Inspired

Today I attended a women's brunch at church.

I didn't want to go.

Saturday mornings are for lounging around in pj's while I tootle on the web.   Maybe get something accomplished around the house and occasionally take on the kids in Mario Party 8.

However, I've felt for awhile now that I need to make better efforts at connecting with women in our church.  Specifically, women at different life stages than me.

So ... two weeks ago I debated:  Should I stay (home) or should I go?

God answered in the form of Vicky calling and asking me to drum for the event.

So, back to the top - Today I attended a women's brunch at church.

The brunch was delicious, music uplifting (in spite of the drummer ;) and the speaker was wonderful. 
None of those things inspired me, though.

Conversations with several women during the event and afterward inspired me.  Conversations I would never have had if God (and Vicky) hadn't dragged me there.

I sure am glad God sometimes forces me into situations I don't want to be in.  In my puny, narrow minded human brain they seem like work and drudgery.  Only to be a blessing in disguise on the other side.

I wanted to end this post with a list of inspirations God gave me personally today:

* In general, being in the presence of women - all shapes, sizes, ages - who love the Lord was inspirational in and of itself. 

* God is able (and desires) to bless me beyond what I can imagine.  My God is a big God and I need to start trusting in His timing and in His plan...... and that HE wants to bless me beyond my imagining.

* I need to spend time figuring out my heart's dreams.  This one bugs me often.  But I can't say I've spent a ton of time pouring my heart out to God and asking for guidance understanding my own heart.  What are the desires of my heart?  Right now, I don't know.

* Thanks, Deb, for reminding me that God has given me my story.  It is of HIS divine design and it is what I do with that story that matters.  I don't need a different background or story starter.  I need to write and finish this story strong......... for the glory of God. 

(which brings me back to figuring out my heart's desires.  God put them there, so I figure if I unlock them, I'll find myself in the center of God's will!   Easy, right?!?)

Have a blessed day!

New Witnessing Tract

Forget Romans Road or The Bridge.

I've got a great new idea for a new witnessing tract.

I shall call it ..............(drum roll) ..............

"Don't wait to P.  It might be too late."

By "P." of course, I mean Pray. 
Specifically the Sinner's Prayer. 
The one admitting to God you are a sinner whose relationship with a holy God has been severed due to your sin.  Realizing you are hopeless of reaching heaven without the redemptive work of Christ, you repent of your sins and accept Christ's free gift of salvation.  Inviting Him into your life as your Savior, Lord, and Friend.

But what is beautiful about the title is that I could work another P word into the tract's message.....  "Pee" 
This revelational (oooh, revelation.  I'm on fire!) tract would make use of the similarities between waiting too long to Pray and waiting too long to Pee.

As a valued reader of my blog, I shall give you a sneak-peak.

Imagine, if you will, the following:
       You are 5 years old.  You are enjoying a rousing game of Candyland when a slight urge to pee registers in your brain.  No need to quit the fun for a minor bodily function, so you do the "wiggle" or slight "rocking" motion, buying you another 15 minutes of game time. Then the urge to pee becomes a bit more pressing.  However, you have almost won the game.  Be a shame to take a time-out now.  So you stand and do "the dance".    Sure you look a bit ridiculous, but it keeps you in the game.  Finally, the game ends, and now it is time for the panicked "ahhhhhhhh" cry to the bathroom.  Fortunately you wore elastic waisted pants.  Unfortunately, your older brother just stepped into the only bathroom to do a "big number". 
Are you gonna make it?

Now imagine, if you will, the following:
        You are 35 years old, enjoying a rousing game called Life.  You feel slightly uncomfortable about your spiritual functionality.  But hey, you are young.  Time to have fun - not make spiritual pit stops.  Then you get to be 65.  Still going strong.  You ate your Wheaties.  However, the pressures of Life are a bit stronger. Grandparents are long dead.  Parents are dead.  Several friends are no longer alive.  You think, "Maybe I should take that pit stop now."  Well, that depends....  maybe you can wait a bit longer.  Both grandmas lived well past 80, after all.   But in the blink of an eye you are 80.  Your spirituality is pretty uncomfortable.  You decide to grab the walker and shuffle down to the local church.  Fortunately, it's only two blocks away.  Your artificial hip can make it.  Unfortunately, as you cross the busy street, a semi-truck with failed brakes runs you over.
Are you gonna make it?

