It is fun to see all the pictures of the kiddos getting ready for the first day of school. It is also fun to read all the sappy Facebook posts about how no one can believe how fast time goes and their kids shouldn't be this old yet. While I agree with most of that I can't get Cliff Huxtable out of my head when it comes to kids leaving for college. If you don't remember Cliff Huxtable he's Bill Cosby from the "The Cosby Show" in the '80s and you should look it up. I remember each time one of his kids turned 18 he'd have their suitcases packed and by the door eagerly waiting for them to be out of the house and on their own. I believe one specific episode he had most, if not all, of the kids out of the house and he was ready for some peace and quiet, but alas someone moved back in. The image of him and suitcases by the door has always stuck with me, and I've consciously began drilling into my boys' heads that when they hit 18 they're off to college and out of the house! I don't know if momma is down with that plan but you've got to start early!
Now I'm in no hurry for the boys to grow up, but I think I might be ready for some peace and quiet after 20 some years of rambunctious boys in the house. I suppose after a week of the quiet I'll be wanting the noise again, but for now let me dream of having my house back!
As the school year begins, and we're reminded just how fast time really does fly, we need to make sure we're slowing down and not missing everything. I think a lot as my boys grow up so fast of all the things I want to do with them yet, and if I'm not intentional about doing them then time is going to slip away and they'll be off with families of their own. I'm also reminded of my relationship with the Spirit and how if I'm not intentional with that it gets pushed back and neglected. It is so easy to get busy with life, and time flies by, and before you know it it's too late to do some of the things you wanted to do. Or, you've been so busy you've neglected your walk with the Spirit and then when you really need that connection it takes a little time to tune back in because you've been tuned out for so long.
So, as the school year begins let's take a moment to think about what's important in our lives and prioritize them. God, family, job, other...does that look like your priority list? If it doesn't then what comes before God and family, and is that truly more important than them? I certainly hope not!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Yee-Haw!!!
We just finished up another great year of VBS! What a joy it was to partner with the Neola Presbyterian church and see a group of about 80 kids come and have a blast and learn a little something too. The program on Sunday was pretty cool if I do say so myself. Again, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped with VBS in anyway, and a special thank you to Tracy for all her hard work in organizing and running the VBS.
As I talked about during my sermon it was neat to see and feel the kids enthusiasm. It was neat to watch the kids get into the singing and dancing more and more. The first time we sang the songs some of the kids were pretty reserved and didn't get too involved. By the end of the first night they were really getting into both the words and the actions of the songs. The final couple of nights I think they were eagerly waiting to sing along with the songs. It was also neat to talk with the kids and hear about what they learned and what they took away from the whole week. If you were there to see it the kids energy was infectious and it made your day no matter how tired you thought you were.
As I reflected on their eagerness to learn I wondered where our eagerness to learn about and serve God goes. How come as we get older that unbridled enthusiasm is harder and harder to find. Ok, I'll admit there is no way we will have the same energy as 3 year old's through 5th graders, but how come it is hard to find that joy? Think about the energy in church if we all came with the same eagerness to see what we could learn about God and experience the Spirit's presence. How different would our worship experience be if we really let our whole selves get involved in the worship service? I'm not advocating for dancing in the aisles and a lot of hootin and hollerin', but maybe a small change in our attitude. Instead of walking into the sanctuary with our minds full of lists of things to do, minds tired from having to be up before noon, or whatever else gets in our way of fully engaging in worship, how would we connect with God if we were simply eager to see what we could learn and experience again?!
So, the next time you're settling into worship take some time to clear your mind and prepare yourself to experience the Spirit in a new and exciting way.
As I talked about during my sermon it was neat to see and feel the kids enthusiasm. It was neat to watch the kids get into the singing and dancing more and more. The first time we sang the songs some of the kids were pretty reserved and didn't get too involved. By the end of the first night they were really getting into both the words and the actions of the songs. The final couple of nights I think they were eagerly waiting to sing along with the songs. It was also neat to talk with the kids and hear about what they learned and what they took away from the whole week. If you were there to see it the kids energy was infectious and it made your day no matter how tired you thought you were.
