Shaping Fall Routines

I love fall.  As school starts and routines settle in it is such a great opportunity to reflect and dream. As I reflect on what has shaped my life during in recent years I realize there are three communities that I participate in that I expect to have transformative impact on my life this fall.

I enjoy watching God intertwine the facets of my life and it is with great anticipation that I look forward to what God will do this fall as I am already seeing things mesh and getting new insights.

MOPS International has given me a community of women to journey through mothering with on a local and even international scale.  This past spring they unveiled this year's theme as A Fierce Flourishing and have us focusing on 3 elements in order to flourish:  embracing rest, celebrating lavishly and noticing goodness.

Solana Beach Presbyterian Church is my local worshipping community and is embarking on a series for the fall called For the Sake of the World: Letters to the Exiles.  I'm still waiting for it to be unveiled to know exactly what direction we will be taking on that but it has me thinking the last few weeks a lot about exiles -- Babylon, Egypt, Joseph sold into slavery, Moses leading the Israelites for 40 years in the desert, John on the Island of Patmos.  Let's face it, the Bible isn't exactly short on examples of exile.

And then imagine my surprise when 2 weeks ago IF:Equip launched their new study on Nehemiah.  We were enjoying our last week of summer at the time.  My online Bible Study had been kicked to the curb but seemed like a good place to start adjusting back to school routines.

As the weeks have passed I have been surprised to see God interweaving these through communities of learning that have been impacting my life.  I have been left with this question to mull on:

What does it mean to flourish in exile?

If God designed us for the good life and yet drags his followers into all sorts of trials and tribulation I have to believe flourishing is something to be found in exile.  How often do I choose to grumble like the Israelites did as they made bricks, ate manna, and missed the wonder of resting in God's provision?  How often do I see the limitations of exile rather than experiencing God's presence in ways I never imagined as John on the Island of Patmos?  How often do I rush through my day not stopping to celebrate the beauty and goodness that surround us?

This fall as we embark on a new school year I want to embrace the new creation God has made me.  I want to stop seeing my identity through my sin and shame.  I want to flourish.

A Theology of Fun

As my kids closed out a week of VBS yesterday, I took a few extra moments to enjoy the energy in the room as I dropped them off and admired all the "Crazy Day" outfits and hairdos.  As I was hanging out I heard the leader share "God calls us to have fun."  What a great statement but I am pretty sure fun didn't make it into my Bible -- in any of the multiple translations on my shelf.  As I searched my memory I came up with Biblical terms like party, celebration, joy, goodness...but fun?
In Christian practice I certainly adhere to the belief that "God calls us to have fun" but I don't know that it ever would have made my list of "callings" before yesterday morning. As I broached the topic last night after dinner my husband was quick to pull in the Christians being killed by ISIS.  Talk about a downer in my "fun" conversation.  But I have to wonder if there isn't an excitement and fun to following Jesus would they really be willing to put their very lives on the line?
"Unspeakable Joy" is a term used in one of the songs my kids have learned in VBS and that I am certain is a Biblical calling to live into.  I am pretty sure "unspeakable joy" is better understood by the Chistians laying down their lives for their faith then it ever can be through the fun my kids have been having at VBS this summer.  But I think fun is a foretaste of that "unspeakable joy" that gives  Christians strength to live out faith in hard spaces.  Fun is a little crumb from the banquet table.  As I stood Friday morning experiencing the fun of "Crazy Day " I am quite sure God was the very essence of the heartfelt expressions on the faces in that room - young and old.  It may have just been a crumb but it was a very real taste of the joy of the Lord which is our strength.

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...about hard spaces

"Do you see that beautiful sunset?"
"God designed you to display His beauty just like that sunset."
"Are you reflecting God's goodness and beauty?"

We all have the option to live as God's beautiful, chosen children.  We have the option to choose healing, redemption, and restoration.

So often I choose a different path.

As I sat last night watching my children "perform" with a sunset ocean-filled background I am not sure which was more captivating.  But the performance didn't end in beauty and applause rather it climaxed in screaming and pushing.  As I grabbed hold of the beautiful landscape and our loving, gracious God my parenting took a turn.

