Daily Prayer

For the last four months I've started using Daily Prayer from the Church of England as a way to start out my mornings.  You might ask, "What is someone who grew up in an Evangelical church doing using Liturgical prayer?"  This is a question I've asked myself at times, but the beauty and enjoyment it has brought to my faith has practically erased the question. I will share with you the pieces from my journey that have led into Liturgical Prayer.

A couple years ago, I read Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas.  The book was profound for me on so many levels.  The one thing that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had integrated into his life was Daily Prayer, three times a day: morning, noon and night.  He also said that he daily prayed the Psalms.  After reading his book, I started praying through the Psalms and it really did open new doors in my faith.

Then last year, I read Our Favorite Sins by Todd Hunter and he would end each chapter with a prayer from Daily Prayers.  The prayers started to intrigue me and it got me interested in exploring Daily Prayer.  I would return to his book periodically and grab one of the prayers he wrote to use it as a springboard for prayer.  Then one night I typed "Daily Prayer" into Google and I came across Daily Prayer from the Church of England and I've been doing it ever since.

Finally, I read Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm and it solidified the purpose and the reasoning's behind the rhythm of Daily Prayers.  As he discussed his faith journey, he infused the beauty of how participating in Daily Prayer affected his spiritual walk.

So why do I love Daily Prayer?

1. The connection to the larger body of Christ: It amazes me that people all over the world are reading the exact same prayers and Scriptures on the same day, during the same time slots.  I find it encouraging to be reminded that there are other Christians out there being encouraged and strengthened by the exact same Scriptures as I am.  It helps me to tangibly feel a part of the body of Christ.

2. It connects me to the history of the Church: The Church of England celebrates the saints and the history that their individual lives have given to the Church.  I have learned so much about Church History since I've started doing Daily Prayer.  At the beginning of each day, they list the saint or the holiday being celebrated.  If and when I have time, I look up the saints on Wikipedia (I almost always find the time when it is a woman).  I have been utterly amazed at the women of the church and the movements that they have started, which have literally changed their cultures.  Starting my day with the thoughts and inspirations that these saints bring once again, reminds me that today really does matter.  It may seem like I am making, small insignificant choices but the Lord truly does move through our everydayness and it does impact history in tangible ways.

3. Praying through the Psalms:  Daily prayer always includes Psalms.  The thing that stood out to me from what Dietrich Bonhoeffer said about praying the Psalms was that Jesus himself used the Psalms as prayers.  That thought reminds me of the humanity that Jesus carried along with His divinity that He used His physical mouth and His physical mind to celebrate and praise God.  To have the privilege and opportunity to do the same, daily is a huge blessing.  Also, using Scripture as a platform for prayer instead of just filling my mind with information has helped me to interact with Scripture differently.

4. The connection of Scripture:  The majority of Daily Prayer, is straight Scripture.  In the morning, there is always a Psalm, an Old Testament Passage and a New Testament passage.  As I read through all three of these at the same time, I continue to be amazed at the continuity of Scripture and the themes that seem to jump out at me even more clearly through Daily Prayer. 

5. The repetition:  There are a few Scriptures that are a) either repeated daily or b) repeated on a weekly basis.  These Scriptures contain the foundational truths of God's daily love for us and His plan of salvation.  Having them before me daily helps keep me oriented to the truth of God.  John Eldredge discussed in one of his books - our amnesia of God.  How easy it can be to lose sight of the reality of God when we get bogged down in life.  For me, Daily Prayer, has kept God and his purposes at the forefront of my mind.

6. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.  

Throughout Daily Prayer, these words are repeated several times.  I am still reading through Practice Resurrection by Eugene Peterson and now he is covering the Trinity.  Being confronted with these words multiple times on a daily basis keeps me keenly aware of the Trinity and how I can allow the Trinity to shape my life this day.

