So I'll keep writing, but Lent is over. So this blog will become silent. But I started an old blog long ago... so see the below address if you want to keep reading!
http://getyour10minutesofsunshine.blogspot.com/
Love,
Katie
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Freedom -
Hi folks,
It's technically post Lent, but I didn't write for a while... so last thoughts here. I think one of the most amazing things about Easter and Christianity that gets lost in translation, especially in Lent, is the freedom Christ gave us. There are over 600 Jewish laws. Imagine trying to keep all those. It's hard enough trying to keep the speeding law! Basically, you come to realize... it's absolutely impossible to keep the law. It's impossible to be nice every day, to not complain, to not be arrogant. We're going to make mistakes. Worrying about whether you're a good person and whether you've done all the right things will only make you an obnoxious, anxious person!
Frederich Buechner said:
Who is pure in heart? Only those who have completely given their hearts to Jesus, so that he alone rules in them. Only those who do not stain their hearts with their own evil, but also not with their own good. A pure heart is the simple heart of a child, who does not know about good and evil, the heart of Adam before the fall, the heart in which the will of Jesus rules instead of one’s own conscience. A pure heart is pure of good and evil; it belongs entirely and undivided to Christ; it looks only to him, who goes on ahead. Those alone will see God who in this life have looked only to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Their hearts are free of defiling images; they are not pulled back and forth by the various wishes and intentions of their own. Their hearts are fully absorbed in seeing God. They will see God whose hearts mirror the image of Jesus Christ.
I love the image of a child who does not know good and evil. Why are children so happy and carefree? Maybe because they're not constantly worried about what they're doing and whether it is within the realm of good or evil. And we, who are older, look out for them - and correct them if they do slip into something harmful... how much more with the Father for us? In the end, it is not about what you do, but who you trust, cling to, and believe in. That is the power of Christ. Of course, as Paul would say - this does not give one license to do whatever one wants... but it does free you from being a straightjacket of laws. It frees you from loads of service without joy, it frees you from a yoke that is 613 laws impossible, it frees you from a life of anxiety, a life of competition, a life of trying to outdo the best. We boast in Christ and a message of the cross which is foolishness to the world of accomplishments. Hallelujah!
It's technically post Lent, but I didn't write for a while... so last thoughts here. I think one of the most amazing things about Easter and Christianity that gets lost in translation, especially in Lent, is the freedom Christ gave us. There are over 600 Jewish laws. Imagine trying to keep all those. It's hard enough trying to keep the speeding law! Basically, you come to realize... it's absolutely impossible to keep the law. It's impossible to be nice every day, to not complain, to not be arrogant. We're going to make mistakes. Worrying about whether you're a good person and whether you've done all the right things will only make you an obnoxious, anxious person!
Frederich Buechner said:
Who is pure in heart? Only those who have completely given their hearts to Jesus, so that he alone rules in them. Only those who do not stain their hearts with their own evil, but also not with their own good. A pure heart is the simple heart of a child, who does not know about good and evil, the heart of Adam before the fall, the heart in which the will of Jesus rules instead of one’s own conscience. A pure heart is pure of good and evil; it belongs entirely and undivided to Christ; it looks only to him, who goes on ahead. Those alone will see God who in this life have looked only to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Their hearts are free of defiling images; they are not pulled back and forth by the various wishes and intentions of their own. Their hearts are fully absorbed in seeing God. They will see God whose hearts mirror the image of Jesus Christ.
I love the image of a child who does not know good and evil. Why are children so happy and carefree? Maybe because they're not constantly worried about what they're doing and whether it is within the realm of good or evil. And we, who are older, look out for them - and correct them if they do slip into something harmful... how much more with the Father for us? In the end, it is not about what you do, but who you trust, cling to, and believe in. That is the power of Christ. Of course, as Paul would say - this does not give one license to do whatever one wants... but it does free you from being a straightjacket of laws. It frees you from loads of service without joy, it frees you from a yoke that is 613 laws impossible, it frees you from a life of anxiety, a life of competition, a life of trying to outdo the best. We boast in Christ and a message of the cross which is foolishness to the world of accomplishments. Hallelujah!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Intercession - Love God love your neighbors
Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world.
1 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year.
32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry.
1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity
Number of children in the world
2.2 billion
Number in poverty
1 billion (every second child)
According to UNICEF statistics, 300,000 children under 18 are serving as regular soldiers, guerrilla fighters, porters, spies, sexual slaves, and even suicide commandos, in conflicts under way in over 50 nations. Over the past decade, conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 2 million children; left millions maimed or permanently disabled, 10 million with serious psychological trauma, and resulted in over 12 million children refugees. In addition, worldwide conflicts have created 1 million orphans.
Consider the global priorities in spending in 1998
And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:
27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world.
1 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year.
32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry.
1.6 billion people — a quarter of humanity — live without electricity
Number of children in the world
According to UNICEF statistics, 300,000 children under 18 are serving as regular soldiers, guerrilla fighters, porters, spies, sexual slaves, and even suicide commandos, in conflicts under way in over 50 nations. Over the past decade, conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 2 million children; left millions maimed or permanently disabled, 10 million with serious psychological trauma, and resulted in over 12 million children refugees. In addition, worldwide conflicts have created 1 million orphans.
Consider the global priorities in spending in 1998
| Global Priority | $U.S. Billions |
|---|---|
| Cosmetics in the United States | 8 |
| Ice cream in Europe | 11 |
| Perfumes in Europe and the United States | 12 |
| Pet foods in Europe and the United States | 17 |
| Business entertainment in Japan | 35 |
| Cigarettes in Europe | 50 |
| Alcoholic drinks in Europe | 105 |
| Narcotics drugs in the world | 400 |
| Military spending in the world | 780 |
And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:
| Global Priority | $U.S. Billions |
|---|---|
| Basic education for all | 6 |
| Water and sanitation for all | 9 |
| Reproductive health for all women | 12 |
| Basic health and nutrition | 13 |
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Let not your hearts be troubled
Hullo folks,
I'm all discombobulated! In some cases, I hate holidays (including birthdays) because everything gets thrown off. All my routines, my lenten practices, my hard practiced habits have gone to seed. I had to admit, I'm not very good at discpline/self-control. *Sighs* When I was home, my mom and I talked quite a bit; and I've come to the conclusion that I am not a peaceful person. The problem is... I'm not really sure why. I know I'm not good at trusting God or surrendering... so those are definite problems. One cannot have a quiet heart without trusting in God's goodness, but I don't know how to get any better. So I've decided to do a word search on peace. Here's what I've come up with so far:
Shalav - to be tranquil ie: secure or sucessful - prosper, happy
Shalom - well, happy, friendly... completeness, welfare, health.
Shalam - to be safe -in mind, body, or estate... to be completed
Shelem - sacrifice in thanks
Shalem - complete or perfect- God demanded total obedience from His people "Let their hearts therefore be perfect with the Lord our God"
My heart is agitated. It is stirred up and troubled. Often I find myself anxious. Most of this is because I forget to give thanks. I like that shelem is a sacrifice in thanks. When you offer the Lord the sacrifice of thanks, you receive peace, because you remember how much He has given and how good He is. You quickly regain optimism when you give thanks.
I never feel complete. Part of my agitation is that I'm constantly longing for connection and fulfillment in relationships. I make myself miserable all the time by attending social functions that I believe will satisfy me, but only sometimes do. But one can only find completeness and security when one has spent time with the Lord.
Rebellion: I have a ridiculously stubborn heart. You know those Israelites and their hard hearts? I sympathize. Sometimes, I simply run from God. I don't spend time with Him. I don't ask His opinion. I don't take time to listen. I don't try to see things from His perspective. This results in misery. My heart can only find perfect peace in obedience.
Pray for me that I may be discplined in obedience to the Lord and find His peace. Pray that I may be content in all circumstances. Pray that I may regain my childlike optimism and be able to give thanks in all situations. Pray that I would not be focused on myself - but look to God and the needs of others. Pray that I would find my security and completeness in God alone. Please help me battle!
I will pray that as you surrender more, and hunger more, His peace still your heart.
Katie
I'm all discombobulated! In some cases, I hate holidays (including birthdays) because everything gets thrown off. All my routines, my lenten practices, my hard practiced habits have gone to seed. I had to admit, I'm not very good at discpline/self-control. *Sighs* When I was home, my mom and I talked quite a bit; and I've come to the conclusion that I am not a peaceful person. The problem is... I'm not really sure why. I know I'm not good at trusting God or surrendering... so those are definite problems. One cannot have a quiet heart without trusting in God's goodness, but I don't know how to get any better. So I've decided to do a word search on peace. Here's what I've come up with so far:
Shalav - to be tranquil ie: secure or sucessful - prosper, happy
Shalom - well, happy, friendly... completeness, welfare, health.
Shalam - to be safe -in mind, body, or estate... to be completed
Shelem - sacrifice in thanks
Shalem - complete or perfect- God demanded total obedience from His people "Let their hearts therefore be perfect with the Lord our God"
My heart is agitated. It is stirred up and troubled. Often I find myself anxious. Most of this is because I forget to give thanks. I like that shelem is a sacrifice in thanks. When you offer the Lord the sacrifice of thanks, you receive peace, because you remember how much He has given and how good He is. You quickly regain optimism when you give thanks.
I never feel complete. Part of my agitation is that I'm constantly longing for connection and fulfillment in relationships. I make myself miserable all the time by attending social functions that I believe will satisfy me, but only sometimes do. But one can only find completeness and security when one has spent time with the Lord.
Rebellion: I have a ridiculously stubborn heart. You know those Israelites and their hard hearts? I sympathize. Sometimes, I simply run from God. I don't spend time with Him. I don't ask His opinion. I don't take time to listen. I don't try to see things from His perspective. This results in misery. My heart can only find perfect peace in obedience.
Pray for me that I may be discplined in obedience to the Lord and find His peace. Pray that I may be content in all circumstances. Pray that I may regain my childlike optimism and be able to give thanks in all situations. Pray that I would not be focused on myself - but look to God and the needs of others. Pray that I would find my security and completeness in God alone. Please help me battle!
I will pray that as you surrender more, and hunger more, His peace still your heart.
Katie
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Bless the Lord O My Soul
Buenos Noche folks,
I always get rather angsty around my birthday. In fact, I cried myself to sleep on Monday. I dunno. Time just seems to go so fast. I don't like change... I like stability. Of course, life with God doesn't really allow for that. I am not the one in control, and I constantly need to go out of my comfort zone. So, I guess it's good to be reminded that my life is not my own. Lord, I commit myself to another year under your sovereign hand of love. I re-surrender the desires of my hearts and my deepest dreams. You alone know how to fulfill them and grow me into the perons you first dreamed. May I grow more peaceful under the knowledge that you are in control and you are good.
I will take my own advice from the beginning of this blog and review all the reasons I have for thanksgiving - in this past year as well as my entire life.
