Adoration

First of all, sorry I don't have a great April Fools' post to share with you...I just don't think I have the guts. :)  I'll let Joy's Hope handle that one!  Ha ha.  Last year on this day I played hang man with my 3rd and 4th graders at the end of the day and told them I was pregnant.  They were shocked, then laughed, then played the joke on all my teacher friends in our hallway.  It was very funny.  Who would have thought this year it's not a joke!? 

So this week I saw on Facebook that my brother shared a link with a friend of a sermon by Timothy Keller.  Because I respect my brother so much as a man, a follower of Christ and a pastor, I of course thought I would listen to it as well.  Let's just say, it was life-changing for me.  Seriously.  So much so that Kevin and I listened to it together when he got home.  I love simple yet profound messages.  Keller is extremely intelligent and intellectual, yet is awesome at speaking practically.  We've heard him speak one other time at a church planting conference, and I know he has written several great books that my brother has read. (That I need to read!)  One is called "The Reason for God," and his latest is, "Generous Justice."

Anyway, the message really forces you to reflect on what you really adore in life, and where your heart's focus truly is.  He helps you see, by studying The Lord's Prayer, that to have a true perspective of God and experience all other fruit, we must first honor and adore Him.  At the end he talks about the pendulum of God as a holy God, and God as a loving God, in the realm of understanding the sacrifice of His son Jesus.  It has seriously influenced my perspective and prayer life.  I've even found that what we often think of as "praising" or "adoring" God is more along the lines of gratitude for what He's done for us rather than just reflecting on his holiness and who He is.

So I strongly encourage you to take some time this weekend and listen to this message -

Adoration: "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

Then, if you need a jumpstart on simply adoring Him, try this song...it's the one I've had on repeat all week and have been singing from my soul.  Happy Friday!!!