As I reflected on their eagerness to learn I wondered where our eagerness to learn about and serve God goes. How come as we get older that unbridled enthusiasm is harder and harder to find. Ok, I'll admit there is no way we will have the same energy as 3 year old's through 5th graders, but how come it is hard to find that joy? Think about the energy in church if we all came with the same eagerness to see what we could learn about God and experience the Spirit's presence. How different would our worship experience be if we really let our whole selves get involved in the worship service? I'm not advocating for dancing in the aisles and a lot of hootin and hollerin', but maybe a small change in our attitude. Instead of walking into the sanctuary with our minds full of lists of things to do, minds tired from having to be up before noon, or whatever else gets in our way of fully engaging in worship, how would we connect with God if we were simply eager to see what we could learn and experience again?!
So, the next time you're settling into worship take some time to clear your mind and prepare yourself to experience the Spirit in a new and exciting way.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Busy...Busy...Busy...burnout...
Whoa!!! We survived RAGBRAI! What an interesting experience to say the least. We made some money for the youth group and we got to see and talk to a lot of interesting people. Even though it was fun and interesting I'm glad we don't have to do it every year! There is a lot of planning and work that goes on in preparing for that event. All the planning and work that went into getting ready made me think a lot about how we get busy in life and before we know it life is rushing by so fast we look back and wonder what we've missed.
The sermon this week focused on the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus visited their house and while Martha busied herself making the guests feel comfortable Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him talk. Martha, as would any of us I think, asked Jesus to tell Mary to get off her butt and help with the work of meal preparation. But, instead of Jesus siding with Martha he said that Mary had chosen the right thing by sitting and listening to him. So, in this story Jesus seems to be saying it's okay to sit by and let someone else work! Well not exactly, but I believe this story is a reminder that sometimes we get so busy in our lives that we don't have time to relax, recharge and listen for Jesus. Usually what happens is we work ourselves so much we are either forced to stop because we get physically ill and our bodies make the decision for us, or we get so burnt out and frustrated we just can't handle it anymore.
The story of Jesus' visit with Martha and Mary reminds us that while doing work, whether it be volunteer or job related or church related or whatever, is important, but it has to be balanced with rest, relaxation and recharging. God rested on the 7th day, Jesus often went off and prayed by himself, why do we find it a badge of honor to work ourselves silly? Somehow we think that taking time for ourselves, and perhaps even saying "no" once in awhile is taboo. Do we have a martyr complex? Do we like to show others how busy we are and how "important" we are because of all the stuff we can juggle? Will it not get done if we don't do it? How do we know what can get done if we don't let someone else do it? How do we expect more help if we're always the ones saying we'll do it and take care of it? Jesus himself is telling us that if we're too busy to find time to listen to him and find time to rest, relax, and recharge then he isn't impressed with our work. In fact, he would say slow down and stop it.
We aren't doing anyone any favors trying to be super dad/mom/friend/coworker/brother/sister/volunteer if in the end we become so tired and burnout that we're resentful towards the work we do. We need to learn to recognize when we're becoming too busy. The signs are different for everyone, but if you see your family less then coworkers and others then...here's your sign. If you realize that you are starting to resent the work you've volunteered to do then...here's your sign. If you find yourself short and snippy with people then...here's your sign. Of course there are times in our lives when responsibilities take a front seat to anything else, but if that starts to become the norm instead of the exception then I think a priority check is in order. And I certainly hope that finding time to spend with the Spirit and Jesus isn't pushed back, because that is time that you will find rewarding beyond any work you do...I promise!
