Spiritual Sisters
Spiritual Healing Serene Salad
Spiritual Voices Creativity Bakery
Meditations Jane Larsen, GodSpeak Prophet, relays, "I had a vision of a clock. It was a plain, round, white one, the kind you have in schools and exam halls. Almost immediately, as soon as I looked at the clock, the figures and hands vanished, leaving just a white, plain face. Then the Lord said, "Why do you concern yourself with the passing of time? Why do you hurry here and hurry there? Am I not the maker, the creator? Time cannot stop My hand and it will rise and move when My time is right. My time is not the same as your time. Nor are My thoughts the same as your thoughts. I tell you again, do not worry about the passing of time and all that it will bring." Time is a precious commodity in the industrialized world. All the stress, the disease, the depression that haunt the materialistic society make one wonder how we were ever convinced that this is the way we want to live. We watch movies about people who are living a quiet and simple lifestyle--we are enchanted by the stories, sometimes to the point of feeling envy for anyone living a slowly paced life. Time without clocks, schedules, obligations can almost stand still. That is such an enticing thought, so we may decide to take a vacation from our "real world" and return to the simple life for a few days so we can experience time standing still. Great idea, but it is not always as we anticipated for we experience a disconnected feeling which results in our reaching for something, if only the noise generated by the TV--which marks time by segments between commercials and by programming changes on the hour. Worst of all, we have also marked time by the necessity of scheduling the end of our vacation prior to its beginning. For us time will not stand still and we are frustrated--we cannot comprehend the possibility that time even slows down. But it does--too many people have testified to this truth. So keep on working at slowing time, don't start with a deadline. Just begin with a few moments a day. Be good to you. Be good to your body, mind and spirit.
Time
Timelessness is such a wonderful gift to yourself--it allows you to really get in touch with your spirit
March 01, 2006I decided recently that I wanted to spend as much time as I possibly could in my own life truly living. I didn't want to just exist. I didn't want to spend hours each day running from job to job, chore to chore, errand to errand, and activity to activity. I wanted to spend my days, hours, and moments loving, learning, and growing. I wanted to spend my time helping, caring, and sharing. I wanted to have the time of my life living the way God meant for me to.
Now days you won't find me on the road quite so often then. I try to combine my errands and limit my trips as much as possible. It gives me more time to read a good book with a cat sleeping on my lap and a dog curled up at my feet. Now days you won't find me watching so much television either. I find that time better spent going for walks, hugging my sons, talking with my daughter, and writing words like the ones you are reading here. Now days you won't find me restlessly looking for more work to do as well. I find that time better spent thinking of God, watching the sunset, singing a song, and laughing with my family and friends. The funny thing too is that now that I am giving myself time to live I find myself doing better and accomplishing more than I ever did before. Most of all, though, my time is now spent joyously and my days on Earth feel closer to Heaven. Joseph J. Mazzella
Quiet time--with no purpose and no plans--timelessness is such a wonderful gift to yourself. It almost has a weightless feel to it.... The difference [God's] timelessness makes is that this now (which slips away from you even as you say the word now) is for Him infinite. --C. S. Lewis
and if only we could turn all the way back to:
When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy. --Deuteronomy 24:4-6 (MSG)
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Musings Over ten years ago I was depressed, discouraged and felt completely rejected by the world and its inhabitants. I was not interested in getting myself together and going on. I just wanted to quit. But I could not just quit, because God had rescued me from a precarious situation and I had to know why he'd bothered with me. I had to know why a supernatural force had warned me of the danger and had extracted me from it only to leave me a displaced homeless homemaker. I had to know why. The only way to learn "why" was to get acquainted with this mysterious God whose presence I could sense even though I could not see or touch him. I was so terribly mixed up and confused I had no idea how to even begin this relationship. I was very tired and weary so I shut out the world and, except for going to work, placed myself in isolation for months. I read some, I prayed some, but mostly I lay in my bed in the dark, silent room and actively listened for