Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Will You Step In?

Man...it is so easy to get caught up in the tragedies of the world today....and I don't even have t.v....though, I am considering getting cable just for comic relief.

I am full throttle in school (this is my release) and the issues whizzing around my head these days are overwhelming. I went onto Wordle and created a work of issues called "Do you really care?" to express the issues I am encountering this season. I was going to post it here, but I couldn't get the image to enlarge to the point where you wouldn't need a magnifying glass to read it, so if you want to see it you will have to go to Wordle (link below).

Anyhow, I am somewhat torn. I want to pour myself into different causes...to make the world a better place...but there are too many areas I know I could contribute to and only one me. So, I am praying God will show me. Show me where I fit. What my "why"is in this world. (I am so goal oriented...) When I say 'my "why"', I mean "Why am I here". I know I am here to know, serve, worship, love, share God, but how do I do this from where I am at, in the place I am, with the skills, gifts, and passion that resonates within (burning to be released)?

For those of you doing the "duh already" moment, you know, the "hasn't she figured it out yet - just serve God where you are with what He has given you and be satisfied" thought. Yah, I got it...but how do you deny the "something is calling me to go higher and deeper"? Have you never experienced that?! I am led on, drawn further, or rather closer to God's purpose for me in this world by a wooing of magnificent proportions - in my mind anyhow. He seems to draw my attention to different things, stir my heart, and then breathe a fire into my soul - an ache that compels me to know more, want to help, stand in the gap, and then I run with it and if I am not paying attention, I make it my own and become overwhelmed by it instead of letting God work in and through me. I can be so impatient.

Goal oriented, impatient...sigh...God has just shown me how important the journey is and here I am raving about the destination...will I never learn? Sorry Abba.

It really is about the journey...Show me where I fit and I will pour myself out into whatever, wherever...Right now, I need to pour myself into my school work...someone else will have to step in to make a difference...Will that someone be you?

Wordle - http://wordle.net/ search "Do you really care?" If you do really care, prove it and ask God to show you how you can make a difference in this world. Don't deny that burning for justice inspired by the Holy Spirit...and let God lead you. ~mp:)

Saturday, September 27, 2008

An Autumn Run

mmmmm....Beautiful, just beautiful.....

I took the dog for a run before dusk and even though the sky was grey and dreary, the colours of Autumn provided a vibrant landscape to gaze upon.

God is so good to me. He knows I am captivated by colour, by texture, by scent, by movement....He generously shared His love with me as I walked along a trail I have walked a hundred times before yet, seeing things I had never seen before. Oh sure, they were the same trees and plants, but they had changed. The Queen Anne's Lace had lost its little petals and folded in on itself creating a type of branched cocoon. Beech trees were clothed in leaves of pale, translucent gold and burgundy and staghorn sumacs lined the trail, some branches had leaves all red and some all green, each tree crowned with a deep red fruit - it was like a reminder that Christmas is not far off either. Of course, the sugar maples are starting to turn. Some of them are a fantastic neon orange, so bright that you think the sun is shining on that particular tree, only to realize it is the vibrancy of the leaves. Oh...and the smells! Harvest smells, grasses fading, leaves drying, the marsh decomposing, and from somewhere the aroma of a wood stove or fireplace wafts by.

After my run, on the way back, I am letting my eyes absorb all I can possible take in, breathing deep, when the Lord caught my attention with a song. Rather, hundreds of songs!

Where I am walking is about 40ft in the air. I am even with the top of most trees and I look over a huge marsh. From the center of the marsh is a group of trees long past days of green and in their stripped branches are hundreds of red winged black birds singing to the Lord and singing to each other. For about 25 minutes I stood and watched as they fluttered amongst the branches in groups or dive into the safety of the cattails en masse. Every 2 or 3 minutes I notice that a small group, anywhere from 7 to over 40 of these birds would flutter higher and higher on the branches of the trees until they could flutter no further and after a pause, this little flock would take off. Like jets at an airport, another group would flutter to its place at the top of the trees and, in the same direction and on the same path, take off together. This kept happening the entire time I watched and as I looked back thinking they must have all flown away, I would see another group flutter by. It was absolutely mesmerizing.

It didn't end there, and the rest I will cherish in my heart...God is so good.

