Open Myself to God - Slowing

     Many times our days become a series of appointments or scheduled activities, one after the other with no rests.  When our lives become so dependent on rushing through every moment just to get to the future on time, we tend to lose sight of what's important.  It's important to realize that the present is the only part of our lives that we can actually live.  So doesn't it seem pretty stupid to try to live our present based on what's coming next?  Isn't that kind of wasting the present?  Don't get me wrong, future planning is important, but what gets us in trouble is missing out on the present because of fear/worry/focus on the future.

     I am a planner.  I love to know what's happening in my week, when, where, and how long it's going to take.  I mean I even worry about what time I get up and how many hours of sleep I'm actually going to get. And then, I worry about when I'm going to have to take naps the next day to make up for inadequate amounts of sleep.  And then on top of that, I calculate how many days it will be until Friday night when I know I can sleep in till noon the next day.  I know, I'm crazy.  But all that worry about not getting enough sleep distracts from the sleep I'm about to get.  I totally gripe and complain about not getting my sleep, when God is saying "look at right now, I'm providing you with time to rest, so take it."

     The writer of this book talks about intentionally slowing down her life through little things such as intentionally getting in the longer check out lines at the grocery store, or purposefully driving in the slow lane on the highway.  What's the point of these?  It causes you to slow down.  It's when you really slow down and look at your surroundings, that you can really see all the blessings and wonders that the present has to offer.  When we slow down, we open our hearts to God showing us the value of the present, AND the value of our future.  When we are always going full pace, we may see value in our future, but what's the point of our future, without a present?

     The future never arrives, the pasts can never be changed, but the present is what we make it (yea, you can quote me on that ha).  I know that I tend to get these adrenaline rushes when I think about something super exciting in the future.  But there is always something super exciting in my future.  It used to be youth events or soccer games.  Maybe now it's football games on campus, and maybe in the future it will be me getting married.  But what if I was at a football game, but all I was focused on was the adrenaline rush of getting married?  Would I not miss out on the football game?  Ok, so maybe that was a weird example.  But point taken? I hope.

Open Myself to God - Simplicity

     This is such an easy concept to think and talk about, but it's so hard to put into practice sometimes.  Life just isn't simple of it's own accord.  So many times just getting in the car can be really complicated; you might be running late, you might hit a detour.  Our modern lives have become focused on adding; adding another car, adding another football game.  We are such a consumer society that it seems almost completely against our nature to lessen our consumption of something.  This idea of simplifying our lives has become so against our nature that it almost feels wrong.

     Jesus reminds us of the finite nature of living in a materialistic world in Matthew 6:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

      Everything that we buy, everything that we keep in this world will eventually vanish.  In the very end of our lives, we won't even be able to hold on to our body.  Jesus reminds us that there's no point to putting our effort into worldly possessions when the only thing that we will keep is the kingdom of God in us.  Simplicity opens us to receive the simple gifts that can never be taken away: sleeping, eating, walking, giving and receiving love, and the benefits we take for granted; through these daily pleasures we are invited to open ourselves to God.

     In reading this section, a song by Toby Mac comes to mind called Lose My Soul.  The whole chorus talks about how we don't want to gain the whole world, but lose our soul...because then, what's the point of living? I know that the "more is better" mentality has shaped me by making me always want the coolest laptop, or the newest ipod.  But really, what has it done for me except make me waste more money?  It definitely hasn't made my happier, and certainly never brought me closer to God.

Open Myself to God - Self-Care

     Reading this section makes me realize just how serious we should take this idea of self-care.  We were created completely unique and beautiful in God's eyes.  He created us and gave us our bodies to take care of.  So why do we tend to "trash" them?  I know that I'm totally guilty of eating tons of junk food, and I've been guilty of not exercising for weeks at a time.  We should be striving to always take care of our bodies, if only because God made them for us.  Paul puts it in a great way:

"You realize, don't you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

     When we pay attention to what our bodies are telling us, we learn our own God-given blessings and limitations.  God created our bodies a certain way for a purpose.  Sometimes I wonder why God made me smaller than a lot of guys my age.  Maybe that's just because I get so totally absorbed by sports that I would stop focusing on him.  Maybe it's His way of saying, "ok, you've had your fun...now it's time to buckle down and get to work."  Taking care of our bodies is also a way to honor God through our stewardship.  He asks us to take care of what he has already given us so that he can bless us with more.

