Here is Where My Story Begins

I've been thinking a lot lately about Soul Care 2015, whether I will be able to "keep up" with my plans to grow spiritually and blog and share ideas with others. To hopefully inspire others to take the first step on a new journey. I'm plotting out the course for January. Please do not feel you are "behind" if you haven't thought much about it. There is no way to be behind in building your relationship with God. It is what it is and your spiritual path is right there before you. I just needed to plan a bit because otherwise how can I blog and post and be ready?  I have to be just a little prepared!

I've been thinking about those half weeks that sometimes fall at the beginning or end of a month and I decided we would just use them as bonus days! Glorious time to regroup, to plan, to rejoice in our journey of soul care.

As you can see from my calendar page week one is prayer, week two is bible verse (I've already picked mine but that week I will post several you can chose from or chose your own personal favorite!) week three is silence and solitude (more details that week) and week four is the express it week.

January is Beginnings and as life unfolds there are always plenty of beginnings to pray about. Some are positive like starting a new job, getting married, having a baby or even beginning to move toward a healthy living lifestyle. Soul Care is a beginning. Then there are beginnings that are more difficult like learning to live without a loved one or readjusting after a divorce. You might pick one beginning to focus on or perhaps you will include several in your focus.

This is going to be an interesting journey. I wonder what we will discover along the way?  Here is where my story begins.

Soul Care 2015 Idea

If you have been reading previous posts, you know we are about to embark on a Soul Care journey in 2015.  It's as new for me as it is for you, so we will tread these waters together....you know... "Get out of the boat."

One of the weeks is an Express It week, where we look at our focus, our conversations with God and our own lives and express them in some creative endeavor.  I was planning to start an art journal devoted to just the express it weeks but I never managed to get to Hobby Lobby and pick up the art journal. They have ones I have used before and I really like them. I will tell you with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season I was a bit frustrated at not being able to pick one up....but lo and behold of course God had another plan.

This morning while wandering around Walmart, picking up a few things...I came upon the planner section.  I need a new daily planner for 2015 so I stopped to take a look. Hmmm...I saw an inspirational weekly planner with a floral cover... it was cute but the cover just wasn't "me". (I know I'm far too picky.) Wait...right above it...I saw this ....

 

Now God knows me...right!  Then my mind started churning and I thought...this could be my Soul Care planner, with sections for journaling and my Express It week's project all in one. I'm not expecting everyone to journal/create daily as for some people that's just not their thing. God knows that but He also knows me and I honestly feel like He lead me to this.  I think he is nudging me or well, maybe even pushing me to extend myself a little bit more, to really delve into this Soul Care project.  Planner cost is 7.98 at our Walmart and so it would be close to that at most Walmarts. There is the floral version also for the same price.

 

 

There are monthly calendars where I can plot out our Soul Care journey, write random thoughts, remind myself to pray, etc.  It becomes an Express It project when I add little doodles, paint the page or whatever creative idea pops into my head. Do not expect great art work... I will use this only for Soul Care so my daily tasks  do not clutter the page or my thoughts.

There are individual sections where I can write down the Bible verse for the week/month, or journal my thoughts or conversations with God. Again I can use these pages during Express It week to add some art and creativity to the study.  Each daily planner page comes with a Bible verse at the top of the right page so it's another nice way to reflect on God's word.

Now PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE....do not feel like you have to buy a planner to do the Soul Care for 2015. You most certainly do not. I just wanted to share the idea in case someone wants to.  You could do the same thing with a journal, index cards or an old spiral notebook.
Or perhaps you will go a whole other direction. No matter how little or how much you do...Soul Care is about taking little baby steps in our relationship with God. Even if all you do is read the blog posts and think....you have taken a little step toward a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God and our Savior.

Hugs to all....I will be back in January to start our journey together.

Art Journaling Your Faith

I wanted to share some of the fabulous ideas out there for art journaling your faith or for a spiritual art journal. This might be something you choose to use doing the Express week if you are joining us for Soul Care 2015.  I have been keeping a spiritual art journal for quite some time although I don't get to work in it as much as I'd like!

This one is at Lindy.

 

This one is from Shanna Noel and she is using an actually note taking Bible and using the notes part of the page to art journal.

 

Details on this page: HERE

 

Don't be intimidated and think you can't use an art journal as your Express week project because you aren't artsy....neither am I. My pages are much simpler but that's ok. The faith journal is about expressing yourself and deepening your relationship with God through the process.

 

Hugs to each of you. Enjoy your Christmas and we will move forward in 2015.

Beginnings: January 2015

I'm restless tonight with a hundred things to do. Christmas is coming and I'm behind schedule due to spending a lot of time at the hospital this week with my sister who is quite ill. I'm in a little bit of a slump from some other things that are on my mind. The "unfairness" of life. To calm and cheer myself I decided to try to "round out" our January Soul Care Journey.

 

 

 

I decided that to help us have a "framework" to work within that I would pick a "focus" for each month. The focus for January is going to be Beginnings. Furthermore we will endeavor to follow a pattern each month. January will look like this.....

