September 07, 2016

The Stabilizing Focus of a Morning Prayer

September 07, 2016/ jan

Oh, life has been full of losses lately...deaths, illnesses, failures. And these during and after times of refreshment with loved ones and beaches and the simplicity of Amish peaceful countryside.

As a result, I am reflecting, revisiting, and responding in new ways to previous thoughts...some of which have already been shared. Forgive me. But if you would like to listen in, here is my meditation:

Life is a mix, a conglomeration.
There is confusion and clarity, flailing and focus, excruciating pain and exquisite peace.
There is bitterness and sweetness, strength and fragility, "rugged seas" and "smooth sailing."

August 30, 2016

Why? Why one but not the other?

August 30, 2016/ jan

While my husband and I made our way to the East Coast to spend time with our daughter and family, grandsons, my own siblings and their families, word came to us of the sudden death of our friend Craig. Shock beyond words! Grief and heart-break for our friend Cindy, his dear wife as well as for ourselves and all those who have known him and loved him. No time for prayer, beseeching, begging!

Then a few days later, word came of my friend Linda, who had just suffered a stoke at 73 years of age...

So that's always the dilemma.

WHY? Why one and not the other?

August 23, 2016

Grief and Joy and Love and Life: for a Friend in the Loss of Her Beloved

August 23, 2016/ jan

For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name...
Isaiah 54:5

My dear friend,

I heard a song and I thought of you!

I remembered a poem and I thought of you!

And I thought of grief and joy and love and life...and I thought of you, my precious sister-friend!

And I remembered your delightful, creative, godly love of your life Craig, who is now "exploring the mysteries of Christ."

August 17, 2016

Schooltime (or anytime) Prayer for the Children in your Life

August 17, 2016/ jan

Four little "scholars" begin a new school year in our family. Since these scholars are our grandchildren, this new beginning makes this Babci pause.

What will this year hold for these precious little lives?

Joys and sorrows, friendships and rejections, encouragement and despondency, successes and failures...

Lord, I want the formers and not the latters. But I know how it goes...the firsts often come through the seconds.

August 15, 2016

Respecting the Holy Spirit in Other Believers...including (or maybe especially) Children

August 15, 2016/ jan

During these closing weeks of the summer, many of us are focusing especially on the children in our lives. School is starting (or has already started), and we are longing for a rich year of learning, love, and acceptance...good friends, caring teachers and adults in their young, vulnerable lives. And our wish list for them and prayer list on their behalf go on and on.

So whether a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, teacher or caring friend, this is for you. I know it can be easy to discount or forget the glorious potential in those little lives that we love and care about.

August 03, 2016

The Prayer of Relinquishment...the hardest prayer to pray

August 03, 2016/ jan

Like most people, when I first began active experimentation with prayer, I was full of questions, such as: Why are some agonizingly sincere prayers granted, while others are not? I still have questions. Mysteries about prayer are always ahead of present knowledge—luring, beckoning on to further experimentation.

But one thing I do know; I learned it through hard experience. It’s a way of prayer that has resulted consistently in a glorious answer, glorious because each time, power beyond human reckoning has been released. This is the Prayer of Relinquishment.

July 24, 2016

Of Haircuts, Bananas, and Traffic Patterns: Is anything too Small for the Lord?

July 24, 2016/ jan

Is there anything too small for the Lord?

OK, that's not how the verse goes:

Is there anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17; 32:27; Luke 18:27)

But maybe the first is a question we should also ask. Let me share why...

The other day I was taking my daily walk down our hill, through the nature path, alongside the horse farm, through a park area with the baseball fields and grove of trees...then back again. Many times this walk is when I commune with the Lord....listening to praise music, talking with my Savior and Friend.

And other times, I commune with friends or family via my cell phone. Also lovely and meaningful.

July 19, 2016

Fragile Souls...all of us, but especially...

July 19, 2016/ jan

As I was getting ready to write a short blog about how easy it is to run ahead of the Lord, word came through of another pastor of a large multi campus ministry, a dear brother in the Lord, who has fallen into the mire of "moral failure."

Tragic, devastating news!

We all grieve for our brother...for his lovely wife...for his precious children.

And for ourselves who have heard God's Word and Spirit speaking to our hearts through this gifted brother.

But we also grieve with him...yes, with!

Because none of us is far from the same pit...though in different circumstances. This could easily be you or me.

July 11, 2016

The Dance of FAITH: Moving with His Life-giving Flow

July 11, 2016/ jan

A few years ago, my husband and I were at some friends’ house. This couple liked to gather miscellaneous people who knew them but not each other. True to form, they asked a great icebreaker question. The particular question that evening was,

If you could do anything other than what you currently do, what would that be? Your secret ambition?

July 07, 2016

A Living FAITH: What is it?

July 07, 2016/ jan

What is a living faith?

To understand a faith that is alive, vibrant, real and restful, we need to explore two verses and two questions. Both of our verses contain the same interesting phrase, “yet not I.” And both are from Paul’s writings: Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 15:10.

