I know... too long since I've blogged... but get this....

I know, it's been WAAAAY too long since I've blogged... 11 days, actually... but rest assured that I have been in the scriptures... in the presence of God... and immersed into the remembrances of Jesus' ministry, the events relived throughout Holy Week and the last days of Christ on earth... it's been an amazing week and a half.  I wrapped up my Bible Journaling class with a final class last week, recapping all the concepts we've explored, all the supplies we've played with, all the techniques we've discovered, and the three most important things to remember in Bible Journaling.  I promise to post those things soon... as well as my Bible Journaling efforts and epiphanies that I've experienced throughout the season of Lent.  

But today... 
today, I had a lot of revelations... 
and I finally grasped a concept... 
a concept that I've wondered about my whole life...
a concept that I've wrestled with understanding for as long as I can remember...
a concept that is nearly beyond comprehension - in the human sense...
and for me... this is B.I.G.

So, here it is...

We are made in God's image.  That's scriptural... Genesis 1:27 says "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

God devoted a whole day (one sixth of his time creating the world) to creating man and woman... the details of our bodies, our minds, and our spirits... the details.  He built us, molecule by molecule, cell by cell, organ by organ... intricately designing us...

Psalm 139:13 says "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

I'm sure I could find several scriptures to illustrate the point - that God made us in his image... intricately... carefully... patiently... and with the utmost attention to detail.

A few months ago, I was struggling with some chemical imbalances that affected my mood, my ability to make decisions, my memory, and many other things... I asked my priest how, if I am made in God's image, how does this work... I'm incomplete without medication... I cannot function normally without the help of chemicals added to my natural makeup.  I told her "I cannot be made in the image of God when I am this messed up."  Her response was balm to my soul... and much needed at that point in time... She told me that being made in God's image doesn't necessarily mean in His physical image.  That gave me great comfort in shifting my focus to spiritual matters... the spiritual likeness of my heart to God's.  

Today, I feel like God has given me such a gift in this revelation... I am made in his image - with a unified body, mind, and spirit.  In explaining the trinity to others, it is often difficult to put into words what it means that Jesus IS God and God IS the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit IS Jesus, etc. It's a hard concept to wrap our heads around.

But I can wrap my head around the fact that
1 - My spirit is ME
2 - My body is ME
3 - My mind is ME 
and, I am not the complete "ME" without all three of these components of my make-up.  Without my spirit, my body and mind might remain but they will not be the same... likewise without my body or my mind.

I am nearly 36 years old and I am JUST grasping this concept... sad, right?  NO WAY!   I'm probably only scratching the surface... which makes me excited for the journey ahead and all of the things God has in store.  

What are your thoughts? Do you have anything to add?  Questions? Leave a message in the comments section... Has this ever occurred to you?  How long have you had this realization? Is it something you've always kinda just... known?  I need feedback on this...

Awaiting your weigh-in...

In peace,
Sara 

So... it's been 5 days since I've blogged...

It's been a busy week... Sunday begins Holy Week and, as an employee of the church, I've had a lot to accomplish to make sure my responsibilities and ministries are ready for the week to come.  

This week, the fifth week of Lent, has been another week of carrying burdens... but after the burdens I recognized for the first three weeks of Lent, these were easier for me to give to God.  Two weeks ago, I attended a Lenten Quiet Day of Meditation, led by our assistant priest, Mother Nan.  It was a wonderful day, full of revelations for me... full of realizations, recognitions, and relinquishing control.  I came to many crossroads through the meditations I participated in that day... one of which was at the foot of the cross, raising my hands together towards Christ, offering my burdens for Him to take from me.

The realizations and revelations that I've discovered this week have been hard... but in many instances, I have found myself asking God what He wants me to be in each moment... to help me be what He needs me to be rather than being what I think I should be.  Through these moments, I have been learning that I am not called to carry every burden that I encounter.  That's a hard truth to realize... I am not the Messiah... nor do I want to be... but I do serve Him... through loving others... in the way that they need to be loved.

Today, I read Mark Chapter 10... many things caught my attention, but the one that I envisioned as I read through was Mark 10:25. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."   As I thought and meditated, began drawing and then painting, I came to realize that the earthly riches that I have a tendency to collect, while they aren't tangible, are just that... earthly... pride and respect, honor and admiration, affection and acceptance, trust and dependence... they aren't treasures that will draw me nearer to God and they certainly won't gain me wealth in heaven... even permission to enter the gates.  I have been reminded this week that God placed me here for a time and a season... that the treasures I am collecting through the experiences of this life are the jewels of knowledge, wisdom, discernment, faithfulness, love, and peace... treasures that only God can give.  Without these treasures, this earthly "rich girl" will never make it to eternity... so here I am again... at the foot of the cross, laying down the burdens of my own selfish human desires and working for the jewels that really matter...

