Intimacy in the Wilderness: Lent

What are you giving up for Lent? This age-old question smacks of superficiality for most of us. But opening oneself up to a deeper journey of intimacy with God, like Jesus experienced in the wilderness, often does result in some kind of fasting for us like it did for Him (Luke 4). But why are we fasting?

After watching a video recording with Ruth Haley Barton (Transformingcenter.org), I realized “hiddenness” is a spiritual practice that would best facilitate my Lenten practices this year. We see this encouraged by Jesus in Matthew 6 in the areas of piety, fasting, giving and prayer. I knew the answer before I asked myself the question, “Where do I feel most distracted in my listening and aligning myself with God?” It’s my use of technology that most often leads me in too many time wasting, distracted ways. It also subtly “tempts” me in the ways of self-importance and relevancy, often with the good motive of ministry.

Therefore, I plan to take a social media break until Easter weekend. So if you need to reach me, please do so via email or text. I won’t be checking or posting online for 40 days. I have a feeling this will be harder than giving up sugar but needed just as much!!

We all long for intimate times with the ones with love. Already I can hear God calling me to a new season of intimacy with Him, a season of preparation for upcoming ministry opportunities and preparing me for an upcoming move to a new neighborhood.

If you’d like to find out more about Lent and listen to one podcast on the subject, go to Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton (Preparing for Lent episode). She has other resources available there too. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strengthening-soul-your-leadership-ruth-haley-barton/id1214483830?i=1000645298526

Fellow sojourner, I pray you answer whatever call God places on your heart in this Lent season.

“Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth…” Hosea 2:14

Not Yet But Already There

Every day my husband comes home from his unofficial role as “Project Manager” of our house renovation project with updates and photos for me to see. We knew when we bought this old house built in 1941 that a complete modernized redo was likely but we had no idea it would take over a year to finish. Yesterday Dave showed me photos of the custom kitchen cabinets with their new hardware attached. I was delighted! But like everything else, it is not yet done. Two cupboard doors had somehow been damaged and need to be rebuilt. We have started to laugh because nearly everything that has been started is not yet completely done - electrical, windows, floors, tiling etc. But despite what remains unfinished, we are starting to feel hope that a first quarter 2024 move-in might happen.

What do you do when you’re waiting for completion of the “not yet?”

Honestly, early on I vented my frustration by complaining about the builder, about the subs, about the delays etc. But God has graciously been teaching me gratitude instead. Daily I keep a record of that for which I am grateful in my life and this leads me to contentment. More importantly, I pray specifically to God. Then when an unscheduled subcontractor shows up to do that thing I prayed for, I can see it as an answered prayer.

A completed house isn’t nearly as important to me as a restored relationship with a family member for which I’ve been praying for years. But when I count the ways God has restored so many other things in my life, it helps me trust Him for the “not yet” for which I’m still longing.

I love how the Psalmist says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14 ESV). By directing my focus on the LORD instead of the people and circumstances that have let me down, I can take heart and wait with courage for HIM. This goes so beautifully with my words for 2024: Listen and Align.

As I listen in prayer, it’s so much easier for me to wait for His timing for the “not yet.” In the meantime, I have a front row seat through prayer to see God daily break in to show me He cares about everything that concerns us. That’s our main prayer for this house: That God will use it however He wants to advance His kingdom, to show hospitality to all the people He loves. Isn’t it true that everything we have calls us to partner with God right where we are? So if we have to wait a little bit longer, that’s ok. We are already praying for the people we have yet to meet after we move into our St.Pete house and investing our time in the people here that we already know.

“I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too-your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful - I can’t take it all in!” (Psalm 139:5-6 Message)

Even in our season of “not yet,” God is already there. Are you waiting too? Let’s focus on Him as we wait.

Ins and Outs for 2024

If I had to decide what to put on my IN and OUT list for 2024, it wouldn’t look that different from the year before. Every year in January, I make physical health a priority…out of necessity! Baking joins the out list and keeping a food log joins the in list. For a time, my resolve remains firm (Be still, my sweet cravings…) and I’m on a roll! But by January the next year, I have to start all over again because you know…the holidays have come like tsunami of never-ending treats. What about you? What usually makes your IN and OUT list?

