Serving Without Notoriety

 In churches, schools, businesses, and even sports arenas, we all notice those who are on the stage. We don’t always see the Martha’s. They are the ones that do the small tasks that no one wants to do, but everyone gets to benefit. They are the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave. We may not always see what they do, but when they are gone, we realize how valuable their service is. 

Many people misunderstand the passage when Jesus speaks to Martha about serving and her complaining that Mary is just sitting at his feet. He wasn’t chastising Martha for her serving, but for her attitude. She needed to understand that she could worship with service, so her sister could worship at Jesus’s feet. Neither one was better in Jesus’s eyes, but the attitude of one was better. When we serve with the attitude that we are serving to make the experience for someone to worship at Jesus’s feet, and we then can worship at his feet, then we get it. 

At my church, I had a friend who served in ways that most people did not see. If you sat in a chair at Mosaic, he set it up. If you danced on the floor on the stage, he laid it down and made sure it was safe. If your children enjoyed the worship in their ministry, he was behind the scenes making sure that it was done well. Most importantly, if you connected to others because you had a meal with them after a service, he was the reason because he made sure that those lunches and dinners existed and that they existed to connect new people at church with those of us who were members. 

Losing a friend is difficult. We may not always appreciate or see the value of the friendship until someone is gone, but this is a friendship that I never took for granted. I came to Mosaic with such disdain for the church, that I wondered if anyone would even speak to me. My friend who served behind the scenes knew the value of connecting people with Jesus because they were hurt. Even though I may have more knowledge than he did on the Bible, he understood a relationship with Jesus is more than Bible knowledge, but actual application of sharing the love of Jesus with others, even if they do not always see it was true Christianity. He helped me see the love of Jesus. 

This last week, my friend left this life on earth and entered the presence of Jesus. We never know when our last day on earth will be. We just need to live each day as if it were our last and share the love of Jesus with others. I know I will see Phil Cambre again when I leave this earth. I know I’ll have to look in the quiet corners of heaven surrounded by all the people he influenced. This last week, I reminded myself every day that how I treat people, how I serve is what is valuable. May we all live our lives with that value. 

Refocusing Our Sight On Ourselves

 As I scroll through social media, I discover that many people are wonderful, good, and perfect. At least from the words on their social media posts, it appears that way. Social media can connect us to people in the world and create stronger friendships, but it can also begin to destroy us in ways that may not be visible to us, but it is apparent to those around us and to those reading our posts. Why is it that we can see the flaws in others but not see our own imperfections? 

This has been an age-old problem in life. Jesus had to address this issue. “Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3 (CSV) Why do we focus on what others are doing wrong and cannot see our own flaws? Jesus asked this rhetorical question. No one would dare answer it because it will reveal our worse flaw in ourselves. We refuse to look at our flaws and sins because we do not want to change them. 

It’s so much easier to call out other people’s wrongdoings than it is to fix our own. I see it every day in my classroom. Students will call out other people’s flaws and not adjust or correct their own failures. We hate to admit that we have flaws. This has damaged Christianity. It’s damaged those of us within the church, along with those who are outside of the church screaming that we must change. We must begin with ourselves to change and turn from our sins before we can scream about other people. 

I don’t have any ill feelings to those who are on the side of calling out people’s wrong ideas in life, but I do have a problem when all we do is sit behind a computer screen with our log in our own eyes and call out the failures of other people. The pandemic has left many people in dire straits in many areas. We should begin to encourage other people instead of pointing out their flaws.

When we sit and point out the flaws of everyone around us, we bring attention to ourselves to have our own flaws exposed. Instead of exposing the flaws of others, we need to turn from our sins and wrongdoings and pray that others will do the same. The more we sit back and claim to be perfect, the more sins we commit. No one is perfect. No one will ever say or write the perfect words that we want to hear. We can only go to Jesus for that perfection. 

So, let us make this year the year in which we begin to work on ourselves. I have discovered that the more I change and grow, those around me change and grow. Let us set a goal to make the changes we must do to improve our own lives and then watch the world change around us. It just may all be in the perspective of what we see. It is with our time and conversations with Jesus that this change will take place. Let us go boldly in this year with the time to change. 

