seasons change

some haikus for fun...

cold toes and red nose
mixed colors mingle with love
fall begins to fade

cozy among friends
hot tea warms me from inside
smiles beam radiance

echoes of Fall remain
laughter drifts into gray skies
crisp air speeds my steps

long silence, chilled air
content. coffee with my Lord.
peace. restoration.

a Psalm or two, praise
the hand that creates, restores
stand in grace, selah

winter beckons rest
shelter from the cold, hide away
in His arms of love

my Lover calls me
from afar He sings to me
yet a whisper, near

i will not hide, no
draw me out, though it is cold
Your love blankets me

in a land, far off
away from home as it is,
passing through this world

foreign, familiar
both alike, my soul decides
in Him, rest secure

snow laden mountains
o gaze of Love, melt my pride
wrap me in your grace

Creator, my Lord
how your hand painted every stroke
woven colors stream

rays of sun streak down
upon land; cries for healing
anoint with Your oil

cascades of winter
mountains, barren trees, gray skies
snow blankets, white grace

though the seasons change
the memories and friendships
their love never dies

together we'll be
one glorious day, indeed
singing praises, High!

greater purposes
we serve, living for Him, oh
and Living truly

press onward, we will
moving forward with our God
His Kingdom comes forth

like the seasons, too,
shall we all change and transform
live, hand in His hand

kingdom approaching
his Love kindles our fire so
steadfast and faithful

clay in the potter's hands

His footsteps lightly step into my room, a soft pattering as to keep me from hearing. I hear anyway. I look up to see him peeking behind the door, hiding with a big grin that can barley hold back his laughter. Who's there? I pretend not to see him. He smiles bigger. I can't help but light up inside.

The joys of children make you smile from the inside until you can't contain it any longer.

Working with children, I am continually being shaped and molded as a person. They require consistency. They require fairness. They require discipline. They require you to be selfless. They challenge your motives. They challenge your patience. They need your love. They need boundaries. They take your energy.

And yet, they give you laughter. They give you that hug you needed. They forgive quickly. They are resilient. They teach you about the ways of justice while having an uncanny grace about them.

I might be teaching my children, but they are teaching me so much in return.

My heart smiles as I think of their faces, their laughter, their jokes, their concern for me, their demanding nature, their youth and childlike perspective on life.

On the days that they stretch me, I remember that I am being molded. I am clay in the potter's hands. My children are just doing their job. They're testing me and shaping me. They are grace-growers in my life. They are teaching me so much about my Lord and his love.

Am I doing my job? Am I loving them? When I have struggled, the Lord has asked me, "What have you done for my __(name)__?" Humbled, I remember that I have been given the responsibility to shepherd these little ones and to look after them-- to care for them and love them with His love. They have been entrusted to me for a time. Am I doing my part? With this, I am humbled and know that only in Him can I do anything. Only in Him can I love these little ones and care for them and teach them.

His grace and love are sufficient. Every day is a day of grace. Grace to enjoy the day and grace to endure a day, depending.

Their little eyes look at me, waiting to be dismissed for the day. With every bit of self-control they have at this age, they stand still and squirm on occasion. High fives for some, while others hit my hand with their heads, and others hit my hand so hard it turns red. Either way, they all smile and laugh as they go. Then the littlest one comes back just for one last look in the classroom and chuckles. With that, I know in my heart, I love these kids.

foundations

As I took out my flute today and realized that it's been two months since I've touched it, I grieved a little in my heart. I began playing and sure enough, an airy sound came out--one that was not refined, out of practice, and probably out of tune because of the poor tone quality.

It's been years since I've been in the discipline of practicing everyday. If for no other reason (probably the only reason), I miss High School is for the music...the time I had to spend playing my flute and expressing myself without words. My senior year, especially, I gave hours and hours to playing. Starting with an hour warm-up and playing on for three more hours just about everyday. I look back and can't believe I was that disciplined. But the thing that was so vital to my playing was that I needed to do a warm-up everyday--a warm-up with the foundations of playing: long tones, breathing exercises, tonguing exercises, rhythm, harmonics, vibrato, etc.,etc.

Anyway, I was thinking on our relationship with God and how you can parallel it to music. In your walk with God you must remain in the foundations of your faith. You cannot just stop praying everyday because "you've arrived" or become mature or something. Rather, a sign of maturity is that you remain disciplined in the foundational things of your faith. Just as in playing-- good musicians do warm-ups and don't forget the importance of practicing fundamental things like long tones.

In our walk with the Lord, we mustn't forget the importance of daily meeting with the Lord, reading His Word, memorizing scripture, praying, fasting, and such. Just because we've read the Bible through once doesn't mean that we know it, nor does it mean that you can read it at your leisure now. Man does not live by bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God. (matt 4:4) As we go deeper with God and His Word He brings greater revelation...God uses the Word to guide us, convict us, teach us...as for prayer, why would we move forward in anything without it being backed by God?


It is so easy to lose your tone quality when playing a wind instrument. At first you stop playing long tones, then you slack off a little and quit playing everyday. Then you get like me and play every few months. You become out of practice and your sound will tell everyone. Your fingers lose their agility and you become out of breath more quickly. When you are walking with God and start to let your relationship slip, you can feel it, see it, and manifest it. As you slowly let little habits form-- not reading everyday, not praying, watching TV instead of seeking God, etc. then soon enough you find yourself in a very low place spiritually.

Not to have a religious spirit over us, but we do need to have the spiritual disciplines. After all, one of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. I think that self-control enables us to prioritize and to do the things that will feed our spirit and not our flesh or carnality.

Something that I've been trying to understand more is how to submit my soul (mind, will, emotions) to my spirit man. This has been very challenging and yet so rewarding. We must go deeper with the Lord by allowing our spirit to commune with His spirit and submitting our soul to that communion. We do it sometimes but to live that way all the time--that's the challenge. But God is good and He teaches us with great patience.
http://www.brilliantbookhouse.com/index.php?SESe4=SE4HDMTc1YThhYTNW6e5tipg2r3wfwFZgI0U9NgEIjUYaXtyL0TI__2pl__qRn5nad64ZS__3sl__bQQlaBNQU2dCH__3sl__E__1eq__SE4FT

The great thing about the holy spirit is that he gives us joy in the disciplines. He gives us a freshness for the Word, a spirit of prayer, a spirit of worship, a joy that becomes our strength. If we do things on our own then it is wearing and we easily give up. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, our prayers fade fast, our worship wanes, and we soon lose interest. But the holy spirit ignites us. He puts a fire deep in us. We need to be filled more and more with God's Holy Spirit.

We need to co-labor with God and use our talents for the Kingdom. Just because you're not in full-time ministry does not mean that you aren't in the ministry. If you are a follower of Jesus then you are called no matter where you are. Whether you're an economist, a musician, a teacher, an engineer, a park ranger....God will use you. God gave you specific talents and passions and skills for a reason. I've often heard, "The glory of God is man fully alive." May God's glory be manifested in our lives-- in everything that we do. Surrender it all to Him. This book had some great insight...
http://www.ibethel.org/store/p280/DreamingWithGodBook/product_info.html

More of YOU; less of me.

So, if you find yourself slipping in your time with the Lord...get back to the foundations. Otherwise, you'll end up with a stale faith.

And if you're spiritually doing well but have allowed your talents to be buried, then start digging 'em back up and using them for the Lord. Get back to the foundations. Start painting again. Start writing again. Start singing again. Start dancing again. Start playing music again. Begin doing whatever it is that you've put on the shelf.

...and start with the foundations.