You are the giver of all good things. All good things are sent from heaven above, rain and sun, day and night, justice and righteousness, bread to the eater and seed to the sower, peace to the old, energy to the young, joy to the babes. We are takers, who take from you, day by day, daily bread, taking all we need as you supply, taking in gratitude and wonder and joy. And then taking more, taking more than we need, taking more than you give us, taking from our sisters and brothers, taking from the poor and the weak, taking because we are frightened, and so greedy, taking because we are anxious, and so fearful, Taking because we are driven, and so uncaring. Give us peace beyond our fear, and so end our greed. Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear. Give us abundance beyond our drivenness, and so end our uncaring. Turn our taking into giving … since we are in your giving image: Make us giving like you, giving gladly and not taking, giving … [Read more...]
Mystical Murmuration
I first noticed them outside of the car window. The flock of birds moving like synchronized swimmers or a well-choreographed dance troupe, dark flowing against the white clouds. What music did they hear? Who leds them? Who taught them such grace? I am amazed at the Creator's wonders found in nature. I knew this phenomenon of the bird ballet had a name and being a word person knew I had to explore this mesmerizing movement. The result was not disappointment and the name wasn't either. Murmuration. Isn't that a cool word! When birds, usually starlings, fly together and swirl in a repeating, coordinated ever-changing pattern - this dazzling dance is called a murmuration. The starlings in a murmuration seem to be connected together. They twist and turn and change direction at a moment’s notice. Perhaps you've seen this amazing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNqhi2ka9k&feature=youtu.be Wired Magazine described murmuration like this: "Each starling in a … [Read more...]
February – The Month of Love – Quotes to Ponder
February - The Month of Love - Quotes to Ponder We turned the calendar this weekend (where did January go? In Ohio it's buried under snow!) and now enter the month of love. Though February is mostly know of love between people, I thought I'd share a few quotes about God's love for a midwinter pondering. Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed. ~Robert H. Schuller God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. ~St. Augustine “We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.” Brennan Manning “If you have never known the power of God's love, then maybe it is because you have never asked to know it - I mean really asked, expecting an answer.” Frederick Buechner There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It … [Read more...]
Standing at God’s Door – Lectio Divina
Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of wicked people. Psalm 84: 10 Holman Christian Standard Your door, Lord. That is where I stand. Not fully entering into your house, yet no longer amidst the chaos of the world. I hear you beckon to come in, but I hesitate. Wait for what? I don't know. Somehow it feels safe here. Within your reach in case I need you. Yet one foot in the world if its temptations lure me away. Keeping one eye on you while knowing you want both eyes, both hands, all of me. Forgive my indecisiveness, my unwillingness to run into your open and waiting arms. Thank you for your patience in letting me linger here a little longer. So close. I dawdle, not dwell with you. I skim, not savor. I rather be here at your door than without you, Lord. Thank you for getting me this far and guide me the rest of the way into my new … [Read more...]
The Gift of Being Yourself – Quote of the Week – Frederick Buechner
Whatever you do with your life —whatever you end up achieving or not achieving— the great gift you have in you to give to the world is the gift of who you alone are; your way of seeing things, and saying things, and feeling about things, that is like nobody else’s. If so much as a single one of you were missing, there would be an empty place at the great feast of life that nobody else in all creation could fill. Frederick Buechner … [Read more...]
Dancing with Faith and Courage
Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future. Faith is having the courage to dance to it today. ~ Dr. Peter Kuzmi I watched two different women this week dance with faith and courage in the midst of raw grief and confusing self-disclosure and doubt. Like the cracked thick calluses on my heels, my harden heart split open raw with their stories. Each word, the pumice stone. Each tear, the moisturizing cream. After sharing her story one lady faces the future with inspiring courage. She has chosen a difficult path and is ready now to explore the second half of her life. She told me, "It's been an ongoing struggle of pretending to be something I am not and then learning to accept myself as I am created to be. I've let my walls down and found strength in my vulnerability." Her pain taught me I can survive and even thrive being myself - no masks needed. Just take the steps into the unknown path ahead knowing God will accompany me and guide me. Once she said those words, … [Read more...]
My Un-Word
I wrote last month about my Word of the Year but am now seeing in various blogs the idea of choosing an Un-Word. Myquillyn over at the Nesting Place Blog first introduced me to the concept of a un-word. "The UN-word is a word that you are rejecting for the new year. You would like to Un-Do it." I like a challenge, especially a word challenge, so began to think about what is something I want to undo or stop this year. Instead of something to do or to be, what is on my to-don't list? What do I want to say good-bye to this year? This could be a great reflective question to ponder this time of year. What is an ugly, negative and even hazardous word in your life that you could get rid of this year? She stresses a un-word can be made up. For example if you don't want to be so bossy this year, your un-word is unbossy. Her word this year is undistracted. The Nesting Place hosted a link up last week where others shared their un-word of the year. Other people's un-words were … [Read more...]
One Thing I Ask of the Lord – Lectio Divina
"One thing I ask of the Lord; One thing I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek God in the temple." Psalm 27: 4 One thing. Only one. So often I come to you, Lord with multiple lists, a litany of requests, and a huge pile of worries and complaints. I rush into your temple, dump my demands onto your lap and speed out to my busyness. One thing. One thing - easier to remember and simpler to do. Coming to you only holding one item out to you clears my mind of trying to remember it all. Frees me of dragging heavy burdens given to me by the world and my ego, not from you. I approach you with empty, open hands held up in praise, not full with cumbersome appeals. One thing reminds me of the snares of multitasking my prayers. Keeping it simple uncomplicates my relationship with you. The more I know you, Lord and more I listen to your voice, you direct my ways in simple … [Read more...]