The Lord's Day - a Busy One

Well, we are home today. It seems that we are back at square one with finding a church. We have been attending a local church since New Years and while we have been blessed by being there for the most part - we seem to have come to an impasse. The pastor said last week that you could not teach in that church unless you had a 100% abstinence stand in regards to alcohol. I know it may sound like a silly reason to decide you can no longer attend the church - and if it was just that we disagreed with the pastor on this issue, it would be no big deal. But I won't be false, and I don't intend to attend a church where I cannot be an active participant in ministering to the body. I would certainly not teach the youth that they should drink (I do believe that there are benefits to abstinence - although not Biblically mandated - with all things being permissible in moderation), and I would never contradict the beliefs or the teachings of the church in regards to my differing beliefs. What was most unsettling is that I know the information about my thinking on the issue was obtained voyeuristically by reading my blog - and then the current sermon series was interrupted - while we were held captive audience while point for point the entire content of what I posted on my blog was addressed. (Including comments about "never knowing someone to eat chocolate cake and kill someone" and "be careful what you post on your blog and your myspace".)
The pastor erred in not discussing the issue with me personally - not so that we could debate but in order to let me know where he was coming from. This is one place where putting yourself and your thoughts and your feelings out there on your blog can become a sticky situation. But this is my blog - a place for me to write what I am thinking and feeling. I am trying to understand why this is such a big issue for the community here. A discussion with someone who has lived here a while may have been helpful in achieving this understanding. But I had another huge alarm bell go off when the sermon last week concluded with the statement that the issue wasn't "debatable" or "up for discussion". I certainly would not disrespect a pastor by debating an issue with him, however, anytime someone in authority in a church will not discuss an issue, and stand as the be-all, end-all, final authority on God's word, it should alarm you. The pastors I have most respected are the ones that allowed you to talk to them, encouraged you to saturate yourself in God's word, and know what you believe because His word tells you, and not because someone tells you that this is what they've decided God's word says, the end.
I hate the idea of visiting churches again, however, we will be traveling for a couple of weeks, and I pray that God will use this time to refresh us while we visit a church I know I could fully belong to while we are away. We are also going to get to visit our friends who are back in the states from Romania, Karen and her family on our way through their state! It will be such a treat to get to see them again - even if it will be just for dinner and an overnighter. Can you believe that her parents are gracious enough to have me and five kids stay overnight at their home? They have already blessed me!
Um, yeah, I had better get off the internet and get packing! Yikes!

And the Winner is.......

The votes are tallied - and the winner of the Quirky Quote Qontest is Karen at Wired Wisdom. This was the winning quote with a total of 79 votes.

I am not afraid of failure. I am afraid that I will succeed in things that matter not to God.

I hope that you all enjoyed playing our little game, and thank everyone for participating. I will be putting Karen in contact with Goofy Girl very soon to get her template all jazzed up. Be sure to stop by her blog in the next couple of weeks to be dazzled!

Prayer and Beware

I may be a day late and a dollar short on this - but my friend Karen and her family are ending their journey as missionaries in Romania. You can go to her blog and read all about it - but what I wanted to ask you here is that you would pray for her family as they make a very long distance move. Her most recent post was called "The End of the Story" - but I was thinking about that how it is more like the end of a chapter. As I commented on her blog, the beauty of it is that God is always writing a new one. In our lives I am slowly seeing the ink and letters on the pages of our new life. Please pray for them as God begins writing the new chapter for the Woodwards.

Also, I don't think that Karen would mind my sharing this as a warning to all bloggers. Last week when they were in the process of moving and on the computer very little, someone left some very ugly spam comments on her blog. I found it interesting that the post that was commented on was one giving God the glory for all that He has done for them during this time of transition. (Three guesses who was behind that one!) Anyway, just beware and make sure you have your comments set for moderation. I know it is one more thing to do - but I am telling you - it may save you a lot of heartache. When I saw the comments it was so upsetting that I tried to find a phone number for her in ROMANIA because I felt as if her cyber-home had been vandalized. Take care of your homes peoples!

Blessings Abound

A few years ago, a friend gave me a Mary Englebreit card framed in a simple blue frame. I love her art work. It has a cluttered and cozy effect. It said, "The Best Things in Life Aren't Things". It is so true, but how easily our perspective on this gets skewed, warped and battered.

Yesterday I was reading one of my favorite blogs by KarenW (missionary family in Romania)- and she was telling about not having water one day unexpectedly. But then she turned it around and saw a way to be thankful because her friends, another missionary family in Albania only have water for one hour a day - between 5 and 6 am. I think she set a great example for me in being able to say - it can be difficult, but I know it could be worse.

When we let these "things", or "lack of things" get us down, we become completely caught up in the flesh, and are rendered virtually ineffective for our Lord. I am so guilty of falling into this trap, and then once I know I'm there, wallowing in it. What a shame it is for those of us who do live in country where things like water and our daily needs are rarely an issue to still be so caught up in "things" and "stuff". For Americans, clean water is seldom lacking - and so what we often concern ourselves with is material possessions, and the caring for those possessions.

Last year on a mission trip with our youth group to work with Lakota Indians in South Dakota, I took a couple of teens with me one day to do some laundry, and encountered some of the poorest people I have ever met. After we put our laundry into the washing machines, we walked across the street to a little mom and pop grocery. With teens in tow, Doritos were mandatory, and we bought a box of Little Debbies. When we got back to the laundromat, we shared our snacks with the children that were there and as would be expected their faces lit up. What I didn't expect was that we would get the same childlike reaction from the adult women, one quite elderly, that were in there. When we returned to the school where we were staying, I just fell apart to think something like that simple treat, which I take for granted, could mean so much to someone.

I just wanted to say that reading about Karen's day really convicted me to count my blessings, and pray for those who are in more difficult circumstances. Thanks for the life lesson Karen! Thank You Lord for reminding me what's important!