     Since I've come out to MidAmerica, I believe God has really been showing me two areas where I need to take better care of myself.  One would be by lifting and running.  I know that I eat a lot, and if I don't lift and run, I'm going to fall out of shape.  I know that God wants me to protect my body, and that's what I plan on doing.  Also, God keeps having to remind me about how I can overwork myself if I'm not careful.  I tend to put too much on my plate sometimes, and I know that he wants me to take care of my body by not putting so much stress on myself.

Open Myself to God - Retreat

    The whole idea of retreat centers spiritual battles that happen within everybody.  The early Christians knew how important this idea of retreating from the battles to take time in solitude with God really was.  Paul writes the following that really puts it all into perspective:

"For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12

    When I think of the retreat...two things come to mind: one is from a war standpoint, and the other is our church retreats that my youth group would do each fall.  Neither of these views really fit the original meaning for this word though.  In a war, retreat is sometimes seen as cowardly, and it means that the enemy has won...but that isn't true in this case.  When Christian's retreat and spend time with God in rest, they come back stronger than ever in their faith and are ready to fight for their soul.  Retreat in this sense is not meant to be a "we're losing so let's back down and cut our losses" ; it's meant to be a "I'm going to come back stronger with God at my side".

     Also, the modern church retreats don't fit this idea either.  Don't get me wrong, youth group retreats are great in themselves, but this is a different kind of retreat.  This retreat is personal; not communal.  Instead of long nights with games, movies, and practically no sleep, naps and going to bed early are expected.  Instead of sermons and speakers, personal devotions and meeting with God alone are essential.

    I know many times I get so over-scheduled that it's almost impossible to find time for God.  Not that I don't want to spend time with Him,  I just tend to want to do other stuff more.  It's not right, but I get so caught up in being involved, that I forget to retreat from the battles/events that I do.  Even if it's not a battle for someone's soul or something important like that, I forget to retreat and recuperate for that paper that is destroying me mentally...or when I go weeks without proper rest because I just want to spend time with people; or when I do so many things in ministries that I can't focus on any one enough...
    

Open Myself to God - Rest

     As Americans I think it's really hard to come to grips with this idea called "rest".  We live in a society where working as much as you can and making as much as you can is the norm.  It is almost expected of you if you're going to live in this country.  This "American Dream" that we have created makes "rest" seem like a foreign concept.  Our culture tells us that to be successful, we need to work to the point of sleep deprivation and sheer exhaustion.  But the problem is, workaholism affects your physical health, your relationships, and your mental capacity.  God created us to rest.

     "Clearly we were not made to work 24/7.  We have limits.  There is a finiteness to our time and energy.  And to live as though there isn't is destructive as well as delusional." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I know that I struggle with this idea of rest a lot.  Many people seem to view rest in only the physical perspective.  Sure, God created us to need sleep, but that's not the whole idea.  God also expects us to rest mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  I know that I get caught up in saying "Yes" to too many things all at once.  I have been trying to get involved in so many ministries here on campus that I feel like I'm going to explode, and I feel God is telling me to slow down and take a look at what I'm doing.  I can't rest while doing all these things; in any sense of the word.  We can become so caught up in what we want to do that we can overextend our own limitations which is destructive.

     I feel most deeply at rest when I sit at my house on a Sunday evening with no homework and just chill and watch football with my family.  Not only am I not doing anything physically taxing, I am taking time to get my mind off of school work, and spending time with my family all at the same time.  I also find rest after the games if I take a nap or just go play guitar quietly in my room.  Unfortunately it is much harder to find rest time at college.  But I'm going to make it a practice to enjoy restful times here as well.  Because I know I can't chug along forever...no matter how hard I try.  I wasn't created to, it's a simple as that.

Open Myself to God - Practice the Presence

"Practicing the presence is an invitation to see and experience every moment as a gift to God.  It is to live alive to union with the Trinity." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I think the single most important thing to recognize from this section is that we are always in the presence of God.  He is always there, no matter the circumstances, no matter how happy or sad we feel.  He is omnipresent.  But just because God is here, doesn't mean we are looking.  There are a lot of times when we get caught up in the hustle of life where we totally miss God because we were too focused on the football game coming on at 1.  In Karen Mains' book, The God Hunt, she suggests that this idea of practicing the presence is like a God hunt.  God could at any time decide to reveal himself, but we aren't always looking for him when he does, so we totally miss it.

