A Follow-Up To Yesterday's Post

Today I took the time to stop and spend some quiet time with God. It wasn't planned through any noble discipline on my part, but was a wonderful detour to my day! Through the wonder of the podcast, I was able to listen to three women share their testimonies of how God saw them through struggles in their lives. It gave me a chance to remember all the hard times that God has seen me through. You wouldn't think that I'd forget those dramatic things that God has done for me, but in the busyness of life, they do get pushed to the back of my mind and heart sometimes. Why is is so easy to forget? Why is it so easy to get caught up in the negatives of life and become cynical? Guess that's Satan's tool. He counts on it!

It was good to be reminded today that God is with me through the good and the bad. It was good to remember what God has done for me through Jesus and all the kindness and mercy He's shown me in this life. It was good to be reminded that I need to show that same kindness and mercy to those around me. And it was good to remember that my God, the creator of the universe, who could dwell anywhere that He wants, has chosen to dwell in me and in all those who believe in Him and seek Him. I'm so thankful! I just couldn't keep it inside, which is why I chose to post it here.

Yes, there are a million other things that I could have spent the last hour doing or could be doing right now. But I'm glad that God led me to listen to that podcast this morning (because I believe He did.) Usually I listen to sermons of well known speakers or preachers that I know, but for some reason, today I chose to listen to these women whom I'd never heard of before! I needed to hear their stories. My soul needed that refreshing and my mind needed that reminder of HIs grace and mercy and all He has done for me. I needed that reminder to cast my cares on Him because He is faithful, even when I am not. I can truly say along with King Hezekiah, "Lord, your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You have restored my health and have allowed me to live! Only the living can praise you as I do today. Each generation can make known your faithfulness to the next. Think of it—the LORD has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD." (Isaiah 38:16, 19-20 NLT)

Now back to the mundane tasks of my day like laundry, dirty dishes and vacuuming, but with renewed purpose and renewed thankfulness in my heart! Praise God!

Just Had To Share This

I read this today on the New Wineskins website (http://wineskins.blogspot.com). I hope Mr. Meeks won't mind me reposting it here. It put into words the way I feel so often in my life! It's so hard to take that quiet time to listen to God and recharge so that we can go about our tasks with purpose instead of just running in meaningless and exhausting circles. Can anyone else relate?

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Let's Go: Thoughts on Missional Living from the Center
by Stephen Meeks

Let’s go!
Let’s go to the store.
Let’s go to the mall.
Let’s go eat, watch TV, hang out.
Let’s go for a drive, see a movie or some friends.
Let’s go to work.
Let’s go to school.
Let’s go home.
Let’s go to sleep….let’s go, let’s go, let’s go…..
Go.Go.Go. Constantly, “On the Go.”
….and
….and making
….and making nothing.

Living in motion, in a circle, insignificantly.
Going nowhere. Making nothing.
…Going
….Going
….and gone, without significance.

Still, there is more "going"?

Let’s go to church.
Let’s go to devo.
Let’s go to youth camp.
Let's go join that class.
Let's go read that book.
Let’s go hear that Speaker.
Let’s go listen to that Band.
Let’s go to help over there.
Let’s go to see that work.
Let’s go to experience that blessing.
Let’s go serve those people.
Let’s go!
Let’s go!
Let’s hurry and go……
Going….
Going….
Doing…
Doing…
Going and Doing….

Will no one ask, "Why? Why go?"..............
or, "How shall we go?"...
or, "With what shall we do?"

Oh no! Go! Just Go.
and Do. Just Do!
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Just Hurry!

STOOOOOOOP!!!!”

"Stop it!"

Stop.
Listen.
Stop your "going".
Stop your meaningless motion.
Stop your empty prayers.
Stop your revolving door of events.
Stop the endless moving about.
Stop! Stop!! Stop!!!!!!!!
Just Stop.……please…..
Please, stop.

Think

Slow down…and consider.

Why are you going? Why?
How shall you go?
Consider, "With what shall you do?"

Stop going; start considering.
Stop doing; begin being.

Be with Him.
Be still.
Be quiet.
Be deep.
Be filled.
Be absorbed.
Be nothing.
Be different.
Be alone with God.
Be God's alone.
Just Be.
Be. Be. Be!!
and then….
and then with God...
and then with God and with great humility.....Go.

then...by all means...Go!!! Go! Go! Go! Run!! Charge!!!

Go with purpose!
Go with preparation!
Go with plans!
Go with passion!
Go with Power!

“Oh, Yes! Go!!”, pleads Jesus.

Go, love without condition.
Go, give without reservation.
Go, serve without prejudice.
Go, save my lambs.
Go, feed my sheep.
Go, tend my flocks.
Go, find my coins.
Go, rescue my children.
Go, change the world.
Go, shape the future.
Go, topple kingdoms.
Go usher in Righteousness.
Go…Go…Go!!!!