Until tomorrow, 
Peace give I to you, not as the WORLD gives, give I to you; Peace give I to you...
~Sara

Spiritual Gifts

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12 - Now, concerning Spiritual Gifts... continue reading here.  Go ahead... we'll wait. :) 
Observations: Key words: Gift, Variety but One Spirit - Paul points out that there are a variety of gifts but the Same Spirit... a variety of activities but the same Lord... a variety of activities but the same God.
Application: Spiritual gifts are given generously and specifically by God, to us, for His purposes. God asks us to be a conduit for the gifts of His spirit to flow through us.  The thing about a gift is that it isn't a gift until it's given away.  Think about a gift that you'd like to give to your child, or spouse, or best friend, or parent... you look for a special gift that they would really appreciate... something that screams "This is especially for you!"  If you spent months looking for this gift, and then another several months saving up to purchase that gift, finally buying it and then hiding it in the bottom of a closet, is it still a gift for them? No!  It's a thought... it doesn't become a gift until you give it away.
Prayer: Lord, help me to recognize the gifts that you've given me, the gifts that you've bestowed upon others, and the gift of your unconditional love and grace.  Help me, Father, to be willing to share my gifts so that those whom I share these gifts with will know that they come from you... so that your presence is evident in me and my life.  Help me remember that all these gifts are from you... they do not originate within me, but in you and it is merely my responsibility to be a conduit for your gifts.

Peace  to you, my friends,

~Sara

Mark 6 - A patchwork illustration of Jesus' nourishment

The scripture passage for this journal entry is Mark 6:30-46 - the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000.  Go ahead and click on the orange-hilighted link and read the passage.  Doing so will help you understand my ramblings that are about to follow.  Go ahead.  I'll wait....

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Oh great! You're back!  That's a great story, huh?  There's a lot of imagery in Mark's depiction of this miracle that Jesus performs.... and I'll talk about those images, but first, I want to point out a few things...

1. Jesus and the apostles were tired, hungry, and worn from their ministerial endeavors across the land. Jesus recognized the need to rest and he encouraged his apostles to sit a spell for some rejuvenation. 
2. On the way to their resting place, a few people saw that they were headed in the direction of the mountain - to which Jesus often retreated to pray.  Word spread like wildfire that they were going to be in that location and because they had heard about Jesus, people came in droves to hear him.  They were hungry for God.
3. When Jesus approached the crowd, his heart broke.  He saw many people, seemingly wandering in aimless directions and the picture before him reminded him of a flock of lost sheep with no shepherd.
4. Even though Jesus and the apostles were tired, weary, hungry, and flat-out exhausted, they knew that God was calling them to continue.  They didn't blink at the opportunity to spread the Gospel.... they just went back to work... without complaining.

Now... about those images.  While reading this passage, several images crossed my mind.  

1. The image of Jesus and the apostles... tired and on their way to rest.
2. The image of seeing all the people gathered on the grass waiting with baited breath to hear Jesus speak.
3. The image of the people rushing to get to the place that they had heard Jesus would be.
4. The image of the flock of sheep, wandering aimlessly in the field.
5. The obvious images of the five loaves of bread and the 2 fish.
6. In The Message translation, the image of a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on green grass (vs. 39) is used to describe what Jesus saw when he saw the people gathered on the hill.
7. Jesus blessed the bread and broke it, lifted his face to heaven and then fed the people.
8. The disciples gathered 12 baskets full of leftovers after everyone had eaten.
9. There were 5,000 people present for this miracle.
10. Jesus sent the disciples out in the boat towards Bethsaida.
11. Jesus blessed the crowd and dismissed them.
12. Jesus climbed the mountain, alone, to pray.

That's a lot of imagery!  How do I choose which one to focus on?  Which one should I illustrate?  Decisions, Decisions!

The image that drew my attention first was the "patchwork quilt," so I decided to illustrate the story using the idea of a patchwork quilt. 

The center is a cross, representing Jesus.  I drew 12 sheep, representing the 12 disciples and the 12 baskets of leftover food... but also reminding me of the imagery of the sheep without a shepherd.  I drew 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish - reminding me that Jesus fed the 5,000 with little physical food but their hearts were full.  The people sat in groups of 50-100 people, which made me think of circles of friends (depicted by the circles).  The Shepherd's staff reminds me that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and he will tend his sheep - even when they are lost, he will go and find them and bring them back to the flock.  The green represents the grass and the blue represents the water.

