Made me laugh... and then think

Picked up kids from soccer. Grace and James jumped in the car and started clambering for a sonic drink. I had a gift card so off we went. Soon as they had that settled James says, "Hey mom, Grace totally racked me in soccer practice."

Grace, "It was an accident."

James, "Was Not"

Grace, "Was Too"

James, "Was Not."

Grace, "Was Too"

This went on for several minutes before I regained control of the situation and heard the whole story. It seems that Grace and James were both running after a stray soccer ball. Grace beat James to the ball and kicked it towards him. About that time he realized she had the ball and turned away to run back toward the goal. Grace realized the ball was going to hit him and yelled, "James" thinking he would duck. Instead, he turned and the ball hit him full force.
He said he crawled around on the field crying like a girl for about 5 minutes, and he was still walking kind-a funny when I picked him up from practice.

I had to laugh...what a practice....your little sister outruns you and racks you all in one night. Gotta stink.

But then it made me think about the difference in perspective. From Grace's perspective it was accidental. But James was convinced that Grace had run after the ball with the intent to kick it at him and cause injury. I think he finally realized it was not on purpose, but there was lots of yelling before he calmed down.

I've had relationships like that. Where I've gotten hurt or I've hurt someone else really bad. Maybe it was completely unintentional, but sometimes it's hard to believe that it was not on purpose. Seeing the kids yelling at each other made me stop and think through how much easier relationships would be if we could just give each other the benefit of the doubt. If we could just believe the best about each other and be willing to repair the relationship.

So the whole event made me laugh, but it also made me think a little harder about some relationships that I've had problems with over the years.

A Really, Really Bad Day

Last week I was reading over my children's lesson in Acts 27. As I read, I began to view this story with a very new and fresh perspective that I thought I'd share.

Paul is a prisoner. He asks for an audience with Caesar and as a roman citizen, gains transport to Italy. The first ship encounters difficult headwinds and a prisoner transfer is made to an Egyptian ship. Weather is rough, Paul realizes that they are sailing too late in the season. He expresses his concern to the captain. Like this. vs. 10, "Sirs", he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on - shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives." He is very assertive with the captain. Basically, "we're going to die you fools!" Paul does not allow his life circumstance of being a prisoner keep him from trying to express God's message to the captain.

Now check out vs. 20

“The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.” What a life verse!!!!! Talk about “my life sucks!!!” If sailors are saying, "all hope was gone." That's bad news. Definitely not something you ever want to hear.

Paul's obedience to God in sharing his message led to his imprisonment, but God’s plan for Paul’s future led to the endangerment of the entire ship’s crew. They are afraid for their lives. Men who make their living sailing on the open seas. Panicked….throwing overboard even their vital equipment…Until at last all hope was gone.

But, no....things got worse. They are shipwrecked. The crew wants to kill the prisoners, but the captain stays their hands. Perhaps in part because he has been impressed by Paul’s faithfulness and the truthfulness of his message. If Paul had never told the captain about God’s message, the captain would not have developed respect for Paul. Or if Paul had not been in submission to the captain’s authority, he could have lost his life. But Paul’s obedience helps God to use Paul in an incredible fashion.

So everybody is safe, landing on the island of Malta. Great news! Not yet, next Paul is bitten by a snake. Oh…hope really is all gone. Survived the shipwreck just to be bitten by a poisonous snake....what the heck? Thank you God for saving me from the storm, just to kill me with a snake.

But God heals him. Miraculously. The islanders are stunned. Paul credits his God. They decide to take him to the official government on the island. Maybe hope is not gone, after all. The snake bite and miraculous healing gain Paul an audience with a ruling official that needs to hear about Jesus.

Publius, the chief official’s father is dying. No health care. No way to leave the island to get any health care because sailing season is over. So Paul (with the physician Luke) is shipwrecked on the island. God grants Paul the ability to heal the official’s father. Then he is probably able to share Christ with the official.

