The Voice...

I've had a heart for special needs kids since I was little. 
My Aunt "Ding", who also happens to be my Godmother, chose to serve them as a vocation- which I've always seen as more of a ministry. I believe she was called.

I've had the privilege of announcing Challenger League Baseball games this past season. 
(Challenger League is special needs baseball)

It's been eye opening to watch the different angles of God. 

Students helping special needs kids- 

Parents beaming with pride and broken hearted at other moments. 

I learned that Elliott likes Linus and Lucy....

Caroline likes a pink helmet...it makes her happy... 

Jake, "Boogie Man" likes KC & The Sunshine Band... 

Annie does a cartwheel every time she scores..

Mikey hits it out of the park...

Drew likes to eat donuts and enjoys a little crowd recognition...

Gracie runs faster when I play "Who Let The Dogs Out"....

The Parents beam with pride....

as they face a hard sense of reality... 

At the end of the last game a gorgeous red-headed freckled face player- 

handed me a trophy of my very own. 

She said "Thank you for being our voice." 

My heart dropped and exploded at the same time. 

It got me to thinking- what does my voice sound like? Besides scratchy....

It better sound like love and grace and mercy.

 Because that is what my Rabbi's Voice sounds like. 

This post is not about me, or anything I did, it is about us being His Voice.

So, as His Voice, what are people hearing from you?
Since His Sheep know His Voice....

"God's Voice thunders in marvelous ways; 

He does great things beyond our understanding." ~Job 37:5

God, Please let them hear Your Voice in Mine...in Our's.

In His Dust,

DCC

Don't Be Shaped...

"Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. 

You’ll be changed from the inside out." ~Romans 12:2

I was honored to speak in a wedding this weekend at San Fernando Cathedral. 

It was founded in 1731 and is the oldest continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas. 

(As in "Remember the Alamo type old," and believe you me, it does.) 

So, when I was told by the priest to "lift my hands" during my reading, 

needless to say, I did it.

The comments I got, by those who didn't understand the ritual, made me think.

"Wow, you really take this reading stuff seriously...you were really excited."

"Did you know your hands were raised?"

"You should so go and be a priest already or go into ministry!"

My answers in order.....

"Yes. Yes, I do take God's Word real seriously."

"Ummm, yes, I had control of my limbs. Thank you for your concern."

"The collar would look silly with my shorts and t-shirt...

and by the way, I am already in ministry..................we all are."

God calls all of us to, "Not conform to the world around us."

The word conformed is, "suschematizo." 

It literally means, to be molded or stamped according a pattern. 

This includes the pattern of public opinion which tends to define truth. 

It is so much easier to be affected by the world and it's opinions.

Including those we often swim with.

But, it is not what is best for us.

and He knows that.

God, Thank You for Your Mercy when we worry more about what others think, than what You do.

In His Dust,

DCC

Breakfast with Jesus...

"Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread…Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” ~John 21:9,12

He knew, among many countless things...that they were quite simply....hungry.
The Creator of the Universe and all things in it....knew and cared about hunger.
The best part? He still does!!!

He wants to know...Peter, the original invitee to breakfast, tell us flat out- 

"Turn all your worries over to Him. He cares about you." ~1 Peter 5:7

Peter doesn't put a limit on what to talk to Him about.
He doesn't say, only give Him your worries about: North Korea, The Venezuelan election or drone strikes......
He says turn ALL your worries over to Him.
This includes the argument with your teenager on the way to school...
The stress you feel when "out of whack" with a friend or family member...

The anxiety of ______________ (fill in your own blank)....

He still calls. 
He still cares. 

So, today...let's take Him up on His invitation to "breakfast".

I'm afraid sometimes, I'm too quick to complain that it ain't Shipley's! 
Sometimes it might look like a fish on a stick over a fire, with the head still on it.
All that matters is, we are invited to sit with Him and hand over our worries.

God, Thank You for caring...about all of the things that are on our hearts.

In His Dust,
DCC

Hands Up....

