Doing Everything For God

Colossians 3:23-24
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Our church started a new sermon series today called "iCreate." It's all about using the gifts that God gave us to create new things. In that way, we're all "artists." Some people are very artistic; ideas and finished products just flow from them. Others may not look at what they do with the gifts God has given them as artistic, but Russell did a very good job of pointing out that everything we do can be creative.

It's interesting that the first example he gave was that of a nurse, who looks at her craft of helping patients get better as a work of art. This is very true. Sometimes it takes creativity to convince someone who feels bad to do the necessary work to get better.

After church, our good friend, Lindsey, who was the first nurse Tammy had when she went in to the hospital for her second transplant, came over for a cookout. There are still a few details to work out for the fun run this Saturday. We picked out--actually we came up with designs--for shirts for both men and women. We recognized that the guys might not want to wear a shirt that says, "I Fight Like a Girl." You'll have to show up Saturday to discover our design (here's a link for the details: http://www.facebook.com/events/342722409130146/).

This run has become a labor of love for us. We want to share Tammy's fighting spirit with others facing similar challenges. We know that's necessary to beat the disease. This is a great example of creativity. We are using the experiences we've gained over the last three-plus years to bring attention to the depth of the battle. We are hoping that others will be inspired by Tammy's story, and will commit to fighting.

We know that everyone faces challenges daily. Some are serious, maybe even life-threatening, like the one Tammy is facing now. Others are more annoying than anything. But each challenge takes initiative and creativity. God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us as we attack these challenges. Our prayer for you is that you would rely on the strength He gives you to accomplish your goals. "Work at it with all your heart.... It is the Lord Christ you are serving."