The Last Hurrah!

Winter's last hurrah came last night.  At least I hope it's the last one!  Another winter snowstorm, this time with high winds and several inches of snow. The storm took with it one huge branch from my massive white pine (Cleo, named by my niece).  I hear a chain saw in my near future!

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lion!

So, this ridiculous winter continues here in NE Ohio.....one of the worst I can ever remember.  Oh, how my heart longs for SPRING!!  I did notice tiny buds on the forsythia yesterday....can't wait for that burst of yellow! 

In the Face of Fear

I love it when God brings hope and insight in his word.

I opened the year talking about fear....and what I discovered in Genesis 3 to be the first emotion attributed to man (Adam).  And now I read the story of Jacob.

Jacob is by no means the perfect example of a man of character.  He certainly made errors in judgement.  And yet, in Genesis 32 is a turning point.

Jacob finds himself face to face with his brother, Esau, and 400 of Esau's men. Years before, Jacob had tricked Esau out of his birthright. Now, he faces the brother who had earlier promised to kill him and is "greatly afraid and distressed." What does Jacob do at this crossroad? In complete humility, he cries out to God for deliverance. He bows himself before his brother in regret. Ultimately, God bestows blessing on him and makes him the father of the tribes of Israel.

What a contrast!  In his fear, Adam hid from God, blamed others, and eventually was cast out of Eden.  Jacob confessed to God, confronted his fear, and found favor and reconciliation. 

"Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."  

Wow.

"Where are you?"

A dear friend gave me a new devotional for Christmas: SOLO, An Uncommon Devotional.  It’s unique….designed not necessarily to teach you to study the Bible “but rather to develop a conversation between you and God.”  Lectio divina: reading, thinking, praying and living scripture.

Each lesson takes time, which is likely why I’m only on the second lesson.  And maybe it’s going slower for me, because I’m drawing so much from my time.  What joy!  It’s been a long time since I was so expectant in my quiet place.

Lesson One took me to the 3rd chapter of Genesis.  The beginning of man.  Adam.  And Eve. The serpent deceived Eve, and Eve in turn drew Adam into the deception. Then, the Fall. 

And then the line that jumped off the page for me:  "God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And [Adam] said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid...…and I hid myself."

Now, I’m no theologian, but as far as I can tell, this is the first emotion attributed to man in scripture.  FEAR. 

In my previous post, the first one in many months, I confessed that worry had overwhelmed me lately.  And isn’t the root of worry really FEAR?  And so, what do we do?  Pull away.  Go silent.  Hide. 

Wow!  I’m not sure I have my mind around it yet.  But God is teaching me something here.  And I’m keen to hear him, to not miss whatever it is that he’s beginning to teach me.  

To be continued... :-)

The Seasons – They are a-changin’

“There isn't enough room in your mind for both worry and faith. You must decide which one will live there.”

This quote was recently posted to Facebook by a friend of mine, and it pierced my heart. While it certainly wasn't a conscious decision, worry has won the battle in me for months.  Personal challenges and concerns have consumed my mind.  And when that happens, faith loses, crowded out by anxious thoughts.

What's crazy is that often the things we worry about never materialize! So the worry is for nothing.  And in the meantime, it saps energy, motivation and focus...which is why I haven't posted anything on this blog for more than a year!

So, while I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, this January is a new start - a new season.  It's time for faith to once again take up residence in my mind, NOT worry.

Smells Good! Tastes Even Better!!

 

It's been quite awhile since I posted.

Decided if I'm going to jump back on here, I'm going to post something that makes me smile.  How about a homemade hawaiian personal pan pizza?!  YUM!!  This was not only yummy, it made the house smell good.  I love a warm toasty oven on a chilly Sunday!! :-)

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