Love

You are who you are.

And you are loved.

... God

The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue,

that I might know how to speak to the weary 

a word that will rouse them. 

Morning after morning 

he opens my ear that I may hear.

-isaiah 50:4

Sacrificial Love

Holy Week, Day 1 - Palm Sunday

Sacrificial Love.

Jesus exemplifies the concept.

He entered Jerusalem a King and within days 

would be a convict - sentenced to death.

How much of ourselves do we give up to God

in a way that forces us out of our comfort zone?

Do we share all the we can of our time and talents?

And what is - enough?

As we enter Holy Week these are the questions that

will try our souls as we bear witness to what

Jesus did for us.

Word of God speak

Would You pour down like rain

Washing my eyes to see

Your majesty

To be still and know

That You're in this place

Please let me stay and rest

In Your holiness

Word of God speak.

-lyrics by mercyme

Fierce

God wants us close to him.

Closer than humanly possible.

Because his love transcends our mortal flesh

and digs deep into the divine within us.

His love is intended for the deepest parts of us ...

... our very roots, our very souls.

Bursting out in a riot of fierce protection

and gentle compassion.

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, 

says the Lord,

and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

-ezekiel 18:31

Burdens

We are changeable creatures, we humans. 

One day all is right and the next we 

carry our worries like great burdens.

We shed them and pick them up 

like the change in seasons.

Yet God is always there to take 

those burdens from us.

His love is enduring and timeless.

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: 

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. 

In their failure they will be put to 

utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.

-jeremiah 20:11

Desert

This time in the spiritual desert can be harsh and lonely.

Digging deep within yourself is not easy work;

it's not meant to be.

It is intended to draw you closer to God.

For it is with him that we find calm waters.

The Word of God became flesh 

and made his dwelling among us;

and we saw his glory.

-the gospel of john 1:14

Distraction

Our surroundings seem designed for maximum distraction...

all sorts of technology that was supposed to make our lives easier

has essentially create a bunch of individual pods.

Each one of us isolated from the people and signs around us;

especially those signs of God's wondrous presence.

Closer communion with God means looking up 

and seeing what he has given to us...

...in the moment.

Blessed are they who have kept the word 

with a generous heart

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

-the gospel of luke 8:15

Grace

Get caught up in the beauty.

Let the glossy pale pink petals surround you

with softness and peace.

As with all creation, these Tulips come from 

God's mighty hands - 

the hands that will hold you, always - 

dripping with love, suffused with mercy and

sighing to give you all the graces your heart can hold.

Go ahead...you have all the time in the world to let

all of that wash over you like a cleansing rain.

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

-psalm 51:12

Renewal

Does your soul feel a longing

for the fresh start that Spring represents?

Allow yourself to be renewed thru

God's enduring love.

As new life blooms all around us

in springtime we can ask

God to breathe new life into our very souls.

The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;

through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness,

-psalm 89:2

Communion

Pray without ceasing.

It seems so - daunting. How does one pray this way?

Every moment of your life is a prayer of some kind.

Telling someone you love them, asking a loved one to drive safely,

cooking a meal for family and friends. We all do simple little

things every day that are in fact, tiny prayers heard by God.

Our very lives are prayers - 

stalwart, never-ending moments of communion with God.

I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord;

whoever believes in me will never die.

-the gospel of john 11: 25 & 26

Relax

Come. Sit down. Relax.

You have all the time in the world.

Settle in and invite God to sit beside you.

He wants to be there with you.

In fact, he is there every moment of every day.

Imagine how he would sit...relaxed and at ease.

Waiting on your prayers. 

His ears are open; his heart joined to yours.

He knows what you will say before you say it.

God gives you all the time in the world to say what you need to say.

You will be heard, every time.

So come...sit awhile with God.

Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,

and give thanks to his holy name.

-psalm 30:5

Stillness

"He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul."

Some of the most familiar words from 

the Bible are found in Psalm 23. 

