So, the initiating of a mini-project has really helped kick start the dual intentions of exploring what it means to be in constant conversation with God and being more disciplined about writing.
I have felt encouraged each day and have had a productive time at work - though exceptionally busy, I have found it significantly easier to complete tasks that have been outstanding for a while and obtain that sense of satisfaction that comes with marking a item on the list as finished with a large, glorious tick!
Today I have managed to finish writing the entry for the writing competition, it may yet need a few tweaks but it is in enough of a complete state to be sent in next week, way ahead of the 27th Feb deadline!
I don't think it will win, but it has shown me that I can start getting ideas on to paper and not wait for the creative urge or being in the right mood.
The positive mood has been helped by the extended period of sunshine we've enjoyed today. I don't dislike the winter at all, I think it's important to have those bleak days, so we fully appreciate the spring when it comes. Besides, it's important to experience the melancholy that can accompany those dull days, not to wallow in sadness but allow ourselves the freedom to explore more low key emotions without fear, when more significant disasters occur, I think it makes it easier to find hope, knowing that this too shall pass.
On this note I end my 7 day blogging stint, I think it's unlikely that I will be able to blog everyday but am aiming for a couple of times a week to keep the momentum up!
The skin and the bone
A collection of book reviews, creative ideas and thoughts on life.
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Constant Conversation - Day 6
The lent reading passage was a little trickier to draw things from today, it was essentially covering the calling of the first four disciples. I did try briefly to imagine what it would have been like spending those three years in Jesus company, did they have any idea of the impact their story would have? I'm afraid my mind then wandered off into a daydream about something wholly unconnected! Having a vivid imagination is a lovely creative thing, however when unchecked, I can create an alternate reality before you can say Harry Potter, which is not entirely helpful.
However as I was writing in my journal, recording a response to the passage, the thought did occur to me, that as I am Jesus disciple then I am in His company all day, so should I just concentrate on exploring that?
Sometimes these things are so obvious..........
However as I was writing in my journal, recording a response to the passage, the thought did occur to me, that as I am Jesus disciple then I am in His company all day, so should I just concentrate on exploring that?
Sometimes these things are so obvious..........
Constant Conversation - Day 5
I had another fruitful lent reading this morning and was struck by the character of John the Baptist. He must have been so secure in his identity and confident of the revelation he received to be certain the Jesus was the Messiah. It did make me wonder how he got to that point - what did he see in scripture that inspired him? As John himself states that he must decrease as Jesus increases, then it is easy just to see him as a character in the story whose role is fleeting but I think he is more than that. We aren't shown much of his back story in the bible but it's worth thinking about, even if only to allow my imagination to fill in the gaps.
It's interesting that the part of Isiah that the phrase ' I am one crying in the desert' which John quotes, comes from the passage Comfort, comfort my people and mentions the coming of the Lamb.
On a practical level I received an answer to prayer. Having moved to temporary accommodation in November I haven't had a satisfactory resolution as to what to do with my BT account. The contract didn't expire until June this year and, as there is no way of telling when I would have a new permanent home, the account was in limbo. This wasn't ideal as they don't really have a facility for that and so I kept getting stuck in a loop of having an engineer booked, then cancelling. I was really concerned that if I cancelled, the charge would run to nearly £200. However today I finally got through to the right people, the account is cancelled and the charge is around £70 which is manageable. The people I spoke to were really helpful and understanding. It seems like a small thing but has lifted a weight from my shoulders - having been in debt for a long time, money issues can make me panic somewhat so knowing that this is resolved is a real blessing
It's interesting that the part of Isiah that the phrase ' I am one crying in the desert' which John quotes, comes from the passage Comfort, comfort my people and mentions the coming of the Lamb.
