Monday, March 15th, 2021

— John 4:46-50 —

“He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum; hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son, as he was at the point of death. Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you see signs and portents you will not believe!’ ‘Sir,’ answered the official, ‘come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go home,’ said Jesus, ‘your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus had said and went on his way home.”

Painting: Healing the royal official’s son by Joseph-Marie Vien, 1752.

Current location: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille; Marseille, France

💠🔘💠🔘💠🔘💠🔘💠🔘💠🔘💠🔘

Hello and welcome—

In his book, Henri Nouwen talks about, “the descending way of Jesus” and “the descending love of God.” I have spent time visualizing these two phrases and want to share my thoughts about them from my limited perspective.

The Descending Way of Jesus

Jesus, being fully divine became fully human. He was born to a virgin and was raised by his parents, Mary & Joseph. Jesus experience life just as natural as you and I. Jesus knew the highs and lows of pain and joy. He loved us so much, he became human, to be present with humanity and to give us eternal life.

The Descending Love of God

God loved his creation so much he gave his one and only son for the redemption of all humanity. God gave us Jesus so we can learn from him because Jesus lived and died a human, experiencing all the emotions that it entails, Jesus being fully human and fully divine defeated death. God is our God, the God of the living.(1).

➡️ firm belief in something for which there is no proof

➡️ complete trust

➡️ without question

➡️ belief and trust in and loyalty to God

🔽⬇️⏬🔽⬇️⏬🔽⬇️⏬🔽⏬⬇️🔽⏬⬇️

Our anchor verse today we read about faith, the faith of a father for the healing of his son. Faith is not just something to simple shrug off as, “I don’t understand this” so I’ll believe it for now. To me, that sounds more like making a “wish” and crossing your fingers in hopes it is true. Or possibly waging a bet in hopes things work out in my favor. Faith can include, “I don’t understand” but in my humble opinion it’s so much more. Nouwen explains faith this way, “when Jesus talks about faith, he means first of all to trust unreservedly that we are loved, so that we can abandon every false way of obtaining love.”(2). The Bible tells us very clearly that God loved us first in, 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” (NRSVA). The Bible goes on to tell us that we cannot save ourselves; “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” -Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSVA). As I shared a few days ago, my moment of conversion was an action of faith, I did not fully understand ever aspect of what it meant to be a Christian; but I did see the positivity in the lives of my friends and their families. I wanted what they had! Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not about a life of ease, without pain or hardship but it is filled with peace, love and understanding deep within your soul. I would not lie to you, life has struggles some are of our own making, others are learning curves. God never wants us to suffer, he feels our pains and will be with us every step of our journeys. It’s never easy to admit when we make mistakes or to ask for forgiveness, but it is good for the soul. I have been doing my share of asking for forgiveness this week, and I’ve learned you’re never too old to learn new ways of seeing the world. Some days I’m a half full glass kind of girl and others, half empty. And some days, I can’t even find the glass! It’s about perspective to include which side of the street you’re standing. I am a firm believer in learning and growing and I have to say, I might be having a growth spurt. I am reminded that I have been forgiven by God for a multitude of offenses and I too must forgive others as well as myself and to preserve. Ephesians 4:32, “Be generous to one another, sympathetic, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.”

In the divine womb of God, life is always born again. . . . The truly good news is that God is not a distant God, a God to be feared and avoided, a God of revenge, but a God who is moved by our pains and participates in the fullness of the human struggle.(3).

“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.”
— Robert Muller

🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Speak Kindness – Day 23

Refrain from gossip and other unkind words. Only speak what is positive today. Bonus: add a quarter to a giving jar if you say something negative.

✝️ Prayer ✝️

INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh

for he brings sinners back to the path.

JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble,

instructing the poor in his way.

ADORATION I offer, Yahweh,

to you, my God.

— Amen

— Psalm 25:8, 9, 10

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84, paragraph 1.

(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 84-85, paragraph 2, 1 respectively.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation

Saturday, March 13th, 2021

— Hosea 6:1-2 —

“Come, let us return to Yahweh. He has rent us and he will heal us; he has struck us and he will bind up our wounds;”

Hello friends and family —

“Living a spiritual life requires a change of heart, a conversion.”(1). After reading these words from Henri Nouwen in the devotional for today, I was reminded of my own conversion. I had a longing to have the “peace” that I saw in my best friend and the love she shared with her family. I was 15 years old, when I ask to speak with a pastor about making my personal decision to follow Jesus, ask him to save me. Conversions are sometimes clear and sudden, I’ve seen individuals moved by the Spirit during Sunday services and Revival meeting. I have also witnessed and in my case experienced the longer, quiet transformation in accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. As far back as I can remember I have attended Sunday school, church, youth groups and VBS, it was a natural progression when I verbalized my desire to formally ask Jesus to save me.

Living a spiritual life means your life is forever changed. This change is seen and lived out in different ways, the roads we travel and our journeys may vary greatly from one another but the destination for all is to be with the Father in heaven for all eternity. Salvation is not a promised life of no trials, temptations, or struggles. There will be joy; Joy that can only be seen through the eyes of the redeemed. God’s word tells us that life will not always be easy, and it will be worth it. I can say with complete honesty that sometimes learning the hard lessons in life are necessary for our own understand. It is through difficult times, we gain the wisdom necessary to share the love of God with others. It is our steadfastness during difficult times, that allows us to experience such depths of God’s love for us and all his children.

I loved the last paragraph by Henri Nouwen, “Poverty, pain, struggle anguish, agony, and even inner darkness may continue to be a part of our experience. They may even be God’s way of purifying us. But life is no longer boring, resentful, depressing, or lonely because we have come to know that everything that happens is part of our way to the house of the Father. (2).

Updated:

After posting my blog, God spoke to me through an email I received and I just felt the need to include it for each of you.

🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳▪️🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳

Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:

~ Color – Day 22

We can connect with God when we’re doing something that doesn’t use our full concentration like coloring. Color a mandala or search out other meaningful coloring pages.

~ Prayer ~

O Lord, this holy season of Lent is passing quickly.

I entered into it with fear,

but also with great expectations.

I hoped for a great breakthrough,

a powerful conversion, a real change of heart;

I wanted Easter to be a day so full of light

that not even a trace of darkness

would be left in my soul.

But I know that you do not come to your people

with thunder and lightning.

Even St. Paul and St. Francis

journeyed through much darkness

before they could see your light.

Let me be thankful for your gentle way.

I know you are at work.

I know you will not leave me alone.

I know you are quickening me for Easter—

but in a way fitting to my own history

and my own temperament.

I pray that these last three weeks,

in which you invite me to enter more fully

into the mystery of your passion,

will bring me a greater desire to follow you

on the way that you create for me

and to accept the cross that you give to me.

Let me die to the desire

to choose my own way and select my own cross.

You do not want to make me a hero

but a servant who loves you.

Be with me tomorrow and in the days to come,

and let me experience your gentle presence.

— Amen

~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.

References:

Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing 

(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 78, paragraph 1.

(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 78-79, paragraph 2, 1 respectively.

https://biblehub.com/

https://www.biblegateway.com/

Mandalas for Beginners: An Easy and Simple Mandala Coloring Book for Beginners, for fun, relaxation or Meditation https://www.amazon.com/dp/1093735694/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NTNA1V52TRM29T4MF26F

(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation 

(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha 

(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation