my stories in chronological order; you'll be able to see why in just a minute. So to begin, I would just like to say that this is really not my story, and my part in it is very small. But the people in this story have had a great impact on my life and I know that you will appreciate that.
So without further ado...
Four years ago my friend Amy shared with me that she believed the Lord wanted her and her husband Tim to adopt a little girl from China. Now, at the time, Amy and I were barely getting to know each other and I wondered if I would ever get to see this come true--especially because she and Tim were moving away from St. Louis to Seattle. But despite the fact that we weren't very close when she left, our friendship actually deepened as time went on. She would always visit me when she came to St. Louis, and would keep me updated on how things were going with the adoption process. Amy told me that they had already chosen a name--Hope. When we spent time together we often cried and prayed with each other, because the waiting was so hard! But finally, things started turning around for my friends. In the midst of their long wait, they became pregnant and had a baby boy in January of last year. And because of how much they loved Baby Max, I'm pretty sure it only increased their longing to bring home their little girl.
They were told by the Chinese government that they would only be allowed to choose from special needs children. They pored over images of tiny unwanted faces looking for their little girl. Incredibly, when Tim was away in Houston on business, and Amy was in their new home in Austin, they received a set of profiles; and--without consulting each other--they chose the same child! Her name was Pan Pan. When Tim had her name translated just guess what he learned. Yep, Pan Pan actually means hope! I was in tears when I got the news. I felt so privileged to watch a miracle literally unfold before my eyes. Finally, in March of this year they got to bring Hope home. In May, I got to meet Hope just briefly, but in June on our vacation, we got to visit with Tim, Amy, Max, and Hope for five days! That was so stinkin' cool!!!
Now, I mentioned before that the Chinese government would only allow children with special needs to be adopted. Hope is really a walking miracle. She was born with a large hole in her heart, so it has to work extra hard to keep the blood pumping. When she came home to Austin she weighed just 17 pounds, and was very malnourished. In order to gain weight she consumes nearly 3,000 calories a day! But thanks to the great care she is getting she now weighs about 22 pounds. Yay! But this isn't the end of the story. Until three days ago, Tim and Amy thought Hope would probably be having open heart surgery at some point in September, but after their consult with the cardiologist in Houston on Friday, it became clear that the surgery needs to happen right away. The surgery will be the day after tomorrow--Tuesday morning.
You may be wondering why I shared this story. The most obvious reason is that I truly want everyone I know to be praying for my friends and their little girl--especially while she is on the operating table on Tuesday. But beyond that, I want to share just a little bit of the inspiration I get from this story. A story about waiting in great expectation for a faithful, gracious God to do exactly what He has promised to do. In my own life, I find that it is so hard to sit still and wait for God to do His work. And yet, I find that when I do, it is so worth the wait!
Is there something in your life that you are waiting for God to do? Something you know that you can't do yourself? Something you can't change or get rid of? I would encourage you to trust and wait. And while you wait, meditate on this Scripture:
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. Then will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
P.S. Here is a link to video about my friend and her beautiful family. Enjoy The Journey for Hope!
It has been quite a while since I last shared anything with you on our illustrious (however unknown) blog. As most of you know, I defeated the odds and drove an ancient car--a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue--halfway across the country with a 7 year old, a 6 year old, and an infant without major incident. Yep, that was me! Crazy but Triumphant! As I'm sure you can imagine, my days were long and my adventures many. So for the next few weeks I will be sharing just a little bit about my trip.
I've decided not to share my stories in chronological order; you'll be able to see why in just a minute. So to begin, I would just like to say that this is really not my story, and my part in it is very small. But the people in this story have had a great impact on my life and I know that you will appreciate that.
So without further ado...
Four years ago my friend Amy shared with me that she believed the Lord wanted her and her husband Tim to adopt a little girl from China. Now, at the time, Amy and I were barely getting to know each other and I wondered if I would ever get to see this come true--especially because she and Tim were moving away from St. Louis to Seattle. But despite the fact that we weren't very close when she left, our friendship actually deepened as time went on. She would always visit me when she came to St. Louis, and would keep me updated on how things were going with the adoption process. Amy told me that they had already chosen a name--Hope. When we spent time together we often cried and prayed with each other, because the waiting was so hard! But finally, things started turning around for my friends. In the midst of their long wait, they became pregnant and had a baby boy in January of last year. And because of how much they loved Baby Max, I'm pretty sure it only increased their longing to bring home their little girl.
They were told by the Chinese government that they would only be allowed to choose from special needs children. They pored over images of tiny unwanted faces looking for their little girl. Incredibly, when Tim was away in Houston on business, and Amy was in their new home in Austin, they received a set of profiles; and--without consulting each other--they chose the same child! Her name was Pan Pan. When Tim had her name translated just guess what he learned. Yep, Pan Pan actually means hope! I was in tears when I got the news. I felt so privileged to watch a miracle literally unfold before my eyes. Finally, in March of this year they got to bring Hope home. In May, I got to meet Hope just briefly, but in June on our vacation, we got to visit with Tim, Amy, Max, and Hope for five days! That was so stinkin' cool!!!
Now, I mentioned before that the Chinese government would only allow children with special needs to be adopted. Hope is really a walking miracle. She was born with a large hole in her heart, so it has to work extra hard to keep the blood pumping. When she came home to Austin she weighed just 17 pounds, and was very malnourished. In order to gain weight she consumes nearly 3,000 calories a day! But thanks to the great care she is getting she now weighs about 22 pounds. Yay! But this isn't the end of the story. Until three days ago, Tim and Amy thought Hope would probably be having open heart surgery at some point in September, but after their consult with the cardiologist in Houston on Friday, it became clear that the surgery needs to happen right away. The surgery will be the day after tomorrow--Tuesday morning.
You may be wondering why I shared this story. The most obvious reason is that I truly want everyone I know to be praying for my friends and their little girl--especially while she is on the operating table on Tuesday. But beyond that, I want to share just a little bit of the inspiration I get from this story. A story about waiting in great expectation for a faithful, gracious God to do exactly what He has promised to do. In my own life, I find that it is so hard to sit still and wait for God to do His work. And yet, I find that when I do, it is so worth the wait!
Is there something in your life that you are waiting for God to do? Something you know that you can't do yourself? Something you can't change or get rid of? I would encourage you to trust and wait. And while you wait, meditate on this Scripture:
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. Then will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
P.S. Here is a link to video about my friend and her beautiful family. Enjoy The Journey for Hope!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
What was needed, not expected
I attended Show Me Hope, a benefit concert for Joplin last night. I expected to see The Word at Shaw's very own Harry Walls singing original songs with a group of fellow worship leaders from other Saint Louis area churches. I was not disappointed.
Spoiler alert-shameless cause plug: For those of you interested, you can purchase the original music online and should contact Harry Walls or speak to him after church, because he loves conversing with people, and also really, really wants to help the people of Joplin with the proceeds from this cd.
I expected to spend eight dollars of Scarborough money on a cd last night, and was not disappointed there either. I woke the house this am by blaring the song, Middle of it All. The volume was way past eleven, but the hour was too, so I have no guilt.
My kids expected it anyways, as I warned them last night that I was doing a musical alarm today.
So all things about and around the benefit concert were as expected both last night and this morning.
No wait. That isn't 100% correct. Because while we had planned to go to the concert, and I knew what I would be hearing-songs of hope, and from whom I would be hearing them-local worship leaders from several churches, I did not expect to be transported backwards to the frustration of my day by my friend Harry, before he even began to sing.
But God is so good. Harry shared last night just a little bit of how he and his wife Eva were feeling in their job search prior to coming to partner with us in ministry at The Word. He shared how he came to write the song, Middle of it All , around that same time, because he realized that in the middle of all our struggles and attempts to make our dreams happen, and efforts to play out career moves like pieces on a game board God is there. He is with us, and He is orchestrating His own plan for us in The Middle of it All.
Before Harry sang a note of the song he composed amidst his struggles, he acknowledged his aha-moment, which was the exact same aha-moment I needed to have last night. Never expected, but needed.
God is so good.
I had spent the day trying to slip the binds of red-tape between two higher learning institutions, praying that they would cooperate in the way I wanted so I could have things my way. Yes, I am guilty of thinking the world is my Burger King. I had shared with the World's Best Husband what I wanted to happen, and what obstacles stood between me and having higher education my way.
I was frustrated, kinda irritated with a particular department of one of these institutions, and looking quite forward to escaping thoughts of my life to listen to some really beautiful music. I knew that nothing more would be resolved after five pm, and I expected to feel somewhat grateful upon considering once again the blessing of a roof over my head, while I listened to music meant to give hope to those with no roof over theirs.
I never expected to get exactly what I needed from God, my aha-moment, through the words of a friend. But I did. This morning as I blared Harry's song, I had what I needed to move forward, seeking God's will for this aspect of my life which I had thought to manitain control over. You know, because God is busy, and I have given over all these other areas of my life and blah, blah, blah-list reasons we all use when we try to put God in a box-here.
I am so silly sometimes. But God is so good all the time.
In Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek who was the king of Salem and a priest, blessed Abram saying,
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High who has helped you conquer your enemies."
