Casting

I have not done a whole lot of fishing in my day-but I have done some, enough to know that "casting" is a big part of the process. Think about it; you take a bobber, sinker, tie it to the line-place the hook on and "cast" it away from you into the waters surrounding you.

There is a bible verse that says
CAST ALL YOUR CARES ON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU 1Peter 5:7

I'm not sure I'm the best example when it comes to casting my cares (anxieties). To take my worries, woes, fears, sorrows and throw it away from me is not so easy. Why is that? I am hanging on to something right now that I have no reason to-it's like I'm standing on shore with my rod and just staring at the line and bobber saying to myself "do I really want to "cast" this away from me?" And then what"

Truth be told-I can be a slow learner. I desire to be a great "caster" and to throw with out hesitation the line that holds all my "anxiety" far, far away from me and onto the ONE who promises me that HE CARES FOR ME

How is your cast?

The Last of The First Five

I have the wonderful privilege of working at the MINNESOTA STATE FAIR!!! A family in our Church has a business that they promote every year in the Home Improvement Building. Well, the other day my son and I were a bit early and so I decided to wait in line for a KARE 11 bag (crazy I know) they were giving them away at 10:30 and so I hopped in line at 9:30. I was 5th in line and then the crew from KARE decided to line people up in a sep section. There we were-the first five in line, and I was the last of the first five. We were all a bit crazy truth be told :D
About 45 minutes in to our “wait together” a gentlemen came up to ask me what street we were on-now keep in mind that I was asked to NOT LET ANYONE ELSE STAND BEHIND ME (I am WAY too much of a people pleaser for that role)-I told him which street and he continued to stand near the privileged five and wait for his party. A lady who had been part of “section two” jumped over the gate and told me in no uncertain terms to “watch that guy, he may try to just sneak in right behind you” I think I gave her a ‘WHOA NELLY’ Look. WOW, I thought to myself it is crazy what we invest in, myself included, things that really do not matter in light of eternity…time to ease up and invest what will last. On a side note-I did get my really nice blue backpack bag :D and it reminds me how crazy I am and that life is too short to worry about who may or may not be cutting in line!

Always a Pupil

There is an old song that features people of different ages singing the same chorus-the chorus goes like this:
HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME
TO MAKE ME WHAT I NEED TO BE
IT TOOK HIM JUST A WEEK TO MAKE THE MOON AND STARS
THE SUN AND THE EARTH AND JUPITER AND MARS
HOW LOVING AND PATIENT HE MUST BE
'CAUSE HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME
Picture a 4 year old, a 30 year old and a 90 year old all singing!
Not one of us has learned all there is to learn on this journey-there is always something to glean if we are willing to keep learning and growing in the process to be more like Christ~
I for one feel like I HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE to learn in each day I'm given-
Did you know that the word "pupil" has two meanings? It is the opening in the center of the iris that receives light AND it is also a student learning from a teacher or mentor-I think it is kind of cool that light allows one to see better or something anew-kind of like learning wouldn't you say? ;D

AWEsome!!!!

We have a group of teens from our Church who are in Puerto Rico RIGHT NOW! They are being the hands and feet of Jesus and also God is doing some pretty amazing things in their own hearts! Our Youth Pastor has been giving us updates each night and let me tell you-they are inspiring!!!! If you have a moment-pause and take a look and then press on and run the race as to win!!!!

www.willowbrookchurch.org

Sheet Music takes a Stand

A few nights back I went to my daughter's sixth grade band concert. In our school district sixth grade is the first available grade to participate in the band program. Our daughter chose to play the saxophone and I remember the first time she placed that reed in her mouth-Whoa Nelly! As I sat and listened to all of the students play-I found myself captured in their perseverance to learn their instrument-to watch and focus on their conductor-to let the music play. I know it was only a group of sixth graders and what I'm about to say may shock you...but it was BEAUTIFUL!
To see on their faces the sense of accomplishment of what each individual added to the whole-to hear the applause of the crowd~
What a great picture of our lives in Christ.

Admittedly it is not an easy road to walk, this narrow road, but it is the road we are called to when we surrender our lives to the One who created us-letting Jesus take the lead as we learn to die to ourselves and give him ownership of all we are and all we have-as we learn to become new creations in Christ! The old begins to fade away as the new comes-it is a road of perseverance [Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.] Romans 5:3-5
-a road of keeping our heads up and our eyes FIXED on Jesus! (Heb 12:2)

Let's be an excited people living this life out loud-walking this narrow road unahamed sharing the GOOD NEWS of our Savior to all who will listen and be individuals who add to the whole!

Our Savior's Love NEVER Fails

Remember-

Even though we can't see the SUN-that does not mean it is not there-

Be the DIFFERENCE in someone's life today!

3 STRIKES

So Baseball has officially begun! Can you feel the excitement in the air as people dust off their gloves getting sunflower seeds in the mouth and humming "Take Me Out To The Ball Game"
Here in MN we cheer for the TWINS-but I'm always amazed at just how quickly the fans fall of the wagon. So far the MN have only won 2 games and the player they are paying A LOT of money for has already broken his leg...boy oh boy!

It seems we live in a culture in which the cheering fades quickly when the losing begins...but I find myself asking..."isn't that when we need the cheering the most?" When we are doing well or when our teams are doing well it's super easy to jump on the band wagon and cheer...Whooo Hoooo! But Yimminy Yackers-when things don't quite go our way, we fall behind or lose a few games-Silence and boos and man "how could they?"

Here is the GOOD NEWS! This life is a journey and we don't have to live it listening to people who cheer us on only when things are good because we have a SAVIOR who cheers us on in the Joyous moments and the Weary moments-in the laughing moments and the weeping moments...we are NOT forgotten!!! (Hebrews 13:5-6)
(Romans 8:31)PLUS Hebrews 12 tells us we have a cloud of witnesses CHEERING US ON...so that we can run this race with PERSEVERANCE! So Cool!!!

How great would it be to be a people of cheering-riding that wagon no matter the circumstance-cheering each other on-sharing a word of encouragement...let us not be silent any longer and please...don't give in to the "boos" of life but instead rise to the challenge of being part of the Whoooo Hooooo in the everyday~