Yokemates

I do love to learn new things and stretch myself, and I know how important it is to choose to remain teachable in life. Being teachable means that there will be ups and downs - because I don't know it all. I am naturally curious, and  I particularly love to understand how things work. But, I do have my limits. There are moments and times when try as I might I just don’t "get it," and I've come to terms with that reality. The conclusion: I'll just ask the expert if needed!  We may be intrigued with the idea of learning new things, but not think it’s worth the time, effort or money to take a class, enjoy a seminar or even consider the possibility of attending a conference just for fun! Who really has the brain power, after keeping up with the basic week’s calendar of activities, to actually enjoy learning something new? And, if we did get ourselves to a class or seminar what’s the probability that we could even stay awake. Ahhh…but that’s what lattes are for, ...

Have you ever had a bright idea that you shared with a friend or with your husband that just didn’t seem to get the reaction you were hoping for? I sure have, and it is a true let down. How could that awesome idea have landed so flat? Did I just not explain it well? Did they even hear what I said? What is even more confusing – and sometimes infuriating – is when someone else shares that very same idea a few weeks later and it is received with excitement and accolades. Inside you hear that little voice saying “Why do they get the credit and not me?” It is a strange phenomenon that most of us have experienced from time to time. So, what made the difference? Perhaps, it was just the timing of the conversation. Perhaps, the days or weeks between the idea sharing allowed some pondering to take place. Perhaps, they really didn’t hear your idea – or really listen to it – because they were distracted, tired or just weren’t ready to process any more information at that time. ...

As with many well laid plans, a schedule kink rose to the surface when I was asked to serve as a substitute teacher one Sunday morning. I hesitated at first – and internally grumbled just a bit wondering why they didn’t think to ask me sooner. I now only had 48 hours to prepare! After a few moments, I was able to adjust my attitude and look at things from a totally different perspective. How? I saw God’s hand in the timing of things. I was free to teach that Sunday, and God had already given me a great lesson to share. Gideon!   I’ll walk through the story of Gideon with the students! Just that week some dear friends had named their baby boy, Gideon. Intrigued with the details surrounding the Biblical account of Gideon, I wanted a quick refresher of all the details. As I read Judges 6-7, the roller coaster ride of Gideon’s faith emerged before me. His story is filled with the fragile nature of our spiritual lives: self-doubt and fear, conformity and sin, faith and obedi...

In ministry, much time and energy is spent building relationships in our church and in our community. Over time, barriers are broken and we start feeling like we have been accepted and totally fit in. A sense of community and new friendships are sweet! Given a bit more time, ministry transplants eventually have to come to terms with the fact that they are still "outsiders" - no matter how long they have served in a church. The old saying that "blood is thicker than water" rises to the surface. It is in those moments that a missionary mindset must balance the sense of loss. We are called to love and serve a group of people, but in most cases we do come from a different "culture" and have hopefully been accepted and loved at one level or another. It's easy to be saddened when you realize that you weren't invited to a birthday party, baby shower, craft show or girl's weekend away. After the initial pain and disappointment eases, however, I hav...