Remember-don’t ever forget!-how you made the Lord your God furious in the wilderness. From the very first day you stepped out of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebels against the Lord.
Deuteronomy 9:6-12, 18

Deuteronomy 9:6-12,18. “Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord. At Horeb you aroused the Lord’s wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you. When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. Then the Lord told me, “Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made an idol for themselves. Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger.”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Deuteronomy%209:6-18&version=NIV

The devotional for today talks about similarities between Jesus in the wilderness and the Israelites in the wilderness. There’s two points that are being experienced by both and they are discomfort and transformation. Yesterday’s devotion gave us insights to what Jesus went through during His forty days in the wilderness which included waiting, fasting, wrestling, trials and temptations. Jesus suffered during this time and accepted it and learned from the experience so that He could begin His ministry. He took the time to focus on the presence and power of God to sustain Him. The Israelites are a different story, they grumbled at their circumstances instead of being thankful for their freedom. Their faith lacked longevity, as soon as things became challenging their faith would waiver…too often it is easy to fall into this pattern for all of us. Remember, none of us are perfect and God does not want perfection, He wants our surrender, our devotion, He wants a relationship with us, He loves us and wants to love us even more. The Israelites were remembering how things used to be in Egypt, even though they were slaves they could eat meat and cook, they grew tired of manna from Heaven every day. They even lacked faith that God would provide daily for them that they gathering more food (manna) than they could eat after being told not to. The truth is we have the same rebellious spirit in our lives, most especially when it involves transition and changes. We are unwilling to let go of anger, frustration, betrayal, sin and hatred to name a few. This time of Lent gives us the time and space to face challenges and open ourselves up to change. There’s a question posed by the author and it is this…

Question: “How have you tried to hold on to the past in the mist of a transition in your life?

Answer: With a lot of vagueness I will say that I have struggled with closing doors on relationships that have transitioned, I am afraid that if the door closes it may never open again. The other important aspect about this is that typically I only focus on my feelings or my hurts while ignoring the other person’s feelings, not in a deliberate or brutal fashion, I’m just consumed with my fear and my doubts. This all happens for one reason only, I failed to include God…in the relationship and more fully into my life. I am happy to share that I am doing much better in this area of my life. Time and circumstances change all of us, no fault, no pointing and no blaming. People grow sometimes in different direction, it’s never wrong to go into the direction you feel God is leading. I had friends in college that I thought we would be close for the rest of our lives, I don’t love them any less today than I did when we were classmates and best friends but life happens and we lose touch…but we have memories that can still cause a smile and sometimes a (lol) and bring us JOY! I’m thankful for renewed friendships from my college days, FB and Twitter have helped in making that possible but the most important thing I’ve learned is that it takes time and if it’s important then make the time to let others know how you feel.

Let the Sun(Son)shine in!

Breath Prayer: Loving God, teach me how to let go.

~Blessings and Peace~

Tonight I had the privilege of meeting with 7 of my Esther’s Circle group of women from ACC for dinner at Charbonos. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with one another and engaged delightful conversation. Unfortunately, due to last-minute changes by the restaurant we were unable to share our “Star Words” and Lenten journeys with one another. I had prepared a short presentation and expressed to the ladies I would write my thoughts down and send them a copy. Our church is reading “Following the WAY” (Fellowship of Prayer 2018 Lent Devotional) from “The Bethany Fellows” ChalicePress.com. In addition I am writing and sharing another Lenten devotional called “The Sanctuary For Lent 2018” by Katie Z. Dawson.

Today’s text for “Fellowship of the WAY” is John 11:45-57 “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So from that day on they plotted to take his life. Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2011:45-57&version=NIV
Fear vs. Faith: The chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They were filled with “FEAR” not faith, not a fulfillment of the scriptures. Fearful that their status would be affected they conspired to kill Jesus and convince the Jewish people it was the wish of the people to have him executed. Fear and power takes up so much space in our minds, it crippled us; however, there is hope! Faith in Jesus frees us to be open and available to do God’s work. Faith to walk where God leads, that’s life altering!