My understanding is that this is the first place in the Bible where we see God referred to as God Most High, more specifically, Sovereign God. (El Elyon in Hebrew).
Sovereign God. In other words, In charge of and with dominion over everything. Everything including me and my dreams and my future; including institutions of higher learning. God has dominion over red tape just as He had dominion over the enemies of Abram. Just as He had dominion over Harry and Eva's lives. I am so grateful that He brought them to our attention when we were prayerfully seeking a Worship Leader.
Many of you who attend the Word, volunteering at and through its' ministries, were also prayerfully sought by Pastor Keith and I. We knew God could and would bring those He chose to be our partners in ministry. We remembered that He had dominion, that He was and is El Elyon, The Lord Most High.
Now if I can just remember this for all the other areas of my life. I welcome your prayers, friends. Pray that I would not only recall God's sovereignty, but give myself over to it in more and more areas of my life. Pray that I will see His hand in my pursuits, and more importantly that I will see what He would have me pursue.
If recalling God's sovereignty is something you also struggle with, please share how you are doing with that in the comments section. This is a safe place to share our failings and successes, as well as encouragement.
Blessings-Lorilise
Spoiler alert-shameless cause plug: For those of you interested, you can purchase the original music online and should contact Harry Walls or speak to him after church, because he loves conversing with people, and also really, really wants to help the people of Joplin with the proceeds from this cd.
I expected to spend eight dollars of Scarborough money on a cd last night, and was not disappointed there either. I woke the house this am by blaring the song, Middle of it All. The volume was way past eleven, but the hour was too, so I have no guilt.
My kids expected it anyways, as I warned them last night that I was doing a musical alarm today.
So all things about and around the benefit concert were as expected both last night and this morning.
No wait. That isn't 100% correct. Because while we had planned to go to the concert, and I knew what I would be hearing-songs of hope, and from whom I would be hearing them-local worship leaders from several churches, I did not expect to be transported backwards to the frustration of my day by my friend Harry, before he even began to sing.
But God is so good. Harry shared last night just a little bit of how he and his wife Eva were feeling in their job search prior to coming to partner with us in ministry at The Word. He shared how he came to write the song, Middle of it All , around that same time, because he realized that in the middle of all our struggles and attempts to make our dreams happen, and efforts to play out career moves like pieces on a game board God is there. He is with us, and He is orchestrating His own plan for us in The Middle of it All.
Before Harry sang a note of the song he composed amidst his struggles, he acknowledged his aha-moment, which was the exact same aha-moment I needed to have last night. Never expected, but needed.
God is so good.
I had spent the day trying to slip the binds of red-tape between two higher learning institutions, praying that they would cooperate in the way I wanted so I could have things my way. Yes, I am guilty of thinking the world is my Burger King. I had shared with the World's Best Husband what I wanted to happen, and what obstacles stood between me and having higher education my way.
I was frustrated, kinda irritated with a particular department of one of these institutions, and looking quite forward to escaping thoughts of my life to listen to some really beautiful music. I knew that nothing more would be resolved after five pm, and I expected to feel somewhat grateful upon considering once again the blessing of a roof over my head, while I listened to music meant to give hope to those with no roof over theirs.
I never expected to get exactly what I needed from God, my aha-moment, through the words of a friend. But I did. This morning as I blared Harry's song, I had what I needed to move forward, seeking God's will for this aspect of my life which I had thought to manitain control over. You know, because God is busy, and I have given over all these other areas of my life and blah, blah, blah-list reasons we all use when we try to put God in a box-here.
I am so silly sometimes. But God is so good all the time.
In Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek who was the king of Salem and a priest, blessed Abram saying,
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High who has helped you conquer your enemies."
My understanding is that this is the first place in the Bible where we see God referred to as God Most High, more specifically, Sovereign God. (El Elyon in Hebrew).
Sovereign God. In other words, In charge of and with dominion over everything. Everything including me and my dreams and my future; including institutions of higher learning. God has dominion over red tape just as He had dominion over the enemies of Abram. Just as He had dominion over Harry and Eva's lives. I am so grateful that He brought them to our attention when we were prayerfully seeking a Worship Leader.
Many of you who attend the Word, volunteering at and through its' ministries, were also prayerfully sought by Pastor Keith and I. We knew God could and would bring those He chose to be our partners in ministry. We remembered that He had dominion, that He was and is El Elyon, The Lord Most High.
Now if I can just remember this for all the other areas of my life. I welcome your prayers, friends. Pray that I would not only recall God's sovereignty, but give myself over to it in more and more areas of my life. Pray that I will see His hand in my pursuits, and more importantly that I will see what He would have me pursue.
If recalling God's sovereignty is something you also struggle with, please share how you are doing with that in the comments section. This is a safe place to share our failings and successes, as well as encouragement.
Blessings-Lorilise
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Our Preamble, Our Declaration
As the arsenal of fireworks our neighbors have purchased for tonight's midnight display are set off in a caucophony of missile-like whistles, bangs and pops I wonder if our country's independence might be celebrated in a way which doesn't involve my trying to determine if the projectiles will put a hole in our pool liner.
When the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 did John Hancock put his quill to parchment paper first because he was in a hurry to finish and get to lighting a bottle rocket? I think not.
The colonists had had it! That is why a team was formed to draft the Declaration. It included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson-though Jefferson is most associated with the document. They chose Jefferson to compose the document because he was the best writer/communicator amongst the men, and because if the measure were to pass, it would need the support of the territory of Virginia-which Jefferson represented.
Interesting isn't it, that Jefferson was chosen because he had a gift for the task and because his involvement would insure success.
Jefferson began with the following, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
This fancy introduction, called the Preamble, communicated that the colonists had had it, and that they felt it only right to say why they had had it, with whom they had had it, and what they intended to do about it.
Of all the words in the Preamble, I like words eight, nine and ten best:: "...it becomes necessary..."
The colonists had tried letters to the King, requests for policy change, visits to England to more strongly convey their grievances, a few protests, some product boycotts-all to no avail.
So as Jefferson wrote, it had become necessary for them to do something more.
Whatever your politics, religious beliefs, education, upbringing, there comes a time in life-or their will-when you too have had it and it becomes necessary for you to do something more. And that will be your Preamble. The moment when you choose to say why you have had it, what or whom you have had it with, and what you intend to do about it. Your Declaration will follow. The time and place where you declare what comes next for you, with regard to the circumstance and/or persons you've had it with. Your preamble and declaration may take the form of a conversation in your head, followed by prayer, discussion with friends, loved ones.
Your Preamble and Declaration may not involve two weeks of locking yourself away from others to draft a document bound to become the foundation of an uprising. It may be even more tenable, involving your specific gifts for the task. Your involvement may be exactly what is needed to insure success. God places callings in His people to stir them to action; He places gifting to move the action forward.
Recently our Children's Ministry Team asked all of us at The Word at Shaw to pick up an empty plastic, lidded box and to fill it with items from a list. These newly filled boxes will be delivered to children of Joplin who have been affected by the tornado. Because for those in our Children's Ministry, they had had it when they thought of children in Joplin who had lost everything, not having a venue to express themselves, or to play. To those of you who purchased sidewalk chalk, crayons, markers, small toys for the Boxes of Hope, thank you. Your gifts will impact positively the lives of children you may never meet.
Our Outreach Ministry Team couldn't stand the idea of not helping to physically rebuild Joplin. They will be taking a team there later this month. If you have had it with tornadoes creating great need in this state, and feel it has become necessary to help restore Joplin-this is your Preamble moment. See Pam or Ryan Gassar to sign up. Don't let this moment pass. Because God doesn't place a gifting and an ability to succeed at something in His people, for it to lay in wait. We are called to be a people of action.
Maybe you have picked up and filled a flood bucket, a Box of Hope, and you plan on being on the Joplin Mission Team because your call is to do everything humanly possible to help members of a slightly distant community in every conceivable way.
Or maybe there is something else stirring in you, something you can't quite name, but a restlessness about something in the immediate community of Shaw. If God is calling you to do something, I would reccomend obedience. The dogged persistence of some ministry teams and Word at Shaw Pastors is nothing compared to the chasing after our Lord is capable of.
Pastor Keith and I feel called to this church. Not to leading a church somewhere, but the church on the corner of Shaw and Tower Grove, at 4265, in the Shaw Neighborhood, in St. Louis, Missouri. A number of people felt called to Shaw with us-some for a period of three months, some for twelve months, some indefinitely. Some living in Shaw, some living farther.
The commonality is our desire to Know God, Love All and Serve Others. In fact, that is the mission of The Word at Shaw, with good reason. We feel called to do all three of these things. And we agree that through serving others, meeting various needs as God creates a passion in us commensurate with gifting and an ability to succeed at the task, we will draw closer to one another, to others, and to God.
1 Corinthians 12 talks about how each of us is given different gifts to perform the tasks needed for God's kingdom. In verse 4, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."
Verse 5, "And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord."
Generally this chapter of the Bible is quoted when discussing unity or the equal importance of each task performed in the name of Christ, be it up-front or behind the scenes. Being a different thinker, I am always drawn to the truth that our gifts are placed within at God's bidding. Therefore we have a responsibility to use our gifts for God's calling on our lives.