I can see - in full color. I can hear. I can breathe. I can walk. I can taste. I can hug and hold. I can speak. I am in perfect physical health. I have few allergies. I don't have cavities, but have glasses, contacts, and retainers. I have easy access to clean water, hot water, water whenever I want it, an abundance of water. I have a college education. I have a stable job. I have a warm house, a comfy bed, a variety of foods. I have money to bless others. I have a car, bike, phone, computer, mp3 player. I have never been physically, verbally, or sexually abused. I have not been raped. I have not been sold into slavery. I have been able to see Kenya, Peru, and Yosemite. Children smile when they see me. I can cook. I can write. I can draw. I can read. I can sleep without too much trouble. I have too many clothes and shoes. I was born and not aborted. I was adopted into a loving family. I have many friends who constantly pour love on me. I have a warm and nourishing church family. I have multiple Bibles. I have a concordance! I have freedom of worship. I grew up knowing the Creator of the universe. I live where there are breathatkingly beautiful sunsets, trees, flowers etc. I have men in my life that are gentlemen - that open the car doors, shovel your walkways, insist you eat first, don't make dirty jokes, give great hugs, and remind you of God's love. When I fall, God picks me up. When I run, God chases after me. Any hardship I experience, is only allowed by God's loving hand; and therefore bearable and refining. And most of all - God gives me unconditional steadfast love, grace to save me in my deadness, hope to last me through this life, and peace against all anxiety and fear.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits․
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
I always get rather angsty around my birthday. In fact, I cried myself to sleep on Monday. I dunno. Time just seems to go so fast. I don't like change... I like stability. Of course, life with God doesn't really allow for that. I am not the one in control, and I constantly need to go out of my comfort zone. So, I guess it's good to be reminded that my life is not my own. Lord, I commit myself to another year under your sovereign hand of love. I re-surrender the desires of my hearts and my deepest dreams. You alone know how to fulfill them and grow me into the perons you first dreamed. May I grow more peaceful under the knowledge that you are in control and you are good.
I will take my own advice from the beginning of this blog and review all the reasons I have for thanksgiving - in this past year as well as my entire life.
I can see - in full color. I can hear. I can breathe. I can walk. I can taste. I can hug and hold. I can speak. I am in perfect physical health. I have few allergies. I don't have cavities, but have glasses, contacts, and retainers. I have easy access to clean water, hot water, water whenever I want it, an abundance of water. I have a college education. I have a stable job. I have a warm house, a comfy bed, a variety of foods. I have money to bless others. I have a car, bike, phone, computer, mp3 player. I have never been physically, verbally, or sexually abused. I have not been raped. I have not been sold into slavery. I have been able to see Kenya, Peru, and Yosemite. Children smile when they see me. I can cook. I can write. I can draw. I can read. I can sleep without too much trouble. I have too many clothes and shoes. I was born and not aborted. I was adopted into a loving family. I have many friends who constantly pour love on me. I have a warm and nourishing church family. I have multiple Bibles. I have a concordance! I have freedom of worship. I grew up knowing the Creator of the universe. I live where there are breathatkingly beautiful sunsets, trees, flowers etc. I have men in my life that are gentlemen - that open the car doors, shovel your walkways, insist you eat first, don't make dirty jokes, give great hugs, and remind you of God's love. When I fall, God picks me up. When I run, God chases after me. Any hardship I experience, is only allowed by God's loving hand; and therefore bearable and refining. And most of all - God gives me unconditional steadfast love, grace to save me in my deadness, hope to last me through this life, and peace against all anxiety and fear.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits․
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
What doest thou here?
Hullo,
I'm a bit glum... so I'm revisiting my one of my favorite stories in the Bible concerning Elijah. After Elijah tries to do great things for the Lord, yet no revival occurs, all other prophets are slain, and Jezebel is trying to kill him, he runs into the wilderness, falls under a juniper tree, and asks to die. He cries out to the Lord that he's all alone, he's tried to do good, it's not working, and he doesn't really see the point anymore. I often feel this way in community. It may be that I've been gifted with the spiritual gift of prophecy... and one big tripwire for prophets is pride. So often I invest in people, try to build intimacy, try to start conversations on blogs... (lol), write letters, take people out for lunch, listen, start converstations, build something for the Lord... but it's all my doing. So I get frustrated and despairing when I find myself alone even if I'm not truly alone.
Everyone experiences loneliness. It's so strange how sometimes you can feel completely beloved and needed in a group and other times you feel compeletely alone or ignored. I am close to one of the most loved people in the world; and yet I still experience deep haunting loneliness. I don't think anything will ever fill it... until I see the face of God. But I do hope that some day, God will send me a partner. That's one of the beautiful things about this passage in 1 Kings 19. At the end of it, God tells Elijah to find Elisha who will join him in his ministry. God knows it is not good for us to be alone.
Back to the pride thing, I heard a talk about community recently. As I am anticpating the loss of people as they move on from our community, and the loss of someone I love too much, I asked "How does one bear being left behind?" The answer was quite simple. "It's not about you". In a way, that is what the Lord conveys to Elijah when He asks, "What doest thou here?" He's asking "Why are you here? I didn't save your life for you to be moping in a cave! I saved you to bring my kingdom life to others. I called you to serve. I called you to total surrender - where nothing else matters but me." It's a good wake up call to us... when we're throwing a pity party. It may seem strange, but centering everything around God really does make one feel better.
And of course, God doesn't challange Elijah until AFTER he gives him rest and refreshment. So if you're feeling despairing, make sure you get some sleep and good food. It makes a difference. Now, eagerly await to see how God will meet your needs... for be assured He will!
Love,
Katie
I'm a bit glum... so I'm revisiting my one of my favorite stories in the Bible concerning Elijah. After Elijah tries to do great things for the Lord, yet no revival occurs, all other prophets are slain, and Jezebel is trying to kill him, he runs into the wilderness, falls under a juniper tree, and asks to die. He cries out to the Lord that he's all alone, he's tried to do good, it's not working, and he doesn't really see the point anymore. I often feel this way in community. It may be that I've been gifted with the spiritual gift of prophecy... and one big tripwire for prophets is pride. So often I invest in people, try to build intimacy, try to start conversations on blogs... (lol), write letters, take people out for lunch, listen, start converstations, build something for the Lord... but it's all my doing. So I get frustrated and despairing when I find myself alone even if I'm not truly alone. Everyone experiences loneliness. It's so strange how sometimes you can feel completely beloved and needed in a group and other times you feel compeletely alone or ignored. I am close to one of the most loved people in the world; and yet I still experience deep haunting loneliness. I don't think anything will ever fill it... until I see the face of God. But I do hope that some day, God will send me a partner. That's one of the beautiful things about this passage in 1 Kings 19. At the end of it, God tells Elijah to find Elisha who will join him in his ministry. God knows it is not good for us to be alone.
Back to the pride thing, I heard a talk about community recently. As I am anticpating the loss of people as they move on from our community, and the loss of someone I love too much, I asked "How does one bear being left behind?" The answer was quite simple. "It's not about you". In a way, that is what the Lord conveys to Elijah when He asks, "What doest thou here?" He's asking "Why are you here? I didn't save your life for you to be moping in a cave! I saved you to bring my kingdom life to others. I called you to serve. I called you to total surrender - where nothing else matters but me." It's a good wake up call to us... when we're throwing a pity party. It may seem strange, but centering everything around God really does make one feel better.
And of course, God doesn't challange Elijah until AFTER he gives him rest and refreshment. So if you're feeling despairing, make sure you get some sleep and good food. It makes a difference. Now, eagerly await to see how God will meet your needs... for be assured He will!
Love,
Katie
Friday, March 15, 2013
Transparent Luminosity: Being a vessel of light
Hi folks,
The last few days I've been kind of captivated by the imagery of light. When I've asked the Lord how He wants me to represent Him, I've had three verses bounce around in my head. Exodus 33:29, Luke 11:34, and Hebrews 2:2. I am continually astounded at the illustration of Moses's face being so radiant as to cause fear in the hearts of the Israelites - and that the source of the radiance was being in the presence of God. It literally boggles my mind.
I'm an action, service, Martha kinda girl... and I always wonder how one stays in the presence of God in the middle of this crazy life... which brings me to Hebrews 2:2 and the concept of fixing our eyes on Jesus. In KJV it reads "looking unto Jesus" and "looking" is translated into "to look away from one thing so as to see another" "to concentrate the gaze upon" I love the concept of gazing, because it requires less action and more stillness. If you're going to gaze dreamily into someone's eyes... you can't really do it while you're jogging around, eating food, putting on makeup, etc. However, this translation also gives some power to being still. We often conotate gazing as a lazy business.... something people do as they daydream - but this fixing of the eyes takes willpower to turn away from other distracting things - to one thing - Jesus Christ and his life.
Fixing of the eyes made me think of that weird verse about your eye being the lamp of your body and providing light. In the KJV, the verse translates even more bizzarely "when thine eye is single, thy whole body is also full of light..." WHAT?! Single is translated "no folds within which to hide something" and eye is translated into "singleness of motive" or "faculty of knowing". So actually this verse ties in perfectly with Hebrews 12:2. This verse warns us to have an undivided heart - one focused on the Lord and not mammon (accumulating for ourselves). To quote Herbert Lockyer, "a mind divided between heaven and earth is dark" (1963, p.149). Conversely, "As we walk with good, sound eyes, and walking in light see objects clearly so the single persistent desire to serve and please God in everything will make our character consistent and bright" (1963, p. 149). Finally, when we live wholeheartedly for the Lord, we have nothing to hide. Therefore, we can live a transparent life... which is the only life that can allow light to shine through.
At this time of year, light/sunshine brings us lightness of heart and joy. So it is with a life centered on God. This is how Christ endured the cross and this is how we are to live as light to the world - something that people crave like sunlight in the winter/spring. As vessels of God's light we are to be warm, transparent, and light of heart with the hope of abundant life in Christ.
May you be radiant today,
All my love,
Katie
Verses:
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
34 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”
Reference: All the Parables of the Bible by Hebert Lockyer
The last few days I've been kind of captivated by the imagery of light. When I've asked the Lord how He wants me to represent Him, I've had three verses bounce around in my head. Exodus 33:29, Luke 11:34, and Hebrews 2:2. I am continually astounded at the illustration of Moses's face being so radiant as to cause fear in the hearts of the Israelites - and that the source of the radiance was being in the presence of God. It literally boggles my mind.
I'm an action, service, Martha kinda girl... and I always wonder how one stays in the presence of God in the middle of this crazy life... which brings me to Hebrews 2:2 and the concept of fixing our eyes on Jesus. In KJV it reads "looking unto Jesus" and "looking" is translated into "to look away from one thing so as to see another" "to concentrate the gaze upon" I love the concept of gazing, because it requires less action and more stillness. If you're going to gaze dreamily into someone's eyes... you can't really do it while you're jogging around, eating food, putting on makeup, etc. However, this translation also gives some power to being still. We often conotate gazing as a lazy business.... something people do as they daydream - but this fixing of the eyes takes willpower to turn away from other distracting things - to one thing - Jesus Christ and his life.
Fixing of the eyes made me think of that weird verse about your eye being the lamp of your body and providing light. In the KJV, the verse translates even more bizzarely "when thine eye is single, thy whole body is also full of light..." WHAT?! Single is translated "no folds within which to hide something" and eye is translated into "singleness of motive" or "faculty of knowing". So actually this verse ties in perfectly with Hebrews 12:2. This verse warns us to have an undivided heart - one focused on the Lord and not mammon (accumulating for ourselves). To quote Herbert Lockyer, "a mind divided between heaven and earth is dark" (1963, p.149). Conversely, "As we walk with good, sound eyes, and walking in light see objects clearly so the single persistent desire to serve and please God in everything will make our character consistent and bright" (1963, p. 149). Finally, when we live wholeheartedly for the Lord, we have nothing to hide. Therefore, we can live a transparent life... which is the only life that can allow light to shine through.
At this time of year, light/sunshine brings us lightness of heart and joy. So it is with a life centered on God. This is how Christ endured the cross and this is how we are to live as light to the world - something that people crave like sunlight in the winter/spring. As vessels of God's light we are to be warm, transparent, and light of heart with the hope of abundant life in Christ.
May you be radiant today,
All my love,
Katie
Verses:
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
34 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”
Reference: All the Parables of the Bible by Hebert Lockyer
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Contemplations on Consolation
Confessions:
I'm sitting in bed... at 2 p.m. after watching a movie on Netflix, having broken all my Lenten practices for at least a week now. My head feels like naval mine a thousand feet under water that might detonate at any moment. There's a gigantic elephant of fear sitting on my chest. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, whether I should be in school, and where I'm going to live next year. I feel purposeless, alone, and terrified out of my mind.
