To Bloom or Not To Bloom

Have you ever been sitting in church and suddenly been swept away into another mental realm? For example, when your driving in your car, the same route over and over, and one day you start off to work and suddenly you arrive and you realize, "I don't really remember driving here. How did I get here so quickly? Did I drive past the school? the Sonic? Starbucks??" It's like our bodies take over and drive that same familiar route, but our mind is completely somewhere else. Our bodies follow the habit, but our minds are distracted and maybe, simply bored.  I hate to admit it, but that is where I found myself in church this past Sunday.... driving along in habit, singing the songs, but my mind was totally somewhere else. Please understand that has no reflection whatsoever on the worship team that was leading... it was just me. I just couldn't seem to get mentally in tune with the worship.  Until, something kind of strange happened.... I heard rain.  It was...

My morning consisted of many activities, but one stands out above the rest. It is a conversation that I had with God. I did as I do many days, I talk audibly to the open air in my house. I concentrate in prayer more easily when I talk out loud. I presented my laundry list of concerns and posed many questions about upcoming events in the near future. I reminded Him of imposing deadlines that would surely determine major events in the lives of whom I am held accountable. I reminded Him that many of these decisions could be very costly and involve many players. AND I reminded him again of the deadlines quickly approaching.... again.  Mind you, these are no small decisions and they have not risen overnight. After posing these issues to Him time and time again over the past year, I am beginning to wonder if my communication line is completely broken down. Surely, He knows that I have to have a job to support my family... that my landlord is awaiting my decision to stay or vacat...

In a much earlier post, I mentioned that it would be so awesome if sometimes God would actually text us or call us so that we could feel like we were having a real life conversation.... So, I have to share this little story from last night... its like 2am and I can't sleep. Bogged down by all the events of the evening, I just could seem to wind down. I had done all sorts of things and had been laying in bed listening to Gateway's praise and worship music for quite a while. I kept having the urge to turn on the TV, because the nights are sometimes the hardest. But, I also had the feeling that God was telling me, "Just wait. Listen for me. I will keep you company." So... I waited. It just seemed to get harder. It was getting later and later. Just when I roll over thinking that I am gonna get no relief... it happened. I heard that buzzing sound coming from my phone... what? Who on earth would be texting me in the middle of the night? It's almost 3am. I look...

Have you ever heard a very clear message from God? This is a big topic of discussion in my house lately. "Mommy, how do you hear from God? How do you know that He is talking to me and its not just my own thoughts that I am hearing?" Wouldn't it be great if God had an iphone? If He texted his answers down from heaven? I saw a cute message on a church sign recently displaying the new sermon series, "What would Jesus Tweet?" Of course, there is one obvious problem.... IF God called us on the phone, would we even recognize his voice? I know when my daughter calls. Besides her upbeat ringtone, when I hear her speak, I KNOW it is Michaela. I know her voice. And even as close as it is to her younger sister's voice, her tone, her wit, her topics of conversation are very distinctively her own. How do I know it is her withing seconds of answering the phone? Because I have spent the last almost 14 years spending time with her. Getting to know her very personally. I...