What does serving God look like to you?

A very popular Bible verse hangs in the home of many followers of Christ.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Is this verse displayed somewhere in your home?  Have you ever really thought about what that means on a daily basis?  What does it look like?  How deep does your family live out that verse?  My dad and I had a recent conversation about what serving God looks like.  I use to think this meant helping out at church by checking in kids, teaching a Sunday school class, volunteering in the nursery,going across the world on a missions trip, and giving money to a ministry.  However, in the past few years, I have learned that serving God is SO MUCH MORE!! It is a lifestyle.  There are times I become so frustrated with the way people perceive serving God.  It is a difficult, deep, and a thought provoking question that I hope will encourage you to think and discuss with those you love. Pleas feel free to leave comments and discuss on my blog.  As Christians in American I feel that we often become too comfortable in our lives, and we are down right selfish!  We want to serve God and have Him utilize us for His work, BUT.... we want to do it our way and in our time! Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.   God doesn't want us to be comfortable.  It is in those times.....that we grow and live out our faith!  If we were always comfortable.....would we grow?  Would we seek out God?  Would we look for ways to serve Him? In my opinion... no.  When I look back on the past five years, there were many times I was uncomfortable and wanted my circumstances to change.  However, those uncomfortable times changed me.  They made me draw closer to God and have taught me a lot about what serving God looks like!!  I learned this by watching others who love and serve God!!!  It was in those moments that I began to shape my definition of what serving God looks like!  God wants us to die to self and provide in ways that we don't really feel like serving! He wants all of us...not just the parts we are COMFORTABLE to give Him.  Many times we may write a check to a particular ministry and chalk it up as.... done!  I've done my part!  (don't get me wrong...this is GREAT AND NEEDED)  However, I think God wants more out of us! He wants us to give up what is most precious to us.....(our TIME AND ENERGY)  He wants us to step outside of our box and be uncomfortable.  I also feel that many Christians are quick to step up and help with "world missions," but seem to have a difficult time stepping up to help those in need right in their own community.  (again...I THINK "WORLD MISSIONS" ARE GREAT AND NEEDED)  In fact, I have been on a missions trip, and God used that trip to teach me perspective!  He also taught me how to serve Him by watching the Haitians love on each other!  However, there are so many times I see a community member, church member, or neighbor in need and very few step up to take the TIME to help.  In America we have become so busy.  We feel like our lives need to be filled up with things to keep us busy.  Our kids may be involved in more than one extracurricular activity or perhaps we plan too many things to do that keep us busy that leave us lacking the "time" to help those in need.  Other times.... we are selfish with our time and don't want to GIVE OUR TIME to help out someone in need.  This leads me to what I believe serving God looks like.  I believe there are obviously many ways to serve God and there is NO right way...BUT I do believe it means to die to self and be ready to use your hands and feet in ANY way God asks us to do. Matthew 16:24 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  We must not be stingy with our time and selfish with our time.  Serving God is a lifestyle!! It can be helping an elderly neighbor rake leaves, clean her gutters, or carry in her groceries.  It can be taking someone to the store who has no means of travel.  It can be helping someone move or providing a meal for someone.  Talking to that weird stranger in the store who HAS A LOT TO SAY and you can't seem to get away.  You never know....that person may be reaching out and lonely.  It can be as simple as walking across the street to say hello and check in on a single parent who may be lonely or have had a bad day.  The littlest thing can stretch miles in someones life!!  The way we act, the things we say, and how we help others....are all ways in which we live our our faith.  It.....................SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHRISTIANS.  Believe me....they WILL TAKE NOTICE!  Serving God doesn't mean being a good person, sitting in a pew on any given Sunday morning, and writing a check.  It is a daily sacrifice of giving and providing to those who are in need....dying to self and putting the cross before YOUR OWN NEEDS! By submerging ourselves in God's word and spending time in prayer....we begin to have a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  As that relationship develops we will begin to to see multiple ways to serve God, allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, and be a witness to all every single day right here in our own backyard!!! Step out today and love on those right here as the Haitians were quick to love on each other!!!  While I am typing this and realize this....it is A DAILY BATTLE that I still struggle with!  I too have a difficult time giving of my time and energy!  I am a work in progress that God is continuing to develop!!  He is the potter.... I am the clay!! 

