Devotional: Show me the love

And the Greatest of These is Love
Kelli Jordan, Regional Developer

Most Christians know 1 Corinthians 13 as the “love” chapter. To fully understand 1 Corinthians 13, we must start in 1 Corinthians 12. The Corinthian Christians were busy comparing their contributions to the church and judging each other’s value based on their gifts. Paul was admonishing them that every part of the body is important and emphasizing the need for unity in the church. Paul lists the gifts and encourages believers to give their best, but he ends chapter 12 with this: “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” As excellent as the gifts are, love is better. I may develop and use my gift to its fullest and God may still bless someone with my service, but if I don’t love people, the value of my gift is diminished.

 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul considers our motivation in using our gifts. The Hebrew word for “gong” describes metal made of brass or copper mixed with tin – normally shaped into a drum that yielded a hollow, resounding noise. The non-believers in Corinth were steeped in pagan religions and rituals. The people danced wildly under the influence of drugs and alcohol while pagan priests beat their metal drums louder and faster to increase the frenzy. When Paul compared the unloving spirit to a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal, the Corinthian Christians could relate. They knew exactly what this empty worship sounded like because they heard the clamoring of it all day long.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is a picture of love. This isn’t a fluffy kind of love, it’s a deep, life-changing, life-shaping love. If we are willing to allow God to shape our lives into ones motivated by the kind of love Paul outlines in this chapter, our lives will make a significant difference for God – in our homes, our community and our world

From MOPS International

Devotional : My Way

"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." Mark 1:40-42

Between working hard all my life at various jobs and being the best wife and mother I can be, I feel like it's time to have things my way.  What's wrong with that?  Isn't getting what we deserve the ultimate goal?

Fortunately for all of us, it's not.

Stay with me on this.  yeah, I've been a good wife and mother.  My husband is happy and well fed.  My children have grown up to be productive Christian adults.  As an employee, I showed up on time, completed all my tasks in the best way I knew how, and showed loyalty toward whatever company I worked for.

So why shouldn't I get what I deserve?

Well for starters, I'm not Jesus.  He's the only perfect person who ever walked the earth.  Behind my "good woman" facade is a dirty rotton sinner.  I don't set out to do bad things, but terrible thoughts creep into my head.  Sometimes what I want is more important to me than the needs of others.  I get angry, and I feel left out.  When someone who doesn't seem as deserving as me gets something I want, I harbor harsh feelings.  I get sick and tired of stuff that is insignificant in the big scheme of things.

In other words, i lost sight of my purpose in this life, which is to I glorify Jesus. This attitude should be in everything I do - from how I talk to people to the way I pray to God.  Do I ask ofr a list of things I think I deserve? Or do I lay my heart on the line an dask that His will be done?

Even though I think I know what's good for me, the only One who truly knows is God.  When we pray, we need to remember that what we want is often shiny on the outside but dirty on the inside. Our way isn't necessarily His way.  The Lord's will is all-knowing and all good.  Like a parent who forces a child to eat her vegetables, He knows what will make us strong in our walk with Him.

Today's prayer
As I bring my prayers to You, Lord, keep me mindful of Your will.  Give me the knowledge and the power to be ever faithful to You, even when I don't get what I ask for.  Only You know what I truly need.  Amen

Excerpt from Be Still...and let your nail polish dry

Devotional : Septic Moments

By Carla Foote

On a recent family vacation, we eagerly looked forward to hosting an open house with old friends. But shortly before our friends started arriving for our party, we discovered that the septic tank was literally spilling over onto the path around the house with every flush and every ounce of water down the drain. In the midst of calling septic tank specialists to come pump out the septic tank, we greeted our guests with a friendly hello and an invitation to drive to the park at the end of the lake if they needed to use the bathroom. Not the best way to start a party, but the other option was to send everyone home.   

"While I did experience
some flashes of anger,
I decided to flex with the situation"

So many parts of life include dealing with unplanned challenges. We can choose whether we get angry, let it ruin our day or flex with the situation. While I did experience some flashes of anger, I decided to flex with the situation, make jokes about the septic party and concentrate on relationships with friends, some of whom we hadn’t seen for many years.

The septic issue went from bad to worse, as the pumper truck arrived about the same time we put the food out for the buffet dinner. Not only were our bathrooms unavailable all afternoon, we enjoyed our dinner with the sound and smell of pumping.  I certainly would have preferred a different set of memories with my friends, but the relationships were definitely more important than the ambiance of the party. I’m glad I didn’t let the consequences ruin my attitude or the chance for meaningful connection.
 
Dear God, help me to focus on what really matters, and not let unexpected circumstances ruin my attitude.
(from MOPS International)

I am refreshed

So this morning was exactly what I needed.  I hope everyone else felt refreshed after seeing each other and spending some time together. I managed to get to Gianna's school on time which is always a bonus on a MOPS Wednesday.  The only hiccup I experienced was Leelee (my 3 year old) peed all over her carseat.  Sigh.  I don't know what's up with this kid! At the last meeting, I swear I put panties on her, but somewhere between dropping her off in the farm room and picking her up, she lost them.  Hmmmm.....anyway, here are the announcements from today:

9/26 Fundraising night at The Peasant's Courtyard (Alamo) 5pm-close.  Just mention MOPS.
9/27 Natalie, Vicki and friends will be going to Love-a-child mission in Baypoint.  Please meet at NLC Alamo at 4pm to drive up together. Everyone should be back at church by 8pm at the latest. 
10/5 MOP SWAP - bring your old costumes (yours or your childrens') that you don't want so we can swap and trade in time for trick or treating

Week 1 Devotion: A friend is a friend....then again....maybe not!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Mattherw 5:10

My husband Daniel was an alcoholic.  He's not anymore.  He's not even a "recovereing alcoholic." Rather, he's a forgiven alcoholic, and he's been sober for some 16 years.  But it wasn't like God waved a magic wand and suddenly things were wonderful.  Daniel and I were met with a succession of trails, but the Lord saw us through.

