Claimed, gathered and sent

Henri Nouwen made an interesting observation about hiddenness. See what you think. Friendship in the Twilight Zones of Our Heart There is a twilight zone in our own hearts that we ourselves cannot see. Even when we know quite a lot about ourselves - our gifts and weaknesses, our ambitions and aspirations, our motives and drives - large parts of ourselves remain in the shadow of consciousness. This is a very good thing. We always will remain partially hidden to ourselves. Other people, especially those who love us, can often see our twilight zones better than we ourselves can. The way we are seen and understood by others is different from the way we see and understand ourselves. We will never fully know the significance of our presence in the lives of our friends. That's a grace, a grace that calls us not only to humility but also to a deep trust in those who love us. It is in the twilight zones of our hearts where true friendships are born.

Take a look at this. It brought me up short and reminded me what my attitude should be. Work Is a Sacred Trust by Nancy Ortberg March 22, 2007 | The summer I was 15, I locked myself in the bathroom. Not for the typical reasons. There was no fight with my parents or disappointing love interest. I wasn’t trying to hide tears or cool down a temper. I had just received my first paycheck. It wasn’t just the paycheck I loved. That was just symbolic. It was work I loved. I loved the feeling of doing something that mattered, something that helped other people, something that I could accomplish. Growing up, I awoke each morning to the smell of coffee and the sight of my dad in his crisp white shirt and tie, sitting at the breakfast table reading the newspaper. His aftershave gently filled the room and there was a sense of anticipation in him as he readied to start the work day. My dad loved what he did, and he was good at it. That was a dynamic combination. Every morning my mothe

Click here to view an annotation of Dietrich Bonhoeffer | International Dietrich Bonhoeffer Society Let us pray: Make us like you, please make us like you. By your grace may we interact with our friends, co-workers and family in a way that ministers your healing love. Amen.

This thought could make a real difference in how we treat all we come in contact with at work, school, wherever. BONHOEFFER for MONDAY March 19, 2007 Love versus Hate How then does love conquer? By asking not how the enemy treats love but only how Jesus treated it. The love for our enemies takes us along the way of the cross and into the community with the crucified. The more we are driven along this road, the more certain is the victory of love over the enemy's hatred. For then it is not the disciple's own love, but the love of Jesus Christ alone, who for the sake of his enemies went to the cross and prayed for them as he hung there. In the face of the cross the disciples realized that they too were his enemies and that he had overcome them by his love. It is this that opens the disciples' eyes and enables them to see their enemy as a brother or sister. They know that they owe their very life to One who, though he was their enemy, accepted them, who made them his neighb

Revelation 3:1-6 If the Christian life is all about God’s grace and our inability to please God on our own, what is all this talk of works in Revelation? Obedience and repentance??? The good news is God know us intimately, better than we know ourselves. We can’t fool him. The church of Sardis had a “name of being alive” (v. 1), but instead they were dead. The outside looked good, but what was on the inside? Remember Jesus telling the Pharisees “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean” (Matthew 23:27 NIV). What preventative measure is there for this problem? We must carefully tend the garden of our inner life. Those in Sardis and the Pharisees had it reversed. The outside looked great and the inside was full of death and decay. The inner garden is a delicate place, and if not properly maintained it will be quickly overrun by intrusive undergrowth. God does not often walk in disordered g

As always, God is faithful. I still have my job. My husband, Ray, wisely suggested I act as though I never heard the rumor about my termination. It was extremely difficult to do so on Tues., but then as the week progressed, I had peace. The realization slowly dawned upon me that no one, including my boss, could do anything to me, firing included, unless God allowed it. And if he allowed it, it must be for a good reason. Take a look at this post from Scot McKnight at JesusCreed. After my experience of last week, it resonates with me. Against the Wall: Rescue Filed under: Psalm 119 — Scot McKnight @ 2:10 am Have you ever had your back to the wall? Ever wonder if you were going to make it? Ever wonder if the enemy would do you in? Ever wonder if you would live another day? The psalmist knows the experience, and the Resh section (119:153-160) reveals how the psalmist faced the future when his back was to the wall. (read more…) The theme of the Resh section is

Psalm 27 is a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and protection of God. Today I was meditating on verse 5, "For in the day of trouble God will give me shelter, hide me in the hidden places of the sanctuary, and raise me high upon a rock." That's good news. Now comes the hard part. Last Friday a co-worker was let go. I was told tonight by her that the boss said I was next on the list. Why, I don't know and it really bothered me because of my work ethic. But God says, that in the day of trouble he will give me shelter, hide me, raise me up. Even though I fully intend to give my resignation in the near future to go to school full time, the duplicity bothered me nonetheless. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Now to go to work in the coming weeks and love with the love of Christ in spite of lies. I have never been fired before and I have worked since was 14 years old. I guess it's a pride thing that needs working out. Lent is a