BOOK CLUB BABY!

Well, it's officially January and so we are off and running with the book club! As a reminder we are reading The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen this month. You can send your comments/thoughts/opinions/whatever to me at asburyspeech@yahoo.com (or various other ways you have to reach me) and I'll combine them for one big post at the end of the month. No daily reading plan, no pressure. Finish it by the end of the month or finish it tonight. (A few of you have said you want to read, but don't want to comment-no problem!). I'll announce February's book tomorrow. For all you how read me the riot act (kidding-sort of) about picking a book NOT on kindle, you'll be happy to know the next several are......wait for it......ON KINDLE! Goodness, so much pressure to be the host of an on-line book club :)

Welcome! Love reading with YOU!

Forever Reign

I'm loving this song by Hillsong right now. I'm carrying it into the new year on my IPod and into my heart. Happy New Year's!

Forever Reign
You are good, you are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, you are love
On display for all to see

You are light, you are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, you are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, you are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, you are true
Even in my wondering

You are joy, you are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, you are life
In you death has lost its sting

Chorus:
Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to your arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to your embrace
Light of the world forever reign
You are more, you are more
Than my words will ever say

You are Lord, you are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, you are here
In your prescence I'm made whole
You are God, you are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Chorus:
Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to your arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing comares to your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My Resolution

I never, never, never make new year's resolutions because how fun is it to wake up January 3rd and realize ALREADY you didn't keep them??? Yeah, not. But, this year I'm making a few because I don't see any way around it.

You'll remember that recently I took 40 days for a time-out with the Lord.....Concentrated time with Him, refocusing our relationship, a trip back to the basics of how I fell in love with Him in the first place (right after He loved me first). It was SO good. No pressure. No agenda. Just time to reconnect-and we did. It brought to the forefront just how important it is to make Him not just A priority.....THE priority. I found it just amazing how much smoother my life ran when I gave it to Him. Almost like He can do a better job. Now there's a thought.

So, this year

-I'm NOT going to read through the Bible in a year (although I have before and it's a great goal)
-I'm NOT going to commit to praying 4 hours a day (but I hope in my on going quest to pray without ceasing it adds up to much more than that)
-I'm NOT going to promise myself that I will meditate x number of hours or be still x number of minutes because some days my life is noisy and sometimes I am.
-I'm NOT going to commit to memorizing x number of Scriptures because all I can think right now is that repeating "Yes, Jesus loves me" enough times that I truly believe it enough to live it might change more for this heart.
-I'm NOT going to promise myself I'll settle on a church by x date because I might tomorrow....and I might not. And either way might be fine.
-I'm NOT going to use humanity as an excuse but I am going to remember that Jesus is the Savior and Brenda is the one who needed rescuing (and still does many days!).

So.....................
-I'm resolving to stick with Jesus this year-the Author and Finisher of my faith.
-I'm resolving to make Him THE priority.
-I'm resolving to look closely at my life and Examine the Spiritual Value of Everything (thx Meredith)
-I'm resolving to make time for Him believing that a single MOMENT in His presence has the power to change everything......especially me.

And I'm praying with everything I have that by December 31, 2011 I have more of Jesus and Jesus has much more of me. I'm praying that, while sailing the waters of faith, Jesus would not be along for the ride, but Captain of this ship. And that this passenger would be all His.

New year-new devotionals

Brand new year coming up! I love a new year-a new calender, a fresh start, a new beginning. January 1st always feels like a clean kitchen with the windows open on a spring day to me. My kitchen doesn't have windows, but you get the idea :) I think it's important to "stock the shelves" spiritually when beginning a new year. My reading list is set and included are these 3 devotionals that I will be using interchangeably. This book is quick, easy, to the point and super fun. Easy to read, great stories and I love that every day is different. Who doesn't love a devotional thought for the day from the likes of Anne of Green Gables, Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Tom Sawyer, and many others? Plus? It's CHEAP! $8. Get it.

My first 90 days of the year will be spent with Beth Moore in this study of the life of Paul. Also available in this series are Jesus, David, and John. All 90 day journeys. All beautiful books. This is part of her personal reflections series. Quality.

And I am super excited about this one. Love C.S. Lewis, love the Chronicles of Narnia, Love Aslan. So fabulous. I can't wait to read a little bit of Narnia all year long.

That's it for me this year in the devotional world. What are you reading?

My favorite Gifts

I think the joy of Christmas (besides Jesus-OF COURSE) is finding the PERFECT gift. This year I either made or had made almost every gift. Enjoyed it so much I'm going to do it again next year and if I'm smart start before 12/1! I also got some great gifts this year. The Jeep is getting detailed THIS week! It's long overdue and I'm so happy it's going to be CLEAN!

