A cuppa "gentili-TEA"

3/2/13 I was brought up in a home where manners were the way. No opting out. One was to be polite and respectful in all areas of life, not just public. Always polite to others, even in attitude. No muttering under your breath. No eye-rolling allowed.

Today I've wondered if I am being "polite" to God when my "grumblings" continue to surface. I think I'm content but......"grumblings" seem to indicate a lack of satisfaction.

Marginalia from H2H notes (Seville, 2/27/13) was a glaring indicator of my "state."

• Discontent souls lack satisfaction! 

• Contentment comes to the heart of those who thank God.

 Whoa! I need a contentment makeover---I need to brew some gentiliTEA!

Thanks to Norman Mitchell who found this pic on-line.

Reverential awe and respect, or just good old fashion politeness, should be front and center in my relationship with a sovereign God. Such murmurings don't seem "gracious" or grateful.

Sometimes "Life is like a cup of tea" and I need to sweeten mine with a little more gratitude and politeness......

.........gentili-TEA needs to be sipped and savored toward God and others.

"ON PURPOSE"

3/1/13 "Intentionality" is the BIG buzzword in Christian circles. In our Heart to Heart  Bible study we have spent the '12-'13 year discussing intentionally "pressing on" in our spiritual maturity and "pressing on" with purpose.

Wednesday night's lecture (Ecclesiastes 5: 8-6:9) by Kim Seville reminded me of truths I needed to consider about God's goodness as I "press on with purpose" in my spiritual walk. God is the giver of gifts in our lives. God not only gives the gift of prosperity (blessings, even those in disguise) but He also gives the gift of enjoyment. 

• God often separates the enjoyment of the gift from the gift itself in order to draw our attention back to the Giver. 
• Love the Giver, not the gift.
• Two loves are commanded positively in scripture------Love God first and love people well. (Luke 10:27)

"My" thoughts are that God gave the greatest gift to draw all men unto Himself. He did it "on purpose."

"On purpose"----the way I intend to live my life of intentionality---it's just easier to say that way.

Aerobic Intercession

2/27/13 Winter 2012's Anglican Digest article "Aerobic Intercession" was sent to me by my friend Margie H. It "hit my prayer concern spot" as I have several friends in some very hard places physically and I am burdened to pray "without ceasing" for them. But...how do I pray continually? 

Rev. Harrelson's article offered some prayer points to ponder. As the spiritual seeker in The Way of the Pilgrim prayed along his journey by repeating simple prayers, Harrelson too realized that he could pray for others by synchronizing his prayers words with his physical movements while exercising on his treadmill.

Though the writer's choice of prayer words were very specific, I considered the value of his practice. I desire time for prayer and meditation and am often frustrated when my "urgent" schedule tends to interfere. Physical therapy has taken up a good deal of my allotted weekly hours both at the clinic and also at home when practicing my assigned exercises. 

Why not use this time as a reminder to practice ceaseless inner prayer and communion with God with a focus on prayers for those others for whom I am so concerned. 

Thus, my own brand of aerobic intercessory prayer. I begin in cadence with my inhaling and exhaling, using their names with my very breath, whether spoken or thought.  With my physical movements, I add my thankfulness for my relationship with them and this privileged time of prayer. 

Desires and petitions.....Mercy for _____. Diminished pain for______. Miracle for ______. No side effects for_______. Loving comfort for_______. Extra grace for_______. Healing from surgery for_______. 

Handaches. Headaches. Cancer pain. Heartaches. Barrenness. Ankles, shoulders, hips and knees. All placed at the throne of grace.

Ending with praising God for His love and mercy and thanking Him for His best in each situation.

It doesn't look like a prayer position but I sense that God "hears" my aerobic intercessions and will answer in His good and perfect will for each individual life.

MS Rand McNally "maps out" a new eatery

2/26/13 A light-hearted entry because I'm in desperate need of something light hearted today! 

Finally, in the Ecclesiastes study, I am seeing the importance of "gladness of heart." One needs to enjoy the moments that one has in the life that God has given him or her---eating would be included! (Ecclesiastes 5: 18-20)

I, aka Ms Rand McNally, found a place that won't be on your GPS---the address is on Summer Ave. but the entry is thru the Lowe's (Perkin's location) parking lot. Elwood's Shack. 

At Elwood's Shack, they "do" breakfast and pizzas as well as yummy barbeque. I've had 2 menu items so far, plus a bite of hubby's delish pulled pork sandwich.  Loved my Italian sub and my heavily smoked beef brisket "sammich" sans onion (and I ate my pickles separately)

 Plus, the decor was perfect for a map-lovin' gal. A US map comprised of original license plates from each state and all in their proper location. Checking out this "find" was a great way to wait for my order  prep---thus enjoying another God-given moment.