I don't point this out to apply pressure, but instead to confirm what you may already suspect. That stirring you can't quite name, that sense that it has become neccesary to do something, may very well be God's calling on your life to be actively involved in your community.
Now is a good time to ask yourself, "How am I called? What have I had it with?" If you are actively involved-thank you! Seriously. I pray that you feel God's blessing on the tasks you perform as part of His calling.
I know some of you may feel conflicted because you feel passionate about so many things and aren't sure if you are choosing the task or tasks that God has for you. That is a tough one, especially in balance with family and school and work. There is no easy answer for this dilemna, but I do reccomend prayer, and talking to others whom you trust have your best interest at heart, as well as a desire to serve God themselves.
If you would like to share where you are at with God's calling in your life-successes, stirrings, frustrations, questions-all are welcome and can be posted in comments to this blog. Lets start a conversation about our preambles.
Blessings-Lorilise.
When the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776 did John Hancock put his quill to parchment paper first because he was in a hurry to finish and get to lighting a bottle rocket? I think not.
The colonists had had it! That is why a team was formed to draft the Declaration. It included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson-though Jefferson is most associated with the document. They chose Jefferson to compose the document because he was the best writer/communicator amongst the men, and because if the measure were to pass, it would need the support of the territory of Virginia-which Jefferson represented.
Interesting isn't it, that Jefferson was chosen because he had a gift for the task and because his involvement would insure success.
Jefferson began with the following, "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
This fancy introduction, called the Preamble, communicated that the colonists had had it, and that they felt it only right to say why they had had it, with whom they had had it, and what they intended to do about it.
Of all the words in the Preamble, I like words eight, nine and ten best:: "...it becomes necessary..."
The colonists had tried letters to the King, requests for policy change, visits to England to more strongly convey their grievances, a few protests, some product boycotts-all to no avail.
So as Jefferson wrote, it had become necessary for them to do something more.
Whatever your politics, religious beliefs, education, upbringing, there comes a time in life-or their will-when you too have had it and it becomes necessary for you to do something more. And that will be your Preamble. The moment when you choose to say why you have had it, what or whom you have had it with, and what you intend to do about it. Your Declaration will follow. The time and place where you declare what comes next for you, with regard to the circumstance and/or persons you've had it with. Your preamble and declaration may take the form of a conversation in your head, followed by prayer, discussion with friends, loved ones.
Your Preamble and Declaration may not involve two weeks of locking yourself away from others to draft a document bound to become the foundation of an uprising. It may be even more tenable, involving your specific gifts for the task. Your involvement may be exactly what is needed to insure success. God places callings in His people to stir them to action; He places gifting to move the action forward.
Recently our Children's Ministry Team asked all of us at The Word at Shaw to pick up an empty plastic, lidded box and to fill it with items from a list. These newly filled boxes will be delivered to children of Joplin who have been affected by the tornado. Because for those in our Children's Ministry, they had had it when they thought of children in Joplin who had lost everything, not having a venue to express themselves, or to play. To those of you who purchased sidewalk chalk, crayons, markers, small toys for the Boxes of Hope, thank you. Your gifts will impact positively the lives of children you may never meet.
Our Outreach Ministry Team couldn't stand the idea of not helping to physically rebuild Joplin. They will be taking a team there later this month. If you have had it with tornadoes creating great need in this state, and feel it has become necessary to help restore Joplin-this is your Preamble moment. See Pam or Ryan Gassar to sign up. Don't let this moment pass. Because God doesn't place a gifting and an ability to succeed at something in His people, for it to lay in wait. We are called to be a people of action.
Maybe you have picked up and filled a flood bucket, a Box of Hope, and you plan on being on the Joplin Mission Team because your call is to do everything humanly possible to help members of a slightly distant community in every conceivable way.
Or maybe there is something else stirring in you, something you can't quite name, but a restlessness about something in the immediate community of Shaw. If God is calling you to do something, I would reccomend obedience. The dogged persistence of some ministry teams and Word at Shaw Pastors is nothing compared to the chasing after our Lord is capable of.
Pastor Keith and I feel called to this church. Not to leading a church somewhere, but the church on the corner of Shaw and Tower Grove, at 4265, in the Shaw Neighborhood, in St. Louis, Missouri. A number of people felt called to Shaw with us-some for a period of three months, some for twelve months, some indefinitely. Some living in Shaw, some living farther.
The commonality is our desire to Know God, Love All and Serve Others. In fact, that is the mission of The Word at Shaw, with good reason. We feel called to do all three of these things. And we agree that through serving others, meeting various needs as God creates a passion in us commensurate with gifting and an ability to succeed at the task, we will draw closer to one another, to others, and to God.
1 Corinthians 12 talks about how each of us is given different gifts to perform the tasks needed for God's kingdom. In verse 4, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."
Verse 5, "And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord."
Generally this chapter of the Bible is quoted when discussing unity or the equal importance of each task performed in the name of Christ, be it up-front or behind the scenes. Being a different thinker, I am always drawn to the truth that our gifts are placed within at God's bidding. Therefore we have a responsibility to use our gifts for God's calling on our lives.
I don't point this out to apply pressure, but instead to confirm what you may already suspect. That stirring you can't quite name, that sense that it has become neccesary to do something, may very well be God's calling on your life to be actively involved in your community.
Now is a good time to ask yourself, "How am I called? What have I had it with?" If you are actively involved-thank you! Seriously. I pray that you feel God's blessing on the tasks you perform as part of His calling.
I know some of you may feel conflicted because you feel passionate about so many things and aren't sure if you are choosing the task or tasks that God has for you. That is a tough one, especially in balance with family and school and work. There is no easy answer for this dilemna, but I do reccomend prayer, and talking to others whom you trust have your best interest at heart, as well as a desire to serve God themselves.
If you would like to share where you are at with God's calling in your life-successes, stirrings, frustrations, questions-all are welcome and can be posted in comments to this blog. Lets start a conversation about our preambles.
Blessings-Lorilise.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
In the Midst of Others
Hello Ladies,
If you have been reading this blog from the beginning, you may remember a Greek word I talked about, Meta, which means companionship in the midst of others. It can also be translated fellowship in the midst of others.
I am experiencing that all over this week as my sister has come to town for a visit. The one who has known me all of her life and still loves me; the sister who laughs at my jokes-even the really lame ones; the sister who sounds so much like me that we can fool our mom on the phone. Caller ID put a stop to that joke, but it was fun while it lasted.
As we have talked, chilled, laughed, broken bread together, told her son to stop picking on her daughter-together, I have felt the warmth that having wonderful, close family brings.
I get that all the time with pastor Keith's family living so close, but this is different. They came into my life when I was an adult.
My sister Milissa came into my life when I was six. So we have played dolls together, watched cartoons together, sorta wished we were one of the Waltons together, learned to cook together, learned we didn't love math but were capable of doing it-together, got grounded together and finally grew up together. Though one of us couldn't wait to do so and the other fought it kicking and dramatically stomping her feet-I'm not saying which one us was which-you decide.
Aside from cyber-teasing my sister, or using self-deprecating cyber-humor (again, you decide), I wanted to share all this with you, my sisters in Christ, for a deeper reason. Whether you have siblings or not, whether you have a sister who's now a friend, or a friend who is as close as a sister, hopefully all of you have been blessed by a deep friendship with somebody. Someone with whom you can experience Meta.
There are some people who have never had that. They feel lonely or perhaps guarded. Some people, and maybe you can relate, have spent so much energy just trying to get through each day that they haven't had energy or time to connect with neighbors or co-workers let alone experience Meta.
The Bible tells us that we are meant to be connected, to draw close to God-together. To experience fellowship in the midst of others.
One of my favorite Bible passages is in Acts chapter 2, where we can read about the early church.
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. " vs 42.
Later in the passage we read, "And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved." vs. 46-47.
There's a lot of substance here, enough for Pastor Keith to unpack into a three point sermon. I want to focus on two things though: Within six verses we see mentioned two times two things. Devotion to meeting together and eating together.
I think if the Bible places emphasis on them, so should we. We might feel that we have enough friends, are too busy to nurture the relationships we have, or worse, are too busy and emotionally tired to reach out to others in pursuit of friendship.
These are all things I have heard from women who tell me they are lonely, or have fair-weather friends, but not deep, sister-like friendships.
I have also heard from people who have great friends, that they feel badly for someone they've encountered who seems lonely, "somebody should reach out to them." They declare.
I often respond to that, by asking, "Do you think it is possible that God placed them in front of you because you are the somebody who should?"
God means for us to be together, to devote ourselves to meeting and eating together. Not solely those endeavors, of course, as there is work for all of us to do on Christ's behalf in our communities. But if we feel lonely, or are standing next to or in front of someone who does-we are called to reach out, to spend time together.
To experience Meta-fellowship in the midst of others-is to experience deeper connection, to laugh at each other's jokes-even the lame ones, to experience a rare closeness in the midst of others whom you are also close to, but not as close.
I encourage each of you reading this to reach out to someone God places in front of you, to nurture the friendships you already have, on your road towards experiencing Meta.
Blessings, Lorilise
If you have been reading this blog from the beginning, you may remember a Greek word I talked about, Meta, which means companionship in the midst of others. It can also be translated fellowship in the midst of others.
