Chloe Sings "Popular"

What's Up!!!

Wow, I looked at when I last entered anything and found that it has been to long.  So, here I go again....
      I have been looking into what church is and what it is supposed to be like. I'm going to share some videos and ideas that I found and and like anyone reading this, you might find them interesting and thought provoking.  I have been provoked and feel as though I am trying to understand how I respond to what I am learning about what I thought it was to what it really is.  I always knew that something just wasn't fitting right. I have been apart of several different models of church.  I think we have complicated the idea and function of what the church actually is.  I am learning, reading and listening to simple and profound ways of being the church.  More to follow....
http://churchanarchist.com/blog/?tag=intro

My Offering

Today I am an offering. Whether or not I make myself aware of it, I am offering something to someone, somewhere. I've listened to thousands of messages about who I'm am supposed to be, look like and act like. I think most of the time the result is simply confusion . Do I really know who I am? Do I really know who I am to be? Will I ever really be me, or a reflection of something else. Most of us I think will admit we are just a mess. We continue to just make due with what we are. The result of choice after choice. Decision after decision until we are so confused as to not know what we should do next. I hear words, I see people who are just like me. Existing! That's it, existing without knowing what to do as a result of all of the past and present thoughts and decisions. What are we to do. What am I supposed to do? What am I going to offer today. Will it be the frustration that haunts me every day. Will I just try and make it along. Or will I simply lay down who and what I am to my creator and remember that my life is an offering. That according to the Holy Scripture we are to offer our lives are to be a living sacrifice. It is the act of worship that I need to surrender to. I need to be that kind of offering I want to be. So there it is. I offer that. I offer me.

Vacation is over:(

Just got back from vacation and am feeling the weight of what's next. I began thinking about this coming week with all of the things I'm going to need to do. It's a mixed bag. I'm excited and a bit overwhelmed at the same time. I have a flood of ideas coming through my mind and feel the need to jot them down as to not completely forget what could be. There is definite work to be done, and I'm not sure about the hours I have to prepare. There are meetings to attend, things to move and plans to be finished. All in all, I'm not even close to being ready to start. I guess I'd better get going and do something productive today so that when Monday comes I'll at least feel I was prepared for that. :)

A decision has been made!

Today is Sunday August 12th. This morning my daughter went forward to make public her decision to become a follower of Jesus. I figured I would mark the occasion by writing down this decision and sharing it with the world as I know it. She has been expressing her desire to know Jesus, and I have been asking her questions regarding what she thinks it means to be a Christian. I am confident in what God is doing in her, and I am excited to be a part of her baptism. I always believed this day would come, and I am praising the King of Kings for allowing me the opportunity to be her father and to share Christ with her directly and indirectly through our lives together. Her decision is the greatest one she will ever make. She now begins a journey that will take a lifetime to experience.

I'm with the band

Not really, but it's something I'm trying to get started. Over the years I've written music and have had the opportunity to play with many great musicians. Getting a group together and playing shows and venues would be down right fun. Music has been just that, fun! Why not make it public. So as I stated on my Facebook status, I want to start a band and put together some tunes and hopefully have some people listen. Let me know if you are really interested and let's make some music!!!

What went through his mind?

Today I listened to the story of Abraham and Issac. I understand that Abraham was listening to God and followed the instructions given to him.  I really kind of wonder what was Issac thinking? He is being obedient to not only God but also his earthly father. He was willing to lay his life on the alter so that the will of God would be fulfilled. I am amazed at his willingness to surrender all of who he is to see his earthly father obey God. As a child of an earthly father I wonder if I would allow myself to lay down my physical life so that he would be able to obey a request of the Lord.  I see a parallel of God doing the very thing with Jesus Christ. God sacrificing His son so that relationship could be restored with His creation. I know it's not exactly the same thing but God being obedient to Himself so that restoration would be accomplished though His son Jesus.
I know from an early age I was taught by my parents the importance of being obedient. Sometimes I understood why I needed to listen and do as instructed, but there has been those other times that just didn't make sense until after the fact. As a parent I see the the lessons being revealed to me. I see the point of following through.  I am thankful that God has afforded me the opportunity to see Himself revealed and listen and do as He would have me to do. I'm thankful to Abraham's story and to his son who was so willing to obey.