I've gone back to Wordpress...

Thanks for visiting, I've moved back to Wordpress...

Here's the new link... Creative Survival

Go Fish Guys

I just saw this group of guys live at a children's ministry conference. Great sound, my nephew loves them, my ministry kids are soon to love them... And I am still humming their songs!! Go Fish is their name and their mission is to make great kid music that won't drive parents and older kids crazy. I think they do it well!! They have 4 CDs and a kid DVD about farm animals. Very Fun!!

A Circular Walk

Matthew 5

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

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One way I like to think of the Beatitudes, is as a Circular Walk with Jesus. When we first know our need for Jesus, we are poor in spirit as we see the kingdom is ours. Then we mourn for all that we have missed up til now and all we messed up; He comforts us. As we are comforted, we learn meekness and its value to change our focus from ourselves to others. In our time of meekness, we desire more and become hungry for Jesus. He begins to fill us. As He mercifully fills us, we want to fill others, which in turn develops mercy in us. Our hearts go through a purification process as He works this out in us. In this purification, we see God. This leads to the peace that passes understanding. When others see this peace even in times of struggle, they notice the difference and we are called Children of God. The righteousness of the kingdom here and now, walking in us... then brings persecution, insult and evil intent. Yet we rejoice as we somehow recognize the deeper issue, as painful as the evil can be. Interesting how all along the way, He calls us blessed.

It seems to be a full picture of our walk with Jesus. At times we go through from beginning to end. At times we start in the middle. Sometimes we stay at the end for a long time... yet eventually we walk again. It also seems that once we make it all the way through, it should be done. But He created the walk to be Circular. I think He did this so we would always know our need for Him. Otherwise we could follow the steps and be done... that would be too easy.

And the Angels Sang

I finished my taxes and sent them off to my tax person yesterday. Way past my goal, but I finished. Aleluia.

Speed, Grace Unmerited and Committment

So truth be known... I love to drive fast. I think I should have been a race car driver!! When I was a kid, my favorite video game at the arcade was one called "Night Driver" where you sat in this black car and the screen was all black with just white lines for a road path. You got to actually take the wheel and move the gear shifter, use the pedals and everything. You had to keep the car within the lines on the screen and go down the unknown path!! The faster you went, the better your score. I adored that simple game, played it every time we went to the arcade!!

So now, as an adult... I am a speeder. It's the truth. And I lived in Central America for 6 years which didn't help anything because driving rules there are merely a suggestion, nothing more. I loved driving there too, because you can do everything you never get to do here in these United States!!

I have been thinking lately, that maybe I should slow down. Basically, because I don't want a ticket. I found out that here in Washington, if you get a ticket, you can't go to traffic school to get it off your record like you can do in California.. so I am a bit nervous that there may be extreme consequences if I ever do get a ticket... This being my main motivation... I have been trying to drive the speed limit.

A crazy thing happened a few weeks ago. My sister, nephew and I were driving down to southern Washington for the day and I got pulled over. It floored me. I couldn't believe it finally happened and in my mind I knew I fully deserved the ticket, 100 times over!! I pulled over and apologized profusely. He asked if we were in a hurry, I said that we weren't and I just hadn't noticed my speed. (which was actually true!!) He said I passed him going 77 and in my mind I thought, "Thank goodness, because that's the mild side of my usual". So, the heavens parted as he checked my license and registration. After doing so, he looked in at us and said that he was going to let us go, and that we were the first that he had let go with a warning that day.

I was flabbergasted!! Truly. We drove away and I looked at my sister and said, "That was grace unmerited". I thanked God for days! I am still floored to this day that he let me go.

An interesting thing happened the next day as well. I found myself driving home from somewhere I had been and I was fully relaxed and actually driving rather calmly. It took me by surprise and I began to analyze the situation. After thinking about it... I realized that I think I am a speeder because I am always looking for the next thing. I have been in a hurry my entire life. So I began to wonder why I was just strolling down the road that day. Then it hit me...

I am finally committed. I just took this new job and I am very excited about the possibilities and I am okay with staying put and walking that path. This is way.... way... a new thing for me, and I kinda like it!! I began to thank God for that ticket I didn't get because it served as a much bigger lesson than the ticket itself would have served. God has an interesting sense of humor. I fully deserved that ticket... But God had the bigger picture to show me. He just needed my attention first.

Speed, Grace Unmerited, and Committment.... all good things, in their time.

A New Thing

So there's this new thing that just happened in my life... My church asked me to be their children's pastor. And after much prayer, and contemplation about committment... I accepted. I can't believe how excited I am about committment, now that I have accepted! This concept really blows me away!

Thanks for your prayers as I step out onto a new path. It should be a good journey!

I Need to Finish My Taxes!!!

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Does this look familiar to anyone else?? I think I have done just about everything I can think of to avoid getting my taxes ready for the tax guy. I am out of excuses... It is time to buckle down and just finish it already!! My personal goal is to have it done by February 1st. Pray for me, please.

This cartoon resonated with me, so I thought I'd share it!!

taxes procrastination cartoon

The Journey

"It is good to have an end to journey toward;
but it is the journey that matters in the end."

Ursula K. Le Guin

Meaning in the Market

We were talking about Meaning in our home group last night. It was great to process through how God has created us for a purpose, yes, but He also has created us to worship Him. We worship Him not only by doing "Worthy" Church-like things, and hanging out with all our Christian Community. But we worship Him by being who He has created us to be as we walk through life each day.

Many times we are caught up in being busy and doing, doing, doing.... How nice to remember that we can just "be" and that is worship as well. Sometimes more effective than what others may deem "worthy".

If we live our lives being who God created us to be... that means that sweeping the floor when no one knows you did it becomes worship. Loving an unsaved friend unconditionally on a regular basis, whether you lay out the 4 spiritual laws or not.... becomes worship. Going to the Market has meaning. Returning to the same postal worker's counter and being kind to her, even after she was way rude to you the day before... Becomes worship. Changing a diaper, cleaning a toilet, calling your grandparents, going to the grocery store, eating out...

It all becomes worship when we remember who we are created to be.

meaning market worship

January is Almost Over?? Really??

Okay, so here we go!! I haven't yet posted in the new year, for many reasons. One is that I am just now getting back into the swing of things. We are having a heat wave up here in Seattle, it is about 38 degrees today and the snow has turned to rain, finally!!

Snow is a beautiful thing, yes! However, it is an interesting thing when you add a bunch of hills and not much snow equipment to clear the roads... to the picture! The greater Seattle area has been only functioning at half-speed for the past few weeks.

So, enough excuses!! I think I am back and in the next few days I have a few things to post that are exciting to me about this new year!!

Thank you for visiting and I hope to hear from you all randomly, or purposefully will do to!

january snow seattle