my stomach still feels gross and icky. like i made the wrong choice. i'm still not sure. my head tells me i did the right thing. my heart? it's confused.
i hear someone say hello and think it's our maid talking to someone on the phone. then noah comes in and says, someone's here to see you, mom.
i turn around from my spot on the couch and see a ugandan woman standing outside our front porch.
how did she get in through our gate?
nick quickly walks past me and i realize he has let her in.
she has a drop of water on the top of her chest.
i realize that it is a tear.
her eyes are tearing up.
we say the usual greetings although i am impatient and want to know who she is and why she's here.
but that would be rude.
nevertheless, the greetings are short.
i still have no idea who she is. i think she might be the maid that used to work for the people who lived with nick and trevor now live, but i'm not sure. she's already launched into her speech.
her son is sick.
the hospital's soonest appointment could be next year.
she wants my help but then quickly adds that she doesn't want my money. only me to come help her with her son.
i ask her if she has family or friends around. if she regularly attends a church. she does. i ask her if she's talked to her pastor and she says they don't have money to give her. i tell her that her church family should come around her and support her, help her with her son and pray for her. she looks frustrated. i know that despite what she's said, she's looking for money.
i tell her that i have no money, my husband is not at home and that she should talk to her pastor again, and make the appointment at the hospital and see if she can get her son in any sooner.
i tell her i have my own children that i can't just leave by themselves.
she looks dejected and possibly bitter. i can't tell.
i feel rotten but i know that coming to some white stranger because you think they have money is absolutely not the answer.
white people throwing money at ugandans has not helped this country before and it's not the answer to the desperation, the corruption, the frustration that the beautiful people meet here on a daily basis.
i tell her i'm sorry and she walks back up to our gate.
i am frustrated at being accosted in my own home.
i feel sick at her situation and what must seem like a cold-hearted answer coming from a rich, white lady who couldn't possibly understand her situation or show pity toward her.
i feel more confident now that it is the church of uganda that needs to step up and be the family it's supposed to be. to support the members. to help those who are hurting and bear one another's burdens.
i can't help everyone. i know that Jesus is the answer. to all the hurt and corruption and brokenness and frustration.
but my heart still feels gross and icky.
we live in such a broken world.
1 Cor. 12:24-27
But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
confessions of a young mom on sunday
today i went to church {as in, i entered a church building} for the first time in at least 2 months.
i know.
but church is hard. at least, i find it really hard here.
in canada, we entered our church to familiar, smiling faces. we didn't stick out like sore thumbs. we promptly dropped off our boys in their safe, incredibly creative and age-appropriate children's church classes.
then we would often happily chat with a friend or two in the lobby and walk in to find a seat to familiar songs to worship to. the sermon would usually be thought-provoking and Bible-based. then we would pick up our boys afterward, chat with friends until the lobby cleared and we would drive home or to a friend's house for lunch.
in uganda, we drive to church and immediately heads turn when we pull up. we are muzungus. white people. the boys are often happily greeted by ugandans with good intentions, but it's often too much - especially for noah - and i have to keep reminding them to say hello and be polite and not be rude or grumpy.
we somehow corral the boys into a pew and try to keep them from crawling all over the ground that's covered in a fine, red dust. they are up and down and fighting with each other and i can barely pay attention to the song that's being sung. then children are dismissed to their classes and i walk with the boys to theirs. they are expected to sit for the remainder of the time listening to a lesson or colouring. maybe they sing a song or two. the doors are left open to the courtyard, which leads to the parking lot. i stay with them because they'd run out in a heartbeat if i left them.
today we went to a different church that we could walk to. at our other church we were one of a few young, white families. at this church? out of at least 200 kids in their children's church, they were the only white kids. we were stared at. pointed at. giggled at. but the lesson was told much more engagingly for the boys' age despite being expected to sit for the entire time.
today was better. and i'm betting it's not necessarily because of the lesson {although it was so much better by leaps and bounds than any other lesson i've heard for kids since being here}. it was because my reason for going was different. today i went for my kids.