The Sanctuary For Lent text for today was Luke 4:1 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%204:1&version=NIV
What I love about this Lenten study is the “Wilderness” theme throughout the entire study. For me it is in direct correlation of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. I am in no way comparing myself to Jesus and the trials and temptations He encountered while in the wilderness. It’s the daily reconciling that we, the reader are seeing glimpses of Jesus. I would even go as far as to say, it’s almost liminal space. For some reason I have this idea in my mind of looking through plastic wrap/saran wrap; I can sort of see the other side but it’s somewhat blurry. I’m not quite there yet but daily the view is becoming clearer and thinner. It also makes me think of a favorite verse of mine, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” ~1 Corinthians 13:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=1%20Corinthians%2013:12&version=NIV

~Blessings and Peace~

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” ~Luke 4:1 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Luke%204:1&version=NIV

The reading for today starts with Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan river, as Jesus rises from the water and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him. Luke tells us that once Jesus had been filled with the Spirit He is led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The wilderness is a liminal space for Jesus as He prepares for His ministry but before that happens, the devil shows up with a scheme to tempt and deceive Jesus. The scripture from Luke 4:2 tells us that for forty days Jesus was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.   Also during those forty days Jesus faced hardships of discomfort, waiting, fasting, wrestling and transformation. Jesus was in a liminal space, preparing for what comes next. Have you ever experienced liminal space? The thin line from starting something and completing something, that is liminal space. It is this in-between space that we learn the most about ourselves and our future. It is important not to get stuck in the preparation stage or even the middle stage, learning and being stuck can sometimes feel like the same thing but it is not! Being stuck is like doing something over and over expecting a different outcome (my definition). Albert Einstein called it “insanity.”

Learning is the application of changes after each trial and continuing the process towards success. The progression from developing a plan, starting a plan and completing a plan is that you are constantly moving forward. The forward motion can seem relentless especially if you’re like me and sometimes it takes several attempts to get things going and then to stay on track. Life is lived and experienced on a plethora of levels. Be brave and seek God! In many ways, this Lenten Study is a liminal space for me, I have a plan, I am working daily to achieve it and I have a vision of what the completion might look like. I would even go as far as to say, my spiritual and life journey is part of my liminal space, my in-between of earth and heaven.

Breath Prayer: Lead me Lord, transform me Lord for what comes next.
~Blessings and Peace~

As I was reading today’s devotional I encountered two words that were not common to me and after researching them and reading more about them I am fascinated and excited to share them with you. I realize these may not be new concepts to you and I hope I can share a new perspective with you. The first word was in the title, “Liminal Space.” Webster defines the word liminal as coming from the Latin word limen threshold – any point or place of entering or beginning. A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next.’ It is a place of transition, waiting, and not knowing. The second word was imperceptible which is defined as extremely slight, gradual, or subtle. I found a video on YouTube that explains liminal space and found it to be very interesting. I hope you find it beneficial as well as interesting.

The scripture verse today paints a very clear picture of imperceptible for us as Jesus rises from the Jordan river after being baptized by John. “Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” ~Mark 1:10-11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Mark%201:11&version=NIV
I had a friend describe Mark 1:10-11 as a single point in time where we read of the presence of Jesus; the Spirit descending upon Jesus and God, the Father telling the Son “I am well pleased.” All three are present at Jesus’ baptism and each having a significance role in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is experiencing “luminal space and an imperceptible event.” In many ways we too are experiencing liminal space as we journey through Lent, we are examining our lives and are drawing near to God with expectations and intentionality as we pursue God and live into our created purpose. The writer today ends the devotional with a question…”Where is a place you have experienced God’s presence more than any other? What was it like to leave it?” I always seem to be conscious of God in nature and near water. One significant place was in Wisconsin near Lake Michigan. I was visiting the campus of Carthage College located in Kenosha, there was a small chapel in a wooded area where students could pray or meditate, it was quiet and calm, I truly felt the presence of God, it felt holy. Then there was the shore line of Lake Michigan, simply gorgeous views. I love the sound of the waves crashing into the shore and watching the water retreat as quickly as it came in. It’s always difficult to leave places that calms ones soul. Look for liminal spaces in your life and especially during our journey through Lent and seek to find imperceptible places in life to experience God.

Breath Prayer: Holy Spirit descend on my everyday life.

