Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Very good illustration

Thanks to my husband I now know who Francise Chan is and I don't think I have ever seen someone be able to illustrate a point like he does. There are numerous videos on youtube and many other church sites. I think the video speaks for itself...

Monday, June 22, 2009

Girls Night

Last week Sydni and I attended the annual Gala In The Garden at Botanica here in Wichita. It is put on by our church and includes touring the botanical gardens, dinner, a craft for the girls, and a guest speaker.

I had not intended to go to this event at all. It was on a day that I had several things going on already and I didn't want to end my day with one more thing I HAD to do. Especially, a Gala... what is a Gala anyway... sounds a little too fancy for this girl. After a gentle push from a mature lady I respect, I made the commitment to go. I'm very glad that I did!

Sydni and I had a fun time walking around the gardens and taking pictures. She is growing up so fast I just had to take a couple deep breaths and take it all in.



The guest speaker was absolutely wonderful! She spoke about God's perfect timing and contentment (imagine that). And left me with something I will never forget. She said, "When I have not been content in my life it has been because I wasn't in control of something" WOW! Is it that simple? How easily we complicate our lives!
1 Timothy 6:6 says, "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,"

Friday, June 12, 2009

Loving Fellowship

I have been thinking about the condition of "the church" these days and how much the world really has an influence. We have as many programs as possible, for as many people as possible and yet it seems we lack TRUE fellowship. [fellowship - sharing in common]


I see A LOT of fellowship in the world. We "fellowship" with family members because we have the same family members in common. We fellowship with friends because we have known each other for a long time, or have kids the same age, or share the same interests, or are fans of the same team/sport. Mothers fellowships with other mothers from their kid's school. We fellowship with co-workers at our jobs and even after we clock out.


When living my life apart from Christ I used to spend a lot of time "fellowshipping" at the bar. I always liked going to the bar, not so much for the drinking, but for the "fellowship". It is easy to "fit in" at the bar. Come in, sit down, "how are you?", listen to music, dance, chat, play pool or darts....
I think I had only stepped into a couple of bars that I didn't feel "comfortable" in. Often times I felt more comfortable, accepted, loved, etc. there than with my own family and yes, even sometimes more comfortable than a couple churches I have attended. How sad!


I just feel sick at the thought that I have a great friend, who is an amazing woman and I can't tell her "this or that church is great... go talk to so and so, they are great, you'll love it there". She would have to drive over an hour to get to that kind of church!!!


What exactly are we "fellowshipping" about during the few hours a week we spend together at church...more worldly things than spiritual?
Isn't having Christ in common enough?
What other criterea do we require of others?
What better thing could we share in common?
Where is the LOVE? At the bar? I hope not!

Am I just going through the motions of my Sunday/Tuesday habit?
Am I as loving and encouraging as I should be... as God expects me to be?


Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Multitasker Memorization

Is that even possible?

I think I have mastered multitasking, but something still isn't quite right... I can do several things at once as long as one particular thing doesn't require my undivided attention, such as reading, studying, or memorizing. I would love to blame this on our American culture and how it has helped to shape me in the last 30+ years, but I'm afraid that is just an excuse. Although it is a very good and logical excuse, that is still all it is, an excuse. I have never been able to read or study in the midst of other things going on around me. With 1 husband, 4 kids, & 2 cats... there seems to ALWAYS be something going on which in turn causes my brain to be multitasking. I have a child who thinks it's necessary to get up way too early, often times before the sun even makes an appearance... there goes the "get up early before everyone else" senario! By the time the kids are all snug in their beds (and asleep) I have pretty much checked out for the day. A zombie trying to get any last minute multitasking in before I go to bed and try to get my brain to slow down enough so I can fall asleep. Do you see how all my excuses kind of flow together to make one big excuse.....

So often I wish I had a lifestyle that allowed me to get up before everyone, have a cup of coffee in silence, have an uniterrupted time of prayer and reading the Word... it sounds so.... perfect :)

I suppose one day I will be in a season of life that allows for such perfection but I am certain that time is not now.

So where was I going with this....... oh yeah, memorization. I've been told how important it is. Somehow I believe I was told this too late. When I was younger I could memorize phone numbers and addresses with ease but that was also pre-cell phone & email, when my grandparents still had a rotary phone. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit! Just when I think I can't witness to anyone because I can't memorize anything, the Spirit steps in to help me out with the words I need! Whewww.... boy am I glad that God knew we'd need the Spirit. I am also thankful for the mornings or afternoons or evenings that I DO get the kind of peace and quiet I need even if only for a few minutes! I am also very thankful that He knows my heart... and my excuses :)

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Greetings and Explanations

We (Miles & I) created a blog a few years ago to keep friends and family posted on what was going on with our family and of course to post lots of pictures! Well I have been tossing around the idea of starting another blog that would be more personal, i.e. personal thoughts, what I am studying, what I am learning, etc. With all of our moving around over the years, I have left long time friends, new friends, school friends, church friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. There are many people I would love to stay in contact with but quite frankly it is very time consuming, when I need to invest my time where we are... if any of that makes sense.

Simply stated, if you have known me for a long time or a short time and care to follow what is going on in my life then great, please do. If not, then don't, no hard feelings!

So how did I come up with "Life Outside Of The Bubble"? Well I planned on making this explanation short, but I see now that it may get lengthy as it calls for a little bit of testimony. So first, I was not born into a Christian Bubble. My mom & dad married in Southern California and moved to Wyoming around my 1st birthday. After my mom dabbled around in a couple different religions she finally settled (for awhile anyway) at a Baptist church where I attented regularly with her. When I was 8 yrs old I asked Jesus to be the Lord of my life. I understood that I was a sinner and He was the only Savior. Not too long after that my parents divorced. My mom headed back to So Cal while my dad stayed in Wyoming. I was given the choice of who I wanted to live with, so off to California I went with my mom. That decision started a long list of decisions that my parents weren't very good at making me stick with. I moved back and forth between them every couple of years. As a kid in California, life involved church (for a little while), moving a lot, mom's boyfriends, 2 stepdads, partying, "fun", and extended family. Not exactly what you picture when you think of a Christian Bubble. As a kid in Wyoming, life involved church (off/on), a stepmom, 2 of my 3 step-siblings, a somewhat absent dad who was always busy doing his own thing, partying, "fun", and extended family. Are you seeing the trend....

Eventually as a teenager I walked away from the Lord. That seemed easier then trying to fit into the Christian Bubble crowd. Well, the Lord broke me (alongside Miles) down in every way imaginable - through my marriage, through my kids, through my other family members, finacially, and even physically with health issues. Once Miles and I made the decision to turn our lives around and begin following the Lord, I began struggling with fitting into the Christian Bubble. Where did I fit in with my personality, after the life I had already led... I even had very visible tattoos??!! The fact is I don't "fit in".

It seems that the Lord never used "normal" circumstances in my life and today it is no different... so this is my blog about my life "Outside Of The Bubble"