From journal:
1 Samuel 3:1-11, 15-19 - call of Samuel:
Who he was: pre-teen or in early teens, raised since birth to serve in the temple and assist the priest but did not yet "know" the Lord - the Lord's word had not yet been revealed to him
Nature of the call:
- God called Samuel's name - 3 times
- Samuel rose from his bed, ran to Eli, and said "Here I am," thinking E. had called him - 3 times
- Eli explains, God calls again, and Samuel follows Eli's instructions
- See - I am about to do something in Israel that will make everyone's ears ring - the judgment of Eli's family
- all Israel recognized Samuel as God's prophet as he grew, the Lord was with him, he continued to appear to Samuel, and kept the covenant
Samuel's simple obedience to God and to Eli - ran to him, said "Here I am."
Sunday, August 8, 2010
the retreat - day 6 - Jan. 13, 2008 - Moses' call
From journal:
Exodus 3:1-10 - call of Moses
Who he was before the call: shepherd+, born in secret, Jewish, raised in Pharaoh's house during the Israelites' slavery in Egypt, at 40 years old moved to Midian and lived in father-in-law's household for 40 years, had connections, history, experience with the Egyptian royal court
Nature of call: drawn by his curiosity to the burning bush - God knew him, had made him, and knew how to get Moses' attention
- God called his name
- "Here I am."
- keep your distance, take off your shoes - holiness
- God identified himself to Moses as the God of his forefathers
- Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God (but later asks to see God's face) - no question of Moses' belief
- God does not say, yet, do not fear - fear in the presence of his holiness is appropriate
- God explains and proposes covenant - go and rescue my people - I know what is happening to them and I am concerned about them - I have come to rescue them and bring them out of Egypt into the land I promised they would have - I am sending you to do this
Moses' response: "Who am I..." that I should do this incredible thing??? (400 years of slavery - twice the age of the USA)
God's response: "I will be with you." God doesn't affirm Moses' abilities, just promises to be with him.
Moses: "Suppose...God of your fathers...What is your name?"
God: I am/I will be what I am/will be - first time for the Israelites to know him as Yahweh? - gives further instructions
Moses: "What if...?"
God: I'll give signs/miracles to prove who I am - staff, hand, water/blood
Moses: Oh Lord, I can't do this, I can't speak well.
God: Who made you?! I will help you, and I will teach you.
Moses: "Oh Lord, please send someone else...."
God: his anger burned, I'll send your brother Aaron with you - he can speak well, and I will help both of you to speak and teach you what to do.
Exodus 3:1-10 - call of Moses
Who he was before the call: shepherd+, born in secret, Jewish, raised in Pharaoh's house during the Israelites' slavery in Egypt, at 40 years old moved to Midian and lived in father-in-law's household for 40 years, had connections, history, experience with the Egyptian royal court
Nature of call: drawn by his curiosity to the burning bush - God knew him, had made him, and knew how to get Moses' attention
- God called his name
- "Here I am."
- keep your distance, take off your shoes - holiness
- God identified himself to Moses as the God of his forefathers
- Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God (but later asks to see God's face) - no question of Moses' belief
- God does not say, yet, do not fear - fear in the presence of his holiness is appropriate
- God explains and proposes covenant - go and rescue my people - I know what is happening to them and I am concerned about them - I have come to rescue them and bring them out of Egypt into the land I promised they would have - I am sending you to do this
Moses' response: "Who am I..." that I should do this incredible thing??? (400 years of slavery - twice the age of the USA)
God's response: "I will be with you." God doesn't affirm Moses' abilities, just promises to be with him.
Moses: "Suppose...God of your fathers...What is your name?"
God: I am/I will be what I am/will be - first time for the Israelites to know him as Yahweh? - gives further instructions
Moses: "What if...?"
God: I'll give signs/miracles to prove who I am - staff, hand, water/blood
Moses: Oh Lord, I can't do this, I can't speak well.
God: Who made you?! I will help you, and I will teach you.
Moses: "Oh Lord, please send someone else...."
God: his anger burned, I'll send your brother Aaron with you - he can speak well, and I will help both of you to speak and teach you what to do.
the retreat - day 6 - Jan. 13, 2008 - Abram's call
From journal: up at 8:00 a.m., ate in my room, am more quiet, within myself today
fascinated, delighted with work for today - God's call - reflect on 5 calls in the OT and ponder my own call - it's so interesting to see how God worked with these men, how they lived with it
Gen. 12:1-9 - call of Abram
Who he was before the call: wealthy, married, living among family, settled, had lived 75 of his 175 years, no children, apparently close enough to God to hear and obey without hesitation
Nature of the call: a command to leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you - "will show," future tense, Abram has to leave before he sees what he's leaving for - he was able to take his possessions
God's promises/his part in the covenant:
- will show you, give you land
- will make you into great nation
- will bless you
- will make your name great
- you will be a blessing
- will bless those who bless you
- will curse those who curse you
- all peoples on earth will be blessed through you
Abram's response: "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him."