~Blessings and Peace~

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” ~Mark 1:9

After reading today’s devotional and the question at the bottom of the page that ask, “Have you ever thought you might die? What was it like to make it through that moment? Instantly I remembered a quote that I had heard, it goes like this: “Get busy living or Get busy dying.” I did not remember where I heard it so I googled it, turns out it’s a quote from the movie “Shawshank Redemption.” I found an article from the Huffington Post that summed the quote up as, “Perhaps the best way to sum up the key to life is wisdom from the movie Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufresne said to his fellow inmate Red: “Life comes down to a simple choice: You’re either busy living or busy dying.” It isn’t just a quote from a movie, its advice for all of us.”
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5381086
Every living person is both living and dying every day. Every living person can either move their life in a positive direction (“get busy living”) or not (“get busy dying”). That choice makes all the difference. Unfortunately dying is the default. Living takes effort.

When I was in my early 20’s I was involved in a car crash and although it was over in a matter of seconds my whole life up to that point flashed before me. I have absolutely no doubt that God saved me. My car was totaled beyond any repair but I only had one small scratch over my eye brow. Also during this time in my life I had contemplated causing harm to myself because life had become too difficult for me, I was young, naive, foolish and scared, I didn’t have the answers to all the questions I had about life. What I do remember is NOT wanting to die, when faced with the option. I did not recognize the significance of that moment but here I am years later and I look back and I know that God had a plan for me and my life and it did not include me dying on that day. After the accident I decided to seek professional help and began talking with a counselor. My best advice is this: life is hard, and sometimes easy both are so worth the effort to participate in the process. God did not tell us life would be painless, He promised to always be with us and to never leave us and that’s pretty AWESOME!

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” ~Hebrews 13:5-6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Hebrews%2013:5-6&version=NIV
The text for today tells us of Jesus being baptized by John at the river Jordan. The verses following the baptism say that the Spirit sent Jesus to the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by Satan. One could say that Jesus decided to “Get busy living” and NOT “busy dying” as Jesus met each temptation from Satan with clarity, truth and obedience to God, the Father. During Lent we are encouraged and invited on a journey of dying to ourselves and rising to new life in Jesus. Typically, during Lent people decide to give something up for the forty days to honor a commitment to God and to allow the absence of whatever they give up to be filled with spending more time with God and doing God’s work.

As we close the “Wilderness and Mortality” theme, I pray for our journey of Lent and that our eyes, ears and hearts are open to where the Spirit leads us.

Breath Prayer: Resurrecting God, show me how to live anew.

~Blessings and Peace~

 

 

 

“Gather the people; prepare a holy meeting; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants.” ~Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Today’s scripture tells us of the people in Judah and focuses on the terrible famine and devastation of the land and everything upon the land. This was God’s judgment upon the people for their sins. The prophet Joel hears the Lord and from the Lord, he hears words of hope and restoration. This passage continues to make us aware of our mortality and the importance of repentance. We know that without repentance God’s judgment can be harsh. We should not put our trust in our possessions as they can be taken away at any time. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~Matthew 6:19-21 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%206:19-21&version=NIV
Our trust should be in God alone. God has at times used nature, sorrow or other life situations to draw us to Him. God’s love for His people will endure for all time. “…because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” ~Proverbs 3:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Proverbs%203:12&version=NIV

As we continue our journey through Lent my hope is that we not only repent of our individual sins and wrongdoings but to also help our brothers and sisters, neighbors and our communities in restoring their faith in God. We are stronger when we work together so let’s get out and share the love of Jesus. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” ~Romans 8:35, Romans 8:37 https://biblegateway.com/passage?search=Rom.8.35,Rom.8.37&version=NIV

Breath Prayer: Healing God, turn our sins from barren landscapes to beautiful portraits of life.
~Blessings and Peace~

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.” ~Matthew 6:5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Matthew%206:5&version=NIV

Today’s verse reminds us to be honest and sincere as will live out our faith in public places. Question (?) are your actions in your public life reflected in your personal and private life? God sees us at all times and longs for each of us to be in relationship with Him at all times. This is an area that I am reviewing in my own life. I want to be more intentional about my conversations and seek to represent and be respectful of God. It is easy to get involved in conversations that can lead to “gossip” or negative talk about someone, we must be mindful of what we say and how we say it as well as who we say it to. And I’m not even suggesting that the statements aren’t true, most of the time they are in fact very truthful. When we start pointing fingers, we often make ourselves seem better or more worthy and that is a falsehood for each of us every single time! “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ~Romans 3:23 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans%203:23&version=NIV
We are all sinners and need God’s forgiveness, His unfailing mercy and His abundant grace. We live in a world (wilderness) filled with hate and chaos, and we are being filled with emptiness, let us all recognize these truths: We are from dust; We are sinful; and We need help. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” ~Genesis 3:19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Genesis%203:19&version=NIV
“All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.” ~Ecclesiastes 3:20
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Ecclesiastes%203:20&version=NIV

Breath Prayer: Jesus, teach me how to live my faith in the world today. ~Amen
~Blessings and Peace~

It is with great sadness that I must inform you that I cannot continue posting the daily reading from the Lenten Pamphlet as is Copyright

“Copyright is a legal right created by the law of a country that grants the creator of an original work exclusive rights for its use and distribution.”