 

 

January 4th-10th   Prayer Week  On the fourth we will explore beginnings and you will pick a prayer(s) focus for the week. This may seem weird or strange at first but I think after we start to muse about beginnings you will find many places this might fit into your life or the life of a loved one.

 

January 11th-17th  Scripture Week  On the 11th we will explore several different bible verses and you will choose on for your weekly "soul care" work.  If none of them seem to resonant with you, you can certainly pick another of your own choosing. Scriptures are our arsenal of soul care. Having them in our hearts and souls strengthen us in times of need.

 

January 18th -24th Silence and Solitude: We will set aside just ten minutes a day of quiet time this week to muse. I know its hard to find this time but it's only for one week! I believe it will enrich our lives.

 

January 25th- 31st : Express: We will explore options for the "express" week and you will pick one to use during this week. There are any number of ways to complete the express week and you can choose a different one each month if you desire.

 

 

Connections: January doesn't have a fifth week or a partial week (well it does on the 1-3) but I will still include some "connections" things to muse about and perhaps complete after the month has passed. I'm going to be honest I'm not exactly sure how the connections aspect is going to play out but I feel like it needs to be included so we will play around with it and see how it works. 

I'm excited to get started on this new spiritual journey. I will be doing some Facebook posts throughout each week sharing my personal thoughts, posing questions, and endeavoring to keep us motivated with our "soul care."  Therefore you might want to "like" the Facebook Soul Musings page, so they will appear in your news feed.  The page is HERE

Hugs to everyone. Have a great week!

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Soul Care 2015

'For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"  Mark 8:36

I'd like to invite you to join me in 2015 for a weekly "soul care" practice/assignment. Don't worry it will be simple!  Nothing complex or elaborate. I'm actually still ironing out my thoughts about this weekly "assignment. I think each month will have 4-5 weekly care "areas" and then each month we will rotate through each of the areas. I'm not sure exactly how it will "unfold" but I hope you will join me in forging ahead in 2015 as we grow in our relationship with God and with ourselves.

This is just a rough draft of how a month might unfold:

Week One: Prayer (we might have a prayer focus or not...this is something I need to think about more)

Week Two: Scripture (if we have a prayer focus our scripture week will go along with that)

Week Three: Solitude/Silence/Musing (more details later)

Week Four: Express It (journaling, art, blog posts, YOU pick the form your Express It will take) I would suggest you pick one form and use it each month...so for example perhaps you will start a faith art journal and then week four each month you will add a page to it.

Week Five (for months with 5...or maybe this might be a partial week) Connections (again this might take different forms for different people)

As I said this is all just in it's infancy...so I'll see how it works.

Hugs to each of you, may you have a blessed Christmas and hopefully join me in 2015.

My Soul Magnifies the Lord

Sometimes with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season we need to pause and recognize the magnitude of what we celebrate.


My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord
My soul magnifies the Lord
He has done great things for me
Great things for me

 

Thank you Lord for all the opportunities you are giving me to magnify you and to celebrate the season with joy and love.

 

Hugs to all of you and may you pause in this season of "rushing about" and soak in God's love.

Who Do You Say I Am?

When I was contemplating what I might write here at Soul Musings, I came across this image and it struck me as profound. I'm not looking for the cliché answers, savior, messiah, Son of God, which while quite correct, fall easily from one's lips without a lot of thought.  I've ponder this before in an earlier post: Who is Jesus?  Yet I feel drawn to muse about it some more, perhaps in a different way. What I mean I suppose is summed up in

Matthew 16: 15     “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

So that, I suppose, is my question to you (and to myself) Who do I say Jesus is? How would you fill in the blank? While all the "correct answers" are full of meaning and importance, it is the personal answer that will enhance your connection to Christ. 

Let's face it, the world today is not in many, many ways the same world that Christ walked in. Often people struggle to understand the Bible because of just this fact. How are we to translate the messages of the Bible into daily living in a world that seems to ensnare us in situations that are so different than in biblical times. Not only that but even some of the common customs and ways of life during Jesus's time no longer even exist.

That makes it even more important to have your own personal answer to "Who is Jesus?"
Let's take "messiah" for example. Even that word has a more mundane and humanly definition. "A leader or savior of a particular group or cause."

I remember in my study of the Gospel of John, in one or two of the verses John, was referred to as the disciple Jesus loved. When I think..."who do you say I am?" I think I'd answer "the one who loves me."  After all isn't that right?  That lovely phrase was not just reserved for John but for each and everyone of us.

Regardless of how times have changed, no matter the customs and ways of life that exist today, that one aspect...Jesus is the one who loves me... never changes.

Hugs to each of you and may you have a blessed Thanksgiving week (for those here in the U.S.).

Walking the Road to Christmas

Every year around this time I get this overwhelming feeling that I'm walking a road, walked by many before me. Not the hectic major highway of the holiday season but a simple road, a road traveled in solitude. It is only in the absence of voices that the road to Christmas is revealed.

Oh I love the sounds of the holiday season, I love the bells and the music and the laughter but yet it is in the silence of the season that I find myself reflecting on the road to Christmas. Imagining a distant time when the birth of a child changed the course of mankind.

