Little Mirrors

What if...
...our children are often like little "mirrors" or images of us, reflecting to us, our relationship with God? All part of the Heavenly Father's goal of teaching us, re-directing us, guiding us, to walk more gracefully, surrenderingly (is that a word?), obediently, faithfully with Him.

I struggle so hard with Grace not listening to me, totally tuning me out due to the T.V., or her own busy, creative, fun-living/work-avoiding mind and heart.
If I do get her attention, and I instruct her to do something (or 2-3 things) or ask her a question, often I am met with...
...forgetfulness
...her own re-prioritization, according to her desires, often adding in 1 other thing she wants to do first
...or blatant rebellion, as she chooses to NOT do what I asked her and DO what she wants instead.

It is SO hard to get her just to LISTEN & OBEY, almost impossible at times.
What if...I go back up to the "I struggle" line and put MY name in there, and read it all from God's perspective, His voice?

Hmmmmmm....

What are your kids doing lately that is driving you crazy?

Deep Pressure & Freaking Out

A friend of mine shared this with me today, from her friend who is an experienced scuba diver. I hope it brings you the same kind of relief & encouragement it brought me.

"When you do really deep dives in the ocean, often you are surrounded by water, more water and even more water, and heading for the surface takes a lot of hard work (swimming) because of the pressure. Consequently, although you can be swimming hard, the depth gage doesn’t move very noticeably, so it’s easy to freak out and think you’re not getting anywhere. That’s when you have to take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and watch the smallest bubbles. The small bubbles rise, but very slowly, and all your leg work IS helping you keep up with them so they stay right in front of your mask as an encouragement that you’re gonna make it."

So take a deep breath, exhale, and know that if the bubbles don't seem to be moving, it's cause you're keeping up with them!

I felt this was powerful & it touched something deep within me. I am sensing intense relief that, yes, I am making progress. When I can't see it, it is because I am moving as fast as the bubbles are!

I am in a DEEP place right now, feeling SURROUNDED, and it's HARD WORK, and there's PRESSURE, and I keep FREAKING OUT, and then I take that DEEP BREATH, and EXHALE SLOWLY, and realize, yes, I AM GOING TO MAKE IT. :)

What a great visual for stopping, re-focusing on & releasing to God, and spiritually watching as my prayers & surrendering to Him float up to His throne, reminding me of the real reality I am in the middle of. I am in the middle of His Great Plan. ~

Lectio Divina & My Spiritual Posture

I am beginning to practice taking a new...approach, no...perspective, no...posture when I come before God. Not a physical posture, but a new mental and spiritual posture. I was really challenged when I read about something called "Lectio Divina." My whole attitude when I come before God can really be so tarnished at times. Even when I manage to come before Him with the purest intentions (ie: not a long list of wants, or complaints, etc...), I have come to realize I so often miss the mark. I know He is thrilled that I have come to Him. (And I am thrilled He welcomes me!) But when I read about this, I realized He was offering me a much better way to come before Him.

I can come to Him like a rowdy child banging her fork and spoon, yelling, "Where's my food! Where's my food!" Then when the food arrives I whine "I don't like liver and brussel sprouts!" Or I can come like a child with hands washed, ready to receive whatever I am given, grateful.

The following are notes taken from the book
Invitation to a Jorney: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation
by M. Robert Mulholland Jr., 1993, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, pages 112-114. (There is a table, which I must reformat to use in this blog.)

“The discipline of spiritual reading finds its classical expression in what is known as lectio divina. Lectio is a posture of approach and a means of encounter with a text than enables the text to become a place of transforming encounter with God.

Table 4. Lectio Divina

Silencio-------Preparation for spiritual reading
-----------------Inner shift - from control to receptivity
-----------------------------from information to formation
-----------------------------from observation to obedience
Lectio---------Reading/receiving
-----------------Nurtures “sensing” dynamic
Meditatio-----Processing [what we have received]
-----------------Nurtures “thinking” dynamic
Oratio---------Response to God from the heart
-----------------Nurtures the “feeling” dynamic
Contemplatio-Yielding and waiting upon God
------------------Nurtures the “intuitive” dynamic
Incarnatio-----Living out the text

The whole focus of spiritual reading is to encounter God in ways that enable God to transform our being and doing in the world.”

Transformation.
Yep, that's what I'm looking for.
If this little practice can up my odds, bring it on!