Friday December 11 Focus

Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra,

New help available: There has been one update to the webpage of music David Ziemer prepared for our use in personal rehearsal. Now the new arrangement of “Mary, Did You Know?” is available separated into SATB parts. Many, many thanks, David, for your expertise and timely assistance in our preparation. You can find it at: http://bit.ly/andhisname2015

Rehearsal starts promptly at 9:30 tomorrow morning. Come early!

Friday

He’s Making a List

Okay, the “to do” list, the fatigue, and the traffic may be getting the best of you by now. There are so many important things that need attention. All the more reason to bind our hearts together in prayer, to pray for God’s perspective, to keep our eyes on Him, and to ask Him to use us this Christmas season.

Here’s something I have been pondering for a while. “God is always doing 10,000 things in our lives, and we may be aware of 3 of them. What if instead of worrying about the 10,000 things we have to do this Christmas season, we spent it looking for more of the 10,000 things God is already doing in our lives?” (John Piper)

I can believe there are 10,000 things that need doing in my life! But that God would care enough to literally keep working on me in even just a few stubborn areas just knocks me down. He hasn’t given up on any of the 10,014 things that need doing! His “to do” list is even longer than mine.

I have gone my own way, I have had better ideas, I have missed His point so often. And yet, He’s not in the business of kicking anyone to curb, especially one of His own. He wants me to resemble Him more each day, so He keeps working and re-working.

I can hardly stand the beauty of it. In spite of the traffic, or maybe because of the lessons I learn while I sit forever on the Tollway, someday I WILL look and act and think and love like Him. And so will you! We’ll take after our Dad in every way!

So after you figure what things God is busy doing in your life, and you thank Him for bothering, get busy cooperating. I’m told it won’t take near as long if I’d just get with His program!

Stephen