The sermon this week focused on the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus visited their house and while Martha busied herself making the guests feel comfortable Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him talk. Martha, as would any of us I think, asked Jesus to tell Mary to get off her butt and help with the work of meal preparation. But, instead of Jesus siding with Martha he said that Mary had chosen the right thing by sitting and listening to him. So, in this story Jesus seems to be saying it's okay to sit by and let someone else work! Well not exactly, but I believe this story is a reminder that sometimes we get so busy in our lives that we don't have time to relax, recharge and listen for Jesus. Usually what happens is we work ourselves so much we are either forced to stop because we get physically ill and our bodies make the decision for us, or we get so burnt out and frustrated we just can't handle it anymore.
The story of Jesus' visit with Martha and Mary reminds us that while doing work, whether it be volunteer or job related or church related or whatever, is important, but it has to be balanced with rest, relaxation and recharging. God rested on the 7th day, Jesus often went off and prayed by himself, why do we find it a badge of honor to work ourselves silly? Somehow we think that taking time for ourselves, and perhaps even saying "no" once in awhile is taboo. Do we have a martyr complex? Do we like to show others how busy we are and how "important" we are because of all the stuff we can juggle? Will it not get done if we don't do it? How do we know what can get done if we don't let someone else do it? How do we expect more help if we're always the ones saying we'll do it and take care of it? Jesus himself is telling us that if we're too busy to find time to listen to him and find time to rest, relax, and recharge then he isn't impressed with our work. In fact, he would say slow down and stop it.
We aren't doing anyone any favors trying to be super dad/mom/friend/coworker/brother/sister/volunteer if in the end we become so tired and burnout that we're resentful towards the work we do. We need to learn to recognize when we're becoming too busy. The signs are different for everyone, but if you see your family less then coworkers and others then...here's your sign. If you realize that you are starting to resent the work you've volunteered to do then...here's your sign. If you find yourself short and snippy with people then...here's your sign. Of course there are times in our lives when responsibilities take a front seat to anything else, but if that starts to become the norm instead of the exception then I think a priority check is in order. And I certainly hope that finding time to spend with the Spirit and Jesus isn't pushed back, because that is time that you will find rewarding beyond any work you do...I promise!
Monday, July 8, 2013
Southern California...was this work or play?
I just got back from the United Church of Christ's national meeting, which is called General Synod, that is held every two years. I was selected as a delegate to represent the Iowa Conference and I reluctantly agreed to attend the meeting which was held in Long Beach, California. You know, sometimes you just have to take one for the team! It would suffice to say I was looking forward to the location and not necessarily the meetings and conference. I was pleasantly surprised by both actually.
Of course the weather was great. It was a little unseasonably humid for southern California, but we suffered through it. We arrived in Long Beach Thursday afternoon. The conference didn't start until Friday afternoon so I took the chance to rent a car, cruise the Pacific Coast Highway, and also take in a Dodger game. Once the conference started on Friday our free time was cut down so the rental had to go back. I would be lying if I didn't say the pull of the beach and the convertible was stronger then sitting in the convention center for meetings, but I resisted the urge and decided to attend the conference.
There were about 800 delegates from around the country, and there were about 2000 visitors from around the country that came to General Synod. The conference consisted of elections of our national officers, the recognition of some dignitaries, worship, and the work was the passing of resolutions. The resolutions were debated in committees on Saturday and then brought to all the delegates for a vote. Let's just say the voting on the resolutions is where the conference really bogged down. The resolutions were anything from a statement denouncing bullying to a call for the UCC to divest itself from companies that profit from fossil fuels. The process of amendments, voting, the voices for and the voices against worked a lot like any committee/meeting works so you can imagine it really got tiresome sometimes, but some good work was done.
What was really cool about General Synod was the chance to meet some new friends, to experience some different worship styles, to see God active in our wider church, and to be reminded that there is a lot of good stuff going on around the country and in our denomination. Now, I may not agree with all the things the national UCC does, and I didn't agree with all the resolutions, but I do really enjoy the fact that the UCC really strives to the an inclusive and all loving church that welcomes all...even those they may disagree with that very policy. I don't always do a good job of keeping our church connected to the wider church, and attending General Synod was a great reminder to me that God is at work in the wider church.