I am experiencing that all over this week as my sister has come to town for a visit. The one who has known me all of her life and still loves me; the sister who laughs at my jokes-even the really lame ones; the sister who sounds so much like me that we can fool our mom on the phone. Caller ID put a stop to that joke, but it was fun while it lasted.
As we have talked, chilled, laughed, broken bread together, told her son to stop picking on her daughter-together, I have felt the warmth that having wonderful, close family brings.
I get that all the time with pastor Keith's family living so close, but this is different. They came into my life when I was an adult.
My sister Milissa came into my life when I was six. So we have played dolls together, watched cartoons together, sorta wished we were one of the Waltons together, learned to cook together, learned we didn't love math but were capable of doing it-together, got grounded together and finally grew up together. Though one of us couldn't wait to do so and the other fought it kicking and dramatically stomping her feet-I'm not saying which one us was which-you decide.
Aside from cyber-teasing my sister, or using self-deprecating cyber-humor (again, you decide), I wanted to share all this with you, my sisters in Christ, for a deeper reason. Whether you have siblings or not, whether you have a sister who's now a friend, or a friend who is as close as a sister, hopefully all of you have been blessed by a deep friendship with somebody. Someone with whom you can experience Meta.
There are some people who have never had that. They feel lonely or perhaps guarded. Some people, and maybe you can relate, have spent so much energy just trying to get through each day that they haven't had energy or time to connect with neighbors or co-workers let alone experience Meta.
The Bible tells us that we are meant to be connected, to draw close to God-together. To experience fellowship in the midst of others.
One of my favorite Bible passages is in Acts chapter 2, where we can read about the early church.
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. " vs 42.
Later in the passage we read, "And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved." vs. 46-47.
There's a lot of substance here, enough for Pastor Keith to unpack into a three point sermon. I want to focus on two things though: Within six verses we see mentioned two times two things. Devotion to meeting together and eating together.
I think if the Bible places emphasis on them, so should we. We might feel that we have enough friends, are too busy to nurture the relationships we have, or worse, are too busy and emotionally tired to reach out to others in pursuit of friendship.
These are all things I have heard from women who tell me they are lonely, or have fair-weather friends, but not deep, sister-like friendships.
I have also heard from people who have great friends, that they feel badly for someone they've encountered who seems lonely, "somebody should reach out to them." They declare.
I often respond to that, by asking, "Do you think it is possible that God placed them in front of you because you are the somebody who should?"
God means for us to be together, to devote ourselves to meeting and eating together. Not solely those endeavors, of course, as there is work for all of us to do on Christ's behalf in our communities. But if we feel lonely, or are standing next to or in front of someone who does-we are called to reach out, to spend time together.
To experience Meta-fellowship in the midst of others-is to experience deeper connection, to laugh at each other's jokes-even the lame ones, to experience a rare closeness in the midst of others whom you are also close to, but not as close.
I encourage each of you reading this to reach out to someone God places in front of you, to nurture the friendships you already have, on your road towards experiencing Meta.
Blessings, Lorilise
Friday, June 24, 2011
Coffee Coffee Coffee!
This weeks blog title is taken from one of my favorite old shows, the Gilmore Girls. One of the lead characters in the show, Lorelei is knowingly, willfully and at times woefully in the throws of daily coffee consumption.
Sisters, I confess that never before have I so related to a television
Show character's foible, as I relate to Lorelei's coffee-affection. And so I laughed out loud when the character was forced to enter a new establishment for her morning ritual, and ordered saying, "Coffee, coffee, coffee!" The barrista presented Lorelei with three cups of coffee, and Lorelei tried to explain that when she had said coffee, coffee, coffee! It was a desperate cry for caffeination in a cup, not an order of three.
I can relate to both being misunderstood and a desperate cry for caffeine in a cup.
As I write this, Pastor Keith and I are at our Annual Conference (read hours and hours of long meetings, for three & a half days). This means I am away from the home brewing extravaganza that sons Luke and Seth gave me for Christmas. I am also away from my beloved chosen brand of brew, as I own a reusable coffee filter that is, alas, too big for the single cup machines in the hotel we always stay at in Springfield. Yikes!
Fear not for me sisters-I have long known the way to the two coffee houses closest to said hotel, and will frequent one of them later. For now, I suffer the lesser hotel coffee. It's okay. Caffeine in a cup, yes; organic, shade grown, equal trade, bold Guatemalan-not so much.
It does serve a purpose though in fueling my mind and body to a degree. All this coffee talk has me thinking about two things: you all, my sisters in Christ, and fuel. For fuel of it's kind was certainly what initiated my entry into polite coffee-drinking society. All those specific preferences evince my great fortune in living in a country where I have so many choices for a morning mug.
Let's focus on fuel of other varieties for a moment. There are many things that fill us up, energize us for the day, or sometimes days. We all have our individual energizers. For myself and another sister, Kelli Wernle, there's nothing like a good six mile run to clear our heads and fill up our bodies tank with fuel to move forward. For my friend Lynette Beeny, painting and making jewelry refill her. She's a gifted artist. For our own Children's Ministry Director, Becky Nichols, after a long day of teaching and caring for little ones, a conversation with another adult gets her stoked. For my pal Joy Renz, who incidentally is making the coffee at The Word tomorrow, a different type of adult conversation fuels her. At this time she is caring full time for her mother. Much of her time is spent trying to simultaneously direct her mom, and honor her for the role she has had in Joy's life for so many years. Come to think of it at the end of the day, perhaps Joy might greater appreciate some quiet. Hmm.
While we all have these individuated fuel needs, there are also some universal fuels. Going to The Word on Sunday and hearing a good message, being brought into the presence of God by the band's worship set- that's some serious fuel! Praying is some serious fuel too. So often we experience prayer as that thing we do before a meal, before bed, before a message on Sundays, and these are all great times for prayer. But I hope we are accessing the filling up God has for us in prayer more often than that.
One of the challenges from last week's blog was to pray for the people of Joplin, and all the disasters which have occurred since March. I ask you to continue praying for these people. God wants to hear from us. And honestly, if we can pray beyond our own needs, pray thoughtfully, trying to picture those we lift up, not only will God listen and honor our prayers with action, He will fill us, blessing us with fuel to do more. Seriously.
As Keith and I are away in Springfield I am fueling up with the local java joint's cup of caffeinated sunshine, and with prayer. The latter form of fuel is far more uplifting, as much as I love the former.
When the apostle Paul tells us in 1Thessalonians 5, "pray without ceasing", he does so knowing it will do more than make our requests known to a Creator who after all, already knows them; it will fill us, draw us closer to God, and bring us into a real conversation with that Creator. The fueling of prayer leads us closer to God, a relationship which as it is enhanced, fuels us even further.
How cool is that?
By way of announcement, I experienced a bit of fueling up yesterday as Pastor Keith, Word volunteer Mike Chance and I were privileged to deliver donations for the women of Joplin to the Salvation Army here in Springfield. They will be getting 28 purses donated by both women of The Word At Shaw and our mama-church, Morning Star. Morning Star's incredible outreach team shared enough toiletries for 35 purses. After filling the 28 purses we had, the remaining toiletries were placed into seven gallon size freezer bags so the volunteers could place them into additional purses donated by women in Springfield.
Thank you for your generosity ladies. This wasn't a month long campaign like we are used to, but a seized opportunity with a week from start to finish. Shows what we can do, doesn't it?
I encourage you to spend some additional time in prayer this week. Don't miss out on the fuel God has for your Spirit.
Sisters, I confess that never before have I so related to a television
Show character's foible, as I relate to Lorelei's coffee-affection. And so I laughed out loud when the character was forced to enter a new establishment for her morning ritual, and ordered saying, "Coffee, coffee, coffee!" The barrista presented Lorelei with three cups of coffee, and Lorelei tried to explain that when she had said coffee, coffee, coffee! It was a desperate cry for caffeination in a cup, not an order of three.
I can relate to both being misunderstood and a desperate cry for caffeine in a cup.
As I write this, Pastor Keith and I are at our Annual Conference (read hours and hours of long meetings, for three & a half days). This means I am away from the home brewing extravaganza that sons Luke and Seth gave me for Christmas. I am also away from my beloved chosen brand of brew, as I own a reusable coffee filter that is, alas, too big for the single cup machines in the hotel we always stay at in Springfield. Yikes!
Fear not for me sisters-I have long known the way to the two coffee houses closest to said hotel, and will frequent one of them later. For now, I suffer the lesser hotel coffee. It's okay. Caffeine in a cup, yes; organic, shade grown, equal trade, bold Guatemalan-not so much.
It does serve a purpose though in fueling my mind and body to a degree. All this coffee talk has me thinking about two things: you all, my sisters in Christ, and fuel. For fuel of it's kind was certainly what initiated my entry into polite coffee-drinking society. All those specific preferences evince my great fortune in living in a country where I have so many choices for a morning mug.
