scooby doo

I'm realizing something that I don't fully understand: the older I get, the more I revert back to things of my childhood. Let me explain. I was at the store yesterday, needing to buy some band-aids. My eye was instantly drawn to the Scooby Doo ones and without any more thought, I grabbed the box, adding it to my purchase. When deciding on what to eat for lunch, my menu alternates between pizza lunchables and Spaghetti O's. I can think of four instances in the recent past where I ordered a kid's meal. I'm seeing a pattern slowly develop. Yet I don't think there's anything wrong in re-connecting with those parts of your past. I think it adds a certain amount of unpredictability and randomness to an otherwise rather dull day. A day filled with appointments and schedules and all other things 'adult.' We need to not be so busy we forget to "smell the roses" or feel we're too old to play on the swing. I mean, how can you not smile when you look at your hand and see Scooby Doo smiling back?

seeds

We're currently in the midst of a 48-hour prayer vigil at my church. For every hour of these 48 hours, there's at least one person at church, praying - it's really cool when you think about it. I went yesterday afternoon and as I was praying something occurred to me that left me in wonder. I was praying for financial increase for those in church and was thanking God that when we sow seeds, there's always a harvest. Then I thought about that. There's...always....a...harvest. Even though a seed may take it's time in sprouting, it will at some point break through the ground and produce. Always. I know I've sown seeds before and am still waiting on the return but I can be assured that those seeds WILL produce.

detour

A friend of mine was sharing some advice given to another friend regarding perspective. The advice was to, just to mix things up, take a different route to work. The point being it would be a catalyst for a paradigm shift that would flow into other areas of life as well. I'm trying to follow that same advice. I've rearranged my work schedule so I'm going in at different times (it's ok with my boss, I promise) and not stuck in a monotonous routine. I like variety and not doing the same thing every day. Having a change of pace shakes things up a little bit and keeps things interesting. I think if we find ourselves in a rut, it can also play a part in our spiritual life. When we're feeling trapped with where we currently are in life, I think hearing from God can be difficult. We feel that what we're experiencing is either 1. too big for God to handle or 2. we're too exhausted to even utter a prayer about it. This is where change is vital. Even if it's as simple as going/leaving work through a different door, we need to do something to alter the routine we're in. Detours can sometimes be annoying since you're forced to go a way other than what you intended but they can also be points of clarity. You may find that by taking a detour, you stumble upon something so amazing that you never would have found had you not. So turn right instead of left or take the stairs instead of the elevator and see what happens...

my best

A new month is now upon us...and seems to be quickly speeding by. I've welcomed in the month of November with Christmas music. My personal opinion is that Christmas should be celebrated longer than the one month it's often given (although most stores start "celebrating" in September or October when they bring out their holiday merchandise). Christmas is truly "the most wonderful time of the year" because for that brief span of time, people are caught up in the wonder of it.

My current Christmas favorite is "Drummer Boy" by Mercy Me. I'm not sure I've ever paid attention to the lyrics until now. This little boy has nothing to offer the Savior who's just made His grand entrance. All he has is his drum. So he plays for Jesus. I love the line that says "I played my best for Christ." Though the drummer boy didn't bring an expensive gift, he offered what he had and gave his absolute best. The same is true today. All God asks is that we give our best. Just like the drummer boy...

faith

Our college ministry, er, young adult ministry (we're trying to not sound so inclusive) had a really good service last night. The topic was on "faith vs. religion" and how sometimes Christianity takes the form of things we "have to" do or else we're not a good Christian. We feel as though Jesus will love us more if we ________ (read our Bible everyday, pray for an hour, etc.). We forget the simplicity of Jesus died for us - end of story. We tend to take on all of problems, feeling that God somehow needs OUR help instead of leaving our worries, needs, etc. with Him. All of this is not faith but religion. Faith in its simplest form is belief. It's knowing what God says and believing He'll do it...because that's what He says.

I'm guilty of trying to "help" God. I get tired of waiting on Him to answer me and try to do things on my own. The only thing this accomplishes is that not only am I tired of waiting but I'm now frustrated because I CAN'T do it on my own. I find that often times I need to do daily (and sometimes minute by minute) surrender my life to God. I have to stop trying to do EVERYTHING and rest in the fact that God is genuinely concerned with me. For me, faith is more than an act - it's a lifestyle. It's choosing to live each day with the confidence that God has a plan, even though things at the moment might not make sense. It's knowing everything will truly be ok. It's whole-heartedly embracing Jeremiah 29:11. It's knowing that NOTHING can separate me from God and seeking refuge in that fact.

move

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin Roosevelt

Fear has a way of paralyzing you, making you want to do nothing more than hide under a rock or cower in a corner, wishing the thing you fear would go away. Staying in the pocket of what's safe/comfortable can be tempting - "nothing ventured, nothing gained." But at some point, we all have to move. You either move forward or you move back, pressing farther into the recesses of what's familiar, what you know.

It's often in our moments of being scared that we exert the greatest strength. Moving when you're scared out of your mind takes courage and will undoubtedly either "make you or break you." Moving when there are countless uncertainties looming in front of you can be overwhelming but by taking that step forward, God will come behind us and alongside, bringing clarity to what once seemed obscure and muddled. So go on. Move.

(this song was playing in my mind as I wrote this...)

attitude check

With my birthday being last week, I'm still going through the motions of adjusting to being a year older. However, what's making the transition easier is that this past week has been filled with so many great moments that I'm eagerly looking forward to what the coming 360 days have in store until my next birthday. It's as if something has been lifted and God is deciding each day "I want to bless you today...and today...and today." Not to say God doesn't bless me each day but it's as though I'm able to see physical manifestations of it more clearly these past few days. Which makes me wonder: what's different? What has happened for me to witness these changes? I always start each morning asking for favor and thanking God for the day but something is different. The cool thing is that once one really good thing happens, that buoys your attitude to believe for something great the next day. This is one of those things where you just give it to God saying, "I don't know what's happening but do whatever You will..." and then He does and all you can say is "wow..."