I started off my run concerned about this, that, and the other thing when I asked God to join me. As I started to focus on Him and what He had to say to me, the world around me came alive...and so did my heart. God is so good to me. Thank you Lord, thank you for this wonderful afternoon with You!

Friday, September 26, 2008

Words Exploring


Vindication - justification

Truth - not a lie

Love - God

Hope - expectant trust

Faith - belief without immediate proof

Heaven - eternity with God

Hell - eternity without God

Salvation - rescue

Future - your choice.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

40 Day Fast...From Blogging...Or A Day of Fasting...For Direction

Have you ever considered fasting for 4o nights and 40 days? No? Good. It is not for you to consider. It is something that the Holy Spirit will prompt you to and enable you to accomplish.

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I should perhaps fast from blogging for 40d....it was in jest and I took it as such; however, others might be called to a fast from blogging, or meat, or a traditional fast prompted by the Holy Spirit for real. And that is something to take seriously. Many people step out and commit to a one day fast and humbly turn their hearts over to God to seek His direction. By doing so, you are making a stand of humility, recognizing God's sovereignty over the situation, and your need for Him to counsel you.

In Isaiah 58, the Lord speaks of the type of fasting He requires...6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." Isaiah 58 (Whole Chapter)


Interesting eh? When you look at the world today, especially in light of this 700B that the American government is considering dropping into existence to, hopefully, resuscitate a damaged economy...and yet we can't locate the money needed to aid victims of poverty, hunger, childhood preventable diseases, contaminated water, AIDS...shall I go on? It is sickening. (no pun intended)

There are elections coming up for both the Americans and for the Canadians...Consider your candidates carefully. Don't vote for a certain candidate just because "that's how my family has always voted", but vote for the candidate that you recognize as being the best choice. I know, it is government and who can you really trust? But, perhaps, this is where you might consider a day of fasting and prayer seeking God's direction...



For those who are interested in seeing images of the social and economic world go here:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/cartograms/

For those interested in Christian social responsibility go here:
http://www.sojo.net/

For those interested in the Millennium Development Goals or End Poverty 2015 go here:
http://www.endpoverty2015.org/

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Follow-up to "My Apple Trees...And How They Came To Be..."

So, as the end of summer approached, I was very excited to sample my apples...from apple trees I had grown from seed. (See "My Apple Trees...And How They Came To Be..." under the Family label.)
I expected the, now red, apples to grow into the size of a small Macintosh at least, but as the weeks progressed, I realized my apples were not going to grow any bigger. "Oh well, at least I had apples", I thought. They tasted great too!! They only grew to be about 2 inches in diameter at the most, but they were good. Someone told me that it wasn't a good season for apples, but honestly, I think they were just trying to be nice. We will see how next year's harvest unfolds. In the meantime, I will head out to the Farmer's Market and see if I can get some fresh apple cider from someone whose apples grew just a tad bigger...Ahh autumn...



Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Words That Stir My Heart This Season...

Justice
vindication
integrity
peace
order
hope
encouragement
steadfastness
worth
love
truth
heart
timeliness
focus
books
leadership
Abba
future
pipe
genuine friends

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Be Part of the Solution!

Don't be part of the problem...Be part of the solution!

Ask God to guide you, so that you help and not hinder His Will.

If it means removing yourself from the situation and holding it up in prayer, then so be it.

Romans 8:28 [ More Than Conquerors ] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.Romans 8:27-29 (in Context) Romans 8 (Whole Chapter)

...His purpose...did you see that?

It is not about you...it is about Him.

He will guide. You must be obedient.
He will vindicate. You must be patient.
He will provide. You must be steadfast.
He will teach. You must be teachable.

Be part of the solution.
Seek God's Will, not your own.
Seek to honour Him, not yourself.
Seek and you shall find...Luke 11:9

Friday, September 19, 2008

Name Dropping - Billy Graham, JLO, Obama...

Name dropping. Have you ever encountered people who do that? ..."I know/met Billy Graham/JLO/Obama"...whoever...

Name dropping speaks about insecurity and the need that person has to be noticed and/or accepted.

