I (Heart) Books

Sigh....don't you just love books?

I do.

I love old books, new books, red books, blue books.

I love them here.

I love them there.

I love them...LOVE THEM... everywhere!

So..for your perusing enjoyment..if you are so inclined...

I present a list... or two..of some of my all time favs 

(and some that I am itching to dive into...)

This list is by no means exhaustive....

...just a joyous, spontaneous, recalling at the moment...

...because today...is a good day to read !!!

This first list is composed of books I can go back to...

....over and over and over again.

They are friends that speak.

Beloved characters....enduring landscapes.

Timeless.

OLD-ish: (Fiction)

Hinds Feet on High Places

Mountains of Spices

The Divine Romance

The Singer

The Song

The Finale

A Symphony in Sand

A Requiem for Love

Freckles

Girl of the Limberlost

Keeper of the Bees

The Harvester

The Choice

No Man in Eden

Children in the Night

The Shining Face

Morning Child

Mister God this is Anna

The Folk of the Faraway Tree

The Little White Horse

Pilgrim's Inn

The Blue Castle

The Lost Prince

 The list that follows..well... 

has the potential to...

...transform the landscape, internal and external.

Read with caution.

 ((GRIN))

New-ish (Non Fiction)

Crazy Love

The Forgotten God

Everyone Communicates: Few Connect

Extreme Devotion

The Dangerous Duty of Delight

Boiling Point

Radical

Radical Together

Messy Spirituality 

Pagan Christianity

Re-imagining Church

From Eternity to Here

Not A Fan

Attitude 101

Success: One Day at a Time

168 Hours:You Have More Time Than You Think

Operation World

Hungry Planet

Material World

Women in the Material World

Revolution in World Missions

These are just a few of my favorite things.

I am sure you have yours...feel free to share !

I am always looking for new friends!

a walk with a son in the sun worshipping The Son

I hope I never take walking for granted. 

After being flat on my back and hopped up on pain killers, narcotics, 

anti-inflammatory meds and muscle relaxers for months now,

walking along at more than a stumbling shuffle is a glorious thing!

(Now if only I could dance!! )

Middle son and I walk... nibbling on frozen berry smoothy popscicles.

The baby ducks at the pond are now fully resembling their parents.

The roses have bloomed and gone. 

( That was fast...summer please slow down!!!)

The morning glories along the path fill the air with their heavenly aroma

as they peek out from among the tall grasses. 

( Hide-and-seek anyone??)

The thistles are gloriously purple and prickly!

( They are so bold !!)

The clover are succulent and sweet.

(Yummy !!!)

The willows are tall and serene creating shaded walks and mysterious shadows.

(an aisle in nature's cathedral)

The Indian Paintbrushes bend low in the warm wind and stir creative juices.

(use me...use me...)

The sun beats down.

The warm wind blows.

I lift my face. 

Son does likewise.

We sing.... as we walk....(Courtesy of David Crowder)

"There is no one like you, 

there has never, ever been any one like you...."

..and we smile into each others eyes

...this is the true bond between us...closer than blood or DNA

We worship.

Together.

A little bit of heaven on earth.

B90Days: There is no God like JEHOVAH

YAHWEH/JEHOVAH (The Lord)

JEHOVAH-ELOHIM (The Lord Is God)

JEHOVAH-ELYON (The Lord God Most High)

EL-SHADDAI (The Almighty God)

JEHOVAH-JIREH (The Lord Will Provide)

JEHOVAH-REPHEKA (The Lord Is Healer)

JEHOVAH-TSIDQENU (The Lord Is Our Righteousness)

JEHOVAH-TSEBAOTH (The Lord Of Host)

JEHOVAH-NISSI (The Lord Is Conqueror)

JEHOVAH-SHALOM (The Lord Is Peace)

JEHOVAH-SHAMAH (The Lord Is There)

JESUS

NO.OTHER.GODS.

remember.

do.not.forget.

be.careful.

love.

revere.

obey.

"Acknowledge and take to heart this day 

that the Lord is God in heaven above 

and on the earth below. 

There is no other."

~~Deuteronomy 4:39~~

As I lay here and reflect, my body is wracked with pain.

Answers are few and far between.

Explanations not forthcoming.

With everything in me I proclaim the character of my God:

HE is who HE says HE is.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 

the righteous run to it and are safe.

~~ Proverbs 18:10 ~~

While I am hostage to this pain....

seemingly captive and contained...

