Rest - Relax - Release - Rejoice

Rest in the deep assurance of My unfailing Love. Let your body, mind, and spirit Relax in My Presence. Release into My care anything that is troubling you, so that you can focus your full attention on Me. Be awed by the vast dimensions of My Love for you: wider, longer, higher, and deeper than anything you know.  Rejoice that this marvelous Love is yours forever...Bring Me the sacrifice of gratitude, and watch to see how much I bless you. ~ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Last week my phone lines went in and out, mostly out, leaving me without Internet access.  When the Internet issues began, I felt stressed knowing I could not leave posts during the week of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving!

Of all weeks to not journal about gratitude!

All kind of questions and doubts about what others would think if I did not post began to fill my heart until I finally realized the path I was going down was not going to change the fact I did not have Internet and that I had a choice whether to stay on that dark path or step aside and choose another.

Pausing, then choosing another path...felt great! It felt powerful to intentionally choose a healthier path...

But then life decided to send another curve ball my way when I learned a much loved daughter decided she and her family would not be gathering with us for Thanksgiving.

I cried and I focused on what I would not have until my friend reminded me I had a choice.

I could choose to stay focused on what I would not have OR I could change my focus to what I would have.  

"Let your body, mind, and spirit relax in My Presence. Release into My care anything that is troubling you...and watch to see how much I bless you."

1 Peter 5:7 says: "Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you." (NIV)

Blessings don't always come as I expect.


I think blessings may some times come as quiet peace.  And, when I am open to that blessing, I am able to receive more blessings.  This past week, I did not have one daughter at the Thanksgiving table, but I had three others/spouses/Grands, both my parents, my brother/sister-in-law, a nephew/wife/baby, and my cousin...and there was much laughter, conversation, listening...and a feeling of love, respect, and gratitude for the relationships that rested between us, among us, and within us.

When I was able to Rest and Relax, my clenched hands Released and I knew Joy (Rejoice).

Still, I spent moments walking back and forth through the dark valley of hurt, doubt, and what-ifs off and on through out the weekend. Ann refers to these dark paths as "hard eucharisteo" and in chapter 5 of her book, she offers her own dark moments.

"I'm still transfixed when the ricochet of words rip up the back. 'Levi's hand went through a fan at the barn!'...I know it, even in running down the lane to the barn, this may be it. The hard eucharisteo. Now I know that I don't want to know it yet...Ever. How to lay the hand open for this moment's bread - when it will hurt." (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, p 80)

Yesterday morning, during the Job study, I was struck with Job's thought that he was no longer blessed because he was no longer experiencing the "good life." Life was not going "his" way.  One woman commented that Job had lost hope and was in despair.  Another commented that Job had lost his sense of being in "control", that suffering is being thrust into a situation that one has no control.

When life is good, it is easy to notice God's Gifts...God's Grace, yet all to often I am like Job, when life takes a u-turn and the unexpected happens and my illusion of control is burst in a split second...I silently wonder what of God's Grace then?

Job asks that hard question that I am sometimes afraid to voice aloud.

I realized this past week one reason I had hesitated in beginning my own journal of gratitude was I felt like Pollyanna listing "silly" things as grace...as gifts.

I don't want to be a "Pollyanna", still, I believe that my feeble attempts at writing gratitudes the past couple of weeks did make it easier to refocus (again and again) when I felt kicked in the gut regarding who would and would not be gathering around the Thanksgiving table and why.

68. Dad carving the turkey. 

69. Warm scents and taste of freshly roasted turkey. 

70. The moon shining brightly.

Yesterday morning I was greeted by many weary faces at church.  I didn't have the time to ask how Thanksgiving had gone for them but in some ways, their faces reflected a more than deep weariness.

Later I wondered if, like me, some had known disappointment during their time of giving thanks.  As I wondered this I focused back to myself.  I wondered how many of my disappointments come from the Universe not giving to me as I think/believe I should be given (like Job).  I wondered how many of my disappointments come from what I have already created in my imagination as "happening".... not happening. (eg: that Norman Rockwell image of family...of "perfection")  I wondered how many of my disappointments come from my perception that something is wrong with "me" when that image of perception does not happen and I go down that dark path of retributive judgement. (Job : ) )

I want to be saintly, yet I'm just San, doing my best every day to be aware, to continue reading and reflecting, to strive to notice and name God's Gifts even within those dark moments of hurt and uncertainty.

156. A gummy smile. 

157. Daughter #2 back home safe. 

158. Sharing a bowl of blackberries with #3. 

159. Internet! 

Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul says: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you [Sandi] with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith.  I pray that you [Sandi], being being rooted and established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of the fullness of God."

If I could just fully grasp these sacred truths!

Bring me the sacrifice of gratitude and watch to see how much I bless you.

The "sacrifice" of gratitude.

Now, there is another word for me to sit and ponder!
Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Blessed are the people...

