Worship - "to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion"

I just came out of a worship night. Our youth band led it. We sang for an hour and a half, with loud, beautiful, honest music. The book of James was read, chapter by chapter, by 5 different people throughout the night. People were singing. People were dancing. People were clapping. People were smiling and worshiping and loving. Just loving.

I just came out of a worship night and I feel like I'm still there. My heart is singing. My mind is inspired to seek God and know him. My soul is fed. And I know that God was blessed through everything that happened tonight...the music, the sharing of HIS words, the fellowship over 3 kinds of chocolate afterward. Isn't that what worship is about? Bringing God's people together for fellowship, personal growth and inspiration, and ultimately glorifying Him with everything?

Worship is about more than music. It's about more than dancing and clapping. It's about way more than any one thing. It's about focusing our minds fully and completely on God. Through music...through Scripture...through nature...through photography...through painting...through cooking...through writing...through playing...through fellowship...through being...what more should there be to life than worship?

This is what I strive towards; this is what I seek: To live fully and completely in worship of God. To not look to the left or to the right, but to keep my eyes on the goal...to keep my eyes on Christ and to do everything for him. To worship.

Ever wonder?

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to make twice as much money as you make right now?

I've been wondering that lately. I think about people who make twice or three or four times as much as Nathan and I make and wonder how they do it! Not so much how they make the money (though partly that) but what they live like...how it feels...what their budget looks like. I guess that's kinda snoopy of me. Money is such a personal thing. But really. Have you ever wondered about it?

And while I'm thinking about that, I think...well, we live on as much as we make now...would we be able to live the same way if we made twice as much and just give the other half to either the church or a charity or something completely outside of ourselves? At first thought, I think, sure, we could do that. But then I think about the little raises that we've gotten since being here at the church and how our budget just swallows those up like they never happened and we don't even notice much change. Our lives just adjust and come to expect that things like internet, satellite, cell phones and eating out are a normal part of life. (that said, of those things we only have cable and rarely eat out) But you know? Isn't it kinda sick how we pad our lives to our comfort and use as much as we are given (sometimes more, when you consider credit)?

That's something I've been thinking about lately...and I've been trying to be content with what we've been given...because it's really not that bad. I am most content in every area of life, however, when I don't compare myself and my life to others. I don't need all those things. When I focus on what we DO have, it's plenty and we really are blessed.