Sermon Summary

The Choice to Rejoice

Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoicing is a matter of choice. You are the only one who decides if and when you will rejoice. Below are 3 Biblical guidelines to help us  rejoice in all circumstances.

To be joyful is the same as to rejoice.

1. Devote ourselves to prayer. (pray continually)

The bible commands us to do things we can't do ... apart from Him. 

The word "continually" means without ceasing. We are to never stop. Similar to a pilot and control power relationship we are to be constantly open and receptive to communication from God. He is always available to us.

2. Train ourselves to  give thanks. (give thanks in all circumstances)

Giving thanks doesn't happen naturally - it takes training. Just as children must be taught to say please and thank-you, we need to learn to develop the habit of thanking God in all circumstances.

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were accused, attacked, stripped, beaten and flogged. After all that they were thrown into prison and place in stocks. Yet they prayed and sang hymns. 

Video clip of Helen Behrane - http://www.onewiththem.com/videos/helen-behrane 

We need to quit whining and give thanks to God - we have so much for which to be grateful.

3. Keep your eyes on the prize. (for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus)

Let us fix our eyes on the Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Jesus kept his eyes on the prize. We also need to focus on what matters most. Jesus came to do God's will as shown in Heberews 10:7. We too can rejoice when we know we're right where God wants us to be. 

Ps 16:11 says ...you will fill me with joy in your presence...

There are only three places where we are told directly what the will of God is - 

I Thessalonians 4:3 - It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality.

I Peter 2:15 - For it is by God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

I Thessalonians 5: 18 - give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

If you wish you could do God's will - this is it.

We need to remember that these verses are commands not suggestions or options.

Such a lot of content for such a little passage.

Coming Soon: Christmas Tree Skirt

Cut it last night.
Hope to sew it tonight.
Stay tuned.

Thankful ... for My Husband

I am thankful, really. It might not seem like it based on the number of posts in the last few several months. But that's not it. Life has gotten kinda crazy, kinda busy. Blogging has become a lower priority. Hopefully, this will change as new choices are made in the future.

I have a renewed thankfulness for my husband. He has been going through a lot of changes in the last couple of years. After losing his job as an architect, he chose to take on a much lower paying job as a janitor at our church. It was humbling, yet fulfilling for him. He was sad to have to leave California and our friends their, but oddly enough he was also sad to leave that job. It gave him time to think - that is a wonderful thing for him.

His next job was as retail salesperson at a nursery (with hopes of becoming a landscape designer). Even though the pay wasn't great, the opportunity to explore a long-held dream was wonderful. The step from salesperson to landscape designer has been challenging. And yet he is so thankful for this chance to pursue that dream that he is working through those challenges with diligence and commitment.

As I have watched my husband make these changes and deal with the fluctuations in salary and hours, it has become apparent that he is committed to providing for us and allowing himself to be used by God in new and different (sometimes very uncomfortable) ways. In this month of thanksgiving, I want to publicly profess my thankfulness to my husband for his provision.

But beyond that, he is a man who cares deeply for me. He's not one for mushy words and extravagant gifts. He would rather show his love in practical ways by folding laundry and taking me out to eat instead of watching me schlog through dinner preparations when I'm exhausted. He's a no-nonsense guy who can be my best supporter and most encouraging cheerleader. I'm seeing a side of him I never would have seen if we hadn't gone through the things we're going through now. I know even more deeply that he is fully committed to me and will never leave me. I will be forever grateful that he is mine and I am his.

Ta-Ta to Triple Digits

While I am very thankful that we were recently able to relocate to Texas, I don't think I will every get accustomed to the triple digit temperatures in our area. I am so looking forward to the cooling affects of September - at least I hope they will be cooling.

Air conditioning is truly a miracle and a blessing. I am thankful for it in our car, our home, my place of employment and just about every other location I've been for the last 2 1/2 months.

But...I'm ready to venture outside again. I long to stand in the sunlight without feeling like I'm getting an instant sunburn. I want to NOT sweat. I want to take a walk and have a nice cooling breeze blow through my hair. Ah, it's the stuff of dreams.

I know, I know. I'm a baby. Dang right! Bring on Autumn. I'm beginning to think that Summer's only purpose is to help us appreciate more greatly the wonders of Fall. What other purpose does all that heat and dryness serve?

Farewell August. I will not miss you or your heat. I am truly thankful to see you go.

Sometimes Completion is More Important than Perfection

As the baby shower approached I had to make a decision - would it be awesome or would it get finished? Let's just say it was pretty close to awesome and it got finished just in the nick of time.

Sure, it could have been better. The piecing was good. My skills are definitely improving. It was the actual quilting that was less than stellar. Unfortunately, I just couldn't give it the time it deserved. To be honest, quilting isn't something I have a lot of experience with, so even if I'd had time, I'm pretty sure than it still wouldn't have been "perfect."

There was something difficult for me about accepting that this project would be inadequate. I had so wanted it to be flawless. Ha! Who am I kidding? I'm not capable of flawless. But, at this point, I am capable of pretty darned good. Come to think of it, there's really nothing wrong with pretty darned good ... especially if I'm not trying to get a ribbon. It's a baby quilt for goodness sake. Little Jude will not be complaining that my stitching isn't on the money.

I'm just thankful to have the opportunity, skills and materials to make this unique, one-of-a-kind gift for someone special. Quilting is fun, even when it's not perfect.

Birthday Reflections

Forty nine. It’s just a number, right?

Well it’s a significant number today, because it’s mine to claim. I’m no longer in my “mid forties.” I suppose I have to own the fact that I’m approaching 50 and should now embrace my late forties. While the body does indeed ache a little more, I really don’t feel that much older. Life is still full of wonders and little things still bring excitement. I’m believing more and more that age is a state of mind.

There are many seniors in my life who have the enthusiasm of youth. It's a pleasure to be in their company. And then there are some who are just plain grumpy. Every time I’m around them I wonder if I’m going to say something that will be ridiculed or considered offensive. I refuse to accept that as you age you have to become a curmudgeon.

Business man and poet Samuel Ullman said it well in this poem:

Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity of the appetite, for adventure over the love of ease. This often exists in a man of sixty more than a body of twenty. Nobody grows old merely by a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart and turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what's next, and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the Infinite, so long are you young.

When the aerials are down, and your spirit is covered with snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism, then you are grown old, even at twenty, but as long as your aerials are up, to catch the waves of optimism, there is hope you may die young at eighty.

Bring on youth!

Finally Finished

My best friend, Judy, is coming to visit in a few weeks. She's going to sleep on our extra bed upstairs. The only quilt I have for that bed is over 20 years old and falling apart. This will not be acceptable.

I've had a flimsy complete since I went to a retreat about 3 years ago, but I wasn't loving this quilt and wasn't sure I wanted to keep it. I pulled it out and decided that maybe if I had it quilted I would like it better. I met with a local long-arm quilter and got an estimate that was a tad high for my tastes. After some thought and discussion, I decided that custom quilting wasn't really necessary. An allover meandering pattern would do quite nicely and was much less expensive. So off to the quilter it went.

Once quilted, I had a new appreciation for this old JoAnn's Block of the Month cutie. With the deadline of my visiting friend fast approaching, I whipped the binding on in no time. Ahhh....the power of a deadline! I'm hoping that power will come into play on this, not-yet-started baby quilt.



I'll keep you posted.