Online Groceries and Enlarged Capacity...

Being a Mom of 2 now, online grocery shopping has become my best friend and I have no shame in my game. You order online and the next day you pull up to the store and they load your car for you, couldn't be easier or more convenient!

So Sunday night I ordered all our groceries with the plan to pick them up Monday morning. Except when I pulled up Monday morning they said they never received my order....you mean, the internet failed me?!?! (insert small temper tantrum here) So I went home with the thought that I would re-do my order and pick it up the next day, but then quickly realized the grocery shopping HAD to be done that day or my family would be eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. (Holla if you hear me Moms out there)

So I psyched myself up, put both kiddos in the car and geared with my shopping list walked into the store. I am happy to say that with wearing my nearly 3 week old newborn and having my almost 4 year old in the cart, we killed that trip to the grocery store! No melt downs, no hungry cries, no diaper blow outs, it was a success! I left the store feeling accomplished and confident in my Mom of 2 skills. (cue the Rocky theme song)

Why do I share that with you today friends?

See, for some of you reading this that may not seem like a big accomplishment because maybe you don't have children OR maybe you have 3 or 4 children...or more. But for me, this was a major success because it showed me my capacity had just enlarged.

Capacity -- the ability or power to do, experience, or understand something.

I am a BIG believer in always increasing your capacity. I decided a long time ago that I would be committed to always learning, always growing and always allowing God to stretch me in every area of my life. Its easy to remain comfortable in what we already know we can do, or to simply tap out and say "I can't do that" but we don't know until we try.
The beauty of our capacity being enlarged is we won't reach a new level until we just do it. Now friends, this doesn't mean if we don't nail it perfectly the first time we automatically fail or won't ever be able to do it. We must understand the beauty of the process is found in Gods grace. Only because of His grace, do we get better and better as we enlarge and take on more and more.

When I first began in full-time ministry, I quickly went from being the Childrens Pastor and Office Administrator to being the Childrens Pastor, Office Administrator, Worship Pastor and Youth Pastor.
And did I mention I was also a newlywed? I went from spinning 3 plates comfortably, to all of a sudden (at my own request) spinning 5 plates! I learned really fast what "enlarging your capacity" meant. (I also quickly learned time management skills) In that season, it took me time and a whole lot of grace to grow and excel, but leaning into God and following His lead, He equipped me to do it. I look back at that season of life and realize God used it to prepare me for so many things that come naturally to me now.

Thats the thing about enlarging our capacity; what once was the "gigantic-I'll never get the hang of this-way too difficult-cant stretch anymore-season" will soon simply become your warm up as you glide into the next season of growth.

For my husband and I, with our awesomely blessed full schedule, two children is obviously a new journey for us. A new journey that we are super excited about and have prayed for. Its a new journey filled with incredible God moments just waiting for us to unpack and explore. Its a journey in which it is necessary we lean on Gods grace in everything and realize that He has ALREADY graced us for these moments.

Being a Mom in full time ministry is a precious gift. As my capacity grows and stretches, I lean back into His grace, I listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I recognize the power and direction of God in my life and I trust Him to speak to me, to guide me and to lead me.

You my friend must do the same. Wherever you are, you can grow past it. However much you can handle, you can handle more. If you are currently spinning 3 plates, challenge yourself to spin 4. Teach someone else around you how to spin plate number 2 and hand it off to them so you can take on the next thing God has for you. However it looks to you today, challenge yourself to enlarge. Take a hold of Gods grace, don't expect to do it perfectly, but expect to be blown away by Gods goodness in it all. And if you need to.....order those groceries online. :)

Interruptions

Last night when I went to bed, I had my entire schedule for today planned out. From the start of the day to the end, I basically knew exactly what my Friday would look like. 

That is until Friday morning came and I was awoken by a toddler with a crusty, sealed shut eye. 

