{our response to daily suffering}

"I just. want. to. cook. — not hunt!" {A Holy Experience, blog by the author of One Thousand Gifts}

This post from today hit the mark for me because I have so often found myself in exactly such situations, including when I can't find my cooking tools:  trying to get work done and welling up inside with frustration and impatience when things don't go smoothly, time is wasted, messes are made, things fell completely out of order, wanting to blame, knowing I shouldn't vent outloud...

“And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me…” ~Mt. 10:38

"Take up a cross… Be willing to suffer… this — these are the marks of a follower of Christ.
Perhaps our greatest daily temptation is to be impatient — to refuse to suffer.
Perhaps my greatest daily sin is to refuse to suffer — to refuse to take up the cross of Christ.
Perhaps my greatest sin is refusing to wait on God’s ways — but to want my own will done — now.
Patience is a surrendering to suffering — a willingness to wait — a carrying of the Cross.
Today — there is always that possibility — to carry the cross, surrender to suffering, be willing to wait…"

This message spoke to me {and I like the author's poetic description of a heart being spoke to:  "I’m hushed and gently turned around, the soul creases smoothed out, the heart dust brushed off."--this is what her recalled memory of the Scripture passage had done for her heart, and what her post has helped do for mine} about how each day we need to be prepared for the possibility of suffering, and our response to it is to take up 'the cross' {our sufferings to bear} and follow Him. We do not follow our own desires to rant or vent or blame...but we respond with a heart that belongs to Christ and seeks to have patience and grace in the midst of trouble. {Insert here: the new wooden plaque put up in the kitchen/dining area of our home--love these words}

Now, it is important to look at 'suffering' not in the context of our normal definition of suffering, but to interpret the word to also include our minor, everyday troubles. {"This cross of domestic patience here is really but driftwood for the spiritual midgets..." The author agrees that our suffering is minor compared to the suffering Christ did in carrying His cross, but the principle from Scripture remains.} What everday 'suffering' might look like, and just a couple examples:

• problems {being late somewhere, when things break}
• discomfort {physical ailments, being too hot or cold, being hungry or tired, kids' car noise hurting damaging ears}
• messes {tracked dirt, splattered mud, dirty faces, hands and feet, toothpaste in the sink, spots on the faucets and mirrors}
• disorder {lost items, clutter}
• irritation {when you find your children have not obeyed, when your husband...well, I won't go there}
• time wasted {when you have to wait. in line. in traffic. for others.all the time.}
• inconvenience {all of the above}

Two nights ago, I happened to see the Tom Cruise movie, "The Last Samurai" played on tv, and was intrigued again, as I always am when I hear of soldiers and war, how warriors can go into battle with confidence amidst fear because of their focus and dedication to their purpose. It is a life of discipline, as the Samurai people displayed in that movie.

Each day, whether we choose to accept the fact or not, we are facing a battle with something that wants to pull us away from our purpose; to distract us from our focus. And we need to be mindful of the small, everyday ways we are falling apart slowly, lest we don't even realize what is happening to us. Today, I am challenged to better discipline myself; to steel myself to be ready for the everyday possibility for suffering and to be prepared to hold steady with the proper response during moments where I face discomfort and impatience because of problems.

I think many people pride themselves in living a well-disciplined life in other, seemingly larger, outward areas of life, such as doing solid work at their job, always being on time, keeping a clean home and manicured yard, maintaining a fit and healthy body, maintaining relationships, going to church regularly, etc. These are all great things to do, but do we approach the vital inward aspects of life--having the proper response to problems, 'grace under fire', a calm and quiet spirit despite turbulance, honoring God and others with our attitude--with the same resolve and discipline?

In my kitchen, above the cupboards, is a wooden sign of the word "PRAY". When I glace at that word throughout the day, I am reminded to finish the sentence in my head in that moment with a prayer from the heart, "Lord, I PRAY..." Here is a list of what I am praying for in the everyday moments this week:

• for the proper response to suffering
• for grace
• for patience; a willingness to wait
• for steely discipline
• for an acceptance of {to surrender to} my suffering to bear "for in this life you will have trouble..."
• for joy
• for a thankful heart that focuses on the gifts in life rather than the pain

{simple gratitude in the everyday}

After discovering the book, One Thousand Blessings, I am really getting in the habit of counting my blessings as I go through my day. It really is amazing how just changing my mindset to search for things in the everyday that I am grateful for, can become a default for my thoughts and a way of living life to the fullest wherever I am.

I heard something recently which spoke to the idea that acknowledging God’s gifts to us {by simply pausing to notice} is accepting what He has given us and is itself an act of praise. Giving thanks and praise is not only merely done through worship, music and active prayer, but also through the simple act of living in gratitude by noticing the beauty around us. It’s a prayer of the heart. It’s seeing the beauty in the hidden places, the mundane, the everyday, and the pain. In this I am finding new, more profound ideas for expressing the purpose statement I have had on my blog for years. When we ‘take time to consider beauty’ around us ‘in all its forms’, we are living a beautiful life of praise to Him who provides it all.