Blessed are the people who know the password of praise, Who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. ~ Psalm 89:15 (MSG)

Blessed be the Lord God Almighty 


I was blessed by Psalm 89 this morning, I say "blessed" because it seemed so appropriate as I consider my new book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

Last evening I was questioning my decision to use this book.  I LOVE this book, but I haven't been sure I want to journal online as I once again read through its pages.  I wasn't sure I wanted to be quite so "open."  I was still questioning my decision this morning. I paused as I began my devotion time, asking God to give me direction AND to help me hear his direction!

Psalm 89 is a fairly lengthy Psalm. David moves from praising God, lamenting, and then back to praise. Once again, Eugene Peterson's poetic translation offers me new images to consider.  I loved the way he began"

"Your love God, is my song and I'll sing it."

I paused with this first verse, still it was verses 15-18 that opened me, giving me the courage to begin reading One Thousand Gifts with others and to eventually begin sharing my thoughts.

"Blessed are the people who know the password of praise,Who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.Delighted they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do - they can't keep it quiet!Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us - You've been so good to us! We're walking on air!All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King!"

On the inside of Ann's book it reads:
what it means to be...
...deeply human
...deeply spiritual
...deeply and authentically fulfilled

The publisher (Dayspring) goes on to write:
"Like most readers, Ann Voskamp hungers to live her one life well. Forget the bucket lists about once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

"How," Voskamp wondered, "do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does a life of gratitude look like when your days are gritty, long, and sometimes dark? What is God providing here and now?

"A beautifully practical guide to living a life of joy, One Thousand Gifts invites you to wake up to God's everyday blessings. As Voskamp discovered, in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she'd always wanted.


"Following Voskamp's grace-bathed reflections on her farming, parenting, and writing life, you will embark on a transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling gifts. Along the way you will discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to gratitude, a way of living so you are not afraid to die, and a way of becoming present to God's presence that brings deep and lasting happiness."



Before I begin, I am confessing that this is the first time I noticed the words "transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling gifts."

I had totally skimmed past, over, through....those words in past readings.  This online journal is about discovering spiritual disciplines and I blew past these words!

This online journaling is to help me learn to "pause", to "slow down" AND I still blew past these words!!!

I confess (Okay...twice in one posting I'm confessing!) that I am totally, and have been totally, covered up with work today...and will remain so in the days to come. My mind has been fragmented today as I have tried to get things done for the church's upcoming Homecoming Celebration. It has taken me longer to do simple tasks, simply because I am not sharp mentally...I'm not focused.

While I am confessing, I may as well continue, by admitting that I purchased a pretty fabric covered journal in which to "chronicle gifts."  I actually chronicled gifts for maybe 2-3 weeks, but then like many things that are healthy for me, I allowed it to become pushed to the side by the urgent stuff of life.

You know what?

Reading these words ("my" words), its no wonder God seemed to keep nudging me to use Ann's book for my online reflections.

Let's consider the upcoming three months...Wee Kirk, Homecoming, Halloween, trip to Wisconsin, Turkey Dinner at church, Thanksgiving, Hanging of the Greens, Seven Birthday Celebrations, Christmas Shopping/Wrapping/Decorating, Christmas Eve Communion, Christmas on Sunday morning, New Years on Sunday morning....... Gosh, do you think I might need help in keeping perspective on what it is I am grateful for in the midst of the upcoming demands on my time?

It is these kinds of non-stop busy times I allow my resident Demon permission to whisper doubts in my ears that I then choose to listen to and believe....and then I'm headed down that track of fear and anxiety full steam. I allow this to happen because I am not taking the time to spend moments within the presence of most important relationship of my life. I'm not taking the time to be deeply human, deeply spiritual, nor deeply and authentically fulfilled.

Lord, I just ask your blessing upon me and upon all those who decide to walk alongside me, reading One Thousand Gifts. By your Spirit, help me to remain present to you as the demands of work and family begin to mount in the days to come. I cannot do this on my own, God, I need you working within me to give me strength to pursue that which I know to be the most important.  I thank you and bless you for all you do for me! AMEN!

A song for me to cling to whenever life seems to be coming at me a bit faster than I like.  "Your love God, is my song and I'll sing it...with your help!  His Eye is on the Sparrow.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Gather Up the Crumbs - X - Some surprising crumbs....that bless....

Thank you, Sister O'Mine!


Matthew West, what a way to begin a Friday morning!





But you're the one who looks at me

and sees what I was meant to be

more than just a beautiful mess

Where would I be without someone to save me , someone who won't let me fall? And all God's Children say, "AMEN!!"

So far, Macrina has offered me eight examples of things and places that bless her with nourishing crumbs:

• My love for trees.
• Moments of beauty.
• Sin and weakness in my life.
• Being able to recognize and admit that I am wrong.
• Loneliness.
• People.
• Criticism.



To many times, things and places that Macrina
identifies as blessings, have stopped me........

