What I Learned Today

1. Making tea in the keurig works better if you take the used coffee pod out first.
2. I have lost my taste (addiction?) for bubble gum balls.
3. I have lost my taste for, and hence extreme desire for, jelly beans. Never, ever thought that would be possible. They are nasty. Why in the heck have I eaten so many of them in my life time. Does this mean I am now officially an adult?

 Does anyone want some Easter gumballs and jelly beans?

My Big Fat Greek Word. Hupakouo.4

I love this word. It's my only Greek word and the more time I spend with it the bigger it gets. A writer I admire gives a name to each new year....and so I am inspired to name Lent 2011 "Hupakouo".

Hupo - meaning under or beneath

Akouo - meaning to hear

Hupakouo - to hear under or beneath

Hearing and recognizing the authority and wisdom of the speaker.

We hear by practicing our listening skills. We hear by opening our hearts, setting aside our preconceived notions, and paying attention to the work of the Holy Spirit within us. We hear by getting to know the character of God. As we learn His nature and recognize his voice we come to the place of submission of our will for His. Rinse and repeat. Many times. Amen?

Can You Hear Me Now?

I meet with an amazing group of ladies on Monday afternoons with the stated purpose of studying a book together...and every week I learn so much from them! What a joy to spend time with other women who are seeking to model their lives after Jesus. Their transparency and care for each other is a wonderful encouragement. This week we were talking a lot about spending time alone with God. We talked of finding moments in a busy day, reflected on a quote by Richard Foster about creating inward solitude, and mused about what it would look like to spend a day with God.

Above all the noise of our daily lives there is a quiet voice calling us. If we will clear the clutter and make space, real space, for God to break through....He will speak to us. And soothe us. And challenge us. There's a risk - and a reward.

Can you listen with an open and submitted heart?

Sunday share for the 4th Sunday in Lent

It is Sunday and I am resting, praying, reflecting on the week that has past...and preparing a meal for an event at our church. I'd like to share a Lenten devotional written for today, the 4th Sunday in Lent, which particularly seemed to fit the journey I'm on these 40 days. The scripture used is

Ephesians 5: 8-10

“You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.”

Click here to read the full devotional

May your Sabbath be richly blessed.

Yielded

John MacArthur gives us an important reminder when we consider "imitating" Christ's example in our life. Even as He did lived in full surrender and dependence on the Holy Spirit, so too must we as believers learn to daily, moment by moment yield to the the control of the Spirit, a process which we must carry out the remainder of our time on earth. In other words, there is no saint, no matter how sanctified, how Christ-like or how godly, who will ever achieve a level of spiritual growth in which they can say that they have "arrived." Lifelong humble dependence on the blessed Holy Spirit is to be our continual state and praise God that the Spirit is His continual provision! We all experience some periods when we are walking wonderfully in step with the Spirit, but we also experience days of disappointing defeat and failure to trust and obey. But don't let the "cloudy days" discourage you. Confess and turn from your sins and lean hard on His everlasting arms

I'm too tired to use my own words tonight except to say that today ended well. I was able to bless others which always brings an even greater blessing to me. I'm humbled.

Quicksand...

Ever have a day, or a week, when you feel pretty much like this?

It's been that kind of day, and week, for me. If I choose to think about the things that are bringing disharmony and stress into my life I feel pretty much like this gal must have. I'm being sucked into a vortex of sucky sand. There's no way out. It's wet and slimy and sucky. I want to cry. I do cry. I want to just smack something. I want help. 














So how do we climb out of the mirey pit? (better yet how do we avoid it in the first place?).
We pray. Without ceasing. Leaning into prayer until it becomes part of the fabric of your being provides that escape from the pull of distractions and frustrations.


We breathe. Deeply. We've all pretty much forgotten how to breathe into the depths of our lungs, and beyond. Breathing calms and restores balance.


We give thanks. For anything and everything. Sometimes on a bad day you just have to give thanks for the first thing you lay eyes on and work your way into gratitude.


After we pray and breathe and utter thanks there's room to smile and laugh and find our focus. There's strength for what's left to be done and ease in the doing. And the sucky sand lets go of our spirit. We gain a foothold on solid ground and we claim it.

On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.

 Psalm 27:4-5

One thing I ask from the LORD, 
   this only do I seek: 
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD 
   all the days of my life, 
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD 
   and to seek him in his temple. 
 For in the day of trouble 
   he will keep me safe in his dwelling; 
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent 
   and set me high upon a rock.  

For today Lord, and for tomorrow, be my solid rock.

I'm Giving Up This Blog for Lent

Just Kidding.