Its not about the quanitity, but the quality

So this is a phrase I hear often... a good rule of thumb. Today at work, Round Table Pizza, I was cleaning the bathrooms and I started to ponder upon this random phrase. I really take a long time when I clean windows and mirrors because streaks drive me bazonkers and I decided that if someone gets mad at me I can explain that I want quality first over how much I can get done the fastest...

Anyways, I have always thought of this term in the literal sense, in doing things the right way the first time... or in having a few nice articles of clothing compared to a basket of cheap ones... or a smaller portion of food displayed with elegance over a greesy plate of microwaved trans fat. But, I have been really Kingdom focused lately, I just want God to speak to me in the small things, and he did.

The chuch today, I think, gets sooooo caught up in "Salvation" in the "Big Numbers". We focus on evangelism efforts and crusades, and events to draw in the lost. We count attendance and constantly try to better it, always falling short. I have ever known this system was skewed, but I see it so clear now. It is NOT about the quantity or, how many, but of the quality of their salvation experience. I dont know the exact percentange, but... at least more than half the peopel "saved" at Billy Gramm* crusades fall away shortly after. Not because they didnt mean it, but because it was such an emotional day and there was little or no follow up.

It is easy for a Missionary to report how many people he saved this year. But what does that mean? People who fled for the emotional high, crying at an alter during a slow song played on the guitar as the pastor speaks of a guilt trip? Or do those numbers represent a true protrayal of quality salvation experiences? How far away we have strived from what God built the church t be. Its not about the quantity, but the quality.

*please note that I am not condensending Billy Gramm in any way, I respect the man with so much of what I am, I just believe that follow up is a must and that we need to protect ourselves against fighting just for numbers.

Climbing the Grand Canyon

I feel like I am climbing the Grand Canyon. God just showed me a visual of where I am. I am climbing. I am steadily moving foward, I am making it closer to the completion of a goal... but I am not enjoying anything along the way. I am climbing but with every step looking forward and backward. I see what was so good behind, on the bottom of the canyon. I dream of what good is ahead, of the perfection and relaxation. I recall the beauty that I saw and think upon the beauty I will see. I am so busy thinking of what was and what will be I dont see what is. I cant see the beauty from where I stand. I dont enjoy the journey between past and future. I am so focused on the two that I dont recgonize that there is a present. I rejoice in thinking about what was and I delight in dreaming about the perfection to come. I lose every present moment in the process. I want to enjoy the hike ... and all it has.

The early church (part 1)

I am really studying Acts, the first church, how they acted, why, what affect it had on them and what affect that has on me and the church today… This is the outline of 2:43-47

They Performed Miracles…

All the Believers…
Met constantly
Shared everything they had
Sold possessions
Shared proceeds
Worshiped every day together
Met for Communion in homes
Shared meals
Had joy and generosity
All the while praising God
Enjoying goodwill of all people
Every day the Lord added to their group those that were being saved.

So of the things they did, sharing is the one most repetitive of the occurrences. As a community, they shared, it is as easy as that. They thought of others first and kept nothing to themselves. But the theme is worship. Sharing is a form of worship, corporate worship in the temple is a form of worship, communion is a form of worship, praising God, and enjoying people. Then after all the sharing and praising the Lord added to their group all that were being saved.

That’s it. They weren’t out evangelizing, or trying to mold to the culture. They weren’t creating appealing services or molding to what was cool. They were just being with God. From the overflow of their worship people were saved. People were drawn towards genuine joy, and that is what they had flowing from them.

I want that flowing from me. I want to stop my “saving expeditions” and be with God. I want to see people saved through my sharing and worshiping. That is what the early church did, right?

Bridging the gap that really isnt there

At 11:30 I went to my church for a Bar-B-Q. I walked in and seated myself at a table in which I was acquainted with only one person, a girl closest to my age. I began a discussion with the other members of the table on topics covering things like party lines, vacations and comic strips.

I ate a burger, fresh peppers and 3 different types of cake. It was all washed down by a cup of coffee that was probably decaffinated and much to lite. I smiled and laughed and had a great time. I was invited to hang out with my new friends bragged upon by my youth pastor.

It was one of the best Bar- B - Q's I have ever been to, probably the best church event I have attended since coming home. It was an event hosted by the Senior Citizens oh my church in their attempt to bridge the gap of generations. It worked.

We had worship time. For once, rather than having seperate servies for generations, we combinded them. We sang one modern worship song led by an alto on guitar, and then switched to 3 versed hymn led by a saprano on the piano. Everyone was respectful. Everyone sang what they knew, but we worshiped together the entire time.

I think this is what life is suppose to be. We wouldnt need to be reaching out it such modern ways as a generation if the previous generations embraced us as they did today. I didnt feel alone in my walk to love Jesus, I felt surrounded and uplifted and overjoyed. I hope we continue this into a constant re-occurance.

Next week when I see the sisters Helen andDorthy or either of their husbands for 52+ years, I will say "Hi" and give a hug, and try to embrace the small relationship that was started.

What a waste.

I just got a job at Round Table Pizza and am enjoying the learning of working. I am frusterated by one small issue though: waste.

My resturant is part of a chain, a franchise; so because of that there is specific protocall that must be followed. Food has a limit of how long it can sit out on our buffet line, if it exceeds the 20 minutes, it must be taken and thrown away. We are not allowed to eat it, or give it away, we must throw a perfectly good looking pizza into the garbage can because the health department thinks it might be unhealthy.

It frusterates me because so much of the world is in need, there are starving people in China. But more than that, there are staving people living just outside the doors of my companies establishment... and we have to waste food they could eat. Am I allowed to be rebelious and sneek food away to feed those who need nurishment? I am not, my job depends upon me following the set guidelines. And it frusterates me. America frusterates me.

