Lent journey: PATH

"This is what the Lord says:

Stand at the crossroads and look; 

ask for the ancient paths,

 ask where the good way is, 

and walk in it, 

and you will find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 6:16

Personal reflections:  Yesterday, I shared with my friend, Brenda, about the word/photographic journey for the 2015 Lenten season that I was participating in.  We talked about how I look forward to a new word each day and what God will share/reveal/teach me for that day.  I said tomorrow's word is PATH.  She shared what came to her mind and it fits for what is happening in her life right now.  I wondered what the Lord would share with me.  I had some "ideas" of my own, but told myself to keep my mind, heart and spirit open to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me.  I have been helping Brenda's husband, Jim, weed a portion of their u-pick blueberry field for the past week or so and as I drove home, music to a song I knew I loved began to be bubble up inside of me.  I could hear the music, but couldn't pinpoint the song.  The words - "ancient paths.  lead us along eternal highways" kept repeating over and over in my mind, as if struggling to resurface once again.  I began to hum the one line.  This is so familiar....  I could hear the singer's voice (I know that voice) and then sang the one line. Where do I know this song from?

It was difficult to fall asleep last night, as the words and the tune were haunting me.  I must figure this out.  Lord, help me to know.  When I awoke, I knew: it is the African worship album; one of the most powerful, anointed and influential worship albums that fueled and inspired my faith journey for many years.  I listened to that cassette tape over and over and over and it must be here somewhere......  How will I ever find it to share on my Lenten post for today?  I typed in the words that had come to mind and it led me to a YouTube video and then a link to iTunes (where I purchased the album).   Tom Inglis' We Are One album recorded in 1993 in Africa.   I listened to the song again, after so many years, and the same powerful anointing washed over me and I immediately began to sing out and worship our amazing Lord.  

Thank You, Lord, for drawing me afresh into Your presence and opening my heart, mind and spirit to woo me back into that place of passion that I had for You.  May You fan the flames of my heart that my love for You would grow and grow; blessing me to bless others and enabling me to be a light in this world; drawing others to You through my life.  Amen and amen.

I often feel I know the path to walk on and remind myself that God's path is through the narrow gate onto His path, but what I've realized is how easily I can lose my way.  The path before me seems good and when I get off on a side path, it's not difficult to find my way back to the main path.  All good, right?  As God gently revealed this morning, sometimes we think we're on the right path and then we discover a path that is hidden; overgrown.  It will take work and effort to uncover and restore that path, but in the end it is the one path that will lead me to great reward. I am overwhelmed with God's amazing grace and love showered upon me this morning.  He is waiting to do the same for you.  What path are you on today?

I've included a link to that song below (if you'd like to hear it):  Show us the Ancient Paths (lyrics and Youtube below)

Blessings on your day!  May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you.  And know....You are LOVED!  

LYRICS:
Lord we confess that we have wandered 
far from Your purpose and plan
and willingly walked in the wrong direction, 
we've disobeyed Your commands.
Father forgive us, Spirit come lead us, 
back to the way, back to the truth, 
back to the foot of the cross.

CHORUS:
Show us the ancient paths.
Lead us along eternal highways.
We want to walk in the ways of Jesus.
We want to enter Your rest.
Show us the ancient path.
Lead us along eternal highways.
We want to follow the footsteps of Jesus.
We want to enter Your rest.

Lord it's Your mercy and good intentions
that constantly calls us to You.
Your infinite patience and kind correction,
Your coming in Love come in truth.
You are our Hope and our salvation.
You promised joy, You gave us grace
and courage to carry the cross.

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE:
We want to leave a clear set of footprints 
for those who will follow behind.
Signpost in our lives that point to Jesus; 
A pathway they'll easily find.
We want to fill up the sufferings of Jesus, 
as we obey, our lives display
the glorious way of the cross.

REPEAT CHORUS

Lent journey: JOY and CELEBRATE

I missed posting Saturday and Sundays' Lent words, so I'm posting them now.  I cannot even express in words the incredible gift of being included in lambing season with Bless Ewe Sheep Company and Small Blessings Farm.  I am learning far beyond "lambing experience," as God is teaching me deep life lessons....

"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly.  The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so You have ordained it.  You drench its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its crops.  You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your carts overflow with abundance.  The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness.  The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for JOY and sing."  Psalm 65:9-13

Ewe lamb Cornelia ~ filled with JOY

New life ~ Winnie with her firstborn ewe lamb

Lent journey: COVENANT

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is My body."  Then, He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."  Matthew 26:26-28

What does covenant mean?  

