mindaTHINK

Words of Hope on a dark day

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land" (Isaiah 1:19).

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord.  And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves."  So Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you?  Tell me, what do you have in the house?"  And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil." Then he said, "go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors--empty vessels; do not gather just a few.  And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones."  So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.  Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel."  And he said to her, "there is not another vessel."  So the oil ceased.  Then she came and told the man of God.  And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest."  2 Kings 4:1-7

Prompt for 4/14/2008

For our women's group we are reading a book entitled "Toward a Powerful Inner Life" by Graham Cooke.  Cooke talks about the difference between the outer man that seeks to use its intellect, emotions and will to get its way, and the inner man that surrenders to the Higher Power.  The Bible reference is Romans 7:14-25, a tedious text in that Paul aptly describes the war that goes on in our hearts and minds every day.  Near the end Paul says, "What will I do?  Is there no hope?" and then he gives us the hope:  God.  God can overcome the hurtful cycles that we have set up in our lives.

Lisa gave me the idea of documenting this battle by showing the outer and inner man on a page in my spiritual journal.  On Tuesday I was puttering around and found this Queen of Hearts card I've been saving forever.  She just said "OUTER MAN" to me, in fact she yelled it!  I wanted the two sides to be visible without turning a page in the journal, so I thought of the idea of a bookmark.  I really love how this turned out (although as always, it doesn't photograph well.)

The challenge for those of you who are following along:  What battles are raging inside of you?  I think of Tami's whoopie pies and her running, one seeking to make her healthy, the other seeking comfort and a great sugar buzz.  Or the old "joke" about ladies who have a diet coke with their chocolate pie.  Tell us about a battle you face, or have faced in the past, and "who" won!

Prompt Eight

I could rant on all day about the travesty that the word CHURCH has become in our society today.  Scott and I have been on a journey to find the stripped away core of what CHURCH is, what gathering together as fellow followers of God really means.  Church is NOT a social club.  Church is NOT a fashion show.  Church is NOT a place for fake.  Church is NOT a place for performance. Church is NOT a place for politics or personal power.

I liked this photo because I liked the simplicity of the message.  A small girl stands, sharing the knowledge she has with her fellow classmates.  I would like to obliterate the teacher from the photo, and may still do so by extending my edge a bit on the left side.  His crossed arms and leaning frame suggest judgement and that doesn't fit my message.

The quote from the Bible is:

I Corinthians 14:26-33

So here's what I want you to do.  When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all:  Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight.  If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you 're saying.  Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself.  And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart.  Take your turn, no one person taking over.  Then each speaker gets a chance to say soemthing special from God, and you all learn from each other.  If you choose to speak, you're also responsible for how and when you speak.  When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches - no exceptions.

Today's challenge for anyone that is still considering working this along with me.

What does the word CHURCH mean to you?  Whether you attend or not, it probably evokes some sort of picture or thoughts in you.  Get them down in a journal, talk about how you feel about church, your experience with it, your rants if you have them.

Prompt Seven

For April 11, I cut a window into a page that contained a map, to highlight a photo with a powerful, evocative nature.  Street preachers are something that is common in our city and I'm sure even more so in warmer climates.  I see a bit of skyway behind this man and it could be he is standing right in downtown Minneapolis.  I don't like street preaching.  When Jesus said, "Go ye therefore into all the nations..." I just don't envision street preaching as what he had in mind.  I think people need to be loved, and need to see Christ's light shining through you, not be yelled at on the street as they head to work.  So I chose this image because it of its polarity to what I think about a life where God is in charge.  Inside the little pocket is this Bible passage:

So here's what I want you do do, God helping you:  Take your everyday, ordinary life - and place it before God as an offering.  Embracin what GOd does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.  Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.  Instead, fix your attention on God.  You'll be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.  Unlke the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.  Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.  Romans 12 my paraphrase.

So your challenge for today is to journal about transformation.  I love the image of a butterfly emerging from the cacoon after a time of quiet growth.  What was a time in your life when you felt transformation happening?  What caused that change in you?  Was it heartbreak?  A move, a new life beginning?  Do you believe transformation is an ongoing process?

