Church what is it?

Church what is it

I just read a friend Robin’s blog and it sparked a serious thought

I don’t have a church building or denomination that I belong to BUT

I do have a church family. Being weird the way I am it is not surprising to find there are many denominations in my family some I am not sure of even but I know what they believe.

I think it is very important to have both fellowship and accountability and that is often the main reason we need to be sure to be plugged into a church.

But I have friends in many countries, who are Spiritual mentors to me. Some are missionaries and some pastors and pastors wives and then prayer warriors. I also have favorite teachers some of whom range from Baptist to Church of Christ and one or two I am not even sure which denomination they are but you see, I have learned we can’t cage God. God can and does speak through many folks in many denominations. As I commented on his blog my local Methodist church has things I don’t really like how they do. In fact I disagree completely yet one of my mentors is Methodist just not in this country so the beliefs are a tad different there. Less permissive shall we say.

These folks do hold me accountable and are not afraid to ask the hard questions in my life. Not all are far away some live very close, some half a world away but all are faithful and lovingly watch and call me on things.

Then there is the fellowship aspect and yes I go to bible studies locally and so get face to face and hug to hug fellowship. But I also have fellowship on Skype and even through emails and Facebook.

 I guess I am learning that God is more flexible than we give Him credit for. We shouldn’t be surprised as if He was willing to die for us why wouldn’t HE be willing to use a computer.

 Music is a big way of how God talks to me as well. A song will “bite” me and get my attention and send me searching for what God has to say on that score. One such incident was when I was searching and feeling very frustrated at how bible studies often show what God does for us. In other words I was feeling they were all about us, not so much about God. Then “I was made to Love” by Toby Mac, which says, “I was made to love You, I was made to find You, I was made just for You, made to adore You,” and I was suddenly hit by those words and said yes that is the right way around. Then a friend pointed me to the book by Max Lucado called “it’s not about me” and it all started making sense and God and I went searching and finding where He wanted me to be.

I love a few bible teachers and many authors mostly the ones that send me digging deeper into Gods word.

  Then I have the local group of sisters who are so precious to me some in my bible study and some from other churches and my Tea ladies. Friends who are too close to just be friends. So all in all I am blessed and feel I am where God wants me mostly because He is still working in me and teaching me so therefore as the word says He must love me.

It does say He disciples those he loves

(Pro 3:12)  The LORD corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud.

Therefore I am content to be here for now until God leads me to another place.

Ministry

Thoughts on me and the ministry.

Maybe I should call it ministry and our excuses thereto

 I was thinking Wrongly of course but still

 Here I am a wife so I don’t really get to choose where I live and such. I mean I might want to be a missionary in a foreign land working with kids in an orphanage or maybe with folks needing help as a nurse or whatever.

But that’s not really true. Firstly Mark and I always make decisions on where we are going to live together even if his work does dictate to that somewhat. He doesn’t have any more choice than I do as to where the work is etc.

Then as Mother Teresa said you don’t have to go anywhere to be a missionary you can be one on your street.

You see it seems it will be easier if you are labeled a missionary and so are expected to do missionary work right?

Wrong. In fact taking some friends of mine as good examples yes they are missionaries in what is to us a foreign land but it is their home now or they would not be good missionaries to it as they wouldn’t understand the culture and language etc.

 Then again yes he is the missionary that goes out to tribes and such but she ministers to the leaders and their wives in her home all the time and then he has to do mundane things like get the oil changed and car fixed. So tell me what is the real difference. And by the way yes her first job was and is to raise her kids and take care of him.

 So Back to me and my mess. God said have tea parties for the folks on your street. That is your mission field.

SO I said I can do that but did it sort of and only for a while

 I mean we were about to go on a cruise or I had a sore hand or the kids were coming or the house wasn’t clean or I couldn’t vacuum you name it I had excuses

Then I had the thought if I was a real missionary I could do it as it would be my job right?

Then I remembered My friend still has to clean her house and go “home” to raise support and has been way more ill than me and somehow she manages and oh oh there went the excuses. In the meantime God said and by the way and sent some Jehovah’s witnesses who come often and we talk and pray together and then he sent some Mormons and lo and behold I didn’t mind if the house wasn’t that clean and just apologized and went about the business. So then I realized it’s not God it’s me who doesn’t want to get serious about it.

 So I need a plan of action

I need to pick a day a month it doesn’t matter if some folks can’t come on that day if God wants them here they will get here.

