I'm reading a book titled Rekindled Flame by Steve Fry. I met Steve Fry many years ago when there were prayer coordinator breakfasts put on by Bridgebuilders and I attended. I remember he had wonderful cologne on and we women all wondered what it was, and I got brave enough to go ask. I can't remember the name of it at this moment, but he bought it at Nordstroms, which is probably why I don't remember it. I don't go there. I hear Nordstroms and I think $$$$$ way above my budget (if I had one). Anyway - getting back to what I read yesterday.....
Steve mentioned when he was in his twenties he went to Calcutta to work with Mother Theresa. I'm sure you have heard of her - I would probably say it is more than likely this latest generation that has not heard of Mother Theresa. Anyway, he shared that before Mother Theresa and her Sisters of Charity would go out and work among the homeless, poor, and sick, every single morning they would first go before Jesus and just worship Him - for two hours!! Before they did anything else. I had to stop reading right there. It was mind-boggling for me. I get up early just to spend time with God with my reading(s), my writing my prayers out, or getting on my face and praying, and usually writing in here. On weekends I occasionally will ask Alexa to play instrumental worship music, but that is really more rare than occasionally. I have 'her' playing worship songs while I'm getting dressed for church, but rarely otherwise, to be honest.
The thought of having two hours to just worship, and nothing else, really struck me. I shared that with hubby last night and we discussed it for a bit. We both were thoughtful about it. Why don't we worship first? We generally get up early, go to our respective places, and then pull out our Bible, or other book we are reading (me, it's a devotional I'm going through right now), and begin our time. But this morning was a bit different. For one thing, my mind (definitely not the body!) woke up at 3:30-ish and starting singing "Our God is an awesome God, He reigns in heaven and earth, with wisdom, power and love, our God is an awesome God." Over and over again in my mind. I peek at the clock and closed my eyes again, willing sleep to come back on me. I am not aware if I dozed back off or not, but when I finally arose, that song was still going through my mind. Over and over and over again.
So when I finally got up and came into my room, I sat here for perhaps 10 - 15 minutes, in the dark, just verbally singing the song a few times and then letting it 'run' through my head. I was focusing on worshipping God first. Will I remember tomorrow? Or the day after? I don't know. I just know that today I began my day with worship. And it felt good. I really didn't want to quit, but my rigid discipline of reading and all caused me to put worship on hold to get my things done. It is definitely something I want to think about, and do. Maybe God will remind me again tomorrow, and the next day, until it also becomes a 'habit'. I have prayed that God would rekindle my fire for Him into a roaring blaze (hence the title of the book I am reading), so perhaps He will. I want my earliest daily thoughts to be on Jesus, not on what I want to accomplish while here in my room. Even if all I do is spend time worshipping, that is ok.
I think that is also why I love getting away from home (less distractions) and going someplace where I can read quietly. I don't get to be alone when we do that as we usually gather in the 'front room' or the porch of wherever we are. It's not the same, and I'm a bit more self-conscious of what I'm doing. But it is where my thoughts are, not what I do so much. Right?
Yesterday was a quiet day for us. Church was awesome; the message had a 'golf theme' and was really good. As we left, the men were handed a golf towel and a bottle of Arnold Palmer tea (1/2 lemonade, 1/2 tea) as their Father's day gift. There was also a putting green on one side where they were letting men try to putt a ball.... we didn't go look at it because hubby hasn't played in years. I quit years before that. But whoever won the putting contest, Rob Bell, who is a pro golfer (who apparently has some connection with our church and our pastors), is offering a free lesson or lunch, or just meet up with the winner. I don't know who that is as I don't follow golf. I enjoyed playing when I did, but it got expensive.