Paul is treated as an honored guest his entire time on the island. When the weather changed, the people of the island showered Paul and the crew with gifts and supplies for their voyage. What seems like a terrible day….imprisonment, stupid captain sailing in unsafe conditions, shipwreck, snake bite…all hope is gone….turns into a huge God event.

God uses Paul to spread his message to all the people and the government on the island. Paul is obedient to God even in the tough times, and as a result gets to see God move in great and mighty ways.

The prisoners who thought all hope was gone get to see Paul’s God rescue them, do miraculous events, and provide for their future. Suddenly a routine prison transport has turned into a life-changing event. God took the bad and created the incredible.

It was a reminder to me that God's plans may be unfathomable to me in the moment....but he does have a plan... a plan to bring glory to his name.

Monday Morning Update 5.10.09

Fourth week into the God on your iPOD series. Awesome thoughts and messages! (And that preacher at The Crossroads is pretty hot!) This week Shawn's sermon was about God themes in "I found You" by the Fray. He discussed finding God in difficult times and questions that may arise about God when you are experiencing tough times. Listen to the entire message at www.welcometothecrossroads.com.

I had an epiphany moment during the sermon today. While Jesus was on the cross, he quoted from Psalms. In other words, during His time of deepest pain and suffering, He quotes a song lyric to express Himself. I thought that was intriguing.

Worship? I have completely run out of adjectives. I don't know how to explain that yesterday we had a hard time getting some of the songs, and today it clicked beautifully. I don't have any adjectives that can explain what it's like to stand behind the keys and lose myself in the music. It's a phenomenon that cannot be rationalized or explained or described. It was one of those days where I lost the place that the music began and I ended. When we got to "Oh Praise Him," by Crowder, I was overwhelmed by the first verse. "Turn your ear to heaven and hear, the noise inside, the sound of angel's awe, the sound of the rescued ones, all this for our king....." Can you imagine the day when we are really, literally able to hear the angels and the redeemed singing together to worship the King who alone is Worthy! I got so excited! I was so stoked thinking that today as The Crossroads sang praises, we were joining in with angels, and with the redeemed around the world who were also gathered in worship as well as the redeemed from ages past who are already in God's presence. Man, I've got chills all over again!!!!!

I am deeply humbled and honored to play with my friends, the worship band, Chasing Lions. Today the guitarist started playing a little riff, and I played along... no notes, just by ear. I was playing along for a good little bit before I realized that I had not asked for chords. I am so excited about that - I can hardly stand myself. It is cool to watch all of our instrumentalists improve. Sometimes in ways that defy explanation. I am still way out of my league playing with this band, but I like to daydream about catching up!

Sometimes in life you are given perfect moments. That's the best description I can come up with for playing with the band and getting to go into God's Presence together. There are times that I wish I could just freeze frame life. It is a great ride to be a part of the team planting The Crossroads. I couldn't ask for better friends to be with me on this journey. And yet God continues to add new friends and to deepen existing relationships. I am pretty sure that when I am old and ancient, I will tell my grandchildren about that time that I used to play with Chasing Lions.

For the worship peeps who want a set list:
Opener :What life would be like (Big Daddy Weave) amazing song...download now
Middle: Oh, Praise Him (David Crowder Band) very stinkin' awesome!
Your name (Paul Baloche)
Surrender All (Parachute Band) yep, love this one too. Except I would still like to surrender most.
Ending: Praise You in This Storm (Casting Crowns) went great with today's sermon and has a special history with our family. I even figured out how to play a c#5 and a D#m. Miserably yucky chords!

Prayer Needs: Continue to pray for favor as we approach the school board to request an exception to be allowed to meet in the school. Or that God would provide some alternate meeting location as we have outgrown our current spot.

Pray for us to find family time amongst our busyness. We live crazy lives of work and ministry and need to be more faithful to dedicate special time to our children alone. May is an insane month for me at work. I will need supernatural reserves of energy and patience.

