heaven & why I do, what I do...

Tylor @ man.of.depravity causes me to write and think...
Thank you Tylor!
While the thought of heaven is great, I can not in any way, imagine my life HERE without Christ. I spent way too long not being with Him here.

My deepest desire is to have others know that peace here on earth. I literally cry when I think about all the wonderful people I have come to know that don't know Him. I name them all in my prayers.

Please don’t misunderstand, while I am thankful I am going to heaven, I don’t care much about it. I try to remain focused just on what He is calling me to do here and now.

I recently made the decision to step down from management at Starbucks. Things had gotten way too stressful and my husband wasn’t happy with how exhausted I was. I started working a lot less hours and have contemplated getting another job for more money. I was even asked to put in my application at our church for an admin position. That would have solved the money issue and the health insurance issue. But, the more I pray about it, I realize that I have to keep working at Starbucks. Because that is where God has called me to work. I knew that when I applied at Starbucks.
Why?
I have met so many wonderful people who are far from God and had real God conversations with them. They drop in to see me, ask if I will take my break and talk with them, ask me to hang out after work. These are mostly young, tattooed, pierced, lost, disenfranchised people who seem drawn to me (lol), a fluffy grandmother.
For me, this is way more important that having God conversations with Christians.

At church, I am called to the creative design team. Very specifically to keep us culturally relevant for our community and I design to entice the skeptic.

I work on other things (like our website design). 1. Because it really stinks and I would never intentionally send any of my skeptic friends there and 2. it is something I like to do. But, I would drop that in a heartbeat, if I felt that it was interfering in what God has called me to do.

And if I had to give it all up except one thing, I’m sure that God would want me to be in the world. Taylor, I hear you when you feel you are called to be a pastor. That is awesome. We need bright men like you. But, what specifically as a pastor, is God calling you to do? Is it leading a church? Preaching? Leading worship? Yes, there is a lot of administrative work involved in being a pastor. But, one of the most important jobs I feel for a pastor, is empowering others to works in their gifts. Take this vacation and really take the time off. Don’t answer phone calls, even stop blogging unless it’s what you really want to do (though I will miss you :^). Take the time to be with God and your family. Btw, I don’t feel that stress and anxiety are sins, I think that they are indicators we are focusing on the wrong things. Darn it, I just smacked myself between the eyes (over a whole different subject entirely)…