Well, I never thought it would happen...at least not while I lived in SW Iowa. My lawn has been mowed before April! Unreal!!! I know this may not be politically or even environmentally correct, but if this past winter and subsequent sprint are the results of global warming I'm all for it! I cannot believe how green everything is already, and how hard the spring fever bug has hit me.
As spring continues on and we get into summer I did have a sobering moment last night with Tracy. We had sat down and began to plan our summer, and apparently our summer is filled up already! It isn't even April and we're scrambling to fit everything we want to do in the summer into the summer. Everyone keeps telling me that as the boys get older we will get even busier, but I'm not sure that's possible.
I know as a pastor I should make some deep theological point here about our busy lives and making time for the Spirit and God, but I've spoken about that enough. I think for today I'm just going to leave you with a thought...What is one thing you really want to do this summer? Think of one thing...whatever it is I want you to go to your calendar and find time to do it. Write it down, block off the time, and make sure you get to it. If you don't, summer is going to be gone, you'll be raking leaves, and preparing the shovel. Don't wake up one cold fall day and wish you would have made time to do it...git-r-done!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Prayers...Routine or Real?
Tracy and I have started to have Isaac say some prayers before he goes to bed each night. We felt it important to get him at least pointed in the right direction and to start some habits early. Who knows how it will turn out, but at least we can say we tried! It is interesting in the least to hear what he comes up with, and it amazes me sometimes who and/or what he thinks about praying for. Hearing those prayers brings home the story when Jesus talks about having the faith of a child to enter into heaven. Right now Isaac has no doubts he's talking to Jesus and Jesus is listening...that certainty of faith is certainly amazing and it is too bad our adult minds can mess it up as we get older.
What I've been noticing lately is that he has tended now to say the same thing each night in an attempt to get the prayer over with quickly. You'd think a "normal" 5 year old would drag the prayer on for ever to keep himself from having to go to bed! Last night he buzzed right through it without seemingly giving a thought to what he was saying. He was just repeating what he'd been saying the nights before. What he was praying for was fine, but it had become robotic and it got me to thinking if we become almost robotic in our prayer life. I reminded him that he was talking to Jesus and that he need to think about what he wanted to pray about and not just rush through it. Good advice for us too I think.
Examine for a second who you pray. Is it the same requests over and over, do you mean what you are saying or are you rushing through it so you can check another thing off your list for the day. Of course some things are worth praying about again and again, but I don't think the prayer should become so automatic it rolls off your tongue without a thought behind it. Now, I certainly can't say God listens better if we put a lot of umph behind the prayer, but I do know it will speak to us more if we think about what we mean each time and honestly pray the words. Familiarity can bread contempt...let's not let it happen in or prayer lives!
What I've been noticing lately is that he has tended now to say the same thing each night in an attempt to get the prayer over with quickly. You'd think a "normal" 5 year old would drag the prayer on for ever to keep himself from having to go to bed! Last night he buzzed right through it without seemingly giving a thought to what he was saying. He was just repeating what he'd been saying the nights before. What he was praying for was fine, but it had become robotic and it got me to thinking if we become almost robotic in our prayer life. I reminded him that he was talking to Jesus and that he need to think about what he wanted to pray about and not just rush through it. Good advice for us too I think.
Examine for a second who you pray. Is it the same requests over and over, do you mean what you are saying or are you rushing through it so you can check another thing off your list for the day. Of course some things are worth praying about again and again, but I don't think the prayer should become so automatic it rolls off your tongue without a thought behind it. Now, I certainly can't say God listens better if we put a lot of umph behind the prayer, but I do know it will speak to us more if we think about what we mean each time and honestly pray the words. Familiarity can bread contempt...let's not let it happen in or prayer lives!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Chicken Coma
We survived another year of the SW Iowa "famous" Staley's chicken dinner here at church. What a glorious turnout. If my memory serves, and that is a BIG if, I believe we had the best crowd since I've been here. We served more than 350 people! I know what a big undertaking this is, and it takes a lot of people and hard work to pull this dinner off. My heart is always warmed seeing people working and having a little bit of fun doing it.
I was asked if this was a fundraiser for the church. The dinner does raise some money, but I see value in hosting the dinner that goes beyond the money. Where else do you see kids serving others water and coffee...where else do you see generations working side by side and enjoying doing so...where else do you see so many faces, both new and old, working together towards a common goal? I know some of the jobs aren't all that fun, and it can be tiring working for those few hours, but knowing we are helping serve a bigger purpose makes it all worth it in my mind.
So, thank you to EVERYONE who had a hand in making this dinner a huge success! Thank you also to all who came an enjoyed the food and fellowship. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!
I was asked if this was a fundraiser for the church. The dinner does raise some money, but I see value in hosting the dinner that goes beyond the money. Where else do you see kids serving others water and coffee...where else do you see generations working side by side and enjoying doing so...where else do you see so many faces, both new and old, working together towards a common goal? I know some of the jobs aren't all that fun, and it can be tiring working for those few hours, but knowing we are helping serve a bigger purpose makes it all worth it in my mind.
So, thank you to EVERYONE who had a hand in making this dinner a huge success! Thank you also to all who came an enjoyed the food and fellowship. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!
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