SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: The Sacred Present

9/29/13 Enjoy the moments. Each day is "a gift from God" as Daddy always said. (Psalm 59:4-5 & Psalm 90:20) A retreat at Pickwick this weekend provided many such times along with Cynthia Heald's "to the heart" messages.

NIGHT FALL..... 

....& Early Morning views from my balcony---perfect setting for "Quiet Times."

Colors of a fall afternoon

Message.....

9/26/13 Message.....from a piece of chocolate. Today I opened a "treat" of Dove chocolate.

There was a message inside. A reminder that I needed this morning.

Tomorrow I travel to Pickwick to attend a Women's Retreat to hear Cynthia Heald teach on "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity." Maybe I'll gather more info on "being rather than doing."

If so, I'll share the "message."

Simply be rather than do. 

"FLOURISH!"

9/23/13 Yesterday's sermon given by a young (40-ish) preacher from Houston, TX, who grew up in our church, inspired me to "flourish" during this season of life----not to languish as I age. 

Notes: 

• Flourishing is all about God. 
• Abundant life receives its vitality from union with Him. 
• We can't do life on our own. 
• Strength and energy from the Lord are there for the "long haul." (My words, not his) 
• Flourishing benefits and blesses others. 

So-o-o-o this Monday's theme for meditation is "flourish." Along with Psalm 1:3 and Psalm 92:12-14, Jeremiah 17:7-8 shows us what flourishing looks like---bearing fruit would benefit and bless others. 

"Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

For my Ukrainian girls---

7 Благословенний той муж, що покладається на Господа, що Господь то надія його!

8 І він буде, як дерево те, над водою посаджене, що над потоком пускає коріння своє, і не боїться, як прийде спекота, і його листя зелене, і в році посухи не буде журитись, і не перестане приносити плоду!

Let's flourish together.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A SMATTERING OF THE WEEK

9/22/13 Diversity --- much of the beauty of life can be found in the diversity of nature, in people and in God's Word. Such has been my week.

#4 Numbers 6:24-26. If you read 9/18/13 blog you know why this is #4. It's what I viewed as I sat getting my hair cut on Friday by sweet prayer warrior, Pam S. Plus she gave me some home-grown tomatoes.. Now that's service above and beyond.

No ruby throats seen at our kitchen window. They all seem to have migrated but according to the "lady" at Wild Birds Unlimited, we should keep our feeders out because the Rufous Hummingbird, a Western species, often winters here.

I might not sport a "green-thumb" but many in Memphis do, especially some of my neighbors.

Cool temps and shiny "hot" cars---perfect combo for a grandson's day at a Car Show to see Great Uncle Bobby's antique. Oops, I must be an antique as well---this was a car from my teen years!

SATURDAY QUESTION?

9/21/13  After reading today's Jesus Calling, I had to ask self, "Is my schedule so packed that I am unable to hear the "holy whispers" of the Lord?"

After rationalizing t'was NOT trivial stuff that was filling my calendar, but important "spiritual" matters of "my" ministry, I still  had to ask self, "Is my schedule so packed that I am unable to hear the "holy whispers" of the Lord?"

If the answer is "YES", I need to change my schedule!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Sporadic internet access has kept me from posting so here is yesterday's entry. 

9/19/13 Thursday's plan:
Availability for prayer for a friend's surgery 2 pm.
Location Methodist University chapel.  Faith-based partnerships between God's people and the community are such a winning combination.

 Problem #1---chapel stained glass is still in same location. There's a cross----but there's NO chapel. It's as if it's walled up---or that I'm walled out.

Problem #2---the first person I asked hadn't a clue where the chapel was---or if there had ever been one.  There was a chapel. I know that. That chapel was there a little over over 9 mos. I know because I knelt at the altar as I prayed for another friend who was undergoing surgery for lung cancer.

Solution: Chapel found. Reward: A nurse came in to pray as well. What a comforting thought that is.

How do I know.....?

9/18/13 "How do I know?" is a question one often ask's self about a variety of topics. Personally, I'd like it in sky writing just to be sure----especially in the area of God's will, purpose, etc. 

I often use a 3 x "heads up rule" to help me focus on an area----in a "before the fact" situation. 

This week, the DAY AFTER my blog post, the Lord used 3 "after the fact" occurrences to give me affirmation for that entry.

Verses for meditation are posted on this blog each Monday. The day after the most recent (9/15/13) meditation posting, 3 God winks were received. My passage choice…..Numbers 6: 24-26 was the RIGHT one for meditation this week.  How do I know?

1. 1.     Benediction at funeral
2. 2.    Greeting on a card I received
3. 3.    Citation on a card I was sending which I didn’t notice until I was sealing the envelope.

#2

1. How grateful I am to know.

Visual Payer Prompt

9/17/13
"One look is worth a thousand words" (Printer's Ink, 1921)

When I passed this scene today as I was leaving a funeral, it tugged at my heart. I stopped for a look. I felt compelled to snap a picture. 

Maybe the picture will say a thousand words to you or convey a message that prompts prayer.

Speechless, but prayerful. That's what it did for me as I lifted heart felt prayers for mercy and comfort for the victims' families of the Washington Naval Yard.

Meditation: Visual Aid

9/16/13 A visit last fall to the Chatlos Memorial Chapel at The Cove in North Carolina, aka Billy Graham Training Center provided me with the "visual"aid for today's Monday Meditation. This verse is one I often pray or my "daily" folks so.....I thought a little more insight, via meditation, would be helpful. 

God's grace. God's countenance. God's Peace. Word pictures can also be visual aids as we meditate.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Symphony in the Gardens

9/15/13 "Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing...."Robert Louis Stevenson wrote those words 100 years ago about enjoying a swing. I recalled those words as I sat in on the lawn of the Dixon Gallery with bare feet and a lap full of munchies listening to the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. A perfect ending for a "sabbath" day. 
This biannual event, one of my favorites. occurs in May and September. Last September's event was a rain out and we all had to divide up and squeeze into the gallery. Outside is certainly my PREFERRED setting. Tonight's was perfect--low temps, no biting insects and great classical music followed by the MSO Big Band orchestra. A blazing sunset was the finale.

A BIG thanks to the Coes of Dominion Partners and the company's president, Brian Kinney for their sponsorship. Brian's sister, Maureen, was a dear college chum and Pi Phi "sis.". We remained good friends until her sudden death 8 years ago.

Table settings can be thematic......they even had a dish of silver bullets and the "William Tell Overture" playing.......

........Elegant......

...or plain like ours, BUT our pimiento cheese sandwiches were tasty!

Positions for listening to the symphony come in a variety of  ways....this entire family of 4 read. (mom is hidden) Their books were from a library---that warms an old librarian's heart.

A loving pose for listening to a Brahms piece.

A shoulder for sharing love for each other and for Dvorak's symphony #9 in E major, 

Alana Olswing, a high school senior and violinist for the Youth Symphony, wowed us all---thus the standing ovation!