It won't cost much, just your voice.

The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.  Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing! (Proverbs 25:11-13 MSG)

Timely words are like custom-made jewelry.  Hello...What girl doesn't adore custom made jewelry?  Sign me up for that!  I LOVE when people spell my name correctly.  I know it has a lot to do with the fact that my name is easy to mess up and spelled differently than it's pronounced.  Thanks mom and dad, appreciate the creativity there. When someone refers to me as Mrs. Zach or Pastor Zach's wife, I might as well be invisible.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my husband, almost as much as I love custom-made jewelry but honestly how weird would it be if others referred to him as Mr. Dennisa or Pastor Dennisa's husband (teehee).  But when someone actually takes the time to figure out how to spell it and pronounce it, it makes me feel like a million bucks.  You see, we add significance to others when we refer to them by their God-given name.  We are saying you are important enough to know or to get to know.  This not only expresses the uniqueness of who they are but it honors them as well as their creator. 

In the same way, when we truly take the time as a friend to speak a wise or timely word into others, it makes them feel special.  It doesn't take much time or effort but much like adding spices to a dish, a little bit goes a long way.  So many times we can get lost in our own mess or caught up in our own lives that we don't take the time to reach out and speak life into others.  I've heard the analogy that in every relationship there is a "reacher" and a "settler."   In fact, my husband often jokes that he is the reacher and I'm the settler in our relationship.  The jury is still out on that debate but the point is that we all have been in situations where we've reached out to others only to be turned down.  This not only happens in relationships but also in friendships.  We have all had our share of seed scattering moments.  Where you send out a text and wait patiently impatient for a response.  Maybe through a lunch invitation or with a party invitation that clearly says RSVP, which in today's culture is translated to: Respond Sometime if you plan on coming or neVermind or just show uP!  We wait for a response and maybe calculate someone's lack of response as a lack of interest.  Don't get me wrong, we've all been in situations where we've over-promised and under-delivered.  Maybe there have been a few seasons where we've underestimated our capacity and said yes to lots of things only to find that our plate is too full.  There is nothing more respectful to others than knowing your capacity and understanding your season.  If you are unable to reach than, perhaps you've overextended yourself and have to go back to the drawing board to decide which things you are going to prioritize in this season.  

Over the past few years, I've realized that in the majority of situations, I am a reacher.  It's true.  Whether this is a product of nurture or nature, I have yet to conclude.  However, I first discovered this by taking a look at my text messages.  When I would send out text messages, my inbox was full.  When my inbox was full, my schedule was also full.  I had meetings every breakfast, lunch and dinner for weeks based on my initiative.  When I stopped texting, there were no messages in my inbox and no meetings on my schedule.  I started to look back into my childhood to see if I could find any patterns or trends that confirmed my theory.  What I found is that the same was true even early on in my life, if I initiated phone calls or passing notes (this was back in the day before cell phones) I was "miss popularity."  One thing I also noticed was that majority of my friends came to me for advice and felt confortable sharing secrets with me.  What I discovered is "my voice."  

Growing up, my favorite Disney annimated film was "The Little Mermaid."  Not only did I know every line to every scene, I had a full collection of mermaid memorablia.  If you've ever seen the movie, you'd know that the irony of the film is that this teenage mermaid princes Ariel, falls in love (more like infatuation) with the human Prince Eric.  Because 'parents just don't understand' Ariel decided to make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursela.  She trades her voice for three days as a human with Prince Eric to convince him to fall in love with her.  Wow, this is a horrible message to send to children.  That's beside the point.  The point is, that there's one line in the movie that gets me every time, Ursula says to Ariel, "it won't cost much...just your voice!"  So many people in our generation have given up their voice.  We have relied soley on our looks, our talents, our charm or appearance when the very thing that this world needs is our voice.  This world needs a voice of reason, a voice of value, this world needs a timely word. Even if you find yourself doing the majority of the reaching, and it seems one sided, nothing goes unnoticed.  You are planting the seed.  You have the opportunity to bring refreshment to those around you.  

Will you take time today to do one of three things:

1.  Call a barista, waitress or cashier by name and watch their face light up! 

2.  RSVP for that invitation on your fridge or in your inbox even if the response is no.

3.  Send a timely word of encouragement to the first friend that comes to mind.  Discover your voice!

A timely word from a reliable friend is like an ice cold lemonade served in a mason jar (I heart mason jars) on a hot summer day!  So, when life gives you limones, you have the opportunity to make lemonade!  