On a practical level I received an answer to prayer. Having moved to temporary accommodation in November I haven't had a satisfactory resolution as to what to do with my BT account. The contract didn't expire until June this year and, as there is no way of telling when I would have a new permanent home, the account was in limbo. This wasn't ideal as they don't really have a facility for that and so I kept getting stuck in a loop of having an engineer booked, then cancelling. I was really concerned that if I cancelled, the charge would run to nearly £200. However today I finally got through to the right people, the account is cancelled and the charge is around £70 which is manageable. The people I spoke to were really helpful and understanding. It seems like a small thing but has lifted a weight from my shoulders - having been in debt for a long time, money issues can make me panic somewhat so knowing that this is resolved is a real blessing
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Constant Conversation - Day 4
Having the Lent readings really helped today. It gave me a great focus for the morning and felt that I experienced more of a dialogue during the time I spent reading the bible.
The process we're encouraged to follow for the readings, is first to pray that God would give us fresh insight to the selected scripture, read the passage slowly pausing if something catches our attention, allow some time to think, imagining ourselves in the position of one of the characters, chew over the story, ask questions, then write down any insights or challenges and finally respond in prayer.
We are working through John's Gospel and I've really fallen in love with the opening verse - In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God - there is so much to meditate on just in that one verse (and it's easy to remember so can be mulled over all day!)
However, I was struck by John the Baptist statement later on in verse 15 'he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me' It reminded me of the majesty of Jesus and, though He is our friend, is also God in all His glory and my attitude should reflect that.
It is encouraging to be challenged by scripture and feel that there was an interaction with God at the start of the day. I confess that I was so busy at work today that it left little time to think but I think that's OK. Giving work a 100% commitment is a reflection of doing all things in praise and worship to Him - I was conscious of my attitude throughout the day - making an effort not to be grumpy or snappish and dealing with irritations in a calm manner!
The process we're encouraged to follow for the readings, is first to pray that God would give us fresh insight to the selected scripture, read the passage slowly pausing if something catches our attention, allow some time to think, imagining ourselves in the position of one of the characters, chew over the story, ask questions, then write down any insights or challenges and finally respond in prayer.
We are working through John's Gospel and I've really fallen in love with the opening verse - In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God - there is so much to meditate on just in that one verse (and it's easy to remember so can be mulled over all day!)
However, I was struck by John the Baptist statement later on in verse 15 'he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me' It reminded me of the majesty of Jesus and, though He is our friend, is also God in all His glory and my attitude should reflect that.
It is encouraging to be challenged by scripture and feel that there was an interaction with God at the start of the day. I confess that I was so busy at work today that it left little time to think but I think that's OK. Giving work a 100% commitment is a reflection of doing all things in praise and worship to Him - I was conscious of my attitude throughout the day - making an effort not to be grumpy or snappish and dealing with irritations in a calm manner!
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
Constant Conversation - Day 3
Well, I tried on and off all day to be in conversation with God and felt quite tense about the fact I couldn't seem to hear anything! However, I then had a sense that maybe I should just relax - it's something I struggle with being admin minded and a lover of the 'to do' list, Time and again I am reminded that spending time with friends isn't something on my to do list, so why is God?
Eventually driving on the way home, I had a bit of a break through, whilst on the usual circular though path of worry about debt, I felt prompted to break some ties with certain aspects of my thinking and acknowledge that God is my provider - a challenge and encouragement!
So the day has ended positively and though hesitant to say that I'm excited about the lent readings starting tomorrow (that may be exaggerating just a teensy bit) there is a definite whiff of pleasant anticipation in the air! My hope is that with a verse in mind to mull over I will have a focal point for the day.
Eventually driving on the way home, I had a bit of a break through, whilst on the usual circular though path of worry about debt, I felt prompted to break some ties with certain aspects of my thinking and acknowledge that God is my provider - a challenge and encouragement!
So the day has ended positively and though hesitant to say that I'm excited about the lent readings starting tomorrow (that may be exaggerating just a teensy bit) there is a definite whiff of pleasant anticipation in the air! My hope is that with a verse in mind to mull over I will have a focal point for the day.
Monday, 11 February 2013
Constant conversation - Day 2
In order to engage in the constant conversation we need to 'wake up', that is to clear away the clutter and noise in our lives, waking up to the reality that despite the distractions we can choose to know that God is there. The aim is to be aware of the inner dialogue rather than the internal monologue.