In a matter of moments the course of my planned day shifted and began with a Drs appointment for my daughter who clearly has pink eye. From there it was off to Walgreens to buy the prescription she needed and home to get her comfortable for the day, as she would no longer be attending school. 

By the way in case you were wondering, none of this was on my schedule Thursday night as I laid down to sleep. 

Ever had a day like that?

You have a schedule and your plan is to stick with it so you can get everything accomplished only to find the course of the day changed and the plan interrupted?

I had a choice to make....and when this happens to you....you have a choice to make.

I could have become upset and thrown a tantrum that the things I needed to get accomplished (which are many) would have to be put on hold and might not get completely done the way I had hoped. OR I could realize that maybe the interruption was my true assignment for the day. 

Too often we allow our schedules to get the better of us and never slow down to really see the things which are most important. When interruptions come, they can be frustrating, but if we would just slow down and look deeper we could see what is behind the interruption.

That interruption at the office, may be a God appointment for you to share Jesus with a co-worker. That interruption at home, might be a chance for you to have the needed conversation with your spouse. 

That interruption in traffic, could be an opportunity for you to spend quiet time with your creator.

I think if we pay attention we would see that sometimes all the assignments that we feel are so important, pale in comparison to the assignments God has specifically designed for us. 

God never causes negative circumstances to happen to us, but He will use them in our lives. Its all in how we decide to view the interruptions we encounter. 

Today, I choose to see the interruption in my schedule as an opportunity to love on my baby girl and spend the day with her, knowing I will still get everything else done, but fully enjoying my assignment in this moment. 

We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9

Have We Become Numb?

It's so easy to look at our world right now and ask, "what is going on?!" (insert high pitched voice here)

We scroll through Twitter and are bombarded with school shootings, racism, hate crimes, out of control celebrities, insane news reports and I could just keep going on...and on....and on....our world is a dark place.

Just this morning there was a tragic, senseless shooting at a Glendale high school where two 15 year old girls lost their lives. As I was praying for their families and friends involved and for the culture of our community, I heard God say the word "NUMB."

It stopped me in my tracks because I thought...wow, have these occurrences become the norm? And if that is true are they so normal that we have become numb to them? Meaning, we scroll through Twitter we see the news report, we re-tweet it with a #PrayersUp and then we are onto the next re-tweet of the sale at Hollister? Like retweeting the news report was our daily good deed?

Because if thats it, we have failed. Miserably.

So my question to you is, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

The famous last words of Jesus before He went back to Heaven....
"Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 MSG

This wasn't a casual suggestion. Jesus was telling His disciples (US!) to go out and change the world starting with the person right next to you and then another person around you and then your group of friends and then their group of friends and then that group of friends.....
We may not be able to reach everyone but we CAN REACH at least ONE.

Friends, what if when we read these words of Jesus we took them as: I am personally responsible for making sure every person I encounter knows Jesus and is going to Heaven.

Why? Whats the point? Because Jesus said we are the light of this world.
WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, not a burned out bulb and not a dimmed bulb but THE BRIGHTEST bulb that illuminates an entire room!

When everything around us looks dark, we are the ones who rise up and bring light.
We are the ones loving when others are shunning.
We are the ones with joy when others are down.
We are the ones sharing Gods Words when others are sharing gossip.
We are the ones including everyone, when others are excluding.
We are the ones bringing the love of Jesus into every situation and to every person we know.

The world isn't getting better any time soon, but we can. We can stand up and bring the good news to people that they are loved by the one and only God who created them. That they have a Savior, Jesus, who died on a cross for them conquering sin and death and then rose again just as He said He would to go back to Heaven and prepare a place just for them! We can share with them the good news that they are loved and accepted just as they are and they don't have to "clean up" or "get right" before they come to Jesus. We can make a difference in the lives of others! 

So next time you are scrolling through Twitter, go ahead and retweet with #PrayersUp but then I challenge you look around and see who needs what you have. See who needs love, who needs acceptance, who needs JESUS and then GO.

Why not begin today?