change

Yes...you are in the right place. As you can see, the look of the blog has changed. I've been looking for something different to better go with the personality of my website and for now, I've settled here.

Sometimes, change is hard. We get used to things being a certain way. I know I used to have a certain way I would spend time with God. When I opened myself to experience something different, not only did it change the way I was 'with' God...it changed my relationship with Him. In the midst of that change, other changes began to take place. I think being open to the possibility that God wanted to bring some change into my life, opened me to trusting those changes even though they were very different, and in some areas, radically different. In many ways, the change God is bringing about in my life is like the change a caterpillar endures to become a butterfly. There is darkness, at times, when I am not sure of what is happening, when I can't see around the next corner. And, sometimes, there is struggle, as I try to make sense of the process. But, I am convinced that without the darkness, where I need to trust Jesus to carry me through and without the struggle, which strengthens me, the transformation could not take place.

I invite you to open yourself to whatever change God wants to bring into your life. Change can be exciting, mysterious and unpredictable. Take a chance.

Grace and peace,
Deb

rest

rest

And so, let me let you hold me
when I have come to the place
beyond the willingness to labor,
beyond anything but the longing for rest.
Let my emptiness be emptiness
till it reveals to me your face
and let my weariness be weariness
till it prompts me to your rest.
Then may I know the healing of the possibility
of dreams and take up my work again.

Jan Richardson

Allow yourself to consider how you might enter into the rest God intends for you.

scripture

I used to read the Bible and sometimes I was moved but more often than not I read it for information. Reading the Bible for information isn’t necessarily bad…it just isn’t the only way and it generally isn’t the way that brings about transformation.

I have had the privilege of sitting with a group of women and teaching them a different method of interacting with scripture. It was a beautiful time as I was able to witness each of them encounter God in a different way. We took a short portion of scripture and allowed God to speak personally and intimately to us. Each heard something different, but each woman heard something profound, just for her. It was a moving experience.

I invite you to read a short Psalm today….read it slowly, a couple of times. Savor it, and allow God to speak to your heart. Pay attention to what He is stirring in you through a word or phrase you are reading. Sit with it for a while and let it sink in. Then, offer it back to Him in prayer. Let Him meet you there in the words.

Peace
Deb

pain

Pain is part of life. There is no way around it. I was talking with someone today and I said, “Tough times are coming.” Not “if’ but “when”….because that is the reality we live with. Sometimes, it seems harder to hold onto God during those painful times. I think how I choose to look at it…what perspective I bring, can either help me or hurt me when I face difficulties. The following quote brings me a beautiful glimpse of God’s love for me in the center of my pain:

In all those dark moments, O God, grant that I may understand that it is you who are painfully parting the fibers of my being in order to be able to penetrate to the very marrow of my being.

Teilhard de Chardin

This prayer rose in my heart as I reflected on this quote.


Lord,
Help me to understand that in the midst of my pain, you are so present. Help me to grasp that my pain is not wasted…that it will be used by You to mold my heart and my being to become more like You. Help me to be content in the midst of the pain and to look for You there. Please change my perspective. Allow me to embrace the place I find myself and may my response always reflect You.Thank you for Your love and care.

Love,
me

How do you look at pain in your life? Do you think you can look at it with this persepctive? It definitely isn't easy but being able to see Jesus, next to you, in a painful sitution can allow you to persevere and surrender to changes He wants to bring about in your life.

Peace,
Deb

integrity

intergrity

"For when we ask how good a person is we do not ask what they believe or what they hope for but what they live."

Augustine

Everyone has blind spots. We all have those areas of our lives that we are not aware of but others certainly are. One of my concerns is that this quote may speak to one of mine. Do I live what I say I believe?? What if I only think I do?

Haven’t we all met people who speak about what they believe but it is clearly evident to everyone around them that it doesn’t match how they are living…or at least what we can see of it?

How I don’t want this to be true of me! One of my prayers is asking God to reveal the truth that lies deep within my heart that I may not be privy to. I certainly don’t enjoy seeing these things but whenever God opens up one of those dark closets, He does it with gentleness and love…and always for my own good.

May we all strive to be people who live what we say we believe. May the actions of our lives match the words we speak….or don’t speak. I love this quote by St. Francis of Assisi:

“Preach the Gospel and if necessary, use words.”

