Pondering. Asking. Wondering.
Posted: Monday, June 29, 2015 Filed under: 2k15 | Tags: love, missional, questions, serve Comments Off on Pondering. Asking. Wondering.
After a day of loving our community with Hope Church on Saturday, I am left asking myself and God a lot of questions the last few days. We had a lot of great conversations while we worked and processed afterwards. I love, love, love to ask the question “Why?”. Sometimes it can be quite a frustrating question to ask. When I know the WHY behind something, then (and sometimes ONLY THEN) I can grasp it. Sometimes we know the why in the moment. Sometimes we have to wait a while to learn why. Sometimes we have to wait until heaven to learn the answer to a question that we long to know. But, there’s nothing like knowing the WHY behind a situation right in the moment. If God truly cares about the details of my life, then these are questions I need to ask Him and myself regularly…
Why do I live where I live?
Why am I planted where I am planted?
Why do I work where I work?
Why am I married to the person I am married to?
For some it might be, Why do I go to the school that I go to? the tennis club, the whatever?
Regardless of the way we really want to answer those questions, if we are followers of Jesus, the honest answer SHOULD be – to glorify God. In the simplest of forms…keeping the ‘Main Thing’ the ‘Main Thing’, we live to Love God. Love others. And make disciples who make disciples. So, we don’t have to add anything extra to our calendars to fulfill this mission…God’s mission. It’s a matter of living on God’s mission in our everyday, walk-around lives….with intentionally. So, the questions, the prayers then become…
How do I love (and serve) God and love (and serve) others where I live?
How do I love (and serve) God and love (and serve) others where I go to school?
How do I love (and serve) God and love (and serve) others where I work?
How do I love (and serve) God and love (and serve) my spouse?
How do I love (and serve) those who look, act, and think different than I do?
How do I love (and serve) God and others in my everyday, walk around life?
Your life…my life… has purpose and meaning. So much more than going through the rote motions of getting up, eating breakfast and packing lunches, going to work or class, fixing dinner, playing tennis, taking your kids to a swim meet, walking the dog, fixing the brakes on the car, having a drink or ice cream with a friend, attending the PTA or civic association meeting, etc.
Imagine…
- we were doing all these things not to simply check the box …going through the motions, but to intentionally pour ourselves out – loving our neighbors, spouses, colleagues, teachers, employees, grocery clerks, friends, frenemies and enemies as ourselves.
- we went to bed at night with the attitude of ‘last man standing’ out-serving one another – not in a competitive way, but in a genuinely loving way only because that is what God called us to do. Jesus was sent to serve, not be served. Then, he sent us to do the same.
- we, as those who profess to be followers of Jesus, actually believed and acted like King Jesus was really on the throne…was really in control… and that all things really do work together for my good.
Imagine that.
That’s my wish…my desire… to live my life with intentionality, out-serving one another, believing and acting like Jesus is King of my life and He has my best interest in mind….and that all things (good, bad and otherwise) work together for my good. I may not understand the why…. but I will trust him.
How can I love (serve) you today?
Quench Your Thirst This Saturday!
Posted: Friday, June 19, 2015 Filed under: 2k15 | Tags: fundraising, lemonade stand, missional, RVA, Southern Barton Heights, youth Comments Off on Quench Your Thirst This Saturday!A few days ago, I shared about our Spiritual Family in Spiritual Family: Where We Are the Church and Do the Bible. In addition to that gathering, we have a weekly gathering for the youth as well called HIS kids where we focus on 3 things…
HOPE – The hope of Jesus Christ.
INSPIRE – Encourage and inspire the next generation.
SERVE – Giving back to the community through serving- like assisting neighbors and picking up trash.
These kids decided that they want to raise money for other activities throughout the summer The first thing they want to do is buy and cook dinner for our Tuesday Night Church gathering. Typically, we have a covered dish, but they want to make dinner and serve it their Spiritual Family. Please join us in supporting their servant’s heart by buying a cup (or 10 cups!!!) of lemonade on Saturday between 11a-2p. And you can also donate online on our link to the right!!!
Do us a favor, please. Share this with your friends!
Thanks, y’all!
Halloween Annual Front Yard Party – 2014
Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: halloween, missional, Party, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Halloween Annual Front Yard Party – 2014
The harvest is plentiful…5 Things I Learned Planting My First Garden
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: friends, gardening, harvest, Luke 10, missional, RVA 1 CommentLiving a life of mission can be really rewarding some days. But, many are just plain TOUGH! A constant struggle between the microwave, instantaneous society we live in, and the sometimes difficult, almost ALWAYS lengthy process of going deep and building relationships. Living a life of mission is to BE the church and DO the Bible. It’s not a drive-by, hit-and-run way of life. As a matter of fact, it is a way of life, not a one-time event or project. That’s what makes it so hard….and that’s what makes it so rewarding at the same time. With my new ‘eyes’, I can’t just go home and not see the challenges every. single. moment. of. every. single. day. On days where it’s more challenging than most, it’s a matter of pausing from my ‘Martha’ activities and spending time going deep in my relationship with Jesus….it’s time to ‘Mary’.
