I really appreciated this cartoon at The Naked Pastor today.
That's it? A baby? That's all we get?
Great questions!
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Spirit Groans
Romans 8:26-27
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will."
My somewhat tongue-in-cheek facebook status this morning reads: Lisa is so thankful for that verse that talks about the spirit praying with groanings for us when we have no words, but sometimes wishes either that my spirit would save its groanings for the waking hours, or that my body could figure out how to sleep while my spirit talks to God.
Like I said, it's somewhat tongue-in cheek.
Last night was one of those "groaning" nights. I lay awake most of the night, knowing that my spirit was talking to Jesus, and thankful for that, but also slightly grumpy that on a night when I was rather badly in need of some sleep, I was awake and praying.
I'm still working out (sometimes, as Paul writes, with literal "fear and trembling") this faith thing.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'd change it. (Well, other than the sleep thing.) I've been through some really difficult things in the last several years, and my relationship with Jesus is far deeper than it has ever been and for that I'm truly grateful.
But the practical daily outworking of living out this prayer and faith and life and intercession thing? I don't have a handle on that most of the time.
And this is a day of "groaning". Which I suppose fits nicely in the advent season. This season of longing and waiting for birth. And the process of birth itself, so deeply marked by groanings. But today, more than some days, I feel that groaning deeply. I feel it for my own life, but particularly for the lives of some I love who are facing some very challenging and painful moments these next days. And I'm grateful for a Spirit that intercedes for me, and for them, with groanings beyond words. Because, right now, I think the groanings are perhaps the most appropriate form of communicating those longings.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will."
My somewhat tongue-in-cheek facebook status this morning reads: Lisa is so thankful for that verse that talks about the spirit praying with groanings for us when we have no words, but sometimes wishes either that my spirit would save its groanings for the waking hours, or that my body could figure out how to sleep while my spirit talks to God.
Like I said, it's somewhat tongue-in cheek.
Last night was one of those "groaning" nights. I lay awake most of the night, knowing that my spirit was talking to Jesus, and thankful for that, but also slightly grumpy that on a night when I was rather badly in need of some sleep, I was awake and praying.
I'm still working out (sometimes, as Paul writes, with literal "fear and trembling") this faith thing.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'd change it. (Well, other than the sleep thing.) I've been through some really difficult things in the last several years, and my relationship with Jesus is far deeper than it has ever been and for that I'm truly grateful.
But the practical daily outworking of living out this prayer and faith and life and intercession thing? I don't have a handle on that most of the time.
And this is a day of "groaning". Which I suppose fits nicely in the advent season. This season of longing and waiting for birth. And the process of birth itself, so deeply marked by groanings. But today, more than some days, I feel that groaning deeply. I feel it for my own life, but particularly for the lives of some I love who are facing some very challenging and painful moments these next days. And I'm grateful for a Spirit that intercedes for me, and for them, with groanings beyond words. Because, right now, I think the groanings are perhaps the most appropriate form of communicating those longings.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Daily 5 - Day 120
Today's Daily 5:
- The little moments I listed in a smile list this morning, simple moments of beauty taking the train
- Smiles and greetings at the house church I'm slowly becoming part of tonight. It was nice to be welcomed
- leftover pasta for lunch... one of my favorite meals
- managing to drive safely to and from the house church meeting tonight on somewhat icy roads
- chatting with one of the girls at the house church that I'd like to get to know a bit more... it was good to have a few minutes to chat with her...
Quoting on Change
I received the following quote in an email this morning and found myself quite struck by it.
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." (Victor Frankl)
A good thought, no?
Though I admit to still mostly holding a dislike for change, both in situation and in myself, I think I am getting better at this. I think that desired changes are slowly happening within me, and for that, I'm grateful.
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." (Victor Frankl)
A good thought, no?
Though I admit to still mostly holding a dislike for change, both in situation and in myself, I think I am getting better at this. I think that desired changes are slowly happening within me, and for that, I'm grateful.
Thursday Rhythms
I have a general like of Thursdays.
I'm not sure why, exactly, other than perhaps, in the general rhythm of my life, Thursdays tend to be positive days. If Wednesdays are the day when I struggle the most with sadness, with energy, with the general weight of the world, than Thursdays are the breath of fresh air and newness. The day that comes with the sense of relief that another weekend is now well and truly near, that another week has nearly been conquered (not that I particularly think about conquering my weeks, but, right now, for me there is a certain sense of accomplishment in each week that ends without major collapse or calamity.)
The rhythms at work on Thursdays are nice too. There are tasks that I like that get done on Thursdays.
Watering the plants is one of those. I have one plant in my house, that I continually forget to water, so it's constantly in a state of disarray. At the office, however, I am responsible for probably about a dozen plants, and they are thriving. On Thursdays I spend 20 mintues or so watering and plucking and generally loving on those plants.
As I'm sitting here this morning, I'm smiling. An odd thing for me, especially given that the window next to me tells me that the snow is still falling, it's still windy and cold.
I took the train this morning. It would seem that that was a good decision, given what I'm hearing from other staff members about the state of the roads.
It felt like a good decision to me as I was doing it. While I'm generally not a fan of public transit in Calgary, right now I'm even less of a fan of the high stress that winter driving creates in me. On transit, if my commute takes an hour and a half, I can be reading a book, and not having to worry about the icy roads.
And so, I have a very brief smile list to start this day, comprised of little moments of beauty that I noticed as I walked and took the bus and train this morning:
I'm not sure why, exactly, other than perhaps, in the general rhythm of my life, Thursdays tend to be positive days. If Wednesdays are the day when I struggle the most with sadness, with energy, with the general weight of the world, than Thursdays are the breath of fresh air and newness. The day that comes with the sense of relief that another weekend is now well and truly near, that another week has nearly been conquered (not that I particularly think about conquering my weeks, but, right now, for me there is a certain sense of accomplishment in each week that ends without major collapse or calamity.)
The rhythms at work on Thursdays are nice too. There are tasks that I like that get done on Thursdays.
Watering the plants is one of those. I have one plant in my house, that I continually forget to water, so it's constantly in a state of disarray. At the office, however, I am responsible for probably about a dozen plants, and they are thriving. On Thursdays I spend 20 mintues or so watering and plucking and generally loving on those plants.
As I'm sitting here this morning, I'm smiling. An odd thing for me, especially given that the window next to me tells me that the snow is still falling, it's still windy and cold.
I took the train this morning. It would seem that that was a good decision, given what I'm hearing from other staff members about the state of the roads.
It felt like a good decision to me as I was doing it. While I'm generally not a fan of public transit in Calgary, right now I'm even less of a fan of the high stress that winter driving creates in me. On transit, if my commute takes an hour and a half, I can be reading a book, and not having to worry about the icy roads.
And so, I have a very brief smile list to start this day, comprised of little moments of beauty that I noticed as I walked and took the bus and train this morning:
- I loved the reflection of lights on all the snow... soft colorful glow from neon signs... in one spot I walked through, the whole world was pink, and it was lovely.
- I loved having the chance to sit and focus on some stories in the book I'm reading. The nights this week have been full, and I haven't had the time to sit down with this book and really enjoy it. This morning on the train I managed to read two chapters and really savor them.
- I liked that I got some exercise walking to the bus stop, and then walking from the train to my office. It's not a day that I had exercise scheduled for, but I felt good getting a bit of walking in this morning.
- It took me the same approximate amount of time to take the bus and train and walk this morning as it usually does to drive, and I was grateful for that as well.
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