...and then there was snow.

I knew it wouldn't last, this winter of minimal snow. This past weekend we got hammered with about 13 inches, which gave my Mom and Dad another day to hang out with us (and watch Ohio State beat Wisconsin by 1 point). The roads were really too messy to try and drive to Minneapolis on Sunday, so they flew out today.
Jonathan didn't want to come in - he would live in the snow if he could...
Apologies for the goofy Packer hat -- don't you love Greg's sword?!?
Ma and Pa braving the elements.
Thank goodness Aaron's brother has a blade on his truck, otherwise we might still be stuck at home!

Servanthood vs. Stardom

This weekend, our church choir had a retreat to work on music and to refocus our hearts and attitudes about ministry. I was reminded and convicted again of what it means to be a servant artist for the glory of God.

We studied together some sections of the book The Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland, who is the Music Director for Willow Creek in Chicago. Here is a sampling from the weekend...

Three things that stand in the way of true servanthood -

1. An attitude of superiority

I remember when I traveled with Rejoice, a singing team from Indiana Wesleyan University. We arrived at a camp, thinking we'd just be the music for the week. We soon realized a) this was a camp for disabled young people and, b) we were also going to be counselors to these young people. Any thoughts of superiority flew out the window as all 5 of us realized the responsibilty we had been given. I don't remember singing one thing that week, but I do remember learning what it meant to truly serve someone. A priceless lesson.

2. Selfish ulterior motives

3. Confidence in our giftedness alone

One of the things that prevents us from experiencing God's fullest blessing on our lives is our self-sufficiency. There have been dozens of times when I've just stepped into a time of worship leading without acknowledging my complete dependence on Christ. I'm ashamed at how lazy I've become in this area...

As we studied an area on The Humble Artist, one of the bullet points felt like it had my name next to it with an arrow:

Die to Your Desire to Be the Greatest

When did this start? Junior High? I don't remember. But being the best, the greatest, was something I desperately wanted, sometimes secretly still want. Ugh, I feel sick confessing that.
But if I truly love Christ, if I am committed to walking in His commands, I must do my best with what he's given me without comparing myself to another artist. Focus on making the gift to him as excellent as possible and rejoice when another artist creates an excellent expression of his or her talent.

I also loved this quote,

"How do we know if we have a servant's heart? There's a saying that we can tell how much of a servant's heart we have by how we respond to being treated like a servant."

Ouch.

I've got a long way to go. I am so humbled to think he still uses me when I have so many selfish motives at times, or still cling to my desire to be the best. Ministry is a privilege. I pray I can honor him from a pure heart, a pure place.

true love

Today I asked Daniel, "What is love?"

He became extremely serious and said,
"Is when you hug somebuddy and you Don't... Say... Anything."

Good answer, Daniel. Good Answer.

They Say it's Your Birthday!

My Mama, the original.

February 8th - the day she stepped onto the scene and said, "Where's the party?!"

I grew up with a woman who loved life, loved laughter, and adored the children God had given her. She was my first teacher, my first audience, my first example for everything.


There is not enough space here to share the things I inherited from her...but a few of them are:

- spunk
- a passion for books
- love of music
- independence (a nice way of saying "stubborn as a mule")
- energized by people
- observant
- laughter that can be measured by decibles
- a bit speedy on the roads ("Cars were meant to be DRIVEN!")


Happy Birthday, Mom. Thanks for a lifetime of memories and fun. Thanks for millions of prayers over the years. Now, gas up the RV and get on up here!

Too Cold tttoooo tttyppe

Here's what I would write about if I had more time, stamina, and feeling in my fingers:

1) Why a hearty, loud belly laugh is like oxygen.

2) How the internet has made people feel like they are entitled to information.

3) What I wanted to say to the server at Pizza Hut when she told us they were out of Personal Pan Pizzas. (It was like the time in Galveston, TX when McDonalds was out of nuggets....I do have to write about that sometime...)

4) Why Minnesotans aren't very friendly (many theories)

5) Why it makes my brother laugh when I say "BREFFMINTS!" (You have to be an old fan of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...)

6) Good books I read last year...that one's coming, hopefully.

7) Why men believe a 1/2 ton pick-up will not crack through a frozen lake, but don't believe in God.

It's Official

Favre is back for another year! He made the announcement this past week. For more on the story, visit Packers.com