One final take away from General Synod was a reminder to me again to how blessed I am to be serving at the Minden United Church of Christ. I listen to a lot of ministers talk about their struggles, and I was humbled at the way the Spirit has worked with our church and helped shape us into the church family we are. I know I make a lot of mistakes, and I am thankful you are willing to work with me through those mistakes. With the leading of the Spirit we will continue to be a light in this community and a great faith family together.
Of course the weather was great. It was a little unseasonably humid for southern California, but we suffered through it. We arrived in Long Beach Thursday afternoon. The conference didn't start until Friday afternoon so I took the chance to rent a car, cruise the Pacific Coast Highway, and also take in a Dodger game. Once the conference started on Friday our free time was cut down so the rental had to go back. I would be lying if I didn't say the pull of the beach and the convertible was stronger then sitting in the convention center for meetings, but I resisted the urge and decided to attend the conference.
There were about 800 delegates from around the country, and there were about 2000 visitors from around the country that came to General Synod. The conference consisted of elections of our national officers, the recognition of some dignitaries, worship, and the work was the passing of resolutions. The resolutions were debated in committees on Saturday and then brought to all the delegates for a vote. Let's just say the voting on the resolutions is where the conference really bogged down. The resolutions were anything from a statement denouncing bullying to a call for the UCC to divest itself from companies that profit from fossil fuels. The process of amendments, voting, the voices for and the voices against worked a lot like any committee/meeting works so you can imagine it really got tiresome sometimes, but some good work was done.
What was really cool about General Synod was the chance to meet some new friends, to experience some different worship styles, to see God active in our wider church, and to be reminded that there is a lot of good stuff going on around the country and in our denomination. Now, I may not agree with all the things the national UCC does, and I didn't agree with all the resolutions, but I do really enjoy the fact that the UCC really strives to the an inclusive and all loving church that welcomes all...even those they may disagree with that very policy. I don't always do a good job of keeping our church connected to the wider church, and attending General Synod was a great reminder to me that God is at work in the wider church.
One final take away from General Synod was a reminder to me again to how blessed I am to be serving at the Minden United Church of Christ. I listen to a lot of ministers talk about their struggles, and I was humbled at the way the Spirit has worked with our church and helped shape us into the church family we are. I know I make a lot of mistakes, and I am thankful you are willing to work with me through those mistakes. With the leading of the Spirit we will continue to be a light in this community and a great faith family together.
Monday, June 24, 2013
If only we'd try so hard
As I'm sure most of you know there are two little boys in our family that keep us on our toes. What you might not know is that we've allowed them to have mo-hawk hair cuts and I think we may have unlocked some inner source of energy that was previously untapped. I'm not sure we can scientifically document this development, but empirical evidence seems to suggest a correlation between mo-hawk haircuts and craziness!
Alex has reached the age now, close to 4, where he has lots of questions about what's going on in the world. Everything from why doesn't the sky fall on us to what happens if we buy a semi. Isaac has been at that stage for a few years now and having both of them asking whatever pops into their minds makes for some exciting car rides and very entertaining conversations. Besides their natural curiosity to know how things work around them they have a great desire to please. I'm sure this isn't confined to my kids, but they try so hard sometimes to be helpful and to please that they get in their own way. We have to constantly remind Alex that the fire in the grill is hot and "help" is not opening the lid every minute to make sure the fire isn't burning the meat! As I look back on their questions, and as I do my level best to answer them without getting too annoyed, even if it is to explain for the 100th time that we have no use for a semi and that I don't know why God only gave us 2 legs, I wonder how our lives would be different if we approached our relationship with God in a similar way.
As adults we lose that sense of wonder and curiosity don't we? We think we have a pretty good handle on how the world works, we think we have a pretty good handle on how God works, and so we really stop asking questions and that sense of awe goes away. Of course our certainty about how things should work can get shattered pretty quickly once the roof caves in, but that's a different blog. Along with losing that sense of awe and wonder about life and the world we also lose a little bit of that sense to please. I suppose we're all trying to please someone or prove ourselves to someone throughout our lives, but are we living in a way that would please God? How often do we even consider what God might think of our actions and decisions? How often do we stop and ask God a bunch of questions about how things work and how we're supposed to interact with them?
