Transforming Together: Authentic Spiritual Mentoring

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Holly daze or holy days? Your choice!

I'm always amazed at some of the choices people make:
To over-look or to stare
To embrace or to ignore
To celebrate or to withdraw
To applaud or to fold the arms.....

We're in "that time" of year, aren't we?
The media, the stores, perhaps our own Want is tugging at....demanding to be satisfied.

What will be your choice?

To over-do or to do well?
To receive at the manger or pay at the register?
To rejoice over Truth or "ho-ho-ho" at Fantasy?
To be new and unique or tired and common?

Choice.

YOU can help form this holiday season into a time of
sweet holiness, wonder, depth, joy and giving for you....for your family.

Or, you can allow the tide of culture to sweep you
into the ocean of ups and downs,
waves of "get," of simplistic fable, of 'me, me, me.'

Holly-daze or holy days?.......

The choice, my friend, is yours....is mine.....

May we choose wisely.

Monday, November 23, 2009

The GIFT of Life

A week. It was a week ago today that it all happened.
Life was on his way.  We anticipated it. We planned for it.
Mama was doing her part.  Her body was responding; expanding, softening.
Excitement filled the air in whispered messages:
"Baby is on his way!"

The heartbeat was strong, steady.  Sounded sooo good, so full of, well, life!
Heart beat and heart beat, push after push.  Rhythm, harmony, togetherness.....

Then.....silence. No heartbeat.  Looks were exchanged.  Mama made adjustments to accomodate this new life trying to be born.
More pushing.

Still no heartbeat.

No words, only looks.  Another hurried movement of Mama in an attempt to get Baby out.

"Call 911."

Baby was in distress.  Mama was exhasuted.  Daddy was focused.  Sister was fully involved.  Nona praying through her tears.

"PUSH!!! PUSH THAT BABY OUT!"  everyone yelled in unison.

Grandpa stood outside, alone, waiting for the Aid car to arrive.

PRAYERS!!!!  "Please, God, please spare this life!!

Mama pushed with deep desire to help her son.  He, at last, responded.

"Waaaaaaa!"  What a GREAT sound!!  LIFE had arrived!!

Joy!! Tears!! Prayers of thanksgiving!!!  Kisses!! Embraces!!! LIFE celebrated!!

Then....again, that look.

"Call 911."

Mama was in trouble.  The unbilical cord, usually a link between life and life,
was now dangling.... uncommonly alone.

Somehow it broke off internally, leaving a gaping hole where once life flowed.

Blood.  Red blood.  Lots of red blood gushing without control.

Baby, still damp w/ "birth", unwashed, unmeasured, unweighed,

Now in my arms to get dressed to accompany Mama and Daddy to the hospital....

for Mama's sake.

Challenge after challenge met.  All  finally calm.

Mama and Bab, ALIVE, in one another's arms, enfolded by Husband/Daddy.

Where was God? RIGHT THERE!

Why did this happen?  Wrong question!!

How was God glorified through it all? Right question!

All remained calm in the crisis'.
Jesus' name was on our lips as a prayer, not a curse
Jesus knew.  He allowed.
Those in pre-belief noted
Believers gave glory to God

We are more aware, more somber, just plain More.... because of HIM in this experience.

Life truly IS a GIFT!  Each day.  Each moment.  To each of us.

How are you treasuring YOUR gift of life.....today?

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Music, the Language of the Soul

"Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts." Eph. 5:18

One of the indicators that we are "filled w/ the Holy Spirit" is what comes out of our mouths via our souls.
Singing is mentioned here in Ephesians.  The context is "understand what the Lord wants you to do."
First thing mentioned: "Don't be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life."  No argument there.
(And, btw, have you ever found it interesting that alcoholic beverages are called "spirits?"  Something for another blog!)
Then we're instructed to "instead, be fill with the HOLY Spirit, singing..."

The Language of the Soul: Music

No wonder it's such a "hot button" in cultures, in many church gatherings as well.
"What do those lyrics mean?"
"Why don't they sing something I know?"
"What's all that noise?"
"That's too slow, too out of date...!"

You've heard it all as well.