I think it really can be that simple. People are not so attracted to what we say but by how we walk through life. Today, let your life speak.

Blessings,
Deb

silence

What do you think of when I say the word, “silence’? Does it strike fear into you? Does the idea of not having a radio or tv on, even as background noise, make your palms sweat?

I use to run from silence. I love the sounds that could fill my ears….radio, tv, cd’s, my own voice. It’s not that sound is bad. It's just that in the presence of sound there is the absence of silence….and in the absence of silence, it is nearly impossible to hear God’s still small voice. And I really want to hear His voice.

About four years ago, I began to practice a daily time of silence and solitude. It was so hard in the beginning. My mind would not shut off. I cannot tell you how many times I thought about giving up and just going back to the noise. The noise was known. I felt more in control. But, I stuck with it. Someone told me that God was pleased with my desire to just ‘be’ with Him, without asking for anything, even if I was struggling with the distractions. That was enough to keep me going. The longer I practice it, the better it gets.

Distractions will always be a part of my time in silence but I’ve sensed the Holy Spirit working deep inside and have begun to see some changes. I am convinced it is because I am giving the time to God and surrendering to whatever He wants to do in my life.

If you’ve never tried being silent, I encourage you to try. If you are practicing but have been discouraged, share your struggle with God and keep at it. It is one of the core spiritual disciplines. It allows the Holy Spirit to work within us on a deeper level. Don’t judge your time by what you are experiencing during it but just continue to offer it to God and let Him help you learn to listen to His still small voice.

Peace,
Deb

sabbath

no post today ~ enjoy your sabbath...

intimacy

"The biggest challenge I face in my longing to become who I am is to know and enjoy each member of the Trinity to such an extent that I can remain centered in them when I'm with others. When I'm centered in God, alive to the spirit's rhythm, aware of the Son's grace, and basking in the Father's love, I no longer fear another’s judgment. It can hurt, but it cannot destroy. It is then that I more fully discover my true self, and I'm empowered to enter relationships with true love."

Larry Crabb

This quote speaks to the truth that we need to be completely surrendered to God and His desire for our lives to be fully who we are and to be in true relationship with others. When grounded in God’s love we are able to enter into relationships with more honesty, vulnerability and integrity.

Is God speaking to you about being centered in Him…in sensing the movement of the Spirit, in experiencing the grace Jesus offers, and feeling, on a personal and intimate level God’s love for you? Perhaps you could spend some time today pondering these three aspects of God’s work in your life. If God leads, consider writing down what He shows you. Where do you sense the Spirit’s movement? How are you experiencing the grace of Jesus? How do you feel God loving you today? These questions may help you move into a deeper intimacy with the Trinity. Enjoy that closeness.

Grace,
Deb

prayer

Staying with the Prayer of Francis of Assisi for another day, I notice that it is a prayer of ‘asking’. But the asking isn’t for the ‘pray-er’ but for those the ‘pray-er’ is in relationship with. It is so counter cultural. It is asking for those things that, at least for me, I am unable to accomplish on my own.

To judge comes more naturally to me than to pardon. Doubt comes easily to me, faith I need to consciously relax into. Depending on my circumstances, despair often is my first response…hope is that thing that others who are more spiritual than I move right into. And so on.

I guess my point is that I tend to…or, may I say, I have tended to gravitate towards the darker side of my nature. But…with the help of the Holy Spirit, I find myself ‘wanting’ to pardon, having more faith, working to live in hope, trying to reflect light, expressing joy, being more consoling, more understanding and more loving. I am no where near doing this well, but my desire to do it well is the place I need to be, because the rest of it is in God’s hands. And when I rest in Him, I find myself choosing to live in way that honors Him and honors others.

What is He speaking to you about in this prayer? What one attribute is He wanting you to live into? How would that show itself in your life? Invite God into the process and allow Him to make those deep changes that need to occur.

Peace,
Deb

prayer

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is jury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;

O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled,
as to console;
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love

For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is dying to the self that we are born into eternal life.

I am struck by the simplicity of this prayer and how profound it is.

I invite you to read it through, slowly, at least two times and pay attention to what draws you. Meditate on that part of the prayer, throughout the day and let God speak to your heart about it.

