Rule Follower or Rule Breaker

Keep my commandments and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:2-3 NIV

Rules they are meant to be followed, aren't they? Why else would the law makers make them? But have we gone a little crazy with some of the rules we have made?

Now most of the time I try to follow the rules. I stop when there's a red light or stop sign (at least most of the time, there was that time I never even saw the traffic light). I usually go the speed limit (at least most of the time, there are times when I'm singing or just thinking about something and I look down only to realize I'm going way to fast.)

While working I try to follow most of the rules set by the county, but I've been caring for children for twenty-six years. I believe I know what I'm doing, and some of this new stuff they come up with is just beyond crazy. I think most of the time the people who set these rules have never spent a day, let alone an afternoon, caring for children. Now don't get me wrong I try my best to keep the children I care for safe because I love them and don't want anything to happen to them. Some things though are just common sense.

Even in the church, there are some crazy rules put into place. I mean there's a book around 800 pages long just full of rules we as a body of Christ are to follow. Again, I try to follow them but teaching and serving God are the rules I like to follow.

God made a pretty simple list of rules for us to follow. Some people don't want those displayed anywhere because it might offend someone. But those ten rules are a lot simpler to follow than the thousands of rules set by man. They are pretty simple to memorize, in fact, there is a song the kids and I learned to help us out "The Ten Commandment Boogie"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF7FCw60laM

So if you were to ask me if I follow the rules, I'd say "Yes, I follow God's rules and I'm gonna dance them until I die."

Faithfulness Continues

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

"Why am I feeling this way? It's not like tonight is her last night of dance," I questioned myself as my throat clogged up and I felt the tears coming. I thought I was ready and was tougher than this. Sure I knew tears would come, but not quite yet.

This baby of mine, we go way back. After the birth of our second son, I began praying for a daughter. Not for her to come right away, after all I wanted to enjoy my new baby, but one day. I told God several times I'd like a daughter.

When I found out I was expecting again a couple years later, I knew she was the daughter I'd asked for. Sure I still wasn't positive, but I had a mother's instinct. So when I went for an ultrasound to see her, I wasn't surprised when she wouldn't cooperate. She was being shy, and God was saying "Trust me."

On the day of her arrival, we barely made it to the hospital. She, like me, was born within fifteen minutes of our arrival. Joy filled my heart as my husband and I rejoiced at her birth.

Joy has filled me most everyday watching her grow up to be a creative young lady. I've tried to raise her the way God intended me too. Sure at times she gets a little quick tempered and doesn't always listen to me, but for the most part she tries her best to walk with God.

There are times when she's made me cry, when she's made me lose my temper, and when she's driven me absolutely batty. Her brothers have done the same. As we complete this journey of her childhood, I wouldn't change a single day, well there was that one day...

This weekend I am sure the tears will fall. I am sure there will be lots of hugs and kisses. I am also sure there will be joy and singing praises to God because His faithfulness to us has seen us through. So congratulations baby girl, I love you!

Now is the Time

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2 NIV

Darkness had fallen, I decided to do something I had never done before, I walked on the beach alone. I found a seat waiting for me, so I sat. I sat and I listened. Quiet, peace. The waves lapped at the shore, the moon shone down, I could see the water as it went on and on. As I marveled at the world God created, I began to sing praises to Him.

My family and I had climbed for an hour, my legs ached and I had to keep stopping to catch my breath. The trees cleared I looked out and was memorized at how far I could see: the cleared land of the town below, another mountain and another one after that, miles and miles of God's creation. Again I praised God and sang my praises to Him.

This week as I restudied Adam and Eve one of the questions got me thinking, Adam and Eve didn't have a church building to worship God in. They had a garden where they could walk with Him and talk to Him and sing praise to Him (at least until the fall).

Sometimes we get so busy worrying about the building, worrying about the attendance, worrying about what someone is wearing; we forget the reason we meet. We gather together in our places of worship on Sunday mornings to worship the Lord with gladness.

Church though isn't the only place we can worship the Lord. We can worship anytime, anyplace, alone or with others. Whenever we feel the urge to worship we shouldn't be afraid to, we should follow our heart and sing out our praises to God.

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