God's response: reappeared to Abram at the land he had promised and reaffirmed his promise to give the land to Abram's offspring
Abram built an altar to the Lord there, moved on and built another altar to the Lord and called on his name
Gen. 14...After Abram rescues Lot and defeats the king of K. and others, he gives one-tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek and God and refuses to be given anything except food and repayment for others involved in the battle. God appears to Abram afterward and says:
Do not fear.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.
God promises Abram heirs but also tells of their enslavement and release and other events. Covenant with fire and sacrifices is made.
fascinated, delighted with work for today - God's call - reflect on 5 calls in the OT and ponder my own call - it's so interesting to see how God worked with these men, how they lived with it
Gen. 12:1-9 - call of Abram
Who he was before the call: wealthy, married, living among family, settled, had lived 75 of his 175 years, no children, apparently close enough to God to hear and obey without hesitation
Nature of the call: a command to leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you - "will show," future tense, Abram has to leave before he sees what he's leaving for - he was able to take his possessions
God's promises/his part in the covenant:
- will show you, give you land
- will make you into great nation
- will bless you
- will make your name great
- you will be a blessing
- will bless those who bless you
- will curse those who curse you
- all peoples on earth will be blessed through you
Abram's response: "So Abram left, as the Lord had told him."
God's response: reappeared to Abram at the land he had promised and reaffirmed his promise to give the land to Abram's offspring
Abram built an altar to the Lord there, moved on and built another altar to the Lord and called on his name
Gen. 14...After Abram rescues Lot and defeats the king of K. and others, he gives one-tenth of the spoils to Melchizedek and God and refuses to be given anything except food and repayment for others involved in the battle. God appears to Abram afterward and says:
Do not fear.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.
God promises Abram heirs but also tells of their enslavement and release and other events. Covenant with fire and sacrifices is made.
favorite headline of the day
.
"Dog wash educates on disaster preparedness"
That's right, folks; forget what your momma told you about wearing clean underwear in case you're in an accident. The crucial question to ask when disaster looms is, "Are my dogs clean?!"
(Actually, they were passing out informative pamphlets and stuff at the wash.)
"Dog wash educates on disaster preparedness"
That's right, folks; forget what your momma told you about wearing clean underwear in case you're in an accident. The crucial question to ask when disaster looms is, "Are my dogs clean?!"
(Actually, they were passing out informative pamphlets and stuff at the wash.)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
old dog, new trick
Yesterday I jumped into the deep end of a pool by myself for the first time ever. My niece and nephew and sis-in-law and mom good-naturedly watched and encouraged and praised me. (Okay, niece and nephew were a bit underwhelmed, but I was glad they were there.) I learned how to swim about 4 years ago - actually, when I showed the instructor at the Y what I could do, she said I could already swim, I just didn't have any technique. I still move around in the pool a bit like a penguin with only one flipper, but I discovered I love to swim and wasn't afraid of the water anymore. Later, I figured out how to tread water in a water aerobics class. I had a brief moment of fear yesterday as I sunk into the water after the jump and didn't have anything to hold onto, but I made it. Yeah! :)
My next goal (hopefully will do this summer) is to jump off a diving board. I'm hoping my friend Sam can help me with that. The only time I've ever jumped off a board was in swimming lessons when I was 7, and I was so scared I held onto a pole with the instructors on the other end when I jumped, then literally climbed up the pole in a panic after I hit the water. Not exactly great diving technique, but I think I showed real promise as Spiderwoman.
I wonder what I'll do next? What will you do?
My next goal (hopefully will do this summer) is to jump off a diving board. I'm hoping my friend Sam can help me with that. The only time I've ever jumped off a board was in swimming lessons when I was 7, and I was so scared I held onto a pole with the instructors on the other end when I jumped, then literally climbed up the pole in a panic after I hit the water. Not exactly great diving technique, but I think I showed real promise as Spiderwoman.
I wonder what I'll do next? What will you do?
choosing - and loving - life 08/07/10
Hallelujah! The clouds are gone for now and the sun is shining and I am happy and hopeful again. What a tremendous gift it is to be able to enjoy life.
When I finished my 2008 retreat (which I'm slowly recording here) I didn't leave with many answers, but I was sure that God loved me and that he was calling me to become involved in some kind of community, in some way. I also knew that while on retreat I actually enjoyed living with the sisters - I haven't enjoyed living with people since...well, never mind. :) So I figured that a move into some type of community, whether a convent or something more informal, would happen someday. God knows I need a lot of heads up when it comes to big changes, so he let me sit with the idea for a couple of years, until I sensed the prompting last Sunday night that it was time to live with others. As an intermediate step (I think) to living in some kind of community, I will be moving in with my aunt and uncle soon. This will help me financially as well as help me get used to a different lifestyle. And I enjoyed following the open doors and discovering the path God had prepared for me in this situation.
I thought and prayed about living with aunt & uncle for several days and I discussed it with my spiritual director. After talking and praying with her, this move seemed to be the thing to explore. So I called a & u out of the blue and asked to come over. I asked them to think and pray about me moving in, and they smiled and said we already have, we were just talking about it, we don't need time to think, come on over! I love it when that happens. The other neat thing that worked out is that I'll be closer to my friend K's house, and she needs help getting her son to school one morning a week. Thanks to my aunt's kindness and flexibility, she traded days of caring for Grandpa with me and I can help K! One of the things I knew I needed and would gain from the move is a greater participation in the daily routines of life (stewardship), interacting with people more, and building new and deeper relationships with people. So K's need complements my own, and we can mutually help each other. It will be another type of family, and I'm looking forward to it.
While I suspect adjusting to this change will be hard at times, overall I am so thankful for a new, positive step to further growth and being in Christ.
When I finished my 2008 retreat (which I'm slowly recording here) I didn't leave with many answers, but I was sure that God loved me and that he was calling me to become involved in some kind of community, in some way. I also knew that while on retreat I actually enjoyed living with the sisters - I haven't enjoyed living with people since...well, never mind. :) So I figured that a move into some type of community, whether a convent or something more informal, would happen someday. God knows I need a lot of heads up when it comes to big changes, so he let me sit with the idea for a couple of years, until I sensed the prompting last Sunday night that it was time to live with others. As an intermediate step (I think) to living in some kind of community, I will be moving in with my aunt and uncle soon. This will help me financially as well as help me get used to a different lifestyle. And I enjoyed following the open doors and discovering the path God had prepared for me in this situation.
I thought and prayed about living with aunt & uncle for several days and I discussed it with my spiritual director. After talking and praying with her, this move seemed to be the thing to explore. So I called a & u out of the blue and asked to come over. I asked them to think and pray about me moving in, and they smiled and said we already have, we were just talking about it, we don't need time to think, come on over! I love it when that happens. The other neat thing that worked out is that I'll be closer to my friend K's house, and she needs help getting her son to school one morning a week. Thanks to my aunt's kindness and flexibility, she traded days of caring for Grandpa with me and I can help K! One of the things I knew I needed and would gain from the move is a greater participation in the daily routines of life (stewardship), interacting with people more, and building new and deeper relationships with people. So K's need complements my own, and we can mutually help each other. It will be another type of family, and I'm looking forward to it.
While I suspect adjusting to this change will be hard at times, overall I am so thankful for a new, positive step to further growth and being in Christ.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
fun with Grandpa - 08/04/10
Have you seen the Jimmy Dean sausage biscuit commercial where people dressed as planets can't orbit the sun until they've had their JD? They look like they're wearing big balloons. The other day, Gpa said, "I wish I had a pin so I could stick them and make them go 'pop'." He's not a grumpy old man, just a funny one.
Today as I was leaving I called down the stairs, "Bye, Grandpa!" He replied with a weak, suspiciously fake, "Ohhhh..." I called, "See you Friday!" Another weak, this time obviously fake "Ohhhhh..." I went downstairs and when he saw me he jumped and said, "Oh!" in his normal voice, then said in a baby voice, "But what about my feet? You're going to leave my feet up?" (the recliner was extended). Gpa is perfectly capable of lowering his feet himself with a little effort, or of asking Mom (who was home) to do it for him. "Oh, you poor thing," I said in a similar baby voice, and lowered his feet. Then I said in my regular tone, "You're pitiful."
"You mean handsome."
"I mean manipulative."
Earlier he'd said, "I scared myself this morning."
"How?" I asked.
"I looked in the mirror."
"Yeah, that'd scare me too if I were you."
"Ker-ri!" he scolded and laughed at the same time.
Today as I was leaving I called down the stairs, "Bye, Grandpa!" He replied with a weak, suspiciously fake, "Ohhhh..." I called, "See you Friday!" Another weak, this time obviously fake "Ohhhhh..." I went downstairs and when he saw me he jumped and said, "Oh!" in his normal voice, then said in a baby voice, "But what about my feet? You're going to leave my feet up?" (the recliner was extended). Gpa is perfectly capable of lowering his feet himself with a little effort, or of asking Mom (who was home) to do it for him. "Oh, you poor thing," I said in a similar baby voice, and lowered his feet. Then I said in my regular tone, "You're pitiful."
"You mean handsome."
"I mean manipulative."
Earlier he'd said, "I scared myself this morning."
"How?" I asked.
"I looked in the mirror."
"Yeah, that'd scare me too if I were you."
"Ker-ri!" he scolded and laughed at the same time.
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