Peace,
Deb

identity

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said:

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.
We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”

I love this quote. It helps me gain perspective on my life and my role. At the core of who I am, I am spiritual. I am made in the image of God. This is so easy for me to forget. I get so caught up in my life…my things…my plans. I can be upset about something that won’t mean anything two weeks from now, let alone be important in the grand scheme of things.

I can tend to live as if this is all there is. Fear sets in as I think of the years swiftly moving by and the knowledge that my days are numbered. I get so caught up in my earthly existence that I don’t give a thought to eternity.

Imagine what it would be like if we began every morning reflecting on the truth that we are spiritual beings on a human journey. If we constantly carried this thought with us through our day, how would it change the way we act…or react? What would look different? Be different?

I encourage you to think about this today. Live this day with the full knowledge that you are a spiritual being on a human journey. Look at all today holds for you through that lens and see how it changes you. And, consider offering today’s part of your spiritual journey to God, asking Him to allow that spirituality to shine through your human-ness.

Blessings,
Deb

surprises

Have you ever had the experience of praying for something and seeing, in your head, how it would work out? I do that all the time. But…you know what? It NEVER works out that way.

Or, how about this….you’re not sure what’s ahead, what’s around the next corner. You may be sensing that God is calling you into a new adventure but you cannot possibly see how it will come to pass. Or, you may be facing a very difficult situation that is full of uncertainty. If only you could see what’s ahead, then you could trust Him with whatever it is.

I used to fear these circumstances (sometimes I still do). I wanted to have more control, to be able to plan things out, to know what was coming next so I could better prepare. What I really wanted was for God to answer my prayers my way. This kind of living caused me a great deal of anxiety. But then, slowly, God began to change my perspective. I began to relax and truly trust that He knew what was best. I didn’t need to know everything.

I have been on this journey long enough to know that God always works it out. Not always in the way I want Him to and never the way I think He will, but, none the less, He works it out.

Now, instead of fearing what’s around the next corner, I am looking for the surprise. I know God loves me and that He will take care of me, even if it is in unexpected ways. So, instead of needing all the answers, I am able to live with the questions and anticipate the surprise, looking at it like a gift. It may not come when I expect it, be wrapped the way I think it should be or even be the gift I want…but it will always be the gift I need.

May your day be filled with “God surprises”. May you not be fearful and anxious about what lies ahead but learn to be open and excited about the surprises God has in store for you. Enjoy the gift; the gift that is.... trusting Him with everything.

Blessings,
Deb

awareness

From The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan:


“Waiting implies anticipation of something else; that this moment is not the moment. It implies that the expected thing, the hoped-for thing, is yet to arrive, that the present is only preliminary to the future.”

When I read this, I was stopped in my tracks. This is me! It seems I am always waiting. I am waiting to wear my bathing suit until I lose a few more pounds, waiting to have people over for dinner until I clean the house, waiting to pursue my hobbies until I have more time. I realized, after reading this quote, that I am missing being fully present in this day because I am focused on the future. How much have I missed because I am not aware of what is right in front of me? When I look to the future, I cannot see clearly. It rarely turns out the way I think it will. But I do have the chance to see what is right in front of me, what is happening right here, right now.

I've started asking God to help me stay in this day, in this hour, in this moment.

Think about asking God, today, to help you keep focused on the now…not in the future, not in the past, but in the present, because the present is more than enough.

Peace,
Deb

sabbath

No post today - enjoy the sabbath...

creativity

And what of the human heart’s capacity to understand God? Here we need the help of passionate visionaries such as Dostoevsky. Sacred scripture is too important to be left exclusively to biblical scholars. Theology is too vital to be consigned solely to the province of theologians. To explore the depths of the God who invites our trust, we need artists and mystics……”

“Send in the artists, mystics and clowns. Their fertile imagination pours the new wine of the gospel into fresh wineskins (Luke 5:38). With fresh language, poetic vision and striking symbols, they express God’s inexpressible Word in artistic forms that are charged with the power of God, engaging our minds and stirring our hearts as they flare and flame.”

Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust




I have many friends who are artists. Some act, some write, some paint, some draw, some make jewelry, some sing. I am always in awe of them. I draw ‘stick’ people. I paint walls. I make very basic jewelry that may fall apart by the end of the day. I have done some acting, some signing and some writing but I have never really considered myself an artist. Until recently.

