Dance Step "E"

Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence

Author:  Thomas, Angela.  A Springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" 

There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)

The Message version of the concluding verse says it well---

You did it: you changed wild lament into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.

I’m about to burst with song; I can’t keep quiet about you.

God, my God, I can’t thank you enough. (Psalm 30:11)

A KJV version whether "written on the tablet of one's heart" (Proverbs 3:3) or hanging at her backdoor, emphasizes "mourning turned into dancing" by Him.

Dance step “E” Extending & Encouraging

D eciding, Delving, Discovering  (Psalm 119: 139 & 160)

A ccepting & Attending (1 Thess. 2:13)

N oticing God’s Hand in ALL Circumstances (Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28)

C elebrating God’s goodness and being thankful (1 Thess. 5:18)

E xtending lessons learned during one’s own struggle as a way of Encouraging others. (Psalm 89:1)

Last week's Dance Step "C" dealt with celebrating God’s gooness in all aspects of life and giving thanks in all the "little" things. Big blessings tend to result as folks fill their heats with gratitude, which results in even more celebrating. 

Wrapping up the D.A.N.C.E. aspects of "Dancing with the Lord" included 2 movements for "E"----extending and encouraging. 

Extending = sharing one's story/journey/struggle with others. 

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness, to all generations” (Psalm 89:1)

Encouraging =  (even above my fireplace)

An 10/8/09 letter from MAC survivor, Michèle  encouraged me to share my story with others---to extend the blessings I discovered in the middle of a cancer journey as a way to encourage others in the midst of their struggles. 

Teaching “dance lessons” this summer and celebrating Michèle's upcoming July 4th seven years of survival, I was reminded of the responsibility I had learned from her....(WORTH THE READ)

.....we all  have, as “household of faith” survivors of what ever tough place of hurt or painful struggle we have encountered, to stand at the top and call down to those still struggling to the summit.  Whether they’re emotional, physical, or spiritual, the mountains we’ve conquered are not ours to own, but ours to share.  

We might not always want to revisit the pain we’ve suffered or the crippling we’ve endured, but if we don’t offer them to others as a testimony of God’s sustenance and love, our fellow travelers may not have to courage to find their way to the top. 

My encouragement to you, Dotsy?  

Speak of the treacherous paths and looming precipices you’ve known, tell the story of your climb, the tale of your survival.  And when you’ve reached a place that is beautiful and stable and “breathable,” call down to those who follow and tell them of the strength that comes from surrendered weakness, of the peace that comes from vulnerable faith.  Tell them that you stumbled.  Tell them that you wanted to give up.  Tell them that you were bruised by doubt and battered by despair…but that you made it.  You.  Made.  It.  And the view from the summit of survival?  It’s priceless.

So......from my heart and above my fireplace, "I hope you dance" and tell others (extend to them) how the Lord orchestrated your dance that your words might to encourage them. ( TX Doris for the pic)

Dance Step "C"

Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence

Author: Angela Thomas  A Springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" Discussions 

There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)

Last week's Dance Step "N" had each one “take notice” of God’s hand in all aspects of life. Once the "noticing" had one really looking to see the Lord's participation, there was cause to segue to the next step----"C" for celebration. 

Intentionality, in looking for God's hand often results in Glory Bumps.  The more we see His involvement in life, the more prevalent those "bumps" become.

Glory Bumps are similar to the goose pimply feeling that you get when you read a Hallmark card or hear a story that touches your heart. But “glory bumps” are more than that. Glory bumps are precipitated by an awareness of God’s involvement--a “God thing” a "God wink"---those incidences in our lives with a spiritual connection.  Glory bumps might result from seeing a miracle or a moving of God’s hand or just from experiencing the grand sense of LIFE that is beyond our comprehension. 

One's circumstances and situations might not change but an attitude adjustment can give a new perspective. Thanksgiving follows and a thankful heart is always a cause for celebration!

An "attitude of gratitude" helps to make even the seemingly "small" steps toward a life of abunDANCE seem worth celebrating! Dance Step "C," a dance of celebration, goes hand and hand with gratitude! 

D eciding, Delving, Discovering  (Psalm 119: 139 & 160)

A ccepting & being Attentive (1 Thess. 2:13)

N oticing God’s Hand in ALL Circumstances (Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28)

C elebrating God’s goodness and being thankful (1 Thess. 5:18)

E 

Finding great summation notes in the front of a "used copy from Amazon" of a study book, could cause "glory bumps" if one was prepping for a test!

Dance Step "D"

Book: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence

Author: Angela Thomas

A springboard for "Dancing with the Lord" discussions. 

There is….a time to dance….Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 (NKJV)
When the stresses of life have you not knowing which way to turn....turn to the Lord and ask Him to lead you through this "new to you" life dance.

Lesson #1 w/ insights from the foreword and the afterword

Dance Lesson --D

D ecide (Joshua 24:14) Delve (Psalm 119:169) & Discover  (Psalm 119:130) 

A .....

N ....

C ....

E ....

• Step #1---Decide you want a life of abunDANCE. Turn to the Lord as your dance partner.
• Step #2---Delve---dig to discover the truth that is available about your struggle or hard place. Determine that the Lord has you there for a reason or season, as Robert Morgan teaches in his diminutive book, Red Sea Rules. Rule #2 states, " Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief."
• Step #3---Discover what God' Word says about your hard place----fear, (Isaiah 41:13) disease/poor health, (Psalm 73:26) disappointment, hurts, or rejection (Psalm 55:12-13) Consider word searching for abide, trust, sustain, belief, hope, refuge, protection, salvation, .

Remember godly living, aka "life of abundDANCE,"  is possible even during_________________(fill in your own difficult time or struggle) as your "dance" will be unique.

Allow the Lord to turn your mourning into gladness in the midst of your struggle----that you might "dance" with HIm. (Psalm 30:11)

I Could Have Danced All Night....

I Could Have Danced All Night.......but I didn't want to. I wanted to sleep. Why is it when one is trying so hard to sleep that those musical thoughts "throb" in your head---like a broken record. 
Instead of "spreading my wings to do a thousand things I have never done before," I think of a thousand things I need to do----and at 2am, who is going to be awake to respond?

I know God is awake, so I ask Him again---to lull me to sleep. But....it was if I had slipped my "tap shoes of impatience" on and was"tapping away" on the sheets.
I know "impatience" is not one of my strong suits, as my kids have reminded me, but the wee hours seem a hard time to begin to practice that virtue.

But God.......in His perfect timing brought thoughts to mind needed for tonight's teaching---which as any teacher knows---lessons are mainly for her.

Hopefully, I will "dance" tonight as I teach His truths.

Dance 101: a primer

I knew as 2015 began* that not only would I be "dancing anew" with the Lord but that I was somehow going to share this unique, "new to me" dance. That "many might see." (Psalm 40:3)

Thus, a Summer Refreshment class for women seeking to "Dance with the Lord"---a book study of When Wall Flowers Dance by Angela Thomas to blend with our own lives as we don our dancing shoes.
For me, each "new" dance can require a return to the ABCs of a life of abunDANCE. (John 10:10) or the basics of Dance 101---

How basic is this "chocolate reminder" to "Dance with your heart" or as I interpret it---"Dance with the One who holds your heart."
* Blog References click here to check out 1/31 Dance to the Music or 2/28 A New Dance