Me First by Susan Shull

Climate change.
Spare change.
Time for a change.
We are the change we’ve been waiting for.

Change is a word that is constantly bandied about in our society. And one thing is for sure-change happens. We often act like that is a bad thing, but some things shouldn’t stay the same.

Since I enjoy reading quotes, I googled quotes about change and found tons of them. I especially liked this one:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Tolstoy

This one really challenged me because as I was thinking this week about what to write about our topic, I was really tempted to get on my soapbox and do some preaching. I was going to share my opinions about abortion, education, same sex marriage, and politics. I had some ideas about changes others should make and I wanted them done ASAP.

Isn’t it funny how God works? Tolstoy’s quote brought me up short and totally changed my perspective from the great big picture to a very small one-me. What changes do I need to make?

I am going to do some soul-searching today and concentrate on what I could do differently to show the love of Christ to a world that needs to know the only thing in life that never changes is the only thing in life that really matters:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”John 3:16

Life Happens During the Interruptions by Theresa Zuber

For the most part, interruptions drive me CRAZY! I have MY agenda, my plans, my projects and I don’t have time to be interrupted. Not only that, but I’m busy doing what I need to be doing; and if I get interrupted, that means it won’t get done. (Sound familiar to you?)

Let’s look at a day in Jesus’ life. He started out teaching his disciples, then the Pharisees were there putting their twist on things. And then….

Matt 9: 18While he was saying this, (Jesus had been teaching in the previous passage) a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. 20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." 22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. 23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region. 27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. 32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel." (NIV)

Jesus was interrupted constantly during his ministry. The passage above lists 5 interruptions in only 16 verses! A few more examples: the man that was lowered through the roof, while Jesus was trying to teach (Luke 5:18); blind Bartimaeus who wouldn’t stop calling Jesus’ name (Mark 10:46); Nicodemus, the Pharisee, questioning Jesus at night (John 3); the sinful woman who washed his feet with tears and dried them with her hair while Jesus was attending a dinner in someone else’s home (Luke 7:36-50).

But you see that’s just another difference between Jesus and me. Each time that Jesus was interrupted, he didn’t say, “Yeah, I’ll be with you in a sec.” OR “I can maybe get to that next Tuesday.” Not “You’ve got to be kidding. Can’t you see I’m swamped here?” When Jesus was interrupted, someone’s life was changed.

Have you ever noticed? Interruptions are what define our life and our memories. It’s not the business of going to work everyday. It’s not vacuuming. It’s not doing the laundry. It’s the interruptions. It’s the sudden phone call from a friend who has found out she has breast cancer. It’s the terminal illness of your parent. It’s the nearly fatal car wreck of your spouse. It’s standing for an hour at a funeral visitation. It’s the tiny hospital room where you sat by your child’s side for days on end. In those “interruptions,” we have a chance to be Jesus to someone. No, you can’t give sight to the blind and make the lame walk; but you can show love, give comfort, empathize, and sometimes- just be there.

Why do we let interruptions in our life upset us? These events, annoyances, disasters, crisis are the things that our lives are made of. Are we missing opportunities, because we view them as interruptions to OUR plans? Since when did God say life was going to go according to OUR plans??

“Eph 2: 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (NIV)

This week as life throws you a curve ball, remember to take the opportunity God has given you to change someone’s life. It’s what Jesus Would do!

As I look back over my life, I can see that it’s the “interruptions” that I remember most. God, help me to embrace these opportunities to “do good works.” And God, when I become an interruption to others, Help them have the patience and the right words to be Jesus to me. Never let me be SO SELFISH that I miss a chance to show Your love to someone who desperately needs You at that very moment in my life. Help me see that how I respond to these “opportunities”defines who I am and how important YOU ARE to me.

Tears of Change by Donna (Ensign) Woods

Much of life is seen through a Mother's tears,
Flowing from the heart, over the years.

Tears of change streak her face,
In every sad and happy place.

Beginning with tears of joy at her baby's birth,
The most precious delight found on earth !

Followed by prayer-filled fatigue,
As she struggles to meet each child's need.

...As the bus drives away on the first day of school,
Mom stands waving good-bye, in a tear-fed pool

Her tears console may little heart-breaks
Through the twisting turns each life takes.

When her child is hurting, tears fall as she prays,
Asking God to heal them, as He blesses their days.

Flowing over disappointment, pain, and fears...
Is a Mother's love, reflecting through tears.

When teenagers forget all they've learned,
A Mother cries tears, that frustration has earned.