LABOR DAY WAGES

"But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion? Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’ So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last." (Matthew 20:13-16 CEB)

I don't get it. I mean there are parts of scripture that make complete sense to me. Like 'love your neighbor as yourself'  cause clearly those who love themselves should learn how to extend the same kind of love to others. But this part of scripture makes no sense to me, at all. I mean I side with the workers, if I show up to work at 8am and labor all day but homeboy shows up half an hour till closing, and still gets paid the same amount as my tired butt, I'm gonna be looking for a new job tomorrow. 

It feels unfair. It seems like the boss doesn't know how to run a business. It feels like at best the boss has checked out emotionally with his employees and at worst he's playing favorites. There lies the problem or so it seems. Clearly the boss is the one with the problem and not the grumbling workers. I mean unless the workers are plain out lazy or disrespectful, it's easy to empathize with their frustrations. 

In our home, I play the role of "mommy." Even with two of the sweetest and best behaved children on planet earth, I have found myself in situations where I am last. Last to shower, last to dinner, last to bed, last to relax, last to lots of things. You get the picture. In this case, I can relate to the employee who showed up last. I mean, I meant to get there on time but somewhere between making my kiddos breakfast, washing the dishes and slopping some make up on my face (some things take a little more maintenance than others), I came in last.  I've always been late. In fact, early seems foreign.  Like if I'm the first person to show up for an event or party, I will literally pull out the invitation to make sure I didn't mix up the date or something. 

Getting back to the story, I guess I can also relate to the late employee more than I care to admit. So when the boss in the story says, 'don't I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me?  Or are you resentful because I'm generous?' I would say yes to both. Yes the boss can do whatever he wants with his belongings. And yes I am resentful because of his generosity toward others. I'm much less resentful when he is generous toward me. So does the problem lie with the employees or the boss? It's the employees. There's an absolute double standard when it comes to the employees response to the boss' actions.

 I've always heard this story explained in regard to the kingdom of heaven. It's about the idea of God's children. Those who serve God their entire life and those who choose to serve Him on their death bed recieve the same reward... entrance into heaven. Yay, mystery solved time to move on! Except, I think that maybe there are even deeper truths to this parable. I think many of us can relate to both employees in the story. As the 8am-5pm, faithful worker, you have earned your wages and have completed an honest days work. You can go home and enjoy the fruit of your labor. You can sleep with a clear conscience and wake up to repeat again without a second thought. If you never knew the other employee had recieved the same wages for less, you'd be a happy camper. Ignorance is bliss. As the late employee, you're just relieved you have a job. You're relieved that you didn't get punished or penalized for showing up late. You are on the receiving end of the boss' mercy.  

Perhaps the story has nothing to do with the employees and more to do with the boss. The boss in this story is God, himself. The boss has rights. The boss can do whatever he wants with His belongings. He can hold onto them or give them away. He can choose to be merciful and generous or he can choose justice. We don't have control over His choice, we only have control over our choices. He calls us friend. He can do no wrong. He does what He agrees to. He can start at the back of the line and quickly make His way up to the front of the line. What He decides is best. Simply put, God's ways are higher than ours. He has more insight and investment into the lives of His people than we do.  The way the world does things is not the way God does. He uses the foolish things to confound the wise.

 If I think something He does seems unfair it probably is because it's a direct display of His mercy. 

The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 CEB)

Every one of us "employees" have earned the wages that sin pays. As a result of our humanity, we have earned the wages of death whether we started at 8am or half an hour before closing.  We have earned equal wages because of our sinful nature. But as a gift, our boss has decided to give us what we could never earn no matter how early we show up or how hard we worked, He chose to give us life. Life beyond what we currently see and understand. This eternal life has been purchased at a high price, the life of another who didn't earn the same wages as us, because He didn't sin. This employee is a real life "undercover boss" who has chosen to trade wages with us. Remember we earned death because of our sinful nature. He didn't. As the boss, He can do whatever He wants with His belongings. He has chosen to give them away, starting with His life. Each of us has earned death for our work on this earth yet God chose to be generous! His generosity may never make sense to me but I'm super grateful that He chose to be merciful and not give me what I've earned. 

