Ordinary glory

I am usually so excited to post when I have pictures to accompany my thoughts and stories, but I had to convince myself it was ok to post without the visual aids to accompany the words.

I had a good day, and I just wanted to share a little bit about it. I enjoyed church this morning. We had our congregational meeting to talk about the vision for the church for the year. I had been dreading this meeting due to some hesitation, and I will admit even bitterness, towards our being in the ministry. I had been dreading the moment when the pastoral staff and families would be asked to leave while the rest of the church discussed our salary, in detail. Lately I have been battling in my heart over the financial struggles that we accepted when we entered the ministry. But, as the pastor preached in the service about the vision of our church to expand the kingdom of God, I felt frost begin to melt around my heart. And when the moment came when we were asked to leave, Matt and I joined the other two pastors and their wives in the lobby where one of the pastors asked us all to pray for a woman who was visiting from a church in Oklahoma that is undergoing a nasty split. So while the rest of the church was discussing our salary, I was a part of the ministry team in the lobby praying for a woman I have never met and her church which I have never visited. I felt a part of something powerful and called by God, not excluded and placed on display for others to pick apart my private life, which I had expected to feel like. God has called us to a life of giving of ourselves, and the truth of the matter is that it is not just Matt and I that are called to selflessness. Everyone is called to die to themselves. Matt and I are just called to a particular kind that is officially labeled "ministry". And by the way, I found out that while we were out in the lobby, the elders announced to the congregation that Matt was brought on full time this month with a full time salary, and the whole church errupted with clapping. That is love, not nosey prodding.

Tonight we had a youth leader meeting, and it was so fun to laugh and think hard with these people who I already love so much! We came up with the phrase "the fun people in the church are youth leaders"! It is so wonderful to be in ministry that flows out of your gifts and personality, and Matt and I feel that way about youth ministry. As soon as we stray from our hearts and personal calling and try to make youth ministry something contrived, it ceases to be genuine and passionate. So in the midst of what has felt like a tough month and a half, I was so blessed by the ordinary glory of today.

Ok, so I couldn't resist giving you some eye candy....being able to post my photography so easily is one of the things I love most about blogger. Here is a picture that I took of myself in the mirror on our road trip/move out to California.


This second picture is one that I took in Brooke's backyard of one of the many amazing California sunsets. This area has the most amazing and clear sunsets!!


One last picture...I also loved the way this flower turned out. It was perfectly facing the sun and so perfectly posed for a shot. I love how flowers don't squint in the sunlight!