by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Imagine the grin as I peeled back the festive paper to find a journal with Brilliant Ideas imprinted on the front in all its Copperplate glory. (Thank you, Ellen!)
Brilliant? Sure — no pressure! Ideas? Now, that’s more my speed.
An
hour prior to receiving this thoughtful gift, ideas had already begun
percolating over a plate (yes, a plate) of grits with one of the most creative people I know. Hopefully, you’ll soon see the results of that
particular grits session. 🙂
For those ideas that strike when I’m out and about, I carry a tiny moleskin notebook and pen in the front pocket of my purse because these days ideas seem to disappear as quickly as they strike.
How about you? Do you have a method for remembering brilliant ideas that come your way?
“Look at the blank pages before you with courage.
Now fill them with beauty.” Blaine Hogan
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Has anyone asked what your one WORD is for the year?
I met with someone last Friday who shared how her one word is PEACE, pointing to Isaiah 55:
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace…
Last year, my word was SEEK. And this year, my word is SEEK, based on Matthew 6:33:
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
Quite frankly, I was ready for a new word but based on recent convictions from the Holy Spirit, scripture, and other divine inklings, it was clear I needed to stay put in 2014.
One of those inklings came while reading Mark Batterson’s
The Circle Maker. This line stood out as I sought the Lord for an answer to a very important decision:
If you seek answers you won’t find them, but if you seek God, the answers will find you.
Every desire, request, answer—everything—kneels before God’s kingdom and his righteousness.
I realize choosing a particular word may seem gimmicky to some but for me, it has to do with intentionality. That’s how I want to live, and not just for the here and now but for the future generations to come because the decisions we make today will impact others — even those we may never meet on this side of heaven.
So I choose my word (or maybe the Word chose me) and I will keep it before me as a reminder of my priorities. Of my first Love.
Yet I hold this against you:
You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Revelation 2:4
Have you chosen one word for 2014? Please share!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Earlier this week I came across a puny piece of paper with the words Sacred Rhythms: Arranging our Lives for Spiritual Transformation scribbled sideways. I don’t recall jotting them down but I’ve no doubt as to the Prompter.
Although I’m only half-way through my latest Kindle download, I appreciate how Ruth Haley Barton tenderly sifts through the truths of spiritual transformation, slowing her reader down to receive fresh approaches to prayer and engaging scripture.
As a goal-oriented person, my tendency is to feel gratified after reading through set chapters of the Bible in order to finish it in a year—but is that to be my end goal? Reading through the Bible in a year? Don’t get me wrong. Doing so is beneficial for us all on many levels and I’m glad I’ve done it (even that sounds like a âś“ – sigh!), but as I often share in our community group, it’s never about information—but rather, transformation.
One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 15:16:
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty.
When a meal is enjoyable we naturally slow down, savoring each bite. In the same way, Ruth suggests reading only six to eight verses, which increases the likelihood of ingesting the Word rather than simply reading them. In Sacred Rhythms, she provides questions to ask God and ourselves as we move through the verses. This does not replace our need for indepth studying of the Word. It’s simply one more way we can engage God via scripture throughout the day.
As we look ahead to 2014, I hope we’re found having God’s Word at the top of our reading list. The Holy Spirit longs to reveal this Word that is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, but we must access it. Whether by chunks or bites, it matters not. Just do it — for it is our joy and heart’s delight.
So as we begin this new year, in addition to the Bible, what’s your first read of 2014?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
As we bring this series to a close, I’d like to share one last tradition we began with the boys soon after we became Christ followers.
On Christmas morning, children are bouncing off walls and even a few adults (whom shall remain nameless) have been known to get giddy about the possibilities lurking in a stocking nearby but the moments just prior to the sound of ripping paper holds the power to redirect our attention to the true Gift, Jesus Christ.
Early on, Brian began reading Luke 2 before the first gift was opened. Occasionally he would change things up by reading prophetic verses from the Old Testament. It’s a tradition we continue, except that now our children have their own little ones…and the truth carries on.
May you and your family have a worship-filled Christmas, on that day and every day.
I’ll be taking a blogging break this week but look forward to sharing a new post with you in January!
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous
deeds; you alone are God.
Psalm 86:9,10
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Four days until Christmas but it’s not too late to create a meaningful gift for a loved one.
One of the best Christmas gifts my grandmothers ever received from me (according to them) was a jar of memories.
For one, I labeled the mason jar Why I Love You. Inside, she discovered 52 slips of paper (1 a week) with handwritten specific ways I loved her.
For the other, I labeled the jar I Remember When. I came up with about 30 specific memories that included us both. She enjoyed reading one a day for an entire month.
The advantages of a meaningful gift:
- While recalling and writing, memories will stir, causing a fresh sense of appreciation to rise and flow onto the page.
- It’s a gift that keeps giving.
- Inexpensive slips of paper emerge as priceless.
Every good and perfect gift is from above…
James 1:17
Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them.
Bob Dylan