I've often wondered if I would have had the courage of the shepherds, leaving their flocks and wandering, guided only by the distant star. Trusting that a marvelous sight, full of wonder awaited them.

God beckons us even today. It might not be with a brilliant star that appears in the sky. It may be through soft whisperings. Yet he asks us indeed, to leave what we know and venture into the unknown, with the simple faith of the shepherds.

I hope as we move into the hectic weeks of the holiday season, that we carve out times of silence to walk the road to Christmas. In the stillness of these times may you hear God's voice and may he fill your heart with a love of Christmas that is more meaningful than anything we can create here in our humanly existence.

Hugs to all of you, fellow travelers on the road to Christmas.

Living a Thankful Life

It's November so, of course, thoughts turn to being thankful. I firmly believe people would live a more joyous life if we could train ourselves to see what we have instead of what we don't. For years I wished I lived in a bigger house, could afford nicer clothes, and take fancy trips until I realized just how much that "envy" was coloring the life I was living.

Instead, I began to focus on just what I do have and realized I have been blessed, and blessed, and blessed over and over again. It's not just the appreciation of the things I have but a different frame of mind. It's not just realizing how much I have in comparison to so many in this world. It's actually a deeper spiritual relationship with God and those around me .After all we all say "things don't matter" but in many of our hearts we still allow them to. I used to be stuck in this warp between pretending to care nothing for the things of this life to yearning to have more and better things.

Now, instead, I love and appreciate the things I do have. As long as these things do not rule our hearts God wants us to rejoice in the beauty of this life.  When I get the temptation to want more or bigger or better I remind myself of all that I do have. I appreciate small things. I also count among my blessings the people in my life, our memories, our laughter, our silly adventures. Those truly are way more important than the house I live in or the shoes I wear.

Sometimes, when times are very, very hard it is difficult to find things to be thankful for. It's sad but true. That's when I turn to God for some direction and without fail things seem to improve, or my heart feels a little lighter. It is not ours to know why things unfold they do here on earth but we must be secure in the knowledge that God has a plan for us.

 

Hugs to each and everyone of you. I hope you have many things to be thankful for and know that God's love is one of them!

Proving Your Love

As I was typing the title for this post I realized that it's sort of one of those titles that "mislead." Oh not intentionally but it does all the same.  I chose it and the image above to talk about loving God but in my heart I don't believe you have to "prove" your love of God. I mean why should you?  God knows everything that is in your heart so there's no need to prove anything.

God doesn't ask us to "prove" our love but He does ask us to LIVE that love. There's a difference. If we get caught up in proving: we will struggle, we will feel anguish, we will think, perhaps that we are never good enough, that we can never prove it. What a stressful life. God would never torment us in such a way.

 

Instead when you let go of "proving" anything and simply live your love you will experience a profound joy. God wants us to find joy in this life and by allowing our love for Him to flow throughout our daily choices (words and deeds) than we honor Him and deepen our relationship with Him.

 

 

"All things bright and beautiful, all things great and small...."  Show kindness, show compassion, show love and God will know your great love for Him.

 

BUT and I repeat BUT.....don't get hung up on being perfect...we will all be grouchy, we will all say a sharp word, we will all make mistakes and handle something poorly, it's not those individual slip ups that I'm talking about....it is an overall life of kindness and love that is the focus of this post. It's a motto for living God's love, a mission statement, or a vision statement for life.

 

Hugs to all of you and may you live your love of God in small ways everyday.

Prayers and the Broken Hearted

So the other day I was talking to God and sort of apologizing because some days I have failed to pray and/or think about people who are experiencing problems, struggle in life or who just seem sad. 
I had gotten caught up in "feeling bad" when I thought about them or their situations and let's face it there are some pretty sad parts of people's lives. I felt like I was drowning in an emotional sea. 

As I was talking with Him, I said "God its just that sometimes I have to avoid thinking about all the terrible sadness in this world. It hurts too much."  Then it struck me....if I was "touched" or "hurt" or affected by just the few people and situations that I knew of, how utterly heartbroken Jesus must feel at times. (I know, I know He is not the same as me and undoubtedly doesn't get despondent as He knows more about where all this is going) Yet at the same time, this thought, this concept of how sad we can be for others seemed to link me more closely to Jesus. It allowed me to see, to feel, just for a bit how some of our decisions and paths might appear to Him.

I decided to pray more in the form of God's guidance and healing and support rather than allow myself to dwell on all the little details of some situations. God whispered to me and I heard him. Sadness cannot be allowed to engulf me or my prayer life. I must trust that God's grace, support, and love will bring light to the darkness.

Hugs to all of you. May you feel God's loving embrace every day.

Friend of Sinners

Jesus........

• rebel
• line crosser
• rule breaker
• friend of sinners

Those are just some of the things I've mused about regarding Jesus. In some ways I think of Jesus as a hippie (must be that 70s child in me). Truth be told even in today's world Jesus would be considered a bit of an outcast himself. He wouldn't have been walking the path of "career building" nor looking for a golden parachute when he retired. And why is that?