we are not in canada. we are in uganda. it is good to go through hard things. it is good for the boys to learn to deal with stares or "standing out". it is good for us to show our boys that church is an important part of our week. it is good for me to go. if only for the sake of my children.
i know.
but church is hard. at least, i find it really hard here.
in canada, we entered our church to familiar, smiling faces. we didn't stick out like sore thumbs. we promptly dropped off our boys in their safe, incredibly creative and age-appropriate children's church classes.
then we would often happily chat with a friend or two in the lobby and walk in to find a seat to familiar songs to worship to. the sermon would usually be thought-provoking and Bible-based. then we would pick up our boys afterward, chat with friends until the lobby cleared and we would drive home or to a friend's house for lunch.
in uganda, we drive to church and immediately heads turn when we pull up. we are muzungus. white people. the boys are often happily greeted by ugandans with good intentions, but it's often too much - especially for noah - and i have to keep reminding them to say hello and be polite and not be rude or grumpy.
we somehow corral the boys into a pew and try to keep them from crawling all over the ground that's covered in a fine, red dust. they are up and down and fighting with each other and i can barely pay attention to the song that's being sung. then children are dismissed to their classes and i walk with the boys to theirs. they are expected to sit for the remainder of the time listening to a lesson or colouring. maybe they sing a song or two. the doors are left open to the courtyard, which leads to the parking lot. i stay with them because they'd run out in a heartbeat if i left them.
today we went to a different church that we could walk to. at our other church we were one of a few young, white families. at this church? out of at least 200 kids in their children's church, they were the only white kids. we were stared at. pointed at. giggled at. but the lesson was told much more engagingly for the boys' age despite being expected to sit for the entire time.
today was better. and i'm betting it's not necessarily because of the lesson {although it was so much better by leaps and bounds than any other lesson i've heard for kids since being here}. it was because my reason for going was different. today i went for my kids.
we are not in canada. we are in uganda. it is good to go through hard things. it is good for the boys to learn to deal with stares or "standing out". it is good for us to show our boys that church is an important part of our week. it is good for me to go. if only for the sake of my children.
Monday, October 3, 2011
date night and big Sunday brunch
so we had our first date night since moving to kampala.
we went out for dinner and a movie.
and i took a boda boda. at night.
it was terrifying.
i honestly do not want to do it again.
and there is no way i will willingly let noah or jude take a ride on one.
absolutely terrifying.
my legs were like jello for a couple hours afterward.
but i digress.
we got there safely and quickly and a lot more cheaply than if we had taken a private hire (taxi cab).
dinner was delicious, i laughed out loud (a lot) in the movie and we got to chat about a lot of things.
and yesterday was Sunday which meant that we had big Sunday brunch!
it was delicious. i love big Sunday brunch. trevor said to me that he doesn't know which is more exciting; Friday pizza night or big Sunday brunch. i couldn't pick either.
we had bacon and cheesy scrambled eggs with banana muffins (for the kids) and coffee banana scones. yum!
next week i'm making these. um, i'm really excited.
after brunch, while we were at church i was getting pretty frustrated with the boys. they were fighting with each other and up and down and not listening and i could feel myself getting angry.
angry at the boys. angry at our church for not having children's programs that start at the beginning of church and just angry that i didn't get to have a peaceful church experience.
as we sang (i forget the song), the thought of sacrifice and picking up our cross and following after Jesus struck me. hard.
motherhood isn't easy breezy.
but it isn't the easy breezy things in life that conform us to the likeness of Christ, is it?
nope.
so i lowered my expectations, prayed for patience and love and moved through and forward to choose to have joy.
and church finished early!
i was thankful for that. (is that wrong?)
we're just over 6 weeks into life here and it's pretty good. my next goal for myself is to make up a monthly curriculum plan for noah including games, crafts and reading/writing. hopefully by the end of the week i can have something made up.
happy Monday to you!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
mint chocolate brownies
we've been in uganda for 4 weeks today.
that just seems absurd to me.
but here we are.
