Yay for me. I'm doing this and it's actually still monday morning. That hasn't happened much lately.
Sunday again was awesome. Not looking forward to finishing the fruit series but I know Eddie has something just as good coming for us.
I hope I'm not the only one who needed the sermon on self control or spirit control. It seems like from the comments I got anyway that we all struggle with that. I love how Eddie said that it's having a sweet spirit in the midst of a sour situation. LOVED THAT...had to practice that a lot lately and will continue to strive for that. But isn't that hard. I'm getting better at it but I used to be so bad about allowing others' moods affect mine and I still fight that. Actually so funny because one of the last things I said to mine before leaving for church that morning was be sweet and told a sleepover friend that she was on sweet patrol that day for the benefit of someone else. "Be sweet" is one of the things I have always said to my kids just randomly, something I'm sure by now they just tune out. It doesn't seem that hard to do. Just BE SWEET. But I know from experience that in the middle of a sour situation, sweet doesn't come naturally. Eddie's right...it can only come from the Spirit and nothing within our flesh because let's face it we are just not naturally sweet. Well, let's all strive for that spirit controlled self control fruit this week. I promise I will be the one having to work the hardest. Great message, can't wait for Sunday.
I will blog prom stuff later this week when I think I can type without drowning the laptop in tears. For now, I'll just say it was perfect for my junior and senior as well as their mom and dad.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
This is my most favorite time of the year, always has been. What could possibly be better than Easter? Have to admit I get more aggravated when Easter is commercialized than Christmas. That aggravates me a little too but Easter just seems different, so sacred. Do our kids get Easter baskets, yes. Still do even at their age and they hid eggs when they were young, but I can't carry it much further than that.
I remember growing up in First Baptist Spartanburg we always had a Good Friday service. My absolute favorite worship service all year even as a young person. It's the service that still sticks in my mind years and years later. My pastor Dr. Alastair Walker always did the same message, the walk to the cross. There was a huge wooden cross at one end of the platform and as he preached he walked towards that rugged cross. A man named Frank Dillard always sang the same song. I still get chills thinking about that day. He painted such a picture of Christ and what He went through on our behalf that it's hard to believe anyone could commercialize Easter. And as my Dad says about Christmas and Easter, "it's not a holiday. It's Christmas or Easter". Amen Daddy.
My prayer for all is that the real meaning of Easter would stay with us throughout the year. If it does it will affect every area of our life, attitudes, fears, anxieties, priorities. EVERY AREA!! It will cause us to lay down our "rights" for others. To do for others even when it hurts or when it's for someone who has hurt us. To see inconveniences and interruptions as opportunities. We will lay it all down for the cause of Christ. He held nothing back for us. He gave it all. My prayer for myself this next year is that I will hold nothing back for Him. That I will follow hard after Him, love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. As my parents used to tell me, "if you have nothing else to be grateful for (and we all do) you should be grateful for your salvation, a free gift from the Lord Jesus". Have a blessed Easter.
I remember growing up in First Baptist Spartanburg we always had a Good Friday service. My absolute favorite worship service all year even as a young person. It's the service that still sticks in my mind years and years later. My pastor Dr. Alastair Walker always did the same message, the walk to the cross. There was a huge wooden cross at one end of the platform and as he preached he walked towards that rugged cross. A man named Frank Dillard always sang the same song. I still get chills thinking about that day. He painted such a picture of Christ and what He went through on our behalf that it's hard to believe anyone could commercialize Easter. And as my Dad says about Christmas and Easter, "it's not a holiday. It's Christmas or Easter". Amen Daddy.
My prayer for all is that the real meaning of Easter would stay with us throughout the year. If it does it will affect every area of our life, attitudes, fears, anxieties, priorities. EVERY AREA!! It will cause us to lay down our "rights" for others. To do for others even when it hurts or when it's for someone who has hurt us. To see inconveniences and interruptions as opportunities. We will lay it all down for the cause of Christ. He held nothing back for us. He gave it all. My prayer for myself this next year is that I will hold nothing back for Him. That I will follow hard after Him, love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. As my parents used to tell me, "if you have nothing else to be grateful for (and we all do) you should be grateful for your salvation, a free gift from the Lord Jesus". Have a blessed Easter.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday Morning Perspective
We continued our study on the fruit of the spirit with a great message on gentleness. Eddie pointed out some things that a gentle person would look like. He did a great job describing personalities and the fact that God doesn't want to change our personality, He just wants our personalities to be under His control. I kept wondering if it's possible to be all four personalities rolled up into one. What would we call that personality? Just a thought.
The expectation part of the message really made me think. Eddie told me years ago that he thought my expectations for people were extremely high and I set myself up to be let down. I've tried to work on that through the years but the truth is I still do that from time to time. I just think people, including myself, should always strive to be the best and do their best, to work hard and play hard, to set the standard high, especially believers. I just don't think we should settle but I know at times I do and others do and we all let each other down. I guess it's about perspective.
I do know this...for this type A control freak, who struggles with being critical and at the same time can be quite undisciplined, opting for a good time, who appears to be easy-going yet is actually quite stubborn, I need to daily almost hourly submit my personality to God and allow Him to rule and reign.
The expectation part of the message really made me think. Eddie told me years ago that he thought my expectations for people were extremely high and I set myself up to be let down. I've tried to work on that through the years but the truth is I still do that from time to time. I just think people, including myself, should always strive to be the best and do their best, to work hard and play hard, to set the standard high, especially believers. I just don't think we should settle but I know at times I do and others do and we all let each other down. I guess it's about perspective.
I do know this...for this type A control freak, who struggles with being critical and at the same time can be quite undisciplined, opting for a good time, who appears to be easy-going yet is actually quite stubborn, I need to daily almost hourly submit my personality to God and allow Him to rule and reign.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)