USING MY GIFTS OR JUST BEING SELFISH---WHICH IS IT?
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Posted:Feb 18, 2008 9:54 pm
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2008 12:52 pm 923 Views
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So I'm trying this church where I can serve God musically.
But my doesn't wish to switch churches, which is fine with me.
Except we have always stuck together.
Is she as lonely at church now as I am?
Am I being selfish?
Should I ask this question at all, or simply press ahead?
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FAITH IS:WOMEN DON'T EXIST AND PREACHERS BEAT UP TEENAGERS???
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Posted:Feb 16, 2008 10:38 pm
Last Updated:Feb 20, 2008 12:19 pm 942 Views
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My came home from the mall today and told me of two preachers she sees there often.
Today was---what were the words she used? oh, yes---entertaining and disturbing, though.
Today the preachers were being questioned by two young men. Questions meant to confuse. Then two young women walked up. One of the preachers stopped talking for a second, turned to one of the ladies and declared, "Women are to be quiet!"
The young men then began to dispute this with the preachers. The young women continued to talk, politely, and a preacher said to the women, "You are not even here!" People in the mall were listening now, you can be sure. And getting angrier by the second. The young men told the preachers they were wrong.
The One preacher called 911 on his cell phone. The other preacher said, "He has just called 911. You can leave now, or we can mess you up and the police can find a bloody mess when they get here."
My was mortified.
I told her if she ever runs into that situation again, to put a bug in some man's ear (so the preacher will listen) and have the man quote
I Corinthians 13. My said these preachers put a lot of stock in faith, but they were extremely rude. I said, yep, I Corinthians 13 is a chapter someone needed to read right then.
She then gave me one of those "kind-a compliments".
She said she wished I'd been there. I could've given those preachers a run for their money.
Or something weird like that.
I guess that's a good thing....
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GOD AND HAIRBALLS
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Posted:Feb 13, 2008 10:48 pm
Last Updated:Apr 18, 2008 1:05 am 906 Views
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I have cats. Three of them have long hair.
If I let one of the cats' fur get knotted or matted, they won't know the difference, except that when they move or are touched where the knot is, the hair pulls, so it hurts. Also, knots are a great place for fleas to hide. And let's face it, a cat that has been all combed out is prettier and softer.
I haven't kept up with Dragon's knots. Now, every day, we have several sessions of combing and---
if necessary---cutting. Most of the knots are in back where he has trouble reaching, so I call it getting the butt-knots.
He tolerates it all right for awhile, then he begins to growl, so I comb his head, because he seems to really dig on that (my 's words). Then I go back to the butt-knots. It isn't comfortable. I can feel it pulling, but it HAS to be done, for Dragon's sake. After awhile, Dragon starts to talk angrily, then bite at the comb. Now and then he will grab my hand. That doesn't happen often, though, because he knows what he gets if he scratches me.
As I was working on Dragon, I realized that this is a lot like life. We think God should protect us from the bad experiences that come along. We don't realize that a lot of those bad experiences are God working on our butt-knots. He's patient enough to put up with our griping while he works on us because He knows that when He gets done, satan will have fewer places to hide and work on us, we will have less pain as we walk this Christian life, and we will be more empathetic, beautiful people.
Amazing what a few hairballs can teach us...
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LEAVING DIAMONDS TO FULFILL A CALLING
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Posted:Feb 11, 2008 12:35 am
Last Updated:Feb 11, 2008 6:19 pm 833 Views
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Well, I did it.
Today I tried a different church.
I've been attending where I've been going for three years. I adore the people. But I feel called to a music ministry.
I've had several offers over the years, but turned them down. Offers from other churches to come and play piano or keyboard or congas or sing. I don't give up easily, though, and the people where I've been attending are diamonds.
I finally found a church that would like a keyboardist, and wouldn't mind having a woman who can sing low harmonies on the worship team. In fact, I was given the number of this church by someone who goes where I have been going. They saw a sign that said, "Rockin' church seeks keyboardist", and figured I'd fit. 'Cause where I've been going, the worship minister doesn't care for my piano style, and has favorites (old friends, for the most part) when it comes to singing. So I'm going to be sitting behind an electric keyboard, playing exactly what he tells me to play, for the rest of my life, or I'm going to try this other church.
The service was okay...they don't take Lord's Supper every Sunday. I'm going to miss that.
I called the senior minister where I've been attending, to get his advice. He knows the situation. I said, "Now, if you were going to church some place, and you loved the people, but you knew you would never get to preach again, and someone came along and said, 'Come on over here and preach for us!' would you do it?" The minister said he hated to tell me what he was going to say, because he likes me as a person, and doesn't want me to leave...but he would go. He said he understands completely and I'm welcome back any time.
See? I said the people are diamonds.
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HUGGING GOD
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Posted:Feb 9, 2008 11:46 pm
Last Updated:Feb 10, 2008 6:16 pm 698 Views
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I must be a big softy.
But there's nothing quite like having one of my come up---with no prompting---put their arms around me, and say, "Ilove you, Mom. You're the greatest Mom in the world."
