Just running through the final items on my checklist for my trip to Togo in West Africa, and I have discovered that there is no money left on my Starbucks card. "What?! I haven't used it in so long, how could there be nothing left on it?!" Maybe that's why I haven't used it in so long - nothing on it. (duh!) But that's just one of the things I have made ready (or, in this case, decided not to make ready) for this trip to go to Togo. (to go to Togo - say it five times as fast as you can) But I wouldn't even be going if it weren't for many who sacrificed to send me. Money represents many things, and Billy Graham said it was one of the hardest things to give when compared to what we as believers are to give. We speak of time, talent, testimony and treasure. Treasure (our money), Dr. Graham said, represents the product of where we have spent our time, doing our work, and speaks to our "voice" in this world. He's right. The sweat of my coworkers brow at Lennox was in the money and snack food he gave me to go to Togo. The hard decisions of running many businesses and the looking after of my nieces and keeping up their home was in the check my sister and brother-in-law sent me to go to Togo. The words of encouragement from a girl that I attended youth group with 25 yrs ago was in her check for me to go to Togo. Many are those who have helped me to go to Togo, and they have entrusted me and others to be their hands and feet to represent Christ in building buildings that will give aid physically and spiritually to people far away. May we be faithful to God and His people and His resources.
The greatest, Jesus said, would be your servant. Jody, Samuel, Solomon & Emma are the greatest to me. They are so gracious to allow their husband and dad to be gone for a time in their lives that they won't get back. They, like all my supporters, are my heroes - giving up their needs, desires to help me. Whoa- very humbling.
O God, may I be faithful to You, like my family and friends, and be a servant to these people of Togo, as my family and friends have been to me. For I am just as needy spiritually as these people of Togo are physically. May You grant me favor with them, and peace to my family back here. You are a good God, and worthy of our praise and everything we have! May we give it these next two weeks!! Togo, West Africa - here we come.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
"Rock Life"
"Hey, put your hands together for me," was my wife's request to the guy who was helping us at Best Buy last night. She had noticed that he had something tattooed on his fingers and wanted to see what it was. He held his fists straight out, palms down and placing them together they read "ROCK LIFE". He didn't offer any explanation, so I jumped at the chance to ask him if he knew The Rock who was Life! Deer in the headlight look. Another associate of his was standing nearby, listening as he restocked an area, and so I asked him the same question. He said he knew, "It's that wrestler guy." "No " I said, "He can't offer life - eternal life, that is. I'm talking about the Rock you can put your hope for eternity in - Jesus Christ!" More deer in the headlight looks. I was able to share with them for a few minutes the hope Christ offered for those who trusted His sacrifice for their sin. Silence. No anger, no sarcasm, no nothing! These guys were in their early 20's, and looked like they were pretty savvy about what was happening in the world, but when I mentioned Christ and His life for ours: nothing. Well, I gave a parting word, thanked him for his help and then we left.
The more I thought of that interaction, the more I tried to examine what I shared -Was I too abrupt? Was I using "churchy" language? Was I too forceful or belligerent? Bad timing? - you know, all the usual things that go through your head as you seek to analyse presenting the gospel. Earlier in the day, at work, I had the opportunity to speak with a coworker who had just lost his father, and with whom I had shared Christ multiple times, and his response "seemingly" was more contemplative than ever before. Now these two encounters spontaneously (Holy Spirit chosen) arose out of different circumstances for what reason? For God to miraculously breath new life into a dead man? For His name to be exalted among the nations as it deserved? For His erring child to better know the discipline of sharing the good news of a Savior? For me to trust Him with "results"? All of these things could have been God's desire - I just want to be found faithful, and trust Him for whatever He wants to accomplish. As Keith Green sings, "Just keep doin' your best, and pray that it's blessed, and Jesus takes care of the rest!" So, Lord, do that in me - make me what You desire, send me where You want me to go, give me the words You want me to say - by the power of Your Holy Spirit!
So, in your day, if you will, pray for Ron, my coworker, and Kyle, my Best Buy helper. Two men who need God to "cause them to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
The more I thought of that interaction, the more I tried to examine what I shared -Was I too abrupt? Was I using "churchy" language? Was I too forceful or belligerent? Bad timing? - you know, all the usual things that go through your head as you seek to analyse presenting the gospel. Earlier in the day, at work, I had the opportunity to speak with a coworker who had just lost his father, and with whom I had shared Christ multiple times, and his response "seemingly" was more contemplative than ever before. Now these two encounters spontaneously (Holy Spirit chosen) arose out of different circumstances for what reason? For God to miraculously breath new life into a dead man? For His name to be exalted among the nations as it deserved? For His erring child to better know the discipline of sharing the good news of a Savior? For me to trust Him with "results"? All of these things could have been God's desire - I just want to be found faithful, and trust Him for whatever He wants to accomplish. As Keith Green sings, "Just keep doin' your best, and pray that it's blessed, and Jesus takes care of the rest!" So, Lord, do that in me - make me what You desire, send me where You want me to go, give me the words You want me to say - by the power of Your Holy Spirit!
So, in your day, if you will, pray for Ron, my coworker, and Kyle, my Best Buy helper. Two men who need God to "cause them to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
Sunday, March 21, 2010
what's, or Who's, it all about?