How many times have you heard someone name drop Jesus into a conversation expecting the listener to be impressed? Usually, we shyly or without fanfare mention Jesus, but don't go on bragging about all He has done for us...in case we offend, or in case we are judged and rejected, or in case we look like a religious flake...

Jesus calls us to not be ashamed of Him and He will present us to heaven without shame. Matthew 10:31-33

Who are we really trying to impress...man or God?
Next time you encounter someone name dropping, ask God to open an opportunity for you to brag on Jesus, (not on man) 1 Corinthians 1:31, be bold, resist getting hung up on fear (God did not give you a spirit of fear... 2 Timothy 1:7 ), let your light shine and tell someone about how fantastic it is that you are friends with the God of the Universe! Now that's impressive!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

What the...???

I just have two things to say:
1. Indian Moon Moths,

and....


2. Pipes.

Isaiah 50: 4,5

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning , wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Communication - Weeping


Why are you weeping?

[gentle sobs]

Are you alright?

[sobbing continues]

Is there anything I can do?

[silence]

Oh, my dear, I am here for you. No matter what.

[sobbing deepens]

{silence, gathered in an embrace of comfort}

{[weeping audibly and weeping silently]}

Monday, September 15, 2008

Where are you?

Thank you for the flock of yellow finches this morning, it was a beautiful gift!
Thank you for hearing my heart and letting me weep.
Thank you for Your comforting Words...

My Father heard my distress, He listened as I poured out my heart to Him, my tears gently flowed and He comforted me. God spoke His Word into my heart and brought me a gift from His creation to me...to remind me that He knows me, He loves me, and He cares.

Jesus cares...

He cares about me...

He cares about you...

Wherever you are, He cares about you.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

What Matters

"We are a non-profit Christian organization. I've never seen our Articles of Incorporation, but I'm told they specify that we are to be run as such, or disbanded. But what does a Christian organization look like in this world of desperate need?

I've seen the staff struggle with their faith - I've been through some difficult moments myself and I'm not the same person as a result. I've seen the staff wrestle with moral issues, with spiritual issues, with reasonable operations decisions that have a profound effect in the life of a client. They juggle work and other concerns in their life, they have families that aren't perfect and they have heartaches and soul pains just like everybody else. They go through the same issues with their co-workers and their workplace as anyone else, all the time surrounded by the unimaginable wreckage of so many lives.

Today I stood beside one of the other staff as he was verbally abused by a client. The invective that was heaped upon him was unbelievable. The bottom line was 'how can you call yourself a Christian'? It seems when the clients really want to strike at the heart of a staffer they attack their faith. It's as if they know that this is the most devastating thing they can say to a Christian staffer, and they save it for the moment they really want to wound deeply.

And it does wound deeply. It is emotionally devastating precisely because it is at the very heart of our motivation for being there: to express God's love. The fact that they recognize this - skewed as this may sound - is actually comforting. Somewhere, deep down inside, that client knew that staffer loved Christ. He picked the sharpest barb in his wit and went for the heart. But here's the point: he knew where his heart was.

Really, that's what matters."

~Excerpt from Today at the Mission by [rhymes with kerouac]

This is book gives wonderful insight to life and struggles in a homeless shelter, seasoned with compassion and humour despite the hardships. To learn more or order the book, click on the book cover on the sidebar. All proceeds from the book go to the shelter. To read more musings by [rhymes with kerouac], click on Today at the Mission in My Blog List.

Friday, September 12, 2008

I Believe In You

I believe in you. You can do it.



May God grant you strength and courage to do what is right and pleasing in His eyesight.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Be Kind

Be kind. Remember that everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
~ T.H. Thompson
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another...
~ Colossians 3:12

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Keep Moving On Track

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. ~Will Rogers

[Jesus said,] "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves." ~ Matthew 10:16

Thursday, September 4, 2008

it is you


like a river that winds through the land,

so my desire for you winds through this world, this way and that,

seeking your face, calling out to you, please come near, draw me closer, closer still...

and then i discover that it was you that i came from, you to where i am going,

and you who has kept me this entire time...

it is you

you are the strength that keeps me flowing,

you are the essence that give me life,

without you i dry up, become dead, without you...

with you, you pour into me in ways i never suspected,

with you, i am complete...

with you

i am in you and you are in me

i can do nothing without you...

you...