This year I am taking a lesson from Jeremiah who said, “Ask for the ancient paths. Ask where the good way is and walk in it.” (Jeremiah 6:16) Yes, this is an ancient path I choose every year but is it good for me? I don’t think so.

Instead, I want to focus on what will give “rest for my soul.” Rather than making my body the focus, I want to ALIGN all of my life with God and His purposes. For clarity, I’ll be making a visual map with ALIGN as my center word for the year. That means in every area and decision, I will ask the question, “Does this activity, relationship, or opportunity ALIGN with what God is doing and help me partner with Him?” Am I keeping in step with His Spirit and doing those good things that God has already “prepared in advance for me to do?” (Ephesians 2:10)

For example, I know ALIGNING myself with God means listening to Him. So one habit I want to change is to talk to God and do my morning walk before I scroll my way through my phone. Rather than jumping into my day filled with every else’s thoughts, I want to listen first to God.

Clearly, prayer will take a more center stage as I talk to Him about everything before I do it. By praying first, I hope to better ALIGN myself with God. This ancient path I believe will be good for me, just like Jeremiah said.

What are you doing differently in 2024?

Jesus With Us

In that semi-dream state just before waking, a completely random thought came to my mind: “No one knows I’m here.” It wasn’t something I had thought before that morning. But the day before, I had spontaneously visited a friend’s family member in his nursing home for the very first time.

With a tray of homemade Christmas cookies, I found him in his wheelchair by the nurses’ station. As a way of triggering some memories, I showed him some photos stored on my phone from when he and his family had visited us in our MD Chesapeake Bay home many years ago.

Soon others in their wheelchairs got my attention and I offered them some cookies too. Encouraged by one of the residents, I walked into her room to offer some to her and her roommate. To my delight, the bed-bound woman eagerly started a conversation with me, telling me about her life.

What impressed me was her attitude. Rather than feeling sorry for herself, she had clearly made the most of where she now lived by covering her walls with her artwork and framed photos of her family. She shared with me that all of them lived in far-away states.

Before I left, I asked the two women if I could pray for them. To my surprise, as soon as I ended my prayer, Susan started thanking God and praying for me! Isn’t that often the way it is? The one who comes to give receives so much more from the one to whom she gave.

It was no wonder I left that place feeling an extraordinary sense of God’s presence. These residents were most likely nearer to entering heaven’s gates than I was! My encounters at the nursing home reminded me of how Jesus is described in John 1:14 ~

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw his glory with our eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” (The Message)

For those feeling forgotten or lonely this Christmas, Jesus reassures us that He has come to us and for us. With the promise that He will be with us long after the visitors have gone home to wherever they live. God is the one who will never leave us or forsake us. His undying love, hope, peace and joy is with us this Christmas and always. Thank you, Jesus (Emmanuel, God with us).

Joy for All

Does joy like the ocean waves come and go for you during this time of year? I imagine what the shepherds might have felt before and after their heavenly interruption by the angel. Were they alert, sleepy, or grumpy watching and protecting their sheep? (“Another night, another predator to ward away from our wayward sheep…I’m so tired of this thankless job!”) Or were they making music and talking to God like David might have done when he was a shepherd boy? For sure, they weren’t expecting God to show up like he did that night.

When God breaks in with news of “great joy for all people” via those heavenly angels, we know the shepherds hurried to see baby Jesus for themselves. Christmas rushed in and they weren’t in a hurry to go back to their regular lives. They spread the news on their way back to those Bethlehem hills and everyone was amazed! (Luke 2:8-18)

If melancholy predictably returns to you in the new year, consider what the shepherds did after seeing the Christ child. “The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:20)

Let the waves of joy keep coming! The Psalmist said, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence.” The way to experience a joy that doesn’t recede at midnight on New Year’s Eve is to prioritize a growing, intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Only being in his presence can we experience a joy that satisfies us long after those Christmas cookies have been eaten and the company has gone home.

