dwelling moment

I have been pondering
Neh 1:9 this day

specifically the words

"the place I have chosen
as a dwelling for My Name."

and how the Spirit of God
chooses where to dwell

and how
when we pray
"in the Name of Jesus"

we must actually be
IN
the Name
not simply using the Name

to be IN
means to be surrounded by

to be
dwelling
in

while being indwelt

being so IN Jesus
so united with Father
so surrendered to Holy Spirit

known as one chosen
"as a dwelling for My Name"

inside moment

a ship always sinks
because of the water
on the inside ...........

body moment

yesterday
the table and all its extensions was full
every chair full
every plate, cup and saucer full

yesterday
the body came together
to break bread with one another

there was much laughter
a tear or two
some questions
some answers

touch
hugs
prayers
and songs

there was respect for difference
an honoring of journeys
a willingness to listen
a desire to share

there was loud happiness
and quiet joy

yesterday was wonder-filled

nice moment

niceness masks our tendency to reduce others to replicas of ourselves,
which contradicts the nature of Christian discipleship

joy moment

joy
the most sought after gift
this season

in all the merriment
of parties

in all the laughter
around eggnog

in all the glitter
of tinsel

in all the dashing
of shopping
the splashing
of cooking
the groaning
of over-eating

in all the words spoken

there is little joy
to be found

the joy
that comes from within
that comes from knowing
that comes from being still
that comes from being quiet
and listening

joy
is being sought
in all the wrong places
in all the wrong things
sometimes
in all the wrong people

joy
the most sought after gift
this season

joy
waiting at the edge of our soul
of our spirit

joy

God moment

there is a
ferocious
tenderness
to my God
evident in the moments
of this morning

together moment

tender moments were spent
over the past 2 days
with a gathering of shepherds
who deliberately chose to ignore
the loud screaming of their agendas
in this season of Christmas busyness
and come away
to be still
to be silent
to listen

at one point I was asked
what I had learned
in this season of my life

and I shared
about the lion
and about the lamb

both of which reside within me

the lion
my adult self
my decision making self

the lamb
my still fearful
vulnerable
needing affection and support self

how I was discovering peace
when allowing the lion
and the lamb
to lie down together
freely
fearlessly

and how I know God
and yet am still very ignorant
how I see
and yet I do not see

shoot moment

the small child of Bethlehem
the unknown young man from Nazareth
the rejected preacher
the naked man on the cross
asks for our full attention

the work of our salvation
taking place in the midst of a world
that continues to shout, scream
and overwhelm us with its promises

but the promise is hidden in the shoot
that springs up from the stump
a shoot hardly anyone notices

a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse
and from his roots a bud shall blossom
the Spirit of the Lord
shall rest upon him (Is 11:1,2)

discovering moment

while at a dinner party last evening
I was seated across the table from a woman
whom I had never before met

she was lovely looking
very elegant

she mentioned that she has 4 children
all married
a flock of grandchildren
and a scattering of great grandchildren
all living within a 3 mile radius of one another

when I commented about what a huge blessing that was
she went on to say that
she and one of her daughters now get together
every Wednesday evening
to go out for dinner and a movie together

and then she said
I am just getting to know my daughter
at her age of 54

my response was
that her daughter is getting to know her mom as well ..........

there was a tender pause
and then this beautiful lady said to me

I think it is time I got to know ..... me ........

this woman has led a privileged life
travelling
living in many different parts of the world
raising her family
supporting her husband
and is just discovering
that she lost herself somewhere in that process ........

a wife
a mom
a grandmother
a great grandmother
but
when all the labels are taken off
there is this uncertainty
a not knowing
who SHE is

and so
she asked if we could meet regularly
if I would help her discover herself

and I thought how kind of God
to arrange all this

this lady
in her winter season
wishes to journey into her own heart
and God wishes her to find Him along the way

wild moment

a few years ago
I was told I was like a wild stallion
who could not survive in a stall ...........
I needed to be free to be me ..........

then the other day
someone else sent me a note
saying I was like a wildflower
blooming in the crack of a cement driveway ..........

the wildness made me a tad concerned
can one be wild
and not be rebellious?

but as I ponder things
and read scripture
there is a wildness to God
that is very attractive
very appealing
very free ...........

very wild

listening moment

while studying scripture over the past few days
I have been struck by how 3 stories
the lost sheep
the lost coin
the lost son
all are really the same story

and because of that
I felt there must be something
in these words I am to see
to understand
to own
and live out

so out came the commentaries
the Greek dictionary open up on line
several translations sidebyside
insight was sought from a friend

I wrote pages of words ...........

and this morning
I realized
I had approached the living words of scripture
as Martha would have

working to understand

when all I really needed
was to sit
as Mary did

sit with the words
and listen

so busy filling my mind with the noise of knowledge
my heart was missing the whisper
the holy whisper

all He is asking
is to fold the wings of my intellect
into my heart
and listen

for that is a far better thing .............