Live every moment....

Live every moment, as though it was your last
Before the Thief of Always steals tomorrow from your grasp
Before the chance to know His love has somehow passed you by
Let your heart reach out, right here, right now, for the Lord to touch your life
                           -Jaci Velasquez, Thief of Always

 A few weeks ago, I went to spend time with one of my friends from choir.  Though about 50 years separates us, I love her as if she’s a sister my age.  We ate at her favorite pizza parlor and she gave me a tour of her home.  She moved here several years ago at the insistence of her children, who lovingly purchased and furnished the beautiful place she lives in.  She has nothing but praise and love for them. 

One thing that is just remarkable to me about this lady is that she is such a graceful and welcoming person.  There aren’t very many people who don’t just have a blast spending time with her.  Spunky, she is.  She’s not willing to give in to discouragement, though she deals with it often.  I admire her greatly.

That is probably some of the reasons why a lady in her development, Tanya, became such good friends with her.  Tanya has been dealing with medical issues for a while, but you’d never know it looking at her.  She’s spunky too, but a bit more quite than my friend.  So I had the delightful idea when I was visiting my friend, to plan for a ladies’ night in where we could invite Tanya to lift her spirts a little and have fun together.  We were going to plan it as soon as I got back from my trip.

That was a couple weeks ago.  Last Thursday, Tanya passed away suddenly. 

I grieve because I simply miss her sweet spirit, but I know that as I grieve, she rejoices with no pain, and with the love of her life.  I take great comfort in that.  Also, as Pastor Phyllis mentioned at her memorial service, Tanya simply got an address change, and those who know Jesus with see her again someday.

While I celebrate the fact that Tanya is at peace, I am also challenged to not let a moment go by when God brings someone to my heart.  Take advantage of that opportunity now, because it may not be there tomorrow, and you never know what God might have for you to learn from that moment. 

 “Father, I want those you gave me to be with me right where I am…” John 17:24

Here's a little blast from the past.  Enjoy. :)

2012 Goal: Remember Every Day

I'm such a practical Christian.  I like to live out my faith for people to see it - not to show off, but to be honest with my life.  But even with my practical side, I am deeply moved by my heart's Lover.  I'm deeply, unashamedly, undoubtedly moved by my Savior, Jesus Christ.  And I am equally moved by the love of God the Father, for all He sacrificed in giving up Jesus.

Salvation and God doesn't make sense to a lot of people.  There doesn't seem to be anything practical about it.  Truth be told, though, it is the only practical thing - God's love for us.  We don't see the big picture well enough to understand this most of the time.  

But when everything else fails - EVERYTHING - God's love is still there.  

I would hope for you to read that one line and let your heart be seared by this love.  I dare hope it does.  Not because I typed it, but because God's Spirit whispers to you that this is true. 

Please listen to this song.  The song is a tool.  It's a way for you to connect with God.  It's a way for you to move past the here and now and invite God into this very place - this very moment - every circumstance - every joy and sorrow of your life - right now.  Don't get lost in the song.  Get lost in the incredible Love described in the song.  This is the Love of God.  Get lost in Him.

My first goal and hope and delight for every year of my life is that I never forget - that I always remember - the incredible love, the incredible sacrifice, and my incredible inheritance in Jesus Christ.  I hope you find that same delight every day with me this year.

Fall Dress-Up Days

I talked with a friend recently who has decided to not let her kids participate in trick-or-treating festivities this year.  She said she had been doing a lot of research on Halloween and its history, and her and her husband felt strongly that they did not want to encourage their children to be a part of it.  She shared some of her research with her older child, but the younger one is still upset that they will not be able to go door-to-door.  Instead, she told me that they told their kids that they could still dress up, but that they were going to have a special candy festival at their own home.  They've decided to do a candy hunt, similar to an Easter egg hunt!

I highly respect my friend for her and her husband's decision to take responsibility for what their children participate in, and to educate them on why they have made their decision.  She is not trying to shelter them from the realities of life, but to present the realities in a safe environment for them to be able to fully understand them, and to learn how to react responsibly to them. 

It has been fun at my church this past weekend, though, because it was the start of our 2011 Missions Convention.  Obviously I'm a big fan of Missions, so this is a very special week to me.

In the light of my friends' decision about Halloween festivities, I'd like to share another fun way to dress up: participate in my church's Missions Convention.  For the last 2 years, we have opened up the convention with incredible stories of how lives are being changed all over the world because of people who care to share God's love.  Our choir has taken the role of representing as many countries as we can within our own attendance.  We each choose a country, dress up for that country, and carry their flag through the church and onto the stage where it sits in a slot with all the other flags.  Talk about fanfare. 

Don't get me wrong, the purpose is not to put on a show.  The purpose is to express our excitement and joy in sharing God's love and being a part of changed lives all over the globe.  And the purpose is also to share that joy so others can know about it and be a part of it. 

One of the fun things we get to do is to dress up for our countries.  Below I've shared a picture of me and two of my friends.  In order, we represent Switzerland, Japan, and Germany.

If you're interested in the whole thing, wait a few days and the service will be posted here:
http://famfm.com/videoaudio.php

I hope you all have a wonderful October 31st - whether you decide to dress up or focus on other things!  Seek God's purpose for how you should remember this day, and please share if you have more great alternative Halloween ideas!