World Changers and Me

I had the most amazing opportunity to serve for the past several days. A church we attended years ago was the host church to World Changers. Actually 370 World Changers to be exact. I helped prepare for their arrival and then I helped when they descended on the church. They came from all over the country. It was neat. Here were teens and young adults that are PAYING to work for a week helping needy people in the ommunity. They were nice and polite,  uncomplaining and courteous.The boys and the girls. I was also impressed with the leadership. The project coordinator was calm cool and in control every time I passed him.Crisis or not. His assistant was same way with smile always at the ready. And their office manager... DUDE!!!She was the quickest most efficient worker I have ever seen. For real!
  I helped with everything from mixing hash browns with my hands (washed of course) to carrying suit cases up 3 flights of stairs. I cleaned bathrooms and emptied out sanitary boxes (don't ask ....you really don't want to know) I even took a young lady and her mom to the hospital after she hurt her ankle, and a host of other tasks. It was a joy unlike anything I can explain. Serving others with no thought of anything in return was like a long drink of water to my dehydrated soul. I made friends and memories and even though I thought I was giving of myself to them, they gave me a part of them as well. What a great and awesome God we have!!! He made us to serve. Some people don't get that. They think that the only person they should serve is themselves. But when you pour yourself out and try to "out do each other in love and good works" the joy and the "high" that you get is without words. So ask God to give you an opportunity to serve the body , then roll up your sleeves and be prepared to get dirty. Literally. And when you find yourself cleaning out a sanitary box just repeat in your head "I'm a living sacrifice, this will not kill me and it was bring glory to God." My prayer is this: that God provides more serving opportunities like that. And that my children have the heart for service that I strive to have. That they undertand and live as they know that life is not about them. It's about Him and serving Him. Oh! If you see a World Changer stop them and say HI because they changed my world.

"Extreme" Disappointment

Extreme Makeover Savannah Episode

So in case you missed it here was the show that was aired last night that my wonderful husband helped on. We hosted an "extreme" party and had about 13 people all crowded around to watch the show. It was "Extremely" disappointing to say the least. The Simpson family had a once in a life time opportunity to proclaim the gospel to the nation, or at the very least give God all the glory. Now I am sure that the Simpson family is very nice. But what the heck happened???? Not ONE mention Jesus, God, Providence. Grace, NOTHING!!!!! Now I am very sure that ABC, having all editorial  rights is not without blame here. But knowing that, you would think that Joe (the father) would have been very aware of that fact and made every attempt to mention Christ very time he opened his mouth. I mean think about it, if he had done that, ABC would have been forced to either A.) Edit Joe (the father) out of the episode all together. OR B.) allow Christ's mention in at least some of the show. Talk about missed opportunities. Think about what a chance this was to proclaim the Gospel, think about what a witness this family could have been to the crew and to all of America. What is man's whole reason for being here on Earth? is it to get a super cool house? to help our friends and neighbors, to help the community? HECK NO! it's to Glorify Christ. To give HIM all the Glory. Not Ty, not Paula Deen, not the cast and crew, or the volunteers, or the sponsors.... Jesus Christ. Point. Blank. Period.
        It's hard to give God glory and honor and praise in the hard times, in the scary times. I know, it takes reminding and effort. LOTS of effort. But it's easy to give God the glory in times like this, the good times. Even unbelievers will shout out OMG! or Thank you God! Or it SHOULD be easy.  How much more of a thankful heart should we expect from a believer??? Out of a mans heart come the words of his mouth. Hmmmm.....Welcome Home Simpson Family. Sola Deo Gloria

Parking Lot Churches

         There is an area across the street from a big park in Savannah Ga where THREE churches share the same parking lot. I think there may be a strip of grass that differentiates where one church is and where the other is but they all share the same parking lot!!! I'm sure they are all nice folks, they all dress really nicely for church each Sunday morning. they all attend worship services at the same time. I bet they even get out at the same time. They are all roughly the same type of church. By that I mean it's not a Jewish Temple, Muslim Mosque and a Catholic Church. it's like two baptist churches and a Methodist church. every time I drive by there I want to throw something from one parking lot to the other. I've always wanted to call them and ask them if they all get together and do community projects together or if they get together and have socials. I want to call but I'm afraid of what I might say if they say what I think they would say.
     You see, several years back Church 1 was hit by a tornado and the steeple and a chunk of the roof was taken off. Now do you think that Church 2 and Church 3 helped them rebuild? Or offered them a place beside them in the pews the next Sunday? Maybe Church 2 and 3 let the pastor of church 1 take a turn at preaching from their pulpit. Heck NO! The following Sunday they had folding chairs and sat outside next to a busy intersection for all the city to see how stiff necked and hard hearted they were.  News crews filmed them "coming together to face the hardship" HA... they didn't come together, they made a mockery of our faith. Scripture says you will know them by their love. What are the names of the three churches I write about? I honestly don't know, they are so mundane, so blah that my brain refuses to give them remembrance. 
     They miss the point. They missed the whole point of Scripture. The people asked Jesus what the two most important rules are. If I were Jesus I would have said "Idiots I'm God.... EVERYTHING, I say is MOST important." Thank the Lord I'm not Jesus. He said " Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as yourself." That's it people. two rules. If you are a note taker you need to like write them really big because they don't take up a whole lot of space.  How can you love your neighbor as yourself when you have a church and two feet away there is another building that claims to love Christ? These are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Say Hi. bring sweet tea, get to know them. Here's a thought: instead of sitting in the same pew and only getting to know the people in your personal area, try sitting in a different pew, in the building next door.  Oh no, someone get the smelling salts we have a fainter. Seriously people. Its about Jesus, plain an simple. Not about us, what we get out of the service, not what makes us feel good, not was is pleasing to us. That's why God gave us spouses and children. but one day we are to gather together for fellowship FOR THE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH.
       If I took all my kids legos (I'll given them back after this analogy) and I made a house out of the blue ones and then a house out of all the green ones and then a house out of all the red ones. My houses would look nice, they would be small, the roughly the same size and dimension as the others. but if I broke them down and used all of them together there would only be one. it would be brightly coloured and it would be beautiful to God. who cares what I think it looks like.
Then it could share a parking lot and I wouldn't get all bent out of shape. ;)