 

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Matthew 16:24 

What does your Sunday morning worship look like?

Psalms 149 1-6 Praise the Lord.  Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.  Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.  Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.  For the Lord takes delight in his people.  He crowns the humble with salvation.  let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands.

Last year around this time I was getting ready to depart to Haiti, and another team of South Adams students and staff are departing tomorrow morning to return to Haiti.  As I was thinking about the team and lifting them up in prayers, I was reminded of the LOVE the Haitians have!  This trip opened my eyes!! I HAVE ENOUGH AND I AM VERY RICHLY BLESSED!  These women, children, and men...have very little...next to NOTHING!  I bet you don't even give it a second thought when you pour yourself a glass of water to quench your thirst.  I know I don't!  Consider yourself blessed to have clean drinking water that won't make you sick!  Many of these Haitians don't have that luxury, and some may walk many many miles just to get "clean" water.  (at least what they consider clean)  Many of them think that if the water is clear it must be "clean," so they walk miles to find clear (clean) water.  Sadly, the clear water doesn't = clean water and a lot of them become very ill with a water borne illness.  This illness, cholera, can wipe out a village.  Here in America it would be very treatable with antibiotics.  However, in Haiti and other parts of the world, they don't have access to this medicine.  The team from South Adams will be installing water purification systems to provide Haitians with clean drinking water!  Please pray for them as they depart tomorrow morning!  (You can find them on facebook....look for Dots in blue water)

HOWEVER, while we provided the Haitians with clean drinking water, they taught us much more! Most of these people have little to next to nothing they call their own.  BUT...while they don't have much...they have A LOT OF FAITH AND LOVE FOR THEIR KING!  They gather together every Sunday morning to worship, praise, and learn about God for THREE HOURS OR MORE! They gather together in a small, crowded building that doesn't have cushioned seats or the luxury of AC on the HOT HAITI SUMMER DAYS of excruciating heat!  We are talking about over 100 degrees and lots and lots of bodies shoulder to shoulder!  (talk about sweat dripping down your legs, beading up on your forehead, and perhaps rubbing off some of that sweat on your arm next to the person beside you...ya...ew!) Despite the circumstances, they come, they gather, and they worship!  Some may even walk miles to get to church!  WOW! Would you do that EVERY Sunday to worship, praise, and learn about God?  When the Haitians gather to sing and praise God....THEY DON'T JUST STAND THERE STILL AS STATUES AND BARELY MOVE THEIR LIPS (like some of us Americans do every Sunday in a comfortable, cozy church).  They dance, they move, they lift their arms and hands high! THEY TRULY WORSHIP GOD WITH THEIR ENTIRE BODY!  It is amazing the amount of love and joy that can be felt in that small Haitian church in Chamburn, Haiti on any given Sunday.  It brought me to tears to think about how little the Haitians had, yet they STILL SERVED GOD WITH ALL THEY HAD!  They weren't angry, bitter, or jealous!  It saddens me to think that here in America we have become TOO COMFORTABLE IN OUR CHAIR OR PEW on Sunday morning.  Perhaps to some it is just a routine...part of what we do on Sunday.  BUT IT SHOULD BE SOOOOOO MUCH MORE!!  WE HAVE SO MUCH! WE ARE RICHLY BLESSED HERE IN AMERICA!  WE HAVE FOOD IN OUR CABINETS (perhaps an abundance). WE HAVE A ROOF OVER OUR HEAD!  WE HAVE SHOES ON OUR FEET! WE HAVE A BED TO SLEEP IN! (with sheets, warm covers, and maybe even a pillowtop mattress).  AND THIS IS JUST THE BASICS PEOPLE!  WE ALSO HAVE TVS, IPADS, IPODS, COMPUTERS, TOYS, TOYS, TOYS, CLOTHING GALORE, FURNITURE.... (this list could go on and on...fill in the blank as you wish).  So the next time you find yourself at church worshiping God....RAISE YOUR HANDS, DANCE WITH JOY, CLAP YOUR HANDS, AND GIVE GOD ALL YOU HAVE!!!  Don't be afraid of what people might think......BECAUSE ALL THAT MATTERS-YOU ARE WORSHIPING FOR YOUR KING AND YOUR KING ALONE!  Don't settle for comfortable!  (I am not excluding myself in this either....I am just as guilty as anyone)