This morning has been a ‘Mary Morning’. For reasons left untold, the last 24 hours have been tough – mentally and emotionally – for me. My ‘Mary Morning’ consisted of…
- reading God’s Word
- sitting quietly
- cooking
- a few emails/texts with friends encouraging and praying
- gardening
Gardening…I recently learned that I really love gardening. I knew NOTHING about it. Yet, God has revealed a lot to me through this gardening process…and especially this morning when I was playing in my veggie garden.
When planting a garden…
1. It’s important to do a little research and take time to prepare. Friends would say – just throw it in the ground and see what happens….you can always dig it up, transplant it, throw it away when it dies. If you know me well enough, you would know that I’m not that person. I’m more thoughtful…doing research (ad nauseam)… trying to figure out the best way to do it…asking questions. Total fear of failure! Louis did research on the best way and size to build the raised beds. H learned what he needed to do before he got started. Measured 10x before he cut.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Ask God questions like – where are you at work, God? how can I join you in what you are doing? what would you have me do in my community? where is my person of peace?
- Ask your self questions seeking your motivation. We must first prepare ourselves… Someone once said… You must be a changed agent in order to be an agent of change. Safety precautions are airplanes state to give yourself oxygen before you help someone else. We must first know who we are and whose we are before we can be sent out by God.
- Ask the community questions like – If I brought coffee tomorrow, would you be interested in hanging out during soccer practice/ballet class/etc? What are your dreams for your children, community, family, life? What keeps you up at night? Could you help me with….?
2. I actually had put off planting a vegetable garden, because it was something new…and I didn’t know where to start! I didn’t want to screw it up. I was afraid. I had to take a risk and just do it. After doing a little research and asking a few friends questions, Louis built me 2 4×10 beds (yeah…that’s not starting small….). We threw down some newspaper and some dirt, and planted a few seedlings from Lowe’s. Wasn’t going to even try starting from seeds!
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Talk to some friends who are doing it. Ask questions. Watch them. Be willing to share your fear. You will learn they were afraid initially, too!
- Start small. You don’t have to make it a big production….actually don’t make it big event. Work it into the everyday rhythms of your life…but yet it does require intentionality. Pray for opportunities to be a blessing to someone because God gave you new eyes to see.
tomatoes, green beans, peppers (5/30)
watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber (5/30)
3. I got a late start at gardening. Louis and I didn’t plant our garden until the end of May. Friends have been reaping their harvest for weeks. Mine is just coming in. I came close to giving up and just waiting until the fall or even next year. Louis encouraged me by building them anyway…as my birthday gift. It was indeed a labor of love, because carpentry doesn’t come naturally to him. He’s a plumber, car mechanic, electrician….not a carpenter.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- You aren’t meant to do this alone. In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs….2×2 to prepare the way for Jesus to visit. Pray for the other half of your pair.
- Call in reinforcements. I am grateful for my friends who join me in the journey.
- It’s never too late to get started. Plant where you are. Plant where you go. Plant in good soil…where God is moving. It doesn’t matter when you start – just start.
my first tomato… we missed the harvest because we were out of town… 😦 It’s all about the timing…
4. Things go wrong. Birds, deer, and bugs eat your potential bounty. Bees don’t come to pollinate your flowers, so you have to change your approach. Dogs dig up your plants… or in my case…eat my dirt. (Weird…I know…but Bella loves the rich, ‘meaty’ dirt!) so you build a fence. Storms and hail come and beat up your poor little plants. (I’m thankful that we planted late! The hail storm that came earlier wrecked some friends’ gardens.) And then…there’s the dreaded…ugly ‘dog vomit fungus’. Yes…true story…and it was GROSS! It required tender, loving care..and removal of the fungus and adjusting the soaker hose.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- The enemy…Satan…seeks to discourage, kill and destroy. Yes. It is true. Be prepared. Our God is ALL POWERFUL!
- Timing is everything. Sometimes it’s just not the right time. God’s timing is always right on time. Trust Him.
- Turn to the Lord. Trust that the Lord of the Harvest raises up laborers…He draws them near.
- Christian community is often the fence around your new seedlings. Build a fence of support and community to protect your upcoming fence. Sunday morning church service isn’t enough. It needs to be closer, more intimate discipleship…tending, sowing truth, etc.
Fungus Among-us
The creative fence Louis built to keep Bella out. Sunflowers and strawberries (5/30)
5. It takes time. Plants take time to grow…some grow faster than others. There were a few moments I just wanted to give up…and let the beds go to weed. Some start slow and then take off like crazy. Some are weaker than others..and aren’t producing anything at all…and are almost dead. No 2 plants are the same. 2 days ago I had a cucumber that was about 5 inches long. Today…it was about 9 inches, and I am eating it!
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Surround yourself with support and encouragement, too. You are not meant to be a lone ranger.
