Category: Random Thoughts

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Embracing God – Lectio from 1/21/14

Verse
This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God. (1 John 4:13-16 MSG)

My Word or Phrase
participates continuously in an intimate relationship

My Image
I see this image of sitting and talking with another – laughing, crying, being still & quiet, being comforted & comforting, just simply being.

My Invitation
I am being reminded that as a Christ-follower I have a standing invitation to “continually” partake in an intimate and rich relationship with God. My question to myself is why don’t I always take advantage of this?

My question to you is are you taking participating “continuously in an intimate relationship with God”?

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Flowing Love – Lectio Reflection 1/17/14

Verse
If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. (1 John 4:20, 21 MSG)

My Word or Phrase
Loving

My Image
What comes to mind as I think about this verse is a stream. You see the water in a stream does not just sit there, it is flowing, it is active. This is what our love should be like, flowing, active. We are to be loving God and loving others – remembering that it is not an either/or but it is both – loving God and loving others.

My Invitation
We are told in Matthew to love God with all we are – heart, mind & soul and to love others as well. My invitation is to make sure that my loving God and loving others is a continuous process. Like the stream of flowing water, my love must be allowed to run free; to continually be loving God and loving others. I must make sure that there are no dams that have been built to block my love from flowing freely. What are the dams that I build to block this flow?

My questions to you are: How is your love flowing? Have you built dams that are blocking the flow or your love towards God or others?

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Lectio Reflection 12/27/13

Verse
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. (Romans 12:11-13 MSG)

My Word or Phrase
Fueled & aflame

My Image
As I read this I have a fireplace “burning” on my TV. To keep this fire going one need to add fuel – otherwise it will burn out. We need to continually fuel out soul – reading, prayer, silence, solitude, serving to keep from burning out.

My Invitation
My invitation is to remember to feed my soul – being intentional about setting aside time to be present with God, being intentional about serving others but also seeing God in those impromptu situations where He reveals Himself to me in unexpected ways (like me playing the fireplace video before I had even picked these verses to meditate on).

How is your fire burning? Is it a roaring blaze, a comfortable fire, a pile of embers waiting to be fanned back to life, or is it a cold pile of ashes that needs a new spark to come back to life?