Prompt Six

I want to apologize for no book cover and discussion yet and for the delay in posting this.  My primary objective during this time is to be available with time and heart for insights on what I should create each day.  I am glad that I have been able to do that, even with a busy schedule, but it has meant I haven't been able to post things each day.  In the end, most of them will be here.  To anyone who is following this journey, thank you for your patience!

I have also decided not to post each of these on Tallyscrapper.com.  My latest post was not well received, after three days I had not a single comment, and so I think I will keep the more controversial subjects just here on my blog.  And they are going to get controversial!

Today I have three days, April 10, 11, and 12 to post.

   

The quote from the Bible is Isaiah 49:15-16 But even if mothers forget, I will not forget you.  Look - I have written your names on the backs of my hands.  The walls you are rebuilding are never out of my sight.

I was planning on using a photo of a tattooed hand for this page, but as I searched for one that had the power I was looking for, I ran across several photos of henna'd hands and it got me thinking about this paper I had.  I want this journal to reflect my equal respect for all cultures, my relationship with God not being tied to culture but rather to a personal relationship with Him, so I liked the thought of adding an Indian flair to this page.  Then I found a page in the actual book that I thought worked well with the topic, so I just highlighted it. 

Some people in our culture today are against tattooing and piercing and I love how many times the Bible uses these images of both to reflect our commitment to God - and in this case, God's commitment to us. 

Prompt Five

What are you thoughts on "the devil"?  Do you ever feel like you are being compelled to do something you really don't want to do?  Label a layout "The Devil Made me do it" and tell about a time when you screwed up big time.  Or tell about some horror movies that you love to watch. 

You can't see this in the picture, but over the orange Basic Grey paper I layered some gold and white tissue paper.  The text box and El Diablito image were printed out from my computer after some photoshop work, so this is a hybrid page.

Day Four

Isaiah 22

You assessed your defenses that Day, inspected your arsenal of weapons in the Forest Armory. You found the weak places in the city walls that needed repair.  You secured the water supply at the lower Pool.  You took an inventory of the houses in Jerusalem and tore down some to get bricks to fortify the city wall.  You built a large cistern to ensure plenty of water.  You looked and looked and looked, but you never looked to HIm who gave you this city, never once consulted the One who has long had plans for you.

Have you prayed about it yet?

No real prompt today, I looked and looked and looked all day but didn't find inspiration.  Onward to tomorrow...

Prompt Three

If you aren't into the God angle on this one might I suggest you tell us about a time in your past where you felt "flush", where things just all seemed to fall into place for you?  Or tell us what it is that you buy to treat yourself to a luxury when you have a little bit extra.  Maybe tell us about the thing you miss most when times get tight.

On Day One we talked about FAILURE and today I woke up thinking about bounty.

21 Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things. 22 Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. 23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm-- my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. 27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

In studying my religious heritage I discovered a few things I had forgotten. One was about the church I went to when I was in Junior High and High School. The church was the center of my social scene, 20 miles away from our home. It was the kind of church I wish all teens could go to; a huge youth group, a a dynamic speaker to keep our attention, plenty of money and staff for field trips and missions trips and retreats, the kinds of things that keep teens out of trouble. I look back fondly on those days. But the focus of this church was on evangelism, and in some ways I now see how that tripped me up a bit. I learned well the Sinner’s Prayer. I learned how to convert the unsure. I went door to door in neighborhoods surrounding the church asking people if they knew Christ. I learned a lot about repentance, about quickly admitting sins and asking for forgiveness. I rededicated my life to God’s service so many times it would make your head spin.

What I missed out on is understanding the life of a mature believer. It was really a lot like the fairytale stories: We’d get a good picture of how rough life was without God, we’d get to watch the conversion, and then the story would end. I guess I supposed it would be happily ever after. I shortly thereafter discovered I was wrong, and right.