Thanks to those of you who are with us on the journey.... whether attending The Crossroads in person, or on your knees in prayer for our family. Love you all. LaRissa

X-men

I was not a super hero fan before I married. I watched girly movies like Steel Magnolias, Dirty Dancing, and Gone With the Wind. Out of Africa was one of my favorites. But gradually I developed a taste for action movies and super hero movies shortly after I was married.

There are funny things about marrying while you are still a teenager. I still got up on Saturday morning to watch cartoons. Go ahead, I'll wait while you are laughing at me. I absolutely loved X-men. Never missed an episode.

When the movies came out, I was so stoked. I own them all and have watched them multiple times. I have now seen Wolverine 2 times in the theater.

The appeal to me is two-fold -
1. I identify with being unique. And I identify with not fitting in well with the rest of the crowd. Especially back in the teen years. It's interesting to me that what makes the mutants unable to blend in with others are the very things that are their greatest strengths.

2. The constant battle between Good and Evil. With great power comes the ability to do great good or great evil. The internal struggles of some of the mutants are very intriguing. For example: Magneto wants to ensure the continuation of the mutant population, but he seeks to do so in evil ways. Assumes the ends justify the means. I am also intrigued by the continuing friendship between Xavier and Magneto....even after they become enemies, they remain friends. I love Wolverine's continuing battle to avoid becoming the animal that he could easily be. It's such an ongoing fight for us all to be what we were meant to be instead of what we want to be.

I'll leave all the spiritual applications for Shawn for some future sermon. Lots of great stuff there to look at.

Crowder/Tomlin Concert

Saturday morning began way too early. I was out late Friday night watching "Wolverine"! (Sorry, I have to pause for just a minute to yell WOOOOO!!!!) So when my body woke up a little before 5, I ignored it and stayed in bed till 6. I had to run some errands at Wal-mart, work on stuff for children's ministry, and do a bit of housework before we left at 10:30.

The concert was an outdoor event. Most of the day, the rain was a fairly light drizzle. Drizzle doesn't really bother me. I was just vain enough to be disturbed by my hair getting messed up and having to wear ugly rain panchos. Yes, I know, God is still working with me on my vanity. However, three times the storm sirens sounded and we had to evacuate into nearby buildings. The first two evacuations were fairly short lived, and we were able to quickly return to the concert.

Sanctus Real really rocked the place. I had not seen them live. Loved them! I wasn't as crazy about Flyleaf. I like their stuff on the radio, but they did lots of screaming at this concert and that's hard for me to understand. However, I was very interested in her story of how she became a follower of Jesus Christ, but then we were evacuated again because of storm sirens and were unable to hear the rest of her story.

By the third evacuation, I was just ticked. Not at the concert people. They were doing their best to keep the crowd safe, but I was just a little ticked at the weather maker. Yes, God. I mean, come on....I spent big bucks on these tickets and was not getting to worship! Was God really going to let all that money go to waste? Yes, it's embarrassing to admit.... I was frustrated that God let us have bad weather when all I wanted to do was to worship Him!

So I am trying to hide my frustration with God that I know is way so not cool. It's embarrassing to be with your church friends and be ticked at God. I finally got out my iPOD and began listening to all my "rain" songs. I came to Tomlin's "My Chains Are Gone." This line stuck with me, "And like a flood, his mercy rains, unending love, amazing grace." This was about the time rain was moving across the football field in blinding sheets.

God got my attention pretty good at that point.... his mercy rains on us like a flood.... HELLO! ARE YOU NOT WATCHING????? That's when my frustration turned to worship. If God's mercy rains down on me like that rain was pouring in sheets on that field.... that's some pretty amazing mercy. The popping lightning is the only thing that kept me from walking right out into the pouring rain to fully experience the moment. Then God spoke to my frustration, "I AM NOT A GOD WHO CAN BE MANIPULATED, PLANNED, SCHEDULED OR BOUGHT. I DESERVE YOUR WORSHIP EVERY DAY AND EVERY MOMENT. YOU DO NOT NEED A TICKET TO MEET WITH ME." Oh. I was assuming that somehow the money I spent on the tickets made God more likely to show up. God was reminding me that He is available for free. Anytime.