 

Change in Us Creates Change around Us

 It’s a three-day weekend because we are celebrating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. I remember on our trip in Washington D.C., his memorial was so tall that it towered over all the others. It was majestic. I thought of the life that he lived. He didn’t let people stop him on his mission, even when he was imprisoned, or his life was threatened. He did not stop because he knew that change had to occur. He fought for equal rights for all people. He wanted change. His fight was one worth fighting. It makes me think that I want to only fight for what is worth fighting and that fight must bring change. 

It’s a new year with new journeys and a new perspective on life. The only way we can allow the new into our lives, is that we must change. We may have to change our ideas, or our attitudes, or our jobs, or our habits. Whatever it is, we all must engage in change so that the world around us can be a better place. We cannot force other people to change, but if we choose not to change, then we choose not to grow. Being stagnant in life brings unsatisfaction and an unhealthy life. 

Change is difficult. It is more than saying a speech or tweeting or screaming on social media with a meme that defines how others around us must change because we made changes in our lives that we believe we must force others to do. I cannot demand that someone else changes. I can inspire them with my own life how healthy change can be. As Christians, we must commit ourselves to change. We must embrace change in our own lives and the life of the church continually because change brings growth. For many Christians, change is nonexistent. It’s not an insult. It’s a truth that I have struggled with my entire Christian life. 

The church struggles to change. Music anyone? That fight has been going on for centuries. Some people are still screaming that we must sing songs that were created in bars. You know what that means? Those music writers were in bars…all the time. Change of leadership is a constant fight. We don’t like change because we must give up something. If we give up something, we gain something so much better, but many people believe that if we give up something, it is lost forever. Maybe we must lose some things forever. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that racism needed to end…forever. 

That was the secret that Martin Luther King Jr. knew. He knew that if we would give up our prejudices, we would gain a much better country with everyone being able to use their gifts and talents to create businesses, art, educational institutions, and communities where love exists over hate. It is only with change that we can create. If we set goals for the New Year, then we must give up a bad habit to create a new habit. That new habit will make our lives better. We must make a better world, so we may have to change some of our attitudes and ideas so that others may benefit from our change. So, we must give up something. 

Martin Luther King Jr. did not fight for himself. He fought for others. He fought for change. His memorial towers over others because his work made such an impact on this country, but his work is not finished. Change is constant. It will always be with us. We don’t have to lose our faith in God to change. We should gain faith as we change. As we start this new year and enter this three-day weekend, may we fight the good fight as we change every day to make the world a better place for people today and in the future.  Let us all choose one area in our life that we can change to make those around us better and healthier. 

An Abundant Place

It’s a New Year, and many of us are setting goals and attempting new undertakings. This year, as I continue to have a daily commitment time with God, I decided to use devotionals or books to help with my time, so that I could not just acquire more knowledge, but to have a fresh perspective on scripture. As I was looking for a devotional, I discovered that two people that have mentored me in my writing wrote a devotional about finding God in the noise of our lives, as we discover our own abundant place. I bought it, and the excellence of An Abundant Place is beyond words. 

When it comes to published devotionals, I’m finicky. As a Bible College graduate and a seminary graduate, I appreciate new perspectives on scripture, not retold jokes or stories that I’ve heard or have used, which is why I have appreciated the devotional, An Abundant Place by Kathi Lipp and Cheri Gregory. They bring a fresh perspective to scripture as they use their own experiences, along with a new understanding of the passage that I may not have considered with an understanding 

For me, having my own time with God living in the city comes with noise. In fact, I surround myself with noise. As I write this, music is playing in the background, and yet I can hear birds chirping outside my window, along with trucks and cars zooming down the street.  I must hear God through the noise. I can make the excuse that it’s too noisy to have a quiet time with God, or I can create a place of quiet in my head for time with God.