this morning we were invited to a different church and so {reluctantly} i agreed and we went.
it was at 9am so that meant no big Sunday brunch. *sad face*
after about 1.5 hours of sitting quietly and then running around outside in the mud and puddles i grabbed a crying {mucky} jude and walked to our waiting taxi with noah walking behind me.
we were going back home and we would do church there.
it was a good choice. for me and my attitude and for my kids. they just can't sit still for 3 hours.
anyway so i was able to have lunch ready for the guys when they got home and i made these.
well, they were mint chocolate brownies.
they were just so good we ate them up far too quickly for me to grab my camera.
no joke.
one of the cool things about being in another country is they have food products that you can't find at home {and vice versa, usually}. the range of cadbury chocolate bars is unsurpassed. like, amazing. they've got your typical fruit and nut bar, dark chocolate bar, milk chocolate bar - but then there's things like top deck {half white chocolate and half milk chocolate}, snack bar {like a fruit and nut, but it's basically fruit and cookie - it's good!} and my favourite - mint crisp. it's a milk chocolate bar with pieces of crunchy mint candy inside. so.stinkin.delicious.
it's become clear to jamie as well as nick and trevor that the mint crisp is my favourite and it seems that they keep picking them up for me when they see them. so at one point i had THREE mint crisp bars in the fridge. then i saw these on pinterest and i knew what i would do with them.
so here's my recipe for mint chocolate brownies. if you can't find a mint crisp bar {too bad for you}, you can use whatever kind of mint chocolate bar you can find - or mint chocolate chips. but it's absolutely DIVINE with the mint crisp bar.
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 bar of cadbury mint crisp, chopped up into chunks {or equivalent minty chocolate)
blend the butter, sugar and vanilla. then add the eggs - beating well after each addition. combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt & chunks of minty chocolate in another bowl. gradually beat in the egg mixture making sure not to overmix.
pour into a greased pan and bake at 350F until sides are pulling apart from the pan.
my oven is hotter than mount vesuvius and so it took just under 25 minutes but yours may take up to 40 minutes depending on your oven. also, i guesstimated the temperature.
serve warm on its own or with a big hunk of vanilla ice cream.
also, this is a great recipe to win over a man's heart. just sayin'.
that just seems absurd to me.
but here we are.
this morning we were invited to a different church and so {reluctantly} i agreed and we went.
it was at 9am so that meant no big Sunday brunch. *sad face*
after about 1.5 hours of sitting quietly and then running around outside in the mud and puddles i grabbed a crying {mucky} jude and walked to our waiting taxi with noah walking behind me.
we were going back home and we would do church there.
it was a good choice. for me and my attitude and for my kids. they just can't sit still for 3 hours.
anyway so i was able to have lunch ready for the guys when they got home and i made these.
well, they were mint chocolate brownies.
they were just so good we ate them up far too quickly for me to grab my camera.
no joke.
one of the cool things about being in another country is they have food products that you can't find at home {and vice versa, usually}. the range of cadbury chocolate bars is unsurpassed. like, amazing. they've got your typical fruit and nut bar, dark chocolate bar, milk chocolate bar - but then there's things like top deck {half white chocolate and half milk chocolate}, snack bar {like a fruit and nut, but it's basically fruit and cookie - it's good!} and my favourite - mint crisp. it's a milk chocolate bar with pieces of crunchy mint candy inside. so.stinkin.delicious.
it's become clear to jamie as well as nick and trevor that the mint crisp is my favourite and it seems that they keep picking them up for me when they see them. so at one point i had THREE mint crisp bars in the fridge. then i saw these on pinterest and i knew what i would do with them.
so here's my recipe for mint chocolate brownies. if you can't find a mint crisp bar {too bad for you}, you can use whatever kind of mint chocolate bar you can find - or mint chocolate chips. but it's absolutely DIVINE with the mint crisp bar.
