Our Story

I've been meaning to post this link for a few weeks but kept forgetting until now.  A few weeks ago in our church we did a series called "Stories that Preach".  Each Sunday someone from the congregation told their story about how God had worked in their lives and then our pastor moved onto a sermon based on that story.  In the final week of this series Kevin and I had the chance to share part of our story.  So below is the link to the recording of our story.  Our part goes until about 13 minutes in, and after that is the sermon.  I'd love to hear what you think.

http://mrcc.ca/node/650

It's That Time...

For the past few days I've been feeling like others around me are getting into that Christmas time spirit, but that I was falling behind.  I am not sure what it is, but so far this year it isn't hitting me like it normally does.  Perhaps I'm too busy for it to catch up to me?  Perhaps this year I'm feeling more drawn to focus on different things than the regular holiday hub-bub?  Whatever is going on, I know that I love Christmas time and that I would rather not let it pass me by.  So let's kick start this thing...


Clementines...  Last night I bought a box of clementines and just the smell as I broke the skin of my first one pulled me into this time of year.


Lights...  Tonight I'm going to turn on our outdoor Christmas lights to see how they look twinkling in the evening darkness.


Music...  I just might have to dig through my shelves to find my Christmas cd's and throw them on random at full blast!


Food...  Apart from the clementines, there are other special only-at-Christmas-time foods that are bound to start making appearances.  A few examples for us are cheese ball, nuts and bolts, peanut butter balls, and Quality Street chocolates.  


Love...  This time of year can be all about me, or it can be all about others.  About taking or giving.  I choose for it to be about blessing others.

Formed

I was hanging out with a friend and a sentence that came out of our conversation struck me.  She was talking about the Chronicles of Narnia, that she read them as a child.  And she said that they formed her.  Not just that they meant a lot to her, or that she loved them, that she thought they were great stories, but she said they formed her.  A child, beginning to comprehend the beautiful character of God through the character of Aslan, seeing the bigger and deeper picture of our spiritual reality through these children's stories that are more than stories.  I love that image, of something beautiful and good being brought into her life by God to help form her.


Psalm 139 says


"¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
      and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 ¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
      Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
 ¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

      as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. "
God took care to form me (and you) inside my mother's womb, to physically create me.  But I think He also is active throughout our lives, bringing things, people, experiences into our lives to form us too.


I was thinking about this, and the various things from my childhood that helped form who I am.  I think of my parents.  The books I read as a kid.  The hours I spent playing the piano.  The close friends that did life with me.  There are so many things that helped form me.


But I realized that I am still being formed.  God is still guiding me, directing me, and putting the right elements into my path to help form me into the woman of God that he wants me to be.  And its still through a lot of the same kinds of things.  New songs that grip me with the significance of their words and open my heart to my Lord in a new way.  Books that uncover greater understanding of how to tackle life in a Christ honoring and Kingdom bringing way.  Old and new friends that listen to me and prompt me to make wise decisions.  


I am thankful to be clay in God's hands.

Sunday Morning

This morning I am thankful for...

• A beautiful, clear blue sky that is lighting up early with the sun's warm rays
• Sweet and crunchy red grapes
• The anticipation of singing and hearing God's word today with my church family
• Good food and good conversation shared with good friends
• The patient and loving man I get to do life with
• God's pursuit of us

Do not forget

This morning I was reading in Deuteronomy 8.  Moses is reminding the people of Israel where they have come from - slavery, wilderness, testing - and where they are going - the promised land, prosperity, security.  And he says to them, "Do not forget the Lord your God."  When you are fully saved from the hardships you have had to endure, when you are living satisfied and blessed, do not forget God. 

But they, and we, have a tendency to forget. 

I love God's heart pouring out in this text, like a father to his child, like a lover to his bride.  Remember me.  I have loved you.  I have taken care of you.  I have brought you through such hard times of pain, hunger, thirst, fear.  I have made you my own.  Remember me. 

And then at the end of the chapter, a warning - if you forget God you will be destroyed.  And though there are definitely undertones of a God-wrath type of destruction, I think it also speaks to purely the cause and effect of forgetting God.

When we think that we have earned all the good things in our life ourselves, when we get proud and forget that on our own, we can actually do nothing, that pride will destroy us.  When we forget His sustaining grace and power, we begin to be drawn to other things that will destroy us. 

God longs for us to walk with Him, to remember His hand of guidance and continue living in it.  Do not forget the Lord your God.

Business matters...

Just a few notes about changes to my blog... 

I recently added an "about" page and a new section of the blog called "Rhythm in the Kitchen".  I feel like "The Rhythms of Grace" is primarily about exploring and celebrating living for God in various aspects of life.  I wanted a fun little place to also explore and celebrate my love for cooking and baking, showing pictures of my culinary endeavours and stories to go along with them.  I hope its fun to read.

I also have heard that people have trouble making comments.  Maybe this is true, or maybe no one is trying to make comments.  As far as I can tell there is no issues when you try to comment as "anonymous", and add your name if you want me to know who you are.

I feel blessed that people even read my writing! 

Love Jess

In short spurts

At our church we recieve a weekly email giving ideas of things to pray for.  This past week our Pastor, Amanda, started with these words:

Whether you pray in the morning or the evening, for a long time or in short spurts, with words or in silence, off the cuff or with ancient words, alone or with others, remember that:

"The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

- From our friend, Paul, in Philippians 4:5a-7

I really needed to hear those words, and they have stayed with me throughout the past few days. 

Often when I think of my "prayer life" I have felt discouraged.  I am not a warrior of prayer that finds it possible to dedicate large chunks of time to prayer.  When I pray it is often just in some of the ways that Amanda described it - in short spurts, alone and without the right words. 

But a few years ago I started thinking of prayer not as daily requirement of the Christian life, but more a part of walking with God, living in awareness of Him.  Prayer sometimes means purposely stopping and laying my heart out before Him.  Prayer sometimes means crying out in the intensity of a moment for help, for guidance.  Prayer sometimes means being filled with endless words describing His awesome character and faithfulness, and sometimes it means being quiet and just resting in Him.  Prayer is sometimes a quick remembrance or sometimes a long discussion.

He is not judging me based on how I pray.  He is near; He cares.  He is filled with joy when I come to Him, talk with Him, listen to Him, trust Him enough to ask Him for help. 

Prayer is talking with God about what's on my heart, and talking with God about what's on His heart.  Asking for Him to be present in my pain, my joy, my questions.  Asking to be present with Him in His work, His love, His story-telling.