Our choir loft is three steps up to the platform and three steps into the choir loft…
I noticed that some of the members were a bit nervous about being up there and perhaps singing a solo or a special part in the choir or even just singing in the choir.

TODAY FOR CHOIR PRACTICE…
I gave this devotion to them

I asked them….
Do you get nervous…up here on the HILL?

Then I reminded them of Matthew 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

People will look up to us and see our good works and though we all know and say it is “all about HIM” they may not be willing to look at HIM but will look at you.

When we are up in front of people taking part in our church services we are like the city set on a hill, How does your light shine?

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We who are in the Choir / Praise team, soloists, Pastors, leaders, have a huge responsibility to live our lives in such a way that other will follow us to the Savior, so that we can show them to trust HIM and look to HIM instead of us….

Author and composer Bruce Ballinger penned these words in 1976

We Have Come into HIS House

1. We Have Come into HIS House and gathered in HIS name to worship HIM
2. So forget about yourself and concentrate on HIM and worship HIM.
3. I will lift up holy hands and magnify his name and worship HIM.

{my version of the 3rd verse is}
I will give my heart to HIM and magnify his name and worship HIM
Worship HIM Christ the LORD.

Next time you are uneasy or nervous about serving in the choir or special music remember this little acrostic.

P= Pray without ceasing
E= Entrust yourself to HIM
A= accept your weaknesses
C= Concentrate on HIS STRENGTH
E= Expect a blessing

He will make you strong as you submit to HIM. He gave you talents to use for HIS glory. Certainly HE will strengthen you for the task.

Monday morning, March 22, 2010, Jennifer, (Nathan our youngest son’s wife), called to inform us that her mother and dad, Bruce and Dawn Giehl, were coming from Ohio and she wanted to invite us to come for the evening meal.

Ken was on the road and I suggested that Nate give him a call to see if that would work with his schedule and then Ken called me and said that we could, if it could be worked out with the management to cover for us here at Friendship Village while we were away. We are the “Alert” phone workers.

I was expecting the manager to be back around 2:00 PM. I gave the manager a few calls on her cell phone hoping that maybe we could get away a little earlier, but I was unable to reach her.

The mail usually comes between 12:30 and 1:15 PM, about the time that Ken usually gets home from driving. While I was waiting I went out and got the mail and there was a sweet “Thank You” note from Jennifer’s mom and dad, which said….

“Sometimes God brings special people into our lives
and gives them a home in our hearts.
You’re one of those people and you’re celebrated
with love and thanks to God today.”

and they added a note…. We are so thankful God brought your family into our family.

Dawn and I have established the habit for over a year now to pray together for our children whenever we happen to see one another on chats and it usually works out two or tree times a week at least. It has been such a blessing to see those prayers answered.

When the manager got back in the office at 2:00 PM she returned my call and I asked her if she could stand in for us and she assured me that we could go and wished us and nice time.

We set out immediately for the hour and a half drive from Litchfield, MI to Kalamazoo and safely arrived at Nathan and Jennifer’s home where the boys and men were outside on the blacktop drive playing basket ball.

When we arrived we were warmly greeted and hugged. Then we all went into the house together to greet the rest of the family including Giehl’s black and white Cocker Spaniel dog, Patches.

As we gathered around the table for the meal our son Nathan made the statement,”let’s pray”….but while we were finishing our conversation and joining hand with one another, Little one year old Nathaniel Bruce got a little impatient and with his head bowed and peeking around the table, started mumbling to himself little prayerful words that sounded like “Thank….   Thank….” After we all chuckled a little his father began his prayer of thanks for the meal and fellowship.

It did not take long to figure out where Little Nathaniel learned the word “thanks” nor the idea of prayer before he ate.

Matthew 21:16 (King James Version)
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

After the meal and clearing the table we all adjourned to the living room where every one sat around the room and chairs were pulled into the living room from the dining area to accommodate the size of our crowd.

The little people of course were playing on the floor and were in and out some with their toys and we also had the honor of seeing Patches do some tricks for us.

We had such sweet fellowship with our dear family and as it drew close to the time for us to leave little Nathaniel went over to one of the large vacant dining room chairs and with much struggle, climbed up until he was on his knees, then finally got turned around and sat down and got his little legs to hang over the edge.

As his grandmother, I was watching him closely as everyone in the room was conversing. I was afraid that he might fall off the chair, but then I began to realize that he was purposely getting set, just like every one else and though he can’t talk was making little sounds and looking around at everyone and making little gestures with his hand and smiling happily at every one. I glanced over at his Grandma Giehl and she looked at me knowingly.

At that moment we realized that Little Nathaniel Bruce in his prayer at the dinner table and his little conversation on the chair with all of us looking on, had preached his first sermon to all of us.

That sermon was  “I love to do what you love to do.”

It was obvious, all of a sudden to everyone there that he was copying the rest of us.

It caused me to think…..
What if we had been arguing or swearing….
What if we had been drinking… smoking…. overeating….

You fill in the blanks to what is really important to you.__________

I know I certainly have had to do that myself lately…

What is really important to me and what are my descendants going to copy.

Lord, help us to be the example that we should be and be more like YOU, that we may nudge our dear ones closer to you.

Joshua 24:15
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.