If we’re honest, like I am all the time, we sometimes feel (a bit!) lost or directionless in the fishbowl of life.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
Click HERE to continue reading.
So it happened again.
I had a moment where I thought, “Wow! EVEN I didn’t know that! I’d better write that down!”
You see, I’ve been attending church for a LONG time, so there isn’t much I don’t already know!
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
Actually, the full truth is that there are many things I ONCE knew but then forgot, and had to be taught again, which is slightly different (technically speaking). And in fact, this is where most of my “new” information seems to come from as I’ve gotten a bit older.
For example, when I was a teenager, I proudly announced, “God, I surrender all that I have to You!”
A couple of decades later, I confessed to a mentor that I was having trouble surrendering everything to God. “It’s a lot easier to give God everything when you don’t have anything to give,” was her unperturbed quip. (Her comment was slightly insensitive, don’t you think?)
But she was older than me, so she had a lot more experience with knowing stuff, not applying it, forgetting it, and then trying to relearn it again.
And the same thing happened in church recently. Of course, I know ALL that stuff! But then the speaker that day asked us what it seemed God was nudging us to do, before our immediate response to God of: “Nah!”
That speaker then insulted me by insinuating that fear holds us back from stepping into the adventure Jesus leads us on.
Please! But after I got mad at that speaker, I later realized he was right. (Don’t tell my husband. That’s our most consistent “Marriage Pattern” too, but I prefer not to admit the latter half of that first sentence, so our stable “Power Balance” doesn’t get disrupted.)
The speaker then described the following fears that often hold us back from spiritual authenticity:
Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Ha! I would never be afraid of that! I was voted the best dressed in my red-neck high school, after all! I obviously have style and a certain “coolness” which I take GREAT PAINS and often feel compelled (for some reason?) to humbly hint at when I am with others!
Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: I feel very spiritual and EVEN connected to God in the morning after I pray! However, if my kids or anyone else shows up in my life, then I always seem to be yelling at them against my (spiritual) will! That proves that it’s OTHERS, not ME, that make me behave badly.
I would be a great Christian if it wasn’t for all the people.
Adrian Plass in The Sacred Diary Of Adrian Plass Aged 37 3/4
(Author’s Comment: Exactly!)
Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Yes! For example, I didn’t tell you my exact address. (Besides the fact that you don’t care) I heard there was a mean person on the internet once! And also, why DO more Christians feel “called” to Hawaii more often than to the Democratic Republic of Congo? Well, we won’t know the answers to ALL of life’s riddles!
Author’s Spiritual Reflection And Wisdom: Yes! The dreaded fate of not many “Likes” as we project our egos on the internet! Terrifying! Good thing that I know that “I am deeply loved exactly as I am, eternally, by God’s grace.” Actually, I’m trying to relearn (or perhaps to learn?) this truth, which has been helping me recently to drastically cut back on self-medication through excess chocolate consumption at one sitting, but that is another story for another time.
Hey! I can’t share ALL my wisdom at once! As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I’ve been going to church a LONG TIME, so OBVIOUSLY I know a lot of stuff!
You’re welcome!
Good luck!
As the song below asks, “Why are you so afraid to fail?” can you (Just for a moment, and not aloud if that’s impossible) admit to God that fear MAY just be holding you back a teensy bit, too, friend? And then, as she sings, “Why are you so afraid to lose if all the love you ever dreamed of already belongs to you?” what do you sense God whispering to your heart?
Christ has set us free to live a free life
Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!
He’s super annoying because he went wherever God seemed to nudge him, even to the Democratic Republic of Congo (Who goes THERE for a holiday?)! “You did WHAT?” I asked. They spent 20 years helping people through war, genocide and guerrilla takeovers.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
She is like that, too. “You did WHAT?”, I asked. I mean, just because I don’t hug every homeless guy I pass on the street and cry over them, doesn’t mean I’m not a caring person, too!
I mean, I know this stuff! – That we’re supposed to think of others, etc., etc.
Of course, I know that! I’ve sat in the same pew every week for 30 years! I mean, of course, I know what it means to be a real Christian! So when he (the guy in the first paragraph) said the following, of course, I already knew that stuff, too!
He asked us if we sensed that God was perhaps nudging us to do or say something, or to take action (i.e., kindness?) in some way.
“Nah,” I immediately thought.
Then I remembered. In the summer, I sent out this article as I thought perhaps, there was a nudge from Holy Spirit to open a forum so that we (You and I – the reader! Yes! I AM pointing my finger RIGHT through this article at you!) could get to know each other better and maybe share a coffee and some wisdom.1
“And so, if God is nudging you to begin something, why haven’t you done it yet?” was his (annoying) next question.
He said it’s because of fear. The NERVE! Well, we’ll talk about fear next time, because I once struggled with a twinge of fear and learned something to help me overcome it (a bit!), but that’s not for today.2
For today, THE POINT of this article is to announce that we will be hosting prayer times approximately twice monthly to connect and get to know each other.
And then, recently, instead of simply loudly blaring my thoughts to the world like I usually do as I write online, I decided to learn a bit more about YOU, the reader. I wanted to read (some) of your writing, from those of you who write, and (who knew?) you are actually very cool! All of you! It would be great to have tea and to share a prayer.
I hope you can join us.
For more information and to sign up, go HERE.
And who knows, MAYBE I could (?) EVEN learn a thing or two from you, too?