It's that time of Lent where things are getting difficult. Spring is in the air, but it feels like we might not make it. Spring forward sucked an hour out of your life and the weather is muddy at best. You might be in need of comfort... and extra tempted to seek whatever you gave up. I know I am. My physical sickness has weakened my spiritual fortitude. I keep making little exceptions for what I gave up thinking I need to take care of myself. But God will take care of me right? I mean aside from taking responsibility for proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise... He will provide for my needs. Right?
I'm not feeling so confident at the moment. We need each other to encourage one another to trust God. The orginal words for encouragement in the KJV are "exhortation, comfort, and consolation" Parakleo (both to comfort and exhort) literally denotes "to call to one's side". Because my top love languages are quality time and touch, I love this illustration. The best encouragement is when someone comes alongside me. Consolation translates in to "encouragement with the alleviation of grief" It's that same idea of Sunday's message, "death is not the end" "when one door closes another opens" "our failings, weaknesses, sins ultimately work toward forming us into the person God desires us to be as long as we surrender them to Him". Paracletos is "the one summoned, called to one's side" and used of Christ when referring to his intercession on our behalf and of the Holy Spirit who is to give us deeper knowledge of truth and strength to endure trials. On Sunday the pastor gave us this verse to hold out to one another as a guarantee and I find it extremely fitting. May you derive strength and sustenance from it.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
I'm sitting in bed... at 2 p.m. after watching a movie on Netflix, having broken all my Lenten practices for at least a week now. My head feels like naval mine a thousand feet under water that might detonate at any moment. There's a gigantic elephant of fear sitting on my chest. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life, whether I should be in school, and where I'm going to live next year. I feel purposeless, alone, and terrified out of my mind.
It's that time of Lent where things are getting difficult. Spring is in the air, but it feels like we might not make it. Spring forward sucked an hour out of your life and the weather is muddy at best. You might be in need of comfort... and extra tempted to seek whatever you gave up. I know I am. My physical sickness has weakened my spiritual fortitude. I keep making little exceptions for what I gave up thinking I need to take care of myself. But God will take care of me right? I mean aside from taking responsibility for proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise... He will provide for my needs. Right?
I'm not feeling so confident at the moment. We need each other to encourage one another to trust God. The orginal words for encouragement in the KJV are "exhortation, comfort, and consolation" Parakleo (both to comfort and exhort) literally denotes "to call to one's side". Because my top love languages are quality time and touch, I love this illustration. The best encouragement is when someone comes alongside me. Consolation translates in to "encouragement with the alleviation of grief" It's that same idea of Sunday's message, "death is not the end" "when one door closes another opens" "our failings, weaknesses, sins ultimately work toward forming us into the person God desires us to be as long as we surrender them to Him". Paracletos is "the one summoned, called to one's side" and used of Christ when referring to his intercession on our behalf and of the Holy Spirit who is to give us deeper knowledge of truth and strength to endure trials. On Sunday the pastor gave us this verse to hold out to one another as a guarantee and I find it extremely fitting. May you derive strength and sustenance from it.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Living Upside Down
Hi folks,
As usual, I find myself thoroughly enjoying my Sunday. We had an awesome message by a guest from the land down under. It was based off a quirky little 7 verse passage in 2 Kings 6. So basically the prophets in training are inspired to expand their meeting place. They go off and start chopping trees. (I picture lumber jack style). Then one of them drops his iron axe head in the river. Upset, he cries out to Elisha who answers, "Where did it fall?" The man points out the spot in the river, Elisha throws a stick into the water, and the axehead floats up from the river bottom. Ok.... That's weird.
Right? But unpacked, these verses have a profound message. Basically, these guys had a good vision; and all of a sudden out of the blue... something comes along and destroys the very thing that makes this vision possible. Their passionate, good work for the Lord... comes to a screeching halt. They can't do anything. Here we see that sometimes God causes the death of a vision. But when they reach out to God, he answers them through Elisha, by resurrecting the iron axehead from the river. I mean... when did iron float?
So... I took three points of encouragement from this. 1) Have you ever jumped into an icy lake? The shock of hitting the cold completely takes your breath away. Knowing that God sometimes causes the death of a vision can kind of dampen the icy shock of disappointment. It's like wearing insulation against despair to know that a good God has everything in hand.2) The death of a vision isn't the end of the story. There is always a resurrection; and sometimes the very death of one vision provides fertilizer for the next one. 3) Sometimes you have to revisit the place your dream died in order to see the miracle of life that God created from it. Elisha tells the man "Point to the place the axe fell"... the exact place where your heart was broken, your plan failed, your fiancee dumped you, you got laid off from work, you started a ministry that flopped, someone you loved died, you got evicted from your home, you didn't get the scholarship, you missed the winning shot..." Even though you don't want to face the painful memories, whatever God shows you will completely shoot the darkness to pieces.
This week, may you have the eyes to see the world upside down - resurrected - hope in all things even the heartbreak. Love,Katie
Friday, March 8, 2013
"Hands of Delight" Portrait of a Hilarious Giver
Dear folks,
I dream to be a hilarious giver - one who's incandescent joy shods my feet in prompt willingness to do whatever is asked of me. I want to be like the woman of Proverbs 31 who works with "hands of delight" or worketh willingly (in delight) with her hands (v. 13) because of the love for her family. There's a quote "Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too." Snoopy was my childhood hero 1) because I hated serious questions like that... and 2) because he always made me happy. He exuded beagle exuberance - that which is entirely confident without being self-absorbed. For if we are to be givers - we cannot be worried about ourselves.
So quickly I am overwhelmed, drained, and prone to insecurity when I give. How can I possibly be a hilarious giver in the face of so much need?
I've always wondered about the "weight" of glory which is supposed to surpass our light and momentary troubles. When I looked up the word "weight" in my concordance, I found it synonymous to abundance... literally the notion of going down. When a fruit tree bears a bountiful crop, its boughs are bent down with the abundance of fruit. I think perhaps, when I remember to look to the Lord, I am reminded of all that He has given me; and that glorious inheritance, those boundless riches of Christ press upon me the goodness of God and silence my needs. The love and grace of God has the capacity to fill every crevice of every need. Thus when I am at the end of my rope of giving, I realize more fully my dependence on the Lord and His faithfulness. When the Lord said, "Take my yoke... and find rest for your souls, for my burden is easy" I think of it translated like this, "Take my abundance so that all my gifts will lift the burden of your anxieties and needs." Then we are free to give hilariously and with abandon for we know that we cannot run out of God's gifts. Others cannot drain us dry... for if we continue to carry the burden (abundance) of Christ, we will be more than well equipped to give continuously. This is true joy to me - to know that I can give without growing weary if I remember to stay rooted in God's love. For it is only when I know I am dearly loved, that I can respond to everyone and everything in love.
Merrily yours,
Katie
I dream to be a hilarious giver - one who's incandescent joy shods my feet in prompt willingness to do whatever is asked of me. I want to be like the woman of Proverbs 31 who works with "hands of delight" or worketh willingly (in delight) with her hands (v. 13) because of the love for her family. There's a quote "Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too." Snoopy was my childhood hero 1) because I hated serious questions like that... and 2) because he always made me happy. He exuded beagle exuberance - that which is entirely confident without being self-absorbed. For if we are to be givers - we cannot be worried about ourselves.
So quickly I am overwhelmed, drained, and prone to insecurity when I give. How can I possibly be a hilarious giver in the face of so much need?
I've always wondered about the "weight" of glory which is supposed to surpass our light and momentary troubles. When I looked up the word "weight" in my concordance, I found it synonymous to abundance... literally the notion of going down. When a fruit tree bears a bountiful crop, its boughs are bent down with the abundance of fruit. I think perhaps, when I remember to look to the Lord, I am reminded of all that He has given me; and that glorious inheritance, those boundless riches of Christ press upon me the goodness of God and silence my needs. The love and grace of God has the capacity to fill every crevice of every need. Thus when I am at the end of my rope of giving, I realize more fully my dependence on the Lord and His faithfulness. When the Lord said, "Take my yoke... and find rest for your souls, for my burden is easy" I think of it translated like this, "Take my abundance so that all my gifts will lift the burden of your anxieties and needs." Then we are free to give hilariously and with abandon for we know that we cannot run out of God's gifts. Others cannot drain us dry... for if we continue to carry the burden (abundance) of Christ, we will be more than well equipped to give continuously. This is true joy to me - to know that I can give without growing weary if I remember to stay rooted in God's love. For it is only when I know I am dearly loved, that I can respond to everyone and everything in love.
Merrily yours,
Katie
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Power in Meekness
Dear folks,
"It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself but the Lord was "meek" because he had the infinite resources of God at his command."
"Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will." Strong's Concordance.
Father,
I praise you that you are unfailing love - that you desire shalom - wellness, wholeness, excellence in us. I acknowledge your sovereignty in all things.
Forgive me that I am often so self-centered, concerned with how I am to survive and what pleases me. Forgive me for the times I have not trusted you, but resisted believing the falsehood that you are not good and do not care.
Thank you that you look out for me. Thank you that nothing touches me except that which you allow. Thank you for putting aside kingship, sovereignty, and the place you belonged in order to become vulnerable and small like me and bear all my sins and more.
Help me to trust you more deeply. I ask for the Holy Spirit to work in power so that I may bear whatever you crosses you allow to purify me and that I might bear the burdens of my neighbors without complaint. Teach me to set aside entitlement or fear, for in you I have infinite resources. May I love like you.
Amen
"It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power. The common assumption is that when a man is meek it is because he cannot help himself but the Lord was "meek" because he had the infinite resources of God at his command."
"Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest. It stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. This is a work of the Holy Spirit, not of the human will." Strong's Concordance.
Father,
I praise you that you are unfailing love - that you desire shalom - wellness, wholeness, excellence in us. I acknowledge your sovereignty in all things.
Forgive me that I am often so self-centered, concerned with how I am to survive and what pleases me. Forgive me for the times I have not trusted you, but resisted believing the falsehood that you are not good and do not care.
Thank you that you look out for me. Thank you that nothing touches me except that which you allow. Thank you for putting aside kingship, sovereignty, and the place you belonged in order to become vulnerable and small like me and bear all my sins and more.
Help me to trust you more deeply. I ask for the Holy Spirit to work in power so that I may bear whatever you crosses you allow to purify me and that I might bear the burdens of my neighbors without complaint. Teach me to set aside entitlement or fear, for in you I have infinite resources. May I love like you.
Amen
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Fighting the shadows
Dear folks,
Some days I feel all drained dry. Some days I can feel the shadows creeping over me the trendrils of darkness trying to pull me into their black despair. I could tell you any number of things today, but sometimes I wonder "what's the point"? Does it really help anyone to have me blabbing my random thoughts? Am I just oversharing? Other people's blogs get passed around like hotcakes... and I know it's not a competition, but sometimes I just feel inferior. It easy to say that one should be able to discharge one's duty without thanks, but it's harder to live it. I once read a story about a man who cleaned the kitchen floor for his wife and was so proud of himself; then his wife came home and naturally missed this detail. He was completely outraged, but she reminded him gently that this was something she did every day. We are so tempted to want our sacrifices glorified when they should be the humble practices we assume daily.