If you are reading this and can relate to what I've shared whether you're struggling with resentment or having a hard time receiving grace. I invite you to say this simple prayer with me: "Jesus, I don't understand your ways. I know that you both are a God of justice and a God of mercy. I know that your ways are higher than mine.  Your thoughts are more complete than mine. You see the whole picture and I only see it in part.  I invite you into my heart. I invite you into my thoughts. I invite you into my life. I am so grateful that you chose my wages, the wages of death, so that I could have abundant life. Help me to walk in this new life. Help me to honor your sacrifice and respect your choices, even when they don't make sense to me. Teach me to do what pleases you. In Jesus name, amen." 

3 Easy Lessons for a "Fixed" Life

Today is the day that the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it!  Are we rejoicing?  Are we grateful for today?  I find myself convicted as I write this, sadly my ability to rejoice often relies on my circumstances.  Whether I am hungry or full, whether my house is clean or dirty, whether it's raining or sunny outside, whether my account is in the black or in the red, whether I'm tired or fully rested, whether, whether, weather!? You get the picture.  I'm sure you are not much different from me, you sleep the same way (with both eyes closed hopefully), breathe the same, live on the same earth, under the same moon and enjoy the same sun! 

Lesson #1: Dress in layers.  Start with Jesus.  I grew up in the Rocky Mountains, being Colorado born and raised, you learn early on that the weather is pretty unpredictable.  In fact, people joke about how you can experience ALL four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter) in a single day.  It's important to dress in layers because although the forecast might predict a snow day with road closures and school cancellations in the morning, by noon, you can be sledding down the hills near your house wearing shorts and a t-shirt.  EXTREME? Yes!  If you're studying to be a meteorologist good luck predicting the weather in Colorful Colorado!  Predicting the weather is unpredictable.  Since we've transitioned to a more tropical climate, Zach and I receive up to date weather information any time it snows, or hits anywhere near or below 30 degrees in Colorado.  It's purely informational and not intended to make us feel bad one bit (smiling cause I'd probably do the same).
  

Photo courtesy of my BBFF

In life, we can get tossed around like a leaf blowing in the wind by external circumstances if we are not internally prepared.  As Christians, if we are not disciplined and intentional about clothing ourselves with the attitude of Christ we can and will reflect the attitude of the world around us.  Ephesians 4:24 "Yes, you must be a different person, holy and good.  Clothe yourself with this new nature."  

Lesson #2: Be YOU!  It's the highest compliment to your creator. 
Your perspective is ethnocentric by default. What I mean by that is, sometimes our perspective can get in the way of our ability to see things unbiased.  We all have a unique set of experiences, life circumstances, upbringings, strengths and weaknesses that have shaped us into the person we are today.  Although similarities can often unite us, they don't make up for the fact that we are all uniquely made.  Psalms 139:14 (NIV) "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well." When we fall into the trap of comparing our bloopers to other's Emmy nominations, it's unfair.  There is nothing more attractive than knowing who you are and "owning it." 

 Lesson #3: Fix your thoughts.  It'll fix your life!  Phillipians 4:8 "...Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about."  I wonder how drastically our lives would change if we lived by this verse.  If we fixed our thoughts on the truth, the good things in this world, the things that are going right in our lives.  If you're anything like me, you tend to notice what's wrong in a picture before you acknowledge what's right.  

Here's a test to see if this is true for you, take a selfie...go on, do it. Then, tell me what's the first thing you notice? 

When something's broken, we must fix it but we can't always do it on our own.  If you don't already have someone in your life who you can trust to be honest with you and tell you when your thoughts are broken, it's imperative that you find that person and FAST! 

So whether the weather drastically changes or not, we can be ready for anything if we remember these 3 easy lessons:  Dress in Layers, Be YOU, and Fix your thoughts! 

2013- A Year in Review

It's been a while since my last update. I'm finding that it is getting even more difficult to stay in touch with family and friends from Colorado.  This time difference and the 3,000 + miles between us creates a challenge.  I suppose my complaints are of no value to any of my readers.  So all two of you, will just have to listen to my unfounded rants. 