God has given one of my friends, a vision of providing a place for regular people like you and me, to discover the artist within. She believes that we all have an artistic side. We just need encouragement and a safe place to experiment. She sees each of us as an expression of God’s creativity and we, being made in God’s image, have that same creativity inside. Hmmm….maybe I am an artist. My ‘stick’ people may just have a beauty all their own.

What is inside of you waiting for the chance to express itself? Have you tried and been discouraged by someone else's comment or even your own voice telling you that you are not an artist? I invite you to listen to what God is calling you to….and how He wants you to express it. Remember….you’re expressing what is inside of you for the audience of One.

Peace,
Deb

community

I want you to know that writing this blog has been such a pleasure to do. There are mornings when I think, "What am I going to write about??" But, God always gives me something. You have been so faithful in responding and making comments. I love reading your thoughts and how the entries are resonating with you.

Our “life with God” has this beautiful, intimate, personal component….meeting with Him in silence and solitude and having an on-going dialogue with Him all day. But it has another side as well – fellowship and community. God did not design us to live isolated lives. Although different than what we would experience on a Sunday morning, our ‘blog’ community can be rich as well. I would encourage you to respond to each other. As others write comments that impact you, write and let them know, or share a similar story of how God is working in you. I will be doing the same. I LOVE all the comments but there have been some that have moved me to respond. We can share joy with those who are seeing God in new and wonderful ways and we can encourage those who are struggling.

If what you what to share is painful and you need a bit more distance, you can click on ‘anonymous’ and then write your thoughts.

And….I know for a fact, that there are a couple of guys reading with us. This is not a women’s only site. The majority of us are women but we welcome the guys who want to walk more closely with God in this way. Guys…feel free to comment. We welcome your perspective as well.

We are on this adventure together….

Peace,
Deb

desire

Do you really want to live your lives,
every moment of your lives, in His Presence?
Do you long for Him? Crave Him?
Do you love His Presence?
Does every drop of blood in your body love Him?
Does every breathe you draw breathe a prayer, a praise to Him?
Do you sing and dance within yourselves, as you glory in His love?
Have you set yourselves to be His, and only His,
walking every moment in Holy obedience?

Thomas Kelly
A Testament of Devotion




How can one possibly live like this? For me, it isn’t a lack of desire. I so desire an intimate relationship with God. I know that I don’t ‘breathe a prayer’ every time I draw a breath (at least not consciously). I have ‘gloried’ in His love, at times but I definitely don’t walk in obedience every waking moment. So, reading something like this can be discouraging.

But, I don’t think God wants us to be discouraged by these words. In fact, I think He wants us to be very encouraged as this is what we can aspire to. I used to give up after a day or two of trying to live up to words like these. In the last several years, I began to sense that God was only asking of me to have the desire to live this way. He knows, that because I live in this fallen world, I will continue to struggle with brokenness and sin.

What I’ve noticed is that the more I desire intimacy with Him and set my intention on that, the more I realize I am living closer to the way He wants me to. Less effort, more change. It’s the Holy Sprit working in and through me…it is not because of my own efforts. Not that I don’t need to be open and cooperate with this work but it is so much less work when I let God take the lead.

I invite you to think about asking God to stir that deep desire in you for more intimacy with Him. It will be the beginning of a new season in your spiritual life. If you already have the desire for more, enjoy it and move with it as it takes you into a deeper place of being with Him.
Peace,
Deb

love

Last year I was reading a book by Donald Miller. It’s called Blue Like Jazz. This book spoke to me in a powerful way. I want to share with you what God showed me but I am changing the names in this story so don’t even go and try to figure out who is who. :)

My friend, Marge, asked my opinion about a moral issue. She had asked a few other friends as well. One of the friends, Laura, didn’t like the choice she was going to make and told Marge, if she made that choice, she wouldn’t be spending time with her. I think she did this to re-enforce her stand on this issue and on what she believed to be God’s standards on this issue. When Marge asked my opinion I gave it to her. I felt the choice was not a good one for her…not a choice that would take her deeper into her relationship with God but farther away from him. Honesty, I also thought about putting some distance between Marge and myself if she made this choice.

The same time all of this was happening, I was reading Blue Like Jazz. One of the chapters is on love. He talked about how we, as Christians, sometimes use our love as a weapon. We give it or withhold it to get others to do what we think they should. As I read that chapter, I felt convicted, deep in my heart. The author was talking about me. I had used love like that. I had considered using it like that in this situation.