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 bar of cadbury mint crisp, chopped up into chunks {or equivalent minty chocolate)
blend the butter, sugar and vanilla. then add the eggs - beating well after each addition. combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt & chunks of minty chocolate in another bowl. gradually beat in the egg mixture making sure not to overmix.
pour into a greased pan and bake at 350F until sides are pulling apart from the pan.
my oven is hotter than mount vesuvius and so it took just under 25 minutes but yours may take up to 40 minutes depending on your oven. also, i guesstimated the temperature.
serve warm on its own or with a big hunk of vanilla ice cream.
also, this is a great recipe to win over a man's heart. just sayin'.
Monday, September 12, 2011
big Sunday brunch
i love traditions.
and i just started a new one.
because the church we've decided upon doesn't have any english services earlier than 11am and goes 'til 1pm we found ourselves very hungry after church is finished.
so on saturday night i decided that sunday mornings we would have a big Sunday brunch to tide us through the lunch hour while at church.
this Sunday brunch menu consisted of:
masala tea
baby bananas and oranges
my own take on the pioneer woman's cinnamon rolls
cheese and ham quiche
and some cinnamon bread/toast for those who wanted it.
it was delicious.
i love this tradition already.
{because really? who doesn't like brunch?}
dinner is almost ready and we had minor snacks this afternoon.
Monday, June 20, 2011
ShoutWhispering
Yesterday at church we brought the boys into the second service (we had just gone to the first service) because we wanted to see our friend's baby boy get dedicated.
We tromped up the stairs and sat in the balcony.
We sang one song and then the worship leader started talking a bit about what God had been teaching her.
When you're with kids, any kind of "quiet" time seems to stretch on and on into infinity.
In my mind, she was talking
a lot.
And Noah wanted to draw so he was ShoutWhispering to me that he wanted to draw an "H" for me and an "O" for Daddy and so I said that was fine and gave him some paper.
Jude was forgoing the ShoutWhispering and loudly pointing out the many fans that were on the ceiling.
FAN!
MORE FAN!
Yes. Yes. Lots of fans.
Here, have an Altoid.
CANDY!
Noah ShoutWhispers
I WANT TWO CANDIES!
And then Noah catches the word "children" coming from the worship leader.
In a ShoutWhisper:
CHILDREN! MOM! SHE SAID CHILDREN!
Yes, she said children. She's talking about how we are God's children. If you love Jesus, you are a child of God. I love Jesus so I'm God's child.
YOU'RE NOT A CHILD! YOU'RE A GROWN UP!
Oh Noah. You do make me smile.
We sang a couple more songs and then got to watch our friend's son get dedicated.
And then we high-tailed it outta there! {read: Jamie scooped up Jude and Noah stomped all the way down the balcony stairs, across the balcony and then slid down the banister that I used to slide down when I was a little girl.}
We tromped up the stairs and sat in the balcony.
We sang one song and then the worship leader started talking a bit about what God had been teaching her.
When you're with kids, any kind of "quiet" time seems to stretch on and on into infinity.
In my mind, she was talking
a lot.
And Noah wanted to draw so he was ShoutWhispering to me that he wanted to draw an "H" for me and an "O" for Daddy and so I said that was fine and gave him some paper.
Jude was forgoing the ShoutWhispering and loudly pointing out the many fans that were on the ceiling.
FAN!
MORE FAN!
Yes. Yes. Lots of fans.
Here, have an Altoid.
CANDY!
Noah ShoutWhispers
I WANT TWO CANDIES!
And then Noah catches the word "children" coming from the worship leader.
In a ShoutWhisper:
CHILDREN! MOM! SHE SAID CHILDREN!
Yes, she said children. She's talking about how we are God's children. If you love Jesus, you are a child of God. I love Jesus so I'm God's child.
YOU'RE NOT A CHILD! YOU'RE A GROWN UP!
Oh Noah. You do make me smile.
We sang a couple more songs and then got to watch our friend's son get dedicated.
