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Today I started a new daily devotional for my morning time with God. It’s called, “New Day, New You” by Joyce Meyer. The topic for today’s devotional was willpower vs. God’s Power, and it brought some interesting reflection.

When you hit a rough patch what do you do?

As Americans we are brought up in a culture that says, “You hitch yourself up by your boot straps and you keeping going.” There is a lot of pride in this world and especially in the United States, but is one stronger when they bring themselves up by their boot straps or when they say: “Lord help me.”

We are commanded by God to be led by His spirit, in fact in John 15:5, John says that “apart from God, we can do nothing.” I would interpret that mean that without a relationship with God we exist but we don’t really live.

When was the last time you really felt that you were alive? Like really alive, the kind of feeling that gives you such passion for God and life and people, when did you last feel this?

I challenge all of us this week to search for God’s spirit and to embrace it no matter the circumstances.

Again, Thank You Lord for this amazing reminder of your presence amongst us!

There have been many things that I have loved since moving to Round Rock and working at St. Philip’s United Methodist Church, but one of the many that stand out is a practice that we do in staff meeting every Tuesday morning. We start every staff meeting with a question:

“Where are you finding Joy?”

Now at first I thought it was a neat way to start, but now that I think about it, it is a practice of soul care that deeply love. There is so much going on in our lives and the world spews such negativity at us that we don’t take a moment to really think about this. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says:

“Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Rejoice Always.

Pray Continually.

Give thanks in EVERY SITUATION

I don’t know about you but I don’t necessarily like this passage all the time. I find it annoying at times, because sometimes I just don’t want to be thankful or be joyful.

Have you ever felt that way?

Hear the Good News! Jesus our Christ loves us unconditionally and when you have times where you are annoyed, frustrated, and just don’t want to feel joyful that’s ok. Christ still loves you for you!

I would challenge however that when you feel this way to look around you, because God is doing amazing things all around you! Even during the annoying times God presence and His love and grace are ACTIVE AND ALIVE IN YOU!

May God always guide us to be mindful of our joy!

Amen.

I am in the process of organizing the Confirmation Class for the 2012-2013 year. This has brought back some memories of confirmation when I was confirmed and also my first couple of years when I was helping lead confirmation as a mentor at First Methodist in Mansfield.

It is such an honor to be a part of faith journey of sixth graders and up.

To teach them what we believe as Christians and as United Methodists and why we believe what we believe is a very powerful and amazing experience.

This year I have the honor and blessing of leading the confirmation class at St. Philip’s United Methodist Church as we are using the curriculum, “Credo: Know your Story, Confirm Your Faith, and Live Your Commitment.”

Know Your Story: Where do our beliefs come from? What is the story that leads us to where we are now? We seek God to guide and direct us through His word as we learn our collective story.

Confirm Your Faith: After we find our story and how are we are connected to we learn how in knowing that we learn how to confirm our faith in the author of our collective story.

Live Your Commitment: In knowing our story and confirming our faith we live it out!

I asked today that you pray for the mentors of this class and for the confirmands that will continue their faith journey with us this year. Pray also for the leaders, as in Dr. Dale Schultz, Rev. Steve Buchele and myself as we actively journey with these students over the next year. I am very excited to see what God does in us, through us, and even in spite of us.

Amen.

‎”What does it communicate when half the global population lives on les than $2 dollars a day, and we can’t manage a fulfilling life on twenty five thousand times that amount? Fifty thousand times that amount?” 

-Jen Hatmaker-

So I started reading a new book, because my awesome fiance told me that I should read it. I think that Amy is pretty dang smart so I listened and it only took for me to read to page 3 to realize that I am glad that I listened. The book, “7, an experimental mutiny against excess,” and it focuses on how much we really have. The above quote is from the introduction of the book. Here are some scary stats for you that she lists in the introduction a little bit before this excerpt that I have typed above.

“How can I be socially responsible if unaware that I reside in the top percentage of wealth in the world? (You probably do too: Make $35,000 a year? Top 4 percent. $50,000? Top 1 percent.)”

Now let’s think about this.

Over half the population lives on $2 a day.

How many of us like Starbucks?

If you know me even a little you know very well that I do. So with one cup you have spent what one person somewhere in the world spends in an entire day and if your like me, I spend that before 9 am.

Ouch.

I am more than sure that there will be more blog posts from this book coming in the very near future but for today I am just chewing on that little kick in the gut.

May God kick me in the gut when I surely need it and may He guide my thoughts so that I may know how to use my money not just for myself but for others as well. Life is too fleetly to just live it out of money, Life is meant to be so much more than that.

Thank you Lord for this gut check.

“They sat with Job on the ground seven days and seven nights, not speaking a word to him, for they saw that he was in excruciating pain.” (Job 2:13 CEB)

I think the book of Job is highly misunderstood. It is a difficult read for me because it is so difficult to see someone go through so much and feel such pain. It truly breaks my heart. This verse however took me by surprise.

We all know that at times life just plain stinks. There is no way around it, life at times is just not fair.

How many times have you had a time like Job though? How many times have you sat on the ground for seven days and seven nights with the sole purpose of just being there for a friend.

Another addition to this discussion: “It’s a picture of where pastoral care begins.” -Rev. Katie Long

As United Methodists I have a high appreciation for one of our core beliefs and that is even though we know there is injustice in this world, We are called to respond. What’s even more amazing is that you don’t have to be on church staff, ordained, licensed, or anything of that effect to respond.

Respond we must because we have a world out there that is hurting and confused and at times darn right mad. They need people to sit with them and do nothing up listen to what is going on in their lives. Sometimes the best way to minister to someone is shutting up.

So, I challenge you.

In what ways can you respond. Is there a relationship in your life that needs nurturing? Needs to be cultivated? I encourage you to pray over this and do it!

May the people of God be encouraged, equipped, energized, and empowered by the hearing of His Holy Word.

Amen.