Because we Like it Fresh

Why write when it's all been written about already?
Why speak when it' all been spoken about?
Why create art when so much art has already been created?
Why sing a new song when the old songs already say it all?
Why read it again when you've read it all before?

I'm growing a garden again this year - vegetables and weeds. Gardens are awesome because they produce the freshest foods you will ever eat. When growing your own garden you can eat a carrot just seconds after it is removed from the ground, you don't even have to wash it, you just have to rub it on a relatively clean swatch of grass and it's good for consumption. And when you do consume that carrot you will taste and see that there is no carrot sold in a store that can rival it's freshness and flavor...ahh I can't wait.

Here's the connection to the above questions

Because just like we love it fresh when it comes to garden veggies we crave the fresh words and experiences in life too, we want to see something new and feel the vibe of the fresh tunes, we want to know what's the latest with family and friends, and I especially feel it today when I think of my experiences with Jesus, I crave fresh in my faith. Sadly it has become obvious to me  that I am scooting along on the coat tails of last seasons experiences with Jesus and I'm noticing I'm overdue for something fresh. Time to make some adjustments to my devotional time because I feel like the colour has faded, the gum has been chewed out, the bread got left out again and has become crusty, the glass of water has gotten those little bubbles in it ...... it's like the frozen beans I keep making my family eat because I refuse to waste "perfectly good food", they are limp and flavorless and we have a gazillion frozen from last season but for the sake of all starving children in the world we shall eat every last one! ok so that's a little dramatic but you get the picture.

I need my faith to be fresh again. I need to have new encounters with Jesus in action in me. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with the past experiences, they are still worth talking about but they can't replace the need for the new ones.
I know this is in my court. It's not like Jesus has been holding out on me, I have to take the time with Jesus, nothing can replace true and authentic time with Jesus.
So that's where I am at today, maybe you're feeling it too? Has "that" story you keep telling been told one too many times? Then come on, join me in this.


 side note ---  I have a friend who's blogging and she is awesome so you should also read her stuff. She is the one who unintentionally and unknowingly motivates me to blog and to do a lot of other things good. https://stainedglasssecrets.wordpress.com

Jesus didn't skip

Every year for advent we do something creative for the count down. A lot of people use chocolate calenders or tree ornaments. In our count down I prepare 24 things that we can make or do with or for someone, that won't take too long but is fun; one per day.(On another day I will post ideas I've had over the years) For now I want to tell you what happened as I was preparing this years idea. This year I have a plan that the 24 tasks will be written on one side of the paper and on the other side will be a potion of a larger picture and when all 24 tasks are done and flipped over we will have pieced together a picture. I didn't have a picture the size I wanted so being the creative me that I am I decided to start drawing. I wasn't really sure what I wanted and I'm kinda in a time crunch, as tomorrow is Dec 1, so I thought if I just start drawing things of Christmas I will have something in the end. First I started with a tree, then I put typical manger scene next to it, just the stable to start with. Then I started drawing in each person in our family and of course Mary Joseph and baby Jesus in a pretty little feeding trough. Everyone was in, I drew some stars at the top and ....... I stopped and looked at the drawing....... by the way I was skipping my devotion time to do this since I was feeling in a rush. Funny thing is Jesus wasn't skipping because he revealed something to me right at this moment as I was taking stock of what I had just begun to draw. There it was, I had roughly sketched my family looking straight at the Christmas tree with Mary, Joseph and Jesus behind us.The stable was so close to the tree that some characters of our family had to be drawn inside the manger scene, but still faced the tree.  At this point I realize I am not happy with what I have just drawn. I am actually kind of stunned as I see it. I try to see how I can re imagine what I am drew... change this person's body and arms, re draw that...I can't. It is very clear; what's been drawn has been drawn. We are so into the Christmas tree that we are not even aware of the birth of our savior. The sentence seems to echo in my mind. It's true of the drawing but is this truly how it is for us? What does this all mean? Do we cancel the Christmas tree?.... I think my family will have mutiny if that is the outcome. Jesus has a message for me in this and I will be asking him to reveal more.

 Jesus I want to face you not the traditions we've made up.

