Your life is NOT about you!

   Your life involves you but is

      not ultimately about you.    

~Priscilla Shirer

Pretty powerful words, considering we live in a world that promotes independence! The more we can do on our own the better we become, the more successful we are, etc. However, in God's Word, He wants us to depend on Him. We come to a place in our life where we aren't as strong when we stand on our own. We need Him to be our strength.

When I think of this statement, my thoughts automatically go to worship. I am so happy to be able to be a part of our praise team at our church. It is wonderful to worship with others who truely understand what worship is about. It is more than just singing beautiful songs. It is about lifting His name on high, it is praising him through scripture reading, testimony, prayer, singing, instrumental music, etc. When the focus becomes ourselves, that is when we get into trouble. I remember years ago a friend of mine said that we have to be in the mind set, that if the electricity fails, we will continue to worship God; and if the microphones quit, we continue to lift His name. Worship is about God, it is not about us! It is not about performing or entertaining. The Heart of Worship: "When the music fades, and all is stripped away, and I simply come..."

Leading worship is about helping others find their way to the feet of Jesus, in order to lay their cares and burdens at his feet. It is about us freely lifting our voices, our praise, and our cries to Him.

Worship may involve us, but it is not about us...it is about Him!

Lisa

My Best Friend!

Thank you, God for blessing me with a husband who supports me in my endeavors and encourages me, stands beside me through thick and thin, and more than anything loves me for who I am!!


A few moments together (click on collage to see it bigger):




 

Friends and Learning in The Big Apple

One of my favorite places to go is NYC! So many cultures in one spot. Ronny, Ashley, and I spent a week and a few days in Philadelphia (most of the time there), and in NYC. We had so much fun exploring this city.


As a teacher, I have been able to attend Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. The learning is amazing!! Lots of work to keep us busy, even homework! However, we do have time at night to explore some of the sights of the city. Some ladies, I teach with, and I, were able to do this last February. It was amazing trekking through the snow and cold to explore the College and the City! I have attached a collage of our trip.


I'm looking forward to heading back there in a couple of weeks. I'm excited to see what type of learning and exploring is in store for this year!! I think common core standards along with reading and writing in the content area. I know to most this doesn't sound interesting, however, to teachers, we thrive on new learning!


As far as exploring the city at night, we are seeing Spiderman on Broadway (hopefully no accidents!) and possibly Jon Bon Jovi at Madison Square Garden (that's for my friend April!), and sight seeing from the top of the Empire State Building (a beautiful night view). Let's not forget amazing food from Little Italy, and need we leave out NYC Cheesecake!! I need to enjoy the food of the Big Apple, because six days upon returning is my surgery--either no appetite, no food, or hospital food!!

I "heart" NY

Who is in control?

"Be Still and know that I am God..."  ~Psalm 46:10

What does this mean? To be "still? the word still comes from a Hebrew word meaning to “let go” or “release" or "to be come weak." We have to come to a point where we realize that we are not in control of our lives. We do not have the strength or capabilities to do everything on our own! It is through His strength that we can move mountains in our lives. We need to step back and realize that He is God! We need to let go of the things we hang on to, and let Him have them!

On days like today, in fact in weeks such as this, when we have been forced to stay in our homes, off of the streets, and to sit and relax, I realize He is in control He is saying, slow down, spend time with your family, and do not worry about what tomorrow holds, because I am God!

I have found myself worrying about my students being ready for the end of the year test. I have been counting down the days that I have to get them ready, and it seems like God has other plans. My days, keep getting cut short. My plans keep getting knocked down. I get frustrated and don't understand. Then perspective comes in again. Maybe his plan is to slow me down, work on my blood pressure, to give me time with my family, to show me that He is in control.
Thank you God, for the time you have give us to catch our breaths, focus on You, focus on one another, and just rest.

