LIVING HAPPY AND FREE! Isn’t that everyone’s dream? Living stressed and in bondage. Isn’t that how the biggest share of people
today live? Instead of living their
dream, they are experiencing their own worst nightmare. I’ve participated in a
lot of great, thought-provoking conversations this week – and I have tried to
open my eyes and my heart ever wider in an attempt to understand better what
living happy and free meant to our Creator when He was planning our lives. I have a feeling that His script compared to
our biographies varies a whole lot!
There’s HIS plan … and then there’s our plan and how we’ve chosen to
live our lives. I guess I’ve been unusually
reminiscent of our lives as my husband and I will celebrate forty-two years of
marriage this week. That’s a long
time. I used to think people who were
married that long – were OLD! Not
anymore! My mind has raced across the
years and the partial biography we could write thus far. I try with all my might to not live with
regrets. But being as human as anyone
else, there are definitely some things I would do differently if I could live
those experiences over again. Each day
God teaches me more, and I hope I am an attentive student and an eager
learner. I really don’t want to make the
same mistakes over and over – but yup, sometimes I do! I think, “Will I ever get this right?” God knows I will. While
Satan tries his best to throw self-condemnation all over us as God’s kids, I
love that there is one thing I have gotten right through all these years. And that is … “NO MATTER WHAT – I HAVE KNOWN
THAT GOD’S LOVE IS STILL WITH ME!” I don’t
think there’s ever been a day that I have felt like God was not with me. Or that I thought He didn’t love me. Ever.
There’ve been times that I’ve asked Him, “What in the world are You
doing, God? I’d really like to know,
because what’s happening sure doesn’t make any sense to me at all!” But always, no matter what … I’ve known He is
with me and He loves me! And that
knowledge and belief has carried me through a lifetime of joys – and a lifetime
of trials. God has been SO faithful to
us every day of these forty-two years – and His love has been SO constant in
our lives that we want to be a daily testimonial in front of everyone we cross
paths with. We want to share with them
that they, too, can discover happiness and freedom in the knowledge and belief
that God’s love is with them.
Still. Always. Ever. Yesterday. Today.
Tomorrow. Forever. Without fail.
WITH them! That’s
scriptural. One of Jesus’ names, “Emmanuel”
means “God with us”! But in the moments that
I stop to really listen to what God is saying to me, I realize how often I
respond to my stress-points in ways that prove that I’ve lost focus on the fact
that He is still with me … that He still loves me. For if my focus was on what I know, I would
not think I have to figure it all out on my own, or that it must make sense to
me. Sound familiar? Initially I would not feel like I have to
find the solution; I would from the first moment be fully aware that God is my
Source for every answer I lack, for every need that I have. I would have this unshakeable knowledge that
no matter what happens to me, no matter what people do to me, no matter what …
God is still with me and He still loves me.
He’s already figured it out. He’s
already come to the rescue. He’s already
provided the way out. He’s already given
the peace. Though we know this, we jump
to our own conclusions. Though we
believe it, too often we fail to claim it and exercise it. Doing so makes ALL the difference in the
level of happiness and freedom we live in.
I thank God for the truly incredible times my husband and I have shared
throughout our marriage. The times that
have not been so incredible are the times that we have lost the focus that God is
still with us – in that moment and in that place. As we celebrate this week, we will be
reminded of treasured times and be thankful for all that God has taught
us. We will be excited about the opportunities
and adventures to come … asking for God’s help to get it right more times than
not – living out the reality that God’s love is still with us! And we want nothing more than for all of
those we love so much – to get this right, too!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
WELCOME BACK to Laura,
A.J., Lilia, and Chris, Katie, and Natalie who worshipped with us this past Sunday;
may God bless you!
ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!
Our first
ever PARK TO PARK PROGRESSIVE PICNIC will
be mapped out for you, starting at the church at 5:00 p.m. this coming Saturday,
June 8th, with beverages. We
will caravan over to Lincoln Park for appetizers, move on to Lake Kohlmeier for
salads, then make our way to Morehouse Park for the main dishes. There will be tables and beverages at each
park, and each family is asked to bring food to share (check out the sign-up
sheet), their own lawn chairs or blankets and their own table service to eat
on. There will be time for fun,
fellowship and free time at each park.
Finally, we will make our way back to the church to conclude with
dessert by Hazel! In case of rain, we
have alternate locations planned. Be
sure to join us for the fun!
CHILDREN’S SUNDAY will be celebrated on June 9th at
10:00 a.m. with worship being centered around the children … and a trip to Como
Zoo in Minneapolis to follow! A light
lunch of hot dogs, chips, and beverages will be served at the church before we
leave. The zoo closes at 6:00 p.m. More details to come!
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