A covenant is a contract or agreement between two or more parties.  

Covenant is how God has chosen to communicate to us, to redeem us, and to guarantee us eternal life in Jesus.  These truths, revealed in the Bible, are the basis of Christianity.  The Bible is a covenant document.  The Old and New Testaments are really Old and New Covenants.  The word "testament" is Latin for Covenant.

As shared in Matt Slick's article Covenant.

Personal reflections:  At breakfast, I was thinking about the "word of the day" - covenant - and wondered how I would connect the word to a photograph in a regular life kind of way today.....  I was in the index of my Bible looking at the word covenant and the scriptural references.  I read some, but nothing was really clicking for me.  Then, I read Matthew 26 above.  I had heard that passage countless times - so familiar to me.  How was this particular passage going to enable me to take a photo of something and share during Lent right now?  

And then.... I looked down at my breakfast plate and juice and "gasped."  There it was.  Right in front of me.  And I discovered, anew, that God does show up in our ordinary, regular, routine lives and breaks through to reveal His active and living presence in our lives!  This revelation actually shocked me this morning.  I know that God is PRESENT with us, I know His Word is living and active - but there are times when something occurs (like this morning) that makes the hair stand up on your skin, you shiver all over, because you know - REALLY KNOW - that the Holy Spirit was PRESENT in that very moment sharing God's Truth with you.  Whoa.  He was there FOR ME this morning.  In the simplest acts - eating breakfast - God's Truth was revealed in a new way for me!  I am overwhelmed by His amazing love for me; His grace; His Truth; His desire to be actively working in and through my life.  His amazing gift - forgiveness of sins......

This morning ~ my mind is blown a bit and I will be meditating more upon this today....  The discovery that the word "testament" is Latin for Covenant.  The Bible is actually the Old and New Covenants.  For me, that gives all new meaning to reading my Bible and wanting to know more. 

One final thought to share - God doesn't just want to bless me with special moments like these, but He also wants to share them with you too!  He asks that we believe Jesus Christ is His son and accept Him as Savior.  He asks that we are open to Him; taking time to be still in our busy lives and open our hearts to receive that which He desires to give to each of us.  *Even this morning, I have wrestled with sleeping extra (as working outside and being involved with lambing with farmer friends left me a bit worn out this morning) and knowing that I should have already been showered and dressed to head over to do more blueberry weeding at a friend's u-pick blueberry patch.  Instead of rushing out the door, I made a decision to trust God, sit with Him and hear what He desired to share and believe that He will enable me to still accomplish what this day holds for me to do and will bless Jim and his blueberry patch with health and abundance.  It's not about what I can accomplish humanly, but knowing that WITH GOD, so much more is available for each of us (for He is able to do more than I could ever do on my own)!  God is good.  All the time.

Thank you, Lord, for this amazing revelation for me this morning.  I continually stand in awe of all You are and what you continue to reveal to me throughout my journey in this life. Please help me to know You more and make You known in and through my life.  May I be a vessel of Your amazing love and grace and be a light in this world.  Thank you for this new day, for life, for You.  In Jesus' precious and awesome name, Joanie 

Lent journey: ALONE

"Be still and know that I am God."  Psalm 46:10

Personal reflections:  Being alone.  One of my biggest struggles.  In general, it seems people are drawn to be part of a community ~ our lives are one big social connection; even more so today with social networks, twitter, instagram, snapchat, and on and on.... We're too busy to really be alone, and yet, God desires for us to come away and be alone with Him.  He has so much to share with me, to teach me, to give ~ and yet, why do I find it so "nearly impossible" to turn away from all the "social" connections and be with Him?

God designed us for community.  He desires that we gather together and praise and worship Him; to pray together - to be His Church.  And yet, it seems, that some have fallen into religion (not a judgment, but an observation) - checking off their weekly "God time" and then it's off to the next activity ~ Seahawks football, children's soccer, coffee dates or wine tastings, checking Facebook updates, and so on....  These are not bad things, as long as they don't keep us away from spending quality alone time with God.  

If my attitude is:

• daily Bible reading (5 minutes)
• pray with hubby before he heads off to work
• attend Sunday morning service at a local church or do I really need that?

