"vitali-TEA"

Righteous Father,......I know you, and..... I have made you known.... and will continue to make you known....(John 17:25-26, NIV)

John 17:25-26 are the words of Jesus but they also reflect the hearts of believers who want to thrive in their lives as God's children. Living a life of vitality in Him that others might get a glimpse of Him as we strive to "know Him and make Him known." A simple creed with a big message.

More than alive. Thriving. A life of vitality.

"Thrive," a Casting Crowns "big camp" praise song, was written "using the idea of Psalm One in showing them (students) what a believer looks like." 

"Like a tree panted by the water, we will never run dry."

He put you here to thrive, to dig in and to reach out and this record (song) is an effort to draw a picture of what a believer, a follower of Jesus, would look like if they dug into their roots and understood God and themselves more.”  (Mark Hall, lead vocalist/Casting Crowns)l

Fill our hearts and flood our souls with one desire,                            Just to know You and to make You known. 

Joy unspeakable... 

Faith unsinkable... 

Love unstoppable, ("Thrive")

A cuppa "vitali-TEA" is filled with; unspeakable joy, unsinkable faith, & unstoppable love.  Drink deeply if you desire to thrive in life.

"locali-TEA"

Honor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His sanctuary. (1 Chronicles 16:27, Amplified)

Entering the psalms this year in a "fresh" way has added vitali-TEA to my times of prayer and scripture meditation.  Med-TEA-tation might be a bit of a stretch for a "tea" word, but it's what my "Tea with Thee" time has become. It's all about thinking through & pondering old favorite psalms in a new way with both a cuppa and my Bible close at hand. More of a heart connection. Tho, the prayer chair is still the location I'm drawn to for quiet times.  My locali-TEA of choice. My sanctuary, of sorts. I realize the true location is "in His Presence" (Psalm 16:11) and reading & praying thru the Psalms seems to propel me there more quickly. Scriptural focus helps me to be fully present.

The psalms have proven to be my sanctuary of prayer---a place where my heart is nourished. Where I can bring the realities of my life in to His throne room and cry out for help as the psalmist did. Fears. Doubts. Grief. Physical struggles.....knowing that He hears. (Psalm 34:17 & Psalm 116:1)

It's still a quiet time and yet in ways it's become a BIG adventure because God is there waiting to meet me right where I am---and I'm not always in a "pretty" place. But God....stirs my soul.

His word begins teaching me, once again, not to repress the emotions that are plaguing me. His word offers hope as well as comfort. Just read the psalms to see how often those words are used.
I just finished meeting God at my prayer chair with an open heart & a cuppa Harney and Sons Organic English Breakfast----a rich black tea brewed in a cup that evokes great memories of a favorite British locali-TEA---The Shop on the Corner in Royston, England.

Time with Him seems to carve out space in my soul, not only for more of Him but for prayer for others in my life as well.

His Presence---a locali-TEA we can always take with us.

Vitali-TEA

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10B, NASB)

Words from Ally, a waitress, jumped off the pages of The Walk as I read it in the early morning hours.
"I meet dead people every day." Her lunch counter philosophy gave me pause as she equated dead people with those breathing people who have just given up on life. "That's all death requires of us, to give up living." (Evans, p.127) How does one get back the zip and zest for living that vitality brings into  his/her life?

Abundant life of vitality comes from union with Him.

Time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer gives needed vitality to life.

Sippin' vitali-TEA with Bible open on my lap and heart open in prayerful communion.
Perfect combo for "Tea with Thee."

Dance, anyone?

6/29/13 As a mom, as a grandmom (aka Shug) as a teacher, my desire has been, and continues to be, to live a spirit-filled life. Not just that those whom I nurture or come in contact with at church, at work or thru my blog hear my words and see my, hopefully worthy "walk," BUT also are encouraged to "follow suit." To pursue a life filled with the vitali-TEA of Christ. To not just walk but to "dance!"

To dance with the "Lord of the Dance."

I keep calling out because I want everyone to "join the dance." "My" Ukraine ladies dance. Thru them the ladies in India are dancing. I want Memphis to dance.

But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance..." (Matthew 11:16-17) 

Our lives matter. Our days matter. Won't you join me in the dance?