Day 14

 "You will receive power 

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

in all Judea and Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 1:8

Not waiting til I'm 

whole

 complete

perfected

But in the here and now

You use me

as I am

Grateful

Day 13

 "The LORD is my strength and my might,

and he has become my salvation;

this is my God,

and I will praise him...

At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up,

the floods stood in a heap,

the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea."

Exodus 15:2

How quickly the flood waters have risen--

gusts of wind dash the harsh waves

on many

even as we cling to You

the Rescuer

Steady our souls

Be a beacon of hope

Row this ship to peace

Let there be no "loss of life"

as we anchor ourselves

to You

Day 12

 "Thus says the LORD:

'Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom,

do not let the mighty boast in their might,

do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth;

but let those who boast boast in this,

they they understand and know me,

that I am the LORD;

I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness

in the earth,

for in these things I delight,'

says the LORD."

--Jeremiah 9:23-24

How is is that my feeble humanity

at times

draws me away from 

You my LORD

and sets me on a course of sure destruction?

I find it hauntingly easy

to stray from Your wisdom

in favor of what I think--

to read the latest words in a book

rather than Your Word

of timeless truths--

I am ashamed of my haughty 

thoughts, words, actions

when time spent with You

would

reveal  deeper, grace-filled expressions

Forgive my wandering ways

Spirit 

call my heart to the narrow path

where my boasting

is in my LORD

Second Sunday in Lent

 "Be glad, Zion Mountain!  Dance, Judah's daughters!

The LORD does what he said he'd do!

Circle the city of Zion, take her measure,

count her fortress peaks, climb her citadel heights--

then you can tell the next generation, detail by detail,

the story of God, Our God forever, who guides us

till the end of time."

Psalm 48:11-14 (The Message)

How long would it take

to circle the hedge of protection 

You have forged around me--

to measure Your faithfulness

through the decades--

to count each time Your sovereign ways

have surrounded me--

to climb the steps

of Your goodness --

Faithful One

may my lips speak 

of Your hand upon me

in the midst of 

loss and confusion, depression and anxiety,

struggle and fear, questions and anger

I take a front row seat in

Your story of redemption

Eucharisteo!!

 You are my Shepherd Guide

All of my days

 

 

Day 10

"In the scrub of the desert plain you will lodge,

O caravans of Dedanites.  Bring water to the thirsty,

meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema,

for they have fled from the swords, from the bent bow, and

from the stress of battle."

Isaiah 21:13-15

We have all

at one time or another

lived in exile

whether real or perceived

we have felt displaced, discarded

left empty within

and alone

oh so alone

Today I join with You

Emmanuel -God-with-us

to be your hands and feet

and tongue

for the one

whose soul thirsts 

for belonging

May we join together

You and I

in 

covering your daughter

with 

love

compassion

and hope

Day 9

Jehovah-rophe

how we crave Your healing power

We are a broken people

broken in spirit

broken in body

broken in mind and soul

Too often we turn to band-aid remedy's

the quick "fix"

the easy route

Anything to hasten the end

of our pain

But You

Jehovah-rophe

are the great

Healer

We pray for Your soothing touch

at our broken places here and now

We wait for 

Your perfect healing

One day

Day 8

 "Then he said to them,

'I am deeply grieved,

even to death;

remain here and stay awake

with me.'"

Matthew 26:8

I don't view the approach of death

with the same fervor some of Your people do

You called it "the last enemy to be destroyed" 

I can't overlook such a word picture

Death is often horrid and lonely and seemingly untimely

Even You Jesus, asked for company from your friends

in Your own journey towards death

How beautiful is the knowledge

that the Presence of a Comforter

surrounds me now

and in that final hour

 

Day 7

"We urge you, beloved:  encourage the faint hearted,

help the weak, be patient with all of them.

See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always

seek to do good to one another and to all.

Rejoice always,

praying without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances."

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

 "He's got the whole world in His hands...."

