Downstairs or Upstairs...Doesn't Really Matter.

Well, I'm finally on my maternity leave. We had a beautiful baby girl on July 24th, and today was my second Sunday back in church and upstairs with the 'big kids' for worship. Our pastor was speaking about the presence of God, and it got me thinking. Thinking about a certain number of people who feel they can't 'miss out' on what's going on upstairs in worship on a Sunday morning. That is such a great quality to have in a church. A place where people come with expectations that God is going to show up, and that His presence is real and active in our services. Praise God for that! There is no down side to this, only an awareness as a children's pastor that those same people who don't want to 'miss out' unfortunately use this reason on occasion as an excuse for not getting involved in serving in our children's programs. Ouch...could this really be true?


This morning I was able to peak in on our children's ministries department, and it did nothing but put a huge smile on my face. Leaders were interacting with enthusiasm, encouraging children in activities; lovely ladies and young people were sitting on the floor while playing and cuddling with our nursery babies. It was a noisey, energizing beauty to behold. Okay, I'm a cheesey children's pastor...but hear me out. I am absolutely enjoying being upstairs during my maternity break. I remember a time long ago when I longed to be 'upstairs', simply to have a break from the weekly grind of doing children's ministries. But I can say with all honesty that I felt the same welling up in my spirit, a realization of the presence of God, as I peaked into the 'sanctuary' downstairs, as I did being in the dynamic service upstairs with arms raised in worship. The presence of God is alive and well in children's ministries, and it's felt and seen in the diligent service of our volunteers and the growing hearts of our kids. It's shown in the integrity of workers who know that they too are tending the flame of the altar, and stoking the coals being lit by the Spirit in our children.

What a great feeling this morning to know in my heart of hearts that while I can enjoy being upstairs with the grown-ups, I can testify to anyone who would listen that in NO WAY do people 'miss out' on God's presence while serving in church. His presence goes with us, and through us. It truly does consume us, and our call in children's ministries is to help our little ones to be consumed by an awesome God as well.

One of our up and coming junior leaders asked me this morning when am I coming back downstairs again. She had an innocent but loyal longing in her eyes. I wish I could have explained to her better that I have this one precious year to spend on maternity leave and so I won't be downstairs in kidz church until that time is up. I would have said to her with equal loyalty "I wish I was with you guys right now", but I didn't. Instead, I smiled knowing that the presence of God is alive and well in our Lakemount Kidz. Upstairs or downstairs, it really doesn't matter. We are all in His wonderful capable hands.

Never Tire of Doing What is Right

All month long we are learning about PATIENCE in Kidz Church. It is timely in so many ways, especially since May leaves most of us thinking "Is it summer yet?" and "How many more weeks until the next long weekend?" Being 7 months pregnant with only 9 more weeks of work means I need more patience now than ever. Patience with time, and a little patience with myself and the numerous emotions that are raging in my somewhat swollen incubator of a body.

The verse that we referred to yesterday was "Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9. This morning I received an email from a friend of mine who I first met on an oversees missions trip when I was sixteen years old. We kept in touch over the years through letters and phone calls, and now facebook. Last summer her family came to visit us and I saw her for the first time since we were both kids. In her email she quoted a scripture that God had spoken to her through, and thanked me for supporting her over the years. I am so proud of how strong she has become! What made me even more impressed was how long ago the first seed of our friendship was planted, and how God knew we would need each other years later to support and encourage one another when the going gets tough.

We live in a Drive-Thru society, where everything needs to be instant, and answers need to be a Google click away...but that's not the way the Kingdom of God works. He has a master plan that is beautiful, intricate in detail, purposeful, and life-giving. Somehow in the middle of His story, He takes the time to weave our stories through the lives of those around us both near and far. Life isn't simple. The longer I'm around the more I realize that things aren't black and white, and easy to explain or fix. Yet I find peace and assurance that the Author of life sees the table of contents, along with the chapters and verses yet to be written. We just need to have patience, and not give up.

He loves us. One day we will reap our rewards.

The Life Within Me

I'm sitting at my desk and working hard to get all I have to accomplish done for family & children's ministries this week at our church. Meanwhile I have a precious little baby growing inside of me who is making his/her presence known in my body more and more each day! In fact this baby has been kicking me for the past 20 minutes straight, which is making me start to feel hungry and begging me to ask this question to my unborn child: "Yes? May I help you with something?"