Still waters...living waters...healing.

Lay down beside God 

and let his enduring love for you 

wrap you up and keep you safe.

Let his constancy become your stillness.

everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, 

and the one who humbles himself will be exalted

-the gospel of luke 18:14

Understanding

We are now deep into this season of spiritual thirst.

Perhaps the questions we ask narrow down to...

what is faith?

Too much time spent in a careless world can bring questions...temptations...to our minds.

Faith seeks understanding, according to St. Anselm.

What better way to quench the thirst of Lent 

than by praying for understanding...

for the emptiness of this world to be filled to

overflowing with the richness of 

God's everlasting love.

You shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart, 

with all your soul, 

with all your mind, 

and with all your strength.

-the gospel of mark 12:30

Renewal

Does your soul feel a longing

for the fresh start that Spring represents?

Allow yourself to be renewed thru God's love.

As new life blooms all around us in springtime 

we can ask God to breathe new life 

into our very souls.

Come, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us. 
For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, 
the flock he guides.
-psalm 95: 6-7

Creator

The vastness of space is humbling.

What we see with our naked eyes is so...finite.

A camera's lens captures much more 

and yet...

the mysteries remain.

The creator of those heavens 

eclipses everything.

God is the Master - let his greatness

wash over you like the glow of the stars.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;

you have the words of everlasting life.

-the gospel of john 6:63

Fly

In the midst of sacrifices for this period of

introspection don't be afraid

to spread your wings.

Let the Holy Spirit take you aloft,

floating on crisp breezes and

soaring to new heights.

Don't let yourself be held down on the ground;

God wants you to feel free

like a bird cresting on thermals.

Even now, says the Lord,

return to me with your whole heart;

for I am gracious and merciful.

-joel 2:12-13

Thirst

Consider that while we thirst for God, 

he thirsts for us.

As much as he gave us living water

thru Jesus Christ,

he desires the living water present in each of us.

Quench his thirst; give over to God

your whole self and 

feel the circle of love that comes from this

joining of your spirit...to his.

I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word;

with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption.

-psalm 103

Vulnerability

Ponder the Sunflower.

Look how tightly its petals are protecting itself.

How closed off it looks.

Yet this humble flower will open wide

and shine like the sun.

Be vulnerable.

Open fully to God's plans for you.

Breathe deeply, 

let your shoulders drop,

and release yourself to the possibilities.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;

and all my being, bless his holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

Lord is kind The and merciful.

psalm 103: 1-2

Vast

Sometimes we need to step back

from the minutiae of our daily lives.

God's plan for us is vastly bigger

than we can comprehend.

His love for us eclipses our understanding.

Step back, take a deep breath,

then take in the love and comfort

that is waiting for you.

From God.

"I, the Lord, am your God...

You shall not have other gods besides me."

-exodus 20: 2-3

Sacred

The beach...is sacred.

There is comfort in the constancy

of the surf and tides.

Even in the midst of a storm

the beach is a haven of simplicity.

Know that God watches over us;

the stormier our lives the more

God wants us to turn to 

him in prayer and praise.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son;

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

-the gospel of john 3:16

Magnificent

This beautiful Monarch butterfly can teach us so much.

Stop and simply enjoy what is around you.

Let your body come to rest.

This glorious creature, whose existence

is in complete opposition to our own,

shows us the way to see God's magnificence.

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;

whoever follows me will have the light of life.

-the gospel of john 8:12

Be

Be still and know that I am God

Be still and know that I am

Be still and know

Be still

Be

Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD,

and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.

-Ezekiel 18:31

Tears

Imagine that your tears are collected by your angels;

saved until you enter heaven.

Imagine God presenting you with a chalice,

filled with your tears, that he has watched over

with great love since you cried the first one.

He sees all your sorrows, pains, and joys.

And he has protected you during all of them.

Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life;

you have the words of everlasting life.

-john 6