The view from here...

Current view:

God commanded the Israelites to rest on every seventh day. He himself rested after six days of creating. Sounds like a good idea to me! So, hubby took the two oldest boys, I got the girl & baby, and off to Aunt Beth's we go, for a little R&S (reading & surfing the web for me, relaxation & sun for them). I don't like to be cold, even on sunny days. Today is overcast but those little freaks don't care.

I just finished a dance off in the yard with my 2 1/2 year old...I won :) Mostly he just looked at me like I was crazy (apparently, he didn't realize we were *having* a dance off) and Katie said I was embarrassing - a phrase I've heard quite frequently in the past few months. At four years old I swear it was like dealing with a 12 year old, having all of that teen angst in a toddler's body...now she's 9 going on 16 and the fun never stops :x I don't feel I've done my job unless she is yelling that I'm embarrassing her, or I've ruined her life. Then I know I'm doing good!

Church this morning was excellent, and I'm heading back that way in a couple of hours. I know that most of the world goes to church on Sunday mornings only, maybe a weeknight Bible study or youth night...but I need more than that to get me through the week! I need as much of God as I can get.

"...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting (to urge strongly) one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

Paul said, as is the manner of some...it's like he was looking into the future and seeing today, 2009, when so many would go to their one service for the week, two whole hours if God is lucky, and then wonder why they have no victory, why God seems a million miles away...see where I'm going with this?!

I'm not saying going to church gives us some kind of super powers...but it is a great indicator, in my experience, of where you are in your walk with God. Many treat church like a required duty. Put in their two hours then don't give it another thought until next Sunday. But I say, if you truly love God like you claim, it's not a duty to be endured but like visiting a friend, a favorite relative, a vacation...and we should treat it as such. I can't take all the credit for that last sentence...I have a pretty smart pastor ;)

Just take this test: next time you start getting ready for service, or even think about going, check yourself. Are you excited? Can't wait to see how God will reveal Himself to you in the next few hours...or dread. Are you dragging your feet or trying to hurry up and get there. And I don't mean on time, necessarily, because I would fail that test LOL. I am either right on time or late, but not because I dread going. I'm just a bad manager of my time. After I drag myself out of bed (I'm not a morning person) and start getting ready, I feel the excitement start building. David, a long distance relative, once said, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord!" And that's how we should feel.

Well, enough of my soapboxing...time to get kids dried off and ready for service #2.

Remember: there are reasons Paul told us to come together more often in the end. For starters, we get strength from each other, we overcome by the word of our testimony (Revelations), and when just two or three of us gather together, God said He'd be in our midst. Isn't that alone a wonderful reason to meet as often as possible?

Enjoy your Sunday!