And then we high-tailed it outta there! {read: Jamie scooped up Jude and Noah stomped all the way down the balcony stairs, across the balcony and then slid down the banister that I used to slide down when I was a little girl.}
Friday, April 22, 2011
balance
it's Good Friday.
we went to church this morning {after i told jamie to change his shirt - it was too easter sundayish}.
it was a good service and helped me to further reflect on Jesus and his death.
for me.
as we watched a drama interspersed with video/images a verse popped into my head,
Isaiah 53:5b
and with his stripes, we are healed.
the beatings, the wounds, it was all for us. all because of us. because of me. i am healed through his stripes, his wounds.
after church we came home and the sun was shining and toys were strewn about the backyard so i quickly checked some emails while jamie was outside with the boys. seconds later he raps on the window and i look outside to see jude standing {splashing happily, actually} in 3 inches of water that had pooled in the lid of our sandbox truck. with his jeans and "church shoes".
jamie had looked away for a minute and this happened
so i grabbed my camera {of course} and head outside.
and then i made sure this happened
we went to church this morning {after i told jamie to change his shirt - it was too easter sundayish}.
it was a good service and helped me to further reflect on Jesus and his death.
for me.
as we watched a drama interspersed with video/images a verse popped into my head,
Isaiah 53:5b
and with his stripes, we are healed.
the beatings, the wounds, it was all for us. all because of us. because of me. i am healed through his stripes, his wounds.
after church we came home and the sun was shining and toys were strewn about the backyard so i quickly checked some emails while jamie was outside with the boys. seconds later he raps on the window and i look outside to see jude standing {splashing happily, actually} in 3 inches of water that had pooled in the lid of our sandbox truck. with his jeans and "church shoes".
jamie had looked away for a minute and this happened
so i grabbed my camera {of course} and head outside.
and then i made sure this happened
and it wasn't particularly hot but the sun was shining and jude was happy to tromp around the backyard with no pants on.
and that's life, i guess. balancing on one hand the solemnity of today and remembering the horrible, excruciating death Jesus died for me; for us. and on the other hand laughing with my family and shedding the "wet jeans and sludgy church shoes" because we have Jesus and the grace he gives us every day.
i don't always understand it, but i'm incredibly thankful for it. for Him.
Monday, April 18, 2011
to be refreshed
I went away this weekend.
To a girls (can I still call myself a girl? calling us "ladies" conjures up thoughts of doilies and calling us "women" makes me think of something more professional or organized than this weekend actually was. "girls" it is.) cottage getaway.
It.Was.Delightful.
And refreshing.
It truly was just what I needed.
About a year ago (more?) I started getting together with several young moms from my church for a purely social evening. You see, it's kinda hard to make friends on Sunday mornings. So we all would get together and at first we got together at a restaurant and that was pretty fun, but soon our conversations would last longer and were more intimate than a restaurant setting provided. So we started meeting in each others' homes. Until this past December as we were heading out sometime before midnight I said, "I feel like we could talk all night long! We need some kind of retreat!"
And then Katie said that their family had a cottage.
And the rest is history.
To be honest, I didn't know if it would actually come together but I'm so glad it did.
We pretty much just talked
Part of me just weeps when I think of leaving this group now as I know in my heart that God is doing something and is going to do something really big through this group and these women, but I know that He is sovereign and His timing is perfect.
To a girls (can I still call myself a girl? calling us "ladies" conjures up thoughts of doilies and calling us "women" makes me think of something more professional or organized than this weekend actually was. "girls" it is.) cottage getaway.
It.Was.Delightful.
And refreshing.
It truly was just what I needed.
About a year ago (more?) I started getting together with several young moms from my church for a purely social evening. You see, it's kinda hard to make friends on Sunday mornings. So we all would get together and at first we got together at a restaurant and that was pretty fun, but soon our conversations would last longer and were more intimate than a restaurant setting provided. So we started meeting in each others' homes. Until this past December as we were heading out sometime before midnight I said, "I feel like we could talk all night long! We need some kind of retreat!"
And then Katie said that their family had a cottage.
And the rest is history.
To be honest, I didn't know if it would actually come together but I'm so glad it did.
We pretty much just talked
and ate.