I read and agree with John Piper in The Dangerous Duty of Delight....

"God is more glorified in us, 

when we are most satisfied in Him."

I gaze into the face of God in His word....and DECLARE :

THERE IS NO GOD LIKE JEHOVAH

i.am.satisfied.

An Undivided Heart

 Remember how the Lord, your God, led you all the way in the desert 
these forty years, to humble you and to test you  
in order to know what was in your heart, 
whether or not you would keep his commands.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna 
which neither you nor your fathers had known, 
to teach you that man does not live by bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

~~ Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ~~

" For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, 

made his light shine in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge 

of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure

in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God 

and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, 

but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body 

the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.... 

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away,

yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us 

an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. 

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

~~ 2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 16-18 ~~

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy,

where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also. "

~~ Matthew 6:19-21 ~~

" My son, pay attention to what I say;

listen closely to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them

and health to a man's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life."

~~ Proverbs 4:20-23 ~~

Are you guarding your heart?
With what?
Is it wholly belonging to the Lord?
Is it His possession?
His dwelling place?
Do you cry...search me and know me Lord....like David...give me an undivided heart?
Is He your treasure?
Your exceeding great reward?
Do you say with all sincerity...
Whom have I but you?

B90Days: Getting Egypt Out...

I read the Old Testament and find myself. 

All my unredeemed qualities surface in the lives of the individuals

recorded throughout the scriptures:

The agony, the fear...the arrogance... the complaints...

the anger...the questioning....

I would like to be able to say:

 ...that they had it easier:

They saw burning bushes, pillars of fire...clouds and thundering on mountains, 

manna each morning...quail in the evening...plagues and seas parting...

they HEARD his voice...they saw his glory shining on Moses' face....

how could they NOT believe...how could they be so faithless?????

But...I...a grafted in, New Testament follower....disciple...Christian...

I have the Holy Spirit..DWELLING WITHIN..revealing God...undertaking His work..AND I have Jesus INTERCEDING at the right hand of God....

I have the bible in many versions...on bookshelves, in my coffee table...

...by my bedside, on my desk...on my computer...on cd's

Ummmm....

I am steeped in my culture like Israel was steeped in Egyptian culture.

Idolatry is rampant.

I can see in the mirror.

I have need of His Law of Love.
All my heart.All my mind.All my strength.

I have need of repetition.
I.HAVE.NEED.OF.REPETITION.
I HAVE NEED OF REPETITION

I need to assure myself of his character over and over again.
ARE YOU SURE?

I need my landscape redefined...and replaced.

He will bring me out. 

He will make me his own. 

He will sever all ties and command all my affections.

I know this because ultimately I know him to be true.

He knows best.

I  need him. He is all that satisfies.
He knows that...I just need to get with the program.

He must train my ear to hear his voice and to trust Him alone.

Will I learn...anywhere but the back side of the desert?

I used to trust..mostly when there was no other way..
when all other avenues of self help were explored...
I was pretty good at helping myself.

When I finally figured out that everything about my day required trust
if it was going to have any lasting purpose....
If I was going to bear fruit...and fruit that remained.
I began to awaken to the fact that:

Safety and security and guarantees... these were my idols.

At times....I am that stiff-necked people.
I throw gold into the fire and look what jumps out?
Surprise????
ya think?
No..I fashion my idols with care.
I cultivate.
It's an art form.
A product of my culture...
It's influences...
It sounds so right...

Safety...Security...Guarantees...

No wonder He lays down the law...

Now we have grace...and atonement through Jesus...
The Law of Love...saves...and sanctifies...

Love was present in the desert too...
He got His people out of Egypt... 

Now it was time to get Egypt out of them.

.... in this do I hope....

I am His...and He is mine!

He promised.

He made me. He knows what he is doing.

Where he leads....I will follow....

Run to the Darkness...Go Light Your World

The Darkness is waiting...full of candles without flames....

Take your candle...Go light your world...

"You are the light of the world. 

A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp 

and put it under a bowl. 

Instead they put it on its stand, 

and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, 

that they may see your good deeds 

and praise your Father in heaven. "

~~ Matthew 5: 14-16 NIV~~

When's the last time you left a room full of brightly lit candles

and followed the command of Jesus to :

Go into all the world ?

Do you see them?

...the world He "so loved" that "He gave" ....

That world is right outside your front door...

...don't be afraid of the dark.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...

what about you?