• Sitting at someone's feet.

Seeing these things and places listed, without the reading in between...for the most part, just reading this list, I would be stretched and challenged to see these as nourishing crumbs! I, and probably many others, would fail to recognize the blessing within sin and weakness, admitting wrong, loneliness, and criticism.  But, reading Macrina's insights to these things and places, I do appreciate how they feed her soul AND how I can look at these same things and discover blessings.

AND, Macrina continues to stretch my thinking as she continues with her list!

• Sorrow:



Holy resignation has to
be different than "quitting".

• In the midst of sorrow, there's nothing to do but be there and celebrate the hurt.
• We celebrate the hurt through holy screams.
• Holy screams come from the heart.
• They are screams that people often, in their ignorance, try to smother.
• Holy resignation comes only after holy screams.
• Don't let them tell you it's God's will, unless they are saying that life is God's.
• Much of the news you see on television each evening is not God's will.
• It is the will of the human race.
• Why blame the One who wills nothing for you except that you be divinzed?
• Ask...one question when...in sorrow: Am I being divinzed? Am I becoming like God?
• Listen to the scream of Jesus on the cross, 'My God, my God...
• only then did Jesus bow his head in holy resignation.
• Sorrow makes it impossible for us to be absent [from life], and so, blesses us with real presence.
• In the midst of our sorrow, distractions fall away...[we become] vulnerable, little and great.
• ...they [people who have walked great sorrow]...seem to wear the face of God.

This morning, a FB Friend suggested that Macrina's book needs to be read from a Catholic perspective.  I agree, yet, there are some things that are more difficult for me to get my protestant head around. Such as...

• Fasting: 



Standing before God, knowing
who and whose I am...

• Fasting makes me vulnerable and reminds me of frailty.
• Fasting nourishes me and gets me in touch with a deeper hunger.
• All deep hunger nourish me.
• I am nourished because I am brought to a place where I can live in denial no longer.
• Standing before God hungry, I ...know who I am.
• ...one who is poor, called to be rich...
• ...one who is empty, called to be filled with the fullness of God.
• ...one who is hungry, called to taste all the goodness...in Christ.
• ...helps me know deeply my own need.
• Fasting is cleansing. It lays bare our souls.
• Most of us are not nearly hungry enough for the things that really matter.
• Fasting can lead us to the core of our being and make us more nourishing for others.

I can "get this", but I'm not sure I really get this.  Does that make sense?

I understand her words, yet, I wonder if there is something missing from these thoughts and insights on Fasting, that I would not have an awareness of...or an appreciation...

I know fasting is a spiritual discipline.  Possibly it is a discipline I may want to become better versed in at some point.

• Words:



This is so very not true!!!

• [Words] are a source of healing, consolation and joy, hope and encouragement...
• People can die for lack of words.
• A word of kindness is a Word made Flesh!
• Our response to all words, if we want them to feed us, is to listen and connect them to our lives.
• Words can also intimidate and stifle growth.
• Words are powerful.

• Silence:
• The secret of a well-trained tongue is found not in speaking bur in silence.
• Silence gently draws us to our depth.
• Silence and Words have been at war within my soul for as long as I can remember.
• ...the world affirms me more for my words than for my silence. How could the world affirm what it does not understand?

Wow.  You know, I completely missed that silence immediately followed words when I read through this book the first time.

This morning, I typed the words of "In the Bulb There is a Flower" in the graduation bulletin for Sunday.  Sometimes, when typing the words in silence, I notice the words differently.  This morning I was struck by verse 2, 

There's a song in every silence....

"There's a song in every silence, seeking word and melody; there's a dawn in every darkness bringing hope to you and me. From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see."

Does this not sound like many of the thoughts and insights of both Macrina and Joyce Rupp over these many weeks!

• Prayer:

What a week this is turning out to be!

My mom just called.  She and Dad have left one doctor and are headed for the ER at the Heart Hospital, north of Indianapolis.  

So....I'm leaving without writing about this most important crumb, Prayer.  I will carry one thought of Macrina's with me, "To pray is to touch God and let God touch us."  AMEN!!!

Turn your speakers up.....

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Thinking about all I have read and journaled...

All brides seem to get
at least a little crazy!

I'm sitting in my office at the church as the wedding party gets ready for some pre-pictures...and all the things that brides do before a wedding.  It is very quiet, I wonder if I should be concerned?

Blessing? Will they know I
am doing my best to "bless" them?

I have been thinking this morning about my role in this marriage, and I have decided I want to remember some of the things I have been reading about BLESSING and GOD-NESS.

This young couple has so many things of "life" to overcome, yet, rather than judging their success as being either hopeful or doubtful, I can simple "be present" within these minutes with them...fully present...offering the God-ness that is within me as a blessing to them, their family, and all those who will be supporting and encouraging them in the days, weeks, and years to come.