1. What is “the faith” by which we live while on this earth?

I am crucified [united with] Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

2. If God lives the life that only He can live in and through me, what about me? Do I do anything?

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God with [united with] me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

July 05, 2016

The Rest of FAITH: Living the “Yet Not I, but CHRIST” Life

July 05, 2016/ jan

About twelve years ago, our son-in-law was stationed in Tucson, Arizona [home of our Alma Mater, the U of A, "Go Wildcats!" But I digress...]. When the school year for my ESOL class had ended in June, I flew to Tucson for an extended visit.

Beth and Nate were both working during the daytime, so I had some lovely, restful, sun-filled (and "Son-filled") time alone by the pool. At that time, I was reading some of Brennan Manning's books.

One day I was reading The Signature of Jesus: The Call to a Life Marked by Holy Passion & Relentless Faith as I soaked up the Arizona sun by the pool. I was somewhat annoyed to see that a man lying on a lounge nearby was straining to see what I was reading.

June 28, 2016

Revelation 201: "Why do kids raised in Christian homes walk away from the faith?" and other such questions

June 28, 2016/ jan

Kids who have been raised in Christian homes, and even educated in Christian schools, seem to be "leaving the faith" in surprising numbers.

And maybe there are just as many young people and adults that "stay" but are bored, just going through the motions.

What is going on? Why is this happening?

June 26, 2016

Caught in the Web: Getting Free*

June 26, 2016/ jan

Look carefully! Can you see it? A perfectly formed circular spider web hanging across a path, suspended by a thread! Th is is the amazing sight that my friend Penny and I happened upon early one morning as we were walking down some little-traveled paths in a wooded area in my neighborhood. Here was one spider who was serious! She was ready to get a good catch that day!

There was a period of insecurity in my life when I was a good catch in a craftily constructed web—not made by earthly designs but that of the Father of Lies (John 8:44). It started out with a series of real, and perhaps imagined, rejections which then developed into a lie. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I had recognized it for what it was, but I didn’t. And so I embraced it as truth and struggled for many years.

June 22, 2016

Revelation -101: How NOT to See & Hear God

June 22, 2016/ jan

You read that right "Revelation MINUS 101."

I wish I didn't have to write this post, but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't.

And can I be honest? I've been cranky . . . crabby . . . "out of sorts" . . . ok, nasty! Ask my husband. I had gotten tired of being a "punching bag" in little ways in a certain relationship. My house is torn apart with a pending reconstruction project. I feel in limbo emotionally (aftermath of my husband's and my retirement?) . . . all potential reasons but very poor excuses!

June 21, 2016

Revelation 101: Senses Come Alive!

June 21, 2016/ jan

Since my mom moved to the beach in New Jersey many years ago, I've been able to spend the early morning hours on the beach.

Now I am basically an intuitive, rather than sensory person (a la Myers-Briggs). But I've found over the years that my senses come alive at the beach.

June 03, 2016

Keeping God's Word Fresh: a Guest Branch

June 03, 2016/ jan

If I want to keep my relationship with Jesus strong I need to keep the lines of communication open. We speak to God through prayer and He speaks to us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes it can seem like a chore, however, so I’m always looking for ways to keep the Bible “living and active”.

I discovered a fun Bible last year. It’s called The ESV Journaling Bible. It has room on the sides to write notes or to draw or paint. I’ve always enjoyed drawing and painting as a hobby so what better way to elevate God’s Word!

June 01, 2016

God's Coloring Book: Praying & Reflecting in Colors

June 01, 2016/ jan

In my last post, we reflected on living our life in full color rather than in muted and dulled shades. I also shared an amazing song discovered as a delightful "God-wink," God's Coloring Book.

So in keeping with the theme of color and our spiritual walk with the Lord, I would like to share some possible ways to use color to help nurture our souls.

May 28, 2016

Living the Colorful Life

May 28, 2016/ jan

God lives a colorful life . . . or maybe better said, God lives His life in color!

All we need do is look around. Color is everywhere . . . in nature, in people, even in feelings, ideas, and circumstances.

But as Christians, who embrace a color-loving God who gives us fullness of life through the indwelling Spirit, we most often live inwardly in colors muted and shaded and not alive.

Why is that, I wonder?

May 27, 2016

Embracing the Life that's Mine, not the One I Wish were Mine

May 27, 2016/ jan

It made me think of how I was feeling last summer after I returned from a month in Delaware with my daughter and family. The last place I wanted to be was in back Ohio! But God brought me up short. Here is the blog I wrote shortly thereafter. Maybe you need the reminder periodically, as do I. First posted September 14, 2015.

May 24, 2016

Rejoicing, not just Weeping

May 24, 2016/ jan

Why is it easier to weep with others in their suffering than rejoice with them in their success? Jealousy? Insecurity? Self-importance? Disappointment with my own life? Scarcity mentality (that there's not enough "good stuff" out there for me too)? Have you found that it's much easier to find others to weep with you in your distress than rejoice with you in your success...even among your friends and loved ones?

A Branch in the Vine