My sense is we don't do it often enough. We believe we know what's best for our lives, and so we don't invite God into the decision making process very much. We have become jaded and have lost a part of that awe, and healthy fear, of God so we don't value or seek God's input in our daily lives. Oh, we'll try and find God when the sky is falling or when we think we have a huge decision to make, but how often do we invoke God in our daily lives? How would our lives be different if we made God a part of every decision we made? Ok, so every decision might be a little extreme, but I certainly believe God want's to be a bigger part of our lives if we'll ask God to be. And the best part is God will never get impatient when you ask the same question for the millionth time! Don't you think you would benefit from more God in your life? I know I would!
Alex has reached the age now, close to 4, where he has lots of questions about what's going on in the world. Everything from why doesn't the sky fall on us to what happens if we buy a semi. Isaac has been at that stage for a few years now and having both of them asking whatever pops into their minds makes for some exciting car rides and very entertaining conversations. Besides their natural curiosity to know how things work around them they have a great desire to please. I'm sure this isn't confined to my kids, but they try so hard sometimes to be helpful and to please that they get in their own way. We have to constantly remind Alex that the fire in the grill is hot and "help" is not opening the lid every minute to make sure the fire isn't burning the meat! As I look back on their questions, and as I do my level best to answer them without getting too annoyed, even if it is to explain for the 100th time that we have no use for a semi and that I don't know why God only gave us 2 legs, I wonder how our lives would be different if we approached our relationship with God in a similar way.
As adults we lose that sense of wonder and curiosity don't we? We think we have a pretty good handle on how the world works, we think we have a pretty good handle on how God works, and so we really stop asking questions and that sense of awe goes away. Of course our certainty about how things should work can get shattered pretty quickly once the roof caves in, but that's a different blog. Along with losing that sense of awe and wonder about life and the world we also lose a little bit of that sense to please. I suppose we're all trying to please someone or prove ourselves to someone throughout our lives, but are we living in a way that would please God? How often do we even consider what God might think of our actions and decisions? How often do we stop and ask God a bunch of questions about how things work and how we're supposed to interact with them?
My sense is we don't do it often enough. We believe we know what's best for our lives, and so we don't invite God into the decision making process very much. We have become jaded and have lost a part of that awe, and healthy fear, of God so we don't value or seek God's input in our daily lives. Oh, we'll try and find God when the sky is falling or when we think we have a huge decision to make, but how often do we invoke God in our daily lives? How would our lives be different if we made God a part of every decision we made? Ok, so every decision might be a little extreme, but I certainly believe God want's to be a bigger part of our lives if we'll ask God to be. And the best part is God will never get impatient when you ask the same question for the millionth time! Don't you think you would benefit from more God in your life? I know I would!
Monday, June 17, 2013
Something stuck in my craw...
First off...is that how you spell craw? Anyway, I've been thinking about something lately and I'm going to vent a little bit about it. So I apologize in advance if this seems a little down beat in any way. If you're still reading then here we go!
A disclaimer: I am a sport nut. I watch too much on TV, according to some in our house, and my boys are involved in a lot of sports. I try to catch as many sporting events as I can, and my children will continue to be involved in sports as long as they enjoy them and want to be, and I believe sports can teach our kids a lot about life...disclaimer over.
Have you guessed what's stuck in my craw? It's been rattling around in my brain that past couple of weeks... the comparison between our dedication to sports verses our dedication to church. We will wake up at the crack of dawn to get to our kid's sporting event, but man waking up before 9 or 10 on a Sunday morning can be tough. We will spend hours upon hours watching practices and games and traveling to sporting events, but taking an hour on Sunday for church and maybe another hour for Sunday school seems like asking a lot. Even more difficult is finding 15 to 30 minutes a day for scripture reading and prayer...(I'm guilty of this a lot). I haven't even mentioned volunteering for other activities at church...just how much time does one person have! We're willing to sacrifice almost anything to make sure our kids have everything they need to succeed in a sport, time, money, blood, sweat and tears, but ask us to sacrifice time and money for church then that's another story.