Here is the beauty of my blessings I paused to notice this morning…

{#s 50-87 to One Thousand Blessings from the morning of April 19th}

·       sending my ‘big kids’ off on the bus after they’ve gotten themselves up, showered and dressed all on their own, marveling at how mature and fun they are and missing them before they even leave, being a mom like mine who packs their lunch and sends them off to school with something in their tummy, a kind word and a prayer

·       morning coffee and quiet time to study the Word and pray

·       the pure joy of pulling my daughter into my lap and cuddling her in her cozy pajamas when she comes downstairs after waking, enjoying every moment with her because she is my youngest and I know this time is fleeting, the smell of her hair and skin from last night’s bath, her smile, how she is always happy in the morning

·       the beauty of having a creative mind, even though it troubles me to know I don’t have enough time {hours in the day/days in the week/weeks in the year} to make use of all the ideas in my head

·       doing the morning chores with my little one and listening to her talk to the animals, “You sure have a cute baby calf!...slow down, you’re eating like a pig, but you’re a cow…you think you know what I’m saying, but you’re just an animal, so you really don’t know anything…”

·       the smell of spring, blossoms on our fruit trees, fresh bark dust in the flower beds, tulips, camellias, daffodils, the colors that come out in the sunshine, how the air feels warm and cool at the same time.

·       having my little one with me in the kitchen; my joyful little helper who is watching everything I do and learning cooking skills

·       homemade oatmeal with freshly toasted walnuts & pecans, cranberries and flaked coconut

·       hearty, homemade bread made with freshly ground grains baking in the oven

·       the smells of freshly toasted nuts and homemade bread baking this morning in my kitchen

·       watching my 5-year old cruise on her bike after she taught herself to ride without training wheels

·       one-on-one time with my youngest before her bus picks her up for afternoon kindergarten, reading together, our routine and that she has learned this routine to get ready for school with very little of mom’s help, deciding her clothes and hairstyle together, fixing her hair and admiring her sweet, girly-ness, how this whole thing can take as little as 15 minutes if need be, that the bus picks her up right in front of the house and I can stay in the front doorway and watch her get on, sending her off with a hug, kiss and a getting a wave or blown kiss from the bus window.

·       that…for today…our chocolate lab hasn’t harassed any neighbors walking past our house {since our fences don’t hold her in the backyard and she goes wherever she pleases}, which may be because I finally thought to use the shock collar to try and train her to stay in the back and not scare people.

·       a quiet house for a few hours, and knowing all 3 kids will ride the bus home together.

·      a groove with housework, finding that I’m actually enjoying myself, and letting that feeling motivate me to get a lot done.

·       the comforting sounds of home; the ticking of the clocks, the cracks of the settling wood frame, the hum of the refrigerator, flies bouncing off the windows, wind chimes in the breeze, the jingle of the dog’s collar, birds ‘tweeting’, a distant ‘moo’ from the pasture.

becoming unleashed

What is holding you back?
This is a great series we're covering Sundays at Rolling Hills Community Church, called Unleashed. Today's sermon was about becoming unleashed from mediocrity and apathy to live with passion. Listen or watch past sermons from the series archives.

Spiritual Sunday

At Church today...

Sermon Notes from morning services (9 & 11 am):

• Pastor Bill--(*Philippians 2) Seeking to find faults in others is a natural inclination because in doing so we make ourselves feel better. But, we cannot be one in Christ if we are only thinking of ourselves and doing what uplifts us. We preserve unity by being humble and selfless. A mindset of humility produces a life that is genuinely concerned for others above ourselves.

Children's Ministry Kick-Off Event (1-3 pm):

• Prayer requests were taken for each department of the ministry.
• Pastor Gary--God is living in us, so we are sent to finish His work--to be His hands and feet so that others will see Him. Let His Spirit radiate from our face, and in actions and words to each child/parent. We have much power to work with because it is His power at work in us.
• Pastor Jeff--Teach the elementary age that they are special/unique, but that they are a part of a body of Christ--that it isn't all about them, but what they do affects others within the body, as we strive to move them on towards maturity in their faith as they grow (one of the five principles we are to rally around as a team of small group leaders in teaching Jessica's age group this year--1. prayer 2. Bible 3. worship 4. evangelism 5. church).
• Introduced new curriculum--2*52 Basics

RHCC Reader Board:
"A critical spirit spreads like poison ivy."
Thoughts on Worship:
The past couple weeks we have had really powerful worship times leading into the morning service, or at least it was to me. I don't know if the new level of energy I felt was collective, or if it was God moving in me these particular weeks. Growing up Baptist, I am quite unaccustomed to 'losing myself' during music, don't feel comfortable with the raising hands thing or even clapping for the most part, and in the past, in general, I didn't even always get the hype of worship. I also could admit to times of thinking more about when we would get to sit down because my feet were hurting 2-3 songs in, as opposed to being swept away by the goodness and the glory of God.
Well, in the past weeks, I have been 'losing myself' in worship time--I mean, I would quite literally, forget about myself. I didn't think about slipping off my impractical shoes because they hurt my feet, if I liked what I was wearing, who was in the rows around me, or monitoring my singing to ensure it was on key and in a tone that no one could pick up. I just sang out as loud as I could, and I caught myself doing this without thinking about it, to my own surprise. The time flew by as I was captivated by the music and the wonder of praising God and lifting my voice to him. I got lumps in my throat and tears in my eyes, and as I tried to continue to sing out the praises, a couple of times I had to mentally abstain from processing the lyrics I was singing , because as I would put my whole heart into thinking and feeling passion for God, it would overtake me and the tears would sting and prick the backs of my eyes and cause that lump to grow in my throat again.
This was not an entirely new phenemonon for me in worship time, but it has been an all too rare occasion, and this was a whole new degree of emotion than I've ever felt before. It was a cathartic experience that left me nearly breathless and in wonder of our GREAT, GREAT God! I pray that I will truly experience God in worship times like this again, because in losing myself, I am focusing fully on Him. This kind of worship is, as one song shouted out, "For the glo--ry of the ri--sen King!"