What Made Me Happy Today

This is a very, very stressful week. Work is crazy (as always) and I'm trying to get people to figure out the holiday schedule. I don't understand these people. I emailed the schedule twice and I still have them asking about our holiday hours. Just read the emails!

Speaking of emails: corporate sent out emails last week about Canada's anti-spamming laws. They emailed everyone who has every even inquired into our services. In a moment of pure irony, they even emailed people who had opted out of our services, thereby spamming them with anti-spamming information. The emails had a big, orange button to click if people wanted to keep receiving emails from us. All that was necessary to never receive an email from us was to not click the big, orange button. And I still received 3 emails from people telling me to take them off the list (and one of them was rather rude). Just don't click the big, orange button!

Back to the stress: this is also Christmas concert week. There's a rehearsal on Saturday and a rehearsal on Sunday morning and the concert Sunday evening. It seems that's too many rehearsals for some people. It also seems that there are people unable to read their email or the bulletin, which listed the rehearsal times and the concert time.

Now I'm reading comics. I would like to direct your attention here and here.

They made me smile. They may do the same for you.

Have a happy Thursday.

Today's Frustration

Am I the only one who gets frustrated with trying to get people to help? It seems everyone has an excuse. I get really tired of "I prayed about it and I just don't feel led to help." Hey...there are times when I don't "feel led" to teach either, but I do it (those would be the mornings when I'm tired and I "feel led" to go back to sleep). Or, they don't "feel called" to help. I'm pretty sure the Bible never says anything about needing to "feel called" before you do something. If it means that much to someone, though, I'll be happy to call them.


I'm not really sure, though, how to respond to people who use any of "feel" excuses. I really, really don't think that it's a particularly biblical response. I don't see the Bible telling us to serve if we feel called or led. It just says to serve the body.
I would like to respond with one of these:
For those who don't think they're gifted in teaching and who don't accept that I can teach them all they need to know:
Oh, and a recent frustration: Do NOT tell me that you can't help after all and "let's see how God will provide." He did provide: He provided you. You changed your mind (yes, you prayed, but what's your point? You prayed and God told you it was okay not to serve?).
So far I've been perfectly polite to people who have these excused for not serving. I'm going to need a lot of prayer to keep being polite, though, if I keep hearing this nonsense.
And that is today's frustration.


"I don't care how you feel. The question is, are you willing to serve your church family?"
"Where does the Bible talk about feeling led before you serve?"
"I'm glad you prayed about it. I still don't understand how "feelings" come into the equation."
"Where does the Bible talk about needing to be "called" to serve?"
"Well, if you really need to be "called" give me your phone number and I'll call you."

"Wait...are you telling me that if I don't think I'm gifted in something, I don't need to do it? Great: I've decided that I'm not gifted in giving or showing mercy. So now I don't have to do either of those things, right? They're in the same passage (Romans 12:6-8)."