Great Read!

I was inspired to read this after I saw that it received rave reviews from two (former) Gordon professors that I remembered and admired. 
“All of O’Brien’s large and human soul is in this book as in none of his shorter ones: father, Catholic, Russophile, Canadian, personalist, artist, storyteller, romantic. There is not one boring or superfluous page. When you finish The Father’s Tale you will say of it what Tolkien said of The Lord of the Rings: it has one fault: it is too short. A thousand pages of Michael O’Brien is like a thousand sunrises: who’s complaining?” —Peter Kreeft, Ph.D.
This is an epic story of a prodigal and the depth of his father’s love.  The father makes a long and arduous journey in search of his son.  The story spans several continents and explores the horizons of foreign lands and the horizons of the soul.  The father, an introvert, who loves books and solitude, finds his faith stretched and tried as he seeks to find that which he lost.

Bread of Life

I’ve been reading a book called, He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer as part of my devotions. This morning I opened to chapter ten. And how did it begin? With Psalm 46:10, of course. Here are some excerpts.
Talking about childbirth and about an epidural – “the anesthesiologist said, ‘you were a great patient because you were really still…sometimes…I have to wait until they are quiet enough for me to give them medication, because I can’t give it to them while they are moving. As I listened, it dawned on me. Maybe the Great Physician is waiting to give us something. The one with the answer is right here, but the problem is that we won’t sit still long enough for him to give us what we need.
Speaking of feeding the 5000 in John: “Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.” [Her response was,] “Why Lord? I’m so busy. I have a to-do list a mile long. Why do you want me to sit down?”… I read the next verse “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated.” Don’t miss that line…only those who were seated got food…Do you want to be filled with the spiritual food that God has for you?”
Priscilla went on to talk about 1 Samuel 3:3 where Samuel was lying down and was able to hear from the Lord and John 6:10 and Matthew where there are grassy places to sit. She was reminded of Psalm 23:2 “you make me like down in green pastures.”
May we take the time to be still, wait upon the Lord in green pastures, and hear His voice and receive the Bread of Life.

as best as i remember it … as he shared his dream with me

have you ever had someone tell you they had a dream about you?  a dream with meaning?

it was a first for me. but here is Joe’s dream from quite some time ago and how i see it playing out now.

“I want that one” were my words in his dream.  we were driving along with a young boy in the backseat, my nephew?, and we had stopped at a yard sale.  I was looking at some pretty glasses or goblets and chose one.

Joe seemed to think that the dream had special significance and it related to my search for what was next in life.  I did apply for two jobs in the same organization and after the interviews, i felt drawn to one job and not the other.  Thankfully, that was the one that I was eventually offered … and now here i am one year after starting the job and perhaps two years after the dream …

God is faithful to grant us the desires of our hearts and to provide for all our needs.  Sometimes we are even blessed with choices and with getting the sparkly, cool things that catch our eye!

Be Still

An excerpt from my journal on 5/7: 

Psalm 46:10
BE still and know that I am God
Be STILL and know that I am God
Be still AND know that I am God
Be still and KNOW that I am God
Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I AM God
Be still and know that I am GOD!!

Lord, help me to take some time each day to just BE. Still my mind and heart, Lord to focus on you. Lord, help me to really know that you are in control. You are the Lord; help me to remember that it’s not about me. Help me to contemplate who you are each day.

Be Still AND Know that I am God

The other night at a friend’s house, we had an extended time of prayer, much of it silent. The Lord had me share Psalm 46:10. The night had started off with talking about all the references to “new” in the Bible. I had shared a few things [new life, new heaven and a new earth] and the verse “see, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” So when God nudged me to share Psalm 46:10, I was reluctant. Mentally I argued with God, ‘I have already shared, I am an introvert, this is not new, I am not the group leader’. Finally I just said the verse one time. I told the Lord he needed to be specific and confirm it if he wanted me to do the whole thing. After a few minutes, our leader shared his frustration, confessed his difficulty with being still. Then I knew I had to be obedient and so I prayed it slowly, reflectively. The leader told me afterward that it was perfect for him, that it had been filled with authority, and that he had wanted me to go on. I had actually felt a slight nudge to continue, but had been so relieved to be done with it and stop. Afterward I felt a great sense of relief about some things I had been holding on to and needed to let go of.