God to speak to me. I cannot say he ever did speak to me during that period of time, but very gradually, I began to change. I began to think differently--thought patterns that had to come from him, you know. The day finally came when he really did talk to me and we've been close friends ever since. Jesus doesn't take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them...It is slow work--so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don't even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. --Oswald Chambers After having been reduced from financially secure to destitute in a matter of minutes, how could I have any pride left? Yes, I had always had a problem with pride (the sin God hates most), but how much can one retain when they've been flattened? Amazingly, a lot. Pride is not easily defeated. One of the methods he used most effectively in changing my "stinking thinking" was to leave my room. Whenever I began to rationalize or justify, I'd recognize the sudden absence of the spirit's presence. Not until I had re-rationalized, accepting one more defeat of self-ego-pride would the supernatural presence return to me. Sometimes that took months! I have often heard these periods of time when God's presence cannot be felt described as "desert time". Remember how Moses spent 40 years in the desert before God started moving his life forward after Moses had taken matters into his own hands instead of waiting for God's guidance? I am grateful I've gotten off the hook a little quicker--so far! The only One who understands us is God, God will continue to close us in until He gets us alone. Whenever there is any element of pride or conceit remaining, Jesus can't teach us anything. He will allow us to experience heartbreak or the disappointment we feel when our intellectual pride is wounded. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires--things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone. Many things are shown to us, often without effect. But when God gets us alone over them, they will be clear. --Oswald Chambers
Teachings "I want to live my life the way I choose. I want to experience all there is to offer and make my own determinations as to what is harmful to me and what is really OK. I see the necessity to play it safe so I don't die and go to hell or wherever they put me if I am not in God's family. I figure if I am observant, I'll have some idea when I'm running short on time and I can be saved or whatever it takes to stay out of hell. As long as I can get my foot in the door of Heaven, everything will be cool. That's all I need--just get in the door." --John and Jane Doe Do we really, seriously think we can do whatever we want to do and get by when Christ went so far as to leave the supernatural world long enough to come to earth, experience a lot of grief from hostile people and then be horribly killed? Here's what Oswald Chambers has to say about it: . . . unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven --Matthew 18:3 "These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God's, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must put on the new man . . . --Ephesians 4:24. God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule--God must rule in us. "To refuse to be continuously converted puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, "I won't submit." We deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God." --Oswald Chambers
Musings I recently moved to the inner city and now that I have the interior of the house in a livable condition, I am focusing on the outside. I have started on the street, scooping up a bag full of gutter grime each day when there's decent weather. Recently, I was doing my street trash pickup when a husky young man walked across the street and asked if he could help me. He quickly filled the bag to the point I'd have trouble carrying it to the back for trash pickup, but when I asked him to stop, he offered to carry it for me. We got around back with the bag and Tony saw all the piles of limbs I'd accumulated around the yard and asked if he could help me finish. I asked him how much he'd charge for doing the work and he smilingly said, "one dollar". Tony started working steadily and efficiently as he told me his life story. His work was of far greater value than one dollar so after about an hour I began to worry about whether I had enough cash on hand to compensate Tony. By counting all my change I was able to come up with five dollars so I went back out with the money and told Tony to stop working because this was all the money I had on hand. He just looked at what I handed him and said, "I only wanted a dollar". For me, it was a very special moment reaffirming once again there are beautiful people to be found in the inner city. Each person takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him or her. But a day comes when we begin to care that we do not cheat our neighbors. Then all goes well. We have changed our market-cart into a chariot of the sun. --Ralph Waldo Emerson
