Holy as He is Holy....

Yesterday in staff meeting. Which always blows me away. Because it's me. 3 pastors. Our administrator. And our office manager, who relects true inner grace and beauty more than anyone I have ever come across. They all have at least 11 years on me. And have such spiritual maturity that at times I feel like just an infant.

Anyhow we did a little church health assesment. My senior pastor is working on his Doctorate. His on the O. He figures it will take him roughly 6 years to get it. He's on his 2nd. So it's the O. However the church assesment was for an upcoming class that he is taking.

We had to answer some very thought provoking questions.
Previous church assesments I have been involved in have been as simple as
"How many small groups do you have?" "Are they well attended?" "How many people come to your church?"
Lame questions - that don't really give you an good idea of the health of your church.

We answered as a team - questions like:

**To what extent are people in our church committed to being holy as God is holy?
**To what extent do the people in our church avoid judgemental attitudes and accept one another just as Christ has accepted them?
**To what extent are the people in our church committed to doing good works because of thier salvation?
**To what extent are the people in our church praying that they will reflect the love and holiness of God Himself?
**To what extent are people in our church ministering to one another by practicing all of the "one-another" injuctions?

That is just a few of the questions we answered about the health of our church. But to reflect on them... to ask myself those same questions. To what extent am I commited to being holy as God is holy? I think about the word "committed". The first thing that comes to mind, is the commitment I have to my husband. He will be my husband until we die. He is the only man in my life. He will come before everything in my life, but not before God. It is a strong commitment. But is a commitment really a commitment if it is not strong? Am I committed to being holy as God is holy? I think I have a wussy commitment to being holy - or I wouldn't curse in my mind, just because the word doesn't make it out of my mouth, doesn't mean I am being holy. That is just ONE example of not being holy. I know I will never be holy as He is holy, but what commitment do I have to trying? I think it's a lame one. An "I'll come to your Christmas party, if I feel up to it" kind of commitment. An "I'll get up at 6:30am, when I don't really have to" kind of commitment.

I know realization of it is the first step to truly being committed to being holy as God is holy.

I wanted to write about my pregnancy, but theres not much to say. I'm 17 weeks. Have not felt the baby move yet. We have an ultrasound schedule for Dec. 24th at 10:15 am, where we will get to see the baby. The ultrasound tech will put GIRL or BOY in an envelope and we will open it with my crazy family on Dec. 25th at 11:01am. I say 11:01am because we can not go to my mom's before 11 to open presents because her and my step-dad sleep forever in the mornings.... In 10 weeks I will beging my third and final trimester. Nothing in my life has ever passed me by faster than the last 17 weeks, and I know the next 10 will fly by. Then, I hear, time slows down a little bit. I am enjoying every new phase, craving, and pain that I am having.

I have directed my first Christmas program as a Children's Ministry Director. It will be the Sunday, December 16th. So wierd to know that in 4 more Christmas' that our first child could be in the church Christmas program. And if he or she is anything like thier Dad, they won't stay out of the spotlight.

It's now 4:42pm. It's time for me to leave work and enjoy my non-minstry Thursday evening. (That means my husband and I can do whatever we want and don't have to go to Youth Group, Awana, BFC meeting, or any of the other things that we do on most other nights of the week.)

The fall of Veggie Tales

I have a myspace that I check regularly. I spend most of my time catching up with teens from the church and a little bit catchin up with the adults in my life.

I don't enjoy "blogging" in my myspace, the things that I choose to write on myspace, are usually very purposefully written towards the teens.

I don't write about my pregnancy, which I should.

And I just read the most amazing LONG article about Phil Vischer, the fall of Big Idea, & Veggie Tales, AND I don't want to write about it my myspace.

I have a live journal that I check once a week. I don't really know why anymore. Routine.

And now I am here.

But here is where my grown-up friends are.
And I think I might be a grown-up to.

I am a chlidren's ministry director. I have always cared about the things that enter a child's heart and mind. And I always want those things to point a child to Christ.

I have watched a lot of Veggie Tales, but now that I am going to be a parent, I don't feel like I have read enough or watched enough of the things that will enter my child's heart and mind. Because now it is MY child that I want to be pointed to Christ. Oh how this will open my eyes.

I didn't think the feelings would change that much with a child on it's way. I thought I always cared a lot, but now, I care more than I did. In fact I care more today than I did yesterday. I only imagine that pattern will continue again tomorrow.

Which means I want to read and investigate everything that I come across, more that I already do in my job.

I've read three children's books today, I've read several book reviews, found a website that does christian children book reviews that I trust and like, and read the entire story behind the bankruptcy of Big Idea (the Veggie Tales company).

All because I happened to want a little background on a couple different things.
http://www.philvischer.com/index.php/?p=38 (Story of what happened to big idea?)

So I read the 10 page story of how the bakruptcy happend.

I took me awhile, I hate reading that long of articles on my computer, my hand fell asleep because my head was rested on my palm which my elbow and fore arm were supporting. Poor squashed, sad, asleep hand.

I was riveted by the article. I've always loved the business side of things - management and people and goals. And in ministry it is different. Because it's ministry, I know that that each person that I work with on a daily basis loves Jesus with all thier heart, or they wouldn't be working at a church. You don't work at church because you make lots of money. In fact, if you work at a church, you must ask yourself more than once, if you would do your job for free. And when you say yes, you must mean it. I am blessed to be paid for what I do.

I will begin posting in here more. I imagine. Especially as the pregnancy progresses.

Married

I should have posted about this sooner... as it has been almost a week now...

On Saturday, August 25th at promptly 1:00pm, I was married to the most amazing man I know. A man who wants to lead me, love me, respect me and further me on in my relationship with Christ.