In this story, Jesus satisfied the people and fed them spiritually first... then he satisfied their human need for physical nourishment and fed them with food. Priorities in line.  Jesus saw His flock wandering aimlessly... and he tended to them.  Jesus and the disciples may have been tired... but they did not give into fleshly desires.  They could've easily ignored the crowd and gone in another direction to continue on to rest... but they didn't... they did what God called them to do - to feed the flock - WHEN He called them to do it.  They recognized a need and they filled it. What a wonderful world this would be if we all approached challenges this way, huh?

I'm going to leave you with this tonight.  What character(s) in the story do you most identify with?  The hungry crowd?  The anticipating people?  The weary disciples? The compassionate Shepherd? The lost sheep? The onlooking Father?  

Today, I've felt like a lost sheep... but I know my Shepherd's voice and I am doing the best that I can to listen for it so I can find the path that He wants me on.

Goodnight friends,
~Sara 

Genesis 45 - Joseph's Joy

Yesterday (and a little on Wednesday), I continued reading the story of Joseph in Genesis.  Over the last few weeks, I've learned a thing or two about Joseph...
1.  Joseph was one of twelve sons, born of Jacob.
2. Joseph was a product of his father, Jacob's, second marriage to his true love, Rachel.
3. Rachel and Jacob had two sons... Benjamin and Joseph... both of which their father favored over the other ten brothers born of his first wife, Rachel's sister, Leah.
4. Joseph was sold into slavery at a young age.
5. Joseph became Pharoah's top advisor in Egypt - which resulted in his riches and powerful position - a position that allowed him to provide for his family during the 7-year famine.
6. Joseph feared and loved God... and was grateful to his brothers for selling him into slavery because God used that situation to bless him.

Genesis reads like a soap opera!  There are ups and downs, surprises, and drama.  I haven't come across any dull moments in this story and I have learned so much history just by reading this book of the Bible and studying commentaries on the stories within.

In Genesis 45, Joseph is reunited with all of his brothers and he was filled with joy.  After a tearful reunion with Benjamin and the other brothers, Joseph wanted to hear about their families and, most of all, their father.  Joseph insisted that his brothers load down his wagons full of grain and food and supplies, clothing and many other gifts of sustainability and make the trip back to the land of Canaan.  He wanted them to feed their families, take care of them, and his father... and then he wanted them to fill the wagons with all their family members and come back to live with Joseph.  As they prepared to part ways, Joseph gave each of his brothers a change of clean clothes for the journey.  For his youngest brother, Benjamin, though... he gave five pairs of clothing and 300 shekels of silver.  Just like his father, he showed favoritism towards Benjamin because they shared the same mother.

Can you imagine the joy the brothers experienced in being reunited with their long-gone brother - the one they sold into slavery.  Can you imagine the relief they felt when Joseph wasn't angry with them for the decision they made in doing so?  Can you imagine the excitement they felt when Joseph said he'd save them (and their entire families) from the last 5 years of the 7-year famine that they were enduring?

In reading this story, I felt joy.  I felt relief.  I felt favor. I felt excitement. I felt mercy and grace.  I felt hopeful. I felt content... on behalf of Joseph and his family.

My journal entry reflected the fun-natured joy that I felt.  Cartooning is not my typical style - to put this picture in my Bible, I found the illustration on Google Images and traced it into my Bible. The main reason for this fun picture is to help me remember this story.   I used Micron pens to trace over my penciled image and then I watercolored the picture.  I love it... and I enjoyed painting it.

Until later... 

Peace, my friends...

~Sara

Just keep reaching... Mark 5:21-43

Today was a ... day.  

It was full of high "ups" and really low "downs."  It was full of prayer... and tears... and laughter... and conversation... and pain... and peace... experience and growth.  

This evening, I focused my study on Mark 5:21-43... It begins with the story of a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.  As Jesus made his way through the crowd to see a girl who was very ill, this woman squeezed through people to reach Jesus because she had heard about him. She had been ill for 12 years - consulted MANY doctors - paid MANY dollars - and still had not been healed.  She said to herself "if I could just touch the hem of his robe, I will be healed" as she reached for the hem.  Jesus knew, as soon as she had touched his garment that healing had gone out of Him and he asked "who touched my robe?". 