Do you remember, when Joyce introduced the Blessing Cup, she began with a quote from Macrina:

"To bless is to put a bit of yourself into something. It is to make holy, to change something or someone because of your presence."

I am not going to "change" them by being present during their service, yet, how can I know how God will work if I do my best to "put a bit of myself" this service?  How can I know how God might work within their lives because I did my best to "be present" during their wedding service?

More voices are beginning to fill this once quiet space.  Lord, I do not know what the future holds for this young man and woman.  But, for this afternoon, they are in love and will be surrounded by loving family and friends.  Help me to be a blessing to not only the couple, but to their families as well.  Lord, help me to be present to you within this service.  AMEN. 


A special blessing for this young man and young woman as they begin their life together...

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Sandi, this book looks difficult...

C.S.Lewis 1898-1963

“Don't think of God in terms of forms, because forms are limited and God is unlimited.” ~ C.S.Lewis

More than one person has told me the upcoming book by Macrina Wiederkehr looks like it might be a bit difficult.  I journaled yesterday morning that it was grace that I began with Joyce's book!

Part of the 130,000 acres of the flooded farmland in Missouri.

Going to Payton's soccer game last evening, I overheard conversations in the parking lot as I came and went.  Osama bin Laden's death and the flooding of 130,000 acres of farmland in Missouri seemed to be the most popular topics, along with questions regarding the soggy fields here in Indiana. I heard a lot of worry, anxiety, and anger being expressed.

"Fill with good news of
God at work in the world."

    Last fall I purchased very attractive notebooks for a group of women from my congregation.  I told them I wanted them to fill the notebook with good news; news where they saw God at work during the next month. The news could come from any source,  newspapers, Internet, Facebook, TV, or radio. At the end of the month, we would meet and share what we had discovered and learned.

We are daily bombarded
 by negative news.

I do not get the Indianapolis Star, but I did begin purchasing one so I could look for local news as well as news within the USA Today. While it was possible to find "good news" stories in the USA Today, I would search for days to find one positive blurb in the Star.  But, since I was the one who gave the assignment, I doggedly attacked the challenge!  When we met a month later I discovered the others had also become discouraged and their notebooks, like my own, were not filled as I had expected them to be.  One woman had even quit because she could not find any positive news! She had begun feeling more discouraged by life in general by looking for something positive.

Three fingers pointed back at me,
"What was my responsibility in this?"

It was not the learning and discovery I had planned to share.  I had expected that we would gather and gain a sense of joy and feeling affirmed by our convictions as Christian women as we shared with one another evidence of God's work.  Instead, we were sad and a bit angry.  We ended up blaming the news casters and reporters for feeding us negative "stuff."  There is an old saying about when you point a finger at someone, there are three others pointing back to you? I began to wonder what my responsibility was in this newly discovered reality.

There are other sayings that are similar to "If you want to see something change, then begin with yourself!" A lot has happened to me and to this world since last fall when I was hit by the reality of negative news and knowing that I have to accept some responsibility.  I am a firm believer that if one person makes a positive change, then that change will affect another,  which then that change will...   I did not take steps immediately, because I did not know what to do.  However, I kept journaling about the question and I continued to pray.  I will admit that I often felt my prayers were being ignored, something I hope to come back to as I journal through Macrina's book.  Still, it was through this process that I got the idea to do a blog...

"WHY?" was a common response.

I continued to think about it but it felt like I needed to learn to speak Chinese! I asked a young woman from my congregation if she would teach me about blogging.  She agreed to help, but told me it was not that difficult.  I didn't believe her and made arrangements to meet in a couple of days. But...then I got curious and lo and behold...I got the beginnings of the thing going!  Over and again, I have journaled how I have grown in my faith and my convictions as I have worked through Joyce's book...I have also gained a measure of self confidence as I worked on the blog!

Our tractors and planters - sit - because fields are too wet
to plant. Seed that should be sprouting remains in containers 

Here's the thing, life is difficult.  Just like almost everyone I know, my everyday -  normal - ordinary life is some times difficult.  Some of the difficulties have come from choices I have made while other difficulties come at me in the form of weather, sickness, terrorism... things I have little control over except for the way I respond. I will admit, there have been times I have felt angry as newscasters have belittled the concerns of Missouri farmers whose land has been intentionally flooded. I have felt a growing concern as I watch the days continue to pass for our own farming operation. It is during times such as this, I am doing my best to keep the words of scripture close to my heart.

"31 So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For 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. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:31-34

26 He replied,” You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the  winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26

"Cast your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

It isn't wearing "rose-colored" glasses,
it is recognizing that I am not in control.

I cannot change the weather.  I cannot change what has happened in Missouri.  I cannot change the fact that bin Laden masterminded the killing of thousands of people and that he is now dead.  I cannot change the fact that people I care for are growing older and have concerns which seem to have few good answers. ....