Mark 1

Journaling Mark 1
As I read the chapter my mind didn't settle on just one story or passage but several points that stand out.
I notice it is interesting that Jesus is tempted(v.12) and yet in James 1 says God can not be tempted. Not a discrepancy, I don't think, it just shows me Jesus was able to be tempted because he was fully human, which I feel brings Jesus closer to really knowing and understanding what I go through. Oh Jesus you know what I go though, your strength will be my strength.
Verse 35 seems to highlight, Jesus gets up early to pray in solitude. He's getting his fathers priorities for the day..... Jesus I want to be like you... I don't know how often Jesus does that, it doesn't say, we always assume it was daily maybe it was weekly maybe monthly does it really matter? I know my day goes in a wonderful way when I can get up in the house while it's still calm and quiet and have some solitude with my heavenly father, to get his priorities. Jesus thanks for teaching us how it's done.

1 What is the question to which the text responds?
- Was Jesus really tempted like us? Does Jesus need to get direction from God? What does Jesus do to get directions from God?
2 What do these passages say to you about relating to others?
- I will know the fathers priorities in relating to others when I spend time with him in a quiet place like Jesus did.

Christmas Break Challenge

I want to give you the same challenge as we gave in our Young Moms Bible Study for the Christmas break.
Some of you might be like me, when routine changes I need something different to keep me focused on Studying and learning from God's word, or I do nothing at all.

The challenge is to read one chapter a day in Mark and journal. There are 16 chapters, so since there are 21 days we actually have 5 free days. (which I know is 3 weeks, when Christmas break is only 2 weeks, but that is how long we have until out Bible Study meets again)

So the challenge is read a chapter and journal your thought and answer some application questions of the text. Like-

What does this say to our world?
What does this say to our family?
What does this say to our community?
What does this say to our congregation?
What does this say to me?

or

What does the text say?
What does the text mean?
Ho will I respond?

or other questions you think are important to the chapter.

So I'm going to do this here through my blog, I'm going to journal my thoughts on each chapter and I'd love for those of you who are taking up the challenge to join me by adding your thoughts, comments and questions for each chapter.

Keep in Jesus

Jesus' words have a special place for us. They have a directness, like a spot light shines on them. For 50 days I am going to follow this Christian community blog in their study of the sermon on the mount. Maybe you need something to direct you back to studying Jesus' words again, or maybe you just want to fit this into what you already do with God. I will see how it goes.
Ikon Community

Either way, keep in the words of Jesus, because if you/me don't you lose your way and not even know it.

I'm a human being

Hold still ........stop what you are doing and hold completely still ....... just humor me and try it ............ keep breathing ............stay like that for minute ........... what do you feel? what do you notice?

I tried this recently, it was very interesting, I became keenly aware of my physical presence right were I was..... my mind and body were in the same place for a change.

This awareness of my physical presence along with reading and listening to a few interesting teachers, Henry Nouwen, Ben Klassen and Brennan Manning, have me on a summer plan.

To be a Human "being" ....32 years old and I have figured out, I am a human being. laugh if you like because this is funny but let me explain.

I almost always have to have something to do and I don't sit still for long, I have been acting like a human "doing". In Devotion time I have to read this, read that, pray for a list.... do it.

God is teaching me, I am his beloved and that is who I am. The beloved of God is my identity, in just being I am loved, that is my value, that is all. period. Eternally from the beginning and eternally in the future God loves me(and you)and the short stint we call life we get to learn to love God back but the whole time our value is based in our being not our doing.

The last post I wrote about "wasting" time(which is really the most valuable time) with my family, this is also what I am doing with God(or trying to do) just to be with God, not try to accomplish my list of devotional tasks but just to exist with him in the present moment. Giving God the pleasure of his true value on me being recognized and for me the pleasure of knowing it. I don't need to do anything to be valued, I just am, and learning to bask in that. (Amazing, an unbelievable truth)

I looked back at a question I asked you in May, in Make a Plan?

What do you do?
What will you do this summer to intentionally connect with God?

Nothing really wrong with the question but from what I've been learning since then I want to change my question, "How will you be this summer in order to connect with God?"

So my summer goal has turned quit different than I expected, from doing to being, Goal - to "waste" time.

Note - This "being with God" does not mean that the other structured things of a "devotional" time need be ignored. It is a balance.