This is a series of reflections following my trip to the Holy Lands this fall. What a profound and life-changing experience to walk where Jesus lived. Visiting Israel opened my eyes and refreshed my heart on so many levels – historically, politically, biblically and spiritually. Olive trees thrive in the Holy Lands. Every meal we ate offered at least one form of olives. Olive oil and olive wood gifts decorated the shelves of stores we visited. We passed miles of olive tree groves. Olive trees don’t grow in NW Ohio, so this is a tree I wasn’t familiar with. I read and heard about the Mount of Olives. We visited the peaceful Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed among the olive trees. We watched workers harvesting the branches. But it was something our tour guide said that resonate within me and caused me to listen more closely to the lessons from the olive trees. George told us that olive trees could grow in any type of soil and had shallow roots. With this limited root … [Read more...]
Holy Lands Harmonics
This is a series of reflections following my trip to the Holy Lands this fall. What a profound and life-changing experience to walk where Jesus lived. Visiting Israel opened my eyes and refreshed my heart on so many levels – historically, politically, biblically and spiritually. Music marinated my soul on our trip to Israel. I didn’t realize how deeply the songs we heard and sang still rang within my heart until we were home. My memories anchored in Holy Lands harmonics in a land of not much harmony. "Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the infinite." ~ Thomas Carlyle The Church of the Angels in Bethlehem’s Shepherds’ Field stands out first in my mind. This church is built in the shape of a shepherd’s tent in the place that could have been the site where the angels announced Jesus’ birth. Painted angels encircle the bright white ceiling, with words written in … [Read more...]
God’s Gifts – Lectio Divina
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:14-21, ESV) Lord you are the giver of all gifts. Please take away … [Read more...]
Advent Approaches – Quote of the Week
“The house lights go off and the footlights come on. Even the chattiest stop chattering as they wait in darkness for the curtain to rise. In the orchestra pit, the violin bows are poised. The conductor has raised his baton. In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is far off in the deeps of it somewhere a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You walk up the steps to the front door. The empty windows at either side of it tell you nothing, or almost nothing. For a second you catch a whiff of some fragrance that reminds you of a place you’ve never been and a time you have no words for. You are aware of the beating of your heart…The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment.” — Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark … [Read more...]
Faith Shift – Book Review
If we are really honest, we all face doubts about our faith at times. How our churches help us recognize, embrace, think through and learn from our uncertainties can make all the difference. When we journey with one another through the haziness of being unsure, often we all become stronger. I read Kathy Escobar’s new book, Faith Shift – Finding Your Way Forward When Everything You Believe is Coming Apart – with a great deal of interest. She deals with this topic – when we go through dark times of questions, hesitation and doubts – from both personal experience and from involvement in guiding others. And Kathy provides light for this difficult passage in a tender, nurturing way. It is often when we stay with our questions, that our roots grow deeper. When we cover up our doubts with platitudes, trying harder or denying that we are experiencing disbelief, we stagnant. This is not a self-help book to find God again in your life. It is a guidebook for transition times as your … [Read more...]
Spiritual Jet Lag
We have been traveling out of the country the last 12 days and man, does it feel good to be home. I will be writing about our amazing adventure to the Holy Lands a little bit later as I really need some time to process prayerfully everything I saw and experienced there. We had some wonderful worship moments on our journey yet the long 14 hours airplane ride home and the time differences really jarred my body and soul. I am tired, out of sorts and feel almost drugged with foggy thinking. I missed my regular morning devotions with God. I missed my family and longed to hear my kids’ voices and get those priceless hugs from grandkids. I missed the comfort of my own snuggling bed. One of the best things to do for physical jet lag is to rest and to drink more water. The same is true for spiritual jet lag – just rest in God’s arms, spend time with Him and drink in his wisdom and love. Benjamin Button said this about coming home: “It’s a funny thing about comin’ home. … [Read more...]
God in Everything – Quote of the Week – Thomas Merton
To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything God has given us and God has given us everything. Thomas Merton … [Read more...]
Today Let’s Just BE
Shh, let’s just be today. Forget that to-do list. Sit quietly in your chair. Take a few deep breaths and be. Do you realize we check our cell phones an average of 110 times a day? According to Computer World, in the United States we average 16 minutes every hour on social media. Distractions bombard us continuously. Distractions – phone, internet, and pestering to do’s deter us from giving our full attention to the One who most deserves our devotion. I hunger for stillness and quiet and just to be. Perhaps that is why I love to start my morning in contemplative prayer. Usually I ramble off my concerns and a few wants to the Lord, then I just rest in his arms. Heaven doesn’t open up and I don’t see angels ascending and descending – just being in his presence. I don’t hear God’s mighty voice or lean in for his gentle whisper, We just enjoy each other’s company. No agenda. No items to discuss. Just being together. But I fail often. My mind wanders … [Read more...]