7. It gives order, purpose and direction to my prayer: After reading and praying through all the Scriptures there comes a point towards the end which states, "Pause and pray for : the day and its tasks,  the world and its needs, the Church and her life."  The reason I love this is because by this point in time, my troubles, worries and fears have been greatly minimized from when I first entered my time of prayer.  The glory of God and what He is up to has reshaped my mind and helped bring perspective to my day.  It also helps me to take time to look outwards to the people in my life that might need prayer, and to have concern for the greater issues that may be affecting our world, at this moment.

So these are the things that I love about Daily Prayer.  Growing up, I always thought liturgical prayer was so boring, so restrictive and so unnecessary but I had never delved into it because I allowed my preconceived biases to block my path.  However, now that I've experienced it, I've discovered that rather than constricting my faith it has helped to direct it, strengthen it and encourage it. 

Daily Prayer does have a morning, noon and night prayer - all different Scriptures, directions and focuses.  I have yet to fully venture into doing all three prayers on a daily basis, but I love that it is there and I love that when I need a middle of the day refocus, or a night-ending wrap up, Daily Prayer provides that for me.

In Christ,



All thoughts in this post are from me and have come from my personal interaction with Daily Prayer from the Church of England.

Book Review: Healing is a Choice

I decided to review the book Healing is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn after attending the incredible Women of Faith Conference.  At the conference, they emphasized being healthy spiritually and that we do have choices in how we feel and act each day.  They said if you were having trouble in this area to seek help.  I thought this book would be a perfect follow up to the conference.


Eight years ago, I read Waking the Dead by John Eldredge and then proceeded to read the rest of his works.  Going through his books helped me to sort through a lot of stuff and find a lot of freedom in different areas.  The last couple of years though I haven't really focused on "healing" per se and I began to see the residual effects in my life.  Issues began creeping up slowly, that were just annoying at first but started turning into bad habits.  I've learned that when things continue and I'm not able to stop them, through prayer alone that there is usually something else going on.  I've learned that it is worth finding out what the roots are and attacking them.  After attending the conference, I decided to attack these things head on.  So onto the book review:

Healing is a Choice is slightly intimidating when you receive it because it is 454 pages long!  Why is it so long?  Because it is the book and a full workbook combined.  The book discusses 10 decisions that will transform your life and 10 lies that can prevent you from making them.  The book is actually a fairly quick and easy read.  It is the workbook part that is full and intense.

The author is divorced after a 20 plus year marriage.  He uses much of the book to discuss the process of healing he went through after his divorce.  I personally struggled with how he chose to talk about his ex-wife and his former marriage.  His examples ended up being a hurdle I had to overcome to get to the truths of the book.  However, what I really found beneficial was the workbook portion of the book.  It is excellent and it is filled with Scripture and lots of good questions to ask.  It provided a good quiet time for me to talk to the Lord about some things!  I personally found the workbook  portion to be helpful and healing and it did provide what I was looking for, a format to deal with some of these issues.

Here are a couple of other thoughts about the book.  He mentions the possibility of using the book in small groups.  After leading small groups for the last 7 years, I would say this would not be a good idea.  The book is pretty intense, and depending on people's pasts could bring up some very deep issues.  When I lead a group SAFETY is my number one concern and it takes time to establish that. The group would have to be safe and the leader would have to equipped to handle the issues brought up.  Finally, if you can't afford counseling with a professional, the workbook portion might be a cost-effective way for you to get help.

Walking healed and whole is a choice.  Often times Christians walk around broken inside but "happy" on the outside.  After years of being around Christianity, I've watched these "happy" Christians crumble.  I've determined in my heart that this is not going to be my story.  What I've learned is that God just doesn't want us to look "good on the outside" but He truly cares about our hearts.  He wants to bring healing to our hearts and sometimes that involves looking at the past and letting God bring truth to the pains of the past.  Don't be afraid to grab God's hand and walk into the past with Him.

In Christ,



PS I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze.  All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

Love: The Greatest Thing in the World

This morning I opened my Google reader and enjoyed a post by Carolyn Weber entitled Christmas Gifting: Commercialism or Commission? The Giving of Grace.  Reading that post lead me on the adventure of starting to read a book called The Greatest Thing in the World.  That book is available online for free.  All I can say is that for me it is a timely blessing of God's truth.  I have been enjoying sitting and reading about 1 Corinthians description of Love and letting the Truth of it seep and soak in and through my life.  If you have a few moments follow my links by starting at Carolyn's website and moving from there to the free e-book.  You will be blessed.