I had spent much of my day wrestling with big "hot topics" which satan has been hard at work using to divide God's people.  What does it mean to embrace both the people in our lives and God's living Word? 

We have been having intense parenting moments a lot lately.  My daughter took delight in throwing them back at me in the aftermath of my correction.  I had labeled her actions as greedy just hours before.  As she started her defense of her less than beautiful moments God revealed to me the compassion of speaking Truth.

What if I had chosen to never speak of greed?  What if I had chosen to do with less so my child could have all she wanted?  What if I chose to support her demands of more and more and more?  What if I let her believe by my silence that God had designed her for greed rather than generosity?

Suddenly my "hot topic" battles of the day  seemed less discouraging.  I know God designed each one of us to display His glory just like the sunset backdrop.  I cannot love His people without sharing His Truth.  To sacrifice Truth under the guise of loving people is the pursuit of idolatry not God.  I want to love others enough to be willing to openly share God's design for their life -- a life that holds the potential for all the beauty of majestic ocean sunsets.  I am so thankful to serve a God who is transforming me, my children, our family and community with His goodness.  He is not a god who says, "Live any way you please."  He is a God who designed us to thrive on embracing and living into His Truth - Truth which sets us free.

Spiritual Gifts: Believe Series

Key Question:  What gifts and skills has God given me to serve others?

Key Idea:  I know my spiritual gifts and use them to bring about God's plan.

Believe, Chapter 17, Spiritual Gifts (Daniel 2:1-47 - Daniel Interprets the King's Dream; Acts 3:1-10 - Peter Heals a Crippled Man)

Key Verse:  We all have gifts.  They differ according to the grace God has given each of us.  Romans 12:6

Believe Family Guide

Paula Taylor at SBPC shared Sunday about Spiritual Gifts.

            "God gives spiritual fits to believers.  We are invited:

                      1.  ...to discover and know our gifts.

                      2. ...to express our gifts in community.

                     3. ...to release our gifts to the world."

I recently read a blog by Lindsey Nobel that did a beautiful job of summing up Owning Our Gifts when she reflected on the IF: Gathering  and shared how it: 

    "...was all about me remembering and owning that God is my Creator.

That I am His beloved.

That He knit me together with unique giftings.

That I am IN SIN when I disqualify myself because I don’t I cast vision likeJennie, preach like Bianca, sing like Lauren, mobilize like Jen, or pray like Ann.

That I need to own my gifts, use my voice, and stop comparing myself.

That my gifts might not attract the masses BUT they are still immensely valuable.

{and so are yours by the way}

Y’all, God didn’t make us all to be speakers, teachers, singers and writers. He made some of us to be team builders. He made some of us to be connectors. He made some of us to be strategic leaders. He made some of us to be award-winning home makers. He made some of us to be welcoming hosts. He made some of us to be prayer warriors. He made some of us to be freedom fighters. He made some of us to be compassionate caretakers. He made some of us to be wise counselors. And he made some of us to be loyal sidekicks.

We all need to own who God created us to be. And remember that we are His masterpiece. Designed purposefully to play a specific part in His good work.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10"

Well said Lindsay, thanks for encouraging me and so many others, "to own who God created us to be." 

Time: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I best use my time to serve God and others?

Key Idea:  I offer my time to fulfill God's purposes.

Believe, Chapter 18, Offering My Time (Haggai 1:1-15 - Building the Temple; Luke 2:41-52 - Jesus "forgotten" in Jerusalem)

Key Verse:  Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:17

Believe Family Guide

Mike McClenahan's Sermon at SBPC 

Shape Assessment link to prepare for next week.

So while our faith community was worshipping and discussing "time" we were packing up from camping with the Boy Scouts in 90 degree weather and then madly dashing to the soccer field to spend some more of our March winter weekend.  Typically our Sunday mornings are committed to worship and while we did attend "Scouts' Own" an inspirational service is not the same as truly gathering with others who know the one true God.  Not only did we miss reconnecting with friends we only get to see on Sunday but we also missed our practice of checking our life orientation and resting in God's presence while celebrating that we are not alone on our journey to greater faithfulness.  There is no denying though that our lives are richer for the time spent making great memories and hanging out with each other and friends.  

