Unique and Loved

Today I sat at Starbucks to get some work done.  I scoped out the tables and chose the area where I thought I would be least distracted, as well as have a nice view of all that may go on in the cafe area.  Three hours of focus time waited in front of me like an eager coach watching me at the starting gates. Productivity would be my friend today.

Within five minutes of arranging my round wooden table with my iced green tea, oatmeal, computer, Bible, and note pad, Michelle wanted to start a conversation.

Michelle was loud. I mean really loud. She was checking out something on facebook and she roared with laughter and leaned over to tell me all about her friend in Pennsylvania.  I smiled and asked her a few questions and from that point on, we were friends.

She discovered I like tea, not coffee. I learned she likes venti coffee with lots of cream and sugar and she can get refills for 54 cents.  She prefers the banana walnut bread and chocolate covered graham crackers. She is the admin for several very important facebook groups.  Her mom loves pumpkin spice cookies with nutmeg and a dash of cinnamon. She takes penicillin for an aching tooth. Her good friend passed away in 2007 and she still carries her friend's ID around in her fanny pack.

Throughout the morning, Michelle would randomly erupt in boisterous laughter. As people would come in and leave Starbucks she would shout something friendly their direction.

Within the first few minutes of sitting next to Michelle, I was faced with a choice: Put some earphones in and ignore, or watch, listen, and see what God may want me to learn.

It wasn't long before a lump filled my throat. "Oh how Jesus must love this woman" flooded my thoughts. She is such a treasure, no inhibition. She displayed a taped up Holy Bible on her table.  When she asked what I was working on, I explained Retreat de Moxie to her. She instructed me not to go on and on as some speakers do. "Just stick to the point. Paint a picture with your words, but don't get off track." Wise, indeed.

Meeting Michelle and engaging in conversation with her on a day I wanted to focus and be in my own little world was a trip down humility lane. As I thought about how Jesus loves her, it also turned me to thoughts of repentance in thinking I'm more important than I really am. Michelle told me five or six times what she was doing on facebook was very, very important. I'm sure it was! Who am I to feel like God would be more concerned with my retreat preparation than Michelle taking care of her facebook groups? She was passionate about her work. She said out loud, "I just love this facebook friend" in the same way I often say that I love the women of Moxie.

I was also convicted through Michelle's joy. She was friendly and happy. Her laugh was awkward, but contagious. She talked to people. The Starbuck employees knew her name.  She obviously wasn't concerned with what people were thinking about her.  Joy and conversation filled her morning.

Many times over the three hours I worked I had moments of agitation as I was writing out something "really good and profound" only to be interrupted by Michelle. In those moments, I took a deep breath, turned to her, and engaged in the image of humanity God set before me this morning.

I'm so thankful for his sweet reminders that he loves people so deeply. I'm thankful he loves me deeply. I'm thankful he has set the task of leading Retreat de Moxie before me. I'm thankful that he allowed me to meet the beautiful, uniqued, joyful Michelle this morning. I'm thankful that through all the conversation I had with Michelle, productivity was still my friend.

Please take moments of perceived interruption and ask God what he wants to speak to your heart. It will be worth it in so many wonderful ways.

No Spoilers

This time of year my brain and heart are consumed with thoughts of Retreat de Moxie preparations. Each September I have the privilege/responsibility of leading about 40 women from our church during our annual retreat. I've been spending time in study and prayer thinking through what God would have me say to the women this year.

Thankfully, each session is coming along nicely. Excitement in my heart grows by the minute. Worshipping Jesus in the cool mountain air with 40 of my closest friends and then sharing the message God has laid on my heart is truly a beautiful experience. I can't wait!

Unfortunately, I just can't blog about deep things right now. When I sit down to share with you things that are on my heart retreat topics come to the surface. There is no way I'm going to put any spoilers on here! What fun would that be?

Because I know not all of you get to go on Retreat de Moxie with us next weekend, let me leave you with some encouragement....

Get involved in community! Attend a Bible study at your church. Call a woman you've wanted to get to know and ask her to coffee.  Be bold and courageous. Commit to a church, engage in what is going on, and connect with people in the community God has for you. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and ponder all of the "I wishes" that come to everyone's mind.

---I wish I had friends.
---I wish someone would call me.
---I wish I had more time.
---I wish I could be part of that group.
---I wish they knew my name.
---I wish I was braver in approaching people.
---I wish I belonged.

