Less-Wild Lovers
Do you remember your first boyfriend? I would imagine you were crazy in love....and then a few weeks later not so much. It doesn't matter, though. The first love always has that "thing" about it. The same is true of God. When we first knew God...we were crazy in love. It was very new and exciting. At some point, we became satisfied with complacency. ...with Less-Wild Lovers.
Do you anesthetize your heart? Or are you indulgent? How do you deal with the Less-Wild Lover?
"At some point on our Christian journey, we all stand at the edge of those geographies where our heart has been satisfied with Less-Wild Lovers, whether they be those of competence and order or those of indulgence. If we listen to our heart again, perhaps for the first time in a while, it tells us how weary it is of the familiar and the indulgent."
Are you listening?
Monday, October 30, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Ladies' Night Out - November 17th
Ladies' Night Out will be on Friday, November 17th at Bravo Cucina Italiana. For all those who RSVP'd, I'm looking forward to seeing you that evening! It should be a fun time of fellowship and all around craziness!
Monday, October 23, 2006
Chapter 8
Legends of the Fall
We are the daughters of God and we are pursued by God. God wants to win our heart through love, not power. On the other hand, Satan is also pursuing us. Satan's purpose is to keep us from experiencing the wonder and awesome-ness of God's love. He will use any means he can. Satan will use our story against us, he will place voices and thoughts in our minds that create doubt and/or self-reliance instead of relying on God. There is a full-out battle for our souls raging in the spiritual realm that began in the Garden of Eden.
We are Cinderella, God is the Prince and Satan is one of the Stepsisters. We so believe the lies that our stepsister tells us, day in and day out, that we cannot see our own value and beauty. We believe the magic. When our Prince searches for us, we hide and do not come forward. The Prince never stops looking for us.
While Satan uses spiritual warfare to distance us from God; God uses spiritual warfare to draw us into deeper communication with him. God uses the enemy's attacks to remove the obstacles between ourselves and God, to reestablish our dependency on him as his daughters in a much deeper way. God is so confident in the good that he allows the enemy to carry out his intentions so that we will draw into deeper communion with God.
We are the daughters of God and we are pursued by God. God wants to win our heart through love, not power. On the other hand, Satan is also pursuing us. Satan's purpose is to keep us from experiencing the wonder and awesome-ness of God's love. He will use any means he can. Satan will use our story against us, he will place voices and thoughts in our minds that create doubt and/or self-reliance instead of relying on God. There is a full-out battle for our souls raging in the spiritual realm that began in the Garden of Eden.
We are Cinderella, God is the Prince and Satan is one of the Stepsisters. We so believe the lies that our stepsister tells us, day in and day out, that we cannot see our own value and beauty. We believe the magic. When our Prince searches for us, we hide and do not come forward. The Prince never stops looking for us.
While Satan uses spiritual warfare to distance us from God; God uses spiritual warfare to draw us into deeper communication with him. God uses the enemy's attacks to remove the obstacles between ourselves and God, to reestablish our dependency on him as his daughters in a much deeper way. God is so confident in the good that he allows the enemy to carry out his intentions so that we will draw into deeper communion with God.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Chapter 7
The Beloved
"We come into the world with a longing to be known and a deep seated fear that we aren't what we should be."
Interesting, isn't it? I would imagine for most of us, fairly accurate as well. Many times, my relationship with the Lord suffers because of my identity crisis. I'm not what I should be...so I assume God won't approve or love me as much as I need. Biblically, I know this to be false. But unfortunately, I compare my relationship to God with my relationships here on earth. I've failed friends....and friends have failed me. God, however, doesn't look at me as a failure...and His love never fails.
"If God is Pursuer, the Ageless Romancer, the Lover, then there has to be a Beloved, one who is the Pursued. This is our role in the story."
Can you allow yourself to be the Beloved? The Pursued?
"We come into the world with a longing to be known and a deep seated fear that we aren't what we should be."
Interesting, isn't it? I would imagine for most of us, fairly accurate as well. Many times, my relationship with the Lord suffers because of my identity crisis. I'm not what I should be...so I assume God won't approve or love me as much as I need. Biblically, I know this to be false. But unfortunately, I compare my relationship to God with my relationships here on earth. I've failed friends....and friends have failed me. God, however, doesn't look at me as a failure...and His love never fails.
