Please take a moment to read the following list and really take it to heart. It was written by Bill Shuler, whom I know as "Pastor Shuler" from my ORU days.
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/03/15/shuler_regret_ten/
Have a wonderful, blessed day!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The one-week challenge
Something has really been irritating me lately. Actually, it's been an irritation for quite some time now, but it has resurfaced again in the last month or so.
Time. Rather, the lack of time. (How appropriate, since we lose an hour of sleep tonight!)
We are always so busy, busy, busy. Our busyness has actually become somewhat of a status symbol. The busier we are, the more important we become--at least in our own eyes. Telephone conversations--or most likely, email conversations--typically go something like this:
"Hi! How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Fine. What are you up to"
"Oh, I've done X, Y, and Z today and have A, B, C, D, and E to do tomorrow. What about you?"
Sound familiar?
I had a friend at ORU who would challenge others to memorize Scripture. And if you passed her in the dorm or on the way to class, it was nothing for her to ask you what you were learning in the Word. This was just 15 years ago! How have we become such a self-absorbed people that we define ourselves now more by what we do than what we are learning?
I think I have an answer to that. It's an answer that most people will hate.
Technology.
Oh, sure, technology is a blessing. But if you were to honestly evaluate your life and, more specifically, your walk with the Lord, would you say that technology is a blessing or a hindrance to your walk with God? I would have to say that in my own life, technology is more of a hindrance than a blessing. I have trouble finding time to sit down and open my Bible each day, yet I don't have any trouble watching a show on HGTV, checking my email, getting on Facebook, downloading music and podcasts to my iPod, talking on my cell phone, sending text messages, looking up recipes... You get the picture. If I were to cut out one, some, or--gasp!--all of those things, how much more time would I have?
As if my own walk with the Lord weren't important enough, I also have to sit back and ask myself this question: What kind of example am I setting for my children? Am I teaching them to be busy and to place more importance of "things" than on their relationship with God? Sure, we have devotional time together in the mornings... but what about during the day? How often do they see me with my Bible open or hear me in prayer? When I think back to my own childhood, these are some of the things I remember most about my own mom. It was nothing out of the ordinary to see her with her Bible open at various times during the day, or to walk into a room and then find yourself quickly backing out because mom was praying and you didn't want to interrupt.
I want to challenge you to do something. For one week, and one week only, unplug yourself from one piece of technology for a short time each day. It doesn't matter if it is the television, if you let your calls roll to voicemail, if you turn off the iPod, or if you don't check email. But for one week, the challenge is to unplug yourself from technology and then use that time to "plug in" to God. Use that time for prayer, for reading the Bible, for worship... just make yourself a little less busy so that you do have time for God. Then come back at the end of the week and share how this challenge affected you and your family.
Let's teach our children to put more importance on the Word of God than on "things." And let's start this week!
Time. Rather, the lack of time. (How appropriate, since we lose an hour of sleep tonight!)
We are always so busy, busy, busy. Our busyness has actually become somewhat of a status symbol. The busier we are, the more important we become--at least in our own eyes. Telephone conversations--or most likely, email conversations--typically go something like this:
"Hi! How are you?"
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Fine. What are you up to"
"Oh, I've done X, Y, and Z today and have A, B, C, D, and E to do tomorrow. What about you?"
Sound familiar?
I had a friend at ORU who would challenge others to memorize Scripture. And if you passed her in the dorm or on the way to class, it was nothing for her to ask you what you were learning in the Word. This was just 15 years ago! How have we become such a self-absorbed people that we define ourselves now more by what we do than what we are learning?
I think I have an answer to that. It's an answer that most people will hate.
Technology.
Oh, sure, technology is a blessing. But if you were to honestly evaluate your life and, more specifically, your walk with the Lord, would you say that technology is a blessing or a hindrance to your walk with God? I would have to say that in my own life, technology is more of a hindrance than a blessing. I have trouble finding time to sit down and open my Bible each day, yet I don't have any trouble watching a show on HGTV, checking my email, getting on Facebook, downloading music and podcasts to my iPod, talking on my cell phone, sending text messages, looking up recipes... You get the picture. If I were to cut out one, some, or--gasp!--all of those things, how much more time would I have?