Looking ahead, how can you linger in God’s presence even on the day you put away all your Christmas decorations? How does God want you to experience his joy year round?

I’d love to hear your comments!

Is Peace Possible?

On this second week of Advent, we focus on peace. Is peace even possible with daily reminders of war in the homeland where Jesus grew up or in the house in which you live? When the Hebrew word “shalom” is used for peace, it means more than the absence of conflict. It speaks of the wholeness that comes from being in right relationship with God made possible through Jesus, the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:5)

This kind of peace has no end. So even in the painful waiting for a health diagnosis, or for relationships with family to be reconciled, those who know Yeshua, the Prince of Peace, can experience a peace that surpasses our understanding. The kind of peace that “keeps our hearts and minds at rest” as we prayerfully surrender our anxieties and concerns to Him. (Philippians 4:6-7)

When we visited Israel last January/February, I implored God that I wouldn’t go home without His peace. Conversations with our tour group members at meals often included talking about our families. Most were people we knew from our home church in MD who wanted to catch up. But I would feel on the verge of tears often because I couldn’t help but think about our continuing estrangement with our eldest daughter back home.

One day our group went to the Garden of Gethsemane. I was surprised to see the word P E A C E “written” in stones at the place where Jesus most likely spent the night in prayer. Then I understood. Jesus paid the penalty for my sin on the cross but first he knelt in prayer and surrendered himself to His Father’s will saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) Peace came through the surrender of his will and his life on the cross for us. (Colossians 1:19-20)

At the Garden that day, I silently surrendered my longing for reconciliation with my daughter. In exchange, God replaced my heartache with His peace. Months have passed since then and nothing in our situation has changed for the better. But God changed me that day and continues to gives me the opportunity to “let his peace rule in my heart.” (Colossians 3:15)

Jesus showed us that surrender is the path to lasting peace. Where does God’s peace need to reign in your heart today?

Interrupted by Christmas

December 5, 2023

What is one of the first things you do every year that reminds you of Christmas?

For years when my three children still lived at home, we set up an Advent wreath with candles to light and read a devotional to focus our attention on the birth of Jesus and to anticipate his coming again. After all, Jesus is the reason we devote a month out of the year to everything Christmas. My husband and I still observe this practice for the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas. (And now we don’t have to compete with our kids to take a turn to light the candles or worry they are going to set something on fire besides the candle. Thank God for the person who invented battery operated candles for you parents of young kids!)

Since I also love to decorate for Christmas, filling our house with lights, wreaths, Christmas trees and so MANY other things brings me much joy. But I will admit, it also distracts me from sitting still long enough to enjoy the Christmas music, a favorite Christmas movie, or reading the Bible in my “not so quiet time.” There is also a myriad of to-do’s calling my name on my Christmas month of preparations - including baking cookies yesterday for my husband’s mens group and tasting a few too. (Yes to scrolling and trying every new Pinterest cookie recipe! Hah)

Adjusting our regular schedules during Advent reminds me of the importance of interruptions to our lives. You could even say that without the interruption of Christmas, we would not be here in this place, at this moment. How might God purpose to interrupt your life this month? And how will you respond?

HOPE is our first week’s theme for Advent.

“I pray that that God, the source of HOPE, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident HOPE through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

We know that the hope of a weary world in anticipation of a Messiah came to fruition in the birth of Jesus. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

As you reflect on the hope of Christ this week, invite Him to fulfill your longings and expectations. Interrupting your life to be still long enough to hear him speak will fill you with the confident hope that only trusting Him can bring.

(Note: If you’re still looking looking for a guide to use for Advent, check out www.bridgepointfl.com for “Behold - a 28 Day Advent Devotional.”)

What a surprise!

At church on Sunday, our Pastor told us about a survey which said 3 out of 5 people HATE Thanksgiving. Why, you ask? Not because of the cooking, the hosting, the shopping or the food. It’s because they hate having to say what they are grateful for around the table. That’s a surprise to me.