That night – the night I read that portion of the book, I felt God say to me, “Deb….it’s my job to convict. She asked for your opinion and you gave it to her. Don’t punish her by withholding love. Speak lovingly to her about what she is considering and let her know that you will love her no matter what she chooses. That is how I love you. I don’t always like your choices, because I know they are not best for you. Even when you made really bad choices, I still loved you. Please ~ just love her.”

I did. I just loved her. She made a good choice but the lesson wasn’t for her, it was for me. I want to learn to love better……to love more like Jesus.

Love,
Deb

awareness

One thing I want to increase is my awareness of God. I seem to forget that He is always near me, always speaking to me, always loving me. It’s like the verse in James that talks about a man (or woman!) looking in a mirror and then walking away and forgetting what he, or she, looks like. It seems like that sometimes, for me. There are things I know about God and about how He wants to be with me. I can think about it, talk about it, experience it and then within ten minutes, forget it. I don’t forget-forget, but it leaves my awareness.

I had written this in my journal;

“Our striving to be close to God is not so much a journey of finding Him but it is more of a journey of consciousness. He is here and He is in me in all the fullness I could ever imagine but I am not aware of the depth of it…right now I can see only glimpses of it…glimpses of heaven.”


My prayer today is that I would be more and more aware of God’s presence and movements in my life. I love praying a prayer that I know is close to God’s heart.

Consider taking a few moments this day to invite God to allow you to have a deeper consciousness of Him and His presence as He gives you glimpses of heaven.

Blessings,
Deb

trust

This post is a bit longer than normal but it is gave me a different perspective on life. If only I could camp in this place…..

“Fourteenth-century theologian and mystic John Tauler prayed for eight years that God would send him a person who would teach him the true way of perfection. One day, while at prayer, he heard a voice from within telling him to go outside to the steps, and there he would meet his mentor. He obeyed without hesitation. On the church steps Tauler found a barefoot ragamuffin in rags, wounded and caked in blood.

Tauker greeted the man cordially. “Good morning, dear brother. May God give you a good day and grant you a happy life.”

“Sir”, replied the ragamuffin, “I do not remember ever having had a bad day.”

Stunned, Tauler asked him how that was possible, since sadness and grief are part of the human condition.

The beggar explained, “You wished me a good day, and I replied that I cannot recall ever having spent a bad day. You see, whether my stomach is full or I am famished with hunger, I praise God equally; when I am rebuffed and despised, I still thank God. My trust in God’s providence and his plan for my life is absolute, so there is no such thing as a bad day. Sir, you also wished me a happy life. I must insist that I am always happy for it would be untruthful to state otherwise. My experience of God has taught me that whatever He does must of necessity be good. Thus, everything that I receive from His loving hand or whatever He permits me to receive from the hands of others – be it prosperity or adversity, sweet or bitter – I accept with joy and see it as a sign of His favor. For many, many years now my first resolution each morning is to attach myself to nothing but the will of God alone. I have learned that the will of God is the love of God. And by the outpouring of His grace I have so merged my will with His that whatever He wills I will too. Therefore I have always been happy.”

sabbath

no post today ~ enjoy the sabbath

trust

Why do you think it is so hard for us to know, in our hearts, that God loves us? That He wants the very best for us? Why do you think we fight that so much?

If we have spent any length of time walking with God, we know that God loves us. I am using the word “know” in an intellectual sense. We can have verses memorized (and that is great thing), we can read books about trust, we can tell others what ‘trusting’ in God is. But is that how we live our lives? There have been so many times that has not been true for me. Intellectually, I know that He loves me….but I live as if I don’t, taking back whatever it is I am fearful or concerned about.

We may know things intellectually but we live out what we truly believe. Take some time over the next few days to reflect on the following quote by Brennan Manning. Allow it to sink in and find a place to settle in your heart.

“The splendor of the human heart which trusts that it is loved [by God] gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight or the scent of millions of orchids in bloom. Trust is our gift back to God, and He finds it so enchanting that Jesus died for love of it.”

As you spend time thinking about this quote ask yourself if you know that God loves you, in your head… or in your heart.