As if my own walk with the Lord weren't important enough, I also have to sit back and ask myself this question: What kind of example am I setting for my children? Am I teaching them to be busy and to place more importance of "things" than on their relationship with God? Sure, we have devotional time together in the mornings... but what about during the day? How often do they see me with my Bible open or hear me in prayer? When I think back to my own childhood, these are some of the things I remember most about my own mom. It was nothing out of the ordinary to see her with her Bible open at various times during the day, or to walk into a room and then find yourself quickly backing out because mom was praying and you didn't want to interrupt.
I want to challenge you to do something. For one week, and one week only, unplug yourself from one piece of technology for a short time each day. It doesn't matter if it is the television, if you let your calls roll to voicemail, if you turn off the iPod, or if you don't check email. But for one week, the challenge is to unplug yourself from technology and then use that time to "plug in" to God. Use that time for prayer, for reading the Bible, for worship... just make yourself a little less busy so that you do have time for God. Then come back at the end of the week and share how this challenge affected you and your family.
Let's teach our children to put more importance on the Word of God than on "things." And let's start this week!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Richmond, here I come!
A few weeks ago I wrote about entering a 10K race. Well, I did it! I am officially entered in the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, VA. The race is on March 28. I am certainly not doing this for time... I just want to complete the race. And believe it or not, I am already looking forward to the next race that I can participate in. I don't know yet if it will be later this year or maybe the same race next year. Regardless, I am very excited to participate in this race and am happy that my family will go with me.
It's funny... I have never been a runner. Now, at the age of 33, I have taken up something that I hated to do--and I like it! God has really changed my heart where running is concerned, and it has truly become a time that has been set apart for Him. I grab my iPod and hit the gym, and I listen to music that leads back to the Father while I run. I've got Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, and Hillsong in my workout playlist, just to name a few. I'm on a mission now to add more music to my workout playlist... enough to get me through the race.
Brother Lawrence truly said it best when he said:
Lord of all pots and pans and things...
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates!
If Brother Lawrence could worship God and spend time in His presence while doing something as mundane as the dishes--do I hear an "Amen!" from all of the mommies?--one can certainly worship God while running!
It's funny... I have never been a runner. Now, at the age of 33, I have taken up something that I hated to do--and I like it! God has really changed my heart where running is concerned, and it has truly become a time that has been set apart for Him. I grab my iPod and hit the gym, and I listen to music that leads back to the Father while I run. I've got Toby Mac, Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, and Hillsong in my workout playlist, just to name a few. I'm on a mission now to add more music to my workout playlist... enough to get me through the race.
Brother Lawrence truly said it best when he said:
Lord of all pots and pans and things...
Make me a saint by getting meals
And washing up the plates!
If Brother Lawrence could worship God and spend time in His presence while doing something as mundane as the dishes--do I hear an "Amen!" from all of the mommies?--one can certainly worship God while running!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
What are you reading?
I love to read. I always have. In fact, I love to read so much that I kept probably 90% of my textbooks from college--I just can't bear to part with a book!
I have been reading a lot of fiction lately. I really enjoy good storytelling. One of my favorite authors is Lori Wick. She is an excellent storyteller, her style draws you into the story so much so that it is as if you are part of the story itself, and her books always minister to me in some way. I can reread her books and take away something different each time. It's really hard to say which of her books is my favorite; I can honestly say that there isn't a book of hers that I don't like!