Teachings Surrender, in spiritual terms, is to stand with arms outstretched, embracing everyone. It is unconditional acceptance of whatever may be. It is not merely tolerating unpleasantries, but it is the joyful welcome we give to what cannot be changed. We do this because we are secure in the knowledge that our present circumstances, however difficult they may be, are what are best for us now. That's why the Lord's Prayer says, "Thy Will be done." So, let's pray not to be delivered from misfortune, but for the strength to accept our fate. We are given difficulties to overcome so we can rejoice in victory and marvel at the miracles we achieve. A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but "to reveal His Son in me . . ." (Galatians 1:16). --Oswald Chambers Do not ask God to do for you that which He has expressly bidden you to do. Ask Him always to help you in every strife, in every service, in every simple act of devotion or obedience you need His help; but do not beseech Him to do your duties for you and to give you without labor those gifts which He has expressly declared shall not be enjoyed except as the fruit of labor. --Washington Gladden Christ died for men precisely because men are not worth dying for; to make them worth it. --C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night
Musings While hope must have its center in that which lies beyond the self, its power must be realized and felt in the heart. --Ray S. Anderson When people believe there is no hope--when there is only paralyzing fear of the inevitable, they are easily crushed. In the media I found this report, It was a climate of fear - there's nothing anyone can do when the government uses fear and imprisonment to intimidate people. Yes, there is something the people can do--it is called PRAYER! Had the people, en masse, dropped to their knees and submitted themselves and their country to God's will they would have been comforted, strengthened and relieved of the fear. It was the fear that paralyzed. It was the fear in the people that allowed the government to intimidate. When there is understanding that God is in charge and that He can be called upon, the people can be filled with hope, knowing no matter what the outcome, God is ultimately in control making those who rely upon him spiritually secure. Of course the skeptic is quick to point out that bad things happen to people who pray, referring to the many martyrs throughout the ages. It is true that bad things can happen to good people--from the earthly standpoint. One Bible story demonstrating this is the stoning of Stephen, followed by a glorious ending: Acts 7:54-60 At this they covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. Stephen knew they were looking for a reason to kill him. He could have been intimidated and allowed his mind to be filled with fear. As a result, Stephen would have been killed with his fear as his only companion. By calling on and remaining in touch with God, Stephen was allowed this glorious vision to ease the agony of his death. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and 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 through 21
Meditations
Teachings We...limit ourselves and our conceptions of God by ignoring the side of the Divine Nature best symbolised by womanhood, and the Comforter, be it reverently said, surely represents this side of the Divine Nature. It is the Comforter who sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts. It is the Comforter who baptises us into oneness with Jesus, in the amazing language of Scripture, until we are indwelt by a mysterious union with God. It is the Comforter who brings forth the fruit of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperance. Guidance by His sympathy leads by a blessed discipline into an understanding of God which passeth knowledge. --Oswald Chambers See revelation culminate in Elizabeth and Mary, the mothers of John the Baptist and Jesus. Think how much fitter that it should be so; that they to whom the Word of God comes should be women bred in the dignity of a natural life, and familiarity with the large ways of the earth; women of simple and few wants, without distraction, and with time for reflection--compelled to reflection, indeed, from the enduring presence of an unsullied consciousness, for wherever there is a humble, thoughtful nature, into that nature the divine consciousness, that is, the Spirit of God, presses as into its own place. Holy women are to be found everywhere, but the prophetess is not so likely to be found in the city as in the hill country. --George MacDonald, "Sir Gibbie" I will make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us; and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He hath bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, "Surely, they are My people, children that will not deal falsely": so He was their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old --(Isaiah 63:7-9, ESV).
