Another path on the journey toward discipline
I’m realizing more and more that the fruit of many of my struggles come from a certain root. I am a horribly undisciplined person.
So, starting this week, I’m going to attempt to begin a journey of discipline. I’m praying for and working on having more discipline in these areas:
I’m tired lately. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of God telling me to “be patient.” I’m tired of dreaming big dreams but not having the time or means to execute them. And I’m just plain tired physically and mentally.
And I’m wondering if it’s okay. I’m sacrificing sleep in order to both keep my house in order and do a second “job” that doesn’t pay me anything but provide the fuel for what I’m passionate about. I’m sacrificing my dreams and passions in order to provide for my family so that I don’t sacrifice our security.
It’s hard to balance life when certain sacrifices lead you to security but decreased involvement in what you’re truly passionate about and when other sacrifices lead you to a lack of sleep and rest but increased involvement in your dreams and passions.
Is this a life of worship? I don’t know. I just know that I’m doing my best to honor God in my 8-hour workday, taking care of my wife and daughter, AND in attempting to work as a passionate volunteer for the church. I’m trying to follow the command to “whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” from Colossians 3. But I’m tired. And it’s hard lately. Maybe I’m missing something.
Question: How do you balance a full-time job, family life, and what you’re REALLY passionate about? Click here to leave a comment.
This post is part of the How to be an Offering series written every Wednesday. To participate, write a post about how you or someone you know is being a living sacrifice. Link back to this post within your post and leave a comment letting everyone know. Also, if you’re on Twitter, use the hashtag #livingsacrifice.
I hear the screams of my little one from behind the closed door as I wait for her to come back to the hospital room to where she’s been admitted. “Stop! No more! I want to go HOME NOW!” are the words heard through frantic tears and cries as the nurses try three times to get in an IV.
I want to come home, too, my precious little one, and I know your mommy feels it even more. But we’re here. We’re here for you. We’re sacrificing our desire to be at home and relaxing so that these doctors and nurses can help you. We’re sacrificing luxuries that money could buy to make sure we pay whatever it takes to care for you.
I wish you could understand. Even though you are the only 3-year-old I’ve ever met that can lay comfortably in a hospital bed for two days and only ask “Can we go home” a few times I know your little mind doesn’t truly comprehend what’s going on or how much we cherish you.
The countless hours spent preparing your medical equipment, the countless times we’ve cleaned up after you’ve gotten sick, the amount of money we’ve spent to make sure you are strong; it’s all worth it because you are ours. Your mommy and your daddy love you more than you could ever imagine and hopefully you’re at least getting a little glimmer of that love that someday you’ll understand.
And that’s when I think of my Daddy. My Heavenly Father who says, “I’m allowing you this season of your life so that you’ll grow and learn. I’m teaching you patience so that you’ll be able to look back one day and understand. I’m allowing trials to strengthen your faith. I love you even more than you love your daughter because you are mine. I sacrificed more than anything you could ever dream of. For you.”
I hope that I can realize that the sacrifices I make for my precious child are nothing compared to what God has done for me. I also hope I can realize more and more that because of what He did for me, my sacrifices for her mean everything. They mean that someday she’ll begin to see an accurate picture of who her Heavenly Father is through me. It’s a monumental task and one in which I will fail often. But today my prayer is this, “Let me be to her what You are to me.”
Love to you, my beautiful daughter, from Daddy.
Love to you, my precious son, bought with the blood of the One that gave everything for you, from Daddy.
This post is part of the How to Be An Offering weekly series posted every Wednesday. I would love to hear your stories of sacrifice and how you are living a life of worship. To participate, write a post and link directly back to this one in your post. Leave a comment with the link as well. If you are on Twitter, use the hashtag #livingsacrifice.
When it comes to good graphic design most of us don’t immediately think about churches leading the pack. Most of us especially don’t think about small churches producing high-quality graphic design for their ministries. However, I recently came across one church in a small 800-citizen town in Minnesota that is changing that perception. Along with showing you some of what they’re doing I also wanted to share a few ways that even small churches can get away from the typical clip art that we often see churches using.
Worship leader, teacher, and blogger Bob Kauflin and the folks at Sovereign Grace Music consistently produce and record high-quality, Biblical music for the church. They are continually offering a sacrifice of praise through the work of good lyrics, good production, and fresh music that is grounded in truth. I love that they sacrifice hours and hours of time they could be doing something else to spend time writing, arranging, producing and recording in the studio. Take a look at this video overview of their newest album, Risen, just in time for Resurrection Sunday.
