Praying for Wonder

How Can I Make This Year My Best Yet?

2013

1. Experience wonder* every day
2. Two positive comments for every negative comment. Every Day. All Year.
3. Train to walk Maui half marathon in 2014
4. Walk a local 5 k fundraiser
5. Read a classic 
6. Ride a bike once a week May-Sept
7. Call my mother 52 times this year
8. Write a letter to each grandchild for their birthday
9. Keep weight at or below goal
10. Try 12 new recipes

*Today is your last chance to  take advantage of the free gifts that come with pre-ordering "Wonderstruck" by Margaret Feinberg. Click here for details.  

Join me January 1 for the 20 day Wonder Challenge - just drop me a comment to let me know you're in! Merry Christmas.

From Margaret's Blog....

Join with a friend and take the 30-Day Wonder Challenge. At the back of the book, you’ll find a 30-Day Challenge with simple activities to awaken you to the wonder of God all around. Some are simple. Some will ask you to be silent. Others to dive into the Scripture. Still others to take photos. And more. But all ask you to begin living awake to the presence of God in your life. Grab a friend and do it together so you can share the joy. Take a dive into the Wonderstruck Bible study together come the new year.  I assure you, God is closer and more intimately involved in your life than you ever imagined!

Who's in Charge Around Here Anyway?

This has been "a week", hasn't it. Hard things in my life and harder things in the lives of so many. One of those weeks when it's so hard to explain faith to a non-believer who cries out against a God  "who would allow this". One of those weeks when it's hard to see or feel joy or awe. And yet, the very week when I most need reminders of God's constancy and to seek His glory. Admittedly my grief at our fallen world was deep this week; it was hard to turn my spirit to a place of worship and awe, but because I had committed to doing just that I tried hard to note the places where my heart sang out.

Margaret Feinberg, has a new book and 7-session DVD Bible study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God ,which releases Christmas Day. As we step away from this hard week, and prepare for the next one (because it will come) I want to offer a personal invitation for you to make the commitment to drink in the fullness of life. This book will turn your prayer life upside down, stir your desire to live more abundantly, and take your relationships with others to the next level. I've pre-ordered the book and think you should too!

To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck Video:

Margaret recently posted a great warning on her site that those who have read Wonderstruck have experienced the following symptoms:

-An inability to stop smiling

-An uncontainable desire to pray

-A loss of interest in judging others

-A quiet, unshakable confidence in God

-A renewed ability to see the wonders of God all around

After a week like this one, wouldn't you love to claim those attributes? 

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog. You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I’ve seen the book for as low as $7.95 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble [http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wonder-struck-margaret-feinberg/1110904808?ean=9781617950889] for all you last minute shoppers. 

Wonderday # 1 - Live Expectantly

“Therefore once more I will astound these people with
  wonder upon wonder.” Isaiah 29:14

Today I invite God to reveal himself to me through the people, places, tasks, and trials of my regular routine. I ask him to remove the fog obscuring my vision of Him and his beloved people. Astound me Lord!

Come back later today (I will) and share with us:

Where did God reveal himself to you today in a way that you otherwise would have overlooked?





I'm taking the challenge to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK by God. Join me & pre-order Wonderstruck today: http://goo.gl/Xhvck .

Waiting for God to Show Up. Advent 12.12.12

Advent. A time of waiting, with expectation. With a 3 year old in the house it's hard not to get caught up in the Santa-ness of the season (he was singing "Santa was a baby" the other day...?) But deep in our hearts, what are we really waiting for? Sometimes I'm waiting for God to show up. I forget to look for Him everywhere, every moment. Yesterday our community was stunned by a headline-making senseless tragedy and I found myself drawing on the deep well of faith that shields and sustains me; knowing God will show up and he will redeem even this....yet I have to ask, how do I see the "wonder" when there is death and violence that seems to shatter hope.

As you may or may not know, I’ve been a fan of Margaret Feinberg and her books for the last few years. I recently received the insider’s scoop about Margaret’s new book  Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God. Here are some highlights from an interview with Margaret:

Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck 

book and Bible study come from?

Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? Most people who have worked in ministry have experienced those seasons—some may be in one right now.