Meditations Failing is such an ugly word; such an ugly thought. Yet, to live is to fail. We fail to measure up; we fail to make the right decisions; we fail to make a difference in our own lives as well as in our relationships with others. We fail to find the path to our destiny....failure, failure, failure. Where is the escape from traps set by these thoughts that haunt us from time to time. How do we conquer these thoughts that hammer away at us when we are most vulnerable? Vulnerable! down in the darkest valley! that is where we find the way to deal with our failure: How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 If God's love is unfailing then we must be loved, no matter who we are and no matter what we have done or left undone. We can come to the Father for mercy and renewal. As the children of the Holy One, there is refuge in the shadow of God's wings. And every virtue we possess Is His alone. --Oswald Chambers
Musings I have been attempting to work, only to be continually distracted by my dogs' arguments. I have been very intolerant of their interruptions even though I know they are needing attention. How easy it is to become completely absorbed by the work at hand only to receive an email such as the following and have it really hit home. In that moment required to glance at the email, I realized something in the world has completely pulled my attention away from the Creator--from the source of strength. While the ability to concentrate is invaluable, nothing should be allowed to block the channels to God, even temporarily. Subject: READ ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR GOD God, when I received this e-mail, I thought...I don't have time for this...And, this is really inappropriate during work. Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is exactly what has caused a lot of the problems in our world today. We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning...maybe, Sunday night...And, the unlikely event of a midweek service. We do like to have Him around during sickness...and, of course, at funerals. However, we don't have time, or room, for Him during work or play because that's the part of our lives we think we can, and should, handle on our own. May God forgive me for ever thinking that there is a time or place where HE is not to be FIRST in my life. We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us. ********* I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work for bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, and jumped up off my knees, my Christian duty was now done; my soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Christ to friends, they'd laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, that was my constant cry, no time to give to souls in need but at last the time, the time to die. I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; it was the book of life. God looked into his book and said "Your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down...But never found the time" ********* "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13)
Meditations Do you ever start reading something and after just a sentence or two know God is pointing his finger straight at you? It happens to me a lot and since I have retired and dedicated myself to service its happening a whole lot more. I have no intentions of throwing in the towel, but God just showed me I have been too quick to lay it all off onto Satan not wanting me to serve God--which he doesn't. But God says there's a whole lot more to the story and it has to do with me and my attitude. Is love the basis for my motivation to serve? It should be, but service in the name of love is often repaid with derision and ingratitude, "hey sucker, don't be in such a hurry, give me time to see how much more I can get out of you...". I'm really not interested in being anyone's doormat so how do I deal with Jesus words, The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . . Matthew 20:28 and Yet I am among you as the One who serves Luke 22:27. How can my service be acceptable in God's eyes as long as I have this attitude problem? Obviously, tonight's fingerpointing is an indication he's trying to help me see where I'm going wrong. So, who should I be motivated to serve? If the ones who need help the most are the least appreciative and I want to make a valuable contribution, who do I serve? Please read on for God has used Oswald Chambers' daily devotional to show me clearly where I have gone wrong. Paul's understanding of how Christ had dealt with him is the secret behind his determination to serve others. "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man . . ." ( 1 Timothy 1:13 ). In other words, no matter how badly others may have treated Paul, they could never have treated him with the same degree of spite and hatred with which he had treated Jesus Christ. Once we realize that Jesus has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for His sake. Oswald Chambers
Musings When loving spirits cross our path, ones that are caring, compassionate and honest, they often serve as God's messengers to light our way and point us in the direction God would have us go. Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone--we find it with another. We do not discover the secret of our lives merely by study and calculation in our own isolated meditations. The meaning of our life is a secret that has to be revealed to us in love, by the one we love. And if this love is unreal, the secret will not be found, the meaning will never reveal itself, the message will never be decoded. At best, we will receive a scrambled and partial message, one that will deceive and confuse us. We will never be fully real until we let ourselves fall in love--either with another human person or with God. --From Love and Living by Thomas Merton No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were; as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. --John Donne, 1573-1631. English poet, divine, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions.
Teachings I pray we are always vigilant to attitudes in our own hearts which can result in an injustice to another. I believe living in a state of love is the real weapon against injustice. The way each of us is continually able to fight is to be a demonstration of love to all who encounter us. We must fill our thoughts with good in order for our spirits to soar and unconsciously reflect love in all our actions. It is not possible to create conflict with a loving, prayerful spirit. Any injustice served upon a loving, prayerful spirit will be used by God for greater good. The greatest example of injustice is the death of Jesus. Thousands of years later we see how indelible this example of love truly is. Had he never been killed, his words would have reached a few thousand. His death brought his words and actions to the world, an example of living in love, for as long as the world exists. Love is letting-be, not of course in the sense of standing off from someone or something, but in the positive and active sense of enabling-to-be. When we talk of 'letting-be', we are to understand both parts of this hyphenated expression in a strong sense--'letting' as 'empowering', and 'be' as enjoying the maximal range of being that is open to the particular being concerned. Most typically, 'letting-be' means helping a person into the full realization of his potentialities for being; and the greatest love will be costly, since it will be accomplished by the spending of one's own being. --John Macquarrie, Scottish theologian, Principles of Christian Theology.