Some days I feel all drained dry. Some days I can feel the shadows creeping over me the trendrils of darkness trying to pull me into their black despair. I could tell you any number of things today, but sometimes I wonder "what's the point"? Does it really help anyone to have me blabbing my random thoughts? Am I just oversharing? Other people's blogs get passed around like hotcakes... and I know it's not a competition, but sometimes I just feel inferior. It easy to say that one should be able to discharge one's duty without thanks, but it's harder to live it. I once read a story about a man who cleaned the kitchen floor for his wife and was so proud of himself; then his wife came home and naturally missed this detail. He was completely outraged, but she reminded him gently that this was something she did every day. We are so tempted to want our sacrifices glorified when they should be the humble practices we assume daily.
So how does one fight the darkness? I find it best to look at the light and use one's sword. Psalm 119 is chalk full reflections on the word of the Lord. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto thy path" (v.105). If you've seen the movie "Starstruck", then you'll understand why I like to close my eyes and hold onto God in my mind and let Him shine - washing away the darkness. His light is so bright it literally scours the evil to dust. Sometimes it's hard to discern God's voice in the silence. I saw this on facebook and thought it might help.
When you see that compilation, you quickly realize I've been listening to the darkness. When I feel it creeping up on me, it's because I've been listening to the wrong voices. So even if you feel alone, discouraged, like giving up etc... hear the voice of one who loves you with an everlasting love. He will cover your grumblings, your tiredness, your fears... and bring you to greater glories.
Love,
Katie
Love,
Katie
Monday, March 4, 2013
The will of love to endure pain
Dear Folks,
There's something about love that absolutely haunts me. Perhaps it is because as C.S. Lewis says, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possible be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal." And yet, it is made ten times worse by his next comment, "The love we are commanded to have for God and our neighbor is a state of the will, not of the affections (though if they ever also play their part so much the better)." So then, I find myself having bound myself to that which will continually wound me. For God so loved the world, he surrendered Himself unto the cross, unto a millenia of stubborn humans refusing his gifts, unto the pain of watching those He loves choose what is harmful to them.
Love is a choice. It is a choice to remain faithful even in the face of faithlessness. It is a choice to do what is best for someone else even when it hurts you. In fact, it is those who hurt us the most that we must love the most. The opposite of love is not even hate - but to be indifferent. It is most tempting to write off those who have hurt us, to blot them out, to numb out their existence. I remember once, when I was 12, writing that I had buried a friend in time. I felt like I needed to bury their potential friendship in order not to be hurt anymore. I was better off with my imaginary friends. It remains the same temptation as I cannot keep in contact with all my college friends. I am probably the silliest person in the world to grieve over each wedding that I am not invited to, to grieve over the boys who I will never be able to keep in contact with because there is no room for heavenly love in this world, to grieve over the existence of my continued affection for those who have forgotten me. But that is the way I was made. And so I will echo the love of my God who waits patiently for you to return to His arms... because He is faithful and abounding in love.
"I do not love you lightly. I love you with the weight of glory. Some day you will understand the full sacrifice I made for you. Some day you will understand your own sacrifices. Your wounds will be closed - never to be reopened. For my love has overcome."
There's something about love that absolutely haunts me. Perhaps it is because as C.S. Lewis says, "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possible be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal." And yet, it is made ten times worse by his next comment, "The love we are commanded to have for God and our neighbor is a state of the will, not of the affections (though if they ever also play their part so much the better)." So then, I find myself having bound myself to that which will continually wound me. For God so loved the world, he surrendered Himself unto the cross, unto a millenia of stubborn humans refusing his gifts, unto the pain of watching those He loves choose what is harmful to them.
Love is a choice. It is a choice to remain faithful even in the face of faithlessness. It is a choice to do what is best for someone else even when it hurts you. In fact, it is those who hurt us the most that we must love the most. The opposite of love is not even hate - but to be indifferent. It is most tempting to write off those who have hurt us, to blot them out, to numb out their existence. I remember once, when I was 12, writing that I had buried a friend in time. I felt like I needed to bury their potential friendship in order not to be hurt anymore. I was better off with my imaginary friends. It remains the same temptation as I cannot keep in contact with all my college friends. I am probably the silliest person in the world to grieve over each wedding that I am not invited to, to grieve over the boys who I will never be able to keep in contact with because there is no room for heavenly love in this world, to grieve over the existence of my continued affection for those who have forgotten me. But that is the way I was made. And so I will echo the love of my God who waits patiently for you to return to His arms... because He is faithful and abounding in love.
"I do not love you lightly. I love you with the weight of glory. Some day you will understand the full sacrifice I made for you. Some day you will understand your own sacrifices. Your wounds will be closed - never to be reopened. For my love has overcome."
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The blessing of surrender
Hi Folks!
My facebook status declares I had lessons in boxing and wrestling. There are these things in the hospital called mitt restraints which basically keep confused people from pulling out their IVs, tubes, catheters, surgical staples (oh yes!) etc. Today I got too close to a patient with them on, and she bopped me a good one! It doesn't hurt, but it can be a little surprising. I got really fast at ducking and blocking today. :) Then I was blessed enough to be able to take the last four hours of my day off and go to a Servants of the Lamb prayer meeting... where I traded boxing for wrestling - four little boys. One wanted to pull me into the boys bathroom, one wanted me to pop balloons constantly, two practically pulled off my pants while hanging onto my back pockets and enjoying my "train abilities", three mistook me for a jungle gym... sometimes all three at once, and all four threw bouncy balls at me. (Lol sorry Mary Ellen... I'm a bit of a hoyden/bad influence!) Quite a satisfactory bout as no one broke any body parts, my pants remained on, and my body remained firmly outside the boys bathroom... :)
Sometimes religion can become a boxing or wrestling match. Either we're trying to knock out the competition and wrestle our way to the top, or we're wrestling fiercely with God over an issue. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to wrestle with God, but eventually, He's going to win - even if He has to break you (ie: wrenching Jacob's hip) in order to bless you. Why do we wrestle? I think it's because we don't trust God. We don't want to be so vulnerable as to have to depend on someone else for our well-being. If we can be on the top of our game, the best in our class, the most popular, or at least NOT the lamest, dullest, or weakest one... we think we're blessed. At the very least, we need some semblance of control. That's why it's so hard to put down our to-do-lists, to have an uninterrupted quiet time, to leave extra work at work. We're sure the world will fall apart if we don't answer the phone, finish our homework, take an extra shift at work etc. We have our "realistic" "worst case scenarios" worked out in our minds. "I'll be fired. I'll fail my test. I'll lose face."
But the truth is, we're all lame, dull, and weak. We are dead in our sin. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We may be fired, fail our test, lose face. But God is a good God who provides. If He gave His only son to save us, how can He possibly withhold anything else? So let go. Stop your striving. Makar is a Hebrew word that literally means "to sell" and figuratively means "to surrender" It is used 75 times to refer to selling one's self away. In some instances it means to be given over to death. At times, it may seem a small death to keep still and possibly not do as well on a test, or leave out an activity you love in order to spend more time with God, or give up 10% of your income because it's already so small... but when we stop trying to look out for ourselves, when we die to ourselves - we follow Christ's footsteps and allow Him to fill us. For He died to give us life.
An intresting article by Rabbi Greyber read as follows, "Think about the Hebrew word for blessing - berachah,” – it comes from the same root as “berekh” which means, “knee.” The implication is clear: we can receive a blessing when we bend our knee in acknowledgement of God."(2011,p.3)
So let's hang up our boxing gloves before we get a hip wrenched... let us kneel before a loving God and be blessed richly.
My facebook status declares I had lessons in boxing and wrestling. There are these things in the hospital called mitt restraints which basically keep confused people from pulling out their IVs, tubes, catheters, surgical staples (oh yes!) etc. Today I got too close to a patient with them on, and she bopped me a good one! It doesn't hurt, but it can be a little surprising. I got really fast at ducking and blocking today. :) Then I was blessed enough to be able to take the last four hours of my day off and go to a Servants of the Lamb prayer meeting... where I traded boxing for wrestling - four little boys. One wanted to pull me into the boys bathroom, one wanted me to pop balloons constantly, two practically pulled off my pants while hanging onto my back pockets and enjoying my "train abilities", three mistook me for a jungle gym... sometimes all three at once, and all four threw bouncy balls at me. (Lol sorry Mary Ellen... I'm a bit of a hoyden/bad influence!) Quite a satisfactory bout as no one broke any body parts, my pants remained on, and my body remained firmly outside the boys bathroom... :)
Sometimes religion can become a boxing or wrestling match. Either we're trying to knock out the competition and wrestle our way to the top, or we're wrestling fiercely with God over an issue. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to wrestle with God, but eventually, He's going to win - even if He has to break you (ie: wrenching Jacob's hip) in order to bless you. Why do we wrestle? I think it's because we don't trust God. We don't want to be so vulnerable as to have to depend on someone else for our well-being. If we can be on the top of our game, the best in our class, the most popular, or at least NOT the lamest, dullest, or weakest one... we think we're blessed. At the very least, we need some semblance of control. That's why it's so hard to put down our to-do-lists, to have an uninterrupted quiet time, to leave extra work at work. We're sure the world will fall apart if we don't answer the phone, finish our homework, take an extra shift at work etc. We have our "realistic" "worst case scenarios" worked out in our minds. "I'll be fired. I'll fail my test. I'll lose face."
But the truth is, we're all lame, dull, and weak. We are dead in our sin. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We may be fired, fail our test, lose face. But God is a good God who provides. If He gave His only son to save us, how can He possibly withhold anything else? So let go. Stop your striving. Makar is a Hebrew word that literally means "to sell" and figuratively means "to surrender" It is used 75 times to refer to selling one's self away. In some instances it means to be given over to death. At times, it may seem a small death to keep still and possibly not do as well on a test, or leave out an activity you love in order to spend more time with God, or give up 10% of your income because it's already so small... but when we stop trying to look out for ourselves, when we die to ourselves - we follow Christ's footsteps and allow Him to fill us. For He died to give us life.
An intresting article by Rabbi Greyber read as follows, "Think about the Hebrew word for blessing - berachah,” – it comes from the same root as “berekh” which means, “knee.” The implication is clear: we can receive a blessing when we bend our knee in acknowledgement of God."(2011,p.3)
So let's hang up our boxing gloves before we get a hip wrenched... let us kneel before a loving God and be blessed richly.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Fasting - Lessons in Trust/Surprised by Joy
Holo! (Name that movie quote!)
Today I was really struck at how fasting brings us to our knees and then draws us back to our feet. On the one hand, you can find your body weak (if fasting from food or drink) or your mind empty (if fasting from the normal entertainments). On the other hand, it is interesting to see how God fills that weakness or emptiness. I find it interesting how quickly I want to turn to a comfort food, book, person, or dream when I am tired or need a break from work. When I take out all that I normally rely on, then I find how truly ingenius God works. Sometimes I wonder if all the time spent on facebook, twitter, romance books, movie watching, computer gaming, was put to coming up with solutions for poverty, dirty water, immunizations, social systems that need changing... heck even national debt! What would happen? How fast could we bring God's kingdom if we actually put our heart, soul, and mind into it. If we trained like Paul - beating (disciplining) our bodies - straining for one goal... I can't imagine what God would do through us. Already he uses our weaknesses. How then would he use our strengths?
Of course, this is not to say one should "try harder" at fasting. I've already mentioned that never works. That's why I think fasting is so interesting. If you make it a non-negotiable habit, and it isn't something enormous; eventually you get used to it. It's not a production, it's just a part of your life. In fact, it becomes less of a sacrifice, either because you realize how much you have to begin with or you realize how much you receive in its absence. As I was driving home, I longed to read a book when I got home in order to relax, but then I was struck by the question, "How will God refresh me instead?" One day, when I would normally have been reading or watching Netflix, I found myself hungry to write poetry. It's been so long since I've felt creative. I suddenly wondered if all the easy entertainment drowns out my true creativity. When I eat my rice for lunch, it's the most delicious thing. I taste so much more deeply - how warm it is, how good it feels in my stomach, how flavorful it is (one would never thing rice was flavorful unless one ate it alone!)
