Robin's Reflections

Yesterday I started my day with asking God what He wanted me to "do" today.  I was telling Him that I was ready to go and accomplish whatever He had ready for me-I mean He did send us all the way over here to Peru!  I was sitting quietly listening and I felt His presence tell me that as Americans, we are often in too much of a hurry to check "things" off our list.  Perhaps we are addicted to our feeling of accomplishments.   He softly told me He wanted me to "be" today....be gracious, be kind....you fill in the blank. How often do I work at "being"?...not near as much as I think about "doing."  I know that both are important-which is why "The God of Intimacy and Action" is one of my favorite books.  I then remembered one of my favorite excerpts for Phillip Yancey's, "Reaching for the Invisible God."  Read the excerpt below. '"I have visited Calcutta, India, a place of poverty, death and irremed...

Have you ever been treated unfairly?  Something that you know you don't deserve...spouse, co-worker, family member...relationships are difficult.  No doubt about it. Did Jesus ever encounter people treating him unjustly?  What was his response... I Peter 2:23 "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats." Well, that's nice-I'll just be a doormat and explode like a volcano in a few months from now. No, wait, there is more to this verse... ..."INSTEAD, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." How do you do that?  For me it is quietly retreating and pouring out my heart and my side of the story to God.  Sometimes I feel His comfort and peace.  Sometimes I feel Him nudging me to go back and love some more.  And sometimes I feel his encouragement to speak a few words of truth, He helps me add the love that I would miss if I spoke those words on my own.  I am so glad I know this Ju...

I have been looking forward to the upcoming Lent season.  I had already made up my mind that I was going to have an hour of silence per day as suggested by one of my daughter's friends.  Although silence is somewhat lacking in my life and would take effort to obtain, it was something that I was eagerly anticipating.    This morning I woke up and God asked me for something  completely different.   " The Lord is my Shepherd ...I shall not want ."  That's it.   My forty days are to be spent worshiping and praising my God and King- NO asking.  Contentment.  Resting. The thoughts came quickly and strongly this morning-I shared them with my husband-his first reaction was similar to mine... not this month, we have to work hard at fund raising for our trip to Peru and that includes praying, pleading to God for financial support... we will still discuss our trip and plans with others...but for God and me, this Lent season is to b...

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul . Do I need to add anything?  God's word is beautiful, Amen.

How often does this little tiny statement rule what I do?  More often than I realize.  Think about it, from buying a nice car or home, to buying a coffee.  There are so many things that I just do because I can...but does this mean that I should?  Has freedom and money really given me more?  Or does it just steal from my dependence on asking God...for those seemingly simple choices that we just do because we can...we greedily ask, take and go for the largest, biggest that our pocketbook or time allows.  Is this really what God desires for me?  Lord slow me down enough to ask you...is this what you want for me?  

Today was one of my beautiful daughter's birthday.  She turned 20.  I was so very fortunate to get to take her out to coffee.  Where else other than Starbucks?  As we sipped on our coffee, I pulled out a book I recently picked up from a used bookstore, entitled IF2.  It is full of 500plus questions.  I opened it up and this question leaped from the page and I read it out loud to my daughter, "If God were to come down and whisper in your ear, what would you like him to say?"  She gave me a wonderful answer that God had actually whispered to her during a quiet time awhile back.  She then turned the question on me.  I couldn't even answer, my eyes immediately started to tear.  It wasn't only that I couldn't answer because I would break out in a full out sob in the middle of Starbucks, but I honestly didn't even know the answer.  So,  she kindly went on to some of the lighter questions and after we finished our coffee,  I le...

I got in my car the other day after my son, proud owner of a new license, had driven.   My seat and mirrors all needed readjusted.  It got me to thinking about some people who say the past isn't important and that we only need to look and move ahead.  While a part of me agrees with this, I know in my spirit that our past affects us more than we care to admit.  Which makes me wonder about how much time we should spend dealing with the past. Are our pasts like a rear-view mirror?  Do they warrant some attention?  I think so.  May you spend some time this New Year's Eve, thinking about the past.  Not to live or stay there.  Look and reflect so that your  parking lot maneuvers (everyday living),  turning, changing lanes and acceleration forward can be done with knowledge of obstacles that may need addressed for more confident  and productive driving (living).

