Lifestyle
Beatitudes in the pew
It was the turn of the head that caught my eye as the little girl in the pew just ahead reached for her mama’s face. Turn the mama did—smiling at the child in the pew. She beheld the face of her child, and attentive to it she was. Gentle this mama was with her child desiring her attention.
House on the hill
It’s been a year now since the big move. Up and off the farm we did go after living upon the family homestead for over forty years. We’d never really gone house shopping before, so when this all began, we decided to make a wish list of sorts to sort it all out. At least that would be a starting point. Today, I found that list tucked away in the bottom of my purse and began to check off that which was granted. I was amazed that 100% of the wishes I wished for were granted.
God is waiting to hear from you
It’s probably no surprise to you that pastors wear many different “hats” … including preacher, teacher, counselor, administrator, and prayer (as in “one who prays”). At all sorts of occasions, large and small, it is the pastor who is often times asked to say a prayer. We are often seen and thought of as the professional prayer. The fact is, however, God wants to hear from all of us through prayer – not just pastors. We have a loving God who wants to hear from us in and through all things. In his book Where is God in My Praying? Dan Simundson (one of my professors) offered three reasons why it is difficult for people to pray.
You are God’s child
It seems like “identity” is on everyone’s mind today. We hear warnings on the TV of how simple thieves are able to steal someone’s identity. The TV announcers tell us that the only way we can keep from having it stolen is to subscribe to their service. (Perhaps I watch too much late night TV.)
All believers are qualified for ministry
I was not born in the church. (most of us weren’t!) What I mean is that I did not attend church as a child. My parents didn’t attend, so I did not attend until a friend asked me when I was 13 years old. For a couple of years I attended church with friends, not my family (they did eventually come and now, 30+ yrs later are faithful attenders!) When I was a sophomore in highschool I responded to an altar call at Bible camp and I spent my time praying about my future. It was there that I felt a very clear calling on my life to be in church ministry. HOW was what I needed to figure out.