I have always been a little thrown off by hands up in worship...

God has been showing me different things about it.

I was driving to church a few weeks ago, with my hands sticking out of the sunroof.

I was drying my freshly painted nails, not both, one at a time.

This is not rare for me, nor has it been for years. 

I think of it as "God's Natural Nail Drying System."

In this scenario, I am not the slightest bit phased by onlookers and puzzled faces.

When I arrived I was in a room filled with people worshipping. 
Some had hands up and others that were worshipping just as intently, 
with their hands in their pockets.

“I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

But He said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.” ~Luke 19:40 

(Aka, your own hands, drying nails out sunroof are doing it)

"The Lord says, these people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 

Their worship of me is based on merely human rules." ~Isaiah 29:13,14

After reading this, I was quickly reminded, worship no matter what it "looks" like, 

it is between me and God. I need to stop focusing on HOW I am worshipping and start focusing on WHO I am worshipping.

the rest will take care of itself.

 Later in the day, I looked up- 

I was surrounded by a visual that could be created only by God Himself.

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." ~Isaiah 55:12

All of this to say, no matter how you worship...reach for Him.

No matter how your day is going...reach for Him.
He has proven time and time again...He will be there and will immediately grab you right back!

"Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him" -Matthew 14:31a

It doesn't matter if you see the old school Episcopalian....head down & hands clasped...
or someone with stretched out arms. Reaching is seen by God and God alone.

God, Thank You for responding to our reach....no matter how it looks.

In His Dust,
DCC

Giving Away Grace...

"Give Grace and love away like your made of it." ~Bob Goff

I am much more comfortable giving grace away, than I am receiving it. 

Which has always been surprising to me.

When I am offered grace, I am softened by it in a way that shocks me time and time again.

And at the same time...strengthened by it.

I am actually ok with giving it away like I am made of it....

because, quite frankly, I am.

and quite frankly, so are you.

We are each made with in His Image.

Which is even more amazing to me that He gives me chances over and over again. 

Undeserved chances, when I fail him and His Children.

All the more reason, I need to hand it over freely and not look back. 

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, 

that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." ~Hebrews 4:16

God, Thank You for your constant grace and ability to look at me and see not just my mistakes, but Your Child.

In His Dust,

DCC

What Time Is It....

Why God, why? 

First of all...

why did Morris Day & The TIme have to stop recording stuff?

Second of all...

why do have you let your people here on earth steal an hour of our time? 

As if last Monday wasn't frustrating enough....

we now have to add messed up body clocks and grumpy cows.

It might just be elaborate challenge from the universe, to see who knows how to really work all of their electronics and who doesn't. 

(The results shall be evident on all ovens and microwaves over the next 6 months.)

However.....if you find yourself, tired, frustrated or late today....

(sorry, if it is because you stopped to read this)

"Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day." ~2 Peter 3:8

Maybe God is sparing us from an hour of worry....or frustration?

The Message version of The Bible goes on to say in 2 Peter 3:8

"God is restraining Himself on account of you, 

holding back the End because He doesn't want anyone lost. 

He's giving everyone space and time to change."

So, in the grand scheme of things , if You need to mess with my oven clock....

than I'm down with it.

God, Thank You for working all things together for good.

In His Dust,

DCC 

Hiding Place...

"You are my Hiding Place; 

You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." 

~Psalm 32:7

Sounds good in theory.....but last I checked....

I was not a little white bird and was not able to find a cleft in a white rock.

Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough...

To me, the concept of hiding in Him....feels more like.

Which was smothering and quite frankly, a tad suffocating.

And also, sand up the nose? No thanks.

Sometimes, grabbing on to God, to Hide, feels more like this.

I KNOW He is not letting Go.

I KNOW He has me securely in His Grip.

But, dang, it's easy to forget.

I naturally tend to focus on the worries surrounding me....

instead of Who is Protecting Me from them.

Thank You God for Being a Constant Place Hide...for each one of us reading this.

In His Dust,

DCC