     I love how the message translates Jesus' words in this passage:

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there.  But you miss the forest for the trees.  These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40)   

     Jeez, that's intense.  Can you imagine getting so wrapped up in religion that you miss Christ?  Like how can we be so focused on those words in the Bible that you miss Christ living and moving among us?  I don't think that it is God's intention for us to be so wrapped up in following his directions that we miss encountering him personally.  God is here, we just have to open our eyes.

     Another side note...I can testify to how hard it is sometimes for God to get my attention.  I've been struggling with feeling dry since I've gotten to MNU.  I mean, I had tons of strong friends, awesome chapel services, but I hadn't found God's presence in a while.  I was so focused in finding him where everyone else did, whether in chapel or Sunday morning church, that I didn't notice that from day one he was speaking to me.  I had this thought of starting a small group but I kind of brushed that off to the side thinking that somebody else would take that responsibility.  It wasn't till I was forced to join a small group for my intro to ministry class that I took the initiative.  We met for the first time last night, and I felt God's presence more than I have since I got out here.  He spoke through my friend Trevor saying, "I'm here, why can't you see me?".

Open Myself to God - Journaling

     Many times the world tells us that we need to focus on the experience of something.  By that I mean, you need to go to Orlando to experience Disney World, or you need to go to the beach to experience the ocean.  But there's something more, something that we don't necessarily see if we aren't looking for it.  God is in every experience; every place we go, everyone we meet, everything we do.  We as humans tend to get so caught up on what we physically see or hear that we tend to miss the big picture.  God (usually) can't be sensed through the normal human senses (unless you're Moses and meet with him face to face).  It's in the quiet moments, when we reflect on these experiences, that we can see the Holy Spirit moving in those around us, or God's people at work .

     Journaling is a great way to really explore these experiences and talk them over with God.  I know that in times that I have journaled about an experience, I begin to see God at work in EVERY part of the experience.  The sense of privacy that a journal offers makes it very easy for us to open up.  We can write down feelings, revelations, struggles, and even vent before God, in a way that may be inappropriate to do to others.   We begin to understand ourselves more completely.  Our sinful longings, limitations, and desires become evident to us.  Journaling can help us realize our fears, hopes, and angers in a way that keeps us from hurting others.

     "The ongoing nature of a journal catalogs the journey of a soul into God.  It reveals how we hammer out our identity as a Christ-follower through the ups and downs of daily routines as well as in times of crisis." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

    
     I think they cool thing about journaling is that there aren't set rules to it.  You can journal every day, or every month, or even just any time you have an awesome experience and you want to reflect and talk about it with God.  I know that when I went to Haiti, some of my biggest revelations came through journaling my thoughts down in the form of songs.  I write mini-songs, but some may write formal paragraphs while some others may just doodle.  Journaling isn't about following rules, it's about reflecting, listening, and learning.  I know that when I journal, I can almost always see where I was at fault in my day, whether accidentally or purposefully, and I see what I need to change.  I can see where God wants to take me, and I know what the first step towards that final project is.  Journaling helps tell the story of our spiritual journey as we grow closer to God.

     The key to journaling is being truthful...even if you won't admit something, God already knows it, I mean, he created you.  So why not just write down your true feelings?

Open Myself to God - Examen

     The "examen" is a list of questions that helps us to notice where God shows up in our daily lives.  The examen  is also know as the "examination of consciousness" and it's main purpose is to bring to our attention God's work in our lives that we would otherwise have missed in the hustle and bustle of every day.  The questions of the examen help us to see God's internal workings as a result of our external experiences throughout the day.  The examen brings us closer to God by clearing all the "muck" out of our eyes so we can see clearly God's movement.  Some of the questions include:

• For what moment today am I most grateful?  For what moment today am I least grateful?

• When did I give and receive the most love today?  When did I give and receive the least love today?

• What was the most life-giving part of my day?   What was the most life-thwarting part of my day?

• When today did I have the deepest sense of connection with God, others, and myself?  When today did I have the least sense of connection?

• Where was I aware of living out of the fruit of the Spirit?  Where was there an absence of the fruit of the Spirit? 

     - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

    
     The examen is a great way to discern what makes you feel most alive, what moments make you most grateful, when you're closest to God, or even the places where you aren't alive, grateful, or close to God.  For example, those who are always optimistic tend not to see the things in their life that bring them down and need the examen for that purpose.  Likewise, people with pessimistic tendencies need the examen to see the good in their life.