And I need to just set that time aside and then I will know when it is coming up and can plan to clean or get help. Hey every time I ask for help with things like vacuuming or the like someone always very willingly helps and Mark often even offers to do things if he knows I am having a tea. SO having a set date will help that and if I am out of town it can be moved.

 Then there is the question of traveling we love to travel and well God said so what is wrong with that can you not shine for me there too. SO now I just have to realize I am there and let him use me when and how he wants I just have to remember I am not allowed to act all yucky and entitled. (which when I think about it I don’t want to anyway so it is a good time to work on that flaw and I get prissy way too much) The main thing is just to remember these folks working in the shops or ship or bus or whatever are folks God loves and they need to know that. SO it is not my job to preach to them or try and convert anyone. It is my job to love them, now how about that for a fun assignment. My job to see if I can do something to show them how special they are how important they are. I mean God loves them enough to have sent Jesus to die for them I can at least let them know thy are loved by Him. No I don’t have to preach either just love them maybe treat them like they are a human instead of a robot. Listen if they are having a bad day give a hug now and then Hey this is the biggest fun thing I can think of and if God can use it Go for it.

 SO I am going to get more serious about it. I have been taking a few things as specials for the “kids” on the ships and such but maybe I can do more. Maybe I can include folks around me like in the pharmacy or maybe the grocery store why wait for a cruise to try make someone smile. Then about those kids in the orphanage, How about being more diligent with the kids in my life writing to our sponsored child more often. Maybe just making more contact and time for the kids on my street. Teaching kids to knit or paint from time to time. Ahhh and then there are all kinds of fun stuff like the tea towel lady who buys those cute cheap tea towels and hands them out from time to time with a ribbon around them and a smile.

 The worst thing is all these things bring me great joy to do them. SO why am I not doing them more often and more diligently. Hey that way God can laugh and say see I told you so I knew you would love doing this so why didn’t you. Sort of like when I had to drag my son to the birthday party when he was young and he had so much fun when he got there.

 SO the key is really realizing this and making some concrete plans so

 How about  a tea every second Friday

How about making up some cute things like the tea towel bundles or a stock of love boxes ready to go. Maybe even just pick up a few extra things like the cute rose soap’s and take them to the Pharmacy or even buying some cookies or a special box of coffee’s or tea’s Maybe having a few non melting things like tea towels in the car so when you notice someone having a bad day you can dash and grab one. And most of all how about buying an extra treat at the grocery store or two and giving it to the checker and the bagger on the way out the store.

 Sorry Lord I am such a slug and you had to use the 2 x 4 to get my attention.

But thanks for your patience with me and your love to and for me

Tink

Tink

 Yesterday Tink arrived.

 Tink is Alex and Chaz’s little baby girl. She is adorable and is so tiny.

 She was born on Friday morning at 1.40am and weighed 4pounds 14 ounces.

 She is so cute and just like a doll and decided to come in some what of a hurry so they tell me. I got to go see her Friday morning around 10 when they brought her to mom.

 I got to hold her and cuddle and then Mom was doing stuff like feeding and changing and I tried painting her. No silly I didn’t put paint on her I tried painting her portrait.

She was born on a Friday so according to the rhyme she will be Loving and giving.

 She is an angel lent to us from God and we hope and pray it is for a very very long time.

I gave her the nickname Tink which was given to me by my great grandmother when I was so tiny and she called me Tink Tinky after the tiny Bird which is like a Hummingbird.

 The poem is a Mother goose Rhyme

Mondays child poem

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

 Funny we learned it as the child that is born on the Sabbath day is good and kind and meek and Gay

Yucky stuff

Yucky stuff

 I have learned that stuff happens and the way to deal with it is often to stop and take stock and then ask a very important question.

 Is this a lifelong or long term problem Like diabetes or is it a short term problem like a bad drug reaction or allergy reaction.

I mean if it is short term you have to figure Ok It is really lousy right now BUT and think like with a drug reaction or allergy thing the next question is how long will it last or how long do I have to tough it out for. Overall this helps me not freak out and feel like I am dying especially with short term ones. I mean a migraine will last 24 hours so take the meds and just keep ding the best you can weather hiding under the eye shield or hot cloth whatever. Yes it is awful but keep thinking it ain’t forever. With allergic reactions keep vigilant for serious side effects and for the rest count the hours but try find something to distract you like a movie or game

On the long term stuff well that is a whole other matter with something like a life long disease you have to ask what do I need to do to make this have the least lousy impact and then go from there

 I know this is probably common sense to some folks but when I am feeling yucky I need someone else to think for me.