October 4 Echoes of Eternity Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine,…

October 4 Echoes of Eternity
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Matthew 7:24
I am that Solid Rock. There is no other besides Me. I am the sure Foundation of all your life and hope. Your rock-like mind is not the Solid Rock. It is the rubble of years of misuse. Yet it is hard, and you often get “stuck” in it and think you are firmly standing on Me. O my dear child, I am so much greater than these little “chunks” of opinion you stand on so bravely and full of pride. Your rightness is not your salvation. I am your salvation, but you can neither live it out nor even realize it unless you are willing to lose—to lose. You will “lose face” in your mind but nowhere else. Work today on being willing to lose—not just outwardly, but inwardly, and with a good heart and spirit. It is not as hard as you think!

October 4 Echoes of Eternity Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine,…

October 4 Echoes of Eternity
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.
Matthew 7:24
I am that Solid Rock. There is no other besides Me. I am the sure Foundation of all your life and hope. Your rock-like mind is not the Solid Rock. It is the rubble of years of misuse. Yet it is hard, and you often get “stuck” in it and think you are firmly standing on Me. O my dear child, I am so much greater than these little “chunks” of opinion you stand on so bravely and full of pride. Your rightness is not your salvation. I am your salvation, but you can neither live it out nor even realize it unless you are willing to lose—to lose. You will “lose face” in your mind but nowhere else. Work today on being willing to lose—not just outwardly, but inwardly, and with a good heart and spirit. It is not as hard as you think!

Flash Friday— Generous Faith $5 Today! "I have seen the love and compassion of S…

Flash Friday— Generous Faith $5 Today!
#quot;I have seen the love and compassion of Sr. Bridget firsthand, in a ministry we have shared for years. She is a woman that not only talks about generous faith, but lives it daily. Enjoy this book — it will open your eyes to see God everywhere and in everything.#quot; — Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD, Co-Pastor, Bethel AME Church, Boston; and Executive Director, My Sister##039;s Keeper
http://www.paracletepress.com/generous-faith-stories-to-inspire-abundant-living.html

Flash Friday— Generous Faith $5 Today! "I have seen the love and compassion of S…

Flash Friday— Generous Faith $5 Today!
#quot;I have seen the love and compassion of Sr. Bridget firsthand, in a ministry we have shared for years. She is a woman that not only talks about generous faith, but lives it daily. Enjoy this book — it will open your eyes to see God everywhere and in everything.#quot; — Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, MD, Co-Pastor, Bethel AME Church, Boston; and Executive Director, My Sister##039;s Keeper
http://www.paracletepress.com/generous-faith-stories-to-inspire-abundant-living.html

The Better Portion

By Sr. Nun Other

I had a plan for this morning. Rise early and get busy. I woke up at 4:30 to the sound of rain drops riding on a cool breeze, and like Mary (for once), chose the better portion. I listened to the rain’s unique music, and then drifted into a more peaceful sleep. There are moments in time prepared by God to bless us. In my agenda driven mind, I often miss or override their importance to the structure and balance of the day. I force my will, working hard and accomplishing little, because I’m out of sync with God. He sends love our way each day, when we’re open to receive it.

The Community of Jesus

 

Creative Genius

By Melodious Monk

Back in the spring, there where some extra zinnia seedlings available near our potting shed.  Not really knowing what a zinnia was, I grabbed a flat of tiny seedlings, figuring I would try planting them somewhere. With almost no root, and just a short razor thin green top, I worried these wispy seedlings would never last outdoors. But with nothing to loose, we planted them quickly in an empty corner of the front garden bed were a small tree recently had been removed.  The seedlings got partial sun and I watered them occasionally at first, but mostly just left them to Mother Nature. They started to grow, albeit slowly, not looking like much, and I was often surprised they were even still alive.

Last week I walked by and saw a beautiful purple flower!  I stopped and starred, almost in disbelief, at this large single purple flower beaming atop the end of a sturdy three foot stalk.  It made me smile, and marvel again at the genius of creation.

The Community of Jesus

Water From The Rock

By Renaissance Girl

I find myself confronted today with things in myself that I don’t like to admit. For one thing, I am determined to hang on to control of my own life — and it’s not working out very well with my vow of obedience to God.  I like to think I am available with an attitude of “here I am Lord,” but that is far from the truth. I feel myself resisting to my core — reinforcing a wall around my heart.

The painful part is admitting that my way is not always best. My pride screams out that this can’t be possible. I doggedly hang on to my way, even when it’s squeezing life out of me. I sat down this morning and thought, “I need a word about hard hearts.” I proceeded to open my daily devotional email.  And there it was: “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts,” Psalm 95.

We just heard yesterday in church about how the Israelites doubted God even though he had rescued them and provided for them.  But he wasn’t doing it the way THEY wanted, and their anger led them to even question God’s presence.  The remarkable thing though, is that, despite their grumbling, God still provided water for His people in the wilderness. His love baffles me — because it is not how I love.  He will do whatever it takes to bring us to where he has called us to be.

The meditation by Oswald Chambers that went with today’s scripture:The words of the Lord hurt and offend until there is nothing left to hurt or offend. Jesus Christ has no tenderness whatever toward anything that is ultimately going to ruin a man in the service of God.

The Community of Jesus