Alive!

He is alive

and the world

is forever changed

 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said

Matthew 28:6a NIV

repost from 2015

psalm 16

psalm 16

and You suffered through

all that I can imagine

every tear, drizzle

or deluge

each prick of pain, jagged 

sharp and raw

You felt it, carried it

before I noticed

and You whisper low

into my cloud

“come, let’s talk about it

I’ll take that from you”

why then do I sit reluctant

almost afraid to release what I 

never needed

let it go

Your hands far more

capable than mine

foerver changed

He is alive

and the world

is forever changed

 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said

Matthew 28:6a NIV

 

almost Sunday

be still

and know

that Sunday's coming

silent and waiting with Sandy

 

Grace on Parade

I am honored and blessed 

to have Karen Wingate

sharing a bit of the story 

of God's work in my life 

at her blog Grace on Parade today 

where she is 

spreading the fragrance of God's grace everywhere

While I'm busy here

it is still nice to be flickering about the internet.

  

this open place

I was new born in Christ

a rebirth at age forty-three

I had struggled long

and dark to surrender

it was the end of week one

after giving up, giving in

family did not understand

or believe, tension

and anger made room for doubt

arguing left me

weary, tears spilling

as I drove home, aching

to know if I really believed

what I professed, God

where are You? rattled

unspoken in my hungry heart

I parked the car in it's usual 

spot by the back entrance

of the apartment building

as I was about to enter

I remembered

I hadn't checked the mail

and walked alongside the building

to the courtyard in front

God Himself must have tilted

my head upward

He had glory to reveal

for there, in the thick

cover of night

was an opening, a break

in the heavy clouds

glowing golden light

of an almost full moon

I stopped, stilled, jaws open

I don't know when I took in

breath, the late October air

was creeping through

my coat, chilling

every

part

of

me

yet I could not 

move

I remained rooted

to the ground, there

but my spirit

soaring, my heart

rejoicing, speaking

to my God

without sound

Thank You

You are there

and You have made a way

this open place

for me to see You

a break in the sky

for me to reach

into and break

through

tears mingled with

the wonder

and faith settled in

deeper than that night sky

Joining Kelli in Unforced Rhythms

and continuing to let creativity have it's way as I work through Dave Harrity's Making Manifest, where yesterday's exercise was to recall a time I felt a vivid sense of awe.

 

Good Friday clouds

By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, 

the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. 

The Temple curtain split right down the middle. 

Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” 

Then he breathed his last. 

Luke 23:44-46 The Message

I set my self

in silence, dark

to imagine what 

we can not

even in the thickness

of clouds cover, we

who have chosen Him

will ever see light

Sunday is just around the corner friends...

joining Bonnie and friends finding whitespace

 

waving the white flag

For thirty-one in October I posted each and every day about surrender.

As the month ended I knew surrender never ends.

I have continued to learn, day by day

surrender means so much more than I first imagined.

I knew it meant letting go

letting God be God

Be still, let go, cease striving, relax and know that I Am God

Psalm 46:10

I knew it meant giving in

a daily laying down of rights, dreams, desires

before One Who knows and sees all

and has a much better plan than I could conjure.

Today as Bonnie asked us to ponder

what we are giving ourselves permission to be or to do

another form of surrender popped into my mind

when I can not accomplish a task on my own

I need to learn the art of giving up

for it is in my weakness He Is strong.

So I am giving myself permission

to wave the white flag

boldly and without fear

proclaiming my weakness

unashamed of my total dependence.

Without Him I can do nothing

but in Him

nothing is impossible.

Whatever I have, wherever I am, 

I can make it through anything 

in the One who makes me who I am.

Philippians 4:13 The Message

jamming with Bonnie

 

Christmas night

How silently, how silently,

the wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hears

the blessings of his heaven.

I pray that the wonder and peace of Christmas 

blossoms and prospers 

in your hearts and spirits

tonight and in all the days to come.  

The glitter and lights, 

wrappings and ribbons 

soon fade away 

but His love endures forever.