I AM



Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Cardiac Care

So I am sitting here, after dinner, pondering all that I need to do tomorrow. Tomorrow I begin school again. I have mixed feelings because I have had some bad experiences in the past few of years that have tainted my "return to post secondary education" venture, but it is also my final year. YeeHaw! This year, I decided to take a positive attitude toward all that I must accomplish, that I would work on schedule, if not ahead of schedule on all my assignments and so far, so good. (And yes, I have work to do before I even start!) I still have no idea what my actual schedule will be, which is VERY inconvenient when you have kids who want to participate in different activities! But, I said I would be positive, or at least have a good attitude, so, I will go with the flow for now...no worries...

In case you are wondering, I am in my final year of getting my BScN, my(RN)nursing degree. What exactly I am going to do with my degree, I do not know. Sounds foolish, I know, but I do not have a clear sense of which area of nursing I would like to work in. I have leaned toward Cardiac Care, but I am still unsure. And yes, I have prayed about it...over and over. I will continue on though and let God direct the nursing department to determine where they think I best fit.

I am very fortunate to be able to continue my education...and I am very thankful. I have learned sooo very much about myself, about others, about different subjects. I would not exchange all that I have learned outside the theory and science of the classroom for even an honorary doctorate...;) It would seem that the most valuable lessons that I have attained have come from the interactions I have had with students, profs, and clients, not so much the ABC's of nursing, philosophy, business, etc. (Though, I have certainly learned a pile academically....if only I could remember it all...:)

You know, if I had to summarize my learning thus far in one sentence, it would be that "People want to be heard". Students want to be recognized for their hard work, the troubles they are having, the dreams they aspire to; Profs want you to hear their passion for the work they are doing, the lessons they have learned; Clients want someone to recognize their pain, their hopes, and in some cases, just acknowledge that they exist!

My heart is to hear the hearts of others...cardiac care?

It is late now and I need to rest. I am ready for tomorrow or as ready as I can be at this point anyhow...Lord, please continue to go before me and prepare the way and please be my rear guard...Lead on Father...I am following.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Hearing God

Over the past couple of months, I have been making an extra effort to hear the voice of God. In my daily activities, in the big decisions, and in the mundane. I had always thought that I could recognize God's voice in a pretty consistent manner; however, I had to be honest with myself and humble myself before God and ask Him to teach me again how to hear Him. I feel this is extremely important in my walk (in anybody's walk) with God. We are called to an intimate relationship with Him and being able to recognize His voice beyond a doubt is essential to being able to know and follow Him.

There are decisions in my life that I definitely do not want to leave God out of. In fact, I want to know that I am walking with Him every moment of the day! It may seem unrealistic to think that I could walk in time with God in every waking moment, I am human prone to make mistakes and wander at times, but I think that setting this goal of seeking God out in every moment of our day is not absurd. Rather, it is exactly what we are called to do. Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our steps and counsel us as we go about our day will ensure a fruitful and fulfilling day.

Starting your day off by spending time reading the Bible, allowing what you are reading to sink in, and applying what you are reading to your life is a good way to set your day up to keep in time with God. Through all of this, we are asking God to speak to us, to help us to hear His voice, to show us His Will for us for this day. By doing this, we focus on God. Focusing on God allows us to put perspective on our day and circumstances, bringing hope into overwhelming situations and a peace that is infectious - others notice.

For me, doing this and continuing through the day communing with God, asking for His Guidance - His Help - His Eyes to see, His Ears to hear, and His Heart to respond, is how I try to walk consistently with God. This also requires letting go of plans that I may have had for the day and become flexible in allowing change to occur. Sometimes, this can be difficult, but when I allow myself to let God work in me and through me throughout the day, by the end of the day, I know that it has been a day well spent.

Listening to God, hearing His voice, is vital to our well-being...Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:32-34 (in Context) Matthew 6 (Whole Chapter) ...For a very long time, I didn't really grasp relevance of this verse in the practicality of my day. Now I have a better understanding that if I am in constant communion with the Lord, I will be able to deal with all that life throws at me and God will bless me as I honour Him, fulfilling within me with all those things in life that make my heart soar.

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They Did Not Realize

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ~John 21:4