Filed under: Uncategorized
I am a rebel. I hate being told what to do or how to behave. I don’t want someone to correct me or tell me how I should do things. But lately, I have felt like I am fighting a system that isn’t fighting back. Why does it matter if someone questions the things I say? Why should it bother me if someone gives me advice? It shouldn’t! While I know that I have to take others’ opinions of me with a grain of salt, God has placed people in my life for a reason.
Is this need to rebel always a bad thing? I can think of a few times in my life when I should have been a little more rebellious. I conformed for so long with what I thought my life should be. I didn’t really question that expectation. If I had questioned it, bucked that system, I would have avoided a LOT of heartache for myself, for others, and for God.
I recently went to a wedding for an friend from college. I got to see this group of fantastic, really fun girls that I had lived with for 3 years. We started swapping old stories and laughing at some of those funny dorm moments. Then it hit me, the girl they remembered isn’t me. I am not the same. I used to be a rebel against everything my parents had taught me to love. Now, I am in rebellion to the lies that I lived under then. I used to do everything I could to PROVE that I was not a pastor’s daughter. Now, I am serving and loving MY God and finding myself led to go into ministry myself. I guess the difference is… I am a rebel with a cause now.
I was speaking to a friend a few weeks ago about her Godstory. The thing she kept saying was, “He speaks through music to me. Not just Christian music, but all types of music.”
This got me thinking about music and what it says. This week, I am going to write about some unexpected messages I have heard in songs. Check back for more…
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I have managed to go more than a month without writing. This is what happens when I tell myself that things will be taken care of the next day, every day. So, I am going to do what should have been my topic on January 1. My goals for the next year:
1. SAY NO! I am learning that I need to take care of myself. I cannot do everything. Honestly, if I am doing everything, then I am selfishly keeping others from getting to be a part of things.
2. STOP WHINING! I have a fantastic life. I have a good job, a good family, and a GREAT GOD! What do I have to complain about? Someday, I may have that family I dream of, but I get to have a great life now.
3. STOP PROCRASTINATING! I used to make the excuse that I work well under pressure. Really? I don’t enjoy being rushed. I am going to do those things that are before me today, not tomorrow.
4. TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! I am going to do the small things: 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, 30 minutes of activity, all the dairy I should. I am not going to worry about how I look or what I’m not. I am just going to be more healthy.
There you go! Now that I have managed to put this off for two weeks, you know what my goals are for 2009!
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I think I have amnesia.
I forget things all the time.
I forget things right after they happen.
I forget miraculous things.
I forget all the things that God has done for me, the things He has saved me from so far.
I forget that He died just so He could be with me.
I forget that He has shaped history just so I would be alive right now, right here.
I forget that (most likely) He created the coffee bean plant just for me!
I forget that He made sure I was born into my family; so, I can live my life having learned from an amazing spiritual legacy.
I forget that during at least 3 different points in my life, God has kept me alive when the situation could have easily killed me.
See, I must have amnesia if I am able forget all these things God has done.
And I must be able to forget because I keep worrying about my future.
So, what do you need to remember?
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: confession, criticism, kids, pastor's kid
You give my dad a headache, I’ll make your kid cry.
I know, it isn’t very Christ-like, but neither is pestering your pastor. When my dad pastored a church near St. Louis, there was this one family that FOREVER bothered my dad about one thing or another. I mean, they told my dad that I shouldn’t be able to wear shorts (that were almost knee-length) because it was immodest. My dad told them that I was 5 years old, and he was pretty sure my calf was not immodest. But they were constantly harping on weird little things. They caused arguments and problems in the church more times than I can count. They criticized my father any chance they got. I know you don’t think little kids notice, but I guarantee that your pastor’s kid knows exactly what people support their dad and what people don’t.
Well, their youngest son was in my kindergarten class. I MAY have beat him up at recess on a regular basis.
Hey, you don’t mess with my dad.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: church, confession, kids, preacher's kid
Growing up as a pastor’s daughter was fantastic in so many ways, but then there were those other things about it. See, there are some ideas people have about PKs (as those in the secret society call ourselves). I am going to explain a few of these over the next few days. Some of these are funny (at least to me!); some of these are as serious as two old ladies bringing the same dish to a church dinner. So without further delay:
I was not created solely to be an example of godly living for your bird-brain kid.
First things first, just because my father was called to be a pastor does not mean that I am some weird spiritual prodigy. I was a normal kid. I didn’t even like some of your weird kids that I had to be nice to every week. I was not a very sweet child; so, my poor mother was constantly being berated with the fact that I was mean to some kid. She had to listen to this bizarre idea that I was somehow NOT the same as every other kid many times. She would glare at me across the room as she calmed some mom down and told her that I would be “dealt with” immediately. Then, she would hang up the phone and have a conversation that sounded something like this:
“Hope, why is it so hard for you to just be sweet to other kids?”
“Mom, they’re stupid! They keep asking the teacher dumb questions. Why can’t…”
Then she would shake her head and walk out of the room.
My dad, however, would look people in the face and tell them that he was the pastor, not his 5 year old. I LOVED getting to see this side of my dad. He had my back. And he taught me very early on that I was not defined by what he did. He never allowed people to treat me differently. Now, he would tell me to be nice and teach me all those lessons that parents should, but he refused to have me held to some special standard.
Even now when I deal with kids at church, I remember this. I don’t expect any kids from “those families” to be anything but their age. By the way, I also know that any crazy scheme that the pastor’s kid gets caught in the middle of doing, the deacon’s kid is TOTALLY behind it.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bible, God, Good day, Scripture, talk
Do you know how great it is to have a GOOD talk with a friend? You know, one of those hours long talks with an old friend that leaves you feeling like you have talked about everything in the world?
I got to have one of those this weekend WITH GOD! How cool! I mean, I had an hours long, curled up on my couch with a cup of coffee and a blanket talk with the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. Life is amazing!
It all started on Thursday here. That night, I marked up First John like it has never been marked. I couldn’t stop (in the best possible sense!). I spent ALL day at work thinking about getting home to read it again. I don’t think I have ever DESIRED to read scripture like this. When I came home Friday night, I read more. It was great, but then…
I woke up at 8 am Saturday. I made coffee, grabbed a muffin, and began my chat. I started in First John again (I know!). Then, because I am trying to learn to be quiet for once, I began to chase rabbits throughout scripture bouncing from one verse to the next about mouths, lips, talk, words. I stopped at lunch and fixed something to eat. The whole time I carried on some rambling talk with God. I then refocused back on First John. The conversation did not end until I got ready for church after 3 pm. Really? THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH HUNG OUT WITH ME ALL DAY! How cool is that?
It isn’t done… there is NO WAY that I am going to end this conversation. If you are lucky, I just might share some of the amazing things He had to say to me!
How do you talk to God? How do you hear Him talk to you?
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I spent some time talking to a few VERY wise people today and want to share the things I was shown…
1. “With many words comes folly.” I tend to talk without thinking and it creates problems like the one today. The less you say, the less there is to misunderstand.
2. “You sound way too angry. Don’t do anything rash.” Sometimes you need to stop and listen.
3. “Be still and know that God is fighting for you.”
4. “Remember the source.”
5. Satan uses our strengths to attack us.
I love the wise women (and guy) that God has placed in my life. It is with counsel from them that I will become wise myself.
