Thanksgiving at my house!

I love the holidays - I don't care which one, they all meld together for me anyway. People complain because they can't get through Thanksgiving without seeing Christmas ornaments and music but I think they belong together. Anyway, this year, Thanksgiving was particularly special because all of my family came to my house to celebrate. 6 adults and four dogs (which were constantly being rotated in and out of the garage, the back yard, the laundry room and the house because all of them didn't get along - fun) all crammed into our small house.

Was it different from all the other years, yeah, I guess so. We celebrated on Friday instead of on Thursday because Matt had to work on Thanksgiving. We were eating at my house instead of at mom's. We ate later at night rather than a mid-afternoon meal but really, none of the differences mattered. I just loved my family being together - laughing, loving, helping, playing.

I think God gave us family so that we could understand what heaven will be like when we get there. Community, togetherness, belonging - that's what he created us to be a part of, something bigger and better than ourselves. I think it will be like the holidays - everyone's together, loving each other, playing games, helping. It's the most incredible feeling in the world.

Yesterday I was privileged to sit through a conference on Integrated Mission. What's that? you ask. My response would be, good question, I'll let you know when I figure it out. What I think or what I understand is that it's much more about people leaving buildings and programs and money and becoming part of neighborhoods and communities and taking the gospel to them because they're certainly not attracted to our fancy buildings - go figure. Actually, it all sounded pretty familiar and resonated within me a desire to live that kind of life. A life surrounded by the gospel - not a Sunday, Wednesday, Corps Building gospel. It's a challenge to be S.A.L.T. (Support, Appreciation, Learning, Transfer) in your community - wherever that might be. There are many many people out there already a part of integrated missions - my hand just goes up like a kid in first grade crying out - "Oooh, Oooh, pick me, pick me!"

Let's get on board. Let's become a part of what Jesus was about - being a part of peoples' lives, where they worked, lived, ate, went to school, hung out. I like that idea.

My favorite part of the conference was the end however, when I got to speak with Allison - one of the leaders of integrated mission. Basically, we just talked. About today, where I am, where I want to be but most importantly, what I should be doing in the meantime.

Now, I've got some ideas to grasp onto. Something to look forward to that brings missions into my life without having to wait for Marty to graduate. Isn't that amazing and wonderful! Now there's a challenge.

Finding Grace,
Joy

Just a thought....

The Salvation Army has assigned each country a partner country - or two, or more. Every country in the world that contains The Salvation Army is linked to a partner country. The south, for example, has Eastern Europe, Korea, Portugal, East India and some others. We pray for them, we send our money to them, we send our missionaries there. I think that's wonderful and a great start.

But I wonder, who prays for the countries that don't get a partner? Who sends money to them? Who goes to them? These countries are, by the way, mostly unreached people groups.

Just something for us to ponder.
Grace and justice,
Joy

Carpet Angels

Last night, I got home and did a dance! I ran around the room! I laid down on the floor and made carpet angels (like snow angels just on the carpet). Finally, after a week and a half of trying to get someone to come to our house and lay some carpet, a wonderful Clyde came and put in a beautiful roomful of lush, cut-pile, brown carpet.

Now, the new carpet in the one room makes the rest of my house look like doo but that one room looks AWESOME! We moved furniture back into that room last night, started hooking up the TV and the cable.

It's nice to have things getting back to normal again. No more tripping over the couch every time I had to go up or down the stairs. No more knocking over the VCR, DVD player and the satellite receiver when I walked by the TV. No more reaching over a couple of pieces of furniture to turn on or off the light. Suddenly my living room is so much bigger.

It's amazing what just a little bit of carpet can do.

Now, bring on the rest of the home renovations! yikes.

I blew it!

I'm a goat. I realized it last night. When God separates us, sheep on his right, goats on his left, I'll be on the left. I denied my savior last night. I denied him food. He came to me and asked and I turned him away. You know what Jesus looks like? He looks like a homeless man without any teeth wearing a red shirt that got on the Marta at the Arts Center Station holding a tiny sign and pointing to his mouth then holding out his hand with just a single quarter in it. I don't know if he could speak but he didn't. However, you got his point. He was hungry and looking for money.

And I've been trained. Don't give them money - they only buy drugs and alcohol with it. Okay, so I don't. But last night I had a chance. I was loaded with food - supper for Marty and I. What could have been a feast to this man. And instead of handing over the sack - or even just one tupperware container. I just simply shook my head. What's really sad is that I had even told myself that if anyone asked for food on the way downtown that I would give it to them because they needed it more than I did. And I DIDN'T!!!

How disgusting I am. What a wretched sinner. I met Jesus last night on the southbound train and I rejected him.

When I told Marty he said, "There will be other chances." What about the one I just missed? I'm tired of missing them. Tired of being this way and living this way.

So, next time you see me, and there's a little fur around my collar please don't try and remove it - it's a part of me.

Every day I check all of my friends blogs and then some people's blogs that I don't know but by which I am inspired. Today I realized that I've got nothing that compares to any of their musings. Nothing that even comes close. What they've got to say goes far deeper than my nonsense and means more to me than anything I've ever written - I know that much.

So, I thought, instead of writing something today. I'd just give you a listing of the blogs I check daily and let you see what I mean. These people enrich my life and some of them I've never even met. I hope to some day. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I hope that some day, I get to lead a life as full as theirs.

Mercy and justice,
Joy

http://www.tangosandflowers.blogspot.com/ - Anna and Justin's
http://armybarmy.com/blog.html - Stephen Court and others
http://www.primitivesalvo.blogspot.com/ - Cory Harrison's
http://phillaeger.com/blog.html - Phil Laeger's (duh)
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=kimisloved - Kim Touchton
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=soulful_sallie - Jamie Smith, War College Student
http://splendorgates.blogspot.com/ - Marty's
http://www.urbanarmy.blogspot.com/ - some officer in England who does incarnational ministry
http://brokenandmolded.blogspot.com/ - Sarah Jewett's
http://soigo.blogspot.com/ - I don't know
http://www.theopraxis.net/ - again, I don't know
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=kellydawn525 - Kelly Pope's

I come to work and I read blog's by people like Stephen Court and Captain Gordon and Jamie Smith and others and I'm set on fire. More, more, more, my heart craves more, more, more like the Holy Spirit is a drug and I can't get enough. What's sad however, is that I put him off. I put him off for TV and sleep - for food and relaxation. What am I doing with my life? I'm wasting it away on things that don't matter. I'm blaming my dissatisfaction in my current situation on the fact that I don't have enough time (which I really don't have a whole lot of it but I have enough to make sure I spend it with the Lord) when perhaps the entire problem lies in my lack of motivation. He's been calling to you for a really long time Joy - get out of bed, spend time with Him. It's time you do it. Seriously and longlingly. With love and desire. You need Him more than you need sleep. You need Him more than you need food. What are you waiting for? Get on the ball. Become a part of the game and begin the sanctification process. Quit wishing for it and hoping it will land in your lap. Quit thinking it's the next devotional book away. Get a clue. He lives in you and He wants to share His knowledge with you. Let him be a part of your life, an ever-increasing part of your life.

What are you going to do tomorrow morning when the alarm clock goes off - early because you have to make time for Him? Hit the snooze button or make room in your life for Jesus? Lord, please keep giving me a hunger for you that won't go away so that if I don't obey you it hurts.

just me