Hearts Transformed

Songs often get stuck in my head. Often it isn't anything that I want to keep on replay. Several days ago a song came to me. No worries I am not turning "Nashville" and becoming a song writer. It was an already written song. The recurring verse, "Who am I that you are mindful of me?" I didn't know what God was doing but I was certain there was something moving inside me. So I wrote it on top of the board in my office. Maybe because I am a little slower to hear or maybe because my timing is not God's timing it didn't come to me until today. All day today I have been singing this verse. Why is this particular song stirring in my spirit? This afternoon at Starbucks over a delicious Peppermint Mocha and a great conversation with one of the precious young ladies that I get the privilege of serving another seemingly unrelated idea came about. We should find a bible study that we could do together. So we headed to Lifeway to seek out the perfect study for...

It seems like here lately there has been recurring themes to my months or weeks. I believe these are God's way of getting something through my thick skull. Most recently the theme has been "rhythm." I am a list maker. This blog is not on my list by the way and it is really causing me distraction. But there are times you just need to "get it out" and this is one of those times.  What is rhythm? According to  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhythm it is: Rhytm: Pronunciation: \ ˈ ri- th əm\ 3 a : movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements So I guess I am in search of movement of regular recurrence. It seems like 2010 has been a hodge podge of things strung together. I haven't found it yet this year. I haven't found rhythm and much like a song with no rhythm so my life feels chaotic and a little irritating to deal with at the moment. I don't feel out of control. I just feel o...

The great snowfall of 2010 happened this last weekend and it is lasting well into this Wednesday. At first I was bummed because I knew it meant my weekend plans would be changed and if you don't know me well. I do not like for my plans to be changed. I was a little over talking about it because it seemed to captivate all of our thoughts and facebook posts. I do however want to share the lesson I learned through this snow. Sunday morning I awoke to thick white blanket of snow still covering most of my tiny corner of the world. I was much too aprehensive to drive that day and had to have a chauffer. However, I was a little taken back by the glorious sight of the white snow in the beautiful Sunday sunshine. Sunday had a bright blue sky overhead and the whole world seemed to glow. I prepared to go out in the cold and donned my best coverage high heels to brave the snow. I do not own snow boots or anything similar. Everyone commented on my silliness yet I feel the heel stabbing throug...

I am in the middle of teaching a three part series in high school where we are talking about the things that hinder our spiritual lives. One of the things I have been wrestling with in my own life recently is how difficult it is for me to really fall into relationship with my Creator. I love lists and I love ticking off the items one by one. The accomplishment of completeling the things I have set out to do really gets me pumped. I love to "get things done." Here is the thing...God is not something to "get done" or "get to later." I am confessing that I have often relegated God to another check on my list. But the really cool thing is that in this process of encouraging others in the journey; I am learning (albeit slow) to be quiet and still before the Lord and to listen for Him. If He is singing and dancing over me then I want to hear the that song! I am going to do my best to blog through my thoughts as I take the next 30 days to work through "...

This week is one of those weeks. My mind is mush after an incredibly eventful summer and fall at Community Church of Hendersonville . It was just the kind of day when I needed a word from God. I went to listen to the latest post from Mars Hill and got the greatest gift...Dr. Don Davis. Dr. Davis is the director and founder of World Impact’s Urban Ministry Institute and he was a guest teacher last Sunday at Mars Hill.      The message was simple enough... Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16). But it was the idea that we often want to talk about all we are doing for God. The quote that cut to my heart was this. " If we open up our hearts and open up our hands; THEN we have the right finally to open up our mouths." "Give us clean hands and give us pure hearts" yes but in order that we may have full hearts and dirty hands for the kingdom of God and then we will not    only speak the good news but we will be living it out.

This was my birthday week and just like the new year it is a time for reflection and goal setting. I was blessed by the many birthday wishes that came from long lost friends and new acquaintances alike. Social networking tools can be such an encouragement. Many times I am so "busy" that I can't keep the day straight let alone whose birthday or special day it may be. So thank you Facebook for the reminders and the easy access to friends, family and colleagues. In no way am I ungrateful for the comments and messages...they were amazing. I felt very loved and remembered that day. Here is my question...can you imagine how I would have felt had those been cards in the mail or phone calls? I think we under appreciate the power of these little acts of kindness. My goal for this the 28th year of my life is to be an intentional encourager . And I challenge you to send a card in the mail or make a phone call. Say the things that we too often keep to ourselves. Make time to be inte...

This one is a little long but well worth the reading! This from a collected work of the former Mike Yaconelli, a pioneer and mentor to many in youth ministry. This is a summary from a November 2000 article. Due to illness a reluctant youth volunteer, Daryl,  attended the nursing home church service the local youth group conducted once a month. He felt awkward and out of place and chose to stand in the back against the wall. Just as the service was ending someone grabbed his hand. Daryl looked down to see a very old man in a wheelchair holding tightly to his hand. His name was Mr. Leak and he was still and expressionless. As everyone began to leave Daryl did not want to leave Mr. Leak but knew it was time to go. He leaned over and whispered, "I'm...uh..sorry, I have to leave. I will be back. I promise." Mr. Leak responded by squeezing Daryl's hand and then let go. Daryl's eyes filled with tears and inexplicably said, "I love you." Daryl came back mo...