Day 4 - Evening Review

Yes, I'm only a small sparrow, but I'm
even singing a song of Spring today.

This has been a beautiful day! Although windy, the sun has been warm and I was able to be outside to enjoy moments of God's amazing creation.This winter has at times seemed to be endless. Yet, within the cold and gray of winter, God is.  If it were up to me, spring would come in mid January! Thankfully, life is not in my hands, but in the hands of its Creator. You might enjoy this moment of prayerful reflection as the day draws to a close: In His Time .....

Deep roots of an aging maple that
I'm praying lives one more year.

                                                                                                                        I seem to always want to rush things. If it is winter I want to it to hurry and go away. When spring comes I can't wait for the flowers to begin blooming, as one flower blooms I begin to anxiously await another....  I thought of this while studying the roots of a very old maple tree whose springs are numbered.  I thought of it again when I listened to the little brown sparrow raising up it's joyful tune as its fine downy feathers swayed in the wind. Like I said, I am so glad this earth is not dependent upon "my" sense of timing!

I wonder what might have burrowed
down there? Do I want to know enough
to stick my hand down? Naw!!!

I went outside today, with no agenda other than looking for the signs off spring.  Taking time to do this...I was aware of the presence of God.  I even recognized God's song in the voice of that sparrow! I thought how deep and how old is this mystery of faith, while studying the roots of the tree. I thought how mysterious and unknown, looking at that hole in my lawn. I smiled and thought more about God's Time verses my time as I continued to call for Sophie to "Come!" By and through all these mental wanderings, sounds, scents, textures.... I was nourished.  And by my stopping to appreciate the song of a brown sparrow, I like to think I "gave back" some of that nourishment I had been so generously given.

What? You want me? Now?...What?

What do I need to empty from my vessel of soul as I prepare for bed?  Actually, dumb stuff.  Will my clock switch over? What if it doesn't? Should I set a back up? Will anyone come to Parlor Conversations tomorrow or will I just give up? .....like I said, in the whole scope of things, dumb stuff.  And recognizing that, I have no trouble tipping my soul forward in prayer and saying thank you.

These guys need to be
transplanted, soon!

Thank you for the signs of spring. Thank you for Debra's telephone call a moment ago. Thank you for this strange little black and white dog. Thank you for Jenny sharing that she is trying to leave a comment on the blog! Thank you for those I sense are reading this blog, keeping me accountable to this Lenten journey. Thank you for the blessing of Joyce Rupp and how well she articulates the little things that I so often skip past. Thank you for your gift of perfect timing. Even when I cannot appreciate it, I know in my deepest soul that it is perfect because you are in it. Holy God, please grant me and my Lenten companions peaceful rest.

Since tomorrow is Sunday, I do not plan to journal.  However, one never knows!

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Day 4 - The Boundaries of the Cup

"Energy is everywhere, but stillness plays a major role in its conversion from 'potential' to 'actualized' energy. At Callaway Gardens, I was amazed to lean that butterflies have to spread their wings in the morning sunshine because the scales on their wings are actually solar cells. Without that source of energy, they cannot fly." ~ Laurie Beth Jones



What I appreciate about Joyce Rupp's writing is it feels as though she is like me instead of a gifted and respected spiritual teacher. Admitting she has felt that, "I'm falling apart." "I can't seem to get it together."..."I came unglued."...When this happens I often have a feeling that all my energy and time is draining away, that I am unable to contain it." I felt as though she has been watching me.

"People, events, responsibilities, and multiple activities keep me hurrying and worrying with little time left for my inner self."


This morning I shared with a friend that committing to this blog for a six-week study is keeping me focused on finding time for my inner self.  I told him, "I still have the bulletin to finish, a sermon to write... I haven't exercised in several days, my house has got to be cleaned.... With all these things pulling at me, I would have pushed The Cup of Life to a back corner.

Maybe I am the only one who struggles to set boundaries, but probably not. Have you ever looked at shelves in your local Barnes and Noble at all the self-help/spiritual books!  I take comfort that even Joyce has felt these struggles. How else could she write in a way that I identify so easily?

"Lord, I want to know you, I want to love you, I want to know you..." so go the words of the hymn.  Joyce suggests that for us to truly know him, we have to set personal boundaries. Jesus modeled this for us. He was not healing and teaching 24/7.  Scripture tells us again and again that "he went alone to pray."