Let's focus on fuel of other varieties for a moment. There are many things that fill us up, energize us for the day, or sometimes days. We all have our individual energizers. For myself and another sister, Kelli Wernle, there's nothing like a good six mile run to clear our heads and fill up our bodies tank with fuel to move forward. For my friend Lynette Beeny, painting and making jewelry refill her. She's a gifted artist. For our own Children's Ministry Director, Becky Nichols, after a long day of teaching and caring for little ones, a conversation with another adult gets her stoked. For my pal Joy Renz, who incidentally is making the coffee at The Word tomorrow, a different type of adult conversation fuels her. At this time she is caring full time for her mother. Much of her time is spent trying to simultaneously direct her mom, and honor her for the role she has had in Joy's life for so many years. Come to think of it at the end of the day, perhaps Joy might greater appreciate some quiet. Hmm.
While we all have these individuated fuel needs, there are also some universal fuels. Going to The Word on Sunday and hearing a good message, being brought into the presence of God by the band's worship set- that's some serious fuel! Praying is some serious fuel too. So often we experience prayer as that thing we do before a meal, before bed, before a message on Sundays, and these are all great times for prayer. But I hope we are accessing the filling up God has for us in prayer more often than that.
One of the challenges from last week's blog was to pray for the people of Joplin, and all the disasters which have occurred since March. I ask you to continue praying for these people. God wants to hear from us. And honestly, if we can pray beyond our own needs, pray thoughtfully, trying to picture those we lift up, not only will God listen and honor our prayers with action, He will fill us, blessing us with fuel to do more. Seriously.
As Keith and I are away in Springfield I am fueling up with the local java joint's cup of caffeinated sunshine, and with prayer. The latter form of fuel is far more uplifting, as much as I love the former.
When the apostle Paul tells us in 1Thessalonians 5, "pray without ceasing", he does so knowing it will do more than make our requests known to a Creator who after all, already knows them; it will fill us, draw us closer to God, and bring us into a real conversation with that Creator. The fueling of prayer leads us closer to God, a relationship which as it is enhanced, fuels us even further.
How cool is that?
By way of announcement, I experienced a bit of fueling up yesterday as Pastor Keith, Word volunteer Mike Chance and I were privileged to deliver donations for the women of Joplin to the Salvation Army here in Springfield. They will be getting 28 purses donated by both women of The Word At Shaw and our mama-church, Morning Star. Morning Star's incredible outreach team shared enough toiletries for 35 purses. After filling the 28 purses we had, the remaining toiletries were placed into seven gallon size freezer bags so the volunteers could place them into additional purses donated by women in Springfield.
Thank you for your generosity ladies. This wasn't a month long campaign like we are used to, but a seized opportunity with a week from start to finish. Shows what we can do, doesn't it?
I encourage you to spend some additional time in prayer this week. Don't miss out on the fuel God has for your Spirit.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Numbers
On March 11, of this year a 23 foot high tsunami hit Japan, along with an earthquake registering a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale. More than 8,600 were confirmed dead.
On April 22, the "Good Friday Tornado" hit Missouri. Those who were at the Word At Shaw that evening would well remember the move to the basement as sirens sounded. Statistically at that time, it was the strongest tornado in U.S. history since January 24, of 1907, with a total path length of 22 miles. Reports stated that 2,700 buildings in St. Louis County were severely damaged or destroyed. 900 buildings in the city of Bridgeton, 450 in Berkeley, and 1, 170 in Maryland Heights were severely damaged.
There were 0 deaths.
Five days later, on April 27, a tornado ripped through several southern states.
Reports indicated there were 173 tornadoes in this single storm system. A new record.
There were 195 deaths in Alabama, 33 in Tennessee, 32 in Mississippi, 16 in Georgia and 8 in Virginia.
The storm cut a 176 mile swath through the Southern states.
On May 22, an Ef-5 rated tornado roared through Missouri, doing the most damage in Joplin. As of 3 pm today, Saturday, May 28, the death toll is 142. There are 96 people still listed as missing.
Why on earth would I give you these depressing numbers? Because I want to share these inspiring numbers with you. The Good Friday Tornado resulted in 0 deaths. Considering the tragic numbers coming out of disasters preceding and since, this is a number to remember. It is a good number. Here are some more good numbers.
My son Seth and I are 2 of many volunteers blessed by doing Disaster Relief cleanup in Maryland Heights the Tuesday following Good Friday. Through Service International alone, 5,560 volunteers helped clean debris from over 255 separate sites damaged in the Good Friday Tornado. I say over 255 sites, because that was the count on May 9. However S.I. remained in the area through May 12, and I suspect the last 36 sites on their list were completed..
I chose not to phone them for confirmation knowing they left on May 23 for Joplin. The home office is busy coordinating.
Joplin MO. Tornado Relief has thus far registered 7,546 volunteers at their base on the MSSU campus, and an additional 12,000 through online registration. Currently they are deploying 750 volunteers daily to aid in Disaster Relief efforts.
UMCOR (United Methodist Conference on Relief) gives 100% of monies donated directly to the specific area you designate in your donation. 0 administrative cost. Speaking of numbers, Their US Disaster Response Executive, Reverend Tom Hazelwood was on the ground in Joplin within 24 hours of the tornado striking.
So far my favorite 2 numbers in this numeric rant have been 0 and 100. How about you?
Pastor Keith and I are scheduled to go to Springfield for the United Methodist Annual Conference next weekend. We will be packing cleaning buckets -formerly known as flood buckets- for distribution in Joplin.If you still have one out, bring it to The Word by 2 pm Thursday (June 2). UMCOR has thusfar distributed 9,300 cleaning buckets; same size buckets, same supplies, just given to people in need due to anything other than a flood.I can update you faithful readers on the number of buckets we are able to take to Springfield in the next post. We still plan to distribute flood buckets as originally intended.
Here are a couple of odd numbers for you. According to Answers.com, the average woman in the U.S. owns 10 purses. According to Purseblog.com, the average is 6. Math fans, that gives us a mean number of 8 purses. After a blog-break where I counted the purses in my closet, I confess to you dear sisters that I fit the mean, with exactly 8 purses.
I tell you this because, while I am in Springfield, I have the opportunity to drop off gently used, clean purses to the Salvation Army office. They will be filling them with toiletries and delivering them to women in Joplin affected by the tornado.
I will get rid of some of my purses, will you? You can drop your clean, empty, gently used, zippers and snaps working- purses right along with those flood buckets. You have until 2 pm Thursday. Though I would be thrilled if you would bring me some tommorrow. As with the flood-buckets, I will give a purse update in the next post.
Normally I am not a numbers person.Normally I follow correct journalistic style, spelling out all numbers 0-100; writing actual numerals for 101 and above, but that is another subject.
Numbers have camped out in my psyche since March 11, when the first disaster occurred. I have prayed for strangers in nations and states I have never visited. I have prayed for numbers of families who have lost loved ones. I have been heart-broken for those who lost their lives and their families who now grieve. I have praised God for those who survived though they lost all their material possessions. I have prayed for those who would be helping those survivors rebuild their lives, their homes, their workplaces. I know many of you have felt the same ache, prayed the same prayers.I have drawn closer to my Creator through these prayers.
Like many of you I want to do what I can to help. Purses and flood-buckets are tangible ways we as a community can extend the love of Christ to our neighbors in Joplin 287 miles away.
For those of you who want to do more You can go to UMCOR's website or even call them at this number: 1-888-252-6174 to donate.
If you long to help with a gift of time, volunteers are needed to work here in St. Louis sorting donated items prior to their being shipped to Joplin.Check out http://www.unitedway.org/
You can view schedules and locations and sign up accordingly.
Through the Joplin MO. Tornado Recovery page I found two more (phone) numbers for you.
To volunteer time in Joplin call: 1-417-625-3543
To donate items: 1-417-625-3542
Finally sisters, we can pray. Wherever 2 or more are gathered in His name, there is Love. Plan to devote a specific amount of time, a number of minutes each day to pray for all those affected by disasters this year.
My challenge for you-do something. 1 by 1 we can make a big impact when our brothers and sisters are hurting. Don't be dissuaded by all the number talk. We are 1 in Christ.
Feel free to use the comments section of the blog to share how you are rising to this challenge-and how that is affecting you.
No matter what your situation, there are ways you can help. Numbers of them, you might say.
Lorilise
On April 22, the "Good Friday Tornado" hit Missouri. Those who were at the Word At Shaw that evening would well remember the move to the basement as sirens sounded. Statistically at that time, it was the strongest tornado in U.S. history since January 24, of 1907, with a total path length of 22 miles. Reports stated that 2,700 buildings in St. Louis County were severely damaged or destroyed. 900 buildings in the city of Bridgeton, 450 in Berkeley, and 1, 170 in Maryland Heights were severely damaged.
There were 0 deaths.
Five days later, on April 27, a tornado ripped through several southern states.
Reports indicated there were 173 tornadoes in this single storm system. A new record.
There were 195 deaths in Alabama, 33 in Tennessee, 32 in Mississippi, 16 in Georgia and 8 in Virginia.
The storm cut a 176 mile swath through the Southern states.
On May 22, an Ef-5 rated tornado roared through Missouri, doing the most damage in Joplin. As of 3 pm today, Saturday, May 28, the death toll is 142. There are 96 people still listed as missing.
Why on earth would I give you these depressing numbers? Because I want to share these inspiring numbers with you. The Good Friday Tornado resulted in 0 deaths. Considering the tragic numbers coming out of disasters preceding and since, this is a number to remember. It is a good number. Here are some more good numbers.