Peace,
Deb

fresh start

“Is there anyone I can level with? Anyone I dare tell that I am benevolent and malevolent, chaste and randy, compassionate and vindictive, selfless and selfish, that beneath my brave words lives a frightened child, that I dabble in religion and pornography, that I have blackened a friend’s character, betrayed a trust, violated a confidence, that I am tolerant and thoughtful, a bigot and a blowhard, that I hate hard rock?”

Brennen Manning
Ruthless Trust


I think this quote hits home for all of us. I know it does for me. I was reminded of the duality that we struggle with as I had lunch with a friend yesterday. (I know…thoughts resulting from another conversation. Soon, no one will talk to me! So often this is the way God speaks to me, so I think you may see this a lot.) We were talking about how, sometimes, we can hardly believe that God doesn’t just smite us (don’t hear that word everyday, now do ya!), that we both have thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that we know aren’t what God would want of us. But, the amazing thing is that He waits…He waits for us to come around, to acknowledge those things within ourselves, turn back to Him and allow His love to enfold us, once again. He knows that we live and move in a fallen, broken world and that no matter how much we try, we will never be fully whole until we see Him face to face. That means we will never be free of the struggle that Brennan Manning describes but it also means that there is hope and forgiveness found in God’s love.

May today be a fresh start for you. Know that we all struggle with the ‘dark’ stuff in our hearts but also know that God is waiting for you, desiring you to move back toward Him. Allow yourself to experience His love today.


Deb

prayer - again

Last night, I sat outside enjoying the spring evening. The smell of lilac was in the air...maybe because I have a huge lilac bush in my backyard. :0) It was a moment of peace in the midst of a busy day. I was reading a book called A Tree Full of Angels: Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary. I love that title....the idea of seeing the holy in the ordinary. I think I like it so much because 95% of my life is lived in the ordinary. And the thought that I can be looking for the holy in the mundane things of life is so encouraging. But, back to prayer. The author, Macrina Wiederkehr say this:

"So how do I pray? I listen. I talk. I weep. I am silent. I am embraced by the beloved. I gaze with reverence. I wonder and adore. I share my needs. I have tea with God. I give gifts. I receive gifts. I give thanks and I say I'm sorry. I scream. I get angry. I show God all of my life, including my very divided heart. I relax. I'm at home. Sometimes I read a poem or tell God a story. Sometimes I dance. God loves stories and poems and dances. Sometimes I get a bit dramatic with God."

This is how I want to pray; to pray with all my heart, with all my emotion, with all of who I am..in transparency, with honesty.


Today, take time to think about how you pray. Do you have a set pattern? Is it controlled and predictable? Maybe God is inviting you to share everything with Him...the good, the bad and the ugly. 'Cause that is beautiful...that we can be who we really are in His presence and still know He loves us.

Peace,
Deb

prayer

Last night I had a conversation with someone about prayer. We were talking about how she had been praying and praying for something to happen and not understanding why God wasn't answering. The question came up, "What do you think God may be asking of you in regard to this prayer?" and "Do you think you have an expectation about how He will answer it...what that will look like?" I could ask these questions because I have lived them.

Then, just this morning, God brought something to my attention that I had been praying about for years. In the past couple of weeks, things have happening and that prayer is coming to pass. But you know what? I almost missed it. Not only that, I was frustrated by what was happening, not seeing it as an answer to prayer but experiencing it as something negative. Because the answer didn't come in the way I had expected, I nearly missed it. ( God always surprises me. He never does things the way I think He should...thank goodness!) Once I realized this I was able to let go of the frustration and thank Him for the answer, which is beyond anything I had imagined.

Today I am thankful for answered prayer, no matter what shape or form it takes and for those conversations with others that God uses to bring clarity to our own relationship with Him.

Peace,
Deb

awareness

One of my favorite authors is Ken Gire. He has a way of helping me learn to pay attention to the movements of God in my life. He has written numerous devotional books. The first book I read by him is an excellent book called, Seeing What is Sacred: Becoming More Sensitive to the Everyday Moments of Life, (old title - The Reflective Life) that is written, specifically, to help you become more aware.

I want to share a quote from him:

"He[God] has much to say, not only from the Scriptures but from the circumstances of our everyday lives. However prosaic the pages of our lives may seem at first reading, within the lines or in between the lines God may be speaking. Every book we read, every movie we see, every person we talk with, every song we listen to, every moment in our lives, in fact, should be subjects for reflection and could be ways through which God is speaking."