My Dad reads the story of Jesus' birth every Christmas Eve.  I like to close my eyes while he's reading and picture the story unfolding.  This year as he was reading I was struck with the Shepherds and Magi...two total different cultures and life styles, each called to the newborn king.  We are told that it actually took the Magi over three years to follow the star and arrive to worship Jesus.  The shepherds were visited by angels and found baby Jesus while he was still in the manager that night.  A thought occurred to me.  Could we actually be somewhat like the magi?  Is it possible that money and intelligence slows our journey to Christ?

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse , nor his delight in the legs of a man ; the LORD delights in those who fear him,  who put their hope in his unfailing love." I came across this verse a few years ago and it made me laugh out loud.  And then it became a comfort to me when I realized that God isn't too impressed with power and busyness! strength of a horse=POWER legs of a man=BUSYNESS These things are so important in our culture...ahh, but God delights in ME when I am more focused on honoring Him, and trusting in His love. (UNFAILING LOVE)

So, we're headed to Peru for a two year mission trip and told that we need to pack everything we'll need in two suitcases.  That's two suitcases for two years.  Well, we have a 4 bedroom house.  So, I've been trying to think about what I really want in these two suitcases.  In fact, every time I go to the store now, I have to filter it thru these two suitcases.  It has really cut down on my spending, which makes me think...Is God up there trying to get our attention?  Hey, you're coming to heaven soon, do you really need all that "stuff"? 

"Attention is the most concrete expression of love.  What we pay attention to thrives.  What we do not pay attention to withers and dies.  What will you pay attention to today?" I came across this quote this morning while reading. Although I don't completely agree with Zen I found this worth pondering and applying.  (Hand Wash Cold, by Karen Miller http://www.karenmaezenmiller.com/blog )

In God We Trust To be human is to experience broken trust. As I look at my title, it makes me sad to think how far our country has strayed from having a "firm reliance" on God. But whenever I view "my country", I have to turn the view finder back to myself, for I am a small piece of this vast, multifaceted country. What happens when we lose trust in one we love? Or maybe worse yet, lose trust in ourselves? Usually we are sent rushing to our foundation-to see where our trust ultimately lies...people, things, family, technology...ourselves? I lost trust in myself...I failed myself in a way that I never dreamed I would. If I can't do this, And i believed I absolutely could...then who can I trust...NO ONE...ugh. Then i lost trust in a close friend...and again in my own protection, that I thought I was providing...who can I trust...no one...can I even trust God's protection? I know I must...even though I don't understand it. I cr...

"She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face.  It would have been an old look for a child of twelve, and Sara Crewe was only seven.  The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember anytime she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to.  She felt as if she had lived a long, long time.  She was slim, rather tall for her age...her eyes were greenish gray...though she herself did not like the color of them, many other people did...she was not at all elated by Miss Minchin's flattery."   And so begins one of my favorite childhood books, "The Little Princess."  As a child I immediately felt attached to Sara Crewe, feeling the description written about her was also about myself.  However, one difference between myself and Sara was the time I spent cr...

Just 2 weeks ago I was faced with this question: " What question would Jesus ask of me if he were sitting with me across the small table, looking intently into my eyes?" He knows my life…in fact he knows more about me than I do…he created me, my heart…the Elohiem. We know that Jesus asked a lot of questions of people when he was here on earth…why?? He already knows all the answers. The first question God asks in the Bible is in Genesis 3:9 “Where are you?” He is searching for Adam and Eve. Does he know where they are? Yes. Maybe He wants us to know that He wants us, He wants to dialogue with us. So, if the Creator of the universe were to ask you, "Where are you?", what would your answer be? Imagine the Creator of You, (not a stranger) sitting across from you, asking you questions. What would He be asking? He's waiting to spend some intimate moments with YOU!