Desperate...Hungry...Thirsty

There was a book I read years ago by Dr.Fereydoon Batmanghelidj titled:
" Water: For Health, For Healing, For Life: You're Not Sick,You're Thirsty!"
It was a fantastic read from cover to cover but one significant piece of information stood out from everything else. The ramifications of this truth had strong repercussions on my spiritual walk. Dr.B stated, after long years of research,(and I paraphrase):

The longer you go without drinking the water 

your body needs on a daily basis,

the less you will be able to tell when you are thirsty. 

By the time you are in your 70's, you could be 
dehydrated and dying of thirst  

and still not reach for 

a glass of water on the night stand.

It is possible to lose the sense of being thirsty

...and DIE...

...with the remedy right at your fingertips !

" Blessed are those who hunger and thirst 

after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

~~ Matthew 5:6 ~~

Being a believer is not enough.
The demons believe and tremble:

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."

~~ James 2:19 NIV ~~

 I am commanded to Love:

Jesus replied:  

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 

This is the first and greatest commandment. 

And the second is like it: 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

All the Law and the Prophets 

hang on these two commandments.”

~~ Matthew 22:37-40 ~~

Consider these If/Then statements:

If I love God...

I will be DESPERATE FOR HIM.

If I truly believe Jesus is the son of God...

I will HUNGER & THIRST FOR HIM.

If I confess Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.....

I will be LOST WITHOUT HIM.

If I pick up my cross daily and follow Him...

I will LOVE OTHERS, EVERYONE, EVEN MY ENEMIES !

This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit... the testimony of His work within me...

So..the million $$$ question is...

Am I?

Desperate, hungry, thirsty...lost without Him..

a lover of neighbors...of enemies?

Paul  encouraged the church at Philippi saying this:

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, 

but now much more in my absence--

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"

for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order 
to fulfill his good purpose.

~~Philippians 2:12 NIV~~

Today...I stand in awe..of the One who made me...and I thirst...

I thirst...for the Living Water...
I drink...and I am satisfied !

Glory to God Alone

Sola Deo Gloria: "Glory to God Alone"

One of Five Solas: five Latin phrases that developed during the Reformation.
The other four being:
Sola Scriptura ~ by scripture alone
Sola Gratia ~by grace alone
Sola Fide ~ by faith alone
Solus Christus ~ Christ Alone

I am personally dealing with the Glory to God Alone issue.
This is one thing that God doesn't share.

To be honest...

Attention.
I like it.
Acceptance.
I need it.
Affirmation.
I crave it.
Recognition.
YES.PLEASE.

So. Help.Me.God.

The furies are at work in my subconscious.
Busily building graven images.
Carving out my likeness.
Painting my portrait.
Tweaking my portfolio.
What am I selling ?
Myself? My reputation?My ministry?My gifts?
Look and see what God is doing/has done in me !
Could this be translated: Look at Me?
Friend me. Follow Me. Recommend ME.

Do people talk about me and the way I say things, the way I engage the discussion, the way I encourage them....more than the One I am pointing to?

There is a challenge for us living in this social media driven world:

There is a challenge for us living in a society driven by opinion polls.
Likes and Dislikes.
Feed Burners and Stats.
Feedback.
We fear invisibility...not being recognized for our contribution...

Let me refer you to the Original....

How about : Look.And.See.God.

Use the hours you spend looking for encouragement to seek Him.

How about: Recommending His Word above everything else?

Use the time you spend reading hundreds of posts and books about God...

WITH God alone.

How about: Following Jesus

Use the FOLLOW button carefully...who are you truly Following?

I remember back in the day hearing someone preaching  about being nameless and faceless.
Being see-through.
Pierced to the point of only being viewed as a lamp for the Light of Christ to shine through.
The light is the whole point!
Being containers filled with the Glory of God.
The Glory is the point.
Pipes flowing with Living Water.
The Water is the point.

Sometimes I wonder if I have misplaced the Fear of the Lord.

My boys asked me one morning during devotions :
Why was Jesus born at that specific time period?
He could have marketed himself better right about now...
He could have reached the entire globe...gone viral on facebook and twitter.
I wonder if he would have trended well?

Can you imagine the followers on his blogroll?

Then again...
His disciples were uncouth fishermen...
...not the best of the best...
They walked dusty roads and carried NO provisions...
He told stories about leaving the 99 and searching for the "one"....
His fan base was prostitutes, tax collectors...thieves...lepers...
His biographers were murderers...betrayers...

