Extravagant Passionate "Thankful" Worship

I went to our Cluster Charge Conference yesterday at church and have been chewing on some things during the day. Parts of it were not extremely stimulating, but a few things that our District Superintendent, Cindy Reynolds said, really stuck with me. She was talking about Passionate Worship. (I'm paraphrasing.) She was saying that when we come to worship it is not a time to complain, about the color of the room, that some new person sat in my seat, that I don't like the sermon, or music, (you insert,) because we have 6 other days of the week to complain. On Sunday, we are supposed to come ready to worship, to be passionate in our worship, and remember why we are there. I have thought about this today, while sitting at Jackie Gotz's funeral, and then being with Jonathon all day, and working at the farm store, things started connecting. Jackie, if you didn't know her, was an amazing woman. I remember her always having a smile on her face, she loved to sing and praise her Lord through singing with the choir, sharing with the children of the church, and many, many other things. But, she did this all EXTRAVAGANTLY, because she was making her life a continual praise to her Lord. Today, (everyday :) !!) with Jonathon, he lives life EXTRAVAGANTLY AND PASSIONATELY, as many of you can attest! Tonight he prayed as he does now, to keep his Papa Kenny in heaven, so he will stay healthy, (he used to pray that God bring him back to us,) and then tonight he did something new, he said, " thank you," for so many things and people. My son is learning to be thankful, THANK YOU, LORD!! So many days of the week, I go, we go, hardly ever hearing a heartfelt, "thank you!" So many days, our Lord goes without hearing a heartfelt, "thank you!" What Cindy Reynolds said about coming to worship not to complain, (but as I add my spin,) it is a time to say a heartfelt, extravagant, passion-filled, "THANK YOU!" Kara Szyarto has on her blog the acoustic version of Lincoln Brewster singing, "Today is the Day!" We just sang that song this weekend as well, and as Kara has been telling me what an impact that song is making on her, it has helped just put one more piece in the puzzle for me. Live every day for, "Today IS the DAY!" We are called to live EACH and EVERY day for Him. Extravagantly, Passionately, and Thankful for HIM! And, especially on Sunday, when we are coming, supposedly, to focus on Him, we are to do it, "with all heart, all our mind, and all our strength!" No where in the bible, that I know, does it say that when we come to worship it's a time to complain, or be-little, or put-down, or crab, etc., you get the idea. (And we are all guilty of it in some way, if we are honest with ourselves.) It is sooooo, easy and simple to get caught in the day to day and forget why we are here, and what we are called to do. So my challenge to myself and I hope for you, as we get ready for the thanksgiving service this weekend and Thanksgiving in just a few weeks, is that we live our lives each and every day, and especially when we worship or are preparing to worship, that we remember a very simple thing..."it's not about me." That we remember that it's about our Lord, and bringing all of ourselves to extravagantly, passionately, and with a thankful heart to worship our Lord, and Savior! This IS what it's all about people! "Today Is The Day!" each and every day! So, the next time, I or you, start to complain as we enter worship, or we hear someone else start to complain, let's just remind ourselves, "this is not the time to complain, we have six other days of the week to complain." (and hopefully, we cut down on those days as well.) Now is the time to praise and worship our Lord, extravagantly, passionately and with a thankful heart!