Fasting does two amazing things 1) It builds your faith in a loving good God because it makes one vulnerable, weak, and/or empty. It allows for God to surprise you with good things you never could have imagined. 2) It also allows God to remind you of all that you already have. It helps adjust your eyesight to the little details we so often take for granted.
Hungry for more,
Katie
Today I was really struck at how fasting brings us to our knees and then draws us back to our feet. On the one hand, you can find your body weak (if fasting from food or drink) or your mind empty (if fasting from the normal entertainments). On the other hand, it is interesting to see how God fills that weakness or emptiness. I find it interesting how quickly I want to turn to a comfort food, book, person, or dream when I am tired or need a break from work. When I take out all that I normally rely on, then I find how truly ingenius God works. Sometimes I wonder if all the time spent on facebook, twitter, romance books, movie watching, computer gaming, was put to coming up with solutions for poverty, dirty water, immunizations, social systems that need changing... heck even national debt! What would happen? How fast could we bring God's kingdom if we actually put our heart, soul, and mind into it. If we trained like Paul - beating (disciplining) our bodies - straining for one goal... I can't imagine what God would do through us. Already he uses our weaknesses. How then would he use our strengths?
Of course, this is not to say one should "try harder" at fasting. I've already mentioned that never works. That's why I think fasting is so interesting. If you make it a non-negotiable habit, and it isn't something enormous; eventually you get used to it. It's not a production, it's just a part of your life. In fact, it becomes less of a sacrifice, either because you realize how much you have to begin with or you realize how much you receive in its absence. As I was driving home, I longed to read a book when I got home in order to relax, but then I was struck by the question, "How will God refresh me instead?" One day, when I would normally have been reading or watching Netflix, I found myself hungry to write poetry. It's been so long since I've felt creative. I suddenly wondered if all the easy entertainment drowns out my true creativity. When I eat my rice for lunch, it's the most delicious thing. I taste so much more deeply - how warm it is, how good it feels in my stomach, how flavorful it is (one would never thing rice was flavorful unless one ate it alone!)
Fasting does two amazing things 1) It builds your faith in a loving good God because it makes one vulnerable, weak, and/or empty. It allows for God to surprise you with good things you never could have imagined. 2) It also allows God to remind you of all that you already have. It helps adjust your eyesight to the little details we so often take for granted.
Hungry for more,
Katie
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Faithfulness in the small things
Hi folks!
February was always my least favorite month... what with the the grey skies, the rotten confused rain/snow/sleet weather, the beginning of Lent (one must admit it can be a little depressing), and Valentine's Day (such a ridiculous holiday). So you might be feeling a little discouraged yourself. My pastor said the way forward from disappointment or discouragement is faithfulness in the small things. Sometimes we are discouraged because we have a longing to do great things; and yet we're stuck in the mundane - washing laundry, doing roommate's dishes, homework, working at a job we're overqualified for, working at a job we don't absolutely love... etc. Sometimes we're not even sure why we're doing what we're doing.
As Mother Theresa said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love...When done with love and compassion, those small things are transformed into something wonderful, priceless, and intangible."
As verified in the Parable of the Talents, the Lord will give us more after we have proven that we are responsible for what we have now. It is faithfulness in the small things that builds are character. When I got a new car, I lost my parking stickers, which meant I could park in any hospital lot without getting ticketed. There's really nothing wrong with parking in the ER lot, except I could be taking a closer spot that would benefit a patient. However, I only park there for my convenience, so I don't have to walk in the cold. For Lent, I've given up doing the easy thing, and pledged to park only on the street even when I'm running late, or it's sleeting. It's actually been very refreshing. I get a chance to listen to uplifting music and the walking wakes up my blood. When we choose not to cut the little corners, but do everything with as much integrity as possible, it strengthens us to endure greater trials. Sometimes I'm struck by the ridiculous possibility that I'll be stuck in the South Pole and glad for the little extra strength walking to work in the cold gave me.
Charles Spurgeon writes,
Zechariah 4:9 Who dares despise the day of small things...
"It is usually God's way to begin his great works with a day of small things- · Thus it is seen that there is nothing in the means themselves. · Thus the divine power is more fully displayed. · Thus faith is exercised, and made to learn many lessons. Why should men despise what God ordains?"
So take heart, if you feel like you're slogging through the nitty-gritty. God sees all things. Do your chores and job with extra compassion. He delights in your faithfulness. And enjoy the trials of unexpected troubles - knowing that it will fortify your character.
Love, Katie
February was always my least favorite month... what with the the grey skies, the rotten confused rain/snow/sleet weather, the beginning of Lent (one must admit it can be a little depressing), and Valentine's Day (such a ridiculous holiday). So you might be feeling a little discouraged yourself. My pastor said the way forward from disappointment or discouragement is faithfulness in the small things. Sometimes we are discouraged because we have a longing to do great things; and yet we're stuck in the mundane - washing laundry, doing roommate's dishes, homework, working at a job we're overqualified for, working at a job we don't absolutely love... etc. Sometimes we're not even sure why we're doing what we're doing.
As Mother Theresa said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love...When done with love and compassion, those small things are transformed into something wonderful, priceless, and intangible."
As verified in the Parable of the Talents, the Lord will give us more after we have proven that we are responsible for what we have now. It is faithfulness in the small things that builds are character. When I got a new car, I lost my parking stickers, which meant I could park in any hospital lot without getting ticketed. There's really nothing wrong with parking in the ER lot, except I could be taking a closer spot that would benefit a patient. However, I only park there for my convenience, so I don't have to walk in the cold. For Lent, I've given up doing the easy thing, and pledged to park only on the street even when I'm running late, or it's sleeting. It's actually been very refreshing. I get a chance to listen to uplifting music and the walking wakes up my blood. When we choose not to cut the little corners, but do everything with as much integrity as possible, it strengthens us to endure greater trials. Sometimes I'm struck by the ridiculous possibility that I'll be stuck in the South Pole and glad for the little extra strength walking to work in the cold gave me.
Charles Spurgeon writes,
Zechariah 4:9 Who dares despise the day of small things...
"It is usually God's way to begin his great works with a day of small things- · Thus it is seen that there is nothing in the means themselves. · Thus the divine power is more fully displayed. · Thus faith is exercised, and made to learn many lessons. Why should men despise what God ordains?"
So take heart, if you feel like you're slogging through the nitty-gritty. God sees all things. Do your chores and job with extra compassion. He delights in your faithfulness. And enjoy the trials of unexpected troubles - knowing that it will fortify your character.
Love, Katie
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Heartburn... er Love
Dear friends,
As I'm experiencing extreme heartburn for the first time in my life (darn Zoloft!) and can't sleep, I will share some thoughts. I'm deep in the weeds of midterms; and having four major things due by Friday is putting some pressure on me. (I'm begining to wonder if I'm going to end up like Pancake - my friend's flat African clawed frog).
So, this morning, I woke up in quite a panic to get started with my day and my work. Being myself, I immediately thought of a quote that's been percolating around in my community. "All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. As I took out my computer and started to compile the 50 things I was thankful for, I kept getting derailed thinking "I need to be doing homework! I can't think of anything I'm thankful for until I get these projects and tests done!" But the still small voice that hadn't quite gotten drowned out said, "Finish this first, and I will bless your work". At number 42, I was struck with the sudden realization that when God looks at me, he loves me... absolutely delights in me; and he would love to tell me so if I would just listen.
My message to you today is this: God loves you with an always love. He loves with a powerful love that can raise life in the dead and create galaxies from nothing. He loves you with a love that may burn away your flaws in a painful manner because He does not want you to be anything less than the best person He intended you to be. You are His masterpiece; and He delights in your many hues, gifts, quirks, etc. If you would only take the time to look into His eyes, you might see the love shining back at you. When you are able to appreciate the good in yourself by looking through God's eyes, then you will be able to love others in the same manner. Do not be afraid to love yourself. Know that in loving yourself, you are loving another part of God's good creation - just as you would love a sunset or a starry night or a golden retriever puppy, or an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. May you know the Lord's burning, all-consuming love for you.
Love,
Katie
As I'm experiencing extreme heartburn for the first time in my life (darn Zoloft!) and can't sleep, I will share some thoughts. I'm deep in the weeds of midterms; and having four major things due by Friday is putting some pressure on me. (I'm begining to wonder if I'm going to end up like Pancake - my friend's flat African clawed frog).
So, this morning, I woke up in quite a panic to get started with my day and my work. Being myself, I immediately thought of a quote that's been percolating around in my community. "All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity. As I took out my computer and started to compile the 50 things I was thankful for, I kept getting derailed thinking "I need to be doing homework! I can't think of anything I'm thankful for until I get these projects and tests done!" But the still small voice that hadn't quite gotten drowned out said, "Finish this first, and I will bless your work". At number 42, I was struck with the sudden realization that when God looks at me, he loves me... absolutely delights in me; and he would love to tell me so if I would just listen.
My message to you today is this: God loves you with an always love. He loves with a powerful love that can raise life in the dead and create galaxies from nothing. He loves you with a love that may burn away your flaws in a painful manner because He does not want you to be anything less than the best person He intended you to be. You are His masterpiece; and He delights in your many hues, gifts, quirks, etc. If you would only take the time to look into His eyes, you might see the love shining back at you. When you are able to appreciate the good in yourself by looking through God's eyes, then you will be able to love others in the same manner. Do not be afraid to love yourself. Know that in loving yourself, you are loving another part of God's good creation - just as you would love a sunset or a starry night or a golden retriever puppy, or an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. May you know the Lord's burning, all-consuming love for you.
Love,
Katie
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The Abundance of Integrity
Hi friends!
I dearly love Sundays. Today is no exception. My church causes delight to well up out of me; and I always leave feeling soul-fed. In this week's sermon, my pastor said that integrity equals wholeness. I was quite blown away. I've always thought of integrity as honesty, but it's so much more. I made a note to look it up in my concordance (of course), and came up with this...
Tom (tome)- completeness; figuratively prosperity... full, perfection.
The truth is - that because our brokenness - there are dead places in us. And if we don't fill them with the Lord, we end up filling them with things that are less good for us - like tv shows, choice gossip, pornography or masturbation, romance books, shopping, video games, binge eating, alcohol, cleaning, even service or acclaimation. I mean... no one wants to feel dead. (I think the movie Warm Bodies illustrates this point well... hehe). Often preachers tell us we need to try harder. "God is good. You're bad. Try harder" But trying harder doesn't make one alive... only the Holy Spirit can bring about new life-breath-spirit. The only way we can receive true life, joy, and adventure, is to receive it from God. When we have the sense that God is with us and that He is enough - then the other things become less enticing. We are to be holy as God is holy - not in the sense of perfection - but in wholeness - completely full with truly meaningful things that diminsh these material things.
I've had the image of a sunflower with its head raised to the sun. The Lord says that He wants me to raise my face to him likewise and receive his energy and life. All I need to do is face Him. I don't need to try harder, to accomplish more, to be the most beautiful sunflower - I simply need to look upon his brightness and be filled to the fullness. Truly glorious.
I dearly love Sundays. Today is no exception. My church causes delight to well up out of me; and I always leave feeling soul-fed. In this week's sermon, my pastor said that integrity equals wholeness. I was quite blown away. I've always thought of integrity as honesty, but it's so much more. I made a note to look it up in my concordance (of course), and came up with this...
Tom (tome)- completeness; figuratively prosperity... full, perfection.