Prayer filled tears combat the evil they fight.
As she paces the floor late at night.

As children grow up and leave her home,
A Mother's tears fall, when she is all alone.

Her tears remember each wonderful child
And each little face that lovingly smiled.

Mother's tears are often very hard to explain...
They are wrapped in joy, desperation and pain.

But a Mother's tears always mean love...
Another gift from God above !!!

Guest Column by Mary Lou Dill

(Mary Lou has often told this story. I encouraged her to put it down in writing because it is so precious to me! I praise God for the older generation that has supported our worship team and has joined in worshipping in a new way! Thankyou Mary Lou! - Theresa)

Change. A word many of the older generation do not like to hear. So, here I am, a seventy-something widow entering the sanctuary and ready for one of the week’s highlights—the worship service. I have always loved the beautiful sounds of the organ and the piano as the prelude envelopes me. So I sit in my chair, speak to the others around me, and wait. And then I see it—or rather, I don’t see it. There is no organ. There is no piano. The choir chairs have disappeared. The choir members stand, the minister will use a music stand, and keyboards have appeared. Guitars and drums are added. Then the song leader — oops, worship leader— bounds onto the platform and worship begins. LOUD worship begins.

After I catch my breath at all the changes, I look around. The young people—those teenage kids who are too cool to enjoy any kind of church service—are actually singing. Some are even smiling and clapping. As I watch, I see the tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm between all the younger people and the worship leader. And the worship leader? A sweet, sweet young man from a wonderful Christian family. His excitement and obvious love for the One he worships, and the ones he worships with, is contagious, even to a resisting little old lady.

Well, that was the beginning of our new worship service. Did we “old fogies” blow it out of the water? Absolutely not. We missed the old hymns and the gentleness of yesterday’s worship. But seeing the interest of the younger people was reason enough to keep quiet and start adjusting. After all, there weren’t too many words to learn for those new songs—mostly just the same phrases over and over.

And then time passed, as it always does. And our worship team used that time wisely. They toned down some of the volume. They built the order of worship around the central theme from the minister’s sermon. They brought back some of the old hymns. They read scripture. They spoke with heartfelt love and sorrow about mistakes they had made and the congregation thought, “I did that, too; maybe I can be a witnessing Christian after all.” And the words of the new songs? I discovered many of them were direct quotes from the Psalms and other scripture.

It is a new day at Scott Avenue Christian Church. This seventy-something grandmother can hardly wait for Sunday morning to come and once again be enveloped in a powerful, focused worship service.

Change? If the end result is half that of our worship service, I say, “Bring it on!”

We will be Changed by Theresa Zuber

Some people embrace change but most seem to be resistant to big changes. Especially changes that they are unsure of: new software at work, a new boss, a new low-cholesterol, low-fat, high fiber – (read “low taste”) diet, Wal-Mart redesign—you know when they move stuff around and you can’t find anything!!!

Have you ever noticed that our never-changing God is all about change? Seasons, the weather, the orbit of the planets are always changing. Puppies mature into dogs, tiny babies grow up – sometimes taller than their parents, and seeds sprout and grow into something completely different! Clouds in the sky are constantly shifting and moving into various formations and sometimes, they disappear altogether.

Jesus ministry brought about HUGE changes. Some people accepted the truth, others resisted and held onto what was familiar. Even today, those who recognize him as the Messiah- the Savior-the Christ and accept him are eternally changed.

1 Cor 15:51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

If you don’t like change – look out! Heaven is bound to be different than your life on earth. Don’t worry. You’re going to love it!!! Start practicing now and embrace the changes in your life. Who knows what God has in store for you?!

Seasons of Life by Joyce Schafer

Our word this week is “change” and what an appropriate word this is for this time of year.

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the trees. We have a tree in our front yard that turns the most beautiful golden color. When I am coming home from work and see this tree I am just amazed at the beauty God creates.

Out in the country the crops are maturing and the combines will soon be busy. This is the time of year a farmer is rewarded for all his hard work. I have many fond memories of helping in the field. Some of my best prayer times were in the cab of a tractor. To me, being close to nature is being close to God.

The schools are once again open and filled with teachers and students. The classrooms that were silent over summer are filled with giggles and noise. Some students look forward to the beginning of the school year while others would like for summer to go on forever. Parents have mixed emotions too. Some who have a child going to school for the first time may shed a few tears. Others with older kids may cry, too—for an entirely different reason.

I am reminded just like the seasons of the calendar year our lives go through seasons of change. In the Spring of our Life everything is fresh and new and we are pretty green when it comes to life experiences.

