One-of-a-Kind Gem
If I measure me against me,
I could be six foot three.
If I measure me against YOU,
I’m not even two foot two!
So, who do I use?
What feet do I choose?
Who carries my blues?
Who walks in my shoes?
“No one,” You say?
God took His soft clay
And molded a shape –
Unique! Full of play!
God gifted your soul
Full of treasure untold.
Then He threw out the mold.
You’re more precious than gold.
Who do I measure myself against then?
Do I look at my friends, compare me with them?
“No one,” God smiles. “I’ll say it again,
You’re a unique, one-of-a-kind gem!”
I worship God in church each Sunday. I take notes as I listen to the sermon, and my filter helps me record the message as I hear it poetically. Here is the sermon as I heard its message today at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana. Where did you worship God this beautiful Sabbath Day?
The best place for worship
Isn’t a temple or a place.
The best place for worship
Is with Jesus, face-to-face.
The temple faced destruction.
The curtain ripped in two.
The holy place was transported
To the heart of me and you.
On the cross Christ made a way
From the temple to us – in love.
His sacrifice was the ultimate path
From earth to our God above.
Inconceivable – to think of God
Letting Jesus die in pain.
But this “failed victim” didn’t fail.
The cross was victory and gain!
The best place for worship
Isn’t a temple or a place.
The best place for worship
Is the divine dominion of God’s grace.
Amen?
Amen!!
Have you read Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life? I’m reflecting on Warren’s description of our SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences) as I write in my journal each morning. It’s a journal designed to recount the five purposes Warren has written about – and apply them in our daily walks. When I spend quality time reflecting, words bubble out like the birthdays that zip on by – faster and faster as time goes by!
Birthdays Bubble By!
When I think of the abilities
My God has given me –
The music, joy, enthusiasm –
And birthdays that bubble by with glee,
I want to share them all.
When I think of the personality
My God has gifted me –
The confidence and gregariousness
That come bubbling out so easily,
I want to care for all.
When I think of the experiences
My God has granted me –
The love, the depth of sweet success
That radiate so freely,
I want to bare my all.
When I think of the future
My God has promised me –
The peace, the quiet wisdom
That grow so constantly,
I want to heed God’s call!
Do birthdays bubble by for you? Does acknowledging your gifts of S.H.A.P.E. make you want to heed God’s call? What is Your God calling you to do with your Spiritual Gifts, your Heart full of love and gratitude, your Abilities and Personality, and your Experiences? Share, Care, Bare your soul to the Giver of your gifts, and Heed God’s call today! You are made wondrously unique – and what you have to give is unique. Birthdays bubble by – – – time’s awastin’ – – – Let’s blow outta here!!
The Many Faces of Jesus
Some of us see Our Savior as Jesus in these many roles. Others see Him as an invisible, spiritual force. Other times God is an interesting combination of both. Here are my sermon notes from our church service last Sunday. How do you see our Savior?
Strong, Invisible Savior
Strong, invisible Savior,
Save me in my need.
But, You, My Lord, were crucified.
Did You save Yourself? Indeed!
Long-awaited Savior,
Do I need to be redeemed?
Today society teaches I’m O.K. –
Not really as sinful as it seemed.
Am I “basically a good person”?
Am I making progress today?
Look carefully at my behavior.
Am I truly walking God’s Way?
I’m good at blind denial.
I try to set the world right.
But, I am a self-centered fool
Who struggles and wanders and fights.
Lonely, pitiful, and rebellious –
I think I am fine on my own.
God still loves me in my sinfulness.
I don’t have to walk this earth alone.
Strong, invisible Savior,
Your promise is right and true.
You come to me in my helplessness.
In response, God, help me turn to You.
Amen?
Amen!!
The Path of Life
Sitting in my sanctuary
Preparing for my day,
I listen to the clock’s tick
And contemplate Your Way.
I open up my Bible,
Read words profound and wise,
Reflect on applications
That flash before my eyes.
You make the path of life
A rocky, twisted trail;
Not promising a smooth
Road where I can’t fail.
You tell me rocks that trip me
Are lessons to be learned:
The ruts and hills – inevitable –
The weeds, the fires, the burns.
I long for all the pleasures
You promise to bestow.
You tell me to be patient –
There’s so much I must know.
I stumble at the road’s forks.
I don’t know left from right.
I take wrong and U-turns
‘Til you come back in sight.
You will show me the path,
The joyful one that’s best –
But I must put my hand in Yours
And TRUST. You’ll do the rest.
Amen?
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