I remember lighter days when I would sing this song

days before I read a newspaper

and understood the mess of this whole world

I wonder now

what it means that the whole world

is in Your capable hands God--

When a disturbed young girl dies in a prison 

Bring hope and learning out of this tragedy

Missiles killing innocent Syrians

Prince of Peace, bring a cease fire to the bloodshed

Homeless people wander our streets

Jehovah Jireh our Provider

May this fundraiser provide for their bodies and souls

Drug dealer jailed

and neighbours applauded...literally, his arrest

Move us to our knees in the face of crime

"Let there be peace on earth

and let it begin with me..."

It begins with each one of us

doesn't it??

The world may be in Your hands,

but it's within my power to encourage

and help and be patient and do good

to rejoice

always

pray without ceasing

gratitude in everything

Strengthen me for the task

Amen

Day 6

 "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it's so high

that I cannot attain it."

Psalm 139:6

Prayer

Most High God

I am remembering a childhood song I loved to sing--

"Wide, wide as the ocean

high as the heavens above

deep, deep as the deepest sea

is my Saviour's love

Though I'm so unworthy

still am I child of Him yet

For His Word speaks to me

and His love reaches me

everywhere."

These lyrics speak to me of 

the expanse of You God

Who can measure the height of Your heavens?!!!!

The mountain I stood on exposed my young heart

to Your majesty

Airplanes I've jetted in

have projected a view like none other

My car and bike and feet

have even taken me to 

breathtaking postcard pictures

of this planet earth

Yet none

I suspect 

comes near to the magnitude of

Who You are

You are my worthy Resting Place

Day 5

 "...the devil led Him up and showed Him

in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.

And the devil said to Him,

'To you I will give their glory and all this authority.'"

Luke 4:5,6

I confess that a part of me

wants it to be about me

Paul would refer to this as "the flesh"

or perhaps to personalize it

my flesh

I enjoy having my ego stroked

and my needs satisfied

Image management is not just something others do

I am guilty as well

But I war against this fleshly part of me

even as I am prone to indulge in it

Because I also choose

on a daily basis 

to walk by the Spirit

and put to death

the ugliness of the flesh

The Spirit of Christ in me

spurs my soul to a higher calling

one of

service and sacrifice

humility and holiness

generosity and compassion

I choose Christ

and I deny Him

I love Him

and yet search for other "loves" 

I am as Paul

wretched through and through

But 

thanks be to God

I am free from condemnation!!

humble thanks

be to God

First Sunday in Lent

 Several weeks ago I came across a new blog by Rachel Hackenberg  http://rachelhackenberg.com/blog/  She is an author, speaker and ordained minister.  I have found her writings to be so very thought provoking, challenging and meaningful.

She extended an invitation to anyone interested in joining her in writing prayers for the season of Lent.  Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 13, she has sent myself and others email prompts for prayer-writing.  I wasn't sure how this would unfold for me as I tend to self edit profusely.  These prayers, however, are to be spontaneous, from the heart expressions to God without the need or desire to edit.

This is growing into a meaningful Lenten discipline for me.

Today the scripture to reflect on and  prompt our prayers is from the Psalms.

"Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting  you are God"

--Psalm 90:2

Prayer for Today

Time cannot hem you in

Eternal One

This both comforts me in intimate ways

and races beyond anything my mind can comprehend

Jesus Christ, Son of God

the same

yesterday, today, yes and forever

How stabilizing is this truth

in the midst of the day to day happenings in my life

Search as I do

for surety 

in so many earthy places

You keep drawing me back

to You

 my everlasting to everlasting God

I want to stay

Day 4

Jesus

Son of the Most High God

You are

brilliant warmth

as the sun

illuminating the darker places

of this post-Eden planet

Seeking Your Light

I push back the darkness

Day 3

I need the silence today

Weariness overwhelms me

physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually

I so long to rest

in the calm

of Your embrace

You

are my Source

for all things needed

in life and godliness

I long to carry this quiet with me

to live in Your strength

as the day lengthens

"Shhh my child...."