I can understand feeling “forced” in the moment to think of something original. Nobody likes that feeling. But surely, we can all think of something we are grateful to God for on Thanksgiving Day.

This season of daily giving thanks has proved so inspiring to me. For the first time, my husband and I have a jar FULL of pieces of paper with multiple thanks from that day written on them. I’m pretty sure we did this when our kids were little in some fashion but it’s been such a great exercise to do it just with my husband. On Wednesday night when it’s just the 2 of us here for dinner, we are going to read all of them. Then on Thanksgiving Day when we have our company for dinner, we will already be prepared with our favorite to share around the table.

“Whoa, Nellie!” to all the Christmas people who can hardly wait to decorate for Christmas (I’m one of those people!). Thanksgiving is in 2 days. Then let the gates open for all things Christmas!

A Sacrifice of Thanks

November 14, 2023

One year our three year old daughter, Caroline, received a Cabbage Patch elf doll from her grandfather. Even we could see that the gift her older sister had received was way cuter than the elf doll! Instead of saying thank you, she cried and exclaimed, “I want a baby doll like Elizabeth got!” Boy, we were embarrassed by her reaction to the present but there was no “forcing” her to say thank you to her Grandfather when she really didn’t mean it.

Thankfully, God doesn’t force us to say thank you either. He knows it may take time for our emotions to catch up with our reality and hindsight often reveals the beauty in the gifts we’ve been given that at first we do not want! Like the cancer my friend has that is the gift nobody wants. And yet she has told me that she feels closer now to God (and even to her family) than before she began all her cancer treatments.

To sacrifice a thanks offering IN ADVANCE of seeing the benefits takes faith, doesn’t it? Sometimes it even takes a step of obedience to “give thanks IN all circumstances” trusting that God will work it all out for our good and for his glory. (I Thessalonians 5:18)

As you look in the rear view mirror of your life, is there a circumstance for which you can now give thanks to God?

Givers and Takers

Uh oh. The “Mooch” is back. This morning I noticed the black-crowned night heron returned to hang out on our deck. Since I love the birds here in FL at first this delighted me. Then I realized if you give a bird a shrimp, he won’t leave anytime soon. Last time he stayed for 2 days until he figured out we weren’t going to feed him his favorite shrimp anymore! I didn’t want a return to the poop fest the birds in MD left every year for us when they built their nests. So seeing the Mooch return this morning wasn’t an encouraging sign.

Isn’t that how we feel about people who only take from us and give nothing in return?

I grew up learning the importance of writing thank you notes and I taught my kids to do the same. Did you know God notices when we give thanks to Him too? In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus tells the story of his healing 10 lepers. Only 1 returned to give praise to God for the healing and Jesus called out the 9 who did not say thank you.

Expressing gratitude is a way we give back to God that interrupts our natural tendency to become takers who only take for granted all we’ve been given. How can you express your thanks to God today for someone in your life who excels in giving?

Lord, thank you for the gift of my friend, Evelyn, who treated me to a London Fog drink and a “catch up” this morning at a local coffee shop.

Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving (Hebrew: tôwdâh) used in this verse gives us a visual of gratitude expressed in the company of others. In January 2023 on a trip to Israel, our tour guide led us through several ancient gates to enter cities like Tel Dan and Jerusalem. As our group walked through the gates, I imagined what it would have been like for the Israelites to enter these ancient gates singing songs together of praise and thanksgiving. To “enter into his gates” means we come into God’s presence.

In John 10:7-9 Jesus describes himself as the “gate for the sheep.” Jesus makes it possible for us to enter directly into God’s presence and we don’t have to wait for a crowd to join us. We can simply give him thanks and praise from anywhere. During my morning walks on the beach, I see his glory in a sunrise and I thank him as the giver of this beautiful morning. Where do you like to thank God? What can you thank him for today?

