Wonderings and Wanderings

What a gorgeous winter day!  I love winter days in the 50s and 60s.

With a warm and sunny afternoon, I played frisbee golf with some friends.  What fun!  I’ve never played frisbee golf but I do think I could become a big fan.  Actually, anything active and competitive is appealing to me.  Of course, now I want to invest in some frisbee discs.  So I went searching on the internet for what was available or needed for the sport of disc golf and I can’t believe how much stuff is out there and how many different types of discs are offered.  They have driver discs, and putter discs, and floaters and rollers and . . .  Man, they are serious.  And here the four of us were out there today playing with regular ol’ frisbees that the dog chews up after a leaping catch.  We must have looked like frisbee hicks.  It reminds me of when I was in middle school and took tennis lessons one summer and my sister and I showed up with the old rackets with the wooden cases around them.  I think the instructors were stunned . . beyond even laughter. 

I won’t probably invest in a whole bunch of discs but I’d like to buy at least one driver and one putter and see the difference in my game.  It really is tons of fun.  I even got to climb a tree today to retrieve my disc.  Excellent adventures with excellent friends.

Watched the MU game this evening.  Heart-breaking.  Simply heart-breaking.  The power of a second.  The power of a bad, bad call.

I’m putting the final touches tonight on a sermon that I will preach tomorrow at FBC, Montgomery City. (near St. Louis).  I was asked to pulpit supply for a pastor whose mother-in-law passed away on Friday.  This will be the second time I’ve preached at a church other than First Baptist.  It is very different to preach to a group of people that you have no repoir or relationship with.  I pray that God will use it to His glory and that He will be pleased with our worship tomorrow.

My mom has been sick with some of this virus stuff. I think she got it from all the hugging and kissing she does on her grandson, Blake.  He is doing better but still pray for both of them to get back to full health.  Mom doesn’t have time to be sick.  She has a grandson to spoil.

Friday night was a CG Game Night and we had a great turnout.  Ping-pong; phase 10; Cranium and lots of basketball (well, H-O-R-S-E actually but it counts.)  I learned the "weave" last night from Coach Jeff Walden and that was fun.  I think I would have enjoyed playing basketball and volleyball in high school. But it just didn’t work out that way.

Time to wrap this up and get some sleep for tomorrow morning.  I pray that your Sunday is a wonderful experience of worship with God and your Christian family.

Peace – Melissa

I know it has been over a week since I posted last.  It has been a busy time with most evenings full with meetings and other things.  By the time I can post, I’m tired and not able to gather coherent thoughts.  Although some might argue my thoughts are not very coherent even when I’ve had sleep.

Had a great night of volleyball tonight.  It was just a fun night in many ways.  Some great friends; some fun exercise.

I’ve been praying fervently for someone.  I realize that often I don’t pray with faith.  Instead, I pray with fear.  There is an intensity and direction to my prayers that comes from fear that God might not answer the way I want him to answer.  I pray because I fear the outcome or the situation.  Instead, I need to pray with faith – faith that God will answer according to His will and what is best.  So, I’ve been trying to do that this week since Tuesday in this particular situation and I believe it is working.  Whether it is changing the situation, the other person or just me, praying with faith seems to be the way to go.

Pray for my nephew, Blake.  He has an ear infection and some of this virus stuff going around and he feels miserable.  It is hard to see a little one sick like that.  Pray for a quick recovery.

Wednesday I started a new c-group Bible sutdy with some youth at church.  It was awesome.  I miss having a small group of youth to do some deep Bible study with.  It was a true blessing.

Last Sunday I went with Kailey, her mom and Mark’s mom to the Bridal Spectacular.  That was an event.  Craziness.  I was worried that at any moment a bride went freak out and send the rest of the brides into a crazed rage inside the Y.  Thankfully, it didn’t happen.  But I did get to eat some wedding cake.  Yummy.  And Kailey had a great time and got some major things taken care of.  Some – kudos for all of that.

I need to wrap this up and head to bed. Long Friday ahead.

Peace – Melissa

Peace – Melissa

What can I say!  Perfection!  My nephew is perfection.

I’m typing this with 34 minutes remaining on my laptop battery and a weak link to some wireless network in the area.  Since 7:30 am this morning, I have been without electricity as the guys from Stokes are rewiring my home, ridding her of the antiquated fuse electrical system.  (Phone call). Ok – now I have 27 minutes left so this will be brief.

There are mixed feelings as I think about my dependence on electricity. Cut off from tv/radio/HEAT!  Knowing that my laptop is in the final mintues of life before I will cut off from the outside world.  These are definite stretching things.   And the same time, there is something about the quiet, the simplicity of options that is blessing me today.  Instead of time with Matt and Katie this morning, I had more time for reflection and prayer.  Instead of another episode of "What Not to Wear" (I love that show!), I’m forced to read and to work on sermon texts.  Much more useful information (although I’ve learned quite a few fabulous tips from Stacy, Clint and Carmendy.)

24 minutes remaining . . . I’m grabbing last minute checks of emails before my time is gone. Anything important? No.  But my email fix is met.  Are you getting the sad, pitiful story here? My name is Melissa and I am an electricity junkie. 

Even lunch will be simple since I can’t cook anything. (Because of electricity issues, not skill, thank you very much.)  I’m thinking "peanut butter and jelly a la carte".  Yummy.   

19 minutes to go . . .

It is amazing to me how much filler I add to my day via tv and computers -  two mediums of escape for me from "real life" and ministry.  I sometimes feel guilty about wasting time, escaping to TLC instead of to God.  But I think it is part of my over-active self-critical spirit.  I should be doing more; I should be using every moment for service; I should be 24/7 on the things of God.  But I think it is okay and not un-Christ like to escape some times or to enjoy some of the pleasures of humanity.  I can imagine Christ doing this.  Always having the spirit of God in and through him; always communicating love and peace in all of his interactions, words and behaviors.  But still sitting around with the disciples and relaxing.  Debriefing.  Escaping from the load of daily ministry.   

Now my battery icon won’t tell me how many minutes left.  There is a warning pop-up and a red "x" over the battery icon.  That can’t be good.  So I suppose I will wrap this up with the little power that is left.

(Note to reader: My computer actually shut down on me right as I finished that last sentence.  So . . now my power is returned, several hours later, and here is the post.)  I’m going to now soak up every ounce of tv/internet that I can until I leave for volleyball.  My one-ness with simplicity was so short lived . . .

Peace – Melissa

Happy New Year to all my blog readers!  May 2006 be a year full of rich experiences, learning moments and deep blessings. May we love God and others more than we have before. May our faith increase and transform us as well as those who share space with us.

I was blessed to spend the day with Kailey as she went wedding dress shopping.  What an exciting adventure to share with her and I’m honored to be fulfilling my duties as maid of honor.  She found the dress that was made for her and she looked absolutely gorgeous.  Tonight was a fun night with some Common Ground friends as we celebrated the ending of one year and the beginning of another.  January 1st also marks the beginning of my sixth year on staff at First Baptist Church.  How the time does fly.

I leave you with my favorite prayer – the St. Francis Peace Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me show love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not seek to be consoled, but to console.
To be understood, as to understand.
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that  we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal life.

Shalom – Melissa