In an effort to be transparent I will share my email requesting permission and asking for forgiveness and the response.

I encourage you to continue your Lenten Study and I will make every effort possible to share my thoughts with you about the reading.

For those who know me, this has been a very difficult situation for me, I will admit my spirit feels very bruised and beaten right now, I’m disappointed in not being able to share in the manner I had envisioned and I am going to continue to blog and share God’s messages with you. Unfortunately, I will be deleting the photos of the pamphlets from the past couple of days. I do hope and pray that God blessings and His Word draw you closer to Him during this Lenten season.

~Blessings and Peace~

“Human one, can these bones live again?” ~Ezekiel 37:3

I was happy and excited to be able to attend Ash Wednesday Services at my church last night. It was a wonderful service that was filled with songs and prayers and silent moments of seeking to be in relationship with God. We were challenged to not only “Give Something Up” but to also “Take Something Up.” We were reminded that the giving up of something is not simply “having no chocolate for forty days,” it’s when you are craving chocolate you are reminded that you gave it up for Lent and you are being drawn closer to God. One of our ministers shared a responsive prayer with us and it was exactly what my spirit/soul needed to hear. I’m including it here for you and my hope is that you find it comforting and reassuring of God’s LOVE for you.

The scripture passage and reading for today was like reading a page about my own family. My mother and her mother (grandma) would take flowers to the cemeteries every May usually a week or two before Memorial Day. It was a yearly event and a two-day process that took us to many small towns north and south. I remember it was usually my dad, mom, grandma and my aunt (mom’s sister) and me on these trips. Many of the cemeteries were down lonely old gravel roads and often the headstones were overgrown with flowers and vines. This practice became a family pilgrimage every year that not only celebrated our ancestors and their final resting place but also a chance to stop and visit living relatives we didn’t often get the chance to visit with. Most generally these outings would also include sharing in a meal with relatives and have conversations about those who are no longer with us and we would tell stories and laugh and remember. The first year after my mom passed away I simply could not participate in this family pilgrimage, I was still hurting at the loss of my mom. However, this past year, I went with my aunt and her daughter and granddaughter to several of the cemeteries we continued some of the traditions and started some new ones. It is a privilege and an honor to pay respects to my ancestors who formed the foundations of our families and our values. As it is written in the text for today, we also have the same assurances  and promises from God that Ezekiel did regarding the dry bones of our ancestors, nothing is impossible for God, with only the breath of God and the dry bones are put back together and brought to life. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” ~Romans 6:8 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Romans%206:8&version=NIV
“…and whoever lives by believing in me will never die…” ~John 11:26 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=John%2011:26&version=NIV
Breath Prayer:
God of my ancestors, remind me who I am.

~Blessings and Peace~

 

Ash Wednesday, marks the first day of Lent, the time of reflection and penitence leading up to Easter Sunday. … As they “impose” or “dispense” the ashes, the pastor or priest reminds each Christian of Genesis 3:19: “For dust you are and to dust you shall return.”

Here is the reading for today:

Content was removed due to Copyright 

Last night I attended, “Pancake and Jazz for Family Promise” at my church. It was a great evening of good food and smooth jazz music being performed by a local group called “Midnight Sanity.” We raised a lot of money for a great cause. After all the clean up was finished two of my friends and I met at a local restaurant where we shared food and drink along with great conversations of faith, family and the future. The verse for today’s reading was exactly what I experienced with these two women. God was with us, our conversations include God and we had way more questions than answers. I felt blessed to be a part of this experience of sharing God, asking questions and laughing with friends. Be open to experiences where you can be present with someone and to be in relationship with. Be the smile that no one expects or thinks they deserve; hold a door for someone; say thank you and you’re welcome; thank God for today!

Breath Prayer: Loving God, be present in my relationships. ~Amen
https://familypromisehendrickscounty.org/
~Blessings and Peace~