My son Seth and I are 2 of many volunteers blessed by doing Disaster Relief cleanup in Maryland Heights the Tuesday following Good Friday. Through Service International alone, 5,560 volunteers helped clean debris from over 255 separate sites damaged in the Good Friday Tornado. I say over 255 sites, because that was the count on May 9. However S.I. remained in the area through May 12, and I suspect the last 36 sites on their list were completed..
I chose not to phone them for confirmation knowing they left on May 23 for Joplin. The home office is busy coordinating.
Joplin MO. Tornado Relief has thus far registered 7,546 volunteers at their base on the MSSU campus, and an additional 12,000 through online registration. Currently they are deploying 750 volunteers daily to aid in Disaster Relief efforts.
UMCOR (United Methodist Conference on Relief) gives 100% of monies donated directly to the specific area you designate in your donation. 0 administrative cost. Speaking of numbers, Their US Disaster Response Executive, Reverend Tom Hazelwood was on the ground in Joplin within 24 hours of the tornado striking.
So far my favorite 2 numbers in this numeric rant have been 0 and 100. How about you?
Pastor Keith and I are scheduled to go to Springfield for the United Methodist Annual Conference next weekend. We will be packing cleaning buckets -formerly known as flood buckets- for distribution in Joplin.If you still have one out, bring it to The Word by 2 pm Thursday (June 2). UMCOR has thusfar distributed 9,300 cleaning buckets; same size buckets, same supplies, just given to people in need due to anything other than a flood.I can update you faithful readers on the number of buckets we are able to take to Springfield in the next post. We still plan to distribute flood buckets as originally intended.
Here are a couple of odd numbers for you. According to Answers.com, the average woman in the U.S. owns 10 purses. According to Purseblog.com, the average is 6. Math fans, that gives us a mean number of 8 purses. After a blog-break where I counted the purses in my closet, I confess to you dear sisters that I fit the mean, with exactly 8 purses.
I tell you this because, while I am in Springfield, I have the opportunity to drop off gently used, clean purses to the Salvation Army office. They will be filling them with toiletries and delivering them to women in Joplin affected by the tornado.
I will get rid of some of my purses, will you? You can drop your clean, empty, gently used, zippers and snaps working- purses right along with those flood buckets. You have until 2 pm Thursday. Though I would be thrilled if you would bring me some tommorrow. As with the flood-buckets, I will give a purse update in the next post.
Normally I am not a numbers person.Normally I follow correct journalistic style, spelling out all numbers 0-100; writing actual numerals for 101 and above, but that is another subject.
Numbers have camped out in my psyche since March 11, when the first disaster occurred. I have prayed for strangers in nations and states I have never visited. I have prayed for numbers of families who have lost loved ones. I have been heart-broken for those who lost their lives and their families who now grieve. I have praised God for those who survived though they lost all their material possessions. I have prayed for those who would be helping those survivors rebuild their lives, their homes, their workplaces. I know many of you have felt the same ache, prayed the same prayers.I have drawn closer to my Creator through these prayers.
Like many of you I want to do what I can to help. Purses and flood-buckets are tangible ways we as a community can extend the love of Christ to our neighbors in Joplin 287 miles away.
For those of you who want to do more You can go to UMCOR's website or even call them at this number: 1-888-252-6174 to donate.
If you long to help with a gift of time, volunteers are needed to work here in St. Louis sorting donated items prior to their being shipped to Joplin.Check out http://www.unitedway.org/
You can view schedules and locations and sign up accordingly.
Through the Joplin MO. Tornado Recovery page I found two more (phone) numbers for you.
To volunteer time in Joplin call: 1-417-625-3543
To donate items: 1-417-625-3542
Finally sisters, we can pray. Wherever 2 or more are gathered in His name, there is Love. Plan to devote a specific amount of time, a number of minutes each day to pray for all those affected by disasters this year.
My challenge for you-do something. 1 by 1 we can make a big impact when our brothers and sisters are hurting. Don't be dissuaded by all the number talk. We are 1 in Christ.
Feel free to use the comments section of the blog to share how you are rising to this challenge-and how that is affecting you.
No matter what your situation, there are ways you can help. Numbers of them, you might say.
Lorilise
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Mother's Day According to Ms. Ruthann (Pastor Keith's Mom)
Mother’s Day
Through the years, I’ve worn lots of hats…not just the ones I used to wear everywhere, even the beauty shoppe…because that was what “Real Ladies” did. I’ve had business cards printed with lots of titles. Some of which were rather impressive. Others…not so much! The hat and title I most coveted was that of Mother…Mom…Mommy.
When my parents granted permission for my marriage, I promised I would finish my degree before we had children. Finished that degree. No children. Got another degree. No children! More than a year after graduation from Seminary, I was a Mom. Almost five years later, I was a Mom for the second time. It what now seems a very short time, there was a son in law, a daughter in law…grandchildren…great grands! Who’d thought it? One evening, Curt and I were standing at the altar saying our “I Dos”, we walked back up the aisle, turned around and we had two children, their spouses, seven grandchildren and at the present moment two great grandsons! Not bad for 55+ years of marriage!!
According to the National Retail Federation, the average person is expected to spend $140.73 on gifts for Mother’s Day this year. That’s up from $126.90 last year. Given the cost of gasoline this year, do you think that means a lot of people will be walking more? Another tidbit, which I cannot resist, mentioning, from that survey is that men…aka “Momma’s boys”…plan to spend more than $168.84 this Mother’s Day! I always thought my kids were way above average…but spend that kind of money? Better not!
And so the question arises, “What do you want for Mother’s Day”? Funny, you should ask! I’ve been reading the ads. Seems every department store, and every restaurant has the perfect answer to that question.
Fried green tomatoes with homemade pepper jelly. Lobster and avocado omelet with Maryland crab cakes. The most fabulous brunch buffet you’ve experienced. World class cuisine and entertainment from our favorite pianist…who knew Harry was in such demand?!
Not so much into food, and crowded restaurants? I discovered this in a newspaper. “Are you ready to make your Mom happy this special day? Looking for the best gift idea? Don’t worry, we’ll help you find fabulous creative ideas”. Then a long list of delightful creativeness, sure to please ideas followed. Flowers, duh! Wonder why someone hasn’t thought of that?! Cards and scrapbooks, good idea. Chocolate. Can’t go wrong with that. Jewelry. Certainly appropriate. Books. Pictures. All those so appropriate and most likely appreciated. Fabulous creative? Not so sure about that…but definitely appreciated.
I’m blessed. I have everything I need, and most everything I want. On a weekly basis, my children and their available families come to our house for dinner. They pretend to like my St. Pat’s day corned beef and cabbage, and they live in fear that one day, I really will serve liver and onions! They put their feet under my table. They share their lives with me. They spend time with me. Now, I call that fabulous!
“I have no greater joy than to know my children walk in truth” 2 John 4.
Or as The Message says, “They are diligent in living out the truth, exactly as commanded by the Father.”
That isn’t anything new. The commandment is just a repeat of Jesus’ teaching to love each other. That means following his commandments, and conducting our lives in love. That’s one of the first things Jesus taught. It hasn’t changed.
And that’s what I want for all Mothers. Not only for Mother’s Day, but every day.
[Remember ladies, this Friday evening, May 13, we are meeting at the Art Museum at Forest Park. See blog post from April 30 for more details].
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Girls Night Out
Hello Ladies!
This post is to serve as an invitation for a The Word at Shaw Girls Night Out at St. Louis Art Museum. It has been a while since our last get together, and we are excited about setting up a new opportunity for spending time to get to know each other better!
We would like to meet at St. Louis Art Museum at 7pm, Friday, May 14th. The Art Museum is FREE, so there will be no cost involved. You can click here for the Museum webpage, and here for the directions. And while I'm being so helpful, you can also click here for google maps and add this address: 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 for a location and directions. The Art Museum closes at 9 pm, so we can spend two hours enjoying the art AND each other's company.
Now, we do recognize that there are mom's in our group who will need to get child care in order to attend, and if this is simply not possible for you, don't worry! We will be planning more events, some of which will be more mom friendly. Over the course of time, we would like to offer a wide variety of opportunities for us to get to know each other. That said, as a mom myself, I know from personal experience that time away from the kiddos is healthy for both you and them, so please, be encouraged to join us if at all possible!
And now for a few more housekeeping details. Part of the purpose of this little blog is not only to encourage you spiritually, but it is also to help you connect with other ladies in the church. So, please leave comments as often as possible! To jump start this a little bit, please RSVP to our Girls Night Out event by commenting on this blog post. If you are reading this in your email, you can click here to get to the blog.
I am very much looking forward to what God has in store for our time together!
With much love,
Eva
This post is to serve as an invitation for a The Word at Shaw Girls Night Out at St. Louis Art Museum. It has been a while since our last get together, and we are excited about setting up a new opportunity for spending time to get to know each other better!
We would like to meet at St. Louis Art Museum at 7pm, Friday, May 14th. The Art Museum is FREE, so there will be no cost involved. You can click here for the Museum webpage, and here for the directions. And while I'm being so helpful, you can also click here for google maps and add this address: 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 for a location and directions. The Art Museum closes at 9 pm, so we can spend two hours enjoying the art AND each other's company.
