Getting in shape for God?

I have not been involved in the children's ministry since we left our last church and the main reason was because I did not want to commit to too many areas of ministry. It is very tempting to join up with everything you enjoy but I have begun to learn that more is not better. The opportunity to serve with the children came after I mentioned to someone that I'd love to be involved with the Kid Zone worship. That "someone" happened to be married to the "other someone" who organizes the worship for the kids and so it was not long before I got an invitation to join them.

On Sunday, I tackled my first attempt to help lead Kid's Zone worship at our church. It consisted of me jumping around for about 10 minutes and trying to remember the words of the songs as I formed the motions at the same time. It was a little awkward, but... I loved it!

The moment that I knew I was where I was suppose to be came in first service, when the kindergarten group came in. There were a few in the front who did not take their eyes off me as they enthusiastically jumped along with me. It was so precious to watch and I admit I had to fight back a little bit of "parent pride" as my own children (who were standing with the older groups) joined in as well. I probably looked like a fool and I know it was certainly not my best vocal performance, but I really believe it was important to those kids.

After finishing the worship songs for second service, I made a comment to the leader that I would need to start working out again if I was going to keep up with them.

God has a funny sense of humor.

Monday, I got a call from World Gym saying that I won 2 two year memberships. I did not connect the two events until I was driving to work the next day. Looks like I will be hitting the gym next week since apparently an important Someone thinks my involvement with the kids should continue. :)

I've been tagged!

...so apparently I've been tagged by Amy!

This is what it means:

rules to play

1. players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
3. players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

So eight facts about me...

1. I once locked my brother in the bathroom just to see if he could get out.

Unfortunately, he couldn't so my dad had to take the door off the hinges to let my little brother escape.

2. When I was on a mission trip in Scotland, I got high with my youth pastor.

Okay, so it was on paint fumes and it wasn't intentional. We were painting a bathroom with the door closed and the paint was oil based unlike the American water based paint.

3. When I was in third grade, I began writing to My teachers' niece in Australia. I continued to write to her and finally met her for the first time when I was 22. We kept in touch until about 5 years ago.

4. The month I was due to have our daughter, there was a tornado that ripped through the trailer park we were living in. While we were home. Two years later, when I was pregnant with our son, I was in OK and we were surrounded with tornado sightings.. Both times, we were safe.

5. I used to believe that my best friend's dad was really Kenny Rogers. He looked just like him and I was convinced he led a double life.

6. Horror movies freak me out! My best friends in high school thought it was funny to make me watch scary movies. After watching "Silence of the Lambs", I was afraid to go down in my basement for weeks!

7. When I was a child I made a lemonade stand. When the first car pulled up and asked how much it was I ran into the house terrified because I wasn't suppose to talk to strangers.
It wasn't very successful.

8. On a more serious note: I couldn't be happier than where God has me right now. We are not anywhere where we thought we should be now two years after leaving our previous church, but God has grown us tremendously and we have witnessed amazing things in our lives as we have learned to trust Him even when we can't see where He's leading us.

Okay, I tag the following...

1. Kent
2. Kayla
3. Mary
4. Liz
5. Marina
6. Betsy
7. Kim
8.Amy

Holding Hummingbirds

Today I was sitting reading a book when I heard a "thump" on the front window. Almost instantly, I realized a bird had hit so I went outside to investigate. To my amazement TWO hummingbirds lay in the flower bed. One of them slowly twisted with eyes closed and I knew it had broken its neck. The other one lay close by panting heavily. I watched it for a few seconds wondering if it too would die, then I slowly reached down and gently picked it up. Surprisingly, it sat perfectly still. My heart soared as I thought about what a rare thing I was experiencing. This small beautiful creature can rarely be seen at times due to its quick rate of speed, yet here one was sitting in my palm calmly. I wanted to take it inside and find my camera, but I was afraid it would gain confidence and fly around the house so against my desire to keep it, I set it down on the pavement and ran inside for my camera. Finally, after I took a few shots of him, he flew a short ways onto our wind chimes. Not a few minutes had passed when a rain storm blew in and I had to retreat inside. It has been a while now and he is still perched on a branch outside my window perhaps waiting to catch his breath while the rain pours down.

I began to ponder this beautiful experience and wondered if God had planned it. Though I don't have an answer I do believe that He was watching my encounter and smiling with me. I wish I could have shared that moment with my family, but I think somehow it was meant just for me. Maybe I needed to see that beautiful, rare things can occur in the midst of a storm. Or maybe I just needed a reason to smile.

Whatever the reason, I am grateful to say I held a hummingbird.