Being pregnant and being in ministry is a fun combination. I'm sure other moms will testify that the months prior to a baby being born are both exhausting and exhilirating! I'm currently heading into my third trimester and I'm quite aware of the "nesting" that is happening both at work and at home. Suddenly I can see every crack in the wall of the preschool room at church, and find myself going through paint chips for the church nursery and our new child's room at the same time. At work every flaw in our children's programming feels gigantic, and I have this sometimes overwhelming feeling that I need to re-vamp our entire children's ministry program...just because. Don't get me wrong, I'm very aware that in less than three months I'll be leaving my post in the capable hands of someone else, and will simply have to 'let it go' until I return from my maternity leave. But it's a reminder that having "life" growing inside of you, makes you do EXTREME things.

Last week I realized that there is a part of me that feels invinceable when I'm pregnant. Afterall, if my body is made capable of nurturing, growing and sustaining a whole other life inside of me while I continue to function as a spouse, mother, pastor and friend...what CAN'T I accomplish?! Or so I reason. It's a strange 'I am woman, hear me roar' kind of feeling to say the least, but the life within me makes me feel strong and excited. Although at times I forget that I'm wearing elasticized pants and baggy shirts for a reason, it's when I feel this sudden kick in my abdomin that I'm reminded...oh yeah, someone else is there.

Without trying to be sacreligious, it's the closest physical resemblance to having the Holy Spirit living within me. We know the Holy Spirit abides in the life of a believer who has confessed Jesus as Lord and Saviour. However, there are few times that we feel an actual physical kick in our gut to remind us that He is there and present. Yet He is. I'm thankful we have spiritual 'nudges' and sometimes even 'quickenings' in our hearts that tell us that God is trying to get our attention. The longer we have been aware of the Holy Spirit's presence, we begin to recognize how He communicates to us, and we stop mistaking it, in a way similar to first trimester 'butterflies'. But what if we made the effort to continually be aware of the Spirit's life within us? What if we carried within us not just a feeling, but the knowing that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us? What if we responded to the growing knowledge of His presence in our lives? What could we accomplish then, even though extreme?

I get really busy doing my job which is all for Jesus anyway, and I almost need that physical nudge to remind me to stop doing things in my own strength. We have the greatest resource available to us as believers that brings us life, strength, focus, encouragement, and sometimes simple and pure joy-like the promise of new life coming.

God, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit living within me.
Thank you, not only for the new life that is living within me, but the Life that is within me because of your Son Jesus' sacrifice.

Help me to embrace new life today.

The Entrusted Ones

Once in a while I'm reminded in an almost whisper, of the sacred privilege we are given by God to be a part of His purposes. Afterall, we are only mortal clay who have been put on this earth for a short time, with all our flaws and all our inconsistencies. Yet God himself chooses to partner with us, for both His pleasure and our own.

Alright, before I get into the "woe is me" and the "I am but a worm" speech...let me remind all of us of the confidence that comes when we embrace the truth about our identity in Christ. We are mortal clay. But we are mortal clay that God himself by divine design decided to breath life into, and to make us in His image.

From the very beginning God made us to be his entrusted ones. Entrusted with the very plans and purposes of God.

This past week was probably one of the most difficult ones for me as a children's pastor. On Thursday, I lit a candle of hope for an infant from our congregation, with prayers that his miraculous healing would bring him many more days. On the next Monday I spoke words of comfort to that young baby's family at his funeral, realizing his healing had come in a different way. It was in that moment I realized I had been entrusted. Entrusted not only with the good and happy times that my profession so often brings; but entrusted with the tough and difficult moments that sooner or later everyone faces. Sometimes we wonder how we would cope in the middle of a crisis, or in a situation we only hope to never endure. That's when the awesome Creator breathes life into us once again, and we find new strength where there wasn't before.

What has God entrusted you with? What part of the entrusting did you think he didn't consider when he called you to the place you are today? You are his entrusted one. You are strong enough for today. You are exactly who he made you to be, and he stills trusts you. Just lean on him.