Here's a year in review:

January-  Jan 3, Zach took on a new position as an Associate Pastor at New Hope Metro. Opa & Lala (my inlaws) followed us to Honolulu and got here in time to celebrate Metro's one year anniversary!
February-  Zach shaved his head in honor of Pastor Elwin's battle with cancer to raise awareness for the St. Baldrick's Foundation. Thank you Jesus for healing Pastor Elwin! 
March-  Zach's hair eventually grew back, except it was a different color (only kidding...or am I?).  Abi learned to ride her bike for the first time without training wheels!  Zach and I attended the HIM conference, it was life changing!
April-  April 7th, Zekey turned 5!  We had a pirate themed party at the beach with a real life treasure hunt!  April 30th, Zach turned 34!  Also had a party at the beach...someone forgot to tell Zach it wasn't pirate themed.  Oops!  
May-  Abi got a Super Citizen award at Royal Elementary School! I graduated from UNC and Zach graduated from Aims. We returned to Colorado for a short week for the commencement and celebrations!  It was nice to see friends and family again but the green chili...YUM!!!
June-  I attended the BLOOM conference (an amazing conference for young women, you'll hear more about my involvement in this next year). I also started co-leading a young ladies Connect Group (small group for high school and college girls).  June, 28th, Zach and I celebrated our ten year wedding anniversary!!  TEN years, can you believe it?
July- July 7, I turned 32 and preached my first sermon at Metro!  July 14th, my sister (actually my closest cousin), Sacha, got married to UFC fighter Chris Camozzi right here in Oahu on the North Shore!!  We had a visit from: My mom (actual mom), Paul and Mary (my brother and sister in law), My Aunt Pat and Uncle John, Sacha (my sister) and Chris (her husband), Bella (my niece), Clint (my cousin), and My Aunt Jeanette!
August-  Zekey started kindergarten! Mommy spent the mornings crying and the afternoons watching soap operas while eating bon-bons with her hair in rollers.  Okay, only part of that statement is true, but I'm not saying which one is.    
September- Zach and I went to Oasis (an inspiring young adult camp).  Afterward, we helped Pastor Brandon start Fuse Metro (our young adult ministry at Metro). One focuses of this ministry is to have monthly worship nights which has been right up Zach's alley!
October- Zach joined a church volleyball league with others from Metro.  Their team "The Super Slammers" got slammed but were good sports in the process (no pun intended on either statement). Pastor Brandon, Zach and I led a co-ed study based on a book called, "The Emotionally Healthy Church."  It was a time of reflection, healing and soul searching for everyone!  October 26, we said, "Aloha" to Aloha Tower for the last time as New Hope Metro changed locations!
November- We kicked off our first Sunday at our new church location without a hitch (Thank you Jesus)! Abi got her 2nd Super Citizen Award from Royal School!  November 13th, Abi turned 8!  We also got a surprise visit from Uncle Travis (Zach's brother), Auntie Melissa, Sheinah, Amaris and the newest addition to the Bumgardner family, beautiful baby Raenen!  
December- is to be determined.  Half way in and the calendar is filling up with Christmas parties, gatherings and services but one thing that comes to mind is...seasons.  

Life is really just a slew of seasons strung together to teach us lessons and develop character in us.  Some are up, some down.  In the end, we must make the most of what we've been given, and remain faithful to the calling and purpose in each of our lives! 

If you find yourself discouraged or overwhelmed by the busyness of the holidays, take heart. Be encouraged knowing that this is only a season. Tis the season to be... What was it again? Oh yeah, hehe, jawry! 

what to say...when you don't know what to say

I am discovering that things are a lot easier said than done in God's economy.  It is easy to celebrate in the your achievements, successes and victories but what about the times of failure, disappointment and loss.  I write this blog, broken.  Brokenhearted over the loss of my dog, Chancho.  I guess we initially lost him eleven months ago when we left Colorado.  Yet, grieving is a funny thing.  It comes in the most unexpected ways and under the most unexpected circumstances.

Chancho "the Chick magnet" Bumgardner

 I can remember getting so upset with Chancho for the two years we had him before we moved, for silly things, like making messes with paper towels, getting into the hamper or having "accidents" on our what used to be white carpet.  I can also remember the joy he brought to my children when they'd roll around on the floor, feed him popcorn (yes, that was his favorite treat) or take him to play fetch.  Chancho was a fun and loving dog to have around.  In fact, most people who came to visit us would comment on how loving Chancho was or how they wished they could keep him.