With 3 active kids who live fully engaged with life we make a lot of decisions about how to spend our time.  I love that Mike pointed out in his sermon that time is a gift and all of our time belongs to God.  A few years ago I was introduced to Ben Patterson who shared a concept that he wanted to spend His time being a part of what only God could do.  I love that desire because playing a leading role in God's story seems awfully exciting -- I grew up with stories like Bruchko and Jim Elliot.  Then there are the modern days stories like those Bob Goff shares in Love Does.  Spending your time doing God's work seems exciting and adventurous.  Yes, there is the dangerous part too (like ISIS persecution), but what happens when God's work feels mundane?

As a mother of 3, caught up in the daily demands of laundry (which seems to never be done), dishes (which seem to appear empty and dirty more often than clean or full), and the other physical, educational, emotional, spiritual and social needs of our family my time has a tendency to feel more mundane than adventurous.    Sometimes it is hard to believe that God designed me -- created me specially -- to meet the mundane tasks of the here and now.  To tie shoes.  To give pep talks.  To hold hands. To load the dishwasher (giving thanks that I'm not washing dishes by hand).  To fold freshly laundered clothing (giving thanks for a washer, dryer, clean water and the clothing items).  To let the clutter build on the dining room table so we can enjoy hanging out with friends in the back yard around the firepit.  To share photos with classmates parents who couldn't get out of work to make the school presentations.  To carve out time for prayer and personal and spiritual development.  To have tea with my husband.  

While deciding how we spend our time involves some big decisions I find a lot of the time decisions I make that really impact our lives are moment to moment.  Do I make the time to see the ladybug my daughter discovered before it flies away?  Do I stop to sooth and wipe away tears or buckle a child in the car to keep us on schedule?  Do I celebrate the majestic creation displays of God's grandeur or pick another item from my "to do" list?  Whether intentional or haphazard we are constantly making decisions about how we spend our time - there are so many options.

Resources: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I best use my resources to serve God and others?

Key Idea:  I give my resources to fulfill God's purposes.

Believe, Chapter 19, Giving My Resources (Exodus 35:4-29; 36:1-6 - Gifts of the Tabernacle; Matthew 2:1-15 - Gifts from the Wise Men)

Key Verse:  But since you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we have kindlid in you -- see that you also excel in the grace of giving.  

2 Corinthians 8:7

Believe Family Guide

Mike McClenahan's sermon at SBPC 

                     

I love the collection of paper and thoughts we come home on Sunday with -- the resources my church provides to enrich our dialogue with God and with each other as we interact with Scripture, our community and as a family.  If you page back through the posts in this blog you will see that this time of year is one that has been focused on through the years.  As I was coordinating our church's MOPS group women were asking about Lent and so I started sharing about how our family prepared for Easter.

The blue building  in the lower corner represents a tool my church uses with our young children to make them aware of the many resources they have -- schools, water, medical access.  It is a result of the Lenten journey we take each year getting to know the Afar people.  http://www.solanapres.org/news/lenten-guide.  I love watching young children  grow in their awareness of the world around them.  I love when our giving is a response of gratitude.

When my oldest was at this young, tender age he asked why we were giving our money to the Afar if the wave hit Japan as we sat in the wake of the 2011 Tsunami.  He was moving from the innocence of giving from gratitude to assessing need.  As we were caught up in discussion instead of teaching him about our God who "owns the cattle on a thousand hillls, the wealth in every mine" (a chorus I learned in my youth based on Psalm 50) I instead introduced the concept of scarcity -- there is only so much to go around - you have to choose.  I am so thankful for a friend who in that space lovingly gave my son a gift certificate for his birthday that year.  It enabled him to choose from multiple opportunities where to give money -- one of which was the Japanese Tsunami.  

In our house we believe we are merely stewards of God's resources -- it is all His.  I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit who plays an active role in directing our lives to know what to do with it.  I am hopeful my children will know abundance without entitlement, that they may appreciate the amazing blessings we live with and use their lives and resources to bless others -- in obedience rather than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22).  Will I live in such a way that they see the God who owns it all and loves to shower us with his goodness -- smiles of little children living in dumps, shoeboxes of necessities and toys that change lives, easier access to clean drinking water, food that sustains life, pinewood derby cars, the time to enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets, standing strong in the battle against cancer, persevering in recovering from a stroke, replaced heart valves?  It is my prayer that I am able to focus on the abundance of God's good resources in a world that is broken in epic battle.

