Welfare

Jeremiah writes to the Israelites who are in exile in Babylon. Prosper here, marry your children off, “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7). If the city prospers then you will prosper.
Then I must ask myself, am I concerned about the welfare of my city? Or am I just concerned about my own welfare, my situation, my surroundings. Is my church concerned about the city or just the people within the walls? Are people just going to magically show up on our doorstep? Maybe. but probably not. What if we went out? What if the church helped people “go out” instead of just saying “go!” What can we do to reach our city? What can I do to reach my city? How can I help others “go!” How can I go?

I was surprised when I heard that Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t destroyed because of their sexual perversions. However, according to Ezekiel 16:49 “the guilt of Sodom was that the people had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” Is that us? Is that me? Do I live in abundance yet neglect the needy around me. If we are at war then why do I surround myself with elegance as if we aren’t at war (John Piper)? Can I “live more simply so others can simply live” (Gandhi)? Am I complacent? Am I too comfortable?

As a church member, as a youth leader, as a wife and mother, as a Christian, how can I organize my life so that my life makes a difference in the Kingdom of God? How can I use my time and energy to engage the poor and needy for the glory of God? What can I do? Who can I be? Lord, by your grace and mercy guide my feet with purpose and my heart with a passion for the welfare of McKinney/Dallas.

Embrace or Repress

Well it's been an interesting week to say the least. If life wasn't surprising then it would be boring. Who likes boring? In light of the events of this week I've found myself reflecting on my feelings; it's helped that Addison has been away at her Nana and Granpaw's house. It seems in life that you can either repress/ignore your emotions or embrace them. A couple of examples come to mind: with playing soccer I never embraced my feelings of anxiety or excitement. I tried to repress them which never worked very well. Repressing them led to more anxiety. By not dealing with them I had to deal with their side effects. It's in embracing these feelings that separates good athletes from the great ones.
Also, last night after the youth bible study Warren (an elder) spoke about the tension he felt in his heart as a result of hearing John Piper's video. He said we can either embrace the truth, though it may be a hard teaching, or we can run from it. I've often found that true in my spiritual walk. God reveals himself and I can choose to step closer, which often seems scary, or I can step away. I'm not sure if I've ever chosen to step away, but by not stepping forward I've "stepped away."
So it goes with this difficult situation. I can try to repress my feelings but that seems to create a fog of sadness. I don't want to live in a fog. It's hard to describe this fog, everything feels heavy and distant. I've tried this go-round to address my feelings rather than repressing them. What's wrong with feeling sad? It's only in naming my feelings and taking them to God that I can embrace them and live an abundant life.

The last 6 weeks

Or has it been 2 months since I've written? Well, we were looking to
buy a house and we decided that was not the best decision right now.
So all that time "wasted" looking at houses will be wisdom for our
next home buying experience. For now, we've settled into our 2
bedroom, 1000 sq. ft. apartment in McKinney. Everything fits nicely
for now. When we add baby #2 it shall be a bit more tight but
manageable.
We have not decided on a name yet. It didn't seem this difficult when
we named Addison. We'll decide shortly; what's the rush? Hopefully we
have 14 more weeks.
Since I wrote last, Addison is walking very well. She loves to read
books. If I am sitting down she takes that as her invitation to bring
me a book to read. Her newest thing is trying to feed herself with a
spoon. She does really well and can sometimes get food on the spoon.
It takes longer to feed her but she has to grow up somehow. At her 15
month checkup she was 24lbs. In the 60th percentile. I can't remember
her height but she was in the 74th percentile.
Also, on the homefront Tracy got a job with CBeyond. He will sell
broadband and phone service to businesses. It starts this Monday. I
also am taking 12 youth to a camp this Monday while Nana and Granpaw
take care of Addison.
That's all for now!