Blessed with the Best

Today is the birthday of both my mom and my dad!  What a wonderful day to celebrate the wonderful parents God has blessed me and my siblings with.  Here are some of my favorite things about my parents:

Dad
-I love his love for Jesus and his dedication to the gospel. 
-I love his laugh and sense of humor.
-I love the ways he has invested in my life and my siblings lives.
-I love his genuine heart.
-I love how he loves my mom. 
-I love the positive example he provides of manhood and I so appreciate seeing some of these same characteristics in my own husband. 
-I love how he provides for our family and how willing he is to help me when I need it. 
-I love that if I am confused by anything or have a question about anything I can always approach him and know he will do his best to help me out. 
-I love talking with my dad and I love getting to hear him preach.  
-I love seeing the love he has for others.

Mom
-I love her love for Jesus and her dedication to the gospel. 
-I love talking with her and having her input on what's going on in my life. 
-I love her positive (Pollyanna) attitude.
-I love seeing her with the people she loves most.
-I love how she loves my dad.  
-I love how nurturing she is with my and my siblings as well as the other people she comes into contact with.  -I love the positive example she provides of what a godly woman should look like.  I am so thankful to have this example to follow now as a wife and someday hopefully as a mother.  
-I love our shared interests--certain movies, certain foods, going on walks, etc.
-I love her humility.
-I love the key phrases/pieces of wisdom she has shared with my and my siblings over and over again in our growing up.

Ah, there are so many more things I could share...but 10 is a good number :)  I am so very thankful for both of them and the blessing of having them as parents.  I always miss them when we are apart and am always excited to be reunited with them again.  Blessings on your birthday, Mom and Dad!  I love you both so much!

 

The Servant Song

Before I begin, please excuse me if the phrasing doesn't make complete sense.  

This morning at church I had a song shoot straight to my heart.  It struck me in such a way that for several of the verses I could do nothing but read the words and worship in my heart because allowing them to leave my lips would cause a fountain of tears to rush from my eyes.  I had never heard the song before.  I was struck with the importance of Christian community and relationship.  Human relationship alone is important.  I have been reading Jane Eyre and have been so sad by how lonely she is through different parts of the book.  Life is hard.  It is filled with joys, but also sorrows and having to walk through it alone is a sad, sad thing.

As believers in Jesus, we know that God is always present and that He loves us deeply.  Our life, however, was not meant to be only us and God interacting.  This is seen throughout scripture.  Relationships are important to God.  Jesus himself had his group of 12 who he spent his time with, not to mention Peter, James, and John who he interacted with more closely.  There is a distinct difference in spending time with those you share a common faith with and those you do not.  At least in my experience there is a difference in the way you relate to each, the things you share with each, and even the emotions you feel afterwards.  As believers it is important to reach out to unbelievers, but it is also important to share life with others who love Jesus.  We must encourage and serve one another, continually pointing one another to Christ.

Allow me to share the lyrics to this song with you:

Brother, let me be your servant. 
Let me be as Christ to you.  
Pray that I might have the grace 
To let you be my servant, too. 

We are pilgrims on a journey. 
We are brothers on the road. 
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load. 

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear. 
I will hold my hand out to you; 
Speak the peace you long to hear. 

I will weep when you are weeping. 
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you. 
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through. 

When we sing to God in heaven, 
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.  

As I read the lyrics again to "The Servant Song" I continue to be filled with emotions.  I think of those who have walked alongside me in my faith journey thus far and am thankful.  I think of those who have challenged me spiritually and have helped me to see truth and feel loved.  I think of those I know who are struggling and those who have sorrow and my heart aches for them.  Similarly, I think of those who are going through joyful times and I smile and celebrate with them.  How good of God to give us hearts that relate relationally to others.  Oh the picture of the body of Christ, the church.  May we be servants to one another, walking together on this journey and pointing one another to Christ.

If you would like to listen to the song, here is a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdmgpMfnjdU&feature=fvwrel