For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3: 14-21Lord I know this passage well. You have heard me pray these words over specific people. I add their names in place of the you’s and your’s. I have recited its words naming my … [Read more...]
Celebrating 600!
Do you know how old Noah was when the flood began?600Do you know how many new blogs are published every minute?600Do you know which birthday for Joan of Arc we are celebrating this year?600Do you know how many years ago the University of St Andrew in Scotland began?600Do you have any idea how many blog posts I have written here since the beginning?600Fun trivia today to celebrate this 600th post.I feel blessed: Blessed by God to have the opportunity to write for Him and blessed by all of you who read these humble words each time. I am so very grateful. Thank you for reading this blog!!The most popular posts the past three years based on one the number of times people looked at that page are the ones about prayer, inspirational quotes, and hymn stories. Prayer is so essential to our growing closer to God and so many of us hunger for hope and encouragement we find in quotes and music.Since prayer, hymns, and quotes are key themes here, I thought I would share the words of one of my … [Read more...]
Praying for Rain
Drought - yes it is a record year for hot, hot temps and dry, dry weather. I found this graph from the Weather Channel that summed up our desperate need for rain very well.The National Climatic Data Center reports that the 2012 drought disaster is now the largest in over 50 years, and among the ten largest of the past century. Only the extraordinary droughts of the 1930s and 1950s have covered more land area than the current drought. 55 percent of the contiguous United States was under moderate to extreme drought in June. I live in northwest Ohio. When you look at this map, yes my tiny neck of the woods is maroon colored - one of the worst hit areas. We are classified as extreme drought. And I know many of you are also suffering this summer. This severe weather will affect us all no matter where we live with higher costs such as in food. This could be one of the top ten most expensive weather disasters in the United States.(NOTE: I began writing this a post a few days ago and woke … [Read more...]
Ten Books That Feed my Mind and Spirit
I love books!Reading the words written by wiser, much more mature Christians nourishes my spiritual journey.I don’t just read books; I highlight words, dog-ear the corners, and rewrite quotes in my journal. I print out soul-refreshing lines and hang them around my desk or clip them into my blank books. Their prayers, often birthed centuries before me, send their roots deep into my heart and bubble up to my lips.I thought I would share with you today ten books that kindle my spiritual walk. Sigh, only ten?Now I could easily list more, but the Internet may crash from its weight and ten is such a nice number. So ten it is:1. NIV Study Bible - I have other Bibles and have looked at many more, but this torn, underlined, scribbled in the margin version is my treasure. The edges unravel under the tape and it is too bulky to skip easily into my purse, but how could I part from this long companion? 2. Something More by Catherine Marshall. I had trouble choosing which Catherine Marshall book to … [Read more...]
Prayer by John Wesley
prayer.. (Photo credit: aronki)“Lord, I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Let be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You. Let me have all things, let me have nothing, I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours. So be it. Amen.” John Wesley … [Read more...]
The Lord’s Blessings – Lectio Divina
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule."You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you."You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat."You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for."You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world."You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into … [Read more...]
The Knot Prayer – Quote of the Week
Dear God,Please untie the knotsthat are in my mind,my heart and my life.Remove the have nots,the can nots and the do notsthat I have in my mind.Erase the will nots,may nots, andmight nots that finda home in my heart.Release me from the could nots,would nots andshould nots that obstruct my life.And most of all, dear God,I ask that you remove from my mindmy heart and my life all of the am notsthat I have allowed to hold me back,especially the thoughtthat I am not good enough.Amen(author unknown) … [Read more...]
Prayers that Blessed my Retreat
Prayer opened the door of my heart during my recent retreat. I was surrounded and supportive with prayers from others from their own life journeys and prayers that bubbled up within me as I spent time with God.I am home now following this two-week retreat on the “Art of Guiding Individually Directed Retreats.” The setting was at the lovely St. Francis Retreat Center in Michigan and sponsored by the Dominican Center at Marywood. Our retreat leader was Sister Nancy Brousseau, my mentor and spiritual guide through my formation as a spiritual director. Nancy always invites us to go deeper, to let go and plunge into God. Knowing that should have prepared me for two weeks of not just learning with my head, but coming home with a new heart.I wanted to write a post today detailing the retreat about what I experienced and still am encountering with God. But I am lost to find the words to describe the intimacy and sacredness of these ongoing blessings.Instead I will share with you some of … [Read more...]