(“Nah,” is my next thought.)
Anyway, why do we toss fear and follow God on our unique adventures, you ask? Oh! That’s easy! Because:
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry . . . There is no room in love for fear.
As the song below sings, “I’ve been afraid” or “You’re bigger than all my problems,” consider asking God if He may be nudging you to step outside your fear and to take action, too. What do you sense in your heart (JUST before you immediately say, “NAH!”)? Jesus, help us tangibly experience more of Your love, so we can finally step out of fear, we pray.
Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!
Photo Credit – Looks (A Bit) Like Me! (In Coolness, I Mean) by JUSTIN BUISSON on Unsplash
1 NO! I don’t need any wisdom! I’M the one sharing wisdom here, remember? This is a one-way street! And what did you say? Humility is overrated, especially when we’re at church, in my experience!
2 Did you notice that I am doing something SCARY by conquering my fear of rejection and inadequacy (We’ll talk about that another time) by hosting an online group where I MAY (gulp!) even get IGNORED -worst of all fates? Which is basically the same as conquering fear to help people through civil war in the Congo (see first paragraph), but who’s comparing? I hope my life inspires you, too! You’re welcome! Good luck!
4 ME!
The amaryllis opened its two enormous blossoms this week, just before Easter, revealing pink and white splendor and raising the scent profile of the room to a higher level.
And I am that Amaryllis.
Click HERE to continue reading.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
This advice could make you feel like a Superhero Mama (like me in the photo below – just sayin’) in Clark Kent clothes (OK – Clark Kent clothes with finger paint on them. Who’s looking THAT closely?) because this article is FILLED to the brim with advice about how to make your homeschooled kids clean up!
(Or at least there SHOULD BE AT LEAST ONE piece of advice in this article! I hope you find it! While you’re looking, have you seen any pencils? We lost all of ours, so it’s becoming harder to do math.)
Click HERE to continue reading.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
So, I spoke about it HERE, HERE and HERE.
Sometimes, more often than we realize, God is whispering, nudging us into an adventure, urging us to open the door and let Him in.
The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best . . .
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
But unfortunately, we often forget to pick up our spiritual ears, which are left lying at our feet again. Let’s practice, together. Let’s look around, together, and see if we can find our ears, lying askew at our feet. Then, let’s pick them up together, examine them and ponder whether we are ready to put them on. (Holy Spirit has been calling us all our lives – it is we that hesitate to pick up the phone – or our ears, as this metaphor goes.
Then let’s take a listen.
Let’s see what we hear.
And let’s watch the joy usher into our lives as we set aside time, admit we are learners, and prepare ourselves for adventure.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy
When?
Where?
Sign up HERE
See you soon, friends.
Oh! And anyone who wants to stay after our fledgling attempts at prayer (and no talking necessary from your end), let’s have a tea and a chat, friend. I am so glad God has brought us together.
(Let’s learn to soar, together.)
As the song below plays, consider asking Holy Spirit if He is nudging you to join us. What is your heart’s response?
Can’t wait to meet you.
Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!
Photo Credit – Us! by Conner Baker on Unsplash
This photo is me on the day I won FIRST PRIZE at the craft fair for the sunflower shirt I sewed! (See Footnote 11 for why I subtly placed that fact here). Oh! And I HAPPEN to be wearing that EXACT shirt today!
That is VERY auspicious for our online times together.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
I talked about it BEFORE. It’s finally happening, starting TONIGHT: online connection, finding our ears to learn to hear the nudges of God together, and tea.2
Note that no one needs to speak during the prayer (unless you want to). Oh! And stay afterwards for a connection time, to get to know each other, if you have a few minutes.
Why not?
Let’s learn to soar together, friend, as we practice connection with God.
Let’s journey together!
WE HOPE YOU JOIN US
Thursday, March 26, at 5:00 pm Pacific Time (PT)
Thursday, April 16, at 5:00 pm Pacific Time (PT)
Thursday, April 23, at 5:00 pm Pacific Time (PT)
Message me here to sign up
1 That’s how you know I am an exceptional person (and therefore you can trust me!).
2 Bring your own tea. Everything else is provided!
I suddenly remembered that a long time ago, I had promised a connection time for readers of this site, as described in the article below.
More about this connection time, which is starting this Thursday at 5:00 pm Pacific time, will be rolling out later this week! (Who says I didn’t start a group yet because I’m afraid of inadequacy or failure? But more on that in a future article!)
Click HERE to continue reading.
Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!
We are serving up a previously published article for you to feast on, while our family is on spring break in Victoria, Canada (maturely, of course!), appreciating other people’s spring flowers.
My mouth hung open. I stared at the woman walking past me. It was not polite to stare (I know, okay!), but I forgot that my mouth was still hanging open.
I had just worked out at the gym. My muscles were getting EVEN stronger! For example, this time I didn’t have to go to the far edge of the gym to find lighter weights than the ones our instructor set out for the group class.
Click HERE to continue reading.
Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)
We are serving up some previously published articles for you to feast on this week, while our family is on spring break in Victoria, Canada.
Goodbye, winter! Hello, flowers! Victoria has regular spring flowers, like these daffodils, found in the rest of Canada, albeit a bit earlier that the rest of us.
(Who CARES?)
But they also have bushes of things like these already in bloom, flaunting us.
Click HERE to continue reading.
Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!
Restoring Life 