Wavering Faith...God continues to shape me!

Wow... I guess I kind of forgot about my blog for a long time!  Life is busy... and I had to let some things go for a while, but I am excited to be back!!!  God has been doing some amazing things in my life, but some of it has been extremely painful! BUT OH SO FREEING!  It has been wonderful shaking the heavy, constraining chains loose!!!  (It makes me think of that song by Mandisa...Shackles) I have never felt more free and at peace in my life than I do right now!  Part of that is because I have FINALLY let go and started the process of forgiving...totally forgiving!  God has given me the strength to look at the woman I have been forced to share my boys with (my ex husband's girlfriend) as a blessing to me and the boys!  I am so thankful that she treats them with nothing but love and kindness.  She watches over them and protects them, just as I would.  God even nudged me to share this with her and to apologize with her for any unfriendly body language vibes I have sent her.  Really.. yep.. very humbling and difficult to do.  I am thankful God provided me with the opportunity and courage to do so.  It is part of what has set me free and is completing the healing process!  But that isn't all God has asked me to do lately...The next thing I knew... God was tugging at me one more time to give him the last thing I was holding onto: ..... (read on to discover this)

I am so tired of being a single parent.  It is TIRING, truly EXHAUSTING, and CHALLENGING.  I don’t want to be a single parent anymore.  Frankly, they’re days I just want to crawl in bed and stay there.  I lack the energy to keep up with all of it.  (picking up, cleaning, laundry, BILLS…) It is such a difficult task to do alone.  I must remind myself of  Is. 40:31 and pray it over me: But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  This past week I was really struggling thinking I could be doing this (the job of a single parent) for the next five, ten years, or so.  The thought of that makes me ……feel like I am drowning in my own tears.  I have no doubt that I can do it and be a great parent for my boys, but I DON’T WANT TO.  (Imagine me saying this like a two year old throwing a major temper tantrum on the floor kicking and screaming the entire time!) I know that it isn’t about what I want.  I need to die to self… and surrender ALL to God.  It is so difficult for me to let go of my one true desire of my heart….finding a godly man to join our family.  I know God knows my desires, my soul, my struggles, and my weakness.  I know that He promises to be my encourager, my cheerleader, my daddy, my husband, my STRENGTH.  I know He will be there for me no matter what may come my way.  I thank Him for that and for ALL THAT HE IS.  Which leads me to the last thing God was asking me to hand over to him..... I needed to lie down my heart’s desire at His feet.  I needed to let go and trust God with it. As I laid it down I was reminded of Psalm 103:5 “who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s wings” Psalm 37:4  “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” He knows what is best for me and my boys.  I know this is going to be a DAILY battle.  A battle where I will need God to fight for me on my behalf EVERYDAY!  I thank God for giving me the strength to let go of sharing my boys with unnamed girlfriend.  I was able to let go of that because of GOD AND THE STRENGTH HE GAVE ME!  I need to lean on God again as I lay this down.  I know I will want to pick it back up every day, every hour, and possibly every MINUTE.  BUT….I can’t do that.  I need freedom.  I have tasted freedom and know what it feels like.  I can’t imagine complete freedom.  This is the last thing I have been holding onto.  I have had a strong hold on it….and have been stubborn in letting it go. (again..imagine a two year old hugging tight to a toy he/she doesn't want to share!) I have feared letting it go.  I have been scared to give it to God.  Fearful that if I gave it to Him….my worst nightmare would come true (being alone my whole life) You know the crazy old lady who lives next door with 10,000 cats!  