Push me into the spring

Song of Solomon 2:12

THINK

The miracles that have already happened are, of course, as Scripture so often says, the first fruits of that cosmic summer which is presently coming on. Christ has risen, and so we shall rise. St Peter for a few seconds walked on the water; and the day will come when there will be a re-made universe, infinitely obedient to the will of glorified and obedient men, when we can do all things, when we shall be those gods that we are described as being in Scripture. To be sure, it feels wintry enough still: but often in the very early spring it feels like that. Two thousand years are only a day or two by this scale. A man really ought to say, ‘The Resurrection happened two thousand years ago’ in the same spirit in which he says, ‘I saw a crocus yesterday.’ Because we know what is coming behind the crocus. The spring comes slowly down this way; but the great thing is that the corner has been turned. There is, of course, this difference, that in the natural spring the crocus cannot choose whether it will respond or not. We can. We have the power either of withstanding the spring, and sinking back into the cosmic winter, or of going on into those ‘high mid-summer pomps’ in which our Leader, the Son of man, already dwells, and to which He is calling us. It remains with us to follow or not, to die in this winter, or to go on into that spring and that summer. C S Lewis God in the Dock (emphasis mine)

PRAY

This spring has been slow to fully flower, God. There is the pull to sink back into the cosmic winter. And yet, the earth is bursting forth with unrelenting hope. If I just let myself look, I see it around each corner--the greening of the leaves, the flowers standing steadfastly in the chilly air (and perhaps lasting a bit longer for it), song bursting forth from birds happy again in our trees. Keep calling me! And push a me a bit, too, on into the spring...

ACT

Get dirt under your fingernails today or jump in a puddle or blow bubbles or sit outside at a cafe. Do something that absolutely, determinedly celebrates spring. And if you are a friend from another hemisphere, well, then, celebrate the real new life that is the Resurrection, even as your autumn gathers...Whatever you do, it's the season of singing and it has come!

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

in awe at your wonders

THINK

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy. (Psalm 65:8)

PRAY

Sing to me in bold letters and italics, God. I want to hear You burst into song. There you are, in the sunrises and the sunsets and the trees suddenly turned green. Let me be ever more aware, ever more in awe. 

ACT

Karoline asked me to take the long way home the other day. She wanted to watch the sunset over the lake. I readily agreed and we pulled over to take in the light show. I gave her my phone and told her she could take as many pictures as she wanted. She did and they are gorgeous, but they don't begin to capture the real thing. 

This weekend, be filled with awe at His wonders.

photo credit: Karoline Foss

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

The Gift of a Meal

I'm sharing over at Blessed is She today. Take a #morningrun over there and then come back here. I've got a recipe for that long-remembered salad. 

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Salad

1 bag (10 oz) mixed baby greens or Italian-blend salad greens

1 medium Granny Smith apple, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup seedless red grapes cut in half

1/2 red onion sliced very thinly

2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese (2 oz)

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted

In a small bowl, beat vinaigrette ingredients which a wire whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, toss salad ingredients with vinaigrette just before serving.

If You Need a Nap

THINK

Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
    don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well,
    they’ll keep you fit and attractive.
You’ll travel safely,
    you’ll neither tire nor trip.
You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry,
    you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
    or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
    he’ll keep you safe and sound. (The Message, Proverbs 21-26)

PRAY

Dear Jesus, You know I'm tired. And you know that when I am tired I'm not clear-headed. I'm not patient. I'm not prudent. I have very little sense at all. Please override every system in my body that is telling me to press on now and sleep later. Dear God, please propel me towards a nap and then, tonight, a good night's sleep.

ACT

It's common sense to sleep when you're tired and to eat when you're hungry. Why do we think that the more intense our life is, the more we should press on around common sense and cheat clear thinking? Seriously, sleep. You'll be glad you did and so will everyone around you. 

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.

Gift of Grace

THINK

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

Grace. What is it, really? Do we know what it is and how it moves in our lives? We should.

noun \ˈgrās\

a  :  unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b  :  a virtue coming from God c  :  a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace 

Have you ever purchased, wrapped, and given what you thought was the perfect gift? You eagerly await the moment when the intended recipient will open it and you are just a little giddy at how happy you know they'll be. Then, the big day arrives; and it's opened and cast aside with a pile of other gifts, nothing special noted, nothing special done with it.

You are crestfallen.

I wonder if that's how God feels about grace. He gives it freely to us--all we have to do is open the gift. Upon opening, if we are are willing to cooperate in His big gift-giving, we are suffused with Divine Assistance. I like the word "suffused." It's as if grace is light or golden liquid that fills every crevice of our being. We should dance for joy.

But lots of times we don't.

Instead, we worry. We worry that we don't deserve the gift given--that we're not good enough. But grace is undeserved! It's a gift; it's not a prize. Similarly, we worry that there won't be enough, that we can't earn enough favor with God to get our fill. We think we can't be good long enough or consistently enough to fill our tanks with grace every moment of every day. We have a scarcity mentality about grace, as if god were a stingy giver.

But that's not how grace works. 

He keeps giving it. Just ask.

And then, don't put it on shelf with the gifts too precious to use every day. 

Enjoy grace. 

Really. It's OK. You're allowed to inhale God's grace with every breath you take and you're allowed--no, encouraged--to actually enjoy it. Life isn't a drudgery of striving to merit God's abundant love. Life is a gift to be lived in the grace that overflows from the fullness of that love. 

PRAY

God, please grant me the grace to know your grace and to enjoy it with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. 

ACT

Just for today, make a list of all the times you notice grace in your life. Watch for it, welcome it, and enjoy it. 

Share your grace moments here, with us?

~*~*~*~

If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.