My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.”

God did not disappoint.

What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?

Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.

In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.

Why are you calling people to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK?

If you look in the Gospels, what you’ll discover is that those who encountered Jesus were constantly left in wild amazement. They were awestruck by the teachings of Christ, the healings of Christ, the mind-bending miracles of Christ. Within the Gospel of Luke we see words like “awe” and “wonder” and “marvel” at every turn. If this is the natural response to encountering Christ, how much more should it be for you and I—who are invited to live in relationship with Christ as sons and daughters of our God Most High?  We even created a free PDF that looks at some of these Scriptures. 

For a free copy, email us at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com and we’ll send you one.

You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I've ordered advance copies on Amazon for $7.57 and I've already downloaded my free 14 day journaling guide (my first New Year's resolution is in place!)

...waiting, watching, listening with an attitude of awe this season. What are you waiting for today? Do you dare to pray for God to reveal himself to you? He will not disappoint!

Grace and Peace to you this Advent

Remember?

Sit back, close your eyes and take yourself back to that time when...
      you fell in love for the first time
            there was this singer who made you quiver when you heard his voice
                  you saw the car, you know the one, with the wheels
                  (in case a guy landed here)
                        your child was born
                               and you held that baby
                                      and looked into their eyes...

Remember? The tingly feeling  -  sweaty palms and racing heart?
The overwhelming love and urge to run and shout from a roof top ("Would you look at those wheels!").

WOW!

That's what I miss. That's what I want in my relationship with God. To be stopped cold and washed over with the thrill of all that HE is. To see his glory in every face, his majesty in creation and his power in circumstances. I've gotten soft and apathetic and I take it all for granted. But do I need a bigger miracle? Or perhaps I need to slow down and reconsider the God of the Bible.

One thing I know is that I'm not a Bible scholar and I'm a bit in awe of those who are. I'm honored to have friends who dig deep and study the Word - women such as Bo Stern who graciously shared her extensive pursuit of Joy in scripture, women like Margaret Feinburg who read the book of Genesis over and over and over for a  year. Really? For a year? Women like one of my first mentors, Rev. Heidi Husted, who brought the inspired words of God to life for me. I'm grateful to have these and other writers and pastors out there to lead and convict and  teach me.

Join me if you will in chasing down that sense of thrill and awe as we encounter the living God of the universe this winter. Join me in reading and applying this new, fresh book and study: Wonderstruck.

You can learn more about this great book by clicking this link: Wonderstruck .
You can follow Margaret’s posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog.

Lost Your Sense of Wonder?

My friend, Margaret Feinberg, has a new book and 7-session Bible Study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God  being released on Christmas Day. The book is a personal invitation for you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. Wonderstruck will help you:

·         Recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine

·         Unearth extraordinary moments on ordinary days

·         Develop a renewed passion for God

·         Identify what’s holding you back in prayer

·         Discover joy in knowing you’re wildly loved

To learn more, watch the Wonderstruck Video, here: 

I have to admit that "wonder" and "awe" are not the first words that come to mind when I think of God. I think I've fallen into a place that is sometimes a little too comfortable and familiar. I see God as all-powerful and reliable, a sort of strong, silent personal life coach and bodyguard. The video (above) contains images of breathtaking scenery and that's where I find myself in a place of wonder - reflecting on the majesty of our natural world. The roar of crashing waves rolling in set after set with no end ever in sight...the timeless grandeur of Yosemite ...the soft colors as the sun rises and then sets each day - all of these sights silence my chattering brain and bring a mixture of delight and awe at the evidence of God's power. I treasure those moments and I'd love to train myself to be surprised and awed by God in every part of my day. How precious it would be to look at life with the fresh eyes of a trusting child!

So where have you seen the wonder of God in your life? 

Please post your comments below and help all of us reconsider what it might mean to 

be struck by the wonder of God.

Follow Margaret’s snarky, funny, and inspirational posts on Twitter, Facebook, or her blog.

You can learn more about this great book by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some crazy promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff. I've seen the book for as low as $7.57 ($14.99 retail) on Barnes & Noble  for all you savvy shoppers.  (Great Christmas gift!)