My is 24 and my is 19. Compliments don't flow wildly from people in that age group; when they say it, you know they mean it. I have struggled for 20 years as a single mother, often beating myself over the head for the mistakes I've made along the way. Having them do the simple action of a hug and those two sentences,well----just TRY to make me stop smiling.
I bet God feels the same way when we go to Him in prayer---even when it isn't "prayer time", and we aren't around anyone else or at church----and mentally put our arms around Him and tell Him how great He is, and how much we love Him. No wonder God enjoys our time with Him, saying our prayers, praises, doing good and sharing are like pleasing sacrifices.
And He even brags on His , just like I brag on my .
Cool.
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GOD TOLD YOU THE FUTURE? HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS GOD TALKING?
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Posted:Feb 8, 2008 1:07 am
Last Updated:Feb 8, 2008 1:14 pm 839 Views
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Some people say God gives them glimpses of the future. They say they would reject these glimpses if they were given to them by satan. How do they know for sure whether the information---in this case, glimpses of the future---is of God or of satan? A person can't weigh it against the Bible as a test of whether it is of God, because it hasn't happened yet. Saying, "I feel the Spirit inside me saying it is true" is unreliable. Many people have "felt" God talking to them, and been mistaken, or even insane.
So if it is okay for a person to be able to see the future, as long as the knowledge comes from God, and not from satan---as some have said---how do we know from whom the knowledge is coming?
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THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY
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Posted:Feb 7, 2008 9:35 am
Last Updated:Feb 7, 2008 10:41 pm 792 Views
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Here comes Valentine's Day! And of course, we KNOW
we should all stampede out to the stores and buy something for that special someone! Well, that's what the commercials all say we should do. And we KNOW they couldn't be wrong because commercials always have our best interests at heart. Well, they USUALLY have our best interests at heart. Okay, the people who make commercials don't give a rat's nostril about our best interests. But...
it IS going to be Valentine's Day, after all. How do I know what to do to show love on Valentine's Day if I don't have the commercials to tell me?
Hmmmm.....
I think---after I say this, somebody look outside and make sure the world hasn't collapsed or something, but I think, just maybe----I don't have to spend a lot of money to show love on Valentine's Day. Okay, my hands are over my eyes.
Someone check. Is the world still intact?
But what if, instead of buying someone a watch so they could keep track of the time, I went and SPENT time with someone?
Or
instead of giving them jewelry that sparkles, I said something kind to someone, and watched their eyes sparkle?
Or
Instead of buying an elaborate card, I wrote someone a note, saying, "How are you doing? I was thinking of you today"?
Or
Instead of helping someone (with a box of chocolates) eat their way into depression,I helped someone feel good, by holding the door for someone else and smiling. Telling someone when they did a good job on something. Or even mentioning where I go to church? You never know when someone might be looking for some place to go to church, and they just don't know where to start.
What if every person were to do at least one of these things on Valentine's Day?
Call me crazy if you want, but I think that would be the coolest Valentine's Day yet!
'Course, now that I think about it, a few chocolates to celebrate that great V-Day would be pretty fun, too......
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THE YOUTH MINISTER IS TOO BUSY FOR THE YOUTH
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Posted:Feb 5, 2008 10:12 pm
Last Updated:Feb 6, 2008 10:05 pm 858 Views
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At the women's Bible study this morning, they were talking about how more people need to get involved in doing things like taking the Lord's Supper to shut-in's, and singing and preaching to those who are in shelters or jail. They talked about how they used to do things like that when they were agers, and now only older people know how to serve in those ways. I suggested we begin a training schedule for the teens, rotating them, taking different ones on different Sundays---or whatever days---so the young people would learn.
Guess what I was told.
The youth minister is too busy, now that he has a family, to arrange things like that for the young people.
I was floored.
What is the "YOUTH MINISTER" getting paid to do? Babysit his own ? I'm trying to be understanding, but we have a whole bunch of teenagers who want to learn how to be active Christians. And we have a youth minister who is TOO BUSY to organize things???
Am I being too critical, or is something wrong here?
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Who WAS Jesus,,,Really?
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Posted:Feb 4, 2008 2:19 pm
Last Updated:Feb 19, 2008 1:35 pm 894 Views
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It's nice to know God loves me whether I'm perfect or not.
But wait, in a way, I AM perfect because of Jesus. Well, I'm cleansed, anyway.
And, you know, when God decided to send "His ", we need to remember that God does things so we can understand...
God sent a part of Himself to be born of woman. That way, WE understand better. But we need to remember that it was God who came.
I keep hearing people say God sent His . Sometimes it feels almost like they have forgotten that God came in the form of man. The Creator came and suffered for us, the created. Truly amazing...
Jesus gets separated in our minds, sometimes, from God. He shouldn't. They are God. When we read the Old Testament, They were there. When the burning bush spoke to Moses, it was Jesus. Jesus is God. Yahweh. I AM. We need to remember always, if we are to have a full relationship with God in these last days.
And this God exists in us. Moses' face glowed after one meeting with God. Imagine how our spirits must glow after a lifetime LIVING with God. We are truly blessed!
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