Once again, our cup is our teacher.  Joyce asks us to:

"Hold your cup in your hands. Touch the sides and the bottom of the cup. Trace the outside of the cup with your fingers. Run your fingers around the inside of the cup. Close your eyes and imagine your spiritual boundaries. Let yourself lean on God for awhile. Ask for whatever boundaries are needed in your spiritual life. Listen to God speak to you about these boundaries." (Joyce Rupp, Cup of Tea, p 34)

Joyce points out the obvious..."If the cup did not have the boundaries of sides and a bottom it could not hold anything in it. The cup has an opening - it is able to give and receive - but the boundaries keep what it contains from being spilled everywhere. 

Today, with the reflection, it was difficult for me to imagine my spiritual boundaries and to ask for whatever boundaries are needed in my spiritual life.  And then...to listen to God speak to me about those boundaries!!  Even though I know all this in my "head" it is difficult for my heart to let go of some things. It feels as though God is asking me to choose between some people/responsibilities and Him.

And....HE IS!

And...it is hard, at least for me.

How about any of you?  Where did you sense yourself leaning toward God in today's reflection?  Where did you sense a bit of resistance?  In both cases, what need/what obstacle did you identify as being present?

Journaling:

What keeps me from having enough time to resource my inner life? 

Here are some boundaries I will keep:

What might Jesus' prayer have been when he left his busy life to be alone?

"MY" sense of what is important and needed often keep me from having the time to resource my inner life. Jones' learning about the butterflies really struck me! It also reminded me of the teaching of the "Lilies of the field..."  God has sent me many teachers, one being a young woman from my church. She laughs about God's "mistake" of giving us "the gift" of freed will. In some ways, she's right. Without that "gift" I might be more like the butterflies who stretch their wings, in order to receive the needed energy, before flying into their day.

Thanks to my commitment to an unseen audience of you, I will continue to set boundaries in the days and weeks to come in order to update this blog.  In many ways this blog has become my journal which is interesting.  I've never shared my journal writing with many...and here I am sending it out to the Universe!

The third question...What do some of you think Jesus' prayer might have been when he left the masses and the disciples to be alone?

Jesus, only from you comes my salvation, thus it is time spent with you that allows me to live fully.  It is time spent with you that fills my soul with your light, your joy, your love, and your peace.  Spirit, when I am weak, help me continue on this path toward wholeness. Amen.

Today:
"I will make one decision regarding, a boundary that will help protect my intentional time and place with God." (Rupp, p 35)


A couple of things to share:
1. Since this is a Lenten study, I thought some of you might be interested in reading T.S. Elliot's poem about Ash Wednesday. I think it was his first poem after becoming an Anglican. You can find this poem at: Ash Wednesday - A poem

2. I was not familiar with Callaway Gardens in Georgia.  The pictures are beautiful! If you would like to learn more...Callaway Gardens

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Day 3 - Evening Review

Whew...I'm tired.  If you are interested, here is the video I watched this evening to help me gather my thoughts of this day: A Beautiful Prayer ...

How open or aware was I to the presence of God in my day?                                       
What kind of nourishment did I receive?                                                              
What kind of nourishment did I give?                         
Does anything need to be emptied out in order for me to be at peace tonight?                     For what do I thank God as I prepare to enter sleep?


I am a bit sad that it is only in reflecting on this day that I see where God was present.  At the time, I didn't really think about it.  God's presence can be as subtle as the light coming from the window, just at the moment when your spirit needs a bit of refreshment.  Looking back at that moment, I can say, "Thank you, God!" But at the moment it occurs, I normally do little more than sit, enjoying the brightness and the warmth of the light.  STILL! If I get so I recognize these moments in hindsight, there is hope that I might actually acknowledge them in the moment they occur!  And when I do? I bet God will smile.



It may seem like an insignificant thing...but I thank God this evening for the gift of wonderful images and videos that capture my heart.  This bear and dog for instance...I just happened to stumble across it and I stopped....I stopped and studied this picture.

I thought of my beloved Rotty who passed away two months today.
I thought of the hugs I receive from my Grandkids.
I wondered if that dog had been the least bit uneasy while being hugged by that bear!!
And then I wondered if I truly trust the Creator of the Universe...to hug me.  That bear paw would be nothing compared to the hand of God!