Teachings
Musings
Teachings Imagine a circle and in the middle of it a center; and from this center forthgoing radii-rays. The farther these radii go from the center, the more divergent and remote from one another they become; conversely, the nearer they approach to the center, the more they come together among themselves. Now suppose that this circle is the world: the very middle of it, God; and the straight lines (radii) going from the center to the circumference, or from the circumference to the center, are the paths of the life of men. And in this case also, to the extent that the saints approach the middle of the circle, desiring to approach God, do they, by doing so, come nearer to God and to one another... Reason similarly with regard to their withdrawing--when they withdraw from God, they withdraw also from one another, and by so much as they withdraw from one another do they withdraw from God. Such is the attribute of love; to the extent that we are distant from God and do not love Him, each of us is far from his neighbour also. If we love God, then to the extent that we approach to Him through love of Him, do we unite in love with our neighbors; and the closer our union with them, the closer is our union with God also. --Abba Dorotheus, seventh century. Prayer...unites with God the soul that follows the footprints of Christ Crucified, and thus, by desire and affection, and union of love, makes her another Himself. Christ would seem to have meant this, when He said: 'To him who will love Me and will observe My commandment, will I manifest Myself; and he shall be one thing with Me and I with him.' In several places we find similar words, by which we can see that it is, indeed, through the effect of love, that the soul becomes another Himself. That this may be seen more clearly, I will mention what I remember having heard from a handmaid of God, namely, that, when she was lifted up in prayer, with great elevation of mind, God was not wont to conceal, from the eye of her intellect, the love which He had for His servants, but rather to manifest it; and, that among other things, He used to say: "Open the eye of your intellect, and gaze into Me, and you shall see the beauty of My rational creature. And look at those creatures who, among the beauties which I have given to the soul, creating her in My image and similitude, are clothed with the nuptial garment (that is, the garment of love), adorned with many virtues, by which they are united with Me through love. And yet I tell you, if you should ask Me, who these are, I should reply" (said the sweet and amorous Word of God) "they are another Myself, inasmuch as they have lost and denied their own will, and are clothed with Mine, are united to Mine, are conformed to Mine." It is therefore true, indeed, that the soul unites herself with God by the affection of love. --Dialog of Catherine of Siena
Copyright Jane Mullikin used by permission of Project Ripple
Have You Ever Been Alone with God?
The only one who truly understands us is God
March 03, 2006
Foot in the Door or God's Kid
I want to experience all there is to offer...
March 05, 2006
I Only Wanted a Dollar
A day comes when we begin to care that we do not cheat our neighbors
March 07, 2006
The Depths of Surrender
Surrender, in spiritual terms, is to stand with arms outstretched, embracing everyone. It is unconditional acceptance of whatever may be.
March 09, 2006
Paralyzing Fear of the Inevitable
While hope must have its center in that which lies beyond the self, its power must be realized and felt in the heart.
March 11, 2006
When the [Sanhedrin] heard [Stephen's prophesy], they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
Let God Figure It Out!
Special is the moment we realize we don't need to figure anything out for ourselves
March 13, 2006You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe. --J. Michael Straczynski
Like so many youngsters, I had a finely honed sense of fair play. Any thing that happened and was not fair to all had to be corrected immediately. As the years went by, try as I might to hold on to that sense of fair play, reality demonstrated the futility of the aspiration. Accepting the reality that life is not fair, that there's nothing about it that is fair, is a real downer and great are the numbers of sweet spirits that never completely recover from bitterness or cynicism if this harsh reality is driven home too soon.
Special is the moment the spirit can rise above it all and help the mind understand that as long as we are limited by our earthbound vision, we cannot know the full picture and cannot make a judgment as to ultimate fairness. Special is the moment the spirit comes to understand the stumbling blocks placed in our path may really be God's way of repositioning us for a greater purpose--the one which our Heavenly Father has purposed our lives.