"If God is Pursuer, the Ageless Romancer, the Lover, then there has to be a Beloved, one who is the Pursued. This is our role in the story."
Can you allow yourself to be the Beloved? The Pursued?
Chapter 6
God the Ageless Romancer
"This is, in fact, how many professing Christians end up living: as practical agnostics. Perhaps God will come through, perhaps he won't, so I'll be hanged if I'll live as though he had to come through. I'll hedge my bets and if he does show up, so much the better."
As a Christian, have you come to look at God this way?
Act I - His Eternal Heart
Act II - His Heart Betrayed
Act III - His Heart of Trial
"I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me... What fault did you find in me that you strayed so far from me?....I have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindess. What have I done to make you hate me so much?" From Jerimiah
God is romancing you. Will you listen?
"This is, in fact, how many professing Christians end up living: as practical agnostics. Perhaps God will come through, perhaps he won't, so I'll be hanged if I'll live as though he had to come through. I'll hedge my bets and if he does show up, so much the better."
As a Christian, have you come to look at God this way?
Act I - His Eternal Heart
Act II - His Heart Betrayed
Act III - His Heart of Trial
"I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me... What fault did you find in me that you strayed so far from me?....I have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with lovingkindess. What have I done to make you hate me so much?" From Jerimiah
God is romancing you. Will you listen?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Chapter 5
The Wildness of God
"Should we keep our hearts open to the Romance or concentrate on protecting ourselves from the Arrows? Should we live in hopeful abandon, trusting in a larger story whose ending is good or should we live in our small stories and glean what we can from the Romance while trying to avoid the arrows?"
This was an interesting chapter for me. I grew up in church and have been a Christian my entire life. As a teenager, and even a young adult, it was much easier for me to open my heart to the Romance. Then....life happened. I became a wife, a mother, a career woman....all of a sudden, I had all these responsbilties and I couldn't "hear" the Romance calling to me. Hurts happened, fears were realized and it became easier for me to dodge the Arrows then to trust in the Romance. I learned to limit the Romance so the Arrows wouldn't hurt me.
Do you live a smaller story than the Romance wants just to keep the Arrows at bay?
"Should we keep our hearts open to the Romance or concentrate on protecting ourselves from the Arrows? Should we live in hopeful abandon, trusting in a larger story whose ending is good or should we live in our small stories and glean what we can from the Romance while trying to avoid the arrows?"
This was an interesting chapter for me. I grew up in church and have been a Christian my entire life. As a teenager, and even a young adult, it was much easier for me to open my heart to the Romance. Then....life happened. I became a wife, a mother, a career woman....all of a sudden, I had all these responsbilties and I couldn't "hear" the Romance calling to me. Hurts happened, fears were realized and it became easier for me to dodge the Arrows then to trust in the Romance. I learned to limit the Romance so the Arrows wouldn't hurt me.
Do you live a smaller story than the Romance wants just to keep the Arrows at bay?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Brunch - October 14th
Our next get together is coming up! We will be having a brunch on Saturday, October 14th at 1oam. We will be meeting at Sonta Wilburn's home. Please RSVP to Mindee if you are planning to attend.
I hope everyone will be able to make it!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Chapter 4
A Story Big Enough to Live In
We are called by God to do noble things. That is the Sacred Romance. We are part of a much bigger story. All of the arrows that have pierced us, all of the choices and decisions we've made because of these arrows have a purpose. It is all part of the story and who we are. Our lives make sense - all parts - the good and the bad.
The deepest convictions of our heart are formed by stories and reside there in the images and emotions of a story. Our heart is made to live in a larger story; having lost that we do the best we can by developing our own smaller dramas. According to the part of the story God has allowed us to see, the Haunting we sense is his calling us forth on a journey. The resurrection of our heart requires that the Sacred Romance be true and that is what the Scriptures tell us.
Monique:
I love a good story, in all forms. I love hearing one from another person, reading one, watching a movie with a good story or listening to one on audio. I love hearing my kids tell me stories about their day. Any good story.
To read that I am part of a bigger story is exciting and a bit frightening. What if I don't know my lines or what I am supposed to do or say? What if I say the wrong thing? As I read this chapter, I realized that I am fortunate. I have God on my side and he is going to let my little drama be a part of the much larger story and these little things will be lost in the main story.
John talked about how Brent did not have someone in his life to interpret his story for him when he was a young boy. Did you or do you now have an interpreter to help you with your story?
I had many interpreters. My mom and dad, my brother, my three sisters and some amazing youth pastors. As I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking about my brother. He was my hero and still is in many ways. He was so tall (6'4"), intelligent and strong. I thought he could do anything. He did everything he set his mind to. He set track records that stood for 24 years. If he did it, I wanted to do it also. Unfortunately, I am over a foot shorter, not as athletic, not as intelligent and definitely not as strong. But, Don's influence and interpretation of my life story is one of the greatest gifts in my life. His love for God and his willingness to go with God on the journey is real and it is my privilege to witness it.
God has asked us to go on a journey of the heart with him so we can resurrect the Sacred Romance.
We are called by God to do noble things. That is the Sacred Romance. We are part of a much bigger story. All of the arrows that have pierced us, all of the choices and decisions we've made because of these arrows have a purpose. It is all part of the story and who we are. Our lives make sense - all parts - the good and the bad.
The deepest convictions of our heart are formed by stories and reside there in the images and emotions of a story. Our heart is made to live in a larger story; having lost that we do the best we can by developing our own smaller dramas. According to the part of the story God has allowed us to see, the Haunting we sense is his calling us forth on a journey. The resurrection of our heart requires that the Sacred Romance be true and that is what the Scriptures tell us.
Monique:
I love a good story, in all forms. I love hearing one from another person, reading one, watching a movie with a good story or listening to one on audio. I love hearing my kids tell me stories about their day. Any good story.
To read that I am part of a bigger story is exciting and a bit frightening. What if I don't know my lines or what I am supposed to do or say? What if I say the wrong thing? As I read this chapter, I realized that I am fortunate. I have God on my side and he is going to let my little drama be a part of the much larger story and these little things will be lost in the main story.
John talked about how Brent did not have someone in his life to interpret his story for him when he was a young boy. Did you or do you now have an interpreter to help you with your story?
I had many interpreters. My mom and dad, my brother, my three sisters and some amazing youth pastors. As I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking about my brother. He was my hero and still is in many ways. He was so tall (6'4"), intelligent and strong. I thought he could do anything. He did everything he set his mind to. He set track records that stood for 24 years. If he did it, I wanted to do it also. Unfortunately, I am over a foot shorter, not as athletic, not as intelligent and definitely not as strong. But, Don's influence and interpretation of my life story is one of the greatest gifts in my life. His love for God and his willingness to go with God on the journey is real and it is my privilege to witness it.
God has asked us to go on a journey of the heart with him so we can resurrect the Sacred Romance.
Chapter 3
Message of the Arrows
There are only two things that pierce the human heart: beauty and affliction. And while we wish there were only beauty in the world, each of us has known enough pain to raise serious doubts about the world we live in.
Romance has an enemy.
Monique:
I tend to focus on the positive and let go of the hurts and painful things. It is my natural reaction to have you give me the "bad" first so I can cushion it with the "good". Reading that the Romance was pushed to the back by the painful arrows was hard. I now can see that, like Brent, I just pierced the arrow all the way through and let the Romance die. I realize that pushing out the pain doesn't make it any less painful. I am going to find the place that speaks to my heart and I'm going to meet God there!
There are only two things that pierce the human heart: beauty and affliction. And while we wish there were only beauty in the world, each of us has known enough pain to raise serious doubts about the world we live in.
Romance has an enemy.
Monique:
I tend to focus on the positive and let go of the hurts and painful things. It is my natural reaction to have you give me the "bad" first so I can cushion it with the "good". Reading that the Romance was pushed to the back by the painful arrows was hard. I now can see that, like Brent, I just pierced the arrow all the way through and let the Romance die. I realize that pushing out the pain doesn't make it any less painful. I am going to find the place that speaks to my heart and I'm going to meet God there!
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