Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Fireflies and Stars

Last night, as I walked the dog, I was mesmerized by the twinkling in the sky and in the fields. I was torn as to which to gaze upon. The air was sweet and warm, still fresh from spring - not yet mature as summer - beautiful all the same. The fireflies that sparkled through the fields were bright and new to the earthly evening, but the stars that shone their light were (are) ancient in comparison...Steadfast, their light shines.

New and old, steadfast and wavering, fresh and mature. It would seem that 'comparison' was the theme of my night.

Do you compare for the sake of tearing down or do you compare for the sake of understanding and thus building up?

16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 17" 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions." ~Matthew 11

It is kind of an odd question, but really, when you think about it, many of us compare ourselves or things/others only to impose our perceived self-sense of superiority, which is destructive in nature. In the scripture mentioned above, Jesus is commenting on the state of the generation at the time and the inconsistency of their thinking...Ironically, that generation and our generation can be compared in the same way. We too are inconsistent in our thinking and understanding of God's Truth. And like the generation of old, we are challenged by Jesus' words to abandon our cynicism and skepticism and have faith in Him. We are challenged to leave the comfort of cocooning ourselves with arrogance and humble ourselves, gain truth and understanding, and to live with faith in Him....and build each other up.

Tear down...build up....But wisdom is proved right by her actions.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Have You Seen God?

There are many new things revealing themselves as life swirls like a gentle wind around my being. There are new prayer warriors, new paths, new realities, new strengths, new resolve, new momentum, new sensing, new peace, new...

 I am realizing that all of this newness is part of my deepening awareness of God in all.  In my walk with God, my heart longs to know Him. I love the line in Avatar: "I see you." It is what we all long for...to be seen...to be known...but more than that...to be loved. And we are...by God. The more I learn about God, the more He reveals to me, the better I know Him, the deeper in love I fall with Him.

 He continues to pursue me...and I am so thankful that He does. I need Him...more than the air I breathe, I need Jesus. And I am learning that day by day...and I am learning how to love Him back. He sees me with eyes like no other. My desire is to see Him.  Is it possible?

 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.~Isaiah 43:19

 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.~3 John 1:11


Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.~Matthew 5:8

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Silence

Are you one of those people who speak out loud their goals and desires and by doing so, things begin to fall into place for you?

...Well, I am not one of those people.

When I speak goals or desires a wall of resistance hits me like a ton of bricks and everything that can hinder me, does.

So, here I am.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.~2Thessalonians 3:5

Silence seems to be golden...it makes for a very quiet existence though...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

lettingitflow

Beautiful...gentle...strong...
rich...fulfilling...passionate...
ArTistIC...inner core...mountain...
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
"God will not deliver him."
Selah
3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.
7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah

Where did you go? Where do you go, but to the throne of our King.
As the times change, rapidly they change, face the Truth.
Hear the Word, speak the Word, live the Word.
Jesus?
Holy Spirit?
Abba?
Do not despair. You are not forgotten, you - are - not- forgotten.
When the lost are gone, the lost are gone, the lost are gone....gone.....
?hear you do



We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.~Romans 6:4

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.~1 Corinthians 8:6


I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.~Galatians 2:20

Friday, May 14, 2010

Sabbath - A Short Note

'Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.' ~Leviticus 26:2

Do you set apart a day in the week for Sabbath? A day away from cell phones, iPods, iPads, Blackberries, TV, the computer, work, and any other distraction from rest and worship? It doesn't necessarily have to be Sunday, but in a week, you should always have a Sabbath for your own good - spiritually, mentally, and physically. Back in Jesus' day, and according to Jewish law, resting on the Sabbath was to be taken very seriously, almost to the point of absurdity by some.

In our culture today, the concept of Sabbath can be very difficult to fathom weekly because we are so interconnected. Within seconds, we know the latest happenings locally and around the world, and we immediately can begin to determine the impact of whatever is going on, how it will affect us, and plan our participation.

Look at the quake in Haiti for example: Years gone by, the news of what happened in Haiti would have taken days or even weeks to reach us and though we may have felt for the people there, we probably would have carried on with our lives and let those closest to the action take care of things. Today, we hear the news of something like the quake in Haiti and we immediately share it, mobilize funds and/or ourselves to engage in action to help. This is not a bad thing per se, but I believe it is this interconnectedness, in part, that sabotages the practice of Sabbath in our day.

I like to define my faith as being a "relationship with Jesus surpassing religion." And just as religion can be an idol to many, interconnectedness can also be an idol.

Interconnectedness can and has been utilized for great good, but it also has become an god of sort to the current generation...How it takes away from observing Sabbath is by keeping us always connected to the world and distracted from connecting with God. How many people do you know check their Facebook, blog, Twitter, MySpace, e-mail everyday? Every hour? (And yes, I am preaching to myself here.) Even on the day that is set aside for God,  there are moments stolen here and there to check in on things through the World Wide Web...you know, just to see how everyone is doing and check in letting the world know you are having a great Sabbath...

Now, I am not saying that you should be closing yourself into a cocoon on the Sabbath. I am just pointing out that some of us are neglecting a very important gift from God and in the process, denying God our attention and denying our whole self from being blessed to the core. It is a practice that teaches us to slow down and focus on what is really important - our relationship with God.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, ~Heb 4:9-11a

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Maslow's Hierarchy and Guarding

I suppose I should write something. I have been reading over my blog posts of late and noticed that I have not been so "revealing" as of late. It's not a bad thing, just a slight change in gears I suppose. There are many parts to my story that have led me to be more guarded recently...Guarded...to guard...watch over...protect...protection...safety...safe. Safety is something I long for...I suppose we all desire to be safe. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs mentions it:
Though I am not convinced that this chart is thoroughly accurate, I do believe that we all need to feel safe.  When you don't feel safe, it messes with your mind...then your behaviour...and you ususally end up guarded.