- Tend to the garden…and to the gardener. Go to the Master Gardener who will tend to you.
- Look for the little wins. Where God is at work.
- Praise God in the difficult challenging times….and for the fruit of your labor!
A few scriptures that often encourage me…
Galations 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Time to get busy… Want to join the conversation on living on mission?
Check out this opportunity!
click the link below…
Living On Mission
Enjoying the first fruits of our labor
How to Throw a Memorial Service for your Dog
Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: dogs, Isaiah 11, memorial service, missional, Urban Life 1 CommentLiving on mission for Louis and I means we look for reasons to gather people together. We look for ANY reason to party, celebrate, honor, connect, and especially eat! I think we should party a lot more. It doesn’t have to be fancy, expensive or difficult. I’m not talking about the getting drunk kind of party. What I mean by partying is living a full and abundant life, a memorable life…meaning a life full of good people, good food, good memories.
Today, we had that kind of time as we gathered to party…to celebrate the life of one special dog ~ Wesley, a dog who was well-loved and loved well.
So…How do you throw a memorial service for your beloved dog??? Here’s what we did…
Yesterday, we threw a sign in the front yard, so our neighbors would know about our loss…
Earlier today, I texted some the neighborhood kids as a reminder. Today at 2pm, for about an hour and a half, we gathered…
colored pictures of dogs and children with dogs (found by googling ‘dog coloring pages’)…
ate cupcakes with flowers, because a memorial service isn’t the same without flowers (and milk bones for the 4-legged guests!) (Sam’s Club totally comes through!)…
we talked about some of our favorite memories of Wesley…
and everyone left with a picture of Wesley. If possible, it was a picture of themselves with Wesley. (I uploaded pictures to Walgreens.com this morning, used a coupon code; and we were picking them up an hour or so later!)
Louis read a comforting scripture from Isaiah 11:
6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
and a little child will lead them all.
7 The cow will graze near the bear.
The cub and the calf will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like a cow.
8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.
9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
for as the waters fill the sea,
so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.
We decided that if there are wolves, lambs, cubs, calves, cows, and more in heaven – there must be dogs, too! And we prayed together.
We ended our time together watching the video, which brought back lots of great memories of parties, halloween, dogs washes, back yard dog parks, and more! If you missed the video, you can catch it here…this woMan’s Best Friend. Some of us got teary again. And, that’s ok. Grieving is a process, no doubt.
Huge thanks to all who came; and a VERY special thanks to Otis and Banks who came to keep Bella company. Here’s Banks!
Hallo-BOO-ween 2013
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 Filed under: 2k12 | Tags: barton heights, community, halloween, missional, neighbors, RVA, Urban Life 4 CommentsOur annual front yard Halloween gathering! I think the pictures speak for themselves! We had a blast and had a record number of neighbors and friends – old and new, young and old – who came by! It got so busy we couldn’t keep up with picture-taking and candy-giving.
What a great evening for chillin’ on the front porch with the ones you love! I wouldn’t trade this night for anything.
Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round and ‘Round
Posted: Monday, September 2, 2013 Filed under: 2k13 | Tags: Back to School, bus stop, missional, neighbor loving, RPS, RVA, school bus, Southern Barton Heights 1 Comment
Tomorrow all over the metro RVA area, we will see the yellow school buses transporting our future doctors, plumbers, lawyers, bankers, mechanics, secretaries, pastors, recruiters, store clerks, teachers, school board members, mayors and city councilpersons, social workers, construction workers, etc. back to school. Let’s keep them in our prayers…and all that will be involved in their education!
Some kids will be going to school for the first time. The rising 6th graders and freshman will no longer be the BMOC, but will be back on the ‘bottom’ at their new schools. Others have moved and will be going somewhere completely new…maybe even across town where they don’t know anyone…or may not know English. Those who didn’t successfully pass last year, but have a new chance at making it through successfully. Some will be donning their new “Back To School” clothes, while others are wearing something from last year or a hand-me-down. The backpacks will weigh heavily full of all their new school supplies, although some will be without. The bullied may be fearful. The bully is puffing up. The teachers, bus drivers, administrative staff, janitors, and cafeteria staff have all prepared for this day. And we are so grateful for them!
It’s a day with many mixed emotions after a fun-filled summer. So, tomorrow… I plan to get up SUPER early and walk to my neighborhood bus stops to wish the youth well on their first day. I will pray with them and encourage the parents that are waiting with their children. I also plan to meet the bus tomorrow afternoon to celebrate the first day of school with snacks and goodies. I can’t say that I will do that every day, but I hope to do it more often than I have in the past.
It’s a simple way to get to know and love my neighbors and to encourage our future generations.
Anyone willing to do the same in YOUR neighborhood???
I would LOVE to hear about how it goes and learn from you!
Important Note: Please be sure to drive carefully as you go to work, the gym, etc. tomorrow morning…and every morning. Watch for those kiddos as they wait for the bus! And remember to leave some extra time in your commute!
Miss Marti's House 