"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice." To the believer, these are familiar texts from scripture - familiar from the standpoint that we have heard them many times, but may not have an idea who wrote them or where they are in scripture (Ps. 118:24, Phil. 4:4, respectively - I had to look them up) - but to the believing singer, who has been part of leading in worship, these have a melody attached to them.
As I am reading through scripture this year, the psalm I read today contains the verse that, when I noticed it some years ago, became the reason why its scriptural to say that singers aren't musicians. "WHAT?! Wait a minute! Ever since I've been singing, we singers have been told that we aren't "real" musicians because we can't count, can't read and, consistently need to be the ones fronted, as opposed to be in the background. While some of that may be true, for all musicians, vocalists and instrumentalists, how can you say scripture speaks to the fact that singers aren't musicians?!"
Some background: I am trumpet player, first, then a singer, then a keyboardist. Trained in the first two, totally untrained in the last. I almost stopped pursuing singing because of the idea from many instrumentalists - singers aren't musicians. But, while being an instrumentalist and agreeing that many of the singers I worked with didn't practice much, couldn't read very well, and, yes, were "front" people, ie. primadon(na)s, I wanted to set a higher standard for singers, and at least for some small part, nurture the idea that singers can be musicians. But, much to my surprise and dismay, when I had saw that scripture differentiated between singers and musicians, I had to correct my experience with the light of truth. Read Psalm 68:25, "the singers in front, the musicians last,..." There it is. The very words that made me roll my eyes whenever I heard a band or orchestra director or worship leader say them in a rehearsal, or laugh at myself when I had spoken them myself in working on a production with, yes, singers and musicians. I would find myself apologizing to the singers, correcting myself by saying, "Vocalists here, instrumentalists here"; but all this time it was scriptural to distinguish singers from musicians.
Well, if you haven't figured out by now, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. I think we all know that you don't build a theological stand on one verse, but I do believe scripture is inerrant and speaks to us in our everyday life. So what does my loving Father want me to understand or know or see about Him in this psalm? The whole point is not what I think is important, but what God says is. I chuckle every year I read this verse because it is just what this singer/musician needs to hear - it's not about you! Read the whole psalm, all 36 verses. It's a psalm proclaiming God's omnipotence, omnipresence and total awesomeness!! And in seven little words in verse 25, God speaks to my heart about how I need to respond to Him - with humility and adoration. And I do that best by remembering Who He is, what He's done and Who it's all about! "Blessed be God!"
As I am reading through scripture this year, the psalm I read today contains the verse that, when I noticed it some years ago, became the reason why its scriptural to say that singers aren't musicians. "WHAT?! Wait a minute! Ever since I've been singing, we singers have been told that we aren't "real" musicians because we can't count, can't read and, consistently need to be the ones fronted, as opposed to be in the background. While some of that may be true, for all musicians, vocalists and instrumentalists, how can you say scripture speaks to the fact that singers aren't musicians?!"
Some background: I am trumpet player, first, then a singer, then a keyboardist. Trained in the first two, totally untrained in the last. I almost stopped pursuing singing because of the idea from many instrumentalists - singers aren't musicians. But, while being an instrumentalist and agreeing that many of the singers I worked with didn't practice much, couldn't read very well, and, yes, were "front" people, ie. primadon(na)s, I wanted to set a higher standard for singers, and at least for some small part, nurture the idea that singers can be musicians. But, much to my surprise and dismay, when I had saw that scripture differentiated between singers and musicians, I had to correct my experience with the light of truth. Read Psalm 68:25, "the singers in front, the musicians last,..." There it is. The very words that made me roll my eyes whenever I heard a band or orchestra director or worship leader say them in a rehearsal, or laugh at myself when I had spoken them myself in working on a production with, yes, singers and musicians. I would find myself apologizing to the singers, correcting myself by saying, "Vocalists here, instrumentalists here"; but all this time it was scriptural to distinguish singers from musicians.
Well, if you haven't figured out by now, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. I think we all know that you don't build a theological stand on one verse, but I do believe scripture is inerrant and speaks to us in our everyday life. So what does my loving Father want me to understand or know or see about Him in this psalm? The whole point is not what I think is important, but what God says is. I chuckle every year I read this verse because it is just what this singer/musician needs to hear - it's not about you! Read the whole psalm, all 36 verses. It's a psalm proclaiming God's omnipotence, omnipresence and total awesomeness!! And in seven little words in verse 25, God speaks to my heart about how I need to respond to Him - with humility and adoration. And I do that best by remembering Who He is, what He's done and Who it's all about! "Blessed be God!"
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Spring begins... and so does this blog
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” Ps. 46:10
My life verse is the foundation of this blog. This has been the truth that God has used most in me to keep me. Keep me near to Him, keep me looking to Him, keep me trusting and believing Him and keep me knowing Him - hence, still knowledge. Wherever I am or have been, He is. And while at times I have not been faithful to Him, He is. May He increase in me and I decrease.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” Ps. 46:10
My life verse is the foundation of this blog. This has been the truth that God has used most in me to keep me. Keep me near to Him, keep me looking to Him, keep me trusting and believing Him and keep me knowing Him - hence, still knowledge. Wherever I am or have been, He is. And while at times I have not been faithful to Him, He is. May He increase in me and I decrease.
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