I know this isn't true for everyone, but I'm willing to bet it's true for more of us then we think. I know I'm guilty in this too. Why isn't there more emphasis on church and growing our spiritual lives and serving God? I don't think very many of our kids are going to go on and earn a living playing a sport. I can guarantee that those same kids will need God in their lives. So why don't we put more of an emphasis on building our own spiritual life and that of our children? Is it simply because church/Sunday school isn't nearly as exciting as a sporting event? Is it because we don't always get instant gratification from a scriptural lesson? Is it because the church as failed at getting the point across how important a faith life is?
As with all good questions the answer is probable a mix of all the above. We don't think we have enough time so we push God to the background, and we hope our kids will figure it out on their own later. If that's the thought then what would happen if we applied that logic to other areas of their lives? Oh they'll figure out driving later on their own, they'll prepare for college later when they have more time. Sounds silly doesn't it. I think it's easy to push God aside because we know that God will forgive us and welcome us back, so like any good diet and exercise program we'll start tomorrow....well when does that tomorrow come?
God is forgiving, and God will welcome us back, but God is also fair. Which means if we continue to push God aside then we'll miss a lot of blessings God has in store for us simply because we ignored Him. Not to mention anything about eternal life and possible consequences of ignoring God all along. (My thoughts aren't fully developed down this eternal life road (heaven vs. hell), but I do think we ignore the judgmental aspect of God too much). Also, if we neglect our end of the connection to God then when we need God the most in our lives we aren't going to connect right away because we aren't in the habit of doing so. You can't play a sport well if you don't practice, how do you plan to be able to connect and bask in God's presence if we don't practice doing so? And, our kids pick up what's important from us. If we don't make church and our own spiritual life a priority why should they? Osmosis doesn't work. I would think a strong faith foundation and life would be the best thing we could do for our kids in preparing them for the real world, yet we find it so hard to do so. Yet we dare not miss that next practice!
Rant over...obviously I struggle with this dichotomy too...some food for thought!
A disclaimer: I am a sport nut. I watch too much on TV, according to some in our house, and my boys are involved in a lot of sports. I try to catch as many sporting events as I can, and my children will continue to be involved in sports as long as they enjoy them and want to be, and I believe sports can teach our kids a lot about life...disclaimer over.
Have you guessed what's stuck in my craw? It's been rattling around in my brain that past couple of weeks... the comparison between our dedication to sports verses our dedication to church. We will wake up at the crack of dawn to get to our kid's sporting event, but man waking up before 9 or 10 on a Sunday morning can be tough. We will spend hours upon hours watching practices and games and traveling to sporting events, but taking an hour on Sunday for church and maybe another hour for Sunday school seems like asking a lot. Even more difficult is finding 15 to 30 minutes a day for scripture reading and prayer...(I'm guilty of this a lot). I haven't even mentioned volunteering for other activities at church...just how much time does one person have! We're willing to sacrifice almost anything to make sure our kids have everything they need to succeed in a sport, time, money, blood, sweat and tears, but ask us to sacrifice time and money for church then that's another story.
I know this isn't true for everyone, but I'm willing to bet it's true for more of us then we think. I know I'm guilty in this too. Why isn't there more emphasis on church and growing our spiritual lives and serving God? I don't think very many of our kids are going to go on and earn a living playing a sport. I can guarantee that those same kids will need God in their lives. So why don't we put more of an emphasis on building our own spiritual life and that of our children? Is it simply because church/Sunday school isn't nearly as exciting as a sporting event? Is it because we don't always get instant gratification from a scriptural lesson? Is it because the church as failed at getting the point across how important a faith life is?