"Perspective and direction for the future happen through listening to where and how God shows up in your day and then interacting with God in prayer." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I think what stands out to me most right now is that this isn't just a spiritual discipline in the face that it helps us realize the importance of physical health as well.  I think question number three really kinda talks about that.  When I sit here and reflect on my day, I would have to say that the most life-giving part of my day was when I went to the gym and worked out.  I know at first glance it seemed that this was all about recognizing spiritual moments, but why not physical moments too, where we recognize the beauty of our creation and work to preserve it?  I don't know, just a random thought.

Open Myself to God - Contemplation

     I know that I'm very guilty of cramming my schedule with everything possible.  I just love being busy;  I hate sitting around.   Normally this isn't a bad thing necessarily, I feel like I accomplish more.  But the problem comes when I become so experientially oriented that I fail to take time and slow down.  I get so focused on feeling accomplished, that I never stop just doing stuff.  I never take the time to think deeply.  I mean thinking about something below the surface; thinking at so deep a level (especially about my faith) that I begin to see Christ in new ways.

     "Contemplation invites us to enter in to the moment with a heart alive to whatever might happen.  It is not just thinking about or analyzing an even or person.  Contemplation asks us to see with faith, hope and love." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

    
     When I begin to be a contemplative person, I begin to see the world through God's eyes.  I can see the injustice in the world that I may have not previously perceived, and I know I have to do something about it.  Take time to contemplate everything we have been taught about God and everything we believe is essential for us forming OUR faith, and not just the faith of our pastors, leaders, and parents.  Contemplation creates intimacy with Christ, and that's something that I should be striving for; not only for my future ministry, but for my own life.

     The book that I'm reading suggest a "walk with Jesus."  It's just one way that you can enter into a serious time of contemplation.  Take a walk outside, alone, and find a place where you can walk that isn't completely taken over by cars and noise.  Just take the time to see the beauty in God's creation, and emerge yourself into the presence of God.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Worship - Summing it all Up

     I tend to view worship as a Sunday morning thing often.  Or when outside of the church setting, I consider it to be worship whenever I pick up my guitar either alone or with someone else and just start playing "worship songs."  But while those ARE worship...worship isn't limited to those two things.  It's not even limited to a religious sense, or a church sense.  You can worship anything in your life; sometimes without even realizing it.

    Sometimes, we fall prey to either unintentionally or intentionally worshiping things other than our Creator.  Many worship money, some their favorite football team, or it could even be someone in your life.  I know in my life at points I have worshiped soccer.  Going into my freshman year of high school, soccer was all I cared about and when I didn't make the team, I was devastated.  So how would my life have turned out if I worshiped God only and not soccer?  I don't know, it would've been a lot easier to see my worth.

    When we begin to worship other things, we can't worship God.  How can our heart be divided?  We can't serve two masters.  True worship is when we value God above all else; when we put him first in everything we do.    We can do amazing things in God's name, but it's not of any credit to us if we don't put him first is it?  If our motives for bringing someone to Christ is to boast about it?  Are we worshiping God in that? NO!  We are worshiping what we consider to be our own importance. Jesus describes people who do this in this way:

"These people honor me with their lips, 

but their hearts are far from me" (Matthew 15:8)

     One thing to keep in mind is that everyone has their own style of worship and it is up to the individual to find their way in which they come closest to God.    Everyone comes closer to God in their own unique way.  Some believe that only hymns are worship while others believe that hymns are void of meaning to them because they are boring to listen too.  Some people think that dancing is not right in worship, and some people honor God through their dancing and feel it is their best way to worship God.  Some think that sitting in nature in silence is their act of worship.  Are any of these wrong? No. Is there any one way that's the best? Who am I to decide?

     I think my best way of coming to worship is through song, and I think it's easiest to worship God with others.  I feel God's presence more when I sing with others who are worshiping...or rather I come and meet with God more when I'm in a group.  That doesn't have to be you...it's even possible that in seeing others singing out their hearts to God, you can worship God just by feeling his presence.

  

Worship - Sabbath

     When most people think of "The Sabbath" they think of Sunday.  You go to church, you have lunch with some friends, then you spend the afternoon either napping or watching football.  The world's view of the Sabbath has become skewed and misinterpreted over the years.  The fourth commandment reads:

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.  On it you shall not do any work" (exodus 20:8-10)

     The original Jewish understanding of the Sabbath centered around 24 hours of setting aside the work of their lives.  They literally put aside anything and everything and rested.  They would meet together with their families, light lamps, and just enjoy a time of prayer, food, and fellowship with God.  "They woke on sabbath morning to a world they didn't make and a friendship with God they didn't earn." (Spiritual Disciplines Handbook).  But over time, this fellowship with God began to transform into just a ritual with sets of rules that must be kept.  It turned from a time of rest and transformation into almost another kind of work in that it was stressful to keep all the regulations of the sabbath day.

