Creative God

Have you ever wondered why so many people have such a different view of God? It is an idea that has puzzled me since I was a child. We have the Bible and it tells us so much about Him, yet so many people focus on just one attribute of His personality/character/actions, and they live their life according to that one attribute. I don't get it. I don't get why some people see God just as an authoritarian, or just as a Savior, or just as a bank. 

God gave us the Bible in which He reveals so many aspects of Himself to us, yet so many people still get caught up on just a pocket of facts about God. I met a lady recently who was caught up on the God of the rules. She couldn't comprehend why God would grant eternal security to mankind. In her mind, man would run amuck if they knew they could go to Heaven. Her God was limited to a rule-maker and rule-enforcer. 

Many people get caught up on a reverse attribute of  God - His love. Instead of being an authoritarian God, they see only a loving God who wants them to be happy.  A God who grants them the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want, however they want. No matter who's rules they violate - because God is love and will love them anyway. 

One day I was just meditating on God… ok, and I was being flustered about that fact that some people think that we should only sing Gregorian chants to worship God, and other people think we should only sing from the hymn book, and other people have never even heard of the hymns, and only want to sing the "newer, faster" songs. [Come on people, we all worship the same God! Why do we constantly have to argue about the differences in music? Some of you are off in left in field, but really, God is not that boring to create only one style of music for His worship.]

That's when it hit me. My God is not a boring God. My God is a creative God! 

The more I study my God and learn about His characteristics and attributes, the more I will discover great freedom knowing my God. He is the master of variety and a variety of music will appeal to Him. Worship is not bound to just one style, just as my God is not bound to just one attribute. God is far too creative for such things. 

Look at the world around us. Is there one ounce of anything that leads you to believe even for a moment that God could be boring? NO! Everything about His creation declares His glory. Not just that - His creativity! There are so many varieties and species and exceptions to animals, bugs, plants, people, the universe. Scientists can't wrap their brains around it. Evolution doesn't explain it.  That's because we have a creative God! 

Moving Tip #7: Finishing Touches

So most of the boxes are packed, the moving truck is booked, you have a few days or weeks to complete the finishing touches before you actually load the moving truck. What do you do? The finishing touches of course. This is Moving Tip #7, the last in the series.

Moving Tip #7: Finishing Touches

Each family member gets a suitcase. In that suitcase, they should place their own set of sheets & towels, two or three days worth of clothing (depending on the distance of your move and your schedule), toiletries, power cords, favorite toys, and any personal items that they want to keep handy. This way your family members aren't digging through every imaginable box looking for their possessions and wreaking havoc. They are responsible for their suitcase and getting it to their own room. It will make your life easier. My husband had to go to work the day after we moved and I was coming home to a new place after a teacher's conference. There was no way we were going to be able to find all of the items we needed unless they had been safely stowed in a suitcase.

All items must be secured in a box or bag. It might be tempting to carry all of those awkward items into the moving truck then house individually, but I promise that it is much easier to move them if they are stowed in a container. If you don't have the right size box, consider those handy reusable grocery bags. You can carry several bags at a time but you can only carry one random item at a time. Boxes can be stacked, but that large vase cannot. Plus remember, you probably have friends helping you out, and they don't want to make seven trips to carry those items you didn't pack well.

Pack an "Open First" Box. You got to the new place and found that the bathroom is a little dirty, or your movers have to use the bathroom, or your starving but have no way to wash your hands. Its really helpful to have a box of essentials nearby for the minute you move in. Stash this box in the front seat of the moving truck or your car.

I would suggest packing at least the following items:

• Toilet paper
• Trash bags
• Grocery bags 
• Paper towels
• Windex or household cleaner
• Hand soap
• Paper plates, napkins, plastic forks, spoons, knives, and cups
• Box cutter
• Phone charger
• Any other items that are really important to you that you need to have on hand in the 1st 6 hours in your new home

Be considerate of the movers. I am in ministry. I will never be able to hirer professional movers, but I have a great group of friends, who are always willing to lend a hand in moving. I certainly don't want to make them suffer while they help me move, so I am careful to always provide a case of water. Depending on the time, you might want to provide pizza or hoagies or at least snacks. Remember they are going out of their way to help you. Do what you can to help them. 

I guess that's it. Thanks so much for following along. Hope these tips were helpful and that you enjoyed the series. Now you can be a professional mover as well. :)

Just joining us? Catch up on all of the Tips you have missed here:

Moving Tip: Intro

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/09/moving-tip-intro.html

Moving Tip #1: Where to Find Boxes

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/09/moving-tip-1-where-to-find-boxes.html

Moving Tip #2: Be Ruthless

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-2-be-ruthless.html

Moving Tip #3: Strategize

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-3-strategize.html

Moving Tip #4: Start Big

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-4-start-big.html

Moving Tip #5: Packing Supplies

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-5-packing-supplies.html 

Moving Tip #6: Packing Materials

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/11/moving-tip-6-packing-materials.html

Moving Tip #6: Packing Materials

Sorry about the delay on posting Moving Tips. I needed a little bit of a change up for a week. Now we are back and ready to role.