 

Heroes and Monsters - J.J. Riebock

I had not heard of Josh James Riebock or his first book mY Generation but when I read the description of his new book Heroes and Monsters: An Honest Look at the Struggle within All of Us I was intrigued:

In this stunningly honest, thoroughly unconventional, and ultimately hopeful book, Josh James Riebock explores issues that form us into the people we are--issues of family, love, intimacy, dreams, grief, purpose, and the unexpected stops along the journey. With artful prose and vivid storytelling, he shows that pain and beauty are so inextricably linked that to lose the former costs us the latter.

Honesty and hope are what I find myself hungry for and Riebock delivers hefty helpings of both as he steps into spaces in his soul that few choose to share.

The transparency in the words one who has learned that life in Christ is not simple kept me turning page after page, laughing, weeping and nodding my head with an "amen" on my lips. This story shows us that life makes more sense to us when we can look back and trace the journey.

We exchange vows, and in doing so, I break an old one. Sure, I swore I’d never get married. But I guess life is a matter of knowing which vows matter most and which ones you’re better off without. Sometimes it’s the broken vows that let us know how far we’ve come.

Riebock has come far indeed and I am grateful that he allows us to come along for the ride.

If you are looking for an easy story, I suggest you leave this book on the shelf. If however, you desire to be challenged and changed as well as entertained don't miss this well written tale.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

Seeing the seeds

You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning.

Just as there are different kinds of seeds,

there are different kinds of bodies—

humans, animals, birds, fish—

each unprecedented in its form.

You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory

by looking at the diversity of bodies

not only on earth but in the skies—

sun, moon, stars—

all these varieties of beauty and brightness.

And we're only looking at pre-resurrection "seeds"—

who can imagine what the resurrection "plants" will be like!

 1 Corinthians 15:39-41 The Message

Savoring the stillness with Sandy today

 

My true romance...

I have a confession to make. Here, among friends I can trust, I need to be open and transparent. Today, while  we are talking about romance, I will be brave:

My husband Rick does not have sole ownership of my heart. My thoughts stray.   There is another romance that invades my thoughts, sleeping and waking.  Yes, my mind wanders, in dreams and in visions.

I can see myself walking beside another, reaching out to grasp his hand as our legs step in unison. We are on a windswept beach, or in a meadow, or climbing rolling hills. I look into his eyes and know that they gaze directly into my heart. There is nothing he cannot see and in that knowledge of total exposure comes unexpected freedom. I have nothing to hide. I am simply who I am, and loved despite my faults. He knows my questions before I ask and answers with wisdom and truth. He is the one I come to with my fears and my sorrows. I pour myself out in his presence and he picks me up and puts me back together.

He doesn’t mind that am I married to Rick, in fact, he has blessed our union. Yet he continues to make plans for another wedding. A feast. A celebration unlike any ever known before. He himself will be the bridegroom and his desire is for me to be a perfect, spotless bride.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready Revelation 19:7 NIV

I am awestruck that he would choose me. I am lovesick. This One, this Jesus, has captivated me and He is my Lord.

Who has ownership of your heart today? If you have not given all of yourself to Christ, try it today. You will soon discover that you have more to give to your husband and to your marriage as well.

Joining Peter Pollock and the rest of the crowd where the word is romance.

 

Only Him

To walk in the world
unattached to the world
to know enough to know that I know nothing
how much strength does it take
to allow weakness
how deep the need
to die afresh each day
each hour
each moment
for the flesh kicks, screams
marches into battle
and resolve crumbles
again and again


For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.  1 Corinthians 2:2 Amplified

Joining with Peter Pollock and others - talking about resolution

What do we do - relentless love

Image by ladybeames via Flickr

What do we do
with a love so vast
we cannot see its edges?

What do we do
with passion
hot enough to consume all?

What do we do
with tenderness, forgiveness
endless patience?

What do we do
with love that pursues
that heeds no stop signs?

What do we do
with love we can’t conceive
or really believe?

What then
would He have us do
with His relentless love?

Receive it.

Live it.

Give it away.

