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.



This prayer was part of the labyrinth a year ago. I was struck by the simplicity of it…and how profound it was.

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

memorial day

Take a few minutes today to think about those in harm's way around the world and their families.

Peace,
Deb

sabbath

no posting today...please do something that brings both you and God pleasure.....

Peace,
Deb

awareness

Early this year, the Children's Ministry at Living Word held a conference for those who work with children. (Thank goodness others can attend as well!) The pre-con seminar was a retreat day lead by Pete Gannaway. One of the cool things (one of many) was the book that Pete recommended for us all to read. It’s called The Rest of God: Restoring your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanan. I want to share a passage from that book that moved me:


“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. Most recently, I find myself waiting for my daughter’s baby to be born. The baby isn’t due until August, so I am waiting. 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 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

journaling

In March, I held a retreat. The women were wonderful. It was such a pleasure watching them discover new ways of being with God, becoming more comfortable sitting alone with Him and just enjoying being away from the everyday demands and responsibilities, soaking up the peace and quiet.

As I was packing up to come home, I remember putting my journal on top of a basket I was taking to the car. I got home, and while re-living the sweet moments we had shared over the weekend, I began to put things away. It wasn’t until the next morning, as I was preparing to spend time with God that I realized I could not find it. I looked and looked and looked and then looked again. I went through book shelves, looked behind the bookcase, and looked in the car, under seats and in the trunk. I looked everywhere I could think it possibly might be. I even went back to the retreat house and looked there. No sign of it anywhere.

You may be thinking that I am distressed because of what might be written on its pages and the fear that someone else might see it. There is an element of that. I try to be as honest as I can be when I write in my journal. It has become a spiritual discipline for me… a place to work through what I sense God speaking to me about and where I am noticing Him. So, it is very private and I certainly would prefer that no one read it. But, what troubles me far more is the fact that, that journal contains about four months of my life. It holds my memories, my thoughts, my insights, my hopes, my dreams, my pain, my disappointments….my reflections about my recent trip to Israel. And it is gone.

Now I trust that God will bring back to my remembrance all that I may need. But to think about what on those pages and the fact that it is lost to me, makes me sad.

I share this to encourage you; if you don't journal , consider starting and if you do, please continue. Losing mine has reinforced, to me, that it is such a precious tool we can use to process and record our journey. It can provide us with glimpses of hope and build our faith as we go back and re- read it and clearly see God’s hand and movement in our life. Start writing!

Blessings,
Deb