Discipleship, Spiritual Gifts and Sustainable Ministry

What does it mean to disciple, mentor and lead others to find their spiritual gifts -- their place to uniquely plug into what God is doing in the world -- to partner with God in his work?  Some might use the language "to discover your calling."
Equipping and encouraging each other to serve God can be daunting but also highly rewarding work.  The joy of coming alongside a leader who is seeing God move in tangible ways -- women in her group have made signifcant steps of faith, her group is impacting her community through feeding the hungry or clothing a new baby or loving on a family in need -- is amazing.  God doesn't just work in those bright places, though.  Sometimes we walk alongside the family who battles illness or experiences disability or death.  And sometimes we are that family.  These are hard spaces of leadership.

Sometimes we think those spaces are about surviving instead of thriving in who God calls us to uniquely be.  As I have watched a friend walk alongside her husband in illness, listened to the stories shared at IF:Gathering 2015, and lived my own life, I have recognized that it is in these spaces we most need the encouragement of others to keep serving God.

As I listened to Susie Davis and Latasha Morrison expound on Hebrews this morning and encourage times of rest as we "run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1) I was struck by a conversation I had earlier this week with a friend about the sheer joy of somebody discovering and using their "gifts" for the first time.  That sense of fulfillment and wholeness is unmatched.  Not only is the person fulfilled but the whole community celebrates as their gifts are poured out as a blessing.

So often that story doesn't stay in that space -- the American church isn't really gifted at disciplining people to run with endurance -- we prefer the sprint.  We are learning to incorporate rhythms of rest in every day life.  We are using catch words like sustainable to describe how we should manage our resources, live life, and do ministry.  We dialogue about simplifying -- our church programming, our worship, our resources (wardrobes, menus, leisure activities, etc), our lives.
 
As a leader who was called to lead through my sister-in-law's battle with cancer, the birth of my three children, 1st and 2nd trimester miscarriages, evacuating my home due to wildfire with a 2 year old and 2 week old, layoffs and other career and job changes, my mother-in-law's battle with ALS, and the many other ups and downs of life I have grown an appreciation for what it means to "run with endurance."  But more than anything I have held onto what it means to "run and not grow weary." (Isaiah 40:31).  How do you find "rest" in sleepness nights of meeting real needs right in front of you?  How do you keep going when your strength is gone?  What happens when what you are doing isn't sustainable through nothing within your control?  When there is no way to simplify?  What do you do when Satan creates spaces of isolation and loneliness in your life?  You hold onto our good God with both hands -- the hope of His good plan for your life and those around you.  And you pray that you will be blessed by friends (old and new) who are willing to journey in ugly, dark spaces with you.  So thankful for a God who will not let us go.  When we walk through dark valleys we need to ask for eyes to see God's goodness which still surrounds us, the strength to continue serving him and walking in faithful obedience, and "always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15).

So be strong and courageous,

all you who put your hope in the Lord! 

Psalm 31:24

Biblical Community: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I develop healthy relationships with others?

Key Idea:   I spend time with other Christians to accomplish God's purposes in my life, in the lives of others, and in the world.

Believe, Chapter 16, Biblical Community (Nehemiah 2:11-4:23; 6:15 - Rebuilding Jerusalem's Wall; Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37 - The Body of Christ)

Key Verse:  All the believers were together.  They shared everything they had.  Acts 2:44

Mike McClenahan at SBPC shared how in Biblical Community we accomplish God's purposes together in 3 ways:

1)  Giving ourselves to doing God's works.

2)  Giving ourselves to saying God's praise.

3)  Giving ourselves to becoming authentic community.