Here we are living the "American Dream" caring so much about codes and rules and standards... that we dont really care what goes on outside of us. I care, but so much of my country does not. The morals of the work system do not. They are there to keep us healthy and to protect us and to keep our economy stronger than any other country. But in trying to boost our economy we lose that love for people that once existed in the core of all.

I am...

About two years ago Heather Potter wrote about the ABC’s of my name choosing one word that describes me for each letter of the alphabet. Today I finally took the time to look up the meanings to some of the words. So out of the words she wrote about me then, I am today writing the description of me from them.

I am… capable of being heard, joyous, merry, and gay in disposition, glad,

cheerful, vigorously active and forceful, full of and characterized by enthusiasm.

I am true to my word, steady in allegiance, loyal, constant,

reliable, trustworthy, excessively talkative in a rambling, enormously

strong, courageous, independent and creative in thought and action.

I am a person who is given to witticisms, jokes, and pranks,

a demonstrator of sympathy and kindness, a radiating and reflecting light,

sweet-sounding, plain and simple; not fancy, or complicated.

I am willing to obey, a peculiarity of behavior; an idiosyncrasy,
splendid and dazzling in appearance, brilliant, glorious,

prosperous, and flourishing, generous in spirit, able to be tickled.

I am undismayed; not discouraged, an undertaker of risky and dangerous

activities, given to whimsy or fanciful notions, and ludicrously and whimsically comical.

Concerts

i normally hate concerts. i dont know what it is about them, but i just get non-interested once i show up. i dont like "getting into it" or whatever. i normally get sidetracked in my thoughts and think or something and am blammed for being a party pooper.

tonight i went to a Jars of Clay concert, cause it was free. i didnt really want to go just cause i know i hate concerts, but i tried to have a really optimistic attitude, besides i went with like my three best friends: Heather Potter, Kirsten Wicks and Lauren Barker.

i had fun tonight. i choose to sing the songs i know and not have a bad attitude. it is cool to hear music live, but i didnt really catch any of their lyrics. i really just like to people watch.

there is something about concerts that makes people want to dance. maybe that is there only time that they get their jiggles out, because some people sure do jig. an older couple there were line dancing, to a song that deffinatly had no line rythm. a hippish woman was dancing, twirling her arms and letting her feet sway back and forth. she was freen and beaming ear to ear. kids were spinning and jumping and shouting... it was like chains were breaking lose. i dont know if they were christians, or if they were dancing out of worship or entertainment... but i do know that music creates a natural, physical desire to dance.

so despite the badly dressed mid-aged dancers, and the high pitched screaming jr. high girls... despite all the things i hate about concerts, i loved that tonight it was just a big party, families dancing. to me, that was cool.

Tears of a King

As Jesus was riding the colt into Jerusalem the following scene took place...

"But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, he began to cry. 'I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you..." (Luke 20:41-42)

Jesus was warning them of the destruction to come. He saw what was going to happen and it broke his heart because they would not listen. I am not a Bible scolar, but the only other place I know that Jesus cried was when Lazarus died. (so if anyone else knows something, fill me in!) But the first instances was from utter sadness from the death of a dear friend, it was love from the heart. This instance too was from brokenness... but a deep sadness different from that of a death, I think.

I have experienced sadness in friends and situations, but the sadness I feel when I warn and see not change... it is excrutiating. Jesus was telling of the terrible events that would take place, so similar to the prophets as they cried for the people after years of rejection. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet because he saw the future, warned the people and yet was rejected. Christ was this on that day. I wonder, how often am I that? I have cried for people... but I want it more. If Jesus, the King and Savior... if he can cry over events about to take place.... so can I.

To be Excellent in Every way.

How do you tell a girl that she is beautiful and make her believe it? How do you prove that she was not a mistake? How do you convince of beauty?

Through a love letter.

"Then God said, 'Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life' ... So God created people in his own image. God patterned them after himself, male and female he created them... Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way..." (Genesis 1:26-27, 31)

God created every person. In his image. He patterned them after himself. He is perfect. We are created to be like him. Every person. It doesnt say, some, or most he created all people. But my favorite part, one of my favorite verses in the Bible is what it says in verse 31. He looked over all of it. God didnt just look at Adam and Eve, he looked at every person that was ever to be born, ever to be conceived, ever to be aborted, ever to live... he looked at all of it, every single one and he saw that they were excellent... in every way. He didnt let one slip by. He made sure that every person met the standards, they did then and they do now.

It is so comforting to know that I dont have a single flaw because I am excellent in every way. Every way. There are so many girls especially that I want to show this to. They are excellent in every way.

Be not Ashamed

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)

I was looking up some verses for one of my friends and came across this. We are not to be ashamed of the Good News. Just like Peter, I would easily say "Lord, I would never deny you." But the truth is that I would probably be more prone to finish the story out the way Peter did... he denied him three times and was ashamed. But when Paul wrote this verse in Romans he was saying that he was not ashamed and was not going to be.

How easy it is in our comfort to be not ashamed, to almost let pride seep in when surrounded by Christians and church-going folk. But much more challenging is the game of "faith" when surrounded by those who understand not the morals for which we stand.

"Daddy"

Tonight Zoe woke up suddenly and started crying, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." She was desperate for him. In her time of need absolutly nothing would comfort her like her Daddy. He was and is her saftly. And he wants to be.

It is at our most desperate times that we cry out to our "Daddy." We like to live independent and choose independently, but cling to him as our safty.Absolutly nothing will comfort us like Him. He wants to be our safty.