If we really grasp that Music IS the language of the soul the debate is over.

All believers need to worship, to "speak" in THEIR soul language.....their type of music!
The Living Word mentions three kinds:
Psalms
Hymns
Spiritual Songs

The point?   Since music IS the language of the soul,
                    Each believer has the mandate to be "filled w/ the Holy Spirit" and the indicator of that is what spills out of their soul through their singing, EACH IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE!!  So, the wise leader in a gathering of believers offers options to those who have gathered: some of the songs being Psalms, some being Hymns, some being Spiritual Songs. That way each believer has at least one opportunity to lift THEIR voice, THEIR souls, to the Lord in their 'first' language in that corporate gathering.  Anything other than this is less than what Scripture teaches.  It is less than facilitating another believer to "do what the Lord wants."

May we be women and men of the Living Word of God....NOT of human tradition as allow Truth to be infused into our realities and thus transform us, together.

Ready to sing,
     Ele

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Music, the Language of the Soul

It is said that music is the language of the soul.
I think that is accurate.

Music cuddles into the corners,
Music lingers in the memory,
Music stirs, settles, ignites...

Music is the language of the soul.

Music is a welcomed companion at weddings,
Music opens the heart and soothes the wounds,
Music sings with joy and weeps with grief.

Music is the language of the soul.

What language does YOUR soul speak?

Listening,
 Ele

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Heart Reading

Mind reading. We know about that.
The ability to discern what another is thinking.

But Heart Reading?  What's that?
Well, the Living Word tells us what it is.
It's something that Jesus would like us to be aware of....
  or He wouldn't have taught us about it.

"Out of the ABUNDANCE of the heart the mouth speaks!"

There it is: Heart reading: The ability to discern who I truly am.   Oh!

"Whatever is in your heart determines what you say."

It goes on to say "We will give an account on judgment day for every idle word we speak.
The words we say will either acquit us or condemn us."  Matthew 12

Pretty heavy for a blog, right?

Heart-reading: Indicators; "Aware-ers"; "Gate-keepers"......

....between Jesus and me.....Jesus and you......

Listening to the reading of my heart,
Ele

Monday, November 9, 2009

Don't worry, be at peace!

Worry: What is it?
When boiled down to its essence, it's
praying to yourself.

"Oh, what am I going to do?"
"How will I handle this?"
"Why is this happening to me?"
  
Worry.   Self-prayer.   Oops.

Scripture gives us an option:  Pray to Jesus.
Tell God what you need.
Thank Him for all He has done.

Result: Incredible peace.....worry-free.

How to keep from worry, from praying to yourself?

Fix your thoughts, your self-talk on the following:

Truth (not lies)
Honorable (not shameful)
Right (not wrong)
Pure (not tainted)
Lovely (not distorted)
Admirable (not disrespectful)

Let's put this type of "self-talk" into practice, shall we?

What a DIFFERENCE our conversations will be,
with ourselves,
with others,
with Jesus!

Peace to you,
      Ele

Thursday, November 5, 2009

My sister's keeper?

It hit me between my head and my heart this morning....

There are people "out there" that DON'T WANT others to "get well."

Why? They BENEFIT from the other being "sick", spiritually sick.
How? They feel needed perhaps.....superior, for sure.
           They may even benefit financially.

So, the question is: Who is the sick one?

Jesus heals, helps, releases, sets free....

So, the question is: How can I authentically reflect WHO Jesus is to others?

A keeper of my sister,

Ele

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Jesus, Gentle on my mind

I'm absolutely blown over by Jesus today!
HE truly is all in all!
HE is strength, wisdom, health, perspective
HE gives value, significance, purpose

HE IS

so that 'we are'

How 'bout you?

Mindful,
  Ele

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Behind Bars

I did it again.
I judged another.
She was unkind, self-absorbed, disinterested....in me.
So, I condemned her of her crime.
I put her 'in prison.'
....or did I?
WHO'S looking out through bars now?
  The person who wronged me....
            or me?
Maybe there's something to this
"don't judge or YOU WILL be judged yourself."

Looking out from behind,
   Ele