     I know that I have a lot of trouble just slowing down and spending time with God.  There were times during the school year that I would wake up at 6:30, then go to school until 3, then track practice till 5, then work till 9...then do homework till 11.  Then I would go to bed and start all over again.  The sabbath is a time where I can realize that I am finite; I can't go on forever.  I tire, I get weary; but God doesn't.  It is a time where I can thank God for all the work he has done and will do in the future.  He never gets weary of our burdens or our struggles.  "Sabbath is God's way of saying 'Stop. Notice your limits. Don't burn out.'" (Spiritual Disciplines Handbook).

     I know that many have fallen into this sense of Sunday being a day where you can't work, and you must rest all day.  But that's not really what the Sabbath is all about.  It isn't a specific day of the week, or even a specific time of the day.  I know that some people have to work on Sundays.  Are pastor's sinning when they work on Sundays?  Definitely not.  But they take a day off work during the week for their Sabbath.  In my dad's case, he takes Friday's off from going into the church so that he can enjoy his Sabbath.  Every Friday night, we would go out to dinner together and enjoy a family time of rest from a long week of work and school.  So maybe my family could consider our Sabbath to start Friday night.

     Also, it's important that we understand the distinction between rest and sleep.  This whole idea of rest does not mean lay around and do nothing all day.  It means we are to be refreshed in Christ through everything we do.  I don't believe it matters what you do honestly (within reason).  I know my dad finds peace and rest by manual labor.  He would go out and work on building our deck on his sabbath because it was a time of just getting away from the hustle of work and he could relax.  Of course by the end of the day he was tired, but he would be renewed.  I know it's a little difficult to take in; that manual labor could be rest. But I honestly believe that if the sabbath was all about just getting sleep and sitting on a couch all day, then God wouldn't have given us the need to sleep every night.  He would have created us so that every seventh day we would get super tired and sleep for 24 hours.

     For me, I find refreshment on going on a run, or going to the gym.  Maybe it's just the endorphins running through me after I work out, but I always feel more relaxed.  I can set aside everything that's stressing me out; everything that's causing me to worry.  I find that sometimes if I just sit around and eat all day I tend to feel like I wasted the whole day.  And that's not the point of the Sabbath.  I feel like you need to find what refreshes you;  what relieves your stress; what brings you into an unhindered fellowship with God.  Because that's what it's all about.

Worship - Rule For Life

     "A rule for life offers unique and regular rhythms that free and open each person to the will and presence of Christ" - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     At first I was totally confused by what the book mean when it said "rule for life."  I mean, is that like some kind of unspoken rule that everyone should know?  Or maybe it's some kind of rule that's listed somewhere in the bible?  But then the book goes on to read that every person has their own "rule for life" that they create.  The sole purpose of these rules is to create a habit of something; and through that habit, to continuously grow closer to God.

     This will look totally different for your friends or your family then it will for you.  Everyone has a unique rule for life that they live by.  It specifically addresses your life, your relationships, your needs.  It is just meant to be a simple set of disciplines that you live your life by -- not just a list of do's and don'ts.

     "Before making a rule, take stock of your desires, natural rhythms, limits and times of closest connection to God." - Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

     I have been given a passion for music by God, so why not use the passion and incorporate it in my Rule For Life?  I sing ALL the time, and I feel that singing brings me closer to God.  So why don't I make my rule to sing my praises to God every day?  It's so simple, but when I get in a rhythm of worshiping God through song, I will connect to God and grow closer and closer.  I want it to be so regular to me that it's easier to forget how to breath than to miss a day of singing my praise and glory to God.

     So what will your rule for life be?  Maybe for you it will be just going out in nature and admiring God's workmanship.  Maybe it's going to your church's sanctuary and just getting on your knees and praying.  Maybe you don't sing, you just play the guitar, well then strum away if that is when you feel close to God.  He isn't picky...he's given you desires, so use them to grow closer to him.  Establish a rule that becomes so natural that it models your very breathing.  This rhythm of drawing near to God will make you stronger in your faith.
     It's such a simple concept, but sometimes we over-think it.

