Comments on peace for the journey: a Sunday's better...

Amen! Thank you! BTW, every Communion Sunday i th...

2009-11-01T16:06:26.262-05:00

Amen! Thank you!

BTW, every Communion Sunday i think about the post you wrote about your son licking the communion cups. 1 month ago, i accidentally pulled TWO pieces of bread out of the plate. oops! the next time for communion i accidentally picked a really, really BIG piece of bread (one that needed to broken apart a little more). people were snickering around me. i mean, it was really big. anyway, i thought God must be telling me something - like i need more of Him!

Enjoying Jesus today.

Love!

You've given us so very much to think about in thi...

2009-10-29T12:51:31.982-04:00

You've given us so very much to think about in this great post, Elaine! There are Sundays when it is hard to get us all there (and on time!) that I know my heart isn't in it and I certainly don't give it my best. The irony is that I WANT to give my best. It's still a work in progress for me, but when I walk thru those doors each Sunday morning, I do want to make sure I do give HIM my VERY BEST!

There's little I can add that hasn't already been ...

2009-10-28T17:50:17.249-04:00

There's little I can add that hasn't already been said so well...this was a wonderful post on so many levels. Often if I find myself in a restaurant or store on a holiday, which I try so hard to avoid, I make an effort to thank my clerk or waitress for serving me. When my kids were teenagers and had their first jobs, their required work hours often interrupted our precious family time. So it served to make me more aware of that. I really desire to do better with the Sabbath also...I am so grateful you shared the story about the man in the line with you at Wal Mart. Bless you for blessing him and bless him for blessing you...and us!

This is so so so true! I've been struggling with ...

2009-10-28T09:43:19.428-04:00

This is so so so true! I've been struggling with the giving God of our best lately because we are part of a satelite mission arm of our larger church. We dress "down" instead of up on Sundays. We have "casual" church instead of the more formal traditional ways of doing things. I know God is not a legalist, and I know it's what God has called our family to be a part of for now, but it's been hard to reconcile this specific way of doing church/worship, etc.

But what you said about presenting ourselves b/c of laziness vs. as an act of worship (or something like that) has really helped me process things. It just dawned on me that as we go to this satelite mission on Sundays and serve the Lord there in our every day clothes, our obedience and service IS our act of worship. And when we are doing it as an act of worship to our Lord, we are giving Him our best!

I feel like I've had a lightbulb moment!!! Thanks for the post, and for letting me ramble my thoughts in response. :-)

Blessings to you Elaine...I'm so glad I stopped by to read this morning.

Jennifer

Ok I'm impressed that you can get to Wal-mart, get...

2009-10-28T08:34:04.993-04:00

Ok I'm impressed that you can get to Wal-mart, get what you need, get out and STILL get to church on time :o) - something about Wal-Mart just sucks me in...

I loved your words and its funny but I've been really bugging the other two in my life about getting to church EARLIER on Sunday's... I will admit to the fact I hate being late to anywhere.. in fact I like to arrive a smidge early no matter where I am going... but it really bothers me that every Sunday we are at the Nth minute getting there, getting Trevor to Sunday School then getting into church, getting a bulletin and rarely are we there before singing begins... and I have not figured out a way to express my dislike of this to my family without sounding like a time nazi... so perhaps I can use your words of giving God more than just our left overs... but giving Him our time and arriving early in order to have a moment before services start to sit quietly in His presence and be thankful...

Thank you for sharing and hopefully giving me some words that I can relate to my family in not giving God our last second but all our seconds...

I have found that I try to start my worship even b...

2009-10-28T00:51:43.397-04:00

I have found that I try to start my worship even before I get out of the car. I hate rushing into service and trying to warm up to the whole church thing while worship is going on... I want to enjoy the whole worship time... so I bow my heart deliberately, so that I can soak in every moment with my precious church family.

Oh, wow...just had to post on this, so wonderfully...

2009-10-27T16:01:13.346-04:00

Oh, wow...just had to post on this, so wonderfully written. We've been studying about Leviticus, sacrifices & such at church and just last week it was shared that the Jews were very used to bringing God their best (i.e. animals or grains for offerings). It wasn't foreign to them at all, a very accepted part of their worship unto the Lord. Made me really think along some of the same lines you wrote here. Blessed by your words...

Elaine, this was absolutely breath taking. I hung ...

2009-10-27T12:50:45.855-04:00

Elaine, this was absolutely breath taking. I hung on every word.

I have been thoroughly enjoying OUR JESUS. You do the same each and every day.

Thank you for sharing your heart as you engage the heart of our GOD.

Love you.

wifeforthejourney: Your insights into the spiritu...

2009-10-27T11:56:00.007-04:00

wifeforthejourney:

Your insights into the spiritual aspects of everyday life are brilliant! You have a real gift for finding the Lord at work in the world around you.

Love you,
Billy

You dig deep to find truth here, again and again. ...

2009-10-26T22:55:32.771-04:00

You dig deep to find truth here, again and again. Your words make me pause, catch my breath. EVERY. TIME.

*Thank you.*

You make me want to be better.

