The Gift of Music

I was so blessed to worship yesterday morning with other believers at Broadway Covenant Church in Rockford. My favorite person to worship with is my wonderful husband, Jerry. God has truly gifted him to perform and lead others in worship using music - guitars, drums, keyboards, voices, etc.

As we prayed the other day, Jerry thanked God for music. It was a simple prayer from his heart. And I agree with him in his prayer of gratitude. Won't you join us? And remember, God says we are to make a joyful noise to the Lord. So you don't have to be as talented as Jerry. You just need the same grateful heart.

"O magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together!!!" Psalm 34:3

A Girly Day!

Today's a Girly Day at my house! I'm so excited! Early afternoon, my twin nieces, Brittany and Chelsea, will be here bobby pins, curling irons, etc. in hand to get dolled up for Homecoming. No - I don't do hair - my daughter, Mindy, is the guru for that. Then a few hours later, a handful of younger girls will giggle their way in for a slumber party! Mindy's helping out there too. Yep, frosting cookies, painting pumpkins, eating pizza - and hopefully a lot of giggling.

Lots to do to get ready. Farmers market for the pumpkins; grocery store for - oops! - forgot to borrow air mattresses! Gotta go! My Girly Day is calling!!! Am I blessed or what! Hope you enjoy your weekend too!

"O, magnify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together!!!" Psalm 34:3

Striving for Perfection

Perfection - impossible, right? Right? Hmmm ... as I ponder this thought just now, I consider whose standard of perfection I am using.

"Let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith ..." Hebrews 12:1b, 2a

My mind trails back to track season when my son, Randy, was in junior high. He was quite the pole vaulter in his day. He didn't wake up one day and jump over 6 feet on his first attempt. He worked each day to do his best, perfecting his technique at each level, while his coach kept raising the bar. I was so proud of his tenacity as he continued to soar to new heights despite regular missed attempts. He kept striving while his dad and I kept cheering him on!

God, our loving Father, Creator and Judge, desires and deserves our attention and devotion. Let's allow God to set our bar for today. He does not expect us to do more than He's equipped us to do. He expects us to "perfect our technique" at today's level, completing the tasks He's assigned for us with hearts set on pleasing Him.

Can you see Him cheering us on as He coaches us with His Holy Word? He's holding a "10" high for us to see, and He'll "raise the bar" when He knows we're ready!


"O, magnify the Lord with me! Let us exalt His name together!!!" Psalm 34:3

Stop and enjoy the moment!

Happy fall y'all! I've been enjoying the sunshine and blue skies this season. But it seems they've only been showing up every other day. It's so easy to fall into the trap of commenting only on the gloomy days and complaining about them. Well today, as I endure a sinus headache, I've decided to focus on praising God no matter what the weather and even FOR the weather. A good friend I met through Radio 91, Jeanne, always says, "God only sends different kinds of GOOD weather." I think of that often and have made a conscious effort to appreciate the different kinds of weather rather than lament them.

The phrase "Enjoy the moment," comes to mind. So here's your assignment for the next few days. Look for shapes in the puffy clouds (not while driving), allow a breeze to blow your hair around, walk outside in the rain to look for a rainbow. I know, sounds a little like Pollyanna, doesn't it? And it's also Scriptural. The book of Job says, "Stop, and consider the wondrous works of God." Did you catch that first word? STOP!!
Stop complaining, stop talking on your cell, stop driving, stop worrying, stop typing, just stop.

Stop and enjoy the moment! "O, Magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together!" Psalm 34:3!!!