The truth is - that because our brokenness - there are dead places in us. And if we don't fill them with the Lord, we end up filling them with things that are less good for us - like tv shows, choice gossip, pornography or masturbation, romance books, shopping, video games, binge eating, alcohol, cleaning, even service or acclaimation. I mean... no one wants to feel dead. (I think the movie Warm Bodies illustrates this point well... hehe). Often preachers tell us we need to try harder. "God is good. You're bad. Try harder" But trying harder doesn't make one alive... only the Holy Spirit can bring about new life-breath-spirit. The only way we can receive true life, joy, and adventure, is to receive it from God. When we have the sense that God is with us and that He is enough - then the other things become less enticing. We are to be holy as God is holy - not in the sense of perfection - but in wholeness - completely full with truly meaningful things that diminsh these material things.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Patience/Perseverance
Hullo folks,
I've been low on sleep and discouraged in general (which happens when I get low on sleep), but I've decided to write a quick note anyway... my apologies if isn't particularly coherant. I've been dwelling a lot on perseverance, since the last note touched on its qualities. Also, Lent kind of exudes the virtue... as discipline requires constancy. Hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay) lol... is the Greek word for patience which is a common KJV translation of perseverance. It is a cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy - patient continuance or waiting. It literally means "an abiding under". It usually is rendered as a patience which grows only in trials. In addition, hupomone is opposed to cowardice or despondency.
Confession: I allowed myself to be carted away in merriment until 1 a.m. on a day I had to work... which resulted in me getting 4 hours of sleep. Although this is a truly idiodic move on my behalf; I am rather grateful for it, because it allowed me to encounter trials. The "grumbly" and self-destructive voices that I thought I could put away with exercise and thankfulness immediately appeared after a night of inadequate sleep. I felt annoyed by my roommates, left out, lonely, undesirable etc. At first, I was super discouraged. I wondered how I could have slipped back into old habits. Then I realized, this was a great opportunity to practice endurance and faithfulness. This morning it took me TWO HOURS to come up with my 50 things I was thankful for, but I patiently continued my Lenten practice. I was far from cheerful, but I realized that patience doesn't really grow without challange. One hardly feels the need for endurance when everything is going well and one is happy and content. It's quite another thing to be cheerful and hopeful when you feel like you aren't making a difference in the world, like no one listens to you, like your roommate's habits are going to drive you insane, like the chores never get done, like your old friends never call you... etc. You name it. So, hupomone is opposed to despondance, because it doesn't allow us to wallow in the wrongs of the world or our trials. Instead, we can see that the daily difficulties, bad traffic, extra homework, etc. are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to increase the strength of our thanksgiving and trust in God's goodness.
I also appreciate that the definition implies that patience requires courage. One has to forge forward with boldness. It's not simply a passive "I'll wait 20 minutes for you to get out of the bathroom". It's an active "Even though I want someone to take care of me, I'm going to take care of them. I'm going to take out the trash for the hundredth time without complaining. I'm going to keep writing in this blog whether people read it or not. I'm going to speak the truth even though it might get me shunned" etc. It's a very matter of fact virtue. I was thinking of the passage where Jesus says when we have done everything we were told to do...we are to say, "we are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty" Luke 17:10. Perseverance should not be a flashy virtue - one where we say, look how consistent I am in my fasting and almsgiving! It is simply what is required of us to become more like Christ - who endured all things that we might have life.
Amen. Katie
I've been low on sleep and discouraged in general (which happens when I get low on sleep), but I've decided to write a quick note anyway... my apologies if isn't particularly coherant. I've been dwelling a lot on perseverance, since the last note touched on its qualities. Also, Lent kind of exudes the virtue... as discipline requires constancy. Hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay) lol... is the Greek word for patience which is a common KJV translation of perseverance. It is a cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy - patient continuance or waiting. It literally means "an abiding under". It usually is rendered as a patience which grows only in trials. In addition, hupomone is opposed to cowardice or despondency.
Confession: I allowed myself to be carted away in merriment until 1 a.m. on a day I had to work... which resulted in me getting 4 hours of sleep. Although this is a truly idiodic move on my behalf; I am rather grateful for it, because it allowed me to encounter trials. The "grumbly" and self-destructive voices that I thought I could put away with exercise and thankfulness immediately appeared after a night of inadequate sleep. I felt annoyed by my roommates, left out, lonely, undesirable etc. At first, I was super discouraged. I wondered how I could have slipped back into old habits. Then I realized, this was a great opportunity to practice endurance and faithfulness. This morning it took me TWO HOURS to come up with my 50 things I was thankful for, but I patiently continued my Lenten practice. I was far from cheerful, but I realized that patience doesn't really grow without challange. One hardly feels the need for endurance when everything is going well and one is happy and content. It's quite another thing to be cheerful and hopeful when you feel like you aren't making a difference in the world, like no one listens to you, like your roommate's habits are going to drive you insane, like the chores never get done, like your old friends never call you... etc. You name it. So, hupomone is opposed to despondance, because it doesn't allow us to wallow in the wrongs of the world or our trials. Instead, we can see that the daily difficulties, bad traffic, extra homework, etc. are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to increase the strength of our thanksgiving and trust in God's goodness.
I also appreciate that the definition implies that patience requires courage. One has to forge forward with boldness. It's not simply a passive "I'll wait 20 minutes for you to get out of the bathroom". It's an active "Even though I want someone to take care of me, I'm going to take care of them. I'm going to take out the trash for the hundredth time without complaining. I'm going to keep writing in this blog whether people read it or not. I'm going to speak the truth even though it might get me shunned" etc. It's a very matter of fact virtue. I was thinking of the passage where Jesus says when we have done everything we were told to do...we are to say, "we are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty" Luke 17:10. Perseverance should not be a flashy virtue - one where we say, look how consistent I am in my fasting and almsgiving! It is simply what is required of us to become more like Christ - who endured all things that we might have life.
Amen. Katie
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Hello Humility!
Hi folks!
I said in the beginning I wanted this to be a joint endeavor. I don't want you to feel like I'm just "talking at you". I love knowing the inner workings of people. So please, feel free to chime in. I'm not looking for comments to know that you are reading this... but for comments so we can support each other! For a long time, humility was an elusive virtue I sought, then I read Screwtape Letters. It changed my life completely. Now I put forth all that I have with pride and joy... not for myself, but for its own goodness. It is really quite a miracle that I am able to write this blog without worrying about whether it will become a self-centered thing. I desire people to see it for what it is... a longing for more of God and for connection with others. I know it is a good thing and hope it will serve you as well as the beauty of a sunset or a haunting melody (I'm listening to Of Monsters and Men right now!)
Much love,
Katie
"You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of Humility. Let him think of it not as self-forgetfulness but as a certain kind of opinion (namely, a low opinion) of his own talents and character. Some talents, I gather, he really has. Fix in his mind the idea that humility consists in trying to believe those talents to be less valuable than he believes them to be. No doubt they are in fact less valuable than he believes, but that is not the point. The great thing is to make him value an opinion for some quality other than truth, thus introducing an element of dishonesty and make-believe into the heart of what otherwise threatens to become a virtue. By this method thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it and we have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the impossible. To anticipate the Enemy's strategy, we must consider His aims. The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the, fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another.
I said in the beginning I wanted this to be a joint endeavor. I don't want you to feel like I'm just "talking at you". I love knowing the inner workings of people. So please, feel free to chime in. I'm not looking for comments to know that you are reading this... but for comments so we can support each other! For a long time, humility was an elusive virtue I sought, then I read Screwtape Letters. It changed my life completely. Now I put forth all that I have with pride and joy... not for myself, but for its own goodness. It is really quite a miracle that I am able to write this blog without worrying about whether it will become a self-centered thing. I desire people to see it for what it is... a longing for more of God and for connection with others. I know it is a good thing and hope it will serve you as well as the beauty of a sunset or a haunting melody (I'm listening to Of Monsters and Men right now!)
Much love,
Katie
"You must therefore conceal from the patient the true end of Humility. Let him think of it not as self-forgetfulness but as a certain kind of opinion (namely, a low opinion) of his own talents and character. Some talents, I gather, he really has. Fix in his mind the idea that humility consists in trying to believe those talents to be less valuable than he believes them to be. No doubt they are in fact less valuable than he believes, but that is not the point. The great thing is to make him value an opinion for some quality other than truth, thus introducing an element of dishonesty and make-believe into the heart of what otherwise threatens to become a virtue. By this method thousands of humans have been brought to think that humility means pretty women trying to believe they are ugly and clever men trying to believe they are fools. And since what they are trying to believe may, in some cases, be manifest nonsense, they cannot succeed in believing it and we have the chance of keeping their minds endlessly revolving on themselves in an effort to achieve the impossible. To anticipate the Enemy's strategy, we must consider His aims. The Enemy wants to bring the man to a state of mind in which he could design the best cathedral in the world, and know it to be the best, and rejoice in the, fact, without being any more (or less) or otherwise glad at having done it than he would be if it had been done by another.
The
Enemy wants him, in the end, to be so free from any bias in his own favor that
he can rejoice in his own talents as frankly and gratefully as in his
neighbor’s talents—or in a sunrise, an elephant, or a waterfall.
He
wants each man, in the long run, to be able to recognize all creatures (even
himself) as glorious and excellent things. He wants to kill their animal
self-love as soon as possible; but it is His long term policy, I fear, to
restore to them a new kind of self-love—a charity and gratitude for all selves,
including their own; when they have really learned to love their neighbors as
themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbors.
For we must never forget what is the
most repellent and inexplicable trait in our Enemy; He really loves the
hairless bipeds He has created and always gives back to them with His right
hand what He has taken away with His left."
C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
HOPE
Dear peeps,
On this blustery day, I think it is quite appropriate to scale the topic of hope. This is a meditation I constantly wrestle with. In fact, I woke up this morning in a daze, struggled to come up with my 50 things I'm thankful for, and wondered how I was going to get on with the day. Hope is a full-bodied word with many connotations; and to me, hope always gives rise to fear because it involves risk. To hope, one must be willing to face disappointment. In "Dark Knight Rises", Bane tells Batman "there can be no true despair without hope". Sometimes I think it is true, as Keats writes that disappointment is the parent of despair. Even scripture reveals "Hope deferred makes the heart sick..." (Proverbs 13:12). So it is quite tempting to protect your heart from disappointment by never hoping, longing, or dreaming; BUT as C.S. Lewis says, "in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it (your heart) will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenatrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least the risk of tragedy, is damnation".
I think one secret to hope is two practices that I'm quite lousy at... patience and endurance. Hope always requires waiting.
Yachal - to wait, to be patient, trust
Elpis - "favorable and confident expectation. a forward look with assurance... Hope is a factor in endurance; it finds it's expression in endurance under trial, which is the effect of waiting for the coming of Christ. It is "an anchor of the soul" staying it amidst the storms of this life... The phrase "full assurance of hope" expresses the completeness of its activity in the soul.
The other secret to hope is to remember what to place it in... or rather WHOM to place it in. If God is truly the source of all good, then we really risk no disappointment if we put our hope, our confidence, and our trust in Him. Patience and endurance are the tools that help us shove off despair or disappointment. The longer we wait patiently for God to work, the more we will truly see the fruit of what He is doing. Sometimes it takes 40 years in the Wilderness to get to the promised land. So, are you willing to risk it? Are you willing to open up your heart and dream again? Are you willing to hope your longings will be fulfilled? Because when they are... it is a tree of life (the end of Proverbs 13:12)
"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
Emily Dickinson
Should Disappointment, parent of Despair,
Strive for her son to seize my careless heart;
When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air,
Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart:
Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright,
And fright him as the morning frightens night!