As you can see, I'm in a strange journaling spot in my head this evening...I'm doing the kind of journaling that I some times go back to read and wonder, "Where were you!" and that's okay.

Jesus, Lover of my/our soul, thank you for giving us minds that can wander and ask gentle questions.  Thank you for giving us imaginations that enable us to hold an empty cup and to grasp that we are a vessel of your loving amazing energy. Savior, may our efforts of being your vessel be pleasing in your sight.  Amen.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Day 3 - The Vessel of Loving Energy

Lord, my spirit is troubled as I watch and listen to reports from Japan, Hawaii, and the West Coast of the U.S. Lord, I ask for your Presence to be among those who are injured or may be dying as I write. I ask for your Spirit of power and wisdom to fill the hearts and minds of our world's leaders as they decide how to respond.  Lord, I ask for the love of Christ to be within the hearts and the hands of those working to rescue all the victims from this morning, and the victims that are yet to be from this massive quake. Amen.

"The same streams of life that run through my veins, night and day, runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures." ~ Rabindranath Tagore

What resonated with you as you read Joyce's confession that, in the past, she has been "intent on doing well" whenever she has begun programs of spiritual growth?

"I would work very hard at it, often feeling concerned or anxious becasue I wanted to do it 'right' and make a lot of progress. I felt like it all depended upon me as to wherther or not I would grow. I did not yet realize that I needed the vibrant stream of divine life moving through me in order to be transformed." (J.Rupp, Cup of Life, p 30)

I was reminded of new insights from reading "Recovery, The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice" by Rami Shapiro.  In this book the reader begins with Step 1 "The Gift of Powerlessness".  In our scripture we are told, "lest any should boast..."

Friends, we are powerless to become spiritual fit. The only thing we actually can control is our response to God's calling.

How do we do that?

By simply becoming available to be filled by the Holy Spirit.  As Joyce says,

"...I cannot force growth to happen. This is God's realm of doing. I can yearn for transformation. I can be faithful to daily meditation. But as long as I am trying to go it alone, I will simply stumble along fruitlessly." (Ibid)

Today, Joyce asks that we remember that it is God who gives us the power to act and the power to change. This transformation is not a result of how the strength of "our" will.  She reminds us that we can stop worrying about whether or not we are making progress.

Breathprayer: Breathing in: Your power...
                        Breathing out:...moving through me.
Reflection:
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Cor. 4:7)

Journaling:
How have I known God's power working in me and through me?
What are some obstacles blocking the flow of loving energy?
What part of my life most needs the powerful touch of God? 

Most recently I knew God's power working in and through me as I sat with my uncle during the last four weeks of his earthly life. I can remember...it was Super Bowl night...I was using all my strength to control him, to keep him in bed.  Frantically, holding my uncle down with one hand, I called a friend with the other.  Lee asked me what I wanted for my uncle and I replied, "Peace."  "Well, my friend," he said, "you can't give him something you don't have."

He was right.  I was an emotional wreck. I asked an aide to stay with him, for just five minutes and during that time I went and stood at the window from the 2nd floor lobby.  I noticed the lights from the parking lot bouncing off the ice and snow.  I gazed into the black sky. I took some deep breaths and envisioned God's Spirit coursing through my body.

I returned to my uncle's side.  It was a long night of battling with him, but I was at peace.  "I" was not able to manage my uncle that night.

Amy Alexander - It will be okay

Still, even having those kind of experiences, I manage to create obstacles.  I take on to much work.  I try to keep EVERYONE happy. I worry about my future.  I worry about my daughters and their over busy lives and decisions they are needing to make. In the past, I would have been standing, helpless in front of the TV with disasters such as today's earthquake and tsunami.

How about you, how have you known God's power working in or through you? Do any of you struggle with the reality of our powerlessness?

What kind of obstacles do you erect that prevent the natural flow of God Light Energy through your self?

I'm still reflecting on the third question.  But, that does  not mean any of you cannot respond. What would you identify as a part of your life that most needs the powerful touch of God?