Guard:
guard (n.)
early 15c., "one who keeps watch," from M.Fr. garde "guardian, warden, keeper," from garder "to guard," from O.Fr. guarder (corresponding to O.N.Fr. warder, see gu-), from Frankish *wardon, from P.Gmc. *wardo- (see ward (v.)). Abstract or collective sense of "a keeping, a custody" (as in bodyguard) is from early 15c. Sword-play and boxing sense is from 1590s. (Online Etymology Dictionary)
 
We shut others out, we pull back, we become defensive, we guard that what we treasure the only way we know how.  This survival or coping mechanism is all part of the journey of life.  Learning what and when to guard is probably one of the toughest challenges we encounter as we navigate through this earthly existance.  It is interesting that when we have no one to depend upon and we do not know what to do otherwise, we then consider God. (It speaks to the truth of our true being...spiritual beings having an earthly experience...just passing through.)  Really, we should be turning to God first, but often times we don't. It is a control issue. When we feel in control, we feel safe. When we feel out of control (when we are out of control), we feel threatened...unsafe.
 
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus ~Philippians 4:7
 
You know, when I think about all the times that I felt unsafe, I distinctly recall praying asking for God to protect me and then having a peace or a new resolve. I am very thankful that God provides for us that way. The times that God seemed to elude my request only forced me to depend on Him more...seek Him out more deliberately.  He wants us to trust Him and to turn to Him - and not just when we are in trouble, but all the time.  ''Walk with Me," He says.
 
So, am I going to reveal what it is that is leaving me more on guard these days?
 
...nope...
 
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. ~Proverbs 4:23 ...God and I are working on this together.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Personal Collage

Oh look! A collage of my life in the past # of years!

Do you ever feel like this?

 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. ~Numbers 22:24

Monday, May 10, 2010

Just Me

This morning when I awoke, a stream of prayers immediately flowed. My mind and my heart invigorated by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The day has just begun. I followed my usual pattern of activity in and around the house...personal, cats, dog, coffee, Word...I am such a creature of habit I have concluded. I keep thinking I will change up my morning rituals...tomorrow. It is amazing how tomorrow is so elusive. The conversation in my mind with God slows as I read other's words. I am encouraged by some, concerned for others, and some I skip because I am not terribly interested at this point in my day - my coffee has not quite kicked in enough for me to care (?).

The conversation with God begins to take precedence once again in my mind...Give me Your eyes to see with, Your ears to hear with, and Your heart to respond with this day Lord Jesus...Amen.
~
I write to read and learn my heart,
I write to hear the cry of the soul,
I write because I cannot be heard,
I write to teach myself to be.
~
It is going to be one of those days, I can tell.
;)

Saturday, May 8, 2010

No Hidden Agendas

God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we're not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we've been put through that battery of tests, you're guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.


Even though we had some standing as Christ's apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren't aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.


You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn't have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God's Message to you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren't freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.


And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn't pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God's true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!

~1 Thessalonians 2:3-13

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Plan B by Pete Wilson (book review)

We all make plans for our lives...and we all go through times when those plans do not come to fruition and we are required to resort to "Plan B". Pete Wilson takes us through the ups and downs of having to face the reality of letting God work in our situation when our dreams do not go as we initially hoped or intended.  "Your dreams may not be happening, and things aren't turning out the way you expected, but that doesn't mean your life is spinning out of control. It just means you're not in control."


Pete's style of writing is very down-to-earth and authentic as he presents the wisdom of the Bible to experiences both personal and otherwise. It is not difficult for the reader to empathize with the situations that Pete shares, as they are common, everyday occurences.


I really enjoyed Pete's straight-forward presentation of how we all struggle through disappointments and how Pete encourages us beyond our present situation. "At the end of the day, I think that is what so many of us long for. We just want and need to know that God knows what's going on with us, that we haven't been forgotten or abandoned. Even if we don't know what the outcomes of our current circumstances will be, there is a tremendous peace and comfort that comes with that."


This book provides practical advice and includes a Study Guide for anyone who wants to go even deeper to seek clarification and perspective in own their personal situation.


Overall, this book was a great read and I would highly recommend it. Though Plan B doesn't provide all the answers to our disappointments and lost dreams, it does provide excellent perspective, practical advice, and hope.





Plan B by Pete Wilson has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available May 2010 at your favourite bookseller.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Today...

Today: A day of frustration. A day of realigning my thinking. A day of reaffirming my trust in God's lead. Oi! It has been one of those days! Just when I think things are coming together, a huge cloud begins to shade out the light (not entirely unexpected, of course).  Resistance. It will make you or break you at times depending on who's strength you rely on. This morning, it was my strength, but as the day progressed, I handed things over to God, little by little, humbly in submission. I am reminded that He really wants me to learn to trust Him...all the time, with everything!


Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. ~Prov.3:5-6

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.~James 4:7

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."~Psalm 31:14

Saturday, May 1, 2010

God is Holy

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."~Revelation 4:8

Our God is Holy...Take some time today, away from everything and everyone and turn your thoughts and heart towards God. Really allow yourself to explore this Truth: God is Holy.

Holy: Sacred, worthy of reverence, worthy of respect, pure...

God is Holy and worthy to be praised! Commit your body, mind, soul, and spirit to Him and Him alone, this day and always. He is worthy! To God be the Glory! Praise Jesus! Amen.

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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