by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Have I mentioned lately how much I love and appreciate Summit Church — the pastors, their families, the elders, life group leaders (Kevin and Carolyn), etc.? Brian and I are very blessed to be a part of this church family. One blessing we’ve discovered since joining Summit is one we never expected to find and that is the ability to “do life” again with friends from a former church — but that’s exactly what’s happened — and continues to happen!
This particular blessing kicked into high gear Sunday morning when Sue Johnson and her husband, Paul, visited Summit for the first time. I’d not seen them since we left our former church in 2008. It was a sweet reunion on many levels.
As the service began, I smiled as I noticed Sue sitting next to Susan B. and waving at Jared G. in the sound booth. Both Susan and Jared were also members of our former church and are now current members at Summit.
Watching everyone wave and exchange hugs after a four year separation immediately transported me back to the time when the four of us (Sue, Susan, Jared, and myself) served together on the design team, alongside the teaching and worship pastors. For years, we gathered weekly in Steve’s office to pray, “design”, and execute upcoming teaching series in creative and meaningful ways. It was the highlight of my week.
So, yes, I smiled on the outside at the sight of my friends together again. On the inside, however, was a twinge of pain as I recalled “what used to be.”
But before the twinge had the opportunity to become a full-fledged ache, God reminded me of how He is using those past experiences to benefit His purposes in and through my life today.
Sadness turned into gratitude.
And gratitude melted into praise.
For everything there is a season.
For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Edie Melson, Jamie Britt, and Vonda Skelton
For this Friday Fave my focus turns towards one of the sweetest and most encouraging young women I know, Jamie Britt. Her physical sight may be impaired but the insight God gives her certainly is not.
Awhile back Jamie asked if I would be a “Friday Friend” on her awesome blog
Encouraging Women. I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. (Thanks, Jamie!)
So, today, would you consider dropping by Jamie’s blog to read our interview? You can read it
here.
Thank you!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
“Discovery favors the well-prepared mind.” -Jerome Bruner
Thanks to an Amazon birthday gift card (thanks Mom & Steve!) I recently purchased Where Do You Get Your Ideas? A Writer’s Guide to Transforming Notions Into Narratives, by Fred White.
I’ve yet to dive in but admit I couldn’t resist dipping my toes into page 31. The subject? Capturing Ideas In Your Writer’s Notebook.
Writing down your thoughts, however amorphous, is important because the very effort to capture ideas in words helps to develop them. One of the most fascinating things about becoming an active idea hunter is that very act of hunting for ideas will sharpen both your observational skills and your imaginative skills. Work hard to cultivate the habit of writing down the ideas you’ve hunted down, even before you begin assessing their story potential.
One idea: Here’s an opportunity to practice idea recognition while simultaneously doing housework: Find a cluttered closet, junk drawer, or corner of your attic, basement, or garage and organize it. As you do so, see how many potential story ideas you can recognize in the items you come across. Here are two examples from a closet purging to get you going:
- Old musical audiotapes from a long-forgotten jazz quartet. Possible idea: What if a jazz enthusiast, recognizing the exceptional talent of this group, sets out to find the individual musicians and reunite them?
- A cache of holiday greetings from twenty years ago, some from friends and relatives you haven’t heard from since or have since fallen out of favor. Possible idea: What would happen if your main character attempted to reestablish a close friendship (implicit in one of the old greeting cards) that had gone sour for some reason?
How and where do YOU capture ideas?
I’ve much to learn but you’ll rarely find me without this in a nearby pocket. In it, you’ll find random ideas, quirky words/phrases, and mini notes from Marcia Moston’s devotions, given every month in our writer’s meeting.
Now to transform my notions into narratives!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Spotted by a delirious woman who was convinced she could dash into Target for just a few stocking stuffers on Black Friday — a plaque that read: One Way to Happiness Is To Follow Your Heart.
Back when I knew of God, but had no personal relationship with Jesus, [an eternal difference] I felt sure that God’s greatest desire for me was to be happy. It was only when I began growing in my knowledge of who God is and who He created me to be that I realized it wasn’t happiness He desired above all for me, but holiness.
Be holy because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16
I have the bumps and bruises to prove that following one’s own heart leads only to disappointment and destruction. Why? Because the heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9) It cannot—nor should it—ever be trusted.
Being happy is a blessing from the Lord but the Word says that if we’re obedient in seeking His kingdom first and foremost, all else will follow — including a joy that plunges deeper and spreads wider than mere happiness could ever offer.
If given the opportunity, my favorite plaque would read:
True Joy Rests in Obedience to the Only Way
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Summit’s series on sharing our grace stories continued this week. Jason’s voice may have faltered a bit but his message did not.
Snippets follow, but I encourage you to listen to the sermon in its entirety when it’s posted Tuesday/Wednesday.
———————
Jason began by reminding us that there are many doomsday people out there but we’re to remember that nothing thwarts God’s plans. Nothing! (Job 42:2) We are not to put our hope in the wrong kingdom.
Luke 10:1-20
- To follow Jesus means to be on His mission, with His message, and the right motivation. We now have a church culture focused on me, my issues, my needs.
- Jesus says to His followers: I’ve given you a story of grace and there are needs out there that only you can meet. You’ve been sent. You’re on a mission with a message. Your grace story matters.
- Don’t rejoice in your ministry or significance. If you rejoice in anything you do, you’ll end up disappointed. Everything we say and do should be Gospel motivated.
- The Gospel is the love you’ve been searching for.
Sharing snippets from such a powerful sermon is a challenge, to say the least. I hope you’ll stop by for the entire sermon on Summit’s site.
Prepare to be blessed!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Who would’ve known how a Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn to Say Please Tea Set could be used to convict, encourage, and glorify God?
It all began while shopping for Piper’s birthday this week. I spotted a sale on Fisher-Price play sets and took full advantage by purchasing an On-The-Go Nativity Set for her birthday and a Laugh and Learn to Say Please Tea Set for Christmas.
When I arrived home that day, I left the tea set sitting in the front floor board. Had I known that every tilting of the pink tea pot produced the sound of pouring water I would’ve kicked my procrastination to the proverbial curb. The first “pour” brought a smile to my face as I thought of Piper, but the continuous (and I do mean continuous!) pouring prompted a whole new meaning.
At one time
we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and
hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.
And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted
in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. -Titus 3:4-8
With every “pour”, my Savior came to mind — proving especially helpful when I became frustrated with the guy in front of me refusing to take advantage of a left turn signal, as well as the time my mind began wandering in a not-so-Christ-like-direction.
Fast forward to this morning when I spotted a Salvation Army volunteer bundled up in a heavy coat, swinging her bell in front of the local Belk. The Lord reminded me of the nearby Starbucks and how a cup of hot cocoa with whip cream could minister to most anyone—and of course, He was right.
I pulled up to the curb, hopped out, and handed the bundled volunteer hot cocoa. The wrinkles on her face glistened with delight as she proclaimed how she’d just told the Lord she could use something warm to drink. We gave God glory for His provision and wished each other a blessed holiday season while I climbed back in the CRV.
As I pulled away, the tea pot tilted and the water “poured”, immersing my heart in gratitude for a plastic pink tea pot and the magnificent ways God uses the simplest of things to bring Him glory.
Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received
from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this
that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. – Acts 2:33
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