From Now On...

So I have been pretty random with my blog up until now. I really want to be able to put more thought into it and share more. So on a weekly basis I'm going to share based on my title for the blog. So this week would be ministry, next week motherhood, and lastly the USA. Then I will start the rotation again. We will see how it goes.

Being in the Ministry is one of the most interesting professions to have. Unlike other professions, ministry requires a life. A life dedicated to honoring God in everything I do. Honoring Him with my kids and raising them. Honoring Him in my marriage, by loving, helping, and honoring my husband. Honoring Him by doing the very best I can in my workplace and being a woman of integrity. Honoring Him when I lead the congregation in worship and being sensitive to God's leading in those moments.  Honoring Him when I pray for a lonely teen at an altar, or spending time with students that desperately need to know God and know He loves them.

I love my life, the Bible is so clear that we shouldn't love our lives else we lose them. But it is not that kind of love. I am extremely grateful for the call of God and for all that He has given me because of it. Many people look at ministers and may see people wasting their potential or giving up worldly things and fame. The reality is that dedicating a life to God is the most fulfilling life one could have. Whether gifted to play a sport, or debate in a courtroom, or operate in an ER, or teach in a classroom. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we are blessed.

This doesn't mean life is a bed of roses and I could tell you that from personal experience. There is nothing like being right where God wants you. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added is certainly true. When we dedicate our lives to knowing God,  He adds what we need and what we desire. He makes all things beautiful. Ministry is a great profession and one that requires everything I have. I would venture to say that every profession when it is done unto the Lord is ministry. Whatever it is God has gifted you with, know that He has given it to you and has a great plan for you if you seek Him.

Be blessed as you seek Him today.

Happy Valentines Day!

So typically, my husband and I don't really celebrate valentines day to the fullest (Dinner, candles, flowers, roses, hand held walks on the beach, romantic getaways etc). For the most part, one or the other forgets, there are last minute clearance chocolates involved, or a whipped up cake.  You see there are a 5 February birthday's right before including a brother, a niece, Bill's father, Bill's and mine. So valentines day is sort of like a last thought. So this year this is kind of how the story went. 

Wednesday afternoon, I'm sitting on the couch catching up on Facebook and completely distracted when  Bill comes in the door from work. No real surprise there. He heads to the dining room with three boys wanting his attention. Caleb and Riley ask what he's doing.A few minutes later Riley comes up to me and starts talking to me. Now bear with me everyone, sometimes I tune my kids out and I don't even realize it. So when I finally realize he's talking to me I hear the tail end of his sentence.

 "...surprise."

 I looked at him.  

"What?"

 "Mmmmm, Chocolate." He replies. 

From the dining room I hear, "Shut up Ry."

 I chuckle.

 My husbands walks in with that annoyed look he gets in his eye when his plans have been foiled (which isn't very often). He gives me a beautiful card and a big box of chocolates. Both of my sons start jumping on me.

"Open the chocolate mom. Its your valentine." My thoughtful loving husband was foiled by my sons, it was so funny.

Wait, it gets better. So fast forward to Valentine's Day. I'm in the supermarket, and I head for the valentine's cards. I look at a few and then see this bright purple, velvet monstrousity. I think. Hmm, lets check it out. So I open it up and read it and I love it. It says everything I want to say to Bill. Its all about how strong and wonderful and great he is. So I think, Well I know this is ugly, but I love the message. I'm kind of amazed that the card doesn't say Happy Valentines Day on it, but I figure I can write that in. So I take it home, write a quick message in it and sign it. I'm super excited, I haven't found a card this good in years. So Bill comes home from work and I give him the card. The look on his face when he opens the card is priceless. What the heck is this? He jokingly strokes the velvet cover. He opens the card and starts to read the message, then starts thumbing through the card.

 "Uh, Erica did you know there were two more pages to this card." 

I looked at it and was like.

"What?"

 So, there we were reading the last two pages of the card, which I didn't know were there and at the end was the phrase Happy Valentines Day. I looked at my husband who at this point was laughing hysterically and say "I was wondering where the Happy Valentines Day was." 

He laughed harder. It was a definite blonde moment. 

I love my life, I love my sons, and I love my husband. I love that we can laugh and that we can celebrate the love we share even in the most unexpected ways. Life is not perfect, and plans don't always work out just right, but sometimes its in those moments that we find the most joy, and funny stories to. Have a great weekend!