In the above prophecy in Joel, God is promising his people they will see abundant restoration of all they had lost. Sounds nice, but if you think about the context its even more awe inspiring. Because the locusts talked about in verse 25? They were EARNED. The nation of Israel had failed and failed and failed again. And they were punished. But when they turned back to God were they forgiven? YES! Was it all forgotten? YES! And so much more. I believe God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. In fact, I believe God expects us to be imperfect. And when we trust in His plan, believe only He can save us, and work to turn our lives over to His care, we won’t just "get by" or "slip in by the seat of our pants." The message I heard at that church was that I needed to become a believer and then I would get into heaven. But of course that left a huge gap of what happens between my conversion and the end of my life.

I have since learned that conversion isn’t just for heaven. It’s for living. Living a life of freedom and abundance. Yes, I believe God has a bounty for us here and now. I believe our lives can be full of the desires of our heart. As we are changed by Him and seek His wishes, we will also find we will receive "far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think-Ephesians 3:20" In Matthew 6 it says, "31. So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." in Psalms 37:4 it says, "Delight yourself in the LORD ; And He will give you the desires of your heart ."

I have seen this so many times in my life. I have failed so many times, in big ways, have hurt people with my failures, have hurt myself. And yet God has been more than generous with me. I am often overwhelmed with the mystery of the amazing adventures that I’ve had. With the loving, wonderful husband who found me and who rescues me still. For the children that never cease to amaze me. Sure, there are still rough patches, which show me ways in which I am clutching on to my false sense of control over my life. I have learned to appreciate those rough times as a window into what I can do next to move closer to God. And after, the bounty far exceeds what "the locusts have eaten"

Prompt One and Two

Prompt One is the word FAILURE.  I had other plans for day one of this 49 day journey, but I decided before I started that if something else inspired me for the day I would go with that instead.  This is as much a journey of discovery as it is of record.

So, in true Minda style I had a violent hangover on day one of my spiritual journey.  Sigh.  I thought all day about my journal, I read some different readings, I listened to my daily audio bible.  And eventually I came around to thinking about failure.  I'm reading about the nation of Israel beginning their trek through the desert on their way to the promised land.  Stupid people.  Hangover on the first day of the spiritual journey kind of people.  My kind of people.  Sigh.

So I changed the first prompt to be about FAILURE.  What does that word conjure up for you?  Talk about a big failure you had in your past, how you fight failure, just your general thoughts on failure or your fears of it and how you seek to avoid it.

Prompt Two is about your SPIRITUAL HERITAGE.

  I Corinthians 15:51 says "Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.  This is an old church joke, hanging in many baby nursery's across the country.  Of course I realize that is not what the Bible is really saying, but its cute nonetheless.  That got me thinking about my ancestors.  Although the majority of my relatives were from northern Europe before they came to America, there is a pretty wide variety of spiritual beliefs that they came to this country touting.  I have a little Irish Catholic, some German Lutheran, my grandmother is a first generation Baptist, and there is even a Satanic Priestess in there a few generations back!  I know that the spiritual beliefs and practices of my grandparents and my parents have shaped my beliefs in some ways, and therefore I think its important to document that.  So, tell us about the beliefs of your parents, grandparents or great grandparents.  Maybe they didn't participate in a formal religion, but maybe your grandpa had an adage he always repeated as words of wisdom imparted to you.  So tell us about your spiritual heritage.

 

i don't want to go back to egypt

text says:

Most days I get it.  I want to be free of the bondage of my past, I want to strip away anything that seeks to make me nostalgic for my idols of pride, gluttony and false security.  But there are still days where I fall prey to "forgetful remembering" where I am sure bondage was better than this new place of the unknown.  I want to remind myself that I DON'T want to go back to Egypt.  I want to move on through the desert of uncertainty to a place of victory and abundance.

Exodus 13:3 Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place.

Then interspersed with the title is this:

Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate  bread to the full.  Exodus 16:3

A little art piece to kick off my 40 day "Counting of Omer" journal that begins on April 6, this is about where I am at right now.  God is taking me across the desert as he promised to a place of victory.  I struggle sometime with remembering the goal and seeing the care he is providing.