Now, we do recognize that there are mom's in our group who will need to get child care in order to attend, and if this is simply not possible for you, don't worry! We will be planning more events, some of which will be more mom friendly. Over the course of time, we would like to offer a wide variety of opportunities for us to get to know each other. That said, as a mom myself, I know from personal experience that time away from the kiddos is healthy for both you and them, so please, be encouraged to join us if at all possible!
And now for a few more housekeeping details. Part of the purpose of this little blog is not only to encourage you spiritually, but it is also to help you connect with other ladies in the church. So, please leave comments as often as possible! To jump start this a little bit, please RSVP to our Girls Night Out event by commenting on this blog post. If you are reading this in your email, you can click here to get to the blog.
I am very much looking forward to what God has in store for our time together!
With much love,
Eva
Friday, April 22, 2011
In-Between
"When Jesus had tasted it, He said, 'It is Finished!' Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
John 19:30
Talk about famous last words! Contemplating Jesus' last hours on earth produces a genuine heartache. Yet I think it is important to be willing to go there. I look forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is the climax of the most beautiful story ever told, and retold for a couple thousand years now. A true story which can lead to belief and possibly, the salvation of anyone willing to cross that spiritual line. The ultimate life-changing story.
But celebrating Easter without acknowledging Good Friday would strip our Christian faith of meaning. So on Good Friday I meditate on all that Jesus experienced in those last hours, leading to the moment when He gave up His spirit.The human ache of those whom He loved fleeing for their lives, the physically excruciating pain, the sorrow of seeing His mother's pain as she witnessed His beating, torture and crucifixion. I try to wrap my mind around the flight of 10 of the remaining disiples from his side during those last hours; the fear they felt, the deep pain of running away from their beloved teacher and Savior. It is even more difficult to understand the actions of Christ's youngest disciple, John who stayed until the end.
Scripture calls him, " ...the one whom Jesus loved".
Following Good Friday, preceding Easter Sunday is that in-between Saturday. The hurt of Friday's contemplation is behind. Yet it is too soon for Easter Sunday's celebratory elation. I know sometimes this
in-between day is used to do laundry, run errands, iron that Easter dress, dye those eggs, not to mention the weekly Saturday activities we all take part in.
While these necessary or chosen activities are fine, I want to take time between to acknowledge this in- between day, and the in-between feelings Christ's chosen disciples might have endured the day after his crucifixion.
Hiding from authorities, considering all they had been through with their Messiah in the time in-between meeting Him and seeing Him arrested by some soldiers.Thoughts vascillating between all the miracles they had witnessed, words their friend and Messiah had spoken to them personally and to the throngs of followers every where they travelled, and the absolute terror of seeing their Lord taken away. The confusion they must have experienced while hiding, fearing for their own lives. The guilt of having fled the One they openly swore loyalty to.
Christ's other followers must have endured their own set of feelings in-between. The desire to believe in the teacher they'd come to know as a miracle worker and Savior crushed between wondering what was going on, where those twelve guys who were always with the Christ were, and if they knew anything.
What about John and the mother Christ gave to him from the cross? His own mother, Mary. What did they think about on that Saturday? How much more heartache did they feel having seen Jesus in that last moment before he fulfilled scripture and died.
What did all those who had witnessed Christ's arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion think about on that Saturday? Were they going about the day's work, while questioning what they had seen versus all they had heard about this Jesus prior to the events of that Friday?
And what of those who participated in some way? What were the thoughts of the soldiers tasked with arresting Christ? Or those who shouted "free Barabbas!"? Those who beat Him? Nailed him to the Cross?
The one who pierced His side with a spear?
Imagine all these people and their thoughts coexisting the day after Jesus' death. It was Sabbath day for the Jewish citizens. A day of rest would have provided a lot of time to think about all that had ocurred the day before. For those of other faiths and ethnicities it was another day of work and errands.Were the women quiet when they went to the well to gather needed water? Did they long to speak about this living water they had heard rumors of, holding back conversation out of fear? In between the days duties, did the Roman soldiers discuss Friday's events? Or the one of their number who had proclaimed, "Surely this man was innocent."
(Luke 23:47)
I challenge you, Soul Sisters, to take today and contemplate that Saturday in-between all those years ago. Feel the void that existed in hearts of followers on that day; the confusion, fear, wonder, ache.
Let us know how that goes, what you take away from thinking on In-Between.
You can share your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Blessings-
Lorilise
John 19:30
Talk about famous last words! Contemplating Jesus' last hours on earth produces a genuine heartache. Yet I think it is important to be willing to go there. I look forward to the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is the climax of the most beautiful story ever told, and retold for a couple thousand years now. A true story which can lead to belief and possibly, the salvation of anyone willing to cross that spiritual line. The ultimate life-changing story.
But celebrating Easter without acknowledging Good Friday would strip our Christian faith of meaning. So on Good Friday I meditate on all that Jesus experienced in those last hours, leading to the moment when He gave up His spirit.The human ache of those whom He loved fleeing for their lives, the physically excruciating pain, the sorrow of seeing His mother's pain as she witnessed His beating, torture and crucifixion. I try to wrap my mind around the flight of 10 of the remaining disiples from his side during those last hours; the fear they felt, the deep pain of running away from their beloved teacher and Savior. It is even more difficult to understand the actions of Christ's youngest disciple, John who stayed until the end.
Scripture calls him, " ...the one whom Jesus loved".
Following Good Friday, preceding Easter Sunday is that in-between Saturday. The hurt of Friday's contemplation is behind. Yet it is too soon for Easter Sunday's celebratory elation. I know sometimes this
in-between day is used to do laundry, run errands, iron that Easter dress, dye those eggs, not to mention the weekly Saturday activities we all take part in.
While these necessary or chosen activities are fine, I want to take time between to acknowledge this in- between day, and the in-between feelings Christ's chosen disciples might have endured the day after his crucifixion.
Hiding from authorities, considering all they had been through with their Messiah in the time in-between meeting Him and seeing Him arrested by some soldiers.Thoughts vascillating between all the miracles they had witnessed, words their friend and Messiah had spoken to them personally and to the throngs of followers every where they travelled, and the absolute terror of seeing their Lord taken away. The confusion they must have experienced while hiding, fearing for their own lives. The guilt of having fled the One they openly swore loyalty to.
Christ's other followers must have endured their own set of feelings in-between. The desire to believe in the teacher they'd come to know as a miracle worker and Savior crushed between wondering what was going on, where those twelve guys who were always with the Christ were, and if they knew anything.
What about John and the mother Christ gave to him from the cross? His own mother, Mary. What did they think about on that Saturday? How much more heartache did they feel having seen Jesus in that last moment before he fulfilled scripture and died.
What did all those who had witnessed Christ's arrest, trial, beating and crucifixion think about on that Saturday? Were they going about the day's work, while questioning what they had seen versus all they had heard about this Jesus prior to the events of that Friday?
And what of those who participated in some way? What were the thoughts of the soldiers tasked with arresting Christ? Or those who shouted "free Barabbas!"? Those who beat Him? Nailed him to the Cross?
The one who pierced His side with a spear?
Imagine all these people and their thoughts coexisting the day after Jesus' death. It was Sabbath day for the Jewish citizens. A day of rest would have provided a lot of time to think about all that had ocurred the day before. For those of other faiths and ethnicities it was another day of work and errands.Were the women quiet when they went to the well to gather needed water? Did they long to speak about this living water they had heard rumors of, holding back conversation out of fear? In between the days duties, did the Roman soldiers discuss Friday's events? Or the one of their number who had proclaimed, "Surely this man was innocent."
(Luke 23:47)
I challenge you, Soul Sisters, to take today and contemplate that Saturday in-between all those years ago. Feel the void that existed in hearts of followers on that day; the confusion, fear, wonder, ache.
Let us know how that goes, what you take away from thinking on In-Between.
You can share your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Blessings-
Lorilise
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
My Story
I thought I would share a little about my life with you ladies today. I know I don't know many of you very well, and if you know me as well as I know you, well...that's just not good enough! : ) So, here goes.
I was born in Texas in 1980 to a Mexican-American family. My father is a pastor and my mother is the daughter of foreign missionaries. I think being in the ministry runs in my blood- if such a thing were possible! I wish I could say that my childhood was happy and easy, but it wasn't. My dad was gone a lot and my mom always seemed weary and reserved. My mom's degree was in secondary education, but after being a stay at home mom for fourteen years, she decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. This profoundly affected me because much of her domestic load fell to me. Suddenly, I was cooking, cleaning, and washing more than I had ever been expected to do before. I was often responsible for my younger brother and sister. For different reasons, I felt like I could never do enough. Everyday, I remember thinking, "If I just try harder, I'll be able to get it all done. If I just try harder, I'll be able to do a better job." But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to do enough.
