My semester

Before my  9 am class every Tues/Thur I go to the local Panera for an hour to sit and enjoy myself after dropping off my daughter.

I have met the couple whose husband's health is declining and his humor just increases--Always a jolly "hello, this chair is open for you" invitation.

There is the table of seniors who share life...some married, most not. They pass stories and photographs while enjoying their toast and coffee.


There is usually a couple of senior guys at their own table, nonchalontly scanning the restaureant while discussing man things in their deep voices.


And
there is the great grandpa with the charming smile who comes over to me each week to flirt with me shamelessly. He brightens my morning with stories of his sassy, great-granddaughters, his troublemaking youth, his German speaking adoptive parents, his rich family life....


He calls me toots, and cutie,and beautiful. He discovered today I was a "frau" not a "fraulein" much to his "disappointment".
He mingles expletives, flirtations and hilarious stories with ease. Oh how the girls must have fallen for him and his Irish Catholic charm.
I think I need to take another class next semester! :)

Friends/Family/Family of God

I know what family is. I know the good of it and the bad of it. I know basically they are stuck with me and I am stuck with them----Whether we like it or not.

Perhaps I thought the family that God brought together was a rosy, glowy, better version of that.

"My brother and sister in Christ..." 

ya know?

The main difference between earthly families and "the Body of Christ" is Jesus. Because let's face it, the family Jesus has brought together is made of the same messy people.  

(Ephesians 4:9-16 ESV) 

He/Jesus
makes the Body...

He/Jesus
is the Head...

And He/Jesus
gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
(why did HE give us these giftings?) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
(what does the "fullness of Christ" NOT look like?) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
(what does that "fullness of Christ" look like?) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way
into Him, who is the Head,
into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

I've learned, when Jesus steps in, gently showing me the way He views things, it is always quite backwards-y. (from my human perspective). 
In a recent heartache, the Body of Christ that I am a part of changed and became something very different.

Jesus' perspective makes me dizzy and a bit catywompus, so I am glad He doesn't crash Truth on me in huge doses. 
My husband just had a stroke. It crashed in on Him and he said it felt like he was quite outside of Himself and looking in. He saw himself acting drunk (which he's never been). He saw himself having no control which I suppose is a pretty good description of how it feels when God gives me a glimpse into His Truth. 

whoa!! I'm really that "off", God??

The Body of Christ, that I am a part of, is being shifted 

into Christ like Paul tried to share to the Ephesians.

Not the way I would have imagined, because it involved the leaving of dear ones...with no explanation...with no warning.
But srangely enough, we who remain are now experiencing how
He is the one who has "joined and held us together". We are learning that
He is the one "equipping" us now and "enabling each of us to work properly". And we will continue to watch with great hope because of His faithfulness to see how
He will "make this body grow so that it builds itself up in LOVE."

PFO Article- NFL Draft Player

This is what they found in Randy's heart and will be fixing later in March...

Crazy medical technology stuff, no?

Tests

Early this week I had a big accounting test, and life of course, is a test.  Last time I had an accounting test I studied like crazy...and got a sty in my eye. This time a new sty appeared and I had an ongoing headache and anxiety.  
I found out that I got a 96% and instead of relief, I just felt like crying...

Funny how the verse I read that morning was Jesus' words:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I have so much to learn.

What is ministry?

Our friend and pastor wove Randy's story and his most recent sermon series on Philippians into this beautiful blog entry. Read, be blessed and consider "ministry" anew...