Worship= worth-ship...to give worth to
If I truly look at the definition of what worship really is I have to admit I'm in a lot of trouble. I give worth to a lot of things. I give worth to my kids, the way I look, my money, my priorities--the list goes on.
Romans 12:1 says, "So here's what I want you to do. God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." (The Message Bible)
Like I stated in my last blog I remember reading this verse my junior year in college and it all clicked. I finally really understood that worship was NOT about me. It was NOT about a style of music I prefered in church or about the way or form in which we sang. Worship to God is about what I do...all the time. The way that I interact with a co-worker while at work is worship. The way that I spend my money is worship. The way that I talk to my spouse or kids is worship. Every single thing I do shows what I am giving "worth" to.
David Morris in his book A Lifestyle of Worship says, "My life belongs to God and what I do in worship to God is a reflection of who I am, but more importantly, whose I am."
When Romans 12 states to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, as our spiritual act of worship. It means all the time. My worship is what I do every day in the private and mundane activities. Yes, even when I'm grocery shopping I'm worshipping. I'm a reflection of God even in those moments. May our worship today be pleasing to Him.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Martha is Back
I want to apologize for our absence. Stephanie and I have both entered into a whirlwind of a schedule with my coaching and her officiating. We are gone almost every night of the week and on many weekends.
We do not want to lose touch with you, so we will continue to post only twice a week until we get through the volleyball craze! I will post on Tuesday and Stephanie on Thursday.
Thanks so much for your patience as we attend to the many tasks ahead of us. Through it all, we pray that our Mary spirit still attends to the things that are most important -- our rest in Him -- King of Kings, Lord of Lords, our ROCK!
We do not want to lose touch with you, so we will continue to post only twice a week until we get through the volleyball craze! I will post on Tuesday and Stephanie on Thursday.
Thanks so much for your patience as we attend to the many tasks ahead of us. Through it all, we pray that our Mary spirit still attends to the things that are most important -- our rest in Him -- King of Kings, Lord of Lords, our ROCK!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Let Music Speak
I know Stephanie is the music buff, but I have found it to be a life line, per se, especially during difficult times in my life. Our kids grew up with contemporary Christian music blarring throughout the house -- I loved listening to so many different artists. Often I felt like a song was tailored made for me. The words lined up in a way that expressed my hearts' sediments. Other songs caused me to stop what I was doing (usually cleaning), and spend time in worship. Some songs carried a peppy beat providing the energy to continue with the cleaning!
Obviously, you learn artists encounter much of the same life issues that we deal with. I Will Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns, hits a cord with almost every believer because of the many trials that go before us. Same Girl by Twila Paris, revolutionized how I looked at my mother-in-law while caring for her. East from West by Casting Crowns just causes me to be thankful, thankful, thankful for forgiveness of sin.
My current favorite is a song by Kari Jobe, My Beloved. The love the Father has for us is beyond comprehension, and his desire, delight, and pleasure is in US (make a request to Kirsten, our local DJ at KHRT to play it)!
I encourage you to turn on your radio to a Christian setting, and absorb the benefits of the Word in song. It can change your disposition to one of thankfulness, surrender, and adoration.
Obviously, you learn artists encounter much of the same life issues that we deal with. I Will Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns, hits a cord with almost every believer because of the many trials that go before us. Same Girl by Twila Paris, revolutionized how I looked at my mother-in-law while caring for her. East from West by Casting Crowns just causes me to be thankful, thankful, thankful for forgiveness of sin.
My current favorite is a song by Kari Jobe, My Beloved. The love the Father has for us is beyond comprehension, and his desire, delight, and pleasure is in US (make a request to Kirsten, our local DJ at KHRT to play it)!
I encourage you to turn on your radio to a Christian setting, and absorb the benefits of the Word in song. It can change your disposition to one of thankfulness, surrender, and adoration.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Living a life of worship Part I
Romans 12:1, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship."
I absolutely LOVE this verse. I remember reading it often not fully grasping all that it was saying until my junior year in college. I was a Biblical Studies major at a small college in Fullerton, CA. Each semester we would write a 10-15 page exegetical paper which would look closely at a group of verses, analyze how they applied to the original audience, and draw a application to how we can apply it to our lives today. Even though it was a lot of hard work, I enjoyed writing these papers as I gathered a wealth of knowledge about the scriptures.
All this to say that I came to realize that this verse spoke on what real worship is. I'm going to be doing a series of blogs that will dig a little bit deeper into this verse and invite you to check back to dive in with me. It is by far one of my favorite verses, and I can't wait to share why. Talk to you soon. -Stephanie
I absolutely LOVE this verse. I remember reading it often not fully grasping all that it was saying until my junior year in college. I was a Biblical Studies major at a small college in Fullerton, CA. Each semester we would write a 10-15 page exegetical paper which would look closely at a group of verses, analyze how they applied to the original audience, and draw a application to how we can apply it to our lives today. Even though it was a lot of hard work, I enjoyed writing these papers as I gathered a wealth of knowledge about the scriptures.
All this to say that I came to realize that this verse spoke on what real worship is. I'm going to be doing a series of blogs that will dig a little bit deeper into this verse and invite you to check back to dive in with me. It is by far one of my favorite verses, and I can't wait to share why. Talk to you soon. -Stephanie
Monday, August 24, 2009
Life Story
I want to go back to a life story fit for a song blog and my blessing blog. As I have reflected on both of these, I can see how related they are. If we, as believers work on blessing others, our lives would be fit for a song.
One year while hosting the junior varsity volleyball tournament at Our Redeemer's Christian School, I had an encounter with the value of a blessing. My team was playing against Bismarck in the old gym (for those of you who are not acquainted with the old gym - it has orange carpet on it - and yes, it provides for some nasty rug burns). A girl from the Bismarck team sneezed, and almost immediately Kirsten from our team said to her, "God bless you."
It was my responsibility to coach and run the tournament, and as I was placing teams into the tournament bracket, the coach from Bismarck came over to talk with me. She proceeded to tell me how much her girls liked my girls because they were so nice and kind. She then told me about the sneezing incident and the sincerity of the "God bless you" statement from one of my girls. I knew it had to be Kirsten and I checked to confirm - yep!
A simple and kind word was spoken and it made a tremendous impact on a group of girls that had no idea what their opponents were like. They drew a positive conclusion from a sincere "God bless you."
What if every time we said "God bless you" to someone, we really stopped and prayed for a blessing to pour out on them. That God's favor would be evident on their life and they would be changed as a result. All I know is that this one spoken "God bless you" made a profound difference for a bunch of girls from Bismarck.
So when I tell you to have a blessed week, I am going to pray that God will bless any and all of you who read our blogs with good health, ordered steps when trying to get so much done in a day, guidance or direction in decisions (big or small), and an opportunity to bless someone else.
When blessing others becomes a priority in our lives, I am sure it is then our life story will be fit for a song!
One year while hosting the junior varsity volleyball tournament at Our Redeemer's Christian School, I had an encounter with the value of a blessing. My team was playing against Bismarck in the old gym (for those of you who are not acquainted with the old gym - it has orange carpet on it - and yes, it provides for some nasty rug burns). A girl from the Bismarck team sneezed, and almost immediately Kirsten from our team said to her, "God bless you."
It was my responsibility to coach and run the tournament, and as I was placing teams into the tournament bracket, the coach from Bismarck came over to talk with me. She proceeded to tell me how much her girls liked my girls because they were so nice and kind. She then told me about the sneezing incident and the sincerity of the "God bless you" statement from one of my girls. I knew it had to be Kirsten and I checked to confirm - yep!
A simple and kind word was spoken and it made a tremendous impact on a group of girls that had no idea what their opponents were like. They drew a positive conclusion from a sincere "God bless you."
What if every time we said "God bless you" to someone, we really stopped and prayed for a blessing to pour out on them. That God's favor would be evident on their life and they would be changed as a result. All I know is that this one spoken "God bless you" made a profound difference for a bunch of girls from Bismarck.
So when I tell you to have a blessed week, I am going to pray that God will bless any and all of you who read our blogs with good health, ordered steps when trying to get so much done in a day, guidance or direction in decisions (big or small), and an opportunity to bless someone else.
When blessing others becomes a priority in our lives, I am sure it is then our life story will be fit for a song!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Light at the End of the Tunnel
On our way to Fargo to see Beth Moore last week, I could not help but notice the skyline. You could distinctly draw a horizontal line dividing cloud cover from clear sky. Even when we were a couple of miles off in the overcast, gray, and dark atmosphere, we could see sunshine ahead. As we drove further east, we came to a spot in the road where we met that division. It was really cool!
In 1986-87, my life centered around an overcast, gray, and dark atmosphere. But while I lived in that tunnel, I could not see any light - no break from the circumstances that engulfed me. My in-laws both lost their health--June, became a double leg amputee and Oliver fell over one day from a massive stroke, completely paralyzed on the left side and no speech. June moved in with us, but a couple weeks later, George, my husband, left to work out of state leaving me with June and our three children at 6, 5, and 4 years of age. My days consisted of the nursing home visits, social service office visits, disability office visits, doctors office visits, lawyer office visits and real estate office visits as their farm of 42 years was up for sale. It was a crazy and overwhelming time.
June and I spent our nights talking about the Lord, reading the Word, and listening to many childhood stories -- mostly hers and those of my husband and his siblings. We grew very close as we depended on the Lord and encouraged one another during these trying times.
One morning while clearing a path from the freshly fallen snow so I could get June and the wheelchair to the car, I broke down crying and pleading for the Lord to provide some light. He did. Later that afternoon, June received a phone call from her eldest son Dale, a pastor living hundreds of miles away. He just accepted a call to Mayville, North Dakota and the plans were to get a power of attorney over both Oliver and June so he could handle the legal issues of selling the farm and getting things ready for an auction. I can not express the relief this provided not only for me, but also for June. His move to North Dakota provided enough light for the next step in the journey. Enough light to be reminded that God did not abandon us. Enough light to have hope renewed.
If you find yourself in one of those tunnels with little or no light on the horizon, hang in there. God is faithful. 1 Timothy 2:13, "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
May the son shine soon!
