#onlylovetoday

A sunshiny Friday to you all! It’s been a while since we’ve been here. I took some vacation time and now I am back to discuss some sermons we’ve missed, and of course, the most recent sermon. If we back up to our last blog, the next topic should have been coverage of our Rooted service on April 30th. I did sit down with Pastor Chad to discuss this and the future of Rooted. That blog will be saved until just before the next Rooted Worship service on July 30th. It’s one you won’t want to miss! Worship will be provided by our very own Randi Fry and Sandra Dixon! I can’t wait!

Currently we are in a sermon series titled: Our Sacred Guide, with May 7th being Walk in Your Way. Which you can revisit here: https://fb.watch/kCcJbWCs_e/ And May 11th being Shout to The Lord. Which you can listen to here: https://fb.watch/kCcNrIwfN-/  So, let’s dive right in!

I need to back up just a little bit to cover some of the previous sermon as well today because, as you know, I was out for a bit and we did not get a chance to discuss it. That sermon title was Our Sacred Guide: Walk In Your Way and was largely about how we need to repent and follow the laws of God and allow God to be God in our lives. The humbling reality of knowing that everything we do is worth nothing without God; that we actually don't do anything of true value apart from God is very sobering.

Do you think that some could find that discouraging? Depressing?

I'm not sure how they would find it as such. Sure, I could see where that might be a temptation, but the reality is that this should be an encouragement. I think when we begin to feel depressed or discouraged about this, we need to ask ourselves why we are feeling this way. In essence, why is pride beginning to be part of your thought process? Pride is all about us, it's the ME mentality. When we begin to think I do this, I was the reason this happened, I... I.... I... Christianity calls us to live far beyond the I and live more in the 'we', 'us', and 'Body of Christ'. When we embrace the reality that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves, the 'I' begins to drift away. It is also a call to serious contemplation about the reality that what we do either glorifies God or it doesn't. To be discouraged or depressed by this is really just us trying to feel bad because it is not about 'I' and is instead about God. This is where the breakdown needs to happen. When we can move beyond this and feel a sense of deep gratitude for the love and grace of God in our lives, amazing new doors can open.

Or is that the Point? To remind us how very much we NEED the Holy Spirit to be ever present in our lives?

Absolutely yes! I answered this in length above, but it is humbling to know that we are truly only inclined towards sin and evil but grace opens us up to use our free will for good. When we look at the world around us, it’s easy to think "well this is just how it is" or "God has simply abandoned us," or "Faith is dying." I think it is much different, we have lost sight of the reality that we as humans are only and ever capable of doing the greatest harm ever, but it is by God's grace that goodness and staying in love with God flourishes.

Jumping into this last sermon, definitely so much of what you were saying about a mother's struggle reminded me of how much I need Jesus every single day! How funny that you should preach about the need to stop worrying to a room filled with mothers on Mother's Day!

Don't you know that it's a mother’s primary duty to worry? Well, to worry and to pray. Seriously though, how do you suggest we turn that innate nature off?

First, I think this is a process. It takes time and constant back and forth trying to move beyond a place of constant worry, doubt, and fear. But this is not how Jesus wants us to live our lives. We squander away our lives in worrying and doubting and living in fear when the reality is so much that we spend this time on cannot be changed and we pray for the wisdom to know the difference between this and what we can change. Sure, Mother's need to watch over their families and this is a good and joyful thing, but that's not what I'm talking about. When we look back upon our lives I wonder how much of it we will go "Wow, I missed so much because I was worried about things that were outside of my control, worked themselves out in the end, and sometimes ended up being the biggest blessing ever. Again, it is a shift from the "I" mentality to the "Me and God by the Holy Spirit" mentality.

You shared stories about missed moments and regrets, of how worry robbed people of their "now". Do you have any tips on things that work for you to be more present in the moments? Or any tips you've read recently that you'd like to give a try?

I love what my spiritual advisor in seminary taught me to remember "We are human BEINGS not human DOINGS!" He also shared as an example, "when we wash dishes, we should be so in the moment that we wash dishes just for the simple and pure joy of washing the dishes. Not to finish the dishes, to get to the next task, to get to the next task, and so on and so forth." So, I find keeping this in mind works greatly. I also love to say the thank you prayer in times of difficulty and joy. Take a moment to stop and say a quick thank you to God for something. Set a Reminder on your phone to stop and pray. At the end of the day, we will do what we intentionally set time aside to do, so set time aside to stop and smell the roses.

Follow up question from an online viewer: When Jesus says that it's not for you to know the time and date, is that like when we say "Because I said so?" When He tells His disciples to go and wait for the gift, which is the Holy Spirit, how does that work for us today? Because they had to go and wait for it, when we accept Jesus, we are supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Do we already have it? Do we always have it?

So yes!!!! I think this is absolutely what Jesus is saying. So, the Holy Spirit is constantly at work in our lives and upon belief, we welcome the Spirit into our lives to live and dwell within us guiding us and leading us. I think for them (pre-Pentecost) this was a wait and receive kinda thing. They received at Pentecost all that was ever needing in their lives and likewise in our belief we receive all that we ever need as well.

I would like to believe that includes the grace and the patience to stop worrying about all the things that I don’t need to worry about, as a mom, or otherwise as well. The presence of mind to allow myself to be more in the moments and less in the past or in the future. It brings to mind a writer, Rachel Macy Stafford and a book I read several years ago titled Only Love Today: Reminders to Breathe More, Stress Less, and Choose Love. If you struggle with bringing yourself into the present moments, I know I do, I highly recommend this book. It’s geared towards moms and given we just had Mother’s Day and it’s a relevant topic, I feel confident in my recommendation.

Midnight musings like these.

I'm 17 again.

I'm not her biggest fan but the girl knows her love songs.