Other analogies to be featured are:
       **Don't wait to pee when your button fell off your pants and you had to use a safety pin.
          (could relate to using "religion" as a temporary patch/fix instead of a
           lasting,true personal relationship with Christ)
       ** Don't wait to pee when you're in most other countries of the world and you don't have either
            a) exact change   or    b)  football-player-like quad muscles.
          (could relate to planning ahead.  Never too early to think about P-ing)


The tract probably has a few kinks to work out.  But I think it has potential.

Gotta go...........  (literally)  :)

Funky like Jonah

I've always enjoyed the old testament story of Jonah and the Whale Big Fish. 
Like all Sunday school staples, there are lessons for the adults, too. 
As a child, Jonah represented  "Obey God" or "You can't run away from an omnipresent God".
Later in life, the lesson of God's provision (sending the big fish so Jonah wouldn't drown) in spite of human failings or disobedience emerged.

This week I've been in a bit of a funk.  Can't quite call it depression.  Can't quite put my finger on the reason.
I think there are several little factors contributing to my restless spirit this week.  Maybe one or two bigger, deeper issues God is bringing to the surface.   Perhaps one of them is how I say I want to be used of/by/for God and His kingdom here on earth, but I don't really want to put in the work.  To count the cost.  I want an easy, pampered life where I only worry about ME.

Either way, I've been in that kind of mood that makes it easy to start playing "Whoa is me" and counting personal failures and hardships above God's blessings.

Yesterday and this morning my Bible opened to Jonah during devotions.  Rediscovered a new lesson.
It comes at the end of the story.  Jonah repented inside the fish's belly, got spit-up on the beach, finally obeyed God, and preached to wicked Nineveh for 3 days.

Okay, Paul Harvey fans.  Do you want to know the rest of the story?

Look up Jonah 3:10 and read through the end of Jonah (chapter 4, verse 11)  (Use the Bible Verse side bar tool if your Bible isn't handy)

The whole purpose of Jonah preaching is accomplished!  The whole city of Nineveh repents and God spares them from destruction!  Praise God!...........

Not Jonah.  He gets angry and in a whiny voice complains to God,  "see, this is why I didn't go in the first place.  You are a compassionate God.  I didn't need to go through all that trouble.  Just end my life now.  I'm tired from this pointless journey you just took me on."  (Britt's paraphrase)

It gets even better.
Jonah sits down outside of Nineveh and waits to see what happens to the city.  (Maybe thinking his little whine-fest prompted God to throw at least a little fire and brimstone.  I'm sure Jonah, who knew the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah,  felt a bit cheated out of a good show.)

Does God smite him where he sits?
No.  God sends a vine to grow and provide shade from the scorching sun.
Jonah is happy.
Next day, God sends a worm that kills the vine, the vine dies and fierce, hot winds assault Jonah.
Jonah wants to die.

Then God asks Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
Jonah:   "I do, I am angry enough to die."
God:     "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow....... but Nineveh has more than a 120,000 people who can not tell their right hand from their left.........should I not be concerned about that great city?"

The END.

I put on praise music last night (Jars of Clay hymn remakes).
I feel a little less sulky this morning.
Trying to focus on people instead of vines and my own petty issues.

Trying hard to not be funky like Jonah.

Time flies when you're having fun

Wow.  Has it really been a week since I last posted?
Sorry 'bout that.
Two weeks ago I was on family vacation, yet still managed to post at least twice a week.
But this past week?  A different kind of fun.

Year two of HOMESCHOOL has begun.  :)
And this year... I am so excited..... we are part of a Co-Op.   A group of like-minded families that want to offer fun, elective courses to our children in a larger class setting.  As well as offer moral support to one-another.  Every Tuesday, my kids are in P.E., art, and another elective class. 
Of course, this also adds a bit of work, as I am the art teacher.

This week went well, but I'm a bit mentally drained and have quite a bit of prep work for this upcoming week.  (Starting school full-steam-ahead the day after getting back from vacation might not have been the brightest idea.....).

So, sorry this apology post is a bit boring.  Will try and get back to 3 posts a week next week.

Have a great weekend!