Here are a few teasers from the book in case you need a little motivation:

I shall pass through this world but once.  Any good thing, therefore,

that I can do, or any kindness that I can show

to any human being, let me do it now.  Let me not defer it or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again.

Souls are made sweet not by taking the acid fluids out, but by

putting something in -- a great Love, a new Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.

Christ, the Spirit of Christ, interpenetrating ours, sweetens, purifies,

transforms all.  This only can eradicate what is wrong, work a chemical change,

renovate and regenerate, and rehabilitate the inner man.  Will-power does not change men. 

Time does not change men.

Christ does.

Goethe's words: "Talent develops itself in solitude - the talent of prayer,

of faith, of meditation, of seeing the unseen; character grows in the

stream of world's life.  That chiefly is where men are to learn love.

So I have not made my way to the end, but I was enjoying myself so much along the way that I had to share.  I pray you have a few moments to jump into these readings and will be blessed.

In Christ,

Bridges

In Sonlight, we are currently studying the section of American history where two worlds are converging. Reading about it, has been heartbreaking. Sonlight, does a good job of allowing you to see things from both sides (the Natives and the Europeans) and to show the many errors of man's ways in the events that took place. One of the books that we are reading is the The Incans, Mayans and Aztecs by John Holzmann. This book approaches the study of these cultures from a Christ-centered perspective. One of the interesting things I learned as we studied the Aztecs is that the history of them settling in Mexico had many parallels to the story of Abraham settling in Israel. As I read this, my heart broke for the inability of the Spanish people to bring the message of the Gospel to these people. I could see so many ways where they could have taken what the Aztecs were already doing religiously and point them to Jesus, how He fulfilled the law and that they no longer needed to make sacrifices to cover their sins. It would have been such a beautiful, freeing message for these people (especially for families who no longer wanted to sacrifice their relatives to satisfy god). Instead, all the Spaniards could see, besides gold, was the Aztecs ungodliness and they were hell-bent on destroying it. Instead of using the Aztecs search for God and their longing to be righteous, as inroads to bringing the Gospel, the Spanish, only saw their sin and they went about destroying it man's ways. The Incans even had a “god” that only a few worshiped that they said was the creator of all mankind and the world. However, they believed this god was unknowable. Oh, if only the Spanish could have been like Paul who walked the streets of Athens and told them that “the God of the unknown” they worshiped, has made Himself known to them through the person of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:16-34).

So, the question becomes, does this in any way shape or form apply to us as believers today? The main pastoral influence in my life right now is Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church. His Sunday gathering has entered into a study called "The Truth Between Us." They began the series on September 11, and started with the topic, Islam and Christianity. I must say that when I heard about the study part of me was cringing with fear and the other part was curious with excitement. I debated in my mind, whether the series was even worth listening to or if it was something that I should skip. But, as I mentioned in the beginning, the Holy Spirit has been priming me with questions completely separate of this series.
My initial fear, after hearing about the series, was that the Gospel and beauty of who Jesus Christ is would be watered down, overlooked, compromised and/or excused when looking at and comparing it to Islam. However, another way God has been teaching me and preparing me to listen to this series started in John 1 (I told you I love that passage right now):

John 1:5

The Light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overpowered it.

You see, Jesus is Light and darkness does not overpower Him! As Christians, we do NOT need to be afraid of entering into darkness. We carry the Light, and the Light of the Gospel has the power to change and overcome the darkness that it encounters. What I love about this series and what Erwin has done through it, is he has challenged us to encounter peoples of other religions to find bridges, in which we can bring the Gospel of who Jesus is to them.