I started the day with good intentions but became stuck on the question 'why don't I attempt to listen to God?' Partly it seems that I imagine God is going to tell me bad news, or challenging things that I don't want to hear. The answer in the inner dialogue was why do I think that, perhaps that should be explored, at this point, I'm afraid, I got distracted by work and no conclusion was forthcoming. Still it has given me a starting point for tomorrow!
I started the day with good intentions but became stuck on the question 'why don't I attempt to listen to God?' Partly it seems that I imagine God is going to tell me bad news, or challenging things that I don't want to hear. The answer in the inner dialogue was why do I think that, perhaps that should be explored, at this point, I'm afraid, I got distracted by work and no conclusion was forthcoming. Still it has given me a starting point for tomorrow!
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Constant Conversation - Day 1
Shockingly, I haven't posted anything here since last August! It isn't as if there is a lack of things for me to say, just more an absence of habit or motivation. Still, if I am ever to come anywhere near my dream of being a writer then I do actually need to string a sentence together on the odd occasion. In an effort to overcome the stumbling blocks of excuses, I have engaged in a 3 prong attack on my procrastinating tendencies.
Firstly I am booked on to a writing seminar for an evening at the end of Feb, secondly, will be entering a writing competition to write the first 500 words of a story and finally have given myself this seven day mini project (Constant Conversation) to start the proverbial ball rolling.
Constant Conversation was the title of a lecture I attended yesterday as part of my role as a mentor on the C.S Lewis Institute Fellows Programme (a ten month discipleship programme which I was a student on last year).
The topic was prayer and the speaker, rather than go through reasons and practical tips to enhance the Christian prayer life, focused on 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18, specifically, the phrase pray continually.
This was not an attempt to replace the traditional idea of a daily quiet time when reading of the word and praying at a regular time, but an encouragement to living in constant conversation with God, a conversation which shouldn't be one sided. The hope is that this change of perspective will facilitate real growth in prayer.
The first verse of John's gospel - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God - may suggest that if Jesus is the Word and Jesus is God, then God is communication and therefore there should always be something that we can hear from God.
This was a challenge to me, as given the traumas of the last couple of months and continuing difficulties my prayer life as mainly consisted of me asking God to intervene and change but very little, if any, time listening.
So, I have decided to put into practice the idea of constant conversation this coming week and post my experiences. Our church lent readings start this week so fortunately there is a theme for me to meditate on!
Just a thought on meditation to finish, if you are able to worry, then you can meditate, as essentially meditating on scripture is turning the verse over and over in your mind!
P.S I've changed the title of the blog as the previous one was a little twee, so As Yet Untitled is the working title!
Firstly I am booked on to a writing seminar for an evening at the end of Feb, secondly, will be entering a writing competition to write the first 500 words of a story and finally have given myself this seven day mini project (Constant Conversation) to start the proverbial ball rolling.
Constant Conversation was the title of a lecture I attended yesterday as part of my role as a mentor on the C.S Lewis Institute Fellows Programme (a ten month discipleship programme which I was a student on last year).
The topic was prayer and the speaker, rather than go through reasons and practical tips to enhance the Christian prayer life, focused on 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 - 18, specifically, the phrase pray continually.
This was not an attempt to replace the traditional idea of a daily quiet time when reading of the word and praying at a regular time, but an encouragement to living in constant conversation with God, a conversation which shouldn't be one sided. The hope is that this change of perspective will facilitate real growth in prayer.
The first verse of John's gospel - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God - may suggest that if Jesus is the Word and Jesus is God, then God is communication and therefore there should always be something that we can hear from God.
This was a challenge to me, as given the traumas of the last couple of months and continuing difficulties my prayer life as mainly consisted of me asking God to intervene and change but very little, if any, time listening.
So, I have decided to put into practice the idea of constant conversation this coming week and post my experiences. Our church lent readings start this week so fortunately there is a theme for me to meditate on!
Just a thought on meditation to finish, if you are able to worry, then you can meditate, as essentially meditating on scripture is turning the verse over and over in your mind!
P.S I've changed the title of the blog as the previous one was a little twee, so As Yet Untitled is the working title!
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