in protest

Words. Words. Words. They seem to come from every direction. The television. The radio. The newspaper. Junk mail. Facebook. Blogs. Emails. Music. Phone Calls. Sermons. Books. Magazines. Articles. Billboards. Mouths. I'm often overwhelmed by the words I don't have time to process or read or listen to. There's so much out there that people want to communicate. There are so many stories, beliefs, ideas...that my brain cannot keep up. So, I quit writing.

A little hiatus.

That turned into a three year silence. A three year chasm in my journal, in my blog and in my heart.

And then, I went to a concert where Sara Groves shared the song "It Matters." And, it has me thinking. Perhaps my words could add to the beauty for someone. Certainly not everyone. And, maybe just for me. But, if it adds to my beauty, then I guess I'm living in the space my Creator has given me. Creating. Musing. Listening. And, protesting all that is evil around me.

With the multitude of words coming from every direction, there is a danger that the words of the Story will get tangled up with all the others and will be forgotten. So, in protest of all of the empty words available to us, I want to tell my story... and, I pray that somehow my words tell a greater, more beautiful Story that matters.

the cry of my heart...

Lord, call us into the church.

Call us in often,

  and teach us the old words and old songs

  with their new meanings.

Lord, give us new words for the words we wear out.

  give us new songs for those that have lost their spirit.

Give us new reasons for coming in and for going out,

  into our streets and to our homes.

As the house of the Lord once moved

  like a tent through the wilderness,

  so keep our churches from becoming rigid.

Make our congregation alive and free.

Give us ideas we never had before,

  so that alleluia and gloria and amen

  are like the experiences we know in daily living.

Alleluia! O Lord, be praised!
In worship and in work, be praised! Amen.

-taken from the Covenant Hymnal

deeply-from-the-heart love

I Peter 1:22.  “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.”

i’m not sure I’ve ever really noticed this verse before… but i’m struck by it today.  if the purification of our souls is helped by our obedience to the truth… and if this purification which is helped by our obedience produces genuine love for each other … i’m concerned about the state of the Church — and even more concerned about the state of my own heart — cuz i don’t know that i’m experiencing that much “deeply-from-the-heart love.”

oh, Lord. have mercy on us.

out of place

a plant out of place is a weed

simply said

I keep saying I need to start blogging again.  I guess that means that I have enough energy to actually be thinking a little deeper lately...that's good.  However, my life is filled with picking up toys, sweeping the floor numerous times a day, changing diapers -- basically trying to keep this little household afloat.

And, thus, "simply said" is born.  Perhaps someday I will have time to develop these thoughts as I once would have at wendtonajourney; however, now is not that time. This little category will have to do for now while I continue to be the mommy of a little one.

blessed thought

He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heav'nly comfort fraught!  Whate'er I do, where'er I be, Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

my own plan

One of my dear friends is the mother of a 17 year old who after a recent discussion about life after graduation told her mother "I don't need your plan!  I have my own plan" with all of the attitude you are probably imagining.  When my friend told me this, I laughed and said "that so sounds like me talking to God."  And, the more I reflect on it, unfortunately, the truer it seems to be.

I'm studying Nehemiah right now, and his confidence in leadership strikes me.  When others jeer at him or try to ruin his plans, he stands firm, yes, confident, that the hand of God is with him and that there is a job to be done.

I'm afraid that my responses are not always like Nehemiah's.  It seems sometimes God hands me a plan that looks too hard, and I tell Him "I've got my own plan."  Or, He hands me a plan that appears to be of little importance, and I tell Him "I've got my own plan."  Or, He hands me a plan and when others jeer at me rather than trusting in His ability to work through the situation, I tell Him, "I've got my own plan."

I suppose with Nehemiah's confidence in God's plan it should be no surprise that he led his people in building the long-awaited wall around Jerusalem.

Oh, Lord, forgive my "own plan."  Amen.