It is so easy for me to look back 500 years ago in history and see how the Spanish blew it. That there were so many ways they could have used what the Mayans, Incans and Aztecs already believed to draw them to the beauty of who Jesus is. However, it is nearly impossible for me to think that anything Muslims, Buddhists, Atheist, etc believe or do has anything to do with God. The main thing that keeps me from even going there mentally is fear. I cannot do the talk justice, because it was beautifully laid out, but what I learned is that we do NOT need to be afraid to sit, discuss and listen to people's of other faiths. If we believe we have the TRUTH, the LIGHT of the world in us, then the truth that we bring and the light that we bring is more powerful than the darkness.

My challenge to myself as I listen to and through this series is to take God at His Word. First, God says He has created every human being with a longing for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  If that is true, then every human being is finding a way to fill that hole.  We also know that we have an enemy who masquerades himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).  So we should not be surprised when other religions have enough truth to bring them to some sort of temporary satisfaction.  Many of the things they do, desire to do and try to do are attempts to quiet the hole within their hearts.  Instead of running from people of other religions and beliefs we need to take Jesus at His Word and GO into all the world and make disciples. Do I believe Him enough and believe the power of the Gospel enough that I can enter in discussion with people's of other faiths, listen to them respectfully and have confidence that God will reveal bridges that I can cross to show the beauty of who He is to them?

If this discussion in any way piques your curiosity then I would recommend that you take time to listen to Erwin's message: The Truth Between Us: Islam and Christianity.

In Christ,

Sanctified Together

I recently connected with an amazing blogger named Alisa. She has a passion for writing and for God (always a good combination). This year she is beginning a monthly newsletter called Sanctified Together: Email and Online Publication. The theme for this month's publication is: The Belt of Truth. You all know I'm an armour girl so I can't help but be excited about it. But I'm also excited because the publication contains one of my articles:) So if you have a moment please check it out; it is entiled "Why do I throw out the Good?" and if you have time you can also check out the articles by the other 16 ladies.

Thanks,

Love & War

Did you know John & Stasi Eldredge have a new book called Love & War? As you probably already know by now I really love the stuff written by John and Stasi. This particular book is focused on marriage and it's caption is "Finding the Marriage you've Dreamed of." My husband and I started the book last night and only made it through the introduction, but it already started stirring things in my heart. Below I will be sharing two paragraphs that really stood out to me; to give you some context the introduction is sharing the words that John said to a couple on their wedding day, the following came out of the charge to the couple:

"In choosing marriage you have chosen an assignment at the frontlines in this

epic battle for the human heart. You will face hardship, you will face suffering,

you will face opposition and you will face a lie. The scariest thing a woman ever

offers is to believe that she is worth pursuing, to open her heart up to pursuit,

to continue to open up her heart and offer the beauty she holds inside, all the

while fearing it will not be enough. The scariest thing a man ever chooses is to

offer his strength without knowing how things will turn out. To take the risk

of playing the man before the outcome is decided. To offer his heart of strength

while fearing it will not be enough.

A lie is going to come to both of you, starting very soon, in subtle and not so

subtle ways. It can't be done. It's too hard. We had unrealistic expectations.

It isn't worth it. The lie to you, Megan, will be 'You are nothing more than a

disappointment.' The lie to you Daniel, will be 'You are not man enough for this.'

And so, I have two words for you today. Words that I want you to keep close in your

hearts as you forward: You are. Megan, you are radiant, you are. Daniel, you are a

man, you are strong, and you are valiant. You have what it takes. Hold this close

to you hearts. It can be done. And it is worth it (pgs. 5&6)."

Stasi comments that these words are lost on the new couple because they are filled with the excitement of the day and the newness of love. The words, however, were more for the audience, those who had entered marriage and are living it out. I don't know where you are in your marriage but hopefully some of these words in those two paragraphs have sparked a desire within you to continue pursuing the beauty and worth of marriage. Proverbs 29:18 says,

"Without a vision the people perish."

In America today, we see marriages perishing all over and the church is no exception. Even if divorce doesn't take place there are many marriages that are just two people living together yet remaining strangers. I am excited about reading this book because I know that John is an artist of drawing a picture of God's heart for His people and in this case marriage. In this new year may you embrace a renewed vision for your marriage and go after that which God intended and not settle for second best.