"Be Still and know that I am God..."  ~Psalm 46:10

MY PRAYER QUILT

"The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers."  ~ 1 Peter 3:12

I think we forget sometimes that the power of prayers is an amazing thing! Why do we pray? We pray to offer our praise, thanksgiving, and worship; to ask for guidance, strength, and wisdom; and to lay our burdens, worries, and struggles at His feet. Prayer is communication with our Father!! He wants to hear from us continuously. First Thessalonians 5:17-18 tells us to "pray continually...for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The more time we spend in prayer, the closer we grow to our Father.

Have you ever been in a place where you felt so weak that you couldn't pray? That is when that intercessory prayer comes in to play. When others jump in and lift you up to our Heavenly Father. I saw a posting from a childhood friend and her mother today. She has been lifted up in prayer over the last couple of months because of her diagnosis of colon cancer. She has been through tests, etc. and they have been waiting for results. Today, the scan came back and showed that there was no cancer. It was once there, and she was to the point of seeing the surgeon and oncologist. Now, there is NO CANCER! Only our God is that big. He is bigger than cancer.

As we have been struggling with some of the same testing and waiting for results over the last few months, there have been times, when all I could do was cry. It was the prayers of others that gave me strength to cry out to my God!! It was through those intercessory prayers from family, church family, friends, and people I don't even know from across this country that have brought strength to my family, and also brought reports of NO CANCER!!

I wanted to share pictures of a prayer quilt that was given to me by the Bayside Community Church in Clearwater, FL. I was dedicated in this church as a baby, many years ago (about 42 to be exact). Some of the people that attended at that time still go to this church; however, it used to run around 70-100 people and now there are approximately 1500 (not sure exactly) that attend this church. Ladies at their church have a tremendous ministry of making quilts for people, then having threads that are untied. They send it through Sunday School Classes, and place in their Foyer for people to pray, then tie. I was so excited when my parents brought this to me. This quilt will follow me to the hospital and I will be covered in many prayers-some from those I know very well, and some from those I have never met. I have posted the pictures below. They asked my parents if I had any interests, and they said music. They chose to use music material on the back, and scriptures from the Psalms on the front. It is beautiful!

A big thank you to my family, friends, my CrossPointe family, King School family, and Bayside Community. Your prayers have been heard and felt!

This is the front of the quilt. Notice all of the threads that have
been tied. Many have multiple knots!! Lots of prayers!

A closer look of one of the Psalms used in the quilt.



 The back side of the quilt is musical scores.





THE FIRE WITHIN

"Jesus began to explain everything that had been written about himself in the Scriptures." ~Luke 24:27

"When [the disciples] saw who He was, He disappeared. They said to each other, 'It felt like a fire burning in us when Jesus talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.'" ~Luke 24:31-32

A fire is very fitting for a cold, icy day such as this. If we aren't careful, we can get cabin fever and become depressed and gloomy. Take this day as a gift, from our Father. He watches us running to and fro, trying to meet deadlines, trying to please others, serving, working, doing, etc. and I believe He wants us to just sit down, and rest in Him!! He has given us this time to stop, rest and enjoy our families. Maybe he will use this time to light a fire in you!

Taken from Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado:
Isn't it amazing, that they knew they had been with Jesus because they felt a fire within. God reveals Himself to us by setting a torch to our souls. He gave Jeremiah a FIRE for hard hearts. He gave Nehemiah a FIRE for a forgotten city. He set Abraham on FIRE for a land he'd never seen. He set Isaiah on FIRE with a vision he couldn't resist. Forty years of fruitless preaching didn't extinguish the FIRE of Noah...

Mark it down: Jesus comes to set you on FIRE! He walks as a torch from heart to heart, warming the cold and thawing the chilled and stirring the ashes...He comes to purge infection and illuminate your direction.

Isn't that great!! Let Him light a fire in you today! How is He leading you? What is His plan for your life? Seek Him out today. I pray that God will use each and everyone of us in a mighty way to touch lives: our families, friends, students, community! Revive us, Live in us, and Use us!

Lisa