In 1986-87, my life centered around an overcast, gray, and dark atmosphere. But while I lived in that tunnel, I could not see any light - no break from the circumstances that engulfed me. My in-laws both lost their health--June, became a double leg amputee and Oliver fell over one day from a massive stroke, completely paralyzed on the left side and no speech. June moved in with us, but a couple weeks later, George, my husband, left to work out of state leaving me with June and our three children at 6, 5, and 4 years of age. My days consisted of the nursing home visits, social service office visits, disability office visits, doctors office visits, lawyer office visits and real estate office visits as their farm of 42 years was up for sale. It was a crazy and overwhelming time.
June and I spent our nights talking about the Lord, reading the Word, and listening to many childhood stories -- mostly hers and those of my husband and his siblings. We grew very close as we depended on the Lord and encouraged one another during these trying times.
One morning while clearing a path from the freshly fallen snow so I could get June and the wheelchair to the car, I broke down crying and pleading for the Lord to provide some light. He did. Later that afternoon, June received a phone call from her eldest son Dale, a pastor living hundreds of miles away. He just accepted a call to Mayville, North Dakota and the plans were to get a power of attorney over both Oliver and June so he could handle the legal issues of selling the farm and getting things ready for an auction. I can not express the relief this provided not only for me, but also for June. His move to North Dakota provided enough light for the next step in the journey. Enough light to be reminded that God did not abandon us. Enough light to have hope renewed.
If you find yourself in one of those tunnels with little or no light on the horizon, hang in there. God is faithful. 1 Timothy 2:13, "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
May the son shine soon!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
What walls will you tear down?
So this past weekend Tim, myself and the girls got the chance to get away one last time before school starts. For those of you who don't know my husband, Tim, is a school teacher. We went to Albertville, MN to visit his brother and sister-in-law. It was a great time just to get away, be with family, and spend some time enjoying each other.
Monday we took off to come home at about 3pm. With various stops to see some more relatives, filling up on gas, and keeping a newly potty trained toddler from having an accident, we didn't get home until about 2:30 a.m. While we were traveling home we were listening to some of the music that I downloaded from iTunes which included the new Hillsong United album Tear Down the Walls. Every once in a while with a new album there is a particular song that resonate with where I am at in my walk with Christ and become my theme. This happened Monday night while listening to the title track "Tear Down the Walls."
Take a moment to read and meditate on this wonderful message so eloquently portrayed:
Verse 1
Tear down the walls see the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves Look beyond
There is so much more than this
Pre-chorus
And I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this
Fire deep inside my heart
Verse 2
Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real
Chorus
This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You
Your Name is glorious , Glorious
Your love is changing us, Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You
Bridge
Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You
So often as Christians we don't realize how much our love has to do with leading people to God. People are watching us. Especially if they know that we are Christians they watch us even more. Are we living lives that show Christ's love? Are we showing them Christ's love? There is an old worship chorus that says, "they will know we are Christians by our love by our love...and they'll know we are Christians by our love." Yet so often when you ask people about Christians the last word they would use to describe us is love. They would say we are hypocrites, judgemental, self-righteous, preachy and many other negative things. We've all hear it said that actions speak louder than words.
I was convicted and challenged by the message in this song. Reminded that Jesus commanded us of this in John 15:12-13, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. " My prayer is that God will help me tear down the walls I've built in my own life that keep people at a distance--that keep them from seeing the hope that is within me, and that I will love people like He did.
Monday we took off to come home at about 3pm. With various stops to see some more relatives, filling up on gas, and keeping a newly potty trained toddler from having an accident, we didn't get home until about 2:30 a.m. While we were traveling home we were listening to some of the music that I downloaded from iTunes which included the new Hillsong United album Tear Down the Walls. Every once in a while with a new album there is a particular song that resonate with where I am at in my walk with Christ and become my theme. This happened Monday night while listening to the title track "Tear Down the Walls."
Take a moment to read and meditate on this wonderful message so eloquently portrayed:
Verse 1
Tear down the walls see the world
Is there something we have missed
Turn from ourselves Look beyond
There is so much more than this
Pre-chorus
And I don’t need to see it to believe it
I don’t need to see it to believe it
Cause I can’t shake this
Fire deep inside my heart
Verse 2
Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real
Chorus
This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It’s all for You
Your Name is glorious , Glorious
Your love is changing us, Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You
Bridge
Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You
So often as Christians we don't realize how much our love has to do with leading people to God. People are watching us. Especially if they know that we are Christians they watch us even more. Are we living lives that show Christ's love? Are we showing them Christ's love? There is an old worship chorus that says, "they will know we are Christians by our love by our love...and they'll know we are Christians by our love." Yet so often when you ask people about Christians the last word they would use to describe us is love. They would say we are hypocrites, judgemental, self-righteous, preachy and many other negative things. We've all hear it said that actions speak louder than words.
I was convicted and challenged by the message in this song. Reminded that Jesus commanded us of this in John 15:12-13, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. " My prayer is that God will help me tear down the walls I've built in my own life that keep people at a distance--that keep them from seeing the hope that is within me, and that I will love people like He did.
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