Sigh...

John the Baptist was a miracle baby.
John the Baptist had disciples.
He lived in the desert.
Ate locust and wild honey.
Dressed in camel skins.
People went in droves into the desert to see the spectacle.
He called for repentance.
He prepared the way for the Messiah.
He pointed to Jesus: That's Him..He's the One.
He decreased.
His disciples left him.
He was imprisoned.
He was beheaded.

GLORY.TO.GOD.ALONE.

There's the model.
Ouch.

For the handfull of people who come here to read I say to you:
Follow Jesus...not people talking about him.
Be His Disciple.
Devour His Word not mine or some other persons.

Talk to Him more than anyone else.
Pray.Pray.Pray.
Without ceasing.

Love Him.
Imitate Him.
Share Him.
Live For Him.

Most, if not all, of the disciples followed Jesus right down the road to their own execution stakes.
In some countries of the world..this is still the consequence of following Jesus.

Glory: To God Alone!

I must decrease...

...because when I do...

Attention.
He never leaves or forsakes.
Acceptance.
While I was still a sinner ..He died for me.
Affirmation.
I am my beloveds and He is mine.
Recognition.
Well done thou good and faithful servant.


I hope you seek God..with all your heart today...just so you know...I'll be doing the same...

Monday Wake-Up Call: B90Days Check-In #1

Monday's have a bad rap. It could simply be  because they follow on the heels of Sunday...and who can follow an act like that? I mean seriously, the playing field is definitely not level here!

Today, however, is my first B90days Check-in ! All the Mondays between now and October 8th will be progress reports from my weekly reading assignments. I am taking back Mondays reputation: it's make-over time!

We have lift off people!  I've got 16 Chapters of Genesis down...and many miles to go before the finish, 89 days from today!

There are two of us in our house taking up the B90Day Challenge. My DH signed up and was 899 on the list. Yesterday we got him all sorted with Tweetdeck and signed in with our mentor group: Group 51 with Shawntele from Rambling With Grace ! My younger sister is also taking up the challenge from beautiful Nova Scotia so I am really pumped to be doing it with family support!

Having walked with God my whole life, as well as having gone through three years of bible school, I have read through the bible many times. Every time I find it miraculous how ALIVE the Word truly is.
The  quickening the Holy Spirit does in my heart in response to the simple obedience of opening up the scriptures always humbles me.

Yesterday much needed rains came to Calgary. The clouds rolled in, dark and heavy and the heavens opened and it POURED. I had been gardening and attacking pesky dandelions in the backyard in the afternoon, commenting to my DH about the rock hard ground and how desperately we needed rain. Well, my prayers were answered. It came..in buckets! True to form, Calgary is never content with just one weather system, while it was still pouring over our neighborhood and to the east, the sun broke through in the west over the mountains.As soon as the sun beams hit my couch I took off for the front door,slipped on flip-flops, hurried out into the rain and sure enough : there it was: a massive rainbow: a full bow: blazing colour right over me.
A double bow was forming over the first, right before my eyes. I danced in the rain, reminded of the promises of God. I called my DH and sons...and we laughed and danced in the rain, like we do every time...because: more than science..and the colour spectrum...there is God...and we remember.

Reading through Genesis and the story of the flood I came across the First Rainbow Ever...a familiar passage..and stopped, stunned...

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making 

between me and you and every living creature with you, 

a covenant for all generations to come: 

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign 

of the covenant between me and the earth. 

Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow 

appears in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant between 

me and you and all living creatures of every kind. 

Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, 

I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God 

and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

 So God said to Noah, 

“This is the sign of the covenant I have established 

between me and all life on the earth.” 

~~ Genesis 9:12-17 NIV~~

God sees and remembers for every rainbow that appears on the earth.

The sign was for both of us : God and me.God and us.

I stood in the rain, I danced in the rain...I worshiped and laughed in the rain under the rainbow...
...remembering...
... God was remembering too...

At that moment we were both thinking the same thing!

I have chills!
Tears fill my eyes.
In this fallen world...with my limited reasoning and dying body...
I was thinking the same thing at the same time as my Creator!

His attention was on that Rainbow .... his eyes...his being... remembering...

I wonder if he saw me dancing?