Yep!  I can’t live with that fear dangling over my head anymore.  It isn’t my life.  My life is a gift…a gift God has given me and I need to entrust it to Him!  For He knows the plans He has for me….plans to prosper me..give me a hope and a future.  Not to harm me.  He knows what is best for me.  He knows the right time and what I can handle.  So, when I attempt to pick this back up and try to regain control, (which I will) God needs to nudge me. He will need to remind me to let go and trust Him with it.  God just reminded me last night who He is…all of His attributes.  How can I not let go?  How can I not trust God?  Why would I tangle with this raging bull, when He can tame it and give me freedom.  TRUE FREEDOM!  I want to enjoy every day to the fullest and enjoy what He has given me.  I don’t want to always be grasping at the future for what I hope for.  I want to enjoy the moment…live for the moment.  Live for God AND Him ALONE.  I WANT MY ROOTS SECURE IN HIM.  MY IDENTITY WRAPPED UP IN GOD, MY CREATOR!  He made me, He knows I like to be in control and that I don’t like waiting. (anyone who knows me at ALL...knows this to be extremely true!) God knows this is a struggle for me and a difficult challenge.  It will be hard to obey.  I want to be obedient and I am ready to be obedient, but I can’t do it in my own strength.  God will have to help me and hold me up when I waiver.  God will have to help me let go of my biggest fear…growing old alone to become the old cat lady.  I can feel the Holy spirit nudging me to act…  It is time to let go, forgive, and look forward.  I must keep pressing forward and put my hope in God.  His timing is perfect….I  must believe that and hold onto it!  My thoughts are not your thoughts.  My ways are not your ways!  I need to only stand firm, be still, wait on Him…and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!

Someone once told me, "Don't put God in a box!"  Good advice!!  God can and will do the impossible!!!  Mark 10:27 “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God!”

Lost in Haiti time

Wow....it is already the end of Wednesday night. Time has been flying by. The first day I arrived,I immediately thought... It is going to be one long week. I was a bit skeptic of this whole trip at first. Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I HATE spiders and any critters crawling around. They just creep me out and have no right to share a bed with me! Already this week in our dorms we have seen big spiders, lizards, and a scorpion! Yep! Lovely sleeping buddies! However, I am loving haiti and all the kids I have met. It has truly been an eye opening experience. Things in Haiti are quite different than at home in numerous ways. Obviously there is more poverty, but in Haiti there are people who have a glowing faith in God. The people are welcoming, caring, and have a since of community. No one worries about what time it is or what item to check of next on the to do list. Things get done when they get done. I don't sense any anxiousness among the Haitian people. We have a lot to learn as Americans from these people. I have enjoyed their company and compassion this week.

MondY was our first real work day and I must admit it was a challenge. The heat is unbearable. We began by moving things from the dorm to a storage room. Then we began painting the church in the blazing sun. It was tiring, but looking at the finished product today made it l worth it the church looks beautiful! We were working outside for four hours. I couldn't keep my waterbottle full! After lunch we worked on putting a purification system together. While it wasn't tedious work, we were all feeling the effects from the hard work we put in that morning. We worked under a tent for another four hours feeling the heat. The heat drained me completly and I was done! I found the rest of the evening to be very difficult emotionally. I wasn't sure I had it in me to make it through the week. I was already missing my boys and drained. It was only Monday! Thankfully, lots of prayers and rest was all I needed because Tuesday morning I was full of energy and smiles!

