Bed potato.

Yes, I realize that is a couch. You may be surprised to hear that I could not find a picture of a potato on a bed. Fail. Anyways, I spent my afternoon at home relaxing in my bed. I even ate lunch in my bed. I just watched TV and took it easy--a much needed recovery period after VBS week.

I got to church at 4:30 to help set up for the concert at church tonight! Ascend the Hill and the Ember Days are two of my faves, so I'm glad they came back this summer :) I even bought a new Ascend the Hill tee shirt, which I am quite excited to wear :) I think what I love most about these two bands, though, is that it's not all just a show for them, they actually lead people in worship. It's worship music, not show music. If you haven't already, you should check out their music at the Come&Live website! You can listen and download any song on there for free! Tis great :)

Josh Stump, the pastor from Come&Live, read this passage tonight, and it really spoke to me, even though I had heard it before. It comes from Matthew, chapter 18:

 ¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
 ² He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³ And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
   ⁵ “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
   ⁷ “Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! ⁸ If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
    ¹⁰ “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.   ¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

He (Josh Stump) pointed out that we, as the church, sometimes get so comfortable in the "sheep pen" with the other 98 sheep, that we forget about the one who is lost, and how we should pray to see and think about everyone the way God sees and thinks about them. It's a crazy challenge, truly, but it's one that I know can bring out radically amazing changes within my heart. We need to humble ourselves, like children. When we start to view the world with God's love and humility, we can truly seek out and rejoice in the return of lost brothers and sisters :)