Um...Yeah, Chancho needed support!

When we moved to Hawaii, we knew that we could not bring him with us for several reasons.  First, the quarantine process would be too much for him and we moved on such short notice that this process wouldn't have been completed in time.  Second, having been property managers before, we understood that finding a place that allowed pets was difficult and costly.  Third, we knew that the quality of life he'd have cooped up in an apartment all day wasn't the kind of life we wanted him to have.  So the bidding war began among friends who wanted to adopt Chancho.  He ended up with a loving family who are good friends of ours.  We knew this family would care for him as their own and would provide the life that he needed.     

Chancho was convinced that Zekey was a pup, Zekey was convinced that Chancho was his younger brother

Yesterday, (Halloween morning) Chancho left us for the last time.  Chancho got hit by a car and could not recover.  So, now all we have left of him is our memories.  Life is hard sometimes.  I am sitting here wondering what would be the most appropriate way to announce this loss to my children.  I just don't know.  I don't know if losing him twice is something they can handle.  This is one of those parenting moments that you wish they had a handbook for.  I know that The Lord has entrusted us with them and yet sometimes I feel so unqualified to lead them and teach them.  In moments like this, I want to shield them from grief but I know that the greater injustice would happen by not being honest with them.  So I sit, I wait for the right moment to announce the bad news. I pray for their tender hearts and sweet spirits to be lifted by the good memories of Chancho.  I know that loving them is the best comfort I can provide.  So when I read this blog to them today, (during our after school cuddle time), we will laugh, we will cry, and we will remember our beloved dog, Chancho!

Abi drew this picture of Chancho in Kindergarten

5 Simple Rules for Fighting Fair

In premarital counseling classes or in conversations, couples will often ask what our secret is to staying "happily" married.  First off, there is no such thing as "happily ever after."  Dream killer, I know.  Zach and I have been married for ten years now and although we are in no way experts on the subject, we've learned a few things about resolving conflict.  These are rules that we've come up with through trial and error on how to fight fair.  So we compiled a list that might be helpful to you if or when you find yourself in said conflict.  It's called the, "Never Don't Validate Time Rule (spoken in your thickest southern accent)" or NDVTR for short.  Ingeniously named by Zach who used the first word from each phrase (feel free to rename it).    

1. Never say never!  Avoid words like always, never, divorce or retarded (because it's offensive).
In the words of Justin Beiber, "I will never say never....I will fight till forever."  No, I do not have Beiber Fever but I believe there's power in your words.  "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit-you choose (Proverbs 18:21 MSG)."  Call me crazy but I would choose fruit over poison any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  By avoiding words that kill, you are creating healthy habits for resolving conflict. 

2. Don't fight below the belt!  Don't address things you cannot change (height, gender, race, culture, heritage, etc.)  Comparing the other person to someone else is unfair.  Don't get caught up in phrases like, "you're just like your father"  or "you're only saying that because you are _______ (adjective)."  "A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire (Proverbs 15:1 MSG).  When you use your words to add fuel to the fire, you're fighting below the belt, and this automatically disqualifies you from winning the argument.  

3. Validate the other person's feelings.  Feelings are fleeting, but by validating their feelings, you are saying, I respect your opinion even though I disagree with it.  You can do this by saying things like, "so what you're saying is..." or "to recap on what you just said...".  "Hot Tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace (Proverbs 15:18 MSG)."   You disarm and diffuse their argument by keeping calm and finding peaceful resolutions.  

4.  Time heals all!  Give the other person time to process but never go to bed mad.  Sleeping on the couch isn't cool after college.  Period.  Ephesians 4:26-27, "Go ahead and be angry.  You do well to be angry-but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge.  And don't stay angry.  Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life." The quickest way to end an argument is by saying two simple words: "I'M SORRY!" 

