Monday morning

King wanted me to be up way earlier than I did this morning.  Of course he succeeded in getting me out of bed, but I shut him out of the bedroom for a few extra minutes.  But I am glad to be up before the sun tops over the hill and to see the sunlight through the trees light up my neighbors first.  Thanks be to God for sunlight streaming in.

Today I read a passage from Job, (42:1-6) and again am reminded of the expression that we want to have a relationship with God, but we want to be the advisors - hmm.  I think I struggle the very  most with not my will, but "THY will be done".  I am not sure why the need to be in control is so strong in me.  I do not see myself as a born leader - I think I am more support person, cheerleader, facilitator, but I accept that those terms sometimes mean taking the lead actions. 

Yesterday (as many days) I struggled with doing too much vs walking away.  I really want to go away for a few days, and felt like others were asking me to take on addition tasks - what to do with the turkeys for the Bazaar, what to do with and for the back pack feeding project.  Get the Pampered chef stuff taken care of (and be sure not to leave anyone out for fear of hurting someone's feelings....).

As I sat in the front listening to the pianist play quiet music for the prelude, I truly surrendered and sat quietly, and asked God to lead me and calm me.  Of course it worked.  I was then reasonably calm to start our service with annoucements and then the start of worship.

I guess that is the same thing I did when I surrendered this morning, got up and sat here quietly with my morning devotion time and watched the sun light up our neighborhood.  It is now high enough to be in my eyes as I sit here at the kitchen table, and I feel prepared to face the day and the world, knowing that God literally has my back, and with Him, all things are possible.  Even tons of tasks to include walking and exercise.

Thanks be to God.

Weather and servant

Yesterday was a beautiful weather day.  A bit cool in the AM as I took my walk - the brilliant blue sky of fall.  As we drove north the colors of the trees were vivid.  Truly at peak in my mind, with several trees down to bare "bones" already. 

After we were done with our appointment we then stalled a bit a the mall, and met up with our son, his wife and their grandchild at a local restaurant for supper.  The baby was fussier than normal.  He had been to a new sitter, and was either or both tired and hungry.  As I think this AM, I guess we are all a bit out of sorts when we are either tired or hungry and certainly both.  As this young child depended on his grandparents to know what he needed to make him happy, so I depend on God to know what I need.  I mean, after all, isn't He omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent? 

But then I am reminded of the prayer we are all taught "our father which art in Heaven"- Hmm, Our father, maybe that means I need to be a bit patient - maybe someone else's need is a tad more important than mine?  And then, that of course leads back to today's reading in Mark (10:35-45) and servant leadership.

So, let me today be a patient, servant leader.  Let me be in a state of constant prayer for not just myself but for others.  May I again today pray to be the best me I can be to serve and be an example to others. 

Thanks be to God

Bone tired

I've had two very full and fulfilling days, and I am bone tired.  Well, actually it was three days of being busy if I really think about it. 

I like to be and keep busy.  I have attended three different "church" services in the last 24 hours.  We in WV welcomed our new Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball.  The ceremony was held in Wesley Chapel at WV Wesleyan College.  A moving ceremony and great sermon on "God Still Speaks".  As she was speaking I increasingly wondered how much I might be missing if I am not intentionally paying attention and listening.  I was sitting in a pew with several of the most important people in my life.  What do I miss with them if I am too busy with my own agenda and not paying attention??

We had a good sermon today in church as well.  I cannot hide from God  and I am fooling only myself if I think I can.  But the GOOD NEWS is that I can not sin enough to banish God - God's grace is greater than all our sin.  Guess it is up to me to pay better attention and have better intentions.

This afternoon I participated in "charge conference" and hear a third sermon.  Our D.S, sought to give us 7 key ideas for becoming Fruitful Congregations using the same letter of the alphabet, though he admitted it was hard to do.  He used the letter P, and almost succeeded, but on the last word he summed up a lot of what we as churches need to do to be growing and fruitful - we need to be Phlexible.  -  He used a quote that we were not to let the fear of "striking out keep us from coming up to bat". 

I am forever grateful for the opportunities to volunteer in service to my church and have made some of the best friends in the company of believers-  truly we ARE and are to be the Body of Christ. 

And with those thoughts, will say "good night"

Thoughts while walking today

It has been quite a while since I last wrote on this blog.  I have always thought this was a private thing, but as we set up our new computer (laptop), I realized that it is possible others might actually read this.  Hum.

So my current reading is The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.  Hard to believe people lived such hard lives.  People today think they have it rough, but I don't know of anyone in our country that has to melt ice from a frozen river to have water in the winter.  Or sit huddled in a blanket while someone mends their only shirt...  as kids say, "just sayin' ".

My current knitting includes working on three different prayer shawls, a sweater for a young child for Christmas and of course a pair of socks.  Have several completed, dedicated prayer shawls that need to get the folks we made them for.

Got the sign board for church made up today - not really enough letters to say what I wanted, but it is a start.  Found more letters on Amazon cheaper than anywhere else.  IF not approved, to purchase, I can return them.

I find it hard to believe all the storage units available for rent these days.  While the amount of things I have acquired has taken over the space our kids used to need, I can't quite understand the need for all the storage buildings.

So now it is time for dinner.  Bye all.