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Showing posts with the label light

Our Hidden Parts

  Our hidden parts... A friend recently invited me to a new Bible study. I went back and forth in my mind about attending it. I had many reasons to say no. My biggest reason was that I didn’t know anyone except my friend, and the thought of meeting new people gave me a heavy feeling. By heavy I don’t mean anxious, it was more of a wondering if I would fit in or have anything worthy to contribute. For an introvert, these thoughts form familiar, personal hurdles that I must approach with full velocity. Or not. As I chose to attend, I simply hoped to make the jump and land safely. My “normal” go-to is keep to myself. Until I get to know someone, I stay hidden. And this hiding has become something to ponder lately. Recently, I discovered that the part of me that I keep hidden really should not remain that way. And I discovered this lesson in my garden. I relish the blooming of the peonies in my backyard each spring. They are one of my favorite flowers and I can’t wait for them to open ...

Finding Life Among the Living

I recently clipped a flowering branch off a tree in our yard.   I thought I could keep it blooming so that I could take a photo of it.   Within minutes, cut away from the branch and without water, it wilted.   The photo opportunity faded. The beauty of the branch was gone as the life it held evaporated.   And so, it is with us.   Can we truly live if we are cut off from the vine?   If we are separated from God, where do we go to get life?   Where do we go to stay alive?   To have breath and to live in the splendor and truth of how we’ve been created ?    The blooms on the branch looked radiant while attached to the tree.   The collective display was grand, a picture of its purpose.   It reflected beauty, grace and God’s glory in nature. Then I looked at the wilted branch I had collected and the flowers on it. They were dead. In Luke 24:1-7, we read about the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and when they arrived,...

What? You don't have a mission statement?

Purpose.  It’s a word we hear and we can either run to it, or run from it.  If you are drawn to it, then maybe this post is for you.  If you are already thinking this isn’t for you.  Give it a chance.  If anything, you might find a piece of your heart. So, I’m really not going to talk about purpose so much as I am going to talk about the foundation underneath it.   And while we have heard the word purpose a lot, we may not have heard the idea of crafting a personal mission statement. Businesses have them, typically.   But in real life, who really has one and does it resonate the truth of who you are?   I am not suggesting that this becomes a self-serving exercise.   It’s actually the opposite. There is a nudge or stirring in each of us, especially when we reach that midpoint in life that adjusts our focus to look forward to our "second half".   Some people think it's retirement.  Or, maybe you haven't reach that midpoi...