Because time on this earth is but a fleeting thing and the constraints of it are really of little importance. Yes, they seem so important at the time but considering eternity (that's a long, long time!) what happens here is but a speck in the vastness of our life. Yes our lives because Jesus has provided us with a path to eternal life.

When Jesus was questioned about "eating with the scum" He said, " Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." Mark 2:16-17

Pretty straightforward and as I said in my earlier post a simple explanation regarding "scandalous grace". Yet Jesus could be both simple and complex. Let's take a little closer look at what he says:

"I've come to call, not those who think they are righteous"  He didn't say they are righteous but they think they are. Big difference. Sometimes I think people who love and have a relationship with God, truly never think they are righteous (or good enough). Yes that is a human failing but its also right on target. Not that we need to wallow in our "smallness" and our "human failings" but it does keep us humble.

I've written before that sometimes people who are "out there" all the time with their religious beliefs, highlighting their faith, and being just a little "over the top." make me leery. I try very hard not to judge them because it is not my place. God knows what is truly in their hearts. But at the same time they make me leery because they remind me of the Pharisees, shouting their beliefs at everyone and looking down their noses at others that "don't measure up." Yet they don't really know who measures up and who doesn't, only God knows what is in people's hearts.

Jesus goes on to say, "but those who know they are sinners."  People that recognize their short comings are being called to Jesus. That's the good news. You don't have to be perfect. Actually the very fact that you're not is what makes Jesus want you all the more!

Hugs to each and everyone of you. May you hear the voice of Jesus and know that he cares not about mistakes, faults, and sins but offers you grace.

Scandalous Grace

Sometimes I think we have a hard enough time understanding grace without adding in this idea of scandalous grace. What does it mean to us in today's world where scandals are an every day occurrence?

The story of the prodigal son was used to highlight the idea of "scandalous grace". Yes the one son takes his inheritance, squanders it and then returns home to the loving and accepting arms of his father, much in the same way that we veer from the path of God and then return when we are down and out. It's a human condition, a human weakness and one that God has taken into account.

As I've written before, Jesus was a bit of a rebel, in his day, and I love that about him. He talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, he touched lepers, he "hung out" with people that didn't follow the "rules" of the day. Why? What does it mean? There are simple answers like those people needing him more, or his example of acceptance of all people or his great ability to find the good in all people, no matter their life circumstances.

It reminds me of something totally not "religious" or even spiritual. It reminds me of ....

"Gypsies, tramps and thieves
We'd hear it from the people of the town
They'd call us, gypsies, tramps and thieves
But every night all the men would come around
And lay their money down"

How or why in the world does it remind me of this ancient Cher song?  Well first of all gypsies, tramps, and thieves are just the sort of sinners Jesus might hang out with. But even more so it reminds me that as humans we have the tendency to see "sinners" and sins in others but seldom in ourselves.  The people of the town in the song would call them gypsies, tramps and thieves but they still came around at night and put their money down. Double standard?

The thing is with Jesus there is no double standard. What you see is what you get. He doesn't place "qualifications" on grace. If you do this then I'll do this. He doesn't say that grace is only for the "people of the town" or just for gypsies, tramps, and thieves for that matter. Rather grace is available for all, without question, without qualifications, and without limit.

 

On the other hand there are some religions (or religious people) that put qualifications on God's love. Oh many times they don't come right out and say it but people "feel" it.

If you are in a church or situation like that ....."get out". Find your own grace through your personal relationship with God.

So many times we feel we are "unworthy" of God's love and grace. All of us (being human) feel this at one time or another. Push through those feelings. Know that God's love and forgiveness is unlimited.

Hugs to you all today and may God's scandalous grace lift your spirits and transform your life!

The Doubt Factor

 

One of the things I've noticed through my recent Bible studies is that sometimes the more you learn, the more you muse, the more questions you have. And yes sometimes doubts too. I've written before that I'm like Peter in that I can jump right out of the boat without thinking but it is in those first moments on the water that faith slips.

I'd love to say that I have a constant strong faith that never falters but that would be a lie. Sometimes I wonder about God and why so many years have passed since Jesus's time and what that means. I wonder of the miracles Jesus performed and why we live in a land barren of such miracles. Sometimes I must admit I even think, "is it real?" It is at such times that I understand evil and its insidious ways of entering our midst.

Remember that the goal of good is to "become" and the goal of evil is unbecoming. To become is to reach a higher level of spiritual awareness, faith and love, which at its peak is crowned in our reconnection with our God. To unbecome is to de-evolve, to deteriorate into nothingness, lacking human conscious and emotion. Doubt is but a tool, one of many, to confuse and conquer. It seeps in gradually, along with others such as judgment, greed, and envy.

Sometimes, in my case it is not so much doubt as it is the question: "why". I'm an unraveler of mysteries, a seeker, a questioner, and I wonder, a lot about why certain things unfold in my own life the way they do. Is there meaning in it or just some rambled jumbled mess?  Perhaps it is a simpler version of what so many have asked before and continue to ask today...."is there meaning in this life?"