All of those statements are legitimate deep needs of the heart. We were created to be part of a community, but often we sit and hope for it to come to us. To be honest, I love to be invited, but if I'm only waiting on invitations, I'm going to be sitting at home most weekends. Let me encourage all of us, me included, to take initiative, be risk takers, turn off our computers and televisions, and hang out with some old and new friends.  Let us love and give as Christ has loved and given to us.

Less than Stellar

Writing blogs lately has been difficult. You could say that I'm in a bit of a blog fog. Ministry life can be complicated, and many of the issues I sort out in my mind aren't appropriate for the blog. Raise your hand if you would like me to blog about the conversations we've had in the last few weeks?  That's what I thought.  I don't see any hands.

Also, the start of middle school for Kyle has been less than stellar. His core subject teachers are long-term substitutes. His elective is exploratory arts, and his teacher is reviewing 3rd and 4th grade math instead of exploring art. Making contact with the school has been next to impossible, so I went to the school this morning and told the office ladies that I was going to plant myself in the waiting area until I was able to speak with someone. After having a strong conversation with the office manager, (who, by the way, is very good at her job) I was assured I would receive a phone call from the principal within a couple of hours.  The principal did call. We had a decent but not helpful conversation, so I have a meeting with her on Monday afternoon.  I'm very confused about which direction to pursue for Kyle.

The point of this post is that I'm feeling a bit discombobulated.  Moxie needs some attention. I would like to make a to-do list, but I'm not sure where to start. My kids schedules are in overdrive. Kyle's school is disorganized and I will advocate for him. My house needs a good cleaning. Our internet is broken, and the swamp cooler makes our house a sticky wet mess. If anyone needs to humidify your plants, just let me know.

However...

This stuff is small potatoes. Kyle's education is definitely important.  The women of Moxie are one of my priorities.  But, who cares if I have a dirty house or internet or a swamp cooler?  Because of God's great love for me and his new mercies every morning, I will not allow drama to overtake my heart. Do you ever experience that gnawing feeling pressing down, that feeling that sneaks up and makes everything feel huge, overwhelming, and impossible?  I don't want to over-simply because some situations are huge and overwhelming, but I'm not going to get bogged down in the drama my heart sometimes tries to create.  Asking God to provide my family's daily bread, not leaning on my own understanding, and not worrying about tomorrow minimizes drama in the best way.

I pray that you are able to discern situations in your life that need attention or are just drama filled distractions.  Prayerfully, my mind will soon be a place in which I can blog about a good meaty topic! Or maybe something really good, funny, and embarrassing will happen about which I can tell the world! But for now, I'll keep thinking, praying, processing, and surrendering.  Thanks for being patient with me.

God's Creativity

We are constantly bombarded by the media pelting us with bad news. It is an ugly world full of lying, cheating, scandal, hate, and murder. To know what is going on in the world is important, but sometimes I get a belly full and feel like vomiting. In the times of wanting to withdraw and hide, I often make myself look around at people.

The Bible continues to talk about God's unfailing love. It doesn't matter what we do, His love does not fail us. We may reject it, abuse it, take it for granted, but it doesn't change There are so many verses about God's unfailing love that it would take you awhile to research them. Unfailing love has become one of my favorite characteristics of God. 

When I'm overwhelmed by the muck of the world, I choose to remember that He is God, He is in control, His love is unfailing, He loves me and wants me to love Him and other people deeply. A continual prayer that I pray for myself and my family is that we will love God and love people. 

I took these pictures because of my love for people, and because it is often very difficult to love people. Looking into the eyes of people I don't know challenges me. To know the lives and stories of others compels me to meet new friends and go deeper with older relationships. The pictures that you are about to look through aren't only meant to make us think, "How sweet," or "How interesting," or "How weird." They are meant to challenge us to look at all people with the eyes of God. 

He knows the stories of every person we pass every day. He knows the horrible news we hear about and all the terrible stories that are never told. He knows our joys, sorrows, victories, and defeats. He knows every single person in the pictures I took of the beautiful people of China. That's why I took these pictures, to remind myself (and hopefully you) that He is a God who loves people deeply and made each person with purpose. He desires for us to know him intimately and for the people of the world to be clothed with the strength and dignity that comes from knowing Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

Look deeply at the photographs. Spend time thanking God for His love for you and for all of the people of the whole entire world. Ask Him to give you a deep love for people He so creatively crafted.  

Psalm 33:4-5  For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice;the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Psalm 36:7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Psalm 143:8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.