One Sunday night a special speaker came to our church and delivered an imprompty message on the sin of alcoholism.  This speaker had planned to talk about something else that night;l however, our local newspaper had run a story in its Sunday edition about how Wisconsin is in the top ranks for being home o the most alcoholics in the United States.  After all, we are basically the beer capital of the world.

The speaker's message really touched my husbad; he realized he didn't have to rehash all the ugliness of his past of go through years of counseling in order to quit drinking.  He just had to repent and trun from it, embrace God's goodness, and accept God's healing.

That's the first step.  Next came telling our friends and family members that we had both quit drinking.

Now you'd think people would be happy when an alcoholic says, "I'm done drinking and hurting my family.  I'm starting a whole new life." But, incredibl, the opposite is often true.  Some of our family members actually tried to sabotage Daniel's resolution.  Our close friends stopped inviting us to their homes and to parties.  It broke my heart to realize that my friends weren't true friends; they'd merely been drinking buddies.  However, we found support at our local church.  We made new friends - good friends.  We still had fun.  In fact, we've had more fun because we're not sick and hungover the next day! We might have lost a lot at first, but God replaced everything we lost and added more.

Stepping out into the Light takes a lot of courage.  Be prepared for the backlash.  Steady yourself with God's Word - and then enjoy the insurmountable blessings that follow!

Today's prayer
Lord God, You alone are able to remove any addictions from our lives.  Just say the words and we will be healed.  It's as simple as that...and yet what follows might prove to be the hardest days of our lives.  Help us to let go of dysfunctional relationships and accept new and healthy ones.  Help us stay in Your Light so we never experience the darkness again!  In Christ's name we ask, amen.

Something to think about
What addiction or vice do you want to turn over to God and let go of?

First day of MOPS

Well.....I think the first day went pretty well.  The cream cheeses sacrificed themselves and stayed behind in my refrigerator this morning.  Terribly sorry.  I hope everyone had a good time.  In case you were not taking notes in your handy dandy notebook as none of you had actually made your handy dandy notebook at the time, here are some important dates I talked about:

Monday 9/12 Fondue night at Kristin Bush's House.  Again, if you did NOT receive an email, please email her bush_kristinL@yahoo.com to get the evite or directions to her house if you plan on joining us.  Not much keeps me away from chocolate so I hope to see you there. It will be oodles of fun!

Monday 9/26 Fundraiser at The Courtyard (sister restaurant to Peasant and the Pear in Alamo and right down the street from church).  You and friends can have dinner there and Rodney and Natalie Worth will donate a percentage of our total combined bill to MOPS.  Just remember to tell the waitstaff you're there for MOPS and voilá, we get a donation. 

Cigar box reminder - please save your cigar boxes for a craft.  We are trying to be "green" this year, so if we can reuse and repurpose, that is our goal.  Don't ask me how big my truck is, I'm a hippie at heart!

Diaper/pull up reminder Please remember to bring diapers and pull ups for your little ones when you check them in.  Our very loving MOPPETS change soiled nappies so your little bundle of joy has a happy bummie!

Just bear with me as I sort out some details...like the breakfast sign up sheets.  Each table should have had ONE sheet with two dates.  Since I (apparently) can't count, we have 6 sheets for 5 tables. 

Have a blessed week!

2011 MOPS Calendar

Summer is in full swing ladies!  Can you believe this cold weather we're getting again?  As we cozy up for a few days, I'd like to share the tentative calendar for next year.  Since it was such an adventure for so many people to receive emails last year, I'd like to try a blog this go around.  The other benefit is that you can always go back and read a devotional right on the blog if you ever need to freshen up your spirit or need to check the calendar.  I also hope some of you will see the fun things we've planned and the great speakers we've invited so you can register and plan your Wednesdays to spend with MOPS.  Please register soon so we can plan tables. You can register for MOPS at http://www.newlifeinfo.com/Community/mops.html

See you all very soon.

(disclaimer to calendar:  dates and events set in jello)

MOPS MEETINGS
9/7      First meeting: fun easy craft and chat at your table
9/21    Make a BOLD statement: Speaker Karen Henrich of Custom Moments Photography
10/5    Have FUN: Mixers to mingle/Costume MOP SWAP
10/19  Be SENSIBLE: Speakers for Health Day
11/2    Holiday craft
11/16  Fabulous you: Speaker Kathi Lipp
12/7    Christmas Tea
1/11    Speaker Michelle Williams/Nurtured Heart Approach
2/8      Craft/Service Project: Valentines for Vets
2/22    Be SENSIBLE: Speaker Katie Hoschouer/MOP SWAP
3/7      Have FUN: Spa Day
3/21    Speaker Cassandra Massey/Kids Protection Planning
4/4      Craft
4/18    Mentor Mom Panel
5/9      Spring Tea & Raffle

MOM'S NIGHT OUT
9/12 Chocolate Fondue at Kristin Bush's home 7:30

PLAYDATES
10/12  Regional at Kristin Bush's home (Alamo) and Kim Castillo's home (Dublin)
11/9    Regional at Kristin Bush's home (Alamo) and Kim Castillo's home (Dublin)
1/25    Superfranks in Pleasanton
3/28    Easter Egg Hunt on NLC Alamo lawn