The Now What

We finished reading Crazy Love for our small group. I still have so much to process. I am a thinker and often get so distracted by my thoughts that I don't take action. Listening to everyone talk about how their lives are going to change made me realize that even if I am not done thinking I need to start doing. Really.
(So thanks everyone from small group for encouraging me. I know I sat there in silence, but I appreciated the discussion around me.)
When an idea comes to mind repeatedly I can tell it is God. What has been on my mind and heart for years is the desire to take in children who need a loving home. My thoughts have always been either, "maybe someday if I'm married," or "when I have a home and good income." But why not now? Any excuse I come up gets shot down. So I am going to look into fostering children. It's kind of crazy - I'm single, working full time and going to graduate school, but so what. It's not as if other people aren't doing that out of necessity. If it is God's will, He will provide. I have no doubts about that.

Processing life

After talking to a friend whose life is ministry, it has made me think about ministry in my life. I don't expect to spend my life in full time ministry, but I can do more. One of the ways her family blesses others is through hospitality. Later in the week, on the video clip we watched in small group, the same thing was spoken of. And with a new perspective for me: this house is not my home, it belongs to God. As I am hoping to buy a house (condo), this made me consider how I will treat this dwelling. I want the place I live to be a place where people can come and be welcomed. But the more I think about this, the more God reminds me that I don't have to wait to own a place to do this. It is like my view on exercising, if I want to be in shape later, I should get in shape now. -- This reminds me of the message Sunday: be ready for Jesus to return now. I need to be who I want to be, not just hope I will be different some day. (I've heard that before.)
Well, I think God is saying something here, now I just need to ask what action to take.
...anyone want to come over for dinner?

Saturday morning light

God is love.

   to know God ... is to know love.

   to be like God ... is to be love. 

Doesn't that sound more challenging, more fulfilling, more real - to be love - 

than to be loving?

I keep hearing, from God & His children, that compassion is not compassion without action, that loving God and loving others (being love) necessitates action. Not just words or feelings. And it isn't supposed to be just big events. A 2-service/year visits to church doesn't make someone a church-goer, and neither does the occasional act of kindness make us "love."

I am challenged.