B90Days...Summer 2011 Edition

Most of us think of summer as a time to relax, kick off your shoes and throw away the rigid schedule of the school year.(and it is!) The days are longer and hotter, there is no *shhh* "white stuff" on the ground. Working on your tan takes little to no effort at all: just a strolling out to the back deck with an iced coffee or frosty glass of lemonade.Birds are singing, flowers blooming, sun blazing...it's "chill time", but here I am, about to embark on the strenuous challenge of reading the entire bible in 90 days flat. Yikes!

 Starting tomorrow, Monday, July 11, 2001, I will be picking up my bible early in the morning and completing the days reading assignment on my back deck with coffee in hand. I am soooo excited.You can find the challenge described here at Mom's Toolbox.

Forget those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. There are almost 1000 people across the US and Canada and beyond taking up the bible and reading it from cover to cover in just 90 days! ( insert happy dance!)

One of the exciting things about B90Days is that all of us newbies have been assigned mentors who have gone through the challenge successfully before us. These mentors will be reading through AGAIN and encouraging us along the way. Using various social media options like Facebook and twitter ( #B90Days) and even personal emails they will cheer us on, hold our hands and pray with us as we make our way through the Holy Word of God in 90 days.

My friend Shawntele at Rambling With Grace first introduced me to B90Days back in the spring. Listening to her share her experiences and struggles and joyous encounters with God throughout the process truly inspired me to take up the challenge.She is part of the B90Days Spring 2011 Grads.and I am so excited that she is my mentor for this amazing journey.

I have read the bible through many times. I have been falling in love with the word of God again in this season of my life. B90Days is really pushing me to see again from cover to cover the miracle of the entire WORD. I am looking forward to seeing God move and hearing him speak. Sharing with others, online and in community as we go through the Word together will make it all the more meaningful.

So, I stand at the edge, eagerly anticipating the work the Holy Spirit will accomplish as we begin this journey together.The Word was, The Word is, The Word will be...

Jesus the Living Word make yourself real as I walk through the written word... breathe life and establish your kingdom  deep within... 

Ignorance...not so bliss

Water, food, clothing and shelter, these four things are essential to survival. As a thinking person and a passionate follower of Jesus, I find myself recoiling in shame at my own blind ignorance and cavalier disregard for personal accountability to the people and the world I live in.

 We’ve all heard the old adage: “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

Just a head’s up on that: what you don’t know can hurt you; it can even kill you and other precious people you haven’t even met.

 I submit to you a challenge: Your assignment..should you choose to accept it:

WATER

I challenge you to research bottled water and water mining

in the US and Canada and around the world.

(check out documentaries: “Tapped” and “Blue Gold” )

FOOD

I challenge you to research your major food processing companies:

their practices and their standards.

CLOTHING

I challenge you to research where your clothes are made

and worker conditions in those countries.

SHELTER

I challenge you to assess your standard of living,

the home and possessions you feel entitled to

and the true COST of Living.

 I challenge you to redefine NEED 

 Over the past few months I have deliberately begun to view life through what I like to call: "My Jesus Filter”. The process has slowly become pro-active instead of just re-active.It has become a matter of seeking his heart and being alert, aware of the responsibilities that come from being a follower of Jesus. Aware of my need for his interpretation of events and circumstance instead of my own natural inclinations.

It’s a push pause filter that allows what I am seeing or reading or experiencing to be re-routed through the Word of God and the character of Christ.This process enables me to filter my thoughts, my beliefs, my response…mentally, emotionally and physically through the Holy Spirit. It brings new meaning to the words: “waiting upon the Lord ", and enables me to be: “slow to speak".

 Sometimes I wonder if it is harder to "lose" my life...

...lay it all down while I am still living...

...than to die for the sake of the gospel.

Something's gotta give. I don't think I will be able to plead ignorance with any conviction in this Age of Information.I want to live without excuses. I want my soul preserved...not my lifestyle and comfort.

" The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... "

~~ Psalm 11:10 ~~

 The sheep and the goats come to mind with horrifying regularity. Working out my salvation with "fear and trembling" has become such a profound reality, putting everything into perspective...God's perspective.
I know I am deeply loved. My love is growing in direct response to that stunning reality. My life is changing significantly the more I seek Him and the more I surrender.
Shouldn't knowledge demand a response...something like:

How then should we live ????

I have eyes to see and ears to hear. Knowing things is difficult..because you become responsible for what you know...and seeing things...oh God...have mercy...we've GOT to open our eyes !

..because really...at the end of all things do you seriously believe that: Ignorance will truly be ...bliss?????