This morning as I did my IF:equip study on Hebrews 10:19-29 verse 25 "...do not give up meeting together..." resonated in my head.  How often have I held onto that verse as a spiritual discipline? Sometimes I believe Biblical Community is just as simple (and as complicated) as not giving up meeting together.  In life's busyness it is so easy to find other activities to fill worship and small group time.  It is so easy to let my hurt by what was said or not said keep me from rejoining my friends.  Satan works so hard to create obstacles to our gathering together.  I loved standing in worship this past Sunday and thinking about what it meant to gather with God's people in worship -- to celebrate Community Serve Day together -- to see friends and reconnect -- to talk about Lent and what it means to Believe.  As I read Hebrews this morning I was struck by the simplicity -- keep meeting together.  No 15 step plan to creating community.  No measurement of how many people have to gather before it counts.  Just a simple directive -- keep meeting together.  The other verse that stuck out to me was verse 23, declaring "...He who promised is faithful."  I am so thankful I have the opportunity to gather at Sunday worship and small group with others who will remind me that God is faithful.

I love the key question this week, "How do I develop healthy relationships with others?"  Sometimes I think it is just in the discipline of continuing to meet together.  To not let my pettiness keep me from community.  To love the person sitting next to me more than my doctrine.  To find the good in each other and share it.  To celebrate God's creation.

Some days I find it easier to see the unhealthy, brokenness than the good.  As we joined together Sunday to celebrate Community Serve Day Mike McClenahan started by sharing, "What a great day to celebrate what God is doing through us as the church!"  I love when we see the good in the church.

Sometimes, however, the community we experience isn't the loving Biblical Community God created it to be.  I have recently been enjoying two resources to help navigate hurtful spaces.  Mary Demuth's What To Do After People Poop On You  and Dr. Henry Cloud's book  Changes that Heal.  Being freed to experience authentic Biblical Community often necessitates healing and nearly always requires God's grace.  The most powerful Biblical Community experiences I have had haven't been with my closest friend though those times have been very special.  They have been when God has gathered His people together - connecting strangers (and often the marginalized) - to demonstrate His Kingdom.  The vision of God's diversity and what it means to enter God's unity in those spaces has been amazing.  Seeing how Big our God is with new eyes and hearing Him speak with new ears and experiencing God move in new ways -- that is the gift of Biblical Community.  But I have found it starts with an openness to the new and an open heart.  It necessitates risking letting go of the "tried and true" of my religious footholds and being willing to hold God's hand in relationship to have the strength to act on the Spirit's prompting.  Joining in Biblical Community is about praying "May Your Kingdom Come" and may I be your faithful, humble servant.  Biblical Community isn't about our vision; it is responding to God's invitation to be a part of what He is doing in the world -wherever that leads and with whomever you connect my with in doing that.

Am I willing to authentically seek His Kingdom?

about my children serving

Community Serve Day Oct 2008

In the Spring of 2008 I was sitting at my table at MOPS and one of the women expressed how she was considering giving up her secular philanthropic work and wondering if there wasn't a place she could serve with her daughter that would have "more meaning". That began a discussion that ultimately led me to serving on the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church Community Serve Day committee -- something that was just being birthed -- with a focus of what it looks like for our children to serve in God's Kingdom.

Here it is February 2015 and this past Sunday we had up our annual Community Serve Day - worship services shut down, over 1300 volunteers served at 78 sites throughout the county.  Young and old working together to bring good to our community.

Over the years I have had the incredible opportunity to dialogue with children, families, ministers, parents, grandparents and caregivers about service.  We have talked about what it looks like for children to serve. We have shared different ways for families to serve together.  And I have wrested firsthand with what it looks like for my family to serve within our faith community.

Community Serve Day 2010

On February 21, 2010, I served as Developer of Family Projects as we saw the reality of over 3,000 people serving in community throughout San Diego County.  That year I visited some of the 48 sites we had with children so I could experience family involvement first hand. After much debate my husband and I opted to make the visits as a family – which meant taking our 4, 2 and 7 month old with us.  We ended up visiting 13 sites that morning -- incorporating ways for our kids to experience serving along the way as we visited and shared volunteer experiences. Planting a flower, learning how helmet liners are made, writing an appreciation card, buying and collecting food, are just some of the many activities we took part in that morning as our community came together across our county.

We saw nuclear families with babies in carriers serving.  We had families divide and conquer – parents and grandparents supporting the interests of different children.  We checked out childcare who were touring sites held on the church campus while their parents were serving at other sites.  Some children had caregivers or grandparents serving alongside them.  It was an incredible testimony to me of the diversity of my community.  We had a common purpose -- to fulfill real needs in San Diego County - but that purpose was carried out in so many ways!