Tuesday was a wonderful day. We began our day by visiting an IDP camp not far from campus. It was a sight hat broke my heart. There were literally thousands of people living I'm a tent. One tent after another tent all along the mountainside. We hiked up the mountain and were able to look out over all of the homes. Their tents don't have a canvas ground for protection. These people use whatever they can find to build shelter. The floor of their tent home is just the dirt ground. Many of the Haitian people living in these tents may not even have anything to lay on. While up on the mountain a staff member for NVM talked to us he gave us hbe history of the IDP camp and asked us an important questions. Do he poor know you by name? Do you take the time to feed, shelter, and foster relationships with those who are less fortunate. It really made me think. I challenge you to answer that question for yourself. When we returned to camp, we dug a trench for the pipe to our water purification system. It was a hot hot job! I am very proud of our team. We had great teamwork and got the Jo. Dome with only shovels and pickaxes! (unfortunately,we later found out plans changed and we wouldn't be using that trench after all!). : ).
Finally, that brings us to today, Wednesday! It was a very relaxing day. We sorted clothes, helped the Haitian women make beaded necklaces, and I go the pleasure of experiencing shopping for hardware in town! I loved going to town. It was interesting to see the different sties. Oh... They are quite different than our stores. The home store we went into was three levels. Eachebel housing different kinds of hardware and tools. It took us almost two hours in one store to get the items on our list! The parking, driving, and traffic was adventours. People just dart in and out at a fast pace. Motorcycles can be found driving down the middle of the road between two lanes of traffic. People are found at every corner Selling things! We even stopped at a market for some good old American junk food! Our group devoured it. It was a feeding frenzy! All in all, town was fun!

Time in Haiti is winding down. Tomorrow we will install two water purification systems. One here on campus for the school and one in the gulags of chambrun. On Friday we hope to visit the beach and head home on Saturday.

Haiti Day 2

Haiti Day 2
Yesterday, was Sunday and our 2^{nd day in Haiti. We had the unique experience to attend church with the Haitians. What a joy it was to see how they worship God on Sunday mornings. Their church service is three hours long! These people know how to worship God with all their heart. They sing loudly with pride and love. They dance, move, and shout their praises to God. It moved my heart, and it made me realize how much these people truly have. They have what most American’s don’t… A true faith in God! A real faith! Back home at my church you will not find this type of service with hearts full of that true faith and love. Don’t get me wrong, our church is filled with people who love God and there are people in my church who are on fire for God. In order for you to truly understand where I am coming from, you must expierence it for yourself! I pray that one day God will lead you to that kind of expierence. It will warm your soul and make you realize what is important. As I sat there watching and listening to these people during church service, I realized that I need to be more like them. I need to stop worrying about the little things in life, and begin to truly live by faith! The Haitians have nothing. They don’t have food or clean water every single day. They don’t have a nice cozy house to shelter them. If anyone has the right to be bitter or angry, it is them. Instead they choose to be joyful and praise God for what they do have! As an American who is richly blessed, I have no right to complain about what I don’t have. I need to focus on what I do have and be thankful!}
During service I sat behind a group of very joyful girls who made me smile. I loved watching them dance and sing! One girl, Yanni, kept looking at me and smiling. She was beautiful, and I loved interacting with her during the service. I even took her picture. Since service I have seen Yanni around campus. She continues to come to me and interact. Today I learned that beautiful in her language is unbella.. sp? She was also teaching me how to count and a few other words. I hope I see her the next couple of days here on campus! She is a joy! I would love to take her home!
I also had another adorable little girl latch onto me after service. She was quite little and very quiet. She was so adorable. She wanted to be held and hugged. She loved playing with my hair and putting her hands on my face. Her eyes were bright and her smile could light up a room. I wouldn’t mind taking her home too! A suitcase full of wiggles for the way home! LOL!
After church, we were given some free time. We played cards and had some fellowship. After our break, we went into the village of Chamburn to check out the wells the villagers use to get their water. They walk several miles sometimes to get water. The water they get is very dirty and makes them sick withh many diseases. We are going to work on installing a water purification system at the school on campus and one just outside of campus for the villagers to use. I am thankful I have the opportunity to help provide these people with clean water that could help improve their lives. I am looking forward to building and putting together the systems. While in the village, you could see the since of community the people had. They were all a family and would help any of their neighbors out. They were very friendly to us and welcomed us. Many times back at home we will walk right by someone we no without a polite hello. All through the dirt streets of Chambrun the villagers will greet you! The children will run to you to greet you as well. They will walk with you and hold your hands. They love trying to interact with us. I would love to be able to talk to them in their language! Keep posted for more!!!