John Keats
On this blustery day, I think it is quite appropriate to scale the topic of hope. This is a meditation I constantly wrestle with. In fact, I woke up this morning in a daze, struggled to come up with my 50 things I'm thankful for, and wondered how I was going to get on with the day. Hope is a full-bodied word with many connotations; and to me, hope always gives rise to fear because it involves risk. To hope, one must be willing to face disappointment. In "Dark Knight Rises", Bane tells Batman "there can be no true despair without hope". Sometimes I think it is true, as Keats writes that disappointment is the parent of despair. Even scripture reveals "Hope deferred makes the heart sick..." (Proverbs 13:12). So it is quite tempting to protect your heart from disappointment by never hoping, longing, or dreaming; BUT as C.S. Lewis says, "in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it (your heart) will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenatrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least the risk of tragedy, is damnation".
I think one secret to hope is two practices that I'm quite lousy at... patience and endurance. Hope always requires waiting.
Yachal - to wait, to be patient, trust
Elpis - "favorable and confident expectation. a forward look with assurance... Hope is a factor in endurance; it finds it's expression in endurance under trial, which is the effect of waiting for the coming of Christ. It is "an anchor of the soul" staying it amidst the storms of this life... The phrase "full assurance of hope" expresses the completeness of its activity in the soul.
The other secret to hope is to remember what to place it in... or rather WHOM to place it in. If God is truly the source of all good, then we really risk no disappointment if we put our hope, our confidence, and our trust in Him. Patience and endurance are the tools that help us shove off despair or disappointment. The longer we wait patiently for God to work, the more we will truly see the fruit of what He is doing. Sometimes it takes 40 years in the Wilderness to get to the promised land. So, are you willing to risk it? Are you willing to open up your heart and dream again? Are you willing to hope your longings will be fulfilled? Because when they are... it is a tree of life (the end of Proverbs 13:12)
"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—
Emily Dickinson
Should Disappointment, parent of Despair,
Strive for her son to seize my careless heart;
When, like a cloud, he sits upon the air,
Preparing on his spell-bound prey to dart:
Chase him away, sweet Hope, with visage bright,
And fright him as the morning frightens night!
John Keats
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Joy of Sabbath
Dear folks,
As we finish up the celebrations of Sabbath and head back into the self-denial of the weekday, I think it is good to mark two things. I will use my favorite author C.S. Lewis's words, for he says thing so much more eloquently than I.
"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith." (italics added)
"In a sense the central story of my life is about nothing else... it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that...it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But it is a kind we want... Joy is distinct not only from pleausre in general, but even from aesthetic pleasure. It must have the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing." (italics added)
Samach (Joy) - to brighten up, be blithe or gleesome. Samach usually refers to a spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness which is expressed in some visible manner. It does not normally represent an abiding state of well-being or feeling.
Kacaph (Longing)- means "to long for" in the sense of "to be pale by reason of longing"
The first quote is to say: it is ok to want what is good and enjoy it. We do NOT practice self-denial or sacrifice in order to be miserable. We practice it to give more room for God to work in us. And though we give something up, we must not let it stay empty - or Satan will come back to fill it with something even worse (see the parable of the unclean spirit Luke 11:24). If you have given up some kind of meal or entertainment, it can be helpful to fill it with time spent losing yourself in a project you enjoy or praying for others. Or if you have given up gossip or complaining, it is delightful to spend it coming up with things you are thankful for or thinking up genuine compliments for others.
The second quote reveals that though we don't fast in order to be miserable, it often can produce a kind of "almost" misery. Fasting in whatever manner we have chosen, produces a hunger or desire within us. Most people who give up certain foods or all food for a time find themselves completely swamped with longing for food. In fact, they can't keep their minds from it. This is not something to despair at, but to rejoice in. Although we don't want to be obsessed with food forever, it reminds us of a deeper obsession for what is unseen. All of us long for something more. Sometimes we think we find it in people, music, beauty, experiences, places etc, but we always find ourselves disappointed on returning to whatever we thought the source of our joy and satisfaction was. This only proves we were created for another place. So our physical hunger causes stabs and pangs which mirror and remind us of the often painful longing for God's kingdom to come with all its wellness and wholeness.
So I hope you enjoyed the goodness and fatness of Sunday reprieve (if you choose to give yourself that reprieve... which I think is wise), and take heart as you face the next week!
Love,
Katie
As we finish up the celebrations of Sabbath and head back into the self-denial of the weekday, I think it is good to mark two things. I will use my favorite author C.S. Lewis's words, for he says thing so much more eloquently than I.
"If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith." (italics added)
"In a sense the central story of my life is about nothing else... it is that of an unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction. I call it Joy, which is here a technical term and must be sharply distinguished both from Happiness and from Pleasure. Joy (in my sense) has indeed one characteristic, and one only, in common with them; the fact that anyone who has experienced it will want it again. Apart from that...it might almost equally well be called a particular kind of unhappiness or grief. But it is a kind we want... Joy is distinct not only from pleausre in general, but even from aesthetic pleasure. It must have the stab, the pang, the inconsolable longing." (italics added)
Samach (Joy) - to brighten up, be blithe or gleesome. Samach usually refers to a spontaneous emotion or extreme happiness which is expressed in some visible manner. It does not normally represent an abiding state of well-being or feeling.
Kacaph (Longing)- means "to long for" in the sense of "to be pale by reason of longing"
The first quote is to say: it is ok to want what is good and enjoy it. We do NOT practice self-denial or sacrifice in order to be miserable. We practice it to give more room for God to work in us. And though we give something up, we must not let it stay empty - or Satan will come back to fill it with something even worse (see the parable of the unclean spirit Luke 11:24). If you have given up some kind of meal or entertainment, it can be helpful to fill it with time spent losing yourself in a project you enjoy or praying for others. Or if you have given up gossip or complaining, it is delightful to spend it coming up with things you are thankful for or thinking up genuine compliments for others.
The second quote reveals that though we don't fast in order to be miserable, it often can produce a kind of "almost" misery. Fasting in whatever manner we have chosen, produces a hunger or desire within us. Most people who give up certain foods or all food for a time find themselves completely swamped with longing for food. In fact, they can't keep their minds from it. This is not something to despair at, but to rejoice in. Although we don't want to be obsessed with food forever, it reminds us of a deeper obsession for what is unseen. All of us long for something more. Sometimes we think we find it in people, music, beauty, experiences, places etc, but we always find ourselves disappointed on returning to whatever we thought the source of our joy and satisfaction was. This only proves we were created for another place. So our physical hunger causes stabs and pangs which mirror and remind us of the often painful longing for God's kingdom to come with all its wellness and wholeness.
So I hope you enjoyed the goodness and fatness of Sunday reprieve (if you choose to give yourself that reprieve... which I think is wise), and take heart as you face the next week!
Love,
Katie
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Good Morning Grace!
Dearly beloved,
Before we get any further into Lent, I want to do a little meditation on grace. Being a perfectionist and a passionate person often makes Lent a little fatal for my spiritual life. I've been learning about being a highly sensitive person (there is such a thing... and it's related to genetics!). One way I protect myself as an HSP, is to choose not to compete. Most of us know that Lent is NOT a competition, but let me just say... it can easily become one. (Understatement of the year!) I remember one year when Lent was a competition of holiness in my mind; and I simply rebelled and watched 6 seasons of Bones to drown out the misery of not being as "holy" as my roommate who was eating lentils and little else. (One has to laugh outloud at that sentence). And if it's not a competition with someone else, it can easily become a competition with yourself. If you're not tempted to trumpet what you're giving up, then you're probably tempted to make Lent into a self-improvement project. Note: We cannot make ourselves holy.
Charis: God's tender sense of our misery displays itself in his efforts to lessen and entirely remove it - efforts that are hindered and defeated only by man's continued perverseness. Grace removes guilt.
So, in short, if you find yourself feeling guilty during Lent... whether
a) you feel you aren't giving up enough
b) you feel you HAVE to give something up
c) you gave something up, forgot, and engaged in it
STOP RIGHT THERE! Have a little grace for yourself. You notice that yesterday I did not post. Yesterday I was exhausted. At work, I got so stressed and frustrated, I grumbled (something I've been trying not to do) and kicked a chair... lol. After I kicked the chair, I was like "What kind of impression are you making on your student? (I have a student nurse I'm preceptoring). I told myself "When the going gets rough, you promised yourself you would be calm! YOU'RE NOT CALM". To which myself replied "HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE CALM with four patients on my own, four turns, two egks to read, two neuro/peripheral vascular checks, insulin to give, blood vitals - oh and by the way the patient has a fever... did this occur before or after starting the blood?, doc's not calling me back, patient in pain and pca pump not coming up ALL IN AN HOUR?" (Don't you love arguments with yourself?) Then I sat down and realized that everything I was worried about, was not going to be fixed by my stress, so I simply gave up. The worst that could happen was I would stay late and fix my mistakes. It was great after that, but the temptation to kick myself (not the chair!) for being stressed for the greater part of the afternoon was severe. But I honestly said, "Self! Be joyful, this is a great time to have a little grace for yourself. Now you're better equipped to stay calm the next time" Then at 11 o'clock I pondered writing about this, but I thought to myself, "You need to have more grace for yourself and not make this blog into a "post every day" legalism! Go to sleep!
So here I am... good morning grace :)
Grace and the resulting peace be upon you
Katie
Before we get any further into Lent, I want to do a little meditation on grace. Being a perfectionist and a passionate person often makes Lent a little fatal for my spiritual life. I've been learning about being a highly sensitive person (there is such a thing... and it's related to genetics!). One way I protect myself as an HSP, is to choose not to compete. Most of us know that Lent is NOT a competition, but let me just say... it can easily become one. (Understatement of the year!) I remember one year when Lent was a competition of holiness in my mind; and I simply rebelled and watched 6 seasons of Bones to drown out the misery of not being as "holy" as my roommate who was eating lentils and little else. (One has to laugh outloud at that sentence). And if it's not a competition with someone else, it can easily become a competition with yourself. If you're not tempted to trumpet what you're giving up, then you're probably tempted to make Lent into a self-improvement project. Note: We cannot make ourselves holy.
Charis: God's tender sense of our misery displays itself in his efforts to lessen and entirely remove it - efforts that are hindered and defeated only by man's continued perverseness. Grace removes guilt.
So, in short, if you find yourself feeling guilty during Lent... whether
a) you feel you aren't giving up enough
b) you feel you HAVE to give something up
c) you gave something up, forgot, and engaged in it
STOP RIGHT THERE! Have a little grace for yourself. You notice that yesterday I did not post. Yesterday I was exhausted. At work, I got so stressed and frustrated, I grumbled (something I've been trying not to do) and kicked a chair... lol. After I kicked the chair, I was like "What kind of impression are you making on your student? (I have a student nurse I'm preceptoring). I told myself "When the going gets rough, you promised yourself you would be calm! YOU'RE NOT CALM". To which myself replied "HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE CALM with four patients on my own, four turns, two egks to read, two neuro/peripheral vascular checks, insulin to give, blood vitals - oh and by the way the patient has a fever... did this occur before or after starting the blood?, doc's not calling me back, patient in pain and pca pump not coming up ALL IN AN HOUR?" (Don't you love arguments with yourself?) Then I sat down and realized that everything I was worried about, was not going to be fixed by my stress, so I simply gave up. The worst that could happen was I would stay late and fix my mistakes. It was great after that, but the temptation to kick myself (not the chair!) for being stressed for the greater part of the afternoon was severe. But I honestly said, "Self! Be joyful, this is a great time to have a little grace for yourself. Now you're better equipped to stay calm the next time" Then at 11 o'clock I pondered writing about this, but I thought to myself, "You need to have more grace for yourself and not make this blog into a "post every day" legalism! Go to sleep!