Another author who is at the top of my favorites list is Jan Karon. If you haven't read her Mitford series, you really should! The first book is At Home in Mitford. Her style is very different from anything I have read, and it has an almost slow, laid-back pace to it--which is quite fitting because Mitford is a small, fictional town in North Carolina where everyone knows everyone and where there is a true sense of community. The main character in the Mitford series is Father Tim, a 60-something Episcopalian priest who has all kinds of adventures--and some misadventures--while going through life. You'll really come to love the Mitford series when you read it. Be sure to have a current library card or money set aside for book purchases! Once you've read the first book, you're hooked!
Right now, though, I'm taking a little break from fiction and am finally reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This was recommended to me by one of my former professors at ORU, and I am so glad that he recommended it! I haven't read much of it yet, but already I can say that this is a must-read for all Christians.
So, tell me... what are you reading right now? What kinds of books interest you, and why?
I have been reading a lot of fiction lately. I really enjoy good storytelling. One of my favorite authors is Lori Wick. She is an excellent storyteller, her style draws you into the story so much so that it is as if you are part of the story itself, and her books always minister to me in some way. I can reread her books and take away something different each time. It's really hard to say which of her books is my favorite; I can honestly say that there isn't a book of hers that I don't like!
Another author who is at the top of my favorites list is Jan Karon. If you haven't read her Mitford series, you really should! The first book is At Home in Mitford. Her style is very different from anything I have read, and it has an almost slow, laid-back pace to it--which is quite fitting because Mitford is a small, fictional town in North Carolina where everyone knows everyone and where there is a true sense of community. The main character in the Mitford series is Father Tim, a 60-something Episcopalian priest who has all kinds of adventures--and some misadventures--while going through life. You'll really come to love the Mitford series when you read it. Be sure to have a current library card or money set aside for book purchases! Once you've read the first book, you're hooked!
Right now, though, I'm taking a little break from fiction and am finally reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This was recommended to me by one of my former professors at ORU, and I am so glad that he recommended it! I haven't read much of it yet, but already I can say that this is a must-read for all Christians.
So, tell me... what are you reading right now? What kinds of books interest you, and why?
Monday, February 2, 2009
The lesson in Cheerios
I took the kids to church by myself yesterday. Ben had to work...they had a very major problem that kept him pretty much tied to his BlackBerry and his laptop all weekend, and while we were at church he ended up having to go in to the office and was there until almost half-time of the Super Bowl.
At each service, we keep the kids with us through praise and worship and through the offering and don't take them to their nursery classes until the kids are dismissed to go to children's church. Why do we do this? Because we believe that even at a young age, children can be taught to worship God. Children already have a natural rhythm and love to dance to anything that has a beat. Hayden sometimes dances to the rhythm of the washing machine! Since children love to dance and sing, why not expose them regularly to worship and let them learn to worship God in their own way? They are too young to care who sees them or to care about whether they look ridiculous or dignified or anything else. (That is for another post!)
We also believe that they are not too young to learn to be a giver. When they see us give, they will learn to do it because it is something mommy and daddy do. But when we give them money of their own to put in the offering--a dollar bill, a quarter, or even the loose change that happens to be in the diaper bag or Ben's pocket--they learn to do it by repetition and they learn that it is okay to give money that was given to them. They don't have to hang on to every penny that is given to them. We don't want to create miserly little people; we want to create worshippers and givers. They are learning that when they give, they are giving to God. When they sing and dance, they are doing so to God. We want them to be so free with their giving that when they become old enough to ear income of their own, giving their tithe--and above their tithe--will be second-nature to them. There are blessings that come through giving. Not all of them are financial. Regardless, we want our children to be blessed in every area of their lives from an early age so that they know that living a life full of God's blessings is the rule, not the exception.
Yesterday morning after Pastor dismissed the children from church and I took Abby and Hayden to their nursery classes, I went back into the sanctuary and Pastor was already into his sermon. I sat down and, at the first mention of a reference, I opened the zipper on my Bible cover and turned to where he was currently in the sermon. Imagine my surprise when a few Cheerios fell out of my Bible and onto my lap! I had to smile to myself... I immediately thought of how Hayden is frequently thankful for Cheerios. Then I began to see just how valuable that daily devotional time with the kids really is. They look forward to that daily Bible time--it isn't always in the morning with breakfast, but it usually is. They crave that daily Bible time and if we miss it for whatever reason, they ask for it later in the day. Hayden will pick up a book and ask me if it is a Bible. Abby will read with me out of my Bible. Hayden will carry my Bible around the house. (If I ever can't find it, it isn't because I don't use it!) My children are comfortable with my Bible. They know that it is God's Word for them, not just for mommy.