Community Serve Day 2015

Community Serve Day 2014

This year our children – now 9, 7 and 5 – consider Community Serve Day to be a way of life. This past year we had the opportunity to serve at our own school – washing windows, doing some gardening, picking up trash and pressure washing the lunch area. This year they have been on the look out for projects and were ready to tackle their school on a whole different level.  Community Serve Day is no longer one morning where their little bodies grow weary as they work to pour out love on others and expand their view of the needs around them.  It is a growing awareness of the needs around them every day.  A growing appreciation for the projects that can be done in a few spare moments and the ones that take longer planning and the participation of friends.  This year as they worked to resurface picnic tables, painted parts of the Kindergarten play area, recycling center and school dragon mascot I watched them build deeper relationships with friends as they worked together.

What started as my thinking about how I could model service and equip my kids to serve has been birthed into my children having their own ideas of what it means to serve and how it should be done.  They are already talking about next year.  And we are continuing to talk about the big questions – like what are the “real” needs of our community?  How do we meet those needs when they seem bigger than our resources?

Community Serve Day

Through Community Serve Day my children have been greatly blessed by our faith community.  They have seen new ways to serve that I never would have thought of exposing them to.  They have experienced service in ways my husband and I couldn't model.  They have experienced what it means to collaborate with others.  And they have been given a vision of service that far exceeds what my husband and I could have given to them alone.  We are so thankful to be part of a community that believes in serving not just with our words but with our actions.

I can't wait to see the next steps in our journey!

You can see more photos of our community serving at the links below:
2013
2014
2015

Total Surrender: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I grow a life of sacrificial service?

Key Idea:  I dedicate my life to God's purposes.

Believe, Chapter 15, Total Surrender (Daniel 3 - The Fiery Furnace; Acts 6:8-7:60 - Stephen)

Key Verse:  Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

Mike McClenahan at SBPC shared 3 points this Sunday about Total Surrender:

1)  God is fully devoted to us.

2)  God asks us to live as an offering.

3)  Generously give ourselves to God's purposes.

He pointed out that single-mindedness is being aware of God and His purposes and Total Surrender is actually going it -- living out God's will.

He asked us to think about how we have surrendered or sacrificed in ways we never thought we would for: 

- Biblical Community

- Spiritual Gifts

- Offering our Time

- Giving our Resources

- Sharing our Faith

How have we lived our lives as an offering back to God?

As I continue to unpack the IF:Gathering one of the things I have loved the most is that as the leaders unpacked their time together they "celebrated the birth of our gathering, mourned the pain and sacrifice it cost, and spoke about the future,"  in the words of Bianca Olthoff. I love the phrase "mourned the pain and sacrifice it cost" -- so often I think we get so excited about having experienced God on the move and glimpsing His goodness at work that we overlook the sacrifice and cost. Maybe it is our pride -- not wanting to admit there was a cost.  Maybe it is fear for those that come behind us -- that the sacrifices we are making are too big and will intimidate them. 

"Selling" the concept of Total Surrender isn't a welcome concept.  I know it is one that I am struggling with on new levels as I watch my children's faith develop.  Do I really want them to be fully surrendered?  What will it cost me as a parent?  And, yet, I know of no other way to come to God...   

Single-Mindedness: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I keep my focus on Jesus?

Key Idea:  I focus on God and his priorities for my life.

Believe, Chapter 14, Single-Mindedness (2 Chronicles 20:1-30; Matthew 14:22-32)

Key Verse:  But put God's kingdom first.  Do what he wants you to do.  Then all those things will also be given to you.  Matthew 6:33

Some weeks it is hard to figure out what the distractions are and what the focus should be.   How do we keep our focus on Jesus?  What does it mean to be single-minded?  As I bounced my attention Sunday from 1) my daughters preparing to sing in choir in two different services and locations on campus to 2) a son who was seeking to celebrate scout Sunday and 3) gathering t-shirts for Community Serve Day as registration continued and my sites made final plans -- our worship was "interrupted".  When my friend walked into worship that morning he never expected it to be cut short by a stroke.