As with all good questions the answer is probable a mix of all the above. We don't think we have enough time so we push God to the background, and we hope our kids will figure it out on their own later. If that's the thought then what would happen if we applied that logic to other areas of their lives? Oh they'll figure out driving later on their own, they'll prepare for college later when they have more time. Sounds silly doesn't it. I think it's easy to push God aside because we know that God will forgive us and welcome us back, so like any good diet and exercise program we'll start tomorrow....well when does that tomorrow come?
God is forgiving, and God will welcome us back, but God is also fair. Which means if we continue to push God aside then we'll miss a lot of blessings God has in store for us simply because we ignored Him. Not to mention anything about eternal life and possible consequences of ignoring God all along. (My thoughts aren't fully developed down this eternal life road (heaven vs. hell), but I do think we ignore the judgmental aspect of God too much). Also, if we neglect our end of the connection to God then when we need God the most in our lives we aren't going to connect right away because we aren't in the habit of doing so. You can't play a sport well if you don't practice, how do you plan to be able to connect and bask in God's presence if we don't practice doing so? And, our kids pick up what's important from us. If we don't make church and our own spiritual life a priority why should they? Osmosis doesn't work. I would think a strong faith foundation and life would be the best thing we could do for our kids in preparing them for the real world, yet we find it so hard to do so. Yet we dare not miss that next practice!
Rant over...obviously I struggle with this dichotomy too...some food for thought!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sometimes you just have to laugh...
Last Sunday I gave a children's sermon that was supposed to get us thinking about faith and how it might be difficult to explain,yet we can still believe. I asked the kids if they could explain how gravity works. I asked the kids what would happen if they jumped off their bed...of course they responded that they would fall to the floor. Then I asked if they could explain how the force of gravity works. They couldn't explain it and I don't think I could either. My point was that just like we can't explain gravity we might not be able to explain how faith works either. But, just because we can't explain or define exactly gravity or faith we can see their effects. I was hoping to get the point across that we can believe and have faith in God even if we can't understand how all that "stuff" works. Well, I think I failed. We get home from church and Isaac has a question. I'm feeling good because I think the fantastic children's sermon stirred something in him and he has a deep theological question...naw...he wants to know how he can jump off the bed and float up the ceiling! Yup...figuring out a way to defy gravity is more exciting then faith I guess.
Isaac's question did get me thinking though. Do we take our faith for granted? Do we just expect our faith to be able to carry us through the difficult times and always be there for us? Of course we can expect God to always be there, but if we do nothing to strengthen our relationship the connection on our end might get a little bad. God never moves. We instead move away from Him when we neglect our relationship with him. The trick to keeping our faith alive and growing is feeding and strengthening it at all times especially when times are good. I have a tendency to let my devotional time slide when things are going good in my life, and then when I hit a rough patch I of course tend to read the Bible and pray more. Silly I know, and then I wonder sometimes why I can't feel God as well when I think I need him the most. Well, I've neglected the relationship and it takes time again to tune my soul and spirit to God's Spirit. Again God's Spirit didn't move away from me, I neglected the relationship and had to rebuild it again.
I need to be better about continually building my relationship during the ups and downs. How about you? Can you be strengthening your connection now so it's ready and strong when then the rough patches come?
Isaac's question did get me thinking though. Do we take our faith for granted? Do we just expect our faith to be able to carry us through the difficult times and always be there for us? Of course we can expect God to always be there, but if we do nothing to strengthen our relationship the connection on our end might get a little bad. God never moves. We instead move away from Him when we neglect our relationship with him. The trick to keeping our faith alive and growing is feeding and strengthening it at all times especially when times are good. I have a tendency to let my devotional time slide when things are going good in my life, and then when I hit a rough patch I of course tend to read the Bible and pray more. Silly I know, and then I wonder sometimes why I can't feel God as well when I think I need him the most. Well, I've neglected the relationship and it takes time again to tune my soul and spirit to God's Spirit. Again God's Spirit didn't move away from me, I neglected the relationship and had to rebuild it again.
I need to be better about continually building my relationship during the ups and downs. How about you? Can you be strengthening your connection now so it's ready and strong when then the rough patches come?
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