Here are the lessons from this blog post:
1. Let your children see you and others worship, and let them be free to worship in their own way. Even an infant can learn by observing!
2. Teach your children to become givers. Show them how you freely give of your own income to God, then give them some money that they can put in the offering. They will become cheerful givers by doing this!
3. Don't get upset if you, too, find Cheerios in your Bible one day. Rejoice in knowing that your children are hearing the Word of God and that they are comfortable with the Word of God. When the time comes for you to give them their first "real" Bible--not a book of Bible stories--they will already be familiar with it and will be ready to dive in and start learning for themselves!
At each service, we keep the kids with us through praise and worship and through the offering and don't take them to their nursery classes until the kids are dismissed to go to children's church. Why do we do this? Because we believe that even at a young age, children can be taught to worship God. Children already have a natural rhythm and love to dance to anything that has a beat. Hayden sometimes dances to the rhythm of the washing machine! Since children love to dance and sing, why not expose them regularly to worship and let them learn to worship God in their own way? They are too young to care who sees them or to care about whether they look ridiculous or dignified or anything else. (That is for another post!)
We also believe that they are not too young to learn to be a giver. When they see us give, they will learn to do it because it is something mommy and daddy do. But when we give them money of their own to put in the offering--a dollar bill, a quarter, or even the loose change that happens to be in the diaper bag or Ben's pocket--they learn to do it by repetition and they learn that it is okay to give money that was given to them. They don't have to hang on to every penny that is given to them. We don't want to create miserly little people; we want to create worshippers and givers. They are learning that when they give, they are giving to God. When they sing and dance, they are doing so to God. We want them to be so free with their giving that when they become old enough to ear income of their own, giving their tithe--and above their tithe--will be second-nature to them. There are blessings that come through giving. Not all of them are financial. Regardless, we want our children to be blessed in every area of their lives from an early age so that they know that living a life full of God's blessings is the rule, not the exception.
Yesterday morning after Pastor dismissed the children from church and I took Abby and Hayden to their nursery classes, I went back into the sanctuary and Pastor was already into his sermon. I sat down and, at the first mention of a reference, I opened the zipper on my Bible cover and turned to where he was currently in the sermon. Imagine my surprise when a few Cheerios fell out of my Bible and onto my lap! I had to smile to myself... I immediately thought of how Hayden is frequently thankful for Cheerios. Then I began to see just how valuable that daily devotional time with the kids really is. They look forward to that daily Bible time--it isn't always in the morning with breakfast, but it usually is. They crave that daily Bible time and if we miss it for whatever reason, they ask for it later in the day. Hayden will pick up a book and ask me if it is a Bible. Abby will read with me out of my Bible. Hayden will carry my Bible around the house. (If I ever can't find it, it isn't because I don't use it!) My children are comfortable with my Bible. They know that it is God's Word for them, not just for mommy.
Here are the lessons from this blog post:
1. Let your children see you and others worship, and let them be free to worship in their own way. Even an infant can learn by observing!
2. Teach your children to become givers. Show them how you freely give of your own income to God, then give them some money that they can put in the offering. They will become cheerful givers by doing this!
3. Don't get upset if you, too, find Cheerios in your Bible one day. Rejoice in knowing that your children are hearing the Word of God and that they are comfortable with the Word of God. When the time comes for you to give them their first "real" Bible--not a book of Bible stories--they will already be familiar with it and will be ready to dive in and start learning for themselves!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
What will God do with you in 2009?
