Dear God,

How many of you start a prayer like this, "Dear God . . . ." or "Dear Heavenly Father . . ." ? I do it all the time, that's just the way I was always taught and have always heard growing up. In the movie, Evan Almighty, Evan Baxter starts to pray and he says, "Dear God" and ends it saying "Love, Evan". Sounds like he's writing a letter to God, not much feeling, just trying to get what he wants from God. It's a hilarous clip but it got me thinking. Why do we pray like we're writing a letter to God? It kinda seems too formal if you really think about it. James was talking about this the other day and he said all he says is "God, you are awesome" or "God we love you", come before him humbly and with thanks. I think God wants us to talk to him like he's our best friend becuase that's ultumately what God should be to us. Someone we go to constantly, someone we love, someone we can count on, someone who will pick us up when we are down, someone to lean on, someone to praise, and someone who loves us unconditionaly. Considering all this, I decided to start praying without saying "Dear God" and I have to say that it's helped me to be real before him. No formal words, no pretending to have it all together, just me and God. He knows my heart but he wants me to yearn for his presence. Try this little experiment and let me know if any thing is different about your prayer life. Please don't think that if you say "Dear God" he won't hear you, I am just saying be real before God and you will be amazed at what he shows you.

God's Great Love

A man was overheard in a psychiatrist's office saying, "Make me sure there is a God of love and I shall go away a well man." Isn't that what we all desire deep inside of us? To make sure there is a God who loves us, despite ourselves. I was reading Embracing the Love of God by Richard Foster this morning and I realized that I don't really understand how much God loves me. I have felt God's love many, many times and there are even times when I have actually felt him right beside me. But, it's the daily reminding that he loves me with an incredible love that I struggle with. Foster tells how when God told Moses, "You shall say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you . . ." he was basically saying "When I look at you I smile and I want you to know that." God smiles when he looks at me? There are so many days when I really doubt that. How can God smile when I get upset with my husband or get mad at my kids? But, HE DOES! This love is deeper, larger, more vast than we can comprehend. In spite of our child-like understanding, he makes this beautiful love available for us to feel and share with others. That's tough, sharing this kind of love with others and looking at them the way God looks at us. Richard Foster describes this love beautifully, "When we love and feel and experience God's love we cannot but love ourselves. This kind of self-love is nothing like the cheap form of narcissism peddled in our culture. It is a genuine, comprehensive kind of love that is based nothing of what we do but on who we are." Who we are in Christ is what our focus should be and that's the hardest for me to get. It's a slow process for me, but I feel like God is showing me bit by bit who I am and how much he loves me. Enough of my rambling, I better sign off. I pray that God shows you too just how big his love is

Fun with the Teshuva

BOOMIN'

I got to go the Toby Mac concert with the Teshuva last week! I know your jealous! I LOVED IT! It was awesome! I think the best part about the trip was getting to talk with the youth. I haven't really been able to be at youth group to get to know everyone yet, so this was the perfect time. I especially got to know Tasha a little better. I love this part of ministry, really getting to know people. My favorite is the one on one time. It's funny because when you start a new job there is always a little hesitation on both sides. I didn't know anyone and they didn't know me, but now James and I really feel like we are connecting with the youth in our ministries. It's a great feeling! I'm amazed at how God can help you connect with certain people and put different people in your path at just the right time. I really feel like God came before us and prepared the hearts of everyone to be open and loving toward James and I. The church and the people have been such a blessing to us, I can't even begin to express how grateful we are. Thank you to everyone who has opened their homes and hearts to us in large and small ways. Wow, I sound so cheesy and mushy right now. Anyway, here's some pictures of the concert for all of you who missed it!

Does anybody else have this problem?

