Summer Devotional Series-Rainbows

Ever had a tough Sunday morning? Or like me is EVERY Sunday morning a tough one?  Could you use a little help getting your mind focused on God instead of on finding "church clothes," locating that missing shoe, or taming the kids' hair?  I have just the thing.  Every Sunday morning this summer before your first cup of coffee I will send you a short devotional (just like the one you're about to read).  Each one takes about 5 minutes to read, includes two scriptures and some practical thoughts.  Each one is designed to help you get ready to worship the Lord.  Want to join us?  Subscribe here!

Shoes: Or Why Sunday Mornings Are the Worst!

This is the introduction to another 12 week series of short Sunday morning devotionals for my readers. Last summer’s series focused on the Lord’s Supper and this summer will be focused on the heart of worship.  They will be about 5 minutes worth of reading, just right for enjoying with a cup of coffee before the kids get up. They’ll will arrive in your in-box before you wake up on Sunday morning.

“SHOES!”  I bellowed.  

I don’t like bellowing.  It’s almost always a bad choice.  Unless someone’s life is in danger-- say from an oncoming train-- that is an acceptable time to bellow.

Once again, Sunday morning was a proverbial train wreck.  I had to make an emergency run to the supermarket for one last ingredient for Sunday lunch.  The kitchen was a mess from the frantic lunch preparations and somehow while I dashed out (still not dressed for church), my youngest had not managed to get out of her pajamas.  

With minutes to go, papers to print off for my Sunday school class and maybe children’s church, clothes to throw on, and my mind in a whirl, I spat directions at the kid.  I zipped through the last of my tasks, found the checkbook, grabbed my purse, put my phone on silent, thanked God under my breath that we live a 30 second walk across the parking lot from the church building and turned to see my tween staring at the ceiling.  

That’s when I looked down at that phone, saw we were supposed to start in less than 5 minutes (Who knows what the kids are doing in my class?!) and bellowed for her to put on her shoes. 

I’d like to tell you that this is very unusual and that we typically have an idyllic Sunday morning (to be fair since the disaster I just told you about we have done some better), but this kind of chaos is not out of the ordinary for us.  I wondered if your Sundays are similar.  Do you walk in the doors to your auditorium, thinking more about needing sanctuary from your crazy day, than about the time you get to set aside to sing, pray and spend time with your sisters and brothers learning about God?

If so I have an idea for you, from June through August, I’d like to drop a little devo in your in-box.  Something to help you center your mind on God first thing in the morning before the chaos of getting everyone ready gets started.  You send me your email (you’ll be subscribing to get a couple of other freebies and I’ll be sending you an email every couple of weeks letting you know what’s new on the blog) and I’ll get those devotional emails started in June!  Click here to subscribe.  If you are already subscribed, you’ll be getting those emails automatically, don’t worry!

If you are thinking that you don’t want to wait until June, I’d love to send you over to “Around The Table” with Sharon Fleming.  I am guest posting over there with an expansion post from last summer’s devotional series.  Check it out and then come click through to sign up to get those devotionals too! 

Catch me linking up at any of these fine places: Mommy-Moments, Spiritual Sundays, Inspire Me Monday, Holly Gerth, The Mom Gene, Good Morning Monday,  The Modest Mom Blog, Moments of Hope, God-sized Dreams, Glimpses, Breakthrough Homeschooling,Be Thee Inspired, Facebook.com/groups/saltandlightgroup

Isaiah and the Lord's Supper

When I think about Isaiah the man, my mind goes to chapter 6.  Often known as Isaiah's call or his commission, it depicts the time that the prophet came into the presence of the Lord and answered His call to be a messenger to the people.  Isaiah presents us with a pattern of worship that we follow today.  He recognized the greatness of God, he understood his own position in relationship to God, and he came away changed.  

Let Me Point Out

Recently as I was scrolling down my Facebook home page, I found one of those articles that pops up again and again in your feed.  By Daniel Howell, the article was "Four ways to encourage your kids to leave the church."  I read it and snickered in agreement.

Before I was a blogger, I didn't read comments or leave them.  I know that this is a bad lurker habit. I just didn't realize how much that interaction could mean to the writer.  These days I'm a serial scroller.  Down I went.  

Kneeling at the Throne

When I was a kid we went to church.  Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night - we were there.  Every gospel meeting, ladies day, VBS and workday, our van was in the parking lot.   I can't recall my sister or I ever questioning the habit.  There was no need to ask - we went to church. 

Whatsoever Singing

Our primary place of worship for the better part of a decade has been a house church.  It's not a choice; it's a geographical necessity. Everything works differently in a house church. Everything we do is by a factor of 10 or 15 people not by a factor of 100 or 500 people which changes things! I've been thinking a lot about one of those things - singing.  I think its a metaphor.