5.  Rule of best intentions.  Always give the other person the benefit of the doubt.   Conflict is a direct result of concern.  If it didn't matter, you wouldn't argue about it.  However, by giving the other person the benefit of the doubt you're not making any assumptions about their intentions. "...everyone should listen much and speak little.  He should be slow to become angry.  A man's anger does not allow him to be right with God (James 1:19-20)."  Listening much and speaking little, is so foreign to our modern day culture but we must resist the urge to be right.  My husband always says, "you can be right or you can be happy but you can't be both!"  (Maybe that's why he's always so happy!)  When we are slow to anger, we are doing our best to give the other person the benefit of the doubt.  I'd rather be right with God than be "right" alone.   

Building healthy relationships takes time and effort (from both parties) but if you are willing to apply these simple rules you might just find your "happily ever after!"  Let the fighting begin!

From Face to Face

Do you have a Facebook account? If so, how often do you check it?  

A few weeks ago our church did a corporate fast as we sought the Lord's direction for us in this new season. You could fast from food, things or activities.  The first few days I fasted meals but decided to up the ante and fast from Facebook for a week.  This was quite possibly the longest and surprisingly the most productive week I've had in a long time.  If you're like me, you do have a Facebook account and you check it quite frequently (multiple times, daily).  The problem is that they have an app for your phone so you get notifications every time someone "tags" you in a post or when they comment on something you've posted (ain't nobody got time fo dat!). Which is great for keeping in touch with long distance friends and family, not so much for everyday productivity. 

I was reading my devotions recently and came across this verse: Exodus 3:6b, "Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God."  This is how we know Moses didn't have a Facebook account.  All joking aside, why do you suppose he was afraid.  If we read a few chapters earlier we learn his history.  We discover some possible reasons why he hid his face.  I've compiled a list in Dave Letterman form, drum roll please....

Top Ten Reasons why Moses hid his face: 

10. He saw a burning bush (which wasn’t consumed).    

9. He saw a “talking” burning bush (ooh wee, cookooie). 

8. He had a severely disfigured face (totally joking). 

7.He was afraid of what God would say to him. 

6.He didn’t want to go back to Egypt (or confront his past). 

5. He was ashamed because of his past (his past kept him paralyzed). 

4. He felt unworthy. 

3. He felt disqualified because he stuttered (no wonder I like him).  

2. He was an outlaw.  

1.   He’d forgotten or was unsure of who he really was.

As you read that list, if you're like me, you could probably relate to at least half of those excuses, I mean "reasons." Exodus 3:11, 'Moses answered God, "But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?'  When we look at Moses' life at the time of this miraculous encounter with God, we find out that not only  did he flee from Egypt because he murdered a guy but now he's herding sheep on the "backside of the desert" for his father in law Jethro.  This is not exactly the type of leader you and I would have chosen.  If he was running for office today, we would not pick him as our next president.  He's not the type of guy we want leading an entire nation.  This is exactly why God chose him.  And continues to choose people like you and I today. 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”

What this scripture is NOT saying is: "time to take up trumpet lessons."  Or "hey, you should join a jazz band!"  What it's saying is if you want to boast in anything boast in God.  I'm reading a book about spiritual leadership and here's an excerpt that is applicable.

Once Saint Francis of Assisi was confronted by a brother who asked him repeatedly, "Why you? Why you?" Francis responded, in today's terms, "Why me what?"  "Why does everyone want to see you? Hear you? Obey you? You are not all so handsome, nor learned, nor from a noble family.  Yet the world seems to want to follow you," the brother said.  Then Francis raise his eyes to heaven, knelt in praise to God and turned to his interrogator:   

You want to know?  It is because the eyes of the Most High have willed it so.  He continually watches the good and the wicked, and as His most holy eyes have not found among sinners any smaller man, nor any more insufficient and sinful, therefore He has chosen me to accomplish the marvelous work which God hath undertaken; He chose me because He could find none more worthless, and He wished to confound the nobility of grandeur, the strength, the beauty and the learning of this world (Spiritual Leadership, J.Oswald Sanders, 2007). 

When we read in Exodus 33:11a, the bible says, "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." So how did Moses go from the guy who hid his face to the guy who spoke to God face to face?  What changed?  His perspective.  Instead of focusing on his weaknesses, he learned how to focus on God's strength.  He went from telling God how big his problems where to telling his problems how big his God is.  Because of his faith an entire nation was delivered from slavery.  What would happen in our lives if we updated our prescription and changed our focus (Rhetorical question)?  Imagine how different our world would be if we stopped hiding our face from God and started meeting Him face to face.