A Compassionate Heart

Recently I’ve come to recognize, all too well, the soul-shrinking effects of having too much and giving too little.  Living in abundance has lulled me into forgetting God and relying only on myself.  In the scramble to acquire more, I forgot to be grateful for what I had.   Ignoring those in need numbed my heart, and my greediness has greatly diminished the possibility of receiving God’s grace in my life.  

I have travelled a long road this past year, physically, spiritually, and financially.  If there has been one thing that I have learned, it is this:  God wants more than my just my money.  God wants my heart.  A heart that gives freely, with no strings attached.  A heart that is full of compassion.  He wants a heart that is rejoicing with simplicity and generosity and a heart that yearns for others to have “enough”. 

Of all the things I desire most in my life, I want a heart like that.  What about you?  How is it with your heart?

Peace,  Lauren

God or Stuff?

Do we really trust God with our lives?  Our actual physical lives?  This puts forth a very challenging question.  Maybe we trust God enough with our thoughts and feelings, but what about the material stuff that keeps us fed, clothed, and sheltered?  And what about our attention and our priorities?  Do we trust God with these?

Contrary to the belief that the one with the most stuff wins, it is my belief that the closer you become to God, the less you need, or even desire material things?
 
Jesus teaches us that if we have faith and trust in God, there is always enough.  But how much is enough?

Each day as we pray over our lifestyles, we encounter issues of materialism.  When did we accumulate so much stuff? 

There are times when I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I spend so much of my life spending time focusing on all of my possessions that it makes me wonder what the spiritual costs are of having more than enough, and what it is that really holds my attention.   
God, or Stuff?  

I welcome your comments.
Peace,
Lauren

A Generous God

Have you ever watched a child who, expectantly and excitedly, clutched a coin as he or she awaited the offering plate?

Oh to see the world as a child once again!

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

In a culture where it's easy to think of ourselves as the “breadwinners” or “self-made”, we need to be reminded that all blessings have been given to us by a generous God.

I used to feel that the offering happened without much thought to it. Sometimes I even considered it as an interruption to the “spiritual flow” of worship.  But I have come to find out that it's actually an important, biblical part of the service. It gives me a chance to focus on giving thanks and giving back to the God who has so generously given to me.

Because there has been so much turmoil in the stock market, and in my own financial portfolio, I have decided to take a step back and review my priorities.  I have taken a class on budgeting and I am actually excited to begin a new “lifestyle” by redefining my idea of success and establishing sensible goals for my personal and spiritual future. 

Simply put, my faith has begun to inform the way I live, including how I spend my money!
You see, I have come to realize that it is not a financial problem that causes me to let the offering plate slide past me untouched, it is a spiritual problem!

This year, I have chosen to celebrate the offering!  I am re-evaluating my tithe which I know, in turn, will bring my faith closer and closer to the center of my life and where the offering will become a more natural expression of who I am as a Christian. 

I "Faith-Fully" support New Day United Methodist Church and it's life-changing ministries. 

Who is New Day?  What do we believe?
We, the people of this New Day community, love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, and we are alive because of the gift of eternal life, offered to us by Christ.
We joyfully gather and journey together, encountering Christ and growing in faith.
Although diverse in many ways, we are united in our primary values, which include:

ACTIVELY GROWING in our faith,
UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING others with the grace of God,
OPENLY INVITING new people into the family of God,
IMAGINATIVELY EXPLORING new methods for greater spiritual vitality.

~We Welcome You Home~
"There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home...I'm on my way to get a room ready for you..." ~Jesus                                                                                                                                             Luke 14:2
If this has encouraged and blessed your day, Please log on to http://www.newday-umc.org/ and consider giving a gift to help support our amazing ministries.  We, at New Day, thank you for your support and pray that God will encourage you with the joy of generous giving as he has encouraged us.

Peace,
Lauren 

OFF WE GO!!

Please Join with me, along with New Day UMC in welcoming Leia Williams, Conference Field Coordinator for "Imagine No Malaria",  on Sunday, Sept. 18th at New Day UMC in Big Lake 

Can you believe it?   Churches from around the Minnesota Annual Conference have rallied to support Imagine No Malaria. Even in the midst of summer vacation, churches have already officially pledged over $100,000 to save more than 10,000 lives.

This was made possible by only 11 churches! Can you imagine what will happen once people return from the lake and are back to church attendance and involvement? We are well on our way to saving 180,000 lives or more!

To increase the incentives for significant commitments to Imagine No Malaria, the major donors who initially granted the conference a $600,000 matching gift decided this week to direct their match to churches that set goals to save 10 lives per average worship attendee. The match is dollar to dollar in 2011.

This means that all churches that set a goal to save 10 lives per attendee, complete a goal pledge form, and send it to the conference office by the end of 2011 will actually be saving 20 lives per average attendee!

The fun begins at 10:45am! Come and be a part of the United Methodist commitment to save lives, especially the lives of those who are most vulnerable.

Please contact New Day if you would like more information, and you can learn more about Imagine No Malaria by visiting www.minnesotaumc.org and clicking the Imagine No Malaria logo. You’ll find informational links and downloadable resources.

Have an awesome week, and be sure not to miss this awesome event!
Peace, Lauren