Embrace The New

It surprises me at the warmth of our weather in the middle of our winter days. I find myself missing the chill for reasons I can’t understand fully. Perhaps it’s because this is what I have been trained to expect so when it doesn’t happen the way I think it should there is a certain confusion that disturbs me.

Change is good though, it’s training me to expect and embrace the unexpected and especially the new!

January 17, 2009

Empty Enough

“God gives His gifts where He finds the vessel empty enough to receive them.” C.S. Lewis

As I read this observation I can only anticipate how much He will fill me up. With every outpouring I have to wonder, “am I not yet empty enough”?

January 16, 2009

Challenging The Center Of The Universal Thought

What do you do when you find out you are right? Do you go around shouting to the world about it? Your family, your friends, your co-workers? And what if they think you are wrong? Would you stake your livelihood on it? How about the very safety of your person? How far would you, or can you, actually go to prove it? Most of us are not gifted in the science of astronomy, math or physics. This is a valid question though, what do you do with the truth?

History is a graveyard of notions and truths offered, yet those who often write it are unable to question the conviction of the hearts for the very persons they are writing about. Will Galileo be in heaven? He was a devout Roman Catholic but he questioned the facts as offered at the time by those who would believe in Greek logic. The ruling papacy of the age was threatened by his “scientific” approach, leaving the man in a defensive pose for his family, his livelihood, his line in the sand for the truth.

Most of us think this man questioned whether the earth was flat vs. round, when in fact he merely wanted to scientifically question and prove the earth orbited the sun, whereas others taught the sun and planets orbited the earth. I think my notice of this today is also a lesson of humility. The religious church leaders of the time felt so threatened by scientific knowledge they went out of their way to persecute Galileo’s very character and more.

My intention is not to point fingers at historical religious leaders but rather to learn from our past mistakes. If we truly seek the truth then let’s embrace it, however it comes. The history lesson in this man’s life was that he suffered so we may not have to. While his fellow astronomers, mathematicians and philosophers were looking into windows of past knowledge; they stopped looking forward or even upwards.

Galileo challenged the notion that we were the center of the universe. Today, we must continue to challenge the same notion.

January 15, 2009

Listening In The Din

You ever listen in such a way that you are paying attention? How do I explain this? Hhhmmm…..well I kind of think of the world as white noise so to speak. It’s so busy and loud, it sounds like that snowy channel when you hit the wrong button on the remote. At first it can be a tad irritating but if you’re sleeping eventually the noise just seems to fade into your subconscious.

In the din of the world around us all this noise becomes common place. Just take a walk along a city street during rush hour to experience this up close and personal. I have had to learn to retrain my ear to listen more carefully amongst the volume all around me. Every now and again there is something worth hearing but if I am not paying attention I may miss it.

I love the way Abba Father speaks to us but we have to be listening for him. Lately I hear with a word…confidence! It restructures my thoughts to have confidence. I don’t have to feel timid or shy. I have found I like to listen in confidence; it makes me want to ask more. Now I wait, confident He will answer me.

1 Kings 19:11-12 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

January 13, 2009

Confidence!

GRACE and Truth

Thank YOU for the Fire! Thank YOU for the confidence to walk in NEWNESS….

“Oh Lord, please light the fire,

That once burned bright and clean,

Replace the lamp of my first love,

That burns with Holy fear”

A friend whom I love dearly and YOU love more spoke words of significance….

Let the fieworks begin!!!

January 12, 2009

Fizzled Embers

I was on my knees this weekend looking deep into the hearth of my fireplace. The day was so cold and we hadn’t turned on our central heat lately. The husband was off running an errand. I had built many a fire over the years but for some reason this one seemed off a touch. This one had been burning fine but eventually the flames had died out to just an ember. It didn’t seem to have enough fresh air flowing through the flue.

I thought it would be easy enough to relight the thing. Put some kindling next to the embers and it should catch from the heat but nothing happened. Matter of fact the kindling merely changed color from its pristine raw look to plain charred, no flame of glory.

Thinking I could fix this I brought in some paper fragments and twisted them up so they’d hold a flame for longer than a second. Putting these next to the embers and kindling I waited but instead of igniting into flame they only lay there smoldering; releasing some unpleasant dark smoke. Even when I tried to blow on it myself this merely produced more of the nasty smokiness. Eventually I left it alone to die out completely.

I wonder tonight about the fire of God’s love in all of us. Without His breath of life and Spirit upon us we can only blow on each other weakly, creating a smoldering mess. Without Him we are just going through the motions and no matter how we work ourselves up in a frenzy we will fizzle out into a cold and faithless religion.

January 11, 2009

Shunts

So often as people, we do what it takes to get by, leaving our hearts in some kind of “lock box” for protection. In our humanistic wisdom we actually think we are doing ourselves a favor. No harm no foul right?

When I was pursuing a degree in education I learned about shunts. In raw definition, this is the act or process of turning aside or moving to an alternate course. (Just think of an electric current diverted) In examining my own life I am seeing for the first time how many “shunts” I have installed into my daily routine. I wonder how many areas of my life would be recharged if I finally let the current of love run its natural course? Who could I be? What could I do? Who might I touch?

It’s time to find out……

January 10, 2009

Lost In Translation?

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For kicks I looked up the definition of “download” today and an overwhelming amount of sites gave me back the general consensus “transfer of data from a central computer source”. We are conscious beings and I have never met anyone who wasn’t looking for more “download”.

What I have come across is those who can’t understand the message or how it gets lost in translation.

January 9, 2009

Breaking A Heart For More Room

I once heard somewhere a heart broken is merely one needing to make more room for love. It didn’t make much sense to me until I saw a visual picture. A heart closed up and sealed isn’t able to hold the things that overflow, therefore it had to be broken open to give access to those crevices where more could be fit into it.

With a new mindset I purposely ask for a heart broken. Not crushed, but kept in a place of surrender. I want to finally love others as I love myself.

Psalm 51:17 (NIV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise

January 8, 2009

My Rug Cafe

Coming home from work I had to “run an errand for our kids”, that’s what the hubby said. He rarely asks me to go out of my way for errands so I agreed. Traffic was fairly light so I was able so zoom along the freeway pretty quickly and take the exit I needed. Adding to my delight, when I got to the store there was a sweet parking spot right in front! Wow, I thought and said my thanks again to the “big God”.

In and out, I ran my errand and still easily got home in light traffic. Along the way I felt such inner peace which had been with me all day. I loved this mindset. I didn’t even mind when I got home that I had to make a couple trips in and out to take in the bags. Once I got to my kitchen however my inner peace began to creep away from me quickly.

There was much to be done. Crumbs, dishes and a vacuum was in order. As I started to empty the sink so I could run some hot water I smashed one of my finger tips. About this time my wonderful husband walked in to “help me”. I walked away for a few minutes unable to “deal with this” for the time being.

Than it hit me, I wanted to go to a special place and this afternoon it was hanging on my own wall; a scenic café setting with some flowers (I love flowers), a water fountain and charming surroundings. Looking carefully I couldn’t see any crumbs, nor did I see a fat lazy cat or a shedding dog panting, wanting to be noticed. There were no dirty dishes on any of the tables. Sighing inwardly all I could imagine was sitting under the umbrella outside and chatting with those I loved to be with….yes this was a happy place….

Vvrrrroooommmm, oh drats, the vacuum cleaner was interrupting my pleasant thoughts. Well, those dishes will only become a bigger pile if not dealt with now so it’s time to roll up my sleeves but at least I can look over my shoulder now and again to see where I long to be for dinner.