Moving Tip #6: Packing Materials

In the Packing Supplies Tip, I told you that you probably want to buy bubble wrap for you most valuable glass or china items. I stand by that decision. It is worth the money!

But you probably don't want to do that for all of your possessions because it starts to get very expensive. Skip! Here are a few cheaper ways to pack your breakables, fill in the gaps, etc. without buying expensive packing materials.

Grocery Bags. You know how your grocery store bags say "Recycle" or "Return to Store" on them? Well, you can do that... after you move. I love plastic grocery bags because I do repurpose them. Most frequently they are used as trash bags. Messy leftovers go in a grocery bag before getting dumped in the trash. Stinky vegetable cuttings get wrapped in a grocery bag. All of the small trashcans get a grocery bag liner. But I also save my grocery bags specifically for moving. Wrap all of your breakables or scratchables in grocery bags and they will do just fine in your boxes. Stuff grocery bags in any gaps if you don't want items to shift too much. This makes great packing material!

Newspapers & Magazines. If you have newspapers or magazines regularly delivered to your home, you can use these wrap or cushion as well. I start saving about a month in advance of my packing and use as needed. Then you can recycle the paper once you get to your new place. And you know that the paper got a whole extra life before you threw it away or recycled it.

Off Season Clothing. Now the great news about moving season is it tends to be somewhere between spring and fall. You don't need to wear your heavy coats, jackets, or sweatshirts during this move. So instead of packing a bunch of boxes full of off-season closing, use those items as stuffing for your boxes. I wrapped picture frames and large vases in my husband's sweatshirt collection. They are items that need packed anyway, so why not multi-purpose them?

As far as furniture is concerned, I usually wrap or drape my wooden pieces with cheap blankets. I mostly use those cheap flannel blankets that you can get for $1 on clearance after Christmas or they were collected from Goodwill. You know the ones that are great for picnics, paint drop clothes, and moving? If you want to go through the hassle, just wash them up and store them in a bin or a back corner of your closet.

A few more tips to go! Stay tuned.



Just joining us? Catch up on all of the Tips you have missed here:

Moving Tip: Intro

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/09/moving-tip-intro.html

Moving Tip #1: Where to Find Boxes

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/09/moving-tip-1-where-to-find-boxes.html

Moving Tip #2: Be Ruthless

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-2-be-ruthless.html

Moving Tip #3: Strategize

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-3-strategize.html

Moving Tip #4: Start Big

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-4-start-big.html

Moving Tip #5: Packing Supplies

http://everdaysurrender.blogspot.com/2015/10/moving-tip-5-packing-supplies.html 

Praise the Lord!

Originally written in 2012. 

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to go to a theater known as Sight & Sound. It is a Christian stage theater where they perform Broadway-quality plays based on Bible stories. They are amazing! For example, they recently ran a season of Joseph. It was incredible! They took the Biblical story, portrayed it accurately, added possible fictional parts to get from Point A to Point B, and outstanding music. When you sit and watch the show, you literally feel like you are living through a moment in the Bible. They always tie in salvation, and have staff members designated to talk to people after the show, if they want more information about getting to heaven. It's a great work that they are doing in Lancaster, PA, and Branson, MO. 

Now I can't promise that every single actor or employee is saved, but like Chick-fil-A, they are a Christian company. 

From the production Joseph by Sight & Sound Theaters

My favorite production is Noah. They haven't shown it since I was around 10 years old. It was so colorful and they had all kinds of live animals and you felt like you were in the ark during the storm. I vividly remember understanding what Noah had to go through as he preached to his friends and warned them of Gods judgement, and they mocked him. That was a powerful feeling. I have seen almost all of the productions since Noah, but none of them compare!

I got to meet the director of the theater last year, and I asked him if they were ever going to bring Noah back. He couldn't tell me, but told me to wait a couple of weeks to find out what the new show would be for 2013. Wouldn't you know they brought back Noah when I have absolutely no way to see it?? 

While Noah is my favorite production, Joseph contained my favorite song. It's just a simple song of praise and I don't even know if there is more to it than the thirty second blurb in the show.

   

It goes like this:

Praise the Lord of creation!

The Father of all mankind! 

Lift your voice in celebration 

Of His peace to give, His love to find!

Isn't that wonderful? I love to praise the Lord. You know, it's all about Him. He has done so much for me, the least I can do is praise Him with every breath I take.