"We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."

2 Corinthians 4:7







Monday, October 26, 2009

Got REST?

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST, Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find REST for your souls. For My Yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

It's one of those Monday's that I do not feel rested. Our family had a busy week last week. My son was in the school musical which meant late nights and early mornings along with 4 performances this weekend. WHEW!

Being in the school musical meant he has stayed after school every day for the last nine weeks as well as an all day dress rehearsal last weekend. Yesterday he had a two hour Orchestra rehersal at church.

He still has school work to finish up and tomorrow is the last day for this quarter. Poor guy, he was up until 1am this morning trying to get it all done. He slept in the car on the way to school. Oh Lord, we need REST. We need you to fill our cup. While it was fun and it was a good opportunity for Andrew to see how far he can be stretched, HE NEEDS SOME REST. We all do.

Tonight is the Cast Party. That will be a lot of fun! God really pulled this cast together and it was neat to see how they leaned on the Lord for strength and gave Him all the praise!

On Thursday, Mollie has a field trip to St. Augustine and our whole family will be going on this trip. Andrew is going to check out a college in St. Augustine and we plan on staying through Saturday.

Thanking the Lord for this opportunity.

We need time together to reconnect. We can run hard and we can run long, but we cannot run hard for very long. Our bodies were made to need REST. Even Jesus took time to REST.

May we all remember to H. A. L. T.

To never let ourselves get too.......

H ungry (physically or spiritually)

A ngry

L onely

T ired

Let's remember to Pray for one another. Encourage one another and build each other up. Let's remind each other to lean on Jesus, to depend on Him for our strength.

"Grant us wisdom O' Lord to know what we need to let go of and what we need to do, teach us our Lord to abide in you."


Peace, Cheri

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"BE"

I originally wrote this post back in October, but as I got up on this Thanksgiving morning, I started thinking about this post again. Maybe it is because I have a LONG list of "To-DO's" to accomplish by the 2 pm meal. Again, I have revisited the Martha/Mary story and I long to BE today, not just DO. And because it is Thanksgiving, I'd like to add one more BE......."BE THANKFUL!" Love YOU ALL! Blessings to you and your family!



I was raised "going to church". In fact, I went to church the entire time I was in my mother's womb. I have never questioned the importance of "going to church", but I have questioned if the "going" and "doing" is all there is to the Christian Life and if some of the activity is really of God.

O.K., before you think I have lost my mind, hang with me. It seems to me that in all the "going" and "doing" one thing tends to be overlooked, "being".

BE Holy:
Lev. 11:44-45, Lev. 20L7-8, Lev. 20:26, Lev. 27:9, Eph. 1:4, 1Pet. 1:15-16, 1 Cor. 7:1
(separate-we see what the world cannot see!)

BE Merciful:
Luke 6:36, Ps. 86:15, Is. 55:7, Mic. 7:18-19
(it is a fulfillment of the covenant to show God's kind of mercy)

BE Perfect:
Gen. 17:1, Deut. 19:13, 2 Cor. 13:9, 11, Col. 1:28, Col. 4:12, James 1:2-4
(blameless, unblemished, mature, complete, or finished)

BE One:
Jer. 32:39, John 10:16, John 17:11, 21-23, Acts 2:46, Acts 4:32, Rom. 12:5, 1 Cor. 1:10, 1 Cor. 12:25-26, Gal. 3:28, Eph. 4:3-6, Phillip. 1:7, Philip. 2:2-4

(UNITY-not divided with jealousy or quarrels as mentioned in 1 Corth. 3 or fighting over who is the GREATEST as in Luke 9:46-48)

I hear a lot of pleas to GO & DO, but not many sermons on BEING or BECOMING!

Becoming as mentioned in Phil. 3:12-15.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made PERFECT, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But ONE THING I DO,: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Recently, I have been challenged by a friend of mine, Jason Dukes, who wrote a book called "Live Sent: You Are A Letter" to not just GO TO CHURCH, but BE THE CHURCH.

His book is available on Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Live-Sent-you-are-letter/dp/1604943408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256052020&sr=1-1

Here are a few questions that have been going through my mind lately....Have we forgotten that "We are God's fellow workers, God's field, God's building?" (1 Corth. 3:9)

"Don't we know that we are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in us?" (1 Corth. 3:16)

I've been pondering these thoughts since 2005 when I heard T.W. Hunt teach on "Being". For some reason it seems much easier to obey a command to "do" something than it is to obey a command to "be" something. It seems to me that Christians have a tendency to ignore the commands to "be" something.

Am I BEING God's love letter sent to this world?

I guess to Be or not to Be.....is still a good question!



Monday, October 5, 2009

Quiet Time

From the first time I heard my daughter cry I knew she was uniquely different from her older brother. I remember telling my husband at the hospital, "She cries like a girl!" Her cry was different, unique, and when I heard it, I was filled with excitement about getting to know her.

She is a delight, uniquely crafted by the"Master's Hand" and a blessing to our family! I have always said that Mollie is my child that truly takes time to smell the roses! She is exactly what this fast paced mama needed.

I remember her as a preschooler saying to me, "Why are we rushing?" and she still asks me, as she sees me rush around in a frenzy, "Are we late?". Oh, how I have needed her. Her questions have always pierced my heart as they remind me of how I need to slow down and enjoy life, not rush through it.

Tonight, she spoke at my mother's church. She has had the privilege of going to GA Grandmother/Granddaughter Camp with my mom for the last 3 years and tonight was their opportunity to speak about it. She walked up to the microphone and my normally cautious child who usually doesn't speak in front of crowds boldly gave her testimony.

She said, "My favorite part of Grandmother/Granddaughter camp was my quiet time with my Grandma because we GOT to hear the birds sing and watch the squirrels play!" My heart melted. That's my girl! So in touch with God's world. So in touch with what I believe the psalmist was trying to communicate when he said, "Be still and know that I am God!" (Ps. 46:10) To her having a "Quiet Time" means just that.........be quiet, get still, listen and see! Thank you Mollie for reminding me once again the importance of slowing down, getting quiet and connecting to the Creator of the Universe.

Last summer, my step-dad passed away and while we were not very close, I still experienced a variety of emotions. One day, I had become extremely anxious as I was processing some pretty overwhelming feelings. I went outside to try to quiet my mind. I took my Bible, but was so overwhelmed I could not concentrate enough to read. All of a sudden two squirrels ran in front of me and began to play. I remember breathing a sigh of relief as I realized that while my world seemed to have stopped, no one had informed the squirrels. They were still playing! Then I worshipped my Creator and then I could read His Word delighting in the fact that HE NEVER CHANGES! Hallelujah!

If you haven't read Psalm 46 in a while I highly recommend it, but most of all I recommend going outside and marveling at His creative hand!

Mollie's childlike wonder has reminded me to make sure my "Quiet Times" are not so full of
"my agenda" that I can no longer hear or see.

Selah!