Consider asking God to help you today...help you pay attention to where/how He may be speaking to you, perhaps speaking in ways you had not considered before. Feel free to share what you noticed.


May you see Him in a different way today,

Deb

everyday sacred

“To conclude your meditation…you must gather a little devotional bouquet. I explain my meaning. People who have been walking about in a beautiful garden do not like to leave without gathering in their hands four or five flowers to smell and keep for the rest of the day. In the same way, when our soul has carefully considered by meditation, a certain mystery, we should select one, two or three points that we liked best and that are most adapted to our improvement, think frequently about them, and smell them spiritually during the rest of the day.”

Frances de Sales

There are things that speak into our lives every day….conversations, songs, books, movies, signs, etc. Everywhere, God uses these to engage us. But, unless we are paying attention, we will miss it. And, if we notice it, unless we linger with it, it will soon be gone and any depth it may have been held within, will escape us.

Be aware of the things He is saying to you through the ordinary things of life and ponder them in your heart as you move through the rest of your day. Treasures lie within.

Grace and peace,
Deb

sabbath

no post today - enjoy the sabbath

sacred text

"To pray the Scriptures means to allow the words of the sacred text to form our prayer, either directly or indirectly.”

Unknown

Engaging Scripture on a heart level is transformative. When I approach the text as if God wrote it directly to me, certain words or phrases seem to be illuminated. I pay attention to those words and sit with them. They then become my prayer, as I give myself over to whatever God wants to work in my life through them.

May your reading of the Scriptures become more than an information gathering exercise …may it be an encounter with the Sacred.

Grace and peace,
Deb

tough times

The past couple of days have held difficulties for several women I know. One is grappling with issues from the past, trying to see where God was present in the midst of extreme acts of betrayal and how He is using those circumstances to mold her into the woman she is today….where does it weigh her down and where has she been strengthened and gifted to work with others.

Another friend is dancing with God….but in her dance, He pulls her close and she needs to create some distance. What she wants, intimacy with Him, is what she fears. She is in a season of transition and struggling with the changes it will bring. She is working through how to trust Him in these new phases of life.

And, finally, another friend received news that a family member had been in a horrible car accident and had some very traumatic injuries. Turns out the injuries are not life threatening, but I’m sure it made for some frightening hours and thoughts about an uncertain future.

We do not know why certain things were permitted to take place in our past. We don’t understand why we crave intimacy with Jesus but find ourselves holding Him at a distance. We do not know what tomorrow holds. What we know is that God holds it all. He sees the whole picture….He knows how the tough times will shape us into the individuals He created us to be, if we surrender it all to Him.

Take some time today and sit with the following quote.

“For your prayer, your journey into God, may you be given a small storm, a little hurricane named after you, persistent enough to get your attention, violent enough to awaken you to new depths, strong enough to shake you to the roots, majestic enough to remind you of your origin, made of earth yet steeped in eternity, frail human dust yet soaked with infinity.…..In the midst of these holy winds, in the midst of this divine wrestling, your storm journey, like all hurricanes, leads you into the eye, into the Eye of God.”

Macrina Wiederkehr

Notice those places where the storms of life have led you into the Eye of God….and consider thanking him for those difficult times as they move us closer to Him.

Grace and peace,
Deb

awareness

One thing I want to increase is my awareness of God. I seem to forget that He is always near me, always speaking to me, always loving me. It’s like the verse in James that talks about a man (or woman!) looking in a mirror and then walking away and forgetting what he, or she, looks like. It seems like that sometimes, for me. There are things I know about God and about how He wants to be with me. I can think about it, talk about it, experience it and then within ten minutes, forget it. I don’t forget-forget, but it leaves my awareness.

I had written this in my journal;

“Our striving to be close to God is not so much a journey of finding Him but it is more of a journey of consciousness. He is here and He is in me in all the fullness I could ever imagine but I am not aware of the depth of it…right now I can see only glimpses of it…glimpses of heaven.”

My prayer today is that I would be more and more aware of God’s presence and movements in my life. I love praying a prayer that I know is close to God’s heart.

Consider taking a few moments this day to invite God to allow you to have a deeper consciousness of Him and His presence as He gives you glimpses of heaven.

Blessings,
Deb