Gratitude

October 30, 2023 - This year I want to usher in a month of gratitude starting on November 1. Even if you aren’t able to attend the Thanksgiving Simply Retreat (see About- Upcoming Retreats), I hope you’ll follow along here as I write notes to encourage you in your thanks living journey. Think about getting a journal designated for the month of November to record your thanks to God. You can also decorate a jar and set some pieces of paper with a pen by the jar for others in your house to write their thanks. Then on Thanksgiving Day, you can read out loud what everyone has written. One year when my mother was in hospice care, I made a garland with faux fall leaves and everyday we would write something on a leaf for which we were thankful. One of the benefits of gratitude is to see the good that God is and has done to help us from defaulting to the negative. This is really important whenever hard seasons come our way! “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” (Psalm 118)

Make Disciples the Jesus Way

At Bay Area Community Church where I served for over a decade as the Women’s Ministry Director, they used to have the saying, “Everyone a Missionary.” The word missionary comes from the Greek word, “apostolo” which means “sent one.” We find it used in John 20:21 when Jesus says to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

He clarifies this commission to his followers in Matthew 28:18-20: “All authority in heaven on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

One author, Doug Nuenke, wrote, “The Great Commission is not just something we do. It is who God designed us to be….Sentness is in our DNA; it is who God created us to be.”

That’s why we feel discontent when our lives are solely focused on ourselves. We were made for community with others through our relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But how do we invite others into this kind of community? Jesus shows us two ways he made disciples.

First, he invited them to “come and see” (John 1:35-39). Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Instead of just hearing you talk about your faith or your church, your neighbors need to see Jesus in the way you live what you say you believe.

During my years as a graduate student, I was invited to live with two different families, both of whom served in full-time ministry with The Navigators. Besides meeting with the wives in a discipling relationship focused on Bible study, I saw how they loved their husbands, parented their children, and handled conflicts. I wanted the kind of relationship with God that I saw they had in their homes and not just in their public ministry.

Second, he invited them to “come and follow.” (John 1:43) In Psalm 23 it says, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” To know the Lord is my Shepherd is to answer the question, “Whose doing the following?” To follow Jesus means we let Him do the leading, not us. What does your relationship with God tell others about the gospel? Whose doing the following?

In Scripture, sometimes we see the disciples bring their ideas for how Jesus should use them. Remember when James and John asked if Jesus wanted them to call down fire from heaven because the Samaritans didn’t welcome Jesus? (Luke 9:51-55) He strongly rebuked them. Or the time Mark abandoned Paul and this led to a disagreement with Barnabas about whether Mark should go with them again. And so they decided to go their separate ways. (Acts 13, 15) All of us can think of times we have initiated plans that were either stopped completely like Jesus did with James and John. Or times when Jesus used our failures for good to further advance his kingdom in new ways. Paul and Barnabas chose to travel separate missionary journeys with Barnabas including Mark. God allowed Paul to minister with Mark as we see later in his life. (Col.4:10, Philemon 23) What a beautiful picture of the gospel that brings reconciliation not only to our relationship with God but also to each other. What do your relationships with others tell others about the gospel? Is there someone you need to forgive and welcome back into your life?

When God redirects us as his “sent ones,” we need to surrender to his will. After much preparation for a short-term missionary trip to India, my visa did not get approved in time. Instead of sending a team of 4, only 2 left that day on the plane. A friend reminded me that Paul and his fellow missionaries were “kept by the Holy Spirit from the preaching the word in the province of Asia.” But later, God sent them to Macedonia instead where Lydia and others became followers of Jesus. (Acts 16:6-15). God had another plan to take the gospel to Europe.

Much as I was disappointed with my visa delay, God had another plan for me too. A few years later God opened the door for my husband and me to serve together for the first time with a short-term team to Malaysia. Dave used his business skills to help some missionaries with strategic planning for their language school while the rest of our team taught English to some muslim immigrants. The trip opened our hearts for the first time to people of another faith whom God loves, and wants to come, see, and to follow Him too.

To make disciples like Jesus means we have to first come and see the kind of love He has for all people (including us!) and to invite them to follow Him too. You and I were made for this! Let’s make disciples like Jesus did.