For our God [is indeed] a consuming fire.  Hebrews 12:29 Amplified

Sharing with the other warriors at Jason's place - on relentless love

Veiled Rose by Anne E. Stengl

As I have mentioned before, one great benefit of maintaining this blog is the opportunity to receive books to read and review.  I had a choice of fiction selections and the following description of Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl caught my attention:

Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.

Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Headstrong young Leo startles everyone by befriending Rose Red, and together they begin searching for the monster rumored to be stalking these lands.

But the hunt, which began as a game, holds greater risk than either imagines. Soon both are forced to test their trust in each other as a far more terrifying scourge puts their entire land at risk.

When the book arrived I was surprised to find that it was fantasy/allegory.  I suppose I thought the description itself had been an allegorical illusion to a more realistic novel.  I had agreed to read, and read I did, sometimes finding myself wrapped up in the story of Leo and Rose, more often wishing I had not begun.  Perhaps that is how each of the characters felt about their journey as well.

What was good and was what evil is hard to discern here.  I found myself trying hard to find Christ between the lines.  Only the mention now and then of "the Name" that served as protection rang true in my spirit. 

Spoiler alert*****
I was waiting for a thundering victory that I never found.  There really is no happy ending here, no ending at all in fact, just more beginnings.

I will pay more attention next time I select a novel and choose realism over fantasy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House a Divsion of Baker Publishing Group.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Finding my voice in His

Finding my voice by HisFireFly

Sometimes a shout. more often a whisper
confident or hesitant
faltering or strong and clear
my voice
in s
       t
         e
           p        
             s,
in s p a c e s
in bold print and flourishing italics
in very tiny fonts almost too small to read
yet wonders why it can't be heard

I am learning to listen
to speak what I hear
and breathe in the silence
to do only as He did and does still...

I can't do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I'm not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness.  John 5:30 The Message

May I be a mere shadow of my Lord
and find my voice, an echo of His.


Jamming with Bonnie about finding our voice

Joining in the choir at Emily's of those imperfect yet beloved

Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman

I have been a regular reader of Emily Freeman’s blog Chatting at the Sky and was an active participant in her online community gathering Tuesdays Unwrapped where we took the time to explore the gifts God was placing in our lives. Emily’s new book Grace for the Good Girl letting go of the try-hard life is surely one of those gifts.

The back cover intrigues with:

You're strong. You're responsible. You're good. But . . .

. . . as day fades to dusk, you begin to feel the familiar fog of anxiety, the weight and pressure of holding it together and of longing left unmet. Good girls sometimes feel that the Christian life means doing hard work with a sweet disposition. We tend to focus only on the things we can handle, our disciplined lives, and our unshakable good moods.

But what would happen if we let grace pour out boundless acceptance into our worn-out hearts and undo us? If we dared to talk about the ways we hide, our longing to be known, and the fear in the knowing?

I wasn’t sure I thought of myself as a “good girl” for I am one of those that Emily writes about who spent a lifetime of turning-away before I allowed the Lord to own my heart. Yet as I moved through page after page I did indeed find myself within her words.

If the masks we wear are the false identities we show the world, then our performance is the rubber band that holds them in place. I perform so you will like me. I perform so you will think I’m okay. I perform because it’s comfortable. I perform to prove my worth to you, to God, and to myself. I perform because I don’t know how not to. Page 24

There is hope, there is One Who desires to rescue us from our “good life” and allow us to live a life dependent on Him.

The Jesus dependent life is not a balance between a little bit of law and a little bit of grace. Be sure not to tip too far to one side! That’s the problem: we can’t figure how to keep the scale balanced all the time. The true gospel says we don’t have to. Page 74

Jesus came to save me from myself. He came to save me from self-effort. He didn’t just die for my sin to give me forgiveness; he rose again to give me life. And so he beckons me, “Come.” Page 124

There is freedom in the pages of this book. You will find yourself and find the One Who longs to lavish His grace upon you, and if you want to share the good news with others, there is a small group study included.

Don’t miss the chance to learn more about His great love. Don’t miss this book!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

Can I draw the line here?