Afterwards we went to my youngest son's house for spaghetti and meatballs and salad - and it was all very good. None of the grandchildren or great grandchildren were there so it was pretty quiet and we could hear everyone talking - even with hubby's hearing aids going out ..... again. He can leave them on the charger all night and in the morning they may have only 3 hours on them - or less. He is always complaining about them and I get so weary of it. I get it, though. We all want to hear. Before we turned NCIS on for our weekly addiction fix, I asked if we could wait about turning on the TV so that we could just be quiet (thinking I might read) for a little while. No problem, right? So he's on his phone, and he has the volume turned up because he doesn't have his hearing aids in as they 'died' earlier. He had no clue that the volume he had it at to 'hear' his phone garbage (he was listening to one article, and I listened for a bit and finally commented with 'WHY are you listening to that?') He was listening to some medical person (Dr. Barbara O'Neil) about some stuff and it takes 30 minutes to get through what she says. I've listened to her before, bought her crap, and returned it without opening it - for my refund to be shorted $70 because there was a 'restocking fee'. Nope. I run when I hear her name. He finally turned it off when I got after him. Anyway - the rest of the evening was NCIS repeats.
And it's Monday and I'm back to work. Maybe I'll actually complete the minutes I started on Friday. I was doing well on them until hubby came in to 'talk' and interrupted me... and I never got back on them. I really do need to finish things up this week, get the decks completed for the next meeting, and get some meetings scheduled for next year. I need to. I should. But will I?
My new washer and dryers will be delivered today between 1p and 5p. I'm still curious how they will get them in and out of the house as the doors will have to be removed. But, it is their decision, not mine. The freezer and refrigerator across from them makes the space small to get through, so it will be interesting. But I should be operational this afternoon. Hubby is already fussing about the need to do laundry - it's only been one week, I don't know what his problem is! Come to think of it, the washer and dryer is not for ME, it's for HIM! I only wash my own laundry when he is out and I can sneak and get it done.
And the same thing is happening already with the new Vacmop I bought. He used it last week right after we got it, remember? He was asking last night how many pads did I get with it. I told him he didn't need to mop it again just yet; the house cleaners will be here tomorrow and she will scrub it. Then just once a week, or 'as needed' .... I told him that I've been mopping the floor in between house cleaning visits... but he has now informed me that he is going to be taking that over. That was HIS job in the first place, and he failed to do it. Now that I have a new piece of equipment, it has now become his job. Sigh. Some days that man just drives me insane. What has gotten into him to clean when he hasn't done it in 20 years or more?! It will help, yes, but it is also annoying ....
Romans 12:2 (NIV): Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God's will is -- his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Sometimes we need to change the way we think about others, about ourselves. True? I'm one to grumble a lot, as you know... about hubby and sometimes even about others..... and I shouldn't. That is the way of the world. I need to NOT conform to complaining and whining, as the world does, but to 'change my mindset' to encourage and build up. As much as I don't want hubby interfering with my daily routines, I need to encourage his participation in the upkeep of the house. The fact that he hasn't volunteered in over 20 years is irrelevant, right? He is volunteering to do it now. I need to let him and encourage him. (I'm actually more curious as to the WHY he is volunteering to do it; it hasn't happened before.... ) He used to be so hard on the kids as to keeping the house clean. I know the kids would run a cardboard box over the carpet (or other things) to get that 'line' in the carpet to appear it had been swept (which probably took more work than actually doing the work)... in defiance, of course. Our floors used to be so clean we could sit on the floor and eat off it. I don't know what is going on with him.... but if I can get a clean house out of it..... just saying.
But our thoughts and actions should not be as of the world and how it would react to such things. Our words and actions should reflect the image of Christ. It shouldn't be that hard, but for some of us, we 'forget' and find ourselves falling into the world. Maybe this is a verse we need to be reminded of frequently - until it becomes a part of us. Don't form opinions on others. They are still God's children, created in His image. Don't put down others. They are also God's children, made in His image. And you know what? So are we. Let's transform our thoughts and actions until we are like Jesus.
Have an amazing day!
Blessings!