At Just the Right Time

April 16, 2020

Most of us were not prepared for the turmoil of the Covid-19 season. But that doesn’t surprise me. Living for today and for the next planned activity describes the majority of us. Besides how can the average person really plan for a worldwide pandemic?

But I’ve noticed something fascinating. The people most able to adapt to this crisis adopted a different perspective. Early on they began to see potential good news and oportunities everywhere even in the midst of constant change and uncertainty.  

Like the two mothers I saw in our neighborhood helping their children learn to ride a bike for the first time. With a “stay-at-home” order in place in MD, there was now margin in their family schedule for them to run alongside their children until they were off on their own, achieving a new milestone and making a new memory.

What a beautiful picture of how God breaks into our lives at the most unexpected times and in ways that can change individuals for the better.

“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”  (Mark 1:15) Unlike “chronos,” the word used for chronological time, “kairos” means “a moment in time,” or an “appointed time.” At just the right time, Jesus announces his kingdom has come near.

So near that Jesus invites Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John to interrupt their livelihood as fishermen and follow him. Leaving their nets behind, they agree to go into the unknown with Jesus. (Mark 1:16-20)

But first they made a stop in Capernaum where Peter lived. Sandwiched between Jesus teaching in the synagogue and healing many in that town, Jesus allowed time to heal Peter’s mother-in-law of her fever.  (Mark 1:21-33)

I love how the Bible tells us that Jesus met the need of one woman in a town full of many who were sick. It makes me wonder if this global pandemic has allowed an opportune time for God to break in for one person at a time.

Like the man dying alone in a hospital unable to have his wife by his side or the single woman isolated in her house without any other companion who looks up for the first time for help. For God sees the nurse afraid of bringing home the virus to her loved ones and the pregnant mother-to-be anxious about what kind of delivery to expect for her newborn. 

At the same time that God loves the whole world, we learn that he also sees and knows the needs of each person who inhabits it. That’s good news for every one of us in our unique situations. The King of a better kingdom has come near for us like he did for his first followers.

Read and meditate on these Scriptures

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 – emphasis mine).

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (II Peter 3:8-9)

“For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2)

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1)

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)

Answer these questions

What immediate needs would you like to bring to Jesus that seem small compared to what is happening with a neighbor or someone suffering around the world?  

Can you see ways that God is breaking into your life or someone else’s during this time?

What concerns do you have about the timing for this unexpected season?

Can you see any ways God prepared you in advance for this interruption to your schedule?  If not, what is helping you now to adjust?

Prayer

Lord, thank you, for your kingdom that has come for us now and is yet to come when Jesus returns. It gives me comfort to know you haven’t left us alone when we need you most. Thank you for seeing my concerns and hearing my anxious thoughts. I pray especially for those who feel isolated and alone that they would know “you are near to all those who call upon you.”  Amen. (Psalm 145:18)

Next Steps

1.     Add to your Memory Stones the words or Scriptures that best describe the “kairos moments” God is giving you.

2.     Write a card to send to someone who needs the reminder that God sees and hears them in their unique situation.

3.     Pray for God to show you new opportunities where you can partner with Him in loving or serving someone.

Feel free to make a comment about this mini-retreat and any steps you’ve taken. You’re also welcome to join us on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. for our Zoom discussion. Fill out the contact form and I will send you the link and password.

Tribute to the Hunger Game of Life

April 9, 2020

Yesterday I made a dash in and out of the grocery store for just a few items to the dismay of my family. After all, our “Tribute” already made the “Hunger Game” trek to the store. What was I thinking risking my life for something that may not be deemed “essential?” Such perilous times – truly, I get it - even if I don’t like it.

At a time when we are forced into solitude and social distancing, we must remember what truly matters for living this one and only life.

In his invitation, God says,

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.”  Isaiah 55:1-3

Clearly God isn’t talking about buying groceries. In fact, our money - what’s left of it - can’t buy us what we need most for a satisfying life.

