Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Sunny Day!


Today is a sunny day!

Literally!

It finally feels like winter is over and spring has sprung!

Dan had his first day at his new job with PGE. He is so excited about it all. This could be the beginning of a very long career with them. That is the hope anyway.
The first week or so is just orientations and safety classes and such. It will take a few months to be fully on board with how things work around there, but he is a sharp thinker and will get it down quickly.

This is the dream job for Dan.

So our question is 'Why would God want to prosper us?'

I know that it pleases God to bring blessings to those who are his children. Just like I have joy in giving good gifts to my children.
We don't deserve His blessings but we enjoy His blessings because he loves us.

So why would God prosper us?

To glorify Him!

This is true whether we prosper or not.

So....

I've been convicted lately that I need to get out of my 'comfort zone' (disobedience).

Our home becomes a fortress when we use it to avoid contact with others.
I want my home to be an embassy that welcomes visitors and shares the Good News by sharing our lives with them.

I'm talking about
Hos...pi...tality

I attended a conference this weekend and one of the areas I was challenged in was hospitality.

I learned that in hospitality, we show our love for God by how we love each other.
Romans 12:10-14

Hospitality is an offering to God that we get to enjoy with others.
1 Peter 4:8-9

I love the idea of allowing our home to be worn out for Christ.
It's to be used because it is an embassy.

Hospitality is also a way to live like a missionary in your own home. Using it to reach out to strangers, neighbors, co-workers, friends and family.
Building relationships and sharing your life.

Do we need a big, perfect home?
Do we need to have perfect children or a wonderful marriage?
Does it have to be fancy food?

No.

If we wait for all those things to line up, we will never open our home!

It's a humbling thing to do and it takes practice doing it.

This is where I am.

I've grown over the last few years. I can make the main areas in my house look comfortable, but don't open the closet door or something might fall out on you. Keep my bedroom door shut because even though the bed might be made, the rest of the room is a cluttered, disorganized mess. And please ignore the other half of the 'play room' (the garage) because it actually looks like a messy garage.

You have to be willing to be vulnerable to people seeing your clutter or disorganization. It's okay because having people over makes us look at these things in a new light and helps us to work on improving them. (They'll never be fully perfect but that's okay too.)

My house stays a lot cleaner when I have people over often.
It has taken a little while, but I am starting to enjoy hospitality. I use to dread having people over because it meant work on my part.
(Shows you how lazy I am.)
Now I'm starting to enjoy it because it is good to share our lives with people and love on them.

Hospitality is not a big deal for some people as they thrive on having people over.
I am learning from them and
need reminding like this weekend.

Dan and I have a new vision for our family.
The starting of a new job is only an outward reminder of this fresh start.

By His grace,
and our humble obedience to Him,
we will live to glorify God!