When I first began journaling with Joyce's book I spoke of having to acknowledge that I am helpless and it is from this place of helplessness, that God is able to work within me. God is able to work within me so that I can truly begin to see him working through all of life; life that I perceive as "good" and as "bad".  That is one reason I have posted a Google News link on my blog.  Right above the link it says, "Seeking to See God in The World".  This is my reminder to look for God in the headlines.

New life doesn't just appear..
it takes time and effort.

I agree that Macrina's book may be a bit of a challenge, yet any new growth does not just magically happen with the snap of my fingers.  It takes effort to crack the hard shell of old learning, habits, and fear. It takes effort to begin to stretch in ways that are unfamiliar in order to keep pushing up through the darkness. It takes effort to break through the final crust in order to feel the warm light on my face, that wonderful ah-ha moment.  It takes effort to reach down as deep as I can reach in order to seek not only the needed nutrients to grow but to also gain stability so that I might stand firm against the storms that will surely come. Only after all the stretching and pushing...will I become more aware of the love that surrounds me. Hummmm. I think I might get one of those grains of corn or beans in our barn, waiting to be sowed, and place it on my desk as an image for myself as I begin journaling with this book.

...but he couldn't blow the little house in.

I am reminded of that old Sunday School lesson of the Wise Man and the Foolish Man.  Or...I could keep it really simple and consider the lessons from the fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs!

Life can be difficult and it does seem that we hear more negative news than news that lifts us up.  Still, even in the negative news, I believe God is....  But, before I can see him there, I need to open the eyes of my heart in order to see him in the ordinary days of "me", just one ordinary person.  Or, as Macrina says, "Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary."

This book is a new adventure with all kind of thoughts and ideas waiting to be seen and discovered! AND I know I am not on this journey alone.  That knowledge helps a lot! I have others who I see week to week who are walking a long side me.  And then there a blessing, think back to everything I have learned about "blessings" from Joyce. This blessing can be found in many forms. My favorite, the one I keep in my heart, is the one used by a great friend and pastor at the end of each worship service:

May the love of Christ go with you.
May He go before you to show you the way.
Behind you to encourage you.
Beside you to befriend you.
Above you to watch over you.
Below you to lift you up and
within you to give you to give you peace.

A new song by Kristian Stanfill - Always.  It is so new...there aren't many videos to choose from...still it has great words! Always...

Lord, sometimes digging into your Word, working to put my roots deep into your truths in order to grow strong, able to resist the strong winds of life, .... Lord, sometimes it is HARD! Please send your Spirit to rest upon me.  Help me to remember to first ask your Spirit to help me! Yes, God, it sometimes does seem difficult to grow in your ways, yet, I know by seeking to know you in my ordinary days, that I will live from a place of joy, of peace, and of love. AMEN.


Many Blessings ~ Sandi

The Cup of Life Top Seven

The Cup of Life

Okay, so we did not come up with a Top Ten list, but I am not one who concerns my self with "rules" of needing TEN! Seven works well and, unlike David Letterman, these are in no particular order:

1. Joyce's Poems
2. The Quotes at the beginning of each reading
3. Breathprayers
4. Reflections
5. Scripture passages, especially the Psalms
6. Journaling
7. The Pictures/Etchings found through out the book

Some might see it as a cop-out, but the Wednesday Lunch Bunch did not think any of the devotions or readings stood out as being better than another, because..."each reading either stands on or is opened more within another."

They were right. A good foundation builds and is supported by what comes first.  Yet, if you removed or do not continue to include later pieces, you have a row of stones rather than something that grows and becomes strong and supportive.

Thinking along these lines, I wonder if the Top Seven things offered by the group yesterday are the mortar? The lessons were wonderful, yet, I wonder if they would have been as challenging and life building on their own?  Without the poems and quotes to prepare the soil of our hearts where the foundation would begin being built?  The Breathprayers, Reflections, Scripture, Journaling...I wonder if they became the mortar, the glue that held each lesson, transitioning me from one to the next...?

Jane Pitz

The wonderful sketches done by Jane Pitz...these drawings were simple, yet some very provocative and thoughtful. A favorite was the hand holding up a cup to begin Week VI: The Blessing Cup.

This tree, by Jane could be a
great image for my next book.

I have never been able to find any of Jane's etchings to include in my journal, however, one can look at some of her other work here: Art by Jane Pitz

For my own thoughts and wanderings, I am awed that I was led first to Joyce's book, The Cup of Life and then Macrina's book A Tree Full of Angels. Macrina's book has received 4-5 Star rating on Amazon.  I read several of the comments.  One read:

This book by Macrina Wiederkehr, "A Tree Full of Angels",is a keeper. As I was reading it I kept marking the different incites of Macrina Wiederkehr, which I will go back to again and again for the wisdom they impart to me. I purchased other copies of this book to give to a few receptive friends. If you are a believer in experiences with God, this book is for you.