I must make the choice to worship God, even if the noise refuses to stop. “God has given me an abundance of opportunities to worship Him. I just need to quiet the noise and pay attention to what he has already provided.” (Lipp, page 42) Worshipping God depends on my attitude, not on what is occurring around me. If I do not like the style of music, then my grumbling is the noise that is stopping me from worshipping God, not the music. If I am frustrated with the distractions and interruptions, then maybe I need to see those distractions and interruptions as God trying to speak to me. Maybe that small child’s voice is what I need to hear. 

So, I’m starting my year with this devotional, in which I can also write down thoughts and notes and will be able to see worshipping God with abundance throughout the entire New Year. Our time with God is precious. Our worship is precious. We must make the most of every opportunity to reveal to God our devotion and love to him. No matter what church we attend, what the worship music is like, or how many people are in the church, may we take ownership of our worship to God. It’s a New Year, and a year, in which we can commit to a change. If we change our perspective on how we worship and our frame of mind of worship, we will be able to worship God as he deserves. Let us worship him with an abundant mind as we join Him in An Abundant Place. 

 

The ABCs of Thanksgiving

 I learned this from a youth ministry game book, and I have used it in my classroom. Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday for people as families gather and loved ones are missing, or if you are someone unable to make it home for this holiday, and you are alone. So, here is an exercise to just realize that Thanksgiving is about being thankful for the good in your life. Write down the alphabet and next to each letter, write one thing that you are thankful for that starts with that letter. (I usually limit it to five people for my students, but some of us may have twenty-six people that we are legitimately thankful for more than anything else in this world.)

Here is my list: 

A-America-We have issues, but I’d rather live here in America and try to be a change agent than anywhere else in the world. 

B-Books

C-College Basketball (Maybe not UCLA vs. Gonzaga, but there’s always Duke!)

D-Disney 

E-Entertainment (From movies to television to live theater plays, to sports events, I love being entertained.)

F-Family

G-God’s grace

H-House (It’s new. It’s owned. Finally.)

I-Intelligence (I have learned from some of the most intelligent people in the past few years.)

J-Jesus 

K-Knowledge (The knowledge that I have and have gained throughout my life, and the knowledge I will continue to gain in the future. 

L-Lattes (Along with the coffee shops in which they reside) 

M-Mosaic (A church that loves me, with all my flaws)

N-Netflix (Cobra Kai season four on Dec. 31. Need I say more?)

O-Opportunities (Ones that I have pounced and claimed, and ones to be obtained.) 

P-Peace (The peace I have had in my life this last year, even with a lot of stressful situations.)

Q-Quiet moments

R-Red House Writer’s Collective (A group of writers, agents, and editors that have been more than my coaches this year, but also friends)

S-Sounds (The fact that I can still hear and enjoy music is phenomenal.) 

T-Teaching (The rewards are few but large) 

U-Understanding (From my bosses to my friends, people who have been understanding this year have been remarkable.) 

V-Victories (Victories, even small wins, in my life.) 

W-Writing (Rediscovering the love of writing has restored my soul) 

X-X-Boyfriends (They taught me much)

Y-Young People (They teach me as much as I teach them.) 

Z-Zany ideas (I have plenty.)

Sparks of Joy During the Holidays

 The holidays are upon us, whether we want them to be or not. It’s supposed to be a season of joy, but for many people, it can be a season of sorrow. For them, loved ones are gone from this earth, or their finances are so tight that they will choose not to have a traditional dinner. Others may be alone for the holidays. Whatever sorrows may come our way this season, let us find ways to find the sparks of joy. 

One of the first sparks of joy is to be grateful for what we have in the present. For me, moving cost me financially, but I am so grateful to be in a larger home and in a new city. We can all be grateful for the needs that have been met in our lives, even if some needs are still outstanding. During this holiday season, we can take a day to stop and look around us to see what we have in our present that grants gratefulness. It will heal our soul, which in turn heals our physical and mental health too. 

Another spark is to see the small joys that have occurred over the last year. For those of us living in California, our world around us is more open than it was a year ago. We can gather with friends, family, and even our church family. We can celebrate the good times this year has brought and be grateful for overcoming the difficult trials that have been upon us. Some of us can celebrate having gone on a vacation; others can celebrate going to a concert, or even the movie theater. Then, there are those of us who are sports fans who find just a spark of joy watching and cheering for our teams in this last year. 