Picture this... Jesus is walking through a CROWD and stops to ask "who touched me?".  His disciples must've been thinking "are you serious?"... you're surrounded by people and you want to know who touched your robe? 

As Jesus continued to look around, the healed woman, realizing what had just happened in her body because of His power, fell at his feet and told him what happened.  Jesus' response was so merciful... He simply told her that she was healed, not by the power within him, but by the faith that she had in Him.  

She reached... and reached... and reached... until she could brush her fingers against the mere hem of Jesus' robe.  

In times of need, when I pray to God, I always picture myself reaching up to hold God's hand, as if I were a child reaching for the hand of a parent prior to crossing a busy road.  I may spend days, weeks, months, or even years seeking help from those here on earth, but my help comes when I reach for God.  So in light of the occurrences of the last week and especially today, I am reminded to just keep reaching.  Yesterday, God said "I am with you."  Today, His message for me is to remind me to reach for Him.  

Lord, thank you for the gentle reminders... and the not so gentle reminders that you give me to encourage me to seek you in all situations.  Help me reach, Lord, beyond myself... beyond those around me... beyond this world... Help me reach for your hand - even if I can only reach the hem of your garment, I know it will be enough.

Peace give I to you; not as the world gives, give I to you... Peace give I to you.

Until tomorrow,

~Sara

"I AM who I am." Exodus 3:1-15

Who am I that you would send ME, Lord?  I am a sinner... I am no better than any of them... I am hated... I am judged... I am too fat... I am too skinny... I am too short... I am too tall... I am not faithful enough... I have doubts... I slip and fall... I am weak... I am bold... I am misunderstood... 

You name it, Moses thought it.  Don't we all?  This Exodus reading tells the infamous story of Moses and the Burning Bush.... an experience that told Moses that he's either 
A.) going crazy or 
B.) God's really busy.  

Either way, these are extraordinary circumstances!  This passage really spoke to me today because over the course of the last couple of years, I have asked God the same question... "Who am I that you would send ME, Lord?"  Over and over... situation after situation... circumstance after circumstance... conversation after conversation... opportunity after opportunity... obstacle after obstacle... and day after day... Why would you choose ME?  Of all the dedicated, faithful, more appropriately placed, equipped people in all the world, why ME?  

God's answer?  "I will be with you."  

Let that sink in for a second... God says - every single day - "I. Will. Be. WITH. You." - and He wants us to say "Ok, Lord... I surrender."  He prepares our path... and not only does He go before us, HE WALKS WITH US!  How blessed are we that we, God's chosen people, get to walk hand-in-hand with our maker - for as long as we are willing to hold His hand.

I trust you, Lord.  I trust that you've gone before me... that you are WITH me... and that you will continue your work after I'm gone.  Help me, O Lord, to remember to hold on and embrace your hand rather than pulling my own hand away and shoving it deep into my safe, warm, private pockets.

Until tomorrow... Peace, my friends... God is calling you.
~Sara

Genesis 43:1-15 and Mark 4:35-41

In Genesis, Jacob, the father of 12 sons faces a difficult decision.  As he struggles with the task set before him - trusting the fate of his youngest son as he is used as a barter tool in a test issued by his other son, Joseph - Jacob trusts God to grant mercy on his children, regardless of what the outcome may be.  Jacob may lose his beloved youngest son... a result that would break his heart. And yet, he grants his sons a blessing of mercy on the journey ahead.

In Mark, the disciples and Jesus set out in a boat to cross the lake.  As they made their way, a fierce storm arose.  The disciples were scared and they woke Jesus asking whether or not he cared if they were in danger due to the storm.  Jesus responded with a profound thought... he said "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" and then he commanded the storm to be silent and still... and the storm settled immediately.  The disciples were astonished at what they had seen.

These two passages really spoke to me today.  Jacob proved himself to be an honest man who is willing to accept God's will, regardless of the consequences or heartache that it might bring.  Jacob shows his faith in the goodness of God in this situation.  

Over the last couple days, I've been anxious and heavy-hearted about a recent situation that has come to light... questioning myself as time passes and nothing happens.  Today's scriptures reminded me to trust that God is at work - I trust God's goodness and am reminded to trust that I followed His guidance in the hard situations of this week.  Through these passages, God spoke to my heart - Do not be afraid - do you still have no faith?

Lord, thank you for your voice - the voice that whispers to my heart in the moments that I most need to hear it.  Help me, O Lord, to trust that you are at work and that you have granted mercy to me in each and every task that lies before me.

Peace my friends,

~Sara +