Other thoughts on her book:

A personalized invitation to stop, look, and listen for God in the here and now... She wants us to gather up the crumbs, the little things in our lives, and realize they have the makings of a banquet." -- Abbot Jerome Kodell

I loved this image. It helped to remind
me how thirsty I was feeling...

Wonderful thoughts, but, as I have been reading this new book, I am not sure I would have been able to embrace and hold Macrina's book quite as well without first having my heart prepped by The Cup of Life.

As I ponder all I have read, thought, and written...and forgotten for now, Jeremiah 29:10-14 comes to my mind:

 ¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

While, the eleventh verse has always tugged at my heart, this morning it is verse 13. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Sometimes it seems as though I have more questions than I have answers.  Sometimes it seems I am walking in circles. Sometimes I sit down and want to stop...maybe to pout...maybe to cry...maybe because I am tired...

God, I am seeking to find you and to lean more into your presence with a sense of trust.  You know my heart and you know how I so very easily get off track.  I cannot do this alone. I cannot walk alone.  Thank you for promising to be near.  Thank you for sending others to walk along side me.  Father, God, bless my efforts.  AMEN.


Once again, Michael Card, Joy in the Journey....

One of the quotes in The Cup of Life that touched me and stretched my thinking actually came from Macrina:

"To bless is to put a bit of yourself into something. It is to make holy, to change something or someone because of your presence."

Michael Card's song...is a blessing for me.  Joyce's book..Macrina's book...are blessings to me. May I seek to be a blessing.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Week VI - Day 1 - The Blessing Cup

I smiled when I recognized the name from the quote this morning! Macrina Wiederkehr is the author of my next book study, A Tree Full of Angels - Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary.  I chose the book for three reasons...

1. Joyce has used Macrina's quotes and insights several times throughout The Cup of Life.  Each time I've experienced a slight, nudge of appreciation or newness.
2. I asked friends on Facebook for suggestions of titles to follow The Cup of Life.  Three people, who do not know one another and are very different from each other, suggested Macrina's book, A Tree Full of Angels.
3. Lastly, I have mentioned the "Sister" from my church who first introduced me to God Winks.  I have so enjoyed contemplating on this phenomenon.  Thus, I was drawn to the idea of "Seeing the Holy in the Ordinary." I am guessing it will probably be the first of next week before I begin journaling with this book.

But! Back to the present moment! Joyce begins the devotion of The Blessing Cup with a quote from Macrina, saying, "To bless is to put a bit of yourself into something. It is to make holy, to change something or someone because of your presence."

I like the idea of "putting a bit of myself" into something.  From this thought, there is more within a blessing than just saying some nice words.  There is action within those words.

I appreciate that Joyce reminds her reader that it is not only clergy who have the POWER or the ABILITY to bless. 

"Each of us can offer blessings. Each of us can be a blessing, too. When we bless, it is God's deep and vast goodness, or God-ness, in us that blesses another. When we bless, we touch another with the touch of this God-ness." (Joyce Rupp, The Cup of Life, p 135)

But, then Joyce continues, saying something I had not thought of before...

"Jesus does not bestow or offer many blessings. Rather, he becomes a blessing. His presence, his goodness, engenders life, strength, healing, courage, and vitality."  

I had never considered this...that Jesus does not offer many blessings, rather he became a blessing... I was curious and Goggled several image searches... I found Jesus healing, pictures of others blessing, and sayings... However, as I sit with this... I would bet that Jesus might have blessed the children who gathered around him.  Yes, he was a blessing to these youngest and sometimes forgotten people of the culture...but I would still bet he blessed the children.  I will have to add this question to my "When I see Jesus..." list...

Joyce shares that many people have blessed her life AND unless she has thanked them, many of them are probably unaware of how they having done so. Joyce gives examples of blessings (smiles, stories, affirmations...).  I thought of some of my blessings:

• Handwritten notes telling me how something I have done/said has blessed them....
• Notes/pictures left by children on the pulpit Bible or stuck to my office door. I LOVE these surprises.
• A slobbery kiss from one of my grandkids or a hug from a daughter or son.
• A loving glance from one of my parents.
• Stories shared while sitting in a hospital/nursing home, or in the comfort of one's own home.
• A surprise gift from India or a print of Jesus. Of a watercolor painting of prayer from the Mercy Center in St. Louis and a painting done on a feather from South America.
• Having a prayer said for "me."
• Friends/Daughters willing to walk alongside me to complete a Mini following my accident and then continuing to listen, encourage, be a safe place...
• A small crystal to hang close to my work area so that it might remind me to "never forget to dream of rainbows.'

Joyce shares a blessing she received from a woman before she (Joyce) wrote her first book. Joyce felt an urgent need to be blessed by this woman, knowing she needed strength and encouragement.  She admits that she does not remember what Emily said; what she does remember is the profound sense of gratitude and peace that came over her as Emily took her hands and held them palms up, with great tenderness.