I've got to admit that I've never been a New Year's resolution kind of person. Never. But this year, I'm taking a little different approach.
In my last post, I mentioned goals. Yes, I do have a few goals for this year. My first goal is to run a race. I have never in my life participated in a race, but that is something that I want to do this year. I actually have a particular race in mind, and as the time for that race approaches I'll give more information about it. Believe it or not, this crazy idea that I--Megan--can run a race came up before Christmas. I go to the gym in the early mornings, before everyone else in our home gets up for the day, and have used that time--especially the travel time to and from the gym--for prayer and fellowship with God. It's the quietest part of my day, the time of day when there is no one else and nothing else to distract me, so I use this time for fellowship with my Father. It was during one of those early morning prayer times that the idea of a race came up. During prayer, the particular race was given to me...when I looked it up on the Internet, I was surprised to find that it is a longer race than I anticipated! Boy, is there ever some work ahead! I don't think I ever ran an entire Field Test at ORU... and this is twice the distance!
Another personal goal is to become more organized in different areas of my life. So, my first step in organization may seem really basic to a lot of others, but it is essential: I need to make a schedule of things to do each day of the week. I'm not talking about preschool field trips and doctor's appointments and hair cuts. I'm talking about household chores. Oh, they get done now, but with a lot of disorganization and stress. I'll get started with the dishes and the dryer will stop, so I'll take the clothes out of the dryer and put another load in to dry, take the dry clothes into the living room to fold them, see that there are toys that need to be picked up and put away, and then remember that the upstairs bathroom garbage needs to be emptied.... when I finally make it back to the kitchen, I see a sink full of lukewarm, soapy water and dirty dishes on the counter and wonder how I ever got that far off track. So, the daily "to do" list is being formed--a realistic list of things that can be done on a given day, not a supermom list of cleaning, laundry, and a gourmet, five-course meal for dinner.
The Lord has really been speaking to me during the last several months about getting the stress out of my life. I want my children to remember their growing up years as a fun time, not a stressful time. We do have a lot of fun--even more so now that some stress has already been eliminated--but there are still the moments of self-induced stress that really could be avoided if there were more organization.
My husband and I have prayed about our children's education and really believe that we are to embark on the grand adventure of home schooling. So, I have spent some time during the last several months exploring options and learning about the laws surrounding home schooling in our state. There is so much more to learn! Our sweet Abby will be five on her birthday in a few months, so Kindergarten is right around the corner. So, I guess you could say that one of our family "goals" is to start the home schooling process. We are excited to take this next step with her!
I don't have goals, per se, set in stone for 2009. But I do seek God daily for His agenda for my day. Some days--like today--it's as simple as sitting at the kitchen table and playing several hands of "Go Fish" with Abby or letting Hayden "help" while I sweep the kitchen floor. Other days, the agenda is to make a phone call or write a note to someone.
What will God do with you in 2009? Have you dared to ask Him?
Before you step away from your computer, I want to invite you to read a college friend's blog on this very thing. Take a look at Glenn's blog post entitled "Why Resolutions Miss the Mark." Let what Glenn shares challenge your thinking. And then take this challenge: Step into your prayer closet and ask God what He wants for you in 2009. Too much for you to start with? Then ask Him what He has on the agenda for you today. Then do your part and follow through with His plan for your day, your week, your month, your year. At the end of 2009, you will be able to look back and see all that God has done with you, in you, and through you because you dared to ask Him what He had planned for you. When we stop putting our own goals and desires first and move God to that number one spot, we will find out that life will be much richer and much more fulfilling than we ever dreamed it could be.