In Christ,

Get Healthy for Hope has officially started. I currently am being sponsored by 4 people for a total of $12 a pound. Let me tell you, it is very motivating to lose these pounds when there is money and purpose on the line! It is not too late for you to get involved. I am still looking for sponsors in my goal to lose 10 pounds. In addition, you also can make a goal to lose weight and be sponsored. Whether you have 5 pounds, or 30 to lose you can get involved. In addition to qualifying for the drawing for a $50 gift card, you have a chance to win a Nintendo Wii!!! The person who raises the most money will win the grand prize of a brand new Wii. Those of you in a family, can combine together and form a team and submit your sponsorship money together. Please consider being a part of this great opportunity.

An Invitation

The invitation is for my lady friends who live in or near Madison, however if you don't fall in these categories, still take time to read because the books I will be talking about are recommended resources!!

For those of you who don't know me well let me take a moment to tell you one piece of my story. I have had the opportunity to lead Women's Groups over the last 5 years. This happened because my sister Wendy and I were blessed with having our sons 3 1/2 weeks apart. As stay-at-home Moms, we decided to begin reading books together to learn how to love our husbands better. Through the process, we grew in love for our husbands and in relationship and accountability with one another. It was a beautiful summer together. In the fall of that year, our church was offering a study of Waking the Dead by John Eldredge at night. Since my sister and I had young children it wasn't going to work out for us to go. She volunteered me to lead the study at her home during the day. So for the last 5 years, I have been leading/co-leading Women's studies. My sister pushed me off the ledge and I have been falling more in love with God and with freedom for women ever since!

This fall, I am taking a step of faith and leading/co-leading two studies instead of one! To say, I don't have fears (or haven't said to myself, "What in the world were you thinking!") would be an understatement, but I am very excited too. I just got done glancing through the two books I will be doing and all I can say is WOW! Both studies are amazing and I just feel blessed to have an excuse to be a part of both of them.

So here are the studies and the dates and times the studies will be taking place. If you are in the area mark your calendars and please come, not for me, but for an opportunity to grow more and more in love with God!

1. He Loves Me by Wayne Jacobsen. The back of the book states: "Do you find yourself picking through circumstances like a child plucking daisy petals, attempting to figure out whether or not God loves you? If you find yourself least certain of His love in those critical moments when you most need to trust Him, there is hope for you.
I'm only 3 chapters in to the book but it is amazing!
This study will be meeting on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays beginning Wednesday September 9th from 9:00 am-11:00 am. This study will meet in my home, and children will be present. It is always and adventure but it is a worthwhile one! I co-lead this group with my friend Correna; we make a great team!

2. Study 2 is: Breaking Free:Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life by Beth Moore. This 11-week study requires you to spend personal time on your own throughout the week in God's word! Then we will meet once a week for group discussion and a 50-minute video presentation.
This study will be meeting once a week beginning Thursday, September 10th from 6:30-8:30pm. We will meet at Mad City Church Offices and there will be no child care present. I am still working out the details of how this will look and function...

You do not have to go to Mad City Church to participate in any of these studies, but you do have to be a lady (sorry to my guy readers). If you want the opportunity to be in fellowship with others and fall deeper in love with God then these are a couple of opportunities!!

If you aren't able to come because of time or location, I am sure you will hear a lot more from both resources in my blog! Still consider picking up one of them and finding ladies in your area to go through it with you.

Resources: Money-Saving Tips

Hello All,

This months Resources contain ways that you can save $$$!

First, I added a new feature to my website: a coupon bar from Coupons.com. By clicking on this coupon bar you can print coupons directly from my website. So now you can save money while reading my blog! There are some good coupons there for stuff you really do use: like Kraft mayo, cheese, Oscar Mayer deli meat and more.

I am also passing along two blogs that I follow that give tips on how to save money. I have found both blogs to be very helpful and I am learning how to save real money.

