Chreaster

I just want to know who told my kid that the Easter Bunny is the new Santa Claus?! Caedmon came to me yesterday with a list of items that he would like the Easter Bunny to bring him. Asked if we could mail it to him.

Dude! Wrong holiday. (Actually, I do realize that Christmas is also the "wrong holiday" for that. It it, however, more expected.)

Easter just got highjacked, too!

The Waiting Room

What do you do when you find yourself in the waiting room of life?

All of us have been there. Many are there right now. Some circumstance in our life that is beyond our control. Some prayer that we've prayed a thousand times. We've done everything we know how to do; we're trying to honor God. And now we wait. We wait on God to come through, to move as only He can.

Only God can...

• heal you from your cancer
• give you the baby for which your heart longs
• provide the spouse you've prayed for for years
• put a heart of forgiveness and tenderness in your husband
• bring your prodigal child to repentance

I wonder what you are waiting on. What prayer are you desperately awaiting an answer for? 

Yesterday at South Bay Church we sang a song called, "Waiting Here for You". Over and over the song says, "Alleluia" which simply means "Praise the Lord." 

I don't know about you, but the last thing I feel like doing in any waiting room is praising the Lord. Down-on-my-face-praying? Yes. But praising? Maybe when the doctor comes in with good news.

However, that is exactly what we need and that is what the Bible instructs us to do: Praise Him from the waiting room. Before the prayer has been answered. Before victory is ours. We praise HIM because, no matter what, HE is God and HE is worthy to be praised.

And as we begin to praise Him, He meets us there.

So instead of pacing back and forth, instead of hopeless tears, instead of venting frustrated anger, how about give praise a chance? Find something (anything!) to thank Him for and give Him the praise that He is due.

• Sunshine warming my skin
• Riding through a canopy of trees
• First glimpse of the ocean

Don't waste your waiting room.

Take a Load Off

I think most people want their lives to feel more exciting. More significant.

We are all fairly certain (due to social media and good ol' fashioned gossip) that everyone else's lives are cooler than ours. They just got their hair done and yours hasn't been cut in 6 months. They just checked in on Yelp at yet another restaurant and you're staring at week-old leftovers in your fridge. They just flew to LA for some very important meeting and your still in your PJ's cleaning Cheerios off the floor from breakfast. 

Anyone?

Sometimes our lives can feel so painfully ordinary. 

Even in the Bible, we tend to be drawn toward the stories of heroes. Moses parting the Red Sea. David slaying the giant. Esther rescuing the Jewish nation. The miracles of the apostles. 

It's not just Twitter that can make us feel like our lives are pretty lame. Sometimes the Bible makes us feel like we're missing out, too. 

But how 'bout this little nugget of goodness...

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live. 1Thessalonians 4:11-12

Ahhh, pressure valve released. You mean God approves of a quiet life? Yes, absolutely! He even commands it. 

Living well and influencing others doesn't mean your life has to be an action movie. 

So whenever you're feeling discouraged about the monotony of your day-in / day-out kind of life, remember that God sees you! He's proud of you for getting the laundry done and bathing your kids and scrubbing Sharpie marker out of your carpet. He's proud of you for your commitment to go to work everyday and do your job with excellence. He can use our lives (even our quiet lives!) to influence those all around us!

Live in a way that causes others to respect your life!

The Body

This morning I was reading in 1 Corinthians where Paul compares the Church [aka the Body of Christ] to the human body. Chapter 12 verse 26 says:

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it. 

I get that. I understand how stubbing your toe can make your whole body reel with pain, and I know how it feels to hurt with those around us who are hurting.

On Saturday, I had the privilege to spend a few hours at the hospital with my friend, Jenn. I was honestly surprised to see how sick she was. I had seen her earlier in the week and she was walking around and wearing make up. Besides the limping, you would never have known anything was wrong. But then she started chemo.

She laid quietly in her bed with her eyes closed most of the time I was there. The expression on her face every time she readjusted let me know just how uncomfortable she felt. And the nausea...

Jenn had thrown up probably three times in the two hours that I had been there. I felt so helpless looking on, wanting to somehow ease her pain but knowing there wasn't a whole lot I could do. Cold rag? Ice chips? Massage?

But the moment that made me fight the tears from my eyes was when, for the fourth time, she started throwing up and just couldn't stop. It wouldn't pass. She started to cry. I started to cry. But then I thought, No! That's not what she needs from me right now. She needs me to be her strength. So I swallowed the lump in my throat and whispered softly, "You can do this. You are going to get through this."

Back to my Bible reading this morning...

Earlier in chapter 12, Paul writes, "Our bodies have many parts and God has put each part just where he wants it."

There are so many people doing so many different things to serve the Garcia family right now. Bringing meals, childcare, setting up a website for donations, visiting with Jenn, heartfelt cards, financial contributions, coordinating all the moving parts, etc.

A part of our body is suffering and it is our honor to get to lighten their load any way that we can.

No matter where you are reading this right now, whether you are connected to the Garcia family or not, you are connected to someone. There are people around you who need someone who genuinely loves them, who cares about what is going on in their lives, who is willing to slow down, and even be inconvenienced, in order to be a friend.

We each have a role to play. We've been divinely designed for a purpose and, regardless of it's visibility, it is significant. We are a Body, and every part matters.

Who can you go out of your way to show love to this week?

Please pray for Jen

It's game time for the Garcia family. And, although none of us can fight this battle for them, they do not (& WILL NOT) have to fight it alone.

One month ago, Jen had a doctor's appointment that changed the course of her life. She was told that the pain that she'd been experiencing in her leg was due to a rare form of cancer called sarcoma.

This past month has been filled with doctor appointments, scans, ultrasounds, blood work, and test after test after test. It has been full of shock and tears and fears and pain and sleepless nights. This month has also been full of prayers, faith, friendship, and an army of supporters lining up in formation.

Today the final test results came back to confirm that Jen has Stage 3 Synovial Sarcoma. She will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow where she will begin her first round of chemo. For 6 days the chemo will slowly drip into her body...killing the bad and giving life to the good.

The story that keeps coming to my mind as I pray for her is found in Mark 1:40-42:

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 

“I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

Our God is able to heal. He is filled with compassion when He looks at us in our weakness. Please join me in asking Jesus to heal this beautiful, young mom. Her daughters names are Mikaylee (5th grade), Kelanie (3rd grade), and Kaleya (Pre-K)

Leave me a comment on my blog or on Facebook with your name and where you live to let me know that you are joining the army of prayer warriors. It will be a great encouragement to Jen & the Garcia family. For more updates, follow Jen's blog by clicking here. 

If you would like to bless the Garcia family in a more tangible way, please 

mail encouraging notes, gift cards, or checks (made out to Mike Garcia) to: 

South Bay Church

attn: Jennifer Garcia

1172 Murphy Avenue Suite 130

San Jose, CA 95131