Sunday ..... A day to rest and pray

Greetings and blessings from Costa Rica.  First and foremost.... Ashley's foot is fine.  She was able to get along all day and it got better and better.  So thank you for the prayers and please continue to pray for all of our safety in the coming days.

Today started early as we prepared to visit with our church family in North Carolina.  Unfortunately there was a misunderstanding with our Skype plans so we were not able to see you today.  We will plan another attempt next Sunday, so we will look forward to that time together as we prepare for our trip home.

We attended church services this morning and I was struck immediately by a thought.  As I watched the dancers and the congregation prepare for the pastor's message, I thought about my own service to God.  I thought about whether I am the same child of God from Monday to Saturday as I am on Sunday morning.  Are you?  I wonder, is my passion for our Lord the same during the entire week as it is on Sunday?  If I am honest (and I really try my best to be), I think, no I know, that I fall very short of living up to my potential for God.  Life gets in my way.....  Things happen....relationships and circumstances consume the energy I should be spending with God.  It is a blessing to be in the house of God, surrounded by other believes, and to witness the joy that others feel in their worship.  Possibly, probably, their joy will infect me and serve as a reminder that if I am in God, and with God on a regular basis....my joy will also shine through and be a blessing to others.

The sermon was about the plans that God has for us, about being transformed and new in Him,  about God changing our hearts, the promise of Him that He will prepare us to serve Him.  If we don't know the God that we serve, then nothing we do will have power.  We cannot serve God efficiently unless our hearts are changed.  1 Samuel 10:6 says,

"Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.

"

The only way that God can transform our hearts is if we give him the chance, if we have a relationship with him, if we are spending time with him and are truly allowing Him to transform us. When our hearts are transformed the joy will shine through.  I think we all owe it to Our Father in heaven, the only one who truly loves us unconditionally, to give him the opportunity to transform us so that our service to Him is joyful and humble seven days a week rather than only on Sunday morning.

 I pray for the Holy Spirit to descend upon us all and transform us, this day.

We spent the afternoon at a familiar place where we could relax, enjoy the creation of  the one that we serve, and reflect on today's message.

Tomorrow we begin new projects and continue with old ones.  We will serve this church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and pray that we do so with joy enough to make Him proud.  We shouldn't serve to receive glory, only to glorify our God.