Joyce closes Day 3 with this prayer:

"Energizing and transforming God, the pulse of your presence fills my life with love. Remind me often that I cannot grow by my own efforts alone. Thank you for the comfort and the freedom of knowing that it is your power working through me that creates growth in my spiritual life. Amen. (Ibid)

Today...as you use ANY vessel, a cup, a glass, a measuring cup, a measuring spoon, a can of soda, or a bottle of water...As you use any vessel today, may that vessel remind you that you and I are a vessel of God's tremendous loving energy.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Day 2 - Evening Review

I don't know about you, but at the end of a long day my mind is either so full or so tired, that it is difficult for me to really be present.  Breathing in: Faithful Love... Breathing out...dwelling in me actually seemed to help me focus this morning! But, this evening, my left hip hurts and my left foot is numb. My contacts are reminding me my eyes are dry. A conversation from earlier in the day persists on interrupting this evening....


You get the idea.


I decided I would use a video in the evening to help quiet my wandering mind and heart.  If something like this is helpful to you, here it is an offering for this evening... An Evening Prayer

1. How open or aware was I to the presence of God in my day?2. What kind of nourishment did I receive? What kind of nourishment did I give?3. Does anything need to be emptied out in order for me to be at peace tonight?4. For what do I thank God as I prepare to enter into sleep?

I shared that part of our Ash Wednesday service last night was to spend a few moments reflecting on what we wanted to fast during the season of Lent and on what did we want to feast.  We wrote our thoughts on the back of paper plate masks which were collected and put into a trash bag to be burned.  This morning, a young mother told me that she guessed I had not yet burned the masks, because she had already slipped into one of the things she desired to fast from.

Later, I did take the bag out, a long with a bucket of water, just in case the wind got a hold of our fasting and feasting thoughts. I didn't want to open the bag so I had to add a few pages from yesterday's paper.  The ground and air were both really damp this morning and the fire was slow to begin.  Still feeling the effects of several long days I gloomily watched and thought, "Great, I don't think God is interested..."

...But then, like a breath of hot air, the fire seemed to explode inside the plastic bag.  Mesmerized, I watched as the white plastic melted, exposing the thoughts of our hearts to the entire world.  Burning.... I shared last night that the mixture of water and ashes burns the skin.  I think of the water of our baptism...the sign of the cross signifying new life.  I think of the ashes I used to make another sign of the cross last night...a reminder of our mortality.

From the ashes of The Cross and the water of our baptism, the Holy Spirit ignites in our souls...Yes! Catching us on fire!


I watched as our "plans" for Lent evaporated into ash and I felt the peace of God surrounding me...and I knew whatever happened with my so called "plans" for Lent, I am a beloved child of God.


I did receive nourishment today from many sources. Before a meeting at the presbytery office today, we read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5.  Then we were asked what stood out for us. I expressed some of my frustrations within my ministry.  As we closed the meeting, the others took turns praying for me.

To be prayed for is humbling.

This evening I received an email message from the wife of a friend... She chatted about a recent message I had sent Jim and then she closed by asking, "Has he mentioned to you that I pray daily for you,by the way?  sometimes for your family, sometimes your healing, sometimes your congregation. (doesn't pay to get too bossy} - thought on a down day at the end of a long winter it might help to know."


What a blessing.  And yes, Marcia, it has been a long winter.


You know, Jesus called us into community.  He always sent the disciples out two/two.  Over and over again, Paul instructs the churches to support and encourage one another, to lift one another up in prayer...to NOURISH one another.


Some times we sense the presence of God within the quiet...while watching flames bounce and swirl around paper masks....in the spoken prayers and hugs of fellow journeyers....in a short closing to a chatty email.... I pray you have sensed the presence of God some time during this day.


Most Holy and Loving God...I place my hand over my heart...I feel it beating deep in my chest....Which is a good thing!...I am reminded that it isn't just "me" that is sitting here, living this moment...The beating of my heart reminds me I am not alone. Jesus, you never did send your disciples out alone and when you did finally leave them, you sent the Holy Comforter... Thank you.


Many Blessings ~ Sandi    

Day 2 - A Container of God's Presence.

Breath prayer:
"Breathing in: Faithful Love...
Breathing out:...dwelling in me.


Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)

I thought of one of my favorite songs/prayers as I read the thoughts of Day 2.  Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for you. Amen. If you would like to spend a few moments thinking about what this means for you, I invite you to right click on the song title and follow the link.  Lord, Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary.

Joyce shares that she thinks of herself as a "mini Ark of the Covenant." Now, there is a new thought for me to hold! The Hebrew scriptures tell us about how ornate, beautiful, powerful, and sacred was this Ark.  What if I began to see myself as a "mini Ark"? What if I cared for myself as much as the ancient Hebrews cared for the Ark?

When I know company is coming, I get busy cleaning. I want the clutter cleaned up, furniture dusted, the floors swept and mopped.  If I do that for company, why am I so lax in caring for the Lord! Oh, there is so much preparation needed in order for me to be a living sanctuary!

Joyce admits how easy it is for her to lose her reverence and awareness of all the beauty around her when she races through a day's "to do list." That hits me between the eyes.

Last night, before turning my mask in to be burned, I wrote on the back that one thing I want to fast from is judgement and impatience.  I wrote that I wanted to feast on recognizing Christ in others. Joyce writes,

"...when I remember that God has made a home in my heart and in the heart of each one I meet, I look at people and life quite differently. I am more patient, kind, and much less judgmental."

In your journal, Joyce invites us to consider one or more thoughts:
I am most aware of God's dwelling within me when... 
As I reflect on the Divine Presence dwelling within myself and others, I hope that... 
Dear God...

Divine Presence, Joyce gives me the image of you dancing your way into my innermost being. Father and Creator, your Word tells how you want to nurture and to tend my soul. You are always with me, walking beside me, before me, behind me, above me, and within me.  I am surrounded by your love! God...I do bow before your sacredness. Amen.

During this day, Joyce asks us to place our hand over our heart today and to remember with gratitude that God dwells within you.

May your love song rise above the noise of the world today! May you pause to remember that the Living Lord does indeed reside in your heart and within those you meet.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Ash Wednesday, the Evening Review

In her book, The Cup of Life, Joyce encourages us to spend a few moments at the end of the day, to pause. She writes, "This brief review is meant to bring wholeness into your entire day, to wrap the day with the ribbon of prayer.  Each evening, pause before you get into bed, or as you are undressing, or as you are lying in bed, and reflect upon the day you have just lived:

1. How open or aware was I to the presence of God in my day?
2. What kind of nourishment did I receive? What kind of nourishment did I give?
3. Does anything need to be emptied out in order for me to be at peace tonight?
4. For what do I thank God as I prepare to enter into sleep?

Divine Companion, shelter me under your wings of love. Grant me a peaceful night and a restful sleep. Amen. (J. Rupp, Cup of Life, p 17-18)

Hummmm isn't it easy to sense God's presence when things are going well?  Sometimes it is difficult when those you love are struggling.  Sometimes it is difficult listening to the evening news.

I was open to the presence of God this morning and again this evening during the Ash Wednesday service.

The darkened sanctuary, lit by many, many candles. The Table with the Bread and the Cup....moved directly in front of Jesus praying in Gethsemane.  The large cross, serving as a poignant reminder of what is to come.  Music, specially selected and downloaded, filtering through the space. How can one not be opened to the presence of God in such a place.

Yet, I felt anxiety rising up as I drove home and learned that my daughter's bad day, had become worse. I felt a growing distance from the wonder of the evening as a friend shared the result of a doctor's report. I felt....

Coming home, I opened Joyce's book and looked at these questions. She is basically following the Examen with these reflective questions...

I pray that as the days past, that I will know God is present, within any situation.  I pray that I become willing to let go of my concerns that I want to hold on to, in order that I might be at peace during the night.  I pray that I offer the love song of my life to at least one person each day.  I pray this in the name of the one who died on the cross for me.  For that I do thank God as I prepare to enter into sleep. May you and I sense the shelter of God's wings of love as we drift into a restful sleep.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

Thus begins our journey.

After the weeks of anticipation and then the days of Christmas awe and wonder.  After the weeks of celebrating the time of epiphany and then glorying in the Light of the transfiguration, we come to a time of quiet reflection.  We come to the season of Lent. We step into a journey of discovery by addition, subtraction, and introspection, using a cup as a sacred vessel to pray with each day.

"You are a love song beauty set to music You are a love song I have chosen you." ~ Theresa Hucul

This evening, at our Ash Wednesday service, everyone will be offered a mask when they arrive. During the service people will be invited to either draw or write on their masks something they want to fast on and/or something on which they desire to feast while journeying through Lent. The masks will be collected and burned, trusting that God holds our past and our tomorrow. I think this shedding of masks is similar to Joyce's insights for today.