God in you, spilling over... I stand here in the overflow.

The old hymn "Our Best" came to mind while reading...

2009-10-26T15:26:50.421-04:00

The old hymn "Our Best" came to mind while reading your post today. I fear that I am sometimes prone to fall into the trap of just giving enough to get by so many times! What a pity.

Thanks for your enlightening words today!

Marilyn..in Mississippi

Your post reminds me of Paul's prayer for the Phil...

2009-10-26T14:46:53.886-04:00

Your post reminds me of Paul's prayer for the Philippians: "that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best..."

That's our continual challenge isn't it? To have the wisdom to discern the good from the best.

Good thoughts as usual!

Hey Elaine! This post really resonates within my ...

2009-10-26T14:46:18.672-04:00

Hey Elaine! This post really resonates within my heart......I too have had several Divinely ordered moments lately in the most unsuspecting places that have both humbled and blessed my socks off! We, as children and ambassadors of the Most High God should be "on ready" at all times to speak a kind word, encourage a discouraged heart, and display His Love! His love demands our best, not out of dead legalism, but out of loving surrender to Him! The One who always Loves us - "warts n all"! How precious is His Love!!!
Sweet Blessings!
Jackie

Mmmm...good words, Elaine. Love this!

2009-10-26T14:23:16.876-04:00

Mmmm...good words, Elaine. Love this!

Well spoken, as always. Great reminder and yes, I...

2009-10-26T13:10:59.697-04:00

Well spoken, as always. Great reminder and yes, I join you taking the extra effort to give God my best... I needed this reminder today, my friend.

Thank you for the reminder that God and His work a...

2009-10-26T12:10:56.454-04:00

Thank you for the reminder that God and His work are not confined to just Sunday at church. Sometimes he's at Wal-Mart. I have to remember this when we, too, have to go there to get toys for the shoeboxes.

Great post Elaine. I believe giving God my best i...

2009-10-26T12:04:25.300-04:00

Great post Elaine. I believe giving God my best is coming just as I am without want or need except for His grace and mercy. Kneeling at His feet with a heart of worship and surrender. Laying aside my attitude of "I have to" go to church and replacing it with "I get to" go. Give Him my best means showing up to worship and spend time with God, each and every day of the week...hour...minute.

You mention 2 specifics here (dress & the traditio...

2009-10-26T10:38:19.779-04:00

You mention 2 specifics here (dress & the traditional hymns) that continue to concern me. Could that be an indicator of my age, I wonder?

Are these two issues REFLECTSORS of or INFLUENCES of our hearts and motives? (I'm sure it can't be neatly packaged into one or the other...).

How can we share the truth of our freedom in Christ while at the same time exhort one another toward "best" in our corporate worship experiences?

You've written SO well on this subject in this post. I just wrestle with how, when, and if to let this one "slide" locally....do you know what I mean?

Good, good read! I'm inclined to believe that our ...

2009-10-26T10:08:11.455-04:00

Good, good read! I'm inclined to believe that our best worship occurs outside the pews.It's too long to go into here in this comment, but Missy's death showed me that in a most humbling way.

Hey Elaine, Another great post. WalMart is even ...

2009-10-26T09:57:09.605-04:00

Hey Elaine,

Another great post. WalMart is even BETTER at around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings when you realize that you have forgetten that you signed up for snacks for Sunday School!

Thanks for the words to think upon today!!!

Great message! It bothers me that the trend is to ...

2009-10-26T09:47:56.540-04:00

Great message! It bothers me that the trend is to come to church so casually. We should give God our best. I also like that you are teaching your children to follow along in a hymnbook. That has fallen by the wayside, too. Thanks for this great post.

wow! God is definitely doing a work in me about th...

2009-10-26T09:14:45.703-04:00

wow! God is definitely doing a work in me about this because I just posted about this very subject about 2 minutes ago! Mine is much shorter and not as well written, but the thought is the same. Thank you so much for the convection and encouragement this brought me. YOu never cease to bless my soul! I am beyond thankful for your comment telling me you're praying ... means so much to me!!

You are a friend indeed! :)

How nice and we all make a lot of trips to Walmart...

2009-10-26T09:11:59.343-04:00

How nice and we all make a lot of trips to Walmart. I really like what you wrote and thank you so much for your precious time in doing this.

Elaine, Better and best are so often subjective....

2009-10-26T08:21:52.265-04:00

Elaine,

Better and best are so often subjective. I think of the widow who gave her last few coins to the Lord. She gave her best, but for those who had significantly more (financially) to give, her best likely seemed pitifully small. I imagine there were some very pious heads nodding in disapproval that day at the widow's offering.

Jesus understands 'better' far better than we do, because He knows the heart behind the 'better'.

Have a wonderful week.

Leah

God ordained appointments ... simple and seemingly...

2009-10-26T08:21:46.360-04:00

God ordained appointments ... simple and seemingly obscure, but oh-so profound when noticed.

I love the image of your children worshipping alongside you in church. Now that's powerful! The little children following hard after Him, and leading the way for we that must be like them.

Hugs,
Kathleen