Then we enter the Summer of our lives. For most of us this time is filled with getting married, raising children and having careers. There simply are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. This stage, like summer, passes way too quickly leaving only memories behind.

I am now in the autumn of my life. This is the time for a lot of physical changes: hair color, age spots, wrinkles and a brain that goes on vacation once in awhile. The good news is— I really don't care. This really is the best years of your life. I have more time to do what I want to do instead of what I need to do. I have never felt closer to God because I have the time to study his word, journal and pray. I am more content and try to live in the moment enjoying all the beautiful blessings our Lord has given us.

The final season is winter. This is a season filled with celebration-Christmas and the beauty of a snow-covered winter wonderland. It can also be a dark season filled with depression and sadness. The choice is ours and with God's help Winter can be a time of celebration of a life well lived and finally a home in eternity.

Change by Julie Short

Listen
Sh
Listen

Do you hear Him? Are you open? Are you willing?

Are you still and listening?

Or are you busy being; Angry, shooting hurtful venomous words at others
Trying to change others, Make them…..

The only person we can change is us.

I stepped out of my anger for just a moment and I listened
I heard…Is it worth your relationship with me?

Listen, and God will lead, listen and forgive
Listen,
And allow God to change you into someone you won’t even recognize.
And out of the broken/shattered pieces of my life
God is making something beautiful.
Listen, do you hear the pencil drawing on the paper,
amazing I didn’t know I could do that
Listen, do you hear the sound of the keys typing out the words I never knew
Listen, do you hear the sound of my speaking in front of people,
I never could have
Listen, do you hear the sound of scissors cutting and hammers hitting nails,
Listen, do you hear God picking up each shattered/broken piece
and carefully putting it together, molding and hammering.

The most important change
is allowing God to change us, our hearts, our minds,
Allowing God to make something beautiful out of the mess of our lives.
Change does not come without being open to God,
with out pain, without patience.
God makes all things beautiful in His time.
Are you Listening?
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” John 10:27

Louie Giglio - Laminin

Today our sermon was about Jesus, the creator of everything!

John 1 The Word Became Flesh
"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."

Col 1:16-17 "16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Watch this video and be prepared to be impressed by our awesome God! (from Theresa)

OVERWHELMED !!!!! by Donna (Ensign) Woods

HURRY!!...Get in the car.
Taking Madison to the E.R.
So much discomfort and pain,
Pray for no traffic or train.
Fever won't break...
How much can a baby take ?
Blood tests and x-rays...
Seem to take days !
My stomach...turning, churning...
As my mind is burning.
Feeling like I can't breathe
Praying God will answer and relieve.
Her tiny body swelling...
Waiting...waiting...no one's telling.
CAT scan reveals the news,
There are no choices in which to choose.
...Big tumor....must come out !
What is this Dr. talking about ????
She's only 14 months old...
Hanging on every word we're told
For an ambulance...there isn't time,
...They helicopter Life Line !!!
So weak I can't stand !
This was never planned !!
Waiting for Maddy...a surgery team...
This must be some horrible dream !!
Her fearful, pleading eyes...
Hearts breaking with her cries...
Reeling from shock, this can't be true
So desperate...nothing we can do !
I fall to the floor to pray...
"Please dear Lord, don't take her away !!"
Cry so hard and pray so much,
For our Savior's healing touch.

The Healing Prayer by Donna (Ensign) Woods - A Grandma

Thankyou for being the God of mercy and love,
And for the multitude of blessings you send from above.

The suffering of children, we don't understand,
But, we know all is in control, of your mighty hand.

Today, I humbly come, to kneel at the throne.
To intercede for Madison, your precious own.

A beautiful child, she's one of your best.
So, for her, I put the power of prayer to the test.

As I kneel and pray, I knock at your door.
May she feel your presence as never before.

May the Holy Spirit guide me, as I prayerfully intercede,
And I ask that you supply, for her every need.

Place your healing hands upon her, this very hour.
Bless each cell in her body, with your awesome power.

Let her feel your healing, flow through each vein.
I empower this prayer, by your Son's holy name.

Strengthen her body, to have victory in trial.
Bless her with joy, that makes her smile.

I can't understand why she must endure so much.
Please bless her, with your healing touch.

Send angels to guard her, both day and night,
And equip them well, to aid in her fight.

Shield her Lord, from this vicious attack.
Drive out the cancer, don't let it come back.

Your Word says, "ask and you shall receive...."
I'm asking Lord...and I do believe....