"Too often people want someone else's spirituality rather than their own. I've discovered that the more I am conscious and accepting of God's love for me, the more I can accept myself and the unique way that my spiritual path unfolds. God created each of us out of love. We are beauty set to music. We are one-of-a-kind, unique, meant to be a light of love in transforming our world." (J. Rupp, Cup of Life, p 26)

The reflection from today's Cup of Life reading:
"Hold the cup in your hands. 
Notice its style, shape, color, size. 
Be conscious of yourself as a cup held in God's hands. 
Accept your uniqueness and your goodness. 
Thank God for creating you as you are." (Ibid)


Some days it may be difficult to accept oneself as being that cherished, as being that important.  Yet, Jeremiah tells us"

⁵"Before I shaped you in the womb,    I knew all about you.   Before you saw the light of day,    I had holy plans for you..." (Jeremiah 1:5)

You and I were shaped by God's hands. Wow... I invite you to right click on this video, reflecting on this truth. One Pair of Hands

Joyce suggests we journal, choosing one or more..
"When I think about God loving me unconditionally as I am, I..." 
"As I pray through these six weeks of spiritual guidance, I most desire..." 
"Dear God...(write a letter, a song, a psalm, a poem...to God). (Ibid)

God, Creator, Father of us all, thank you for giving me life, for making me unique.  Lord, help me accept that I am indeed special and loved in your eyes.  Help me to appreciate that "I", in all my frailties and humanness hold the Cup of Life.  During this season of Lent, help me to reconnect with the love and goodness that lives within.  Joyce says your music resides in my soul, God, help me hear your music.  Father, help me to love myself and my uniqueness.  Help me to embrace the truth that I am yours.  May I, with Spirit's help, bring forth your music, your love song, to my world. AMEN.

Many Blessings as you begin this Lenten journey ~ Sandi

What I am adding for Lent.

Facebook, Twitter, and Chocolate were
the top three "Give-Ups" in 2009.

Well, she finally asked.  This morning Rebecca asked what I was giving up for Lent.  I replied, "I'm not giving up Facebook!"  To which she immediately asked, "What's wrong with my giving up Facebook?"

There isn't anything wrong with Rebecca giving up Facebook. In 2009 Facebook was one of the most popular things to "give up for Lent." Instead of testing my "will-power", this year I am looking at what I will add for Lent. One "add" is obviously working through Joyce Rupp's book with a small group from my church and with those who participate in this blog. What will I need to give up, in order to add this? That is most likely going to be TV from 8:00-11:00 at night, since that is the time of day I normally find myself vegetating. I feel as though this may be a "cheat" in some way though.  Dish Network and CBS cannot come to an agreement, thus I cannot watch any of my favorite shows!...at least for this moment.

So, my TIME of being present to God during Lent, is going to be in the evening.  My phone and home is normally quiet. Sophie has settled in and is not whining to be let out. ...and NCIS is blocked which will certainly help when my spirit is weak! Joyce tells us that some solitude and quiet are essential in order to make an inner journey.  Whatever it might be, each one of us needs to find "the" place and let it be our sacred spot as we read through this book together.

I have admitted that "being still" is difficult for me.  Joyce reassures me that this practice is difficult for many.

"Most of those who joined with me in praying with this book as a 'trial run' struggled to be faithful to a daily quiet time. At the end of the six weeks they all said that the struggle was well worth it. They noticed a change. It had deepened their awareness and their longing for God. It had created a desire in them to continue with a daily spiritual practice."

My PLACE is going to be one of my favorite rooms in the house, my living room/office space.  In this space I am surrounded by some of my favorite things.  The walls are a deep blue and my couch is comfy and rusty red. I have a beautiful rug at my feet, and, while the evenings remain cool, my fireplace is in this room as well.

The WHAT I will bring into my space is my book, and my cup, a candle, a journal and some colorful pens since I enjoy the practice of "praying in color" when I journal.    

My cup is marked Silesia, a porcelain made in Germany. It may or may not be valuable to anyone but me.  My maternal grandmother, Ruth Martin Edmondson, painted several pieces of china before being married. It is so delicate, I'm not sure how many pieces she painted, but only a few remain. How ironic that I became a "Martin" sixty years later.