"Oh, Yes! Yes! Yes!!! A thousand times….YES! Go make disciples…
…and
…and I….
I, personally,….
will be with you."

Now let's go to the store,
to the mall,
to the church,
to them all.

Bocelli on American Idol!

I'm so excited because Andrea Bocelli is going to be the guest star on American Idol this week. If you haven't heard of him, he's an Italian opera singer (who happens to be blind) that's had some success as a crossover artist into popular music. He also has a voice that I imagine is what angels sound like when they sing. It's absolutely incredible!!! I can't wait to see how he works with those kids on AI and I especially can't wait to hear him sing! I guess it's a little weird having an opera singer on American Idol, but I'm glad he's going to get the kind of exposure to our pop culture that AI will give him.

Now let me say that I'm not a huge fan of opera. It's ok. My dad always liked Mario Lanza, but I could never get that excited about him. In hindsight, I appreciate him a little more but still think Andrea Bocelli is way better!

Here's how I discovered Andrea. Several years ago, an animated movie called "Quest for Camelot" came out. Since I'm a big fan of the King Arthur legend, I rented it to watch with my girls. There was a song on the soundtrack called "The Prayer" that I just couldn't get out of my head. So, I bought the soundtrack and found there were two versions of the song. One by Celine Dion and one by someone named Andrea Bocelli. I was blown away! They also sing the song as a duet and it is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life. It literally brings me to tears almost every time I hear it. If you ever want to listen to it, just let me know. I'd be glad to play it for you. It's one of my favorite songs EVER!!!!

Since then, I've bought a couple on Andrea's CD's. The songs are mostly in Italian so I don't listen to them too much, because I usually like to sing along to the music I listen to. (Well, my maiden name is Genaro. Maybe it should inspire me to learn Italian. Hmmm.....that's another post!) But every once in awhile, when I need to unwind, I just love to hear that voice!! What a blessing to be able to open your mouth and have that beautiful sound come out of it!!

Well, I know this is kind of a random post! But if you catch Andrea on American Idol this week, let me know what you think.

Unwritten

There's a song that's popular right now that I really like. Not only do I like the melody, but I really like the lyrics (which is a rare thing these days!). It's one of a few pop songs that doesn't make me flinch when I know my girls are singing along. The song is "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield. Below I've boiled down the lyrics to the basics (they're just repeated over and over again):

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

I don't know what the author of these lyrics had in mind, but I take many spiritual connotations/life applications from them.

First, I like the message that no one can read my mind or define me or live my life for me. Only God and I can completely know my mind and heart (and God knows it better than I do!).

Second, I love the idea that every day when I wake up, I have a "blank page before me". It's up to me what I put there. "The pen's in my hand." No one else can do it for me.

"Sometimes my tries, are outside the lines. We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way" Isn't that the truth? No matter how hard I try to "do it right", I always fall short. That's why I'm thankful for Jesus who gives me that new beginning every day and whose grace and mercy covers my shortcomings. That's good news!!!!!

As far as the "something in the distance", aren't we all reaching for something? Success, happiness, relationships, even God.

A life application that I take from this song is to enjoy life! "Release your inhibitions". "Feel the rain on your skin". This brings to mind a picture of just running out in the rain to enjoy it! Not worrying that you're going to get wet or what someone else will think of you. I sometimes have a problem with this. I'm very much a "rule follower" but there are times when I just want to let go and jump up and down for joy, or shout "Praise God", and I don't. I always admire people who do! And I want to work on doing it more. God gave us this life to live more abundantly and I want to "live my life with arms wide open"! I want that joy to be contagious and uplifting to those around me.

Lastly, I love the reminder that "today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten". We only have today. None of us know what's going to happen tomorrow.

I think all of these are very good messages. I want to live by them and it's a message I want to pass on to my girls. Remember....today is where your book begins! Rejoice in the knowledge that through Jesus we have a blank page to fill every day! Have a great day and fill the page with good things and good memories!

The Grand Canyon

After living in Arizona eight months, we finally made it to the Grand Canyon. It was my parents' 45th Anniversary on March 31st so we brought them in to visit and took them to the Grand Canyon. Neither one of them had ever seen it. We had a wonderful time. What an awesome place!!! It's very easy to see the hand of God there and marvel at his creation.
Before entering the park, we saw an IMAX film on the history/exploration of the canyon. I learned things I never knew before. We all got a chuckle thinking of how the first explorers must have felt when they emerged from the forest and came upon that massive canyon and then had to figure out how to get across or around it! As my daughter Chelsea might say, "Oh Snap!"
: )
I thought I'd share a few photos with you of our wonderful weekend together. We got to see some remnants of the snow and enjoyed some breathtaking scenery. It was so nice having our family with us and a great way to celebrate such a special occasion! Congratulations, Mom and Dad! Forty-five years together is something to be proud of.
If you've visited the Grand Canyon, I'd love to hear about your experience and impressions of this beautiful place.