I'm so amazed at the committment of the church, the staff, and the families of Farmland Friends. My heart just gets so excited when I think of what God is doing inside the beautiful people in this church. I see so much potential in our ministries and I'm starting to get the vision of the church, and I'm so blessed to be a part of it! During this time of the building to bless campaign, I took part in a 24 hour prayer day. I signed up for my hour on Friday at 10:30 am. I was really looking forward to taking this hour just devoted to prayer and spending time with God. Friday came and I was ready. All morning I was trying to get my mind in the attitude of prayer and I really wanted God to show me what to specifically pray for. The hour came and it was Awesome! I read in Psalms, praised God, really focused on how grateful I was that He's my God. After that I prayed for everything God brought to my mind. I was telling myself, this needs to be a reoccuring event in my life. Well, that was the first thirty minutes. About the time 11:00 rolled around, my mind was drifting to other things I had to do that day like picking my kids up, putting together a new dresser, hanging window treatments, the huge pile of laundry I had, etc. . . . I couldn't pray constantly for one tiny little hour! I had such a hard time focusing after that first thirty minutes. I don't know if it was satan trying to distract me or if I just can't concentrate that long (which is highly possible). I felt like such a dissappointment to God. Why couldn't I just pray for one little hour of my thirty-one years I have spent on Earth? Seriously! I did end up refocusing and praying for something God brought to my mind after I stopped thinking of what to have for dinner that night! The next day I was reminded that God knows that my mind wanders a lot and seems to be thinking of 1,000 things at once. He also knows my heart and knows that it's the quality of the time and not the quantity of the time I spend with him. I'm so glad that God listens to me anytime I talk to him even if it's for a second. I just hope I'm not the only one that really finds it difficult to pray for an hour! Please let me know!

Soccer Stars!

Sidney and Lucas had soccer practice for the first time on Monday. I couldn't wait to see how they liked it and how well they picked up the game! Before Monday, we all went to get shin guards, shoes, and socks at Wal-Mart. James, the soccer expert, showed each kid how to put on the shin guards first, then the high socks, and fold them just right where the stripes show (yeah, a lot more to putting socks on than I thought!). Then, finish off with the nice shiny shoes. Sidney and Lucas were very excited! We got there and Lucas got a ball and went right out to the field to play. Sidney also went right out like she's been playing soccer forever. They had an awesome time and mommy loved watching them! I thought I would show off my son scoring a goal! Yeah, I know, he's a stud. He gets all his talent from me, just don't tell James.

Puking Snakes

Yes, I'm going to write about puking snakes! I watched the show "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe tonight and he had to catch these snakes and put them in a bag to take to the lab. Okay, first of all I HATE snakes but of course I couldn't stop watching. He actually picked the snakes up and got bit like twenty times! Blood was dripping all over and he was yelling in pain! They weren't venemous, but STILL! I could never ever, ever, ever, ever do that even if I knew the snake wasn't poisonous. Just when I think it can't get any worse, he has to take them back to the lab and poke a rod down the "other" end of the snake and here is the worst part: He made the snake puke up what it ate and then proceeded to put the "puke" in a baggie to be researched. WHAT? Why would you need to make a snake puke? All I know was that it was the most digusting things I ever saw. So there is my puking snake story. I tried to find the clip on YouTube but it wasn't there. Can you tell I didn't have anything good to write about today? So, watch an episode of "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel. Maybe you too can see a puking snake!

Super Day with the Sorensens!

What a good day! We went to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis on Labor Day. I was surprised that it wasn't too busy. What a great place for a kid and an adult to play! They have five stories of really educational and fun stuff! Our favorite place is, of course, the Dinosphere, which would make a great Bid KidZone by the way. I got some ideas for decorating the Big KidZone there. Above the Carousel they have these little finger lights that hang down with the tips that light up. It looks like a starry sky, it's awesome. They also have this great area for kids that has foam rocks that look real and you can push them with a bulldozer. What kid wouldn't like that? My favorite was the big indoor rock that has slides, stairs, and little windows where you can see animals underground. What a great idea for the Lid KidZone! Watch out people, I'm dreaming big! How about a rock climbing wall in the Big KidZone? Anyway, we had a lot of fun with Kris, Tammy, and Shelby. Sidney and Shelby loved the water play area, I think we could have stayed there all day! Can't wait until my next visit!