Grandma passed when I was in the third grade. I have very few personal memories of her, yet I have been blessed by the stories of others who loved her.  So, during this time of having a cup as my teacher, I couldn't think of a cup I wanted to use more than this cup...for many reasons.

As you prepare your space and your heart for this study, Joyce suggests four helpful "signals."

1. WAKE UP: Be aware, open, ready to receive.
2. SHOW UP: Discipline yourself to be there!
3. SHAKE UP: Be willing to have your inner viewpoint rearranged.
4. START UP: Get moving. Take your relationship with God into your world. Let it make a difference in the way you live.

Joyce reminds us that our "spiritual life" is not limited to a set time and place of prayer. Rather, she says, "...it involves all of our life, every moment of our existence. God is always 'happening' in our lives.  We need to consistently nourish, restore, and renew this relationship."

Having grown up Presbyterian, I had not heard of the concept of giving up something for Lent until I got to college. It came as an interesting idea to me and so I experimented with giving up various things. Every Lent, it was something different: chocolate, ice cream, coffee. One brave year, I surrendered all three. Yet, despite my earnest efforts at Lenten discipline, I found that the only noticeable result was a modest savings in my snack budget. 

As the days of Lent have come near, I have thought how Lent is more than about fasting, it is also about feasting. The whole reason for giving up something is to make more room for God in our lives — so that we can feast on God’s mercy. I am looking forward to this feast, and I am thankful you will be walking along side me during this journey.

Many Blessings ~ Sandi

"Things" sometimes help us quiet our busy hearts and minds.

Years ago I used to take great pride in describing myself as a Triple A personality.  In my mind, I appeared to be organized, confident, efficient.... All those kind of things the world acknowledges.  At the time I had a pastor, Dewey, who reminded me of an older version of my dad.  I loved Dewey, and I know he loved me as well.  One reason I know he loved me, he worried about me and to me. "Sandi, you have got to slow down! It isn't healthy to be going in so many directions during so many hours of the day!"  I never thought I would some day be offering the same message!!!

Today, I do recognize the wisdom of Dewey's words.  Still, it is difficult for me to become quiet and then to stay quiet for any length of time.  Because I am such a visual person, I have learned that "things" can help me focus and to be present in the moment.  Lighting a candle.  Sitting in front of a fire or beside a stream.  Running my fingers around a strand of prayer beads or a stroking a smooth stone. 

Many suggest that watching your breath helps you focus.

That does not work for me! 

I would worry except...did you know there is actually a book "Breathing for Dummies?" It is comforting to know there are others like me that struggle with something as simple as b-r-e-a-t-h-i-n-g.  

Anyway, back to this moment.... Because it is so difficult for me to focus and be still, I was drawn to Joyce Rupp's use of using a cup as a symbol of her quest to go a bit deeper within herself. She shares in the introduction of her book that another pastor had asked her to bring a cup to their regularly scheduled mid-week prayer time. Norm, the pastor, invited the others to hold their cups, to look into them, and to think about their spiritual life. Joyce says, 

"At that moment, the symbolism of the cup awakened me to the deeper part of myself...I had no sooner looked into the empty cup when tears began forming in my eyes. What was this about?...I discovered I was more spiritually drained than I had realized. Looking into the empty cup was like looking into my hollow self."  (Joyce Rupp The Cup of Life (1997) p 11)

Have you ever noticed how many kinds of cups are available on the shelves of a TJMaxx or Target? There is literally a cup for anything you might want to recognize. 

There are cups with messages, "I Love My Dog" or one of my favorites, "Hello, Hotstuff!". There are cups that announce to others that you support a particular club or charity just as there are cups that showcase a hobby or collection. There are cups that are intended to bring a smile to one's face and then there are cups, that simply do not even look like a cup!

As interesting as these cups might be, some of my favorite cups can be found in a kitchen sink, on a workbench, or maybe in a china cabinet.  Some of these cups have character.  Often the gold edging has been worn off or there might be a small chip along the edge.