Worship - Holy Communion

 ²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples,   saying, "Take it; this is my body."

 ²³Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.

 ²⁴"This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them.

                              (Mark 14:22-24)

      This book has started to change my perspective on the tradition of communion.  I have taken part in communion countless times over the years, but what's really the purpose?  I guess one way to look at it is in remembrance of Christ and his death.  We celebrate what Christ did when he gave himself up for us, so that we could be redeemed.  He was perfect, without sin, and yet he paid the ultimate price.  He was the final blood offering for our sins.  With him, a new age was established in which we now all take part.
     I guess another way at looking at it though is a way to enter into God's story.  As we take communion, we are entering into a long line of apostles, disciples, and believers before us who have entered into the story of Christ's death and resurrection.  We, as each individual part, form the body of Christ.

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf (1 Corinthians 10:17)

      I think it would be downright insane to be sitting with Jesus at the Last Supper and hear him say that his body would be broken, and his blood spilled for me.  I can't imagine what was going through the disciples' heads...You can't die, you're God!...How could you give your life for me, I'm not worthy!.  It's just insane to think that someone so perfect would be killed for doing nothing wrong.  And yet, he did it, knowing he didn't deserve it, knowing that we didn't deserve what he was doing for us.

Worship - Gratitude

     Gratitude...that's also a tough one, and it seems to go hand in hand with celebration.  I mean when we celebrate what God has done in our life, aren't we showing him how grateful we are for what he has done?  Sometimes though I think we can get caught in the trap of being silently grateful.  I mean, how many times have you ever had a great meal, and never thanked the cook for spending the time to actually prepare the food that you ate?  Or how many times do we thank the person who cleans the restrooms at your church (ok, so I was a janitor for a couple years).  Or how often do we thank God for our family?

     I guess we can be grateful without showing gratitude.  But what's the point of silent gratitude?  It doesn't benefit anyone, and it definitely doesn't make anyone feel good.  I mean, doesn't it make you feel unappreciated if you work extremely hard for something and get not even a thank you for it?  Not that we should always work just for that recognition, but I know that a simple "thank you" can make someone's day.  I think we should be abundant with our thanks, in everything and to everybody.

     I mean if you look at Jesus' example in Mark 8, he gave thanks for what little he had.  

¹During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ²"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. ³If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

 ⁴His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

 ⁵"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. 

      "Seven," they replied.

 ⁶He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. ⁷They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. ⁸The people ate and were satisfied.

Jesus was given seven loaves of bread and a few fish, not near enough food to feed the crowd.  But he thanked God for the little he was given; and God blessed him for that.  I think sometimes we sell God short and don't believe he can provide, so we forget to thank him for what he has already provided.  I mean, he's the one who provided us with life to begin with.

Worship - Celebration

     Celebrating isn't always as easy as it seems it should be.  We're quick to celebrate birthdays, holidays, or the victory of big football games; but when do we really take time to celebrate what God has done for us in our lives?  I know in my life, it's not near often enough.  And I know it becomes especially hard when not everything is going my way...oh God, why did this door close?  Why won't this place hire me?  Why do you want me to leave all my friends and family to go so far away?...etc.  But all the while I don't celebrate all the blessings God has put in my life.
    Ultimately every Christian is striving to live their life loving God so that one day we can join him in heaven.  And the cool thing is, all of heaven is celebrating.  So why do we think it's ok to not celebrate God on earth for what he has done?  I mean if we're going to spend eternity praising him, why not start now?  Sometimes we get too wrapped up in "secondary things."  We focus our time and energy on celebrating that promotion or our 18th birthday, but we forget who blessed us with that job or life in the first place.  Jeremiah the prophet reminds us that everyday there is something new to praise God for in Lamentations:

My soul is downcast within me.

          Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning (Lamentations 3:20-24)

    
     So I guess what we should take away from this is that we should be able to look at every day and find something new to praise God for.  Even if it's only for waking up alive.  And in our celebration we should be undignified;  we should praise God without caring who's watching, or what we look like.  Just give God all the praise and glory we can give Him.  So tomorrow I'm going to celebrate God for the blessings I have, no matter how bad or good my day goes.  I'll thank him and celebrate him for my family, or for my girlfriend, or for my friends.  Or even for the fact that I wake up alive.

I will celebrate before the Lord.  I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes (2 Samuel 6:21-22)