Prayers of Lent Day 2

Great and compassionate Healer

You see and weep

over this death-like grip of

suffering my friends' endure

I ache with my whole being

as they struggle

to live

Jesus, 

friend of the sick and poor and downtrodden

Make Your ways sure and hope-filled

and redeeming

Provide and deliver

comfort and renew

the gift of life

You gave them

In the powerful name

of our resurrected Lord

I pray this

Amen

Prayers of Lent Day 1

Oh God...

shame has been my covering this day

The darker places of my soul have emerged

again

and I long to wrap myself in fig leaves

to cover my naked self

But You

my Creator

love me unconditionally

As you lift me from this empty place

You fill me with the truth that I am

precious in Your sight

I am Yours

gratefully

Lament

The following is a Lament prose I have written for my Theology of Suffering Class tomorrow.  Several weeks ago we went on a "Suffering Expedition" in the downtown area of the city's college I attend.  We were instructed to observe suffering as well as the subtle persistence of hope and then compose a prose.  Th
It has been a soul moving experience to observe, reflect, and give voice to my thoughts.

"Oh God...hear our cry

We are the lonely, afraid and disturbed

haunted by our memories and tortured in our thoughts

We are the forgotten and rejected

despised because of our crime and betrayed by those we trust

The wreckage of our lives lies sometimes quietly hidden

at other times, grossly exposed

How long 'til we emerge from this garbage heap

marked wasted, discarded, useless lives?!

How long in this prison?!

Who will hear our muffled pleas for freedom from the

shame and torment, emptiness and despair?!

O God...hear our cry!

We are so much more than the labels used to define us!

This limping-along-way-of-living cripples others, not me!!

Horror may lurk in my memory, oh but strength and resilience are rooted in deeper places

The verdict condemns my actions--yes, but they are not the sum total of my worth!

I smile God...and I laugh and tease and kiss--regardless of my IQ

And today--today my stumbling gait can even outrun the demons of my mind.

Hear our cry oh God...

And fan our flags of hope"

Frosted Jewels

It is a breathtaking morning

when one awakes to find that

God has dipped the world

in a gargantuan pot of silver jewels

and set her out to dazzle 

the human race

 

 

 

Snow Day

Finally...

finally the heavens opened and the snow fell

hour upon hour of miniature marshmellow white

A plush carpet of brilliant sparkling diamonds 

waking up a sleeping terrain

with her pure beauty

 

 

 

Rest and Rejuvenation

What a delightful way to end January and begin Feburary....with my sister and her family. 
I am grateful for--
**peanut butter at breakfast, peanut butter at lunch, peanut butter on my waffles(much to Mikaela's surprise), peanut butter licked off my spoon, peanut butter licked off my knife(yes I do that).  I think I put a rather large dent in their peanut butter jar:)

**Lovable Zoey who NEVER barks...yes, it is true....NEVER!!!  She loves to snuggle which I thoroughly enjoyed as I relaxed on the couch.

**Copper hilites in my hair by the very best hairstylist!!!

**Conversation...serious, light

**Charma ensuring that I was always warm...blankets and a fire.  Ahhh.

**Much needed God moments

**My Leaf's won!!!

**Yummy meals

**Leisure reading of cottage and cooking magazines

**Anderson...what you see is what you get!!  This little guy is rarely serious.  He's just full of mischief.  He kept a smile in my heart the entire time.  (Of course I am also thankful that I am not parenting him....they have their hands full!!!!!!)   In some wildly amazing way, he is just like his Dad!!! 

**Dear Sister....what a joy it was to spend time with you in the everyday living of life.  You are one amazing woman!!!

**Sweet Mikaela...how grown up you are(I am sitting in this picture though:)  You are a blossoming artist--keep expressing your creativity!!!  Thankyou for holding my hand when I got my ear pierced!!!!!!!

              Thankyou for opening your home and blessing me with your love.  The memories linger.