a thinking time - - for finding peace
a trying time - - for finding patience
a trusting time - - for finding purpose
a teaching time - - for finding plans
a turning time - - for finding passion
Harmony
Last night, we had praise team practice at church - - always an uplifting encouragement to me after a long month of life. Thus it comes as no surprise that I feel better after a worship experience with other believers, even if it is just a rehearsal. Our worship guy mixes up the vocals from Sunday to Sunday, so the vocal team I have the privilege to sing with this weekend is amazing.
I love harmony.
Voices giving it all to God with His gift of music and finding the parts to increase the flight of harmonies to the heavens!
Through the journey of life and all its goods and bads, these words from the songs last night spoke directly to me. I'm carrying them, pondering them, and praying in preparation for this weekend:
You hold my life, You know my heart, and You call me by name
I live to say: God You reign
and
Bring me to my knees; Lord, lay me down
Rid me of myself; I belong to You
Oh lead me....Lead me to the cross
Singing harmonies with others, praying with others, serving through worship with others. That's church to me.
God, help your church live in harmony.
I love harmony.
Voices giving it all to God with His gift of music and finding the parts to increase the flight of harmonies to the heavens!
Through the journey of life and all its goods and bads, these words from the songs last night spoke directly to me. I'm carrying them, pondering them, and praying in preparation for this weekend:
You hold my life, You know my heart, and You call me by name
I live to say: God You reign
and
Bring me to my knees; Lord, lay me down
Rid me of myself; I belong to You
Oh lead me....Lead me to the cross
Singing harmonies with others, praying with others, serving through worship with others. That's church to me.
God, help your church live in harmony.
TODAY
So when things get tough in my life, the reality is that I become mopey. Yep. Real nice witness to others, huh? If you read this blog often, you see how I have been tired a lot lately. Yes....the things of this crazy world are getting me down....and yes....my attitude sucks. (Ew...I really hate that word!)
So when sucky times occur, I like to mope about and feel sorry for myself and eat more than I should and feel guilty for my attitude. Yeh....that really helps a lot!
TODAY.
Honestly, it was hell. Crazy busy at work brought out crazy dramas to deal with. Annoying ants in the house. Messes in the basement from neighbor kids. Nothing feels right these days. DAMN: Drama, Ants, Messes, Nothing!
Thank goodness we can't always go on feelings! Even after a DAMN hard day of life, TODAY goes on and I have to figure out how to deal with all the feelings so the day itself isn't a waste.
TODAY.
After work, I heard myself singing worship in the car on the way home and taking time to play and laugh with my kids. Talking to my wife about the DAMN crappy day is always helpful. Most of all, praying to God Who takes my mopey feelings and helps me adjust my attitude!
Yeh.....He's pretty good at the attitude adjustment thing. As long as I keep moving through this life, looking down and around and trying to feel my way through the messes....welp, things rarely work for the best.
It's only when I stop with this DAMN life and look UP and try to understand things from His perspective that I see what matters: the HIM in my life that is working amidst the drama, the ants, the messes, and the nothing. He saves me from it all, and He reminds me of His love through all of it.
So when sucky times occur, I like to mope about and feel sorry for myself and eat more than I should and feel guilty for my attitude. Yeh....that really helps a lot!
TODAY.
Honestly, it was hell. Crazy busy at work brought out crazy dramas to deal with. Annoying ants in the house. Messes in the basement from neighbor kids. Nothing feels right these days. DAMN: Drama, Ants, Messes, Nothing!
Thank goodness we can't always go on feelings! Even after a DAMN hard day of life, TODAY goes on and I have to figure out how to deal with all the feelings so the day itself isn't a waste.
TODAY.
After work, I heard myself singing worship in the car on the way home and taking time to play and laugh with my kids. Talking to my wife about the DAMN crappy day is always helpful. Most of all, praying to God Who takes my mopey feelings and helps me adjust my attitude!
Yeh.....He's pretty good at the attitude adjustment thing. As long as I keep moving through this life, looking down and around and trying to feel my way through the messes....welp, things rarely work for the best.
It's only when I stop with this DAMN life and look UP and try to understand things from His perspective that I see what matters: the HIM in my life that is working amidst the drama, the ants, the messes, and the nothing. He saves me from it all, and He reminds me of His love through all of it.
Change makes me tired.
It takes time to process and requires patience to move forward.
It brings out the best in people....and the worst in people.
Sometimes it's drastic and sometimes it's dramatic.
Either way it consumes precious time.
On the other hand:
It slows me down/picks up the pace and requires perseverance to see it through.
It challenges me to choose optimism.....or be a negative nelly.
Sometimes when drastic, it's a wake-up call.
Sometimes its drama helps me become a better person/professional.
Either way it consumes me and makes me tired.
A good tired, of course; for at what seems like the end, I can look back and see the reasons behind it, the reality of it, and the renewed passions because of it.
It brings out the best in people....and the worst in people.
Sometimes it's drastic and sometimes it's dramatic.
Either way it consumes precious time.
On the other hand:
It slows me down/picks up the pace and requires perseverance to see it through.
It challenges me to choose optimism.....or be a negative nelly.
Sometimes when drastic, it's a wake-up call.
Sometimes its drama helps me become a better person/professional.
Either way it consumes me and makes me tired.
A good tired, of course; for at what seems like the end, I can look back and see the reasons behind it, the reality of it, and the renewed passions because of it.
...stand up and be remarkable. Be human. Contribute. Interact. Take the risk that you might make someone upset with your initiative, innovation, and insight - - it turns out that you'll probably delight them instead (29).
...art is the ability to change people with your work, to see things as they are and then create stories, images, and interactions that change the marketplace (91).
Don't let circumstances or habits rule your choices today. Become a master of yourself and use your willpower to choose...Nothing about becoming indispensable is easy. The only thing that separates great artists from mediocre ones is their ability to push through the dip. Some people decide that their art is important enough that they ought to overcome the resistance they face in doing their work. Those people become linchpins (206-207).
.....
My most enjoyable read was the confirmation that doing things at work is a CHOICE. I choose to be positive in the midst of frustrations, optimistic in the midst of challenges, and communicative in the midst of confusion.
God has certainly put me in a few opportunistic positions to choose good things throughout my days and continue to purposefully fulfill His ministry through my life.
We're in a sermon series at church about Daniel and today's message really spoke to my heart. Pastor Tom Moll explained it this way: in the midst of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Daniel stayed faithful to God. He was focused on God's leading (instead of impressing others), motivated with kindess to others (not for personal gain), faithful to God (instead of comparing himself to others), God-empowered (not self-empowered), and purposed to glorify God (instead of advancing self).
Daniel was a servant in Nebuchadnezzar's courts, and yet he was placed in a high position, over the Babylonian people. Tom Moll's question still rings in my ears:
What stage has God allowed you to be on? Are you glorifying God?
...
God gave me [this stage] and I'm going to HONOR HIM every day.
My choice is to continue to choose God in all the responsibilities and opportunities He throws my way.
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