When my senior year of high school came around, I decided to attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR where I double majored in piano and vocal performance. That's where Harry came into the picture. He was my first boyfriend! I had always been very focused on my studies and my music, but Harry showed me how fun just hanging out could be. But then something really interesting happened, as we got more involved I found myself facing an identity crisis. I had always thought I would be a missionary because I viewed this as the highest sacrifice a Christian could make. Maybe deep down inside I thought that then I would finally be good enough. But Harry wasn't interested in missions the way I was. But I was interested in him! In a way, I felt like I was choosing Harry over God. This wasn't true, of course, but I couldn't get past this idea in my mind. This crisis and some other situations triggered a deep depression in my life. For almost four years I hardly knew which way was up. Harry stood by me the whole time. There were times when I just wanted to give up. I felt abandoned by God; I remember wishing I could walk away from Christianity and never look back. After Brisa was born I learned that there was a psychological component to my depression and I went on anti-depressants and started going to counseling. I slowly started to come out of my depression. It has been a few years now since I last struggled with depression, and I am so happy to say that I feel like myself again. I'm not the same, but I'm still me- a better me.
I don't think I can really condense my life story and purpose into three paragraphs, but I will say this. The most important thing I've learned is that I don't have to earn God's love. I will never be able to gain God's favor based on the things I do, no matter how wonderful, or sacrificial they may seem. I will never be good enough to win His acceptance. And that is so freeing! Because now I see that instead of struggling to be "good enough,"I can rest on Jesus' work. Jesus is "good enough." He is so much more than "good enough!" He is perfection! I am so glad that God accepts Jesus' life and Jesus' work on my behalf!
Ladies, I will leave you with a question. Can you think of ways that you still try to earn God's love? Romans 5:1 reminds us, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Just to give you a fresh perspective on this verse, I would like to also give it to you in a different version- The Message. Check this out.
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with Him, make us fit for Him- we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all. We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand- out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory standing tall and shouting His praise."
I was born in Texas in 1980 to a Mexican-American family. My father is a pastor and my mother is the daughter of foreign missionaries. I think being in the ministry runs in my blood- if such a thing were possible! I wish I could say that my childhood was happy and easy, but it wasn't. My dad was gone a lot and my mom always seemed weary and reserved. My mom's degree was in secondary education, but after being a stay at home mom for fourteen years, she decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. This profoundly affected me because much of her domestic load fell to me. Suddenly, I was cooking, cleaning, and washing more than I had ever been expected to do before. I was often responsible for my younger brother and sister. For different reasons, I felt like I could never do enough. Everyday, I remember thinking, "If I just try harder, I'll be able to get it all done. If I just try harder, I'll be able to do a better job." But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't seem to do enough.
When my senior year of high school came around, I decided to attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR where I double majored in piano and vocal performance. That's where Harry came into the picture. He was my first boyfriend! I had always been very focused on my studies and my music, but Harry showed me how fun just hanging out could be. But then something really interesting happened, as we got more involved I found myself facing an identity crisis. I had always thought I would be a missionary because I viewed this as the highest sacrifice a Christian could make. Maybe deep down inside I thought that then I would finally be good enough. But Harry wasn't interested in missions the way I was. But I was interested in him! In a way, I felt like I was choosing Harry over God. This wasn't true, of course, but I couldn't get past this idea in my mind. This crisis and some other situations triggered a deep depression in my life. For almost four years I hardly knew which way was up. Harry stood by me the whole time. There were times when I just wanted to give up. I felt abandoned by God; I remember wishing I could walk away from Christianity and never look back. After Brisa was born I learned that there was a psychological component to my depression and I went on anti-depressants and started going to counseling. I slowly started to come out of my depression. It has been a few years now since I last struggled with depression, and I am so happy to say that I feel like myself again. I'm not the same, but I'm still me- a better me.
I don't think I can really condense my life story and purpose into three paragraphs, but I will say this. The most important thing I've learned is that I don't have to earn God's love. I will never be able to gain God's favor based on the things I do, no matter how wonderful, or sacrificial they may seem. I will never be good enough to win His acceptance. And that is so freeing! Because now I see that instead of struggling to be "good enough,"I can rest on Jesus' work. Jesus is "good enough." He is so much more than "good enough!" He is perfection! I am so glad that God accepts Jesus' life and Jesus' work on my behalf!
Ladies, I will leave you with a question. Can you think of ways that you still try to earn God's love? Romans 5:1 reminds us, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Just to give you a fresh perspective on this verse, I would like to also give it to you in a different version- The Message. Check this out.
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with Him, make us fit for Him- we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all. We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand- out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory standing tall and shouting His praise."
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Good Fit
I didn’t always fit in as a curly-haired redhead during my childhood lived out in a sea of blondes with shiny, straight hair. My classmates all had their Marcia Brady hair going on. Mine was more like Pippi Longstocking’s. I was also a tree-climbing, football-throwing, army-playing tomboy. The guys always made me an Axis soldier. (I’m still kinda ticked about that). Nonetheless, I felt more comfortable as an Axis soldier with the guys in the neighborhood than playing Barbie with the girls. At night I read Nancy Drew Mysteries. She solved the case every time and could best her boyfriend, Ned in any foot race so I overlooked all the dresses she wore.
In high school I wore painter’s pants while the other girls were in Jordache jeans. I didn’t vary the attire too terribly much for college. Fortunately my husband, Keith liked my tomboy ways and wardrobe. I did wear a dress for my wedding, and do occasionally enjoy dressing up. But mostly I am comfortable in jeans and tee shirts.
When Keith and I first moved to Missouri, one aspect of his job was manning a booth for the Freeway Foundation at Christian expos and conferences. I liked to go with him because it beat being apart. We were at the Annual Baptist Conference that year. I was in a cream tank dress with a matching long jacket. I had even put on the dreaded hose and heels. Halfway through the first day I was approached by a woman who happens to be married to a well known Christian radio host. Her entire appearance was the stuff of magazine covers. She was beautiful, elegant, and extremely well-spoken A Glam-Gal, as my mom used to say. She asked if she could speak to me privately during the break. I said yes.
Keith asked what she had said, and after I relayed as much, he said, “Hmm. Wonder what that’s about?”
I responded, “Maybe my pantyhose aren’t Baptist enough, and she was elected to tell me.” I was joking. Sort of. I did spend the next 35 minutes analyzing my wardrobe, my hair, everything I had said since arriving that day, and yes, my pantyhose.
When we finally sat down together, she mentioned that she knew that I had a step-daughter, and that her own daughter was about to marry a man with children from a previous marriage. She wondered what would be a good way to support her daughter in this, and if I would mind being available to speak with her daughter as she navigated familial waters I had already traversed.
Here was a woman whom I normally wouldn’t find myself in deep conversation with, reaching out to me, because of her great love for her daughter. She didn’t say a word about my pantyhose. We became friends, and I was happy to converse with her daughter on a few occasions to offer support.
One of our goals both for this devotional blog and for Women’s Ministries at The Word is to provide opportunities for women to develop friendships with women they might not normally interact with. We have some tomboys in our midst, some glam-gals, and many other types of women. We have far more in common than we might first believe. A desire to know and serve God is a great place to start.
My friend Debra Gray studies Greek. She sent several translations for words Eva Walls and I came up with as possible names for The Word’s Women’s Ministries. One of my favorites is Meta. (Pronounced “meh-tah”) it means companionship in the midst of others. I love that. I hope that despite differing backgrounds, seasons of life, and locations on our spiritual walks that we can have true Meta.
My challenge for you this week is to approach that woman you wouldn’t think you would fit with; someone who looks different from you, is at a different age, is a tomboy if you are a glam-gal and vice versa. Be uncomfortable for just a few moments. Reach out. You might discover a friend.
Let me leave you with this verse from James 2:1 “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?”
Let’s focus on loving all and having Meta this week.
Blessings,
Lorilise Scarborough
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wanting More
Here you are opening the first devotional blog by and for the Women of The Word At Shaw, and you find they let some guy into the space. What’s that about? I don’t blame you for asking. Here’s what I would tell you – a word from your pastor is not enough. Not on Sunday, and not within your devotional.
The fact that you are reading this tells me that you already surmised the first one. A word from your pastor on Sunday is not enough. That’s why you’ve looked into this space, hoping to find more. An additional word from God to get you through your week, a thought from God’s word to meditate on, pray about and even challenge yourself with.
One of the things I learned in my pre-ministry life in theater, is that it is good to leave your audience wanting more. Never let the audience leave thinking, “I’ve seen enough.”
Let them leave thinking, “It’s over already? But I want more.”
I hope this is the place you find yourself in today. And I also hope after reading the next few words that you will still want more: more time with God, more time to pray to Him and with Him, more time to seek His face. More understanding of God’s will for your life.
The fact is, God always has more for you, and you need only ask, knock, and seek.
In Luke 11:9 we find this instruction from Christ, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.”
In this Jesus is specifically instructing us to pray to our Father in heaven, as a means of seeking more. By seeking more of our needs through prayer, we draw closer to God, deepen our relationship with Him and begin to seek His will for our lives.
This is why I am so excited to hear about how The Women at The Word are setting the bar for wanting more, and this weekly blog is a great way to make that happen. I encourage you to get into God’s Word each week, and I hope that you will never say “that’s enough.” Act on your desire for more of God. Seek a close relationship with Him. Pray for it. Ask God for more. I double dog dare you!
Pastor Keith
Pastor Keith
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