Rain let up and we did get to see Crowder and Tomlin. It was absolutely an incredible night of worship for me. I loved being able just to let go and worship. And in case I ignored God's voice earlier, one of speaker Chan's points was that "God cannot be manipulated." That was pretty wow cause that was precisely the word that God had used with me in dealing with my sinful attitude. Then Tomlin emphasized his line, "Like a flood, his mercy rains" in response to the weather. So I was pretty sure that the moment earlier under the bleachers at the football stadium was no coincidence.

The night ended with fireworks. My friend Liz noticed something pretty spectacular. She said that when the fireworks first went up there was a single light, but then they spread out into a wide-reaching beautiful pattern. She said it's like the gospel. As you share God's love with others and they in turn share with others, it becomes a beautiful light that cannot be contained.

Bottom line? Wet, cold, shivering.....but amazing worship experience. Would not have traded any of it....not even the rain. On the way home got some Starbucks. Nothing like the perfect end to the perfect evening :)

Monday Morning Update 5.4.09

It was certainly a busy, crazy weekend. Friday night I went to see "Wolverine" with a group of friends from the Crossroads. Then on Saturday, I went to a concert with some more friends. So I hit Sunday morning exhausted. We all did. Staying up till 1:00 a.m. makes it rough to get up the next morning!

I was in children's this week. We talked about Acts 27, Paul's shipwreck. God really spoke to me through this passage this morning as I was looking over it one last time before teaching. I'm sure that will make a blog later this week. The lesson activities were pretty neat, and I felt like the kids left with a good grasp on what it means to encourage others and how important that is.

I hear that grown up church went well. Shawn talked about the song, "My life would suck without you." I was looking forward to listening to the podcast, but unfortunately the computer had issues, and we lost the audio. I will just have to read over his sermon notes instead. Everyone said it was an awesome message.

Shawn says the worship set was good, too. We were missing several band members this morning. I was in children's, the bass player was having to serve his monthly weekend for the Air Force, and the electric guitar player was also out. But to be short that many people, I hear things went well.
Apologies to my worship peeps who are interested in our worship sets. I was too busy with children's to really pay attention while the band was practicing this morning. I don't remember the set.

We are quickly filling up our space. Hope that a new location opens up soon. Continue praying!

The good life

Around 3:15 the best part of my day begins. I hang out and plan with my teacher peeps. Today we worked long and hard on end of the year plans. It's wild to be finalizing that kind of stuff. I've just got 24 school days left! Yeah me! I love this team of girls that I work with. I have never laughed so hard in my whole life. I loved my Pottsboro girls, but I seem to fit in a little better down closer to the metroplex. Strange, huh?

Today I got to leave work early....as in before 5:00....and head home. That's the very best part of my day. I love hanging out with my husband and kids. I am blessed with an amazing family. Tonight the kids are doing some chores, I'm chilling on facebook and watching some more of the X-men movies, and Shawn is writing his sermon. It's a good life and I am lucky to live it.

I am so thankful that when I come home, I am starting the best part of my day. I have lots of girlfriends who dread going home to cranky husbands, and look for reasons to work late or constantly want to go hang out with their chick friends to avoid the nastiness at home. At the end of my day today I was so frustrated and tired and well, frustrated. It was good to know that I could walk out the door, get in my car, and go home to an incredible life.

This is a bit rambly, even for me. I'm having a hard time concisely and adequately expressing myself. Bottom line....I've spent lots of time whining this week and so today I was trying to spend some time focusing on how blessed I am. I have a job. It pays the bills. Most of the time it is extraordinarily rewarding. I work with amazing people. I have incredible friends. I have a family beyond compare and get to be married to an unbelievably sexy man. So the 6 years olds got on my nerves this week.....and the some of the drama at school sucks.....small price to pay for a great life.