Some days I am strong and happy in my complete devotion to knowing all is as it should be, that no matter what life throws my way, I will stand strong and faith will carry me. Other days, and honestly sometimes just unexpected moments, random waves of doubt, uncertainty and feelings of failure cascade over me like whitecaps in a stormy ocean. I question life, I question me.

I ask, "where is God?"

Well this is quite a musing now isn't it? Uplifting (not). But all musings are not about the happy sunshine smiles of faith. Some are about the sorrowful wailings of the spirit. God knows this and he does not give into us like a toddler throwing a tantrum. He waits, patient, and sometimes silent for us to work it out. Sometimes that takes years. Yet He leads us, with signs and signals, unexpected lights in our darkest moments, songs and simple things like tomatoes! For while we may falter in our faith in Him, He never falters in his faith in us. He knows we can work it out.

Hugs to each of you and hugs to me also.

Tomatoes, Peppers, and God

Ok I'm sure you are thinking HOW is she going to weave God in to tomatoes and peppers, right? Well these are actually the third and fourth box of tomatoes from my brother in laws garden. Needless to say, I'm up to my ears in tomatoes. When this picture was taken I had already made, tons of spaghetti sauce and salsa to freeze. Since this picture was taken I've actually processed another one of the boxes of tomatoes......so anyway...how does this relate to God?

Well, while you are hot bath, cold bath, peeling and deseeding you have a lot of time to think. I actually played JOY FM in the kitchen while I worked which I think helped me keep calm and not dissolve into tears after tomato number 235. And that's not even mentioning the peppers....

 

Quite honestly though after day three of working with produce a calm settled over me and I started pondering the bounty of the earth. The simple ways that God provides for us. Oh tomatoes and peppers don't pay the bills but I sometimes think a "back to the basics" approach to life might de-stress a lot of people. I started to "value" that produce.

 

There was something "basic" about putting away food for winter, harvesting the blessings God bestowed on us, and just feeling the "realness" of food without additives and preservatives. It felt "real", it felt honest, it felt "core" somehow. It made me realize if we could just somehow wipe away all the "mankind" stuff, all the busyness of a world gone mad then perhaps we could hear God's whispers a little easier.

 

Sometimes I wasn't even listening to the music on the radio but somehow the messages of the songs found their way into my brain, between the tomato seeds and the juice on the floor, the joyous words of God's love played into my mind, heart, and soul. Thank you God for tomatoes and peppers, making me slow down and recognize the "realness" of the earths bounty.

 

Hugs to all, may your life be filled with tomatoes and peppers.

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? That was the question posed during today's sermon. There are so many ways to answer it that it took my mind a while to process it. There are so many directions one could head when exploring Jesus. I know the whole aspect of the sermon was to suggest that you can't really tell others about Jesus unless you know Him yourself.

The truth is while I agree with that in theory, I'm not sure it stands to reason in real life. It's not that I disagree it's just that it comes to mind the whole idea of the chicken or the egg.  So too, I think our relationship with our Savior can develop in multiple ways. And honestly if we wait until we have a strong solid relationship with him before "sharing" our thoughts, our ideas about Christ in our lives, and His teachings then we may not even get to it in this lifetime. I also believe that it is in our conversations with others about Christ that we truly come to know him. We have those "oh yeah" moments, things click and pieces that quite honestly felt disconnected suddenly connect. But anyway I'm rambling, let's get back to this idea of who Jesus is.

I could do a post along the traditional lines. You know.....

"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me." Matthew 25: 35-36   And while that's so true, I'm seldom that simple in my musings. Pat answers don't get me to a deeper level.  

Who is Jesus? Let's start in that manager. Jesus came to us as a baby. Pure, innocent, helpless. In this form Jesus represented all of humankind. He traveled the same path we do. He didn't somehow just transcend the human experience and come to us as the Messiah. He started small, and humble, and precious. Just as all babies do. 

Just for the sake of musing I want to think about who Jesus is using some stories from his life, from his travels, from some simple and even "humanly" aspects. (Be warned, I'm not a Jesus expert and so there will be huge chunks, maybe some really good parts that I miss entirely). That's ok....this is after all a musing and it is subject to change, addition or deletion at any time.

As that baby, Jesus makes his first connections to the human experience. He is loved and in turn he loves.  "We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19   I know this doesn't refer to Jesus as a baby but it highlights the concept. How could Jesus love or understand how humans love if he had not experienced it himself?

Now we all know there's a lot of "years" missing from the accounts of Jesus's life. Let's just forge ahead to Jesus in the temple (about age 12) Jesus stayed behind in the temple and after his parents noticed he was missing, they returned to search for him. "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2: 51-52 

Who is Jesus in this story?  He is the son, just like all sons, who occasionally wanders off to explore, to learn, to investigate the world only to discover later that he had "worried" someone. He was "obedient to them" not because he had to follow "human constraints" but rather in spite of them. Why? Because he loved. 