Still, regardless if the cup came from a local garage sale or from a maker of fine china, cups are basically ordinary, everyday objects, yet, it was the ordinariness of the cup that allowed it to become a "powerful teacher" for Rupp's inner life. She says, "The ordinariness of the cup reminds me that my personal transformation occurs in the common crevices of each day...The cup has been a reminder of my spiritual thirst...As I've held it, filled it, drunk from it, emptied it and washed it, I've learned that it is through my ordinary human experiences that my thirst for God is quenched.  In the cup I see life, with its emptiness, fullness, brokenness, flaws, and blessings." (ibid)

Rupp shares that a cup is a container.  It has been made to hold or to contain something.  Yet, whatever the cup holds, Rupp points out that it eventually will be emptied so that something else can be put into it.  Does that remind you of how this phenomenon called "LIFE" often seems?  A few years ago I began offering a wish or a blessing that someone would have a "full" day rather than a "good" day. After all, how can we always know what is "good" or what is "bad"? Sometimes what seems bad, ends up being a good thing...and vice versa.  Still, "full"?

"Full" suggests that something is wrong if a day, week...even longer contains times of emptying, cleaning, pouring out....in order to make room for something new.  Rupp writes that "the spiritual journey is like that - a constant process of emptying and filling, of giving and receiving, of accepting and letting go." (ibid)

On page 12 of the Introduction, Rupp offers what the cup has taught her:

"...valuable lessons for my spiritual growth. I have leaned that my life holds stale things that need to be discarded and that sometimes my life feels as wounded as a broken cup. I have leaned that I have flaws, chips, and stains, just as any well-used cup may have, but that these markings of a well-traveled life need not prevent me from being a valuable gift to others. I have learned that the contents of my life are meant to be constantly given and shared in a generous gesture of compassion, just as the main purpose of a cup is to have its contents given away...

"Notice the rim on a cup. It is circular, with no beginning or end, a symbol of wholeness. In the circle all is connected to form a oneness. The spiritual life is a journey toward becoming whole...the cup's rim...reminds me of this longing for wholeness and connectedness.

"This yearning for greater spiritual oneness with God is the foundation of 'The Cup of Life'...which is centered around the many facets of a cup...

These thoughts and words hopefully give you a taste of what this six-week Lenten study may hold. Tomorrow and Wednesday I will share more of Joyce's suggestions about beginning this journey.  You have probably already figured out that one thing you will need is a cup.  I have given a great deal of thought on the cup I will use for my daily practice during the next six weeks.  Actually, I may have two cups.  I will explain more about this decision tomorrow.

Once you choose a cup to serve as your teacher, Joyce suggests that you bless the cup with the following prayer.

                     Blessing of the Cup

Bestower of Life, Abundant Love
Trusted Companion, Eternal Wisdom,I pray your blessing to be uponthis cup and upon myself.Make of this cup a sacred vesselas I pray with it each day.May this cup become my teacher,helping me to find my way to you.May this cup hold many messagesof your wisdom and your comfort.May this cup connect me with lifeand create in me a generous heart.May this cup draw me ever closerinto loving oneness with you.

Today I met with a small group of women who are more than a little special to me.  Perhaps one way to describe them is by referring to them as my "Spiritual Sisters." We gathered around a kitchen table, sharing a simple lunch of a salad and bread.  Afterward, small china bowls were filled with fresh fruit and Trefoil Girl Scout cookies. The time spent with these women were sacred moments, yet in so many ways the time we spent was ordinary.

A kitchen table, salad...Girl Scout cookies! That is about as ordinary as you can get!

Bobbie, one of my "Sisters", picked up on the term "God Winks" a few years ago. We have laughed about such moments, yet there is a lot of truth within those two words.  Today, was two hours of God Winks...of sitting around a table and being truly present to the Living Jesus. And, interesting enough, we each sat with a coffee cup as we prayed, worshiped, and offered one another the gift of our "selves".

I enjoy Joyce Rupp because she speaks to my ordinary heart within my ordinary life.  You can find her book on Amazon.  I have not checked to see if a Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore have it in stock, I am sure it could be ordered from them as well.

I am not saying one HAS to have this book as we journey together, but I will obviously not be able to share everything Joyce shares within the book.

I am looking forward to this adventure in blogging and in opening my heart to learn through an ordinary cup. I know many of you are new to blogging as well and have had difficulty in leaving a comment.  I will ask others for help since I don't have a clue!!!

Many Blessings ~ Sandi