Upgraded from Photoshop Elements to full Photoshop 7. I know its an old version but its new to me and I’m so excited by features that were unavailable to me in my old version. Raymond kindly took some time to teach me the Pen Tool which is a fantastic new tool for cartooning and other imaging needs we do children’s ministry. Ray used his talent to serve me and I thought that it was a wonderful example of service in the staff team.
I learned from Andy Stanley to ask “How may I use my talents to help you with your work in your department?” to increase mutual submission and help to one another. If everyone spends some time with the habit of asking this question, it will unite the team to fulfill God’s vision and mission in our church. I tried it out with Cryst in the Education department one day and she was caught by surprise. So she thought for a long time. A few minutes later, she finally thought of something but before she could continue, I blurted out “times up!”.
I do have a lot to learn about being less busy and more available to help. It is a great dream that we are submissive to one another. To honor and be honorable. To serve and to be allowed service so that together we are united in purpose.
I have done better with others after that and we are moving on!
Getting ready for a long day. The thought of it made me tired and sleepier. Maybe that’s it, the more we have to do, the more Temple Care is needed. Woke up just wanting to drink water, wash my face and stretch.
If we remain in Him, He’ll remain in us! If we draw near to Him, He’ll draw near to us… Day 4 is about getting closer and it just gets better. No more swollen eye, no more headache, no more toothache, no more aches. I’m feeling better by the day.
Is it when things happen on the inside, the outside follows, or is it to work on the outside first before the inside abides?
I believe in doing on the outside just the little expression of faith what makes the biggest difference to impact the inside. Then the inside takes care of things to impact the outside. The Lord works in such mysterious ways.
What a great day with the kids. What great teamwork leading kids to Christ. Saw some kids we love and are so interested in building with us and got us excited to the core. The whole big point of “Wearing The Breastplate of Righteousness” came together from the beginning until the end strongly and I was very proud of the team who did a fantastic job. At least 2 kids were Holy Spirit ambushed, they resolved to keep doing the right thing and confessed of some dishonest act. The Lord’s transformative power was in grand demonstration.
4:50 am: Praying for friends and people in our care group. Thanking God for them! Life is not the same without them. Day 2 of envisioning is looking good. My swollen eye is healing fast. My eyes will see clearer. Day 2 of Temple Care.
This TED Talk by Derek Sivers of CD Baby is only 2 minutes. It helps us try looking at the flip side of everything. Liked the presentation and what he can do with just 2 minutes because sometimes in children’s ministry, 2 minutes is all we’ve got.
“There’s nothing you can do to stop me from loving you”
“There’s nothing you can say that will take my love away”
These are perhaps the things that God will say to you today. If you don’t just rely on sermons on the pulpit and really go read the bible yourself, you’ll notice that God does speak in rhyme. Sometimes yes, but often he doesn’t. He does use anecdotes, stories and memories. Sometimes tragedy, often he’ll say things that are strange to human ears, mysterious and hard to comprehend. Sometimes he’s that wild man, crude, sometimes soft, tender and gentle. He’s everything, anything but boring. You won’t find him the way you hear about him in Christian articles. Don’t get me wrong, Christian articles and preachers are good, but it is just not enough. We need to encounter God by ourselves and find that the odd God we may see Him to be, may really be the perfect Father for odd people like us.
@—
Reading about Hezekiah and his decline in the book of Isaiah this morning. After reading how the Lord spoke about abuse and disaster that will happen to his family and he came out of that thinking what the Lord said was good and that peace will reign in his lifetime, I cracked up laughing. Isn’t it true what we see in Hezekiah is so true in all of us…… God speaks and we are all just so occupied that our responses are inappropriate and funny because we just weren’t listening.
...