This reminds me of what Jesus said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit their soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37

 Looking back to 4 weeks ago, what would you have placed in the “essential” category for your having a satisfactory life? Think about it for a few minutes and write it down.

Perhaps you thought of vacations, a steady income, time with close friends, “happy hour,” restaurant meals, good weather, recreation, a rising retirement account, good health or something else important to you.

But now as we face the loss of so much we once felt essential to our satisfaction in life, will we consider what can never be taken away from us?

Jesus said, “The thief only comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”  John 10:10

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

Having life in its fullness doesn’t have to wait until this quarantine ends. It happens the moment we say “Yes” to God’s invitation to come to Him.

Someone once said in life, “We say one big ‘Yes’ to God and many little ‘yeses’ to him.”  Coming to God isn’t meant to be just a one-time decision but an on-going opportunity for us all.

 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

Rather than making it our goal to merely “survive” this real life “Hunger Game” in which we find ourselves, God invites us to flourish through a growing, life-giving relationship with Him.

Answer These Questions

What did you list as the essential things that gave you life before Covid-19? How has that changed for you as the weeks continue?

What new life-giving things has God brought into your life and routine that you hope to continue? Can you see glimpses of “new life” in you, through you, or around you during this time? Celebrate these things!

In what ways is God asking you to come to Him? Go ahead and name your fear, anxiety, longings, or trials and bring these to Him in prayer now. You might call these the little “yesses” you need to keep bringing to God.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for inviting me to come to you. I know that You are the giver of all life. I invite You to be my life, my reason for living. Thank you for being the one who continues to “hold all things together,”even in this world that’s changed so much for me and for everyone else. I place my trust in you and say “Yes” to whatever you want to do. Amen.

Next Steps

1. Choose a Bible verse from this retreat and write it on a 3x5 card. You may want to use it as your prayer to God and post it in a place where you’ll see it often.

2. Write a word or phrase on a stone to represent the new “life” you are seeing God give you during this season. Start your own jar with many memory stones to come.

3. Copy and share the link to this retreat with someone else who needs encouragement. www.simplyretreat.life/miniretreats

4. If you placed your trust in Christ for the first time, be sure to comment on the form so I can send you a pamphlet on ways to grow in your relationship with God.

If you would like to discuss this retreat with others, join us on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. on Zoom.us. I will send you the invite and password if you respond on the comment card. I’ll be posting a retreat for Week 4 next Thursday, April 16.

Delayed On Purpose

April 2, 2020

In this week’s discussion about our losses and gains experienced during this Covid-19 season, some in our Zoom meeting talked about the loss of autonomy and a sense of having no control.  Even in the best of times, we face hurdles that frustrate our plans and our prayers to God for hoped-for outcomes.

Just ask anyone today waiting for life to go back to “normal” instead of at-home schooling, people furloughed from their jobs, those sick and waiting for Covid-19 test results, or someone longing to hear from an estranged family member.

If we’re brave enough, we ask questions like, “How long, Lord?  “How is this going to turn out?”

In the story told in John 11, we see Jesus receiving alarming news. “Lord, the one you love is sick.”(vs.3) But instead of leaving promptly to go to Bethany, Jesus  delays his return so that by the time he arrives, Lazarus has already died and been buried. (vs.17) His sisters, Martha and Mary, now face the pain of their brother’s death and their hurt that Jesus wasn’t there in time to heal him. (vs.21,32)

Jesus ultimately knew his delay would bring many to believe in him when they saw and heard others tell of his greater plan, bringing Lazarus back to life.(vs. 45) But even knowing the best was yet to come didn’t mean Jesus heartlessly ignored their plea. In fact, two words describe how Jesus felt,“He wept,” when he came to the tomb where Lazarus was buried. (vs.35)

Jesus shows us He grieves with us and feels  our disappointments and sorrows.

For all the times we have wondered if God still cares or has heard our prayers, take comfort in knowing He does, just like Jesus did in this story. When the way seems uncertain, can we trust God’s timing to answer us with the outcome He knows is best?