In chapter two of the Gospel of John, we hear the story of Jesus turning the water into wine. When his mother asks him to help when the wine is gone Jesus says "Woman why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come." John 2: 4 This always makes me smile. A son's impatience perhaps with his mothers request? But none the less, he does as she asks and "helps" by turning the water into wine. When I first read it I thought this was a rather trivial "miracle" compared to the others, slightly mundane. But why did Jesus do it? From love.

In the Gospel of John we also hear the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus was a "rule breaker". He liked to cross the line, to "think outside the box (using today's terms). Who is Jesus?He's a little bit of a rebel and I like that about him.

I could go on and on listing stories but I'll just share one more....

On the cross one of the thieves asks Jesus to remember him and Jesus says, "truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise.". Who is Jesus? Well, evidently He is someone who even in the midst of dying himself, offers comfort and hope to someone else.

Who is Jesus? is a question I pondered during my study of John and below is a page I created in my journal with all the names "given" to Jesus in this Gospel.

Jesus is heavenly (Son of God) but he has human aspects (Son of man) and has lived the human experience so he could truly understand the parts of being human that people most clearly struggle with. We are constantly "becoming" the spiritual person that God wants us to be. Jesus clearly walked this path at a much higher level than we could ever strive for but it is indeed a path he walked.

He is the Good Shepard and he knows his sheep. He is the gate through which we all enter the kingdom of heaven. He is the light in the darkness so we are never overcome by it. He is the bread of life offering a nourishment for our soul. He is the word. "The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."  He is the one who encourages us to "get out of the boat." and he is the one who saves us when faith wavers and we start to sink.

Hugs to all of you. May you ask who is Jesus and may He answer you.

Merry Christmas

 

 

Today Pastor Eric's sermon was about Christmas in July, or rather feeling the spirit of Christmas in July.  Isn't that what Scrooge said? " I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year long."

 

That made me start thinking about the "magic" of Christmas and how Evan turns eight this year and the magic might not be as much "fun." You know there's nothing like experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child. It made me a little sad. Yet today's sermon made me realize the REAL "magic" of Christmas never dims. Maybe gifts aren't quite as much fun, nor hanging stockings, or visiting Santa but the true wonder of Christmas simply gets better with age.

 

When my own children were little we did the Advent wreath candles at our house every Sunday and that's a special "tradition" that we got away from. Perhaps Evan will enjoy reinstating it.  I've also wanted to do an advent activity for several years where you open and place a part of the nativity set each day of advent, saving the placing of the baby Jesus for Christmas Eve. That's something I will plan to do this year.  I want to do more to help Evan experience and find joy in Christmas outside the secular, which consumes so many during the holiday season.

 

But let's get back to Christmas in July, or specifically how do we "live" Christmas all year long? You might be surprised in my answer. Yes we can "be a little nicer" to people, greet them warmly and be helpful. We can remember the poor and the needy. We can give more. We can forgive more. BUT what I really think living Christmas all year long is about....is living a life of JOY.

 

 

I know, I know, that seems a little self centered doesn't it. I don't mean it in that way. Yet isn't that what Christmas is all about? The joy of Christ's birth. The joy that changes the world forever. And let me tell you when you are living a life filled with joy, you are giving a gift to others around you. When you let the joy of Christ's birth, the "magic" of this gift be lived out in the joy of your days, you are giving others a taste of the beauty of God. You are transcending a mere human existence and living a spiritual one.

 

 

 

Hugs to each of you. Merry Christmas and Joy to the World!

 

 



Comfort, The Way, and the Holy Spirit

 

Gospel of John Chapter 14

 

 

"You know the way to the place I am going."  Jesus says this to his disciples in the well know story of "my Father's house has many rooms."  He is talking with them trying to provide comfort as he knows the days ahead will be full of anguish.

 

 

 

When I first read this I thought "you know the way" and while I realized immediately that this referred to Jesus I also paused to consider it in another light. You know the way.... it's something I often think and believe in my heart, that if we follow our inner guidance (our spirit perhaps) that we know what to do in many circumstances,

 

Then Jesus speaks of the gift of the Holy Spirit. "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever."

 

 

"But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said."  I find the whole concept of this the third part of the trinity intriguing. As I read this part of the scripture I felt that some gem of understanding was just outside my grasp. I will pray and muse about the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus ends this chapter saying, "the prince of this world is coming, he has no hold over me."  As we seek a stronger, personal relationship with God, the prince of this world will come, but he will have no hold over us if we use the advocate to help us live a life of truth and love.  

 

Hugs to all and may the Holy Spirit dwell in you so that you may know the truth.

 



Feet, Betrayals and Denials

Chapter 13 of the Gospel of John

Chapter 13 includes a lot of foreshadowing. Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for the upcoming events. First he washes their feet and tells them:

"I your Lord and Master have washed your feet, you also should wash each others feet."

He predicts his betrayal and immediately (just like we would today) they want to know, which of us I it that will betray you.

He predicts Peter's denial. The story of Peter's denial is to me one of the strongest, personal stories in the Bible. For someone to love so completely and then be ruled by fear and unable to "claim" knowledge of or friendship with Jesus.

Hugs to each and everyone of you.

