Breathe

"I live and breathe God" Ps 34

God is life giving, refreshing, cleansing, all around everywhere, essential, calming when anxious, in a good smoke, like proper breathing while singing a breath of God gives me power to sing/live strong and in tune.

Breathe God

God, I want to stay with you today. Remind me to breathe you throughout today. Calm me, rejuvenate me, cleanse me. Give me power to live strong and in tune today.

Run. . . . .

But anyone who runs to me for help will inherit the land, will end up owning my holy mountain. Someone says: "Build, build! Make a road! Clear the way, remove the rocks from the road my people will travel." (Is 57)

Run to Him.
Let Him run to you.
Clear the road between you and Him.
Clear the road between Him and others.
Lead the way.
Show others how to remove the rocks.
Show others how to remove anything that comes between them and God.
Let others follow the road you've prepared.
Let others follow your lead as you run to Him.
Bring people with you.
Take their hand and run to Him together.
If they fall, pick them up, remove the rock that tripped them and keep running.
If you fall, get up, kick the rock aside and keep running.
God is running towards you.
Run towards God.
Keep the path clear.
Don't let people get in the way.
Don't let anything get in the way.
He loves you so much.
Let him run for you.
Open your arms.
Don't hesitate.
Don't be scared.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be afraid.
Do not be afraid.
He will not turn his back on you.
He will never abandon you.
He will never stop running to you.
He will never stop loving you.
Never.

Zesty?

Light, space, zest--that's God! Psalm 27:1 (MSG)

Things I think of when I hear these three words:

light:

a smile

warm

no secrets

nothing to be ashamed of

inviting

love

security

happy

space:

relief

no boxes

no labels

opened up to others

accessible

forgiving

allowing for others faults

generous

patient

calm

zest:

fun

inviting

confident

energy

smiles

fully alive

adventurous

spontaneous,

living in the now

happy

no worries

Revelation I had when making these lists:

I have never thought of God as fun or "zesty". I've always thought of Him like my dad--quiet, reserved, man of little words, stands back and watches, not so adventurous. I wonder what my relationship with God would look like and how it would change if I started to see him as a fun guy (ha! I just said fungi).

That's violence

An few brilliant excerpts from Jesus Wants To Save Christians by Rob Bell and Don Golden

"If evil always takes some form of violence, then more violence isn't going to solve anything."

"When people are manipulated with guilt and fear, when they are told that if they don't do certain things they'll be illegitimate, judged, condemned, sent to hell forever -- that's violence.

It doesn't matter what spiritual language is used or what passages in the Bible are quoted, it's destructive. It's the misuse of power. And central to the way of Jesus is serving, which is the loving use of whatever power you possess for the good of another."

Pay it Forward

Whatever I have been given is for the purpose of blessing and giving to others.

"He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go." Matt 19

"Strength is for service, not status" Rom 15

In Matthew 19, Jesus told the man that he couldn't be a part of the kingdom because he held too tightly to his possesions. He had been blessed, but would not use it to bless others.

In Romans 15, strength is the blessing. It is not to be hoarded and used to become powerful. It is given to serve others. It is given in order to be paid forward to others. God needs us, he needs human bodies to be his funnels of love, and grace, and mercy, and joy, and justice. He gives to us so that the world will be blessed and know that he is all of these things.

When we hold too tightly to what we've been blessed with, we become self-focused, private, possessive, paranoid, untrusting, and we clearly make a boundary between what belongs to "me" and what belongs to "you". Justice tragically turns from "I will give to you because I have it and you need it" to "I earned this, you cannot have it because you do not deserve it. . .try harder."

I have been given:

an education

friendship

artistic talent

love

singing

time

money

a house

a car

a family

energy

strength

health

intelligence

etc

etc

etc

. . . all to serve others.

We've got it all backwards.

I do not own these things because I "DO" and earn by doing. I have been given these things because I am deeply loved and trusted with them. And since I have been trusted with all of this in my life, it is my responsibilty and honor to bless others with it.

Like a Child

"Unless you return to square one and start over like children you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again. . . will rank high in God's kingdom." Matthew 18

When I think of living life with a child's perspective, this is what I think of:

openminded

accepting

uncomplicated

joyful

optimistic

unworrying

happy

living in the moment

laughing

making the best of what they've got

trying new things

letting their parent take care of the things they can't

trying to figure out how to have fun doing absolutely anything!

And that is who I want to be.

Hope Tree

I am helping a friend create a work of art with momentos that she has saved from her journey through cancer. I have gathered a bunch of my art from friends and family and have it sitting on my dining room table. I just noticed a theme that I had not paid too much attention to before.

I like trees.

I'm not sure why.

But I love to have trees in my art. Even the painting I'm currently working on that is not pictured here has a tree.

Just a few minutes after I made that puzzling observation, I sat down and read Job 14. This is the part that obviously got my attention. . .

"For a tree, there is always hope. Chop it down and it still has a chance--it's roots can put out fresh sprouts. Even if its roots are old and gnarled, its stump long dormant, at the first whiff of water it comes to life, buds and grows like a sapling."

So I'd like to think that I subconsciously paint trees because I need to know that there is always hope. I see trees as a symbol of safety and protection, and a symbol of strength and stability--all
attributes that I am drawn to in people. And all attributes that inspire me to paint and create for those I love.

Maybe one day I'll have a copyright title for my art called "Hope Tree".

Challenge fixed ideas

"If we maintain the open-mindedness of children, we challenge fixed ideas and established structures, including our own. We listen to people in other denominations and religions. We don't find demons in those with whom we disagree. We don't cozy up to people who mouth our jargon. If we are open, we rarely resort to either-or: either creation or evolution, liberty or law, sacred or secular, Beethoven or Madonna. We focus on both-and, fully aware that God's truth cannot be imprisoned in a small definition. " --Brennan Manning

Everyone who runs towards God. . . . . .

MAKES IT.