Savoring the Sabbath

We sat for 3 hours on our back porch today. Sipping cool water while we bathed in the warm sunlight as a cool breeze danced across our faces. We laughed heartily and loudly as we reminisced telling stories of friends and as we try to decide which of the Oscar nominated movies we would watch later in the evening.
Sabbath, a gift to savor and delight in. It's one of the greatest things that I learned from my time in Vancouver that I have implemented into my life.  Sabbath, God's gift to us. A day we are called to cease from striving, cease from accomplishment, a day where we cease trying to be God.  It's a day to worship, be in community and feast.
My first class at Regent during Spring session was Sabbath Keeping. I took it with a bit of hesitation for two reason, it was at 8am and I was on sabbatical ant the thought of having to catch the bus by 7:40am didn't sound very restful to me; and because I knew that I would be convicted by the fact that I wasn't currently keeping the Sabbath or at least not fully.  Well, a week of waking at 7am to leave by 7:40am proved to be worth it. I learned so much. The teacher was good, the discussion was stimulating, but it was God's conviction and my implementation that made the class worth it.
I realize the beauty and the fullness of sabbath, when I wake up Monday morning feeling well rested.
I realize the beauty and the fullness of sabbath while I am worshiping in my car on the way to church, at church and as i come home from church. And it's not just the music that causes me to worship, it's the beauty that I see around me, the laughter of my friends, the prayers that we pray, the preaching of the word, the ways I see God in the big, and the small. In the grandness and simplicity of who He is and what he has done.  
I see the beauty and fullness of sabbath in community with family and friends both near and far. What a delight it is to laugh and talk with people that I love. It brings me so much joy to just sit for hours and not have to worry about rushing off to do something else. 
I see the beauty and the fullness of sabbath in the ways that I try to eat more simply during the week so that what I eat for sabbath seems that much more like a feast. Some, dare I say most people that I know, hate or at least don't really like cooking. Not me. I love it. There are moments during the week when I cook that I savor every bite that I take because it's so delightful. I'm trying to make sabbath that and more.
Sabbath, a day to savor, to delight in, to look forward to.  Sabbath, a day that teaches us to let God fully be in control. Sabbath, a day to rest, to pray and to play. Sabbath, a day in which we cease from striving and productivity in order to be productive the other 6 days of the week. Sabbath, a day created by God for us. He took a sabbath and commands us to take one too.

Ahhhh......simply savor Sabbath...I think I'll go take a nap now.

The Song that's blasting in my office currently

Look at me, 2 posts in a row! I've discovered that I can type in pretty colors. This makes me happy. Right before Christmas I posted about waiting. In the season of Advent we wait upon the Lord. But waiting isn't just during advent. Although it would be nice if it was just one season of waiting. But the truth is that waiting comes in different seasons in all different ways. My friend Maritza recently sent me a fb message about a song that I needed to check out. It was too good not to share. Here are the lyrics...

While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

-While I'm Waiting by John Waller

And of course the slightly cheesy Youtube Video to go along :)

A New Perspective

One again I've been an absentee blogger. I made a goal of blogging once a week...uh yeah, that obviously hasn't happened. I was all ready to sit down and vent out my thoughts to the world wide web last week about a situation that I was, at first, not so happy about. But in the end, I'm glad that I didn't. You see, since then I've had a change in perspective. I realized that I was holding on to a lot of anger. Now, I don't usually consider myself to be an angry person. Normally I'm not, but I can be, and lately I was. I was mad. I was angry. I was sitting in total self entitlement. Yuck. Anyway, thank God for his grace and for friends who pray. There is something about knowing that there are people who are willing, in a loving way, to really take a chance and speak truth. I'm just glad I was open enough to hear it.
And hear it I did. I mean, I'm still processing a bunch of it, but I heard it, took it to Jesus, and decided that it was time to get a new perspective.
You know those Claritin commercials where the foggy lens is lifted and suddenly life is "Claritin Clear". I feel a little like that. Like the fogginess is finally lifting and I can see clearly now. Hmmm, that kinda makes me want to sing along to the Calypso music that is suddenly running through my head..."I can see clearly now the rain is gone...." I'll spare you the rest, haha!
Any way, I am seeing how God has been at work, how he's been with me, how he knows what he's doing. I still don't get it all, I'm not sure if or when I will, but I'm glad to see things differently because I was tired of standing still shaking my fist towards the heavens. It's really not becoming of me.
My friend Shiloh posted this on my fb wall. It's long, but I LOVED it. If you need some new perspective, you'll love it too...

Charlie and Lola - Shiny Red Shoes

Blessed Be Your Name

The words of a well know worship song goes like this...

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your nameOn the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, LordStill I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

It's been a while since I last blogged. 

Everyday I've thought about it, but then something would come up and I would get 

distracted or something.  I guess if I'm really honest it's because I've been in a bit of a funk. 

It's been a tough season for me. I've had a lot of disappointments, a lot of heart break, 

lost a loved one, and have been angry at God quite a bit. Despite it all I am learning to 

still say,Blessed be the name of the Lord, blessed be your glorious name. 

It's funny. Part of me wants to totally minimize my hurt because I realize that it's not as

bad as other people. At least I wasn't engaged or married, at least I didn't get my hand 

cut off, at least I didn't  lose my mom or dad, at least my brother is just moving to Cincinnati. 

But I realize that if I minimize  how I am feeling then I can't receive the maximum comfort 

that the Lord has for me. It's a delicate balance though. I don't want to wallow. 

I want to press in, go deep and move on. There are that I feel paralyzed to make a 

decision and then moments where I just want to do what seems easy, fun, or

exciting.  But mostly there are just moments where I don't want to make any decisions at all and 

just have someone else make them for me. Not really an option. So, I will choose to wait on the 

Lord, who is close to the broken hearted and who knows the plans he has for me. I will choose to

sing Blessed be your name in the good time and the shitty times. I will stay connected with Jesus,

committed to community and challenged for the greater cause of the Kingdom. 

For the next 20 days I am praying and fasting. Join me if you like. 

It's a new season, it's a new day.