So here I am... good morning grace :)
Grace and the resulting peace be upon you
Katie
Thursday, February 14, 2013
St. Valentine Sacrifice
Night folks,
Very briefly, I've always wondered at the celebration of St. Valentine who died bloodily beheaded. We've turned it into chocolate and comforting Hallmark cards, but really; true love looks more like martyrdom. My nerdy word illumination today was on sacrifice...
Zabach: blood sacrifice - "blood contains the life" and "since the blood was the vehicle of life, it belonged to God alone"
Zebach: to slay an animal "The pious Israelite would be impressed that sin brought death into the world, and that he himself had sinned..... Through his sacrifice would be a) a strong call to righteousness b) to obedience, c) to joy, and d) to mercy. Where the sacrifice had not this spirit, it lost all its value and significance." Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
As we enter into Lent, sacrifice often connotates work, toil, and even pain. It may feel like we're dying as we deny ourselves food, comfort, entertainment etc. But though we are giving up seemingly life-giving things, in truth we are gaining a better life. At Calvin chapel, Pastor Mary made the point that no one jumps into the sem pond in February with the intent to stay in it; the goal is always to GET OUT! In the same way, we offer our livelihoods to Christ, not to be miserable or wallow in our humanity - but to rise to new life. When we surrender small areas of what we think gives us life, God has more room to fill us with his definition and blessing of wellness and wholeness which is much better than what we can think up for ourselves!
At our Calvin UCO meeting tonight, Romans 12:1 was brought up. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Being a living sacrifice is living the paradox of Christianity - to die is to live. To sacrifice and surrender is to gain. And with the new life of the Holy Spirit, we are called to righteousnss, obedience, joy, and mercy. Lent is a call to deeper worship - deeper obedience, deeper life in Christ, deeper JOY!
May God bless you richly in your sacrifices. May you find him to be the Source of Life and Joy.
Katie
Very briefly, I've always wondered at the celebration of St. Valentine who died bloodily beheaded. We've turned it into chocolate and comforting Hallmark cards, but really; true love looks more like martyrdom. My nerdy word illumination today was on sacrifice...
Zabach: blood sacrifice - "blood contains the life" and "since the blood was the vehicle of life, it belonged to God alone"
Zebach: to slay an animal "The pious Israelite would be impressed that sin brought death into the world, and that he himself had sinned..... Through his sacrifice would be a) a strong call to righteousness b) to obedience, c) to joy, and d) to mercy. Where the sacrifice had not this spirit, it lost all its value and significance." Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
As we enter into Lent, sacrifice often connotates work, toil, and even pain. It may feel like we're dying as we deny ourselves food, comfort, entertainment etc. But though we are giving up seemingly life-giving things, in truth we are gaining a better life. At Calvin chapel, Pastor Mary made the point that no one jumps into the sem pond in February with the intent to stay in it; the goal is always to GET OUT! In the same way, we offer our livelihoods to Christ, not to be miserable or wallow in our humanity - but to rise to new life. When we surrender small areas of what we think gives us life, God has more room to fill us with his definition and blessing of wellness and wholeness which is much better than what we can think up for ourselves!
At our Calvin UCO meeting tonight, Romans 12:1 was brought up. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Being a living sacrifice is living the paradox of Christianity - to die is to live. To sacrifice and surrender is to gain. And with the new life of the Holy Spirit, we are called to righteousnss, obedience, joy, and mercy. Lent is a call to deeper worship - deeper obedience, deeper life in Christ, deeper JOY!
May God bless you richly in your sacrifices. May you find him to be the Source of Life and Joy.
Katie
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Non-Negotiable: Steadfast
Hello friends,
For Lent, I'm trying to do a bit of a word study. As Christians, not only do we throw around buzz words that have no meaning to non-Christians, but sometimes we don't know their full meaning either. (Secretly I'm an English nerd in nurse's clothing). As we come into Lent, we are called to repentance, self-denial, almsgiving etc. I'll do word studies on these in due time, but these are not easy things to do. Recently, as I've been struggling with depression, I've come to the realization you have to put your foot down and make some things non-negotiable. It may seem really obvious to you, but resorting to self-harm is simply not an option. Also, for the stability of my mental health - regular exercise is non-negotiable. Without realizing it, we often prioritize things on a basis of what is most comfortable, easy, or what we want. However, sometimes what is best for us does not include any of those things. So Lent is a time to reprioritize what must absolutely be done in the day. That's why we practice fasting from certain things - we are trying to leave behind that which has gotten in the way of what is most important - spending time with God.
Because this is so hard for me (believe me, I struggle with sloth and discipline), I have found it helpful to view my Lenten fasting and almgiving as non-negotiable. For example, every day I'm going to wake up and write down 50 things I'm thankful for. Not getting to bed on time in order to wake up to do this is not an option. Sure it may happen, but then I'm still going to get up on less sleep and be thankful. What does this have to do with steadfastness? Well, in Luke 9:51, Jesus "steadfastly set his face to Jerusalem". This is a potent little verse which needs the enlightening context that in going to Jerusalem, Jesus knew he was going to the cross.... which is certainly not comfortable, easy, and not what he wanted. So, we also are patterning ourselves after Jesus. In my concordance, steadfast is defined as "to turn resolutely in a certain direction, to set fast, to establish, to confirm" When we live out the discipline of non-negotiability, we set our faces to our own crosses, to the Lord on whom we depend, and to establishing new life-giving habits. In my mind, non-negotiaion is steadfastness. It is being resolute in the face of temptation. It is being set fast to do what is good and right and true. It is the strength through the Holy Spirit, to go beyond our comfort zone.
I pray you will learn more about the Lord's steadfast love.
Katie
For Lent, I'm trying to do a bit of a word study. As Christians, not only do we throw around buzz words that have no meaning to non-Christians, but sometimes we don't know their full meaning either. (Secretly I'm an English nerd in nurse's clothing). As we come into Lent, we are called to repentance, self-denial, almsgiving etc. I'll do word studies on these in due time, but these are not easy things to do. Recently, as I've been struggling with depression, I've come to the realization you have to put your foot down and make some things non-negotiable. It may seem really obvious to you, but resorting to self-harm is simply not an option. Also, for the stability of my mental health - regular exercise is non-negotiable. Without realizing it, we often prioritize things on a basis of what is most comfortable, easy, or what we want. However, sometimes what is best for us does not include any of those things. So Lent is a time to reprioritize what must absolutely be done in the day. That's why we practice fasting from certain things - we are trying to leave behind that which has gotten in the way of what is most important - spending time with God.
Because this is so hard for me (believe me, I struggle with sloth and discipline), I have found it helpful to view my Lenten fasting and almgiving as non-negotiable. For example, every day I'm going to wake up and write down 50 things I'm thankful for. Not getting to bed on time in order to wake up to do this is not an option. Sure it may happen, but then I'm still going to get up on less sleep and be thankful. What does this have to do with steadfastness? Well, in Luke 9:51, Jesus "steadfastly set his face to Jerusalem". This is a potent little verse which needs the enlightening context that in going to Jerusalem, Jesus knew he was going to the cross.... which is certainly not comfortable, easy, and not what he wanted. So, we also are patterning ourselves after Jesus. In my concordance, steadfast is defined as "to turn resolutely in a certain direction, to set fast, to establish, to confirm" When we live out the discipline of non-negotiability, we set our faces to our own crosses, to the Lord on whom we depend, and to establishing new life-giving habits. In my mind, non-negotiaion is steadfastness. It is being resolute in the face of temptation. It is being set fast to do what is good and right and true. It is the strength through the Holy Spirit, to go beyond our comfort zone.
I pray you will learn more about the Lord's steadfast love.
Katie
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Fat Tuesday Celebrations
Good morning folks!
I love people and I love prayer. So this a people/prayer meeting via the internet. I am thankful the internet allows us to stay in contact from far and near. So grab your punchkeys... (couldn't spell Polish if the maffia had a gun to my head) and start by taking some time to be thankful. During Lent, I'm committed to waking up in the morning and coming up with 50 things for which I'm grateful before the day has started. Today's list included coffee, smart wool socks, first world problems, the internet, amaryllis, crazy hair and embroidery. Thanksgiving slows us down and gives us time to absorb the details in the world. I never realized how lovely embroidery was until I read about it being banned for its beauty (in a work of fiction); and I never would have thought of it as something to be thankful for until I thought about how it can be a work of love to produce something so time consuming and beautiful. Thanksgiving protects us from discontent by reminding us of God's goodness.
Lent is a time often misunderstood and misused. In my life, I want to use it as a time to offer myself more fully to the Lord, but since this is a thing I should always be doing, I can understand why my mother never cared to celebrate it. Traditionally, (and you can contradict or add to what I write), I believe Lent was a time for people to prepare their hearts for Easter through prayer, penitance, and self-denial. In some ways, it mirrors Jesus temptation in the desert for 40 days. Truthfully, I agree with my mom and don't think there should be any time we are not praying, practicing self-denial, and repenting, but I appreciate Lent because we need reminders. Jesus gave us the sacrement of communion before he went to the cross because he knew humans struggle with spiritual dimensia. Therefore, I am eager to grab Lent by the horns (mixed metaphors here) and dive "further up and further in" to life in Christ!
As I considered this year's Lent, I found myself hungry to also grow in community. The church is a body - we need eachother to grow stronger. I don't want to experience Lent alone. So I'm creating this blog, as a form of mutual Lenten encouragement. I offer it as a way to share our experiences - how we are drawing nearer to God (or finding that He is drawing us to Him... because sometimes we cannot carry our sorry selves anywhere, but thanks God be if we have willing hearts, He will do the work). If you do post, I gently suggest beginning with what you are thankful for and then sharing whatever is on your heart.
Love,
Katie
I love people and I love prayer. So this a people/prayer meeting via the internet. I am thankful the internet allows us to stay in contact from far and near. So grab your punchkeys... (couldn't spell Polish if the maffia had a gun to my head) and start by taking some time to be thankful. During Lent, I'm committed to waking up in the morning and coming up with 50 things for which I'm grateful before the day has started. Today's list included coffee, smart wool socks, first world problems, the internet, amaryllis, crazy hair and embroidery. Thanksgiving slows us down and gives us time to absorb the details in the world. I never realized how lovely embroidery was until I read about it being banned for its beauty (in a work of fiction); and I never would have thought of it as something to be thankful for until I thought about how it can be a work of love to produce something so time consuming and beautiful. Thanksgiving protects us from discontent by reminding us of God's goodness.
Lent is a time often misunderstood and misused. In my life, I want to use it as a time to offer myself more fully to the Lord, but since this is a thing I should always be doing, I can understand why my mother never cared to celebrate it. Traditionally, (and you can contradict or add to what I write), I believe Lent was a time for people to prepare their hearts for Easter through prayer, penitance, and self-denial. In some ways, it mirrors Jesus temptation in the desert for 40 days. Truthfully, I agree with my mom and don't think there should be any time we are not praying, practicing self-denial, and repenting, but I appreciate Lent because we need reminders. Jesus gave us the sacrement of communion before he went to the cross because he knew humans struggle with spiritual dimensia. Therefore, I am eager to grab Lent by the horns (mixed metaphors here) and dive "further up and further in" to life in Christ!
As I considered this year's Lent, I found myself hungry to also grow in community. The church is a body - we need eachother to grow stronger. I don't want to experience Lent alone. So I'm creating this blog, as a form of mutual Lenten encouragement. I offer it as a way to share our experiences - how we are drawing nearer to God (or finding that He is drawing us to Him... because sometimes we cannot carry our sorry selves anywhere, but thanks God be if we have willing hearts, He will do the work). If you do post, I gently suggest beginning with what you are thankful for and then sharing whatever is on your heart.
Love,
Katie
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