The amazing thing is that we didn't just talk about our kids and our husbands and our lives, but we shared deeply with each other. I shared things I've never told many people (save for my husband and maybe even my sister) before. There was no judgement, no competitiveness or one-upping. It was safe and fun and loving and I think probably one of my favourite parts was sharing our testimonies with one another on Sunday morning.
Each person was vulnerable in their own way and we were able to pray for each other and come along side each other as we shared how God has redeemed us and changed us and continues to work in our lives.
It was beautiful and such a perfect example of how the body of Christ is supposed to come together to truly be a family - sisters in Christ.
I loved it.
Part of me just weeps when I think of leaving this group now as I know in my heart that God is doing something and is going to do something really big through this group and these women, but I know that He is sovereign and His timing is perfect.
But mostly I'm just thankful to have experienced such awesome fellowship and friendship and I hope to continue to experience it - it will just look a little different.
Oh and I ate amazing food (quiche & thai soup and indonesian curry and scones and delicious salads). And laughed. A lot. It was amazing.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
leaving a legacy
Good weather is such a blessing.
For the past 2 days here in Calgary it's been sunny and gorgeous.
We've had rain, snow and now sun.
I prefer sun.
I thought for the first 5 days that I had gone to Vancouver and not Calgary - but now the weather seems to have redeemed itself. For that I am thankful.
Well, ultimately I am thankful to God.
Today (on an entirely different note) Jamie and I went to UChurch here in Calgary. It's a church that is held at the University of Calgary.
At first I was a bit skeptical. They sang the first song over and over for about...7-10 minutes. It's hard to tell after awhile.
Anyway, but they went on to other songs which I knew and appreciated. And then came the speaker. For me this is always a biggie. I can't handle wishy-washy speakers or theology. So I waited. The speaker was from out of town (Florida?) and actually spoke on Parenting and how children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127). I appreciated his talk and actually enjoyed reading Psalm 127 in context. I had read many times the first part of it which talks about how unless the Lord builds the house, those who labour work in vain. So I was familiar with that portion of it, but didn't realize that the end part talks about children and how the man who fills his "quiver" full of children is blessed. The speaker went on to talk about how the children we raise up are arrows in God's hand to be used to fight the enemy. He spoke about Sarah & Jonathan Edwards' children and the legacy they left. (They had 11 children! Jamie and I looked at each other at that point...phew!) He talked about how God is a God of many generations (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and how He intends to use not just one generation to accomplish His purposes but many generations.
It brought to mind how at work we say that we want to help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation. I thought about it - and continue to think about it - and I think that it is good for us to desire to help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation. We long to see the fulfillment of that. Now. It's a good thing that we want to see happen and be USED in the fulfillment of it.
I will continue to think upon that.
But at the end of the talk/sermon I was encouraged and inspired to think about what God is going to do, not just through my children, but my grand-children, great-grand children and so on.
I would like to post the list of the Edwards' legacy, but I can't find it anywhere online. I will try and find it and post it. It's inspiring.
To end off, after the speaker was done, another man from the church (a pastor? elder? things were a tad vague at this church) got up and shared for a bit. I was thankful that he spoke about couples and singles who couldn't or didn't have kids. He talked about the importance of having spiritual children and discipling and building into those younger in the church and the NEED for those older in the church to take part in raising up spiritual children.
I appreciated how he reached out to people in those situations. There is a place and a need for everyone in the church. Not everyone in the church is an elbow. Some are fingers, some are hips, some are stomachs.
Ok so this post is a bit rambly...but I appreciated the children talk this morning - it was good theology and a good reminder. I needed that.
For the past 2 days here in Calgary it's been sunny and gorgeous.
We've had rain, snow and now sun.
I prefer sun.
I thought for the first 5 days that I had gone to Vancouver and not Calgary - but now the weather seems to have redeemed itself. For that I am thankful.
Well, ultimately I am thankful to God.
Today (on an entirely different note) Jamie and I went to UChurch here in Calgary. It's a church that is held at the University of Calgary.