Perfume, Money, and the Prediction

 

Gospel of John Chapter 12

Mary washed Jesus' feet with the expensive perfume and Judas takes exception to it, asking why it wasn't sold and used to feed the poor. His real reason for questioning it was that he was stealing from the money box and he hoped to profit from the perfume himself.

 

Throughout this chapter Jesus makes predictions about his death. "You will always have the poor among you but you will not always have me." He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as his faithful wave branches and shout. His time is near and this he knows, although his disciples are unaware.

 

He spends time in conversation with God and he points out that he could ask, "God save me from this hour." but he does not because it is his very reason for being.

There s still much belief and disbelief among the people. He talks about how he is not here to judge but rather to save and that only God himself will judge.

 

What an emotional time this is for Jesus. Seeing his life's work come to fruitation but the human aspect of him also realizing that this means his death is very near. To know he is welcomed into the city by those who believe while knowing the belief of even his faithful disciples will be shaken when he is arrested.

 

Sometimes I think faith is like this also, both a joyous celebration and a scary commitment.

 

Hugs to each and everyone of you. May your faith grow into a joyous celebration and may your fears be squashed.

 

 

 

Death, Resurrection, and the Glory of God

 

 

Gospel of John: Chapter 11

 

Chapter 11 contains the story of Lazarus and how Jesus brought him back from the dead. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill and his sisters, Mary and Martha were calling for Jesus to come heal him, he didn't hurry. There was no need to. The plan was already in place to use his death to glorify God and God's plan for eternal life.

 

Sometimes this story bothers me. I don't know why, maybe for a variety of reasons. It stretches my faith a bit and has me pondering why we don't see such miracles today. I've been thinking about that lately. How different our world of today is from the world of Jesus's time. Perhaps miracles happen every day and we have become too jaded to see them, to recognize God's hand in the overall lives of people. I mean miracles do happen and we call it science. People are "saved" everyday by medicines, treatment and operations, It's not quite the same thing now is it? Or perhaps it is? Who gives us the knowledge, the ability, the foresight, the chance discoveries?

 

I think the whole story is more about making people realize the wonder that eternal life truly is and yet there's something about it that continues to niggle at my brain, to cause just enough unrest to have it popping into my thoughts at unexpected times. It's as if there is a discovery, a "truth" just outside my line of vision, an idea that hasn't quite came into being, waiting for me to reach some conclusion, some optimal point of understanding. Or maybe its just not mine to know.  

 

Hugs to each and everyone of you. Have you ever wondered why I end each post with hugs? A hug is a warm embrace meant to convey, love, friendship, understanding and comfort. I always hope that each post helps you in some way and the "hugs" at the end are meant to express my sincere feelings about you my readers.

 

 

 



August Bible Study 1 John

I know...I know...I haven't finished posting my Study of the Gospel of John yet but honestly I finished it before going to Alaska in June. I just got "off track" of actually writing about it. I'll still be posting all of my chapter thoughts here on Soul Musings but I want to get back to my daily study also.  I put that off, thinking I'd wait till I finished posting the Gospel of Jonh posts but since I'm so slow ....I'm getting restless. I tried some random verses that all focused on the same topic and quite honestly I just couldn't get into that approach so I'm back to picking a book to study.  I'm hoping to get the Gospel of John posts up before the end of July so I can start "fresh" with the new study in August.

I've decided to continue with John by reading 1 John, know as an epistle. An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or a group of people using an elegant and formal didactic letter. 1 John is not the only epistles but it is the one I will be reading and refelcting on in August.

Since 1 John is a shorter book of the Bible I will break it into 5 weeks, one week for each of the chapters. I plan to read and reflect daily and will attempt to get a post up at the beginning of each week with things to ponder and a post at the end of the week with some thoughts. Np promises though because life does happen around here...and well sometimes life is just more important than blogging!

Hugs! I look forward to sharing my experience, thoughts, and questions about 1 John with you.

The Gate, the Shepherd and the Sheep

Gospel of John Chapter 10

In chapter ten we read the story of the good shepherd, probably one of the most common and weel know images of Jesus is him as the shepherd. In reading the account in John I realize the story even has more layers of depth than I remembered from childhood.

Jesus not only tells the Pharisees that he is the shepherd but that he is the gatekeeper and those that enter by other means are thieves and robbers. Although he is referring to others who have come in the past it also makes me think of false phrophets and others that come into people's livesand try to enter the pen, like thieves stealing the spiritual lives of the sheep.

The sheep listen only to the shepherd because they know his voice and recognize him. This is a worry or perhaps a doubt of mine sometimes that I might hear something or feel moved to go in a certain direction and HOW will I know it is God and not just my own will or if I am being lead astray?

Further more there are othe sheep besides those in this pen and they will come to Jesus also: a reference to the Jewish and the Gentiles. Jesus is for everyone and it is made clear in this story that he knows this from the start. It's not a "change of plans" because all the Jews do not follow him. It has been a clearly outlined objective from the beginning.