DRAWING NEAR.... to meditate

2/25/13......and to intercede for Jerusalem. Maybe it's because of my study of God's people in the book of Genesis, but.....it's where my heart is today!

16 O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. 17So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for [b]Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your (desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9:16-19)

As one of your redeemed O Lord, one called by your name, I ask that you lead us all in the paths of your righteousness.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: A COLORFUL WEEK

 2/24/13 From the colorful set up at church to the colorful set of UM's Russian play, Government Inspector, it's been a bright week!
But......the brightest moment came with 17 month old Lucy's addition to my literature presentation. Rhythmic language of books is a crucial reason for reading aloud books that appeal to children. The cadence of the words leads them into understanding of language sounds, even when they are just beginning to have that verbal aspect of language themselves. Lucy loves Llama Lama Red Pajama---& as she "read" I could hear the words baby and mama as well as llama. I could tell by her voice inflections when she reached the run, run page, she even dipped her head for "run" baby.

 Scroll to the bottom of the pix, click the play button/arrow and listen to Lucy read!!!

AGOG

2/24/13 Saturday prayers always include time interceding for others. This month I have been praying for a long time friend---praying that she would seek the Lord and His face & that His light would shine through her during family times as well as in her workplace. (CMS) I prayed that in her worship she would be agog to see more and more of God's goodness. I'm not sure where "agog" came from but that's the word I had written for her on my March prayer sheet. And then agog began to "take on a life of its own" every time God brought her to mind.

Awed (by) Generosity Of  God

Awed (by) Goodness Of  God

Awed (by) Grace Of  God

Awed (by) Gospel Of  God

Are you all "agog"over spending time in God"s presence and praying for others?

T.G.I.F.

2/22/13 "T.G.I.F." blinked at me this morning as I drove to MS for physical therapy. It seemed  an odd acronym for Trinty Baptist Church's LED sign. Even though today is Friday that seemed really "out of character" for a church's electronic message board, especially from that denomination.

So glad I returned to Memphis via the same route. Mystery solved. There was more to the sign than the first few "blinks." 
Thank God I'm Forgiven!

That makes sense. How thankful all believers can be for forgiveness, not just on Fridays, but everyday!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Seeing Clearly

2/21/13 A recent optometrist visit had me relating my maladies of dry eye and difficulty driving at night. Tests showed cataracts but not enough growth to warrant surgery---yet. A different prescription was given for my bifocals and so some improvement has been noted. The cloudiness still makes me insecure when driving long distances at night, especially in unfamiliar territory. I want to see clearly---without the fog.

In my BSF small group, one of the gals, often talks of how she just needs to see what God's plan is for her. Kathy, like the rest of us, knows that scripture is truly the lens to seeing the Lord. But sometimes she would like God to make His way BIG & BOLD so that she clearly sees it.  

I understand her frustration. Similar to the wait for cataract surgery, to correct physical eyesight, maybe one also has to wait for a later time for the Lord to correct our spiritual cloudiness in certain areas so that we can clearly see. 

Maybe we won't clearly see until eternity. With Him we will see fully.

Yet, in the waiting room of life, one can continue to gain spiritual "insight" from:

• God's voice through His word,
•  Nudges from the Holy Spirit, 
• God winks in circumstances, or 
• Counsel from godly folks who understand. 

Trusting Him as we wait and loving and serving others will help us keep our focus.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. (I Corinthians 13:12)

PLAN A

2/20/13 Readers of my  blog realize that in my life I often move not only to Plan B or Plan C or D...but even further "down" the Dotsy Plan Spectrum. Downward---that's often the spiral.

Why? I've begun to ask myself that. Usually I try new plans because I am the "queen of pain avoidance." Ease and comfort are too often my pursuit.  Along with frugality and convenience, my action plans are too often ruled, to a fault, by these four nouns. Nouns for living life "My Way."

Recently, I was brought up short by a comment from friend Debbie Frazier as she related her prayer during a "hard place" in her life. She asked the Lord for relief.....a Plan B----because Plan A wasn't going so well. She sensed that the Lord was telling her that there was no Plan B.
Plan A. That was it. Plan A was His plan for her life, even in this very difficult situation. 

God's sovereignty at work. We can either rest in it or wrestle with it in resistance as Crickett says.

Resist God's plan. I think not. 

Even if Plan A seems hard, we can trust Him to use the "discipline learned there" to be for our good and  in His timing to bear the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:11) 

As Psalm 119:71 states, "It was good that I was afflicted that I might learn from that statues."

Plan A---it's really  the only plan there is.


**For all my friends & blog readers who are in a VERY difficult Plan A right now, I continue to stand in the gap for you in prayer. In no way does this blog entry diminish the pain and hurt that is a part of your life right now. Praying extra measures of God's grace and mercy as you "endure" each moment & asking Him to be your true comfort, as only He can be.