embrace moment

Death and life are in an eternal embrace We cannot have one without the other

love moment

not where I breathe
   but
     where I love
             I live

mirror moment

too many live in the hall of mirrors of others expectations
     of who they are ...
they live there so long
     they lose all memory of who they truly are
          lose all desire to be real

there is a death that occurs
    right while looking into those mirrors

a shattering, not of the mirror
   but of self

even to the point where the
      soundless scream of soul is silenced
         not by another
              but by self

only Love can penetrate this illusion
      and yet
         even in the new awareness
              there is a choice

allow the unwrapping of the grave clothes
     or
        stay wrapped

the hold of the familiar,
      the known, 
         is at times
            is married to the fear of the unknown

towel moment

now that the blood
and whispered glory of Friday is over
I have this wondering ...

why is it
that our hands
designed to nurture
caress
shelter
find it so much easier
to grasp a nail
rather than
pick up a towel
to clench a fist
rather than open a palm

see moment

to eyes that see
       every bush is a burning bush

authority moment

true spiritual authorities are located in the point of an upside-down triangle, 
supporting and holding into the light everyone they offer their leadership to

from every death comes new life, in every wound there is the opportunity for healing and hope.

if we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it

Jesus is not observing human suffering from a distance; he is somehow in human suffering with us and for us

Don’t get rid of the pain until you’ve learned its lessons

Suffering is the only thing strong enough to destabilize the imperial ego

The cross is always unto resurrection

Transformed people transform people

safe moment

You’re more than your hands do.
You’re more than your hands have.
You’re more than how other hands measure you. 
You are what is written on God’s Hands: 

Safe. Held. His. Beloved.

hand holding moment

Never underestimate the power of empathy: Sometimes life throws you problems you can’t solve and pain that won’t go away. Unless you are asked for advice, don’t give it. Instead, just hold their hand and ask them to tell you more about what they are feeling. You would be surprised the miracles that can emerge from simply saying “that sucks” and offering a hug.

slave moment

watched "12 years a slave" the other night ...
difficult movie to watch
made more difficult knowing it was a truth

have been pondering ever since
how we can be a slave to sin
and suffer the chains
the beatings
the death
of that enslavement

how we can be "sold" by one slave master
to another slave master
by one sin
to another sin

how we can lose our identity
and be one known by the name our new "master" gives us
alcoholic
drug addict
adulterer
lier

interestingly enough
our ladies group studied Lot's wife this morning
we are never told her name
simply that she looked back
and died

how often does Jesus free us
only to have us "turn back"
either in actual fact
or in a yearning moment

seeking that momentary pleasure once again
even knowing
it leads to death
either spiritually
or spiritually
or both ....

this hold true for relationships too ...
someone who you KNOW sucks you into sin
either by thought or physical act
and yet ....
there is this missing
this desire for contact
simply because the enemy knows our vulnerable hole
that wishes to be filled
by a touch
a word
a look

God help me not to turn around and look back ....
ever

yikes moment

Hebrews 6:7-8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

7 For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God.

8 But if [that same soil] persistently bears thorns and thistles, it is considered worthless and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

what does the soil of me produce .....

     fruit

         or

               thistles .......

Sunday moments

living loved
dwelling deep
listening
pondering
feeling the warmth of the spring sun
hearing songs of life
feeling the pulse of the earth
aware of a quiet birthing all around me

fear moment

there was a moment

of great fear 

when I called out for help

and

Christ entered my dark place of fear 

and explosively worshiped the Father in it

filling that place

that corner

that tiny closed room in my spirit

with His light

with Himself

and all that He is

and suddenly

there was song ....

and

once again

death was conquered ...

freeing moment

there needs to be an uprooting of the soul 

         to free the spirit 

ordinary moment

There’s nothing in this world that’s normal — there’s only growing blind to the glory.

We don’t need more things. We need more meaning. 

God. 

is. 

here.

thoughtful moments

 who I am and what I struggle with are not the same thing

I am who God says I am and not what I label myself

feeling my tears better enables me to feel the pain of others

just some random thoughts while fully living each moment of this day

wrecked moment

yesterday was tough ....

first
reading about how "the waste"
aborted babies
BABIES
are simply thrown in the trash
and burned
to help heat the hospital
the hospital
where life is supposed to be valued

this was in England
but I wonder
if it does not happen here as well ...

and then
to learn of the violence
taking place
behind a closed door

because of drugs
that saved a life
but altered a brain

and to be in the midst of the weeping
of the brokenness
of the fear
the despair

the sun is shining brightly today
the air crisp
clear
and yet
the fingers of darkness
sin
evil
encroach upon its very borders ...

and here I sit
drinking coffee
eating porridge
bubbled in my own world
with the choice
to hear
or not
the screams all around me

a moment

a day of crushing wonder and amazement .....

vacuum moment

for months I was dissatisfied with the performance of my central vac ...
it was heavy to push and left behind almost as much as was there before ..
the right sounds were heard
the right action was being taken
but good results simply were not there ..

finally I called one who knew how it should all work
one who knew how it was designed
and he came to take a look ...

as all the working parts were hidden inside its casing
the outer shell had to come off ..
and this revealed that some parts were not in their proper place
some parts were broken
and things were not properly aligned ...

that which was broken was fixed
that which was out of place was placed properly
that which was out of alignment was aligned

the casing replaced

the plug inserted into a power source

and the thing practically took off by itself ...
I was just along for the ride!

just like in the spiritual  ...

there can be hidden things broken
things out of alignment
things miss-placed
and it is only when we come to our Maker
the One Who designed us
and allow Him to look inside
and fix
and align
and then plug us back into His power source ...
we discover that we are simply along for the ride ..

He is the One Who does the work
and when He does it, it is done thoroughly ...

so, I wonder if
when we find ministry is hard work
we are tired of "pushing"
tired of poor results
could it be because there is a need to be checked out inside ..

even if everything looks and sounds to be alright 
when we see poor results
when we get tired in our well doing
is it time to allow Holy Spirit to take off our casing
our glittering image
and poke around inside a bit???

just a thought ...

taste moment

in our surrender
we will taste the death of the soul 
when we are asked to go a way that is against our strong desire

prayer moment

prayer is not a matter of my calling in an attempt to get God's  attention
 but of my listening to the call of God ...
in prayer, it is God reaching out to me, speaking to me ...
when I do have sonething to say, it should be a response to His initiative...
the question of whether or not or how God answers prayer is moot ,
the real question is
do I answer,
do I respond to His always open invitation ????

was reading psalm 78:8
and was struck again by the fact our hearts are a garden, His garden,
His soil and how our hearts, just as the soil, have to be prepared to receive Him ..
as soil has to be prepred to receive a seed ..

and :29
God gave the people what they craved and lusted after ... for a time
and then He gave them His wrath