Haiti Day 1

I have been in Haiti since Saturday morning and have already had many things impact me. When we landed at the airport we were greeted with Haitian music and loaded onto a shuttle to take us to the baggage claim. It was similar to a warehouse and was extremely busy. It was a bit chaotic, and they only had two concertos belts toput the luggage on. Thankfully their were only two planes that landed during that time. There can be up to four at one time making it even worse. I can't imagine. Going through customs was rarer easy too. I was quite surprised After gathering our checked bags we made our way outside and were lead to a tap tap. A tap tap is a box truck. However the back isn't a box, it is framed with a cage and has benches on each side. We took the tap tap to the campus on NVM. It was an extremely interesting ride. I don't think there are too many road rules in Haiti! It was a bumpy and rough ride as the roads aren't great. The part that was difficult to take in was all the devastation surrounding Haiti. Everywhere you looked were thousands of tents. These tents were not nice tents that we would go camping in. They were pieced together with whatever materials they could find. It was heartbreaking. There was tons of trash piled high everywhere. You could smell the sewage building up from not being properly disposed. I can't even begin to describe the living situation here. We are so blessed in our country and have much to be thankful for. I will upload photos when I get home.

Upon arriving at campus we were blessed with much needed relaxing after a long two days of traveling. We are staying on a very nice campus with air conditioned dorms and bath houses. We have clean running water and good food. After lunch, we walked a half mile to a village called chambrun. In chambray we visited an orphanage. The kids were so joyful and loving. These children didn't care that they had very little. All they wanted was to play. We enjoyed a game of soccer, tag, and lots of laughs. They also LOVE photos! They like heir picture taken and enjoy taking pictures too. I am anxious to spend more time with these kids.

I have already learned so much from being here. Too many times we get caught up in things we have or don't have. I have enough. My basic needs are met each day I have a house a nice house, clean water, and plenty of food. I need to be joyful like the Haitian children. if anyone should complain or be bitter towards life, it should be these people..... But they choose to be happy.

I am using my iPod to blog and have a hard time editing for spelling and grammar. So please accept my apology for any you find!

Check out dots in blue water for more info from the team and our trip. Two teachers and two students will write a blog a day on their faceook page.... Dots in blue water.

The joys of traveling

On Friday I met up at school with the rest of the team to depart for our Haiti trip. We left the school at 11:30 and headed to Detroit to catch our plane to Fort Lauderdale, FL. Once we arived at the airport, we had plenty of time to grab some supper. Our last good meal for a while I am sure. After arriving at our gate, we discovered our flight was delayed by three hours. It wasn't a big deal since our flight to Haiti didn't leave until 7 am the next day. We had a lot of fun during our delay with card games, laughter, airport walks, and some entertaining teenage girls. Haha... There wasn't a dull moment with them around! We finally touched down in FL Around 1:30. It is currently almost 4 am and we are attempting to sleep on the airport floor. I must admit, this is a difficult thing for me to do. Too many noises, people, and a very hard floor! I am sure I will sleep well in the bunkbeds at Haiti after this! I will be too exhausted to care a that point! Our flight is on time and should depart at 7 am! Once arriving in Haiti, we will be greeted by he NVM staf who will bus us out to the campus. We have been told it is about 20 miles from the airport, however, it will be bumper to bumper traffic and could take a couple hours to reach NVM campus. I will have pictures when I return!