While Mike McClenahan shared his 3 points about Single-Mindedness: (1.  Focus on God in the midst of distractions.  2.  Align your will to God's will.  3.  Trust God with your needs and desires.)  I traipsed from one location to another tracking children, praying and wondering what God had in store for my friend's life -- and how that would affect my life.

Throughout the week the passage from Jehoshaphat's story in 2 Chronocles has rung again and again in my ears:  "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

What does it mean to be single-minded?  When everything keep automatically funneling down to one thing.  It is having the chaos and questioning reduced to focus.  God is leading and all you have to do is pursue him.  

what God will do...

What IF God does things we have never imagined at IF:Gathering 2015?

IF:SanDiego #IFGathering #IFSanDiego

It is hard to believe how fast IF has grown and the magnitude of impact it has already had.  Women have been challenged to wrestle with real issues of faith.  To start with the IFs.

IF God is real...

Dialogue has occurred that has changed daily walks through IF:Equip, gatherings through IF:Table and now for a 2nd year women will gather from around the world and look at the IFs of our beliefs at IF:Gathering.  Jennie Allen's dream has become bigger than her.  It has taken collaboration of leaders to draw women to the foot of the thrown...as warriors ready for the challenges of today.

What IF God moves women in San Diego to live in new ways for him?  As my husband said last night -- it isn't the hours from the weekend...it is what lies ahead.  What will the cost be when God calls?  What IF we respond?

I love the writeup for this event:

"

IF God is real…then we want more than anything to live like it.

What IF we started living like God is real? Really real? Then what? What IF we surrendered with reckless abandon to a God we believe truly loves us? What IF he then works through us in greater ways than we can imagine to help those around us?  What IF we started living what we say we believe?

"

- taken from https://ifgathering.com/gatherings/5049/

And so today I pray for Belief...to the God who knows my unbelief and loves me anyway.

Bible Study: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I study God's word?

Key Idea:  I study the Bible to know God and his truth and find direction for my daily life.

Believe, Chapter 13, Bible Study (Joshua 1:1-11; Matthew 13:1-23)

Key Verse:  The word of God is alive and active.  Hebrews 4:12

Mike McClenahan at SBPC shared 3 points this Sunday about Bible Study:

1)  Bible Study shapes our beliefs, practices and virtues.

2)  We hear and understand God's word.

3)  We obey and practice God's word.

As Mike shared he discussed the 4 types of soil found in Matthew 13:  good soil that bears fruit, hardened pathway soil that prevents seed from taking root, rocky soil that doesn't allow strong roots, and thorny ground that chokes out the plant.

As I walked this week with a friend we kept passing these bushes  -- some growing far above our heads and others just a few branches springing from the ground. As we walked my friend shared the importance of soil.   She had planted two plants and taken the time to ensure the soil around only one was prepared.  She had dug a nice large hole for the one plant.  However, running short on time, she had placed a second plant next to it without proper soil preparation.  As those plants grew over the years there was always a significant size difference.  I shared that I would have attributed it to the light or the amount of water but she assured me it was simply a difference in soil.  As we continued to walk I reflected on the 4 types of soil Mike had shared about Sunday and how each one of those types is in my heart.  How often to I want to attribute the lack of fruitfulness in my life to circumstances other than my heart?

Am I willing to invite God to renew the soil in my heart so that His truths can flourish there?  Will I choose to take the time to sit with God's Word and meditate on it in a way that will shape my life?  Am I willing to do the work of meeting one-on-one with God and in community to wrestle with what Scriptures mean in terms of my day-to-day living?  Am I willing to uproot enough area around my preconceived beliefs to grapple with God's calling on my life to love those around me?