Read and meditate on these Scriptures.

 “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”  Isaiah 65:24

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? …But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalm 13:1, 5-6 

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. …For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:6, 8-9

Answer these questions

How do you usually feel about God’s delay in answering a prayer of yours?

Timothy Keller says, “God answers our prayers in the way we would have prayed if we knew everything He did.” When have you seen God give you an answer to your prayer that was different than you expected? Can you see the ways that His answer was better than the outcome you hoped for? If so, how?

Name anything that is keeping you from trusting Him in these trying days. (ie. fear, disappointment, unbelief, impatience, anger, etc.). God already knows how you feel so be honest with Him like Mary and Martha were with Jesus.

Prayer of Surrender

When Jesus prayed, “Lord not my will but yours be done” (Mark 14:36), He gave us an example to follow. If you’re able, offer a prayer by faith like this one from a place of surrender.

“Lord, I surrender my desire to have my prayer request answered the way I want and in the timing that I think is best. I know that “You can do all things and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). Give me peace as I trust and wait on You for (tell God your request): ______________________________________________________________________________.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”

Thanks for joining us today. Every Thursday until the end of April, I will post a new AtHome Mini-Retreat. If you’d like to connect with others and discuss this AtHome Mini-Retreat, you can join us on Zoom on Tuesday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. Would anyone be interested in a 8:00 p.m. Thursday April 9?

Fill out a contact form and I will reply with the Zoom meeting ID and password for next week.

Not Just Any Water

March 24, 2020

Water.

No human can live more than 4 days without it.

We need water to sustain our lives. But not just

any water.

In 2003 we moved to the eastern shore of MD to a house

on the water. We love God’s beauty on display in the sunsets

over the Chesapeake Bay, but we know better than to make the Bay

our drinking water.

In John 4, we read about a time when Jesus shared his need for

water with a woman at a well in Samaria. Soon He reveals that He knows

that she has a history of failed relationships that eventually

left her all alone – even that day talking to Jesus.

So when Jesus offered her “living water so she would never thirst again,”

she wanted to know more! (John 4:13-14 NIV)

Sometimes it takes an unexpected circumstance to finally show us

we’ve been drinking from a well that will never satisfy our thirst.

What Jesus offered the Samaritan woman, he later offers to all, saying, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture

has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he

meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”

(John 7:37-39a NIV)

We may have lost our routines, our jobs, our social contacts, our financial stability, and even our regular Sunday church to attend during this unexpected global pandemic.

But if we know Jesus, we have His life-giving Spirit living within us and His promise to forever satisfy our thirst.

Answer these questions.

How would you initially describe your greatest loss and your greatest gain during this coronavirus threat?

What does this say about what you have depended upon for your stability, security, safety or significance?  

How has God met you during this season?

Make this promise your prayer to the Lord.

“The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring

whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

How can we apply this to our lives?

Although we can’t enjoy a Simply Retreat with others during this time of social distancing, we can personally practice enjoying life in the Spirit by these simple next steps. 

 Next Steps -

1. Choose a time every day to read from the Bible. Start by reading a short section in the Gospel of John or choose a devotional plan from the You Bible app.

2.Try reading in The Message version or a translation new to you.

3.Invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally from God’s Word.

4. Pray for yourself and ask others how you can pray for them.

5. Look for practical ways to love and serve others.

6. Journal what God shows you and how He uses you during this time.  

 If you’d like to join a Zoom call on Tuesday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m., I’d love for us to retreat together and share how God is working in our lives during this time. Here’s the link for you to go to join us.

https://zoom.us/j/756445188?pwd=MVlzamJsNkMvZlZUSEZPSU8zTTFkUT09 Meeting ID: 756 445 188 Password: 597297.

Also, if you’d like to be entered into a drawing for a Free Half-Day Simply Retreat this summer, click on the Contact link (web header) with your name, email, and comments. 

Keep watching for more Simply Retreat updates!

In Christ alone,

Janet Graves, Founder and Director of Simply Retreat