I am scared of this poster.
There is a terror that rises deep within.
I am not afraid of being harmed by the KKK, I am white, favoured, safe.
What haunts me is a fear that I could very easily draw a line here.
I could shake my head and my fists and shout
"Enough of this grace stuff.  How can anyone forgive such hate?"

And once that line is drawn, who else would I place on the other side?
How high up on the ladder of judgement would I climb?
How many would I add to the list of those beyond forgiveness?

Yes, the KKK was/is a movement of hatred.
If I counter hate with hate then I join their ranks.

Lord, my flesh squirms, recoils and wants to deny the very thing You died for.
Help me extend forgiveness.
Help me walk immersed in radical grace.
Help me counter hate with love.

I am not beyond a second chance.
You, who are reading these words, are not beyond a second chance.
May we walk in this world believing the same of everyone.

At People of the Second Chance we are raising  our voices for second chances, to overthrow judgement and liberate love. Will you join us? 

A year in a day

The Lord’s words to me this morning came before I looked to see what the prompt was for this week’s Faith Jam. I may not have known what I was to be writing about today, but, as usual, He surely did. This is what He shared in the early morning hour:

It is a time of gathering as you harvest the fruits of your garden, but little one, there is much fruit you know not of and it is good indeed, and it too is being harvested in these days.

Do you not know that you have planted seeds with every kind word spoken, every loving touch? Spiritual gardens have been watered with every prayer you never knew you prayed, uttered as freely as breath.

In the season of dryness, your roots have grown deep and strong as they sought for moisture like buried treasure. Have I not promised that those who seek Me will find Me?

Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me [as a vital necessity] and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 Amplified

Soon there will come a drenching rain and you will be able to stand in the wind of My Spirit, rooted, grounded and secure.

Together We will joy and laugh in each falling drop of glory.


Bonnie's prompt for the Faith Jam was this:

What season of faith are you walking through? Fall (letting go) – Winter (loss/waiting) – Spring (new starts) – Summer (embrace and celebrate)

I have lived through days that seemed to last a year
and years that have been crushed into the space of one day.
Seasons tossed, turned. spinning

The long days of scratching, digging, breaking thru
preparing the ground for planting
and the joyous work of scattering seeds

Weeks of waiting for the nourishment of rain
precarious, to much or not enough
both lead to trouble, loss, from parching or rotting

We celebrate the growth that has endured
as we race head first into a season of gathering
learning that plants have to die
as they offer up their fruit

I am scattered and watered
thrive and die
mourn and rejoice
lift my voice in wails and cheers
letting go while holding on
all by His hand




Jamming with Bonnie today about Faith Seasons

sharing also with Emily and others both broken and redeemed

Earthen Vessels by Matthew Lee Anderson

Does your body really matter?  Does it matter too much?

This is how the back cover describes Earthen Vessels Why Our Bodies Matter to Our Faith

In this provocative book, Matthew Lee Anderson explores how our bodies interact with our faith. How have recent generations of Christians been shaped by the culture around us in this regard? What can we do to push back? Through a deeper understanding of our physical lives, God can bring the dry bones of our faith back to life.

As a Christian woman living in the 21st century I have struggled with much of what Anderson addresses here, and though he gives no pat answers or formulas he does provide much to ponder and pray about.  Are we shaping the world or allowing the world to shape us?

In a world striving to attain an impossible standard of beauty, I was moved by these words:

The power and the pattern for our bodies are those which we see in Jesus Christ.

We need bodies that ae shaped by the gospel within gospel-centered communities and trained by gospel-centered practices.

As I continue to learn what it means to abide in Christ I recognize in deeper and deeper ways that life is not about what I look like, or sound like, or feel like, but rather I am called to allow the life of Christ to manifest in me.  I believe there is much here that will help us with that quest.

I believe parts of this book require a second or even third reading.  If you are interested in maintaining your current mind frame, leave this book on the shelf.  If you are willing to allow the Lord to lead you into fresh revelation, I encourage you to dive in.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.