"I felt strength and courage well up in me. I knew then that not only did she believe in me, but that her goodness, her presence or God-ness was also blessing me. I left that place with renewed stamina and deepened hope, believing that the work I was about to do would be fruitful. Emily died of cancer several years after that blessing. I think of her often when I am using my hands for writing." (Rupp, p136)

The God-ness in me...when given to
another...is then given to another...

We are all on a different place on this journey of life and faith. So many things have shaped the person we are at this moment.  There have been times in my life, it would have been difficult to appreciate or even be aware of a blessing, while other times blessings seem to keep my cup running over. Regardless of where I am at this moment, Joyce offers yet another blessing by expressing the "hope" that I can pause today and believe in the possibility and the power of blessings.

Breathprayer:
Breathing in: My God-ness....
Breathing out: ...blessing others

Blessing Hands

Reflection:
Hold the cup in your hands.
Wrap your hands around the cup.
Remember the God-ness dwelling within you.
Think about people who have blessed you.
How did they do this?
Think about how you have blessed others.
Give thanks for the God-ness in you.
Give thanks for the ability to bless and be blessed.


Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8-12
...repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called - that you might inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9)

Journaling:
I experienced my God-ness blessing others when I...
These people have especially been a blessing for me:
Blessed One...


These people have especially been a blessing for me: Once again, it is obvious I do not read ahead.  I will say however, that as I wrote about some of the blessings I have received from others, I once again experienced that sense of peaceful fullness....now there's a term for you!  Peaceful Fullness....

I suspect that this might be similar to a full cup...a cup full of blessing upon blessing.

I experienced my God-ness blessing others when I... have been fortunate to realize the "gift" someone has perceived as receiving from me...wasn't "me." I had not thought of it as God-ness within of me or my God-ness. I have thought of my hands being used by God... When any of these realizations hit me...I am the one blessed!  Thinking about those times....I have the same sense of Peaceful Fullness that I experienced just a moment ago.

This idea of "Blessing" is really touching my heart in a way that I had not expected.  I wonder if the five weeks of writing before this has sensitized my heart in a way that enables it to appreciate Joyce's thoughts and wisdom in a way I might not have in early March?  For all the growing within me... Blessed One... I thank you and praise you.

I found a video that although it is not "Christian" it holds great spiritual truths that I have no hesitancy holding in my hands and within my heart...

After watching this video again, I was surprised by how Joyce's prayer seems to be reflected in many of the words and images of the video.  Once again, God amazes me and surprises me by all the ways he uses to bring about his kingdom here on earth...

Prayer: 

The practice of blessing with my God-ness,
offering the gift of  loving presence.

Blessed are you, God, Source of all goodness. The boundless beauty and unlimited love of your presence blesses me at every moment of my existence. May your goodness radiate from me and bring the blessing of your loving touch to each person with whom I share life.


Today:
I will intentionally bless each person I meet today with the gift of my loving presence.


Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Week VI - The Blessing Cup

After a weekend of emotional highs...followed by emotional highs, I am surprised to be surprised by something new this morning.  Honestly?  I did not think my tired head had the capacity to become curious so early on the Monday morning following Easter. Yet, that is what Joyce has done by introducing me...broadening my perceptions...of "the" Cup.

Each step...leaving a blessing.

Once again, Joyce turns to the 13th century Muslim poet, Rumi, quoting him:

"Wherever you place your foot, there rests a blessing."

In today's world I hear so much about my carbon footprint and the impact of that footprint on the world, I am feeling a bit confused and amazed by considering each of my footprints as a blessing.  Yet, the expanding of my mind and perceptions does not end there.  Joyce continues:

"Perhaps the best known 'cup' in the scriptures is that of the blessing cup in 1 Cor 10:16: 'The blessing cup that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?' The cup of blessing is a term derived from the Jewish Passover rite, meaning not only that the cup is blessed, but that the cup itself holds a blessing. It holds the gift of life." (Joyce Rupp, The Cup of Life, p 131)

Blessings. 

What are they, Joyce asks on this Monday morning after Easter.

How do they come?

What do they do for us?

I checked several sites and after defining "Blessings" as prayers, Blessings are also defined as: "to consecrate or to hallow by a religious rite or words; to make or pronounce holy or sacred."

"To bless is not so much to 'make sacred,' however, as it is to acknowledge the sacredness that is already there. All creation is sacred because it was made by God.To bless anything of creation, be this a person or an object, is to acknowledge the touch of the Creator upon that person or object." (Ibid)

Joyce continues to stretch my heart by suggesting that wherever we (I) place our (my) feet - wherever we are - can be a blessing IF we are aware of the inherent sacredness and beauty of that place.

WOW!

That 'place' she says, might be the heart of another person or the limb of a newly budded tree or a fuzzy caterpillar climbing a drainpipe.

