Turn it into praise!

Britt and I have been attending a new church on Sunday nights called River. It is located in Norman. It is some what of a new church (Started within the last 5 years). Britt and I believe that God is calling us to go to this church. We are excited to see all that God will do. It is so much smaller compared to First Southern. It probably averages about 150 people. They have Sunday night service and then you can pick a night of the week that you would like to go to "Community Group" (Kind of like Home-Churches). We are really enjoying the small personal feel.

We know several of the elders because they are also on staff at the BSU. The senior pastor, Dave Edwards, we did not know but I am quickly growing to respect. I guess when it comes to pastors he is the type that you would call a teacher. I like pastors like that. Sometimes the pastors who are "Preachers" can be more entertaining but when the man is a teacher I walk away with so much. Last night Dave talked about Worry. It was so convicting for me. If you struggle with worry then I encourage you to take the time and really read this verse below...

25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34

God really convicted me. As Dave put it last night, "I am a world class worrier!" Yap! That would be me. For me it might be more of the fact that I am a control freak. If I feel like I am not able to control a situation then I worry about it. Normally this falls under the category of finances. I am REALLY good at worrying about money!

As most of you know, Britt and I both need to find jobs by this June. With both of us being "jobless" there is a tendency to worry about money. Ok, maybe for me there is more than JUST a tendency. Lately, I have been freaking out about it. Although, I don't know if I realized just how much I have been freaking out until the Lord began to convict me last night.

Following the message we sand the song "Blesses be your name. Part of the lyrics go like this:

"Blesses be your name when I'm caught in the desert plan though I walk through the wilderness blessed be your name......

Every blessing you poor out I'll, turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in Lord still I will say.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your name....

You give an take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord blesses be your name."

Tears came to my eyes as we sung that. I know that God is blessing us. When I stop to look I am overwhelmed by the blessing and yet I focus on things that I think we need and don't have, and then I worry. I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for that heart. I am giving it to Him and trusting Him with it ALL. My job is to pray and then watch. watch for the blessing that I know He will being and then turn it into praise!

disclaimer: Sorry it is all meshes together like this. I can not get the paragraphs to space in between. Don't know why.