Special is the moment we realize we don't need to figure anything out for ourselves, To seek perfection in property or health or character is not a worthy human goal; nor is it a proper cause of pride and glory for people; the knowledge of God is the only true wisdom, and the sole perfection a person should seek. --Maimonides
The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God--except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report of the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit--God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. I Corinthians 2:11-16, © Eugene Peterson's The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language
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By His Sympathy
The Holy Comforter represents the ineffable Motherhood of God.
March 15, 2006
To Live is to Fail
The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues because they are not promises of what we are going to be
March 17, 2006The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ--a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.
No Time, No Time
I never found the time...
March 19, 2006
The Determination to Serve
How can my service be acceptable in God's eyes as long as I have an attitude problem?
March 21, 2006We somehow have the idea that a person called to the ministry is called to be different and above other people. But according to Jesus Christ, he is called to be a 'doormat' for others--called to be their spiritual leader, but never their superior. Paul said, "I know how to be abased . . ." ( Philippians 4:12 ). Paul's idea of service was to pour his life out to the last drop for others. And whether he received praise or blame made no difference. As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul's service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.
Love is Our True Destiny
We will never be fully real until we let ourselves fall in love--either with another human person or with God.
March 23, 2006I am firmly convinced God places us all here as flowers--
-Flowers to be assembled in groups and in various ways
-Flowers contributing to bouquets to be enjoyed and displayed and appreciated and shared as God's creation
-Each flower is beautiful individually--but in combination splendid and awesome!
-Flowers and groupings--unmistakably gifts freely given by our God. --Deacon Don Grossnickle Ed.D., Director Disability Outreach Partnership Ministry
The Real Weapon against Injustice
It is not possible to create conflict with a loving, prayerful spirit
March 25, 2006
Confirmations from God
Never go through one of life's open doors until you can identify whose hand is on the doorknob
March 27, 2006
1. God speaks instructions into your spirit.
2. The instructions line up with the Bible.
3. The same idea is proposed through an uninvolved circumstance.
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Never go through one of life's open doors until you can identify whose hand is on the doorknob. Remember the promise of God. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee. --(Psalm 32:8 ASV).
1. God will instruct
2. God will teach
3. God will counsel
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"Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said. " And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew-- a bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew. " That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. --Judges 6:36-40 NIV
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"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." --John 14:26-27
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Patience is Everything
I learn every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for--patience is everything
March 29, 2006
I have this serious personal flaw with which I have been battling all my life. I am IMPATIENT!! and the world does not revolve around my timetable nor does God alleviate my frustrations; in fact, I think He adds to my aggrevation everytime I forget to wait for Him. So if you don't see yourself here, that's great--all these comments on patience needed to be compiled for me.
Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a daily new beginning; there is no better means of progress in the spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough. --St. Francis de Sales
I learn every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for: patience is everything. --Rainer Maria Rilke
Quiet down before GOD,
be prayerful before him.
Don't bother with those who climb the ladder,
who elbow their way to the top.
Bridle your anger, trash your wrath,
cool your pipes--it only makes things worse.
Before long the crooks will be bankrupt;
GOD-investors will soon own the store.
Psalm 37:7-9, The Message
Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. . . . Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps, then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer. --Rainer Maria Rilke
Endings are better than beginnings.
Sticking to it is better than standing out.
Ecclesiastes 7:8, The Message
Being means: not numbering and counting, but ripening like a tree, which doesn't force its sap, and stands confidently in the storms of spring, not afraid that afterward summer may not come. It does come. But it comes only to those who are patient, who are there as if eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly silent and vast. I learn it every day of my life, learn it with pain I am grateful for: patience is everything! --Rainer Maria Rilke
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from GOD.
Lamentations 3:26, The Message
Patience is a virtue, as the saying goes, which is especially true in our modern time. We have lost touch with patience, and instead have adopted the motto of speed and instant results for most of our wants and wishes. It is our all too clever minds that drive this need for speed and it does not help that we are wealthy and spoiled. Patience implies waiting, yes, but I would not call this a game. There is waiting all around in Nature, for the right time, the right place. Only look at birds nesting this time of year, or a spider in its web. If only we would take time to see.... --Mariska van Loenen
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The Circle of Love
The soul unites herself with God by the affection of love
March 31, 2006