Restore her health...Oh Lord, I pray.
I ask for your blessings today.

Heal her Lord, in your awesome way,
In Jesus name, I constantly pray.

Amen

I challenge each and every one of you to pray this prayer for Maddy and Elijah
.....and every child you know that has been diagnosed with cancer.

Overwhelmed by Tana LeMay

Overwhelmed. When don’t I feel this way? Living in a culture that is over stimulated, constantly moving and changing, makes this feeling seem almost normal. Every day, we are surrounded by people, items and situations demanding our attention. Once you jump on that vicious wheel that is constantly turning, never stopping, it’s hard to get off.



Of course, some of my stress is self-induced. I’m always finding more that needs to be done; busy tasks that will probably go unnoticed by others whether I complete them or not. I let them worry at me until I take the time to do them.

This past year at work has been very busy, with only a day off here and there (which I fill with items from my to-do list!). I wasn’t planning to take a week off, but my big project has been stalled. I decided to take advantage and will be on vacation next week.

Immediately, I added to my to-do list – wash windows, clean closets and cabinets, transplant irises, put up sweet corn………. Then I met with my Write Sisters. After studying our lesson, Julie reached for our tin of words and pulled out “Overwhelmed”. Great. I live it and now I have to write about it. Fortunately, thinking about this word led me to think of the opposite – rest and relaxation.

Jesus not only took time to rest himself, he also recognized that each of us needs a time of rest. Mark 6:31b-32 says, “he said to them (his disciples), “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

I have promised myself that I will follow Jesus’ lead. With kids home from school, I won’t have much opportunity for solitude. However, since they are so good at resting, I think I’ll make time to plop right down beside them and enjoy some rest.

Two Week Paid Vacation by Joyce Schafer

I confess. I am a recovering workaholic. After going years without a paid vacation it was hard to get used to the idea of getting paid to do nothing.

In the past years I had spent the majority of my vacation catching up on those jobs that never get done the rest of the year. This year was different. I decided to do what I wanted to do and not what I needed to do.

I did not get off to a great start. The first day I had doctor and dentist appointments. Not exactly something I wanted to do but I did get a clean bill of health clearing the way to go forward with the fun stuff.

Tuesday I took my grandson, Riley, to Walmart. To a five year old Walmart is a wonderland. Then we got cheese pizza (his choice) and went to the park to eat and play.

Wednesday I took a "Me Day". I did some writing and went to the library and got some books. The afternoon I spent reading. Every time I started to feel guilty and jump up to work. I reminded myself "Hey, you are getting paid to do this."

The next day was A.J. and grandma day. He wanted to "do lunch" at Solid Grounds and play miniature golf.

I love doing one-on-one time with the grandkids but with twelve of them it gets harder and harder.

I did some backsliding on Friday and did some housecleaning and laundry. This was necessary so we could take off a few days and visit my brother in northern Wisconsin. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing the eagles fly over the lake. What a beautiful sight.


I love baking so I spent a day making cookies, muffins and cinnamon rolls. I spent the next day watching the grandkids eat them. Just in case any of their parents are reading this they also ate grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches and lots of other healthy stuff.

Spending time with all of my grandkids was the perfect way to end my vacation.

Psalms 23:1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besides quiet waters, he restores my soul.

My soul has been restored and I am ready to go back to work refreshed and energized. I am also looking forward to Labor day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day and all those other holidays I get paid for doing nothing. I think I am finally getting the hang of this.

Help is on the Way by Susan Shull

My name is Susan and I am a S.H.E. (Side-tracked Home Executive). For those of you who are Born-Organized, the rest of this will seem ridiculous so quit reading now.

One of the most humiliating events in my life occurred years ago when our boys were small. It was late afternoon in the dead of winter and the boys and I had spent the entire day playing. The floor was covered with Legos, blocks, toy tractors, Hot Wheels, puzzles, and books. Dirty glasses and cookie crumbs were on the end tables; folded stacks of laundry lay on the couch. We were probably still in our pajamas-not unusual for us in those days. The boys were watching Daniel Boone reruns and I was more than likely reading or crafting when we heard a knock at the door. Since there was no pretending we were gone, I answered the door. One of Brad’s sweet aunts stood there-someone who had never visited us before and who didn’t know we didn’t normally live in filth. I was mortified beyond words. She was very gracious but didn’t stay long. I promised myself that would never happen again……….but it did.

I just have always had trouble keeping things “together”. I get involved in a project and let every thing else fall apart. Can I get a witness?