Chincha Peru 2008

It’s a hot sunny day here in Chincha Alta, Peru. We’re sitting under a canopy tent in kid size chairs with colorful octagonal low tables. There is a nice cool breeze. The ground is sandy and dusty. There is a church to one side of us, and our tent city to the other side. We finished a breakfast of sausage and egg biscuits, rolls with jelly and juice and tea. After a time of worship and prayer for healing, we are listening to a teaching by Michael Hindes, a pastor from Michigan. He is talking about attitude. There are 27 World Racers, 5 staff, 5 translators, and 1 guest. There is a Hollywood film producer here to try to capture the story of the people here and tell the world how they can help. This area experienced an 8.0 magnitude earthquake on August 15th and about 600 were killed. Many lost their homes and their livelihood. Entire towns have relocated to makeshift tents with dirt floors and walls made of woven reeds, thatch, etc. Some are fortunate to have an actual tent from a relief agency, but they have been living like this for almost 5 months. We met people yesterday from the Tambo de Mora area and heard their stories. The village was a prosperous fishing village on the Pacific Ocean. Just before the quake, which occurred about 7 pm, the ground water rose inside their homes to about a meter deep. The three inch concrete floors simply buckled and the homes sank about 2 feet. The quake lasted three terrifying minutes. People ran to find relatives, some ran many kilometers back to Chincha in search of family. After the quake came a small tsunami. The people have relocated to safer ground further inland. Many husbands have to leave the area to find work.

Word for the Year

So, I’ve been trying to come up with a theme for 2012.  Will this be a year of adventure … love … journey … how can i fit it into just one word?  God has taught me so much in 2011 and I am eager to see what 2012 will bring.  He is teaching me to wait on him, to trust him in all things, and to love wholeheartedly.  The year 2011 was a year of travel and transition.  I am so eager to be done with transition, to be in a more permanent home and to be settled.

In my childhood, if we asked my mother what was for dessert, she would sometimes answer “Wait and See.”  Sometimes I think that God says that to us as well.  We are eager to know the future, but our wise parent knows that we don’t need to know everything in advance and that some things are better as surprises.

So my theme, at least for now, is EXPECTATION!  I eagerly await the unfurling of His Plan for this year.

Life

Life is a mystery.  We cannot see the bigger pattern.  According to author and speaker, Richard Rohr, life is a river.  He asks an interesting question, “Are you trying to change the course of the river? Or are you in the river?”   So often our focus is on how we can change things instead of simply living in the moment.  One of my favorite expressions I learned in college during a LaVida trip with Rich Obenschain …. “BE HERE NOW!”  It means that we should soak up every moment and enjoy life.  Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:34   God wants us to be able to experience all that He has for us in each moment.  Life is so often about “letting go.”   Let the river carry you.  Trust that God is in control.

Quote From Richard Rohr on Contemplative Prayer

The importance of Interior Design

Found this quote in a Dick Francis mystery [Enquiry] and it articulated something for me.  “The kitchen was white and brown and copper and yellow.  The colors pleased me.  Colors gave me the sort of mental food I imagined others got from music.  I disliked too much music, loathed the type of stuff you couldn’t escape in restaurants and airliners, didn’t own a record player, and much preferred silence.”

I love silence and solitude; and particularly in a place that is aesthetically pleasing … light and bright, pretty colors, comfortable furnishings.  My surroundings are important to me.  But I often wonder if I am alone in this.  The fact that an author describes me so well is enlightening.  There are others out there for whom environs is key.