The hired hand is not the shepherd because when the wolf comes he runs away as he cares nothing for the sheep.  Again this makes me think of false prophets but not just false ones. Our own relgious leaders of today are human. They cannot have the strength or the resolve to see things through as Jesus can. That is not to say that many of them are not strong faithful individuals but just that they are not the shepherd. This makes me think of churches splitting up and following other leaders. Are they going because they feel called to grow spiritual in a different direction or are they pulled off course by the "hired hand", the "leader" they re following?

They will listen to my voice and they will be one flock and one shepherd. Hasn't happened yet but is an interesting and inspiring prediction.

Of course all this did was cause further disputes over Jesus's claims. He is asked: Tell us plainly are you the Messiah?" Jesus replies: "I did tell you but you did not listen."  He states "I and the Father are one." It incises them so that they pick up stones to stone him and he asks for which of my good works am I being stoned?  They replied it is for blasphemy.  Again Jesus challenged them and told them that in their own laws it is written that those receiving God's word are "gods" so how is it wrong for me to say I am the Son of God.  Then Jesus left and went back across the Jordan.

Hugs to you. As we travel through life may we recognize the voice of the shepherd and find eternal life.

Wars, Planes, and Children

I spent a bit of time last night praying for those aboard MH17 and their families and friends. It came to mind that some people might criticize that act because they might deem some of the sufferers as non Christians. I pondered what "come back" I might have to such an outcry. Quite honestly what came to mind is not particularly pleasant.

First of all they are dead. There it is... blunt and cruel and not pleasant. Whether I'm praying for them ceases to matter for them but it matters to me and it matters to the world. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, 298 people lost their lives, not by some "accident", not because they were on one side or the other of a war, not because they chose to put themselves in a dangerous situation but simply because they were there. In a plane, with no thoughts of death, no concerns as they soared toward their destination. That number includes 3 infants and possibly as many as 100 children.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14  He didn't say, "let only Christian children come to me." now did he?

These were people that laughed and loved and cared. They had friends and families and lives. They were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, grandparents and grandchildren. They existed. I don't know how they knew God or their God's name or even if they believed in an afterlife. None of that matters to me. What matters is that in our world today we have hate and war and lies. We have the ability to destroy 298 (and let's face it a lot more than that) people in a matter of minutes. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

It looks like it's shaping up to be one big political mess. I have no idea who exactly shot down the plane but it's starting to look as if it was the insurgents. Yes, there's finger pointing, and yes there are those that say its a conspiracy. My thoughts are that they accidently shot down a civilian plane which they believed to be a Ukraine military one. Now all hell is about to break loose. Whether it was an accident or intentional, regardless of who is at fault, the point is, as long as we have hate, and war, and those that think we settle our differences with violence then things like this will continue to happen. After all this isn't the first time a civilian plane has been shot down by accident. That doesn't make it any less horrific.

The whole world is watching. If Americans were aboard the plane has not been confirmed although some are suggesting 23 Americans lost their lives. People are already arguing about WHY people are concerned about Americans onboard as if they are somehow "special." No they are not special. It's simply that people want to know, just like the Australians wanted to know, just like any other country wanted to know. Just this simple unknown fact is already pitting people against each other. That's how evil works. I do wonder why our government is so slow in confirming if in deed Americans were onboard. It makes me think they want their "response", their "game plan" in place before they acknowledge loss of life. But this isn't a game, people. This is real. It cuts to the core of those people who have lost loved ones.

I pray for those that lost loved ones, I pray for the leaders of all the countries involved, I pray for the world, I pray for people to move beyond their self inflicted, limited viewpoints toward a more global view of the world and the people in it. I pray that a senseless act doesn't push us to the brink of a world war.

Hugs to each of you. Hold onto the light in the darkness and guard it with passion.

"Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness." 1 John 2:9

Blindness, Investigations and The Son of Man

Gospel of John Chapter 9

Chapter nine is almost exclusively the story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind.  He covered his eyes with mud and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. Upon doing so the man could see.

The story starts out with the disciples asking Jesus who had sinned this man or his parents since he was born blind. Jesus tells them that it was neither but that it happened so the works of God might be displayed.  This strikes me because I think even today people view misfortune, troubles, and illness as being the result of sin. It's not but in reading the verses again I wonder does it even in today's world allow for God's work. In some ways it certainly does even though God doesn't make bad things happen.

 

The Pharisees investigate, question the man and his parents, and try to cast doubt on who Jesus is. The man says "If this man was not from God he could do nothing." But the Pharisees certainly do not want to hear this and they throw him out.

 

Jesus then finds him and asks: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"  He worshiped him saying "Lord, I believe."

 

I think I find most interesting what Jesus says to the Pharisees: "If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."  In other words, had you not declared your own power to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong you would be "innocent". Yet in declaring that "you see" or that you know the difference you are now accountable for your actions.

 

Sometimes I pray for God to open my eyes so that I might see and understand the path I am intended to walk. There are so many questions that pop up in today's world and things that might have once been a simple black or white now have so many shades that it's hard to tell where one starts and another leaves off.

 

Yet "seeing" can be difficult at times too especially when there is often so little that can be "done."

 

Hugs to all of you and a special hope that you ":see" with new eyes as God leads you on this special journey called life.