mindaTHINK

Spiritual Journal - Rich Man

The other day someone on www.tallyscrapper.com directed us to the photos in the collage above.  These are photos of a scrapbook room like no other.  Everything is brand new.  Everything has the perfectly selected place.  Everything is available in abundance.  I included only a small sampling of the photos of this shrine to scrapbooking.  While looking at them I started to feel a little ill.  Now I know nothing of the owner of said scrapbook room, so this isn't a judgement on her specifically.  But looking at that room made me think of Matthew 19, and the story of the Rich Young Ruler.  So often we want to know the formula for achieving perfection.  Just tell us what would make it perfect, and we will go about with the plan.  This woman certainly did her research and her execution was flawless.  She arrived at the place in the story where she could say, "All these things kept; what am I still lacking?"  In the Bible story one supposes the earnest young man sensed a lack, even after following the laws.  He was seeking something deeper, I think in all sincerity.  Jesus knew this man's heart.  He knew that what was blocking this man's ability to have a true and deep relationship with God was his preoccupation with the external.  With the things of this earth.  So Jesus told him to lay them down.

Having a $200,000 scrapbook room or working out of a paper bag with a glue stick isn't the point.  It is neither a formula for success to have it all or have nothing.  The formula for success only has one step: turning everything and everyone over to God, and listening to His Spirit guiding us each step of the day.  There is no checklist.  God wants a personal, involved relationship with us at which He is the head. 

It is interesting to me that Jesus said, "If you wish to be complete..."  I'm sure the man was put off by this remark.  If this woman were to ask us "Can you think of anything else I am missing?" She would not expect to hear "If you wish to be complete..."  Especially if after all her hard work to make this room just right the solution would be to sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor.  It would seem counterproductive to all her research, hard work and she certainly would be getting pennies on the dollar.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she needs to do any such thing.  I wouldn't know what she needs to do, if anything.  Because the Word of God is a living thing, personal to each of us, meeting us where we are at, divining what is in our heart of hearts, separating bone from marrow.

For those of you following along, journal about being consumed.  Do you have something or someone in your life that you feel unbalanced about?  Is there something or someone that is the focus of most of your thoughts, time and resources?  What is the center of your universe?  Reflect on this obsession and how it affects your daily life. 

Spiritual Journal - Eye for an Eye

A much simpler page today.  Text is from Matthew 5 & 6, two of my favorite chapters in the Bible.

"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look ' eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.'  Is that going to get us anywhere?  Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.'   If someone strikes you, stand there and take it.  If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it.  And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.  No more tit-for-tat stuff.  Live generously.

You are familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.'  I'm challenging that.  I'm telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.  When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.  This is what God does.  He gives his best---the sun to warm and the rain to nourish---to everyone, regardless, the good and bad, the nice and nasty.  If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus?  Anybody can do that.  if you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal?  Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. 

In a word what I am saying is grow up.  You're kindom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.

But be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it.  It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.

When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself.  You've seen them in action, I'm sure---'playactors' I call them---treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds.  They get applause, true, but that's all they get.  When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks.  Just do it---quietly and unobtrusively.  That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

I sometimes think if I could really meditate on this passage daily and make it real and alive in me, I would really change in a miraculous way.  I keep coming back to this when I feel lost.  I'm a girl who struggles with the bugaboos of fairness and pride, so these are my touchstone verses.

You could say I chickened out...

I know, I know, I promised controversy and danger in my post today, but turns out those topics aren't fully seasoned yet, and I don't want to rush them.  I did ALOT of reading today, hours and hours worth...so perhaps soon.

In the meantime, I did work and finish the cover to the journal today.

Lots of texture-y goodness and color variation that you SOOOO can't see in this photo, I wish you all could touch it and see it IRL.    I wanted the purpose for this book to be right on the cover and I like how my little Making Memories letter stamps made it all possible.  I may find myself coloring in the wings a bit someday, but for now its done.

I promise I will coax out a couple of topics tomorrow, it looks like I'll be home alone most of the day.

Up Next for the Spiritual Journal...

...It's either healing, death or submission...that's bound to get some people talking!

Easter Season/Counting of the Omer

In the Jewish faith, there is a 49 day period of counting, of rememberance, of growth, between the 2nd day of Pesach and the Shavuot.  Pesach (PAY-soch) being the celebration of the exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery, and Shavuot, or Pentecost the celebration of the giving of the Torah or Law by God to Moses.  This 49 day period is called the Counting of the Omer and begins April 19, ending June 9, 2008.

In the Christian faith, there is a 49 day period of counting from Easter Sunday, the day Christ arose from the dead and Pentecost, the day God sent the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide those who believe in Christ's resurrection.  This 49 day period is called the Easter Season and begins March 23 ending May 11, 2008.

My religious heritage finds its roots in Judiasm and its branches in Christianity, and I wanted to pay respects to both of those.  Therefore, I took the 26 days difference between the timing of these two 49 day period's start dates and I arrived at the date April 5, 2008. 

Back in February I decided to begin a 49 day journey on April 5 to commemorate, celebrate and document my spiritual journey so far.  On every day from April 5 through May 24 I will be making a journal filled with artwork and words that will in the end be a document of what I believe and how I got to this point.

I want to do this as a legacy for my family, a way of giving them my insights and testimony on my journey toward God.  Its something very personal and is not intended to convert you to my beliefs.

I am led to post some of these pages and encourage others to join me.  It is clear to me too that I do not wish to make this exclusive.  I believe that regardless of what your beliefs are, whether based in Christianity, Judiasm, Buddhism or an avoidance of all religions of any sort, it is important to get down on paper what it is you believe and how you arrived at such a belief, as much as you can say.  This spiritual legacy may very well be the most valuable tool my family will have to understand me at the very core. 

So every so often during the 49 days of my journey I will post a topic. I would love to know you are joining me, so feel free to post a comment on any topics that you participate in, and if you post your page for that topic anywhere, send me a link.