What? You already knew I heart Starbucks? Humph. Fine. I happened to have gotten enough Starbucks $$$ to fuel my addiction for a few weeks. LOVE!!!!!

Gift certificate for a whole day of THIS. Yes please and can I go right now? I'm breaking it up into several trips to the spa..................AHHHHHHHH! If I can work my magic I'll be having a 90 minute extra hot stone massage this week :)

$$$ for 3 trips this year! I love/need something to look forward to. 1st up in January headed to see 2 my favorite people in Portland, Oregon and Baltimore.......all in the same week! Other 2 trips TBA (as soon as the best friend and I make a decision).

And as a Merry Christmas to me I'm redoing my office in my house. This life is in desperate need of a place of serenity starting NOW and it's turning out PERFECT!

Here's the fun day bed.

And this is officially the "I've already been read" bookcase. Also known as the books my friends steal when they come to visit :)

Speaking of reading-super fun gift from the grandmother who is the only person I know who loves to read as much as I do. This is a reading pyramid. And now I officially want to stay curled up in my comfy feather bed and read for a week......can I?Philosophy is my 2nd favorite company right behind Starbucks. SO excited to get their holiday collection and the huge bottles of the Pure Grace Collection......to add to my collection. Every bottle has a quote......seriously. Amazing products.

And maybe more than any other year I've been on this Earth I'm thankful for the gift of Jesus. I couldn't stop thinking in these weeks about Emmanuel and how thankful I am that He is with us, with me every step of the way. I just want to sit by the manger and as soon as my unworthiness fades enough just whisper to a Savior humanized....."You didn't have to......but I'm so glad you did. Thank you." The best gift of all.

You're not Catholic

I've (mostly) tried to leave my quest for dedication to one denomination off the blog. The dearest people in my life range quite devotedly from Southern Baptist to Roman Catholic and everywhere in between. And on any given day you can find me.....somewhere in between.

I'll argue with you to the death that I am a saved, Spirit filled, baptized child of the One true God and still all people really want to know is, "What church do you go to?" So tempting to give a crazy, off the wall answer like......well, I won't even go there.

I grew up Baptist, went to a Methodist university, went to the Methodist church.....twice, went to a Christian church for a year, went to a Charismatic church for 3 years and returned for a brief siesta in the Baptist church in recent years. Mixed in were several life changing, relationship with God altering, eternal moments at the Monastery worshipping with the monks mostly in complete silence. Add to that praying the Daily Office in my own life and with an amazing community of believers on-line and it's not hard to see why I've perhaps confused myself. Which, among other reasons, is why I have referred to me at least 3 times just this week as spiritually schizophrenic.

The constant bzzzzz in my head in the past 6 months has been, "gottafindachurchgottafindachurchgottafindachurchgottafindachurch" and not for lack of trying.....I have not. I HATE being the visitor at church after years of being so involved. I hate starting with, "Hi. I'm Brenda." during visiting time thinking I'm probably not even going to come back to this church! I much prefer the "at least someone already knows my NAME for crying out loud" scenario. Glass half empty-----I know.

I have to wait for my feelings to catch up with my mind and my heart sometimes and this decision has been no exception. I've visited some amazing churches and felt like a visitor. I've enjoyed watching other people belong to their congregations and left thinking, "that was....nice." But, each time leaving with a feeling more like "let me out" and not so much "can I play too?"

Enter Christmas Eve service. My friends say all the time I need a t-shirt that says, "I play with the high church on holidays." Guilty. I love the high church. I love the liturgy and the music and an order of service. I can't help it. Something (Someone?) draws me to that style of worship. So, last night at the midnight service at the Catholic Church I just needed a moment with the Lord. We needed to connect.....big time. My friends and I decided to sit apart from each other so we could focus (trust me) so I sat by myself in the back amidst at least 200 people.

Maybe because it was so late. Maybe because the service was so stunningly beautiful. Maybe because the connection was there. It took me a moment to put a finger on that feeling.........Peace. You'll have to trust me that peace and church have not been connected in recent months and my brain took awhile to connect that. It was so comforting. I left with tears streaming down my face and my friends who have walked this road with me this year left in tears too. (Everyone should have a friend that will cry with them.....mho). I left from there and went to work enveloped in peace that can only come from The Lord for hours.

Which may have left me even more confused, because as my friends insist on pointing out almost seriously, "You're not Catholic."

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas........

May you feel the joy that comes from anticipation fully realized.

May you remember that the hope of the whole world does fit into a lowly stable.

May you feel hugged and loved by those in your life and ultimately by a Father who has you wrapped around his tiny baby in the manger finger.

May you count your blessings until filled to the brim you have to help another.

May you know the peace that comes from knowing the true meaning of Christmas.

May He be your everything this Christmas and always.

Merry Christmas!