A spark that many of us do not always recognize is the actions that people do for us, even if they are small, like responding to our posts on social media. The small sparks of people praying for us helps us realize that we are not alone in our struggles, which is a reminder that we must let people know that we are praying for them. We can become so busy into what we are doing that we miss those small sparks that are right in front of us that people are doing with us or for us. They can be small acts of kindness that we forget because we are so busy focusing on what we must do, that we do not stop to see what others are doing around us. This holiday season, may we stop and see. 

A final spark is to realize the good things God has given us throughout our lives. From our health, even if we have difficulties, we are still alive, to our talents and gifts that we can use to serve others and to create in us a heart that is open to making the world a better place. God has given us our memories of times that we have had with people we love and opportunities in our lives that have changed us. God has given us grace and love without our effort being used to receive them. 

This week, as we start the holiday season, whether we are gathering with many, few, or having time to ourselves, may we take the time to see the sparks of joy that have occurred in our lives, so we can recognize the sparks of joy in our future, and send sparks of joy to the lives of others around us. 

The Cost of Freedom is Sacrifice

 This last week we celebrated those who have served in the armed forces with Veteran’s Day. America recognizes that those who sacrifice everything in their lives, do it so we can maintain our freedom. I just wonder if we understand that freedom only comes with sacrifice. In the past two years, I cannot help but notice that many people chose not to sacrifice anything for their freedom, and yet, they want their freedom. If we want to be free, we must sacrifice. 

Our armed forces sacrifice time. They sacrifice time with their families. They sacrifice time that they could be pursuing a “dream job,” so that all of us can have freedom in this country. As they sacrifice, are we just to receive the fruits of their sacrifice, or are we to sacrifice so that someone near and dear to us can be free? It’s an age-old question. Sacrifice is difficult. Usually, when I sacrifice, it costs me something, and not only do I not feel free, but I feel burdened by that which I must do, so that my sacrifice frees someone else, or even myself. 

Do we even understand that sacrifice must be an act that we all perform to have a free country today and in our future? If most people choose to be selfish and just take, then those who are sacrificing are doing it for naught because the majority will overrule the minority. If everyone were to sacrifice just some small part of their life for someone else, then there will not only be freedom for others, but we will also begin to truly love our neighbor. Then, the future will contain more freedom because of the sacrifice we have today. 

The question to be asked is what can an ordinary person do to sacrifice? It could just be the simple tasks in life. It could be being kind to a server in a restaurant or any store clerk. If we are flying, we know the rules. As we fly through the skies with our freedom, let us choose kindness to our flight attendants because we must remember that they are humans who need to see the love of Jesus more than to hear our political rants. It’s letting the person who is in a hurry in front of us. 

If we cannot do these little sacrifices, then when big sacrifices are asked of us, we will not be able to perform. I know because for a time in my life, I chose not to sacrifice. I was led to believe that I needed to be confident and not let people walk on me. There’s a difference between being a doormat and sacrificing, which can lead to true confidence. In that period of my life, I was at the lowest point of self-confidence, and instead of serving, I just complained about what others were not doing. Not only did I not have confidence, but my selfishness led to a burden of having to repay debt financially and loss of friends. In order to have freedom and healthy relationships, I realized I had to begin to sacrifice with the idea that the sacrifice was for others to be better. 

Jesus did not let the little parts of life to worry him. He chose to sacrifice. He chose to treat people with love and kindness, even when he had to explain that their actions were wrong. Yes, he overturned the tables in the temple. That was because people were being selfish in his father’s house and not sacrificing, and these same people demanded sacrifice from those who followed them. Sacrifice means we give up something. Jesus gave his life so we could have freedom from sin. 

As we enter the holiday season, may we remember to sacrifice more than we get. It’s better to give than to receive. Giving requires sacrifice. Sacrifice requires us to think of others instead of ourselves. Sacrifice is a habit that we must develop. We have less than forty days of this year left. May we take this time to sacrifice our wants and begin to sacrifice so others may have their needs, and then we will all gain freedom. Freedom comes with a price. That price is sacrifice.