Prayer

Yesterday I ordered a new book for SAMBS (Saturday A.M. Bible Study) for the summer. Having had this workbook in my library since 2007, after flipping through it I ordered more copies from Amazon so that I/we could finally work through it. Often we study the Bible itself in the fall, winter and spring, and a more topical book during the summer.  Prayer is an often repeated topic - has anyone ever actually scaled the heights of prayer's potential?  With all my good intentions, and smatterings of success, my prayer practice continues to be an area of needed growth...

Separately, this morning's reading is from Acts 4. The new church gathered to hear of Peter and John's bold healing and preaching and their resulting overnight arrest by the Jewish leaders.  The verse that popped out for me was verse 31:

"And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness."  Acts 4:13 ESV

Now THAT's a prayer meeting!

When's the last time God shook you up after your prayer time?

Our new study describes ..."calling upon the name of the Lord as an adventure - the ultimate adventure in following God."

Do you have any God adventures planned for the summer?  Please leave a comment! 💗

Mother's Day sheltering safer at home...

Mother's Day 2020 arrived cold and grey... like my mood.  First my birthday was ruined by COVID-19 and now Mother's Day loomed gloomy too. Sigh. Snow flurries were just the icing on the cake. But then...
Our four children each reached out in their own unique way.  By the time the day was over I had a beautiful array of flowers, a chicken dinner, a bottle of champagne and some beautiful cards. Monday brought another card and a "World's Greatest Gigi" photo mug in the mail.  Feeling loved.
Today I read this line: "Call me crazy, but I finally found my lane with this social distancing and quarantine thing!" That resonates with me.  Most days I've been just fine, nestled in our home, creating order and beauty in nooks and crannies, working productively from my home office, knitting away by the fire, enjoying extended time for prayer and Bible reading, actually quite content.
But not on my birthday or Mother's Day.  Celebrations are not the same on Zoom, which we tried in March.  Yesterday two of the kids actually stopped by with flowers, keeping their distance.  That was much better, but I could use a family meal around our table, a game of Scrabble with my eldest and a game of Up and Down the River with the group in whole, complete with laughter and noise.
This is a brand new reality, and we are still adjusting.
I need to find my lane on celebration days too. 💖

New every morning

In Door County for ten days. Ten. Days. A generous friend allowed our family to use their home last week end, and for my husband and I this next week end. So I stayed for the week between. A couple of the kids stayed through Monday, and a friend visited Tuesday overnight to Wednesday, which makes today the first (and only) full day alone. Solitude. Today’s plan is quiet time with God and Baxter. Read, listen, write, nap, walk, knit, repeat.  That’s the plan.

My first read is Lamentations 3:19-26. Meditating on it. Chewing. Listening.

 Jeremiah remembers his own painful story, and reminds God of it too.  It’s so comforting to have a Friend who knows my complete and total backstory: all the details that have brought me to who I am today. (the good, the bad and the ugly) Jeremiah acknowledges that his soul is heavy, BUT THEN... he preaches to himself.  I love this!  Jeremiah reminds himself who God is, and immediately recognizes his reason for hope. Our reason for hope. He writes out the attributes of God which speak to his downcast soul.  Such an example!

In my Bible I use an orange gel highlighter to mark “promises to plead.” (my term) When my soul is “...bowed down within me,...” I can flip though to an orange-streaked passage and “recall to my mind...and have hope.”

THAT my friend is our reason for being... to know Him better, and to share the hope. “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”  

Verse 23 speaks of “every morning.” The dailyness of it reminds me of the manna provided to the Israelites in Exodus 16. God provided nourishment day by day, and required a daily harvest. In Lamentations Jeremiah again shows how God’s mercy is a daily sustenance. In John 6:35 Jesus refers to Himself as “the bread of life”- the One who satiates hunger and thirst. Again, bread or food is a daily need. Perhaps the manna was a reminder of our daily dependence on Him... we can’t store enough to sustain us for tomorrow.

“The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness.” (Note the change from ‘His’ to ‘Your’...Jeremiah is taken from reciting about God to personal acknowledgement and prayer...)

He is our sustenance.  Have you fed upon His Word today?

Don’t waste His wounds.

Each morning I receive an email from Kenboa.org from which I take the photo verse for my digital journal.  My journal is on my iPad with an app called Goodnotes.  (❤️ digital journaling!). The daily email is mostly a series of Bible verses:  jump off places for my morning conversation with God.  Chewing points.  Today the photo verse is  
  What hit me is that my peace and my healing were paid for with a high, painful price...Jesus’ punishment.  Am I wasting them, falling back into worry and stress because I forget about my healing Savior?  What a waste of His sacrifice.  I remember hearing that elephants that have been chained to a pole for years, going in circles, continue to go in circles even after their chains are cut off. That’s a powerful image.  I need to stop behaving as if I’m still chained to sinful thoughts and behavior. I’m free! He has cut my chains. 

Lord, help me to rely on that truth moment by moment and not waste your beautiful gift.  🎁❤️🙏🏻

Blooming!

After a rather miserable spring, we managed to venture into the yard all three days of Memorial Day week end as we annually tend to do.  Here’s what’s in bloom as of today:

  

This is wild geranium.  Barely blooming, but has begun.  A lovely perennial ground cover.

Isn’t that the sweetest lamb?  My SAMBS ( Saturday A.M. Bible Study) ladies bought it for my birthday, as I tend to refer to us as “dumb sheep” a lot.  

Planted this “Jack Frost” last summer for it’s pretty leaf variegation... the early spring blooms are a surprise. 

Lily of the Valley transplanted from our neighbor last year.  It hasn’t exactly spread, but, hey!  A bloom!

Not sure of the name of this bush... love its purple leaves all season. (I trim it into a tree shape... these are a few low stragglers which will be trimmed soon)

Creeping phlox is a perennial favorite which is featured in many flower beds around our yard.  As a bonus it spreads, and is dug up easily for transplanting.  The bleeding heart is a delicate reminder of the promise of spring each year.  💗

This is arch angel, another vigorous creeper which is easily transplanted.  Love its sunny yellow blooms. ☀️ The rooster peeking out has a body made of a rock... a souvenir from a trip to Maine a few years back.

Planted some annuals (the goal is less each year), dug in compost from our local dump (***love that we can haul our yard waste in and then haul home buckets of compost resulting from last year’s yard waste), dug in some garden soil, weeded, trimmed, etc.  Good to be at it again, especially following hand surgery in January. Spring has sprung! #grateful

Psalms 4:4-5

Tremble, and do not sin;

Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And trust in the Lord.

Awoke with a heaviness of heart this morning, seeming mountains to traverse in very direction.  So I climbed back into bed and opened my Bible to Psalms.  It’s what I would advise a downhearted friend to do... so...time to take my own medicine.

Began at Psam 1 but was stopped by Psalm 4:4 and 5.  Seven little instructions popped out as a prescription for the Psalmist’s troubled spirit.  Perhaps for mine too.

a.  “Tremble.”   I guess that means I need to take the serious seriously.  Now is not the time to blow it off or put my head in the sand.  Tremble at the trouble.  Or tremble in His presence.  Or both.  Likely both.

b.  “Do not sin.”  Simple enough.  That is if I just stay in bed with the Bible on my lap.  Once I get out, sin is crouching everywhere.  It’s especially easy to sin when I feel down or stressed... my thoughts and/or words could erupt in sin.  My stress relief elixir could be sin. (food, beverage, distraction...). My gloomy disposition would be sin.  Angry responses, withdrawal, denial, distraction,  ruminating ... so many sinful choices when I’m trembling...

c.  “Mediate upon your bed.”  ✅

d.  “Be still.”  I’m wriggling even as I type it.  Be still.  Meditate in stillness.  This meditation business is the stuff of marinating, not microwaving.  What might be different in my life if instead of forging into action, instead of distracting myself with media or friends or materialism, instead of trying to outrun trouble,  I would simply... be still.  Sit with the heaviness.  Process it with God.

e.  “Selah”.  This is a unique Hebrew word used often in the Psalms.  May mean “to pause”.  May mean “to cast upwards”.  As in to God?  (Now humming... “I cast all my cares upon You... 🎶...”)

f.  “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.”  Doing the right thing can be so hard.  The word “sacrifice” infers hard, doesn’t it?  Ugh.  The wrong response is so much easier, so much less... sacrificial.  The sacrifice of righteousness...  I think I need to stay in meditation for a bit...

g.  “And trust in the Lord.”  We like that part.  Yet it’s important to note that it doesn’t stand alone here.  Not a glib answer, but rather one of many imperatives... a list of commands.  I do my part: tremble, not sin, meditate, be still, do the hard thing, and then... let it go.  Trust in the Lord.

These two verses in one of 150 Psalms have laid out a roadmap today.  The Psalms are emotional journal entries recording real life moments by real live humans who turn to their only Hope.  As always... God met me there.

It’s a tough prescription to fill, but at least I know the next thing to do...

Restoration

Psalms 19:7-13 NASB

“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.

They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”

Some days arrive heavier than others.  Thankfully the Word of God is the balm for all.

We discussed this passage on Saturday night at small group as we were discussing how the word “blameless” seems unattainable.  This Psalm connects blamelessness to willful sin.  Presumptuous sin.  Much more of a goal... seems more realistic, no?

And now here it is again, presented to me in a devotional email I receive each morning.  An email that simply consists of verses to ponder.  Me n my coffee n my Baxter and God’s Word.  The Rx for the heaviest of mornings. ❤️

Another Rabbit Hole

When it comes to creativity, it is easy for me to fall down rabbit holes. While it used to only be my own ideas and messes, now Pinterest and YouTube and Instagram allow me to peer over other people's shoulders and find inspiration for even more projects.  The opportunity for rabbit trails, and falling into rabbit holes,  is seemingly endless.

My current main creative outlets include Art Journaling, almost daily, and knitting.  But on the lower level I have a beautiful space, dubbed the "art cave," and an attached overflowing walk in closet full of art supply yumminess.  While I can sort and purge and be reasonably organized in the rest of our home, when it comes to art supplies I am a hoarder.  Every piece of it has potential.

Recently on Pinterest I saw these images, among many, when I searched for "Rolodex Ideas."

janeeileen.blogspot.com/2011/06/
settling-in.html

ramblingrose.typepad.com/journal/2011/05/
scrapodex-tips-and-hints.html

This is MY CUP OF TEA. Tiny pieces of art.  My mind immediately thought of writing out Scripture on them, because I have a daily habit of writing out the Word. So I Pinterested that, (can Pinterest become a verb, like Google and Googled?) and found even more.  This next photo is part of a dedicated post on how to create Scripture cards.  Love love love.

http://simplyfaithful.com/2012/03/09/how-to-create-scripture-cards/

Months ago I had brought home a dusty old rolodex from work, (it had potential!), and so yesterday was THE day.  Time to make my first card.  My hope is to cut cards out of the piles of pretty papers that I own, to write verses, maybe insert the occasional photo... a rolodex that makes me smile.  Truly God created me with a *need* for creativity, and this seems like a perfect daily outlet.  Tiny little cards.

This coming Saturday our morning Bible study will review Philippians. As I read yesterday, I looked for a verse that popped out.  HOPE.  This verse inspires HOPE.

Today's verse card:

Today's was inspired by the photo which I had printed off of google a few weeks ago.
On both of the cards, I put the date on the back, and a few reflections on the verse.

And so... the Rolodex project is begun.  No hurry, no worry.  It is already is making me smile.  :-)

What's in a name?

Early on Easter Sunday morning, with my (current) favorite cup of coffee (Starbucks Caramel pod with Natural Bliss Almond Milk Caramel creamer), I sat in bed and read John 18-20.  A familiar story in a book that never becomes too known or old.  I love how every time one reads a passage, no matter how often  read or heard before, something new is revealed.  God's like that.  He loves to meet us on the pages as we wholeheartedly pursue relationship. 💗  Layer by layer.  Precept upon precept.

John's account tells us that four women, (Jesus' mother, His aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene), were standing by the cross as He was dying.  (John 19:25)  John, "the disciple whom He loved," was also standing nearby.  They offered Jesus the gift of their presence in His darkest hour. #linger

On Sunday morning, after the Jewish Passover on Saturday, "Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark..."  Scripture only contains important, carefully chosen words, so what are we to learn here?  It reminds me of other passages, including Mark 1:35, "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." #early

Blessed is (s)he who seeks God at day's beginning.

At our church on Easter Sunday, one of the verses highlighted was "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you."  Philippians 4:8a    Jesus knew this.  Mary Magdalene knew this.  And from experience, I know this.

Back to John 20. When Mary finds the stone rolled away, she runs to tell Peter and John, and they all run back to the tomb. John peeks in. Peter barges in. (#lovePeter!) And then... "they [John and Peter] went back to their homes." (John 20:10) But not Mary. She stood weeping outside the tomb.💔  Jesus was her rock, and He was gone. It was sinking in. As she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb again,  and this time she saw two angels.

John 20:13-16

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 

She said to them, 

“They have taken away my Lord, 

and I do not know where they have laid him.”

Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, 

but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 

“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, 

and I will take him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” 

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

He said her name, and her confusion lifted.  He said her name, and she instantly recognized Him.  This tenderest of scenes makes my eyes glisten every time. Oh the tenderness of their relationship.  He knew her, and loved her the same.  It's what every human heart craves - to be fully known, and to be loved anyhow.

What had led to this depth of relationship? Luke tells us that Jesus had healed Mary Magdalene and cast seven demons out of her.  (Luke 8:2)  Healing. Mary recognized her need of deliverance, and she met the Deliverer. The One who showed her God. She had lingered.  She spent enough time with Him to know His voice.  Even when her eyes failed her and she didn't recognize His risen body, her ears heard Him clearly.

Draw near to God, and He *will* draw near to you. The Bible says it so I believe it, and have experienced it as well. His still small voice. Wooing. Teaching. Coaching. Encouraging. Thankfully I will never watch Him die - rather, I will someday see Him appear victoriously.  But I can empathize with Mary, realizing the full depth of the loss of the lover of her soul.  I cannot imagine losing contact with my Lord.

In John 20:22, when Jesus had revealed Himself post resurrection to His followers, ..."He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' "  This Holy Spirit had previously been promised to the disciples, at their last meal together, including as recorded in John 14:26-27.  The "Helper," the teacher, the one who brings to remembrance Jesus' words.  I had never noticed that His followers received the Holy Spirit on Easter evening.  Love that.  Mary's aloneness was no more.

As a final mention, please note that the first  preacher EVER of the glorious news of the gospel, was Mary Magdalene.  John 20:18  "I have seen the Lord!"  In fact Jesus said to her, "...go to My brothers and say to them..."  (John 20:17)  Jesus commissioned a WOMAN!  Mary, a woman in a day when women generally not valued, was CHOSEN by Jesus to go and share the good news with His disciples.  This came about because she prioritized Jesus that morning, and lingered.

In the shadow of Mary's calling and example, I tell you: He is Risen! He is real! He longs to deliver us too.  He is worth our pursuit... our FIRST pursuit of every day.

Let's purpose to spend enough time with Jesus so that we too will be able to clearly discern His voice.  💗

Easter Triduum

On Facebook this morning, a friend used the word Triduum.  Having never seen it before, I looked it up, although I could see the word Tri (three) and Diem (day) in it.  Sure enough, trusty Wikipedia tells me that it is the period of three days that begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

Although never Catholic, I find beauty in their regular celebrations.  Some call them rituals like that is a bad word, but I find rituals to be a lovely way to remember.

Studying to teach 1st to 4th grade Sunday School on Sunday,  I slowly read John 18 and 19 with my morning coffee, sitting at my father's desk (where he wrote decades worth of sermons), facing the backyard garden which I see through the 3 six foot windows in front of me. (our bedroom view is deluxe) I am blessed and this is where I love to linger.

Here's some of what I marked ... things that popped out at me.

John 18:4-6

So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, 

“Whom do you seek?”

They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 

He said to them, “I am He.” 

And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.

So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

The Great I AM.  These are the words God gave to Moses to describe Himself, way back in Exodus 3:14.  The Great I AM.  Here the power of God is seen once again.  (isn't it amazing that they continued to arrest Him after being literally thrown to the ground?  If you choose to be blind to God, you will do dumb things!)

I also noticed that even though Jesus basically surrendered Himself to arrest, they bound Him (18:12) Then in 18:22, one of the officers struck Jesus with his hand.  He struck a bound man.  Such cowardice.  Such rage.

In John 18:36-37, in a discussion with Pilate, Jesus plainly states, 

"My kingdom is not of this world.

For this purpose I was born

and for this purpose I have come into the world - 

to bear witness to the truth."

Pilate's response is his infamous  question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38)

Jesus was in and is in control of everything.  Good to remember.  This is a hard concept when we merge it with the existence of evil in our world.  God created everything to be idyllic in a garden, but left man with the CHOICE to love and follow Him.  Man had the temptation of satan, but always with a way to escape that temptation.(1 Corinthians 10:13)  And so, thousands of years later, man's poor choices and resulting evil are dealt with through the cross. Yet mankind retains the choice of whether to love and follow Him. God did not want robots.  God wants true relationship with people who choose Him.  And through the cross He gave that choice - the choice to live in fellowship with God - to all mankind.  (John 3:16) But it's still a choice. In this exchange, we see Pilate wrestling with this Truth.  I hope he kept wrestling and seeking...

I'll end with John 19:25 where we are told that "...standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and..."

Whew.  That's enough to break this mother's heart.  In fact I drew a broken heart in the margin of my Bible.  💔  If you have a child, or love a child, you don't need me to elaborate on the pain.

♫ Ancient Words, ever true

Changing me, and changing you.

We have come with open hearts

Oh let the ancient words impart.♫

This Triduum, read the Word, even if you think you know the story.  

God loves to meet you there to reveal more of Himself as you seek Him.  💗

God and Gardens... PS

It's Good Friday today.

In slowly pondering John 18 and 19, I noticed another garden!

John 19:41-42 states, "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb... they laid Jesus there."

Isn't that beautiful?  Our Savior's body, in the few hours that it was not in use, lay in a garden.  🌺🌿🌹🍃🌸

God and Gardens

As I prepare for teaching 1st to 4th grade Sunday School on Easter Sunday, I am rereading familiar texts.

John 18:2 ESV states, "Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, [the garden of Gethsemane] for Jesus often met there with his disciples."

Have never noticed that before - that this garden was one of their regular meeting places. In nature with Jesus. In the quiet and the still.

Reminds me of Genesis 3:8 where Adam and Eve "...heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day..."

God placed mankind in a garden upon their creation.  And Jesus, when confronting his arrest and execution (John 18:4 tells us that Jesus knew all that would happen to Him) took his disciples to a beloved garden.  The beginning of mankind and the end of God's incarnation.

Matthew 26:36-46 is another account of Jesus' time in the garden at Gethsemane... a much more detailed account. Read it and weep. Jesus' two closest friends failed Him in his last hours of freedom.  He simply wanted them to be present for Him, and to pray...for their own frailty.   He took them to a peaceful spot...a known spot... their garden of choice.

Gardens.  Spring is barely here, and our garden is still brown and sad.  But soon!  A goldfinch just landed on our feeder as I'm writing - the first I've seen this year.  HOPE!  Can't wait to be out there in our own little patch of Eden, digging and assisting to create order and beauty.
Come watch and pray with me.  💚

our backyard bliss - summer 2017

Bleeding hearts in our front walkway - spring 2016

2018!

2018!
Another birthday celebrated!
Wowza!  Time flies!
So blessed!

On the evening of my birthday,  7 of us finished up an amazing book - Two Steps Forward by Sharon Garlough Brown.  The second book of a series, its byline is "A Story of Persevering in Hope." This book club/Bible study/prayer group/discipleship group of 8 women has been SUCH an encouragement to me.  We came together as a result of a women's retreat, and I'm so blessed to now call these women friends.

The back of the book reads, "The women from Sensible Shoes are taking their next steps in the spiritual formation journey.  But each of them is finding roadblocks along the way. ... Sometimes life feels like two steps forward and one step back.  You may find your own spiritual journey reflected in the lives of these women.  Come and discover the way forward."

This book series is one of a kind.  Exploring how ancient spiritual disciplines can still be incorporated in our lives -- disciplines such as Breath Prayer, Lectio Divina (sacred reading); Journaling; Praying a Labyrinth, Praying the Examen and incorporating a Rule of Life.  Although the book is fiction, the author utilizes the character of a Spiritual Director and the setting of a Spiritual Formation Retreat to launch the stories of four women who become friends in book one.  (Sensible Shoes)  Scripture is incorporated throughout, as are explanations of the disciplines.

I've recommended this book to dozens of women... literally ... and I've read book one and two multiple times.  And even now, typing this up, I'm realizing that I need to return to "Rule of Life," for I desire more order in my days.  One step forward and two steps back...

You can review or purchase the set here.  I am in no way affiliated... I'm simply a SUPER FAN.

These ladies are the best.  Thanks for journeying with me!

Morning Affirmation by Kenneth Boa

Something to copy and keep and use with your prayer time each morning.  ❤️ by Kenneth Boa.  

Powerful stuff.  Say it aloud and send the enemy fleeing! 😘

Morning Affirmations

 

1. SUBMITTING TO GOD

Because of all You have done for me, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice for this day. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, affirming that Your will for me is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

2. ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING

Offer a brief word of praise to God for one or more of His attributes (e.g., love and compassion, grace, mercy, holiness, goodness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, truthfulness, unchanging character, eternality) and/or works (e.g., creation, care, redemption, loving purposes, second coming).

Thank Him for the good things in your life.

3. EXAMINATION

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. (Psalm 139:23-24)

4. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3)

I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with Christ. (Colossians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:24)

I have fulfillment for this day because Christ lives in me. (Philippians 1:20-21)

By faith, I will allow Christ to manifest His life through me. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

5. FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

Ask the Spirit to control and fill you for this day.

I want to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) When I walk by the Spirit, I will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) If I live by the Spirit, I will also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

6. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Pray on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

7. PURPOSE OF MY LIFE

I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and I want to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37, 39) My purpose is to love God completely, love self correctly, and love others compassionately.

I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

I have been called to follow Christ and to be a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:19)

I will be a witness to those who do not know Him and participate in the Great Commission to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)

I want to glorify the Father by bearing much fruit, and so prove to be Christ’s disciple. (John 15:8)

8. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY

I will trust in the Lord with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will make my paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28; also see 8:29)

I acknowledge that You are in control of all things in my life, and that You have my best interests at heart. Because of this I will trust and obey You today.

Review and commit the events of this day into the hands of God.

9. PROTECTION IN THE WARFARE

**Against the World: Renew

I will set my mind on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

Since I have been raised up with Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2; also see 3:3-4 and Hebrews 12:1-2)

I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:6-8; also see 4:9)

**Against the Flesh: Reckon

I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I will not present the members of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to God as one alive from the dead, and my members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:6-7, 11, 13)

**Against the Devil: Resist

As I submit myself to God and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7)

I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someoneto devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9)

I will take up the full armor of God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition I will pray at all times in the Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

10. THE COMING OF CHRIST AND MY FUTURE WITH HIM

Your kingdom come, Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10)

You have said, “I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to me. (Romans 8:18)

I will not lose heart, but though my outer man is decaying, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while I look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

My citizenship is in heaven, from which also I eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

(Also consider 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 11:1, 6; 2 Peter 3:11-12; 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3.)

A Heritage of Faith

June 2017

A new iPad from work has me reconsidering the blog.

This is a test run with the iPad app...

This photo was taken in Iowa this past week end.  My aunt June is 88 years old and going strong.  My cousin Mark and his wife Lynn are some of my favorites...the salt of the earth sort.

When in Buffalo Center, Iowa, I miss my uncle Herb, June's husband.  And his brother, my daddy.  And when in Iowa I remember and thank God for a heritage of faith.  This is where it all began... both my parents were born nearby, and now are buried nearby.

Psalms 16:6

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

Testing

I'm convinced that posting from my ipad will be easy some day.  Is it today?  This is a test.

And... HELLO!  Hoping all is well with you.  I'm having a productive Monday at home, including some journaling.

So far so good on my test.  Let's see how this works...  If photos upload easily, I will be very excited. Ciao!

Light

(unretouched photo of Lake Michigan, from the beach in Fish Creek, August 2013)

This morning I am sitting next to our south facing bedroom window.  As I read I keep moving my chair closer to the window, trying to get as full a serving of vitamin D as possible.  How I love sunlight.  Last week at this time I was in Orlando, and the sunlight was all around me.  After this long long winter, I cannot get enough.

Reading through the Bible this year with my Saturday morning girls. Whew - such a pace.  I like to savor and chew on a passage, and thus I am WAY WAY behind.  But once in a while I gulp large quantities and make some progress towards getting caught up.  Today is that day.

I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  -- Jesus,  (John 8:12)

Am I drawn to Him as I am drawn to this window at winter's close?  Or do I treat our relationship like a late summer's day - taking His light for granted?

Yesterday a friend noticed my glow - the effect of last week's sun on my face and skin.  In spite of my liberal use of sunblock, I have a decidedly healthier pallor.  In my reading this morning, I read,

"…Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God." (Exodus 35:29)

Are you glowing?  Can people see your time with Jesus reflected in your countenance?
How is your level of Vitamin D?  More importantly, how is your Vitamin J?

Just  a little reflection (pun intended) on my time with God today.

I'd love to hear from you.  :o)

Spring 2013

Spring is finally here, and not a minute too soon. The trees are bursting...seemingly losing their grey pallor overnight. The birds are singing. Thank you God.

Learning to use my new Nikon 5200, I am forced to sit and watch and wait. Excellent training.

(unretouched photo taken in the woods behind our home)

2013!
Happy New Year!


Good to see you...it's been too long.  My fault, of course.  But now that I have GRADUATED, and am securely employed, and the holiday hubbub is behind us, perhaps we can get into the swing of this again.

Do I have any readers left?

So many posts are muddled about in my noggin... enough to keep us busy for a bit.  And then of course life will continue to happen.

Do you have any resolutions?  Do you choose a WORD or a VERSE or a SLOGAN for the year ahead?

My main word for 2013 is BLOOM.  As in "Bloom where you are planted."
And there's also LISTEN and RELEASE.  Those seem to be what I need to focus on at the moment.

The verse I wrote in my new moleskine is, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."  Colossians 3:17 NASB.

giving thanks.  eucharisteo.  I'm still stuck there, 

ever since reading, 1000 Gifts  by Ann Voskamp.  love love love...

Well, this is a quickie.  I'm cleaning and packing and relaxing...enjoying my last evening of my Christmas break ... tomorrow I fly to Minneapolis for work for three days.

Please leave a comment and let me know there's somebody out there!  xoxo

Pleasant Places

There are times when I connect with my place in this world and am overwhelmed with the blessings. This morning is one of those sacred times. The verse that came to mind as I was going through the morning routine was Psalm 16:6.

Psalms 16:6
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

We worked hard in the yard on Saturday, and puttered more yesterday. Eden is returning... This place we live, on the edge of a park, is such a balm to my soul when I take the time to appreciate it. God created mankind in a garden, and something in me is indeed most fulfilled in that setting. The joy of beauty. Assisting in creating order out of tangled chaos. And now, today, just soaking it up from the couch as I sip coffee and feel the breeze from the windows. Listening to crickets and birdsong, even as I feel the ache in my joints from the efforts expended. This is bliss.

Thank you Father for my complicated past which allows me to more fully appreciate my simple today. Thank you for the abiding certainty of life with You. And thank you for the blessing of this place even amidst the challenges of life. Amen.

Psalms 16:8-9
I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.

Psalms 16:11
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.




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Location:My living room