Miraculously, a few years ago in a random email I learned about a website that literally changed my life-http://www.flylady.com/. This is a free service started by a busy, messy procrastinator just like me, Marla Cilley. Marla sends daily emails helping her readers to establish good routines, get rid of clutter, check their calendars, and complete easy-to-do daily housekeeping missions. Her motto is “You can do anything for 15 minutes!” My timer is now something I could never do without-I have one upstairs, downstairs, and in my desk at school.

What a difference flylady has made! I now know that when my outsides are messy my insides are messy, and I hate that feeling. One of the best benefits of the whole flylady system has been helping me establish a morning routine which includes at least 15 minutes for Bible reading. This may not sound like much, but it is amazing how much can be read in that amount of time. Over a year, it really adds up.

Our house still isn’t perfect, but I’m usually not embarrassed to have unexpected company any more. I feel so much better about myself even though my natural tendency to procrastinate still causes me problems. If any of this sounds familiar and you are ready to make a change, give yourself a little hug, turn on your computer, and check out Flylady. I wish I had known about it years ago.

Moments by Julie Short

Overwhelmed with:
Fear
Loneliness
Debt
Agendas
Pain
Anxiety
Anger
Grief
Guilt
Yesterday
Tomorrow
Lack of time
Lack of energy

But, what does God want me to do today?
How can I reach out and feel less lonely today?

Praise God that I don’t have to live yesterday today
And I don’t have to live tomorrow today.

I can live in the moments of this day,
some will be good,
some blah,
some challenging,
some painful,
and some beautiful, unforgettable.

If I live the moments of this day,
cherishing the good moments
celebrating the great ones
letting go of the ones I have no control over
(after all we only have control over ourselves,)

if I push away the remnants of yesterday
and I don’t grab tomorrow before it comes

If I simply live in the moments of this day,
one moment at a time,
relying on God to lead, guide and protect
Hiding His word in my heart.

I don’t feel overwhelmed.

Moments are doable
they don’t have room for yesterday
or tomorrow.

They only happen today one at a time

Praise God for moments!

Chaos to Calm

I need to make the salsa so I can use up those tomatoes from the garden. The laundry is flowing out of the hamper. The weeds are getting higher than the flowers. Need to call my friend who's been sick. Need to go to a funeral visitation. Should send a card. Pay bills. Read bible. Study lesson. Work. Need sleep. Up early. Start all over. Beans need stemmed. What’s for supper? Forgot to call. Stressful day. Forgot a birthday. Check the messages. Feed the dog. Call the vet. Late to meeting.

Overcommitted. Overwhelmed. Over it.

Lord, you are the orchestrator of the universe. Order my world.

Summer Blessings by Susan Shull

There are many things I love about teaching, but one of the best is a 90 day weekend (so named by Marvin Allison!) Here are 10 things I am loving about this summer:

1. Time….to read, think, piddle.

2. Swinging in our porch swing doing my “devotions.” I love having time to leisurely read my Bible, pray, journal, and take notes on whatever Bible help book I am making my way through. I love to take notes-odd, I know!

3. Freezing corn-if you disregard the biting flies and the feeling of having been dunked in a bottle of Elmer’s glue-all that sticky corn sugar, you know. We all gather at mom and dad’s house and spend the day working on it together. I enjoy the conversation, the yummy garden lunch mom always prepares, and the feeling of accomplishment when we are done. It is especially fun for me this year since I have two little granddaughters who are huge corn fans and who will be excited when I serve it to them this winter!

4. Speaking of granddaughters, we have had so much fun together seeing High School Musical at the Muny, the Cardinals, and just hanging out together. They are such a joy!

5. Sunday night-I love Sunday nights in the summer knowing that I don’t have to rush off on Monday morning unless I want to.

6. Nature-I love the smell of the corn as it is pollinating, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the haze surrounding us in the early morning.

7. The food….ah, the food! If there is anything better than fresh green beans, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, even zucchini, I don’t know what it is. I feel so sorry for people who only eat food from a can or package.

8. Fabric-I get giggly inside when I have the chance to sit at my sewing machine and work with fabric.

9. Project Runway- I love this show. It is filled with drama and people who like to sew. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy this program-one of the few I watch on a regular basis.

10. Having Brock home for the summer-I feel so fortunate that he has an internship in Effingham. Since he will be a college senior this year, I know our nest is truly emptying and I will miss having him home for college breaks. He is delightful to be around.

I encourage you to take some time out of your busy schedule and make your own list of summer blessings. God is so good and I am thankful.