Sacrifice

This week in Bible study we spend time thinking through SACRIFICE. 'Hardly something our culture embraces today! However, sacrifice is "part and parcel" of the Christian faith (the true one, not the one we all made up!)...There were two key points made by Beth Moore during this study:

1. "We will be selfish unless we deliberately do something about it"
2. "If we miss the sacrificial life, we will miss our calling"

LORD, help me to be a living sacrifice; to choose You over me; to choose others over me...Help me to be deliberate and committed to this. Help me not to let my SELF get in the way of who and what you have made me to be. I so need your help; this is not natural to me or easy...help me to be like you.

Popsicles

...are a good thing. I hadn't had one in a really long time, but I was drawn to them in the grocery store and let me tell you they make my day! I feel like it's a little "maturity" break in the middle of trying to act like an adult.

You know what else is good:

• The Saturday Farmer's Market in Broad Ripple
• Grabbing an Iced Coffee at the Monon and a biscuit for the dog
• Popping into Renee's for a scone
• Sitting on the porch swing and reading...or daydreaming
• Driving with the top down on my car, listening to the Dixie Chicks

I am so ready for summer!

Questions from a work life....

• Why do people who do so very little seem to get along so well in the professional world? ...How does that happen?
• Why do people react when they are held accountable for not doing what they are supposed to be doing?...and try to make those who hold them accountable, look bad for doing their job?
• When did workers get so lazy? whiny? demanding?
• When did bosses get so unreachable, out of touch, uninspired?
• When, exactly, did we start to think our jobs were supposed to fun; relaxing; enjoyable?
• How did we get to be a group of workers who think they are owed so much...?
• Why do companies tolerate low performers?
• Why are we afraid to be direct and honest and therefore don't problem-solve? Why do we see problem-identification and truth telling as "not being a team player"?
• Why can't we celebrate our mutual work with something other than a pitch in?

WHAT would it look like if:

• Leaders were servants; knowledgeable; involved; invested; creative; inspired, fun-loving; honest; direct; supportive
• Staff: were long term thinkers and not short term ; were dedicated; creative; life-long learners; hard workers; fun-loving; supportive; honest; direct; problem-solvers; positive
• Companies had a mission of truly serving their customers; supporting and building a growing/producing/positive staff and a healthy, accountable, creative environment

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

This one speaks to my soul...

I am reading "VELVET ELVIS: Repainting the Christian Faith" by Rob Bell. I know already this will become one of my "can't do with outs" (one of which is "Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning)...you know, those books that just speak to your soul as if the author was reading your heart and mind. It just works...just makes sense...just makes you go "AH HA! someone wrote down exactly what I needed to hear and/or already believe but never saw in writing". I LOVE it when that happens.

Here are some of my favorite quotes so far:

"Because God has spoken, and everything else is commentary"

"Being a Christian then is more about celebrating mystery than conquering it"

"God is bigger than any religion. God is bigger than any worldview. God is bigger than the Christian faith."

..."the Bible is about today. These stories are our stories. They are alive and active and teaching us about our lives in our world, today."

"Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective"

There's so much more, but you have to read it for yourself...I know it is a gift from God for me right now! :-)

Think Time...and just being

I actually was totally free this week-end...nothing Friday nite, Saturday or Sunday (other than church)...you know what? It was a little weird! As much as I have been craving "down time", I actually got a little anxious about having no commitments to attend to...now that's really weird isn't it?

It took me about 1 day and a 1/2 to relax...in the meantime I worked in the yard, sorted out a couple of drawers, made a few calls I owed on my "to call list", and started on summer reading list (my goal is to work through all of Jane Austen's books...what a crack up!)

I realized that I so fill my days that I'm starting to have trouble when they aren't full, and that's just crazy! God was so wise when He told us to "come a part and rest for awhile". Rest time, that "think time", is so vital and I tend to throw it all away. SO...here's my goal...this summer I'm going to work on being OK with just "being"! I want to enjoy swinging on my porch swing; sitting at my porch table and reading...just being...

You know, I'm pretty sure if I STOP a little bit more, God won't have to wade through so much "stuff" to speak to me...I'm gonna see if that's really true, and I'll let you know! :-)