I have a few different ways I enjoy connecting with scripture:

• Sunday Worship
• Daily Reading 
• IF:Equip an email I receive each weekday morning with scripture and a link to video and online discussion
• Prof's Horner's is one I have found very flexible depending on my available time each day -- with the bookmarks I 
• can just pick up where I left off - or you can find it (and many other options) in online Bible tools like YouVersion, Bible Study Tools, Laridian, etc.)
• Different Devotionals (here are some of my favorites)
• The Daily Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss 
• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
• Bible Study (small group, lectured large group, personal)
• Journaling (A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study by Jen Hatmaker provides a great overview of Bible Study Journaling Strategies and I also love seeing what others are doing on pinterest)
• Through different Bible Translations (some of my favorites are the NET, NIV, The Message, NLT, ESV, The Voice)
• Investigating historical, archeological, and cultural insights (I have found owning a good Study Bible, Concordance, Bible Dictionary, Bible Handbook and Atlas (or using online resources like BibleGateway.com) extremely beneficial)
• Reading Commentaries
• Creative exploration of scripture (worship music, journaling, collages, acting and role playing)
• Memorization/Mediation/Liturgy
• Praying Scripture (particularly the Psalms thanks to Ben Patterson)
• Word studies (thanks to Louie Giglio)

Some resources I have found helpful over the years have been:

• Knowing the Reading Level of My Bible and finding the right fit for me and those I am studying with
• Doing a Chapter Summary Outline Format  (1.  Pray for direction and for God to speak to you.  2.  Read the chapter.  3.  Break the chapter down into easily remembered parts, i.e. make a simple outline of the chapter.  Answer the question: What does the chapter say? 4.   Write a short summary of what the Lord spoke to you about, i.e. what really stood out to you?  Answer the question: What does the chapter mean to me?  5.  Write a practical application you can draw from the chapter.   Answer the question: What am I going to do about it?  6.   Pick a key verse and give YOUR OWN chapter title.) 
• Henrietta Mears, What the Bible Is All About

Pray: Believe Series

Prayer is our core practice for Believe this week.

Key Question:  How do I grow by communicating with God?
Key Idea: I pray to God to know him and find direction in my life.
Key Verse:  God has surely listened.  He has heard my prayer...He has not held back his love from me.  Psalm 66:19-20

When I asked my kids what they discussed Sunday they shared that they had talked about different ways to pray.  Some of their insights included:  singing a prayer, praying at different times of day, praying by yourself or in a group, using recited or memorized prayers.
They continued to share some of the many things we can pray for like family and friends.

Sermon link
Family Page: Prayer

Over the years prayer has been studied again and again at our church.  We have done studies on

• The Lord's Prayer 
• Bill Hybel's Too Busy Not to Pray
• Praying the Psalms (Ben Patterson)

One of the books I have picked up for heavier reading on Prayer is:
Prayer:  Does it make any difference?  by Philip Yancey

Worship: Believe Series

Key Question:  How do I honor God in the way he deserves?
Key Idea:  I worship God for who He is and what He has done for me.
Believe, Chapter 11, Worship  (Daniel 6; Acts 16:16-35)
Key Verse:  Come let us sing for joy to the Lord.  Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us. Psalm 95:1
This week at worship Mike McClenahan shared the following 3 points:

As we have discussed this topic this week we have wrestled with the consumer and contributor roles in worship.  For us worship is about what we get and what we give.  But I have to wonder as I think more about it if corporate worship isn't more about collaborating with our gifts to bring God glory -- something we can only do together.

Gathering with others to worship God is just one of the many ways we worship.  Sometimes we worship alone (in quiet or chaos), sometimes we gather as a family, sometimes we may attend a large convention to worship, but we try weekly to join our church community to worship on Sunday morning.  We like to leave worship refreshed and renewed having shared with others on a journey to know God better, to serve Him together, to experience together the life He wants for us.

I love the question Mike left us with Sunday:  "What is most important to you about your personal and communal worship?"  I don't know that I have one answer...what I find is it depends on where I am in my journey -- somedays I need quiet time with God, sometimes I need to know I am not alone on this journey, sometimes I need the excitement and energy.  So thankful I know a God who meets me right where I am no matter what the circumstances.  He is always worthy of worship.  And worshipping Him always brings life back into focus giving me His strength to return to life circumstances whatever they may be.

The song that has been running through my mind this week has been "Pray About Everything" (from Group's Kingdom Rock VBS in 2013 - a CD that seems permanently fixed in my minivan's CD player).  If you want to enjoy it here is a link to a church that took a run at celebrating worship and brought a smile to my day (makes me just want to be a part of the fun you know they had making this!)

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need.  Thank Him for all he has done.

Which will be a good lead in to next weeks theme -- Pray.