At first I was a bit skeptical. They sang the first song over and over for about...7-10 minutes. It's hard to tell after awhile.
Anyway, but they went on to other songs which I knew and appreciated. And then came the speaker. For me this is always a biggie. I can't handle wishy-washy speakers or theology. So I waited. The speaker was from out of town (Florida?) and actually spoke on Parenting and how children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127). I appreciated his talk and actually enjoyed reading Psalm 127 in context. I had read many times the first part of it which talks about how unless the Lord builds the house, those who labour work in vain. So I was familiar with that portion of it, but didn't realize that the end part talks about children and how the man who fills his "quiver" full of children is blessed. The speaker went on to talk about how the children we raise up are arrows in God's hand to be used to fight the enemy. He spoke about Sarah & Jonathan Edwards' children and the legacy they left. (They had 11 children! Jamie and I looked at each other at that point...phew!) He talked about how God is a God of many generations (the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and how He intends to use not just one generation to accomplish His purposes but many generations.
It brought to mind how at work we say that we want to help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation. I thought about it - and continue to think about it - and I think that it is good for us to desire to help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation. We long to see the fulfillment of that. Now. It's a good thing that we want to see happen and be USED in the fulfillment of it.
I will continue to think upon that.
But at the end of the talk/sermon I was encouraged and inspired to think about what God is going to do, not just through my children, but my grand-children, great-grand children and so on.
I would like to post the list of the Edwards' legacy, but I can't find it anywhere online. I will try and find it and post it. It's inspiring.
To end off, after the speaker was done, another man from the church (a pastor? elder? things were a tad vague at this church) got up and shared for a bit. I was thankful that he spoke about couples and singles who couldn't or didn't have kids. He talked about the importance of having spiritual children and discipling and building into those younger in the church and the NEED for those older in the church to take part in raising up spiritual children.
I appreciated how he reached out to people in those situations. There is a place and a need for everyone in the church. Not everyone in the church is an elbow. Some are fingers, some are hips, some are stomachs.
Ok so this post is a bit rambly...but I appreciated the children talk this morning - it was good theology and a good reminder. I needed that.
Monday, February 5, 2007
the switch up
Changing churches is always hard.
We've decided to find a church in Guelph so we can get more involved (our old church was in Kitchener). It's a harder decision for me because the worship at our Kitchener church was incredibly professional and the musicians and singers are all so talented. I love good music and I find it actually LESS distracting for me and easier to worship God.
But it was further away for us and we weren't being challenged from the Word as we desired to be.
So here we are, having found our new church and already so many people have introduced themselves to us and it's been great. The worship is far from perfect, but I think it's a lesson in worshipping God because He deserves it and ultimately because I long to worship Him - not because the music is any "professional" or prettier sounding.
And already I felt incredibly challenged and fed from the Word today. Genesis 39 - temptation and what we can learn from Joseph.
But I'm excited.
Although according to one wonderful girl I know, it was like her two worlds were colliding when she saw us. I think it was a bit of a shock for us to be on "her territory". Funny girl.
Nonetheless, territory or not...we've found our new church home.
We've decided to find a church in Guelph so we can get more involved (our old church was in Kitchener). It's a harder decision for me because the worship at our Kitchener church was incredibly professional and the musicians and singers are all so talented. I love good music and I find it actually LESS distracting for me and easier to worship God.
But it was further away for us and we weren't being challenged from the Word as we desired to be.
So here we are, having found our new church and already so many people have introduced themselves to us and it's been great. The worship is far from perfect, but I think it's a lesson in worshipping God because He deserves it and ultimately because I long to worship Him - not because the music is any "professional" or prettier sounding.
And already I felt incredibly challenged and fed from the Word today. Genesis 39 - temptation and what we can learn from Joseph.
But I'm excited.
Although according to one wonderful girl I know, it was like her two worlds were colliding when she saw us. I think it was a bit of a shock for us to be on "her territory". Funny girl.
Nonetheless, territory or not...we've found our new church home.
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