Breathing and Believing. Just Me.

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

Posted by Brenda at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments

I read the following the other day on a youth pastor's blog. He had just visited a church and was impressed by how well they seemed to love each other. As a result he wrote the following:

"I have spent a long time in church, and I think I forget that the church is in the business of love. Above everything else, the church should be about loving well. Above doctrine, above polity, above finances and above good theology. Seems like a no brainer, but I get caught up in that stuff so often that I think I lose sight of what is imprtant sometimes."

I've been thinking a lot about what he said. My gut reaction is to think "okay, maybe above some things, and maybe above most things, but above doctrine and good theology"?

Hmm...

Things like good judgement and reason just naturally come up high on the list for me. If feels like if I say that "love" trumps all those things then it take you down a path where there are no absolutes. Or does it?

I know I could be loving better. So what does that mean for me? I've been thinking a lot about this. Does the world see love in my actions? How do we teach our new church plant about loving well? Does loving well mean helping the woman at church? Or does it mean inviting the prostitue I pass every day to our ESL class in the hope that maybe through English she would find a better future? Or does it mean both? Do I only love when it is easy?

How would Christ be loving differently than I am if He lived in my shoes? What decisions would He make that I do not? What risks would he be willing to take all in the name of love?

I wonder the Foothills Church did so well, or so different from the norm, that a youth pastor sat up and took notice. What are they doing that everyone else isn't? I did notice one thing on their vision statement that was impressive to me in an American culture:

"We're going to develop people more than programs".

Imagine that!

So tell me, do you think your church or small group loves well? I mean really. loves. well. And I'm not just talking about loving the easy ones.

Do you think you love well?

Posted by Brenda at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

I don't really know why gerber daisies make me so happy. They are not necessarily my favorite flower but for some reason whenever I am feeling down a good gerber daisy always make me feel better. A few years ago I decided I needed something in my apartment besides me that was a living thing. That started my tradition of buying one gerber daisy per week. Each week I pick a different color and I am never disappointed. I guess I would put them in the category of an old friend, a good book, a perfect mug of hot chocolate, or a favorite comfy robe...just friendly and familiar.

I bet God still smiles every time he looks at a gerber daisy too.

What's your happy flower?

Posted by Brenda at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments

Posted by Brenda at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Pretty much everything really clever about the design and structure of my new trial blog...

...did not originally come from me.

The template, the style of writing, the title (okay well, part of that is mine).

So, in order to clear my conscience and move forward undaunted I will now give credit where credit is do.

I'm going to call this my:

"Two Bloggers Who Are Way More Creative Than Me" List:

Posted by Brenda at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Okay, so the third week of every month I am responsible for mopping my first-floor hallway. Technically, this includes the entire hallway and down the stairs to the lower floor.

There is only one thing...

I didn't know about it until last month.

And since I've lived here since May that means I am three "moppings" overdue.

Oops. (sigh.)

So now, the bigger problem I'm having is remembering the darn job and planning a time to do it. (yea, yea, I know. no kids=should have plenty of time.)

This morning I woke up with a vague feeling that something was missing and it hit me that it was my week and I had yet to mop. Yikes!

So I'm off to to do the deed after I take a shower and look somewhat presentable to the neighbors who are all certainly peeking out their peepholes to make sure that I'm doing it right. (or should I say to make sure I'm doing it wrong? : )

Well, at least it's better than remembering tomorrow which would have been a day too late.

Moody should add Mopping 101 to their missionary training program.

Really, it's harder than it looks.

Posted by Brenda at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments

So the little old ladies in my building have gone from cute, to not so very. At first all their questions seemed like genuine interest and it felt nice and inclusive.

But that was then.

Now questions like...

"Where are you going?"
"Where are you coming from?"
"You aren't putting both those bags in the dumpster, are you?"
"You shouldn't be carrying that heavy box."
and,
"Were you out shopping...again!?"

Well, those questions are just starting to get on my nerves.

And frankly, I think it's a little bit rude.

So tell me, why is it that once you are over a certain age you think you have the right to say whatever you want to whomever you want?

"Dear Lord, please help me to love my neighbors."

Soon!

Posted by Brenda at 12:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

I think I forget sometimes that the Song of Solomen wasn't only written for married couples.

And as a single, I've generally tended to avoid that book of the Bible in the past.

That being said what a great reminder this verse was to me today that Christ thinks of the church (and that includes me!) as His beloved.

It's a gift really, to be loved like that.

Thanks Jesus.

Posted by Brenda at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments