."When spirituality is viewed as a journey....the way to spiritual wholeness is seen to lie in an increasingly faithful response to the One....*whose purpose shapes our paths,*whose grace redeems our detours,*whose power liberates us from crippling bondages of the prior journey (our past), and*whose transforming presence meets us at each turn in the road."
M. Robert Mulholland Jr.Invitation to a Journey
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The View
I want to spend some more time pondering this quote. For now I'll post it and come back to it later
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Trusting Deeply?
I was on Facebook a few minutes ago and a longtime friend had this quote on her page. It really spoke to me so I thought I'd share it here.
Trusting deeply doesn't change anything about God. It just allows me to expereince Him and all that He is more fully in my life.
"When I trust deeply that today God is truly with me and holds me safe in a divine embrace, guiding every one of my steps, I can let go of my anxious need to know how tomorrow will look, or what will happen next month or next year." Henri Nouwen
Trusting deeply doesn't change anything about God. It just allows me to expereince Him and all that He is more fully in my life.
Wanting God More Than..........
In his books, The Papa Prayer and Soul Talk, Larry Crabb makes a statement that originally comes from Augustine, I think. The statement goes something like this (God Speaking): "Child, I want you to make a list of everything that you want. I mean everything-all the blessings that you want from me- healthy children, nice house, good job, great relationships, great fruit in ministry, loose weight etc. I will give you all of those things But you will never see my face."
The feeling that I have when I think of having everything on my list (which is way too long to list here) but not seeing God's face is evidence of who I really am in my new heart that He has given me. I can't imagine not ever seeing God's face-Not Really! But I often treat God in such a way that all our relationship is about is what He can give me-weight loss, freedom from emotional pain, a child who doesn't struggle, a husband who doesn't have a chronic illness.............The list could go on and on.
Dr. Crabb talks about the first thing vs. second things. The second things being the blessings of God and the first thing being our relationship with God. I often find myself seeking the second thing blessings of God without much thought about my relationship with Him. What would it look like for me to be a first thing Christian? Would I not want to loose weight anymore? Would I become lax in doing the things that God has entrusted to me? I don't think so. I think my perspective would change. I think I might trust Him more to workout things in my life because I know He loves me, because He always has my best interest at heart.
How will I know that the above things are true about God? Time. Just hanging out with Him, developing my relationship with Him. The people I like and trust the most are the people I spend time with, the ones I have history with. What if I treated God like the person He is? What if I made a coffee or a lunch date with Him? What if I sought time with Him like I do with my other friends? He's always seeking me! Imagine it......Beth Moore gave a good illustration of God waiting excitedly by our beds everyday for us to wake up just so He talk to us!!!
Am I listening? Do I want to know Him more than I want............? I think I'll finish my second cup of coffee with Him. He's waiting for me!!!
The feeling that I have when I think of having everything on my list (which is way too long to list here) but not seeing God's face is evidence of who I really am in my new heart that He has given me. I can't imagine not ever seeing God's face-Not Really! But I often treat God in such a way that all our relationship is about is what He can give me-weight loss, freedom from emotional pain, a child who doesn't struggle, a husband who doesn't have a chronic illness.............The list could go on and on.
Dr. Crabb talks about the first thing vs. second things. The second things being the blessings of God and the first thing being our relationship with God. I often find myself seeking the second thing blessings of God without much thought about my relationship with Him. What would it look like for me to be a first thing Christian? Would I not want to loose weight anymore? Would I become lax in doing the things that God has entrusted to me? I don't think so. I think my perspective would change. I think I might trust Him more to workout things in my life because I know He loves me, because He always has my best interest at heart.
How will I know that the above things are true about God? Time. Just hanging out with Him, developing my relationship with Him. The people I like and trust the most are the people I spend time with, the ones I have history with. What if I treated God like the person He is? What if I made a coffee or a lunch date with Him? What if I sought time with Him like I do with my other friends? He's always seeking me! Imagine it......Beth Moore gave a good illustration of God waiting excitedly by our beds everyday for us to wake up just so He talk to us!!!
Am I listening? Do I want to know Him more than I want............? I think I'll finish my second cup of coffee with Him. He's waiting for me!!!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Pressing Into Him
I went for a walk this morning. As I headed toward my destination, I thought it would be a good time to mediate and set my mind. I was slightly overwhelmed. I think I was and still am struggling with "first day back from vacation, last week before school starts, get all your ducks in a row syndrome" that plagues me this time of year.
As I kept taking my thoughts captive (over and over it seemed), what continued to come to the forefront of my mind was "My strength is made perfect in your weakness". God's strength is made perfect in my weakness. What about being competent? capable? What about my abilities and talents?
To be sure, as my abilities and talents are surrendered to the control of His spirit in me, He can use them for his purposes and be glorified through them. BUT is that what causes me to press into Him? Honestly, NO! What causes me to depend on God as my very life is my inability to see a way outside of Him. It's often when I have exhausted my own resources that I cry out to Him.
In his book: Problems, God's Presence and Prayer, Michael Wells talks about how believers need problems.
As I kept taking my thoughts captive (over and over it seemed), what continued to come to the forefront of my mind was "My strength is made perfect in your weakness". God's strength is made perfect in my weakness. What about being competent? capable? What about my abilities and talents?
To be sure, as my abilities and talents are surrendered to the control of His spirit in me, He can use them for his purposes and be glorified through them. BUT is that what causes me to press into Him? Honestly, NO! What causes me to depend on God as my very life is my inability to see a way outside of Him. It's often when I have exhausted my own resources that I cry out to Him.
In his book: Problems, God's Presence and Prayer, Michael Wells talks about how believers need problems.
"Problems are God's main too for bringing us to the end of our own resources and into the deep experience of all His riches."
In I Corinthians 2:9 the book of Isaiah is quoted: "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
Verse 12 goes on to say "Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things freely given to us by God."
Through His Spirit, I can know the things freely given to me by God! Can I look at my problems then a primary vehicle that God wants to use so that I can experience "all of His riches"? I'll be the first to say that I'm not standing in a line that says,"more problems please!" BUT am I willing to allow God to shape my perspective in such a way that when a problem comes or never seems to go away, I look to Him as my source of strength. I choose to trust even when I can't see or feel Him. I trust His character, His good heart toward me as I press into Him. Am I willing to be weak (totally dependant) so that His strength is what shows up strong in me? Good question. I think I'll keep pondering.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Considering
Considering
By Garvisa Stroud
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
Verse I
The choice is very simple
Yet somehow quite profound
I can choose Lord, to trust you
Or choose to remain bound
Bound to circumstances, situations
I cannot control
Or trust You in the midst of them
As my only hope!!!
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
Verse II
My heart is nearly breaking
As I travel down this road
I can’t imagine having to bear
This heavy load
Then I hear you gently whisper
It was never mine to bear
I want to run away in agony
But then I see You there
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
I wrote the beginning of this song in the spring of 2005. It came during a time that I was crying out to God to speak to me! I had been involved in a tragic car accident where another person was killed. Needless to say, my whole world was changed forever along with the world of this precious family. I was devastated and none of what had happened made any sense! I couldn't see God's hand in this terrible tragedy. I was crying out for something to hold onto.
The second part of this song came in July of 2005, on the morning of my precious son's funeral. I was crying out to God once again to help me walk through yet another terrible tragedy. As I was sitting on the front porch of my brother and sister-in law, I was begging God to help me get through what was to come later that morning. I couldn't imagine dealing with what was to come in a few short hours. It had all happened so suddenly! It was so unbelievable! It couldn't be real, could it? How do you walk through something like this?
This morning, my best friend called with the news of her uncle's sudden passing! I couldn't believe it-Uncle Bernie? He was in his 50's. I had just seen him and Aunt Charlotte a few weeks ago during my visit. I immediately thought of Aunt Charlotte and the shock and bewilderment she must be experiencing. I have prayed for her today and I have been considering too. I have been considering the brevity of life, how hard life can sometimes be and also the faithfulness of God through it all even though we may not see Him.
By Garvisa Stroud
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
Verse I
The choice is very simple
Yet somehow quite profound
I can choose Lord, to trust you
Or choose to remain bound
Bound to circumstances, situations
I cannot control
Or trust You in the midst of them
As my only hope!!!
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
Verse II
My heart is nearly breaking
As I travel down this road
I can’t imagine having to bear
This heavy load
Then I hear you gently whisper
It was never mine to bear
I want to run away in agony
But then I see You there
Chorus:
Considering all you’ve done for me,
Considering all that you will do,
I can’t imagine not trusting
Even though I can’t see you.
I wrote the beginning of this song in the spring of 2005. It came during a time that I was crying out to God to speak to me! I had been involved in a tragic car accident where another person was killed. Needless to say, my whole world was changed forever along with the world of this precious family. I was devastated and none of what had happened made any sense! I couldn't see God's hand in this terrible tragedy. I was crying out for something to hold onto.
The second part of this song came in July of 2005, on the morning of my precious son's funeral. I was crying out to God once again to help me walk through yet another terrible tragedy. As I was sitting on the front porch of my brother and sister-in law, I was begging God to help me get through what was to come later that morning. I couldn't imagine dealing with what was to come in a few short hours. It had all happened so suddenly! It was so unbelievable! It couldn't be real, could it? How do you walk through something like this?
This morning, my best friend called with the news of her uncle's sudden passing! I couldn't believe it-Uncle Bernie? He was in his 50's. I had just seen him and Aunt Charlotte a few weeks ago during my visit. I immediately thought of Aunt Charlotte and the shock and bewilderment she must be experiencing. I have prayed for her today and I have been considering too. I have been considering the brevity of life, how hard life can sometimes be and also the faithfulness of God through it all even though we may not see Him.
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