In my last post, I mentioned goals. Yes, I do have a few goals for this year. My first goal is to run a race. I have never in my life participated in a race, but that is something that I want to do this year. I actually have a particular race in mind, and as the time for that race approaches I'll give more information about it. Believe it or not, this crazy idea that I--Megan--can run a race came up before Christmas. I go to the gym in the early mornings, before everyone else in our home gets up for the day, and have used that time--especially the travel time to and from the gym--for prayer and fellowship with God. It's the quietest part of my day, the time of day when there is no one else and nothing else to distract me, so I use this time for fellowship with my Father. It was during one of those early morning prayer times that the idea of a race came up. During prayer, the particular race was given to me...when I looked it up on the Internet, I was surprised to find that it is a longer race than I anticipated! Boy, is there ever some work ahead! I don't think I ever ran an entire Field Test at ORU... and this is twice the distance!
Another personal goal is to become more organized in different areas of my life. So, my first step in organization may seem really basic to a lot of others, but it is essential: I need to make a schedule of things to do each day of the week. I'm not talking about preschool field trips and doctor's appointments and hair cuts. I'm talking about household chores. Oh, they get done now, but with a lot of disorganization and stress. I'll get started with the dishes and the dryer will stop, so I'll take the clothes out of the dryer and put another load in to dry, take the dry clothes into the living room to fold them, see that there are toys that need to be picked up and put away, and then remember that the upstairs bathroom garbage needs to be emptied.... when I finally make it back to the kitchen, I see a sink full of lukewarm, soapy water and dirty dishes on the counter and wonder how I ever got that far off track. So, the daily "to do" list is being formed--a realistic list of things that can be done on a given day, not a supermom list of cleaning, laundry, and a gourmet, five-course meal for dinner.
The Lord has really been speaking to me during the last several months about getting the stress out of my life. I want my children to remember their growing up years as a fun time, not a stressful time. We do have a lot of fun--even more so now that some stress has already been eliminated--but there are still the moments of self-induced stress that really could be avoided if there were more organization.
My husband and I have prayed about our children's education and really believe that we are to embark on the grand adventure of home schooling. So, I have spent some time during the last several months exploring options and learning about the laws surrounding home schooling in our state. There is so much more to learn! Our sweet Abby will be five on her birthday in a few months, so Kindergarten is right around the corner. So, I guess you could say that one of our family "goals" is to start the home schooling process. We are excited to take this next step with her!
I don't have goals, per se, set in stone for 2009. But I do seek God daily for His agenda for my day. Some days--like today--it's as simple as sitting at the kitchen table and playing several hands of "Go Fish" with Abby or letting Hayden "help" while I sweep the kitchen floor. Other days, the agenda is to make a phone call or write a note to someone.
What will God do with you in 2009? Have you dared to ask Him?
Before you step away from your computer, I want to invite you to read a college friend's blog on this very thing. Take a look at Glenn's blog post entitled "Why Resolutions Miss the Mark." Let what Glenn shares challenge your thinking. And then take this challenge: Step into your prayer closet and ask God what He wants for you in 2009. Too much for you to start with? Then ask Him what He has on the agenda for you today. Then do your part and follow through with His plan for your day, your week, your month, your year. At the end of 2009, you will be able to look back and see all that God has done with you, in you, and through you because you dared to ask Him what He had planned for you. When we stop putting our own goals and desires first and move God to that number one spot, we will find out that life will be much richer and much more fulfilling than we ever dreamed it could be.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
It's been a while...
I know that it's been a while since I've posted a new blog. Quite a while, actually. I got caught up in all of the holiday planning-baking-shopping-family stuff and am just now starting to settle back into a routine of things. It has helped that Abby has been back in preschool this week. That has helped get us all back on schedule.
That being said, I've got a few things rolling around in my head that I really want to put down here. One of my goals for this year is to blog at least twice a week. (Come back to see my post on goals!) But I also need to keep priorities in check and make sure other things are done first before sitting down at the computer.
Check back later for a real post... it should be up no later than tomorrow night!
That being said, I've got a few things rolling around in my head that I really want to put down here. One of my goals for this year is to blog at least twice a week. (Come back to see my post on goals!) But I also need to keep priorities in check and make sure other things are done first before sitting down at the computer.
Check back later for a real post... it should be up no later than tomorrow night!
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