Will I wake up and realize that I am in a rut?  Will I choose to be still or will I be distracted and look out the window to see what everyone else is doing? Am I really in relationship with God?  Am I willing to say NO to religion and YES to relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit (once again)?  

If this is my desire, then.....being ALONE with God is required.  I must BE STILL.  I must choose to sit at His feet, talk with Him, listen to Him, spend time in His Word (not setting a timer to say, "Time's up.  Got to run."), be available for Him to interrupt my day/my plans.  It is so easy to get into a rut in our faith journey.  I am thankful that God is stirring me up, getting my attention; seeking me through a photo Lenten project to gently, lovingly call me back to my relationship with Him...  To be ALONE with Him and discover again how very much HE loves me ~ and you!

Will you choose to be ALONE with God today?

Lenten journey.....

A friend posted this Lenten photography project and it was just what I was seeking!  Each day has a word associated with it and one takes a picture of something that they associate with that word.  You can post just the photo or share however you feel led to.  Each Sunday has the word celebrate.  Looking forward to seeing what God reveals to me.

  

God is so good.  All the time.

Day 1:  ANNOUNCE

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor.  Blessings and prosperity will be yours."  

Psalm 128:1-2

Personal reflections:  What is my focus, my priority in each day; for my life's journey?

Do I make time for God's Word or do I squeeze Him in amidst the busyness of my life?

While my desire is to make God my focus each day and for my life, I do find myself struggling to balance "this life" and "my faith journey with God."  Why is this so difficult for me when God's Word shows us the incredible promises and blessings He gives to those who keep Him first and focus their lives - heart, soul and mind - on Him?  

I continue to wrestle with the question....

Day 2:  LOOK

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 

1 Samuel 16:7b

Personal reflection:  How often do I find myself doing this very thing?  Am I quick to judge someone or their situation?  Do I know their story?  Am I focused on what others think of me and my life choices?  My family?  Who do I desire to be - one who dwells in this world or one who keeps her focus on our amazing Lord and loves and He loves us?

So thankful this verse came across my path.  It is a good reminder that I do get caught up in a worldly focus of others.   God's gentle and loving reminder encouraged me to seek forgiveness from Him for standing in judgment of others and allowing Him to work in and through me, once again, seeing others through His eyes instead of my own.  I am also reminded that none of us know the "whole story" of any other person in this world - nor will we - and His desire is for me to LOVE OTHERS.

2015 Season of Lent

Word for the season:  PROVISION

Theme for the season:  God is my/our PROVIDER

Abundant JOY!

I'm spending lots of time with God while my body recovers from my accident the morning of Ash Wednesday.  God certainly has my attention!  I don't recommend falling down steep, wooden basement stairs and breaking one's left pinky finger, breaking two ribs on one's right side and sustaining multiple abrasions and bruises all over one's body, but I am so very thankful for God's protection, provision and faithfulness during and after the accident.  The ER doc indicated that I should be all healed up around Easter time.  Lent 2014 shall be quite memorable for me (and typing with one hand when on the computer).

While I don't like being a burden to others, I am in need of assistance in getting my meals, glasses of water or a cup of hot tea, taking a shower, getting dressed and lifting things.  Coco and I were walking hilly routes up to 3 miles per day and yesterday I was able to walk just over 3 blocks for the first time in 10 day. Slowed down to focus on Him who is most important in my life (have I had Him my focus?).  So thankful for the lessons our Lord is teaching me as I sit at His feet…

Days are spent resting, stretching and slowly moving my body to encourage healing and a hopefully slightly longer walk outdoors each day.  Lots of time for prayer and being in God's Word.  I've been resting/sleeping in a recliner since my accident and hope to progress to our bed (at night) some time this week.  

God is good.  All the time.

Yesterday, God laid Psalm 126 on my heart and all I can say is Joy, Joy, JOY!

A great encouragement to me and I hope for you too.

It seemed like a dream, too good to be true,

when God returned Zion's exiles.

We laughed, we sang,

we couldn't believe our good fortune.

We were the talk of the nations -

"God was wonderful to them!"

God was wonderful to us;

we are one happy people.

And now, God, do it again -

bring rains to our drought stricken lives

So those who planted their crops in despair

will shout hurrahs at the harvest,

So those who went off with heavy hearts

will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Psalm 126, The Message

During this season of Lent, resting in the Lord's care, please let me know how I may pray for you - or even just that you need prayer (God knows your details).  

Abundant blessings of great JOY!