HEART'S CRY

My husband is teaching a series on foundational beliefs.  He is a gifted teacher, so my response to the sermon today will fall short. He shared the context of the writings and the culture the Bible was written in.  So different from our segmented and fragmented living.  David related worship as complete integration.   Not separating out our spiritual life from the "rest" of life. "Everything I do must be out of a relationship with Him.  Based on my viewpoint of my Savior." He continued, "True worship begins in a deep sense of submission to God that demonstrates itself in our lives.  Public worship (church), prayer, tithing and giving, public and private praise (singing), service in the church, ministry in the community, relationships in and outside the church, our relationship with God...are all aspects of worship.   Our activity and attitude are indicators of a true heart of worship."  (David Gill 6/29/2014) 1.)...

I took a step back today...and watched His church in action. Our church has joined with many others to host a Royal Family Kids Camp.  Today, our team hosted  our first annual "The Happy Camper Run" to raise awareness and money for camp and to celebrate the family.    Children walking, running, riding in strollers, riding bikes and playing at the children's carnival.   Grandparents, volunteers, puppies and the lake. It was beautiful day. The worry, tears, struggle and growing pains made us humble and full of joy! Service without expectation brings unimaginable joy!

My Heart's Cry is for our young single moms and dads and young families who need a foster family.   A church family to step in and love them. When we adopt a child, we change the life of a child. When we foster a family, we change lives for generations. Take me for an example.  My Aunt fostered my Mom and I.  No, not legally or officially.  She was neither an expert or licensed in any way shape or form.  She came along side my Mom and I.  She could have just taken me, and made a difference in my life.   Instead she made a difference in my Mom and I.  Then in my Mom, Dad and I.  Then in my Mom, Dad and five sisters and brother.  She made a difference in six girls, one boy, six husbands and a wife, twenty grandchildren and more.  Because my Aunt fostered an entire family; she influenced thirty five lives...and counting. If each one of us will make the difference in one other person, we double th...

"A subcultured church is like a saltshaker on display."    Jerry Cook; Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness. For salt to be effective, it must be poured out and mixed in.   Not set aside and on display.   We are not to be kept in a pretty little container that we shine and polish every day.   The salt we have is not for our benefit.  Salt is not to be kept in order, in control and for us.   Kept so disconnected from the rest of the world. A subculture is a separate system within a system.  My Heart's Cry is for us, as His body, to be the salt.  To be cleansing, healing, enhancing and effective.   Questions from the book to ask: 1.  "Agape love is a volitional commitment we make to another that motivates us to act on his or behalf."   How do your emotions fit in with this type of love?   How does commitment pertain to this kind of love? ...

Every person has a path to walk. A road before them. A journey to take. I picture a labyrinth of paths. A crossing of roads. A weaving of journeys.  Service is simply coming along side another as they walk their journey. A joining with. A walking with for a time. A calling to one's side. Service is simply walking with. Sharing the way. For a time or forever. Brief moments or long journeys. I simply need to walk.  God does this for us.  God with us. Jesus uses the word Paraclete to describe the Holy Spirit.  "One who consoles or comforts, one who encourages or uplifts; hence refreshes, and/or one who intercedes on our behalf as an advocate in court."  Jesse K. Moon states, "the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a terminal experience. The word “being” in the text speaks of present tense, continuous action — a characteristic that marks the life of Stephen and all Spirit-filled believers."   ...

Royal Family Kids thinks so!  One of their very important values is "making moments matter."   Can moments matter in the life of a child or in the life of a family? My Mom and my Aunt were very much alone time growing up.  A home economics teacher made moments matter for each of them.  This morning, my Aunt and I were visiting about our upcoming Royal Family Kids Camp and the tea cups and saucers she found and mailed.   She reminisced about how she used to love going to this home economics teacher's house and was mesmerized with her beautiful things.   She said, "I couldn't believe she trusted me with her fine china.  She trusted me.  She thought I was capable." I heard a little girl's heart's cry from my very capable, beautiful and sweet Aunt.   I cried as I pictured my Aunt and my Mother touching a china cup and a saucer with the wide eyes of neglected children. My Mom loves tea set...

Thinking this morning about God's amazing truth and His grace.   His truth sets us free and His grace sets us free.   Both bring freedom.  Check this out . It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--Ephesians 2:8 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free '?"  John 8:31-33 I love the concept of truth and grace and yet I struggle with its reality in my own life and in offering to others.   It is truth or grace, grace and then trut...

Reflection on service.   My husband and I have been in ministry twenty three years.  What do we have to show for it?  You may be sorely disappointed.  I know we are.  We are unlikely Pastors.  If you ask friends from college, who would have been voted most likely to stay in ministry, it would not have been us.  And still, God called us. My husband was a new believer who did not grow up in any church.  He came from a broken and troubled family and a broken and troubled past.  I had recently recommitted my life to Christ and had not begun to address and deal with my own past and was very needy and insecure. And still, God called us together and to His service. For years, we tried to convince ourselves and others we were worthy to serve.  We felt we had so much to prove. We put up facades, tried to cover up the broken spots, worked ourselves to death and gave up a thousand times. God had called us....

The radio woke me up, as usual this morning with the sing song of voices.   That is until I heard a report on the problem of sex trafficking during large events such as the Omaha Baseball World Series.  Or Warren Buffet's annual shareholder's meeting.  Or college football games. The report highlighted the problem with young girls and boys who have been enslaved in sex trafficking for years. The victims stay trapped because they believe no one cares for them.  No one will help them. While I applaud and support the legislation efforts in state and national government and pray laws can be passed to hold all perpetrators accountable. This is not a legal issue.  It is a heart issue. What would cause an intelligent human adult to purchase a young underage boy or girl for sex?  To view sex acts with the same perspective as ordering a cheap combo meal at a fast food restaurant? How does one go from your home, business or leadersh...

  "If I could live today over again," is a question in Donald Miller's Storyline productivity planner.  A question designed to help us focus our priorities.   Our life is our responsibility.  One thing Donald Miller nor Dr. Frankl leave out is our responsibility BEFORE GOD. My friend suggested this tool and I printed out the daily pages and did not really digest the steps...until now. It is important to think about what is behind what we are implementing in our lives. WHY DOES IT MATTER TO STUDY AND LEARN THE BELIEF BEHIND OUR THINKING? What we think about and believe shapes our lives in all of the important areas.  Whether we realize it or not, the basis of our beliefs...shape us. A quick caution:    My son quoted a friend who quoted a past professor who said something like this, "God is truth.  To know the Bible is to know the truth about the truth.  Theology is to know the truth about the truth about the truth."...

Reflection on service today is all about fear or faith.   I believe one of Satan's biggest lies he planted in the world is the spirit of fear and intimidation. And since he is the father of lies, he is pretty darn good at it. HOWEVER, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and self-control! AND, satan has no power over us.  He can tease, tempt, lie and try to steal, kill and destroy, but God says we are in His hands. I have always been a fearful person and remember true terrifying moments and those I made up in my head. Once, it was my midnight shift to go to the river and change water for our irrigation on the corn and alfalfa.  It was a few miles from my house and very very dark.  I drove down the road along the edge of the irrigation ditch toward where I needed to change it.  Experience taught me to be cautious as the road could be flooded and I would be stuck.  (I had been stuck and filled in ruts before...