"Attentiveness to the present moment is essential for a blessing to truly communicate the life and beauty of God to us. 'Calling forth' a blessing is actually a naming of the goodness that is already there." (Rupp, p 132)

Jackie Nowak

Some times I have to hear a message three times...and often in three different ways to really get it! Such is the case with "Blessings."  I have heard this before and was moved and energized by the learning!  But, then the daily work within my church...my new learning became pushed back into one of the dark closets of my mind. Still, the learning was there, stored, ready for the next invitation.  I have heard this before from Jackie Nowak of The Blessing Center in Dayton, Ohio.

But, for now...to continue with Joyce:

"In the Hebrew scriptures a blessing is perceived to be something that communicates divine life. With this life comes strength, stamina, and inner peace. Blessings or berakahs ( Original Word: בְּרָכָה) were often shared by the Jewish people. When they prayed 'blessed are you, O God...' they were acknowledging with gratitude all that God had done for them." (Ibid)

I THINK this is new for me because it has always seemed strange that "I"...me....would bless GOD the creator of all I am and see!!!  I thought I was acknowledging with gratitude...yet it always felt funny to do that as a "blessing."

Now, this is more familiar to me:

"Blessings were given for a variety of purposes: to invoke divine care; to pray for someone; to regard another with favor; to bring happiness; to guard, preserve, protect, and to keep safe; to give good fortune or satisfaction; and to approve or encourage another. Whenever God blesses, there emerges bounteous life and an abundance of goodness." (Ibid)

As an old man, God blessed Abraham
with descendants, more than stars in the sky.

Joyce names one of the first examples that comes to my mind, the blessing/s of Abraham within several chapters of the book of Genesis.As I write this, I thought how Abraham laughed at the suggestion of some of God's blessings, yet the character in the story remains faithful to listening to God, to living out of relationship with God...and the blessings follow.  The blessings were given and then follow through faithfulness AND not always as Abraham's human mind could perceive happening.

Held in God's Embrace

"Anyone and anything that brings good or God-ness into our lives is a blessings. To bless is to bring the touch of God, the touch of love and goodness, to another by our presence as well as by our actions. Blessings are a greeting from God, saying 'I care about you. I desire what will be for your good. You are dear to my heart. I want your life to be filled with love." (Ibid)


I like the image of "God-ness."

SQuire Rushnell has written When God Winks, stories of "coincidences" that are so unbelievable, they must come from a powerful source... An interview with a wonderful story/God Wink about Emmett Kelly's daughter upon his death...

SQuire shares that God Winks are to give us "hugs" to give comfort when life is difficult.

"Blessings are not always immediate, 'feel good' sorts of things. Sometimes these blessings come disguised in the pain, struggle, and hardship of the unwanted parts of our lives. It is only later, with hindsight, that we look and see what a gift those times and events were for us." (Ibid)


Can you tell I do not read Joyce's entire reading AND then go back and journal?  "Blessings are not always immediate..." It is nice when the ah-ha comes and is then reinforced. I am learning that if I read and journal in small pieces, my learning/my ah-has are richer and deeper than if I read the entire lesson and then go back.  But...what works for me...is for me.  I know others have a different way of working through Joyce's readings that work for them.

"Blessings sometimes come disguised..." I have written in past postings about the "blessing" of the last car accident.  HOWEVER, the realization that my brokenness was a blessing, only came in hindsight....much/much/later. All the stories I have read and shared within worship over these past several weeks of Lent and Holy Week...the blessing within those encounters and events were not seen as blessings at the time!  It was only in hindsight that the disciples understood all that Jesus had told them...and given.  And they were receiving "God-ness" in the flesh....and it was still in hindsight that they recognized the blessing.

"As you pray though these days with the 'blessing cup,' may you grow in awareness of the countless blessings that are yours. May you become much more aware of how you yourself are a blessing in the lives of others by the loving quality of who you are and what you do. Mos of all, may your love and appreciation of the Giver of all Gifts, the best of all blessings, continue to grow and be enriched." (Ibid)


I've just received a wonderful blessing, that even though it was written several years ago in a book AND many have read the same blessing...at this moment I claim this blessing.  Prayerfully, as I remain faithful...it will  come in ways....perhaps ways I have not considered..

A wonderful way to begin a new day...a new week!  The Blessing Song.

Gifting God,


Tie a ribbon of remembrance around my heart,
so that I can often recall those sacred places
where you have made yourself known in the hidden recesses of my life.


Stir up my memory-cup, let me look deeply within it, seeing all the people and events that have led me to you.


Refresh the photographs of my mind where the vivid traces of your love are etched in our relationship, and marked upon my memory.


As I gaze into my personal history unlock the storage spaces of my soul,
reveal the truth of your bountiful love, fill my heart with awe and gratitude.


God of Beauty, the blessings of your loveliness astounds my being,
the power of your presence enriches my every moment.
Blessed are you. Blessed are you. ~ Joyce Rupp (Rupp, p 133)


Many Blessings ~ Sandi