Mom for Him is an amazing site! She has a family of 6 and feeds them all on a budget of $275 a MONTH! She is kind enough to share her secrets. I'm learning a lot and saving money but my budget is still not that low! She is also great at updating on any coupon deals; like BOGO free ice cream from Wendy's, free chocolate every Friday until September, and more. She is definitely worth stopping by and following.

Another money-saving blog I follow is called Latina on a Mission. She is a single mom from New York City and she shares a lot of money saving ideas too. Some of them duplicate Mom for Him, some of them are only valid in New York but some are good for anywhere. Tonight for instance, she blogged about a Restaurant.com discount. Restaurant.com allows you to buy coupons at a discounted price (for instance spend $10 but get a $25 dollar gift certificate). This weekend however you can save 80% with the code SPECIAL. I got $50 of gift certificates for only $4.00 (note when I go to eat I have to spend $35 so my out of pocket will be $24 for $70 worth of food). Restaurant.com contains restaurants nationwide; so you don't have to live in this area to get a discount. Latina on a Mission also runs contests. This month's contest is for a free pair of new Payless Shoes value of $25.

So if you are like me and always looking for a way to save a buck or get something for free, you will want to check out these websites.

Resources

Here are more recommended resources, websites, radio programs, etc!:


Books: I don't think I've finished any of the books I recommend last time but I've added a few more to my reading list!

• The Prayer that Changes Everything: The Hidden Power of Praising God by Stormie O'Martian. I've only read the introductory chapter but it describes Stormie's life and she has been through it all, literally! That chapter alone makes this book worth reading. It truly shows how God can take someone from the bottom of a pit to a beautiful vessel being used by Him. I look forward to reading what she has to say. The format is the same as all of Stormie's books: a short chapter on a topic followed by a prayer, Scriptures that co-inside with the topic and questions for you to answer.
• The Call of the Elijah Revolution: the passion for radical change by James Goll and Lou Engle. I was able to read 3/4 of the book on vacation; it was that good. It discusses the spiritual climate of America and draws in OT examples as a framework for how we as the church can and should be today. It challenges us as individuals to rise up and fight as intercessors for the next generation and preparing the way for the Lord's second coming. The very beginning of the book confirmed a lot of things that I've been receiving personally during my prayer times. It was nice to see that I'm either crazy like they are, or I am hearing the voice of God and His call for us as Christians today (I prefer to believe the latter).

Blog:

My friend Amber has a blog called Humble Reflections. She is the one you can blame or thank for getting me into blogging! Anyway, on her blog she is going to begin a book study on God's Pursuit of Man by AW Tozer. She will be facilitating discussions by using that book as a diving board. She says you can read along with the book, or just jump in and participate in the discussion. I'm reading a different Tozer book and I do really enjoy what he has to say. If you are interested in participating in an online book study with other great individuals check it out! (PS Amber was homeschooled K-12 and she is an absolutely amazing woman who puts her whole heart into whatever she does. So if you choose to participate you will be blessed, guaranteed!)

Radio Program:

Yes, I've managed to find one more resource involving Mark Gungor. I'm really starting to like this guy. If you want blunt truth wrapped up in humor, to help you swallow it, then he is the guy. He has a radio program which you can listen to on the web at anytime. The website summarizes the topics discussed each day so you can listen in on the ones that apply to you.

Here's a sample of today's topics and the website link!

http://www.markgungorshow.com/

4/24/09 On today’s show Mark discusses the increase in vasectomies and how the economy is impacting the birthrate, what to do when your spouse reacts badly to boundaries and consequences, what level of privacy is appropriate in marriage regarding cellphones, emails, passwords, etc., dealing with a spouse who is a perfectionist, what to do when you are attracted to someone else and not your spouse, Christians dating non-believers, and husbands who ask wives to lose weight and get implants.

Baby blankets, nursing covers and more:

One of my new friend's has a home based business called Modest Moms. She sells baby blankets, nursing covers and more. If you have some up and coming baby showers you might want to check out her products! It's a great way to support a stay-at-home Mom so she can continue to stay home and bless others in the process!

So thanks again for your readership! I appreciate each one of you.

Have a blessed weekend,