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

~~ James 4:17 ~~

Nothing...but...

I got a call from a friend yesterday who is recovering from major surgery.
Somewhere in our conversation we began discussing a common experience we faced regarding fear, death and an awareness of the fragility of life....thoughts we wrestled with in the dark hours of the night.
It started me thinking...
Finding myself at middle age has come as quite a shock.
I didn't anticipate this stage...and all it's attendant issues.
The looking back.
The straining forward.
The sobering realization that some never get this far.
The hopeful realization that others...make it twice as far.

And here I am.

What I find fascinating at this point on the calendar is my relationships.
Actually...to clarify...the fascinating thing is my PERCEPTION of those relationships.
Relationship.
Relating.
Relate.
There are so many defining parameters.
So many frames of reference.
I am daughter,grand-daughter,sister, cousin, niece..
I am friend, wife, mother....
I am daughter-in-law, sister-in-law...
I am neighbor, employee, co-worker...
I am member, mentor, teacher...
I am patient, client, confidante...
I am Canadian...
I am many things.
I am created. I am redeemed. I am follower. I am beloved.

I am finding, surprisingly...more and more that the common ground I want with those I am close to is Jesus.
In a world fixated on opinion and position and talking heads looking for commonalities and majoring in differences...
A world full of polarities....
Contrasting views and discrimination...
People shouting ...their versions of right and wrong...and demanding sides be taken...
Opinion polls.
Top Chef.
American Idol.
The View.
The Voice.
I begin to question...how I see my friendships, my familial relationships...
For those who are of the Faith...Followers of Jesus...
...blood is not enough....
...compatible personalities are not enough...
Love of fashion, TV shows...movies...extracurricular activities...these are not what should define us..
Group us.
These things cannot and do not satisfy us and they are definitely not : "The tie that binds... "
These are transient.
Temporal.
Ever Shifting.
Always Changing.
They won't make it through the fire.
There is only one thing left.
Holy Ground.
The Ultimate Common Ground.
The foundation. The cornorstone.
Unshaken. Unmovable.

Jesus

Paul said it...

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you 

except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

~~1 Corinthians 2 :2, NIV~~

Life is short.
Our time together uncertain.
What do we do with what we are given?
What really matters?
What do we offer?
What do we lay hold of?
What remains?
What do we really know?
Do we pray?
Do we revel in the Word of God?
Do we seek him together?
Glorify Him together?
Or is that only in rows on Sunday?
Or Home Group?

Ask yourself this about your relationships:

How often do you tilt your head back in joy, laugh and talk together

in sheer wonder at the whole of creation and your part in it?

Can you discuss the words and works of Jesus for hours

like you do reviewing the latest blockbuster?

...or that pair of boots you saw in the mall?

...or your vacation ?

...your newest and coolest gadget?

I am not saying those topics are wrong..but as time flies by and my grandfather's generation are passing on, I find myself looking at what defines me...questioning my priorities...cataloging my conversations...
Am I burning from within?
A living flame?
Sure.
Defined.
Is it Christ alone that holds us together?
Is He the centerpiece?
The unqualified core....is this what is known of me?
Is my passion..His passion?
Can I say...
I seek to know ..
Nothing... but...
I want to...
And that's a start....

Summer Love

Sunrise...early

Birdsong....

Heat....

Blossoms...

Tan....

Sand....

Gardening...

Green...

Sunset....late

Barbeque...

Butterflies...

Lilacs...

Columbines..

Daisy Chains...

Fireworks....

Smores...

Bonfires...

Camping...

Biking...

Popscicles...

Flip Flops...

Capris...

Shorts...

Tank-tops...

Bare Feet...

Garage Sales...

Porch Swings...

Honey Suckle...

Honey Bees...

Halloumi Cheese...

Strawberries...

Strawberry Shortcake...

Lobster...

Corn on the Cob ( Peaches and Cream)

Iced Coffee...

Bailey's Smoothies...

Day Trips...

Night Walks...

Farmer's Market...

Thunderstorms...

Open windows...

Roller Coasters...

Festivals...

Fairs...

Back Decks...

Frosty Glasses of Lemonade...

Water Fights....

Skipping stones...

I appreciate warm wind feathering across my skin...
The sun beating down on my head...
Birds....singing...early...
Dawn....
The sounds and smells...

The freedom...
The fruitfulness...
Long Days...
Balmy nights....
Windows open everywhere...
Open....everything open....
Alive....